President Edeth James’ Quote of the Day: “In the end, the number of prayers we say may contribute to our happiness, but the number of prayers we answer may be of even greater importance.” - Dieter F. Uchtdorf
Our guests today were Ramsey County Commissioner Mary Jo McGuire and Peter Grafstrom from the Metropolitan Council.
See your email for important Rotary dates or, if you prefer, you can download it here. Here are some highlights:
- April 6, 2021 (Tuesday Club Meeting) – Club Meeting/CPY LUNCHEON
- April 15, 2021 (7:00 – 8:30 PM) END HUMAN TRAFFICKING A COMMUNITY FORUM FOR ALL LEARN. UNITE. ACT. PREVENT - Human trafficking is not a new problem, but caring about it is - Join us for this free, virtual forum for students, parents, teachers, & residents. Learn about human trafficking in our community, how our students are most vulnerable, online safety, and how to spot the signs.
Sponsored by: Rotary Clubs of Arden Hills-Shoreview and New Brighton-Mounds View
The District’s “Share The Love” fundraising effort has been extended until March 6th. Please get your checks to John Ordway now (made out to the Rotary Foundation) to take advantage of matching Paul Harris recognition points. If you donate online, please let John Ordway know so he can update the club records.
Our presenter today was Peter Lindstrom, our District 10 representative to the Metropolitan Council. Peter is a former mayor of Falcon Heights and at his day job he works on clean energy issues at the University of Minnesota. The Metropolitan Council is the regional policy-making body, planning agency, and provider of essential services for the Twin Cities metropolitan region. Their mission is to foster efficient and strategic economic growth for the metro area. The Council is composed of a chairperson and one representative from each of the 16 districts in the region. Thrive MSP 2040, the Council’s long-term vision for the Metro region, was developed with the input of more than 2,000 residents, local officials, business owners and community advocates. The document lays out specific development plans for transportation, water resources, regional parks and housing. The population of the metro region is expected to increase by 800,000 by the year 2040, so this long-term planning is vital to maintain the quality of life for metro residents. Peter can be reached at peter.lindstrom@metc.mn.us 651-324-4831
Cindy Carlson updated us on the Remember Niger students we have sponsored for many years. We continue to sponsor Maman Bachar but Charifa has graduated and we are now sponsoring Halimatou Saadia Abdou, a first grader at the same school as Charifa and Maman. You can download the letter from sponsorship director Karen Pepin, which includes cards from Maman and Halimatou, by clicking here.
Jed Hamoud noted that the End Human Trafficking Virtual Forum is scheduled for Thursday, April 15th from 7:00-8:30PM.
Geoff Hollimon said that our contribution to the Suburban Ramsey Emergency Coalition’s Virtual Walk/Run event was accepted with great appreciation. Grant applications are being received and $35,295 is available for grants.
Geoff also said that the CPY Spring Luncheon will be virtual this year. It will be held at noon on April 6th, and it will serve as our club meeting for that day. The luncheon will feature a virtual silent auction and speakers. Geoff deferred to President Ed who announced that the Keynote speaker will be Alan Page! The meeting will be held via the District 5960 Zoom account, which can accommodate up to 500 participants. Pre-registration will be necessary and you may invite any interested parties to join us. Stay tuned for more information.