Meeting Recap - March 5, 2024

Calendar:
  • March 24- VOLUNTEERS NEEDED: Sunday Noon, Stuff eggs with jelly beans and prize slips at Mounds View Community Center for the Club’s 35th (and last?) Easter Egg Hunt
  • March 19 – Club Meeting at The Exchange at noon – Charlie, Dave, John J and Jacobsens responsible for setup, take down and program.
  • March 26: (TUESDAY) 3:30-5 - volunteers needed to assist Jeff Benson at CPY where he will be teaching woodworking to middle schoolers. No experience necessary, but bring philips screwdrivers if you have any. Contact Jeff with questions.
  • March 30: (SATURDAY) Our 35th Easter Egg Hunt at Driftwood Park. – all hands PLUS on deck! Recruit friends and relatives to help.
  • April 19 - Gold Plate Dinner at Mounds View Community Center – get sponsors; sell tickets; get restaurant gift cards and silent & live auction items.
  • April 23 – Taste of Shoreview
  • FMSC "All Hands On Hope" mobile food pack event at Incarnation Lutheran Church in Shoreview April 24 - 28.  Let's try to put together a group for Thursday in either the 12:30 - 2:30 shift or the 3:30 - 5:30 shift.   If that doesn't work for you, please feel free to sign up for whatever slot suits you best. Our club will likely make a partial or full donation for the supplies packed by each of our club volunteers. See the link below for all the details and to sign up. https://give.fmsc.org/campaign/2404-016ea-shoreview-mn-all-hands-on-hope/c519973
 
Notes:
  • NEED SPONSORS Please contact businesses or charitably minded individuals to sponsor the Gold Plate Dinner. Or give suggestions to Cindy, Susie or John J. Cindy has provided invitation forms online.
  • Charlie, Dave, the Jacobsens and John J are responsible for March and April programs and meeting place set up and take down.  John O, Cindy, Mary, Nils and Susie have May and June. Please let John Johnson and Jason Miller know what the programs will be as soon as you can.
  • Reminder - Indicate on the lunch order form if you prefer coleslaw or salad to fries, and any necessary dietary requirements. Guest meals are $15.
Speakers:
Cindy Carlson shared information from the Board Meeting:
  • The Board voted to allocate $600 as seed money to encourage other Clubs to help provide 30 medical kits to Senitizo for OBGYN emergency surgeries in Central African Republic. When pregnant women incur problems that prevent them from delivering at home, they are taken to the clinic and from there to a hospital that can do surgeries. The hospital does not have adequate supplies to perform the operations, however, so Senitizo assembles kits at $100 apiece containing the sutures, pads, etc.  They need about 30 each year. Cindy will approach other Clubs, many of which have joined with us in previous Sinitizo projects, to purchase 30 kits.
  • We received an invitation to participate in a Mobile Pack (fka Feed My Starving Children),  Wednesday, April 24 through Sunday, April 28 at Incarnation Lutheran Church in Shoreview. Participants are asked donate $60 per person to cover the cost of food they will pack. The Board will consider paying some or all of this for our volunteers from funds budgeted for community service. Advance registration is required. If possible, choose the Thursday slot from 12:30-2:30 or 3:30- 5:30. If not, sign up when you can participate. Sign up for a convenient time.  See the link above.
  • Taste of Shoreview, Arden Hills/Shoreview Rotary Club fundraiser, is Tuesday, April 23 from 5-8 p.m. at the Shoreview Community Center. Admission is $35 per person.
  • The $2,000 we budgeted for CPY will be dedicated to help pay for a larger, newer, low mileage bus they are purchasing.
Mary Jo McGuire, Ramsey County Commissioner and President of the National Association of County Commissioners, gave a very brief overview of areas of focus for Ramsey County, including public health, mental health, infrastructure, climate action, homelessness, development, sustainability and work force issues. These issues are the same in every county nationwide.
 
Honorary member Maryann Bawden brought her signature cookies, and Karen Collins, former Richfield Rotarian, was a special guest.  Edeth forwarded a photo of the group.
Meeting Recap - March 5, 2024 Dana Rebelein 2024-03-10 06:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - February 20, 2024

Calendar:
  • March 4 (MONDAY) 3:30-5 - Volunteers needed to assist Jeff Benson at CPY where he will be teaching woodworking to 4th graders. No experience necessary but bring philip’s screwdrivers if you have any.  
  • March 5 – Club Meeting at The Exchange at Noon; Board Meeting at 11.
  • March 19 – Club Meeting at The Exchange at noon
  • March 24 - (SUNDAY) Stuff eggs for the Club’s 35th Easter Egg Hunt – noon at Mounds View Community Center
  • March 26: (TUESDAY) 3:00-5 - Volunteers needed to assist Jeff Benson at CPY where he will be teaching woodworking to middle schoolers. No experience necessary but bring philip’s screwdrivers if you have any.  Contact Jeff to volunteer or ask questions (612-804-2743).
  • March 30: (SATURDAY) Our 35th Easter Egg Hunt – all hands PLUS on deck! Recruit friends and relatives to help.
  • April 19 - Gold Plate Dinner at Mounds View Community Center – get sponsors; sell tickets
Notes:
  • Jason Miller was honored and presented a crystal sculpture and special pin as a Rotary Foundation Major Donor. The award is given when an individual or business has donated $10,000 to TRF. Jason is only the second member of our Club to achieve this honor. CONGRATULATIONS and THANK YOU, JASON!  Jason and President John Johnson are pictured below.
          
  • GPD Sponsors Please contact businesses or charitably minded individuals to sponsor the Gold Plate Dinner. Or give suggestions to Cindy, Susie or John J. Cindy has provided invitation forms online.
  • February donations to The Rotary Foundation Annual Fund are being matched by D-5960 with recognition points. $100 or more 1 to 1, $365 to a Paul Harris Fellowship. Get checks payable to TRF to John O. in February, or donate on your My Rotary Account on the RI website and notify John O for Club records.
  • Charlie, Dave, the Jacobsens and John J are responsible for March and April programs and meeting place set up and take down.  John O, Cindy, Mary, Nils and Susie have May and June. Please let John Johnson and Jason Miller know what the programs will be as soon as you can.
  • Reminder - Indicate on the lunch order form if you prefer coleslaw or salad to fries, and any necessary dietary requirements. Guest meals are $15.
Speakers:
 
          Merchant Minute
 
Brett Manning, Ameriprise Financial Services Advisor with offices in New Brighton, introduced us to the services he provides, including retirement planning strategies, saving for education, retirement income strategies, charitable giving and executive compensation and benefit strategies. He is a Certified Financial Planner and a Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor and holds numerous licenses pertaining to securities and annuities. Brett is familiar with Rotary, as his uncle was a Fridley Rotarian 
Give Cindy or Susie suggestions of other local business people who would like to briefly tell us about their businesses. Brett and Cindy Carlson are shown below.
 
 
Classification Talk
 
Susie Risher, new member, shared stories of her background and previous activities. She grew up in Bismarck, ND, and fulfilled
childhood aspirations to be a mom, teacher and writer plus so much more! In addition to being a mom, she’s very active in her grandchildren’s lives and provides day care when they are not in school. She has published four books, Pink Stars and Angel Wings, The Trust Walk, and Little Spirit Seeker for children, and Gray, a memoir of her father’s experiences, including at West Point and in WWII. She had a radio show and taught writing – journaling and dream interpretation, in Fargo. Susie is a quilter and uses her skills to benefit others, making thousands of masks for National Guard troops, nursing homes and hospitals during Covid-19, and bookmarks and fabric bags for charity fundraisers.
She shares her father’s counsel: Don’t have any regrets.  Suzie is pictured with Dana Rebelein as she receives her Paul Harris Fellowship.
 
Meeting Recap - February 20, 2024 Dana Rebelein 2024-02-20 06:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - February 6, 2024

Calendar:
  • February 20 – Club Meeting at Noon at The Exchange
  • March 5 – Club Meeting at The Exchange at Noon; Board Meeting at 11.
  • March 30 Easter Egg Hunt – all hands on deck!
  • April 19 - Gold Plate Dinner at Mounds View Community Center
Notes:
  • Board Members and Officers for the 2024-2025 Rotary year were elected. Including President John Johnson, President-Elect Paul Jacobsen, Treasurer John Ordway, Secretary Nyle Zikmund, Club Service Jason Miller, International Service Geoff Hollimon, Membership Cindy Carlson and Susie Risher, Youth Service/Youth Exchange Paul and Denise Jacobsen, Foundation Dana Rebelein, and Communications Natalie Streich. Community Service TBD.
  • GPD Sponsors - Please contact businesses or charitably minded individuals to sponsor the Gold Plate Dinner. Or give suggestions to Cindy, Susie or John J. Cindy has provided invitation forms online.
  • Merchant Minute - Brett Manning will be our guest to talk for 5-10 minutes about his New Brighton business at the February 20 meeting. Suggestions of future Merchant Minute guests should be given to Cindy or Suzy.
  • John J obtained more than a hundred pounds of jellybeans for the Easter Egg Hunt at no cost to the Club!
  • Share the Love - D-5960 will award recognition points for donations to The Rotary Foundation Annual Fund made in February. Gifts of $100 or more will be matched 1 to 1; a gift of $365 will be matched to a Paul Harris Fellowship. Give checks to TRF to John O. in February or donate on your My Rotary Account on the RI website and notify John O for Club records.
  • Charlie, Dave, the Jacobsen’s and John J are responsible for March and April programs and meeting place set up and take down.  John O, Cindy, Mary, Nils and Suzy have May and June. Please let John Johnson and Jason Miller know what the programs will be as soon as you can.
  • Reminder - Indicate on the lunch order form if you prefer coleslaw or salad to fries, and any necessary dietary requirements. Guest meals are $15.
Speaker:
 
Lisa Hayden introduced us to OUR CITY CARES, a program to create a culture of encouragement to combat suicide among high school students. Developed in Washington State in 2017 and implemented in more than 300 schools, the program seeks to normalize mental health conversations and introduce signs of hope through posters, cards, wearables and tokens as conversation starters.  Messages of hope, ex., “You are not Alone,” “Your Life Matters,” attack the perceived lack of hope which can lead to suicide.
 
According to Lisa, 25% of 11th grade students have considered suicide, and 60% are not getting needed care for mental health.  Students don’t know how to access resources, so OUR CITY CARES materials include the numbers for the National Suicide Crisis Lifeline (998), and The Ramsey County Crisis Line (651.266.7878 for under 18 years of age; 651.266.7900 for 18 and older). There is also a drop-in center at 402 University Avenue East in St. Paul which is open from 8 to 5:30.  President John Johnson and Lisa are shown below.
Meeting Recap - February 6, 2024 Dana Rebelein 2024-02-10 06:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - January  16, 2024

Calendar:
  • January 31 – Join the Lions Club Meal Pack, 6-8 pm, 2723 Patton Rd., Roseville. Meals are distributed throughout the region, including at the New Brighton Community Center.
  • February 6 – Club Meeting at noon at The Exchange; board meeting at 11.
  • February 20 – Club Meeting at noon at The Exchange
  • April 19, – Gold Plate Dinner at Mounds View Community Center
Notes:
  • GPD Sponsors: Please give John J, Jason or Cindy your suggestions for businesses or charitable minded individuals to sponsor the Gold Plate Dinner – our ONLY fundraiser. [Remember the days of selling turkey legs, roses, corn on the cob …]
  • Merchant Minute:  Let’s learn more about our neighborhood businesses and let them know more about us. Give Cindy names of area business people who will then be invited to share a meal and spend 5-10 minutes telling us about their enterprise.
  • Charlie, Dave, the Jacobsens and John J are responsible for March and April programs and meeting place set up and take down.  John O, Cindy, Mary, Nils and Susie have May and June. Please let John Johnson and Jason Miller know what the programs will be.
  • Board Members and Officers for the 2024-2025 Rotary year will be elected at the February 6th meeting
  • Reminder - Indicate on the order form if you prefer coleslaw or salad to fries, and any necessary dietary requirements. Guest meals are $15.
Speaker:
  • Craig Schlichting, New Brighton Director of Community Assets and Development, updated us on infrastructure changes/improvements happening, especially along Old Highway 8.
  • The City adopted a Living Streets Policy which includes creating bike lanes and pedestrian sidewalks, trees planted in boulevards, and storm water features to address flooding problems.  
  • An Accessory Dwelling Unit policy is being developed.
  • The City will install nine charging stations for electric vehicles. Installation of the chargers has been delayed by unavailability of needed components.  Craig and President John Johnson are shown below.

Meeting Recap - January  16, 2024 Dana Rebelein 2024-01-16 06:00:00Z 0

Club Meeting Recap - January 2, 2024

President John Johnson’s meeting review.
 
We had a good meeting today.  We heard updates from the Service Directors.  Each gave a quick update in their respective area.
 
ACTION FROM YOU: 
  1. Please consider joining a service area and if you have any interest, please reach out to me or the current Service Area Director.  My phone number is 612.877.1484 or you can reply to this email.
  2. Attend February 6th, meeting to vote / approve service directors.
Service Area Directors are:
 
Jason Miller- Club Service
Edeth Hames- Community Service
Geoff Hollimon - International Service
Cindy Carlson - Membership
Paul and Denise Jacobson - Youth service and Youth Exchange
Dana Rebelein - Foundation
Charlie Longbella - Communications/Website
John Ordway - Treasurer 
 
At today’s board meeting a membership policy change was discussed and approved: Spouses/Partners of current NBMV Rotary Club Members can be a Rotary club member with reduced membership fees of $200 annually ($50 quarterly).  The spouse/partner can hold officer positions within the club.
 
The Irondale Choir concert meeting was a huge success and next year we plan to invite more attendees.  
 
Devin and Cindy will finalize the Gold Plate Dinner menu so invitations and formal communications can be created.
 
John continued to share terrible jokes with the club.  Luckily most people finished their lunch so there wasn’t much food to be thrown at the comedian.
 
Next meeting is January 16th @ noon.  Location is New Brighton Exchange
Club Meeting Recap - January 2, 2024 John Johnson 2024-01-02 06:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - December 5, 2023

Calendar:
  • December 19 - Annual Holiday celebration with Irondale Choir, noon @ Mounds View Community Center; guests welcome
  • January 2 – 11 am Board, noon election of 2023-24 officers and Board members. Please contact John Johnson if you are willing to serve beginning July 1, 2024
  • January 6 -  D5960 midterm @ Hamline U
  • January 16 – Club meeting at noon at The Exchange
  • January 31 – join the Lions Club Meal Pack in Roseville, 6-8 pm; details available from Ed James and/or the Jacobsen’s
  • April 19, 2024 – Gold Plate Dinner at Mounds View Community Center
Notes:
  • Community Services Center (CDC) was chosen as the recipient of Fund-a-Cause for the Gold Plate Dinner in April. A ticket for two (2 meals, 1 lottery ticket) will cost $175. For the first time, 6 single options will be available for $120 (1 meal and 1 lottery ticket).
  • Jason, Jeff, Nyle and George are responsible for November and December programs, and meeting place set up and take down. Dana, Jim, Geoff and Devon have January and February; Charlie, Dave, the Jacobsen’s and John J have March and April; and John O, Cindy, Mary, Nils and Susie have May and June. Please let John Johnson and Jason Miller know what the programs will be.
  • Reminder - Indicate on the order form if you prefer coleslaw or salad to fries, and any necessary dietary requirements. Guest meals are $15.
  • Sean O’Brien, real estate agent with Coldwell Banker Realty, was a special guest today.
  • Colin and Tony, Irondale HS students, shared their experiences at Camp Enterprise. Both were energized and enthusiastic about the program, especially the exposure to marketing and business plans. See photo below.
 
Program:                                                             Sylvia’s Children
 
Sylvia Allen is working through matching grants to provide 20 computers and big screens to a school of 1,000 children in Uganda. Of the thousand students, 250 are orphans. She has been working for students there for 20 years, and has encouraged and prepared many to go on to college, some to become teachers.
 
The government of Uganda just raised the education requirement for teachers to a 4-year degree. The computers will be available for teachers who have not achieved that level to take online classes when the students are out of class.
 
Sylvia’s Children focuses on food, clothes, lodging, education, health care and sustainability for the children, the latter by providing chickens, pigs, and coffee trees as sources of income.
Meeting Recap - December 5, 2023 Dana Rebelein 2023-12-05 06:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap November 21, 2023

Calendar:
  • December 1, 2023 – CPY Winter Gala 6-10 p.m. @ New Brighton Community Center
  • December 5 –11 @ Exchange - Board Gold Plate Dinner Planning, Everyone included
  • December 5 – noon Club meeting @ The Exchange
  • December 19 – Annual Holiday celebration with Irondale Choir, noon @ Mounds View Community Center
  • January 6 - D5960 midterm @ Hamline U
  • April 19, 2024 – Gold Plate Dinner at Mounds View Community Center
Notes:
  • Natalie Streich, was officially welcomed as a new member of Rotary International and of the New Brighton/Mounds View Rotary Club. She is the Recruitment and Retention Coordinator   for the Spring Lake Park, Blaine, Mounds View Fire Department.  Cindy Carlson and Nyle Zikmund are shown with Natalie below.
  • Please join the Board at the Exchange at 11 a.m. on December 5 to discuss the Gold Plate Dinner, including selection of the Fund-a-Cause recipient.
  • Jason, Jeff, Nyle and George are responsible for November and December programs, and meeting place set up and take down. Dana, Jim, Geoff and Devon have January and February; Charlie, Dave, the Jacobsen’s and John J have March and April; and John O, Cindy, Mary, Nils and Susie have May and June. Please let John Johnson and Jason Miller know what the programs will be.
  • Reminder - Guest meals are now only $15. Indicate on the order form if you prefer cole slaw or salad to fries, and any necessary dietary requirements.
Program:                                                           
               
Mike McGovern, Chair of the International Polio Plus Committee of RI, Past-Vice President of RI, and Trustee of the Rotary Foundation, addressed the Club by video recording. Some takeaways:
  • Since RI launched the effort to eradicate polio in 1985, more than 2.5 billion children in 122 countries have received the oral polio vaccine.
  • On one recent NID (National Immunization Day) alone, 40 million children were vaccinated, all funded by RI. We are immunizing 450–500 million children per year.
  • Partners who have joined our effort include UNESCO, WHO and USCDC. There is an Independent Monitoring Board.
  • The Gates Foundation matches Polio Plus donations 2-1 up to $100,000,000.00.
  •  The “Plus” in Polio Plus refers to the use of the connections, volunteers, infrastructure and health care systems developed for polio eradication also being used to fight the Ebola and Covid-19 epidemics.
  • Afghanistan and Pakistan each have “very narrow” areas with polio. Last year, RI funded billboards in Afghanistan urging parents to present their children for vaccination.
  • A country is certified “Polio Free” when there are no cases of wild polio and there is adequate surveillance (labs, medical facilities, etc.) to assure accuracy.
  • Polio workers have been targeted by the Taliban in Pakistan.
Meeting Recap November 21, 2023 Dana Rebelein 2023-11-23 06:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - November 7, 2023

Calendar:
  • November 11 – TRF (Foundation) Dinner, 5:30 @ The Marriott NE in Roseville
  • November 21 – noon Club meeting @ The Exchange
  • December 5 – 11AM @ Exchange - Board Gold Plate Dinner Planning, Everyone included
  • December 5 – noon Club meeting @ The Exchange
  • December 19 – Annual Holiday celebration with Irondale Choir, noon at Mounds View Community Center
  • January 6 -  D5960 midterm @ Hamline U
  • April 19, 2024 – Gold Plate Dinner at Mounds View Community Center
Notes:
  • All are encouraged to attend the December 5 Board Meeting to provide input regarding the Gold Plate Dinner, including selection of the Fund-a-Cause recipient.
  • The Board approved contributing the $500 we have budgeted for The Ralph Reeder Food Shelf plus an additional $500 which will be doubled by a Bell Pole match they have secured.
  • Jason, Jeff, Nyle and George are responsible for November and December programs, and meeting place set up and take down. Dana, Jim, Geoff and Devon have January and February; Charlie, Dave, the Jacobsens and John J have March and April; and John O, Cindy, Mary, Nils and Susie have May and June. Please let John Johnson and Jason Miller know what the programs will be.
  • We have sponsored 2 Irondale students at Camp Enterprise this month.
  • Reminder - Guest meals are now only $15. Indicate on the order form if you prefer cole slaw or salad to fries, and any necessary dietary requirements.
 
Program:                                                             The Rotary Foundation
Peggy Strom, a member of the Arden Hills/Shoreview Rotary Club and our Foundation Mentor from D-5960, shared information about The Rotary Foundation (TRF). Here are some highlights:
  • TRF has received the highest rating possible (4 stars - perfect) from Charity Navigator for the last 15 years.
  • CNBC ranked TRF as one of the top charities for changing the world - #3 of 8,000.
  • Rotary International’s goal to eliminate polio from the world is nearing completion, with only Afghanistan and Pakistan reporting new cases.
  • The next major focus of TRF is human trafficking.
  • There are many ways to contribute to the Foundation, including: (1) Make a bequest in your Will, either in the original Will, or by adding a simple Codicil. (2) Write a check payable to The Rotary Foundation and get it to John Ordway. (3) Write a check to the Foundation and send it to Rotary International, telling John you have done so to keep our Club records up to date. (4) Make a gift online and tell John Ordway. (5) Use Rotary Direct to set up monthly contributions with a credit card (minimum $10/month.)
  • Jason Miller is a Major Donor, which means he has given more than $10,000 over time.  Peggy is shown below with Denise Jacobsen and Dana Rebelein.
Meeting Recap - November 7, 2023 Dana Rebelein 2023-11-07 06:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - October 17, 2023

Cindy Carlson led the meeting today for President John Johnson, who had a business conflict.
 
Our guests today were Brian Novak and former MBMV Rotarian Charlie Hall.
 
The New Brighton Historical Society is hoping to provide a digital archive of its records on a self-hosted website.   The New Brighton Lions Club is providing major funding but there may be opportunities for us to contribute toward this initiative.
 
Our speaker today was Ted Houley, offering an update on the Senitizo Medical Clinic in the Central African Republic (C.A.R.) which we helped to fund through a Rotary Global Grant as well as a District Grant. Central African Republic is one of the poorest countries in the world with an average daily income of just $1.  With poverty comes health problems, especially for pregnant mothers and children.  One of every 100 women die in childbirth and 13 of every 100 children die before age 5. 
 
Senitizo means “Health of the People” in the local tongue, and every effort is made to ensure that the local community plays a major role in running the clinic.  The local community meets monthly to make decisions and all staff (except for Ted) are from C.A.R.  
 
In addition to treating disease, Senitizo focuses on community health education, clean water, vaccinations and a comprehensive maternal health program.  The maternal health program includes prenatal counseling, 4 prenatal visits and nutritional counseling.  Senitizo also has a top-notch midwife.  So far, 60 babies have been born in the clinic but, when there is an obstetric emergency, they have an ambulance that can get the mother to the hospital with a kit of supplies and medication in case hospital supplies are not available.  Eight mothers have been transported to the hospital so far and all have delivered safely.  Since the clinic opened in December of 2021, the clinic has seen over 20,000 patients.
 
An article on Senitizo appeared in the October 15th Pioneer Press.  Follow the link below to read the article.  https://www.twincities.com/2023/10/15/stillwater-native-is-helping-bring-modern-health-care-to-central-african-republic/
 
Ted and Cindy are shown below.
 
Brian Novak was here on behalf of Scout Troop 412 in search of a large storage solution for Troop and Pack materials.  If you might have a solution, please contact Brian at 651-324-2541 or brian.novak414@icloud.com
 
Upcoming Dates
  • November 7 - Noon Meeting at Exchange
  • November 11 – TRF (Foundation) Dinner, 5:30 @ The Marriott NE in Roseville
  • November 21 - Noon Meeting at Exchange
  • January 6 - D5960 midterm @ Hamline U
  • April 19, 2024 – Gold Plate Dinner at Mounds View Community Center
 
Meeting Recap - October 17, 2023 Jeff Benson 2023-10-17 05:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - October 3, 2023

Calendar:
  • October 13-14 – Conference of Clubs at St. Olaf in Northfield
  • October 17 – Club meeting at noon
  • November  7 – 11 a.m. Board, noon Club meeting
  • November 11 – TRF (Foundation) Dinner, 5:30 @ The Marriott NE in Roseville
  • November 21 – noon Club meeting @ The Exchange
  • January 6 -  D5960 midterm @ Hamline U
  • April 19, 2024 – Gold Plate Dinner at Mounds View Community Center
Notes:
  • Margie Horning presented a check for the District 5960 matching funds for CPY-STEM Science from Scientists at CPY. Jeff B volunteered the first day, when the scientists included an atomic scientist and a bee keeper.  Sign up online to volunteer.  Dana, Cindy and Margie are shown below.
 
  • Dana Rebelein was proud to present TWO Paul Harris Fellow pins today.  The first was Paul Jacobsen and the second was Edeth James.  Edeth was awarded a five-ruby pin, signifying over $6,000 in contributions to the Rotary Foundation.  Dana is shown with Paul and Edeth in the photos below.
  • REMINDER: The Club will reimburse members who attend the Rotary Foundation Celebration Dinner November 11.. Let Dana know that you (and your guest?) are going so we can sit together.
  • The Board approved contributing $750 to ”Sylvia’s Children,” the North St. Paul/Oakdale/ Maplewood Rotary Club matching grant initiative to equip a computer lab in a school for orphan children in Uganda.
  • Edeth, Vichai, Dennis and Jed are responsible for the program, invocation, raffle, and setting up and taking down the meeting site in September and October. Please let John Johnson and Jason Miller know what the programs will be.
  • Jason, Jeff, Nyle and George are responsible for November and December. Dana, Jim, Geoff and Devon have January and February; Charlie, Dave, the Jacobsen's and John J have March and April; and John O, Cindy, Mary, Nils and Susie have May and June.
  • We will sponsor 2 Irondale students at Camp Enterprise again.
  • Reminder - Guest meals are now only $15. Indicate on the order form if you prefer cole slaw or salad to fries, and any necessary dietary requirements.
Program:
WATER FOR SCHOOLS
     Patty Hall spoke about the Water for Schools matching grant to which we are a contributing Club. Led by the White Bear Lake Rotary Club, the project will provide borehole wells for three primary schools in Iganga District, Uganda. The WBL Rotary Club enlisted 16 Clubs from multiple Districts (13 in 5960) to complete a $23,397 District Grant.  H2O For Life will provide additional financial support.
     The project will provide clean water for the 2400 students in the 3 schools and their families. Handwashing stations and hygiene education are included. There will be a fund for maintaining the wells and training community management teams.
     Ed. Note: Longtime NBMV Club members will recall being involved with Highview Middle School when H2O for Life was started back in the day. The program was featured in an issue of The Rotarian Magazine.  Kudos to Patty Hall and all who started and sustained that amazing NGO!  Patty and Edeth are pictured below.
  
Meeting Recap - October 3, 2023 Dana Rebelein 2023-10-03 05:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - September 19, 2023

Calendar:
  • September 28 – D5960 Rotary One Summit in Roseville, 5:30-8 p.m.
  • October 3 – Club meeting noon, board 11
  • October 5 - D5960 Rotary One Summit in Stillwater, 5:30-8p.m.
  • October 13-14 – Conference of Clubs at St. Olaf in Northfield
  • October 17 – Club meeting at noon
  • November 11 – TRF (Foundation) Dinner, 5:30 @ The Marriott NE in Roseville
  • January 6 -  D5960 midterm @ Hamline U
  • April 19, 2024 – Gold Plate Dinner at Mounds View Community Center
Notes:
  • We welcomed new member Natalie Streich, Recruitment and Retention Coordinator of the Spring Lake Park, Blaine, Mounds View Fire department.
  • All members are encouraged to attend one of the Rotary One sessions listed above.
  • We are open to suggestions for service or social activities this Fall or Winter. [in addition to the Foundation Dinner] The Club will reimburse members who attend the Dinner. Guests are welcome but won’t be reimbursed. Watch for registration information.
  • Edeth, Vichai, Dennis and Jed are responsible for the program, invocation, raffle, and setting up and taking down the meeting site in September and October. Please let John Johnson and Jason Miller know what the programs will be.
  • Jason, Jeff, Nyle and George are responsible for November and December. Dana, Jim, Geoff and Devon have January and February; Charlie, Dave, the Jacobsen’s and John J. have March and April; and John O, Cindy, Mary, Nils and Susie have May and June.
  • We will sponsor 2 Irondale students at Camp Enterprise again.
  • Reminder - Guest meals are now only $15. Indicate on the order form if you prefer cole slaw or salad to fries, and any necessary dietary requirements.
Program:
 
Irondale High School Principal, Vichai Saefong, gave his Classification Talk. This is the opportunity afforded each Member to share background, interests and vocational information with the Club. [If you have not done one, let John J and/or Jason know.]
 
Vichai’s grandfather supported U.S. troops in Viet Nam during the war. His family escaped from the country after the war and Vichai was born in a refugee camp. They came to the U.S. in 1992 and settled in California. Vichai began working at age 11. He considered attending college at UC Santa Cruz where he could have cheered for the Banana Slugs, but chose Christian Missionary Alliance and studied psychology instead. He has created a Leadership Team at Irondale where they are working with the 1,800 students to create a positive social and educational culture.
“Education is not preparation for life; education is life itself.” 
Meeting Recap - September 19, 2023 Dana Rebelein 2023-09-19 05:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - September 5, 2023

Calendar:
Notes:
  • All members are encouraged to attend one of the Rotary One sessions (see links above).
  • Q: Do you have suggestions for service or social activities this Fall or Winter? [besides the Foundation Dinner]
  • PDG Gary Campbell and PDAG Sandy Campbell were welcome visitors, bringing lottery tickets for the Anoka Rotary Club fundraiser.
  • Edeth, Vichai, Dennis and Jed are responsible for the program, invocation, raffle, and setting up and taking down the meeting site in September and October. Please let John Johnson and Jason Miller know what the programs will be.
  • Jason, Jeff, Nyle and George are responsible for November and December. Dana, Jim, Geoff and Devin have January and February; Charlie, Dave, the Jakobsen’s and John J have March and April; and John O, Cindy, Mary, Nils and Susie have May and June.
  • We will sponsor 2 Irondale students at Camp Enterprise again.
  • Reminder - Guest meals are now only $15. Indicate on the order form if you prefer cole slaw or salad to fries, and any necessary dietary requirements.
Program:
CPY STEM – Science from Scientists
    Mary Stewart described the educational program for which we have obtained matching grant funds [from donations made to The Rotary Foundation]. Scientists from the nonprofit organization Science from Scientists will visit CPY twice a month for 9 months, bringing equipment for hands-on science experiences for children in kindergarten through 8th grade.
    The objective of Science from Scientists is to teach and inspire the next generation to identify and solve real-world problems by improving STEM literacy, and address the STEM workforce gap. The curriculum meets Minnesota standards and Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). Disciplines introduced include physics, engineering, anatomy, physiology, chemistry, earth science, life science, technology and scientific practices.
    Mary asks Rotarians and their friends to volunteer to help.
    The $9,000 provided by this grant counts towards CPY’s goal to receive a $100,000 match for money raised between now and the end of 2023. Each $1 we provided for our grant proposal is now worth $4!
President John Johnson is pictured with Mary, below.
Meeting Recap - September 5, 2023 Dana Rebelein 2023-09-05 05:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - August 15, 2023

Calendar:
  • August 18-19 – Mounds View Festival in the Park
  • August 22 - Peace Talk at 7:30 am on Zoom (20 minutes)
  • September 5 - Noon Club meeting; Board at 11
  • September 28 – D5960 Rotary One Summit in Roseville
  • October 13-14 - Conference of Clubs at St. Olaf in Northfield
  • January 6 -  D5960midterm @ Hamline U
  • April 19, 2024 – Gold Plate Dinner at Mounds View Community Center
Notes:
  • Time to step up and agree to be President Elect to serve as Club President July 1, 2024.  
  • Please share your suggestions for a Club service project in September or October.
  • We served 800 hot dogs with chips and drinks to the Stock Yard Days parade participants. Thanks John and Dana J for your leadership of this successful and much appreciated community service.  In addition to the numerous verbal thank yous at the event, we received a thank you note from Virginia Bjerke of the New Brighton League of Women Voters.
  • Edeth, Vichai, Dennis and Jed are responsible for the program, invocation, raffle, and setting up and taking down the meeting site in September and October. Please let John Johnson and Jason Miller know what the programs will be.
  • Reminder - Guest meals are now only $15. Indicate on the order form if you prefer cole slaw or salad to fries and any necessary dietary requirements.
Program:
 
Create Hope in the World - Make Peace Visible was the message delivered by Patricia McCleese, D5960 District Governor, during her official visit to our Club. Hope blossoms into peace when Rotarians look for problems, promise to help, and keep the promise.
 
This is the first year of the District’s 3-year initiative to create environments where peace can happen – Rotary as an agent of peace, Rotarians as peace builders. Rotarians will intentionally connect Club activities with peacebuilding and share their peace stories within their communities. During this first year, emphasis will be on planting seeds through peace programs. Peace Talks by knowledgeable people will be offered and recorded for potential Club programs. The first 20-minute Peace Talk is August 22 at 7:30 AM on Zoom and will address local and global challenges and prospects of peace.
 
“This is a changing world. The story of Rotary will have to be written again and again.” Paul Harris
 
Cindy Carlson and PDG Patricia McCleese are pictured below.
 
Meeting Recap - August 15, 2023 Dana Rebelein 2023-08-17 05:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - August 1, 2023

Calendar:
  • August 12 – Stockyard Days Parade Feed, Volunteers needed for 8:45 and/or 10:30 shifts.
  • August 13 – CPY golf ball drop, 3PM @ Brightwood Hills Golf Course.
  • August 15 - Club meeting, Noon @ The Exchange, District Governor visits.
  • August 18-19 – Mounds View Festival in the Park.
  • April 19, 2024 – Gold Plate Dinner at Mounds View Community Center.
Notes:
  • Be sure to come to the next meeting – August 15 – to welcome our District 5960 Governor, Patricia McCleese, when she makes her official visit to our Club. Cookies! Bring a guest.
  • Will you step up? We need a President Elect who will serve as Club President July 1, 2024-June 30, 2025. Job sharing is an option. It is an amazing growth opportunity, with leadership training provided by the District, mentoring by former NBMV Club Presidents, and adulation and appreciation by everyone.
  • We want to do another Club Service project in September or October. Bring your suggestions to the meeting on the 15th.
  • The Club and individual Club members were among those who supported the CSC (Community Support Center) fund drive to prevent homelessness. There were nearly 400 walkers who walked 562 miles in support of CSC's mission. John and Dana Johnson served 280 hot dogs to the hungry walkers.  The Walk raised almost $20,000! It’s not too late to make a personal contribution. Talk to John Johnson (our representative on the CSC Board) or Karen Meyer at staff@communitysupportcenter.org
  • Our matching grant request from D5960 for Science from Scientists, a STEM program for CPY, was approved. Other Clubs are being invited to support the project with the hope and expectation that we will be invited to share their projects.
  • Jason organized us into Club Service teams and distributed the schedule. Each team will serve for two months to set up and take down the meeting site, provide and introduce the speaker/program, give or arrange for someone to give the invocation, greet guests, and whatever else looks needed.  The September-October Team is Edeth James, Vichai Saefong, Dennis Connolly and Jed Hamoud. Let John J, Ed, and Jeff or Dana know what the programs are so they can be included in Club notes and social media.
  • TRF (The Rotary Foundation) news from D-5960: During the fiscal year ending June 30, we raised and donated $416,296 to the Annual Fund, $137,137 to Polio Plus and $145,010 to the Endowment Fund! Part of the Annual Fund donations will return to our District in 3 years as District Designated Funds (DDF) to be allocated for Club local and global matching grant projects and projects initiated by D-5960.
  • Reminder - Guest meals are now only $15. Indicate on the order form if you prefer cole slaw or salad to fries and any necessary dietary requirements.
  • Duane Ager, husband of former NBMV Rotarian Sue Ager, died July 21, 2023. Services are at 11:00 am, August 26 at the Garden Mausoleum, Lakewood Cemetery. 
Program:
New Brighton City Manager Devon Massopust gave his classification talk. Devon became Assistant City Manager in 2017, Acting City Manager in 2019 and City Manager in 2020. He received an undergraduate degree from St. John’s and a Masters degree in Public Administration from Hamline.
His role is to carry out the policy directives of the City Council; for example, regarding licensing, inspections and safety of single family rentals. 
 
Devon shared his guiding principles: Be respectful and honest; collaborate if you can; consensus is hard, but outcomes are better; it’s uncomfortable, but try to be the dumbest person in the room; and there is always something to learn.  Devin and Membership Director Cindy Carlson are shown below.
Meeting Recap - August 1, 2023 Dana Rebelein 2023-08-01 05:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - July 18, 2023

Calendar:
 
  • July 30, Community Service Center (CSC) Walk,  9-1 @ Silverwood Park
  • August 1 – Club meeting, 12 @ The Exchange; (Possible Board meeting @ 11); Program: new members Vichai Saefong and Devon Massopust Classification Talks
  • August 12 – Stockyard Days Parade Feed, 8:45 or 10:30; let Pres. John know when you will be there
  • August 13 – CPY golf ball drop, 3 @ Brightwood Hills Golf Course
  • August 15 - Club meeting, 12 @ The Exchange, District Governor visits
  • August 18-19 – Mounds View Festival in the Park
  • April 19, 2024 – Gold Plate Dinner at Mounds View Community Center
Notes:
 
Thanks to Jason Miller for his excellent leadership during a year in which we tried new ways of doing things and made the significant change to meeting twice a month. It was a very good year.
 
And welcome new President, John Johnson! We are in good hands and look forward to another year of Service and Fellowship under your watch.
 
 
We welcomed special guests who joined us – Assistant District Governor, Julie Gotham, and Chrissy Fournier, who celebrated her birthday and shared Paul’s ill-fated Rotary Rock Proposal. [Ed. Note: they were beautiful and the proposal was professional, thorough, and a model document. Opportunity missed?]
 
We still need a volunteer to be President Elect who will be President July 1, 2024-25. Job sharing is an option. If you are willing to serve alone or with a co-president, let John Johnson know.
 
NBMV Rotarians generously contributed to The Rotary Foundation during the 2022-23 Rotary year. We sent $4,415 to the Annual Programs Fund, which provides funds for our matching grants, and $3,460 for Polio Eradication. We provided additional support for specific global service projects, including The Guatemala Literacy Program, Senitizo Central African Republic medical housing , Remember Niger Coalition, Hand in Hand – Ukrainian medical supplies, and for numerous matching grant programs headed by other District 5960 Rotary Clubs.
 
Reminder - If you prefer cole slaw or salad instead of fries with your sandwich, a gluten free bun, or no cheese, write that on the meals sign-in sheet.  Guest meals are now only $15.
 
Meeting Recap - July 18, 2023 Dana Rebelein 2023-07-19 05:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - June 20, 2023

Calendar:

  • July 4 – No meeting – Independence Day

  • July 18 – 11 a.m. Board meeting and 12 noon Club meeting at The Exchange;  Passing of the Gavel from Jason Miller to John Johnson

  • August 1 – Club meeting; (Board meeting?)

  • August 12 – Stockyard Days Parade Feed

  • August 13 – CPY golf ball drop

  • August 15 - Club meeting

  • April 19, 2024 – Gold Plate Dinner at The Exchange

 

Notes:

  • Volunteer Opportunity - Step up to be President Elect for Rotary Year July 1, 2023 to June 30, 2024, to become President for 2024-25. Job sharing is an option. If you are willing to serve alone or with a co-president, let John Johnson know.

  • Special appeal - Donations from District 5960 to The Rotary Foundation are significantly below those of the last fiscal year, seriously negatively impacting the amount of grant money which will be available to us three years from now.  We are especially active with matching grant projects here and abroad, both initiated by us and by partners. If you are able and willing to contribute to The Foundation before the end of the fiscal year; i.e., before July 1, please get a check payable to The Rotary Foundation to John Ordway, 3555 Willow Lake Blvd., Vadnais Heights, MN 55110. If you prefer to pay online, sign in to your account on MyRotary.org and make your contribution to the Annual Share Fund. Then tell John Ordway of your donation for our records.

  • Speaking of matching grant money – Cindy reported that $4,460 in matching funds was approved by the District Grants Subcommittee for our proposal to provide a STEM curriculum for CPY, teaching science through scientists. We will seek participation by other D-5960 Clubs to help reach the $9,000 total cost of the project.

  • Reminder - If you prefer cole slaw or salad instead of fries with your sandwich, a gluten free bun, or no cheese, write that on the meals sign-in sheet.

 

Program:    Lebanon – A Country in Turmoil

 

Jed and Becky Mahmoud described the current state of affairs in Lebanon, having recently returned from visiting family there.  Lebanon has a collapsing economy, political and social corruption, 1.5 million refugees (from Iraq, Africa and, most recently, Syria), high unemployment, runaway inflation, and shortages of supplies and water. Although there is adequate water available, corruption and poor leadership has failed to create the infrastructure needed to get water or reliable electricity to people’s homes.  The February 2023 issue of The Rotarian magazine has an article on Rotary providing $1.7 million dollars in water assistance.

 

There is basically no public education, as the government has not provided sufficient wages for teachers nor appropriately fitted out classrooms. 

 

Iran is sending financial aid to Lebanon as part of its efforts to gain control over the area, strengthening Hezbollah’s  influence in Lebanon.

Meeting Recap - June 20, 2023 Dana Rebelein 2023-06-21 05:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - June 6, 2023

  Calendar:
  • June 9 – Celebration of Life gathering for Mounds View Mayor, Al Hull*
  • June 20 – Regular noon meeting at The Exchange
  • July 4 – No meeting – Independence Day
  • July 18 – 11 a.m. Board meeting and 12 noon Club meeting at The Exchange;  Passing of the Gavel from Jason Miller to John Johnson
  • August 1 – Club meeting; (Board meeting?)
  • August 12 – Stockyard Days Parade Feed
  • August 13 – CPY golf ball drop
  • August 15 - Club meeting
  • April 19, 2024 – Gold Plate Dinner at The Exchange
 
Notes:
  • At the Annual Meeting, these Officers and Directors were elected for 2023-24: President - John Johnson, President-Elect - YOUR NAME HERE, Secretary - Nyle Zikmund, Treasurer - John Ordway, Club Service - Jason Miller, Community Service - Edeth James, International Service - Geoff Hollimon, Membership - Cindy Carlson, Youth Service/Exchange - Paul Jacobsen, Foundation - Dana Rebelein, Communications/Website - Charlie Longbella. A proposed budget was adopted.
  • Dana is hoping one of you will join her to share the joy and privilege of representing The Rotary Foundation to the Club. No experience required. On the job training.  
  • New initiative: Instead of one member being responsible for getting all speakers, the responsibility for that, for meeting set up and invocation will be shared by all members.
  • Special appeal: Donations from District 5960 to The Rotary Foundation are significantly below those at this time last year. This is important because the funds which are available for our matching grant activities are tied to donations in the 3rd previous year. We are especially active with matching grant projects here and abroad, both initiated by us and by partners. If you are able and willing to contribute to The Foundation before the end of the fiscal year; i.e., before July 1, please get a check payable to The Rotary Foundation to John Ordway, 3555 Willow Lake Blvd., Vadnais Heights, MN 55110. If you prefer to pay online, sign in to your account on MyRotary.org and make your contribution to the Annual Share Fund. Then tell John Ordway of your donation for our records.
  • Susie Risher was welcomed as the newest member of the NBMV Rotary Club. She hit the ground running by volunteering to work with Cindy on Membership! Suzie and Cindy are shown below.
  • We received a very favorable report card for Ishaiou TssouFou, one of the scholarship students we support in Niger, Africa.
  • A call for service project suggestions elicited two: a family scavenger hunt in a park for Rotary-related objects, and small gatherings to make Boomerang Bags – reusable bags for shopping
  • Reminder - If you prefer cole slaw or salad instead of fries with your sandwich, a gluten free bun, or no cheese, write that on the meals sign-in sheet.
  • We still need a President-Elect Nominee for Rotary Year July 1, 2023 to June 30, 2024, to become President for 2024-25. Job sharing is an option. If you are willing to serve alone or with a co-president, let John Johnson know.
  • Keep track of your hours of volunteering as a Rotarian and record them at meetings.
 
*Al Hull, Mounds View Mayor, died recently. The Celebration of his life will be a potluck picnic at Silver View Park, on Friday, June 9, from 3:30 – 8. Burgers, brats, hot dogs, chips and beverages will be provided. Residents may bring salads, hot dishes and desserts to share. We contributed to the cost of food.
Meeting Recap - June 6, 2023 Dana Rebelein 2023-06-06 05:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - May 16, 2023

IMPORTANT: Contact President Elect John Johnson now and tell him how you are a Rotarian! There are lots of fun “jobs” available – or volunteer to assist someone in a task/event/office. The new Rotary year begins July 1.
 
Calendar:
  • June 6 – Annual meeting at The Exchange at noon, Board meeting at 11 a.m.
  • June 13 – Regular meeting at The Exchange
  • July 4 – No meeting – Independence Day
  • July 18 – Noon meeting at The Exchange; Passing of the Gavel from Jason to John J; 11 a.m. Board meeting
Notes:
  • If you prefer cole slaw or salad instead of fries with your sandwich, a gluten free bun, or no cheese, write that on the meals sign-in sheet.
  • We need a President-Elect Nominee for Rotary Year July 1, 2023 to June 30, 2024, to become President for 2024-25. Job sharing is an option if you have someone with whom to share. Let Jason and John Johnson know that you are willing to step up.
  • Rotarians and guests did good work and had a good time at the Club Service Project at Bridging.
  • Rotarians also helped with the CPY/CtK garage sale.
  • Dave presented the Service Above Self Scholarship at Irondale and raved about the accomplishments of Irondale students who were recognized.
  • Nils has started Cities Cop Church to minister to people involved in police work.  It meets at Bethel College two evenings a month. He is also creating a PTSD support group for the increasing numbers of responders suffering with it.
  • Cindy and Dave asked if there is interest in another outing to The Ordway in early October to see “Come From Away.”   More information will be forthcoming.
  • Keep track of your hours of volunteering as a Rotarian and record them at meetings.
Speaker:
 
Nicole Brinkman, Children’s Librarian at the Roseville branch of the Ramsey County Library, was the guest speaker. She shared stories and photos of the project which was the object of our Fund-a-Cause appeal.
Nicole described the library’s extensive programing for babies and children and identified needs for better and more versatile furniture and storage cabinets.
The Reading Room hosts numerous and varied programs. In one program, caregivers and infants sit on the floor in a big circle. Every caregiver has a copy of the same book, and they read aloud together to the infants. Other examples include instrumental performers, Learning-Tree yoga, gardening, and interactive story time. Community partners (ex., police, fire department and DNR) provide special programs. Homework Help is one of the most frequently requested programs. In November, they visit kindergarten classrooms in Ramsey County and host a kindergarten party.
Meeting Recap - May 16, 2023 Dana Rebelein 2023-05-16 05:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - May 2, 2023

May 2, 2023 Meeting notes:  
 
OFFICIAL 30-DAY NOTICE: The annual meeting for election of Officers and Board members will take place June 6, 2023, at noon at The Exchange.  Every Rotarian should contact President-Elect John Johnson and let him know how you would like to do your part next year.
 
Calendar:
  • May 9 – 4-6 p.m.  Club service project at Bridging, 1730 Terrace Drive, Roseville. RSVP to Cindy that you will participate. Bring a guest to help!
  • May 11 – presentation of Irondale Service Above Self Scholarship, 5:30 p.m. meet the recipient, 7p.m. awards  ceremony
  • May 16 – Club meeting at The Exchange at noon
  • June 6 – Annual meeting at The Exchange at noon, Board meeting at 11 a.m.
  • July 4 – no meeting, Independence Day
  • July 18 – Noon meeting at The Exchange; 11 a.m. Board meeting
Announcements:
  • Keep track of your hours of volunteering as a Rotarian and record them at meetings.
  • The Gold Plate Dinner was a tremendous success, both as a good time and in funds raised. ($32,000) As our only fundraiser, this supports all of our service projects locally and globally.
Notes:
  • Tenzin Dikhangsar and Elijah Hay, two Irondale students we sponsored to attend Camp RYLA (Rotary Youth Leadership Academy), were special guests. They talked about meeting a variety of young people and developing friendships quickly. Both students mentioned gaining self confidence in public speaking through the experience.  Tenzin and Elijah are shown below with Irondale Principal Vichai Saefong.
  • Vichai Saefong, Principal of Irondale High School, was welcomed into membership of this Club and Rotary International. We enjoy working with Irondale to provide opportunities for the students, including scholarships, RYLA and Camp Enterprise. Students sometimes join us in our service activities, including the Easter Egg Hunt and the feeding of participants in the Stockyard Days parade. Vichai is shown with Club Membership Director Cindy Carlson, below.  
  • Ed James and Cindy Carlson were recognized for significant support of The Rotary Foundation and Rotary’s Polio Plus campaign.  Ed and Cindy are pictured with Foundation Director Dana Rebelein, below.
  • Honorary Club Member, MaryAnn Bawden, was a special guest and treated us to homemade cookies.
  • Keep Jed Hamoud and his family in your thoughts and prayers as they encounter difficulties in Lebanon.
Meeting Recap - May 2, 2023 Dana Rebelein 2023-05-02 05:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - April 4, 2023

Calendar:
  • April 8 – (Saturday) Easter Egg Hunt: Because of the condition of the field, candy and prizes will be handed out from vehicle trunks in the parking lot of the adjacent church at Silver Lake Road and 5th. Pick up the handouts from storage at 10:15 or be at the parking lot to help hand out. Let Dave know if you or someone you know will wear the bunny costume.
  • April 18 – Rotary Club meeting/CPY luncheon Christ the King Lutheran Church
  • April 20 – CSC luncheon – Contact John Johnson for details.
  • April 21 – Gold Plate Dinner at the Mounds View Community Center
  • April 22 – Paul Fournier memorial
 
Announcements:
  • SELL GOLD PLATE DINNER TICKETS! PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE! Don’t deprive someone of this fun evening because you didn’t invite him or her!
  • Get restaurant gift certificates to be bundled with others for the live auction,
  • Keep track of your Rotarian volunteering hours for RI.
  • We filled approximately 3,000 plastic eggs with jelly beans on Palm Sunday.
 
Speaker:
 
Angela Lewis Dmello from Northeast Youth and Family Services (NYCS) talked about the prevalence of children’s mental health conditions and programs that NYFS has developed to address the concerns.
Our Gold Plate Dinner Fund-a-Cause will raise funds to equip and refurbish two rooms used for mental health treatment – an art room for youth and a play room for younger children.
 
Since 1976, NYFS has worked with 10 municipalities to provide a juvenile diversion option to incarceration. They offer mental health assessment and family and couples counseling. The program is so successful that there is a 6 month waiting period for youth age 10 and under.
Meeting Recap - April 4, 2023 Dana Rebelein 2023-04-04 05:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - March 21, 2023

                 
Calendar:
  • March 28 – 6 p.m. gather in the basement of building across the street to the west of the post office to sort prizes for the egg hunt.
  • April 2 – (Sunday) 12:00 PM - Rotarians and friends fill Easter eggs with jelly beans at the Mounds View City Hall (across street from the Community Center)
  • April 4 - Club meeting at noon, Board at 11, at Mounds View Community Center. (The Exchange is not available). Program: “Children’s Mental Health,” by the CEO of NYFS – recipient of Fund a Cause this year.
  • April 8 – (Saturday) Easter Egg Hunt. All hands on deck at 10:00AM. Due to snow, the hunt will take place in the church parking lot from trunks and tail gates.) Looking for bunny volunteers
  • April 18 – CPY Luncheon/Club meeting at Christ the King Lutheran Church
  • April 21 – Gold Plate Dinner
  • April 22 – Paul Fournier memorial service.
 
Announcements:
  • SELL GOLD PLATE DINNER TICKETS! The more the merrier!
  • Get restaurant gift certificates to be bundled with others for the live auction,
  • Keep track of your Rotarian volunteering hours for RI.
 
Speaker:
 
Cindy Carlson stepped up with a timely, informative presentation when the scheduled speaker canceled.  She identified and explained the categories used to evaluate bank safety, including:
  • Investment Price Stability – depreciation of the bank’s investment portfolio, loss due to interest rate shifts
  • Deposits Stability – higher percentage of stable insured deposits = lower risk of bank runs
  • Loan Quality
  • Liquidity – funds available for immediate (overnight) withdrawal by depositors
  • Profitability
  • Capital
She shared the numbers for American National Bank in each of the categories, (All good!), and those for the two banks that recently failed. Silicon Valley Bank had investment depreciation (bond losses) of 104% which wiped out regulatory capital. Only 11% of its deposits were FDIC insured.  Signature Bank was a Crypto Bank with highly portable deposits, and only 4 % of its customers had FDIC coverage.
 
The reassuring good news: “It’s difficult to find other banks in the U.S. which have these extremely weak characteristics.”
Meeting Recap - March 21, 2023 Dana Rebelein 2023-03-21 05:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - March 7, 2023

                 
Calendar:
  • March 21 – Club meeting at 7:30 a.m. at the Mounds View Community Center
  • April 2 – (Sunday) Rotarians and friends fill Easter eggs with jelly beans
  • April 4- Club meeting at noon, at the Mounds View Community Center, 11 a.m. Board meeting; (The Exchange is unavailable.)
  • April 8 – (Saturday) Easter Egg Hunt signature event
  • April 18 – CPY Luncheon/Club meeting at Christ the King Lutheran Church
  • April 21 – Gold Plate Dinner
  • April 22 – Paul Fournier memorial
Announcements:
 
Devin Massopust, New Brighton City Manager, was inducted as the primary member under the City’s corporate membership. Welcome!  Devin and Membership Director Cindy Carlson are shown below
 
John Johnson (PHF+1) and Dana Rebelein(PHF+8) were awarded Paul Harris Plus pins for contributions to The Rotary Foundation over and above those for their initial PH Fellowships.  See photos below.
 
 
Paul Jacobsen, John Johnson, Ed James, Jason Miller, Jeff Benson, Geoff Hollimon, Cindy Carlson, John Ordway, and Dana Rebelein were recognized as members of the Polio Plus Society and received special pins recognizing Polio Plus contributions made during a special D-5960 appeal last Fall. 
 
The Club has acquired some beautiful signs displaying the 4-way test. Let Jason know if you have a place to display one. Some will be displayed at our Rotary community events.  They are just $5 and come with a metal support for easy display.
 
After April 4, all regular Club meetings will be at noon at The Exchange on the 1st and 3rd Tuesdays of the months
 
Invitations to our only fundraiser and major community social event, the Gold Plate Dinner, are now available (you can find them in a recent email from Cindy Carlson).  Each ticket includes one raffle ticket and meals for two. Only 75 will be sold. Price is still $170 per ticket.
 
Members – keep track of your Rotarian volunteer hours for RI.
 
Today's Speaker:
 
Jamie Kagol, KARE 11 weekend meteorologist, was another great program, brought in by John Johnson.  Jamie was raised in St. Anthony Village and interned in Mankato before traveling around the country to work in diverse regions reporting on extreme weather events, including mountain snowstorms, tropical storms, desert heat and monsoons. He found his way back to Minnesota in December.
 
Jamie makes his own forecasts, studying mathematical models and the available “data overload,” including satellite data. Jamie works alone on weekends and with one of the other forecasters on weekday afternoons.  Jamie and John are sh  
Meeting Recap - March 7, 2023 Dana Rebelein 2023-03-07 06:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - February 21, 2023

Calendar:
  • March 7 – noon meeting AT THE EXCHANGE. 11 a.m. Board meeting;
  • March 21 – 7:30 a.m. at the Mounds View Community Center
April = NBMV Rotary Month!!
  • April 2 – (Sunday) Rotarians and friends fill Easter eggs with jelly beans
  • April 4- Club meeting at noon, MOUNDS VIEW COMMUNITY CENTER; board meets at 11AM
  • April 8 – (Saturday) Easter Egg Hunt signature event
  • April 18 – CPY Luncheon/Club meeting at Christ the King Lutheran Church
  • April 21 – Gold Plate Dinner
  • April 22 – Paul Fournier memorial
Announcements:
  • Beginning on April 4th, all regular Club meetings will be at noon at The Exchange on the first and third Tuesdays of the month.
  • Invitations to our only fundraiser and major community social event, the Gold Plate Dinner, are now available. Each includes one raffle ticket and meals for two. Only 75 will be sold. Price is still $170 per ticket.
  • Members – keep track of your Rotarian volunteer hours for RI.
Speaker:
     Luke Little, former tree specialist at ECHO (Educational Concerns for Hunger Organization), explained the benefits provided by the “Tree Keeper” tree mapping software we facilitated
obtaining for them last year. Every tree is now located on an internet site map with specifics about its characteristics, seeds, grafting, fertilizers, pesticides, etc. The trees are studied, and information and seeds are shared across the world for timber, fiber, food, medicine, and environmental benefits such as erosion control.
     Hurricane Ian uprooted many of the trees last Fall. 90 trees were lost. 150 were “stood up.” The original holes had to be dug out. Tree trunks were painted with yellow latex paint to protect them from sunburn, canopies were pruned to reduce demands on the damaged root systems, and the trees were propped up with stakes and cable.
     ECHO is headquartered in Florida with regional centers strategically placed around the world to develop and share sustainable hunger solutions. They develop and share innovative, low-tech options to maximize degraded sites, tripling yield with homemade fertilizers and pesticides. Other low-tech examples include drip tape micro dosing to maximize water, and instructions for making your own pumps.
Meeting Recap - February 21, 2023 Dana Rebelein 2023-02-21 06:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - February 7, 2023

NBMV Rotary Club Meeting February 7, 2023
Meeting notes:
• Change of meeting time/place: Beginning in April, we will meet the first and third Tuesday of every month at noon at The Exchange.
• April 2: Gather to fill plastic eggs with jelly beans and prize slips for the annual Easter Egg Hunt.
• April 8: NBMV Signature event Easter Egg Hunt. 
• May 9: Service Project: NBMV Rotary volunteering at Bridging from 4 – 6 p.m. 
• We gave $250 to the Roseville Club’s Rotary Reading Room at the County library in Roseville. 
• The Fund-A-Cause special collection at the Gold Plate Dinner will benefit the Northeast Youth and Family Services playroom and art therapy room for addressing mental health issues of children and youth.
• District 5960 is offering bonus recognition points for February donations to The Rotary Foundation. The points count toward Paul Harris Fellowship(s) $100 = 2 to 1 point match, $365 = Point match to Paul Harris Fellowship, $1,000 = recognition on the District website and share a PHF with 2 people.
• Jack Gibbons of the Stillwater Sunrise Club visited and added NBMV as one of the 50 Clubs he will have on his passport, celebrating his 50 years in Rotary. [Congratulations, Jack!]
Lee Scheumann, Pastor, Real Estate Appraiser, Rotarian and Humanitarian, spoke about the Cherkasy Medical Aid Project in Ukraine. He has spent considerable time in that country and region over the years. Working through a global network including, among others, Matters 360, Life Rice, the Minnesota Coalition for Eastern Europe, his own non-profit, Hand in Hand Logistics, and churches in Ukraine, he delivers surplus medical supplies to Ukraine. He described the displacement of millions of people and infrastructure devastation caused by the war. 927 hospitals and medical facilities have been damaged or destroyed. Bibles for Missions thrift store sends surplus clothing.
The Board will consider a donation from the Club to this initiative at its next meeting. If you want to make a personal contribution to this Ukrainian humanitarian relief, make your check payable to HAND IN HAND and send it to John Ordway who will send all checks together to Lee.  Jason, Lee and John are shown below.
 
Meeting Recap - February 7, 2023 Dana Rebelein 2023-02-07 06:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - January 17, 2023

Meeting notes:  
  • IMPORTANT:  January  31 All Hands On Deck Noon Meeting at The Exchange to plan Gold Plate Dinner
  • Calculate and report your hours of community service as a Rotarian since July 1, 2022
  • The St Paul Club is seeking adult counselors and a Camp Director for RYLA
  • Next regular meeting: February 7, noon, at The Exchange. Board meets at 11.
Today’s Speaker:
Dana Johnson from Cargill, a Minnesota company, shared:
  • Cargill is the largest privately owned company in the U.S. with $134 billion revenue last fiscal year.  If it were publicly traded, it would rank #16 just behind Walgreens. It has 155,000 employees in 65 countries.
  • There are 4 divisions – (1) Grain (analytics re. origination & trading), (2) Protein (poultry & salt), (3) Food Ingredients and Bio-industrial (ex., cane & corn syrups and non-artificial high intensity sweetener Stevia; sustainable aviation fuel, elimination of chemically derived products such as plastic, and promoting low-till farming to reduce carbon emissions), and (4) Trading Risk Management (ocean transportation).
  • Cargill gives 1% of its earnings to the community, for example, to support general food security and water and to oppose child labor.
  • To support its employees and the need for food, Cargill continues its operations in Russia, sending 100% of profits therefrom to Ukraine for humanitarian purposes.
Meeting Recap - January 17, 2023 Dana Rebelein 2023-01-17 06:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - December 6, 2022

Meeting notes:
  • A memorial service for Paul Jacobsen’s father, Richard, will be this Saturday, December 10, at North Heights Lutheran Church, 2701 North Rice Street, Roseville. 10 a.m. visitation, 11 a.m. service. Obituary at https://www.muellerbies.com 
  • The Club will donate $400 toward the $600 cost per video to The Reel Project (professionally made videos of children in foster care seeking forever families). If you wish to add to the donation, make your tax-deductible check payable to the Rotary Healthy Youth Foundation and mail it to John Ordway to be included with the Club check.
  • Our annual holiday party with the Irondale Chorus will be Tuesday, December 20 at noon at the Mounds View Community Center.
  • Members – keep track of your Rotary volunteer hours for RI.
  • Save the Date - The Gold Plate Dinner will be April 21, 2023, at the Mounds View Community Center, $170 per ticket for two, 75 tickets will be sold.
  • John Risdall is in hospice care.
  • Paul Fournier is recovering from hip surgery.
  • If you have a passion for fighting human trafficking, please volunteer to be the one who keeps us tuned to the D-5960 effort. (You’d be a Champion!)
  • NBMV Rotary Club members donated $3,465 to Polio Plus in November!!! Awesome!
  • Congratulations to John Johnson who is now a Paul Harris Fellow! And to Ed James, who is now Paul Harris plus 3!  FYI: Our Club has 3 Major Donors - members who have given more than $10,000 to The Rotary Foundation over time.
 
 
Speaker:
Dan McNeil, Peacemaker Minnesota, acknowledged 15 years of NBMV Rotary support for the anti-bullying/anti-harassment program which focuses on teaching children to treat each other with kindness and respect, developing positive relationships.
 
In the most recent survey (2018 pre-COVID), 19% of Minnesota children reported being bulliesd and 8-11% said they didn't feel safe in school.  Last year, Peacemaker served 45 schools in 29 communities.  They provide curriculum, speakers, staff training, videos and age-appropriate books.
 
Meeting Recap - December 6, 2022 Dana Rebelein 2022-12-06 06:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - November 15, 2022

Meeting highlights:
 Dave Hoel shared pictures of the new Disc Golf Course by Fridley High School. Designed by
Explorer Scout candidate, Noah, Rotary contributed funds and volunteer labor. (Thanks, Dave!)
 Our annual holiday party with the Irondale Chorus will be Tuesday, December 20 at noon at the
Mounds View Community Center. Please RSVP for yourself and guests, as a head count is
needed to order catered food.
 Board meeting at 11, December 6, at The Exchange.
 Next meeting- noon, December 6, at The Exchange. The program is Peacemakers.
 Members – keep track of your Rotary volunteer hours for RI.
 
Today's Speaker:
Mary Schneider introduced us to The Reel Project, which provides professionally produced videos of
children in foster homes awaiting adoption. The videos are shared at health events and with faith
communities, and are used by County and adoption agency workers to facilitate matching foster
children with potential parents. There are 1,000 foster children waiting for forever families in
Minnesota. The Reel Project promotes children ages 7 and up, but preserves privacy. They have videoed
311 kids in 263 reels at $600/reel. 149 kids have been matched with adopting parents so far.
Meeting Recap - November 15, 2022 Dana Rebelein 2022-11-15 06:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - November 1, 2022

Calendar:            
  • THROUGH NOV. 15 – D-5960 will match Paul Harris Points for contributions of at least $100 to Polio Plus 1-1 with a bonus (double match) for $365 contributions; NBMV Rotary will also match those contributions with recognition points toward PH Fellowships
  • THROUGH NOV. 30, NBMV Rotary will match contributions 1-1. Questions? Ask Dana.
  • NOV. 10 – service/social NYFS  
  • NOV. 12 -  D-5960 Clubs FOUNDATION CELEBRATION at Delta by Marriott, Hwy35 & Industrial Blvd.; 5:30 social, 6:30 dinner, 7:30 program ; (register online; Club will reimburse member’s meal.)
  • NOV. 29 – HAPPY HOUR (p.m.; tba)
  • DEC. 2 – CPY Gala – New Brighton Community Ctr., 6-10 p.m.
  • DEC. 6 – BOARD MEETING 11 a.m., CLUB MEETING NOON @ The Exchange
  • DEC. 20 – NOON MEETING, IRONDALE CHORUS, LOCATION TBD
    • NOTE: this is a variance from normal 3rd Tuesday time
 
Meeting highlights:  
  • John Johnson walked us through downloading and using the Club Runner app.
  • Our $8,500 Senitizo global grant project to build a 5-bedroom plus kitchen and bath and security for medical personnel in the Central African Republic has been fully funded with participation by 9 Clubs and a Foundation match. We have an additional $300+ to apply to overrun or furnishings.
  • P Miller and VP Johnson shared Club goals for their presidencies, including:
    • 4 new members each year – INCENTIVE: Sponsor a new member and get a free ticket to the Gold Plate Dinner!
    • end each year with a net gain of 3 members
    • have a social event each quarter
    • do service projects  & keep track of member hours for all service done in Rotary name. (This is reported to the District.)
Meeting Recap - November 1, 2022 Dana Rebelein 2022-11-02 05:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap October 18, 2022

CALENDAR:    

NOV. 1- BOARD MEETING 11 a.m. The Exchange; (no general meeting), evening social at The Ordway   

NOV. 12 -  FOUNDATION CELEBRATION – 5:30 social, 6:30 dinner, 7:30 program ; (register online; Club will reimburse member’s meal.)

NOV. 29 – HAPPY HOUR (p.m.; tba)

DEC. 6 – BOARD MEETING 11 a.m., CLUB MEETING NOON

DEC. 20 – NOON MEETING, IRONDALE CHORUS, LOCATION TBD NOTE: this is a variance from normal 3rd Tuesday time

Peggy Strom of the Arden Hills/Shoreview Club and our District Foundation Coach, talked about The Rotary Foundation (TRF) and Positive Peace - not just the absence of war or violence, but the fulfillment of all needs in society. TRF drives Positive Peace through funding Rotarian initiatives in the 7 Areas of Focus: Promoting Peace, Fighting Disease, Providing Clean Water, Saving Mothers and Children, Education and Basic Literacy, Economic Development, and Protecting the Environment. TRF is an excellent place to put charitable donations because it is (a) efficient and effective (highest rating from Charity Navigator), (b) you have a say in how the dollars are used, and (c) through TRF, you have a broad and significant impact.

Fun facts:

  • The Rotary Club of Kansas City made the first contribution -$26.50 ($540 in today’s dollars) in 1917. Since then, more than $5 billion has been contributed.

  • The first distribution from TRF was to the Society for Crippled Children (Easter Seals).

  • There are three “legs”: Polio Plus for eradicating Polio, the Annual Fund Share, and the Endowment Fund 

  • Polio Plus contributions in October will be matched by D-5960; 1-1 for $100 or more; Paul Harris Fellowship for $365)

  • Polio Plus - the “Plus” was added to the Polio eradication fund because vaccines for other pandemic diseases such as Ebola and Covid are included.

  • Annual Fund contributions are invested for 3 years with interest used for RI expenses. All donations are then awarded as grants – ½ through Rotary Districts and ½ for Global grants, Peace Centers and major projects.

  • Endowment Fund contributions are held in perpetuity and only interest is used. 

  • We are an EREY Club – Every member [contributes] every year.

  • We have members in 4 recognition levels – Paul Harris Fellowship ($1,000 donated over time), Paul Harris Society ($1,000 each year), Major Donors ($10,000 or more total), and Bequest Society (gift included in Last Will and Testament).

  • Bill Gates just made another donation to the Polio Plus Fund – this time $1.2 billion.

Meeting Recap October 18, 2022 Dana Rebelein 2022-10-18 05:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - October 4, 2022

President Jason reminded us we are in our new schedule: 1st Tuesday of each month at noon at The Exchange with a Board meeting at 11; and 3rd Tuesday at 7:30 a.m. at the Mounds View Community Center. Service projects may be arranged for 2nd and 4th Tuesdays, and for a social event on the 5th Tuesday of the month (which would be once per quarter).
 
The Speaker, New Brighton Public Safety Director Tony Paetznick, oversees both fire and police services for the City, a unique organizational model instituted in August of 2000. The combined services are proactive, focused on prevention and positive community relations. Approximately 1/3 of the officers and volunteer firefighters attended Irondale or Mounds View High School, and 1/3 live in the City.
 
The Appropriate Response Initiative allows 911 receivers to dispatch help depending upon whether the situation calls for law enforcement, firefighters, an ambulance, a social worker, or mental health personnel. All 40 New Brighton police and firefighters are EMS certified.
 
When NB residents were surveyed about what they considered critical issues for the next 2 years, the most frequent response was crime and public safety. The City’s police and firefighters were given the highest ratings. In addition, for an unprecedented third time, the City has been awarded the Leadership in Community Policing Award by The International Association of Chiefs of Police.  Tony is joined by Geoff Hollimon and President Jason Miller in the photo below.
 
Geoff Hollimon reported that the ECHO farm in Fort Myers, Florida, sustained significant damage from Hurricane Ian.  He played a video which was emailed to the membership.  If you were missed the email, click here to view it.
 
Edeth James reported on the dedication of Rotary Four Way Test sign that he (and we) commissioned at his Alma Mater, Ibadan Polytecnic, in Nigeria (see photos below).
 
Next meeting: Tuesday, October 18, 7:30 a.m. at the Mounds View Community Center
Meeting Recap - October 4, 2022 Dana Rebelein 2022-10-04 05:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - September 27, 2022

Past President Charlie led the meeting attended by 7 Rotarians.
 
The anticipated arrival of Hurricane Ian prevented the speaker from Zooming in from ECHO (Educational Concerns for Hunger Organization) in North Fort Myers, Florida. ECHO was closed Tuesday and Wednesday to batten down the hatches and send personnel to safety. Geoff spoke briefly about the 4 or 5 major projects we have done for ECHO, including the most recent District Grant that provides software allowing them to monitor every tree on the farm.  The speaker will be rescheduled.
 
Results of the survey on number, time and place of future meetings were shared. Most respondents favored the option of one noon meeting and one morning meeting each month plus service projects on some non-meeting Tuesdays. The first meeting in October will be at The Exchange, preceded by a Board meeting.  The other meeting that month will be on the third Tuesday at 7:30 a.m. at the Mounds View Community Center. The second Tuesday of October may have a service opportunity, ex., packing take-home food at CPY. Stay tuned on that. The possibility of a 4th Tuesday evening fellowship cocktail hour with spouses, friends and potential future members was discussed.
 
Next  meeting: Tuesday, October 5, noon at The Exchange. Board meeting at 11.
Meeting Recap - September 27, 2022 Dana Rebelein 2022-09-27 05:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - September 20, 2022

Several club members were present last week to honor John Risdall and Paul Fournier as they were made Honorary NBMV Rotarians. See photos below.
 
Today’s meeting was at Bikes4Kids in Ham Lake.  The nonprofit charitable organization is located on a beautiful farm and uses volunteers to accept used bikes, sort them into groups to be (a) cleaned and repaired, (b) sent to Africa, (c) set aside for parts, or (d) recycled. Blaine/Ham Lake Rotarian, Julie Gotham is the only paid employee.
 
Bikes4Kids receives approximately 6,000 bikes per year, dropped off at the site by individuals or by partners such as Walters Recycling, which had delivered 93 bikes today. Bike shops, including Trailhead, also bring in trailers full of good quality trade-ins they receive. A couple of trailers are left with businesses and people deposit bikes there, too. With as many as 20 volunteers on site some days and others working from home, Bikes4Kids repairs approximately 100 bikes per month for individuals, sends 1,500 – 2,000 each year to Africa, and keeps the rest for parts or to be recycled.

Each bike is made to look and work like new for a specific individual after an on-line request from a vetting organization such as social service agencies, counties, schools or food shelves. The bikes are intended for children and for adults who cannot afford to buy them but need them for transportation. Each bike comes with a helmet, bike locker and safety information. They have a few three-wheeled adult cycles.

Bikes are sorted by gender and size and recorded in a comprehensive inventory which even includes color so they can be easily located in response to very specific requests. They are triaged through a number of structures from receipt till completion. There were hundreds and hundreds of bikes there. You had to be there to understand. It is amazing!

Julie’s parting words of wisdom: “Don’t buy disposable bikes. They are … disposable.”  Julie and President Jason Miller are shown below.
 

Next  meeting: Tuesday, September 27, noon at The Exchange.
 
Meeting Recap - September 20, 2022 Dana Rebelein 2022-09-20 05:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - September 12, 2022

 OFFSITE MEETING NEXT WEEK – The August 20 meeting is a Rotary Field Trip to Bikes4Kids at 16501 Buchanan St. NE, Ham Lake, MN, at noon.  Bring a bag lunch to eat after the tour. The BOARD MEETING is at the Mounds View Community Center 10:30 a.m.

President Jason opened the meeting. Mike Neeley introduced 5960 District Governor, Dayle Quigley. Former military and with 3 independent adult children, Dayle is a member of the St. Paul Rotary Club and an ER physician practicing in Little Falls. She became a Rotarian after visiting her daughter‘s Rotary Exchange host family in Latvia. She said she wanted to be part of an organization where there were people who loved her daughter as much as she does.  Her other daughter later was an exchange student to Denmark. She also has a son.

