The Mothball Fleet in the Hudson (Aired on July 31, 2022)

Tony Musso, freelance journalist and weekly columnist at the Poughkeepsie Journal, joins the Radio Rotary team for a discussion of his latest book, Mothball Fleet on the Hudson: The Post-World War II National Defense Reserve. Many residents and visitors crossing the Hudson on the Bear Mountain Bridge in the 1950s or 1960s have seen the flotilla of warships lined up along the river and wondered what they were there for. Musso, the principal chronicler of Hudson Valley historical sites, tells the story in his new book. Many listeners are likely to be familiar with his earlier 3-volume series, “Hidden Treasures of the Hudson Valley,” his regular “Dateline” columns in Gannett newspapers, his tours of historic sites, and his frequent appearances as a speaker on historical topics. Most of these will be discussed in this wide-ranging interview.

Learn More:
Tony Musso’s Website: https://mussobooks.com/
Hidden Treasures of the Hudson Valley: https://www.amazon.com/Hidden-Treasures-Hudson-Valley-Anthony/dp/061554892X/ref=sr_1_1?crid=C3AZF4C85RJA&keywords=hidden+treasures+of+the+hudson+valley&qid=1659630967&s=books&sprefix=hidden+treatures+of+the+hudson+valey%2Cstripbooks%2C65&sr=1-1
United States Navy Reserve Fleets: https://military-history.fandom.com/wiki/United_States_Navy_reserve_fleets

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August 15, 2022 · Posted in History, Hudson Valley, Travel  

Rotarian Climbs Everest–Partway (Aired January 4 and 5, 2020)

New Paltz Rotarian Laura Rooney has had many adventures all over the world, but she still had
Mount Everest on her “bucket list” until recently when she turned 50 and thought it was time to
get on with it. Not quite true mountain climbers, some 40,000 persons each year hike far up
Everest with no desire to use the special equipment most climbers need to reach the 27,000-ft-
high peak—Everest Base Camp is high enough, at 17,500 feet, for serious hikers; it is some
3,000 feet higher than the highest peak in the lower 48 states. Ms. Rooney describes what it is
like to fly into Lukla, Nepal, arriving at the most dangerous airport in the world. Then, with
Sherpas as guides, she walked 4 or 5 miles for 8 days up the mountain for a rise in elevation of
8,000 more feet to reach Everest Base Camp, spending the nights in various villages or camps
along the way. She was part of a small group of 15 trekkers who slept on mats in small dome
tents. When they reached Everest Base Camp, they were living on a glacier. Being a Rotarian,
she got people to sponsor her hike by donating to the New Paltz Rotary’s BackPack Program,
and she wore ribbons honoring the contributors on her own backpack as she climbed. Downhill
was easier, only a 4-day hike.

Learn more
New Paltz Rotary Club: https://www.newpaltzrotary.org/
Tenzing-Hillary Airport in Lukla: https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidnikel/2019/07/20/lukla-the-worlds-most-dangerous-airport/-36e71e064a1a
Everest Base Camp Trek: https://ebctrekguide.com/
Living at Everest Base Camp: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/adventure/2019/05/everest-base-camp-daily-life/

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January 20, 2020 · Posted in Rotary Club Projects, Travel  

Youth Experiences Abroad: Germany (Aired on August 17 and 18, 2019)

RadioRotary co-hosts Sarah O’Connell–Claitor and Jonah Triebwasser interview
Millbrook High School student Joe Richard about his year spent in Germany as
part of the Rotary Youth Exchange Program. Participants are generally high-
school students and are sponsored by a Rotary Club to spend a school year
abroad in a country with a different language from their native tongue, living with
local families and attending a local school. Mr. Richard lived with three different
families and attended school in Lüneburg, Germany, a small city 35 miles
southeast of Hamburg. Mr. Richard, who plays the tenor saxophone, not only
joined his school’s big swing band, but also became a part of several local
ensembles, helping him assimilate as he also learned German, his coursework,
and the customs of Germany.

Learn more:
Rotary Youth Exchange: https://www.rotary.org/en/our-programs/youth-exchanges
Lüneburg, Germany: https://wikitravel.org/en/Lüneburg
Millbrook Rotary (sponsor of Joe Richard): https://millbrookrotary.org

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September 16, 2019 · Posted in Education, International Exchanges, Travel, Youth  

Older Peace Corps Volunteer (Aired on June 15 and 16, 2019)

RadioRotary interviews Kathy Sanderson, who decided at age 61 to join the
Peace Corps after she became a widow “and the children left and the dog died.”
After preliminary training, Ms. Sanderson was stationed on the island of Vanua
Lava, among the larger of the 82 islands that make up the nation of Vanuatu in
the South Pacific, a 3-hour airplane trip west of Australia. Having been a
mathematics teacher in the United State, Ms. Sanderson’s assignment was to
teach arithmetic and algebra to about 200 middle-school students. Vanuatu is
part of the British Commonwealth, so classes were in English, although students
also spoke a form of pidgin English among themselves. Although she loved her
students, the actual school was not in very good shape and there were also local
hazards, such as centipedes and spiders. Because electricity was on and off, she
became used to rising at dawn and going to bed at sunset. A fascinating program
that may make you want to sign up for the Peace Corps, whatever your age.

Learn more:
Peace Corps Opportunities: https://www.peacecorps.gov/
Vanuatu: http://thecommonwealth.org/our-member-countries/vanuatu
Life on Vanua Lava where Kathy Taught: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M6fxuecfr38

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June 28, 2019 · Posted in Aging, Education, International Programs, Travel, Volunteers  

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