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Fallbrook Village Rotary celebrates 25th anniversary

FALLBROOK — On September 19 the Fallbrook Village Rotary celebrated its 25th anniversary. The event was held at the Palomares House because of its history, as well as all the hands-on work the club did in helping to restore the structure.

The program began with music provided by Gordon Stone’s Stone House Band, appetizers and beverages. Current president Steve Achard began the celebration as a normal Rotary meeting by “ringing the bell.” Invocation was given by Paul Leehey and John Crawford led the pledge to the flag.

The club presented Vince Ross an Outstanding Citizen award and County Supervisor Bill Horn declared the day be dedicated to the Fallbrook Village Rotary, then presented the award to Achard and charter president Vince Ross.

Numerous fellow Rotarians from the Fallbrook club were introduced by their current president, Tom Koeler.

Village Rotary was honored to have dignitaries such as Supervisor Horn and a member of his staff in attendance as well as the commanding officer of Marine Squadron HMM 364, Lt. Col. Robert Boucher, and his wife, Julie; Melanie Finnegan, the squadron’s family readiness officer, and her husband; and Kara Morin, commanding general’s secretary/protocol specialist, Marine Corps Installations West.

They were also honored to have guests from Rotary District 5340: governor Marge Cole, governor elect Dave Breeding and chief of staff Larry Sundram.

Ross recounted some of the highlights of the club over the past 25 years, supporting causes such as the Rotary polio eradication program, beautification efforts, radio station fundraising, community tree plantings, the Paul Harris Foundation, the Marine Corps Wounded Warriors program, adopting military battalions, refurbishment of Palomares House, Stagecoach Sunday, Dornon Games, Arts in the Park, the Gourd Festival and the Avocado Festival.

Foundation chairman Jack Acomb presented Wallace Tucker with the highest honor Rotary can bestow, the Paul Harris Award for outstanding contributions to the Fallbrook community.

It was explained that Tucker deserved the award for “the tremendous amount of time and effort he has put into making the community a better place in which to live.”

Past presidents recounted some of their favorite memories from when they served in the leadership position for the organization and Achard closed the meeting by ringing the new Rotary Bell, retiring the original bell, which had rung at their meetings for 25 years.

 

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