Dayle participated in a Rotary International Friendship Exchange to India. She highlighted her experience on a National Immunization Day. India vaccinates 145 million people in 3 days twice a year. While there, she was struck by the huge projects that Rotary undertook. For example, to improve health, Rotary built a hospital. To address conditions in a slum, Rotarians established a preschool for the children and programs to train women for sewing and henna, and men as taxi drivers. Seeing the success of such big efforts, she challenged us to imagine what our perfect community and world would look like, and then imagine how we can get there working together. She said to not become paralyzed because we can’t reach it in our lifetimes. Dream and dream big. Become dreamers who are doers. 

The Edina Rotary Club determined that 24,538 lives were impacted by the Club this year. DG Dayle reminded us that we don’t just join the NBMV Club, we join all the Clubs, impacting millions.

Former ADG Sandy Campbell, Anoka Rotarian, was also present to share information about “Merchant Minutes” and Clubs’ experiences in implementing it. Every week, one member brings a community business person to give a three-minute presentation – one minute about him/herself and two minutes about  the business. She also invited us to take advantage of an Anoka Club special event on Effective Leadership, Wednesday, September 28, 2022, from 8 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at Greenhaven Golf and Event Center. Nationally recognized teacher/motivator, Michael Angelo Caruso, is the presenter. If 5 people sign up together using the paper sign-up form provided, they pay for only 4. Tickets are $75 each. 

Jeff Lindquist, Dennis Connolly and DG Dayle Quigley filled out the meeting with mini-classification talks. Jeff reminds us that firefighters do more than fight fires. He enjoys getting out in the community, riding his motorcycle,(recently completing a 5-day trip to the North Shore and International Falls), skiing, bowling, camping, and spending time at his parents’ cabin by Breezy Point. His wife of 25 years, formerly a nurse, is a Ramsey County 911 Dispatch Operator. They have 3 sons.

Dennis was at Medtronic for 30 years, the last 13 as a consultant. His role was to obtain FDA approval for major products. He served 15 years as a volunteer firefighter in the Lake Johanna Fire Department. He’s been married 46 years and has 3 daughters. His longest motorcycle trip was to Fairbanks, Alaska. His best trip was with Debbie and John and Ruth Marg-Patton to Greece. John recruited him to Rotary and he quickly became president. 

Meeting Recap - September 12, 2022 Dana Rebelein 2022-09-12 05:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - August 30, 2022

 John Johnson, President Elect, opened the noon meeting at The Exchange and Cindy provided the invocation.
The agenda was a candid discussion of the time(s) and location(s) of future Club meetings. Takeaways include:
  • unanimity that the goal is to attract and retain members
  • some members cannot attend morning and some not every week at noon
  • all said they want “whatever is best for the Club” and will attend if they are able
  • will younger people attend morning meetings, or are noon meetings just an excuse for not joining; is there a way to survey potential members to find out
  • If morning, most prefer the Mounds View Community Center over the Sunset Grill, citing cost, location and menu
  • If noon, John O is in conversation with The Exchange about reducing the costs, perhaps with a limited menu – 4 or 5 choices. Concern expressed about whether they are enthusiastic about having us
  • consider reducing the number of meetings each month; if so, morning, noon, or both; example, one morning meeting and one at noon with the Board Meeting
  • suggestion all meetings should be in the same place:
    •  if at MVCC, noon meetings with box lunches
    • better to use Zoom at one location
    • avoids confusion about where to go
  • John J and Ed will develop and send out Survey Monkey to get input from all members
Meeting Recap - August 30, 2022 Dana Rebelein 2022-08-30 05:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - August 23, 2022

Jason opened the 7:30 a.m. meeting at the Mounds View Community Center and Nils led the invocation. John Johnson arranged for coffee, juice and pastries.
 
Devin Massopust, New Brighton City Manager, brought us up to date on what’s happening in New Brighton, including:
  • Beginning September 1, 2022, the speed limit on all city streets will be reduced from 30 MPH to 25 MPH. This is a first step towards safer streets for all modes of transportation and is consistent with actions in neighboring cities except for Mounds View.
  • Phase 1 of a parks comprehensive plan for 6 parks includes reconstruction at Sunny Square Park with the addition of exercise equipment, a splash pad at Lion’s Park, and connections to the Rice Creek Regional Trail.
  • Vision Silver Lake Road 2040 is a comprehensive plan for three areas intersecting with Silver Lake Road: Highway 694, 14th Street, and Rice Creek Road. The City is conversing with residents about concepts for mixed use in the event redevelopment is proposed for any of those properties.   Palmer Apartments is under construction on the former US Bank location. Some road changes are being made to control traffic flow in the area.
  • New Brighton is developing licensing requirements and regulations for single family home rentals to enable code enforcement and accountability for landlords and renters. The regulations will promote public safety, quality and affordability. There are 550-600 rental homes in the City.
  • Public safety incidents are requiring 17% more officer time in 2022 as in 2021. Motor vehicle theft is up 75% and assaults 33%. New Brighton is short 4 officers.
  • The City is financially sound.
Devin is shown with President Jason Miller, below.
 
Let John O. know if you have a preference for seating at the Ordway production of “Six”.  Balcony seats will be $55 and mezzanine seats will be $120.
 
Next week’s meeting will be at The Exchange at noon. The topic of discussion is times and locations of future meetings. If you are unable to attend, please communicate your thoughts by email to the Board or to me (Dana) to be passed on to the Board and the Club. District Governor, Dayle Quigley, will join us. The Board meeting will begin at 11 a.m. immediately before the regular meeting.
Meeting Recap - August 23, 2022 Dana Rebelein500 2022-08-23 05:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - August 16, 2022

The 3rd trial morning meeting was a fellowship event led by Jason at the Mounds View Community Center at 7:30 a.m. Nyle arranged for a generous spread of pastries, fruits, coffee and juices and the time was spent one-on-one or three-on-three getting to know more about each other.
 
The business of the day included kudos to John Johnson for the well organized, very successful Stockyard Days Parade feed.  750 hot dogs were served and excess food went to the Ralph Reeder Food Shelf.  Geoff Hollimon was given credit for suggesting better traffic control implemented by the City.
 
800 golf balls were dropped towards the hole at the CPY fundraiser with only one winner this year.
 
John O. brought more information about the Club outing to The Ordway to see the musical “Six” on the first Tuesday of November. They are reserving a lounge area for us. Tickets cost $55 (balcony), $75, $118 (mezzanine) or $148 (best). Let John know ASAP if you will be there as this is a popular Broadway musical and expected to sell out.
 
Partners with Youth is celebrating 25 years of serving children and youth. They plan an outdoor celebration in the parking lot of Christ the King Lutheran Church (where they are headquartered) on September 24th. Contact Mary Stewart to volunteer to help at the event. And plan to participate to support CPY!
 
Next week’s meeting will also be at the Mounds View Community Center at 7:30 a.m. Devin Massopust, New Brighton City Manager, will be the speaker. The final meeting of August (30th) will be back at The Exchange at noon preceded by a Board meeting at 11. The topic of discussion will be scheduling future meetings –morning? noon? midnight? combination? location?
 
Last week's speaker, Joyce Kloncz, forwarded this NBMV Rotary group photo from a meeting held many years ago at the New Brighton History Center.
Meeting Recap - August 16, 2022 Dana Rebelein 2022-08-16 05:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - August 9, 2022

Jason started the meeting at Sunset Grill at 7:30 a.m., the second of our experimental morning meetings.  Nils led the invocation. NOTE: The next experiment in morning meetings will be August 16 at the Mounds View Community Center at 7:30 a.m. when Nyle opens the doors.
 
Joyce Klonz and Mary Burg were guests and spoke on the New Brighton Area Historical Society, its history, accomplishments and activities. Joyce is curator of the New Brighton History Center and, together with Julie Beisswenger, Gene Skiba and Leone Erickson, founded NBAHS in 1979. Joyce taught 5th grade at the old New Brighton Elementary School, and was named Minnesota Teacher of the Year. Mary is an NBAHS Board member and former New Brighton City Council member. They were animated and excited about preserving and sharing local history!
 
The History Center is housed in the former railroad depot that served Bulwar Junction. Built in 1887 for $1,545, it is the oldest building in New Brighton and houses over a thousand items of railroad memorabilia, including china, silver, tools, pictures, books and uniforms worn by the red caps among other things. The Depot was moved from its original site to City property in 1982 and to its present location at the entrance to Long Lake Park in 1990. The museum is open from 1-4 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays June through September. Special tours are always available by reservation. There is no charge. 
 
NBAHS started Stock Yard Days and continued to manage it until 1993 when they turned it over to service organizations, including Rotary, and the City. They have published three volumes of New Brighton area History. All are available for sale at the Depot. They are trying to obtain designation as a federal historic site. We gave them a donation in support of their work.  President Jason Miller is shown below with Joyce and Mary.
 
John J. passed a sign-up sheet for volunteering at the SYD parade feed Saturday.
 
We had a brief discussion regarding the possible choice of The Sunset Grill as a Club morning meeting place.
 
Another reminder:  Next week’s meeting will be at 7:30 a.m. at the Mounds View Community Center.
Meeting Recap - August 9, 2022 Dana Rebelein 2022-08-09 05:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - August 2, 2022

President Jason Miller opened the meeting at Sunset Grill at 7:30 a.m., the first of our experimental morning meetings.  Jason led the invocation.
 
Our guest speakers were Kathryn Smith, President of Mounds View Festival in the Park and Parade Chair, and Jen Tinerella, New Brighton Stock Yard Days Parade Chair and New Brighton Ambassador Coordinator.
 
Jen reported that the Lions’ Club took over Stock Yard Days in March after the SYD Board disbanded. The event will be August 12 - 14, with the parade beginning at 10 a.m. on Saturday the 13th. The parade has 69 units as of today and will follow the same route as last year, starting in Long Lake Park and ending in Hansen Park.  We will serve hot dogs, chips and beverages to parade participants in the same location as last year. Other SYD activities will include kids’ games, food trucks, street dances and the antique car run. The Club gave Jen $1,500 to help defray SYD expenses.  Cindy Carlson presented the check to Jen, below.
 
Kathryn said the Mounds View Festival in the Park will occur the following weekend with, among other things, a parade, a car show and the addition of a petting zoo this year. Food trucks may be available at more locations in Mounds View throughout the summer. The Club gave Kathryn $500 toward Festival expenses.  Cindy Carlson presented the check to Kathryn, below.
 
Announcements:
  • We will be inventorying and organizing items we have in storage for the hot dog feed and the egg hunt.
  • John Ordway is taking names of members who will go to see the musical “Six” at the Ordway, Tuesday, November 1. This will replace our regular meeting that day.
  • Arrangements are being made to present John Risdall and Paul Fournier with Honorary Memberships in the Club, recognizing their significant contributions during the many years they were active members.
  • John Johnson cooked and served 225 hot dogs at the CSC Fundraiser walk Sunday. The 63 extra dogs were given to Ralph Reeder Food Shelf. Thrivent paid for the food. He will have a sign-up sheet for specific tasks at our SYD parade feed at our next meeting. District Governor Dayle Quigley will be with us.
  • Geoff is faithfully hunting down everyone who wants to support CPY by buying chances on the fabulous golf ball drop.
  • Cindy shared a note of appreciation from Kara Vander Kamp, Remember Niger, for the Rotarian of the Year gift that Cindy designated to them. It was used to fund a teacher training exercise which was well received and greatly needed. Niger ranks last in the world on level of teacher training.
  • Next week’s meeting will be at 7:30 a.m. at The Sunset Grill in Spring Lake Park.
Meeting Recap - August 2, 2022 Dana Rebelein 2022-08-02 05:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - July 26, 2022

President Jason Miller opened the meeting and Nils Friberg led the invocation.
 
Our guest today was /assistant District Governor Julie Gotham.  She introduced the District Governors Rotary Passport Program to encourage making up meeting at other Rotary Clubs.
 
NEXT WEEK MEETING TIME AND PLACE CHANGE – To potentially better accommodate members, we will be trying some morning meetings in August to help decide if we should make a permanent change:   7:30 a.m. August 2 & 9 at Sunset Grill, 8466 Hwy 65 NE, Spring Lake Park (just north of Old Highway 10) and 7:30 a.m. August 16 & 23 at the Mounds View Community Center.
 
The August 30 meeting will be at noon at The Exchange, Board meeting at 11.
 
Board actions today included approval of $600 for the St. Paul/Maplewood/Oakdale District Grant for “Sylvia’s Children,” secondary school scholarships for orphaned children in Uganda, Africa. Half of this amount is from Club treasury and the remainder is a pass-through donation from Paul Jacobsen. An additional grant of $500 was approved for the White Bear Lake Club’s District Grant project, “Touching Tiny Lives,” which will provide a vehicle to provide follow-up medical/nutrition support for babies & children in Losetho, Africa.
 
John Ordway is facilitating a Club social outing to see the Broadway musical “Six” on the evening of Tuesday, November 1, which will take the place of our regular meeting that day. He has reserved 30 tickets for Rotarians, spouses, former Rotarians and other friends. Tickets begin at $55.
 
John Johnson reminded us that the Community Support Center Walk For Your Neighbor fundraiser is this Sunday, Aug. 31, at Silver View Park, East of Silver Lake Road on County Road I from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. He represents Rotary on the Board, and is heading up a hot dog feed.
 
The Stockyard Days parade and Rotary hot dog feed will be Saturday, August 13, at the same location as last year. We should be there by 10 or 10:30 for setup.
 
The Rotary Foundation (TRF) earns a perfect score of 100 from Charity Navigator,(CN) which scores thousands of charities for financial health and accountability and transparency. The criteria are to execute missions in a fiscally responsible way while adhering to good governance and other practices that minimize the chance of unethical activities. Less than 1% of the thousands of charities rated by CN achieve perfect scores.
 
Jake Pletscher of Pletschers’ Greenhouse was today’s speaker. The business was started in 1920 by John E. Pletscher, Jake’s great-grandfather, to raise and sell garden and vegetable plants. When John’s three sons returned from WW II, they expanded the greenhouse and added a retail florist shop. The greenhouse covers more than an acre. Everything is grown onsite. One example of the benefit of this is that poinsettias are not “Guaranteed Sale,” where the retailer only pays the provider for plants sold, and has less invested in caring for the plants than a “locally sourced” provider/retailer like Pletschers.
 
Jake’s is the fourth generation to own and run the shop. He studied business administration and economics. Some of the business changes he mentioned are the use of more automation; for example, filling pots with potting soil and automatic irrigation for consistency and saving time. Challenges are getting customers in and keeping them around, supply disruption, and the significantly increased cost of supplies. Plastic products have gone up 25–30%. He gifted us with some of the 65 varieties of succulents that they raise.  Jake was enthusiastically thanked for the long-stemmed roses that Pletschers hands out at the Stockyard Days parade every year!  Jake and President Jason Miller are shown below.
Meeting Recap - July 26, 2022 Dana Rebelein 2022-07-26 05:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - July 19, 2022

President-Elect John Johnson opened the meeting and our own Club Chaplain, Nils, led invocation.
 
John Ordway is willing to arrange for a group outing to see “Six” at the Ordway in October. Let him know that you are interested!
 
Geoff has tickets available for the CPY golf ball drop fundraiser in August – an easy way to support a great organization and you could be a big winner!
 
The speaker was Kevin Miller of Edina Realty, the largest real estate company in Minnesota/Wisconsin based on sales, transactions, and number of Agents (2,300+, 60 offices, in the region). It is independently owned and operated, started in 1955 by an Edina mother who wanted to buy her daughter a piano. It was sold to Mid-America Electric in 1999, and then to Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway. Edina Realty services include residential, commercial, investment, vacation, rental, new construction, and land transactions, and property management.
 
Edina Realty is a community-oriented business. The Edina Realty Foundation is funded by Agent donations and fundraisers, and gives an average of $20,000/year to community housing-related charities, such as Alexandra House, Veterans’ homes and Habitat for Humanity.
 
Edina Realty has a three-option guaranteed price plan: Immediate, which gives you the agreed-upon purchase price less 10% and closing costs; Quick Buy Back which allows you to buy a house before yours sells; and Lease Back.
 
Regarding the housing market outlook, Kevin reported more than 1,800 price reductions in the last one-week period and suggested we may have a push-down, but not a crash. There were 74,000 sales in the metro area last year. Appreciation was 8 to 10 per cent last year and he believes it will be is close to 5% this year.  Kevin and John Johnson are shown below.
Meeting Recap - July 19, 2022 Dana Rebelein 2022-07-19 05:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - July 12, 2022

NBMV ROTARY CLUB Meeting July 12, 2022
This was a celebratory meeting, changing of the guard and honoring the Rotarian of the Year. Jason Miller presented outgoing president, Charlie Longbella, with a Past President’s pin, thanking him on behalf of the Club for his excellent leadership. Charlie gave Jason the incoming President’s pin and gavel, and warmly welcomed him as he took the helm.
Jason and Dana Rebelein introduced Cindy Carlson as the recipient of the 2022 NBMV Rotary Club Rotarian of the Year Award, chronicling many of the contributions Cindy makes and has made to the strength of the Club and the Club’s contributions locally and globally. Cindy said, “Service is my love language.” Her focus is on youth and international service, observing that, collectively, we can have a huge impact. Her proudest achievement as a Rotarian was championing the $32,000 matching grant for latrines, electricity and computers for a school in Niger. Spouse, Kevin, and daughter, Natalie, were present to make the event even more special.
Funded by a gift from Mike Neeley, the Award included $500 for the charity of Cindy’s choice. No surprise there – she chose Remember Niger Coalition (RNC) with whom the original and subsequent initiatives have been accomplished in Niger. Cindy presented the check to Karen, Sponsorship Coordinator for RNC. The funds will be used for scholarships to enable 2 teachers to participate in the Teacher Training Program.
Kara VanderKamp, RNC Director, Zoomed in from Niger with an update on the growth of the program. Remember Niger now works in 7 of the 8 regions of Niger, up from 2 when we started supporting them. They work in 18 schools serving 4,000 students, providing latrines, hand-washing stations, security walls, additional classrooms, computer labs, clean water, solar power, and teacher training.
 
We support 2 students, Cindy and Kevin support one and Cindy’s mother supports another. The opportunity to do so is open to all. Get information from Cindy.
 
The meeting was especially festive with dinner served buffet style followed by gourmet cupcakes.  Attendance was very good.
Meeting Recap - July 12, 2022 Dana Rebelein 2022-07-12 05:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - June 28, 2022

After eight years of writing the weekly NBMV Rotary Bulletin (400 issues) I'm turning over the writing of the bulletin to Dana Rebelein.  I'll still be editing and publishing the bulletin, but I'm looking forward to being able to experience our meetings without the pressure of notetaking.  I'm extremely grateful to Dana for taking on this responsibility and I know that she will do a great job. 
 
Today’s meeting was held in the beautiful backyard of Nyle and Terri Zikmund.  Our guests today were former Rotary exchange student Maria Klakegg, Rotary scholarship recipient Nicholas Ludford and Honorary Rotarian MaryAnn Bawden.  Maria leaves for home tomorrow and we will miss her greatly.  Nicholas will be attending the University of Minnesota to study Science and Engineering and my conversation with him tells me that he will be very successful.  We were all pleased to have Finara Fang back with us after an extended leave.  Welcome back, Finara!
 
The board has approved a $300 contribution to the Community Support Center (CSC) for the upcoming Walk For Your Neighbors fundraiser.  This is in addition to our budgeted $1,000 CSC contribution. This contribution is timely because the removal of the moratorium on evictions has caused a dramatic upsurge in need for services from the Community Support Center.  John Johnson (our CSC representative) encouraged us to support the Community Support Center by participating in the walk at Silver View Park, Silver Lake Rd at County Road I, on July 31st from 9-1PM.  Come and join us to walk a little or a lot and make a donation which will be matched by the CSC Board of Directors.  This year, we again have a way to give online thru Thrivent. All donations received in the month of June and July will be counted towards our Walk and there are no fees. https://thrivent.cotribute.co/events/653326/detail
President Elect Jason Miller presented our check for $300 to CSC.  The check was accepted by our CSC representative, John Johnson (below).
 
CPY’s Junior Chef Program needs four more volunteers to help put together meal packages for the holiday weekend.  Contact Mary Stewart (651-633-6464) if you can help on Thursday, June 30th from 10:30-Noon.
 
Club Treasurer John Ordway would be most appreciative if everyone could pay their outstanding dues by the end of June.  This will be helpful for John to wrap up the end of year financial report.
 
Many, many thanks go to Nyle and Terri Zikmund for making their beautiful home available for this meeting.
 
There will be no meeting on July 5th.
 
Our next meeting will be on July 12th at the Exchange.  This meeting will feature the passing of the gavel from Charlie Longbella to Jason Miller and the presentation of the Rotarian of the Year award to Cindy Carlson.  In anticipation of a larger than usual crowd, a buffet lunch will be served.
Meeting Recap - June 28, 2022 Jeff Benson 2022-06-28 05:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - June 21, 2022

Today’s speaker was Julie Gotham, Executive Director of Bikes 4 Kids, a 501(c)(3) not for profit organization with a mission to collect and refurbish used serviceable bikes and give them to kids and people in need.  It all started 11 years ago with a group of avid bikers from the Coon Rapids Kiwanis Club led by Al Sannerud.  Using the Sannerud horse barn as a shop, Al and several volunteers, with support from Trailhead Bike Shop, began collecting, repairing and inspecting used bikes.  That year they were able to distribute 116 refurbished bikes in the Anoka County area and the number of bikes donated has risen each year with over 6,000 bikes donated last year!   Bikes 4 Kids has 43 volunteers, each working as their schedule allows.  Together they sort, clean and skillfully repair the donated bikes, making them look and ride like they were new.  Once repaired, the bikes are distributed to those in need with two thirds of the bikes going to social service agencies in Anoka County.  Julie said that each bike comes with a helmet and a lock.  Bikes that can’t be repaired to like new condition are shipped to Africa where bike repair training programs have been established.   Bikes 4 Kids is always looking for volunteers of all skill levels to help restore bikes.  Their big fundraiser of the year is the Legacy Ride, Saturday, September 17 from 9-1PM at Coon Rapids Dam Regional Park, 9750 Egret Boulevard Northwest,
Coon Rapids, MN 55433. View map      Julie, Nyle Zikmund and Bikes 4 Kids volunteer Lowell Kutches are pictured below.
 
Geoff Hollimon and Jeff Benson encouraged us to consider a couple of different CPY volunteer activities.  Watch your email or these bulletins for specifics on how you can help.
 
President Elect Jason Miller thanked John Ordway for crafting a proposed budget for the coming year.  The Board will finalize and approve the budget at its next meeting.
 
Check your Tuesday emails for the most recent dues statement.  Treasurer John Ordway asks that we all get our dues current before the end of June to simplify the end of year bookkeeping.
 
The board has approved a $300 contribution to the Community Support Center for the upcoming Walk For Your Neighbors fundraiser.  This is in addition to our budgeted $1,000 CSC contribution.  John Johnson encouraged us to support the Community Support Center by participating in the walk at Silver View Park, Silver Lake Rd at County Road I, on July 31st from 9-1PM.  Come and join us to walk a little or a lot and make a donation which will be matched by the CSC Board of Directors.  This year, we again have a way to give online thru Thrivent. All donations received in the month of June and July will be counted towards our Walk and there are no fees. The link is below.
https://thrivent.cotribute.co/events/653326/detail
 
 
Upcoming Meetings:
June 28th - Club Picnic (Spouses Welcome) at the Zikmund Home - 2650 Fox Ridge NE, Blaine
July 5th - No Meeting due to Independence Day Holiday
Meeting Recap - June 21, 2022 Jeff Benson 2022-06-21 05:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - June 14, 2022

Today's presenter was our former inbound Rotary exchange student from Norway, Maria Klakegg.  After her time with us she returned to Norway for her senior year in high school.  The tradition in Norway is for graduating students to participate in a month-long celebration known as "russefeiring".  Maria was the president of a russefeiring group from her school but COVID forced some alterations the to the partying and Maria often found herself in the middle between the students and the understandably cautious authorities.  Maria had planned to take a gap year before college, but instead started college in Trondheim, studying psychology and becoming interested in theater. Maria noted that most colleges in Norway are free and housing expenses are provided as well.  She believes that very high taxes make that level of support possible.   After the first year she decided to take a year off to travel and follow her passion for theater.  One of her travel objectives was to come to the U.S. to visit the many people she met as an exchange student, and we're lucky to have her here for a month.  Prior to coming here she visited her father in Vietnam, where he is studying antibiotic resistance in marine life.
 
Maria had several questions for us, including:
- Why do we have just two political parties?
- Why are Supreme Court Justices appointed for life?
- Why is gun violence so prevalent here?
- How much does college cost here?
It was interesting to think critically, and offer some opinions about aspects of life and politics that we tend to take for granted.
Maria is pictured below.
 
John Johnson encouraged us to support the Community Support Center by participating in the "Walk 1,000 Miles for Our Neighbors" fundraiser at Silver View Park, Silver Lake Rd at County Road I, on July 31st from 9-1PM.  Come and join us to walk a little or a lot and make a donation which will be matched by the CSC Board of Directors.  This year, we again have a way to give online thru Thrivent. All donations received in the month of June and July will be counted towards our Walk and there are no fees. The link is below.
https://thrivent.cotribute.co/events/653326/detail


Dana Rebelein shared a wonderfully written thank you card from our St. Anthony H.S. scholarship recipient, Nicholas Ludford.
 
Cindy Carlson, Dana Rebelein, Geoff Hollimon and Jeff Benson helped assemble meal packages at CPY this morning from 10-11:30.  It was easy work at a convenient time just before our noon meeting.  Please sign up for a session in the coming weeks.
 
Upcoming Speakers:
June 21st - Julie Gotham-Nelson  "Bikes For Kids"
June 28th - Club Picnic (Spouses Welcome) at the Zikmund Home - 2650 Fox Ridge NE, Blaine
July 5th - No Meeting due to Independence Day Holiday
Meeting Recap - June 14, 2022 Jeff Benson 2022-06-14 05:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - June 7, 2022

Our special guest today was Maria Klakegg.  Most of you will remember that Maria was our Rotary Exchange student from Norway three years ago.  Maria is on a gap year from college but will return next year to  study psychology and hopes to become a youth therapist. What a delight to have her among us once again.  She will be here for a month and will be staying with John and Dana Johnson, so we are likely to be blessed with her company again before she returns home.
 
Our presenter for today was Shoreview Arden Hills Rotarian Dave Newman.  His topic was The Fast For Hope water project in El Corozo, Nicaragua.  Rotary is embracing a new model for philanthropic projects and our District's El Corozo water project is one of the first to employ the new model.  In the traditional philanthropic model, an organization would identify a need and move immediately to satisfy the need without full consideration of the cause of the need or the community's ability to satisfy the need for themselves.  The traditional model also often failed to determine if the project would be sustainable long-term.  A new model was needed to address the CAUSE of the need, and that requires a more in depth approach that engages the entire community in the identification of the causes as well as the solutions for the need.  The process requires community organization and broad-based support for a solution.  By tapping the abilities and enthusiasm of the people who have the most at stake, communities come together under their own power to develop the skills and resources to deal with problems in their communities.  This is called "community capacity", and it is the secret sauce of effective philanthropy.  This community capacity provides the inertia to overcome governmental, environmental, legal, financial and many other obstacles inherent in this long-term philanthropic approach.  In El Corozo, the 2.2 mile walk to the nearest dry season water source was the motivation that overcame these obstacles and led to the completion of a new well this past April.  A Community Water Governance Committee will oversee maintenance and ensure long-term sustainability of the project.
 
Dana Rebelein read a thank you from our Irondale scholarship recipient, Isaac Paetznik.
 
Nils Friberg presented Dave Hoel with his Paul Harris Fellowship +5, indicating contributions to the Rotary Foundation of over $6,000.  Nice work, Dave!
 
Cindy Carlson is celebrating her daughter Natalie's 34th birthday and the birth (yesterday) of  her granddaughter, Tatum.
 
John Johnson's daughter graduated form Irondale and is heading to Boston University.
 
Geoff Hollimon is back from his month in North Carolina.
Meeting Recap - June 7, 2022 Jeff Benson 2022-06-07 05:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - May 24, 2022

Last Tuesday's meeting featured our representatives at this year's Rotary Youth Leadership Academy (RYLA).  Irondale Students Kelly and Tariq (pictured below) spoke about their experiences at Camp RYLA.
 
Today's meeting guests were Past District Governor Gary Campbell and his wife, Assistant District Governor Sandy Campbell.
 
Our Gold Plate Dinner Fund-A-Cause effort was so successful that we were able to make a $5,000 contribution to CPY to help fund their summer food program.  Ninety percent of CPY students qualify for free and reduced lunch programs during the school year but help is needed during the summer months.  CPY is going the extra mile by providing families with meal packs this summer.  You can help by volunteering to help pack weekend meal kits before the Rotary meeting on Tuesday, June 14th from 10-11:30AM.  Call Mary Stewart at 651-633-6464 to sign up.  Mary is shown receiving our CPY donation check below.
 
Jed Hamoud was back from Lebanon with good news about the political climate there.  Jed noted that two female Rotarians, Dr. Ghada Ayoub and Dr. Najat Saliba, have been elected to parliament! 
 
John Johnson shared his thoughts about ways to recruit new members and increase attendance of current members.  As a relatively new member, John has found it difficult to recruit new members for a number of reasons.  Potential members strongly resist the idea of attending a noon meeting every week, preferring instead to meet before or after work.  John also feels that he doesn't have a complete picture of our club's various roles in the community, making it hard for him to explain why someone should join the club.  Cindy Carlson moderated a discussion about meeting times and the vast majority of Rotarians present preferred a morning meeting with a continental style breakfast and one meeting a month at happy hour.    We also discussed the value of having a speaker at our meetings as well as the magnitude of the task of securing a speaker for every meeting.  The consensus of those present seemed to be that speakers were important and desired for most meetings.  Club leadership will investigate the particular details of changing our meeting times and survey the membership about their preferences.  The club owes a debt of gratitude to John for initiating the discussion of these issues which are essential to the future of NBMV Rotary.
 
There will be no meeting next Tuesday due to the Memorial Day Holiday.
 
Our Speaker on June 7th will be Dave Newman speaking about the Fast For Hope Water Project
Meeting Recap - May 24, 2022 Jeff Benson 2022-05-24 05:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - May 10, 2022

Nyle Zikmund introduced our presenter, Mike Wilhelmi, NE Metro Community Relations Manager for Xcel Energy.  Mike's presentation centered on Xcel's efforts to reduce carbon emissions into the environment.  Xcel calls this "decarbonizing".  Xcel is committed to reducing carbon emissions from electrical energy production 80% by 2030 and 100% by 2050.  They have also committed to retiring all the coal-fired power plants by 2030.  These goals are made feasible by continued operation of two existing nuclear power plants and increased utilization of wind and solar power generation.  Development of better batteries and other energy storage mechanisms will eventually allow solar energy to play a much larger role in our overall energy strategy.  Xcel is very aware that reliability of the electrical power supply is a major concern for homes and businesses, and they are taking steps to improve the integrity of the power grid.  Consumers are flocking to electric vehicles for their environmental benefits as well as their efficiency.  Mike said that electric vehicles are reducing COby 5 million tons annually, and that electric car efficiency is equivalent to $1 per gallon gasoline.  Mike and Nyle Zikmund are shown below.
 
Pete Ralston, Troop Leader for Scout Troop 412 in New Brighton, followed up on Pack 412 Cubmaster Brian Novak's club visit last week.  The Troop and Pack are looking for a sponsoring organization for the Scouts and Cubs.  The possibility of sponsorship will be discussed at the next board meeting.  
 
Dave Hoel offered a happy fine today for his new downhill skis which, he figured, should keep him skiing another ten years until his 86th birthday!!!
 
Don't forget that NBMV Rotarians are invited to Risdall's 50th Anniversary Open House on Wednesday, May 18 from 3:00-6:00PM. The event will also celebrate John Risdall's 77th birthday.  Click here to register.
 
Next week's program will feature our two Camp RYLA participants.
 
Our May 24th meeting will feature relatively new NBMV member John Johnson with his observations about our club from the perspective of a new and "younger" member.  We hope to discuss possible ways to increase our club's attractiveness to younger service minded individuals. This meeting will focus on issues critical to the future of our club. Your presence is strongly encouraged. Topics will include:
 - Member engagement
 - Meeting time and frequency
 - Speaker frequency and procurement
 - Service event management
 - Any other desired topics
 
There will be no meeting on May 31st, due to the Memorial Day Holiday

 

Meeting Recap - May 10, 2022 2022-05-10 05:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - May 3, 2022

Our guest today was Brian Novak, Cubmaster for New Brighton Cub Scout Pack 412.  The Pack, and its corresponding Scout Troop, is looking for a new sponsor.  The troop leader will be here next week with more information.
 
Honorary member MaryAnn Bawden graced us with her presence, and delicious cookies, today.
 
Today’s meeting focused on club administration.  Due to lack of a quorum, we were unable to vote on the 2022-23 club leadership slate.  Watch your email for an e-voting opportunity.
 
Cindy Carlson presented thank you cards from our Remember Niger sponsorship students, Halimatou and Soulemayne. 
 
Cindy also said that we will be initiating a District Matching Grant proposal to build a staff living quarters for the Senitizo health care project in Central African Republic. 
 
Cindy also played a video update on our Nicaragua Global Grant project.
 
Dana Rebelein read thank you letters from our Camp RYLA participants.
 
One of our newer members, John Johnson, has ideas for making the New Brighton Mounds View Rotary more appealing to new members, especially younger ones.  He will be presenting his ideas at the May 24th noon meeting.  His recommendations involve substantial changes in meeting frequency, time and format.  Input from the entire membership would be helpful to determine our way forward.  Please make every effort to attend this important meeting!
 
Next week’s presenter (May 10th) will be Mike Whilhelmi from Xcel Energy.
 
We will not be meeting on May 31st due to the Memorial Day holiday.
 
On June 28th, the meeting will be in Nyle Zikmund’s beautiful back yard in Blaine. The Board meeting scheduled for that day will be rescheduled.
Meeting Recap - May 3, 2022 Jeff Benson 2022-05-03 05:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - April 26, 2022

Our presenter for today's meeting was Ted Hooley, President and CEO of Senitizo, a 501(c)(3) non-profit striving to improve the lives of people living in the Central African Republic (C.A.R.) by providing health services and strengthening the health care system.  C.A.R. is among the poorest countries in the world, with 5.6 million people spread out over a country the size of France and Belgium combined.  Much of that population is concentrated in the cities where some healthcare is available, but the sparse population in the rural areas makes large scale healthcare delivery an economic impossibility.  There are only 250 doctors and less than 1,000 nurses for the entire population and almost all of them are in the big cities.  In C.A.R.13% of kids die before their 5th birthday and one of every one hundred births results in the death of the mother. Ted Hooley and Senitizo (which means "health of the people" in the local language) are trying to turn that around by promoting a local model for basic health care delivery which makes more efficient use of limited human and financial resources.  Senitizo operates a clinic which is two hours from the capital city of Bangui.  People travel to the clinic from up to 40 miles away, mostly on foot, for medical treatment.  The cost for a visit is just one dollar, which includes examination by a doctor and any medications needed.  
 
Our club participated in Stillwater Rotary's recent Global Matching Grant which provided medical equipment and an ambulance to transport emergency cases.  Donations are the lifeblood of Senitizo, and those donations go a long way.  Just fifty dollars provides medications to treat children suffering from life threatening diseases.  Five hundred dollars provides complete pre and post-natal care for 10 pregnant women.  Ted said that 99% of donations go directly to patient care.
 
For more information, go to www.senitizo.org or email Ted at ted@senitizo,org
 
President Charlie Longbella and Ted are shown below.
 
Cindy Carlson introduced her guest, former St Louis Park Rotarian Jay Rasmussen.  Jay attended the Gold Plate Dinner and may be interested in club membership.
 
Club Treasurer John Ordway announced that our Gold Plate Dinner fundraiser will net between twenty four and twenty five thousand dollars, a new fundraising record.  Many thanks to Mary Stewart, Cindy Carlson and the entire planning team for their efforts; to Dave Hoel and Jeff Benson for emceeing the Raffle and Live Auction and to everyone who played a part, large or small in making the event a success....Well Done!
 
Everyone is requested to attend next weeks meeting as we roll out the organizational structure and duties for Jason Miller's year as Club President.
 
Meeting Recap - April 26, 2022 Jeff Benson 2022-04-26 05:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - April 19, 2022

 
Cindy Carlson led the meeting and Nils Friberg the invocation.
 
Alex Carlson of the Minnesota Mosquito Control Agency (MMCA) talked about mosquitoes in Minnesota, (including cattail, snow melt, and summer flood water), and diseases they carry to including West Nile virus, Zika and malaria to humans, and heart worm to dogs. Mosquitoes breed in temporary and permanent shallow standing water such as in marshes, receding flood water, holding ponds, and containers. They kill more people than any other predator. (Alex recommends The Mosquito -  A Human History of our Deadliest Predator by Timothy C. Winegard.)
 
Only females bite, needing blood to feed their eggs. A female lives 2-3 months and lays 300 eggs at a time, half of which are female.  By the 3rd generation, a single female can have 1.3 billion descendants.  Protected by hard shells they form unhatched eggs can survive 7 years in any climate.
 
The MMCA provides monitoring and integrated pest management service to the 7-county metropolitan area, targeting 15 of the active species, and focusing primarily on preventing larvae from emerging. They use environmentally sensitive products that do not adversely affect other wildlife.
 
Alex had suggestions for avoiding the bite: Remove or empty man-made containers from around the home; use mosquito repellents containing the active ingredient DEET, picaridin or oil of lemon eucalyptus; wear protective clothing (long, light, loose); avoid peak feeding times dusk to dawn.
 
When spraying your yard, don’t go above shoulder level. Put a fan on your deck or patio to disburse scents and discourage mosquitoes, which are weak flyers.
 
You can track mosquito activity at MMCA.org  Alex is shown below.
 
The meeting continued with a report on the Easter Egg Hunt – there were 300-350 children there despite the sub-zero wind chill. See below for Edeth James' pics.
Meeting Recap - April 19, 2022 Dana Rebelein 2022-04-19 05:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - April 12, 2022

Last Sunday we had a good turnout (see above) to stuff plastic Easter eggs in preparation for the Egg Hunt this coming Saturday, April 16th.  It took just under two hours to stuff the 6,000 eggs with jelly beans and prize slips.  We really need everyone to show up at Driftwood Park (just west of Silver Lake Road on 5th St NW) on Saturday April 16th at 9:45AM to get the park ready for the Hunt.  Please bring a 2-3 pound hammer if you have one to pound the stakes into the ground.  Dress warmly and come ready to have fun.  We should be finished by around 1PM.
 
Today’s presenter was Bill Cole, Supervisor of the Water Quality Standards Unit of the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA).  Established in 1967, the MPCA is a state agency committed to ensuring that every Minnesotan has healthy air, sustainable lands, clean water, and a better climate.  Working within the framework of numerous state and federal regulations the MPCA works to prevent and reduce contamination of our state’s water, lands and air.  The MPCA works cooperatively with Region 5 of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to jointly protect Minnesota’s natural resources and determine the best use of limited federal resources.
 
Bill’s role as Supervisor of Water Quality Standards is guided by the Federal Clean Water Act of 1972 (CWA) and Minnesota’s Groundwater Protection Act (chapter 103H), Clean Water Legacy Act (chapter 114D), Water Pollution Control Act (chapter 115) and MPCA Authority (chapter 116).  The MPCA in turn partners with the state DNR, Department of Health, Department of Drink Water Safety, Department of Agriculture and The Board of Water and Soil Resources.
 
Minnesota Water Quality Standards are determined based on the beneficial uses of the water resource which could include: consumption, recreation, industrial use, agricultural use, esthetic value, etc.   
 
Numerical standards are developed to quantify the concentrations of specific chemicals allowable for each beneficial use.  Narrative standards are also developed for unacceptable non-chemical and esthetic concerns.
 
Anti-degradation regulations protect existing beneficial uses of bodies of water as well as exceptional characteristics (i.e. the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness)
 
Bill and President Charlie Longbella are pictured below.
 
Cindy Carlson reported that we still have 7 or 8 Gold Plate Dinner tickets to be sold.  Please follow up on your prospects ASAP.  We could also use some more Dine Around Town restaurant gift cards.
Meeting Recap - April 12, 2022 Jeff Benson 2022-04-12 05:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - March 29, 2022

Today’s meeting was a club assembly and we used the opportunity to fine tune the details of the big events in April.
 
Geoff Holliman outlined the details for the CPY Spring Luncheon which will serve as the official Rotary meeting for next week.  The luncheon will be held on April 5th from Noon to 1PM (check in 11:45-12:00) at the New Brighton Community Center.  The featured speaker will be DeAndre Clarke, former CPY student and New Brighton Police Officer.  Please register by 3PM Friday April 1st  glhollimon@aol.com or cpymn@cpymn.org .  Check the CPY website for a virtual attendance option and other details.
 
The 35th Annual New Brighton Mounds View Rotary Easter Egg Hunt is soon upon us.  We will stuff the plastic eggs with jelly beans and prize slips on Sunday April 10th at the Exchange.  The Egg Hunt preparations begin at 9:30AM on April 16th at Driftwood Park.  There is much to be done to make this event a success and it’s important that we have lots of help.  These two opportunities would be a good time for Rotarians who haven’t been attending meetings to reconnect with the club.  Friends and family are invited to join us as we prepare for the Egg Hunt.
 
Our sole fundraiser, The Gold Plate Dinner, will be held on Friday, April 22nd, 6:00PM at the Mounds View Community Center Ballroom.  Forty one of the necessary 75 tickets have been sold which means that 34 tickets still need to be sold.  NOW is the time to ask your friends, family and business associates to attend the event.  Download and print as many copies as you need of the GPD Invite Flyer so that potential guests will have the information they need to make a decision.  We also need more Mini Raffle and Dine Around Town donations and, of course, additional Sponsorships are always welcome.  We are also offering a No-Plate donation option this year.
 
Happy Bucks Highlights
- John Johnson’s daughter has been accepted to her dream college, Boston University.
- John Ordway is expecting his second grandchild in October.
 
See you all next week at the CPY Luncheon.  Register today if you haven’t already (see above).
Meeting Recap - March 29, 2022 Jeff Benson 2022-03-29 05:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - March 22, 2022

Our presenter today was Bridget Kelley, Membership and Business Development Manager for the Minnesota Safety Council.  The Minnesota Safety Council (MSC) is a 94 year old non-profit whose mission is to “Strengthen individuals, families and organizations by helping to prevent injuries and support safer, healthier lives.”  The MSC is a membership –based organization with over 500 member businesses in Minnesota and their members have access to a dizzying array of services including safety information, seminars, classes, consultation and on-site training to keep their workers safe.  MSC has a huge library of safety information that’s available to the public at no charge.  The information is conveniently organized under three headings, Drive Safe, Work Safe and Live Safe and the safety tips are extremely comprehensive and searchable by topic. 
 
For further information, click here to access the MSC website.  Bridget can be contacted at bridget.kelly@minnesotasafetycouncil.org
651-228-7307
 
The Gold Plate Dinner is just 4 weeks away (April 22nd) so everyone needs to get out there and sell tickets to ensure a successful event.  All 75 tickets would be sold if each member sells just two tickets (in addition to their own).  This is our only fundraiser, so we need to do well if we are to continue to support our many worthy causes.  Take a moment today to call a friend, family member or business associate and ask them to join you at the dinner.  Use the flyer you received earlier by email to inform prospective guests of the details.  Download the flyer here if you can’t find it in your email.
 
It’s time to restart the Easter Egg Hunt after its COVID hiatus.  On Sunday April 10th, 12 Noon at the Exchange we will stuff the plastic eggs with jelly beans and prize slips.   The Egg Hunt will be on the morning of Saturday, April 16th at Driftwood Park.  These two efforts require all hands on deck.  Please put them on your calendar and plan to be there to help.
 
The Club’s past-presidents will meet briefly after next week’s noon meeting to nominate a club president for the 2023-24 Rotary Year.  Please make every effort to be present for this important meeting.
 
Happy Buck’s Highlights
 
Jeff and Bridget Lundquist celebrated their 25th anniversary.
John Ordway was a year older on March 13th.
Geoff and Debra Hollimon celebrated their 42nd anniversary.
Meeting Recap - March 22, 2022 Jeff Benson 2022-03-22 05:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - Mar 8, 2022

Our presenter for today was Alan Anderson.   Alan got his degree in Wildlife Management from Oregon State, ran a small business and then spent the rest of his work life as an executive with the Boy Scouts of America.  After retiring in 2012 he started working on climate issues and giving public education talks. His motivation was and is his five grandchildren.  Alan has been a Rotarian for many years and is the program co-chair for his Northfield Club of 130 members.  He is a Paul Harris Fellow, a member of Rotary International’s Environmental Sustainability Action Group, and he started a Rotary Climate Action Team in his club.  He has presented on climate change to 34 Rotary clubs in his area, as well as to many other church, school, business, fraternal and senior organizations. The Rotary Climate Action Team Network is a non-binding group of Rotary clubs undertaking service projects across all Rotary Areas of Focus with the intention of addressing the climate crisis aggressively for the tens of thousands of people we serve across the world, as well as our local communities and our families.
 
For many years, Rotary humanitarian efforts have had six areas of focus: Promoting peace, Fighting disease, Clean water, Sanitation and hygiene, Saving mothers and children, Supporting education and Growing local economies.  Recently, Rotary has added Supporting the Environment as a seventh area of focus.  This was done with the realization that the success of other six areas of focus depends on a healthy environment.   Rotary has two groups supporting this new area of focus.  Environmental Sustainability Rotary Action Group (ESRAG) addresses the broad topic of environmental protection while Rotary Climate Action Team Network supports the creation of Action Teams at the club level.
 
The primary threat to the environment is the acceleration of the “greenhouse effect” caused by the accumulation of excess carbon dioxide in the Earth’s atmosphere from burning fossil fuels.  Carbon dioxide traps the radiant energy from the sun and makes life on earth possible.  The amount of carbon dioxide is critical, however, to keep the atmosphere at the proper temperature.  Higher than ideal concentration leads to an increase in average global temperature that will last for centuries.  Polar ice cap and glacial melting have already increased sea levels and, if global temperature continues to increase, the projected rise in sea levels will take a huge human and financial toll. Atmospheric carbon dioxide has already increased by 50% since the 1970’s and is expected to continue to increase if we fail to stop it. 
 
The good news:
 - 195 countries have committed to reduce CO2 emissions (Paris ’15). 
 - Alternative energy sources have become mainstream and have become much cheaper.
 - Many energy companies have committed to carbon free electricity by 2050.
 - Auto makers are shifting to all-electric lineups.
 
We can help by doing some or all of the following:
 - Start a Rotary Climate Action Team in your club.
 - Join the free non-partisan Citizen’s Climate Lobby.
 
Click here to download the handout Alan uses for in-person talks.
Contact Alan:  luckyduck49@gmail.com
 
MaryAnn Bawden’s husband, Gary, has passed on after a ten year battle with Parkinson’s disease.  The obituary can be found at https://www.strikelifetributes.com/2022/03/in-memory-of-pastor-gary-bawden/.  To allow members to attend Tuesday’s memorial service, NEXT WEEK’S MEETING HAS BEEN RESCHEDULED TO WEDNESDAY THE 16TH, 11AM, AT THE EXCHANGE.
Meeting Recap - Mar 8, 2022 Jeff Benson 2022-03-08 06:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - March 1, 2022

Today’s speaker was Dan Edgerton, a Water Resource Engineer with Stantec Consultants.  Dan was here to speak about storm water management.  To illustrate several storm water management techniques, Dan walked us through a project recently completed for Edison High School.  The project had two phases, a parking lot storm water management and a rooftop rainwater capture system for irrigation of the athletic field.
 
The existing Edison parking lot drained almost all of its storm water directly onto the adjacent street and from there directly into the Mississippi River.  Three storm water best management practices were employed to manage this runoff.  The first was the installation of a “tree trench”.  A trench was dug between the parking lot and the street and filled with coarse stone and a small amount of topsoil mixed in.  The trench acts as buffer between the parking lot and the storm sewer, allowing storm water to gradually filter into the sandy soil below.  Trees are planted in the trench to help remove some water and manage the phosphorus and hydrocarbons that would normally drain into the soil.  Storm water runoff was further reduced by using permeable pavers on the parking lot surface, allowing the water to drain slowly into the tree trench or the soil below the parking lot. The final part of the plan was the installation of a rain garden to manage runoff at the end a long alleyway.
 
Another part of the project focused on reducing the amount of water needed for irrigation of the Edison athletic field.  This innovative project was designed to collect rainwater from the roof of the gymnasium and pipe it to an adjacent sub-surface storage area with a system of five foot diameter holding pipes with a capacity of over 100,000 gallons.  An interesting feature of this system is that it also can capture and reuse runoff of excess storm water from the athletic field as well.
 
Dan and President Charlie Longbella are shown below.
 
Next week’s presenter is Alan Anderson, speaking on Rotary’s Legacy and the Impact of Climate Change.
Meeting Recap - March 1, 2022 Jeff Benson 2022-03-01 06:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - February 22, 2022

Today’s speaker was Patrick McCormack, director of the Minnesota House Research Department.  The House Research department was created in 1967 to provide research and legal services for House members and committees in a neutral and impartial manner.  Their services include information and analysis, drafting and amending legislation, evaluating the effects of proposed legislation and providing advice about the legal matters arising from House business.  Requests for information or advice are completely confidential.  House Research has 45 employees with a wide range of expertise. 
 
Patrick said that one of the greatest challenges in the legislative process is that any change in legislation, and especially economic legislation, is that legislation that benefits one group most often disadvantages another group.  He cited the loosening of liquor sales and distribution as an example.  Another issue is that legislation can have unintended consequences.  Patrick noted that the legislative gift ban was a necessary policy change, but it resulted in fewer opportunities for legislators to interact informally outside the House chamber which, in his view, has led to increased polarization in the House.
 
Patrick said that population shift to the suburbs has led to redistricting and a significant shift in political power to those suburban areas.  In his view, if the suburbs were to consolidate their political capital it could mean a big change in Minnesota politics.
 
Cindy Carlson noted that the Gold Plate Dinner Flyer has been distributed to club members by email today.  A corresponding sponsorship and donation information flyer is forthcoming.  Mark your calendars now for the April 22nd event.
 
The Board has decided to go ahead with the Egg Hunt this year.  We will stuff the eggs at the Exchange at Noon on Sunday, April 10th.   The actual Egg Hunt will be at Driftwood Park on April 16th.
 
Benedictine Living Community (formerly Innsbruck) received the top high performing recognition for long-term care and short-term rehabilitation in the recently released 2021-2022 U.S. News and World Report "Best Nursing Homes."  Click here for more info.
 
Next week’s presenter will be Dan Edgerton with “The Rest of the Story on Storm Water.”
Meeting Recap - February 22, 2022 Jeff Benson 2022-02-22 06:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - February 15, 2022

Our presenter today was Jonathan Turner, Volunteer Program Coordinator for the MSP Airport Foundation.  The Airport Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to enhancing the experience and exceeding the expectations of travelers at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, as well as supporting the airport and broader aviation community.  MSP Airport is the 12th busiest airport in the U.S. for aircraft operations and serves as a hub for both Delta and Sun Country Airlines.  It served more than 39 million travelers in 2019.  MSP has received numerous awards for safety, efficiency, design and communications and was recently recognized as the best large airport in North America by the Airports Council.  The MSP Airport Foundation has played a significant role in the airport’s success. 
 
The Airport Foundation was formed in 1982 by corporate, hospitality and aviation leaders who recognized the importance of the airport to the economic health of the region.  Over time, the foundation added responsibility for traveler aid and assistance and eventually added art and cultural programming, gambling operations and other community engagement services.  As responsibilities have grown, the foundation’s volunteer numbers have grown to over 600.  There are many volunteer opportunities including: information desk staff, animal ambassador teams, go-guides, airport beautification projects, special event workers and many more.  For more information, visit airportfoundation.org or contact Jonathan directly at jonathan.turner@mspmac.org or 612-726-5233. Jonathan and President–Elect Jason Miller are pictured below.
 
Don’t forget that the Board will meet at 11:00AM on Tuesday, Feb 22nd.
 
Mark your calendars now for the CPY Spring Luncheon on Tuesday, April 5th.  This meeting will be the Rotary meeting for that week.
 
Next week’s presenter will be Patrick McCormack from the MN House Non-Partisan Research.
Meeting Recap - February 15, 2022 Jeff Benson 2022-02-15 06:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - February 8, 2022

Today’s presenter was Joe McKenzie, Director of Philanthropic Partnerships at Cars for Neighbors.  Joe lived in the New Brighton area for his first 20 years and is a Mounds View graduate.  Cars for Neighbors (CFN) was founded 22 years ago by Tom Buckman and Al Sandoval and at that time it was called Free To Be.  In 2014, the Anoka County non-profit’s name was changed to Cars For Neighbors to better reflect its mission.  Joe began by noting that Anoka County has very little public transportation so people, and especially poor people, are very dependent on their cars to get to their medical appointments and jobs.  The rising cost of car repairs has made even routine repairs out of reach for many Anoka County residents.  Cars For Neighbors has partnered with Meineke Car Care in Ham Lake to help poor people pay for needed car repairs.  CFN maintains referral relationships with law enforcement, social services, women’s shelters and other non-profits and over the past 22 years they have helped over 4,000 low income families to afford car repairs.  CFN will also take donations of vehicles if only minor repairs are needed.  Joe and Nyle Zikmund are shown below.  Cars For Neighbors contact information:  
763-717-7755
125727 Central Ave. NE, Blaine, MN 55434
 
Our Gold Plate Dinner fundraiser will be held on April 22nd at the Mounds View Community Center.  The event will be catered by the Big 10.

Edeth James reported that that NBMV Rotary was honored in two categories at the recent District Rotary Foundation Happy Hour.  Among mid-size clubs, we were second in donations at $3,100 and we were one of only 7 clubs in the district to achieve EREY (Every Rotarian Every Year) status.  Well done, NBMV Rotary!  Edeth also noted that District 5960 is revisiting its very successful “Share The Love" fundraising campaign for the Rotary Foundation.  To donate, or get more information, click here.
 
The applications for 2023 Rotary World Peace Scholarships (100 scholarships are offered) must be submitted to the local Rotary clubs by April 26th, 2022.  Check out the details at Peace Fellowship.
 
Nils Friberg presented a Paul Harris Fellowship +6 to John Ordway.  The award signifies over $7,000 in contributions to the Rotary Foundation.  John and Nils are shown below.
Meeting Recap - February 8, 2022 2022-02-08 06:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - January 25, 2022

Our presenter today was State Senator Jason Isaacson.  Senator Isaacson served in the Minnesota House of Representatives from 2012 to 2016 and has served State Senate (District 42) since his election in 2016.  Among his many responsibilities in the Senate, he is the ranking Minority Chair for Redistricting, and that was the topic for today’s presentation.
 
Legislative Redistricting is the process of redrawing the boundaries of election districts to ensure that the people of each district are equally represented.  At the national level, the Census becomes the basis for Congressional reapportionment which determines how many seats each state has in the 435 member U.S. House of Representatives.   Minnesota came within 54 residents of losing one of its 8 seats in the House of Representatives after the 2020 Census.   Going forward, each of the 8 seats will represent 713,312 Minnesotans in the House, but population movement to the bigger cities and suburbs requires district boundary changes to ensure that the population living in each district is equal.  This means that district 1, 7 and 8 boundaries must be changed to include more people and District 2,3,4,5 and 6 boundaries must shrink to include fewer people.  This is followed by State Legislative redistricting and I think you can see the difficulty in this period of partisan politics.  Although the State Legislature is charged with developing a redistricting plan, it has been unable to agree on a plan even once in the current era, so the actual redistricting is accomplished by the competing interests filing lawsuits with the Minnesota Supreme Court which, by some miraculous process, creates the plan that is implemented.  The guiding principles established by the Legislature are: fairness, consistency and reflecting the values of the population.
 
President-Elect Jason Miller recapped the Board meeting discussion about our upcoming Gold Plate Dinner.  Since there is still uncertainty about Covid, the Board has decided to reserve the Mounds View Community Center for the event.  Factors in the decision were: cost, ambience, and minimal financial risk if we are unable to hold the event.  Many thanks to Geoff Hollimon, Mary Stewart and Nyle Zikmund for their work on this.
 
We decided not to sponsor the Fourth Grade Foresters tree give-away this year.  We will look at ways to work with New Brighton and Mounds View to observe Arbor Day.
 
Meeting Recap - January 25, 2022 Jeff Benson 2022-01-25 06:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - January 18, 2022

Nyle Zikmund introduced his friend and fellow racquetball and pickleball player, Rex Greenwald.  Rex is the President of TEREX Roofing & Sheet Metal and, despite a very busy schedule, found himself compelled to write a book that is mostly true and loosely based on his experience of trying to “follow the guiding principle of love that God shows us”.  The story is about not judging anyone or anything by outward appearances, but rather finding the inner character of a person or thing.  The story revolves around Coy, a 12 year old boy trying to make sense of the world around him.  Later in the book, a 22 year old Coy reflects back on the impact of his early experiences.  Each of the 44 short chapters is easy to read and each delivers a message.  Rex said that the book expands on his favorite Bible verse, 1st Samuel 16:7.  “But the Lord said to Samuel, look not on his countenance, or the height of his stature; because I have refused him:  for the Lord sees not as the man seeth; for the man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.”  You can find Rex’s book here.   
 
Nils Friberg was honored to present the second Paul Harris Fellowship in as many weeks.  Today’s recipient was Geoff Hollimon, receiving his PHF+8, signifying over $9,000 in contributions to the Foundation.
 
Last week, the “two stone” PHF pin presented to Cindy Carlson was, in fact a two ruby pin rather than a two sapphire pin which makes the award a PHF+7, signifying contributions of over $8,000 to the Foundation.
 
You may recall Elk River Rotarian Casey Mahon speaking to our club a couple of months ago about the Magnus Veterans Foundation and their desire to have a 6 passenger golf cart to transport Veterans around the campus.  Our club donated an all-weather fabric shell for the cart for cold weather use.  The cart was officially presented to the Magnus Foundation last Wednesday and Dave Hoel, Geoff Hollimon, Jeff Benson and Nancy Benson were in attendance.  The all-weather shell was not ready yet, but we were able to see the cart and view the amazing facility that is providing care for Veterans at no charge.
     
 
 
Meeting Recap - January 18, 2022 Jeff Benson 2022-01-18 06:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - January 11, 2022

Today’s meeting was held off-site at Achieve Services.  CEO Tom Weaver said that Achieve was founded in 1964 to serve the needs of children with developmental disabilities.  As governmental programs for disabled kids increased, Achieve gradually shifted its focus to developmentally disabled adults.  By 1974, Achieve had created an adult day program with vocational training and community-based programming.  In 2004, Achieve spun off from Anoka County and became a private non-profit agency.  Pre-COVID, they were serving about 195 individuals and, although the pandemic has reduced that number to 135 participants, Achieve still has a budget of 4.3 million dollars.  Because many of Achieve’s participants are unable to drive, transportation is an integral part of the program and there are 35 handicap equipped busses to provide transportation to Achieve, to and from community based employment, and home again.  Achieve honors the personal choices of  its participants by offering options of community-based employment, Achieve Center based employment or non-employment services, or some combination of the three. 
 
Government funding for Achieve is split about 50/50 between State and Federal, but the Disability Waiver Rate System (DWRS) provides only 80% of revenues, leaving 20% to be funded by other sources.  Tom said that DWRS has resulted in decreased wages for staff, resulting in an increase in staff turnover rate from 7% in 2016 to 37% in 2020.  Achieve has received a DWRS “Transition Grant” to develop a sustainable business model but the real solution would be to restructure DWRS reimbursement to fairly compensate disability services.  Further complicating the issue is a federal task force goal to eliminate wages below minimum wage for disabled workers.  Tom characterized this effort as a well intended but short-sighted initiative which, if implemented, would result in thousands of lost jobs for disabled workers and those who are attempting to help them find meaningful employment.
 
Tom offered several ways that we can support Achieve’s mission:
  - Tell your network about Achieve
  - Attend their Annual Gala
  - Ask you legislator to support Achieve
  - Include Achieve in your planned giving
  - Donate online at Achieve Services
 
Many thanks to Tom, Program Director Carol Donahoe and Development Director Brooke Jensen for an informative presentation and an inspiring tour of the facility.
 
Nils Friberg had the honor of presenting Cindy Carlson with her Paul Harris Fellowship + 2.  Nils thanked Cindy for her support of the Foundation as well as the many, many ways she contributes to the vitality of this Rotary Club.  Nils and Cindy are shown below (this photographer apologizes to Nils for failing to ask him to remove his mask for the photo…soon we may not even notice our masks)
 
Next week’s meeting (Jan. 18th) is back at the Exchange with local author Rex Greenfield as our presenter.
 
Meeting Recap - January 11, 2022 Jeff Benson 2022-01-11 06:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - January 4, 2022

Today’s meeting was off-site at the Mounds View Public Works Facility.  While we were preparing to tour the facility, Cindy Carlson introduced Residential Real Estate Agent and prospective member, Elizabeth Tanner.  Elizabeth’s father, an Iowa Rotarian, encouraged her to investigate Rotary membership.  Elizabeth is a New Brighton resident with 3 kids at Bel-Air Elementary. 
 
Mounds View City Administrator, Nyle Zikmund, introduced Public Works Director Don Peterson.  Don said that the Public Works Department has 18 employees who are responsible for water, sanitary sewer, storm sewer, parks, trails, as well as all vehicle and building maintenance.  Don is especially proud of their new Geographic Information System (GIS).  GIS is a spatial system that creates, manages, analyzes and maps all kinds of data, allowing Public Works employees to have real-time data about city infrastructure at all times from any device.  Don proudly offered a tour of the 4 year old state of the art facility.  The new facility is a big improvement over the previous disconnected and cramped arrangements, and features heated inside storage for all maintenance and plowing vehicles, roomy service bays and full administrative functions… all under one roof.  Don said that new snow plowing equipment and technology allow their skilled drivers to clear the snow from Mounds View streets in just 6 hours.  Laser guided plowing technology expedites plowing and minimizes damage to property.  A few photos of the facility follow.  You may notice the Rotary Lift logo on the mobile lifts in the service bay, but Rotary International hasn’t (to my knowledge) diversified into vehicle maintenance yet.  Many thanks to Nyle and Don for an interesting tour.
 
This week’s District 5960 newsletter honors Mike Neeley for his milestone of 50 years of perfect Rotary attendance.
 
You may remember that we supported the Magnus Veterans Foundation by providing an all-weather shell for the passenger cart that will transport Veterans around the Magnus facility.  The cart will be presented on January 12th.  An invitation is shown below.
Please RSVP and for questions email both caseymahon@msn.com and Heather.Kliewer@caerfoodshelf.org by Tuesday, January 11, 2012.
 
To see a map showing the location of the Magnus Veterans Foundation, click here. Please park in the east entrance on the east side of the large barn (signage will also be posted on the road). You may walk through the barn to the MVF main building where the cart presentation will take place.  
 
Thank you for supporting this initiative to support the Magnus Veterans Foundation!
 
Don’t forget the upcoming District 5960 “Taste of Rotary”  event being held at the DoubleTree by Hilton in Roseville from 8:15-11:30AM on Saturday January 8, 2022.  Think of it as a Rotary enthusiasm booster shot, featuring Idea Sharing, Breakout Sessions, Foundation Information, Club Visioning Information and more.
 
Next week’s meeting is back at the Exchange and our presenter will be Carol Donahue from Achieve Services.
Meeting Recap - January 4, 2022 Jeff Benson 2022-01-04 06:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - December 21, 2021

Our presenter today was Fridley Fire Chief and former NBMV Rotarian Maddison Zikmund.  Maddison spoke about hands on educational opportunities provided by Exploring.org, an offshoot of Scouting.  Exploring provides exciting activities and mentorship for youth looking to discover their future.  Youth from age 10-21 can gain knowledge and experience in a wide range of potential careers with little or no cost.  The Exploring website lists several career fields, including Arts & Humanities, Aviation, Business, Communications, Engineering & Technology, Firefighting & EMS, Health Care, Law & Government, Law Enforcement, Science, Skilled Trades and Social Services.
 
Maddison has personal experience with Fire Safety Exploring, having led an Explorer post for several years.  He said that Fire Explorer Posts are a significant feeder system for Fire safety professionals.  He also has experience with the Opportunities in Emergency Care (OEC) program in the Spring Lake Park School District which prepares student for careers in Emergency Health Services.  Many OEC students find careers in or related to firefighting.
 
Before the Pandemic, there were 60 Fire Exploring posts in Minnesota and that number dropped as low as 23 when COVID struck but posts are reforming as we adjust to the new realities of living with the virus.  In addition to the “posts” that serve 14-20 year olds, 10-14 year olds can participate in “clubs” which should help to feed participants into the corresponding posts.  The Governor’s Fire Prevention Day at The MN Sate Fair also helps create interest in Fire Exploring and firefighting careers.
 
Cindy Carlson updated us on our 2022 Gold Plate Dinner.  The event will be held at the Mermaid on April 22nd and this year we are reducing the number of tickets from 100 to 75.  The ticket price will increase to $170/couple.  Start thinking now about auction items you could donate and people you could invite to join you at the event.  This year we will offer an additional raffle option ($50/ticket) for those who want to support our cause but can’t attend the event. 
 
Ed James said that we should watch the District 5960 newsletter for mention of Mike Neeley’s 50 years of perfect attendance milestone.
 
President Charlie Longbella reminded us of the upcoming District 5960 “Taste of Rotary” event being held at the DoubleTree by Hilton in Roseville from 8:15-11:30AM on Saturday January 8, 2022.  Think of it as a Rotary enthusiasm booster shot, featuring Idea Sharing, Breakout Sessions, Foundation Information, Club Visioning Information and more.
 
Dave Hoel reported that he had received a phone call from Irondale Choir Director Jason Etten thanking us for the $500 donation and the opportunity to perform for us. 
 
Happy Bucks Highlights:
 
Cindy and Kevin Carlson celebrated their 35th anniversary in Palm Desert.
 
Dana Rebelein celebrated great-grand motherhood with the birth of Daphne May.
 
Remember that there is no meeting on December 28th.
 
The January 4th meeting will be a tour of the Mounds View Public Works Facility.
Meeting Recap - December 21, 2021 Jeff Benson 2021-12-21 06:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - December 14, 2021

We usually have a number of guests for our Irondale Choir Christmas Concert and today was no exception.  Our guests today were MaryAnn Bawden, Debra Hollimon, Debbie Connolly, Ruth Marg-Patton. Cheryl Neeley, Gerry Tietz, Cor Wilson, John and Tina Risdall, Cole Hallmark, Smiley Rebelein and prospective member Elizabeth Tanner.
 
Mike Neeley was honored for 50 years of Rotary perfect attendance.  If you do the math, that's 2600 weekly Rotary meetings attended or made up without missing even one!  It takes extreme discipline to accomplish this feat, but Mike will tell you that his life has been made richer by making up meetings in places far and wide.  Congratulations, Mike, for this extraordinary achievement.
 
In honor of his attendance milestone, Mike Neeley established the NBMV Rotarian of the Year Award.  The 2020-21 Rotarian of the Year, as selected by a poll of the club's members, is Past President Edeth James.  Edeth guided the club with positivity and enthusiasm through the difficulties of the pandemic.  A true Rotarian at heart, Edeth's dedication to Rotary's guiding principles set an example for us all.  The award recipient has the honor of naming a youth oriented 501(c)(3) charity to receive a $500 donation.  Edeth selected the Good Samaritan Society of America's Youth camp in Edeth's home country of Nigeria.  The camp serves 500 kids for a week.  Receiving the donation for the G.S.S.A. Youth Camp was Karen Reeves.  Karen has made such an impact as a missionary that she has actually been named a "Chief" in the Nigerian village that she serves.  Thanks to Mike Neeley for creating this award.
 
The Irondale Choir Divas and Guyz Group were present to perform a few songs and lead us in our annual Christmas Carol Sing-Along.  The choir numbers were terrific, and everyone enjoyed the carol sing-along to end the performance.  This meeting is the highlight of the year for many Rotarians and our thanks go to Director Jason Etten, Accompanist Steve Ferkus and the Choir.    For those interested in more music this holiday season, the annual Seniors to Seniors Concert by Irondale Choir, Band and Orchestra senior students will be this Thursday, December 16th, 12:30PM at Irondale.  Don't miss it!
 
Thanks also to David Hoel for arranging the concert each year.  David is seen below presenting our $500 contribution to Dr. Etten on behalf of the Club.
 
Director Etten recognized our club, and Geoff Hollimon specifically, for the role we played in supporting the COVID relief efforts of the Suburban Ramsey Emergency Coalition.
 
Next week's presentation (December 21st) will be about the Minnesota Fire Explorers
REMEMBER: There is no Rotary meeting on December 28th.
 
 
 
Meeting Recap - December 14, 2021 Jeff Benson 2021-12-14 06:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - December 7, 2021

Our presenter today was Minnesota Deputy State Fire Marshall, Kathi Osmonson.  Kathi is the Youth Fire and Intervention Specialist for Minnesota.  Children are naturally fascinated by fire and this curiosity is normal, but starting fires is potentially deadly because children underestimate their ability to control a fire once it’s burning. Although youth started fires are decreasing, there are still over 100 reported incidents and the unreported incidents are much, much higher.  Children who repeatedly start fires need help and that’s where the Youth Fire Intervention Team (YFIT) plays an important role. Youthful fire starters are often just imitating adult behaviors but they may have underlying psychological or behavioral disorders.  Regardless of the reason for youthful fire starting, swift intervention can prevent serious injury or death for the child and others.  The YFIT team specialists are trained to screen children and intervene with some combination of fire safety education, mental health referral and restorative justice.  With intervention, 98% of youthful fire starters will not repeat the behavior.  To get help for a youthful fire starter, call the Youth Fire Intervention Coordinator at 762-280-4609 or kathi.osmonson@state.mn.us
 
President Charlie Longbella reminded us of the upcoming District 5960 “Taste of Rotary”  event being held at the DoubleTree by Hilton in Roseville from 8:15-11:30AM on Saturday January 8, 2022.  Think of it as a Rotary enthusiasm booster shot, featuring Idea Sharing, Breakout Sessions, Foundation Information, Club Visioning Information and more.
 
Past President Edeth James shared some photos of his wedding to Rachel in Dallas (see below).  Congratulations, Edeth and Rachel!.
 
Next week’s meeting features the Irondale Choir for our annual Christmas carol sing-along.  Please note that the meeting will be at Risdall Marketing Group, 2685 Long Lake Rd. in Roseville.  Please plan to arrive by Noon.  Spouses and past Rotarians are welcome, but please let Charlie know as soon as possible if you are bringing a guest.
 
Remember that we decided that we will NOT meet on December 28th and that our January 4th meeting will be off-site at the Mounds View Public Works Facility.
 
Meeting Recap - December 7, 2021 Jeff Benson 2021-12-07 06:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - November 30, 2021

Today’s meeting was a club roundtable, so there was no speaker today.  President Charlie Longbella was seeking feedback about whether we would like to meet on the Tuesday’s after Christmas and New Year’s.  We decided that we will T meet on December 28th and that we will have an off-site meeting at the Mounds View Public Works Facility on January 4th.
 
Just a reminder that CPY’s Virtual Gala will be a perfect opportunity to look for holiday gifts for your loved ones while supporting a great cause! Join us December 2nd – 4th for our on-line auction. Here are the details:
- All proceeds from this event will be doubled. Whether you purchase an item, or simply make a donation, it will be matched up to $30,000! Help us meet our goal and continue to support our community’s youth.
- To preview auctions items, click here.     To participate in the virtual auction, register by clicking here.
 
The 2022 Gold Plate Dinner is scheduled for April 22nd.  Like many events these days, the event is dependent on pandemic developments.
 
Upcoming programs:
Dec 07, 2021 - Finara Fang - Classification Talk
Dec 14, 2021 - Irondale Choir – Christmas Carol Sing-Along
Meeting Recap - November 30, 2021 Jeff Benson 2021-11-30 06:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - November 23, 2021

Our presenter today was Ce Ce Terloux, Founder and Executive Director of Terebinth Refuge.  Her topic was Sex Trafficking and Sexual Exploitation.  Terebinth Refuge is a Christ-centered shelter and safe transitional home that brings hope, healing services and freedom to sexually exploited and trafficked women.
 
Sexual exploiters and traffickers have developed very effective strategies to recruit vulnerable individuals and make it extremely difficult to escape the exploitation: 
- The first phase in the recruitment process is to identify a vulnerable individual and offer them attention, gifts and friendship.  Food, shelter, drugs and “protection” strengthens their relationship with the exploiter and isolates them from family and friends.
- The second phase is referred to as initiation or breaking, where the new recruit has their first “customer”.  This can be everything from gentle sex to gang rape.
- Phase three is referred to as maintenance and it involves using every possible method of isolating the individual from support systems that would help them to escape their exploiters.  Barriers to escape are: homelessness, unemployment, history of abuse, mental health issues, addiction, criminal history and lack of education.
 
Terebinth Refuge opened in 2018 with just two beds but it has experienced rapid growth, taking in 43 exploited women in 2020. An exploited woman’s first experience at Terebinth is usually the Shelter Program.  This program focuses on physical and mental health, rest and trust.  Once these short-term needs have been addressed, The Transitional Program is for women who are committed to Terebinth’s plan and wanting to pursue full case management.  The Transitional Program takes a holistic approach, focusing on physical wellness, mind health, soul health and spirit health. 
 
Ce Ce can be contacted at cece@terebinthrrefuge.org
 
Many of you will remember the presentation by Elk River Rotarian, Casey Mahon about the Magnus Veterans Foundation.  One of the needs of the 501(c)(3) foundation is a cold weather shell for the golf cart they use to transport veterans around the treatment facility.  The cost of this improvement is $300 and, rather than use club funds for this purpose, it’s thought that we could easily fund this from personal contributions by club members who are so inclined.  More to follow….
 
Next week’s meeting will be a Club Roundtable
 
The annual Irondale Choir Christmas Carol sing-a-long will be on December 14th at Risdall advertising.
 
 
Meeting Recap - November 23, 2021 Jeff Benson 2021-11-23 06:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - November 16, 2021

Cindy Carlson received a thank you from the Stillwater Sunrise Rotary club thanking us for our contribution to their Global Matching Grant water project in El Corozo, Nicaragua.
 
