Current activities, 4/15/2013, from Pete Miller: 

"Our Rotarian friends in La Plata are coming in June or July.  Jimeno, Gladys, Emilia, and Emilia's two daughters are expected in this group.  In preparation, ten of us have begun taking a Spanish class.  

We continue to meet monthly plus an additional skype call to La Plata.   We have two grants in the works.  One is for a park that includes playground equipment, sidewalks, and lighting.  The park will be completed this summer.  The other, is for an ultra sound for the community hospital.  

Much more work and fun ahead.  Mucho trabajo y ...  ... come si dice "fun"?." 

Several members of the Newberg Early Bird and Sherwood Rotary Clubs International Committee traveled to LaPlata, Columbia Fall 2012, bringing the water filter project and helping to build several units. Fall 2011 the club's established a relationship with the local LaPlata Rotary Club for ongoing service projects. Our club designed and built a sturdy steel form to cast the concrete case for the water filtration units. The CAWST BioSand filter is an open source program used widely around the world to help address clean water. 

LaPlata was established 1651 and has 58,000 people. They produce good quality coffee, cattle and other agricutlural products.Local Rotary club members are impressed that our club members visited their area in addition to our interest in donating towards local projects.

Our club is interested in projects we can participate in on the ground as well as donating funding. Projects needed include:

• Water filtration - local club members and residents learn how to build household units.
• Playground in a poor neighborhood.
• An ultrasound machine for the new local hospital.
• Reforestation.
• A mobile classroom.
• A school bus for outlying studyents.
• Additional medical clinic.