John Ordway reminded us that this Saturday (November 20th) is the deadline to receive matching Paul Harris Recognition Points for contributions to Polio Plus.  If you would like to give, let John know before the Saturday deadline and he will bill you on your quarterly dues statement.  If you give online, please let John know so he can keep track of it.
 
Edeth James’ guest today was his Fiancé, Rachel.  They will be married in Dallas this week.
 
Our presenter today was Laura Packer, Vice President of Story Arts of MN (SAM).  Laura is a multiple award winning storyteller, coach and consultant.  Story Arts MN develops, supports and promotes storytellers and spoken word artists.  They welcome story tellers of all cultures, experience levels, backgrounds and styles.  In addition to promoting performance oriented storytelling, SAM also supports storytelling in educational, business and spiritual settings.
 
Laura believes that we are hardwired to be storytellers and that our brains are most fully engaged when telling and listening to stories.  Studies show that storytelling improves memory via neural coupling and that hormones related to empathy and relationship building are released when we hear or tell stories.
 
In addition to its role in promoting storytelling, SAM serves to:
  • Connect storytellers and audiences
  • Coordinate storytelling events
  • Provide a clearinghouse for information via their newsletter
  • Collect best practices and quality indicators
For more info about Laura, Click here.
 
As you might expect, the pandemic has made it difficult for many families to put enough food on the table.  The Ralph Reeder Food Shelf, with your help, has been able to increase the amount and variety of food they are able to give each family, but the holiday season is expected to be a real challenge.  Bell Lumber and Pole has partnered with the Food Shelf to match your increase in donation over last year.  Online donations can be made at www.ralphreederfoodshelf.org or checks can be mailed directly to: 2544 Mounds View Blvd. Mounds View, MN, 55112.  Although monetary donations are most effective, actual food item donations are welcome.  Click here to download a flyer of the most needed items.
 
Next week’s presenter is CeCeTourlouw from Terebinth.
Meeting Recap - November 16, 2021 Jeff Benson 2021-11-16 06:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - November 9, 2021

Today’s presenter was Elk River Rotarian, Casey Mahon.  Casey’s topic was the Magnus Veterans Foundation (MVF)MVF is a 501(c)(3) non-profit whose mission is to “Heal and honor our veterans and their families through community fellowship and a comprehensive approach to restoring the mind, body, heart, and spirit”.  Their facilities and partnerships go well beyond traditional primary care services by focusing on the whole person (physical, spiritual, psychological, and social) to achieve individualized performance goals.  They also attempt to “close the gap between those who go to war and those who send them by creating unique veteran-community collaborative engagement opportunities”.  Opened in June of 2021, The Magnus Veterans Wellness Campus sits on a beautiful 38 acre estate in Dayton, Minnesota.  Dr. Shawn Alderman, a former Special Forces medic, oversees the treatment of veterans and their families and care is provided at no charge.  MVF has a goal to support 1,000 vets in its first year and 5,000 by year five.
 
Casey was here today to raise funds for Elk River Rotary’s District Matching Grant to provide a 6 passenger golf cart to provide needed transportation within the Campus for disabled veterans.  The topic is on next week’s Board agenda.  Casey can be contacted at caseymahon@msn.com.
 
The New Brighton Lions Club is holding a Spaghetti Supper Fundraiser from 4-7PM on November 13th at the New Brighton Eagles Club.  Age 12 years and older - $10, Age 5-12 -  $7, Under 5 is free.  The Eagles Club is located at 563 Old Highway 8 NW in New Brighton.
 
Mike Neeley celebrated 50 years of perfect attendance in Rotary by visiting his first Rotary club in Gardner, Iowa.  If you do the math, that’s over 2500 Rotary meetings!  Congratulations Mike.
 
The deadline for receiving matching Paul Harris Fellow Recognition Points from the District is November 20th.  If you are planning to contribute to Polio Plus, now is the time to get the most bang for your buck.  Get your contributions to John Ordway ASAP, or notify him if you make a direct contribution to the Foundation.
 
Next week’s presenter will be Carol Donahue from Achieve Services.  Edeth James’ fiancée, Rachel, will be here visiting, as well.
Meeting Recap - November 9, 2021 Jeff Benson 2021-11-09 06:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - November 2, 2021

Our guest today was Dr. Jenny Yi-chun Kuo.   Jenny was a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar in 1998 and is now at the University of Minnesota as a Fulbright Scholar.  We hope to arrange for Jenny to speak to our club sometime soon.
 
District 42 Senator Jason Isaacson was scheduled to be our presenter today but a sick child prevented him from joining us today.  Nyle Zikmund gave an impromptu presentation about the John C. Campbell Folk School.  Located in scenic Brasstown, North Carolina, the Folk School offers year-round weeklong and weekend classes for adults in craft, art, music, dance, cooking, gardening, nature studies, photography and writing.  Nyle and Terry just got back from another week at the Folk School.  Nyle took another class in woodturning and Terry learned about small scale tapestry weaving.  Nyle’s small class was led by master turner John Keeton.  Nyle walked us through the process of designing, turning and finishing a wooden cremation urn.  The degree of complexity and precision required for this level of wood turning is astounding and Nyle was clearly in awe of Keeton’s craftsmanship and teaching ability.  Here are some examples of John Keeton wood turnings.
 
For more information about the Folk School, click John C. Campbell Folk School
 
We’ve all received an email from District 5960 regarding this year’s Strike Out Polio campaign.  I’m including the matching recognition points section of that email as a reminder and encouragement to contribute to the Strike Out Polio campaign this fall.  Details are below:
RECOGNITION: We will reward and recognize people who give at two levels:
 
SPARE!: Give at least $100 to PolioPlus before November 20th and the donation will be matched 1:1 with Recognition Points.
 
STRIKE!!: Give at least $365 (equivalent of $1/day) to PolioPlus during this campaign and we will utilize Recognition Points to award a Paul Harris Fellowship!
 
Thanks for being champions of this effort.  We look forward to working with you to promote our STRIKE OUT POLIO Challenge as we encourage all members to give to PolioPlus.
 
Please feel free to call or email Joe Stahlmann if you have any questions about the campaign at (210) 867-2569 or jts@mocasystems.com.
Meeting Recap - November 2, 2021 Jeff Benson 2021-11-02 05:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - October 26. 2021

We were all delighted to finally return home to the Exchange for our meetings. 
 
Our guest today was Honorary Rotarian MaryAnn Bawden.  MaryAnn came bearing gifts of three delicious dessert breads, most of which were quickly devoured, and Mary Stewart brought the remainder to CPY.
 
Our newest member, Finara Fang, was scheduled to give her new member talk today but she had to return to Cameroon for a family emergency.  Her presentation will be rescheduled soon.
 
After the cancellation of the 2020 Gold Plate Dinner due to COVID, we rallied in 2021 by holding a No-Plate Dinner which, because of some generous unanticipated gifts, netted almost as much as the in- person dinners had.  Cindy Carlson moderated a discussion about the fate of the 2022 Gold Plate Dinner which is normally scheduled for April.  Some of the discussion points were:
   - In-Person vs. Virtual
   - Social distancing
   - Possible COVID variant surges
   - Require vaccination
   - Difficult tickets sales with diminished membership
   - Increase per member ticket sales quota
Cindy C. will formulate questions for a survey.
Nyle Z. will create a Survey Monkey using Cindy’s questions.
Jeff B. will forward the survey to the membership.
 
Rotarian of the Year 2021 ballots have been mailed with a return envelope to members who didn't receive them at the last two noon meetings.  Please indicate the Rotarian you feel deserves this recognition and return your ballot as soon as possible.
 
November 2nd’s presenter will be Senator Jason Isaacson.  Note that Senator Isaacson will need to start at 12 sharp to make it to his next engagement.  Let’s all be there at a respectful 11:55AM!
Meeting Recap - October 26. 2021 Jeff Benson 2021-10-26 05:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - October 19, 2021

Our guest today was Honorary Rotarian Beverly Aplikowski.  Welcome, Beverly!
 
Our presenters today were Mindy Handberg, ISD 621 Director of Community Partnership and Michael Werner, ISD 621 Dean of Post-Secondary Planning Student Services.  Mounds View Public Schools offer students the opportunity to explore various industry related careers through specific coursework that allows students to follow their interests and prepare for post-secondary study and work opportunities.  The Pathways program was created in response to community and industry feedback and in partnership with building trades, industry and post-secondary institutions.  Mindy and Michael graciously agreed to share their Powerpoint presentation for use in this newsletter.  You can access it by clicking here.  Examples of some popular pathways can be found hereMindy hopes that businesses will consider making classroom presentations or offer meaningful internships and shadowing experiences.  The program would also benefit from student group tours and mentorship experiences.  If you or your business could help with any of these learning opportunities, Mindy or Michael would love to hear from you.
 Mindy Handberg - 651-621-6094
     mindy.handberg@moundsviewschools.org
Michael Werner 651-621-6045
     michael.werner@moundsviewschools.org
 
We’ve all received an email from District 5960 regarding this year’s Strike Out Polio campaign.  I’m including the matching recognition points section of that email as a reminder and encouragement to contribute to the Strike Out Polio campaign this fall.  Details are below:
RECOGNITION: We will reward and recognize people who give at two levels:
 
SPARE!: Give at least $100 to PolioPlus before November 20th and the donation will be matched 1:1 with Recognition Points.
 
STRIKE!!: Give at least $365 (equivalent of $1/day) to PolioPlus during this campaign and we will utilize Recognition Points to award a Paul Harris Fellowship!
 
Thanks for being champions of this effort.  We look forward to working with you to promote our STRIKE OUT POLIO Challenge as we encourage all members to give to PolioPlus.
 
Please feel free to call or email Joe Stahlmann if you have any questions about the campaign at (210) 867-2569 or jts@mocasystems.com.
 
NEXT WEEK’S MEETING (AND FUTURE MEETINGS) WILL BE AT THE EXCHANGE.
 
Our presenter next week will be new member Finara Fang’s classification talk.
 
November 2nd’s presenter will be Senator Jason Isaacson.  Note that Senator Isaacson will need to start at 12 sharp to make it to his next engagement.  Let’s all be there at a respectful 11:55AM!
Meeting Recap - October 19, 2021 Jeff Benson 2021-10-19 05:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - October 12, 2021

Our speakers today were Spring Lake Park/Blaine/Mounds View firefighters Tony Scavo and Derek Authier.  They were here to tell us about their volunteer mission to provide relief and support for overworked firefighters in Louisiana after Category 5 Hurricane Ida left a statewide swath of destruction.  Tony and Derek were part of a 22 man delegation from nine fire departments around Minnesota. The group shipped out on September 7th, 2021, joining other firefighters from all over the U.S. for an 18 day stay in one of the hardest hit areas of Louisiana.  While there, all 22 bunked in a relatively small tent at a military base camp. For the first week, they focused on water deliveries, tree removal, general cleanup and door to door needs assessment for residents.  They were humbled by the overwhelming southern hospitality and gratitude that they experienced while helping the homeowners.  They felt as though these people who had lost almost everything were more concerned with the firefighters comfort than their own.  During their stay the firefighters got a small taste of the power of a hurricane when Hurricane Nicholas (Category 1) came through and inundated their tent.  The remainder of their stay involved assessing the damage to existing fire stations for the State Fire Marshall.  Many fire stations and much of the firefighting equipment were partially or completely destroyed by Ida.  The heat and humidity were oppressive, especially for Minnesotans unused to subtropical conditions.  Displaced residents almost unanimously were choosing to rebuild rather than relocate, and the close-knit communities banded together to protect what little possessions they could salvage after the storm.  Tony and Derek agreed that this volunteer mission was very gratifying and they would do it again if the opportunity arises. Tony, Derek and President Charlie Longbella are shown below.
 
Don’t forget about the One Rotary Summit, Saturday October 23, 9-11:30AM at FamilyMeans, 1875 Northwestern Ave S. Stillwater, MN 55082. 
  • You will participate in focused discussions about Membership, Public Image, and The Rotary Foundation and how the three work together in Rotary.
  • You will share how service is important for all of us as Rotarians and Rotaractors.
  • You will gain insights about how your club can expand its reach, increase its impact, enhance its engagement, and increase its ability to adapt.
 
Mike Neeley announced nominations are open for a 2021 Rotarian of the Year.  Nomination forms were passed out today and will be available next week as well.  After that, nomination forms will be made available by email.
 
Edeth James displayed photos of the 4-Way Test sign that has been erected in his honor at his alma mater, Polytechnic Ibadan, in Nigeria.  Edeth thanked all those who contributed toward the sign. 
 
Camp Enterprise has been cancelled this year.
 
Next week’s speaker will be Mindy Handberg, speaking about ISD 621 Workforce Training.
 
We expect to return to the Exchange soon, perhaps by Oct. 26th.
Meeting Recap - October 12, 2021 Jeff Benson 2021-10-12 05:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - September 28, 2021

Nyle introduced today’s speaker, Juliet Mitchell, CEO of Life Etiquette Institute.  Juliet’s topic was “Civility in the Society”.  Juliet is a Career Development Consultant and Licensed Etiquette Professional serving clients of all ages and all walks of life.  Juliet’s professional service philosophy is “Treat Everyone with Dignity and Respect”.
 
Juliet defines civility as: Social norms and rules that a society agrees to follow in order to relate to others in a positive and productive way.  Etiquette (commonly called manners) is the expression of those norms and rules.  Juliet believes that manners are a key factor in relationship and business success.  Conversely, people with poor manners create a climate of incivility which leads to disrespect, mental and physical abuse, bullying, and the list goes on.  Today’s social and political rhetoric tells the whole story.  Juliet said that the economic impact of this incivility is staggering, citing costs of $49 million for the storming of the U.S. Capitol and $300 billion resulting from the George Floyd protests.
 
Juliet believes that civility can be restored.  She listed several ways to move in that direction:
  • Teach kids and young adults to be respectful and treat others with dignity.
  • Create workplace standards that promote civility.
  • Promote inclusivity and oppose exclusivity.
 
Juliet is pictured with the group below.
 
Next week’s speaker is Senator Jason Isaacson (District 42)
Meeting Recap - September 28, 2021 Jeff Benson 2021-09-28 05:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - September 21, 2021

Several Rotarians were present last night as George Winiecki received Mounds View’s Outstanding Citizen of the Year Award. We’re proud of you, George!
 
Nils Friberg introduced today’s speaker, Jerome Brown.  Jerome was the social worker for Nils’ wife Peg while she was in hospice care.  Jerome was raised in what he described as a “bad neighborhood” on the South side of Chicago and, like many kids there, got involved in some illegal activities.  But Jerome also excelled in basketball and in track as a sprinter.  Jerome’s parents were heroin addicts, so Jerome was living with his aunt when recruiters from the University of Dubuque football team came knocking at his door.  For Jerome, two white men at the door could only mean that his criminal activities had finally caught up with him, so he was reluctant to answer the door.  His aunt forced him to go to the door and it changed his life forever.  He went to Iowa to play football and left his Chicago past behind him.  He got his B.A. at Dubuque and his M.A. from St. Ambrose University.  Since answering that knock on the door he has become a social worker, motivational speaker, consultant and author (“From Stone to Bread”).
 
Jerome’s social work began in child protection but soon shifted to mental health and eventually focused on hospice care.  Jerome defined hospice as care for someone who has been diagnosed by a Physician as having less than 6 months to live and showing progressive decline in physical condition.  He also said that it is not uncommon for patients to be in hospice care for longer than 6 months and that some patients actually graduate from hospice care if their health improves.  Jerome admits that his job can take an emotional toll but he credits his faith and education for the strength to carry on.  He said that 50% of those in hospice say they have regrets about their lives and that many of those regrets revolve around failing to finish, or even start, important life goals.  Jerome’s process for avoiding these regrets is:
  • Decide (commit to the goal)
  • Discipline (plan and follow up)
  • Destroy (complete the goal)
Jerome left us with these words:  Get Busy Living or Get Busy Dying
 
Dana Rebelein reported that two Irondale Students, Bella Woo and Kaden Li, have been selected to be our representatives at Camp Enterprise.  The decision to hold the event or cancel it due to Covid should be made soon.
 
Geoff Hollimon said that he spoke to MaryAnn Bawden recently and that she is doing well and she misses us.
 
George Winiecki and Dave Hoel noted that long time friend of the club, Gerry Bensing, passed away recently.
 
Nils Friberg announced that he will be moving next month to Eagle Crest.
 
The Board will meet at 11AM next Tuesday.
 
Next week’s meeting will feature Julie Mitchell, speaking on Civility in Society.
Meeting Recap - September 21, 2021 Jeff Benson 2021-09-21 05:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - September 14, 2021

Nyle Zikmund introduced Jeff Forrester, Executive Director of Minnesota Lakes and Rivers Advocates.  The MLRA is a grass roots, non-profit, environmental conservation organization.  Some of the greatest resources that Minnesota has to offer are its lakes and rivers, but threats from pollution and invasive species pose an ever-increasing threat to those resources.  MLRA is working to create awareness and promote corrective action to preserve our treasured lakes and rivers for future generations.  Our lakes and rivers are the victims of changes in rainwater runoff patterns due to changes in residential and agricultural land usage.  The lack of buffer zones around lakes and rivers allows phosphorus to leach into the water, leading to overgrowth of plants and algae that eventually changes oxygen levels and can even lead to total fish kill.  Invasive species like asian carp, zebra mussels and invasive plants are also having a huge environmental and economic impact on our state.  Jeff said that the myriad of governmental agencies, while well intentioned, each control a small piece of the regulatory bureaucracy, making serious progress difficult.  He believes that real progress depends on lake owners and farmers owning the problem and taking action before the problem is beyond repair.  For more information, click here.

Cindy Carlson had the pleasure of inducting Finara Fang as the newest member of our club.  Finara was proposed for membership by Edeth James.  Charlie, Cindy, Finara and Edeth are shown below.
 
Charter member George Winiecki has been named Mounds View Citizen of the Year.  The honor will be awarded at the Mounds View Town Hall Meeting which starts at 5:30PM on Monday, September 20th.  The meeting is at the Mounds View Community Center.  Let’s all show up to honor George.
 
Cindy Carlson reminded us that Arden Hills Shoreview Rotary, in conjunction with Lakeshore Players Theatre, is presenting the Shoreview Live! Variety Show as a fundraiser for various club initiatives. Showtime is 7 PM on Thursday, September 23rd at the Shoreview Community Center.  The evening will feature upbeat and jazzy music performed by local performers Kate Beahen, Falicia Cunningham, Bradley Beahen & Elena Glass, along with theatrical snippets and comedy interpreted by beloved Lakeshore Players Theatre performers, with a special performance from Children's Performing Arts students.  Click here to download more information.
 
Important Rotary dates:  Click here to view District 5960 events.
 
Cindy Carlson, Dana Rebelein, Jeff and Nancy Benson joined the Mounds View Lions Club to serve hot dogs and brats to the spectators and participants of the “Guns and Hoses” softball game to honor those first responders who risked their lives or gave their lives after the 9/11 attacks twenty years ago.  Nyle Zikmund was appropriately attired to umpire the event (see below).
 
 
President Charlie read a thank you from the Community Support Center thanking us for our continuing financial support of their important work in the community.
 
Nils Friberg offered his thanks for our support following the passing of his wife, Peg.
 
Dave Hoel reported that his recent checkup showed that surgery and radiation have eliminated any evidence of his vocal cord cancer.
 
Next week’s speaker is motivational speaker Jerome Brown, author of “From Stone to Bread”
Meeting Recap - September 14, 2021 Jeff Benson 2021-09-14 05:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - September 7, 2021

President-Elect Jason Miller ran the meeting in President Charlie Longbella’s absence.
 
Cindy Carlson reported that Remember Niger has been awarded a $10,000 matching grant opportunity from One Day's Wages to provide 34 scholarships for girls in middle school in Niger.  To receive the matching grant they must raise $10,000 before receiving the matching grant funds.  The scholarships will cover the cost of school tuition and fees, books, uniforms, meals, tutoring and mentoring for girls in middle school. The benefits of educating girls in Niger are immense. A study from the World Bank estimates that each year of middle school education provided to a girl yields a 25% increase in her future earnings and providing opportunities for girls to stay in school delays instances of early marriage.  If you would like to help Remember Niger take advantage of this grant, contact Cindy or donate directly online at https://onedayswages-rememberniger.funraise.org/.
 
Charter member George Winiecki has been named Mounds View Citizen of the Year.  The honor will be awarded at the Mounds View Town Hall Meeting which starts at 5:30PM on Monday, September 20th.  The meeting is at the Mounds View Community Center.  Let’s all show up to honor George.
 
Our speaker today was Dr. Caitlin Potter, Education and Community Engagement Coordinator for the University of Minnesota’s Cedar Creek Ecosystem Science Reserve (hereafter Cedar Creek).  Cedar Creek is a large ecological research site in central Minnesota with natural habitats that represent the entire state. There is no place of comparable biological diversity so close to the Twin Cities metropolitan area.  The nine square mile reserve lies at the intersection of three biomes; deciduous forest, prairie grassland and northern evergreen forest.  This means that Cedar Creek has exceptional diversity of flora and fauna, making it the perfect location for scientific research.  In fact, Cedar Creek has been at the forefront of ecological research since the 1940’s.  Many research methodologies, including radio telemetry tracking, were developed at Cedar Creek.  In addition to its short-term research projects, Cedar Creek is also home to many long-term projects, some of which won’t yield results for 200 years.  Very sophisticated global climate change research is also being conducted.  Cedar Creek’s “Eyes on the Wild” project employs trail cameras and some volunteer “watchers” to gather real-time visual data on animal behavior in the wild.
 
Due to the large number of research projects housed onsite, the only part of Cedar Creek’s property that is regularly open to the public is the Fish Lake Nature Trail.  The nature trail is a wonderful place to walk, ski, bird watch and more.  Click here for more information about the trail.  Access is limited to daylight hours and no dogs are allowed on the trail. 
 
To learn more about Cedar Creek, click here, or contact Caitlin directly at Caitlin@umn.edu
 
Cindy Carlson announced that Arden Hills Shoreview Rotary, in conjunction with Lakeshore Players Theatre, is presenting the Shoreview Live! Variety Show as a fundraiser for various club initiatives. Showtime is 7 PM on Thursday, September 23rd at the Shoreview Community Center.  The evening will feature upbeat and jazzy music performed by local performers Kate Beahen, Falicia Cunningham, Bradley Beahen & Elena Glass, along with theatrical snippets and comedy interpreted by beloved Lakeshore Players Theatre performers, with a special performance from Children's Performing Arts students.  Click here to download more information.
 
Past-President Edeth James is leaving soon for Africa soon to attend the groundbreaking for the 4 Way Test sign honoring him at his alma mater.  If you would like to contribute toward the sign, contact John Ordway.
Don’t forget the softball game between the SBM Fire Department and the Mounds View Police Department to honor the Heroes who responded after the 9/11 attacks 20 years ago.  The game (dubbed “Guns and Hoses”) will be held at Mounds View City Hall Park at 11 AM on Saturday, September 11th.  Volunteers would be appreciated at 10:30AM.  Or club has agreed to help sponsor the event.
 
Next weeks’ meeting will feature the induction of Finara Fang as the newest member of our club.  Let’s have a good showing of members to welcome her into the club.
Meeting Recap - September 7, 2021 Jeff Benson 2021-09-07 05:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - August 24, 2021

President Elect Jason Miller presided over the meeting in President Charlie Longbella’s absence. 
 
Our Speaker today was Pete Boulay, a climatologist with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources State Climatology Office.  The topic of so many conversations in Minnesota lately has been the high temperatures and lack of rainfall.  These conditions have had a huge impact on Minnesotans and, especially on Minnesota’s farmers.  As bad as the current drought has been, Minnesota experienced even more severe drought conditions in 1936, 1959, 1988.  If not for the excessive rainfall from 2010-2019, the current dry conditions would have been even worse.  Today’s soaking rain was a blessing and Pete predicted wetter weather over the coming two weeks, but the future trend will be warmer summer and winter overnight temperatures which lead to increased soil temperature and lower soil moisture content.  Pete said another problem with the warmer winter weather is that Japanese Beetle larvae are able to survive in the soil over the winter, and each year they are spreading further north.  Pete said that even though the average temperatures are rising, temperature variability is increasing as well.  This means that we are more likely to experience extremes of hot and cold.
 
Our guests today were prospective member Finara Fang and NBMV scholarship recipient Griffin Bourassa.
 
Our next meeting will be a Club Roundtable at Silver View Park, 12 Noon, Silver Lake Rd and County Rd I.  Bring your own lunch.
Meeting Recap - August 24, 2021 Jeff Benson 2021-08-24 05:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - August 17, 2021

Our guest today was Kole Hallmark, Logistics manager at Big Blue Boxes.
 
John Johnson is working on obtaining racks to organize the club’s storage room.
 
Our speaker today was Devin Massopust, New Brighton City Manager.  Devin grew up in Rapid City, South Dakota, did his undergrad at St John’s University and got his graduate degree at Hamline University.  He is married to Katie and they have a 2 year old son named Luca.  Devin had been the assistant City Manager prior to becoming City Manager in March of 2020.  Devin was here to update us on New Brighton.  The Covid 19 pandemic was a major challenge for Devin’s  first year and a half on the job.  New Brighton has reported 2538 Covid cases and 63 deaths to date.  The city’s clinics have so far been able to vaccinate 10,755 people and city administration has received two awards for its innovative response to pandemic challenges.  All city facilities are currently open and masking is required indoors.  The city recently secured bonding for improvements at six city parks at 1.53% interest rate, a historic low.  Use of outdoor recreation facilities has increased dramatically and the Brightwood Hills Golf Course had its busiest month ever with over 5,000 rounds played in July.  The intersection of Old Hwy 8 and 8th Ave. is being reconstructed and will soon have stop lights to handle the increased traffic from the new development nearby.  The fire department has noticed a sharp increase in fire calls this summer (45 calls in July).  The increase is not related to drought conditions, however.  New Brighton has experienced a 44% increase in crime reports this year.  The increase is solely in non-violent crimes like theft and burglary with catalytic converter thefts increasing dramatically.  Devin reported that New Brighton’s new state of the art water filtration system is working smoothly.  He also indicated that the Stockyard Days Parade will return to its old route next year but it will continue to be held on Saturday at 10AM.  Devin can be contacted at mailto:devin.massopust@newbrightonmn.gov  Devin is pictured below.
 
Jeff Lundquist announced a softball game between the SBM Fire Department and the Mounds View Police Department to honor the Heroes who responded after the 9/11 attacks 20 years ago.  The game (dubbed “Guns and Hoses”) will be held at Mounds View City Hall Park at 11 AM on Saturday, September 11th.  Volunteers would be appreciated at 10:30AM.  Or club has agreed to help sponsor the event.
 
Don’t forget that the Mounds View Festival In The Park is this Friday, and Saturday.  Click here for more information.
 
Geoff Hollimon said that Roseville’s Rosefest has been cancelled for this year.
 
The Board will meet prior to the noon meeting at 11AM on Aug 24th.
 
Meeting Recap - August 17, 2021 Jeff Benson 2021-08-17 05:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - August 10, 2021

Past President Edeth James led today’s meeting in President Charlie Longbella’s absence.
 
John Johnson outlined the plans for our Stockyard Days Parade Hot Dog Feed this Saturday.  This year’s parade route puts our Hot Dog serving location at the corner of 13th Ave. NW and 5th St NW.  Check your email for more details and an opportunity to sign up for specific time slots.
 
Cindy Carlson reported that the Board has approved a $750 contribution to a Stillwater Sunrise Rotary Global Grant to provide clean water for the town of El Corozo, Nicaragua.  The nearest water source for the community is 2.2 miles away and the only access to it is by foot.  This Global Grant will drill a 750 foot well which will provide clean, safe water for the entire community.
 
Geoff Hollimon reported that the CPY Golf Ball Drop went off without a hitch.  The lucky winner took home a cool $1,402 and CPY netted about $7,000 to help support their amazing work in the community.
 
Our Speaker today was Brent Hamoud, son of our own Jed Hamoud.  Brent and his family have lived in Lebanon for 13 years and he was here today to offer his assessment of the political and financial situation in Lebanon. 
 
Lebanon’s time as an independent nation state spans just 80 years.  Prior to the 1930’s, the area was under colonial rule.  A period of civil war from 1975-1990 ended with the warring religious factions just entrenching themselves in politics, so Lebanon’s current political system is built on religious affiliation, with key government positions assigned to leaders of the various religions.  The power distribution isn’t necessarily representative, however, as there hasn’t been a census taken since the 1930’s. What is clear is that politics and religion are inseparably intertwined and that those in power resist any change that might disturb the status quo.  It is also clear that the status quo is not working for the people of Lebanon.  Because of financial mismanagement and corruption, Lebanon is on the brink of experiencing one of the world’s ten worst financial meltdowns since 1850.  Inflation has devalued Lebanon’s currency by 90% and the end of government subsidies on essentials like wheat, fuel and medicine has had a devastating effect on the most vulnerable Lebanese people.  Brent said that 70% of the Lebanese population is below the poverty level.  Savings and retirement funds are being lost and crime and drug use are on the rise.  High rates of refugee influx (especially from neighboring Syria) have further complicated an already difficult situation.  Just when it seemed as though things couldn’t get worse, a huge explosion devastated Beirut and government leaders have failed to respond to the emergency.  Leaders have even suppressed efforts to investigate the tragedy.
 
Despite everything, Brent remains optimistic for a better future for Lebanon.  He believes that global networks, rooted in local organizations (i.e. Rotary) can bypass governmental red tape to get relief to the people who really need help.  He believes that the direct connection between local groups is the key to many of the problems facing the world today.
 
Meeting Recap - August 10, 2021 Jeff Benson 2021-08-10 05:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - August 3, 2021

Our speaker today was our own Nils Friberg, presenting on Human Trafficking.  Nils and Jed Hamoud have partnered to keep this topic on the minds of NBMV Rotarians.  Nils has been attending meetings of the Minnesota Task Force on Human Trafficking to stay current with human trafficking issues.  Minnesota’s Safe Harbor Act requires that those who have been sexually exploited are treated as victims, not criminals.  Federal laws (TVPA) are also in place to address trafficking.  These laws are helping to curb the growth of sex trafficking but there are still 4.5 million victims of sex trafficking each year.  Not all human trafficking is sexual, however.   Labor trafficking has 36 million victims each year.
 
Nils said that pornography has a strong connection to sex trafficking.  He said that porn sets the moral, emotional and spiritual stage for objectification and abuse of women.
 
Nils applauded the efforts of the Terebinthe Refuge, a women’s shelter in Waite Park, MN for care and recovery of women who have been sexually trafficked.  Terebinthe was featured in the recent Anti-Human Trafficking Webinar we co-sponsored with Arden Hills-Shoreview Rotary.
 
Indicators of Human Trafficking include, but are not limited to:
  • Does the person appear disconnected from family, friends, community organizations, or houses of worship?
  • Has a child stopped attending school?
  • Has the person had a sudden or dramatic change in behavior?
  • Is a juvenile engaged in commercial sex acts?
  • Is the person disoriented or confused, or showing signs of mental or physical abuse?
  • Does the person have bruises in various stages of healing?
  • Is the person fearful, timid, or submissive?
  • Does the person show signs of having been denied food, water, sleep, or medical care?
  • Is the person often in the company of someone to whom he or she defers? Or someone who seems to be in control of the situation, e.g., where they go or who they talk to?
  • Does the person appear to be coached on what to say?
  • Is the person living in unsuitable conditions?
  • Does the person lack personal possessions and appear not to have a stable living situation?
  • Does the person have freedom of movement? Can the person freely leave where they live? Are there unreasonable security measures?
The talking points for Nils’ presentation can be downloaded here.  Nils is pictured with Charlie Longbella below.
 
Happy Buck Highlights:
  • Jason Miller’s son Gavin turned 16.
  • Dana Rebelein’s son turned 50.
  • Edeth James’ daughter starts medical school soon.
 
Edeth asked me to include his wedding invitation in the newsletter. Here is the hotel booking link:   https://www.hilton.com/en/book/reservation/deeplink/?ctyhocn=DALEMES&groupCode=CESREW&arrivaldate=2021-10-22&departuredate=2021-10-24&cid=OM,WW,HILTONLINK,EN,DirectLink&fromId=HILTONLINKDIRECT
You have until 10-1-2021 to lock in the rate.   Road trip, anyone?
 
Don’t forget that our Stockyard Days Parade Hot Dog Feed preparation begins on SATURDAY August 14th at 9AM.  Stay tuned for the new location.
Meeting Recap - August 3, 2021 Jeff Benson 2021-08-03 05:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - July 27, 2021

Jason Miller subbed for President Charlie Longbella whose child was sick today.
 
Edeth brought John Risdall to today’s meeting.  It was great to see John again.
 
Nyle Zikmund introduced new member Jeff Lundquist.  Jeff is the Community Risk Reduction Specialist for the Spring Lake Park Blaine Mounds View (SBM) Fire Department.  Jeff grew up in Edina.  Ever since he could walk he’s been in love with two-wheeled vehicles, progressing from mini-bikes to dirt bikes and, recently, road bikes.  He just completed a 3 day, 1,000 mile motorcycle trip and is getting ready to go to Sturgis.  He’s an active member of the firefighter’s Red Knights Motorcycle Club.  When he is not on his motorcycle, he is often at his family cabin near Breezy Point.  Jeff started out in the warehousing, working on inventory management and logistics but soon found himself working at SBM Fire.  He been there now for 13 years and full time for the last 6 years.  He and his wife, Bridget, have four sons aged 17 to 23.
 
In his Community Risk Reduction role at SBM, Jeff works on Community Outreach and Education including business training, apartment complex outreach, senior living facility fire safety and National Night Out activities.
 
Check your email for important Rotary dates or, if you prefer, you can download them here.
 
Note that we will be meeting at the Mounds View Community Center for the next three meetings.
 
The memorial service for John Risdall’s mother-in-law, Evi  Karelson, will be held at Washburn-McReavy Northeast Chapel, 2901 Johnson Street N.E. on JUL 30, 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM
 
Peg Friberg’s memorial service will be at 11 AM Saturday, July 31st at Grace Point Church, 2351 Rice Creek Rd., New Brighton.  Visitation at 10AM and reception to follow service. 
 
John Johnson reminded us that our Stockyard Days Parade Hot Dog Feed will be on SATURDAY, August 14th.  Hot dog cookers/wrappers will need to need to report by 9AM.  Stay tuned for the new location.
 
CPY Golf Ball Drop tickets are available from Geoff Hollimon and Edeth James.
 
Cindy Carlson celebrated her grandson Chip’s 2nd birthday recently and Dana Rebelein is going to be a great grandmother.
Meeting Recap - July 27, 2021 Jeff Benson 2021-07-27 05:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - July 13, 2021

Today’s speaker was Robyn Coquyt from Africa Classroom Connection.  In 2006, Rotarian Henry Bromelkamp returned from a trip to Eshowe, South Africa determined to have an impact on education for the children of that area.  Bromelkamp had observed that children in Eshowe were attending school outdoors, despite the heat and rain.  Nineteen years prior to Bromelkamp’s visit, the Eshowe Christian Action Group (ECAG) was formed by Eshowe Rotary members who also were committed to providing classrooms for these poverty stricken children.  Bromelkamp and others created Africa Classroom Connection (ACC) to partner with ECAG by providing outside funds and technical assistance to increase the number of classrooms that could be built.  ACC and ECAG developed a standard classroom plan that could be built rapidly and economically.  The partnership also developed a financial plan that required communities to provide a portion of the $12,000 construction cost up front to ensure that the classrooms would be well cared for.  The use of local materials and labor has a positive impact on the local economy.  This partnership has so far led to the construction of 119 classrooms serving over 37,000 children and over 100 communities have accumulated the funds necessary to be on the waiting list.  Grassroots participation and co-investment have helped make this partnership model sustainable.  Once the classroom is built it is turned over to the government which eliminates much of the ongoing cost of maintenance.  Click here to find more about the Africa Classroom Connection.
 
President Charlie Longbella reported that the Exchange is still trying to hire adequate personnel for us to return there for weekly meetings.  Meanwhile, we will be looking into other possibilities.
 
Check your email for important Rotary dates or, if you prefer, you can download them here
 
The Community Support Center’s Annual “Walk For Our Neighbors” fundraiser will be held on July 25th, from 10-2PM, at Silver View Park, Silver Lake Rd and County Rd I.  NBMV Rotary has donated and it’s hoped that many of us will show up to walk in support of our less fortunate neighbors.  Click here for more information.
 
CPY’s annual Golf Ball Drop will be held at Brightwood Hills Golf Course on August 8th at 3PM.  Get your tickets now from Geoff Hollimon or Edeth James.
 
Ed revealed the revised plan for a solar powered 4-Way Test sign at his alma mater in Nigeria. Rotarians interested in contributing toward the project can do so using our club’s Donorbox online portal.  Donations of any amount are appreciated.  (Indicate “4 way test sign” in the comments section)
 
The Gold Plate dinner for 2022 is slated for late April.  Stay tuned for more details.
 
The recipients of our three college scholarships at Irondale are: Griffin Bourassa, Jacqueline Peterson and Milena Yishak.
 
Thoughts and prayers are welcome as Nils and Peg make decisions about future care as her health worsens.
 
Edeth James received his Past-President’s Gavel Plaque from President Charlie Longbella.  See photo below.
 
July 20, 2021 (Tuesday Club Meeting – Mounds View Community Center) - Chris Belland with MN Historical Society.  His topic: Fort Snelling
Meeting Recap - July 13, 2021 Jeff Benson 2021-07-13 05:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - June 29, 2021

President Edeth James’ Quote of the Day: “Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” - Luke 6:38
 
After a rainy morning, the skies cleared and we had a beautiful afternoon for an in-person meeting to mark the end of the 2020-2021 Rotary year.  The sunny skies gave full effect to the amazing gardens and landscaping at the home of our generous hosts, Nyle and Terri Zikmund.  The final meeting of the year also marks the transition of the club presidency from Edeth James to Charlie Longbella.
 
Our guests today were:
    Debra Hollimon
    Susan Hoel
    Marla Ordway
    Edeth’s friend Finara
 
President Edeth highlighted the myriad accomplishments of our club during the past year.  Despite Covid-19, we were able to continue our support for the many important local and international projects and programs we supported prior to the pandemic.  The list is too long to include in this bulletin, but you can download it here.
 
Edeth presented Charlie with his Club President pin (below)
and Charlie presented Edeth with his Past President’s pin (below).
 
Edeth accepted the nomination to be our President-Elect just a couple of years after joining the club.  His energy and passion for Rotary served him well as he learned more about Rotary and prepared for his term as President. Even the pandemic could not diminish his positive energy.  As we emerge from the grip of Covid 19, the club is financially strong and ready for Charlie to guide the club into the coming year.  Congratulations, Edeth, for all you have done for the club!
 
The Club Directors for 2021-2022 were recognized and thanked for their willingness to serve in the coming year.
 
Both Charlie and Geoff, unbeknownst to each other, have been in conversation with the Exchange about when we might be able to resume lunch meetings there. We hope to be able to return to the Exchange soon.  Stay posted for more details.
 
Foundation Director Nils Friberg presented George Winiecki with a Paul Harris Fellowship +3, signifying over $4,000 in contributions to the Rotary Foundation.  Congratulations, George!
 
George reported that he has visited John Risdall at The Harbors Senior Living in Fridley.  He said that John is doing well and that he welcomes visitors.  The address is 5300 4th St NE, Fridley.
 
Cindy Carlson updated us on our Remember Niger sponsorships.  We continue to sponsor Maman, who is now in 6th grade.  We previously sponsored Charifa, but she has graduated and we are now sponsoring a 1st grade girl nicknamed Halli, who is doing very well by all reports.
 
Dana Rebelein received a thank you from the recipient of our at-large high school scholarship, Kathryn Skinner.  Dana created a nice display board with the thank you card, a photo and the thank you from St. Anthony High School (see photos below).  
 
 
Edeth James and Geoff Hollimon have CPY Golf Ball Drop Tickets available at $10 for one, $25 for 3 and $40 for 5.  Get your tickets now for a chance at the big prize.
 
Ed said that the plan for a neon 4-Way Test sign at his alma mater in Nigeria has been changed because the electrical power there is only on for part of the day.  A solar-powered system is being considered to allow full time neon lighting.  Rotarians interested in contributing toward the project can do so using our club’s Donorbox online portal.  Donations of any amount are appreciated.  (Indicate “4 way test sign” in the comments section)
 
Once again, we are most grateful for Nyle and Terri for hosting today’s meeting.  See below for some photos of their beautiful yard.
 
 
 
 
 
 
Meeting Recap - June 29, 2021 Jeff Benson 2021-06-29 05:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - June 22, 2021

President Edeth James’ Quote of the Day: “There is a magnet in your heart that will attract true friends.  That magnet is unselfishness, thinking of others first; when you learn to live for others, they will live for you.”  -  Paramahansa Yogananda
 
Nyle Zikmund introduced James Pointer from the Lake Vermillion – Soudan Underground Mine State Park.  James presented a photographic history of the Soudan Mine.  The Soudan Mine was the primary U.S. source of iron ore for more than a century, but it was accidentally discovered by gold miners in the Minnesota gold rush of the 1860’s.  Charlemagne Tower Sr. was the first to see the potential profit and invested heavily in the mine, railroads and harbors.  The iron ore that was found had an extremely high iron content of 60-70% which was excellent for making steel but it was extremely heavy and difficult to mine.  The first miners worked in open pit mines and mined the ore without any mechanized drilling equipment, but by the 1880’s steam drills were used to make the drilling easier.  Eventually, the open pits were abandoned in favor of underground mining and by 1892 Soudan was completely underground.  Minnesota took over the mine after it closed in 1962, and it soon became a tourist attraction, taking visitors to the deepest level of the mine, a half mile underground.  Recently, the DNR has added camping, hiking and other recreational activities and renamed the area Lake Vermillion – Soudan Underground Mine State Park.
 
The importance of the northern Minnesota iron ore deposits cannot be over emphasized.  The steel produced with this ore provided the infrastructure for the westward expansion of the United States.  Railroads, bridges and buildings were made possible by the rich deposits of ore.  Minnesota ore also became steel for fighting World Wars I & II.  It’s estimated that 90% of U.S. steel came from northern Minnesota while the mines were in operation.   Click the link above for more information or to plan a visit.
 
Check your email for important Rotary dates or, if you prefer, you can download them here.
 
Jeff Johnson announced that the Community Support Center’s Annual “Walk For Our Neighbors” fundraiser will be held on July 25th, from 10-2PM, at Silver View Park, Silver Lake Rd and County Rd I.  NBMV Rotary will donate for each mile walked by club members.  Click here for more information.
 
Geoff Hollimon said that the Suburban Ramsey Emergency Coalition has grant requests from Aeon and CSC under consideration.  The Coalition has approximately $24,000 remaining for grants.
 
President Edeth made us aware that the Rotaract Club at Edeth’s alma mater, The Polytechnic Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria, will install a neon sign displaying the 4 Way Test and identifying our club.  NBMV Rotarians interested in contributing toward the project can do so using our club’s Donorbox online portal.  Donations of any amount are appreciated.  (Indicate “4 way test sign” in the comments section)
 
We received thank you letters for our contributions to Remember Niger and Peacemaker Minnesota.
 
We also received a thank you card from our scholarship recipient, Kathryn Skinner.
 
Next Meeting:  - June 29th 12:00 in-person picnic meeting featuring our Presidential transition and Garden Tour at Nyle Zikmund’s home, 2650 Fox Ridge NE, in Blaine.  Lunch will be provided by Nyle and Terry, but it might be helpful if you bring a lawn chair.  Spouses/Significant Others/ Favorite Mother’s-in-Law are welcome to attend.
Meeting Recap - June 22, 2021 Jeff Benson 2021-06-22 05:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - June 15, 2021

Today’s meeting was held in-person at the Silver View Park Pavilion.
 
President Edeth James’ Quote of the Day: “No one has ever become poor by giving.” – Anne Frank
 
Cindy Carlson’s guest today was Jireh Mabamba.
 
It was great to meet new member Jeff Lundquist in person.  Jeff is the SBM Fire Department’s Community Risk Reduction Coordinator.
 
Check your email for this week’s Important Rotary Dates or, if you prefer, you can download them here.
 
President Edeth reminded us that he has CPY golf Ball Drop Tickets for sale.  He will have them available at the June 29th meeting at Nyle Zikmund’s home.
 
For the benefit of our newest member, Geoff Hollimon summarized Community Partners with Youth’s history and mission.  For more information about CPY, click here.
 
President Elect Charlie Longbella spoke to us about Multiple Sclerosis.  Charlie was diagnosed with M.S. at age 15.  He became very ill at that time and a spinal tap and MRI revealed lesions in his spinal cord and brain characteristic of M.S.  MS is an autoimmune disease in which the body’s immune system attacks the fatty layer that protects the nerve fibers in the brain and spinal cord.  MS affects over 2.5 million people worldwide.  There are two main forms of MS, Relapsing-Remitting and Progressive.  Fortunately, Charlie’s MS is the Relapsing-Remitting form.  In this form, symptoms may occur for a period of days or weeks and then improve partially or completely.  Medications are very helpful in preventing relapses and minimizing them if they occur.  The Progressive form of MS involves the steady progression of symptoms, eventually leading to problems with mobility and much more.  Charlie said that living with MS has made him appreciate the good things in life and makes him “much less likely to sweat the small stuff”.  Stay tuned for information on supporting the “Charlie’s Angels” MS Walk team.
 
Nils Friberg reported that his wife Peg has suspended her treatment for metastatic breast cancer following the discovery of a very large metastatic cancer around her liver.  She is now in hospice care but welcomes visitors at this time.  As always, your cards and prayers are greatly appreciated.
 
Upcoming Meetings:
- June 22nd 12:00 on Zoom – Lake Vermillion/Soudan Mine presentation
- June 29th 12:00 in-person picnic meeting featuring our Presidential transition and Garden Tour at Nyle Zikmund’s home, 2650 Fox Ridge NE, in Blaine.  Lunch will be provided by Nyle and Terry, but it might be helpful if you bring a lawn chair.  Spouses/Significant Others are welcome to attend.
Meeting Recap - June 15, 2021 Jeff Benson 2021-06-15 05:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - June 8, 2021

President Edeth James’ Quote of The Day:  “Earn your success based on service to others, not at the expense of others.” – H. Jackson Brown Jr.
 
Cindy Carlson’s guest today was Jireh Mabamba, Minneapolis Rotarian and fundraiser at the University of Minnesota.
 
Check your email for a list of important Rotary dates or, if you prefer, you can download them here.
 
Cindy Carlson introduced Steve Schmidt, Donor Relations Manager for Benedictine Care Center in New Brighton.  Steve has extensive experience in fundraising for non-profit organizations.  Steve presented some very enlightening statistics about philanthropy in the United States.  You might think that foundations and corporations would be the biggest charitable givers but, in fact, the $309 billion in individual donations in 2019 was four times more than foundation giving and fourteen times higher than corporate giving!  Steve noted that six out of ten U.S. households make a charitable contribution each year and that most of these contributions are a result of personal connections between the donor and individuals in the recipient organization.  When these connections are sustained over time, the likelihood of major gifts increases dramatically.  Steve suggested that fundraising events are more effective for building community than generating significant donations.
 
Some examples of past philanthropic impact at Benedictine New Brighton are the Chapel’s stained glass windows ($30,000), therapy department renovations ($25,000) and resident activities fund ($10,000). Covid-19 has delayed the planned addition of assisted living and memory care units at Benedictine New Brighton, so four Resident Priorities have been identified while the additions are on hold:
  1. Dining room renovations ($400,000)
  2. Fall prevention technologies ($150,000)
  3. Scholarships and continuing ed. for employees ($100,000)
  4. Resident activities ($10,000)
 
Geoff Hollimon reported that the Suburban Ramsey Emergency Coalition is waiting to receive grant requests for Covid related needs.  The coalition has approximately $30,000 available for grants.  They hope to finalize the remaining grants by September and complete final disbursements by Dec 31, 2021.
 
Past District Governor Craig Leiser has had several recent health challenges and is now in transitional care.  Please keep Craig and his family in your thoughts and prayers. If you would like to send Craig a card you can mail to his home address:
Craig Leiser
10300 Kismet Ln. N.
Stillwater, MN 55082
 
Note that next week’s meeting will be in-person - June 15th 12:00 - in-person at the Silver View Park Pavilion, on County Rd. I, just east of Silver Lake Rd.  We will attempt to zoom the meeting as well.
Meeting Recap - June 8, 2021 Jeff Benson 2021-06-08 05:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - June 1, 2021

President Edeth James’ Quote of the Day:  “I ALWAYS WONDERED WHY SOMEBODY DIDN'T DO SOMETHING ABOUT THAT, THEN I REALIZED I AM THE SOMEBODY” Author Unknown
 
Check your email for important Rotary dates or, if you prefer, you can download them here.
 
The slate of 2021-22 Board member nominees (below) was presented and approved by members present.
 
Geoff Hollimon reported that things are quiet at the Suburban Ramsey Emergency Coalition.  Despite having approximately $30,000 in grant money available, few grant requests are being received.  Perhaps some of these funds may be used to help prevent evictions when the rent moratorium ends.
 
Nyle Zikmund gave a virtual walking tour of the amazing gardens and landscaping at his home.  Nyle’s yard displays his talents as a woodworker, stone mason, landscaper, and horticulturist.  Nyle closed the virtual tour with an offer to host the June 29th Presidential transition from Edeth to Charlie at his home so we can get an in-person look at his beautiful yard.  More details to follow.
 
Here is a list of upcoming meetings:
- June 8th 12:00 on Zoom - Steve Schmidt from Benedictine Care Center presenting. 
- June 15th 12:00 in-person at the Silver View Park Pavilion, on County Rd. I, just east of Silver Lake Rd.
- June 22nd 12:00 on Zoom – Lake Vermillion/Soudan Mine presentation
- June 29th 12:00 in-person meeting featuring our  Presidential transition and Garden Tour at Nyle Zikmund’s home, 2650 Fox Ridge NE, in Blaine.
Meeting Recap - June 1, 2021 Jeff Benson 2021-06-01 05:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - May 18, 2021

Today’s meeting added a new twist.  Our in-person meeting was also live streamed over Zoom.  It  added some technical complexity to running the meeting but it seemed to work pretty well.  I’m sure it will get easier with experience.  Our next hybrid meeting is scheduled for June 29th to coincide with the transfer of the club presidency from Edeth to Charlie.  The meeting will be at the Exchange.
 
President Edeth James’ Quote of the Day:  If you have a chance to accomplish something that will make things better for people coming behind you, and you don't do that, you are wasting your time on this earth.  - Roberto Clemente
 
Rotary District 5960 Foundation Coach Peggy Strom was here to celebrate the success of the most recent “Share The Love” fundraising push by the District.  Our club was a big part of that success with Edeth James, Cindy Carlson and Paul Jacobsen each contributing at the $100-364 level and Geoff Hollimon contributing at the $1,000 level.
 
Cindy Carlson followed up with several Paul Harris Fellow Presentations. Paul Jacobsen and Dennis Connolly each received a lapel pin and certificate for their first fellowship, indicating $1,000 in Foundation contributions.  Dennis also received his 1- sapphire pin indicating a total of $2,000 in contributions to the Foundation.  Mike Neeley received his 3-sapphire pin for contributions totaling $4,000. Dave Hoel received his 4-sapphire pin for $5,000 in total contributions.  Dana Rebelein received her 2-ruby pin indicating $8,000 in contributions to the Foundation.  Congratulations to all on their generosity. Photos are shown below.
 
Today’s speaker was Rotarian Ellen Schreder. Ellen has supported humanitarian efforts in Haiti for many years.  Ellen began with a video outlining some major players in the effort to bring sustainability and prosperity to the poorest nation in the western hemisphere.    A Minnesota native, Ellen Schreder is a lawyer by day and a seamstress by night.  Since 2006 she has worked with seamstresses and tailors in Haiti to teach skills to improve the lives and financial situations of Haitians.  Ellen’s husband, James Sunel, is a native Haitian contractor who has been instrumental in creating infrastructure for many programs aimed at improving the lives of Haitians.  Dr. Leslee Jaeger is a Minnesota Ob/Gyn who does medical mission work in Haiti.  In 2014, Ellen and Leslee worked together to establish a “Days For Girls” enterprise team in Haiti.  Days for Girls is a Washington state non-profit working to improve menstrual health of girls around the world by providing reusable menstrual supplies and menstrual education. These supplies allow girls to stay in school after their menstrual cycle begins.  In 2018, Ellen secured a Rotary Global Grant to establish three sewing centers in Haiti, providing sewing machines and training to enable the production of thousands of menstrual kits and provide a source of income for many Haitians.  Dr. Jaeger has established “Helping Haiti Work” a microloan program for women which provides the capital needed to establish successful sewing businesses. Our own Charlie Longbella’s company, The Big Blue Box, has provided much needed storage and shipping for sewing machines and fabric as well as food for the community.  In 2018, Ellen donated seeds from an Iowa company to start a community farm which is now in its third year.  In 2020, Ellen received a Rotary Water Grant which will provide water for a newly purchased 21 acre farm.  Ellen’s husband James turned a partially completed home into a beautiful place where volunteers and others can stay while working at the farm.  A home is also being designed for a head gardener who will oversee those who will actually farm the land.  Dr Jaeger’s microloan program will help these small farmers to get their businesses started.
 
After a Covd-19 hiatus, the Stockyard Days Parade is on again this year, and we are committed once again to feed the parade participants.  This year’s parade will be on Saturday, August 14th at 10:00 AM.  New member John Johnson has agreed head up the effort, but he will need the support of everyone in the club to make it a success.  Mark your calendars now to make sure you are available to help!  Pat Whelan was present at today’s meeting to receive our club’s $1,500 contribution to Stockyard Days. See photo below.
Meeting Recap - May 18, 2021 Jeff Benson 2021-05-18 05:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - May 11, 2021

President Edeth James’ Quote of the Day:  “The next evolutionary step for humankind is to move from man to kind.” - Author is Unknown.  Just imagine a world where everyone is KIND to each other!!
 
Important Note:  Next week’s (May 18th) meeting will be in-person at the Exchange, at Noon.  The meeting will be set up with CDC restaurant protocols, so bring a mask to wear while you’re not eating.  It would be great to have a big crowd present to recognize a number of members who will receive Paul Harris Fellowships.  Foundation Chair Kyle Haugen and Foundation Coach Peggy Strom will be here to participate in the presentations.  Your lunch cost will be billed on your dues statement.
 
Check your email for a list of important Rotary dates or, if you prefer, download them here.
 
Charlie Longbella was the scheduled speaker for today’s meeting but he was ill and unable to speak.  Get well, Charlie!
 
Cindy Carlson reported that new member Jeff Lundquist has agreed to part of the NBMV Rotary communications team.
 
Jeff Benson reported that Jason Miller has agreed to be the President Nominee for 2021-22 and President of the club for the 2022-23 year.  Congratulations, Jason!
 
Geoff Hollimon presented a CPY update.  District 621’s summer school plan is now in place and CPY is making plans to augment the district’s efforts with educational and nutritional support during the summer months.  In partnership with Ralph Reeder and with financial support from the Suburban Ramsey Emergency Coalition, CPY will again make weekly food and activity kit deliveries to needy families.  
 
CPY will hold its Golf Ball Drop fundraiser again this year.  Tickets for the August event will be available soon.   The virtual CPY Spring Luncheon fell well short of its fundraising goal, but it’s never too late to donate to CPY.
 
Geoff also noted that the Suburban Ramsey Emergency Coalition will continue to receive grant requests through September 30th, to be disbursed by the end of 2021.  The Coalition’s second annual “Keep Moving” Virtual Walk/Run is ending on May 16th.  Click here to register for the event.
Meeting Recap - May 11, 2021 Jeff Benson 2021-05-11 05:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - May 4, 2021

President Edeth James’ Quote of the Day:  “If you can’t feed a hundred people, then feed just one.” – Mother Teresa
 
President-Elect Charlie Longbella led today’s meeting in President Edeth’s absence.
 
Check your email for this week’s important Rotary dates or, if you prefer, download them here.
 
Geoff Hollimon reported that the Suburban Ramsey Emergency Coalition has received an $8,500 grant request from CPY to expand their food program this summer.
 
Nyle Zikmund introduced Chris Ganzlin and Jennifer Arriola from the Ann Bancroft Foundation (ABF).  The Foundation’s mission is to inspire and encourage girls to imagine something bigger.  ABF strives to build confidence in girls, enabling them to pursue their dreams.  Through grants, mentorship and ongoing development opportunities, the ABF is giving Minnesota girls strength to achieve their full potential.
 
The ABF was founded by Arctic and Antarctic explorer Ann Bancroft.  A Minnesota native, Ann was the first woman (as the only female member of the Will Steger International Polar Expedition) to cross the ice to the North Pole in 1986.  In 1993, Ann led the American Women’s Expedition to the South Pole, making her the first woman in history to cross the ice to both the North and South Poles.
 
It’s clear that Ann knows something about dreaming big dreams and then achieving them, but she admits that she would never have had the confidence to accomplish those dreams without the support and mentorship of adults when she was young.  Statistics show that by age eight, girl’s confidence and self-esteem levels begin to drop and that drop continues through the teen years.  The Ann Bancroft Foundation Grants require that a non-parent mentor support the grantee and guide her in appropriate use of the grant.  Although the grants are relatively small ($500 maximum) they have been life changing for over 5,000 Minnesota Girls.  The ABF is very intentional in its efforts to make these grants available to girls all over Minnesota and so far they have been able to make grants in 77 of Minnesota’s 87 counties, with the goal of reaching every county soon.  Grant recipients all reported increases in confidence, pride and self-advocacy as a result of their grant.  Not every application can be accepted, of course, but 97 % of applicants said that the application process helped them to put their dream into words and made the dream seem more possible.
 
Of course, fundraising is necessary to be able to make these grants, and ABF’s “Watch Me” Celebration is a major part of the fundraising effort.  This year’s event will once again be held virtually and you are invited to join the celebration on June 10th.  Click here for more information.
Meeting Recap - May 4, 2021 Jeff Benson 2021-05-04 05:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - April 27, 2021

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
 
Check your email for important Rotary dates or, if you prefer, you can download them here
- Note that we will be meeting in person at the Exchange for the Tuesday noon meeting on May 18th.    -    
- We will also meet in person at the Exchange at noon on Tuesday June 29th to celebrate Edeth’s year as President and welcome Charlie as our new President.
- Members attending these two meetings will each pay for their own lunches.
 
Nyle Zikmund introduced Gro Anett Pederson, who stayed with the Zimund's as an exchange student from Norway in 1991.  Gro (pronounced Gru) was raised in the northern Norway city of Fauske, but now lives and works in Oslo.  Minnesota’s climate and scenery (especially in northern Minnesota) are similar to Norway so it’s easy to see why 30% of Minnesota’s residents are of Norwegian descent.  Minnesota and Norway each have a population around 5.5 million but Minnesota is only 60% as large as Norway. 
 
Gro said that  Norway has had a much lower rate of daily new confirmed Covid cases than the U.S., remaining close to 100 new cases per day compared to our rate which has been as high as 750 new cases per day and has seldom been below 100 new cases per day since March of 2020.  This is despite only 20% of Norwegians currently vaccinated vs. 40% of Americans vaccinated.  Gro suggested some reasons for the disparity, including Norway’s low population density, fewer multi-generation living arrangements, high trust in government and health officials and very strict Covid precautions on businesses and workers which are very generously supported by wide ranging government subsidies.  She also said that social distancing is somewhat normal behavior for Norwegians.
 
Norway became a sovereign state in 1905, and the U.S. was one of the first countries to acknowledge them.  Norway’s constitution was inspired by ours and the U.S. and Norway have close diplomatic ties. Norway is also somewhat dependent on the U.S. (through NATO) for national security.    
 
Ed noted that Nicole Ulrich will be unable to serve as President following Charlie Longbella’s term so the club’s Past- President’s will meet by zoom at 11:00 AM prior to next week’s regular meeting to nominate a replacement.  All Past Presidents should attend, using the normal Zoom meeting link to join the nominating meeting.
 
The club is planning to provide hot dogs for the Stockyard Days Parade participants on August 13th.  John Johnson has agreed to organize the food preparation and serving.
 
For those who missed the End Human Trafficking Forum last week, a recording of the event is available by clicking here.
 
Next week’s speaker will be Ann Bancroft, speaking to us about the Ann Bancroft Foundation.
Meeting Recap - April 27, 2021 Jeff Benson 2021-04-27 05:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - April 20, 2021

President Edeth James' Quote of the Day: “We know only too well that what we are doing is nothing more than a drop in the ocean. But if the drop were not there, the ocean would be missing something.” - Mother Teresa
 
Check your email for a list of important Rotary dates or, if you prefer, you can download them here.
 
Nyle Zikmund introduced Amanda Seim, executive Director of the Runestone Museum.  The Kensington Runestone has been shrouded in controversy ever since its discovery in 1898 by Olof Ӧhman while clearing trees on his farm near Kensington, MN.  The Runestone is covered with Norse Runic symbols that would be typical for the Middle Ages and the artifact has been dated to 1362, one hundred thirty years before Columbus “discovered” North America.  Perhaps because the Runestone contradicts the traditional historical narrative, researchers from around the world have investigated this discovery to determine whether the Runestone is genuine and, if so, how it came to be in Kensington, Minnesota.  Archaeologists, geologists and linguists have spent the last 120 years disagreeing about the Runestone and the only thing that’s clear is that more research is necessary to authenticate the artifact.
 
The Runestone was the museum’s only historical artifact when it opened in 1958, but today the museum has much more to offer.  There are now forty Minnesota artifacts from Middle Ages Nordic explorers including a fire starting steel; the only one on display in North America.  The Museum also has a Children’s Discovery Room where kids can learn history through active play.  The Enriching our Scandinavian Heritage Exhibit focuses on Minnesota’s immigrant history and the First Peoples Exhibit has Native American artifacts including a ceremonial tinkle cone dress; one of only four in existence.  The Fort Alexandria exhibit shows what life in forts was like for the first European settlers, with nine buildings including a stagecoach stop and blacksmith shop.  The museum also has a Minnesota Wildlife Exhibit to round out your visit.
 
Geoff Hollimon reported that the Suburban Ramsey Emergency Coalition is preparing for the “Keep Moving” Virtual Run/Walk, May 9-16.  Registration details will follow.  Total Coalition grants to date are $150,170. 
 
Geoff also said that CPY is working on plans to supplement the District’s summer school effort with half day educational support.
 
Jed Hamoud noted that the Human Trafficking Webinar last Thursday was a big success.  The webinar was very ably hosted by MPR’s Angela Davis and the 198 logins very likely represent a much larger number of participants since a large number of logins had multiple viewers.  Angela Davis will be airing the webinar on her television program soon and we will let you know when it will air.
 
Dana Rebelein reported that the recipients of our “Service Above Self” scholarships have been selected, and we will announce them soon.
 
Don't forget about the "R U Hungry" food collection drive.  New Brighton-Mounds View has partnered with the Arden Hills-Shoreview, Roseville and White Bear Lake Rotary Clubs on this food drive to help those who are hungry due to Covid-19.  Download the brochure for more information.  If you’d like to help, download the sign-up sheet.
 
The Board will meet at 11AM next Tuesday by Zoom.  All members are welcome to observe the meeting.  If you would like to attend, use your link for the regular noon meeting.
 
We’ll be trying out in-person club meetings on May 18th and June 29th.  Note that these meetings will be indoors at the Exchange (with social distancing, of course).
 
Edeth reported that, after some negotiation, his daughter secured a full ride scholarship to the University of Minnesota Medical School! 
 
 
 
Meeting Recap - April 20, 2021 Jeff Benson 2021-04-20 05:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - April 13, 2021

President Edeth James’ Quote of the Day – “We are very, very small, but we are profoundly capable of very, very big things.” - Stephen Hawking
 
Check your email for Important Rotary Dates or, if you prefer, you can download them here.
 
Arden Hills- Shoreview Rotarian Stephanie Cosgrove was present to announce the "R U Hungry" food collection drive.  New Brighton-Mounds View partnered with the Arden Hills-Shoreview, Roseville and White Bear Lake Rotary Clubs on this food drive to help those who are hungry due to Covid-19.  Download the brochure for more information.  If you’d like to help, download the sign-up sheet.
 
Stephanie also reminded us that the Human Trafficking Webinar, co-sponsored by Arden Hills-Shoreview and our club, is this Thursday, April 15th, from 7:00-8:30PM.  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, tips for online safety, and how to spot the signs. Click here to register and you will receive the Zoom invite by email.
Nyle Zikmund introduced Dr. Keith Brewster, Director of Operations & Senior Research Scientist, of the Oklahoma University’s Center for Analysis and Prediction of Storms (CAPS).  CAPS's mission is to develop and demonstrate techniques for the numerical analysis and prediction of high-impact local weather and environmental conditions.  Keith explained that modern weather forecasting is a combination of direct observation, conceptual and computer modeling, interpreting and de-biasing the data and modeling and, finally, communicating the risk to keep people and property safe.
Computer numerical analysis is used to measure the velocity of both vertical and horizontal air movements within the atmosphere using a three dimensional grid.  These air movements, in a simple sense, are the basic determinants of what we experience as “weather”.  Computers analyze this massive amount of data to determine patterns which can help to predict future air movements (i.e. future weather).  Computers are also employed to analyze variables other than air movement which have an impact on weather.  These variables include clouds, precipitation, surface temperature and moisture in the land surface. Although computer analysis is powerful, direct observation and conceptual modeling still play an important role in predicting severe weather.  Weather radar has, in the past, been able to provide a 15-20 minute warning of severe weather.  Computer analysis of radar has improved the severe weather warning time to about 2 hours and further improvements are anticipated.  Computer modeling is also helping to improve warning times for flash flooding.  For all of us weather junkies, Keith suggested some apps to try:
      Tornado! (American Red Cross)
      RadarScope (DTN Weather)
      mPing (Oklahoma U. – N.O.A.H.)
 
Membership Director Cindy Carlson was honored to induct B-S-M Fire Department Battalion Chief Jeff Lundquist into the NBMV Rotary Club.  Welcome, Jeff!
 
We’ll be trying out in-person club meetings on May 18th and June 29th.  Note that these meetings will be indoors at the Exchange (with social distancing, of course).
 
Dana noted that we are considering five applications for our at-large scholarship. Four applications were received from St Anthony and one from Totino Grace.
 
Geoff Hollimon reported that the Suburban Ramsey Emergency Coalition has made an additional grant to N.Y.F.S. for $1,000.  The Coalition will continue its mission through December 2021.  Geoff also noted that the CPY Spring Event was a big success and he thanked all those who attended and donated.  You can still donate to CPY by clicking here.
Meeting Recap - April 13, 2021 Jeff Benson 2021-04-13 05:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - April 6, 2021

Our meeting today was held in conjunction with the Community Partners With Youth Virtual Spring Event.  CPY executive Director Mary Stewart provided an overview of CPY’s programs and especially focused on the many ways that CPY has adapted to the new normal of Covid-19.  Mary and her staff have truly risen to the pandemic’s challenges with innovative approaches to distance learning support, nutritional support and activities to help students continue to progress academically and socially.  Thanks to financial support from the Suburban Ramsey Emergency Coalition, the Office of Justice Program and, of course, donations from individuals like you and me, CPY continues to be a beacon of hope for educational equity in our community.  You can make a tax-deductible donation by clicking here.  Click here for more information about CPY.
 
The Honorable Justice Alan Page was the featured speaker at the event and Justice Page shared his wisdom by fielding several question offered by the audience.  He noted that his Page Education Foundation scholarship recipients return to their communities to serve as tutors and role models for elementary and middle school students.  CPY would seem to be a natural place for the Page Scholars to give back to their communities.
 
Check your email for a list of important Rotary dates or, if you prefer, you can download them here.
 
Next week’s speaker will be Dr. Keith Brewster.  His Topic: Meteorology – Severe Storms
 
Don’t forget that the Human Trafficking Webinar presented by the Arden Hills/Shoreview and New Brighton/Mounds View Rotary Clubs will be held on Thursday April 15th from 7-8:30PM.  Register here to receive your Zoom invitation by email.
Meeting Recap - April 6, 2021 Jeff Benson 2021-04-06 05:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - March 30, 2021

President Edeth James’ Quote of the Day: “I cannot do all the good that the world needs. But the world needs all the good that I can do.” -- Jana Stanfield
 
Check your email for important Rotary dates or, if you prefer, you can download them here.
Nyle Zikmund introduced Greg Wright, Director of the North House Folk School in Grand Rapids, Minnesota.  The educational non-profit was established in 1997 by local artisans who wanted to share their knowledge of traditional crafts.  The first catalog featured 23 classes, but since then the school has grown steadily to over 450 course offerings taught by over 160 instructors.  Prior to Covid-19 over 3,000 students per year, from all over the globe, learned a craft at North House.  While Covid has greatly reduced the number of classes, donors have stepped up to keep the school in excellent financial condition.  Everyone is excited to return to normal as the pandemic wanes.

Although a variety of crafts can be learned, the focus of instruction is on traditional northern crafts.  The goal is to inspire lifelong learning in a positive and non-competitive environment, while also promoting and preserving the knowledge and skills of these crafts for future generations.

North House holds three major public events each year: The Wooden Boat Show, The Winter’s Gathering and The Big Top Music Event.  Any of these would be worthy of a trip to Grand Marais to learn more about the school.  Click here to plan a trip.

Geoff Hollimon reported that the Suburban Ramsey Emergency Coalition is planning their Virtual 3 Mile Walk/Run for the week of May 9-16.  Participants design and run/walk the route on their own and report their accomplishment to the coalition.  Watch for more details, soon.  The Coalition has made a second Covid impact grant to Quincy House.
Don’t forget to register now for next Tuesday’s CPY Virtual Spring Event.  Justice Alan Page will be the featured speaker.  You must register to attend, so do it now by clicking here.
Jed Hamoud said that the Human Trafficking Webinar on April 16th is being promoted on radio and social media.  Register here to receive your Zoom invitation by email.
 
Meeting Recap - March 30, 2021 Jeff Benson 2021-03-30 05:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - March 23, 2021

President Edeth James’ Quote of the Day:  “At the end of life we will not be judged by how many diplomas we have received, how much money we have made or how many great things we have done.  We will be judged by; I was hungry, and you gave me something to eat, I was naked and you clothed me, I was homeless and you took me in.” - Mother Teresa
 
Check your email for Important Rotary Dates or, if you prefer, you can download them here.
 
Nyle Zikmund introduced our speakers, Amy Peine from the Central Minnesota Sexual Assault Center and Chuck Derry from the Gender Violence Institute.  Amy and Chuck were here to speak about Human Trafficking and the Minnesota Safe Harbor 4 All movement.  Amy began by defining commercial sexual exploitation as the exchange of “something of value” for sex.  “Something of value” in this definition is not just money, however.   Alcohol and drugs, security, and even basic human needs like food clothing and shelter are also common “currencies” of sexual exploitation. This definition broadens the scope of commercial sexual exploitation to include pornography, stripping, internet-based exploitation, escort services and a variety of less obvious forms of exploitation.
 
Amy presented startling statistics from studies showing extremely high incidence of violence, both physical and emotional, experienced by prostitutes.  The studies also revealed high rates of homelessness, traumatic brain injury, PTSD, and other mental illnesses.  Over 90% of prostitutes wanted to escape prostitution but felt unable to get out.
 
Minnesota’s 2011 Safe Harbor legislation has already decriminalized prostitution for minors, but there is a growing movement to extend this decriminalization to adult victims of trafficking.  The movement supports the continued criminalization of buyers, exploiters, and traffickers and would increase the willingness of victims to escape prostitution and report their exploitation.  This Minnesota movement is called Safe Harbor 4 All (SH4All).  Amy said there are four models for combating sex trafficking: Criminalization has been the common model in the U.S. but it appears to be ineffective in curbing trafficking.  Full Decriminalization and outright Legalization have been shown to actually increase the demand for prostitution as much three times, which defeats the goal of getting women out of prostitution.  Partial decriminalization (as in the Minnesota SH4All plan) has been shown to be effective at getting women out of prostitution and convicting more of their traffickers. 
 
Amy provided some handouts that can be downloaded by clicking on the links.  Safe Harbor 4 All Handout    Central MN Sexual Assault Center Handout
 
Amy Peine  apeine@cmsac.org
Chuck Derry  gvi@frontiernet.net
 
Cindy Carlson reviewed today’s Board meeting.
- Budget on track despite Covid-19
- Considering District Matching Grant ideas
- Youth Exchange suspended until June of 2022
- Donated $400 to R.I. Virtual Leadership Seminar
- We’ll have 1 in person club meeting in May and an in person club meeting on June 29th for the Presidential transition.
 
Geoff Hollimon said that the Suburban Ramsey Emergency Coalition’s Spring Three Mile Virtual Run/Walk will be held from May 9-16. Expect an email soon for registration information.  The Coalition has made a grant of $2,300 to Seeds of Hope Community Garden to grow food for local food shelves.
 
Geoff reminded us about the CPY Spring Event with keynote speaker Alan Page on Tuesday, April 6th at noon.  This meeting will serve as our regular club meeting for that week.  You will need to register for the event to attend.. 
 
Sign up now for the Human Trafficking Forum
Meeting Recap - March 23, 2021 Jeff Benson 2021-03-23 05:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - March 16, 2021

President Edeth James’ Quote of the Day:  “We must give more in order to get more. It is the generous giving of ourselves that produces the generous harvest.” ―Orison Swett Marden
 
Check your email for important Rotary dates or, if you prefer, you can download them here.  Here are the highlights:
- April 6, 2021 (Tuesday 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.  https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_ZTuD32G7Q6eHYkEizffV6Q  Sponsored by: Rotary Clubs of Arden Hills-Shoreview and New Brighton-Mounds View.
 
Ed expressed the desire to meet outdoors for one meeting a month when the weather permits.  Stay tuned.
 
Nyle Zikmund introduced the Executive Director of the Community Support Center, Karen Meyer.  The mission of the Community Support Center (CSC) is to prevent homelessness.   CSC accomplishes this through carefully administered emergency financial assistance to prevent evictions and electrical service shutoffs.  CSC continues to work with their client families over time to help them achieve financial stability.  For a family to receive financial support, they must: 
- Live in New Brighton, Mounds View, North Oaks, Shoreview or Arden Hills
- Have applied for County services
- Show evidence of interest in working with CSC long-term
- Be financially sustainable
CSC receives referrals from Ramsey County, United Way, Churches, Ralph Reeder Food Shelf and others including landlords, schools, police, landlords and the CSC website.  Once families are accepted into the program, CSC partners with a variety of social service organizations (including Ramsey County, St. Paul Foundation, Community Action Partnership, St, Vincent DePaul Society, Salvation Army, Suburban Ramsey Emergency Coalition and local faith communities) to help families avoid eviction.   Once eviction has been avoided, CSC begins the long-term work needed to prevent financial difficulty in the future.  This involves meetings every few weeks to work on goal setting, resource utilization, red tape negotiation, budgeting, etc.
CSC is supported by contributions from eleven founding faith communities and four founding community organizations.  NBMV Rotary is one of the founding organizations and John Johnson represents us on the CSC Board.  CSC also gets support from individuals in the community who recognize CSC’s value to the community.  Karen specifically thanked the Suburban Ramsey Emergency Coalition for their recent grant of $5,000.
Covid-19 has necessitated changes in the way that CSC staff interact with clients (mostly Zoom now) but there have also been changes in levels of financial need and how those needs are being addressed.  Clients are seeking help with CSC for much higher debt but Covid relief money is available and relatively easy to access, so far.  Karen also noted a sharp increase in mental health issues affecting families financially.  Covid-19 has forced the cancellation of the CSC Spring Luncheon, but the “Walk a Thousand Miles for Your Neighbor” fundraiser is planned for July 25th from 10AM-2PM at Silverview Park in Mounds View.  Karen can be reached at 651-387-8050 or staff@communitysupportcenter.org
Meeting Recap - March 16, 2021 Jeff Benson 2021-03-16 05:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - March 9, 2021

President Edeth James’ Quote of the Week:  “The Rotary way is to light a candle.  I light one, you light one, 1.2 million Rotarians light one.  Together we light up the world.” - RI President-Elect Gary C.K. Huang.
 
Check your email for important Rotary dates or, if you prefer, you can download them here.
 
- 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.
 
Nyle Zikmund introduced our speaker, District 621 Superintendant Chris Lennox.  Chris grew up in Fridley and Columbia Heights and graduated from Spring Lake Park HS.  After multiple administrative roles in Bloomington and Stillwater schools, Chris was hired as the Superintendant of the Mounds View Public Schools.  Chris presented a timeline of events during this past year’s Covid 19 pandemic.
 
Almost exactly one year ago the Governor’s executive order closed our schools to help curb the rapid spread of the Corona Virus.  District 621, like other districts around the state, was not set up for distance learning and didn’t have a 1 to 1 student/tablet computer system in place.  Our district was fortunate to have a high percentage of students with internet availability but there were still many students who had either slow or no internet at home.  Chris praised the Mounds View Education Foundation for their help in getting kids connected for distance learning.  Chris said that there were still challenges due to varying abilities of students to work digitally and independently; but teachers, parents and students worked together to solve many of these problems.  The District also stepped up to provide childcare for children of front-line workers and lunch and breakfast for children of free and reduced lunch program families.  Chris noted that one benefit of the Covid crisis has been increased communication between Superintendants and the commissioner of Education due to weekly meetings.
 
Mounds View schools reopened in the fall with a blended model but an exponential rise in Covid cases led to closing schools again in November.  The new year brought the elementary grades back to in-person learning and secondary grades should be back to full in-person learning by the end of March.  Still in doubt are end of year events like graduation, but plans are in place for full in-person learning for all students who want it by fall.  Chris said that Covid has been extremely stressful for teachers and staff, but he has not seen a significant rise in retirements so far.  He thinks that many teachers are waiting to see how the return to in person learning goes this fall.  He said that the vaccination plan for teachers is much improved after a rocky start and that all teachers should have an opportunity for vaccination soon.  Teachers report that Zoom meetings with parents are being well accepted and that they will probably remain popular even after the pandemic is over.  Plans are also in place for summer programs to help those students who have fallen behind due pandemic challenges.
 
Geoff Hollimon reported that the Suburban Ramsey Emergency Coalition has recently made grants of $5,000 to Keystone and Every Meal and $3,000 to Abiding Savior Lutheran’s food program.  Watch this space for information about the upcoming Spring Virtual Run/Walk fundraiser.  A thank you note for our club's Coalition contribution is shown below.
 
Geoff also reminded us of the CPY Virtual Spring Luncheon on Tuesday, April 6th at noon.  Minnesota Supreme Court Justice Alan Page will be the keynote speaker! The luncheon will feature a virtual silent auction and speakers.  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.  This meeting will serve as the Rotary club meeting for that week.
 
President Edeth reported that our Harvest Pack donation will be divided between CPY and Ralph Reeder Food Shelf.
 
Jed Hamoud provided a report on the Beirut relief effort which is shown below.
 
Meeting Recap - March 9, 2021 Jeff Benson 2021-03-09 06:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - March 2, 2021

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.
Meeting Recap - March 2, 2021 Jeff Benson 2021-03-02 06:00:00Z 0
Human Trafficking Forum 2021-02-23 06:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - February 23, 2021
 

President Edeth James’ Quote of the Day: “I learned to give not because I have much, but because I know exactly how it feels to have nothing” – Anonymous
Check your email for a list of important dates or, if you prefer, you can download it here.
Nyle Zikmund introduced Sarah Curtis to speak to us about The Works Museum.  The Works Museum is committed to providing all children with access to STEM educational opportunities that will help them to reach their full potential.  The Works’ mission is to encourage the next generation of innovators, engineers and creative problem solvers to consider STEM career paths. Sarah noted that elementary school children are natural engineers, constantly finding creative ways to deal with the challenges that life presents.  But many kids, as they get to middle school and high school, lose their enthusiasm for STEM classes.  The Works provides hands-on experiences for K-6 students that help to maintain their passion for STEM.
Over the past 25 years, over 75,000 people have visited the museum, participating in the kinetic ball structure, racer ramp, sensor maze, light harp, giant kaleidoscope and lego wall activities.  But that’s just on the main floor.  The upstairs classrooms are where the real learning begins, providing a wide variety of creative learning opportunities.  The Works also goes out into the community; providing school programs, family engineering nights, and several different workshops.  Of course, these opportunities are all virtual during the pandemic but they hope to be open to the public again this June, when  we are all invited to bring our kids and grandkids to see how “cool” STEM is.  Admission is $9 and family memberships are $75.  Summer programs and classes are booking now.  Volunteer opportunities are also available.  For more information, contact Sarah:   sarah@theworks.org  Website: theworks.org
Cindy Carlson summarized today’s board meeting:
•    The treasurer’s report showed that, with adjustments to reflect pandemic changes, we are in good shape financially and we should be right on budget for this Rotary year.
•    The club will provide financial support for the upcoming Human Trafficking Forum.
•    The chocolate bunnies intended for the cancelled Egg Hunt will go to CPY and Ralph Reeder Food Shelf.
Ed reminded us that February is Rotary’s “Share The Love” month. The matching points that are being offered by the program are a great way to accelerate your progress toward your first, or your next, Paul Harris Fellowship recognition.  Get your checks in to John Ordway or, if you donate online, notify John of your contribution.
Geoff Hollimon noted that the Suburban Ramsey Emergency Coalition is finalizing plans for the “Keep Moving” Virtual Run/Walk fundraiser.  The Coalition is also appreciative of direct contributions.  Make your checks payable to  Suburban Ramsey Covid 19 Relief Fund.  
 
Meeting Recap - February 23, 2021  Jeff Benson 2021-02-23 06:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - February 16, 2021

President Edeth James’  Quote of the Day:  “You have two hands.  One to help yourself and the second to help others.” – Audrey Hepburn
 
Nyle Zikmund introduced our presenter, Dave Bartholomay, Program Coordinator for the Office of Collaboration and Dispute Resolution at the Minnesota Department of Administration.  Dave is also the Mayor of Circle Pines.  Dave’s presentation today was “Bridging Divides” Dave’s topic was timely considering the current political climate.  He began by describing the progressive polarization of political identity over the last 20 years and attributed it to several factors, including:
- Rapid demographic changes in the U.S.
- Globalization
- Distrust of government
- Rapid disruption and polarization of the news and opinion media.
- The Pandemic
He added that, although individuals have several identities, political identity has become primary for many.  He also noted that once valued social norms for interaction have deteriorated significantly and especially so in political interaction.
 
Dave offered several suggestions to improve communication, promote understanding and hopefully reach consensus on shared values.  He recommended a book entitled “Love Your Enemies: How Decent People Can Save America from the Culture of Contempt” by Arthur Brooks.  Dave outlined the five ways that the author recommends to improve communication:
- Stand up to the man – Don’t blindly accept the rhetoric on either side of an issue.
- Escape the bubble of common opinion.
- Say no to contempt – Treat others with love and respect.
- Disagree better – Embrace healthy competition of ideas.
- Tune out – Disconnect from unproductive debate.
 
Each of these strategies depends on LISTENING to those whom we disagree with.  Dave said we should listen to learn, not just to respond.  A great way to learn the other perspective is to ask, “tell me more”.  Learning the other perspective doesn’t mean you have to agree, but it may reveal values that can be agreed upon.
 
 
Check your email for important Rotary dates or, if you prefer, download it here.
 
Jed Hamoud updated us on the Human Trafficking Webinar being produced by the Arden Hills Shoreview Rotary Club.  The ZOOM presentation is set for April 15th at 7:00PM. Several great speakers are lined up for the program and you can register by clicking here.  If you’re interested in helping out with the webinar, contact Jed.
 
Geoff Hollimon reported that the Suburban Ramsey Emergency Coalition has awarded an additional $5,000 grant to Every Meal.  Plans are underway for the “Keep Moving” Virtual Run/Walk tentatively scheduled for the end of April.  We are one of the sponsors of the event.
 
CPY is adjusting their distance learning support program as schools are transitioning to hybrid and fully in-person learning.  Summer support programs are being planned as well.  The annual Spring Luncheon will be virtual again this year.
 
The Board will meet at 11AM next Tuesday.
Meeting Recap - February 16, 2021 Jeff Benson 2021-02-16 06:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - February 9, 2021

President Edeth James’ Quote of the Day: There is no exercise better for the heart than reaching down and lifting people up.” ― John Holmes.”
 
Ed was out of town today so Jeff Benson had his first taste of running a Zoom meeting.  He quickly learned that there are a lot of moving parts to manage in an online meeting.  He thanks the attendees for their patience.
 
We welcomed former member and Honorary Rotarian Gerry Tietz to the meeting.  We hope that Gerry will be able join us for future meetings.  It was also great that John Johnson was able to join us today.  His real estate meetings have been conflicting with our meetings but John hopes to be able to join us more often in the future.
 
Check your email for a list of important Rotary dates or, if you prefer, you can download the list here.
 
Nyle Zikmund introduced Lynn Noren, President and CEO of RISE Inc.  Incorporated in 1971, Rise is a private, nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization which supports people who have disabilities and other barriers.
Their programs are intended to assist the people they serve in finding employment opportunities that fit their career objectives and skills. They also have life enrichment programs and mental health support services, as well as programs assisting people in finding safe, affordable housing in some Central Minnesota counties. Rise strives to support the people they serve such that each individual can achieve their personal measure of vocational achievement, self-sufficiency, and belonging in their communities.
 
Because of my preoccupation with running the meeting, my note taking was incomplete, so Lynn graciously agreed to provide me with her PowerPoint presentation, which you can download here.
 
Geoff Hollimon reported that the Suburban Ramsey Emergency Coalition currently has a balance of $40,946 available for grants to non-profit providers of food, housing and mental health/wellness services to address the impacts of COVID.   Geoff said that the Coalition urgently needs your help in recruiting a Volunteer Services Coordinator for the Roseville Family Table meals program. This is the grant initiative the Coalition funded through Second Harvest Heartland in which meals are prepared in commercial kitchens staffed by formerly unemployed restaurant employees. Between February 15th – April 13th, about 800 meals per week will be distributed to people identified in need on Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 4-6pm from Roseville High School. It's expected that the Coordinator will be able to perform all duties from home. Duties will involve receiving volunteer needs information from Roseville Nutrition Services staff and using an electronic scheduling platform to fill available spots. Click here to download a complete description of the position.   
 
Geoff also noted that planning has started for the spring Virtual Walk/Run event with the brand name "Keep Moving".  The virtual event will take place from May 9-16.  Coupons from local restaurants and businesses will be used to incentivize registration.  Sponsors will be sought beginning at the end of February.
 
Geoff said that New Brighton Mayor Kari Niedfeldt-Thomas visited CPY recently and that she was very impressed with their distance learning support program.
 
I failed to promote the District’s “Share the Love” campaign during the meeting, so I’ve included it here.
 
Next week’s speaker will be Sara Curtis from The Works Museum – The museum’s mission is to inspire the next generation of innovators, engineers, and creative problem solvers.  Their exhibits, programs and design challenges are designed to engage kids in science, technology and engineering and make learning about technology memorable and fun.  Don’t miss it!
Meeting Recap - February 9, 2021 Jeff Benson 2021-02-09 06:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - February 2, 2021

President Edeth James’ Quote of the Day: “Tell me and I’ll forget. Show me, and I may not remember. Involve me, and I’ll understand.”  – Native American Proverb
 
Check your email for important Rotary dates or, if you prefer, you can download them here.
 
Ed thanked the many NBMV Rotarians who attended the District Happy Hour last night to celebrate contributions to the Rotary Foundation.  Ed displayed the certificates and banners we received for our generous contributions.  Rotary’s “Share the Love” campaign for the Foundation’s Annual Fund was also kicked off at the Happy Hour.  Details are shown below in a message from District Rotary Foundation Team Leader, PDG Kyle Haugen.
 
 
Rotarians, 
 
Contributions to the Annual Fund-SHARE are the funds that come back to our District to use for grants that positively impact people in our communities and around the world.  So…the more we all give, the more impact we can make! 
 
Please SHARE the LOVE this month and give to the Annual Fund-SHARE!
 
Any amount helps make an impact, but we want to encourage you to be generous…so we are bringing back some special recognition opportunities!  We have many donors in our District that have made The Rotary Foundation one of their “charities of choice” and have become our “Foundation Champions”.  They want to help create the next generation of Foundation Champions and have allowed us to use their Foundation Recognition Points.  We all get recognition points when we give to TRF, and these points can be used to recognize others for their actions or incent people to give to The Rotary Foundation.
 
 
We will reward and recognize people who give at THREE levels:
 
 $100+: Give at least $100 to the Annual Fund-SHARE during February and your donation will be matched 2:1 with Recognition Points!
 
$365+: Give at least $365 (equivalent of $1/day) to the Annual Fund-SHARE during February and we will use Recognition Points to make you a Paul Harris Fellow!
 
$1,000+: Give at least $1,000* to the Annual Fund during February and you will receive:
- Special recognition on our District website,
- Your choice of several limited edition SHARE the LOVE clothing items,
- Invitation to a special “Significant Donor” event this spring,
- “SHARE a PHF” with someone of your choosing!
 
*for Rotarians that are already Paul Harris Society members through monthly Rotary Direct giving, this level requires an extra $500 contribution during February
 
As a bonus, anyone that chooses to SHARE THE LOVE during February can purchase any of the limited edition SHARE THE LOVE clothing items as well!
 
Once you’ve decided how much you are comfortable giving, it’s easy to give to the Annual Fund-SHARE: You can give a check (made payable to The Rotary Foundation with “AF-SHARE” in the memo line) to your Club President or Foundation Chair, or you can make a payment online at www.myrotary.org/give.  One note: you do need a My Rotary account to give through Rotary Direct: CLICK HERE for easy set-up instructions. 
 
Thank you for all that you do as Rotarians and for your contributions to The Rotary Foundation.  Remember, it’s not just about the money or recognition, but it’s the impact we’re making with the funds.  We are changing lives when we donate to The Rotary Foundation, and that’s why we ask you to SHARE the LOVE!
 
 
Sincerely,
 
Kyle Haugen & Ed Marek
  
PS: Charity Navigator has given The Rotary Foundation its highest rating for 13 straight years, so you know the funds will be maximized to provide the greatest impact possible!
 
 
Nyle Zikmund introduced Spencer Peter, Biologist and Intern Mentor from the North American Bear Center (NABC).  Located in Ely, Minnesota, the 501(c)(3) non-profit is dedicated to debunking old myths about black bear behavior and replacing them with accurate ideas about black bears and their interactions with humans.  The NABC was founded in 1995 by renowned biologist Dr. Lynn Rogers.  Dr. Rogers has studied black bears for over 50 years and is the pre-eminent black bear researcher worldwide.  He blended modern technology with Dr. Jane Goodall’s trust-based techniques and eventually was able to study wild black bears at arm’s length. Dr. Rogers has even crawled into a hibernating bear’s den to study newly born bear cubs.  His research has shown that black bears always prefer to flee when encountering humans and that frequent contact with humans makes them less, rather than more, likely to be aggressive toward humans.  According to Spencer, black bear attacks on humans are extremely rare.  Spencer also said that getting between a black bear cub and its mother is extremely unlikely to cause an aggressive response by the mother.  He was quick to point out that grizzly bears are the dangerous bears. 
 
The Bear Center features videos on all aspects of a bear’s life including foraging, mating, hibernation, communication, birthing, nursing, playing and fighting.  Displays include mounted specimens of Polar, Grizzly and Black bears.  Four black bears freely roam a 2.5 acre natural habitat exhibit area where every aspect of bear behavior can be seen from an observation platform.  It doesn’t take long for observers to see that black bears aren’t so frightening after all.
Meeting Recap - February 2, 2021 Jeff Benson 2021-02-02 06:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - January 26, 2021

President Ed James’ quote of the day: “One of the most important things you can do on this earth is to let people know they are not alone.” ― Shannon L. Alder
 
See your email for important dates for this week or, if you prefer, you can download them here.
 
President Ed urged us to think about friends and business associates that would be good Rotarians.  Contact Membership Director Cindy Carlson with your suggestions and she will do the rest.
 
The Board is working on ideas for a fundraiser for this year.  Your suggestions are welcome as we consider options.
 
Ed asked all of us to consider Past District Governor Kyle Haugen’s invitation (below) to the Rotary Foundation Virtual Happy Hour.  Our club will receive several awards and we would like to be well represented at the virtual event
 
Fellow Rotarians and Friends,
 
"You may have seen in the TRF Update email that was sent earlier this week, we're going to be having a "Rotary Foundation Virtual Happy Hour" on Monday, February 1 from 4:30-5:30.  During this happy hour, we're going to do three things:
 
1.  Recognize clubs for the 2019-20 TRF giving.
2. Have short interviews with some of the best 2019-20 clubs to get tips they've used
3.  Kick off our "Share The Love" campaign for February.
 
Your club will be recognized several times, so I would encourage you to let your members know about this fun event!  Additionally, since your club was one of the clubs that achieved 100% Giving/EREY status, I would like one of you or someone in your club (a Champion or coordinator?) to take part in a brief Q&A segment about how your club was able to engage members to participate?  This will be brief, and you'll get the question(s) ahead of time, so it shouldn't be too difficult!
 
Let me know if either of you, or someone else, can attend and we can work more on content early in the week.
 
To register, click HERE
 
I hope you can join us...and please let me know if you have any questions.
 
Thanks,
 
Kyle Haugen
Rotary Club of Prior Lake, MN
District Governor 2017-18, Rotary District 5960
612-382-3168
 
Geoff Hollimon noted that the Coalition will continue its Covid-19 pandemic relief effort into 2021 and beyond, if necessary.  They enter 2021 with $55,395 in available grant money and will need to raise another $100,000 this year to continue to help our neighbors most affected by the pandemic. The Coalition is currently working on partnering with local faith communities to expand its impact.  A virtual Walk/Run Event will also be held this spring.  President Ed urged us to consider a donation to the Suburban Ramsey Emergency Coalition.  He asked that we forward our individual contributions to John Ordway, who will bundle them for presentation to the Coalition.  Make your checks payable to Suburban Ramsey COVID-19 Response Fund and mail to: 
NBMV Rotary
c/o John Ordway
3555 Willow Lake Blvd.  Suite 200
Vadnais Hgts, MN 55110
 
If you prefer to send your contribution separately, mail it to:
 
Shoreview Community Foundation
c/o Carol Mills
5845 St. Albans Court
Shoreview, MN 55126
 
Jed Hamoud reported that he and Nils Friberg recently met with New Brighton Public Safety Director Tony Paetznick to see how we might partner with the city to fight human trafficking.  Jed and Nils will keep us updated.  Jed also noted that Arden Hills/Shoreview Rotary will hold a Human Trafficking Awareness Webinar on April 15th.  They are looking for help with webinar management and funding.
 
Jed also called our attention to an article in the current (February) issue of Rotary magazine about Lebanese Rotary clubs response to the August 4th explosion in Beirut. 
 
Nyle Zikmund introduced our speaker, CPY’s Executive Director, Mary Stewart.  Mary began by telling how CPY’s students were adversely affected by the Covid-19 shutdown in March of 2020.  Until the pandemic hit, CPY had provided meals, educational support and a safe place for kids while not at school.  With the balance of CPY’s school year program cancelled and the all-important summer program in jeopardy, they began to plan an alternative to the in-person summer program.  Many families depend on CPY’s summer enrichment activities and meal program, so the Suburban Ramsey Emergency Coalition provided a grant so that Mary and her staff could develop activity packets which could be delivered, along with food provided by Ralph Reeder Food Shelf, to needy CPY families.  The “CPY at Home” summer program served 350 families and delivered over 4,000 meals! 
 
In the fall, distance learning presented new challenges for CPY.  Mary and her staff knew that, without academic and nutritional support, many CPY students would be unable to manage distance learning.  With grant support, CPY was able to provide internet access, meals, academic support, mentorship and stability for 105 youth, all of whom are on free and reduced lunch.  This program decreased missing assignments by 80%, provided daily teacher engagement, one-on-one tutoring, meals and snacks, transportation, ELL support and allowed parents to return to work.
 
All these accomplishments would not have been possible without the continuing support of District 621 teachers, Christ the King Lutheran Church, Abiding Savior Lutheran Church, Suburban Ramsey Emergency Coalition, New Brighton Mounds View Rotary, New Brighton Lions, Kiwanis Club, and Bell Lumber and Pole Co.
 
For more info on CPY, click here.
Meeting Recap - January 26, 2021 Jeff Benson 2021-01-26 06:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - January 19, 2021

Our guests today were Sofia Valdez and Climate Generation’s Director of Community Engagement, Jothsna Harris.
 
President Edeth James’ Quote of the Day: “It’s the action, not the fruit of the action, that’s important. You have to do the right thing. It may not be in your power, may not be in your time, that there’ll be any fruit. But that doesn’t mean you stop doing the right thing. You may never know what results come from your action. But if you do nothing, there will be no result.”   – Mahatma Gandhi
 
Check your email for important Rotary dates or, if you prefer, you can download them here.
 
Note that the Board meets at 11AM on Tuesday, January 25th.
 
Our presenter for today is Jothsna Harris, Director of Community Engagement for Climate Generation: A Will Steger Legacy.  Climate Generation empowers individuals and their communities to engage in solutions to climate change.  Founded by polar explorer Will Steger in 2006 as the Will Steger Foundation, the non-profit changed its name in 2015 to better reflect this mission.  Climate Generation believes that individuals and communities must develop their climate change knowledge and appreciate their personal connections to climate change in order for meaningful and sustainable change to take place.  Their approach involves collaboration and partnership with youth, educators and the public, and focuses on personal stories and eyewitness accounts in addition to conventional scientific reasoning.  Climate Generation has several programs designed to educate and activate people interested in climate change.
 
- The Climate Change Education Program provides educators with curriculum and professional development opportunities.
- The Community Engagement Program provides a model for public meetings about climate change.
- The Youth Environmental Activists (YEA!) Program for high school students provides mentorship, education and support for individuals and the entire club.
- The Storytelling Program provides an opportunity to share your personal climate change stories.
- The U.N. Climate Delegation Program sends delegates to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change’s annual Conference of the Parties (COP).
- The Trainings Program offers public workshops to give individuals climate change solutions that they can incorporate into their daily workflow and life.
 
Jothsna mentioned several climate change events in the near future.  Information on each of them is available here.
 
Geoff Hollimon reported that the Suburban Ramsey Emergency Coalition has received three preliminary grant requests.  The Coalition will be holding a Virtual Run/Walk fundraiser this spring.  Donations are needed to continue the important work of the Coalition.  You can contribute here.
 
Next week’s meeting will feature CPY’s Executive Director, Mary Stewart, as our presenter.
Meeting Recap - January 19, 2021 Jeff Benson 2021-01-19 06:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - January 12, 2021

Our guest today was District Governor Ed Marek.
 
President Ed James’ Quote of the Day:  “Don’t feel bad if people remember you only when they need you. Feel privileged that you are like a candle that comes to their mind when there is darkness.” – Anonymous
 
DG Ed Marek thanked our club for our financial support for End Polio Now.  Our giving, along with other clubs in the District, helped to meet the District’s End Polio goal for 2019-2020. DG Ed commended us for our $2,100 contribution, making us #1 in giving for medium sized clubs [some of which have nearly twice our membership]. DG Ed further noted that were one of only 3,400 clubs worldwide to be an EREY Club (Every Rotarian Every Year).  EREY status requires contributions to the Annual Fund averaging over $100 per member with every dues paying member contributing at least $25/year.  We were also one of only 4,000 clubs worldwide to be a 100% Foundation Giving Club!  DG Ed recognized John Ordway, David Hoel, Nyle Zikmund, Dana Rebelein and Cyndi Carlson for their $100 contributions to the Strike Out Polio Campaign.  Jason Miller, Geoff Hollimon, Dennis Connolly, Jeff Benson, Mike Neeley and Edeth James were each recognized for their contributions of $365 to the extremely successful campaign.  With the help of a 2 to 1 matching grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, $190,000 was raised in the fight to eradicate polio from the face of the earth.
 
The District 5960 Mid-Term Event for 2021 will be online. 
-On Monday, January 25th, at 6:30 p.m. we will feature a panel of representatives from three clubs that are doing some amazing work.
  • Jon Stagman, President of the Waseca Club on “Reimagining the Club”
  • Kevin Donovan, Team Leader for White Bear Lake’s DEI (Diversity, Equity & Inclusion) Team
  • Kent Peterson, from the Arden Hills-Shoreview Club who has founded and chaired the Suburban Ramsey Emergency Coalition
  • CLICK HERE for Registration
 
On Thursday, January 28th at 4:30 p.m. we will be offering a virtual Workshop on Rotary’s Innovative Club Models.  Kathy Fahy will reprise her role as facilitator from NCPETS last year in Rochester leading this training. 
CLICK HERE for Registration!
 
You should have received a list of important dates by email.  If you prefer, you may download them here.
 
Treasurer John Ordway will be sending out January-March statements soon.  If you have not already paid your October-December, 2020 dues; please do so.  John also said he is expecting to receive the Bell Pole matching grant for our No-Plate Dinner Fundraiser soon.
 
Geoff Hollimon reported that the Suburban Ramsey Emergency Coalition received donations in 2020 totaling over $163,000 and the Coalition approved grants for over $110,000, leaving a balance of $53,013.  Much of the impact of the Pandemic is yet to be felt, so the Coalition will continue fundraising and making grants to continue its Covid-19 pandemic relief efforts into 2021.  The Coalition will begin to survey local faith groups to see how the Coalition might work cooperatively with them to ease the Pandemic’s effects on our most vulnerable neighbors.
 
Geoff also noted that CPY is continuing its distance learning support program and is working on the transition to in-person learning for the elementary students.
 
Jed Hamoud reported that the Arden Hills/Shoreview Rotary Club will be holding a Human Trafficking Awareness Event in mid-April.  The event will either be wholly online or possibly an online/live hybrid.  A.H./Shoreview will need volunteers to help with marketing efforts as well as help with fielding chat room comments/questions during the event.  If you can help with either of these, or if you would like to be involved in some other way, please contact Jed.
Meeting Recap - January 12, 2021 Jeff Benson 2021-01-12 06:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - January 5, 2021

Our guest today was Mike Neeley’s wife Cheryl.  She joined us from the car as she and Mike were driving through Wisconsin Dells on their way to Florida.
 
President Ed James’ Quote of the Day: "We will open the book. Its pages are blank. We are going to put words on them ourselves. The book is called opportunity and its first chapter is New Year's Day"
―Edith Lovejoy Pierce
 
Important Dates for January 5th, 2021:
 
     January 12, 2021– Peter Spencer - North American Bear Center
 
January 19, 2021(Tuesday Club Meeting) – Jothsna Harris - Climate Generation - A Will Steger Legacy - Climate Generation helps empower individuals and communities on how to engage in solutions to climate change.
 
Our presenter today was Samantha (Sammy) Brown, a children’s book publicist in New York City.  Sammy was a close friend of Zach Sobiech, the Stillwater H.S. student whose battle with bone cancer ended with his passing in 2013 at the age of 18.  Zach was diagnosed with osteosarcoma at age 14 and, despite several surgeries and months of chemotherapy, the cancer spread and he was told in 2012 that he had only months to live.  Zach had always had a positive and uplifting effect on those around him and his diagnosis did nothing to diminish that.  Sammy described him as always present and engaging with others and always having a smile on his face.  Zach chose to embrace every day with hope and joy.  One of the ways that Zach embraced life was through music.  Zach and Sammy, along with Reed Redmond, formed a band called A Firm Handshake.  The band dissolved after Zach’s passing but Sammy still writes and performs.  
 
In 2012, KS95 Radio invited Zach to appear in their KS95 for Kids Radiothon. Zach partnered with KS95 to record “Clouds” with professional musicians. People magazine picked up the story and the song went viral with more than 2 million views on YouTube, eventually topping the Billboard charts!  Every year since 2013, the song has been featured in a Clouds Choir sing-along at the annual Radiothon event, with as many as 5,000 people joining voices at the Mall of America, helping to raise millions for childhood cancer and other childhood illnesses.
 
 Zach’s family also started the Zach Sobiech Osteosarcoma Fund, now called Zach’s Movement, which has raised nearly 2.5 million dollars, 100% of which goes to osteosarcoma research.  Laura Sobiech has also published a book about her son’s life entitled Fly a Little Higher: How God Answered a Mom’s Small Prayer.
 
Captivated by Zach’s story, filmmaker Justin Baldoni made a documentary titled My Last Days.  Baldoni’s dream was eventually to do a feature film about Zach’s story.  In October of 2020, the dream became reality when “Clouds” was released by Disney.  It’s available for streaming on Disney+.  Zach and Sammy are pictured below.
Meeting Recap - January 5, 2021 Jeff Benson 2021-01-05 06:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - December 22, 2020

President Ed James composed a beautiful invocation (read by Dana Rebelein) which I’ve included in its entirety here:
It has been a year like no other. A year filled with many challenges, dashed hopes and promises.  It has been a successful Rotary year though from all indicators. More money was raised this year than any other year for Polio plus in our district.
 
Christmas is a season of hope and a time of giving. Millions of gifts will exchange hands in the next few days. Christmas happens once in a year but Rotary brings hope and gifts to millions every day of the year. During Christmas, people give gifts to families and friends and relatives. All year long, Rotarians give gifts to strangers and people they do not know and people they will never meet in every corner of the universe.
 
At Christmas, gifts are exchanged. Children receive gifts from their parents and they in turn give back to their parents and grandparents. School age children exchange gifts before the end of the year.  Spouses try to outdo each other by buying the most unique gifts for each other. Rotarians do not exchange gifts. Rotarians give without expecting anything in return. Rotarians send gifts to build houses they will never even know the location. They plant trees under whose shade they will never expect to sit according to Nelson Henderson.  They work so hard through ECHO to develop seeds that will be sent to other nations of the world for better yields and high turnover to farmers they do not know.
 
At Christmas, people give toys, electronics, gift cards, clothes and so on. All year round, Rotarians give goats, food, shelter, latrines and toilets, wash hand basins, education and medical supplies to millions of people all over the world. I have seen Rotarians in action locally in this community, around the country and around the world.
 
From that humble beginning in an office building in Chicago in 1905, Rotary has brought smiles to millions of faces around the world. It has brought hope to many areas of the world where hopelessness is the order of the day. Gifting is natural to Rotary. Rotarians give of themselves and their resources daily to make this world a better place and to promote peace across the globe.
 
As we end this year 2020, may I submit that as Rotarians, we make everyday a Christmas day not by words but by our actions. Merry Christmas to you all. Thanks for all you do in this corner of New Brighton and Mounds View. Your impacts are felt all around the world. Happy New Year and take care of yourself and each other as we wrap up this year 2020.
 
Let's do this again next year. God bless you all.
 
Edeth James
President 2020-2021
 
You’ll find the important Rotary dates for Dec 22 in your email, or you can download them here.
 
Note that there is no meeting on December 29th
 
President Ed James’ quote of the day: “Christmas is not a time nor a season, but a state of mind. To cherish peace and goodwill, to be plenteous in mercy, is to have the real spirit of Christmas.”
― Calvin Coolidge
 
Our guests today were Ramsey County Government Affairs Specialist Melissa Finnegan and Ramsey County Commissioner Mary Jo McGuire.
 
John Ordway reported the following financial decisions from today’s Board meeting:  Donations will be made to Community Support Center (CSC), Community Partners with Youth (CPY), Ralph Reeder Food Shelf, Irondale Choir, Harvest Pack and Remember Niger.  John also noted that we have decided to re-structure our scholarship amounts to allow some of them to be used at 2 year colleges.  The Irondale specific scholarships will now be: One at $1,500 and two at $1,000.  The at-large $1,500 scholarship wasn’t mentioned but I assume it will remain the same.
 
John also asked that unpaid dues for this quarter be paid before the New Year.
 
The board recommended and members present approved the following changes:
 - Geoff Hollimon will assume the Community Service Directorship
 - Cindy Carlson will assume the International Service Directorship in addition to her existing Membership Director role.
 
The Board has accepted the resignations of Maddison Zikmund (joining Fridley club) and Chris Ledbeter (job transfer).
 
Geoff Hollimon said that the Suburban Ramsey Emergency Coalition made 20 grants in 2020, totaling $107,000.  The Coalition will need to raise about $100,000 in 2021 to continue its mission to minimize the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic on our community’s most vulnerable citizens.
 
Geoff also noted that CPY has had to shut down 3 of 5 distance learning pods due to a very small outbreak of Covid-19.  Quarantine will be completed in time for full reopening after New Years.
 
President Ed noted that remote Tuesday noon meetings will continue until April 2021, when we will re-evaluate the safety of in person meetings.
 
Jed Hamoud has received the December report from the Rotary Club Beirut Cedars about the relief efforts after the explosion that rocked Beirut.  You can download the report by clicking here.
 
Nyle Zikmund introduced Ramsey County Government Affairs Specialist Melissa Finnegan, here to present “Legislative Engagement 101”.  Melissa said that Minnesota’s legislature has 201 legislators, 134 in the House and 67 in the Senate.  The Legislative structure is biennial, the first year focused on budgeting and the second year spent on funding building projects.  The actual sessions extend from January or February through May.
 
When a bill is introduced by a legislator, it is sent to the relevant committees(s) for discussion and the committee chairs decide which bills get a hearing in their respective committees.  If the bill is heard in committee, the author of the bill explains it and there is debate and a vote.  If the bill passes the committee it is returned to the full body (House or Senate) where amendments can be offered.  If the bill is voted up by the full body, it is sent to the other body, where additional amendments can be offered and a vote taken.  If the bill passes both bodies, a conference committee may be needed to reconcile differences in the two versions.  If there are no differences or if the differences can be reconciled, the bill is voted on by the full bodies.  If passed the bill goes to the Governor to be signed or vetoed.  If vetoed, a 2/3 majority in both houses is required to override the veto.
 
The legislative process is very important to county government because the county often has no control of the funding for programs mandated by the state.  The Ramsey County Platform is the set of legislative priorities for the upcoming state legislative session.  The platform begins to take shape in the summer before the upcoming legislative session and is finalized in December.  The County’s Government Affairs Division uses this platform to develop bills and support or oppose bills depending on their alignment with the platform.  The 2021 platform priorities are:
 - Covid Response
 - Housing Stability
 - Racial Disparities
 - Transportation
 - Mental illness and behavioral support
 
You can participate in the legislative process by reaching out to your County Commissioners and State Legislators.  You should have a plan and be prepared to be brief.  It’s best to have a combination of documentation and human stories if you expect to make a lasting impression on these very busy public servants.  It seems obvious, but be nice to staffers…it can make a big difference.  Use the link below to find your county commissioner.
 
Meeting Recap - December 22, 2020 Jeff Benson 2020-12-22 06:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - December 15, 2020

Our guests today were DG Ed Marek, New Brighton Mayor-Elect Kari Niedfeldt-Thomas and Rotarian Ray Panczyk from Maryland.
 
President Ed’s Quote of the Day: “Be the reason someone smiles. Be the reason someone feels loved and believes in the goodness in people.”― Roy T. Bennett
 
Check your email for important Rotary dates and events.  You can also download them here, if you prefer.
 
Don’t forget the Board meeting next Tuesday at 11AM.
 
If you have not yet paid your October – December dues, please take a moment now to write and mail the check.  You’ll be helping to reduce the bookkeeping burden on our Treasurer.
 
Geoff Hollimon reported that the Suburban Ramsey Emergency Coalition is considering 2 more grant applications to add to the 16 that have already awarded.  Originally organized to be active until the end of 2020, the Coalition has extended its mission through 2021 to continue to help those most affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.
 
Geoff was also pleased to announce that CPY was able to take full advantage of the $65,000 matching grant offered by Bell Lumber and Pole by raising $75,000 on their own.  Congratulations to CPY and thank you to Bell Pole and the many others whose generosity will allow CPY to continue to provide quality distance learning support to community students.
 
Cindy Carlson noted that we received a grant of nearly $5,000 from State Farm Insurance to support our No-Plate Dinner Fundraiser. This grant will help us to maintain our charitable giving in the coming year.
 
Cindy also said that Charlie Hall is now living at Scandia Shores and he would like to set up a DVD library for residents to use.  He’s hoping to collect DVD’s that are gathering dust on your bookshelves to get the library started.  You can mail DVD’s to Charlie at: 418 Hwy.96 West, Apt. 307, Shoreview, MN. 55126.  You can download Charlie’s entire letter here.
 
New Brighton Mayor-Elect Kari Niedfeldt-Thomas was present at today’s meeting and took the opportunity to lay out her priorities: 
- Affordable Housing
- Pandemic Data Communication
- Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
The Mayor-Elect has been invited to elaborate at an upcoming meeting.
 
Cindy Carlson introduced Kara VanderKamp, with Remember Niger, for an update. Kara was zooming in to us from Niger! Kara introduced us to her associate in Niger, Mary Shannon. We had some issues with the recorded PowerPoint presentation on Ed’s computer, so Kara managed to play it from her computer in Niger!  Remember Niger Coalition is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to unifying people and mobilizing resources to expand quality educational opportunities in Niger, Africa.  Niger is the least developed and least educated country in the world.  Only fifty percent of children attend elementary school, 20% attend middle school and only 5% attend high school.  With little educational infrastructure and wariness about the quality and safety of existing schools, Remember Niger faces many challenges to its goal to offer quality education.  They address the challenges by engaging local parents, businesses and Rotary clubs to help plan and operate their own schools. Remember Niger gets new schools rolling by offering sponsorships to 50 students as a school first opens, building trust and motivating parents to continue to send their children.  Remember Niger also helps with infrastructure, building classrooms, latrines and security walls to relieve parental concerns.  Solar power is also set up to provide reliable and inexpensive power for lighting and laptop charging.  These initiatives have increased the student population to 2,800 in 13 schools.
 
Rotary has been an important part of  Remember Niger’s mission.  A global grant, district grant and 13 club grants have been instrumental in providing the above mentioned sponsorships and infrastructure, as well as teacher training.  Our club has helped with funding for latrines, security walls, sponsorships, teacher training, water and electric.  We have also helped support the Hamsa Girls Education Center for middle school girls.
 
Priorities for 2021 include the Niamey School for the Deaf and more use of solar power.  Covid-19 is also poised to create problems for education in Niger.  It’s good to know that Remember Niger is on the ground to make education a priority in Niger.  
Meeting Recap - December 15, 2020 Jeff Benson 2020-12-15 06:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - December 8, 2020

Our guests today were Roseville Rotary Club President Deb Nygard and Arden Hills Shoreview Rotarian Ken Hola.
 
President Ed James’ Quote of the Day – “The true meaning of life is to plant trees under whose shade you do not expect to sit.” – Nelson Henderson
 
You should have received this week’s important dates by email but you can download it here, if you would prefer.
 
Geoff Hollimon reported that the Suburban Ramsey Emergency Coalition has made two new grants to help those affected by the Covid -19 pandemic.  A $3,000 grant was made to the Abiding Savior Lutheran Church’s meal program to help with the cost of providing meals from Jan – May of 2020.  A $2,170 grant was made to the Mounds View School District Meals on Wheels for a new refrigerator to handle the increase in food deliveries during the pandemic.
 
Geoff also reported that CPY’s online auction raised $8,125 of their $30,000 goal.  Donation are still coming in, however, and you can still help them get closer to their goal by visiting their donation page.
 
Jed Hamoud updated us on the Beirut Collabortion.  He expects monthly updates as Beirut recovers from the explosion that devastated a large portion of the city.
 
Roseville Rotary President Deb Nygaard invited us to participate in their “Taste of Rosefest – Winter Version” online silent auction fundraiser, December 10th and 11th.  Click here for more details.
 
Arden Hills Shoreview Rotarian Ken Hola was here to promote his club’s Online Cooking Class by renowned chef Ken Galloway. The class will be held on December 16th from 6:30 to 8:00PM and the cost is $25.  Download the flyer here for more information.
 
Nyle introduced Ann Merriman and Christopher Olson from “Maritime Heritage Minnesota (MHM).  "MHM is dedicated to the identification, documentation, preservation, conservation, and when necessary, the excavation of Minnesota's finite submerged cultural resources - wrecks and other maritime sites - within a not-for-profit paradigm."  Ann and Christopher founded the MHM 16 years ago, and today MHM has a staff of 12 volunteers.  MHM searches Minnesota’s lakes and large rivers for submerged artifacts using sonar imaging and follows up on potential finds by diving to photograph them.  They emphasized that this is a very time consuming process but it was obvious that they love what they do.  For these underwater archaeologists every find, from a 10,000 year old dugout canoe to a recently submerged Alumacraft fishing boat, contributes an interesting piece of marine history worthy of study. 
 
Cindy Carlson reminded us that our December 15th speaker will be Kara VanderKamp.  Her topic will be Improving lives through education in Niger, Africa:  How solar power helps.
Meeting Recap - December 8, 2020 Jeff Benson 2020-12-08 06:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - December 1, 2020

President Ed James Quote of the Day - “I am only one, but I am one.  I cannot do everything, but I can do something.  And I will not let what I cannot do interfere with what I can do.” – Edward Everett Hale.
 
Check your email for a list of upcoming events or, if you prefer, you can download it here.
 
Note that we will have a noon meeting on December 22nd (preceded by a Board meeting) but we will NOT have a meeting on December 29th.
 
Geoff Hollimon reported that the Suburban Ramsey Emergency Coalition has received a grant request from Abiding Savior Lutheran Church for their Community Food Project.
 
Geoff also reported that CPY is continuing its Distance Learning Support Program as the District has transitioned to full distance learning.  CPY’s Fall Gala this year will take the form of a virtual silent auction.  The Auction will be held from December 3-5 but you can PREVIEW the items now by clicking here.  The silent auction is an important part of CPY’s fundraising effort each year.  Please consider participating in this virtual auction to help support the wonderful work that CPY does in our community.
 
Jed Hamoud reported that our contribution to the Beirut Collaboration has been received.  Help is still needed in Beirut because the seaport is still closed and there are widespread shortages of basic needs.
 
President Ed said that Harvest Pack is remaining active during the Pandemic by making its warehouse available to groups who are interested in packing food for their favorite charitable purpose.
 
Nyle Zikmund introduced Bob Johnson, board member and spokesperson for the 50 year old Minnesota Genealogical Society (MNGS).   As an all-volunteer a 501c3 nonprofit, MNGS works to:
 - Foster and increase interest in genealogy by providing an association for those interested in family, state, and local history.
 - Collect, preserve, and publish genealogical and historical records and information.
 - Hold meetings, classes, and workshops to educate members on current genealogy-related topics.
For an annual subscription fee of just $40, its 1,100 members have access to a wide range of genealogical resources including the Hoffman Research Library, the largest genealogical library in the state.  Members also receive a monthly digital newsletter and the monthly journal, “Minnesota Genealogist”. 
Bob said that DNA testing has increased interest in, and created new avenues for, genealogical research.   He listed several motivations for genealogical research:
 - Finding out about ancestors
 - Being a family historian
 - Creating a legacy for your family
 - Medical history research
 - Finding remote relatives
 - Finding your birth family
Bob offered one caveat for those who use DNA testing to determine their ethnicity.  Each DNA testing service apparently uses their own reference population, so results vary between testing services.  He suggested taking the ethnicity results with a grain of salt.  He offered the following DNA Testing Service recommendations for certain purposes:
 - European Heritage Discovery – My Heritage & Family Tree DNA
 - 23 and Me for health history information
Bob noted that if you are interested in DNA testing, now is the time to buy because they are all on sale now.
Bob gave us a brief genealogical math lesson that revealed the exponential effect of the generations on the number of grandparents you have.  If you go back just 10 generations to 1795 you would have 518 grand and great-grandparents and if you go back just 25 generations to the 1400’s you would have 16,777,216 great-grandparents!!!  
Meeting Recap - December 1, 2020 Jeff Benson 2020-12-01 06:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - November 17, 2020

Our guests today were newly elected New Brighton City Council Person Abdullahi Abdulle and New Brighton Public Safety Department Director Tony Paetznick.
 
President Ed James’ Quote of the Day: “What we have done for ourselves alone dies with us, what we have done for others and the world remains and is immortal.” -  Albert Pike
 
Check your email for this week’s Important Rotary Dates or you can download it here.
 
President Ed mentioned White Bear Lake Rotary’s Jingle Bear Online Auction.  You can sign up to participate by clicking here.
 
Geoff Hollimon reported that the Suburban Ramsey Emergency Coalition has received a third donation from the New Brighton Lions Club for a total contribution of $15,000.  The Coalition recently approved a $2,500 grant to the Roseville School District’s Meals on Wheels program as it works to bring needed food to disabled and elderly residents impacted by the pandemic.  Geoff reminded us that the Mustang Raffle will be held at 8PM, Thursday November 19th at the Mermaid.  In observance of pandemic guidelines, the raffle will be live-streamed on the Coalition’s website.  Geoff said that a small number of tickets are still available and can be purchased at Adagio or the Mermaid.
 
Geoff also noted that CPY will be continuing its Distance Learning Support Program as the District transitions to total distance learning mode.  He said that CPY’s Fall Gala will be replaced this year with a virtual silent auction, featuring many of the same items which you have bid on at previous Fall Galas.  Stay tuned for more info on this.
 
Jed Hamoud and John Ordway reported that our donation to the Beirut explosion relief effort has been received by the L.A. Cedars Rotary Club and we have received a thank you.  Jed will update us as new information is available.
 
Newly elected New Brighton City Council Person Abdullahi Abdulle was present today to meet the club.  The thanked us for our commitment to community service and said that service was the primary objective of his candidacy.  He is employed by the City of Minneapolis as an associate Transportation Planner and served in the Army National Guard for 6 years.  He is married and has a 20 month old son.
 
New Brighton Public Safety Director Tony Paetznick offered us a public safety summary.  Tony said that the primary mission of the Public Safety Department has been, and will continue to be, prevention and preparedness, and that mission has been especially important this year.  Trying to stay ahead of Covid-19 has been a challenge, with 1,000 positive cases reported and 46 Covid-19 related deaths so far in New Brighton.  An uptick in reported minor crimes has also been noted.  Possible political unrest and the potential for polling place conflicts were, thankfully, not an issue for New Brighton and, according to Tony, 90% of registered voters cast their ballots this year!  As always, Tony is available to discuss your public safety concerns and suggestions. mailto:tony.paetznick@newbrightonmn.gov
 
Nyle Zikmund introduced our speaker, Mounds View Arborist/Forester Daniel Watenhofer.  Dan suggested several reasons why we care, or at least should care, about trees.  Some reasons are:
- Trees lower heating and cooling costs
- Trees increase property values
- Trees reduce stress
- Trees filter the air of pollutants
- Trees are a tool for climate change management
- Trees help manage storm water runoff.
 
We sometimes think of trees as having a very long lifespan, but in a city setting trees have an average lifespan of just 19 years. We’ve all seen the demise of the Elm trees and now the Ash trees and the reason they are gone is mostly because we planted the same trees side by side.  Current wisdom is to plant a variety of trees to prevent insects and disease from spreading easily from tree to tree.  Other challenges to trees surviving the first few years are improper planting and post planting maintenance. 
Proper mulching, watering and pruning would improve the lifespan of city trees dramatically. 
Meeting Recap - November 17, 2020 Jeff Benson 2020-11-17 06:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - November 10, 2020

Our Guests today were District Foundation Chair & PDG Kyle Haugen and Mary Jo McGuire.
 
President Ed James reminded us that tomorrow is Veterans Day.  Veteran’s were the topic of Ed’s quote of the day:  “As we celebrate this year’s Veteran’s Day, let us remember the service of our veterans, and let us renew our national promise to fulfill our sacred obligations to our veterans and their families who have sacrificed so much so that we can live free.” – Dan Lipinski
 
Important Rotary dates can be found in your email or downloaded by clicking here.
 
Thanksgiving week meeting: We will meet by Zoom at the regular time on Tuesday November 24th.
 
Geoff Hollimon reported that the Suburban Ramsey Emergency Coalition has made a grant of $5,000 to Midwest Special Services and Roseville Meals on wheels has applied for a $2,400 grant.  The ‘73 Mustang raffle is going very well, with fewer than 100 tickets remaining to be sold.  The raffle will be held at 8PM on November 19th at the Mermaid.
 
Jed Hamoud will follow up on our contribution to the Lebanon Collaboration to aid those affected by the explosion in Beirut.  Donations are being used to help with hunger, home renovation, health and hospital equipment and IT needs for schools.  The Collaboration’s report can be downloaded here
 
District 5960 Rotary Foundation Chair Kyle Haugen reviewed the Foundation’s charitable world mission and thanked us for our contributions.  Kyle suggested that the concept of “Positive Peace” aptly describes the mission of the Foundation.  He emphasized that our contributions fund international charitable programs like Polio eradication, but eventually come back to the District to fund District matching grants, which we have so often led or participated in.  Kyle recognized three NBMV Rotarians for their Foundation contributions.  Immediate Past President Dennis Connolly has received Paul Harris Fellow recognition. Geoff Hollimon and Dana Rebelein have reached the PHF+6 and PHF+7 recognition levels, respectively.  Kyle also recognized our club for being one of only six clubs in the district to be an EREY club.  EREY stands for Every Rotarian Every Year and means that every Rotarian in a club contributes at least $25/year to the Foundation.  Congratulations, all!
 
Nyle Zikmund introduced Kristin Mroz, Co-director of Minnesota Green Step Cities.  Founded just 10 years ago, Green Step Cities provides assistance and recognition for cities to achieve sustainability and quality of life goals.  This free program provides voluntary actions (best practices) that can be implemented by cities as part of a continuous improvement program.  These actions focus on cost savings and energy use reduction.  Categories of best practices are: Buildings and Lighting, Land Use, Transportation, Environmental Management and Resilient Economic and Community Development.  Currently, there are 141 Minnesota communities, large and small, and four Tribal Nations participating in the program.  Sixteen percent of Minnesota cities are participating and these communities represent 49% of the state’s population.  The organization began ten years ago by working to limit greenhouse gas emissions but has evolved over time to focus on sustainability as well.
 
MN Green Step Cities is made up of partner organizations that meet monthly as a steering committee and provide funding for the program. The partner organizations are: The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, Clean Energy Resource Teams, League of Minnesota Cities, Minnesota Division of Commerce, Minnesota Environmental Quality Board, Great Plains Institute, Urban Land Institute, Izaak Walton League and Rethos: Places Reimagined.  The Minnesota program is also part of the Sustainable States Network.  This national network is composed of 13 state programs representing 65.6 million people in 2,203 communities.
 
For a video summary of MN Green Step Cities’ first ten years, click here.
Meeting Recap - November 10, 2020 Jeff Benson 2020-11-10 06:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - November 3, 2020

Our guests today were President Ed James’ brother Odalele and sister Morenekeji.
 
President Ed offered this Quote of the Day: “Volunteering is the ultimate exercise in democracy.  You vote in elections once a year, but when you volunteer, you vote every day about the kind of community you want to live in.”    Author Unknown
 
Check your email for important dates or download them here.
 
President Ed asked that I convey his deep appreciation for those Rotarians whose October contributions to Polio Plus totaled $3,010!  The Club had budgeted $500 and it was hoped that individual club members would contribute $1,500 to meet our total goal of $2,000.  The individual contributions alone exceeded our total goal by 50%, which will allow us to use the $500 budgeted by the club for another worthy cause.  Well done!
 
One Rotary Summit 2020 - Not your grandfather's One Rotary Summit Event. This year we’re shaking it up. Forget a 3 hour long event with a lot of flip charts. Instead we will be meeting virtually for 3 one-hour sections. Each section will focus on a different pillar – membership, foundation, and public image. Come and hear what’s not yet known by the general membership, be on the cutting edge, hear from clubs in the district, and learn a new skill that you can put into action immediately. Thirty minutes of presentation and 30 minutes of rapid-fire questions and answers. You won’t be disappointed, you’ll be exhilarated.  The interactive program will be facilitated by Dayle Quigley, District Governor Nominee.
 
Thursday, November 5 (4pm - 5pm )  - Membership  - Registration LINK
Monday, November 9 (4pm - 5pm) - The Rotary Foundation - Registration LINK
Monday, November 16 (4pm - 5pm ) - Public Image - Registration LINK
 
Nils Friberg said that a great program on human trafficking, sponsored by the District, is available on YouTube.  You can access it by clicking here.
 
District 5960 Foundation Chair, PDG Kyle Haugen, will be with us next week to share a brief Foundation update with the club.
 
Geoff Hollimon reported that the Suburban Ramsey Emergency Coalition has received contributions totaling  $130,442 so far and with the Mustang Raffle on November 19th, they will have reached their $150,000 contribution goal for 2020.  As you likely know, the Coalition will continue its mission into 2021 to help with ongoing impact from Covid-19.  Recent grants include $5,000 each to Every Meal and Aeon and $10,000 to NYFS.
 
President Ed would like to have a club visioning event before the end of his term.  Rotary recommends that club visioning should be undertaken every 3 years.
 
Nyle Zikmund introduced Judy Randall, Deputy Legislative Auditor for the State of Minnesota.  Judy was here to enlighten us about the Office of the Legislative Auditor (OLA).  The OLA is a non-partisan audit and evaluation office within the legislative branch of Minnesota state government.  The office is under the direction of the Legislative Auditor, who is appointed by the bi-partisan Legislative Audit Commission.  The Deputy Legislative Auditor (our speaker) is also appointed by the Commission.  The OLA was established in 1973 to provide a truly independent examination of the executive branch, comparable to the Government Accountability Office (GAO) at the national level.  The OLA’s mission is to:
  • Promote Accountability
  • Strengthen Legislative Oversight
  • Support Good Management
  • Enhance Program Effectiveness
 
The OLA has two divisions, the Financial Audit Division and the Program Evaluation Division.  The Financial Audit Division conducts 40-50 audits each year focusing on government entities in the executive and judicial branches of state government.  The Program Evaluation Division conducts evaluations of activities and programs for goal accomplishment and efficient use of public resources.  Topics for evaluation are selected by the Legislative Audit Commission from suggestions which can be submitted by any concerned individual or group.  Program Evaluation Division reports are very comprehensive, averaging 100 pages in length and very extensively footnoted.
Meeting Recap - November 3, 2020 Jeff Benson 2020-11-03 06:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - October 27, 2020

President Ed James opened the meeting with the Quote of the Day:
“If you want to touch the past, touch a rock.  If you want to touch the present, touch a flower.  If you want to touch the future, touch a life.”
Author Unknown.
 
Our guests today were: Ed James’ sister Morenekeji and her friend Dr. Oni, Assistant District Governor Julie Gotham, and our guest of honor, District Governor Ed Marek.
 
Check your email for a list of important Rotary dates.
 
Geoff Hollimon reported that the Suburban Ramsey Emergency Coalition has received an $11,000 donation from the Golden K Kiwanis club.  This donation brings the total donations to the coalition up to $145,000.  Their original donations goal was $150,000 by the end of 2020 but, with the ongoing pandemic, the Coalition intends to continue its mission into 2021.
 
Cindy Carlson introduced her friend of over 25 years, Julie Gotham.  Cindy and Julie first met through the Twin Cities North Chamber.  Julie has been a Blaine Ham Lake Rotarian for over 20 years and, as mentioned earlier she is the new Assistant District Governor for our area.
 
Julie, in turn, introduced our District Governor, Ed Marek.  DG Ed has been a member of the Shakopee and Eden Prairie Clubs and, for the past 19 years, the St. Paul Sunrise Rotary Club.  You may remember that DG Marek has spoken to our club about the Rotary Fast for Hope initiative in Nicaragua.
Ed would have preferred to speak to us in person but these Covid times have made Zoom meetings necessary.  Rotary is taking the pandemic very seriously and has chosen to hold District and International meetings virtually until at least March of 2021. 
 
DG Marek began by reminding us of RI President Holger Knaack’s Vision Statement: “Together, we see a world where people unite and take action to create lasting change - across the globe, in our communities, and in ourselves.”  He indicated that our club is living out this vision in our many activities and singled out the Suburban Ramsey Emergency Coalition as one example.  RI President Knaack’s theme for his term is “Rotary Opens Opportunities” and he emphasizes four goals that clubs can adopt to live into the theme.
   - Investigate innovative club models and procedures.
   - Have a five year vision for the club.
   - Select new members carefully.
   - Support the Rotary Foundation.
Ed elaborated on the Rotary Foundation as a way for clubs to expand their reach internationally.  The Rotary Foundation has had a 4 star rating at Charity Navigator for 12 consecutive years, so you know your donations will get to the places where they are needed.  You can also direct your donation by designating one of four purposes for your contribution.  As a contributor to the foundation you normally receive one recognition point for each dollar contributed, but during this month the District has arranged it so that your $100 contribution will earn you double points and a $365 contribution will earn you and additional 635 points for a total of 1,000 points, which qualifies you for your Paul Harris Fellowship or perhaps even higher levels of recognition.  You must get your contribution (by check made out to The Rotary Foundation) to John Ordway before October 31st or donate online at Rotary.org and specify the Polio Fund.  If you donate online, please let John Ordway know so he can update club records.  DG Marek recognized Jeff Benson for reaching the Paul Harris+8 recognition level, indicating total contributions of over $9,000 to the Foundation.
 
Ed elaborated on other areas of focus, including Rotary support for the “Positive Peace” concept, Mentoring, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, Youth Exchange and Battling Human Trafficking.
Meeting Recap - October 27, 2020 Jeff Benson 2020-10-27 05:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - October 20, 2020

Our guests today were Assistant District Governor Julie Gotham from the Blaine Ham Lake club and Mary Jo McGuire.  We also had a special Zoom appearance by Dennis Connolly’s infant granddaughter Emma.  Emma is being groomed as a future Rotarian
 
President Ed James noted that important Rotary dates have been sent to you by email.  You can also download them by clicking here.
 
John Johnson has agreed to join the board of the Community Support Center (CSC).  The Club thanks John for agreeing to represent us at this important community organization.  Thanks also to Paul Fournier for his service on the CSC Board and for encouraging John to take his position on the Board.
 
President Ed stressed the importance of attendance at next week’s Zoom Club meeting.  District Governor Ed Marek will be making his annual club visit and we’d love to have a big zoom turnout for his visit.  Because of time constraints, the previously scheduled speaker will be moved to another date.
 
Club Treasurer John Ordway said that the application for a $5,000 grant from State Farm Insurance for our No-Plate Dinner fundraiser has passed the first approval level and should be fully approved by early December.  We are also expecting the $2,500 Bell Lumber and Pole matching grant to come through soon.
 
Geoff Hollimon reported that the Suburban Ramsey Emergency Coalition’s ‘73 Mustang Convertible Raffle ticket sales are going extremely well with 800 of 1,000 available tickets sold to date.  Contact Geoff Hollimon if you don’t have your ticket yet or need some more.  Geoff also noted that the coalition’s expanded grant criteria are continuing to generate grant requests.  Geoff also praised Mary Stewart and the CPY staff for their response to the educational void created by Covid-19.  CPY’s new Distance Learning Support Program provides free or low cost full day distance learning supervision for 100-120 K-8th grade youth.  The program has so impressed Tom Bell of Bell Lumber and Pole that the company has offered a $65,000 matching grant for new and increased donations to CPY.  Let Geoff know if you would like to take advantage of this generous matching grant.
 
Jed Hamoud reported that we have sent a check for $1,500 to support the Lebanon Collaboration in its efforts to deal with the aftermath of the Beirut explosion.
 
We once again remind Rotarians that October is “Strike Out Polio” month.  Donations to the Polio campaign during October will earn you matching Foundation Recognition Points according to the following schedule:
 - Donations of $100-364 will earn double recognition points
 - Donations of $365+ will earn 635 additional recognition points. 
The key is that the check (made out to The Rotary Foundation) must be received by John Ordway in time for John to report it to the Foundation by October 31st.  Alternatively, you could donate online but be sure that you specify the Polio Fund and let John know that you made the online donation.
 
Nyle Zikmund introduced our speaker, Lia Spaniolo, the new Program Coordinator of the Anoka County Master Gardener Program.  The Master Gardener Program is part of University of Minnesota Extension.  As a Land Grant University, the U of M is obligated to share its resources and research with Minnesotans through public outreach programs.  The Master Gardeners Program is one part of that outreach.  The Anoka County Master Gardener Program has 115 active members, each of whom volunteers at least 25 hours in various Master Gardener activities and many contribute much more than that.  Lia said that the total annual volunteer hours are 7,500, of which 4,300 hours is direct service and teaching.  Activities include:
- Ask a Master Gardener Booths at events and fairs
- Plant and Insect Diagnostic Clinics
- Speakers Bureau
- State Yard and Garden Hotline (statewide partnership)
- Classes and Tours
- Plant Sales
- Habitat for Humanity Partnership
- Schoolyard Gardens
- Writer’s Guild
 
Covid-19 has interrupted many of the Master Gardener’s activities but they are excited to offer many online options until the pandemic abates.
 
If you would like to be a Master Gardener, applications are accepted in September and October and, if accepted, core training runs from January through May (online this year).  Fifty volunteer hours are required during the first year and twenty five hours in subsequent years.  Five hours of continuing education is also required per year to maintain membership.
 
For more information, go to https://www.anokamastergardeners.org/
 
While door knocking in his run for Anoka County Commissioner, Nyle Zikmund came across a woman who was supplementing her public assistance income by making sports team themed gnomes.  He was so taken by her efforts that he bought several for family and friends.  Nyle offered to acquire more for those who are interested. (photo below)
 
Nils Friberg relayed Gerry Tietz’s greetings to the club after visiting him at his new home.
 
Nils asked for our prayers for his wife Peg, whose health is in decline with the spread of her cancer.  Nils’ first wife passed away from cancer in 2006.
 
Ed James reported that his daughter has received an acceptance letter from Loyola Medical School!
 
Don’t forget to attend the District Governor’s Zoom visit next Tuesday at Noon.
Meeting Recap - October 20, 2020 Jeff Benson 2020-10-20 05:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - October 13, 2020

Today’s’ meeting was the last face to face meeting for this fall.  It was a windy and chilly day but it was great to see everyone that made it to the meeting.  In President Ed's absence, John Ordway stepped in to run the meeting.
 
Our guests today were Assistant District Governor Sandy Campbell and her husband Past District Governor Gary Campbell.
 
President Ed James’ Quote of the Day - “Carry out a random act of kindness, with no expectation of reward, safe in the knowledge that one day someone might do the same for you” - Princess Diana
 
For a list of important Rotary dates, see your email or you can download it here. 
 
Club Treasurer John Ordway said that the application for the $5,000 grant from State Farm Insurance for our No-Plate dinner fundraiser is nearly complete.  If it is approved, we should net just over $20,000 for the event.
 
Geoff Hollimon reported that donations to the Suburban Ramsey Emergency Coalition have reached $120,000!  Since the Coalition modified its grant criteria to include Covid-19 mental health and wellness issues, it has received letters of intent for six grants which, if awarded would total $40,000.  The ’73 Mustang convertible raffle ticket sales are doing very well, especially due to showings of the car at events around the area.  Tickets are still available from Geoff Hollimon. Just mail your check for $25/ticket (made out to Climb Theatre) to:
Mustang Raffle
c/o Geoff Hollimon
2749 13th Terrace NW
New Brighton, MN 55112
The Coalition invites you to take part in a biking/walking/driving tour of twenty examples of rose art in the Roseville in Bloom art exhibit.  Bike routes of 9.7 and 7.6 miles are suggested, or you can visit them in your car.  Register here for a chance to win a prize and, hopefully, make a donation to the coalition to support its work to provide food and housing support for those with greatest need resulting from Covid-19.
 
Geoff also reported that CPY’s new Distance Learning Support Program will provide free or low cost full day distance learning supervision for 100-120 K-8th grade youth.  The hallmarks of this program will be:
   - Safe, reliable internet access
   - E-learning support
   - Out of School Time (OST) activities
   - Meals and nutritional support
   - Transportation
Modifications of learning spaces at Christ the King Lutheran Church and other changes increased CPY’s budget by $340,000 this year but a significant portion of that amount has already been secured.  All these services will, of course, be provided with proper Covid-19 precautions.
 
October 24th is World Polio Day and our local club and District 5960 are each offering incentives for us to donate to Polio Plus during October.  NBMV Rotary and District 5960 each will offer double Foundation recognition points for contributions during October.  If I have it right, for contributions of $365 during October, the district will provide enough points to get you to the next Paul Harris recognition level.  I expect clarification on this soon.  As always, if you make contributions online or by check to Rotary directly, let John Ordway know so he can manage your matching points.
 
Sandy Campbell’s Anoka Rotary Club is holding a Travel Raffle Fundraiser.  A $10 ticket gets you a chance at a $3,000 travel voucher (with no expiration date for these Covid times).  Email the club today if you’d like to buy a ticket -  https://www.anokarotary.com/contact
 
Jed Hamoud presented a video from the L.A. Cedars Rotary Club outlining their response to the tragic explosion in Beirut, Lebanon. I had hoped to include a link to the video but the link I received last week has expired.  If I get an updated link, I’ll include it in the next newsletter.
Meeting Recap - October 13, 2020 Jeff Benson 2020-10-13 05:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - October 6, 2020

Our guests today were: Mary Jo McGuire and Dana’s granddaughter, Hannah Brandt.
 
President Ed James’ quote of the day is “The only true gift is a portion of yourself” – Ralph Waldo Emerson.
 
Important dates for the near future can be found in your email or by clicking here.
 
Don’t forget that next week’s meeting (October 13th) will be at Silver View Park on County Rd. I, just east of Silver Lake Rd.  The meeting will also be available on ZOOM.
 
John Ordway and Cindy Carlson noted that the application for a $5,000 grant from State Farm Insurance should be completed by the end of the week.
 
Jed Hamoud reported that he has been in email communication with the Beirut Rotary Club and that the L.A. Area Rotary Club (which has significant Lebanese membership) will serve as a conduit for transferring funds to Beirut to minimize transfer costs.  Watch your email for a short video from the Beirut Rotary Club.
 
Geoff Hollimon said that five organizations have initiated grant proposals with the Suburban Ramsey Emergency Coalition following the addition of mental health and youth issues to its Covid-19 grant criteria.  He also noted that the ’73 Mustang Convertible Raffle tickets are selling well and several more car showings are scheduled in the coming weeks.  Only 1,000 tickets will be sold, but tickets are still available and you can get yours from Geoff Hollimon by mailing your check for $25 (made out to Climb Theatre) to:
Mustang Raffle
c/o Geoff Hollimon
2749 13th Terrace NW
New Brighton, MN 55112
The Coalition invites you to take part in a biking/walking/driving tour of twenty examples of rose art in the Roseville in Bloom art exhibit.  Bike routes of 9.7 and 7.6 miles are suggested, or you can visit them in your car.  Register here for a chance to win a prize and, hopefully, make a donation to the coalition to support its work to provide food and housing support for those with greatest need resulting from Covid-19.
 
Dana Rebelein reported that Camp Enterprise is cancelled this year due to Covid-19, but the event’s entrepreneurship, leadership and ethics training will be front and center in the new one day online Camp Enterprise Junior program for middle school youth.  Attendees will be invited to the high school version of Camp Enterprise in the future.
 
Nyle Zikmund introduced Commander Ryan O’Neill, Commander of the Ramsey County Sherriff’s Department Violent Crime Enforcement Team (VCET).  The website describes The Violent Crime Enforcement Team (VCET) as an East Metro multi-agency law enforcement task force comprised of deputies from the Sheriff's Office along with officers from the Saint Paul, Roseville, Mounds View, Maplewood, White Bear Lake, and New Brighton Police Departments and agents from the United Stated Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF). Additional partners include the Ramsey County Attorney's Office and the Minnesota National Guard Counter-Drug Task Force.
 
VCET targets enforcement efforts on narcotics distributors, violent offenders, gang members, and career criminals to stop the flow of narcotics and weapons to our region. VCET also provides assistance to other agencies and offers public education and awareness to our communities on drugs, gangs, and violent offenders. 
 
Commander O’Neill’s presentation focused on drug trafficking and abuse as the root cause of much of the violence and weapons problems in Ramsey County.  He explained that the VCET has seen rising levels in all categories of drug abuse and that younger and younger children are becoming drug abusers.  The trend toward younger users is most clearly seen with marijuana use, where higher concentrations of THC and increasing use of vaping pens have increased the potential for abuse.  Of course, these factors have made marijuana use among adults easier than ever and increased the potential for psychological dependence.  Other drugs on the rise are methamphetamine, cocaine, heroin, MDMA (Ecstasy/Molly) and, of course opioids.  Prescription opioid abuse is more common in the U.S. than other countries because the U.S. prescribes 80% of the worlds opioid painkillers. Seventy percent of opioids on the black market have been stolen from family and friends.  The most potent of the opioids, fentanyl, is especially dangerous because the risk of deadly overdose is great and fentanyl is often added to other drugs to increase their effect and addiction potential.   Drug treatment admissions and drug overdose deaths are up for all drugs, and especially for methamphetamine.  Over 125 Americans die each day from drug overdoses.
 
The VCET is here to increase community safety by increasing community awareness and involvement as well as to increase support from elected officials in the battle to reduce the far reaching effects of illegal drugs on the health and safety of Ramsey County residents.  Commander O’Neill can be reached at: ryan.oneill@co.ramsey.mn.us
Meeting Recap - October 6, 2020 Jeff Benson 2020-10-06 05:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - September 29, 2020

President Ed James’ Quote of the Day: “The most worthwhile thing is to try to put happiness into the lives of others.” – Sir Robert Baden-Powell
 
Our guests today were Mary Jo McGuire and Samuel Zayzay.
 
Important Rotary dates can be found in your email or downloaded by clicking here.
 
Our next Face to Face meeting will be on October 13th at Silver View Park on County Rd. I, just east of Silver Lake Rd.  The meeting will also be available on ZOOM.
 
John Ordway reported that our No-Plate Dinner fundraiser will net $20,223 provided that the State Farm Foundation grant and Bell Lumber and Pole challenge grant are received.
 
Jed Hamoud is in communication with the Beirut Cedars North Rotary Club and expects to hear from them regarding the situation in Beirut and where we should send our donation.  Jed is also interested in finding out if there are other U.S. clubs with which we could collaborate, perhaps on a Global Grant.
 
Geoff Hollimon said that the Suburban Ramsey Emergency Coalition’s ’73 Mustang raffle ticket sales are going well. Only 1,000 tickets will be sold, but tickets are still available and you can get yours from Geoff Hollimon by mailing your check for $25 (made out to Climb Theatre) to:
Mustang Raffle
c/o Geoff Hollimon
2749 13th Terrace NW
New Brighton, MN 55112
The Coalition invites you to take part in a biking/walking/driving tour of twenty examples of rose art in the Roseville in Bloom art exhibit.  Bike routes of 9.7 and 7.6 miles are suggested, or you can visit them in your car.  Register here for a chance to win a prize and, hopefully, make a donation to the coalition to support its work to provide food and housing support for those with greatest need resulting from Covid-19.
 
Geoff also reported that Community Partners with Youth (CPY) will be a distance learning center for kids on weekdays when hybrid scheduling would have them learning from home.  CPY has already received a $150,000 grant for this initiative and expects to receive more funding.
 
Nyle Zikmund introduced Susie Brown, President of the Minnesota Council on Foundations (MCF).  The Minnesota Council on Foundations got its start in 1970 as a response to changes brought on by the 1969 Tax Reform Act.  Fifty years later the MCF is a membership association of philanthropic grant making organizations.  It strives to be a philanthropic community collectively advancing prosperity and equity.  The goals of advancing prosperity and equity are achieved through three strategies.  The first strategy is to create connections within the Minnesota philanthropic community by providing learning opportunities and facilitating knowledge sharing among its membership.  The second strategy is to strengthen its membership by providing tools and skills to be more effective and providing recognition for achievements.  The third strategy is to mobilize its membership through collective action to create public policy that enhances philanthropy while promoting equity and integrity in grant making.
 
Suzie identified three issues that present challenges for philanthropic foundations.  The first challenge is changing community needs.  Covid-19 and increasing racial and socioeconomic inequity are two examples Suzie cited.  The second challenge is diversity, equity and inclusion in grant application and awarding.  This challenge is made more difficult by the fact that a majority of foundation boards are composed of white, upper class men.  The third challenge is that traditional grant application and reporting processes are too complicated, causing frustration among potential grantees.  If you’d like to learn more about the Minnesota Council on Foundations, click here.
Meeting Recap - September 29, 2020 Jeff Benson 2020-09-29 05:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - September 22, 2020

Cindy Carlson opened the meeting with a summary of this morning's Board meeting: 
- It’s confirmed that State Farm will make a $5,000 contribution to our No-Plate Dinner Fundraiser (Amy Wakem made us aware of the grant availability). 
- The Community Support Center is seeking to add a Board member from our club to replace Paul Fournier, who retired due to health reasons.  A list of Board member responsibilities can be found by clicking here.  Contact Executive Director Karen Meyer (651-387-8050) for more information.
-  PeaceMaker Minnesota has organized a New Brighton Peace Riders fundraiser to raise funds to help schools reduce bullying and teach conflict resolution to kids.  Click here for more information on the bike ride.
- Our club has agreed to donate $1,500 to help the Beirut Cedars Lebanon Rotary Club address food insecurity in the wake of the explosion which devastated half of Beirut.  We also plan to work with the Beirut Cedars club on a Rotary grant.
- Our 2020-2021 budget projects a $3,500 surplus, assuming $10,000 in net proceeds from what will likely be a another No-Plate fundraiser.
- We will continue meeting by Zoom for the foreseeable future with 1 face to face meeting per month.
 
Geoff Hollimon reported that the Suburban Ramsey Emergency Coalition has modified its grant criteria to better align with the current impacts of Covid 19. Mental health and youth issues have been added to the criteria.  The ’73 Mustang Convertible Raffle is experiencing strong ticket sales.  See Geoff Hollimon for your tickets before the 1000 ticket allotment is sold out.  Tickets are just $25 so mail your check (made out to Climb Theatre) to:
Mustang Raffle
c/o Geoff Hollimon
2749 13th Terrace NW
New Brighton, MN 55112
Also be aware that the Coalition invites you to take part in a biking/walking/driving tour of twenty examples of rose art in the Roseville in Bloom art exhibit.  Bike routes of 9.7 and 7.6 miles are suggested, or you can visit them in your car.  Register here for a chance to win a prize and, hopefully, make a donation to the coalition to support its work to provide food and housing and mental health support for adults and youth with greatest need resulting from Covid 19.
 
Geoff also reported that Community Partners with Youth (CPY) has come up with a creative plan to continue their excellent work with students.  Executive Director Mary Stewart developed a plan to mentor students on days when the hybrid schedule would have students learning at home.  The mentoring plan would require $200,000-300,000 in grants but it appears that funding will be available.
 
Nyle Zikmund introduced Jill Brown, Executive Director of the North Metro Mayors Association (NMMA).  The NMMA was created in 1987 to promote private and public investment in the northern Twin Cities suburbs.  The 15 cities represented by the NMMA are mostly adjacent to Interstate Highway 610, the first big development project it supported.  Since that success, the NMMA has become a unified legislative voice on issues including transportation, economic development, housing, pollution, recreation, public safety and tax reform to mention just a few.  This kind of inter-city cooperative lobbying is unique in Minnesota and it gives the North Metro area considerable influence in county, state and federal government.  The NMMA also partners with local Chambers of Commerce, utility companies and non-profits to enhance its economic development lobbying efforts.  Non-profits, like Rotary, can also benefit by joining the North American Joint Purchasing Program (NAJPP), a central purchasing program that gives NMMA members and partners access to competitive pricing usually only available to big companies.
Meeting Recap - September 22, 2020 Jeff Benson 2020-09-22 05:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - September 15, 2020

Our guest today was Mary Jo McGuire.
 
President Ed James’ quote of the day:  “Try not to become a man of success, but rather try to become a man of value.” – Albert Einstein.
 
Next week’s club meeting will be “face to face” at Silverview park, just East of Silver Lake Rd. on Co. Rd I in Mounds View.  Bring your lunch and your mask.  The Board will meet at 11AM prior to the club meeting.
 
See your email for important upcoming Rotary events.
 
Jed Hamoud reported on the continuing crisis in Lebanon following the gigantic August 4th explosion in Beirut.  It’s estimated that half of Beirut has been destroyed and The Rotary club of Beirut Cedars is working to address the many challenges facing the people of Beirut.  Their response includes:
Food Boxes – The delivery of the food is traced by “Geopal” to eliminate government corruption.
Educational Support – Half of the schools have been destroyed.
Disaster response – 300,000 are homeless, 6,000 were injured and over 200 were killed.
Reporting Transparency – Government media information is inaccurate.
Beirut Cedars Rotary is working with other Lebanese Rotary clubs as well as clubs around the world to address these issues.  We are investigating how we might be able to help.
 
Geoff Hollimon reported that the Suburban Ramsey Emergency Coalition has approved three more grants.  Solid Ground and Aeon will each receive grants of $5,000 and Keystone Community services will receive a $2,500 grant.  Twelve grants have now been approved for a total of $67,500.  The tickets for the raffle of a classic 1973 Mustang Convertible are going fast, especially after this last weekend’s event at Bent Brewstillery in Roseville.  Only 1,000 tickets will be sold, but tickets are still available and you can get yours from Geoff Hollimon in person at next week’s face to face meeting at Silverview Park OR by mailing your check for $25 (made out to Climb Theatre) to:
Mustang Raffle
c/o Geoff Hollimon
2749 13th Terrace NW
New Brighton, MN 55112
The Coalition invites you to take part in a biking/walking/driving tour of twenty examples of rose art in the Roseville in Bloom art exhibit.  Bike routes of 9.7 and 7.6 miles are suggested, or you can visit them in your car.  Register here for a chance to win a prize and, hopefully, make a donation to the coalition to support its work to provide food and housing support for those with greatest need resulting from Covid 19.
 
Nyle Zikmund introduced today’s speaker, Garry Johanson, director of Norman County, MN Environmental Services Division.  Garry’s job description is wide ranging, including Planning and Zoning, Solid Waste, Recycling and Household Hazardous Waste, Emergency Management, Flood Plain Management, Buffer Management, Courthouse Safety and Public Safety Departments.  Garry was with us today to talk about emergency management.  Norman County is located in the Red River Valley in northwestern Minnesota and it leads the state in natural disasters, primarily because of the perennial springtime flooding of the Red River.  As if all these responsibilities were not enough to keep him busy, Garry is also the President of the Association of Minnesota Emergency Managers (AMEM).  As he talked about the challenges that emergency managers face, he emphasized how Covid 19 has changed the entire landscape of emergency preparedness and placed a huge strain on the mental health of emergency planners and their staff.
Meeting Recap - September 15, 2020 Jeff Benson 2020-09-15 05:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - September 8, 2020

Today’s guests were Mary Jo McGuire and Sherry Munyon.
 
President Ed’s Quote of the day:
“We aren’t limited if we can’t see. We’re only limited if we don’t look.” – Two Blind to Ride
 
Don’t forget that our September 22nd meeting will be Face to Face at Silver View Park on County Rd. I, just east of Silver Lake Rd.  The meeting will also be available on ZOOM.
 
Treasurer John Ordway reported that the No-Plate Dinner fundraiser has so far raised $12,743 and we anticipate another $2,500 for a total of  $15,243 net income.  Congratulations to the organizers and thanks to the donors that made it possible to continue to fund our many charitable efforts for the coming year.
 
Geoff Hollimon reported on the Suburban Ramsey Emergency Coalition.  The Coalition has two new activities that will provide opportunities to raise funds and to increase visibility of the Coalition:
  1. Collector Car Raffle: On Saturday, September 5, the 1973 Mustang Convertible Raffle launched at the Kiwanis State Fair Malt Shop at Dave’s Auto in Roseville.  In partnership with Climb Theater as a licensed gambling sponsor, tickets are being sold both by our Coalition members and at the 17 gambling sites of Climb Theater.  The drawing for prizes will be at the Mermaid in Mounds View on November 19.  Weather permitting; the next display of the Grand Prize 1973 Mustang convertible will be on Saturday, September 12 at Bent Brewstillery, 1744 Terrace Drive, Roseville. There will be a Minnesota BBQ Society Cook-Off event at Bent from 12:30 to 4:30. Bent is also one of the locations of Rose art in Roseville-in-Bloom and is a charitable gambling site for Climb Theater. We plan to be there between Noon and 3 PM (weather permitting). This event will have it all: Mustang display, BBQ cook-off, public Rose art and Bent craft beer. More details on Facebook and emails. All this will be outside in the parking lot so you can safely attend with masks and wisely social distancing.
  1. Fall Bike/Drive to see Rose Art: Planning continues for the Bike/Drive Event to see Roseville In Bloom Art in partnership with Visit Roseville. Biking and driving routes are being created to enable the public to conveniently view Roseville’s first free public art. When the public goes to  https://www.visitroseville.com/roseville-in-bloom/, they will be able to download a biking/driving route and register to win prizes provided by in-kind sponsors from among Roseville’s dining and hospitality options. This event will run through September and October.
A list of important Rotary dates should be in your email inbox, or you can download it here.
 
Nyle Zikmund introduced Bill Strusinski to speak to us about his experiences as a medic during the Vietnam War.  Bill noted that, in previous wars, medics were stationed just behind the front lines.  In Vietnam, however, the nature of the fighting put the medics out in the field as an embedded part of the infantry units.  Bill was a “combat” medic; caring for the wounded under the most difficult circumstances imaginable while knowing that at any moment he could be the one needing medical attention.  Bill’s official medic training was completed in 10 weeks but he says that most of the training was on the battlefield.  Bill’s medic bag contained little more than the essentials to stop bleeding and dull the pain until a helicopter could evacuate the wounded soldier to a field hospital.  The efficiency of these evacuations (averaging only 1 hour) allowed many soldiers to survive their physical wounds, but the mental trauma (for the wounded and non-wounded alike) would follow them for the rest of their lives.  This was aggravated by the shameful way that Vietnam vets were treated by many Americans upon their return home.  PTSD and depression have led to alarmingly high suicide rates among veterans and Agent Orange exposure has resulted in an array of medical problems that gets bigger as time goes on. 
 
Bill had an opportunity to speak at the “Stars of Life” awards banquet in 2017 and this appearance inspired him to write his book, “Care Under Fire”, detailing his experiences in Vietnam.  You can learn more or order the book by clicking the link above.  Nyle Zikmund will also bring a few books to our September 22nd face to face meeting.
Meeting Recap - September 8, 2020 Jeff Benson 2020-09-08 05:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - August 25, 2020

President Ed James Quote of the Day:
“Don’t find fault. Find a remedy.” -  Henry Ford
 
Our guest today was Jeff Ozanne, Lead Pastor at Faith United Methodist Church in St. Anthony.
 
Important Rotary Dates and Events can be accessed by clicking here.
 
Upcoming Speakers:
- September 08 - Bill Strusinski - Care Under Fire - 365 days in Vietnam
- September 15, 2020 - Garry Johanson -State of Emergency Management
 
Although it wasn’t presented at the club meeting, Geoff Hollimon provided me with a Suburban Ramsey Emergency Coalition Weekly Report, which I have included below:
 
Subject: Weekly Highlights from Suburban Ramsey Emergency Coalition - August 24
 
This past week total donations to the Suburban Ramsey Emergency Coalition reached $85,716. After deducting $55,000 for the 9 grants awarded, the balance is $30,716. We are assessing how the nature of the upcoming school year and current CARES Act resources impact needs for food and housing assistance. Meanwhile there are three current activities.
1.       Review of Letters of Interest for Donor Designated Housing Assistance for families who identify as Black or African American.
The Grants Committee is reviewing three letters of interest (LOI) in grants from the donor designated fund. The LOIs are from AEON, Solid Ground and Keystone Community Services. After review of the LOI, applications will be sought and final decision will be by the Steering Committee.
2.      Collector Car Raffle.
We continue to wait for the fiscal agent agreement from CLIMB Theater for raffle of the 1973 Ford Mustang. Two appraisals have been completed and the photo shoot was done by a local professional photographer who donated his services. We want to get the agreement to the Steering Committee for approval as soon as possible so that we and CLIMB’s charitable gambling partners can start selling tickets.
3.      Bike/Drive Event to see Roseville in Bloom art in partnership with Visit Roseville.
We are planning a family friendly Bike/Drive event to encourage people to safely get outside this fall to visit Roseville in Bloom art in 20 locations in Roseville. The Roseville in Bloom website will add biking and driving and in-kind sponsors who will provide incentives such as free appetizers and 2 for 1 specials for people to go to our Suburban Ramsey Emergency Coalition to register for this FREE event. We hope that the in-kind sponsors will also promote the event to their clients. The goal is to increase visibility of our Coalition and to encourage people to naturally donate to the Coalition. This event would be open September and October and we may be able to co-promote this with showing of the collector car for raffle sales.
There will be a Steering Committee meeting this Thursday, August 27 if there is need for decisions or significant discussion. 
 
Nyle Zikmund introduced our speaker, Tyler Ahnemann, from the Minnesota Zoo.  Tyler said that the Minnesota Zoo is 42 years old and is the 5th oldest zoo in the country.  The Zoo is a trusted conservation leader and adheres to the highest standards of wildlife preservation and care, as evidenced by its accreditation with the Association of Zoos and Aquariums.  In the years before Covid-19, the Zoo entertained over 1.3 million guests, including over 500,000 environmental program participants, each year.  Pandemic concerns led the Zoo to close on March 14th but it reopened at limited capacity on July 24th.  Reservations to visit the Zoo can be made online by clicking here.
 
The Zoo is also known for its adult programming.  Tyler mentioned several adult oriented opportunities including: Wellness/Special Interest Program, Backwoods Camping, Backstage Passes and Travel Ed-Ventures.  He talked at length about the Travel Ed-Ventures program, which offers groups of 8-16 adventure travelers environmental trips to locations around the globe.  If you are interested, contact Tyler at TylerAhnemann@state.mn.us.
 
President Ed noted that our next face-to-face Rotary meeting will be on September 22nd at Silverview park on Co Rd I near Silver Lake Road at 12:00 Noon.  Bring your own food and beverage.  The meeting will also be available on ZOOM.
 
Cindy Carlson presided over the culmination of our No-Plate dinner fundraiser.  Our 19th annual Gold Plate Dinner fundraiser was cancelled this year due to Covid-19, so we needed to find a way to raise funds for the myriad of charitable causes that our club supports.  Since the Gold Plate Dinner raises over $20,000 each year, we had our hands full trying, on short notice, to recover the lost revenue.  The No-Plate Dinner was like a dinner fundraiser without the dinner.  We had already raised $7,400 prior to the cancellation of the Gold Plate Dinner and we have raised an additional $6,500 since then, so the response has been heartwarming.  The No-Plate donations will help us to continue to fund and participate in programs like these:
 
Harvest Pack Food Packing
Feed My Starving Children
Stockyard Days Parade Hot Dog Feed
Cultural Exchange to Lebanon
Adopt a Home Program
Community Support Center
Rotary Youth Exchange Program
Rotary Global Scholar Program
Rotary Easter Egg Hunt
4th Grade Foresters Tree Giveaway
Three $1,500 College Scholarships
Community Partners with Youth
Mounds View Festival in the Park
Mounds View Police Federation
Ralph Reeder Food Shelf
New Brighton Historical Society
Northeast Youth and Family Services
Peacemaker Minnesota
Stamp Out Hunger
Camp RYLA
Camp Enterprise
Irondale Choir
Remember Niger Child Sponsorships
Guatemala Literacy Project
 
Major sponsors were:
Bell Lumber and Pole
Western Bank
Smith Schaeffer and Associates
Mountaintop International
Pratt-Ordway Properties
Our sincere thanks to all who contributed to this event.
 
The $250 raffle winner was Jay Ariyo in London, England.  Charity really is a global effort!
Meeting Recap - August 25, 2020 Jeff Benson 2020-08-25 05:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - August 18, 2020

President Ed’s Quote of the Day:  “Happiness is when what you think, what you say and what you do are in harmony.” - Mahatma Gandhi
 
Treasurer John Ordway reported that, as of today, we have collected over $5,000 in donations toward our No-Plate Dinner fundraiser. 
 
Membership Director Cindy Carlson had the pleasure to induct former Rotarian Gerry Tietz as an Honorary Member of the club.  Gerry had been a member since 2004 with 16 years of faithful membership and exemplary leadership.  Gerry held several Board positions, was President of the club and even served the District as a Foundation Committee member.  Gerry was unable to attend in person because of Covid restrictions at his new residence, but he was able to join us on Zoom.  Congratulations, Gerry, on your honorary membership.  We miss you and hope you will soon be able to attend an occasional meeting.
 
We were all saddened at the news that DG Ed Marek’s daughter, Mandy, had passed on after battling breast cancer. Condolences may be directed to:
Ed and Sue Marek
5676 Upper 136th St Ct. W.
Apple Valley MN 55124
 
Jed Hamoud offered to make contact with the Beirut, Lebanon Rotary Club to see if there is a way we might be of help after the horrendous explosion that rocked the city on August 4th.
 
Geoff Hollimon reported that the Suburban Ramsey Emergency Coalition has received over $83,000 of its $150,000 donation goal.  He thanked everyone for their generous contributions but warned that Fall will bring new challenges as state and federal emergency funding runs out.  The Coalition has awarded a grant to the YMCA of Greater Twin Cities to help fund and onsite food shelf at Montreal Courts, and affordable housing complex in Little Canada.  The $5,000 grant will provide food to 225 people each month and cooked meals for 120 people each week.  The Coalition’s Virtual Run/Walk was a big success with 157 registrations. Registrations netted $2,140 and donations and sponsorships added another $12,843 for a total of $14,943. Well done!  The Coalition also received an anonymous $10,000 donation designated for housing assistance for Black or African-American families.
 
Nyle Zikmund introduced today’s presenter, Michael Wurth, from Urban BoatBuilders.  Twenty five years ago a group of community leaders formed the non-profit to address the opportunity gap created by systemic barriers to education and employment. Urban Boatbuilders provides hands-on opportunities to gain technical, social and emotional skills to help young people reach their academic and vocational goals.  Urban Boatbuilders has two programs; apprenticeship and partnership.
 
The Apprenticeship Program is a paid job training program.  Applicants must be 16-19 years old and meet criteria for low income or barriers to employment.  Pay starts at $9.84 per hour and goes up with additional sessions.  Sessions use boat building as the means to build technical, social and career readiness skills. There are also three paddling and camping opportunities each year, including one in the Boundary Waters. Successful apprentices may apply to become Senior Apprentices and, eventually Youth Instructors. Michael noted that 73% of the youth who complete the apprenticeship program are employed.
 
The Partnership Program is a cooperative program with local middle schools, high schools and youth service organizations to provide academically enhanced boatbuilding skills to youth ranging in age from 12-21. This program serves over 1000 youth per year. The program is on hold during Covid but will continue with safety measures as schools reopen.
 
Potential volunteers are encouraged to check out Open Shop Night on Wednesdays from 6:30 –9:30PM. These sessions are open to all levels of experience.  The calendar and other information are available here.
 
Urban Boatbuilders will be having a 25th Anniversary Virtual Community Celebration on August 20th from 6:30-7:30 PM. To RSVP or get more information, click here.
 
See below for group photo of today’s meeting participants as well as a photo of Nyle and Michael.
 
 
Meeting Recap - August 18, 2020 Jeff Benson 2020-08-18 05:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - August 4, 2020

Our guest today was Mary Jo McGuire.
 
Watch for an email from President Ed James listing upcoming Rotary events.  Note that August 18 at noon marks our second face-to-face Rotary meeting (with social distancing and masks).  The meeting will be held in the pavilion at Silverview Park on County Rd I just east of Silver Lake Rd.
 
Cindy Carlson reported that we have received $4,000 (40%) of our goal of $10,000 in donations for our No-Plate Dinner fundraiser.  President Ed will forward Treasurer John Ordway’s summary of donations so far.  We all need to do our part by asking family, friends and co-workers to contribute.
 
Geoff Hollimon updated us on the North Suburban Emergency Coalition’s fundraising efforts.  Donations to date total $65,241 toward a goal of $150,000. Five grants have been made so far and more are in the pipeline.  The Coalition’s Three Mile Community Virtual Run/Walk is going on this week and has so far raised $12,695.  At today’s meeting it was revealed that you can still sign up for the run/walk.  Just click the link above to register.   Don’t forget that you can also support the work of the Suburban Ramsey Emergency Coalition by writing a check in any amount to the Suburban Ramsey Covid-19 Response Fund and mailing it to:
       Suburban Ramsey Covid-19
       Response Fund
       C/o Carol Brown-Mills
       5845 St. Albans Court
       Shoreview, MN 55126
Carol is a board member of Shoreview Community Foundation and she’ll forward donations to The St. Paul and Minnesota Foundation each day. You will still get your tax receipt from the St. Paul and Minnesota Foundation with tax ID # 41-6031510.
Recent improvements to the Coalition’s website include a “Donate” button if you prefer the convenience of online donations.  The Coalition’s Facebook page can be accessed by clicking here.  An update to the Coalition's member Rotary Clubs can be downloaded here.
 
Geoff also reported on the 8th Annual CPY Golf Ball Drop which was held at Brightwood Hills Golf Course.  In the biggest ball drop to date, so many balls were dropped that it disrupted the mechanism for determining the winner.  Instead of one ball in the cup there were three.  A quick phone call to the three potential winners resulted in all three agreeing to split the $1,800 pot.  The event grossed over $9,000!
 
Nyle Zikmund introduced our speaker, Tara Jebens-Singh, the new Executive Director of Northeast Youth and Family Services (NYFS).  Tara began her employment at NYFS just as the pandemic hit but she appears to have hit the ground running.  Many NYFS programs are heavily dependent on face to face interaction with their clients, so these COVID times have made creativity and collaboration essential.  NYFS is a mental health and social service agency serving people of all ages, abilities and backgrounds in the northeastern metropolitan area of the Twin Cities.  On the mental health services side, NYFS provides services in 17 schools in the Roseville, Mounds View and White Bear Lake Districts as well as providing tele-health services, home visits, clinic-based services and day treatment programs.  On the social services side, NYFS provides senior chore services, tele-reassurance calls and youth diversion programs.  In conjunction with area police departments, the community advocacy program is also just restarting.
Meeting Recap - August 4, 2020 Jeff Benson 2020-08-04 05:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - July 28, 2020

Our guests today were George Stringham from District 5960 and Mary Jo McGuire.
 
The Board voted this morning to make former NBMV Rotarian Gerry Tietz an Honorary Rotarian.  Amy Janecek has resigned as Principal at Irondale and has also resigned her Rotary membership.  New principal, Carol Campa, has expressed interest in Rotary membership.  The Board will wait to finalize the 2020-2021 budget until after the results of the No-Plate Dinner fundraiser are in.
 
John Ordway noted that approximately $3,000 of our $10,000 goal has been raised for the No-Plate Dinner fundraiser.  More sponsorships are welcome and members need to reach out to friends, family and business associates to sell tickets if we are to reach our goal.
 
Geoff Hollimon said that the Three Mile Community Virtual Run/Walk to benefit the Suburban Ramsey Emergency Coalition has so far raised $10,000 in sponsorships and Run/Walk entry fees, but much more is needed for the Coalition to help those adversely affected by Covid-19.  Seventy two people have already signed up and your participation would be greatly appreciated.   Contact Geoff for mor e info.
 
Nyle Zikmund introduced today’s presenter, Kevin Wilson, to speak to us about the U.S Army Corps of Engineers (USACE).  Kevin is the Deputy District Engineer for the St. Paul District of USACE.  ASCAE’s mission is to “Deliver vital engineering solutions, in collaboration with our partners, to secure our Nation, energize our economy and reduce risk from disaster.”  With its headquarters in Washington, D.C.,  USCAE is divided into 9 Divisions comprised of 43 Districts.  It also has nine centers and labs, 1 Active Duty unit and two U.S. Army Reserve Theater Engineer Commands.  Our District, the St. Paul District, covers 139,000 square miles in five states, contains four major river basins (the Souris River, Red River, Rainy River and the Mississippi River).  USACE manages thirteen locks and dams and maintains a nine foot deep navigation channel along 284 miles of the upper Mississippi river system.  Its 41 locations employ 650 people, 30% of whom are Veterans.  The USACE has six major missions: Navigation, Flood Risk Management, Environmental Sustainability, Regulation of Aquatic Resources, Recreation Area Management and Disaster Response.  In addition to these initiatives, UWACE also partners with our Canadian neighbors to cooperatively manage our shared aquatic resources as well as participating in the Tribal Partnership Program to carry out environmental projects with Native American Tribes in the District.
Meeting Recap - July 28, 2020 Jeff Benson 2020-07-28 05:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - July 21, 2020

Today marked the first in person (with masks and social distancing) club meeting since Covid-19 hit.
 
Our guests today were Jason Miller’s wife Renee and District 5960 Governor Nominee, Dayle Quigley.
 
President Ed James has emailed a list of upcoming events.  You’ll find the list below:
 
August 1, 2020 (Saturday 8:00AM – 10:00AM)  Strive Scholarship Taco John's Run Baby Run 5K, 10K.  Saturday August 1, 2020 8:00 a.m. start time.  $25 with registration on or before July 27 and just $35 after July 27 and race day.  Click here for online registration (midwest events).  This race starts at The Boatworks Commons, (4459 Lake Ave S) on beautiful White Bear Lake.  The course is flat and fast, 5K runs north along the lake to West Park and then back.  The 10K goes south to Cottage Park then North along the lake to Ramsey County Park into the White Bear Lake neighborhood before returning back to Lake Ave, and the Finish at The Boatworks Commons.  The registration includes an event T-Shirt. Rotary Volunteers are at the Start/Finish and on the course supporting the runners.  All of the proceeds of the race go to the Strive Scholarship Inc Fund which is a 501c(3) tax-exempt, non-profit entity.  Awards will be given to the top male and female overall and the top 3 male and female in each group.
 
August 2, 2020 (Sunday 3:00 PM) - CPY’s 8th Annual Golf Ball Drop - Brightwood Hills Golf Course, New Brighton, Win up to $5,000, All ticket sales from this event benefit the youth programs at Community Partners with Youth (CPY) 1 Ball = $10 3 Balls = $25 5 Balls =$40 To purchase tickets call 651-633-6464
 
August 7, 2020 (Friday 5:30 – 9:00PM) SAVE THE DATE - Join us at Canterbury Park in Shakopee for Rotary Race Day on Friday, Aug. 7th. Everyone is welcome—Rotarians bring your family and friends out to this great event! The gates open at 5:30 p.m., live horse racing begins at 6:30.  Cost for the event is $10, which includes admission, hot dog and soda. Children 17 and under get free admission, but must purchase the $10 ticket to get the hot dog and soda.  Rotary Race Day is a fundraiser for The Rotary Foundation's PolioPlus! Organized by Rotary Districts 5950 & 5960, 100 percent of ticket sales will benefit PolioPlus!   Tim Mulcrone will be singing the national the anthem at 5:30.
 

Geoff Hollimon reminded us that the CPY Golf Ball Drop will take place at Brightwood Hills Golf Course at 3PM on Sunday August 2nd.  The winner will take home 20% of the ticket proceeds, up to a maximum of $5,000.  Call 651-633-6464 today for your Golf Ball Drop Tickets.

Ed James was inducted as our club President two weeks ago but, since we have been meeting virtually, he had not received his president’s pin.  Past President Dennis Connolly presented Ed with his pin today and Ed reciprocated by presenting Dennis with his Past-President’s pin.  See photos below.

Nils Friberg presented Paul Harris Fellowship recognition pins to Cindy Carlson and Ed James.  Their contributions to the Rotary Foundation will help Rotary to eradicate Polio and further the Foundation’s mission to advance world understanding, goodwill, and peace through the improvement of health, the support of education, and the alleviation of poverty.  Nils, Ed and Cindy are pictured below.

 
Cindy Carlson reported on the No-Plate Dinner fundraiser.  You all should have received an email with the No-Plate Dinner Flyer which you can forward or print to distribute to friends and family who might be supportive of our club’s charitable programs.  Even though we can’t gather for the fundraiser as we have in the past, we hope that the No-Plate fundraiser will raise at least half of the $20,000 raised in previous Gold Plate Dinners.  For this to be possible, we all need to contribute and ask others to do the same.  Take a moment today to pass the flyer on!
 
Geoff Hollimon encouraged us to consider taking part in the Suburban Ramsey Emergency Coalition’s Three Mile Community Virtual Run/Walk fundraiser which will be held from Monday, August 3-Sunday, August 9, 2020.  Participants can use the suggested routes or make up their own.  The important part is to donate to the Coalition so it can continue to offer financial support to those directly affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.  Click the link above for details.
 
Everyone appeared to feel safe at the meeting today so we will look at having another in person meeting in August.
Meeting Recap - July 21, 2020 Jeff Benson 2020-07-21 05:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - July 14, 2020

Your Bulletin editor was unable to attend today's meeting but President Ed James provided the summary of the meeting which follows:
 
Our first face to face meeting since Covid-19 will be on the 21st of July, 2020 at 12PM. This meeting will be a club picnic! Edeth James will also receive his pin at this meeting as the new President of the Club for 2020/2021.
 
Location - Silver View Park in Mounds View
Address: 2700 County Road I, Mounds View MN 55112
Time - Noon to One
Car Show - Several of our members have old cars and will be bringing them
Items to Bring:
1.  Whatever you want to drink
2.  Whatever you want to eat
3.  Something to sit on, there are benches but they are very hard!
4. Face coverings and social distancing will be encouraged and practiced at the meeting.
 
Secondly, CPY’s 8th Annual Golf Ball Drop is happening on Sunday August 2nd - Brightwood Hills Golf Course, New Brighton, Win up to $5,000, All ticket sales from this event benefit the youth programs at Community Partners with Youth (CPY) 1 Ball = $10, 3 Balls = $25, 5 Balls =$40. To purchase tickets call 651-633-6464 or mail a check to Geoff Hollimon before Tuesday the 21st of July. He will get your donation to CPY on time for the event. All members are encouraged to support this effort at CPY.
 
Dana’s new phone number is 651-334-5007.
 
The No-Plate Dinner event scheduled for August 25th is gathering steam and momentum. Members are encouraged to send out the PDF by email and encourage people to donate online through the flyer. People can donate from anywhere in the USA. People can also print out the flyer and physically mail in their checks to the address indicated at the bottom of the flyer. All hands needs to be on deck regarding this event to make it a success. Thanks everyone for helping get the word out.
 
Don’t forget that your contributions are needed to support the work of the Suburban Ramsey Emergency Coalition.  Personal and organizational donations of any amount may be made by check payable to the Suburban Ramsey Covid-19 Response Fund and mailed to:
       Suburban Ramsey Covid-19
       Response Fund
       C/o Carol Brown-Mills
       5845 St. Albans Court
       Shoreview, MN 55126
Carol is a board member of Shoreview Community Foundation and she’ll forward them to The St. Paul and Minnesota Foundation each day. You will still get your tax receipt from the St. Paul and Minnesota Foundation with tax ID # 41-6031510.
Recent improvements to the Coalition’s website include a “Donate” button if you prefer the convenience of online donations.  The Coalition’s Facebook page can be accessed by clicking here.
 
The Presenter today was Dana Healy. She is the Executive Director of CTV North Suburbs. It was a powerful eye opening presentation and opens up a lot of opportunities and ways that we can partner with CTV as a service organization in New Brighton and Mounds View to get the words out about what we do to better our community. Cindy will be reaching out to Dana on the prospects of her joining our Club or another Rotary Club in the area. Her email address is dhealy@ctvnorthsuburbs.org.  Her phone # is 651-792-7512. Website is www.CTVnorthsuburbs.org
Meeting Recap - July 14, 2020 Jeff Benson 2020-07-14 05:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - July 7, 2020

Today was the first meeting for our new Club President, Ed James.  Ed opened the meeting with a quote from Winston Churchill: “We make a living by what we get but we make a life by what we give.”
 
We weren’t able to view the Important Dates List during the meeting, but they are available to download by clicking here.
 
No-Plate Dinner Fundraiser report – Cindy emailed the No-Plate flyer to each of us last Thursday.  Please distribute it to friends and family.  Charlie Longbella will have the Fundraiser info on Facebook soon.  Please share it on your Facebook pages to give as many people as possible a chance to donate.
 
Geoff Hollimon reported that the Suburban Ramsey Emergency Coalition made a $5,000 grant to CPY to help with the cost of their food distribution program in conjunction with Ralph Reeder Food Shelf.  He also noted that the Coalition’s Three Mile Community Virtual Run/Walk fundraiser will be held from Monday, August 3-Sunday, August 9, 2020.  Click the link above for details.  The Suburban Ramsey Emergency Coalition’s volunteer seamstresses have sewn 200 isolation gowns for the Ramsey County Care Center.
 
Our Presenter today was Tom Gable, UofMN Ph.D candidate and Project Director of the Voyageurs National Park Wolf Project.  The Wolf Project is a collaboration of the University of Minnesota and Voyageurs National Park.  The project’s goal is to better understand the reproductive and predation habits of the park’s wolves.  Because the wolves don’t recognize the boundaries of the park, the project actually covers all of Voyageurs plus a lot of land to the south of the park.  The project covers a total area of 13,000 acres!  Tom noted that 101 of the 103 landowners in the project area have agreed to cooperate with the project.  Tom briefly mentioned the wolf reproduction part of the project and referred us to the project website for more information.  His main focus for today’s presentation was the predation habits of the Park’s wolves.  There have been many studies of Wolf predation in wintertime, when wolf kills of deer and moose are easily identifiable in the snow from the air.  We don’t know much, however, about wolves affect on the smaller prey like beavers and small fawns that they prey on in the summer. Summertime foliage prevents aerial location of kills and the smaller prey are almost completely consumed by the wolves, leaving almost no evidence of the kill.  GPS tracking collars have now been employed that broadcast a collared wolfs location every 20 minutes.  Whenever there a two consecutive pings from the same location, researchers are confident that the wolf has made a kill.  Each 20 minute stop is investigated by researchers who have logged 15,000 hours of fieldwork and 17,000 miles of hiking to locate kill sites.  This work has yielded interesting summertime wolf kill data.  An average wolf kills 13-15 fawns and 9-11 beavers each summer, but there is great variability depending on number of prey, energy demand of their pups, predatory specialization and hunting ability of the individual wolves.
 
Tom feels that, in addition to the scientific value of the data accumulated by the project, there is also great value in the potential for outreach.  He said that the project’s Facebook page has already reached a total of 24.9 million people and continues to reach 91,000 more each day.  The page now has 58,000 followers worldwide.  He hopes that this kind of outreach will help to establish a long-term research project on the Voyageurs wolf population. 
 
Today’s No-Plate auction action had Denise Jacobsen’s $125 first round Running Aces package bid go unchallenged, so Denise is the winner of the package.  The first round of bidding for the $50 Tavern gift certificate was snapped up by Ed James with a full value $50 dollar bid (no need for a second round of bidding),
 
John Ordway said that son Dan and his new wife are expecting in February.  John will be a grandpa for the first time!
 
Jason Miller spent a week in the BWCA with family and friends
 
New Club President Ed James thanked outgoing President Dennis Connolly for his service to the club over the past year.  Ed noted that Dennis had also put together our submission for District Awards two years ago with great success.  He hopes we can renew that recognition effort for the coming year.
Meeting Recap - July 7, 2020 Jeff Benson 2020-07-07 05:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - June 30, 2020

President Dennis Connolly opened the final meeting of his year as Club President  with a summary of upcoming events:
 
June 30, 2020 (Tuesday 7:00 – 8:30PM) - District Governor Ed Marek Installation, "Serious, Touching, and Funny" - Registration via Zoom - Click Here or watch on Facebook LIVE! - Click Here
 
July 1, 2020 (Wednesday 8:00 – 9:00AM) - SPECIAL FRIDAY FEATURE 
Because of the 4th of July, we are holding our District 5960 Friday Feature, on a Wednesday! Next July 1, join me and the rest of the District Governor line for a SPECIAL FRIDAY FEATURE as we take you through "A Year of Connecting." We want to celebrate all the positive activities, events, and fun that we had, and the impact we made, which was significant. It's a special day of the week, and time - 8 a.m. This is Prior Lake Rotary's normal meeting, co-hosted with the District.  Register in advance for this meeting at the link below:
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
 
July 21, 2020 (Tuesday 12:00 Noon) NBMV Rotary Club Picnic Meeting (with social distancing) at Silver View Park, 2700 County Rd I, Mounds View .
 
August 7, 2020 (Friday 5:30 – 9:00PM) SAVE THE DATE - Join us at Canterbury Park in Shakopee for Rotary Race Day on Friday, Aug. 7th. Everyone is welcome—Rotarians bring your family and friends out to this great event! The gates open at 5:30 p.m., live horse racing begins at 6:30.  Cost for the event is $10, which includes admission, hot dog and soda. Children 17 and under get free admission, but must purchase the $10 ticket to get the hot dog and soda.  Rotary Race Day is a fundraiser for The Rotary Foundation's PolioPlus! Organized by Rotary Districts 5950 & 5960, 100 percent of ticket sales will benefit PolioPlus!  Tim Mulcrone will be singing the national the anthem at 5:30.
 
CPY’s 8th Annual Golf Ball Drop Fundraiser will be held on August 2nd, 3:00PM at Brightwood Hills Golf Course.  The winner will receive 20% of the ticket sales up to a maximum of $5,000. 1 Ball = $10, 3 Balls = $25, 5 Balls =$40.  To purchase tickets call 651-633-6464.
 
Geoff Hollimon said that the Suburban Ramsey Emergency Coalition has approved grants of $10,000 to Sheridan Story and $10,000 to Ralph Reeder Food Shelf to help fund their missions to alleviate food insecurity.   He also noted that the Coalition’s Three Mile Community Virtual Run/Walk fundraiser will be held from Monday, August 3-Sunday, August 9, 2020.  Click the link above for details.
 
Dana Rebelein said that the Suburban Ramsey Emergency Coalition’s volunteer seamstresses have sewn 200 isolation gowns for the Ramsey County Care Center.
Cindy Carlson announced that the flyer for the No-Plate Dinner Fundraiser is ready for distribution.  Click here to download the flyer and then forward it to anyone who might have an interest in supporting the club.  Online donations will be possible by just clicking a button on the digital flyer or on our Facebook page.  Each $50 donation will purchase one ticket for the $250 raffle drawing.
 
Auction News:
Last week, Maddison Zikmund was the winning bidder ($425) last week for the Sugar Lake Lodge stay and play package.  Cindy Carlson was the high bidder on round one of the Prestwick golf package.
Today’s auction had Mike Neeley winning the Prestwick golf package with a bid of $170.  Round one of the Running Aces overnight stay and dining package ended with Denise Jacobsen leading with a first round bid of $125. Next week’s bidding will feature round two of the Running Aces package and Round one of $100 in The Tavern Gift cards.
 
Ed James introduced his virtual guests:
Fiancée -  Rachel Igbaroola,
Sister – Olaseni Olutunwase
Daughter - Edith James
James Odalele
Kemi Aderinkomi
 
President Dennis thanked Ed James for his active participation in club administration, especially in Youth Service.  Dennis highlighted Ed’s involvement in Camp RYLA, Camp Enterprise, High School scholarships, Youth Exchange, Fourth Grade Foresters and Harvest Pack.  Due to computer difficulties, Ed’s message to the club was interrupted several times.  Ed was able to communicate that it is a joy for him to be a member of the club and that he is looking forward to his year as President.  He acknowledged that Covid-19 will present challenges but he is counting on everyone to double their efforts to keep things moving forward.  He thanked everyone for their continuing support.
 
Cindy Carlson reported that the Rotary Guatemala Literacy Project Global Matching Grant for 2019-2020 is more than $631,000!
 
John Ordway informed the club that Gerry Tietz has resigned his NBMV Rotary Membership.  We’ll miss you Gerry!  Gerry’s new address is: 
5601 94th Ave. N.
 Apt 407
Brooklyn Park, MN  55443
 
Mike Neeley has been named one of the 65 most influential people in the machining industry in Minnesota.  Congratulations. Mike!
Meeting Recap - June 30, 2020 Jeff Benson 2020-06-30 05:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - June 16, 2020

President Dennis Connolly introduced Community Support Center Director Karen Meyer.  Karen is the sole staff person at CSC, but she works with many volunteers to help prevent homelessness and provide long-term financial counseling to minimize the need for future assistance.  CSC’s office is located in the Faith Christian Reformed Church at 16th and Silver Lake Road in New Brighton.  Its service area is New Brighton, Mounds View, North Oaks, Shoreview, and Arden Hills.  To receive support, CSC participants must:  
  • reside in the above mentioned service area,
  • have applied for county services,
  • have a financial situation which is sustainable with short term financial assistance and
  • demonstrate interest in making long term changes.
 
CSC receives referrals from Ramsey County, The United Way, churches, landlords, Ralph Reeder Food Shelf, schools, social services, police, and word of mouth.  Potential participants start with a 2 hour interview with volunteer active listeners to ensure that the above participation criteria are met.  If so, CSC partners with a variety of agencies to provide the short term financial support needed to prevent evictions and develops a plan to prevent eviction in the future.  When possible, the initial interviewer works long-term with the participant, guiding them to resources, working on budgets, goal setting, debt reduction, resumes and celebrating accomplishments.  Because of all this ongoing support, the average amount of financial assistance to prevent eviction is amazingly small at just $400-700 per family.  Compare that with the $3,000 per month to house a family of four in a Ramsey County homeless shelter.  Also notable is that there are 30-40 families on the waiting list for those homeless shelters.
 
Karen is seeing a greater need for CSC’s services as COVID-19 has stretched many poor family’s resources.  She anticipates an increase in eviction notices when restrictions are lifted.  CSC has received a $5,000 grant from the Suburban Ramsey Emergency Coalition which will be helpful in managing the coming eviction crisis.
 
Karen can be reached at staff@communitysupportcenter.org or 651-387-8050
 
Upcoming Rotary Events:
See President Connolly’s weekly email for details.
The Rotary International Convention will be a virtual one this year.  Click here for details.
 
Margaret Feng-Ling Johnson has accepted a new position as Dean of University College and Associate Vice President for Student Success at St. Cloud State University, starting July 1.  Congratulations, Margaret!
 
Geoff Hollimon updated us on the Suburban Ramsey Emergency Coalition.  He proudly reported that 11 Rotarians are involved in the Coalition.  Donations of over $51,000 have been received toward the $150,000.  Your contributions are needed reach that goal.  Personal and organizational donations of any amount may be made by check payable to the Suburban Ramsey Covid-19 Response Fund and mailed to:
       Suburban Ramsey Covid-19
       Response Fund
       C/o Carol Brown-Mills
       5845 St. Albans Court
       Shoreview, MN 55126
Carol is a board member of Shoreview Community Foundation and she’ll forward them to The St. Paul and Minnesota Foundation each day. You will still get your tax receipt from the St. Paul and Minnesota Foundation with tax ID # 41-6031510.
Recent improvements to the Coalition’s website include a “Donate” button if you prefer the convenience of online donations. 
The Coalition’s Facebook page can be accessed by clicking here.
 
In addition, 50 reusable gowns have been sewn, by Dana Rebelein and other Coalition volunteers, for the Ramsey County Care Center and 150 more are needed.  If you can help sew gowns, contact Dana Rebelein.  The Coalition is holding a virtual run/walk fundraiser soon. Stay tuned for more details.
 
Charlie Longbella reported that an online donation function will be available soon. 
 
Charlie has also prepared a draft of a brochure for the No-Plate Dinner and Cindy Carlson has suggested some edits.  The final brochure should be available soon.
 
Today’s live auction resulted in a final bid of $200 for the Indian Hills Golf Package.  Jason Miller was the winning bidder.  Round 1 of the bidding for the Sugar Lake Lodge stay and play package ended with a bid by Cindy Carlson of $275.  Next week features the final round of the Sugar Lake Lodge package bidding and the first Round of the Prestwick golf package.  Don’t miss it!
 
The Board meets next Tuesday at 11AM by Zoom. 
 
Jim O’Brien’s granddaughters (who were our Egg Hunt Bunnies for several years) have graduated from college and are both employed.
 
Nyle Zikmund announced that he is running for Anoka County Commissioner, but keeping his day job as Mounds View City Administrator.  Good luck Nyle!
 
Your editor will be out of town next week, so you’ll have to attend the meeting to be in the know.
Meeting Recap - June 16, 2020 Jeff Benson 2020-06-16 05:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - June 9, 2020

President Dennis Connolly opened the meeting with a summary of the upcoming Rotary online education opportunities.  A complete list of events in the near future is shown below:
 
June 12, 2020 (Friday 9:00AM-10:00AM) - Friday Feature - WW2, PFC Riley - A special presentation from Mounds Park Academy junior, Salmah Elmasry and Upper School teacher, Katie Murr, to hear the moving World War 2 story of PFC Riley from Minnesota.  
Register in advance for this meeting:
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
 
June 18, 2020 (Thursday 11:00AM – 5:00PM) - Rotary Club Blood Drive at the White Bear Lake Armory.  Call Bryan at 651-402-8493 with questions.
 
June 19, 2020 (Friday 9:00AM-10:00AM) Friday Feature with Richard Huston, Faribault Rotary Club, " A view from the front lines: Polio eradication in Pakistan"
Register in advance for this meeting:
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
 
June 20 – 26, 2020 – “Now More than Ever, Rotary Connects the World: The 2020 Rotary Virtual Convention" – Zoom On-line Meeting – More information to come.
 
July 12-18, 2020 – Guatemala Literacy Project (GLP) trip to Guatemala – Contact James Hunt rotaryhunt@gmail.com "Helping Hands Tour” Antigua GLP school.
 
July 21-26, 2020 – Guatemala Literacy Project (GLP) trip to Guatemala – Contact James Hunt rotaryhunt@gmail.com “Snapshot Tour” GLP schools, tourism, coffee farm.
 
Geoff Hollimon updated us on the North Suburban Emergency Response Coalition.  Three grants have been awarded so far.  The Community Support Center, Keystone Community Services and Neighborhood House have each received grants of $5,000.  Donations to the Covid-19 Response Fund (which provides the grants) have reached $50,000 toward its goal of $150,000.  Your contributions are needed reach that goal.  Personal and organizational donations of any amount may be made by check payable to the Suburban Ramsey Covid-19 Response Fund and mailed to:
       Suburban Ramsey Covid-19
       Response Fund
       C/o Carol Brown-Mills
       5845 St. Albans Court
       Shoreview, MN 55126
Carol is a board member of Shoreview Community Foundation and she’ll forward them to The St. Paul and Minnesota Foundation each day. You will still get your tax receipt from the St. Paul and Minnesota Foundation with tax ID # 41-6031510.
Recent improvements to the Coalition’s website include a “Donate” button if you prefer the convenience of online donations. 
The Coalition’s Facebook page can be accessed by clicking here.
 
Dana Rebelein reported that Coalition supporters have sewn over 50 washable gowns for the Ramsey County Care Center and will make more as special fabric is available.  The Care Center only had disposable gowns and the 5,600 gowns used per month were a huge drain on the care center’s finances.
 

The No-Plate Dinner report was provided by Charlie Longbella and Cindy Carlson.  An online donation capability will soon be available for club members and friends of Rotary.  This will simplify donations for the No-Plate dinner and possibly streamline payment of dues and other club transactions.  The committee has decided to eliminate the dining gift card portion of the fundraiser.  We will instead sell $75 raffle tickets (non-deductible) and also offer the option of additional deductible contributions to the club via the Rotary Healthy Youth Foundation.  The $250 Raffle originally scheduled for August 4th will be rescheduled once we have promotional materials available. 

John Ordway announced that our member’s individual contributions to the Rotary Foundation have met the goal of $2,000.
 
Today was the first round of online live auctions of items which were originally donated to the Gold Plate Dinner.  Today’s item was 18 holes of golf with 4 carts at Indian Hills Golf Club.  The high bid for this first round of bidding was $180.  Next week we will have another round of bidding for the golf and the first of two rounds of bidding on a Stay and Play package at Sugar Lake Lodge (see below).
  • 2 nights lodging in a 2 BR course villa (can accommodate UP TO 4)

  • 18 holes of golf at Sugarbrooke for 2 people (per web site, extra golf available currently at $1.00 per hole without carts)

  • Dinner for 2 people at Otis’s (delivered to your Villa)

  • Available Sundays – Wednesdays

  • Expires August 31, 2021

  • $500 -$700 value (lower value in 2020 due to limited time discount)

  • $200 minimum bid

  • The resort is in Cohasset, MN near Grand Rapids…not far from Ruttger’s.

Bidders need to attend the regularly scheduled Tuesday Noon ZOOM club meetings.  Anyone can bid, so tell your friends and forward them the Zoom meeting invitation that you receive on Tuesday morning. Bids for Sugar Lake Lodge will be taken at the June 16th and June 23rd meetings to ensure that everyone has an opportunity to bid.  Future weeks will feature other donated items like glider rides, wine tasting events, horse racing packages, more golf and trap shooting.  
 
We are seeking speakers for upcoming ZOOM meetings.  If you are aware of good speakers, please relay that information to Nyle Zikmund.  Watch your email for program assignments for the new Rotary year which begins on July 1.
Meeting Recap - June 9, 2020 Jeff Benson 2020-06-09 05:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - June 2, 2020

Today was our fifth virtual club meeting, and we were honored to have District Governor Paul Perez as our virtual guest.
 
Dave Hoel visited his workplace on Lake Street and reported on the incredible destruction in that area.  Jason Slama was part of the cleanup effort on Lake Street and he provided this written summary:
“I haven't been able to be active in Rotary lately due to work and family conflicts. But I wanted to pay a "happy fine" to the club. I was out cleaning Lake Street on Saturday morning and was absolutely humbled at the amount of people out helping each other. We were cleaning the sidewalks and streets as buildings were still burning. There were piles and piles of donated goods being gathered to help those who lost their local stores. Meals were being offered to those in need. Medical professionals were offering free services and transportation to those who needed it. By Sunday morning Lake Street, Nicollet Ave, and Midway neighborhoods were clean enough there was not a need to go back and clean. As tragic as the events over the past week have been, I just wanted to share how proud I felt to see so many people coming together to share their kindness and compassion.”
 
District Governor Paul Perez thanked us for continuing to be active Rotarians.  He said that our District is looking into ways that we can work cooperatively with neighboring District 5950 to address racial disparity issues highlighted by this past week’s events.  DG Paul also encouraged us to take advantage of the many online learning opportunities being made available by the District.   A complete list is available in President Dennis Connolly’s weekly email, but here is a list of this week’s learning opportunities:
June 3, 2020 (Wednesday, 4:30PM) - District 5960 E-club Cultural Exchange Enthusiasts talk to Tom Thorfinnson, Chief Strategy Officer at Rotary International
Topic: The Future of Rotary and COVID-19.  CLICK HERE for Link
June 4, 2020 (Thursday 7:30 AM) - Ethics Team presentation presented by St. Paul Sunrise Rotary Club featuring Burt Riskedahl, “Ethical decision making in clinical practice and supervision”  CLICK HERE for Link
Friday, June 5, 2020 (Friday 9am) - Friday Feature. This week our speaker will be Mike Gregory, The Collaboration Effect, his topic: Conflict Resolution/Civil Discourse.
Register in advance for this meeting:
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
 
Our “No-Plate” Dinner fundraiser is taking shape.  Starting on June 9th, we will be holding online live auctions of items which were donated to the cancelled Gold Plate Dinner.  Bidders need to attend the regularly scheduled Tuesday Noon ZOOM club meetings.  The first auction item will be 18 holes of golf for four with four carts at beautiful Indian Hills Golf Club.  A $312 value, opening bid will be $80. Bids will be taken at the June 9th and June 16th meetings to ensure that everyone has an opportunity to bid.  The bidding will be open to Rotarians as well as non-Rotarians.  Future weeks will feature other donated items like lake lodge stays, glider rides, wine tasting events, horse racing packages, more golf and trap shooting.  Our August 4th noon meeting will include a $250 raffle drawing for those who have purchased a raffle ticket.  Watch your email for more details. 
 
Geoff Hollimon updated us on the North Suburban Emergency Response Coalition.  Three final grant proposals have been received and as many as a dozen groups are potential grantees.  Geoff indicated that the Response fund already has donations of $40,000 with a goal of $150,000. Your contributions are needed reach that goal.  Personal and organizational donations of any amount may be made by check payable to the Suburban Ramsey Covid-19 Response Fund and mailed to:
       Suburban Ramsey Covid-19
       Response Fund
       C/o Carol Brown-Mills
       5845 St. Albans Court
       Shoreview, MN 55126
Carol is a board member of Shoreview Community Foundation and she’ll forward them to The St. Paul and Minnesota Foundation each day. You will still get your tax receipt from the St. Paul and Minnesota Foundation with tax ID # 41-6031510.
Online contributions of any amount can be made at GiveMN.org at this URL: https://www.givemn.org/story/Suburbanramseycovid19responsefund
The Coalition’s Facebook page can be accessed by clicking here.
 
Dana Rebelein added that the Coalition has already begun responding to the Covid-19 pandemic by organizing 14 people (including Dana) to sew reusable cloth gowns for the Ramsey County Care Center.  The Care Center only had disposable gowns and the 5,600 gowns used per month were a huge drain on the care center’s finances.
 
We are seeking speakers for upcoming ZOOM meetings.  If you are aware of good speakers, please relay that information to Nyle Zikmund.  Watch your email for program assignments for the new Rotary year which begins on July 1.
Meeting Recap - June 2, 2020 Jeff Benson 2020-06-02 05:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - May 26, 2020

Today we again welcomed Roseville Rotarian Mary Jo McGuire to our meeting.
 
Cindy Carlson introduced our speaker, Meg Hobday, from My Very Own Bed.  My Very Own Bed (MVOB) is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing brand new beds and bedding for children, aged 2-17, of families that have recently secured stable housing.  Children having their own bed would seem like a given, but many families who don’t have stable housing also don’t have beds for their children.  In addition to the obvious sleep difficulties experienced by children without beds, many of these children also have social, emotional and educational problems which are, at least in part, related to the lack of a comfortable, safe place to sleep.  Better sleep has been shown to improve school attendance and performance, increase attention and promote emotional stability.  Kids also benefit from a sense of personal dignity and independence and are more likely to have friends visit if they have their own bed.  Clearly, a bed is much more than just a place to sleep. 
 
While working with homeless families for many years, MVOB founder Michael Allen was keenly aware of the need for beds and decided to do something about this problem.  In 2014, Michael started MVOB to provide proper beds for these kids.  The organization was founded on these values:
    -Relationships first
    -Get better before getting bigger
    -Focus on excellence
 
Each qualifying child receives a bed, box spring and frame, but also receives a “Dream Kit” with a brand-new pillow, mattress pad, bedding and blanket as well as a stuffed animal, books and a handmade card.  Over the past six years MVOB has steadily grown from providing 120 beds in 2015 to 667 beds in 2019.  They will easily exceed their goal of 750 beds this year.  Michael is cautious; however, that growth is sustainable and doesn’t interfere with excellence.  Each bed and Dream Kit combination costs $200 to provide, so contributions are vital to MVOB’s mission.  The Richard M. Schulze Family Foundation has agreed to match contributions of any amount up to a total match of $10,000.  Contributions to this matching program are just shy of $8,000 as of today, so there’s still a little time to effectively double your contribution.  Our Board voted this morning to donate $400.  You can donate by clicking here.
 
Check out this morning’s email from President Dennis Connolly for a list of upcoming Rotary events.
 
Cindy Carlson reported that members have so far contributed approximately $900 toward our Rotary Foundation goal of $2,000.  She reminded us that right now donations over $100 by individual NBMV Rotarians will receive double Foundation Recognition Points, speeding you on your way to the next Paul Harris Fellow recognition level.  Just send your checks, made out to the Rotary Foundation, to:
    MBMV Rotary
    C/o John Ordway
    3555 Willow Lake Blvd
    Suite 200
    Vadnais Hgts.,  MN 55110
 
Geoff Hollimon reported that the Suburban Ramsey Emergency Coalition has received eight preliminary grant proposals and one final grant application.  The Covid 19 Resposnse Fund has so far received $38,000 of its goal of $150,000 in contributions.  Your contributions are needed reach that goal.  Personal and organizational donations of any amount may be made by check payable to the Suburban Ramsey Covid-19 Response Fund and mailed to:
       Suburban Ramsey Covid-19
       Response Fund
       C/o Carol Brown-Mills
       5845 St. Albans Court
       Shoreview, MN 55126
Carol is a board member of Shoreview Community Foundation and she’ll forward them to The St. Paul and Minnesota Foundation each day. You will still get your tax receipt from the St. Paul and Minnesota Foundation with tax ID # 41-6031510.
Online contributions of any amount can be made at GiveMN.org at this URL: https://www.givemn.org/story/Suburbanramseycovid19responsefund
The Coalition’s Facebook page can be accessed by clicking here.
 
The No-Plate Dinner fundraiser continues to evolve.  You may have received Cindy Carlson’s email with the latest thoughts on the planned substitute for the Gold Plate dinner.  If not, click here to download it.
 
Treasurer John Ordway reported that the cancellation of the Good Plate Dinner Fundraiser (if that income is not replaced) would increase the already budgeted 2019-2020 deficit from $7,000 to a deficit of $13,500.  This deficit will be offset by No-Plate dinner donations.
Meeting Recap - May 26, 2020 Jeff Benson 2020-05-26 05:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - May 19, 2020

We were happy to welcome Roseville Rotarian Mary Jo McGuire to our virtual meeting today.
 
President Dennis Connolly reviewed some upcoming Rotary events: 
May 22, 2020 (Friday 9:00AM – 11:00AM) - Dr. Ira Helfand - UN Nuclear Nonproliferation.  Register in advance for this meeting: https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJ0sde6uqT4tyETCmLk1iC8U9pS_QRby3Q .  After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
May 29, 2020 (Friday 9:00AM) - STRIVE: Investing in Our Future - Whether your STRIVE program is already successful, needs a boost or you are interested in starting one, the May 29th Friday Feature on STRIVE will be informative. Diane Ilstrup, Rochester Rotary Club and Brent Voight, Stillwater Sunrise Rotary Club will share successes, how challenges are addressed, or what they feel are the next steps in how the program is evolving.  Register in advance for this meeting:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0rce-uqjIoHtSPRiqR3T7g1ct5kx0VTxY_  After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
A complete list of events can be found in Dennis’ weekly events email.
 
Geoff Hollimon reported that the Suburban Ramsey Emergency Coalition’s Covid-19 Response Fund has received three grant request proposals.  If the coalition finds merit in a proposal, it will ask for a grant application.  Our Community Support Center (CSC) was the first to submit a grant application.  CSC’s mission aligns perfectly with the coalition’s focus on alleviating housing instability.  The Coalition has, so far, received $35,000 in donations but their goal is a total of $150,000.  Your contributions are needed reach that goal. Personal and organizational donations of any amount may be made by check payable to the Suburban Ramsey Covid-19 Response Fund and mailed to:
       Suburban Ramsey Covid-19
       Response Fund
       c/o Carol Brown-Mills
       5845 St. Albans Court
       Shoreview, MN 55126
Carol is a board member of Shoreview Community Foundation and she’ll forward them to The St. Paul and Minnesota Foundation each day. You will still get your tax receipt from the St. Paul and Minnesota Foundation with tax ID # 41-6031510.
Online contributions of any amount can be made at GiveMN.org at this URL: https://www.givemn.org/story/Suburbanramseycovid19responsefund
The Coalition’s Facebook page can be accessed by clicking here.
 
Planning for the No-Plate Dinner (which will replace the Gold Plate Dinner this year) is ongoing.  What’s certain right now is that the event will be held, online, on July 21st at 12 Noon.  The Committee will meet again soon to fine tune the financial details.
 
Members present agreed that we would continue to hold the noon meetings online via zoom through June.  It was also agreed that we would try to have online speakers during the meetings.  We hope to have a speaker for the May 26th meeting.
 
The Board of Directors will meet via ZOOM at 11AM Tuesday, May 26th.
 
Ed James was sad that the high school scholarship awards ceremonies at Irondale and St Anthony will be closed events due to COVID-19, but he has prepared some remarks to be read by someone else at the ceremonies.  We hope to be able to get photos and perhaps thank you videos from the recipients.
Meeting Recap - May 19, 2020 Jeff Benson 2020-05-19 05:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - May 12, 2020

President Dennis Connolly opened the meeting by reviewing some upcoming District online learning opportunities:
May 15, 2020 (Friday 9:00AM – 10:00  AM) - Suzi Howe, - Rotary International Director 2020-2022, Leadership in Action - Rotarians have the opportunity to be leaders in Rotary and in our communities.  Suzi will share a story of leadership in crisis and the critical elements that apply whether in crisis or calm.  Register in advance for this meeting:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZEscemvqzoqGN2O2VSBT7iG4Sw3pKdfCb3L .  After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
May 22, 2020 (Friday 9:00AM – 11:00AM) - Dr. Ira Helfand - UN Nuclear Nonproliferation.  Register in advance for this meeting: https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJ0sde6uqT4tyETCmLk1iC8U9pS_QRby3Q .  After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
May 29, 2020 (Friday 9:00AM) - STRIVE: Investing in Our Future - Whether your STRIVE program is already successful, needs a boost or you are interested in starting one, the May 29th Friday Feature on STRIVE will be informative. Diane Ilstrup, Rochester Rotary Club and Brent Voight , Stillwater Sunrise Rotary Club will share successes, how  challenges are addressed, or what they feel are the next steps in how the program is evolving.  Register in advance for this meeting:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0rce-uqjIoHtSPRiqR3T7g1ct5kx0VTxY_  After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
 
Geoff Hollimon reported on the Suburban Ramsey Emergency Coalition.  The coalition is raising funds to help those in our immediate communities who are most negatively affected by the COVID-19 crisis.  The coalition’s focus is on the greatest areas of need, beginning with food insecurity and housing instability.  Geoff said that our club has directly contributed $1,000 to the coalition as well as working with the Arden Hills-Shoreview and Roseville Rotary Clubs to secure a special district Matching Grant which resulted in over $3,100 in contributions to the Coalition’s Covid-19 Response Fund.  Geoff noted that the Community Support Center here in New Brighton was the first organization to send in a grant proposal for $5000.  Their proposal was accepted and they are currently completing the full grant application. The approval of their proposal virtually assures their request will get final approval and make them the Response fund’s first grant recipient. Your donations to the Response Fund would be greatly appreciated.  Personal and organizational donations of any amount may be made by check payable to the Suburban Ramsey Covid-19 Response Fund and mailed to:
       Suburban Ramsey Covid-19
       Response Fund
       c/o Carol Brown-Mills
       5845 St. Albans Court
       Shoreview, MN 55126
Carol is a board member of Shoreview Community Foundation and she’ll forward them to The St. Paul and Minnesota Foundation each day. You will still get your tax receipt from the St. Paul and Minnesota Foundation with tax ID # 41-6031510.
Online contributions of any amount can be made at GiveMN.org at this URL: https://www.givemn.org/story/Suburbanramseycovid19responsefund
The Coalition’s Facebook page can be accessed by clicking here.
 
President-Elect Ed James reported that our selection for our $1,500 at-large scholarship will be awarded to Kunga Sagmo from St. Anthony High School.  The selection criteria was “Service Above Self”.  She will study biology, society and the environment.  Thanks to those who helped in the selection process. 
 
There was considerable discussion about yesterday’s meeting to decide how to deal with the loss of club income due to the cancellation of this year’s Gold Plate Dinner.  The group decided that we will have a “No Plate Dinner” on Tuesday, July 21st at 12:00 (our regular meeting time).  The event will be held via Zoom.  The basic plan is to gather contributions from those who would have attended the Gold Plate Dinner, or others who have some connection with the club.  Contributors could select either a $150 contribution which would provide $75 in dining gift certificates plus a chance at several raffle prizes during the “No-Plate Dinner”  OR  a $75 contribution to participate in the raffle only.   More details are forthcoming.
 
Ed James announced that his son will be attending Brooklyn Law School.
Meeting Recap - May 12, 2020 Jeff Benson 2020-05-12 05:00:00Z 0

REVISED Meeting Recap - May 5, 2020

Today was our second virtual club meeting and we are getting used to the technology.  It’s fortunate that the technology is available; imagine the impact of Covid-19 on business and society in the absence of teleconferencing!
 
Some of you may already be aware the Gerry Tietz’s wife, Marlys, passed away yesterday due to complications from Lupus.  Our thoughts and prayers are with Gerry and Marlys’ family in this difficult time.  A memorial service will be planned when gatherings are permitted.
 
Cindy Carlson reminded us that the NYFS Leadership Luncheon will be held “online” tomorrow (May 6th) from 11:30 to 1:00PM.  This year’s event features retired Star Tribune columnist and editorial writer Lory Sturdevant presenting: Minnesota: the State that Votes.  Contact Sandra Bahr at 651-379-3422 or Sandra@nyfs.org to get your invitation to the online meeting.
 
Geoff Hollimon reported that the ECHO Grant Final Report has been accepted by Rotary.  The $12,800 matching grant supplied a two wheel tractor and implements to the ECHO farm in Fort Myers.  Geoff said that eight clubs contributed toward the grant.  ECHO is extremely grateful for our continuing support.
 
Geoff also reported that NBMV, A.H/Shoreview and Roseville Rotary Clubs banded together to secure special district matching funds for a $3101.52 total contribution to the Suburban Ramsey Emergency Coalition’s Covid-19 Response Fund.  The coalition is raising funds to help those in our communities who are most negatively affected by the COVID-19 crisis.  The coalition’s focus is on the greatest areas of need, beginning with food insecurity and housing instability.  The Community Support Center, of which we are a founding member, was the first to apply for a grant from the fund.  Our club has donated $1,000 in addition to our $100 Matching Grant contribution and you are encouraged to consider a personal or business contribution as well.  Geoff asked us to consider using some or all of our federal stimulus checks.
 
Donations of any amount may be made by check payable to the Suburban Ramsey Covid-19 Response Fund and mailed to:
       Suburban Ramsey Covid-19
       Response Fund
       c/o Carol Brown-Mills
       5845 St. Albans Court
       Shoreview, MN 55126
Carol is a board member of Shoreview Community Foundation and she’ll forward them to The St. Paul and Minnesota Foundation each day. They will still get their tax receipt from the St. Paul and Minnesota Foundation with tax ID # 41-6031510.
Online contributions of any amount can be made at GiveMN.org at this URL: https://www.givemn.org/story/Suburbanramseycovid19responsefund
 
You may also consider helping the Coalition in one or more of the following ways:
  • Identify potential donors and contact them with requests for support.
  • Consider serving on one of these working committees:
    • Communications
    • Events
    • Volunteer Coordination
    • Fundraising
                  
Check out the Coalition’s Facebook page by clicking here.
 
The Gold Plate Dinner has been cancelled for this year and this will leave a giant hole in our ability to grant charitable requests in the coming year.  The board recommends that members consider their $150 ticket payment as a fully deductible charitable donation.  Several members noted that the $75 Covid-19 dues reduction would also help to offset the donation.  President Dennis will convene an online meeting on Monday, May 11th, at 1:00PM, to plan ways to recoup the remainder of the funds that will be lost due to the Gold Plate cancellation.  Watch your email for an invitation to attend the online meeting.
REVISED Meeting Recap - May 5, 2020 Jeff Benson 2020-05-05 05:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - April 28, 2020

 
After having no Rotary club meetings since March 10th due to the Covid-19 crisis, the Club held its first Zoom online meeting.  It was great to see and hear so many people that we haven’t seen in nearly two months.  It’s not the same as a regular meeting but it worked pretty well.  Many thanks to the District for providing the meeting platform and especially to Kathy Hughitt for getting the process rolling.
 
Dana Rebelein reviewed a proposal for multiple ways to support the newly formed Suburban Ramsey Emergency Coalition.  The Coalition brings together service clubs and foundations serving communities in the Mounds View and Roseville school districts, including Rotary Clubs, Lions Clubs, Optimists and Golden K’s.
The coalition is a unified effort to raise funds and provide goods and volunteers to help those in our communities who are most negatively affected by the COVID-19 crisis.  The coalition’s focus is on the greatest areas of need, beginning with food insecurity and housing instability. 
The proposal asked that we consider five ways that we could help in this effort:
  1. NBMV Rotary could donate $1,000 to the Suburban Ramsey COVID-19 Response Fund.  This was approved by the 13 or so NBMV Rotarians present at today’s meeting.
  2. NBMV Rotary could participate in a special District 5960 COVID-19 matching grant by contributing $100.  This had already been done in the interest of expediency.
  3. NBMV Rotarians identify potential donors and contact them with requests for support.
  4. NBMV Rotarians consider serving on one of these working committees:
    • Communications
    • Events
    • Volunteer Coordination
    • Fundraising
  5. NBMV Rotarians consider an individual or business contribution to the effort.
Donations of any amount may be made by check payable to the Suburban Ramsey Covid-19 Response Fund and mailed to:
               
                Suburban Ramsey Covid-19
                Response Fund
                c/o Carol Brown-Mills
                5845 St. Albans Court
                Shoreview, MN 55126
 
Carol is a board member of Shoreview Community Foundation and she’ll forward them to The St. Paul and Minnesota Foundation each day. They will still get their tax receipt from the St. Paul and Minnesota Foundation with tax ID # 41-6031510.
 
Online contributions of any amount can be made at GiveMN.org at this URL:  https://www.givemn.org/story/Suburbanramseycovid19responsefund
                  
The next meeting of the Coalition is by Zoom on Thursday April 30th at 3PM.  Let Geoff Hollimon or Dana Rebelein know if you’d like a Zoom invitation.   Check out the Coalition’s Facebook page by clicking here.
 
Northeast Youth and Family Services is holding their first ever “Online” Leadership Luncheon.  This year’s event features retired Star Tribune columnist and editorial writer Lory Sturdevant presenting: Minnesota: the State that Votes.  Contact Sandra Bahr at 651-379-3422 or Sandra@nyfs.org to get your invitation to the online meeting.
 
There was quite a bit of discussion about how to salvage some fundraising potential out of the cancelled Gold Plate Dinner.  Several ideas were discussed and it was agreed that we will address the issue later this year.
 
It was agreed that we will continue to hold our Tuesday noon meetings virtually for the near future.  Watch your email for the ZOOM invite.
 
Ed James let me know after the meeting ended that applications for this year’s at-large scholarships are the highest ever and five NBMV Rotarians have agreed to evaluate the applicants.
Meeting Recap - April 28, 2020 Jeff Benson 2020-04-28 05:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - March 10, 2020

Our Guests today were Nanase Hirama and her host mom, Denise Jacobsen.
 
President Dennis Connolly reminded us that we’ll be having a club assembly at our noon meeting on March 31st.  Everyone is encouraged to attend.
 
Upcoming Event Highlights
  • Next week’s speaker – Theresa Cira, PhD, from the MN Dept. of Agriculture, talking about pollinators.
  • Sunday, April 5th 11AM - Egg stuffing for the Easter Egg Hunt at the Exchange.
  • Saturday, April 11th 10AM - Easter Egg Hunt – All hands on deck!
  • Saturday, April 4 8:30-11:30PM – District Grants Management Seminar at Family Means in Stillwater.  For those who want to make a day of it, the Global Grants Workshop will be held at Family Means that afternoon from 1:00-3:00PM)
  • Check out President Dennis Connolly’s weekly email for a complete list of upcoming events.
 
Cindy Carlson reminded us that it’s just one month until we need the final head count for the Gold Plate Dinner.  We all need to do our part to make sure that all 100 tickets for the event are sold.  Cindy also noted that we are in need of gift cards and certificates from restaurants to auction off in the Dine-Around-Town bundle.  Cindy also circulated a volunteer signup sheet for the event which will circulate again at the next few meetings.
 
Ed James said that we have not found a second host family for Nanase, so she will spend the entire year with the Jacobsen’s.  The club will take a year off from the Exchange program next year to work on building a host network.  Nanase has just started practices for the Irondale softball team and is excited to learn about the sport, which she has never played.  She will leave for home on July 7, so find a time soon to invite her on an outing. 
 
Jed Hamoud reminded us to get our fully completed Gold Plate Dinner ticket stubs back to him soon.
 
Happy Bucks Highlights
  • Jed Hamoud’s eldest daughter was in from Washington, D.C. for a visit.
  • Charlie Longbella was skiing in Vail with his family and his team just won the hockey championship.
  • Dave Hoel reported that wife Susan is recovering well from surgery to repair a broken heel.  Now both she and David have skeletons that are augmented with 8 titanium screws.
 
Our speaker today was New Brighton Parks and Recreation Director, Jennifer Fink.  She was here to preview the Park and Trail Comprehensive Master Plan Draft.  The draft plan is the culmination of extensive community input and, if approved by the City Council, will serve as the overall vision and road map for the next 20 years.  Jennifer emphasized that the Plan does not include funding mechanisms, which would be determined by the Council.  The planning process began in December of 2018 with data collection and community engagement.  WSB community planning consultants were hired to develop a coordinated plan based on staff and community input.  The plan is now ready for public review and will be brought to the council for final approval in April of this year.  If approved, changes would start this year.
 
As a part of the planning process, WSB evaluated existing trails, parks and structures on a number of criteria and most were found to be inadequate based on current standards.  The plan addresses these inadequacies and strives to create a sense of community, safe and inviting spaces, sustainability, unique and accessible recreational experiences all wrapped up in a fiscally and environmentally responsible package.  The recommendations include, but are not limited to, a major Community Center expansion, development of a Civic Campus to the South of the Community Center, major improvements to City parks and trails and improvements to the Brightwood Hills Clubhouse.  Jennifer and Mary Stewart are shown below.
Meeting Recap - March 10, 2020 Jeff Benson 2020-03-10 05:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - March 3, 2020

Upcoming Event Highlights
  - Next week’s speaker – Jennifer Fink – New Brighton Parks and Recreation Director
  - Sunday, April 5th 11AM - Egg stuffing for the Easter Egg Hunt at the Exchange.
  - Saturday, April 11th 10AM - Easter Egg Hunt – All hands on deck!
  - Saturday, April 4 8:30-11;30PM – District Grants Management Seminar at Family Means in Stillwater.
Check out President Dennis Connolly’s Monday emails for a complete list of upcoming events.
 
Cindy Carlson reminded us to be on the lookout for Live Auction, Mini-Raffle and Dine-Around-Town items for the Gold Plate Dinner.
 
Nils Friberg announced an arrangement by which individual NBMV Rotarian’s additional contributions to the Rotary Foundation’s Polio Plus fund will earn DOUBLE Foundation recognition points.  This will get you to the next Paul Harris recognition level sooner!  See Nils for more information.
 
President Dennis asked us to think about how we might respond if schools are closed due to the Corona virus pandemic.  One problem would be that many students rely on the school’s free lunch programs for adequate daily nutrition.  There may be other issues as well.  Dennis welcomes your ideas on how we could be of service in our community as the virus spreads.
 
Dennis noted that he has a new granddaughter, Emily, born last Saturday.
 
Mary Stewart introduced Angela Fredrickson, Market Manager for the New Brighton Farmer’s Market.  In January of 2016, a meeting was held to investigate the possibility of a Farmer’s Market in New Brighton.  In March of that year, Angela and 3 others dedicated themselves to idea and by June of the same year the Farmer’s market had opened for business on Wednesday’s from 3-7PM in the parking lot of the United Theological Seminary.  The Farmer’s Market remained at that location until 2019 when the Seminary moved to a new location and the new owner of the property could no longer accommodate the Market.  Fortunately, the City of New Brighton Parks and Recreation Department offered to partner with the Market by offering to host the Market in the Community Center parking lot.  The new location and the support of the city have been extremely beneficial for the Farmer’s Market, leading to much higher traffic (often 1,000 or more patrons on a nice summer evening) and a larger number of vendors and activities for those attending the market.  It also allows the Market to be open on the second Wednesday of the winter months from 3-7PM.  Because of the increased activity, more volunteers are needed to supplement their five regular volunteers.
 
Angela is looking forward to 501(c)(3) non-profit status and the addition of SNAP and Electronic Benefits Transfer to make the healthy foods at the Market more available to those with public assistance.  Angela also looks forward to expansion of the popular weekly “themes”, entertainment options, food trucks, etc.  One very popular program is the “POP” (Power of Produce) program where kids receive a $2 token to spend on the produce of their choice.  This program successfully encourages kids to try new healthy foods.  Farmer’s Market Sponsorships are available from just $100 up to $1,000 and sponsors are recognized in several ways.  Visit the Facebook Page to find out more. Mary and Angela are shown below.
Meeting Recap - March 3, 2020 Jeff Benson 2020-03-03 06:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - February 25, 2020

Cindy Carlson made us aware of the District 5960 Grants Management Seminar to be held on April 4th, 8:30AM-11:30AM, at Family Means, Stillwater, MN. This seminar is the perfect way to learn more about the Rotary Foundation and the district’s Matching Grants Program.  Also, the Board is looking for ideas for a local matching grant project for the coming Rotary year.  Contact any Board member with your ideas.
 
Cindy also noted that the Gold Plate Dinner is fast approaching and we need all hands on deck to make the Gala a success again this year.  One important way that you can contribute is by asking the business establishments you frequent to consider a donation for the event.  Download the Sponsor Brochure to help explain the need for donations.
 
Gold Plate Dinner Ticket Guru, Jed Hamoud, said he still has lots of tickets for us to sell.  Download the Invitation Brochure to distribute to friends, family and co-workers who might be interested in attending the Gala.  Once you have sold a ticket, PLEASE get the fully completed ticket stub back to Jed.
 
Nils Friberg distributed an interview with Bill Gates from The Rotarian magazine.  In the interview, Gates discusses his reasons for supporting Rotary’s Polio Plus initiatives and his optimism for completing the goal of polio eradication.  Nils reminded us that we have set a total goal of $1,500 for individual member contributions to the Rotary Foundation’s Polio Plus effort.  Contact Nils or John Ordway to make your contribution (checks payable to the Rotary Foundation).  Be sure to let John Ordway know if you make an online contribution so your contribution is recorded in the clubs contribution total.
 
Ed James reminded us that the 4th Grade Foresters Tree Giveaway is on Arbor Day, April 24th, starting at 11 AM.  See Ed if you can help distribute the trees.
 
Happy Bucks Highlights:
   - President Dennis is expecting a new granddaughter, Emma, by tomorrow.
   - Cindy Carlson treated Nanase to a Wild Hockey Game.  The Wild unfortunately lost, but Nanase had a great time.
 
Ed James celebrated his birthday this week.  We sang Happy Birthday to him but he somehow managed to avoid wearing the birthday hat.
 
Jed Hamoud introduced our speaker, Alan Gregerson, from the Communications and Liaison Division of the IRS.  For the last 22 years, Alan has made presentations to groups, businesses and tax preparers about tax policies and especially about changes in tax policy.  Alan said that the very first U.S. income tax return was filed in 1913.  It was a three page form with one page of instructions!  As we all know, the length and complexity of our tax returns have increased dramatically since that time.  Although we may be tempted to blame the IRS for this complexity, it should be noted that tax law is made by Congress, and the IRS does its best to administer and interpret the law.  The 2019 Taxpayer First Act was Congress’ attempt to improve the taxpaying experience.  It included digital modernization, reorganization of the IRS, cyber-security protections, 45 day warnings before enforcement action and a new W-4 certificate.  Alan noted that one of the challenges to improving the taxpaying experience is that the personnel levels at the IRS have been reduced to 1980 levels, making long telephone waiting times the reality.  He suggested that one way to avoid the wait is to set up a face-to-face appointment time online.  Start by locating your nearest local IRS office here.   Alan can be contacted at Alan.J.Gregerson@irs.gov
Dennis and Alan are pictured below.
Meeting Recap - February 25, 2020 Jeff Benson 2020-02-25 06:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - February 18, 2020

President Dennis Connolly began the meeting by announcing that the Thursday morning meetings have been discontinued due to low attendance.  Other options for flexible meeting times may be considered.  Dennis also noted that we will be evaluating our meal payment system.  A discussion ensued with Rotarians expressing varied opinions about the best method and the implications for membership, attendance and fiscal stability.  Your feedback is welcomed by the President and Board of Directors.
 
Cindy Carlson reported on this morning’s Gold Plate Dinner Gala planning meeting.  The committee has selected CPY Summer Camperships as the Fund-a-Cause for this year’s event.  Jed Hamoud is handling the tickets this year so see him if you have not received your ticket or need more tickets.  It goes without saying that we should all be looking for potential attendees and donors for the Gala.  Click these links to download the Invitation Brochure and the Sponsor Brochure.  All club members are expected to help in some way to make the Gala a success.
 
Jennifer Fink announced that there will be an opportunity to meet the finalists for the New Brighton City Manager position on March 18th, 5-7 PM, at City Hall.  Mark your calendars now and stay tuned for more details.
 
Today’s presenter was our own Jed Hamoud.  His topic was “The Middle East in a Nutshell”.  Jed’s explanation for the current situation in the Middle East is that the lack of education, industry, immigration, development and employment opportunities combined with a high birthrate have led to poverty for the vast majority of people there.  Jed described the “Arab Spring” of 2010 as a reaction to the disparities between the Middle East and more developed countries.  Jed believes that the cell phone increased Middle Easterner’s awareness of these disparities, contributing to the unrest.  The Arab Spring started in Tunisia and rapidly spread to other Muslim countries, leading to full-fledged civil war in Syria, Afghanistan, Libya, Somalia, Iraq and Yemen as well as civil unrest and protests in all other Middle Eastern countries.  Jed said that there are three common factors in all of these Arab Spring related events: Corruption, Poverty and Islam.  The unrest began as anti government dissent but Middle Easterners are now realizing that the Islamic leaders are the root cause.  Jed suggested that an article by Kim Ghattas provides an excellent overview of the situation.  You can download it by clicking here.
Meeting Recap - February 18, 2020 Jeff Benson 2020-02-18 06:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - February 11, 2020

Our guests today were:  Fridley Rotarian Gordy Backlund, New Brighton City Recreation Coordinator Ali Luken and Charlie Longbella’s new salesperson, Wren Jacobs.
 
Our presenters today were Beth Wiggins, Director of Caregiving and Aging Services and Jenny West, Community Educator for Caregiving and Aging Services at Family Means. Founded in 1963, Family Means is a non-profit helping individuals and families through challenges in all of life’s stages.  Beth and Jenny were here to give us a preview of a new virtual reality tool that helps caregivers and others view the world through the perspective of a person living with dementia.  This immersive sensory experience gives the user a firsthand experience of the short term memory loss, spatial distortion, disorientation, visual disturbances, communication problems, and cognitive difficulties experienced by those who have Alzheimer’s Disease.  Virtual reality simulation of these Alzheimer’s symptoms helps caregivers to better understand, create empathy and learn to be better caregivers.  Charlie Longbella agreed to wear the VR goggles for the demonstration and we were able to experience it with him on the big screen.  The software simulates the sensory distortions experienced by Alzheimer’s sufferers and we all shared Charlie’s frustration with trying to accomplish even simple tasks.   Jenny Beth and Dennis, and are shown below.
 
President Dennis Connolly reminded us that the Gold Plate Dinner Planning Committee with meet at 11AM on Tuesday the 18th at the Exchange.  All are encouraged to attend.  Cindy Carlson noted that we need several more GPD sponsors to equal our 2019 sponsorship total.
 
GPD ticket guru, Jed Hamoud, began distributing tickets to members at today’s meeting.  PLEASE return the completed stubs to Jed ASAP and start looking for friends, family and business associates that might like to join you at the Gala.  Let Jed know if you need more tickets.
 
Dennis also noted that the District 5960 Grants Management Seminar will be held in Rochester on May 14th, from 5:30-8:30PM
 
Check your email today for a complete list of upcoming activities.
 
It was Charlie Longbella’s 33rd birthday this week so he was roped into wearing the infamous birthday hat while we serenaded him with the birthday song (see photo below).
 
 
Meeting Recap - February 11, 2020 Jeff Benson 2020-02-11 06:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - February 4, 2020

President Dennis Connolly opened the meeting by announcing that Charlie Longbella has accepted the nomination to serve as NBMV Rotary President for the 2021-22 Rotary year.  Charlie’s Rotary spirit and leadership skills have been very evident even though he is a fairly new member.  Congratulations, Charlie!
 
Dennis also highlighted some upcoming events which can be found in his weekly upcoming events email.
 
Dana Rebelein preemptively offered a $5 contribution to forestall wearing the birthday hat today, but Nyle Zikmund countered with a $5 contribution to compel her to wear it.  In the end justice was served as Dana complied (see photo of Dana and Nyle below). 
 
Our presenter today was Mark Kinde, M.P.H. an epidemiologist from the Injury and Violence Prevention Section of the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH).  Mark’s topic was “I can see clearly now … Injury & Violence Prevention in 2020”.  Mark said that the mission of the MDH is to Protect, Preserve and Improve the health of all Minnesotans.  Mark credited early 20th century visionary, Geoffrey Vickers, with the following quote: “Public health is the constant redefinition of the unacceptable.” Unfortunately, the opportunity to be healthy is not equally available everywhere for everyone in Minnesota.  Mark shared a lot of data and graphs with us and he graciously made his Powerpoint presentation available to share with our newsletter readers.  Click here to download the complete presentation.  Mark and Dennis are shown below.
 
Your bulletin editor was on vacation last week, but Ed James was kind enough to takes some photos of the week’s activities:
 
At last week's meeting, Nils Friberg presented John Ordway with a Paul Harris Fellow +6, signifying over $7,000 in contributions to the Rotary Foundation.  Congratulations, John!  (See photo below)
 
Ed also snapped some photos of the Rotary Holiday Party (see below).
 
Meeting Recap - February 4, 2020 Jeff Benson 2020-02-04 06:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - January 21, 2020

President Dennis Connolly began the meeting by reviewing upcoming Rotary events.  
- The NBMV Rotary Holiday Party will be this Friday, January 24th, 6-9PM at Michelle and Mike Caron’s home.  Watch your email for white elephant gift dice game details.
- Our 19th Annual Gold Plate Dinner Gala will be held on Friday April 17, at the Mermaid.  The planning committee, led by Cindy Carlson and Nicole Ulrich, met earlier today.  Ticket sales and donations are the key to a successful event so be thinking about who might want to attend the event or donate an auction item. 
- Stillwater Rotary is having their “Taste of the Valley” fundraiser on January 30th, 6-10PM, at The Waterstreet Inn, 101 Water Street S, Stillwater.
- White Bear Lake Rotary is holding the 12th annual BEAR’ly Open golf tournament on ice.  The fun starts with a dance at 8PM at White Bear Country Inn followed by golfing on the ice at noon on Saturday February 1st at Ramsey beach on White Bear Lake.  All net proceeds go the White Bear Area Emergency Food Shelf.
- At 11AM on Friday April 24th (Arbor Day) we will once again give out free tree saplings to area 4th graders.  We’ll have 540 trees to give away this year so we’ll need lots of help.  Mark your calendars now.
- Gerry Tietz has an electronic radon tester that he’s willing to loan to club members who’d like to check their homes for radon.
Watch your email for a complete list of Rotary activities.
 
Happy Bucks Highlights:
- Dana Rebelein was thrilled to have two stepsons visit her this past week.
- Charlie Longbella scored a goal in the hockey league he joined recently.
- Paul Fournier just celebrated his 86th birthday!  See photo below.
 
Paul Fourier introduced his wife, Chrissy, to speak about her 20 year association with Lundstrum Performing Arts.  After retiring from Broadway musical theater, Chrissy joined the staff of Lundstrum Performing Arts as a way to give back to young people in gratitude for her wonderful career.  Chrissy revels in the opportunity to give North Minneapolis kids a chance to act, sing and dance.  Chrissy turned the presentation over to Tyler Anderson for details about Lundstrum.
 
Tyler joined Lundstrum a year ago to help get the word out to the community and civic groups.  Tyler began with some Lundstrum history.  It all started in the 1920’s when 15 year-old Dorothy Lundstrum took over Ascension School of Dance with her sisters, Lorraine and Marion.  For nearly 80 years, despite economic  changes in North Minneapolis, Dorothy remained committed to providing quality instruction in dance, charm and fashion.  When Dorothy passed away in 1998, she willed the studio to the Casserly sisters to continue the work she had started.  In 2000, the sisters created a non-profit and expanded the curriculum to specialize in musical theater training.  They wisely drew on the talents of instructors with Broadway experience, like Chrissy.
 
Lundstrum Performing Art’s mission is: “To cultivate a love and knowledge of the performing arts so that young people will discover their unique gifts, develop their depth of character and imagine new possibilities for their lives, ensuring access for all through scholarship support.”
 
For more information about Lundstrum Performing arts, contact Tyler Anderson: Tyler@Lundstrum.org
Chrissy, Tyler and Paul are pictured below.
Meeting Recap - January 21, 2020 Jeff Benson 2020-01-21 06:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - January 14, 2020

President Dennis Connolly visited E.C.H.O. last week while in Fort Myers, FL and took photos of the two wheeled tractor and accessories made possible by the $12,000 District 5960 matching grant that Geoff Hollimon wrote.  Geoff was also responsible for securing contributions from several other Rotary Clubs to make the grant happen. The tractor will be a perfect fit for the small-scale farming tasks performed at E.C.H.O.
 
We received thank you notes from the Irondale Choir and Mounds View Festival in the Park for our contributions.
 
Past Presidents of the club will gather briefly after next Tuesday’s meeting to nominate someone for President-Elect Nominee.  This nominee would serve as Club President during the 2021-22 Rotary Year.
 
Ed James read a note from the Harvest Pack staff thanking us for our contribution and packing assistance for our recent packing event at Irondale.
 
Cindy Carlson invited us all to attend a planning meeting for the Gold Plate Dinner, 11AM next Tuesday at the Exchange.  She asked us to think about a project or cause for our Fund-a-Cause effort at the Gala.
 
Cindy also reminded us that the Community Support Center (CSC) will be having its annual “Sing for Our Neighbors” multi-choir fundraising concert on January 26th, 2 PM at Abiding Savior Lutheran Church, 8211 Red Oak Drive in Mounds View.  Nine community church choirs will perform for this benefit concert.
 
The Club Holiday Party will be held on January 24th, 6-9PM at Michelle and Mike Caron’s home.
 
Cindy Carlson introduced our presenter, Lauren Lombard, Director of Development for Headwaters Relief Organization. Headwaters Relief Organization (hereafter, Headwaters) began as a grassroots volunteer relief effort after hurricane Katrina ravaged New Orleans.  Their successes there drove a desire to expand their efforts to victims of other disasters both here and abroad.  Their international relief efforts began after the 2010 earthquake in Haiti.  Since then, they have responded to disasters, both natural and man-made, in the Philippines, Nepal, Greece, Jordan, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Puerto Rico, St. Johns as well as numerous states in the U.S.  Relief services include providing public health, psychosocial and medical support as well as clean-up and re-building.  Headwaters works closely with other organizations to maximize their effectiveness.
 
As they worked hard to clean up and rebuild after disasters, Headwaters saw that there was a need to address the effect that these disasters were having on children.  This prompted the development of a series of books specifically designed to help children cope with the trauma.  These story books are carefully designed to help parents and caregivers process what has happened and provide hope for the future and build resiliency in children and families affected by disasters.
 
Like most non-profit organizations, Headwaters relies heavily on volunteers and donations.  Their annual Gala is one way to contribute, or you can click here to donate in other ways.
 
Cindy and Lauren are shown below.
Meeting Recap - January 14, 2020 Jeff Benson 2020-01-14 06:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - January 7, 2020

President Elect Ed James led today’s meeting in President Dennis Connolly’s absence.
 
Exchange student Nanase celebrated her 17th birthday last Thursday and we couldn’t resist having her put on the birthday hat while we sang a rousing rendition of the birthday song (see photo below).
 
Nanase has joined the Irondale cross country ski team and just returned from a competition in Michigan.  She’ll be traveling to Duluth with her host family this weekend.
 
Ed will be gathering applications for our at-large high school senior scholarship to be presented in June.  Ed will likely need some help to evaluate the applications.
 
Our second half exchange host family will be unable to host Nanase, so we need someone to step up and host her from the end of February through July 7th.  Please contact Ed ASAP if you, or someone you know, might be willing to host. 
 
Ed noted that our Fourth Grade Foresters Arbor Day tree giveaway will happen on April 24th, starting at 11AM.  Mark your calendars now!  Jennifer Fink suggested that we might want to coordinate with the New Brighton City Forester on future events.
 
Jennifer also reported that the vacant City Manager position has been posted and it’s expected that the position will be filled by April.
 
The date for the Gold Plate Dinner Gala is Friday, April 17th.  The venue will be the revamped convention center at the Mermaid.
 
The New Brighton Community Center Fitness Open House is on Saturday, January 11th from 9AM to 1PM.  Join us for Discounts, Free Gifts, Personal Trainers, and More.
 
Our Speaker for today unfortunately had to cancel shortly before the meeting.  Hopefully we can reschedule the presentation.
Meeting Recap - January 7, 2020 Jeff Benson 2020-01-07 06:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - December17, 2019

Our guests today were:
Chrissy Fournier, Susan Hoel, Debra Hollimon, Maureen O’Brien, Cheryl Neeley, Debbie Connolly Tina Risdall and Peg Friberg.
 
The Irondale High School Choir, with director Jason Etten and accompanist Steve Ferkus, graced us with four wonderful selections before leading us in a carol sing-along.  It’s fun to see the students year after year and also to hear the senior’s plans for the future.  Thanks go to David Hoel for once again planning the special meeting entertainment.  Dave presented the choir with a $500 donation from the club.
 
Life Prep Academy will hold a bake sale fundraiser and open house on Thursday December 19th from noon  to 8PM.  Join them for treats, beverages and fellowship at the Academy, 1628 County Highway 10 NE in Spring Lake Park.
 
Our Club Holiday Party is scheduled for Friday, January 24th.  Mark your calendars now!  Location TBD.
 
The Gold Plate Dinner planning team will have its first meeting on Thursday January 2nd at 5:30PM.  Join the team for dinner at the Exchange as they begin to plan the next Gala.
 
Jennifer Fink celebrated a birthday this past week and we couldn’t let that milestone go by without singing Happy Birthday (Jennifer is pictured below).
 
REMEMBER:  Because of the holidays, we will NOT be meeting on December 24th and 31st.  Meetings will resume on January 7th.  Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Meeting Recap - December17, 2019 Jeff Benson 2019-12-17 06:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - December 10, 2019

Posted by Jeff Benson on Dec 10, 2019
Our guest today was Karen Meyer from the Community Support Center.
 
Upcoming events:
- Our annual Irondale Choir Christmas concert is next Tuesday, December 17th.  If you are planning to attend and have not signed up yet, please contact Dennis so we can get an accurate count for food preparation.  The meeting is at Risdall Marketing, 2685 Long Lake Rd, Roseville.
- The District 5960 Mid-Term Meeting is a good way to learn more about Rotary.  This year it’s at Hamline University.  Click here to check it out.
 
Happy Bucks Highlights:
- Dave Hoel recounted his 9 ½ hour drive (normally 2 hours) from Denver to the ski resort in Beaver Creek, CO.  A rockslide coupled with blizzard conditions caused the traffic backup.  Once he arrived, the skiing was great and no bones were broken.
- Dave also noted that he had the Home Energy Squad do a energy efficiency analysis on his home and he was impressed (as were several other Rotarians) with the service they provide.  If you’d like to take advantage of this program, call 651-328-6220 or sign up online at https://www.mncee.org/home-energy-squad/sign-up/   According to Dave, the cost is $70 but you can save $5 by telling them that you found out about the program when C.E.E. presented the program at Rotary.
- Dana Rebelein enjoyed the Christmas Concert at Northwestern University.  Margaret Johnson chimed in that she had enjoyed it as well.
- Madison Zykmund was happy for S.B.M. Fire Department’s youth engagement during their Santa Week.
- Cindy Carlson was happy for our club’s John Marg-Patton Memorial Fund, which funded the majority of the Harvest Pack food packing event to be held later today at Irondale.
 
On behalf of the club, President Dennis Connolly presented Karen Meyer, Executive Director of the Community Support Center, with a check for $1,000 to help fund the excellent work that CSC does to prevent homelessness and solve financial crises for families in our community.  Karen said that, because of decreased support from government and other agencies, CSC has seen an increase in the need for financial support and counseling.  Karen thanked us for our ongoing support.  Dennis and Karen are shown below.
 
Nyle Zikmund introduced our speaker, Mitch Killian from the Metropolitan Airports Commission (MAC).  Mitch began by saying that most airports in the U.S. are controlled by the city in which they are located.  The Twin Cities area airports are unusual in that they are controlled by the Metropolitan Airports Commission (MAC) composed of 8 metro area representatives, 4 outstate representatives, one mayoral office representative each from Minneapolis and St. Paul and 1 chairperson.  The MAC has a staff of 650.
 
Mitch said that MSP International Airport sits on 3,300 acres and has four runways with 8 departure ends.  The airport is growing steadily, currently handling over 38 million passengers per year, making it the 17th busiest airport for passengers served in the U.S.  Forty five routes have been added since January 2017.  Many of these additional routes are international routes, which has great benefit for the airport as well as for the communities it serves.  MSP’s very low cost per passenger helps airlines to be more profitable and this is why there are seventeen carriers serving Minnesota passengers.  The competition between these carriers keeps airfares low.  MSP is also beginning a major remodeling to improve parking and passenger flow, and the new Intercontinental MSP Hotel will make the airport even more convenient for travelers. 
 
Six metro “reliever” airports are also controlled be the MAC.  Anoka County-Blaine, Crystal, Flying Cloud, Lake Elmo, Airlake and St. Paul Downtown airports handle much of the corporate and private traffic which would create congestion at MSP.  For more information about the MAC, click here.  Nyle and Mitch are pictured below.
 
Addendum:
 
At least seventeen Rotarians, family members, and our exchange student Nanase,  participated in the Harvest Pack food packing event mentioned earlier in this newsletter.  Together with Irondale students, we packed 36,160 meals to be distributed locally to our neighbors with food insecurity.  Congratulations to all who helped to plan, fundraise and pack food.  See photo below.
Meeting Recap - December 10, 2019 Jeff Benson 2019-12-10 06:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - November 25, 2019

Posted by Jeff Benson on Nov 26, 2019
President Dennis Connolly reviewed upcoming event highlights.  See Dennis’ events email for details on all of these events:
-  White Bear Lake Rotary’s Thanksgiving Meals on Wheels program is in its 49th year.  About 20,000 meals will be prepared and distributed to 400 families on Thanksgiving Day.  Of course, a program of this size requires many volunteers, so they could use your help in preparing and delivering the meals.
-  Forest Lake Rotary is holding their 3rd annual Turkey Trot at the Forest Lake City Center, 1408 Lake St S. in Forest Lake.  To register or get more information, click here.
-  The giant Hmong New Year celebration will be on November 30- Dec 1 at the St Paul River Centre.  Click here for more information.
-  Don’t forget our Harvest Pack Event on December 10th.  All Rotarians, family and friends are invited to join in the event.  Please take the time right now to register yourself, and any helpers.  Click here to complete your registration.
-  The District Mid-Term meeting is set for January 11th, 8:30-3:00PM at Hamline University.
-  Our annual Irondale Choir Christmas Concert and Carol sing along will be at Risdall Marketing in Roseville on December 17th at 12:15PM.  An awesome meal will be catered by the exchange.
 
Happy Bucks Highlights:
-  Dave Hoel was happy about travelling to Puerto Vallarta and about his 74th birthday tomorrow.  He generously treated us with cake to celebrate his old age and we treated him by singing happy birthday.
-  Cindy Carlson was happy about her trip to Asheville, North Carolina.
-  Dennis Connolly visited the Bentleyville Christmas light show with his grandkids.
-  Jason Miller was happy to have his daughter home from school for the holidays.
 
Our speaker today was historian and author, David Yorks.  His topic was; “The Warren Commission Report: Fact or Fiction”.  Just days after the assassination of President Kennedy, President Lyndon B. Johnson created a commission to investigate the assassination.  Seven men agreed to serve on the commission but, according to David, six of those appointed were reluctant to do so for either political or personal reasons, or both.  Only Gerald Ford was excited to participate.  David believes that the Warren Commission suffered 3 major disadvantages:  1. Since most of the Commission members were reluctant to serve in the first place, their attendance was poor, with  each individual commissioner attending around 50% of the hearings.  2. The Commission had an unreasonable deadline and was grossly underfunded.  3.  Many government agencies withheld information or outright lied to the commission.  Since the Warren Commission, there have been five more government investigations into the events surrounding the assassination.  The most thorough investigation was conducted from 1976-79 by the House Select Committee on assassination (HSCA).  Unlike the Warren Commission investigation, the HSCA was not hampered by financial or time restraints, and new film, audio and previously classified documents were available to the HSCA.  The HSCA disagreed with the Warren Commission’s findings in the following ways:  While the Warren Commission found no evidence of conspiracy, the HSCA found that there must have been a conspiracy but could not specify who was involved.  The Warren Commission decided that only three shots were fired but the HSCA determined that four shots were fired.  The Warren Commission determined that the autopsy was properly conducted but the HSCA disagreed, since neither of the doctors involved had ever performed a gunshot autopsy before.  The Warren Commission determined that Jack Ruby had acted on his own in shooting Lee Harvey Oswald and that Ruby had no ties to organized crime but the HSCA could not rule out either possibility.  David pointed out several other inconsistencies and improbabilities of the Warren Commission’s findings.  He stressed that all the members of the Warren Commission and the HSCA were honorable men who were doing the best job that they could and didn’t imply any conspiracy in either investigative group.  But the question remains: what are the true facts surrounding the JFK assassination.  David and Dennis are shown below.
Meeting Recap - November 25, 2019 Jeff Benson 2019-11-26 06:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - November 19, 2019

Posted by Jeff Benson on Nov 19, 2019
Our guest today was Ruth Marg-Patton.
 
It’s no secret that Dean Lotter is leaving after 12 years as New Brighton’s City Manager to take a new position as City Manager of Eureka, California.  On our club’s behalf, Cindy Carlson thanked Dean Lotter for his service to the city of New Brighton and presented him with an official NBMV coffee mug to remind him of his time as a New Brighton Mounds View Rotarian.  She also presented him with some bite size Salted Nut Rolls to sustain him and Wendy on the road trip to their new home. The final gift was a warm pair of Minnesota themed socks which should be perfect for the surprisingly cool northern California weather.  California has long held a special appeal for Dean and Wendy.  Wendy went to school there, they have vacationed there and they were even married there.  Dean explained that he was drawn to the relaxed lifestyle of the small coastal community, but actually felt “called” to help the community address its homelessness and opioid abuse issues.  Dean appeared justifiably proud of the impact that he and his staff have had on New Brighton during his tenure.  One major accomplishment is the introduction of financial management principles which have generated cash on hand, allowing the city to make acquisitions and even maintain city streets without incurring costly debt.  Dean is also proud of New Brighton city administration’s “can-do’ organizational culture.  He feels that he can transition to his new position with confidence that he’s leaving New Brighton in excellent organizational and financial condition.  A farewell party is planned for Friday, November 22nd, 5:30PM at the New Brighton community Center. Click here to view the details.  Dean is pictured below.
 
Cindy also had the pleasure of inducting New Brighton Parks and Recreation Director Jennifer Fink as a Rotarian.  Jennifer was formerly a Rotary Designee under Dean’s membership but will assume Dean Lotter’s city government classification.  Congratulations, Jennifer!  Jennifer is shown with Dennis and Cindy, below.
 
Charlie Longbella has been working on our Facebook presence.  Today he showed us our page and he described how he has arranged a fundraising partnership with Harvest Pack to help fund our Food Packing event in December.  Our goal is to raise $1,000 through this partnership.  To donate or get more information click the following link:   https://www.facebook.com/donate/739909009860872/
 
Our newest Rotary member is John Johnson and he gave his classification talk today.  John grew up in St. Anthony and lived there until 1991, when he moved to his current home on Long Lake.  His first employment was with his family’s 4th generation business (Johnson Wholesale Supply).  After that he worked at Cargill as a project manager for 18 years.  During his time at Cargill he also worked part-time as a real estate investor/realtor for 14 years before becoming a full-time realtor with Edina realty in 2013.  Ruth and John Marg-Patton had been relentless in trying to get John to be a Rotarian for some time, but the great experience of hosting Maria last year seems to finally have convinced John to take the Rotary plunge.  John and his family remain in touch with Maria and plan to visit her in Norway this summer.  John’s primary reason for joining Rotary is that it offers him a greater opportunity to make a positive difference.  John’s secondary reason is to increase Swedish representation in the club.  John is married to Dana and between them they have three daughters and one son.  John is a total lake rat, enjoying anything lake related.  John and Ruth Marg-Patton are shown below.
Meeting Recap - November 19, 2019 Jeff Benson 2019-11-19 06:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - November 12, 2019

Posted by Jeff Benson on Nov 12, 2019
Our guest today was Paul Fournier’s wife Chrissy.
 
President Dennis Connolly displayed our new banners representing 100 percent club participation in Polio Plus and Every Rotarian Every Year (EREY) participation.  These Rotary Foundation awards were presented at the recent Foundation Dinner.   These recognitions signify our strong support for the Rotary Foundation. November is Rotary Foundation month, and each of us is encouraged to maintain or increase our Foundation giving.  Stay tuned for information on how you can double your recognition points for additional foundation contributions in November and December of this year.
 
New Brighton City Manager (and NBMV Rotarian) Dean Lotter was featured in a recent St. Paul Pioneer Press article
 
Dean is leaving to be the City Manager in Eureka, CA, and we’ll be bidding him a fond farewell at next Tuesday’s noon meeting.  Rumor has it that there may be cupcakes.  At the same meeting we’ll be inducting John Johnson into the club.
 
President Dennis reviewed our club service projects.  One project that has stalled a bit is our Financial Literacy class at CPY.  We hope to re-energize the program this year.
 
Speaking of service projects; our next Harvest Pack event is scheduled for Tuesday afternoon on December 10th.  Our club has earmarked $4,000 for the event and the Lions and Eagles are also likely to contribute.  API Group has generously committed $1,000 toward this project.  You’ll soon be able to register online or sign up at the club meeting.
 
Mary Stewart thanked everyone who attended the CPY Game Night Gala.  Initial reports indicate about $22,000 in much needed funds for this program that is so critical for area youth.
 
Ed James has accepted the President Elect position and will begin his presidential term on July 1, 2020.  Congratulations, Ed!
 
Jed Hamoud is celebrating 41 years of wedded bliss this week!
 
Denise Jacobsen introduced our speaker, Japanese exchange student Nanase Hirama.  Nanase is one of three children.  Older sister Ami is a freshman in college; younger brother Haruki is in 7th grade and Nanase herself is in 11th grade and enjoys cooking,  music, camping and exploring beaches and mountains with her family.  Her father works for an energy company and her mother works at a hospital.  Nanase lives in Tomiya, a city of about 53,000 in Miyagi Prefecture on the Northeast coast of Japan.  Nanase attends a 600 student all-girl Christian school which was established in 1886.  Nanase’s Japanese school day schedule was very long and packed with built-in study time and extracurricular activities. 
 
Japan is a very populous country, with 126 million residents (according to Wikipedia).  The Japanese flag is a large red circle (love) on a white background (purity).  Nanase said that the voting age is 18, drinking is legal at 20 and the legal age for marriage is 16 for girls and 18 for boys.  The national currency is the yen and 100 yen is approximately equal to one U.S. dollar.  Japan has sixteen national holidays and numerous festivals.  Nanase’s home is within 10 miles of the location of the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and the resulting 130 ft. high tsunami that devastated Sendai city, killing nearly 16,000 people.  Fortunately, the earthquake was less severe in her hometown than in Sendai.   Ed James, Nanase and Denise Jacobsen are shown below.
Meeting Recap - November 12, 2019 Jeff Benson 2019-11-12 06:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - November 5, 2019

Posted by Jeff Benson on Nov 05, 2019
Our guests today were: Charlie Longbella’s Brother Ted, and St Paul Rotarian, Valdi Stefanson.
 
While Ed James was in England he returned to the Harrow Rotary Club, which he had visited a year ago.
 
The Harrow Club is hosting our Global Scholar, Ellen Dunn.  This time Ed came prepared to present the Harrow club with a NBMV Rotary mug.
 
Our Club was well represented at the District’s Foundation Dinner last Saturday, with 17 Rotarians, 2 Exchange host parents and our exchange student Nanase in attendance.  The photos below show quite a few of the attendees.
 
President Dennis Connolly is shown below as he proudly accepts the EREY (Every Rotarian Every Year) award, signifying that every member of the club contributed at least $25 to the Rotary Foundation and the average annual contribution per member was over $100.
 
Geoff Hollimon thanked everyone who attended the CPY Game Night last Friday.  Final numbers aren’t available yet, but it looks like the event was a great success.
 
Cindy Carlson reported that our motivational sweatshirt sales at the Foundation Dinner raised over $600 for the Rotary Foundation.  Thanks go to Cindy and others who helped to transport and sell the sweatshirts, as well as to Mayor Val Johnson, who donated the sweatshirts.
 
Valdi Stefanson, District 5960 Matching Grants Mentor, presented Geoff Hollimon with a check for $4,923 which represented the District’s matching contribution for our 2 wheel tractor grant for E.C.H.O. which was recently approved by the district.  Geoff worked extremely hard to promote contributions to the grant from eight area Rotary clubs.  Great work Geoff!
 
Geoff followed up by presenting our club’s contribution of $500 toward St. Paul Rotary’s (Valdi’s home club) Matching Grant project which will provide an ultrasound machine for a Congolese refugee camp.
 
Jennifer Fink reported that Long Lake Regional Park will be the location for the Ice Castle this year.  Stay tuned for more details.
 
On Thursday, November 22nd from 7-9PM the Ralph Reeder Food Shelf will host a free Thanksgiving concert by Rubber Soul, a Beatles tribute band. The concert will be held at Peace Methodist Church, 5050 Hodgson Rd, Shoreview.  No admission fee or registration needed.  A free will offering will benefit The Ralph Reeder Food Shelf.
 
The November 19 noon meeting will feature new member John Johnson’s classification talk as well as a farewell to Dean Lotter, who is leaving to take the City Manager position in Eureka, CA.
 
Mike Neeley noted that he joined Rotary 48 years ago and has maintained perfect attendance for that entire period.  Amazing!!!
 
Nyle Zikmund introduced our speaker, David Schultz, Professor of Political Science at Hamline University.  David’s topic was the case for “swing state” status for Minnesota in the 2020 presidential election.  Starting in the early 70’s, and for the following 45 years, Minnesota had the most reliably Democratic Presidental voting record in the United States.  We were pretty much ignored by both the Republican and Democratic campaigns since the voting results seemed almost predetermined.  “Swing states” like Ohio and Florida, among others, have the potential to go either Republican or Democratic so they get all the campaign attention.  The Electoral College system accentuates the importance of these swing states.  David argues that the political climate in Minnesota began shifting in 1998 and culminated in Donald Trump’s stunning performance here in the 2016 election.  David notes that Minnesota party affiliation poll gaps narrowed from double digits in the 60’s to 4 or 5 points today.  Democrats and Republicans have become more divided by geography and age, resulting in flip-flops in legislative majorities in recent years.  Minnesota also has a high percentage of independent voters, which also increases its potential to become a swing state.  David thinks we are looking more like Florida and Ohio every day.  He believes that Minnesota’s 10 Electoral College votes are up for grabs in the 2020 Presidential election.  If our election ads are the only ads we see in the coming months and presidential candidates actually make campaign stops here, we’ll know that David was right and we have become a swing state.  We’ll soon know the truth. Dennis and David are shown below.
Meeting Recap - November 5, 2019 Jeff Benson 2019-11-05 06:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - October 29, 2019

Posted by Jeff Benson on Oct 29, 2019
Our guests today were: Ramsey County Commissioner Mary Jo McGuire and Assistant District Governor Sandy Campbell.
 
Remember that the CPY Game Night is this Friday, 6PM, at the New Brighton Community Center.
 
It looks like we will have a great turnout for the Rotary Foundation Dinner this Saturday at the Delta Hotel in Minneapolis.  Mayor Val Johnson has provided a huge number of sweatshirts imprinted with motivational messages to be sold at the dinner as a fundraiser for the Foundation.  Contact Cindy if you can help transport some boxes of sweatshirts to the dinner.
 
Nyle Zikmund passed out copies of the latest paper edition of the Club Directory.  More copies are available if you need them.  Special thanks to MaryAnn Bawden for producing them.
 
Cindy Carlson reported that the “One Rotary Summit” last weekend was a great source of information about Rotary for new Rotarians as well as more seasoned ones.
 
Assistant District Governor Sandy Campbell introduced District Governor Paul Perez.  DG Perez joined Prior Lake Rotary in 2003, has been active in all areas of local club administration and served as Prior Lake’s president in 2013-14. Paul’s wife Susan has also joined Rotary to see firsthand all the fun that Paul was having.  Their children have been involved in Interact and Rotary Exchange and the Perez’s have been Rotary Exchange host parents. 
 
Paul revealed Rotary’s new Vision Statement:  “Together, we see a world where people unite and take action to create lasting change — across the globe, in our communities, and in ourselves.”   He broke the statement apart to emphasize each part.  Together we see a world where people unite emphasizes the collective power of Rotarians working together.   Take action to create lasting change emphasizes the importance of sustainable service initiatives.  Across the globe highlights Rotary’s international efforts.  In our Communities spotlights the importance of local Rotary programs.  And, finally Create lasting change in ourselves focuses on how we are transformed by serving others.  Rotary International President Mark Daniel Maloney’s theme for his presidency, “Rotary connects the World”, perfectly summarizes this new Vision Statement.
 
Paul has four focus points as District Governor: Growing Rotary, Growing Giving, Growing Service and Growing Connections.  Growing Rotary of course means focusing on membership growth.  Growing Giving focuses on increasing contributions to the Rotary Foundation programs like Polio Plus.  Finally, Growing Connections focuses on our need to strengthen connections both within the club and outside of the club, using both modern technology as well as good old fashioned face to face communication to promote Rotary’s “Service above Self” motto.
 
 Questions after the presentation revolved around Rotary’s Anti-Human Trafficking efforts, so I’ve included a link to the Rotary Anti-Trafficking Website.  Click here to go to the website.  President Dennis Connolly and DG Paul Perez are shown below.
Meeting Recap - October 29, 2019 Jeff Benson 2019-10-29 05:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - October 22, 2019

Posted by Jeff Benson on Oct 22, 2019
Our guests today were: Honorary Rotarian MaryAnn Bawden, Japanese exchange student Nanase Hirama, exchange host Denise Jacobsen, T.C. North Chamber president, John Connolly, Arden Hills Shoreview Rotarian Marian Zachary, Jason Helgemoe, Andrea Murphy, Mike Scholl, Andy Aplikowski and our guest of honor, Beverly Aplikowski.
 
Twin Cities North President John Connolly updated us on the Interstate 35W construction and invited us to check out the MnDOT website for all the latest information.
 
Cindy Carlson asked our guest of honor, Beverly Aplikowski, to join her up front as she reviewed the many ways that Bev has served the NBMV Rotary club and her community.  Bev joined our Rotary club in 1994 and over the following 24 ½ years played a very active role in club activities and administration.  Bev lived out the 4-Way test in her business and personal interactions, serving as an ethical role model for this writer and many others in the club.  Bev was a board member for many years and served as club president from 2003-2004.  Bev’s event planning skills helped keep our annual Gold Plate Dinner fundraisers running smoothly and growing steadily for many years.  Bev has also hosted our annual holiday celebrations at her home for as long as I can remember.  Bev’s recently declining mobility has prevented her from continuing her active membership in the club, but today we made her an Honorary NBMV Rotarian.  Many thanks go to our other Honorary Rotarian, MaryAnn Bawden, who provided a delicious homemade cake to celebrate the occasion.  Although Bev may not be able to join us as often as she would like, she will always be a part of the club and her contributions will not be forgotten.  Dennis Bev and Cindy are shown below.
 
Dennis is strongly promoting One Rotary Summit which will be held in Stillwater on October 26th from 9-1PM.  These Summits are a great way for all Rotarians, but especially new ones, to increase their knowledge about Rotary.  Please consider attending.
  
On Tuesday October 29th, the Board will meet at 11AM, followed by District Governor Paul Perez’ official visit to our club.  It’s important that we have great attendance for his presentation so please mark your calendars now.  DG Perez is asking us for topics or questions of interest to our club.  Please contact Dennis if you have something you’d like the District Governor to talk about.
 
The annual Rotary Foundation Dinner will be held on November 2nd at the Delta Hotel in Minneapolis.  We’ve always had a sizeable delegation of NBMV Rotarians at this meeting and it looks like this year will be no exception.  Contact Cindy to add your name to the growing NBMV delegation.
 
Our Japanese exchange student, Nanase (pronounced Nah-nah-say), has settled in with the Jacobsen’s.  She loves ice cream, chocolate, pizza and hamburgers and she’s willing to try new things.  She especially loves the outdoors.  Make a point to do something with her soon.  Her email is: nanasan.buddy@gmail.com and cell # is 651-925-6012.
 
On Thursday, November 22nd from 7-9PM the Ralph Reeder Food Shelf will host a free Thanksgiving concert by Rubber Soul, a Beatles tribute band. The concert will be held at Peace Church, 5050 Hodgson Rd, Shoreview.  No admission fee or registration needed.  A free will offering will benefit The Ralph Reeder Food Shelf.
  
CPY Game Night is Friday November 1st from 6 to 10PM at the New Brighton Community Center.  In addition to the games, there will be live and silent auctions and a cash bar.  Reserve your place now by clicking here.
 
Mark your calendars now for the Irondale Choir Christmas Concert/Sing Along at our noon meeting on December 17th.  As in recent years, we will meet at Risdall Marketing in Roseville.
 
Check out this Star Tribune article about the Community Support Center.
 
Due to holiday conflicts the club will not meet on December 24th and 31st.
 
Geoff Hollimon announced that our District Matching Grant application to provide a 2 wheel tractor for E.C.H.O. has been approved.  Great work, Geoff!
 
Garry Johnson proudly announced the birth of his new grandson.  Mother and son are doing well!
 
Mike Neeley introduced our speaker, Christine Noonan, from the Minnesota State Fair.  Christine said that the Minnesota State Fair is the largest state fair in the nation, this year breaking the all time total attendance record at 2.1 million, besting even the Texas State Fair which runs for 24 days.  The Fair draws attendees from all over the U.S. and even internationally.  The Fair had its beginnings as a territorial fair in 1854, two years before Minnesota became a state.  Its purpose was to attract people to Minnesota.  After Minnesota became a state in 1858, the territorial fair became the Minnesota State Fair in 1959.  It had been held in several locations around the state until Ramsey County donated the 210 acre poor farm property which would become the permanent home of the Fair.  Since that time, the Fair has expanded to its current 322 acres.  It’s interesting to note that the Fair is managed by the Agricultural Society and is completely self-supporting, receiving no government funding or taxpayer dollars of any kind.  This year’s fair grossed $57 against expenses of $48 million.  Since the fair duration is limited by the fair circuit schedule and the fair is landlocked with no room to expand, improvements to the Fair can only occur by improving facilities and services. For that reason, $6-7 million of the net goes to improvements and maintenance of existing facilities and programs each year.  The Fair also draws revenue from approximately 150 events that are held on the Fairgrounds during non-Fair time.  The economic impact to Minnesota is estimated to be $268 million annually.  Christine and Mike are pictured below.
Meeting Recap - October 22, 2019 Jeff Benson 2019-10-22 05:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - October 15, 2019

Posted by Jeff Benson on Oct 15, 2019
Our guests today were: New Brighton Public Safety Director Tony Paetznik, Mounds View Police Chief Nate Harder and New Brighton Mayor, Val Johnson.
 
President Dennis Connolly reminded us that Tuesday, October 22nd is World Polio Day.  One way to celebrate Rotary’s polio eradication efforts would be to attend Anoka Rotary’s 40th Anniversary Celebration on Thursday, October 24th, starting at 6PM.  There will be free appetizers, dessert and coffee bar as well as a cash bar.  Join them for games and a raffle to benefit End Polio Now.  The event will be held at Green Haven Golf and Event Center, 2800 Greenhaven Rd, Anoka.  To RSVP or ask questions, email Sandy at SCampbell.AnokaRotary40@yahoo.com.
 
Dennis is strongly promoting One Rotary Summit which will be held in Stillwater on October 26th from 9-1PM.  These Summits are a great way for all Rotarians, but especially new ones, to increase their knowledge about Rotary.  Please consider attending.
  
On Tuesday October 29th, at 12:15PM, District Governor Paul Perez will visit our club.  It’s important that we have great attendance for his presentation so please mark your calendars now.  DG Perez is asking us for topics or questions of interest to our club.  Please contact Dennis if you have something you’d like the District Governor to talk about.
 
The annual Rotary Foundation Dinner will be held on November 2nd at the Delta Hotel in Minneapolis.  We’ve always had a sizeable delegation of NBMV Rotarians at this meeting and it looks like this year will be no exception.  Contact Cindy to add your name to the growing NBMV delegation.
 
Our Japanese exchange student, Nanase (pronounced Nah-nah-say), has settled in with the Jacobsen’s.  She loves ice cream, chocolate, pizza and hamburgers and she’s willing to try new things.  She especially loves the outdoors.  Make a point to do something with her soon.  Her email is: nanasan.buddy@gmail.com and cell # is 651-925-6012. Nanase , Cindy and Ed are shown below.
 
On Thursday, November 22nd from 7-9PM the Ralph Reeder Food Shelf will host a free Thanksgiving concert by Rubber Soul, a Beatles tribute band. The concert will be held at Peace Church, 5050 Hodgson Rd, Shoreview.  No admission fee or registration needed.  A free will offering will benefit The Ralph Reeder Food Shelf.
 
Next Tuesday’s (October 22nd) noon meeting will feature a celebration of Beverly Aplikowski’s NBMV Honorary Rotarian Designation.  Please join us as we celebrate Beverly’s many contributions to NBMV Rotary.
 
CPY Game Night is Friday November 1st from 6 to 10PM at the New Brighton Community Center.  In addition to the games, there will be live and silent auctions and a cash bar.  Reserve your place now by clicking here.
 
Mark your calendars now for the Irondale Choir Christmas Concert/Sing Along at our noon meeting on December 17th.  As in recent years, we will meet at Risdall Marketing in Roseville.
 
Due to holiday conflicts the club will not meet on December 24th and 31st.
 
New Brighton Public Safety Director, Tony Paetznik, introduced our speaker, Drew Evans, Superintendant of the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (MBCA).  Established in 1927, its mission is to assist local law enforcement in preventing and solving crimes.  Headquartered in St Paul, with branches in St. Cloud and Bemidji and 11 field offices across the state, the MBCA is part of the Minnesota Department of Public Safety with budget of nearly $75 million per year.  A look at the myriad ways that the MBCA impacts law enforcement in Minnesota makes that budget number seem like a bargain.  The MBCA has nearly 500 employees working with nearly every public safety agency in the state.   They assist law enforcement with violent crimes including death investigations, cold cases, officer-involved shootings and crime scene processing.  The regional facilities also work on narcotics crimes including high level drug traffickers, undercover operations.  They also work with DEA, FBI, Homeland Security and U.S. Marshalls national task forces.  The MBCA works on Predatory Crimes like crimes against children, human trafficking and investigations and registration for level 3 sex offenders.  The Tech Services Unit assists local law enforcement with pen registers, wiretaps, covert cameras, electronic surveillance, cell phone tracking and crime scene response.  The Forensic Sciences Service helps with DNA analysis, fingerprints, firearm ballistic analysis, digital data analysis, arson, drugs, toxicology, arson and sexual assault.  The MN Fusion Center links federal and state agencies to coordinate information sharing and decrease response times.  These are just the major areas of investigative services and the demand for services is rapidly expanding.  Tony Paetznik, Nate Harder, Nyle Zikmund, and Superintendant Evans are pictured below,
Meeting Recap - October 15, 2019 Jeff Benson 2019-10-15 05:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - October 1, 2019

Posted by Jeff Benson on Oct 01, 2019
Jennifer Fink’s guest today was Charnelle Dengnove.  Charnelle is shadowing New Brighton city administrators.
 
Past President Cindy Carlson was subbing for President Dennis Connolly this week.
 
The Board will meet on Tuesday, October 8th at 11:00
 
A One Rotary Summit will be held in Stillwater on October 26th.  These Summits are a great way for all Rotarians to increase their knowledge about Rotary.  Please consider attending.
 
On Saturday September 21, Mounds View will hold a Community Resource Fair at the Mounds View Community Center.  Some volunteers are needed so if you can help, contact Andy Thomas <andrew.thomas.ymcamn.org@clubrunner.email - 763-717-4036.
 
The NBMV morning group will be meeting on Thursday, October 10th, 7:15 – 8:00AM at the BruHouse.  All Rotarians are welcome.
 
Stillwater Rotary is celebrating 100 years as a Rotary Club with a dinner and entertainment on Thursday, October 10th, from 6-9PM.  Click here to purchase tickets or get more information.
 
Anoka Rotary is celebrating its 40th anniversary on Thursday, October 24th, starting at 6PM.  There will be free appetizers, dessert and coffee bar as well as a cash bar.  Join them for games and a raffle to benefit End Polio Now.  The event will be held at Green Haven Golf and Event Center, 2800 Greenhaven Rd, Anoka.  To RSVP or ask questions, email Sandy at SCampbell.AnokaRotary40@yahoo.com.
 
On Tuesday October 29th, at 12:15PM, District Governor Paul Perez will visit our club.  It’s important that we have great attendance for his presentation so please mark your calendars now.
 
The annual Rotary Foundation Dinner will be held on November 2nd at the Delta Hotel in Minneapolis.  We’ve always had a sizeable delegation of NBMV Rotarians at this meeting.  Contact Nils Friberg to reserve your seat.
 
Our Japanese exchange student, Nanase (pronounced Nah-nah-say), has settled in with the Jacobsen’s.  She loves ice cream, chocolate, pizza and hamburgers and she’s willing to try new things.  She especially loves the outdoors.  Make a point to do something with her soon.  Her email is: nanasan.buddy@gmail.com and cell # is 651-925-6012. 
 
John Ordway said that there are still a few tickets available for our outing to the Ordway to see a hilarious one man comedy show about parenting by Mike Birbiglia.  The group will be going to the October 19th show and the tickets are $65 per person.  Contact John ASAP if you would like to join us.  The show begins at 7:30 but John has arranged for us to gather in the Contributors Lounge at 7:00 for a complimentary beverage.
 
Next weeks speaker is Terry Chaney from the Center for Energy and the Environment’s Home Energy Squad.
 
Mark your calendars now for the Irondale Choir Christmas Concert/Sing Along at our noon meeting on December 17th.  Venue to be determined.
 
Due to holiday conflicts the club will not meet on December 24th and 31st.
 
Mayor Val Johnson has donated a number of sweatshirts and t-shirts imprinted with inspirational messages to be sold as a fundraiser for the Rotary Foundation.  Paul Fournier has agreed to organize the sale.  Stay tuned for more information.
 
Dave Hoel announced that he and Susan have been married for 50 years!  Dave is hoping that Susan will renew the year-to-year contract again next year.
 
Amy Janecek reported that the Irondale renovations are proceeding as planned.  She praised the patience and cooperation of staff and students alike.
 
Nyle Zykmund introduced Christina Hausman-Rhode, representing the Voyager’s National Park Association (VNPA), the official charitable partner of Minnesota’s National Park.  Organized in 1975, the VNPA represents those who care about the future of Voyagers National Park.  Their mission is to advocate and educate to preserve the natural beauty of the park, provide financial and volunteer support for conservation and restoration and to support outreach and encourage community engagement.  The Park was created to preserve the historic trade route of the French Voyageurs during the period from 1680 to 1880.  The park is quite large, covering 218,000 acres, 40% of which is water with over a thousand islands and 655 miles of undeveloped shoreline.  The park shares its 55 mile northern boundary with Canada, stretching eastward from International Falls to Crane Lake.  The Park offer a variety of activities and accommodations, including paddling and motorized boating, fishing, hiking, camping, birding and wildlife observation.  Christina’s favorite spots include the Ash River Visitor’s Center, Grassy Bay Cliffs, the Interior Lakes Chain, Ellsworth Rock Gardens, Kettle Falls Hotel and Anderson Bay.  The arrival of winter presents opportunities for snowmobiling, ice fishing and cross-country skiing as well as some of the most dramatic scenic beauty you will ever experience.  The park's website can be accessed here.  Christina and Nyle are shown below.
 
Nicole Ulrich, husband Tyson and their new son Tristan made a surprise visit to the meeting (see photo below)
Meeting Recap - October 1, 2019 Jeff Benson 2019-10-01 05:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - September 17, 2019

Posted by Jeff Benson on Sep 17, 2019
September’s Board meeting is postponed until October 8th at 11:00 AM.
 
Another “One Rotary Summit” will be held in Stillwater on October 26th.  These Summits are a great way for all Rotarians to increase their knowledge about Rotary.  Please consider attending.
 
Stillwater Rotary is celebrating 100 years as a Rotary Club with a dinner and entertainment on Thursday, October 10th, from 6-9PM.  Click here to purchase tickets or get more information.
 
Anoka Rotary is celebrating its 40th anniversary on Thursday, October 24th, starting at 6PM.  There will be free appetizers, dessert and coffee bar as well as a cash bar.  Join them for games and a raffle to benefit End Polio Now.  The event will be held at Green Haven Golf and Event Center, 2800 Greenhaven Rd, Anoka.  To RSVP or ask questions, email Sandy at SCampbell.AnokaRotary40@yahoo.com.
 
On Saturday September 21, Mounds View will hold a Community Resource Fair at the Mounds View Community Center.  Some volunteers are needed so if you can help, contact Andy Thomas <andrew.thomas.ymcamn.org@clubrunner.email - 763-717-4036.
 
On Tuesday October 29th, at 12:15PM, District Governor Paul Perez will visit our club.  It’s important that we have great attendance for his presentation so please mark your calendars now.
 
The annual Rotary Foundation Dinner will be held on November 2nd at the Delta Hotel in Minneapolis.  We’ve always had a sizeable delegation of NBMV Rotarians at this meeting.  Contact Nils Friberg to reserve your seat.
 
Cindy Carlson noted that our Japanese exchange student, Nanase (pronounced Nӑh-nӑh-say), has settled in with the Jacobsen’s.  She loves ice cream, chocolate, pizza and hamburgers and she’s willing to try new things.  She especially loves the outdoors.  Make a point to do something with her soon.  Her email is: nanasan.buddy@gmail.com and cell # is 651-925-6012.  Nanase is on the tennis team at Irondale and she will need a ride home after a match on Thursday between 5 and 5:30PM and also needs a ride home from practice at 5 PM this Friday.  Please let her know if you can get her home on either or both of those days.
 
John Ordway is organizing an outing at the Ordway to see a hilarious one man comedy show about parenting by Mike Birbiglia.  The group will be going to the October 19th show and the tickets (approx $70 ea) are in high demand so contact John ASAP so he can arrange for good seats.  The show begins at 7:30 but John has arranged for us to gather in the Contributors Lounge at 7:00 for a complimentary beverage.
 
Our presenter today was Scott Carlson, a fifty year veteran of Twin Cities' journalism and winner of several journalism awards.  Scott had difficulty with reading and spelling in early elementary school, but a patient mother used his interest in sports to get him to work at reading the sports page in the newspaper.  He soon became an excellent reader and his interest in the newspaper increased as he grew older, causing him to decide on a career in journalism by age 11.  His first byline was an article on music in the John Glenn Middle school paper and he wrote the football column for his high school newspaper.  He wrote for the Minnesota Daily while in journalism school at the University of Minnesota.  He joined the St. Paul Pioneer Press in 1975 and wrote for several columns until he settled in to writing at the business desk and continued there for 20 years until he left the Pioneer press in 2006 to pursue free lance work and authoring non-fiction books.  Scott’s freelance work has included a variety of print and internet media.  Scott noted that the pressure to get stories out to the public quickly and the proliferation of news sources have resulted in fragmented and occasionally biased or inaccurate reporting.  He also sees a blurring of the line between factual and editorial content.  Despite these developments, Scott sees a future for “objective, thorough, fair and impartial” reporting and he mentioned CNN as an example of a news outlet at least attempting to present the news in that way.  He also gave a nod to MPR for their news coverage.  Scott’s new book “Twin Cities Beer, A Heady History” is available here.  Jed Hamoud and Scott are shown below.
Meeting Recap - September 17, 2019 Jeff Benson 2019-09-17 05:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - September 10, 2019

Posted by Jeff Benson on Sep 10, 2019
Today’s guests were:  Assistant District Governor and Anoka Rotarian, Sandy Campbell and prospective member Bob Gephardt.
 
ADG Campbell was here to promote Anoka Rotary’s 40th Anniversary Celebration on Thursday, October 24th, starting at 6PM.  There will be free appetizers, dessert and coffee bar as well as a cash bar.  Join them for games and a raffle to benefit End Polio Now.  The event will be held at Green Haven Golf and Event Center, 2800 Greenhaven Rd, Anoka.  To RSVP or ask questions, email Sandy at SCampbell.AnokaRotary40@yahoo.com.
 
The Edina Rotary Club is holding a workshop on “Taking Action to Prevent Human Sex Trafficking” on Thursday, September 19, 2019 (11:30 – 1:30PM). Registration for the workshop is done through your home Rotary Club and the club will be invoiced for the $20 cost.  Registration closes on September 14, so contact Dennis ASAP if you want to attend. Check-in starts at 11:30 and lunch is served at 12.  The workshop ends at 1:30.
 
If you’d like to learn more about Rotary, One Rotary Summit is just the ticket.  The Summit will be presented twice; once in Northfield on September 21st and once in Stillwater on October 26th.
 
The Spring Lake Park, Blaine Mounds View (SBM) Fire Department will celebrate its 75th Anniversary on Saturday, September 14th.  Come experience a full day of food, history, demonstrations, music, auctions, and professional fireworks.  Come to the National Sports Center in Blaine to join in the fun.  Admission is free for the day but some activities require purchase. Click here for more information.
 
$4,000 has been earmarked from the John Marg-Patton memorial fund for another Harvest Pack Event at Irondale on the afternoon of Tuesday, December 10, 2019.
 
Membership Director Cindy Carlson had the pleasure of inducting John Johnson into the club.  Many of you already know that John and his wife hosted our exchange student, Maria Klakegg, last year.  Please take a moment to welcome John to the club.  John and Cindy are pictured below.
 
John Ordway is organizing an outing at the Ordway to see a hilarious one man comedy show about parenting by Mike Birbiglia.  The group will be going to the October 19th show and the tickets (approx $70 ea) are in high demand so contact John ASAP so he can arrange for good seats.
 
Our presenter today was Dr. Nicholas Phelps, Director of the Minnesota Aquatic Invasive Species Research Center (MAISRC) at the University of Minnesota.  Nick is also a former president of the Blaine Ham Lake Rotary Club.  Nick’s presentation was “From the Lab to the Lake: Minnesota’s Fight Against Aquatic Invasive Species”.  Minnesota is known worldwide for our beautiful lakes and streams but that beauty, and even the health, of these precious resources is under threat from aquatic invasive species (AIS).  These threats take many forms, including non-native plants, fish, invertebrates and even the toxins and pathogens carried by these invasive species.  Since its inception nearly 7 years ago, the MAISRC has been fighting these invasive species by scientifically studying the efficacy of existing control measures and researching and applying new methods.  MAISRC has 60 researchers and 14 grad students engaged in the fight to save lakes and streams all across Minnesota.
 
Invasive plants include, among others, eurasian watermilfoil, curly leaf pondweed, starry stonewort and non-native phragmites.  Control of these species is complicated by boats inadvertently transferring invasive species from lake to lake and the ability of the invasive plants to form hybrids with native species.  Despite these challenges, boater education, as well as chemical and mechanical methods are eliminating or at least halting the spread of invasive plants and new methods are being investigated.
 
Invasive invertebrates include spiny waterflea and zebra mussels.  In addition to their better known effects on Minnesota’s lakes, these species have also been shown to inhibit the growth of walleyes.  Like invasive plants, these invertebrates spread from lake to lake on boats and trailers, so boater education and watercraft design and decontamination are important.  The genome of zebra mussels has recently been mapped and researchers are hopeful that gene targeting may one day play a role in control of this destructive pest.
 
Invasive fish include the common carp and the asian (or big head) carp.  Control methods include sonic deterrents, toxic bait, bubble barriers and the oddly named “fish cannon” which essentially sucks carp out of narrow waterways.
 
Invasive pathogens, parasites and toxins which are carried by the three categories already mentioned are also creating control challenges, but progress is being made. 
 
For more information, check out the MAISRC’s website.
 
You can help in several ways:
- Be aware of AIS threats and report new finds
- Clean, drain and dry boats and trailers
- Become an AIS detector
- Sign up for MAISRC’s newsletter
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Dennis and Nick  are shown below.
Meeting Recap - September 10, 2019 Jeff Benson 2019-09-10 05:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - September 3, 2019

Posted by Jeff Benson on Sep 03, 2019
Today’s Guests were: Our Japanese exchange student, Nanase Hirama and John Chandler.
 
President Dennis Connolly invited everyone to attend the breakfast meeting this Thursday, 7:15AM, at The BruHouse for a discussion of the proposed Honorary Rotarian Designation Guidelines.
 
Check your email for a complete list of upcoming activities.
 
Dennis presented some information to clarify last week’s announcement about progress toward a “polio-free” world.  Great progress has been made in controlling the “wild” polio virus but there is still a problem with “vaccine derived” polio virus.  These vaccine derived strains occur through mutation of the weakened polio virus used to make the vaccines.  Poor human waste disposal systems allow people to come in contact with the excreted viruses which are capable of causing polio.  These vaccine derived viruses will be the major challenge in the ongoing fight to eradicate polio.
 
Happy Bucks Highlights
- John Risdall offered a buck in celebration of son Ted’s 50th birthday.  We’re all invited to the birthday celebration this Thursday from 2-6 PM at Risdall Marketing, 2685 Long Lake Road
Roseville.
- Bob Barmore was happy to announce the birth of his granddaughter, Lana.
 
Jed Hamoud introduced the KnightKrawlers robotics team from Irondale.  Mentor Scott Davis introduced the team members: Maria Johnson – Public Relations Captain, Mathew Ryan – Team Co-Captain, Chris Hardwick – Strategy Captain, Xander Pichner – Build Team Member and Michael Nguyen – Build Team Member.  The students took over from there, presenting an excellent overview of the robotics team at Irondale.  Scott provided the following summary of the program for inclusion in this bulletin:
 
KnightKrawler Robotics is entering the 14th year this year. Only one other team in the state of Minnesota is older than the Irondale Robotics team.  The team has finished 1st, 2nd or 3rd in the state tournament every year for the past 7 years, with a first place finish 3 times.  Additionally, the team has attended the World Championships the past 7 years, making it to the finals with 30 other teams out of 600 that competed at the championships in Detroit in 2019.  KnightKrawler has a long history of promoting STEM in our community and at large.  They have traveled to Washington DC to meet with members of Minnesota's Congressional Delegation about the value of STEM education and robotics programs in schools.  Every year KnightKrawler introduces hundreds of kids to high school robotics by presenting at clubs as small as a Girl Scout troop and to conferences with over a thousand adults and several hundred children.  These students from Irondale High School also mentor junior high students in their robotics clubs within our district, as well as assist teams at other high schools around the area, including Mounds View, Totino Grace, Columbia Heights and Coon Rapids. Every year, the team purchases materials for, and builds a complete practice field the size of a volleyball court, which is used to host a practice tournament allowing 30+ teams from the area to have a chance to practice before their first official tournament. The team isn't only about the technical skills of building and programming a robot.  The team also has a dedicated group of students that focus on the business aspect of the program, including marketing, social media, web development, educational outreach, and fundraising. The team receives less than 10% of their annual operating budget from the school district. As such, the team runs like a business, operating year, with approximately 3/4 as a registered 501c3 non-profit.  Finally, in case you think Robotics is a small program, the state of Minnesota now has more high school robotics teams than hockey teams.  KnightKrawler averages 45 to 50 students on the team each graduating seniors electing to "go pro" by pursuing a career in a STEM related field. In the past 5+ years, KnightKrawler averages about 30% female members, with young women typically fulfilling half of the student leadership roles on the team.  You can learn more about the team at http://team2052.com.
 
The Team, Scott and Jed are pictured below, followed by a photo of the demo robot they brought along.
 
Meeting Recap - September 3, 2019 Jeff Benson 2019-09-03 05:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - August 27, 2019

Posted by Jeff Benson on Aug 27, 2019
We had many guests today to see Maria Nhambu speak; Cheryl Neeley, Ruth Marg Patton, Debbie Connolly and grandkids Mackenzie and Matthew.  Also present were: Gretchen, Laura, Polly and Merrilee (last names unknown).  Mike and Cheryl’s neighbor and Hopkins Rotarian, Nelson Berg, was also here to see Maria Nhambu.
 
Nanase, our newly arrived exchange student from Japan, was introduced to the club. Nanase’s sister was an exchange student to New Zealand.  Stay tuned for information on how to contact Nanase to arrange activities with her.
 
Check your email for a list of upcoming events and speakers.
 
John Johnson is scheduled for induction into the club on September 10th, so let’s have a big turnout to welcome him into the club.
 
Overall contributions to the Rotary Foundation have lagged recently, so all are urged to consider an additional contribution or an  increase in your scheduled quarterly contributions.
 
Proposed guidelines have been developed for Honorary NBMV Rotarian designation.  You should receive the proposal by email today and a vote will be taken at the September 3 club meeting.
 
Happy Bucks Highlights:
- John Risdall was happy that his brother Robert travelled from Portland for a surprise visit.  John was also happy for his son Ted’s 50th birthday.
- Dana Rebelein was happy for two family reunions and for the Twins’ winning ways.
 
- Mike Neeley was happy that Kenya has now been certified as polio free, making the entire continent of Africa polio free.  That leaves just Pakistan and Afghanistan as the only countries remaining to be rid of the scourge of polio.
 
Cheryl Neeley introduced her friend and author, Maria Nhambu.  Maria was born a mixed-race child in Tanzania, East Africa, in 1943.  At that time, mixed-race children were not accepted and often placed in orphanages.  When she was 3 days old she was delivered to an orphanage where she was raised by German nuns.  She was consumed by a desire to search for her mother outside the orphanage which led to frequent beatings by the obedience obsessed nuns.  Maria also loved dancing, especially in the native African style, and this resulted in frequent beatings by the nuns who preferred the waltz.  Maria was a good student, but education at the orphanage only went through 4th grade.  Eventually she got a scholarship to a school 200 miles away which made the orphanage seem heavenly by comparison.  After 8th grade, Maria moved to an American-run orphanage which was much less strict than the German one.  She flourished there; encouraged by the staff to sing, dance and learn.  It was there that she met Kathy, a lay-teacher from Onamia, MN.  Kathy (age 23) adopted Maria (age 19) and they returned to Minnesota.  This unlikely relationship changed both of their lives.  Maria attended St Catherine’s and eventually married a prominent Twin Cities businessman.  When Maria was 36, her white birth mother came to the U.S. and reconnected with Maria.  After spending much of the early part of her life looking for her mother, Maria was disappointed to find her mother to be cold and distant.  She also met her half brother, Larry who was warm and loving, unlike her mother.  Her mother refused, even until her death, to disclose the identity of Maria’s father.  Maria’s desire to connect with her father led her, and brother Larry, to Tanzania.  By an almost miraculous turn of events, Maria actually located her father, who had been the cook for her mother.  Her father’s name was Nhambu; and Maria changed her name to honor him.
 
Maria has written three books about her life experience:   Africa’s Child, America’s Daughter and Drum Beats, Heart Beats.  Cheryl and Maria are shown below.
Meeting Recap - August 27, 2019 Jeff Benson 2019-08-27 05:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - August 13, 2019

Posted by Jeff Benson on Aug 13, 2019
Our guests today were Bob Rebelein (Dana’s brother in law) and Eric Sabo from Benedictine Health Center.
 
Nicole Ulrich reminded us that Nanase, our Japanese exchange student, will arrive at the airport this Friday.    Her flight is Delta DL120 arriving at Terminal 1 at 12:39. We hope to have as many Rotarians there as possible to welcome her to the U.S. and to our club.
 
Mounds View’s “Festival in the Park” will be held on Saturday, August 17th and our help is needed for the Mounds View Police Foundation’s Bingo and kids games fundraisers. 
 
The Annual Rotary Foundation Dinner will be held at the Delta Hotel in Minneapolis this year.  Let’s have a strong representation from our club this year, as in years past.  Contact Nils Friberg for more information or registration.
 
We’re invited to Arden Hills/Shoreview Rotary’s “Taste of the Hops” craft beer tasting fundraiser.  Join in the fun from 5:30-8:30PM at Snail Lake Park, 4191 Snail Lake Blvd, Shoreview.  $20 in advance - or $25 at the door.
 
Dana Rebelein reminded us that Maria Nhambu will speak to the club on August 27th.  She has written 3 books about being raised in an orphanage in East Africa.  Dana and Cheryl Neeley highly recommend Maria’s presentation. 
 
Maria is just one of many excellent speakers scheduled in the coming months and President Dennis Connolly thanked those responsible for scheduling the speakers.
 
Geoff Hollimon noted that our E.C.H.O. matching grant is progressing well.   We are in the process of lining up funding partner clubs whose own matching grants align with our benevolent vision.
 
Jason Miller’s daughter is studying in Quito, Ecuador through December.
 
Today’s speaker was our own Mary Stewart, offering an update on Community Partners with Youth (CPY).    Mary said that summer 2019 was a challenging time from a staffing perspective.  Despite that challenge, CPY was able to offer 7 weeks of quality summer activities to 77 elementary and 56 middle schoolers.  Summer sessions start at 7:30 and run until 5:30, so it’s a challenge to keep the kids busy but CPY offered a community garden experience sponsored by Mike Johnson and API.  Kids were also able to experience activities like biking at the Velodrome in Blaine and beginner’s golf training at Brightwood Hills.  Student artistic skills were honed at the New Brighton Community Center mural painting and painted rock garden.  The Ramsey County Library sponsored tech sessions in CAD/CAM design and 3D printing as well as laser cutting of self designed vinyl stickers.  As always, community service is stressed for all students at CPY.  Community service activities included Feed My Starving Children, making sandwiches for a homeless shelter, making blankets for an infant shelter, and making cards for armed services men and women.  All students must fulfill a service activity to attend the Valleyfair event at the end of the session.
 
Mary noted that many CPY students have serious home situation problems that make learning difficult, but CPY's caring and consistent approach to these problems leads to huge improvements over time.  Family financial challenges also have an impact on CPY, but creative sliding scale tuition structures make CPY possible for most families who want to be a part of CPY’s amazing program.  Minnesota has the 4th highest child care costs in the nation, which makes CPY’s tuition and especially good bargain.  CPY also offers scholarships for families who would otherwise be unable to participate.  Mary noted that our club contributed enough for three scholarships this summer. 
 
CPY’s fall after school program starts up just after Labor Day and will again feature Girls on the Run (running and life skills training) and Girls Expo (girls career option education).  CPY is also looking into possible boy-specific programs.   If you have an idea about a program for boys, I’m sure that Mary would love to discuss it with you.
 
As always, CPY is looking for volunteers to help as on a daily basis, or just a few hours per week.  You’ll find that this can be some of the most rewarding volunteering you can do.  Give Mary a call if you have any interest in helping out with this vital community program.  Dennis and Mary are pictured below.
Meeting Recap - August 13, 2019 Jeff Benson 2019-08-13 05:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - August 6, 2019

Posted by Jeff Benson on Aug 06, 2019
Our guest today was Gordy Backlund from the Fridley Rotary Club.
 
Many thanks go to the Rotarians, and spouses who showed up to help serve hot dogs, chips and drinks to the overheated Stockyard Days Parade participants.  Although the number of units in the Parade was considerably fewer than would be expected at the normal Thursday evening time slot, the participants were very grateful for the food and refreshments on a very hot and humid afternoon.
 
The club has been working on criteria for “honorary membership” status and a recommendation will be presented at the upcoming Board meeting.  If the recommendation is approved by the board, it will be presented to the membership for a vote at an upcoming noon meeting.
 
Charlie Longbella has agreed to head up a committee to enhance our social media presence.  Your input, and possibly your help, will be appreciated.
 
Check your email for a list of upcoming Rotary events.
 
Mounds View’s “Festival in the Park” will be held on Saturday, August 17th and our help is needed for the Mounds View Police Foundation’s Bingo and kids games fundraisers.   You can sign up at our August 13 noon meeting.
 
The Annual Rotary Foundation Dinner will be held at the Delta Hotel in Minneapolis this year.  Let’s have a strong representation from our club this year, as in years past.  Contact Nils Friberg for more information or registration.
 
Geoff Hollimon reported that the CPY golf ball drop fundraiser went very well last Sunday despite the fact that no golf balls actually made it into the hole.  The event netted $4,027 in much needed funds for CPY.
 
Cindy Carlson advised us that a new Rotaract club will be chartered.  The newly minted “South Metro Networking Rotaract Club” will celebrate its charter on Thursday, September 12th from 6:30-8:30 at the Black Diamond Restaurant, 5418 Buck Hill Road, Burnsville.  Click here for more info.
 
For those of you whose interest in Guatemala was piqued by PDG Jim Hunt’s recent presentation to our club, here is the scoop on informational tours of Guatemala:
 
GLP Tour<https://coeduc.org/tours/glp/> February 1-9, 2020:
Single occupancy $1,875 / Double $1,675
This trip is primarily for Rotarians and their friends and family members, but all are welcome. We spend a week traveling and visiting the GLP projects through the highlands, as well as make time for fellowship with local Rotarians.

Snapshot Tour<https://coeduc.org/tours/snapshot/> February 18-23 or July 21-26, 2020:
Single occupancy $1,475 / Double $1,375
This trip gives a glimpse into the GLP’s projects and Guatemala in general, with visits to GLP schools as well as tourism (boat ride on Lake, shopping in markets, optional visit to a coffee farm, etc). This is a great intro trip to Guatemala.

Helping Hands Tour<https://coeduc.org/tours/helpinghands/> July 12-18, 2020: Single occupancy $1,575 / Double $1,475 This trip spends all week in beautiful Antigua volunteering at a school in one of the GLP’s programs. You’ll get to work alongside the kids as well as enjoy the beautiful city of Antigua. This is a great trip for families.
 
CPY could use our help again this year with the kid’s inflatables fundraiser at Stockyard Days.  Sign up online by clicking here.
 
Dana Rebelein introduced our speaker, Brent Hamoud.  Brent is the former project manager at Kid’s Alive International, author of the book, “Strangers in the Kingdom: Ministering to Refugees, Migrants and the Stateless”, and son of one of our newest members, Jed Hamoud.  Brent moved from the U.S. to Lebanon 12 years ago to better serve refugees and other displaced persons.  Lebanon has by far the highest percentage of refugees of any country in the world with nearly 25% of the population being refugees.  Jed finds it helpful to categorize the displaced people usually thought of as “refugees” into three groups:
- Internally displaced – forced to move to another area within their home country (43 million people).
- Refugees – forced to move outside the boundaries of their country and unable to return (29 million people).
- Stateless – not a citizen of any country (10 million people).
All three groups share the common characteristic of being “out of place” and feel the deep personal crisis of the loss of a sense of home.
 
Displaced persons face many challenges at least partly due to the displaced status:
- Housing
- Employment
- Education
- Health care
- Legal rights
- Exploitation (human trafficking, child labor abuses)
- Restricted mobility
- Children born into displacement (no citizenship)
- Hopeless future outlook
 
Brent suggested that we can help to minimize some of these challenges by fostering a place or an atmosphere where displaced persons can experience a sense of belonging.  Even a small effort could have a profound effect.
 
Brent and Dana are pictured below.

 
Meeting Recap - August 6, 2019 Jeff Benson 2019-08-06 05:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - July 30, 2019

Posted by Jeff Benson on Jul 30, 2019
Our guest today was Miriam Zachary from the Arden Hills/Shoreview club.
 
Many, many thanks go to John and Marla Ordway for hosting the Rotary Picnic on Saturday.  Though the turnout was lower than usual, those in attendance were treated with a delicious buffet and perfect weather.
 
Many of you were also able to participate in the “Walk for Your Neighbors” fundraiser for the Community Support Center on Sunday.  Our club committed up to $250 in sponsorship for NBMV walkers.
 
The Flex group will meet at the Bru-House on Thursday, August 1st, 7:15AM.  All members are welcome to attend.
 
There will be an open discussion of criteria for Honorary Member Designation at 11AM on Tuesday August 6th at the Exchange .  All members are welcome to attend to express their opinions.
 
Miriam Zachary invited us to attend Arden Hills/Shoreview’s “Taste of the Hops” craft beer tasting fundraiser.  Join in the fun from 5:30-8:30PM at Snail Lake Park, 4191 Snail Lake Blvd, Shoreview.  $20 in advance -  https://TasteoftheHops.com -  or $25 at the door.
 
On Saturday, August 17th, Mounds View will hold their annual “Festival in the Park”.  Help is needed for the Kids games so if you can lend a hand, click here.  The fun has moved to SilverView park this year.
 
Nils Friberg reported on the MN Human Trafficking Task Force that he attended last week.  We’ll be hearing more on Rotary International’s efforts in this area as well as our own initiatives.  Jed Hamoud has agreed to assist Nils in this important effort.
 
Mark Beisswenger received his Paul Harris Fellow +3 recognition from Nils Friberg.  PHF +3 recognition means that Mark has contributed over $4000 to the Rotary Foundation.  Well done, Mark!  Nils, Mark and President Dennis are pictured below.
 
Dave Hoel reminded us that Stockyard Days Parade Hot dog Feed is this Saturday, Aug. 3rd  We will gather to prepare the dogs at 1PM in front of Bona Brothers, 327 Old Hwy 8.  This event is “All Hands on Deck”. 
 
Cindy Carlson proudly announced that her grandson, Chip William Swenson, was born last Saturday, which explains her absence from the Rotary picnic.  Mom Natalie and son are doing very well.
 
President Dennis Connolly led the first Club Assembly of the new Rotary year.  He presented a comprehensive list of the projects and organizations that we support each year.  It’s truly amazing to see how much good work our small club does in the community and around the world!
Meeting Recap - July 30, 2019 Jeff Benson 2019-07-30 05:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - July 9, 2019

Posted by Jeff Benson on Jul 09, 2019

Today was Dennis Connolly’s first meeting as our new club President.  He introduced the Rotary International presidential theme, “Rotary Connects the World”.

 

Due to rainy skies, our hot dog feed for the Global Academy playground volunteer workers was moved indoors to Salem Covenant Church.  Everyone was most appreciative of our now legendary hog dog cooking skills.

 

President Dennis reminded us of the following upcoming events:

- The Board meets at 11AM, July 23rd at the Exchange.

- The Rotary picnic will be held at John and Marla Ordway’s on Saturday, July 27th, from 3-9PM.

- If you eat too much at the Rotary Picnic, you can walk it off on Sunday, July 28, at the Walk for Your Neighbors fundraiser for the Community Support Center.  The club will donate $10 for each mile walked by NBMV Rotarians up to a total of $250.

- At our July 30th Noon meeting, Dennis and the Board will lay out their vision for the coming year.

- The Flex group will meet at 7:15AM, August 1st, at the BruHouse.  All are welcome to attend.

- Don’t forget that the Stockyard Days Parade has been moved to Saturday, August 3rd.  All Rotarians are asked to be on hand at 1PM to begin preparations to serve 1,000 hot dogs to parade participants.

- The Mounds View Festival in the Park is Saturday, August 17th, and volunteers are needed to help call bingo.

 

Cindy Carlson passed the hat for donations to Ralph Reeder Food Shelf to take advantage of a $5,000 matching grant for this month.

 

Maria Klakegg returned to Norway this week after a remarkable year as our inbound exchange student.  She expressed her extreme gratitude for her exchange experience and vows to return to experience the State Fair.  She and her family would welcome visits to Norway.

 

Our Japanese exchange student, Nanase Hirama, will be arriving at 12:30PM on August 16th.  Mark your calendars now to ensure a warm welcome for Nanase at the airport.

 

Geoff Hollimon visited E.C.H.O. in Fort Myers recently and displayed some photos of the ECHO farm.  If you are ever in the Fort Myers area, you owe it to yourself to visit this amazing facility.  Contact Geoff for information on how best to visit.

 

Dennis gave a Happy Buck for the start of his presidency and Cindy Carlson also offered a buck to celebrate the beginning of Denny’s presidency and, coincidentally, the end of her own.

 

Dennis also paid a buck to thank John Marg-Patton for inviting him to join Rotary.  John had also encouraged Dennis to become president of the club. (John could be persuasive!)

 

Dennis also won the raffle today and that’s got to be a good omen for his year as president.

 

Cindy Carlson, Membership Development Director, introduced PDG and White Bear Rotarian, Jim Hunt and his co-speaker, White Bear Rotarian and District 5960 Membership Chair, Greg Bartz.  Jim Hunt began the presentation by describing membership as a strategic priority for Rotary at the District and International levels.  He said that, although total Rotary membership remains relatively constant at 1.2 million, membership in the U.S. is decreasing.  District 5960 is responding to this trend by setting a goal of 3,000 members by 2020.  That’s a net increase of 255 members, which is no small task.  Jim said that the keys to achieving this will be first attracting new members and then engaging them to ensure retention.  Jim asserted that we want to attract anyone who believes in the Four Way Test and is service minded.  He suggested that to attract new members we need to look at our club from the point of view of the prospective member.  Are we attractive to new members?  Do we meet the needs of those that we would like to attract?  Are our meetings fresh and fun?  Is our website attractive and up to date?  Are we diverse?  Are we welcoming? 

 

But where and how do we find these prospective members?  Jim suggested that, in addition to friends and co-workers, we look closely at non-Rotarians who attend our events and help with our service projects.  We also should be talking to youth exchange host families, Rotaractors, Interactors and members of other organizations doing good things in the community.

 

Greg Bartz followed up on Jim’s presentation by discussing how to engage new members to keep them in Rotary.  His suggestions were:

- Have a meaningful induction ceremony

- Have a structured new member orientation and mentoring program

- Invite new members to join a committee or team

- Involve new members in service projects

- Monitor meeting attendance and follow up

 

Greg encouraged us to create a membership plan but keep it simple so it can be followed.  He said that Rotarians are everywhere among us and we should always be on the lookout for likely prospects.  We should never pass up the opportunity to ask people to attend a meeting.  He said that we all have a personal story about our Rotary involvement and that we should tell to anyone who will listen.

 

Greg, Cindy and Jim are pictured below.

Meeting Recap - July 9, 2019 Jeff Benson 2019-07-09 05:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - June 25, 2019

Posted by Jeff Benson on Jun 25, 2019
Our guest today was Ruth Marg-Patton.

 

President Cindy Carlson reported on today’s Board meeting.  Our financial condition is excellent, according to Treasurer John Ordway.  The Board approved a $1,000 grant to Life Prep Academy and authorized up to $250 in donations to the Community Support Center at $10 for every mile NBMV Rotarians walk in the Walk for Your Neighbor fundraiser on Sunday, July 28th.  Geoff Hollimon has presented a District Matching Grant Proposal for farm equipment at E.C.H.O.  The Board authorized a $750 contribution to a Prior Lake Rotary district matching grant for a water project in Gambia West Africa.  Cindy read thank you’s from the New Brighton Area Historical Society, Remember Niger and Feed My Starving Children for our financial and volunteer support.

 

There will be no noon meeting on July 2nd.  Our next noon meeting will be on July 9th.

 

The Flex Group will meet at 7:15 AM, July 15th at the BruHouse.

 

Volunteers are needed to help serve hot dogs to over 200 construction volunteers at the Kaboom playground for the new Global Academy at 3000 5th St NW, New Brighton.  Preparations will begin at 10:30 AM.  Please let Cindy know if you know the location of the Hot Dog cooking pots!

 

Mark your calendars for the Rotary Picnic on July 27th, 2:30PM at John and Marla Ordway’s beautiful home on White Bear Lake.

 

Keep in mind that the Stockyard Days Parade has moved from its usual Thursday evening time slot to Saturday afternoon, August 3rd.  Mark your calendars for a 1:00PM start to the hot dog preparation.

 

Gerry Tietz and Cindy Carlson teamed up to induct Maddison Zykmund (Nyle’s son and the Spring Lake Park-Blaine-Mounds View Assistant Fire Chief) and Jennifer Fink (New Brighton Parks and Recreation Director).  Maddison will join as a regular member and Jennifer will join as Dean Lotter’s corporate designee.  Welcome, Maddison and Jennifer!  (See photos below)

 

Jed Hamoud’s son’s family will be visiting from Lebanon for 2 months.

 

Beverly Aplikowski was able to be with us today, but she said the she doubts that she will be able to continue her membership for health reasons.  The club responded with a standing ovation to honor Bev’s contributions to the club.

 

Today marked the end of Cindy Carlson’s tenure as Club President.  Cindy remarked that the Rotary International theme for this year was “Be the Inspiration” and said that she thought that it was the perfect theme for NBMV Rotary.  Cindy and John Marg-Patton began the year as Co-Presidents, but John’s passing midway through their year left Cindy at the helm for the second half of the year.  Cindy put together a slide show of the highlights.  John and Cindy’s “Big Three” were Do Good, Have Fun and Celebrate and we did a great job on an all three.  A summary of those highlights follows:

- MaryAnn Bawden became an Honorary Member

- Stockyard Days Hot Dog Feed

- Exchange Student Maria Klakegg from Norway

- Camp Enterprise

- Camp RYLA

- Cultural exchange with Lebanon

- New members and designees, Nicole Ulrich, Reid Hewitt, Ike Graham, Charlie Longbella, Jed Hamoud

- Community Spirit Award from CPY

- Adopt-a-Home Women’s shelter donation

- Community Support Center

- Harvest Pack $ 11,000 Matching grant Project (23,000 meals packed)

- Outbound Exchange Student 2019-20 Sofia Valdez

- Ellen Dunn, Rotary Global Scholar

- Rotary Egg Hunt

- Gold Plate Dinner - over $23,000 raised

- 4th Grade Foresters Tree Give-Away

- Four $1,500 Scholarships to high school seniors

- Feed My Starving Children - packed food and donated $1,000

- Rotary Presidential Citation for 2017-18

- Community Partners with Youth

- Mounds View Festival in the Park

- Ralph Reeder Food Shelf

- Stamp Out Hunger

- Life Prep Academy

- Remember Niger Coalition sponsorships

- 40th Anniversary Party

- 40 year NBMV Rotarians John Risdall, George Winiecki and Jeff Benson

- District 5960 Governor’s Citation 2018-19

- Paul Harris giving level milestones for Geoff Hollimon and Margaret Johnson

 

Whew!  How do we get all that done in one year’s time?  Cindy thanked the Board and all those who help this club accomplish so much in this great community of New Brighton. 

 

Dennis Connolly presented Cindy with a gavel plaque and a Rotary necklace to commemorate her presidency.  Dennis also presented a Rotary necklace to Ruth Marg-Patton in honor of John’s service as co president.  See photo below.

 

Cindy presented Dennis with his President’s lapel pin and ceremonially passed the gavel to Dennis to begin his tenure.  Photo below.

Meeting Recap - June 25, 2019 Jeff Benson 2019-06-25 05:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - June 18, 2019

Posted by Jeff Benson on Jun 18, 2019

Nyle Zikmund’s guest today was his son, Maddison Zikmund.  He is the Spring Lake Park-
Blaine-Mounds View Assistant Fire Chief.  Maddison has applied for membership in our club.

 

The outgoing and incoming Boards will meet on Tuesday June 25th at 11:00.

 

Cindy Carlson will pass the presidential gavel to Dennis Connolly at next Tuesday’s noon meeting.  Let’s have a great turnout to recognize Cindy’s and John Marg-Patton’s contributions and to welcome Dennis to the presidency.

 

Jennifer Fink, director of New Brighton Parks and Recreation, has submitted her application to become a Corporate Designee under Dean Lotter’s membership.

 

On Thursday, June 27th, our club will provide a hot dog lunch for volunteers at the Kaboom playground construction for the new Global Academy at 3000 5th St NW, New Brighton.  Several more volunteers will be needed at 10:30AM.

 

John and Marla Ordway have graciously offered to host the Rotary Picnic on Saturday, July 27th.  Mark your calendars now and watch this bulletin for more details.

 

After eating too much at the Rotary Picnic, you’ll want to show up for the “Walk For Your Neighbors” fundraiser for the Community Support Center at Silverwood Park on Sunday, July 28th.

 

Keep in mind that the Stockyard Days Parade has moved from its usual Thursday Evening time slot to Saturday afternoon, August 3rd.  Mark your calendars for a 1:00PM start to the hot dog preparation.

 

On August 17th, the Mounds View Police Foundation is looking for volunteers to call bingo to raise funds for the Foundation at the Mounds View Festival in the Park.  Details to follow.

 

If you haven’t signed up for a month or two of meeting responsibilities, please call Nyle Zikmund ASAP.

 

Cindy Carlson will be celebrating a big birthday later this week and because she is always eager to have others wear the Birthday Hat, it seemed only fair that she had to wear the hat for her birthday song.  See below.

Dave Hoel reported on the Pancreatic Cancer Benefit Golf Tourney last Friday.  It was the biggest event in the 7 year history of the event and Dave thanked the many Rotarians that participated.

 

Cindy Carlson introduced Forest Lake Rotarian and Past 5960 District Governor, Clare Lillis to speak to us about Human Trafficking.  The definition of human trafficking is the exploitation of a person by force, fraud or coercion for commercial sex or forced labor.  Estimates vary from 25-42 million victims of human trafficking each year and the practice is a $150 billion business globally, with $91 Billion from sex trafficking and $51 billion from forced labor trafficking.  This makes it the 2nd largest black market activity.  Minnesota has somewhere between 8,000 and 14,000 people trafficked for sex each year, with a significant number of those because Minnesota is a convenient distribution center for the trade.

 

The victims of sex trafficking are, for the most part, vulnerable youth entering trafficking at an average age of 13 years.  Victims are forced to engage in 5-48 sex acts per day and survive an average of 7 years if not rescued.  The buyers are mostly men of all ages, half of whom are married and many of whom have children of their own.  Most travel 30-60 miles from home to buy sex and most purchases are made via the internet.

 

How can we end trafficking?  The most effective strategy is to reduce the vulnerabilities and risks factors for young people and create awareness of the problem.  The demand could be reduced by educating men that prostitution is not a victimless crime.  District 5960 is working to bring 160 Minnesota and surrounding region Rotary Clubs together to provide education and support other local organizations in the fight against trafficking.  Cindy and Clare are pictured below.

Meeting Recap - June 18, 2019 Jeff Benson 2019-06-18 05:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - June 11, 2019

Posted by Jeff Benson on Jun 11, 2019

We had no guests today.

 

John and Dana Johnson (Maria’s 1st host parents) hosted a farewell/graduation party for Maria last Saturday.  Maria was very excited to receive the clubs gifts that Nicole Ulrich had so carefully selected (see photos below).  It has been such a joy to have Maria among us for the past 9 months.  Her joyful and enthusiastic outlook made her time with us so memorable.  It’s sad to see her go but we know that she is destined for great things and we can’t wait to hear about the next chapters of her life.

 

Next week’s program will be PDG Clare Lillis, speaking about Rotary’s response to the human trafficking crisis.

 

Our meeting on May 25th marks the transition of club leadership from Cindy Carlson to Dennis Connolly.  The outgoing and incoming Boards will have a joint meeting at 11AM and the Noon meeting will feature a recap of the past year and the passing of the gavel from Cindy to Dennis.  Rumor has it that treats may commemorate the transition.

 

Our club has agreed to provide a hot dog lunch for volunteers assembling the Kaboom playground at the new Global Academy on the former site of the United Theological Seminary, 3000 5th St NW,
New Brighton.  We’ll need several volunteers to cook and serve the hot dogs from 10:30-1:00PM on Thursday, June 27th
.

 

Remember that, due to the Independence Day holiday, we will NOT be meeting on July 2nd.

 

If you haven’t already done so, please respond to Nyle Zikmund’s May 21st email asking you to sign up for a month of program responsibilities.  Teams of 3 will be needed for each month of the coming Rotary year.  If you contact Nyle now you will likely be able to choose your month and team members.

 

Because of increased traffic on local streets, the city will not be able to close off the parade route on a Thursday evening, so the Stockyard Days Parade (and HOT DOG FEED) has been rescheduled to Saturday August 3rd at 3 PM.  This means that we will gather at 1PM to begin preparing hot dogs for the parade participants.  Mark your calendars now with the change.

 

Mike Neeley’s 13 year old granddaughter will compete in a national dance competition in Wisconsin Dells this coming week.

 

Geoff and Debra Hollimon will be visiting E.C.H.O. and actually staying at the farm during a trip to Florida for a wedding.

 

John Ordway announced that the Rotary Picnic will be at his White Bear Lake home on July 27th.  Details to follow.

 

Gerry Tietz got us up to speed on the many features and benefits of our ClubRunner club management software.  With a little effort, ClubRunner gives you access almost any Rotary information you might need.  Gerry reviewed login procedures, profile management, password management, access to club photos and documents, accessing the club directory and email center.  Gerry also showed us how to access our billing records including history and current balance.  Gerry encouraged everyone to login to the member section of the website and explore the many options available.  If you have any problems or questions, Gerry or Jeff should be able to show you how to get the most out of ClubRunner.  For mobile access, you can download the ClubRunner mobile app for Apple and Android.

Meeting Recap - June 11, 2019 Jeff Benson 2019-06-11 05:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - June 4, 2019

Posted by Jeff Benson on Jun 04, 2019

Our guest today was Miriam Zachary, from the Arden Hills Shoreview Club.

 

President-Elect Dennis Connolly subbed for President Cindy Johnson at today’s meeting.  Dennis called on Dave Hoel to fill us in on the Pancreatic Cancer Benefit Golf Tourney on June 14th.  This will be the biggest turnout ever, so contact Dave if you’d like to join us.

 

We’ve agreed to support the Kaboom playground construction at the new Global Academy in New Brighton by providing a hot dog feed (a la Stockyard Days Parade) for the construction volunteers. We’ll need lots of volunteers to help.  Mark your calendars for Thursday, June 27th around the noon hour.  Details to follow.

 

The Fridley/Columbia Heights Rotary’s Seventh Annual Golf Classic benefitting The Healthy Youth Foundation and supporting STRIVE Scholarships will be held at The Refuge on Monday, July 22nd starting at 11:30 AM.  Golfing, cart, dinner, course games and hole prizes are included.  A silent auction with some amazing items will take place during golfing and at the dinner.  Contact Greg Schraufnagel  gschrauf@msn.com or 612-242-4748 for registration or information regarding sponsorships.  Our Club has contributed $250 to the event and will cover half the cost of a foursome of New Brighton Rotarians.

 

Beisswenger’s Hardware is throwing a party to celebrate 100 years in business. The “Party in the Parking Lot” will be held on Saturday, June 8th from 10 am to 5 pm.   There will be free games for the kids, games for adults, a petting zoo, food, giveaways and most of all fun! Watch some of your favorite employees get dunked in the water tank of doom with all of the proceeds going to local charities!

Beisswenger’s Hot Dog and a pop meal is back, but this time we’ve added 1919 Root Beer to commemorate the occasion for a whopping $0.50. And for those who love BBQ, a Pulled Pork topped with Cole Slaw sandwich just $3.50. Bring your friends and family! Parking space will be limited as we are closing off the front drive of the store.

 

Also on June 8th, Maria will have a graduation/farewell party from 5-8 PM at John and Dana Johnson’s home, 1301 12th Ave. NW, New Brighton.  This will be the last time to be together with our amazing Norwegian exchange student, so don’t miss it!

 

NOTE THAT THERE WILL BE NO ROTARY MEETING ON JULY 2nd DUE TO THE JULY 4TH HOLIDAY.

 

The meeting schedule for the AM group is changed.  They will meet on the 1st Thursday of the month (including Thursday, June 8th) at 7AM at the Bru House, 1431 Silver Lake Rd NW, New Brighton.

 

The Benedictine Care Center at Innsbruck is having a car show on Saturday, June 15th from 2-4PM.  Come on over to 1101 Black Oak Drive in New Brighton for some cool cars and a peak at the planned expansion to include 60 new independent living units, 40 new assisted living units and 24 new memory care units for our campus.

 

If you haven’t already done so, please respond to Nyle Zikmund’s May 21st email asking you to sign up for a month of program responsibilities.  Teams of 3 will be needed for each month of the coming Rotary year.  If you contact Nyle now you will likely be able to choose your month and team members.

 

Treasurer John Ordway asks that we all get our dues balances paid up by the end of this week to ease the burden of the club’s year end accounting.

 

Ed James reported that 26 Rotarians, friends and family attended the Feed My Starving Children food packing event.  Nice turnout!

 

Don’t Forget the Life Prep Academy Garage Sale this Friday-Sunday.

 

Bob Barmore introduced Sheri Erickson from ID Shield, to speak to us about identity theft.  In 2017, 16.7 million Americans were victims of some sort of identity theft, with the cost to the victims now exceeding the cost of drug trafficking at 16.8 billion dollars.  Someone’s identity is stolen every two seconds!  Sheri defined identity theft as someone using your personal information to “become you”.  Once they have your driver’s license information, social security number, medical information, personal information from social media, or some combination of these, identity thieves can wreak havoc with your personal and financial life and correcting the damage can take months or years.  Prevention is the key to safeguarding your identity.  Sheri had some tips for us:

- Review your credit reports regularly, or pay for credit monitoring.

- Shred all junk mail and credit card offers.

- Carry only the credit cards you need.

- Don’t carry your Social Security card with you.

- Photocopy the front and back of credit cards in case they are stolen.

- Never divulge personal information over the phone unless you have initiated the call.

Bob and Sheri are shown below.

Meeting Recap - June 4, 2019 Jeff Benson 2019-06-04 05:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - May 28, 2019

Posted by Jeff Benson on May 28, 2019

Our Guests today were:

   Shelley Streeper from Salem Covenant Church,

   Rotary Exchange Student Maria Klakegg,

   Sunniva Klakegg (Maria’s sister) and

   Ed James’ sister, Grace.

 

Shelley Streeper was here to line up help for a “Kaboom” playground at Global Academy, the new owner of the United Theological Seminary building near the park where we hold the Easter Egg Hunt.  Our club has agreed to provide a hot dog lunch on Thursday, June 27th.  If you can help, please contact Cindy Carlson.

 

The Fridley/Columbia Heights Rotary’s Seventh Annual Golf Classic benefitting The Healthy Youth Foundation and supporting STRIVE Scholarships will be held at The Refuge on Monday, July 22nd starting at 11:30 AM.  Golfing, cart, dinner, course games and hole prizes are included.  A silent auction with some amazing items will take place during golfing and at the dinner.  Contact Greg Schraufnagel  gschrauf@msn.com or 612-242-4748 for registration or information regarding sponsorships.  Our Club has contributed $250 to the event.

 

Beisswenger’s Hardware is throwing a party to celebrate 100 years in business. The “Party in the Parking Lot” will be held on Saturday, June 8th from 10 am to 5 pm.   There will be free games for the kids, games for adults, a petting zoo, food, giveaways and most of all fun! Watch some of your favorite employees get dunked in the water tank of doom with all of the proceeds going to local charities!

Beisswenger’s Hot Dog and a pop meal is back, but this time we’ve added 1919 Root Beer to commemorate the occasion for a whopping $0.50. And for those who love BBQ, a Pulled Pork topped with Cole Slaw sandwich just $3.50. Bring your friends and family! Parking space will be limited as we are closing off the front drive of the store.

 

Also on June 8th, Maria will have a graduation/farewell party from 5-8 PM at John and Dana Johnson’s home, 1301 12th Ave. NW, New Brighton.  This will be the last time to be together with our amazing Norwegian exchange student, so don’t miss it!

 

Speaking of Maria, Cindy Carlson organized a Top Golf event for last Friday evening to give Maria and her sister Sunniva an opportunity to experience golfing.  Cindy, Dana, Jeff, David and Susan joined Maria and Sunniva.  Both girls are naturally athletic and they were hitting the targets in no time at all.  It was a total joy to watch their excitement at learning a new skill.  See photo below.

 

Margaret Johnson had the honor of presenting Geoff Hollimon with a Paul Harris Fellowship +5.  This recognizes Geoff’s contributions to the Rotary Foundation in excess of $6,000.  Congratulations, Geoff!

 

Ed James reported that he got several positive comments about Rotary’s community involvement while he was representing our club at the Irondale Awards Night.

 

John Risdall was celebrating a birthday this week which made him eligible to wear the birthday hat; see below.

 

Our Feed My Starving Children food packing event took place tonight before I had finished this newsletter, so I’m including the summary here.  We had a great Rotary turnout, Ed brought several family members and Maria and Sunniva were able to join us as well.  Ed James presented our club’s check to FMSC for $1,000.  See photos below.

 

John Ordway introduced today’s speaker, Mark Lindeberg, project manager for the I-35W North MnPASS project currently underway.  Mark was accompanied by Bre Grand from Zan Associates.  Mark presented a project summary, outlining each phase of the project which should be completed by fall of 2021.  The purpose of the project is the addition of MnPASS lanes to both the North and Southbound lanes of I-35W from County Rd C in Roseville to Lino Lakes.  The project will include new bridges at County Road C and County Road I as well as complete concrete overlays on the entire project length.  Addition of the MnPASS lanes will increase the number of cars that can move through this corridor at peak times and provide more reliable trip times, especially during rush hour.  The 2019 phase will include construction on the southbound lanes and erection of new sound barriers.  The 2020 phase will involve construction of middle lanes and completion of all construction north of 95th Avenue in Blaine.  The 2021 phase will involve the northbound lanes from County Road C to 95th Avenue.  An online project summary can be found by clicking here.  Questions or concerns about the project may be directed as follows:

     Email:               info@35wnorthmnpass.com

     Phone:            651-800-4965

     Website:         http://www.dot.state.mn.us/metro/projects/35wnorthmnpass/

Mark and Bre are pictured below.

Meeting Recap - May 28, 2019 Jeff Benson 2019-05-28 05:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - May 21, 2019

Posted by Jeff Benson on May 21, 2019

Our guests today were:

- Maddison Zikmund, Assistant Chief of the Spring Lake Park Blaine Mounds View Fire Department and son of our own Nyle Zikmund.  Maddison is considering membership in our club.

- Greg Schraufnagel, Fridley/Columbia Heights Rotarian.

 

Greg was here to promote Fridley/Columbia Heights Rotary’s Seventh Annual Golf Classic benefitting The Healthy Youth Foundation and supporting STRIVE Scholarships.  The event will be held at The Refuge on Monday, July 22nd starting at 11:30 AM.  Golfing, cart, dinner, course games and hole prizes are included.  A silent auction with some amazing items will take place during golfing and at the dinner.  Contact Greg Schraufnagel  gschrauf@msn.com or 612-242-4748 for registration or information regarding sponsorships.

 

Several NBMV Rotarians attended the Benedictine Gala last Friday.  Dave Hoel reported that the highlight of the evening was Bingo with himself and Jeff Benson as callers.  Every table was full, so it looks like the Innsbruck Foundation has had another successful fundraising event.

 

Ralph Reeder Food shelf sent a thank you note for our $500 contribution.  The food shelf also received food packages from our Harvest Pack event.

 

Don’t forget our Feed My Starving Children event on Tuesday, May 28th from 8-9:30 PM.  FMSC is located at 401 93rd Ave NW in Coon Rapids.

 

The Board will meet at 11AM on Tuesday, May 28th.

 

President Cindy Carlson presented Margaret Johnson with a Paul Harris Fellowship + 2, signifying contributions to the Rotary Foundation in excess of $3,000.  Congratulations, Margaret!  Cindy and Margaret are shown below.

 

Ed James announced that the recipients of our scholarships were Irondale seniors Emma Johnson, Matthew Neumann and Zira Deriche and St. Anthony senior Gabriela Aria.  Thanks to those who evaluated the scholarship applications.

 

John Ordway introduced Al Zdrazil from the District 5960 Ethics Team.  Al’s topic was “Ethics and the Four Way Test”.  Rotary is unique among service organizations in that its core principles all revolve around ethical standards.  The 4-Way Test that we recite at the conclusion of our weekly club meetings is the very basis of Rotary.  But the Four-Way Test is more than just a statement of principles;
it’s a tool for decision making.  Al attempted to play a video produced by the Ethics Team to show how the Four-Way Test is being applied in the business and personal lives of Rotarians, but the audio portion was not working properly.  You can view the video (with audio) on the District website by clicking
here
.  Al had some suggestions for how we might elevate our Four-Way Test to the community level:

·         Sponsor an ethics essay contest

·         Present classes on ethics (Eagan and Northfield Clubs are doing this)

·         Display a Four-Way Test banner at every event we participate in.

The Ethics Team is also rolling out a policy regarding Harassment and Discrimination.  This policy provides guidance and procedures to follow to prevent Harassment and Discrimination and handle it if it should occur.  You can find the policy by clicking here.  John and Al are shown below.

Meeting Recap - May 21, 2019 Jeff Benson 2019-05-21 05:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - May 14, 2019

Posted by Jeff Benson on May 14, 2019

Our guests at today’s meeting were Nancy Benson (Jeff’s wife) and Nils Friberg’s guest, Ashraf Ibrahim.  Ashraf is staying with Nils and Peg as he gathers toys, clothing and other essentials for disadvantaged children and refugees in Egypt.

 

President Cindy Carlson honored (and surprised) Jeff Benson by presenting him with a certificate of appreciation for 40 years of service to the New Brighton/Mounds View Rotary Club.  Jeff thought it was pure coincidence that Nancy happened to be at this particular meeting until Nancy admitted (on the ride home) that Cindy had asked her to attend the meeting.  As Nancy will happily tell you, Jeff can be a little clueless at times.  Cindy and Jeff are shown below.

 

The Stamp Out Hunger food drive was a big success again this year.  This partnership of the US Postal Service, the United Way and other local charitable organizations collected food for the Second Harvest Heartland Foodshelf.  Led by Jason Slama, our team set a new record for food collections at our location.  Kudos to all who helped out!

 

A contingent of NBMV Rotarians braved the weather to cheer for our exchange student, Maria Klakegg, at a recent Irondale softball game.  Maria’s energy and enthusiasm were on full display and could not be dampened by the weather or their team’s eventual defeat. If you haven’t had an opportunity to invite Maria to join you for an activity, you owe it to yourself to spend a little time with her.  Make your plans quickly though, because she’ll be returning to Norway soon.  We are all invited to Maria’s graduation/farewell party on June 8th.  Mark your calendars now and stay tuned for more details.

 

Ed James read some hand-made thank you cards from recipients of trees in our Fourth Grade Foresters tree give-away.  As always, the cards are beyond cute and they prove that the kids are getting the intended environmental message.

 

Dana Rebelein described the results of our $250 contribution to Operation Christmas Child and circulated photos of grateful children.

 

Remember the Benedictine Gala is this Friday, May 17th, starting at 5:30PM.

 

Ed James reminded us that our Feed My Starving Children food packing event will be on Tuesday, May 28th from 8:00 to 9:30PM.  We still need more volunteers to fill out our packing station.

 

Mike Neeley introduced Reid Hewitt, Business Administrator for Benedictine Care Center at Innsbruck (BCCI).  Reid was here to talk about a major expansion planned for BCCI. BCCI is part of Benedictine Health Systems, which got its start in the 1880’s, when a group of Benedictine Nuns formed a hospital in Duluth, Minnesota.  As health care became increasingly administrative, the sisters formed Benedictine Health Systems in 1985 to help oversee administrative tasks, thereby allowing the nurses to concentrate on what they knew best; patient care.  Following the Benedictine Core Values of Hospitality, Stewardship, Respect and Justice, BHS has expanded to provide services for elderly and medically challenged individuals in five Midwestern states.  Although BHS has been primarily focused on nursing home services, the changing eldercare landscape, increasing costs of delivering care and a dwindling work force have compelled eldercare businesses to offer a continuum of residential options including independent living, assisted living, transitional care and memory care.  This model will allow eldercare facilities to remain profitable and relevant in the future.

 

Innsbruck has been delivering health care services since the mid 1960’s but, due to space limitations, it has been unable to transition to this new continuum of care model.  However, recent acquisitions of adjacent properties have finally made it possible to offer an expanded range of services.  The plan, which has received provisional approval from the New Brighton City Council, would increase BCCI’s capacity from 105 to 214 units, with 56 independent living units, 40 assisted living units, 24 memory care units and 94 skilled care units.  Reid outlined the myriad of steps involved in a project of this size and it seems daunting, but things are progressing well and Reid hopes to break ground in 2020 and be operational in 18-24 months.  The new Innsbruck will feature desirable amenities like roof-top patios, indoor/outdoor fireplaces, underground parking, memory care courtyard and many others.  A Capital Campaign is planned to fund some amenities that might not otherwise be possible. 

Contact Reid Hewitt: 651-633-1686 or reid.hewitt@bhshealth.org   Reid and Mike are shown below.

Meeting Recap - May 14, 2019 Jeff Benson 2019-05-14 05:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - April 30, 2017

Posted by Jeff Benson on Apr 30, 2019

Today’s meeting was cancelled to allow members to attend the Community Support Center (CSC) Luncheon at St John the Baptist Catholic Church.  The Community Support Center works with Arden Hills, Mounds View, New Brighton, North Oaks and Shoreview residents to prevent homelessness, solve financial crises and provide long-term relationships that help to prevent recurring financial crises.  Their goal is to first create financial stability and then provide coaching and other financial guidance to ensure long-term financial sustainability.  Board President Iris McGinnis and Director Karen Meyer outlined how CSC makes the most of its limited funds by making sure that all other available assistance options are considered before CSC offers financial assistance to prevent evictions.  There are no cookie-cutter solutions at CSC; each accepted “neighbor” gets a plan that is tailored to their specific situation.  Each neighbor meets with a trained volunteer advocate who assesses the need and helps them set goals and a plan to achieve them.  CSC’s program is designed to keep neighbors in their homes…CSC does not provide support for emergency or temporary housing.

 

Iris recognized several “Amazing Neighbors” who have played a big role in CSC’s success this past year. The Society of St. Vincent de Paul at St. John the Baptist Catholic Parish has been instrumental in CSC’s mission since the beginning and members Kevin Griffin and Carol Banks were named Amazing Neighbors of 2019.  Other Amazing Neighbors Pat Yahnke, Matt Daugen and our own President, Cindy Carlson were also recognized for their service.

 

To learn more about CSC and how you can be involved in their valuable mission, click here or call 651-387-8050.
 
Note that your editor will be out of town next week, so the newsletter will not be published.
Meeting Recap - April 30, 2017 Jeff Benson 2019-04-30 05:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - April 23, 2019

Posted by Jeff Benson on Apr 23, 2019

Our annual egg hunt was a big success this past weekend.  The perfect weather led to a great turnout and everyone had a great time.  Egg hunt grand-poobah, Dave Hoel, reported that he has found almost no Easter inventory in the stores so he’s concerned about being able to get prizes and plastic eggs for next year.  Dave thanked all those who participated.  Some photos are shown below.

 

 

 

 

 

President Cindy Carlson read a thank-you note from Abby N., who attended Camp RYLA as one of our representatives.

 

Cindy also passed around a school progress report for our Maman and Sharifa, our Remember Niger sponsored students.  All grades were excellent, by the way.

 

Contributions to the club’s John Marg-Patton Memorial Fund have totaled over $6,600.  The Board has already found some worthy causes to contribute to and more contributions are planned for the future.

 

We have a district matching grant proposal in process to provide E.C.H.O. with some much needed farm equipment.  More news as the proposal moves forward.

 

The 4:01 meeting for this Thursday has been cancelled to allow the group, and any others, to attend Maria’s softball game at Irondale, April 25th at 4:30PM.  Come and help us root for Maria, and the team.

 

Jason Slama was married in the Minnesota north woods this past week. Congrats, Jason.

 

Our speaker today was Pam Wolf, Executive Director of Life Prep Academy.  Life Prep Academy is a faith-based school and residence designed to meet the needs of homeless and/or high risk teens.  Pam spoke to us a year ago about changes that that made room for up to 16 homeless high school students to live and study at Life Prep.  Life Prep was the recipient of last year’s “Fund-a-Cause” effort at the Gold Plate Dinner.  The funds we raised allowed us to purchase several beds for the Academy. Because the demand for residence-based education is quite variable in the target homeless population, Life prep is looking for ways to broaden its impact by offering emergency overnight shelter for up to two youth as well as looking at partnering with Stepping Stones to offer a transitional program for their clients.

 

Like most charitable organizations, Life Prep faces financial challenges despite the fact that its staff is all volunteer.  They don’t ask for and wouldn’t accept government funding, so they are dependent on private donations and corporate sponsorships.  They also accept donations for their annual garage sale fundraiser.  This year’s garage sale is from June 6th through 9th. 

 

Pam and Ed James are pictured below,

 

Meeting Recap - April 23, 2019 Jeff Benson 2019-04-23 05:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - April 16, 2019

Posted by Jeff Benson on Apr 16, 2019

President Cindy Carlson opened the meeting with a thank you to all who contributed in any way to the Gold Plate Dinner on Friday.  Careful planning resulted in a great event that we can be proud of.  Several Rotarians (and one exchange student) came away from the event a little richer than when they arrived.  Maria Klakegg and Dana Rebelein each won $100, Susan Hoel won $650 and Nils Friberg won the $1,000 grand prize!

 

Just two days after the Gala, Rotarians, spouses and friends gathered at the Exchange to stuff plastic eggs with jelly beans and prize slips for the Easter Egg Hunt.  Thank you to all who participated.  Everyone is asked to arrive at Driftwood Park on 5th St NW (just west of Silver Lake Rd.) at 10AM on Saturday April 20th.  If park conditions warrant it, we may move the event to the adjacent church parking lot.

 

Ed James is still looking for one more volunteer to help with the Arbor Day tree giveaway at Bel Air Elementary at 9:30AM on April 26th.  Please call Ed if you can help.

 

President Cindy Carlson made us aware of the Northeast Youth and Family Services (NYFS) Leadership Luncheon on May 1st at Midland Hills.  Cindy would love to have you at her table, so let her know if you can join her.

 
Our noon meeting on April 30th will be off-site at St. John’s for the Community Support Center (CSC) Annual Luncheon.  We are a founding organization of CSC so it’s great to be able to show our support the great work they do in our community.
 
The Benedictine Gala is on May 17th at St John’s.  Talk to Nicole Ulrich if you would like to attend this great event.
  
Ed James said that our Feed My Starving Children event will be on May 28th from 8-930PM. 
  
Our inbound Japanese exchange student has been determined.  His name is Hirama Nanase.

 

Cindy read a thank you from Ruth Marg-Patton for honoring her late husband John in several ways at the Gold Plate Dinner.

 

New Brighton is again having a Community Open House on May 12th, from 8-12 Noon at the Community Center.  This is an opportunity to promote the club and all the great things we do in the community.  If anyone would like to represent us at the Open House, please let Cindy know.

 

The Mounds View Police Foundation sent a thank you card for our contribution to their Daddy-Daughter Dance.

 

Our Speaker today was Carol Arney.  Carol was raised in International Falls and moved to Hawaii with her family at age 18.  After earning her B.A. at the University of Hawaii, she worked in sales and marketing in the travel industry for 25 years, but in 1992 she changed career paths and received her Masters of Divinity in 1995.  She returned to Hawaii, was ordained and served in the Episcopalian priesthood until her retirement in 2015.  Since that time her growing concern about climate change issues has led her to study extensively and speak to groups about the climate crisis.

 

Carol customized her talk for a Rotary audience by applying the Rotary 4 Way Test to the issue of climate change.  Here is a brief summary of her presentation:

 

·         Is it the Truth? 

 What are the facts on the issue of climate change?  The idea that Carbon Dioxide (CO2) contributes to warming of the planet has been around since 1912.  Today we are putting 110 million tons of CO2 into the atmosphere every day and this CO2 traps the radiant heat from the sun within the atmosphere.  This has led to rapid rise in the average global surface temperature, especially since 1980.  The main source of this CO2 is the burning of fossil fuels.  In addition, the jet stream has redirected so that it is pushing warm air over the north Polar Regions where it is rapidly melting the polar ice cap.  The rise in global temperature has also led to the extremely dry conditions in some areas, leading to drought and much more frequent wild fires.

·         Is it Fair to All Concerned?

Although everyone suffers the effects of climate change, Carol said that the poor are much more likely to experience hardship due to flooding, drought, wild fires and flooding than are their more well-off counterparts.  Low lying coastal areas will be the first to feel the effects of rising ocean levels and cities like Miami and New York City are at the top of the list.  Carol indicated that the current cost of climate change is 653 billion dollars per year but that figure would rise dramatically if coastal cities begin to flood.  Another effect of climate change is that some areas have experienced sustained temperatures above 1300 F., making them uninhabitable.  Food supply and medical concerns are also on the horizon.

·         Will it Build Goodwill and Better Friendships? &  Will it be Beneficial to All Concerned?

As green energy initiatives like solar power generation, wind power generation and better power storage become inexpensive enough they will make carbon fuels economically less desirable.  This is happening much more rapidly than had been predicted and Minnesota is a national leader in development and utilization of these new technologies.  The 2015 Paris Climate Accord was a landmark achievement that had almost universal support around the world and it is still in force until 2020. It’s rare to get universal support on anything in today’s world, so Carol hopes it can still be salvaged.

 

Carol and Cindy are pictured below.

Meeting Recap - April 16, 2019 Jeff Benson 2019-04-16 05:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - April 9, 2109

Posted by Jeff Benson on Apr 09, 2019

There were no visitors at today’s meeting.

 

Our sympathy goes out to Jed Hamoud for the loss of his nephew in a car crash in Lebanon.

 

President Cindy Carlson got us revved up for the Gold Plate Dinner by distributing a list of the live auction items for the Gala.  Many of the items would be appropriate for a group to purchase, so put together your bidding consortiums now to get the item you want.

 

Eight G.P.D. tickets were unsold at the start of the meeting but 5 of those were purchased by members and our speaker, Pat Whelan, bought a raffle-only ticket.  This leaves three tickets available for walk-ups at the event.

 

The 4:01 meeting this Thursday is cancelled.

 

Dave Hoel reminded us all to be at the Exchange at 11:00AM this Sunday, April 14th, to stuff the eggs for the Egg Hunt.  With enough hands, we can usually stuff the eggs in about 2 hours.

 

President Cindy Carlson made us aware of the Northeast Youth and Family Services (NYFS) Leadership Luncheon on May 1st at Midland Hills.  Cindy would love to have you at her table, so let her know if you can join her.

 

Cindy reminded us that our noon meeting on April 30th will be off-site at St. John’s for the Community Support Center (CSC) Annual Luncheon.  We are a founding organization of CSC so it’s great to be able to show our support the great work they do in our community.

 

The Benedictine Gala is on May 17th at St John’s.  Talk to Nicole Ulrich if you would like to attend this great event.  

Ed James said that our Feed My Starving Children event will be on May 28th from 8-930PM.  We had about $300 in contributions from passing the hat at previous meetings and Ed passed the hat again today to help cover the cost of the ingredients for the meals we will pack. 

 

Ed also noted that volunteers are still needed for our Fourth Grade Foresters Tree Giveaway on Thursday, April 11th.  If you can help with this fun event, give Ed a call or sign up at next week’s noon meeting.  

 

Ed also needs a few more people to read the applications for our at-large scholarship. 

 

Our speaker today was Pat Whelan, whom many of you will recognize as the owner of PJW Automotive, a New Brighton institution for over 38 years.  Pat closed the business and sold the building and property last October.  Pat was here today to talk to us about Stockyard Days in his role as President of this year’s Stockyard Days Committee.  Pat said that some people think it’s odd that Pat, a Minneapolis resident, would want to be in charge of Stockyard Days; but Pat feels very connected to New Brighton and sees the value of the celebration to the community.  Pat thanked us for our ongoing support of Stockyard Days (Parade Hot Dog Feed, CPY Kiddie Korral & financial support) and encouraged anyone who’s interested to attend a committee meeting on each second Tuesday, 6:30 PM, at the Eagles Club.  Pat’s goal for this year is to apply his organizational skills to consolidate events, with more events on the weekend to increase profitability.  Golfing, Bike Races, Parade, Street Bands, CPY Kiddie Korral, Fireworks, Antique Car Run, Car Show, 5K and 10K runs, Water Ski Show, Duck Race and New Brighton Ambassador events are planned for this year’s celebration.  Pat is pictured below.

Meeting Recap - April 9, 2109 Jeff Benson 2019-04-09 05:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - April 2, 2019

Posted by Jeff Benson on Apr 02, 2019
Our guest today was our exchange student, Maria Klakegg.
 
The Gold Plate Dinner is on April 12th.  It’s extremely important that you get your tickets, sold or unsold, to Bev Aplikowski ASAP!  She also needs your and your guests’ dinner choices.  We’re a little behind last year’s pace on ticket sales and sponsorships, so keep beating the bushes for potential attendees and donors.
 
President Cindy Carlson made us aware of the Northeast Youth and Family Services (NYFS) Leadership Luncheon on May 1st at Midland Hills.  Cindy would love to have you at her table, so let her know if you can join her.
 
Nicole Ulrich reminded us that the Benedictine Gala is on May 17th at St John’s.  Talk to Nicole if you would like to attend this great event.
 
Cindy reminded us that our noon meeting on April 30th will be off-site at St. John’s for the Community Support Center (CSC) Annual Luncheon.  We are a founding organization of CSC so it’s great to be able to show our support the great work they do in our community.
 
Dave Hoel reminded us that we are all needed to stuff Easter Eggs at the Exchange, 11AM, on April 14th.  All Rotarians are also asked to be at Driftwood Park by 10AM on Saturday, April 20th to set up for the Egg Hunt.
 
Amy Janecek reported that today is A.C.T. day for all juniors at Irondale.  She also gave us a preview of the planned renovations at Irondale which include updates to the school offices, mechanical infrastructure and a new 650 seat auditorium!
 
Ed James said that our Feed My Starving Children event will be on May 28th from 8-930PM.  He also noted that volunteers are still needed for our Fourth Grade Foresters Tree Giveaway on Thursday, April 11th.  Give Ed a call or sign up at next week’s noon meeting.   Ed also needs a few more people to read the applications for our at-large scholarship.  We will also need one more host family for next year’s inbound exchange student from Japan.
 
Happy Bucks Highlights:
·         Amy Janecek was happy to travel to Charleston and Savannah recently.
·         Margaret Johnson travelled to Taiwan to be with her family for the funeral of her father and was happy to find a break in her busy schedule to attend Rotary today.
·         Bev Aplikowski was happy that her son is involved in the remodeling project at Irondale.
·         Cindy Carlson was happy about her trip to Mexico with girlfriends.
·         Nicole Ulrich was happy to be in Armenia recently to visit family.
·         Nicole offered another dollar for a great prenatal checkup (she’s due Sept. 6th).  She played a recording of the baby’s heartbeat…a strong 145 beats per minute.
·         Paul Fournier was happy to have had a successful pacemaker test.  He got his heart rate set to 80 beats per minute (65 beats per minute less than Nicole’s baby’s heart rate!)
·         Garry Johnson was happy to be done with kitchen remodeling after a water leak did major damage.  He was also very happy to have spent some quality time with his grandson.
 
Paul Fournier introduced his wife, and today’s speaker, Chrissy.  Chrissy’s topic was Alzheimer’s Disease.  Her knowledge of Alzheimer’s comes from personal experience dealing with her mother Helen’s struggle with the disease.  Chrissy’s mother was her role model; a capable and vivacious single parent and career woman who seemed to be able to tackle any challenge that life offered.  But around the time of Helen’s 70th birthday, Chrissie began to notice some changes in Helen’s ability to manage routine tasks.  These subtle signs were stage1 of Alzheimer’s, Mild Cognitive Impairment.  As the disease progressed to Stage 2, Mild Alzheimer’s Dementia, Helen was less able to manage driving and other complex tasks, but still able to function reasonably well.  At stage 3, Moderate Alzheimer’s Dementia, Helen had much more difficulty with basic tasks and driving was a real problem.  Helen’s failure to recognize her only daughter was heartbreaking for Chrissy.  Chrissy was relieved to find excellent care for Helen at Ebenezer.   At this point Chrissy had the revelation that she could decide how to respond to her mother’s situation rather than simply reacting to her mother’s declining capabilities.  This made it easier for her to cope with the oncoming stage 4 or Severe Alzheimer’s Dementia.  By engaging with the Alzheimer’s Association and educating herself about Alzheimer’s, she found a way forward to cope with the terror, confusion and eventual loss of mental and, finally, physical abilities that accompany this final stage of the disease. 
 
Chrissy revealed that by 2025, 7.1 million people will suffer from Alzheimer’s disease and that two thirds o f those over 65 will have the disease.  It is currently the 6th leading cause of death for adults
 
Many of you will remember that Chrissy spoke to us a few years ago about the book that she had written about her experiences with her mother’s Alzheimer’s disease.  That book was titled after her mother’s favorite song, “On the Sunny Side of the Street”.    Chrissy’s publisher urged her to update the book and she has made significant changes to the book, including many of her mother’s writings as well.  The book has been re-titled and published under the title “The Unexpected” which seems like an apt title for a book about a caregiver’s experiences with Alzheimer’s Disease.  Chrissy’s new book is available on Amazon.  She and Paul are pictured below.
Meeting Recap - April 2, 2019 Jeff Benson 2019-04-02 05:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - March 26, 2019

Posted by Jeff Benson on Mar 26, 2019

President-elect Dennis Connolly took over the meeting responsibilities for vacationing President Cindy Carlson.   Our guests today were:

·         Ellen Dunn, a Rotary Global Grant Fellowship Scholar sponsored by our club.  Ellen is studying in London.

·         Sofia Valdez, our outbound exchange student for next year.  Sophia will represent us in Spain.

Sofia (left) and Ellen (right) are pictured with Ed James.

 

Bev Aplikowski appealed to all of us to get our sold tickets and meal selections for the Gold Plate Dinner to her ASAP.

 

Nicole Ulrich reminds us that the Benedictine Health Center at Innsbruck will hold its 12th annual gala on May 17th.  Contact Nicole for more information about this really fun event.

 

Life Prep Academy will hold a dinner and silent auction on Thursday, March 28th, 6:30-8PM, at Moe’s Restaurant in Mounds View.  Life Prep Academy provides a high school diploma program and a dormitory for its high school aged homeless students.  RSVP preferred to: pam@lifeprepacademymn.com

 

Margaret Johnson encourages us all to consider increasing our quarterly contributions to the Rotary Foundation.  If you haven’t already done so, increasing your mandatory $10/quarter contribution to $25/ quarter will help us achieve our club goal of each member contributing $100 or more to the Rotary Foundation each year.  Watch your email for more details.

 

Next year’s outbound exchange student, Sofia Valdez, introduced herself to the club.  Sofia is 16 years old and a St. Anthony H.S. student.  When she’s not working at Hazel’s Northeast Restaurant, Sofia volunteers with several organizations including Step-Up and Minnesota Interfaith Power and Light.  She is a self-described energy activist.  Sofia sweetened her introduction with delicious blue and gold cookies (Rotary colors, of course).

 

Our speaker today was Lisa Baker, Program Manager at the Ralph Reeder Food shelf.  Lisa has been with the Food Shelf for 21 years.  Lisa began her talk with a video of the Grand Opening Celebration at their new location in the Silver View Strip Mall at 2544 Mounds View Boulevard.  Lisa noted that over 400 people attended the celebration.   Lisa said that hunger and food insecurity are a big problem, even in the suburbs.  One in eleven households is affected by hunger in rural, suburban and urban areas and one in seven children go to bed hungry each night.  One third of Mounds View Public Schools students qualify for free and reduced lunches.  It’s not just kids and young families that don’t have enough food, though; 10% of the food shelf’s clients are seniors.  In 2018, Ralph Reeder gave out 667,326 pounds of food and goods to 26,520 duplicated people and they are currently serving 963 families each month.  This reflects the trend that shows a nearly 100% increase in food shelf usage since 2010.  People in need of food call the food shelf to make an appointment to meet with a staff person to determine eligibility.  If eligible, they shop for their own food or other needed items.  At checkout the food is weighed to document the benefit.  The Food Shelf also participates in “Schooltrition” programs to get food to children in school.  These programs include Snackpack, Smartsnacks and Pop-up School Markets.  Over 400 students are enrolled in these programs district-wide.

 

If you are wondering how you can help, there are several options:

·         Volunteer at the Food Shelf

·         Donate food or other supplies

·         Donate money (each dollar buys 8 dollars of food)

·         Sponsor a program or event

·         Spread the word about hunger and the Food Shelf’s efforts to fight it.

 

For more information, call the Food Shelf at 651-621-6280 or go to https://www.moundsviewschools.org/Domain/75

Lisa and Mary Stewart are pictured below.

Meeting Recap - March 26, 2019 Jeff Benson 2019-03-26 05:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - March 19, 2019

Posted by Jeff Benson on Mar 19, 2019
Our exchange student, Maria Klakegg, joined us for lunch today and filled us in on her recent trip to Kauai and Maui where she had an amazing time experiencing the many wonders of Hawaii.  Among the many highlights were surfing and a visit to the Kauai Rotary Club where she got the royal treatment and was even invited to a Rotarians home.
 
President Cindy Carlson reminded us that the Gold Plate Dinner is just one month away and we all need to solicit donations in three categories:  Live Auction, Dine Around Town and Mini-Raffle. Cindy also noted that Bell Lumber and Pole is sponsoring a $2,500 challenge grant for our Gala.  New and increased donations will be matched dollar for dollar up to a total of $2,500.  Please return any tickets you cannot sell at or prior to our March 26th meeting!
 
Jason Slama will again be managing a donation location for 2nd Harvest Heartland’s Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive on Saturday, May 11th.  Jason will need two groups of 6-8 volunteers to help load donated food onto semi-trailers.  The work will be divided into two shifts, 12-3PM and 3-6PM.  Let Jason know if you can help out:   jslama735@gmail.com
 
 
March 22nd is World Water Day and some members shared their thoughts about water:
  • Cindy Carlson shared that EcoLab has an online tool called Water Smart Navigator to help reduce water usage.
  • Charlie Longbella noted that his company has supplied cargo containers to a company that converts them to water towers (this would be a great program).
  • Ed James reminded us that there are countries that have more oil than water!
  • Nyle Zikmund noted that much of the water in the sanitary sewer system (which we pay dearly to treat) is tap water from faucets left running, etc.
 
Jim O’Brien collated and submitted the information for the Rotary District 5960 Awards for this year.  This is a big job and Jim’s hard work is greatly appreciated.
 
Mark Your Calendars
  • Sunday, April 14th, 11AM, Easter egg stuffing at the Exchange.
  • Saturday, April 20th, 10AM, Easter Egg Hunt at Driftwood Park.
  • Sunday, April 28th, 5:30PM-9:00PM, Peacemaker MN Cribbage Tourney at Adagio Pizza Factory.
  • Tuesday, April 30th, 12 Noon, Offsite Rotary meeting at the Community Support Center Luncheon.
  • Wednesday, May 30th, 11:30-1PM, NYFS Leadership Luncheon.  See Cindy to join her at her table.
  • Friday, May 17th, 5:30PM Benedictine Health Center at Innsbruck Gala.
 
Ed James reminded us that volunteers are still needed for our Fourth Grade Foresters Tree Giveaway on Thursday, April 11th.  Mark your calendars now for approximately 11-4PM and the exact times will determined soon.  Ed also noted that our Feed My Starving Children food packing event will be on Tuesday evening May 28th.
 
There will be no Board meeting on March 26th
 
Gerry Tietz is in the process of migrating our website’s domain name to Clubrunner.  In the meantime please use the following url to access the website: portal.clubrunner.ca/10976
 
Happy Bucks Highlights:
  • John Ordway is happy to have been in Arizona for two weeks and also happy to report that son Dan is engaged.
  • Cindy Carlson is happy to be leaving soon for a girl’s trip to Mexico.
  • Nicole Ulrich is happy will be soon be moving to her new home in Coon Rapids and will also be traveling to Armenia to visit family.
  • Ed James is happy that his daughter will be travelling to London to study.
 
Geoff Hollimon introduced our speaker, Paul Campobasso to speak to us about the joys of soaring.  Paul’s first introduction to the idea of flying a plane without a motor was the 1967 Disney film, “The Boy Who Flew with Condors”.  The idea percolated for32 years until Paul took his first glider flight in White Bear Lake.  He joined the Red Wing Soaring Association and progressed from pilot to glider pilot to commercial glider pilot to certified glider pilot instructor. 
 
Gliders can be piloted by anyone who can reach the controls but 12 years old is usually the earliest age to learn to fly them.  With enough practice, kids can solo at 14 and get their glider license at 16.  Paul shared the story of how his daughter got both her automobile driver’s license and glider pilot’s license on her 16th birthday.
 
Paul noted that the cost to get a glider license is about half the cost of getting a private pilot’s license and that it usually takes a full season of training to solo and another season to finish your rating.  The normal soaring season is from April through November (although perhaps not this year!).
 
For more information about the Red Wing Soaring Association, go here.  To contact Paul, email him at: paulc@inclinetech.com  Paul and Geoff are shown below.
 
Meeting Recap - March 19, 2019 Jeff Benson 2019-03-19 05:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - March 12, 2019

Posted by Jeff Benson on Mar 12, 2019

President Cindy Carlson opened the meeting with the Pledge and Mary Stewart offered an invocation.  There were no guests today.

 

The Rotary Rose Bowl Float committee sent us a thank you note acknowledging our most recent contribution and thanking us for our support over the last ten years.

 

Peacemaker Minnesota will hold its fourth annual cribbage tournament fundraiser on Sunday, April 28th, from 5:30-9:00PM at Adagio’s Pizza Factory right here in New Brighton.  The entry fee is $40 ($30 of which is tax deductible).  It’s a team play tournament, but if you need a teammate, they will find one for you.  Food and beverages are provided.  Click here to sign up.

 

Jason Slama will be managing a donation location for 2nd Harvest Heartland’s Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive on Saturday, May 11th.  Jason will need two groups of 6-8 volunteers to help load donated food onto semi-trailers.  The work will be divided into two shifts, 12-3PM and 3-6PM.  Let Jason know if you can help out mailto:jslama735@gmail.com

 

Dennis Connolly reminded us that the Gold Plate Dinner is just one month away and we all need to solicit donations in three categories:  Live Auction, Dine Around Town and Mini-Raffle. For your reference, last year’s contributions in each category can be accessed by clicking here.

 

Ed James had several announcements:

·         Volunteers are needed for our Fourth Grade Foresters Tree Giveaway on Thursday, April 11th.  Mark your calendars now for approximately 11-4PM and the exact times will determined soon.

·         Camp RYLA participants will be selected soon.

·         Sofia Valdez will be our outbound exchange student next year and we will be hosting an inbound exchange student from Japan.  Two host families will be needed.

·         Our Feed My Starving Children food packing event will be on either Tuesday May 21st or 28th.

 

Mary Stewart thanked everyone who participated in the CPY Spring Luncheon last Tuesday.  Mary brought some absolutely delicious cupcakes today as an additional thank you.

 

March 22nd is World Water Day.  If you have a story or other tidbit about the importance of clean water, please come prepared to share it at our Tuesday noon meeting on March 19th.

 

Gerry Tietz reported that he is in the process of migrating our website’s domain name to Clubrunner.  I the meantime please use the following url to access the website: portal.clubrunner.ca/10976

 

Happy Bucks Highlights:

·         Paul Fournier was happy that Chrissy was interviewed by Maple Grove Community TV about the books she has authored.   The interviewer was none other than Barry Zevan.  You can find the interview on YouTube by clicking here.

·         Bev Aplikowski was happy to be recovering at home after recent health issues and also happy to be able to attend our meeting today.

·         Cindy Carlson will be a grandma for the second time this July.

·         Dennis Connolly was happy to be with his grandkids every day last week and is also happy now that it’s over.

 

Mary Stewart introduced Jennifer Fink, New Brighton’s Director of Parks and Recreation.  Jennifer joined the team at New Brighton 18 months ago after 13 years in similar roles elsewhere.  Her topic today was the New Brighton Parks, Trails and Recreation Master Plan which is currently under development.  The plan will be a comprehensive plan to provide an overall community vision of parks, trails and recreation for the next 20 years and to prioritize investment in improvements.  The Master Plan will take into account our changing demographics.  New Brighton is becoming older and more diverse in terms of ethnicity, income level and physical ability, and these factors must be accounted for in the Master Plan.  Changing trends in recreation like splash pads, pickle ball courts and ninja warrior courts will also be considered.  Of course, inclusivity and sustainability will also be important considerations.  Another goal of the Master Plan will be to foster a sense of place and celebrate community pride. 

 

Jennifer is determined to engage the community in the planning process, employing a variety of tools to ensure that all interested parties have an opportunity to provide input.  Community events and pop-up engagements will complement more formal public meetings.  There is a Neighborhood Input Meeting scheduled on Thursday, March 21st, 6PM at the Sunny Square Park building to gather input for the Master Plan.  Another interesting tool is Social Pinpoint, an online interactive project map which allows residents to submit comments ideas and other input from any internet connected device.   The target completion date for the Master Plan is October 19th.  Jennifer and Mary are shown below.

Meeting Recap - March 12, 2019 Jeff Benson 2019-03-12 05:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - February 26, 2019

Posted by Jeff Benson on Feb 26, 2019

Bev Aplikowski was able to attend the meeting today after a long absence due to health issues.  Welcome back, Bev!

 

President Cindy Carlson welcomed our speaker’s guest, Karen Pepin.  Karen serves on the board of Remember Niger Coalition.

 

Cindy thanked all those who helped put on our 40th Anniversary Party this past weekend.  Special praise was given to George Winiecki, who worked so hard to contact past Rotarians and Nicole Ulrich, whose banquet experience and decorating expertise made the event so special.  Cindy also thanked Chef Kyle and the Exchange staff for the excellent food and service.  The club responded by thanking Cindy for her part in organizing and emceeing the bash.

 

It’s now confirmed that our April 30th noon meeting will be held off-site at the Community Support Center Luncheon.  We will meet at St John the Baptist Catholic Church.

 

Geoff Hollimon reminded us that we will also have an off-site meeting at the CPY Spring Luncheon on March 5th.  A big Rotary turnout will show the community how strongly we support CPY’s youth mission.  There is no cost to attend.  An accurate head count is necessary to plan the food.  Look for a sign-up sheet at next week’s meeting.

 

Dennis passed around a sign-up sheet for Gold Plate Dinner responsibilities.  If everyone takes at least one responsibility at the dinner, it would allow those few who have traditionally done everything to have some time to enjoy the evening.

 

Our condolences go to Margaret Johnson, whose father died recently.  Margaret will be in Taiwan for services.

 

Dennis Connolly will be sending an email with possible times to sort and pack medical supplies for Bolivia at the Mano-a-Mano warehouse near the Minnesota Fairgrounds.

 

Ed James said that we collected $78 last week by passing the hat for seed money for a future visit to Feed My Starving Children in May.  Stay tuned for more information.

 

Next week, Geoff Hollimon will auction off three tickets for a tour of the inner workings of Target Field.  This isn’t your average tour, but rather a private tour provided by the “Curator” of the stadium.  The Tour will visit several areas which are off-limits to the standard tours.  Check your calendars for availability on Saturday, March 9th.

 

Ed James celebrated a birthday this week so Cindy discovered the hiding place of the dreaded birthday hat and brought it out just for Ed.  As you can see from the photo below, Ed wore the hat with style.

 

Happy Bucks Highlights

·         Ed James was happy that his fiancée, Rachael, was able to join us for the 40th Anniversary Party.

·         Bev Aplikowski was happy to be back with us.

·         David Hoel was happy to be leaving for Florida for 3 weeks.  I wonder if it will still be below zero when he returns.

·         George Winiecki was thankful for all the Rotarians who do so much for the club, both visible and behind the scenes.

 

President Cindy introduced a speaker who is very familiar to us by now, Kara VanderKamp, President and Executive Director of Remember Niger Coalition.  Remember Niger is celebrating its tenth anniversary this year and Kara noted that we have been supporters of the Coalition for 8 or more years.  Remember Niger is a response to the desperate conditions present in Niger.  With a population of 20 million, Niger is the least developed and least educated country on earth.  Combine this with an average birth rate of 7 children per woman (the highest rate on earth) and the future looks bleak, but Remember Niger Coalition believes that education is the key to preventing a humanitarian crisis in Niger.  Currently, only 38% of kids attend elementary school, 11% attend middle school and just 3% attend high school.  Remember Niger envisions quality education for all and supports Nigerian leaders who share that vision.  These leaders believe that education is the key to increased prosperity and the key to population control.  Studies show that birth rate drops dramatically as the education level of young women increases.  A higher education level of mothers also dramatically increases their desire to educate their children.  Since Niger’s education system is ill-equipped to accomplish this goal, Remember Niger has adopted multiple strategies to improve the educational infrastructure and educational outcomes.  Our Rotary club and others have joined forces to create matching grants to help fund many of Remember Niger initiatives, including many of the following:

·         School construction

·         Latrine construction

·         School sponsorships

·         Solar power and solar wells

·         Gardens and meals

·         Teacher training

·         Scholarships

·         Computer labs

Future projects include more solar powered wells, schools for disabled children, teacher training seminars, more secondary schools and a nursing school.

Kara and Cindy are pictured below.

Meeting Recap - February 26, 2019 Jeff Benson 2019-02-26 06:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - February 19, 2019
 

Posted by Jeff Benson on Feb 19, 2019

Ed James’ fiancée, Rachael, was visiting from London.  She will join us for our 40th Anniversary party this Saturday.

 

Speaking of the Anniversary Party; 74 RSVP’s have been received for the Event which will be held at the New Brighton Community Center, Saturday, February 23rd from 5:30-9:30PM.

 

Our Gold Plate Dinner is set for Friday, April 12th.  Mark Beisswenger outlined the intricacies of ticket sales as follows:

·    Each Rotarian will be billed for one ticket to the event. 

·    The ticket sales team captains will provide each of their team members an envelope with one or more additional tickets to sell.  Please start trying to sell the tickets   immediately.  For each ticket you sell, return the check and a completely filled out ticket stub to you team captain.  Any tickets that you know you will be unable to sell should be returned to you team captain ASAP so someone else on your team can sell it.

·       From February 12th – April 2nd, Rotarians who sold a ticket during the previous week will receive one entry for a $75 grand prize drawing at the conclusion of the ticket sales competition.  The members of the team with the most combined ticket sales for the previous week will each receive one entry for the $75 grand prize.  The individual who sold the most tickets during the previous week will receive one entry to the grand prize drawing plus their choice of a bottle of wine, a six pack of craft beer or a $10 gift card.  The Rotarian who sells the most tickets overall will receive $75 cash.  To qualify for the sales competition each ticket sale must be confirmed by the buyer and reported to your team captains. Also make sure to report the meal choice information for each ticket.  Now get out there and sell tickets!

 

The Board meets on Tuesday, February 26, 11:00AM at the Exchange.  The noon meeting will feature Kara VanderKamp with an update on Remember Niger.  Kara will also attend the 4:01 meeting on Thursday, Feb 28th.

 

President Elect Dennis Connolly presented an opportunity to sort medical supplies at Mano-a-Mano.  These donated medical supplies will go to Bolivia. Sorting times are Tuesday from 5-8PM and Friday from 3-5PM.  There was significant interest in both days.  Stay tuned for details.

 

Dave Hoel reminded us to mark our calendars for the Easter Egg stuffing on April 14th, 11 AM and the Egg Hunt itself on April 20th, 10AM.  Nicole Ulrich encouraged us to attend the Sunday, February 24th, 6:30PM performance of “This Is Living”, a youth musical at Christ the King Lutheran Church.  The musical will feature our exchange student, Maria Klakegg.  Don’t miss it!

 

Ed James passed the hat to gather seed money for our Feed My Starving Children food packing event in May.  Details are forthcoming.

 

Happy Bucks Highlights

·         Paul Fournier was happy to have finally sold his airplane.

·         John and Tina Risdall are celebrating their 30th anniversary.

·         Nils Friberg bought Peg an Instapot for her 72nd birthday.  He said it was complicated, but he finally got it working.  He claims he didn’t inhale.

·         Nicole Ulrich is happy to be moving and even happier to be expecting in September.

·         Dana Rebelein was finally able to offer a happy buck for Gopher athletics after a few frustrating weeks.

·         John Ordway was happy to have avoided much of the snow and cold by vacationing in Arizona.

 

Ed James introduced Thompson Aderinkomi, Founder and CEO of NICE HEALTHCARE.  Thompson is a 1998 Irondale graduate and got his undergraduate and graduate degrees at the University of Minnesota.  Thompson currently resides in North East Minneapolis.

 

Thompson began his presentation with the assertion that the traditional health care model in this country is badly broken because of high costs and poor access.  Nice Healthcare addresses both of these issues with a unique approach to basic healthcare.  The Nice approach revolves around an app that allows you to schedule a “video visit” with a Nurse Practitioner who can spend as much time as necessary to diagnose your symptoms.  If a prescription is indicated, most common drugs can be delivered to your home at no charge for the drug or the delivery.  For less commonly prescribed drugs, a regular prescription can be written to be filled at a local pharmacy.  If further tests are needed, a health care professional will come to your home to complete the tests and even x-rays.  The home visit service is currently available only in the metro area but the video visits are available anywhere you have cell phone service.

 

The service is primarily marketed to businesses that are looking for a way to minimize the frustration of high costs of and difficult access to routine health care.  The subscription costs $25-35/month/employee and the employee’s family is included in the service. The service doesn’t eliminate the need for catastrophic health care coverage, nor does it coordinate with traditional health insurance.  In fact, the low cost is made possible because the service is completely separate from your health insurance plan.  If an employer doesn’t offer the service, it is available for individuals at $89/month and families at $150/month.   Nice currently has 8,000 people covered in the metro area is aggressively seeking more subscribers.  Cindy, Thompson and Ed are shown below.

Meeting Recap - February 19, 2019  Jeff Benson 2019-02-19 06:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - February 12, 2019

Posted by Jeff Benson on Feb 12, 2019

George Winiecki updated us on our 40th Anniversary Party coming up on February 23rd, 5:30 PM at the New Brighton Community Center.  He has 58 RSVP’s from current and former Rotarians and spouses.  If you have not RSVP’d yet, it’s very important that you let George know ASAP so we can order the right number of meals.

 

You all have received emails with a Gold Plate Dinner sales brochure and your GPD sales team assignments.  Mark Beisswenger explained how the Gold Plate Dinner ticket sales contest will work.  From February 12th – April 2nd, Rotarians who sold a ticket the previous week will receive one entry for a $75 grand prize drawing at the conclusion of the ticket sales competition.  The members of the team with the most combined ticket sales for the previous week will each receive one entry for the $75 grand prize.  The individual who sold the most tickets during the previous week will receive one entry to the grand prize drawing plus their choice of a bottle of wine, a six pack of craft beer or a $10 gift card.  The Rotarian who sells the most tickets overall will receive $75 cash.  To qualify for the sales competition each ticket sale must be confirmed by the buyer and reported to Mark Beisswenger.  Also make sure to report the meal choice information for each ticket.  Now get out there and sell tickets!

 

Geoff Hollimon reminded us that our March 5th noon meeting will be off-site at the CPY Luncheon.  A big Rotary turnout will show the community how strongly we support CPY’s youth mission.  There is no cost to attend.  Look for a sign-up sheet at next week’s meeting.

 

We are also looking into the possibility of an off-site meeting for our April 30th noon meeting.  The Community Support Center (CSC) is having its luncheon on that day.  As a founding member of CSC , we could show our continuing support by attending the luncheon.  More to follow…

 

Ed James had three announcements:

·         Our Arbor Day tree give-away is coming up on Friday, April 26th.  Several volunteers will be needed to distribute the trees to area 4th graders.  Mark your calendars now.

·         We need two host families for next year’s youth exchange.  If your family or one you know is willing to host a student, please contact Ed right away.

·         We’re planning to have another Feed My Starving Children event sometime in May.  We’ll pass the hat next week to gather some seed money for the event.

 

Happy Bucks Summary:

·         Mark Beisswenger received a snow blessing from the Minnesota Twins Pastor earlier this year and the results have obviously been amazing.  Word is Mark is lining him up for another blessing for next snow season.

·         Charlie L. is off to Mexico (without kids) for week with college friends.

·         Ed James’ fiancé will be here from England to help us celebrate our 40th anniversary.

·         Mary Stewart’s parents visited her last week and they were also able to help out at CPY.

·         Dave Hoel explained how easy it is to grind up your cell phone with your snow blower.

 

Ed James introduced our speaker, Nyle Zikmund.  Nyle’s topic was the Red River Expedition of 1870.  Around the time of the U.S. Civil War both the U.S. and Canada wanted to encourage settlement of their interiors.  Canada was still a British possession but it was working on independence and was trying to buy Ontario and Manitoba from the England’s Hudson Bay Company to create Canadian settlements there.  The Métis, a group of people created by intermarriage of the native population and French voyageurs, feared that these new settlements would cause them to lose the land they had occupied but had no legal ownership of.  This led the Métis, under the leadership of Louis Riel, to capture Fort Garry.   Riel presided over the court martial and eventual execution of Thomas Scott.  England responded by dispatching 1,200 British Soldiers and 2,000 native guides and porters, led by Colonel Garnet Wolseley, to quell the rebellion.  At that time there few roads so the expeditionary force would need to paddle most of the way.  Wolseley and his men faced a most difficult journey, traveling from 3 in the morning until after dark and all the while plagued by ravenous mosquitoes.  Despite grueling conditions, they covered 370 miles in just 90 days, but were unable to engage Riel and the Métis because they had fled Fort Garry to avoid a battle with the clearly superior British forces.  Both Riel and Wolseley went on to be prominent historical figures.  Ed and Nyle are shown below.

 
Meeting Recap - February 12, 2019 Jeff Benson 2019-02-12 06:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - February 5, 2019

Posted by Jeff Benson on Feb 05, 2019

President Elect Dennis Connolly presided over today’s meeting  in President Cindy Carlson’s absence.

 

Dennis reminded us to RSVP now for our 40th Anniversary Bash coming up on February 23rd.  If you have contact information for former Rotarians, please get that information to George Winiecki ASAP!

 

The next meeting of the Gold Plate Dinner Planning Team will be before our noon meeting on Tuesday February 12th at 11 AM.  Your input is needed to make the event successful, so please attend the meeting and bring your ideas on how to make this fundraiser successful and fun!  The success of the event is, of course, dependent on ticket sales so talk to your friends and co-workers about joining you at the event.  Also, when you dine out, consider asking the restaurant manager if they would donate a $25 or $50 gift certificate to be raffled off at the event.  If the manager declines, you might consider donating a gift certificate yourself.

 

Happy Bucks Highlights

   - Garry Johnson moved a friend into the Veterans Home in Minneapolis this week and couldn't’t say enough about the quality of the facility and the caring staff.  Nice to know that, despite some recent bad press in other areas, Minnesota does right by Veterans.

   - Dennis Connolly was in Tuscon for two weeks and had a great time despite the need to apply some plumbing skills to clear roots out of the sewer pipe.

   - Nyle Zikmund  is leaving for Tuscon just as Dennis is returning.  I hope his plumbing skills are as good as Dennis’s.

   - David Hoel is celebrating the 53rd anniversary of his first date with Susan.  There was no word on whether Susan was celebrating 53 years with David.  Congratulations to a great couple!

   - John Risdall will celebrate his 30th wedding anniversary this week.  He was also grateful to finally be able to get around without a walker after breaking his leg a year ago.

 

Nyle Zikmund introduced our speaker, Mike Shantzen, a Detective from the Anoka County Sheriff’s Office and Task Force Officer with the MN Bureau of Criminal Apprehension Human Trafficking Task Force.  Mike specializes in child/adult sexual assaults, death investigations, sex trafficking and other felony level crimes.

 

Mike defined sex trafficking as when three or more parties are involved in commercial sex transaction (Buyer, Victim Trafficker).  Traffickers use force, fraud and coercion to lure their victims into sexual  acts in exchange for money or other items of value.  Sex trafficking is driven by the economics of supply and demand.  Men who want to pay for sex with girls, boys and women provide the demand and traffickers, driven by money power and greed, provide the victims to satisfy the demand.  The FBI has ranked Minnesota 13th in the incidence of child prostitution; the average age of first trafficking being just 11-14 years old.  A 2015 survey of trafficking victim service providers in Minnesota showed that they had helped 21 adult males, 319 adult females, 36 juvenile males and an astounding 943 juvenile females.  These numbers only reflect the victims that reported being victims of sex trafficking…it seems that these victims are just the tip of the iceberg.  Mike said that trafficking is not just an inner city problem, indicating that there are a large number of trafficking cases in the Anoka County/North Metro Area.  Sex trafficking is hiding in plain sight in our hotels, motels, massage parlors, and private residences.

 

The Minnesota Human Trafficking Investigation Task Force (MN HITF) is a consortium of investigators and analysts from local and state crime fighting agencies whose mission is to deter trafficking and assist in the investigation of trafficking cases when they occur.  They accomplish this mission in many ways:

·         Proactive operations like trafficking awareness education in high schools and churches and other public forums.

·         Conduct training for law enforcement and other service professionals.

·         Trafficking recognition training for hotel/motel staff and management

·         Victim recovery operations

·         Sting operations to help suppress demand for juvenile trafficking

 

For more information about the Mn BCA’s Human Trafficking Investigators Task Force, click here.  

 

Contact Information:

·         National Human Trafficking Hotline – 866-223-1111

·         Human Trafficking Investigators Task Force – 651-793-7000

·         Detective Mike Schantzen – 651-793-1130 or mike.schantzen@co.anoka.mn.us

 

Dennis and Mike are pictured below.

Meeting Recap - February 5, 2019 Jeff Benson 2019-02-05 06:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - January 29, 2019

Posted by Jeff Benson on Jan 29, 2019

Our sole guest today was Roseville Rotarian Marv Sorvala.

 

President Cindy Carlson reported that the Board has approved donations to the Mounds View Police Foundation’s Daddy-Daughter Dance and to the Arden Hills/Shoreview Rotary’s Sewing School Project in India.

 

Ed James said that our exchange student, Maria, has moved to Paul and Denise Jacobsen’s home.  Please give the Jacobsen’s a call to schedule some time with Maria.  Maria will be traveling to Hawaii from February 26-March 8th.

 

Happy Bucks Highlights:

   - Marv Sorvala is engaged to Diane!

   - Bob Barmore is happy that the snowblower he bought five years ago at at Beisswenger’s started on the first pull yesterday.

   - Nicole and Tyson Ulrich sold their home and are looking for a new one.

 

New member Charlie Longbella took the podium to deliver his new-member classification talk.  Charlie was born in Minneapolis but moved to Chippewa Falls, WI when he was 5.  He got his degrees in Business Administration and Golf Course Management from Stout and had a variety of jobs until he came to work for his uncle at Big Blue Boxes.  Big Blue Boxes provides moving and storage services for homeowners and businesses.  They rent shipping containers for storage at your home or business or at Big Blue Box’s secure storage area.  They have over 1,000 containers available.  The company has recently expanded its services to include intermodal trucking (transportation of shipping containers between trains and businesses.

 

Charlie’s uncle, a Brooklyn Park Rotarian, encouraged Charlie to become involved in Rotary and, even before he joined our club, he was part of a Brooklyn Park Rotary project to donate a shipping container loaded with sewing machines, fabrics and other much needed supplies to Haiti.  Charlie is jumping right in here at NBMV Rotary by agreeing to be on the board as director of Public Image/Communications.

 

Charlie lives in Woodbury with his wife Molly and kids, Crosby and Hadley.  Cindy and Charlie are shown below.

 

President Cindy reviewed our goals for the last 6 months of this Rotary Year by logging in to the Goal Center of the Rotary Club Central web page.  We reviewed our  goals in the following areas:

  - Membership,

  - Service Participation,

  - New Member Sponsorship,

  - Leadership Development Participation,

  - District Conference Attendance,

  - District Training Participation

  - Foundation Giving,

  - Service Projects, including Harvest Pack, Camp Enterprise, Food Shelf, Camp RYLA, CSC, Financial Literacy, Homelessness Eradication, Stockyard Days Parade, MV Festival in the Park, CPY, FMSC, Egg Hunt, among others.

 

Club Administration Director Bob Barmore reminded us to attempt to get a variety of speakers and to make prospective speakers aware of our desire to avoid extremely controversial or offensive presentation topics.

 

The slate of leadership nominees for the 2019-20 Rotary Year was presented and approved by the members present.  The new Leadership Team is:

 

President                                          Dennis Connolly

President-Elect                                Nicole Ulrich

Secretary                                          Jason Miller

Treasurer                                          John Ordway

Club Adm/Club Service                  Nyle Zikmund

Foundation                                       Nils Friberg

Membership                                    Cindy Carlson

Public Image/Communications    Charlie Longbella

AM/Flex Meetings                          Michelle Caron

Community Service                        Mike Johnson

International Service                     Geoff Hollimon

Youth Service/Youth Exchange    Edeth James

Meeting Recap - January 29, 2019 Jeff Benson 2019-01-29 06:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - January 22, 2019

Posted by Jeff Benson on Jan 22, 2019

Our guests today were: MaryAnn Bawden, Blaine Ham Lake Rotarian Lyn Stepaniak and Twin Cities North Chamber President John Connelly.  John noted that we are all invited to the T.C. North Chamber Open House on February 14th from 3-5PM at the Reserve, 1915 Highway 36 West in Roseville.  The Chamber is also having its Golden Gala on Thursday March 7th, from 6-9PM.  The event will be held at the Mermaid Event Center and tickets are $75.

 

President Cindy Carlson presented Cor Wilson with a Dedicated Service Award, honoring her many years of service to Rotary and the community.  Cor served as NBMV Rotary President twice, in 1997-98 and 2012-13.  Cor was asked to join Rotary by Dana Rebelein, and Dana presented Cor with a “retirement clock” which had no hours on the dial, just the days of the week.  Happy retirement Cor; we’re going to miss you. Cor is shown with her award, below.

 

The club is gearing up to see if it can top last year’s stellar performance at the District Awards presentation.  We’re looking for someone to help document this year’s progress.  If you are that person, please contact Cindy Carlson.

 

Our Exchange Student, Maria Klakegg, will be moving from the Johnson’s to her second home with the Jacobsen’s this Friday.  Please think about including Maria in your activities around the cities…she is incredibly fun to be with.

 

Don’t forget to get your RSVP’s for our 40th Anniversary Party to George Winiecki.  Many past Rotarians will be joining us to celebrate this milestone.  We’ll gather at the New Brighton Community Center from 5:30-9:30PM with catering by the Exchange.

 

By now you all should have received your ticket selling information brochure for our 18th Annual Gold Plate Dinner on April 12th.  Note that the ticket price this year is $150 per couple. To create some excitement about tickets sales, Mark Beisswenger has put together 4 teams that will compete for ticket selling honors (as well as prizes).  The team captains are David Hoel, Garry Johnson, Nicole Ulrich and Michelle Caron.  You can expect your team captain to contact you to plan your ticket selling strategy.

 

The Board presented the revised by-laws for approval.  The new by-laws were approved by voice vote.

 

The St. Paul Sunrise, Minneapolis City of Lakes, and Roseville Rotary clubs are presenting a community forum entitled, “Minnesota’s Climate Future: Saving the Places We Love” on Thursday, May 2, 7:15-9:15, at the Town and Country Club in St. Paul.  The forum will feature MPR Chief Meteorologist, Paul Huttner, Alan Anderson from the Northfield Rotary Climate Action Team and J. Drake Hamilton, Director of Science Policy for Fresh Energy.  Cost is $25/person.

 

We were blessed with two speakers today, Bill Klump and Stephanie Cosgrove, both Rotarians from the Arden Hills/Shoreview club.  Bill was here to make us aware of Arden Hills/Shoreview’s District Matching Grant Proposal to fund a sewing school for young women in the village of Amaravahti, India.  The school would be modeled after a successful sewing school in Rajupalem, India, which was established by a non-profit organization called PUSHPA.  PUSHPA was established by long-time Arden Hills residents Gummadi and Shirley Franklin to help underprivileged people in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India to participate in their own health, economic and educational development. The proposed school would serve young women and their families by teaching the women to sew.  This basic skill would provide these young women with an opportunity for employment and perhaps entrepreneurship.  Sewing skill would also make the women more marriageable by reducing the amount of any expected dowry.  District 5960 has approved the $17,000 grant proposal and Arden Hills/Shoreview Rotary must now secure $4,800 in donations from area clubs.  Bill is hoping that we will be able to help in that effort.

 

Stephanie Cosgrove was here to promote another Arden Hills/Shoreview Rotary initiative; preventing human trafficking.  The title of Stephanie’s presentation was, “Out of the Shadows: Ending Human Trafficking in Minnesota”.  Stephanie defined human trafficking as: When one person holds another person in compelled service.  She noted that 25-40 million people are enslaved worldwide; 51% are women and 20% are girls. There are 300,000 new sex trafficking victims each year in the U.S. alone.  Trafficking generates $150 billion in business globally; two thirds of which is from sex trafficking.  The victims of sex trafficking are on average 12-14 years old when they enter the trafficking business and are forced to have sex 5-40 times a day.  The average life expectancy after entering trafficking is just 7 years.  Lest we be tempted to blame only the traffickers, we should remember that the purchasers of sex are as much to blame as the traffickers.  Minnesota has the 13th highest rate of youth prostitution in the U.S. with 8-14 thousand sex trafficking victims each year.  Fortunately in Minnesota, Safe Harbor Laws treat these young women and girls as victims, not criminals and great efforts are being made to serve and care for victims.  We can begin to eradicate sex trafficking increasing  awareness, educating children and youth, reducing vulnerability and risk factors and by stopping the demand.  Rotary Clubs across the state are working together to accomplish these goals.  Presentations have been made to over 60 clubs in districts 5960 and 5950 and more than 15 clubs have launched projects in their communities.  A website has been started and $800 is needed to complete the development of the site.  Club donations of $150 are being sought to complete the site.  We can also help by partnering to bring anti-trafficking curriculum to the Mounds View School System.  Stephanie sent a link to a video of the format for elementary schools

 

Bill Klump and Stephanie Cosgrove are shown below,

Meeting Recap - January 22, 2019 Jeff Benson 2019-01-22 06:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - January 15, 2019

Posted by Jeff Benson on Jan 15, 2019

President Cindy Carlson opened the meeting by reading a thank you from Irondale Choir Director Jason Etten.  Jason thanked us for our generous donation and said that the money will be used to provide a scholarship for a student to attend All-State Choir this year.

 

Cindy also passed around thank you cards from our Remember Niger Coalition students Charifa (5th grade) and Mamaan (4th grade).  Cindy read a letter updating us on Remember Niger and thanking us for our continuing sponsorship of Charifa and Mamaan.  At our February 26th noon meeting, Remember Niger’s executive director, Kara VanderKamp, will be here to further update us.

 

We have been notified that our Harvest Pack meals have arrived in Puerto Rico.  We’ll be updated when the meals have been distributed to Puerto Ricans still suffering the effects of the hurricane.

 

Cindy Carlson, Margaret Johnson and new member Jed Hamoud attended the District 5960 Mid-Term this past weekend and came away with lots of useful information. They highly recommend that members consider attending this meeting next year.

 

President-Elect Dennis Connolly let us know that the new by-laws are ready for a club vote which will occur at next noon meeting (January 22nd).  You should receive a copy of the revised by-laws by email shortly.  Many thanks to Dennis for his hard work in editing the document.

 

The Gold Plate Dinner planning committee met this morning.  The ticket cost per couple will be $150 this year.  You should receive an information sheet by email that will help you in your effort to sell tickets.  Our Fund-a-Cause recipient for this year will be Harvest Pack.  Mark Beisswenger is heading up the ticket sale competition.  Four teams will compete for most tickets sold and the leading ticket seller each week will receive an amazing prize.  Teams will be announced next week.

 

Invitations to our Club’s 40th Anniversary Celebration were handed out today.  The event will be held at the New Brighton Community Center, February 23rd from 5:30-9:30PM.  A large number of previous Rotarians will be attending to help us celebrate this milestone.  You don’t want to miss it!

 

Ed James read a thank you from our scholarship recipient, Taylor Seim, thanking us for our generosity and letting us know that she is attending Bethel University and has been accepted into the nursing program with plans to become a Nurse Anesthetist.

 

Gerry Tietz noted that he had spoken with Bev and that she is recovering in a nursing home after serious problems with an infection.  Bev welcomes phone calls in the afternoon (651-443-1702).

 

Cor Wilson has terminated her Rotary membership and we’re bidding her farewell at our noon meeting on January 22nd.

 

Happy Bucks Summary:

- Bob Barmore will be a Grandpa for the second time in August.  Congratulations, Bob and Julie!

- Dave Hoel had our exchange student, Maria Klakegg, for dinner and had a wonderful time.

- Dennis had his first experience of skiing 6” of fresh powder at Copper Mountain last week.

- Jason Miller just returned from 10 days in Florida with family prior to the beginning of tax season.

 

Garry Johnson and Paul Fournier share a January 17th birthday.  Garry declined the Birthday Hat but Paul wore it with style, below.

 

Bob Barmore introduced our speaker, Mike Hickey, from NFIB (National Federation of Independent Business).  NFIB is the voice of small business, working together with small business owners to represent their interests in Washington, D.C. and in all 50 state capitals.  Founded in 1943, it is celebrating its 75th year.  NFIB is a non-profit, non-partisan lobbying organization exclusively serving small and independent businesses and funded exclusively by voluntary contributions by member businesses.

 

Mike cited several of NFIB’s recent accomplishments at the Federal level:

- Supporting the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.

- Supported increased estate tax exemption and increased Section 179 expensing limits.

- Defeat of the “Hillary Care” health care proposal.

- Opposed President Obama’s Waters of America administrative action.

 

NFIB has also been influential in the Minnesota political arena:

- Opposed dramatic change in sexual harassment that would have forced small businesses to pay the litigation cost for harassment claims.

- Successfully pushed for an increase in the estate tax exemption from 2 to 3 million dollars.

- Supported reform of eminent domain laws.

- Supported Worker’s Compensation reforms.

 

NFIB’s Minnesota priorities for 2019:

- Achieve or make significant progress toward conformity with 1 million dollar Federal Section 179 limit.

- Conformity (or significant progress toward conforming to) Federal estate tax exemption

- Work toward conformity with other critical tax provisions to bridge the Minnesota tax code to the new federal law.

- Oppose legislation which mandates:

    - paid family leave,

    - paid sick leave,

    - 2 week advance employee scheduling,

    - $15 statewide minimum wage,

    - Gas Tax increase

 

Bob and Mike are shown below.

Meeting Recap - January 15, 2019 Jeff Benson 2019-01-15 06:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - January 8, 2019

Posted by Jeff Benson on Jan 08, 2019
Our guests today were:
   -Our Global Grant Fellowship Scholar to London, Ellen Dunn    
   -Our Camp Enterprise representatives; Ellie Goligowski and Breanna Garcia
   -Roseville Rotarian and frequent visitor, Marv Sorvala
   -Twin Cities Rotaract member, Laura Skubic
   -Cindy Carlson’s guest, Kristi Jacobson
   -Today’s inductee Jed Hamoud and wife Becky.
 
We mourn the recent passing of two NBMV Rotarians, John Marg-Patton and Char Samuelson.  Cindy Carlson noted that memorials for her Co-President John Marg-Patton were preferred to NBMV Rotary and the total contributions were in excess of $4,000.  John’s wife Ruth sent a card expressing her gratitude for our support for their family during this difficult time.   Former Rotarian Char Samuelson’s memorial service was held this past weekend.  Gerry Tietz delivered one of the eulogies, outlining the many ways that Char exemplified the rotary motto: “Service Above Self”.  Both John and Char made a big impact on this club and their community and they will be sorely missed.
 
Cindy Carlson and Gerry Tietz shared the honor of inducting a new Rotarian, Jed Hamoud.  Jed has presented to the club many times about his efforts to provide education for Syrian refugees in Lebanon.  Jed will make an excellent addition to our club.  Nils Friberg and Margaret offered words of praise for Jed’s character as well as his charitable efforts.  Jed’s wife, Becky was present for his induction.
Cindy, Jed and Gerry are pictured below.
 
Maria Klakegg, our Norwegian exchange student, was here today and Ed James presented her with a check from the club (below).
 
Cindy presented a holiday gift to the staff of the Exchange for their excellent service over the past year (below).
 
Irondale students Ellie Goligowski and Breanna Garcia spoke briefly about their amazing experience as our representatives to Camp Enterprise.  They said that there were five speakers, each focusing on an aspect of marketing strategy.  Each team developed a product and a business plan with the help of Rotarian mentors.  They presented their plans to a panel of “investors”, ala Shark Tank.  Both students praised the program and thanked us for providing the opportunity for them to attend.  Irondale Principal Amy Janecek, Breanna, Ellie and Ed James are shown below.
 
Saturday, February 23rd, is the date for our Club’s 40th Anniversary Party at the New Brighton Community Center.  The fun begins at 5:30PM and the cost is $30 per person.  We’re inviting as many previous Rotarians as we can get a hold of, so if you are in contact with any former Rotarians, please get their contact information to George Winiecki or Nicole Ulrich.  We could really use some help addressing and stuffing envelopes for the invitations this Thursday, 4 PM at the Exchange.
 
Our Gold Plate Dinner is coming up on Friday April 12th.  The next planning session will be on Tuesday January 15, 11AM at the Exchange.  The tickets for the event will be available soon.
 
Cor Wilson has retired and terminated her membership, but she’s not forgotten. Join us at our noon meeting on January 22 to give Cor a proper send-off.  Cards or other mementos are appropriate.
 
Margaret Johnson has arranged with the St Paul Rotary Club for the transfer of $10,000 of Foundation Recognition Points to our club to help promote contributions to the Foundation’s Polio Plus Fund.  NBMV Rotarians will receive one bonus recognition point for each dollar contributed to Polio plus in the next few months.  Don’t wait to take advantage of this special deal.
 
Cindy noted that the District 5960 Mid-Term will be held at the Anderson Center, Hamline University on January 12th, from 8:30AM to 3:00PM. There’s no better opportunity to learn more about Rotary.  To register, or just check it out, click here.
 
Cindy introduced Laura Skubic, to speak to us about her cultural exchange to Lebanon.  Laura is the Secretary of the Twin Cities Rotaract Club., where she learned about the cultural exchange program.  After several application and interview steps Laura was accepted for the August 2108 exchange.  The Baabda, Lebanon Rotary Club (Dist. 2452) was the host club for the one week exchange, and Laura was blown away by the hospitality of her hosts, especially at meals which were generally a three hour affair.  Because of the short time frame for the trip, the sightseeing and cultural experience was rapid-fire, which allowed her to experience so much, but left her wanting to return for a more complete view of Lebanon.  She was surprised by the variety of climate and scenery and her photos told the story of a beautiful country very unlike the typical stereotype of Middle Eastern countries.  She also had the opportunity to learn about a variety of Rotaract service projects from around the world.
 
Laura answered our questions about the Twin Cities Rotaract Club.  T.C. Rotaract has 15 members, ranging in age from 18-35. They meet twice a month, but the location varies.  Their FaceBook site is the best place to find the location of the next meeting.  Each year they select a charitable organization to support, and this year’s organization is the American Refugee Committee.  Laura is pictured below.
 
Cindy recognized Ellen Dunn.  Ellen is a senior at St. Olaf, studying public health.  She has been selected as a Global Grant Fellowship Scholar.  Ellen will study Global Health in London for a full year.  NBMV Rotary is serving as her sponsor.
 
I gathered all the wonderful young women who graced our meeting today for a photo.  If they represent our future leaders, the future is bright indeed.  From left to right are: Ellen Dunn, Breanna Garcia, Ellie Goligowski, Maria Klakegg, and Laura Skubic)
Meeting Recap - January 8, 2019 Jeff Benson 2019-01-08 06:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - December 18, 2018

Posted by Jeff Benson on Dec 18, 2018

Because a larger than normal group was expected for our annual Irondale Choir Concert and Carol Sing-Along, the meeting was held in Risdall Marketing Group’s spacious meeting room.  Many thanks to Ted Risdall and staff for their graciousness in hosting the event.  The Exchange provided such a delicious Christmas meal that your editor needed a brief nap before beginning to write this bulletin.  Dave Hoel did a great job of putting all the pieces together for the meeting that is, for many, the best meeting of the year.

 

As many of you already know, Co-President John Marg-Patton passed away last weekend after a protracted battle with cancer.  John’s wife Ruth was present today and talked about John’s final days with remarkable composure.  NBMV Rotarians are invited to attend a visitation beginning at noon on Friday, December 28th, with meditation music at 1:30PM, celebration of John’s life at 2:00PM and reception to follow; all at Christ the King Lutheran Church, 1900-7th Street NW, New Brighton.  If desired, donations may be made to the New Brighton Mounds View Rotary Club.  Click here to download the obituary.

 

Director Jason Etten and the Irondale Choir treated us to an eclectic mix of Holiday music.  First up was the girls Diva Group.  In past years they were the “Diva Dozen” but the great talent pool at Irondale has swelled their number to sixteen.  (See below)

The Guyz Group also numbered 16 this year, and among them were several freshmen.  Hats off to director Etten for attracting so many males to the choir program.  (Photo below)

Both groups joined together for the final two songs, which really showcased these very talented young singers.

 

The concert was followed by our traditional Carol sing-along with the choir.  Many thanks to the Choir, Director Ettten and accompanist Steve Ferkus for fitting us into their busy Holiday performance schedule.  Co-President Cindy Carlson presented a check for $500 to the Choir on behalf of the club.

 

Nicole Ulrich has accepted her nomination as President-Elect Nominee for the 2020-21 Rotary Year.  Congratulations, Nicole.

 

Our club’s 40th Anniversary Celebration is set for February 23rd.  Anyone interested in providing input on the party should show up at Win Insurance Agency, 2704 NE Highway 10, Wednesday December 19th at 4:15PM.  We’d like to invite previous NBMV Rotary members to the party, so if you have addresses for previous members of our club, please get those addresses to George Winiecki.

 

Because the Anniversary Celebration is so soon after the holidays, we will forego the Club holiday party this year.

 

Watch your email for the latest version of the proposed revision of the Club By-Laws.  Contact any Board member with your input.

 

Cindy noted that our Harvest Pack Event was a great success.  The Irondale student body, Eagle’s Club, Lion’s club and NBMV Rotary combined to pack 35,000 meals for those in need.  Meal packs will go to Puerto Rico and also to feed hungry families right here in our own community.  Well done!

 

John Ordway reminded us to get our dues in by December 27 so he can close the books for the quarter.

Our January 29th noon meeting will be our Annual Meeting…all club members are encouraged to attend.
Meeting Recap - December 18, 2018 Jeff Benson 2018-12-18 06:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - December 11, 2018

Posted by Jeff Benson on Dec 11, 2018
Our guests today were:
- Steve Jordy and Curt Glenna, guests of Nicole Ulrich
- Bob Nelson and Steve Porter, guests of Mike Neeley
- Kristi Jacobson, guest of Cindy Carlson
- Bob Benke
- Karen Meyer
 
Karen Meyer, executive director of community Support Center (CSC) took a moment to explain CSC’s mission to prevent homelessness by providing short-term financial assistance and ongoing counseling.  She invited us to attend their “Sing for Your Neighbors” benefit concert on January 27th, 2PM at Abiding Savior Lutheran Church, 8211 Red Oak Drive in Mounds View.  This concert features several choirs from local area churches which support CSC.  NBMV Rotarian and CSC Board member, Paul Fournier, is shown below presenting our $1,000 donation to Karen.
 
Dennis Connolly reviewed the proposed changes to our Club Bylaws.  Check your recent emails for a draft of the new bylaws and come prepared to vote on them at next week’s noon meeting (December 18th).
 
Cindy noted that Life Prep Academy has added some new services for high school teens.  They have added drop in hours from 3-7Pm on Monday –Friday and overnight emergency shelter services to reach out to even more teens experiencing homelessness.  Volunteers/Donations are always needed so if you’d like to help, click here for more information.
 
Cindy also made us aware that the deadline is December 14th to take advantage of the dollar for dollar match provided by Bell Lumber and Pole for new or increased contributions to the Food Shelf.   Make checks payable to the Ralph Reeder Food Shelf and drop them off at the Food Shelf or get them to Cindy by the 13th.
 
Many of you have already heard of the passing of former NBMV Rotarian Char Samuelson.  Visitor Bob Benke said that the Memorial Service will be on Jan 5th, 11AM, at Salem Covenant Church.
 
Gerry Tietz requested that each of us respond to his request to update our Clubrunner profiles before December 31.  Just follow the link in his recent email.
 
It’s time to think about ticket sales for the Gold Plate Dinner.  Garry Johnson, Michelle Caron, Dave Hoel and Nicole Ulrich have been designated as Team Captains and their teams will be published soon.
 
Our annual Irondale Choir concert and carol sing-along is next Tuesday, December 18th, at Risdall Advertising, 2685 Long Lake Road, Roseville.  Don't miss it!
 
Mark Beisswenger introduced our speakers, Soile Anderson and Eleanor Ostman.  Soile grew up in Finland and, after losing her father in WWII, learned from her mother how to cook and care for her 3 younger siblings.  She learned so well that, in her early 20’s, she bought and successfully operated a restaurant and later ran a 140 room hotel.  She was intrigued the American fast food trend and came to the U.S to find out more about it.  She worked at Perkins at first, and soon found herself working at the other end of the spectrum at the Anchorage restaurant.   She started the Art Deco Restaurant in the Minnesota Museum of Art and shortly thereafter established Deco Catering.  When the Museum was sold in 1992, Soile closed the restaurant but continued the Deco catering business.  About that same time she started Taste of Scandinavia bakeries, specializing in Northern European baked goods.  Taste of Scandinavia eventually grew to 5 locations and was sold in 2005 so she could focus on her catering business.  Deco Catering has become the premier Kosher caterer in the Twin Cities and Jewish clients compose 80% of her business.  Soile has now sold Deco catering and is concentrating on writing books (with co-speaker and author Eleanor Ostman) and giving cooking lessons.  Eleanor, Soile and Cindy are pictured below.
Meeting Recap - December 11, 2018 Jeff Benson 2018-12-11 06:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - December 4, 2018

Posted by Dana Rebelein on Dec 04, 2018
Your newsletter editor is in the mountains of Colorado but Dana Rebelein was kind enough to provde him with this excellent meeting summary so he could publish it remotely,  Thanks, Dana!

Co-President Cindy called the meeting to order and Mark Beisswenger offered the invocation , including gratitude for snow.
Guests were Bob Benke, Ken Johnson, Marv Sevala and Past District Governor Gary Campbell.
 Ed James reminded us of the Harvest Pack event next Tuesday with Eagles, Lions, and Irondale students at Irondale High School. We can arrive at 3 and will begin our shift at 3:30. The meals packed will be distributed locally and in Puerto Rico.
    Former District Governor and current head of the District 5960 Foundation Team, Gary Campbell, presented the Club with a District matching grant check for $2,720 for the Harvest Pack project. He reported that AG Sandy Campbell is convalescing after knee surgery, and he was glad to not be eating his own cooking this noon.
    Ed James also reported that we have been invited to serve as a host Club for a Rotary Global Scholar, Ellen Hunt, a St. Olaf College senior. Her focus will be on inequalities in health care in refugee camps. Polled by Co-President Cindy, the Club overwhelmingly accepted the privilege.
    President-Elect Dennis Connolly reported on planning for the 18th annual Gold Plate Dinner to be held Friday, April 12, 2019, at the Radisson in Roseville. Tickets will be $150 for two guests/one raffle chance.  [Ed. Comment: Time to step up and volunteer – beat the draft!]  The theme will emphasize the Club’s 40 years of service. The recipient of Fund-a-Cause hasn’t been chosen, but suggestions included Harvest Pack, CPY, Ralph Reeder Food Shelf, and Community Service Center.
Captain Mark Beisswenger announced that there will be 4 ticket selling teams with prizes for the team which sells the most. He asked for volunteers to chair the teams, one of whom will be from the awesome Flex group. 
    Community Services Center: Co-President Cindy announced that Karen Meyer will be at our meeting next week to accept our $1,000 donation toward CSC programs. CSC keeps a box of small extravagances from which patrons can pick up items that they appreciate, but can’t afford. Cindy accepted donations to pick up items, and asked the rest of us to bring things of $3 - $10 value. Suggestions included lotion, shampoo, conditioner, lip gloss, decorative candles, or gently used household items such as knickknacks, pictures, etc. CSC puts these into small gift bags and distributes them to people who come in. 
    She also said there will be a board meeting at 11 o’clock December 18 at Risdall Advertising preceding the holiday sing-along with members of the Irondale choir.
Garry Johnson announced that his office is a collection point for dropping off donations to the Ralph Reeder food shelf.
    Mark Beisswenger introduced the speaker, former classmate and graduate of Mounds View HS, author, and former teacher, Diane Dettmann. Diane has published a number of books, including a historical fiction trilogy which deals with living in the US during World War II: Miriam Daughter of Finnish Immigrants is set in the 1920’s when a Finnish family homesteads in Embarrass, Minnesota, living in a sauna while they finished building their home. Courageous Footsteps is about the experiences of a Japanese-American family separated and taken to detention camps with only what they could carry. On Liberty’s Wings reunites the family, which experiences prejudice following the war. 
    She also wrote 28 Snow Angels, a book about losing a loved one, drawn from her personal experience of her husband’s death after 28 years of marriage.
    Diane is presently contemplating writing a book about Camel Crickets. If you don’t know what they are, you have to wait for the book! 
 
Meeting Recap - December 4, 2018 Dana Rebelein 2018-12-04 06:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - November 27, 2018

Posted by Jeff Benson on Nov 27, 2018

We had no visitors today.

 

Dave Hoel said that the Irondale Choir concert and carol sing-along will be at Risdall Marketing on Tuesday, Dec. 18th.

 

Co-President Cindy Carlson read a thank you from Peacemakers Minnesota for our continuing support of their anti-bullying program.  We are also invited to participate in their annual cribbage tournament in April.  Watch for details here when they become available.

 

Ralph Reeder Food Shelf thanks us for our help with the Holiday Baskets last week, as well as for all that we do during the rest of the year.  We should also be aware of the largest challenge grant in their history.  Bell Lumber and Pole and St Odilia Catholic Church have partnered to match, dollar for dollar up to $25,000, new and increased giving to the food shelf until December 14th.  Contact the Food Shelf for more information.    www.ralphreederfoodshelf.org   651-621-6280

 

The Board allocated $500 to Blaine/Ham Lake Rotary’s Adopt-a-Home matching grant project.  Julie Jeppson spoke to our club recently about this project to provide transitional housing for those moving out of homeless shelters.

 

Our big Harvest Pack event, in partnership with Irondale students, Eagles and Lions will take place on Tuesday December 11th.  Our portion of the packing will start at 3:20 PM, but you can come right after Rotary if it works for you.  A sign-up sheet will be circulated soon and you are welcome to bring guests as long as you sign them up ahead of time.

 

Next Tuesday, December 4th at 11AM, the Gold Plate Dinner Planning Team will have its first meeting.  All are welcome to attend.  Your input will make this the Best Gold Plate Dinner yet.

 

It’s time to start thinking about the Rotary Christmas Party.  Talk to a Board member with your ideas and/or a willingness to host the party.

 

Mark Beisswenger and David Hoel had  birthdays this past week and they were each quick to point out the other’s advancing age (apparently Mark is slightly younger than Dave).  Dave and Mark supplied cake for the occasion to be sure we had enough energy to sing them the Birthday Song (we did).

 

Past-Presidents are asked to stay after next week’s noon meeting to nominate a president-elect.

 

Watch your email for a draft revision of our club by-laws for review and comment.  Thanks to Dennis Connolly for his work on the revision.

 

Ed James had to be badgered into admitting that he was recently engaged.  The lucky bride-to-be may be travelling here from her home in England to be with us at our 40th anniversary celebration.  Congratulations, Ed!

 

Cindy Carlson introduced Ike Graham, her co-worker and friend at Western Bank for the past 13 Years.  Ike is a NBMV Corporate Designee from Western Bank and today he was presenting his classification talk.

 

Ike grew up in Brooklyn Park and graduated from Park Center High School.  After a year of ski-bumming in Vail, Colorado, financial reality hit and he returned to the University of Minnesota to study Finance.  He worked at Wells Fargo in the Brokerage Operations division for five years before taking a job as a Credit Analyst at Western Bank.  Somewhere along the way he got his Masters in Real Estate by taking night classes at St. Thomas and he eventually became a Commercial Real Estate Banker at Western Bank.  Based in the Twin Cities, Western Bank has $500 million in assets and is part of American National Bank, which has $4 billion in assets.  Ike handles a variety of commercial loans including, construction, multifamily, industrial, senior living facilities, hotels, office, retail, as well as short-term bridge loans.  In addition to Rotary, Ike volunteers as a board member and treasurer of Community Child Care Center (CCCC) and also volunteers in many capacities at Bel-Air Elementary, where his oldest son is a 1st grader.

 

Ike is married to Jennifer and has two sons, Louis and Monroe.  They live in New Brighton, along the 2nd hole of Brightwood Hills Golf Course.  Their choice to live in New Brighton was based mainly on the quality of the school system.  When he’s not working, Ike likes to golf, fish and spend time at the cabin.

Cindy and Ike are pictured below.

Meeting Recap - November 27, 2018 Jeff Benson 2018-11-27 06:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - November 20, 2018

Posted by Jeff Benson on Nov 20, 2018
Our guests today were: Exchange student Maria Klakegg; Ed James’ guests, Oladele James and Abiodun Adeoye; Irondale Activities Director Chris Fink and Assistant District Governor Sandy Campbell.  We were also blessed by the presence of Honorary Rotarian MaryAnn Bawden.
 
Ed James reminded us of the Harvest Pack event on Dec 11th.  The service club shift will begin at 3:20 PM and continue until all food is packed.
 
Maria Klakegg decided that basketball was not going to be her sport so she opted for a more traditional Norwegian choice, the Ski Team.
 
Just a reminder that, as much as you might want to escape, there will be no  4:01 happy hour meeting on Thanksgiving day.
 
After the meeting today, Dave Hoel called to say that he has nailed down the location for our Irondale Choir Concert and Carol sing-along on December 18th.  Ted Risdall has graciously offered to host it at Risdall Advertising.
 
Jeff Benson reported on NBMV Rotary volunteers packing Thanksgiving food bags at Ralph Reeder Food Shelf this morning.  They worked hard and the hard work was greatly appreciated by the food shelf staff.
 
Happy Bucks Highlights:
- Gerry found a buyer for his ham radio system.  He noted that the longest call he ever got was from Madagascar.
- Assistant District Governor Sandy Campbell offered two dollars; one for our sponsorship of Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar, Ellen Dunn and one for Ed James work in selecting the scholars.
- Dana paid a dollar in honor of DG Mike Becker and ADG Sandy Campbell.
 
Cindy Carlson auctioned off Western Bank’s Gophers vs. Michigan State Hockey tickets.  Dave Hoel was highest (and only) bidder at $50. The proceeds will go to the Rotary Foundation.
 
While in London recently, Ed James visited the Harrow Rotary Club which will host the previously mentioned District 5960 Ambassadorial Scholar, Ellen Dunn, during her year of overseas study.  Ed showed photos of the club members, one of whom will host Ellen for the entire year at no cost!
 
Co President John Marg-Patton introduced ADG Sandy Campbell who then introduced District Governor Mike Becker.  Mike got on our good side right away by saying that he had scheduled us as one of his final club visits because he was saving the best for last.  He wondered out loud how a club with so few members can get so much done.  At the same time he wondered how many people in the community know about all we accomplish.   He suggested that Rotary clubs need to do a much better job of getting the word out into the community by taking every opportunity to talk about Rotary with friends and business associates.  He also said that almost everyone who joins Rotary does so because someone asked them to.  To make his point he invited Co-President Cindy Carlson, Membership Team Leader Gerry Tietz and Charlie Longbella to join him at the podium.  Charlie was asked by His Rotarian uncle to join Rotary, so Charlie sought us out.   Charlie has been approved for membership so Cindy and Gerry had the honor of inducting Charlie as the newest member of the club.  See the photo below.
 
Mike went on to say that getting someone to join Rotary is just the first step.  Retention of members is the real challenge.  Keeping members engaged and being aware of, and following up on, signs of waning interest are the keys to retaining members.  Mike reminded us that the District is there as a resource to help us be a more effective club and to help us get the word out about Rotary.  In fact, the District has developed a promotional campaign that will be airing soon on Public Radio.
 
Mike also made us aware that District Matching Grant requests far exceed the funds available.  These funds come from the Rotary Foundation, so Mike suggested that we all make the Rotary Foundation our charity of choice.  There really is no better bang for the buck than contributing to the Foundation
 
In closing, Mike repeated his favorite saying, “What’s in me for it?”  Isn’t that what Rotary is all about?
Co-Presidents John and Cindy are shown with DG Mike Becker below.
Meeting Recap - November 20, 2018 Jeff Benson 2018-11-20 06:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - November 13, 2018

Posted by Jeff Benson on Nov 13, 2018
Our guests today were new member-in-waiting Charlie Longbella and prospective member John Brady.
 
Announcements:
- Jerry Tietz said that Bev was back at Benedictine Health Center after a hospitalization.
Those who signed up to pack Thanksgiving meals at Ralph Reeder Food Shelf should show up at 9:30 on Tuesday the 20th.  The new address is 2544 Mounds View Boulevard (formerly County Hwy 10), Mounds View, MN 55112 in the Silver View Plaza strip mall.
- Next week is District Governor Mike Becker’s official visit to our club.  He will meet with the board at 11 AM prior to the meeting.
- Cindy Carlson said our part of the Harvest Pack event will start around 3:30PM on December 11th.  We hope to have everyone there.
- Cindy also presented Gerry Tietz with a certificate of appreciation from the Rotary Foundation honoring our financial support of “End Polio Now”.  The certificate was presented at last week’s Foundation Dinner.  Gerry commented that the certificate belongs to all of us.
-  At the Foundation Dinner, Margaret Johnson was the lucky winner of the split-the-pot drawing and came away $740 richer.
- Dave Hoel reminded us that the Irondale Choir will perform at our December 18th noon meeting.  The location has yet to be determined.
- Dennis Connolly noted that the Gold Plate Dinner will be on April 12th and that the first planning meeting will be on December 4th at 11AM (before our noon meeting).
 
Happy Bucks Summary:
- Dave Hoel offered a buck for Mark Lampman as he recovers from hip replacement surgery.
- George Winiecki was happy for his deer camp experience with family members, even though they only got one deer for the party of five hunters.
- Cindy Carlson gave a dollar in honor of Joe Mauer’s playing career with the Twins.
- John Ordway was in New York recently to preview plays to bring to the Ordway Theater.  He and Marla watched 5 plays in 2 ½ days and were able to visit with the directors and staff of all the plays.
- Gerry Tietz was happy to have Charlie Longbella and John Brady here today.  He was also happy for a packers win.
- Geoff Hollimon was happy to finally attend the wedding of his niece which was scheduled to be held on Kiawah Island, South Carolina just after the hurricane hit.  Thankfully, the weather cooperated this time.  Geoff shared that the impact of the storm was devastating in New Bern, North Carolina, but his time share was fortunately spared.  Geoff also joined Gerry in celebrating a Packers win.
- Paul Fournier advised us that Chrissy will be interviewed on Channel 11, Monday November 19th, at 4:00PM.  The topic will be her new book on Alzheimer’s Disease, titled “The Unexpected”.
 
Jason Miller introduced our speaker, Julie Jeppson, Executive Director of Stepping Stone.  Stepping Stone’s mission is to “provide emergency housing and support to youth and adults who are 18 and older experiencing homelessness, as they strive for self-sufficiency”.  Julie began by saying that homelessness is on the rise for all groups but youth and veteran’s homelessness is growing dramatically and these two areas are the priority for Stepping Stone. The rise in youth homelessness has three main causes; ageing out of foster care, mental health issues and fetal alcohol syndrome.   The annual report of the National Low Income Housing Coalition served as the basis for a report by the Minnesota Housing Partnership titled, “Out of Reach Minnesota 2017” which revealed that:
-The amount a household needs to earn to afford a modest apartment (the “housing wage”) increased by 5% in 2017 compared to a 3% increase in 2016.
- To afford a two bedroom apartment, the median income renter would need a 13% raise.
- The average minimum wage earner would need to work 78 hours a week to afford a two bedroom apartment.
- A full time minimum wage earner can’t afford even a one bedroom apartment in any of Minnesota’s 87 counties.
 
These numbers explain the increased need for homeless shelters and Stepping Stone is no exception.  As of yesterday there were 252 people on their waiting list.  This is due to increased demand as well as increased length of stays in a facility meant for short term emergency stays.  Stepping Stone employs a holistic approach to homelessness, providing classes in financial literacy, housing, employment, life skills and social support.  The goal is to move people from the shelter into transitional housing and eventually full financial independence.
 
Julie’s home Rotary Club (Blaine/Ham Lake) is sponsoring a District Matching Grant to rehabilitate homes to provide transitional housing for people moving out of the Stepping Stones Shelter.  Julie hopes that we will be able to contribute to this grant.  Jason and Julie are shown below.
Meeting Recap - November 13, 2018 Jeff Benson 2018-11-13 06:00:00Z 0

Meeting Summary - November 6, 2018

Posted by Jeff Benson on Nov 06, 2018

Our guests today were: Roseville Rotarian Marv Sorvala and Past District Governor Kyle Haugen.

 

PDG Haugen took the floor to present a Rotary Citation to Immediate Past-President Gerry Tietz.  The Rotary Citation acknowledges clubs that set and achieved significant goals and was awarded to only 12 other clubs in the district.  Gerry thanked all who helped make the citation possible and asked last year’s Board to join him for a photo, below.

 

Cindy Carlson noted that Ralph Reeder Food Shelf needs volunteers to help pack Thanksgiving meals for food shelf clients.  We hope you can join us on Tuesday, November 20th from 9:30-11:00. Their new address is 2544 Mounds View Boulevard (formerly County Hwy 10), Mounds View, MN 55112 in the Silver View Plaza strip mall.

 

Cindy also said that the grant request for our Harvest Pack Event on December 11th is ready to be submitted to the District Grants Subcommittee.  The event will be a cooperative effort of the Eagles, Lions, Rotary and Irondale students and we expect it to be twice as big as our last packing event.

 

Mark your calendars on Saturday, February 23 for the celebration of our 40th Anniversary as a Rotary Club.  We’d like to include as many previous Rotarians as possible so be thinking about whom you could contact to join in the celebration.

 

John Ordway read a note from PeaceMaker Minnesota thanking us for our recent contribution of $250 as well as all the other contributions we have made over the past nine years.

 

Charlie Longbella has been approved for club membership.  Be sure to take the opportunity to welcome him into the club.

 

Most of you will remember Jed Hamoud, a frequent presenter at our club regarding Kids Alive International.  Jed intends to join the club in the next few months.

 

Happy Bucks Highlights:

- Jeff Benson offered a dollar in gratitude for keeping control of his car after hitting a deer at 70 mph last Friday.

- Jeff also gave a buck for Dave Hoel who was happy to be a head election judge today and thus unable to be at Rotary.

- Mike Neeley offered a buck on the occasion of his 47 years in Rotary, all of it with perfect attendance.  Mike summarized some of the many ways Rotary has changed since he joined way back in1971.

- Gerry Tietz was happy for the club, upon receiving the Rotary Citation.

- Paul Fournier was happy to recognize the 71st anniversary of the one and only flight of Howard Hughes’ Spruce Goose.  Paul made regular trips to maintain the propellers of the big bird in case it should ever fly again.

- John Marg Patton travelled to Branson, MO and was very impressed with the Texas Tenors.

Dana Rebelein was happy for the Vikes and the Wild and for her chance to see the Gophers hockey team, even though they lost to Minnesota State.

 

Dennis Connolly introduced his Medtronic co-worker and Mano a Mano Board member, Anneli Borst.  Anneli’s topic was Mano a Mano International Partners.  Mano a Mano’s mission is to create partnerships with impoverished Bolivian communities to improve health and increase economic well-being.  Anneli’s involvement with Mano a Mano began when Medtronic supported a project to provide medical supplies to Bolivia.  Anneli was drawn to the project because she has family living in Bolivia and she was aware of the shortage of medical supplies there.

 

Mano a Mano was founded in 1994 by Joan and Segundo Velasquez, who began by bringing one suitcase of surplus medical supplies back to Bolivia after a trip to the U.S.  Segundo was an airline employee so he could bring back as many pieces of luggage as he wanted, so soon he was bringing back 15 at a time.  Soon, they started working with communities to build sustainable medical clinics and now there are 165 clinics serving 800,000 poor Bolivians.  The new clinics led to housing for doctors and staff, road construction, water wells and reservoirs, agricultural classes, schools and aviation medical care.  All of these initiatives are based on an integrated approach, involving the communities in decisions and maintenance to improve sustainability.  All of these improvements have been accomplished despite Mano a Mano’s steadfast refusal to give bribes to officials to get things done.  Corruption, cross-cultural issues and government requirements hamper Mano a Mano’s ability to bring change.   Lack of U.S. awareness of Bolivia’s plight has also been a challenge but more and more organizations, including 20 Rotary clubs (ours included), are seeing the need and responding.  Mano a Mano is happy to set up opportunities for groups to sort medical supplies prior to shipping them to Bolivia.  For more information about Mano a Mano, click here.  Dennis and Anneli are pictured below.

Meeting Summary - November 6, 2018 Jeff Benson 2018-11-06 06:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - October 30, 2018

Posted by Jeff Benson on Oct 30, 2018
President-elect Dennis Connolly presided over the meeting in the absence of our co-presidents.
 
Our guests today were:  Charlie Longbella from Big Blue Boxes, a transition storage company in New Brighton, Roseville Rotarian Marv Sorvala, exchange student Maria Klakegg and Smiley Rebelein.
 
Ed James reported on interviewing Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar applicants.  He also said that we have an opportunity to “adopt” a scholar headed to London.
 
Jeff presented a crystal plaque from CPY, honoring NBMV Rotary with the Community Spirit Award for our contributions to CPY and the community.  President –Elect Connolly accepted the award on behalf of the club (above).
 
Western Bank donated 4 tickets to the Gophers vs Minnesota State Hockey game this Thursday.  The tickets were auctioned off to benefit the Rotary Foundation.  The bidding was fierce but Dana Rebelein emerged victorious with a bid of $180.
 
Dennis brought our attention to a Journal of Science article about the potential for a surge in polio cases in Africa because poor sanitary conditions cause people to come in contact with excreted vaccine virus which has mutated to become capable of causing polio in unvaccinated individuals.  This situation will require additional funds to address, so keep this in mind as you consider your polio plus contribution to the Rotary Foundation this month.
 
Happy Bucks Highlights:
- Jason Miller was happy about attending the Wild game after winning the ticket at auction last week.
- Jason was also happy to report that his daughter qualified for the state meet in Cross Country.
- Geoff Hollimon thanked the Rotarians who attended the CPY Fall Gala last Friday.
- Mark Beisswenger was happy that the Packers didn’t gain on the Vikes (both teams lost).
 
Our speaker today was Amanda Freed.  Amanda is a massage therapist focusing on Neuromuscular Therapy.  Amanda is a graduate of Mounds View HS, earned her B.A. at North Park University in Chicago and obtained her Neuromuscular Massage Therapy at National Holistic Institute in California.  Amanda began her presentation by dispelling the myth that aging means that we are supposed to be in pain.  She said that the deep aching pain that people attribute to old age is actually caused by Myofascial Trigger Points.  A trigger point is an abnormally contracted muscle that puts pressure on nerves, causing pain, numbness or tingling in other areas called referral zones.  Common causes of trigger points are:
- Holding one position for long periods ie; sitting at a desk all day)
- Repetitive motion
- Cold temperature (the neck muscles are particularly susceptible)
- Nutritional deficiencies (Vit. B1, 6 & 12; Vit. C; Iron; Calcium; Potassium; Magnesium)
- Compensation – injury or weakness of one part of the body forces other areas to overwork
- Trauma – car accidents, injuries, extreme exertion
- Untreated trigger points can lead to additional trigger points in the referral zone
 
The neck muscles are a common location for trigger points and these trigger points can lead to a wide variety of problems including headaches, neck pain, and a wide range of arm and hand problems including pain, tingling and numbness.  Low back pain is often a result of trigger points in the hip flexor muscle.  Hip flexor trigger points can also cause pain that mimics sciatica.
 
Amanda employs Neural Reset Therapy, Trigger Point Reset Therapy, Neuromuscular Re-education and Somatic Education to eliminate pain and teach her clients to prevent pain in the future.  She prides herself on being able to correct trigger point problems with a minimal number of appointments.  Click here to be directed to Amanda’s website.  Dennis and Amanda are pictured below.
Meeting Recap - October 30, 2018 Jeff Benson 2018-10-30 05:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - October 23, 2018

Posted by Jeff Benson on Oct 23, 2018
Co-President Cindy Carlson highlighted some items from today’s Board meeting:
- Net income is ahead of budget.
- We are hoping to establish an Internet chapter at Irondale.
- Dennis Connolly is leading the way on updating our club by-laws.
 
Ed James reported that this year’s Harvest Pack event on Dec 11th will likely be twice as big as last year’s.
 
Margaret Johnson reminded us of the Foundation Dinner on November 10th.  There are still seats available and you can register online by clicking here or by contacting John Ordway.  Club members are reimbursed for their registration.
 
John Ordway offered a couple of prime Wild tickets for auction as a fundraiser for the Foundation Share Fund.  Jason Miller won the auction with a $100 bid.  Next week's auction item will be Four tickets to the Gophers vs MN State hockey game on Friday November 2nd. The tickets will be donated by Western Bank
 
Mark Lampman has been granted a 6 month leave for recuperation from upcoming hip surgery.
 
Geoff Hollimon asked us to consider attending the CPY Fall Gala this Friday, October 26th, 6-10PM, at the New Brighton Community Center.  NBMV Rotary will be presented with the “Community Spirit Award” this year, so it would be great if we had a good turnout from Rotary.  Contact Geoff Hollimon or Mary Stewart if you’d like to join us.
 
Mike Neeley celebrates his 69th birthday this week!
 
The Mounds View Lion's Club is having a Waffle Breakfast to benefit the Mounds View Police Foundation on Saturday, November 3rd, 9:00-12:00PM, at the Mounds View Community Center.
 
Let's all be thinking of things to do with our exchange student, Maria Klakegg.  You can reach her at 612-562-2145.
 
Happy Bucks summary:
- Gerry Tietz said that Ed James Facebook post about his Paul Harris Fellow presentation has garnered 236 likes as of this meeting time.  Great publicity for the club!
- Dave Hoel spent the weekend pheasant hunting in South Dakota and the birds were so wary he was only able to get off two shots and bagged zero birds. 
- Dave was happier about attending a great Fleetwood Mac concert last night.
- On the concert theme, Mike Neeley was happy to have been at the Carole King concert.
- There were several happy bucks for the Vikings win on Sunday.
- Cindy Carlson’s 10 month old grandson had his first sleepover at grandma and grandpa’s house and he slept for 11 hours (I need to know their secret).
 
Dean Lotter introduced our speakers for today.  Greg Kiel and Julia Macejkovic , both from Barr Engineering, which has been involved in the ongoing effort to clean up New Brighton’s water supply since the discovery of its contamination by organic compounds dumped at the Twin Cities Army Ammunition Plant  (TCAAP).  Greg has been involved since the contamination was discovered three decades ago and has provided much of the engineering knowledge necessary for the legal wrangling with the federal government over these many years.  To greatly simplify the history, the discovery of the TCAAP contamination of the shallow aquifer necessitated the use of wells that drew water from deeper aquifers, filtered with activated charcoal.  With those deeper wells online, the Army and New Brighton used the old shallow wells to successfully draw the contaminants out of the aquifer.  In 2014 however, 1,4 Dioxane contamination was discovered in the deeper aquifer water.  TCAAP was determined to be the source of this contamination, as well.  Unfortunately, 1,4 Dioxane could not be removed with activated charcoal, so a new technology called UV Peroxide Oxidation was tested and found effective in breaking down 1,4 Dioxane into non-harmful by-products.  Full-scale application of this new technology required major modifications to the existing water treatment facility on 5th St., and this is where Julia Masejkovic comes in.  Julia is the project manager for the conversion of the existing water treatment facility to utilize the new UV Peroxide Oxidation system.   The conversion would require the deep well system to be offline, so New Brighton contracted with Minneapolis to supply water in the interim.  Over the past three years, Julia has supervised the necessary additions and modifications to the existing treatment facility and it is scheduled to go online at the end of this month.  Exterior and esthetic improvements should be completed in the spring of 2019.  The $11 million price tag for the expansion and $3 million/year in operating costs will all be borne by the U.S. government.  Dean, Greg and Julia are shown below.
Meeting Recap - October 23, 2018 Jeff Benson 2018-10-23 05:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - October 16, 2018

Posted by Jeff Benson on Oct 16, 2018
Cindy Carlson’s guests today were: Jason Helgemoe and Mike Scholl from Northeast Bank.
 
Margaret Johnson had the privilege to present a Paul Harris Fellow to Ed James.  An anonymous foundation points contribution from a club member made the Fellowship possible.  Margaret noted that from the moment he joined the club, Ed has jumped right in and gotten involved in a large number of club responsibilities.  Margaret and Ed are shown below.
 
Margaret also reminded us that November is Rotary Foundation Month, and that we have committed to a $2,000 contribution to the Foundation.  The club’s commitment is $750, leaving $1,250 to be contributed by individuals.  See Margaret for details about your personal contribution.

 

The District 5960 Foundation Celebration is on Saturday, November 10th, 5:30-9:00PM at the Inwood Event Center in Oakdale.  Club member’s admission will be reimbursed by the club but members are encouraged to bring guests at the regular admission price.  You can sign up online here or contact John Ordway.  This event is a wonderful celebration of all that we do, through the Foundation, to make our world a better place for all.
 
Ed James will serve as an interviewer for our District’s Ambassadorial Scholarship candidates.
 
So far, the Eagles, the Lions, Shoreview/Arden Hills Rotary and Irondale H.S. have pledged financial support for our Harvest Pack Event on December 11th.
 
Happy Bucks Summary:
- Gerry Tietz was conscripted by the vacationing Geoff Hollimon to offer a buck for the Packer’s dramatic victory.  Gerry also celebrated the Pack’s win with a happy buck.
- Mark Beisswenger offered a hardware store happy buck for snow and sunshine.
- Paul Fournier attended the 50th anniversary celebration of Chanhassen Dinner Theater recently.  He also encouraged us to see Chanhassen’s production of Irving Berlin’s “Holiday Inn”, playing now through February 23rd.
- Cor had a wonderful time visiting with relatives while cleaning out her parent’s home.
- Dennis Connolly is back from a tour of Ireland.  Despite the rainy weather, he and Debbie had a wonderful time and were able to gather information about his Irish heritage.
- Dana Rebelein was happy for the Vikings and happy to have spent time with her sister in law, Sister Ruth Ellen Rebelein during her recent visit.
- Jim O’Brien is six years cancer free after treatment for pancreatic cancer.
- Cindy Carlson and seven friends just got back from a girl’s golf and spa week in Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico.
 
Dana Rebelein introduced our speaker, Robert (Bob) Patterson, PhD., Professor Emeritus, U. of Mn. Department of Rehabilitation Medicine.  Bob’s topic was “Issues Surrounding Early Heart Transplants”.  Bob’s Electrical Engineering Master’s thesis on cardiac blood flow measurement attracted the attention of a pioneering U. of M. heart surgeon, Dr. C. Walton Lillehei.  Bob worked with Dr. Lillehei as he worked out a strategy for heart transplant surgery.  Dr. Cristiaan Barnard had been Dr. Lillehei’s resident in 1958 and after Dr. Barnard accomplished the first successful heart transplant surgery, he returned to the U.S. for further study.  While he was here he invited Bob to come work with him in South Africa.
Bob said that one of the key issues in heart transplant surgery was that, at that time, death was legally defined as the cessation of heart function.  This created ethical issues for surgeons who participated in the harvesting and transplanting of human hearts.  One surgeon was actually arrested and charged with murder!
 
The University of Minnesota Hospital has performed 159 transplants to date.  Improved anti-rejection strategies and better mechanical hearts have improved success rates dramatically, extending patient’s lives by many years in most cases.  Dana Rebelein shared the story of her sister Debbie, who lived 10 productive and enjoyable years after her heart transplant.
 
Bob and Dana are pictured below.
 
Meeting Recap - October 16, 2018 Jeff Benson 2018-10-16 05:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - October 9, 2018

Posted by Jeff Benson on Oct 09, 2018

Pat President Gerry Tietz filled in for Co-President John Marg Patton.

 

Our guests today were:

     Dana’s sister in law, Sister Ruth Ellen Rebelein

     Edla Koehntop

     Marv Sorvala, Roseville Rotarian

 

Happy Bucks Summary:

- Mike Neeley joined 35 other Ford Model A owners on a 500 mile road trip.

- Dana Rebelein was happy to have Sister Ruth Ellen Rebelein as her guest.

- George Winiecki was happy to be back, happy to announce his 3rd grandchild, Aidan Thomas Nichols, happy to turn 70 and happy to be married for 27 years.  That’s a lot of happiness for one week!

- Mark Beisswenger was happy to have found someone to cover for him at work so he can come to Rotary on Tuesdays.

- Dana Rebelein noted that Nicholas Tietz (Gerry’s son) was featured in the paper for his Vitals Aware program for vulnerable adults.  Papa Gerry’s buttons were justifiably busting.

 

Ed James announced that our delegates to Camp Enterprise have been selected.  Irondale Students Breana Garcia and Ellie Goligowski will represent our club.

 

Ed also noted that we have met with the Eagles about Harvest Pack and they will let us know.

 

Gerry Tietz reported that the Membership Team’s strategy for his year will be to encourage members to personally invite potential Rotarians to come to a meeting or event.

 

Ed James introduced our exchange student and speaker Maria Klakegg from Norway.  Maria lives in Averøy, on the western coast of Norway.  She lives with her mother, father, two older sisters and a younger brother.  Maria and her family are outdoor lovers, enjoying like skiing, hiking and anything else that involves mountains.  The Klakegg’s are also avid travelers who avoid going to the same location twice.  Maria is interested in theater and had a role in Fame despite her admitted inability to sing.  The photo immediately below shows Maria and her younger brother and two older sisters.  The photo below that is of the entire family at her younger brother's confirmation.

Maria’s interest in being an exchange student started when the sister was an exchange student in Canada while the Klakegg’s hosted her Canadian counterpart.  She claims that everything in the U.S. is so much fun.  She loves to eat and, after her visit to the State Fair, has become a fried food fan and her favorite is State Fair Cheese Curds.  She plans to take a fryer back to Norway.  She finds Americans to be very warm and welcoming, which is quite different from her more reserved homeland.  She loves Irondale, having already made several friends and hoping to make many, many more.  She plans to try several sports and has already been to a basketball practice.  When asked about her 10 year plan, she said that she would like to follow in her parent’s footsteps and become a veterinarian, but possibly in a country other than Norway.  Some preconceived ideas about America that turned out to be untrue were that jocks and cheerleaders were mean and that Americans ate at McDonalds all the time.  Some bucket list goals for her stay are:

- Go to a drive-in

- Ride in a pickup truck

- Go to Valley Fair

- Make many new friends

- Act in a play (no singing)

 

If you are reading this because you missed today’s meeting; you should know that Maria is an incredibly charming and energetic young woman who really wants to experience everything that Minnesota has to offer.  Her English is excellent and she would fit in nicely on any adventure, large or small, that you or your family is planning.  Don’t pass up the opportunity to learn a little more about Norway and to give Maria a healthy dose of Minnesota Nice and Rotary hospitality.  You can reach Maria at mariaklakegg@gmail.com   Future host mom, Denise Jacobsen, Maria and Ed James are pictured below.

Meeting Recap - October 9, 2018 Jeff Benson 2018-10-09 05:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - October 2, 2018

Posted by Jeff Benson on Oct 02, 2018
Our guests today were our exchange student, Maria Klakegg and Harry Carter, Treasurer of the board of directors at Applewood Pointe.  Harry was a guest of our Speaker, Chuck Moe.
 
Also visiting was Assistant District Governor and Anoka Rotarian, Sandy Campbell.  Sandy was here to make us aware of all the fun Halloween activities in store for visitors to Anoka later this month.  Sandy was also selling tickets for the Anoka Rotary’s “Vacation of a Lifetime Raffle”.  A $10 ticket gives you a chance to win a $5,500 travel voucher and other great prizes.
 
This Thursday, 7AM at U.S. Bank conference room, there will be a brainstorming session about how to increase membership (and especially female membership).  Please join us and offer your thoughts.
 
Co-President Cindy Carlson reminded us of our 40th Anniversary Celebration on Saturday February 23rd, and asked our preference for either an adults only or family event.  Those present preferred the adults only option.  Cindy will email the club to get an idea of the preferences of those not present today.
 
Ed James noted that the Harvest Pack team will meet with the Eagles tomorrow to determine how they might participate in the food packing event.  If you would like to participate in the meeting, it will be held at 563 Old Highway 8 at 7:15PM.
 
 Happy Bucks Summary:
- Cindy Carlsonis looking forward to a girls golfing weekend.
- Geoff Hollimon was happy to have a road trip with his daughter to see the Pack play Green Bay.
- Paul Fournier announced that his wife, Chrissy, has published a second book about her experiences with her mother’s Alzheimer’s disease.  It’s available on Amazon.com.  Click here to check it out.
- Dave Hoel was happy to attend the Benedictine Health System leadership conference in Duluth this past week.
- Dave was also happy to attend his 55th high school class reunion in Rochester.
- Gerry Tietz paid a happy buck for the Packers.
- Dana Rebelein was happy for Joe Mauer.
 
Jim O’Brien introduced Chuck Moe, President of the Board at Applewood Pointe.  Harry Carter, Treasurer of the Board was also present.  As many of you are probably aware, Applewood Pointe is an example of the rapidly growing trend toward cooperative senior living.  Applewood Pointe began with the purchase of 10 ½ acres on the east side of Rush Lake in 2005.  Designed in a northwoods motif by Michael Pollock, the 4 story, 120 unit senior housing complex was ready for owners to move in by the end of 2006.  Applewood New Brighton is now one of 15 Applewood communities in the metro area but it remains the flagship property. 
 
Chuck said that 285,000 Minnesotans will turn 65 this decade and those over 65 will double between 2010 and 2030, by which time 1 in 5 Minnesotans will be over 65!  The traditional senior housing market is rushing to keep up with the demand and cooperative senior housing is booming as well.  There are now over 100 senior coops in the upper Midwest and the concept is rapidly gaining acceptance.  The concept is unconventional but relatively simple.  The Applewood coop is an association of shareholders, each shareholder having one share of stock and one vote per unit.  The stock is considered personal property and is not considered real estate.  Each shareholder has the exclusive right to occupy their unit provided they follow the rules and regulations of the coop.  A resident board of directors makes day to day decisions and works with various committees to manage property, marketing, financial and social concerns.  The cost to buy a share and move in ranges from $145,000 - $495,000, depending on size and location of the unit.  A monthly charge is assessed to cover all operating and maintenance costs exclusive of individual electricity use.  The monthly cost ranges from $681 - $1825, again depending on size and location of the unit.  If share is to be sold, an “asking price” is determined by a formula that includes a 2.5% annual equity increase.  People on the waiting list (currently 60) are informed of the asking price and all are allowed to bid on the available share.  The actual purchase price is negotiable and not tied to the asking price.  The entire transaction is handled in house for a fee of $750 with no real estate sales commission.  The overall property mortgage is HUD insured, decreasing the risk for shareholders and the proportionate mortgage interest and real estate taxes are deductable.
 
Chuck cited several advantages to living at Applewood Pointe including:
- Security
- Community control
- Turn-key living for snowbirds, cabin owners and travelers
- Full woodworking shop
- Exercise room, sauna and hot tub
-Underground parking and car wash
- Social Activities
 
Applewood is holding its Applefest Open House on Thursday, October 11th from 1-4 PM. Tours will be available and refreshments will be served.  The address is 1900 Rush Lake Trail, New Brighton (across from Beisswenger’s Hardware).  Check out the website here.
 
Jim and Chuck are shown below.
Meeting Recap - October 2, 2018 Jeff Benson 2018-10-02 05:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - September 25, 2018

Posted by Jeff Benson on Sep 25, 2018

We had no visitors today, but we celebrated the return of Jim O’Brien after his summer at the lake cabin.  Welcome back, Jim!

 

The Board met this morning and here is a summary:

- Sue Ager’s resignation was regretfully accepted by the Board.  Sue knows that she will always be a welcome visitor to the club.

- John Ordway’s Treasurer’s report shows us $5,000 on the plus side so far this year.

- The District 5960 Foundation Celebration is on Saturday, November 10th, 5:30-9:00PM at the Inwood Event Center in Oakdale.  Club member’s admission will be reimbursed by the club but members are encouraged to bring guests at the regular admission price.  You can sign up online here or contact John Ordway.  This event is a wonderful celebration of all that we do, through the Foundation, to make our world a better place for all.

- Geoff Hollimon announced that we have pledged $500 to the Guatemala Literacy Project.

- Ed James reported that planning is progressing for our Harvest Pack event on December 11th.  Ed met with Irondale students yesterday and they have committed to raising $2,000 as well as to providing lots of volunteers.  Cindy Carlson has met with the Lions and Paul Jacobsen will ask the Eagles to help with the event.

- Ed also noted that we should soon have the names of our Irondale student representatives to Camp Enterprise and that we are hoping to start an Interact club at Irondale.

 

This Thursday, 3:30PM at the Exchange, is the kickoff for planning our 40th anniversary celebration.  If you love to party and you’d like to share your thoughts, all members are welcome.  The usual 4:01 happy hour will follow the planning session.

 

Mark December 18th club meeting on your calendars for the annual Christmas Carol Concert/Sing Along with Director Jason Etten and the Irondale Choir.

 

Happy Bucks Summary:

- Gerry Tietz was happy that he and fellow Stout State alum Peg Friberg (Nils’ Wife) were able to hand out awards at Stout’s award ceremony this year.

- Dana had a wonderful time at her annual Quilting Retreat last week.

- Ed was happy that Irondale won its first Homecoming Game in eleven years!

- Nils attended the Retired Pastors and Missionaries Retreat at Trout Lake Camp.

- John Risdall won the raffle, collecting a cool $5.

 

Cindy introduced our speaker, Dr Ron Felt, a long time Rotarian and Past President of the Oak Park, IL club.  He is now a member of the St. Paul Sunrise club and his topic for today was his club’s district matching grant (to which we contributed $250) which benefits the Milagro Women’s Education Center in Guatemala.  Guatemala is a very poor country with a 60% poverty rate.   As in many other poor countries, women and girls are treated as second class citizens and discouraged from educational and/or business pursuits.  Supported by the St Paul Synod of the ELCA, The Women’s Education Center will empower women by providing a safe dormitory setting where young women can get general education as well as specific job skills so that they can return to their communities to start small businesses, serve as leaders and also teach others the skills they have learned.  This particular grant will provide much needed appliances, sewing machines and furnishings for the Center. 

 

Ron also shared photos from his 2017 mission trip to Guatemala, engaging in numerous mission activities while visiting El Mirador School, the Catholic Mission in San Lucas as well as a church in Santiago.  Cindy and Ron are pictured below.

 

As the meeting was ending, it was realized that we had not properly recognized Geoff Hollimon’s 71st Birthday.  Due to the last minute nature of the celebration, Geoff escaped wearing the Birthday Hat but he was treated to a pretty well executed birthday song.  Happy Birthday, Geoff!

Meeting Recap - September 25, 2018 Jeff Benson 2018-09-25 05:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - September 18, 2018

Posted by Jeff Benson on Sep 18, 2018
Our Guests today were:  Roseville Rotarian Marv Sorvala and our own Honorary Rotarian, MaryAnn Bawden.
 
Mary Stewart reminded us of the CPY Fall Gala on October 26th.  The theme will be TV Game Night.  She announced that our club will receive the CPY Spirit Award at the Gala, so mark your calendars to join in the fun at the New Brighton Community center on Friday, October 26th from 6-10PM.
 
Co-President Cindy Carlson said that she and Ed James are in the process of planning our December 11th Harvest Pack Event.  She also noted that the September 27th 4:01 happy hour meeting will begin early, at 3:30 to begin planning our club’s 40th anniversary celebration.  All members are invited to check out the energy of the happy hour meeting and give some input about the anniversary celebration.
 
Co-President John Marg-Patton introduced Patty Hall who apologized for missing her opportunity to speak at last week’s meeting.  Our club gave $500 toward her White Bear Club’s District Matching Grant to provide clean water for 2,000 in Nigeria.  Patty briefed us on the progress of that grant and also presented a check from her organization, H2O for life, for $500 to jumpstart our December Harvest Pack event mentioned above.  Thanks, Patty!
 
Ed James reported on his amazing experience at the Youth Exchange Welcome and Orientation.  He is really fired up about youth exchange and he hope’s the fire will sweep through the club and keep burning long into the future.  Be sure to be at the noon meeting on October 9th when our exchange student, Maria Klakegg, will give her introductory presentation to the club.
 
Many Rotarians offered happy bucks today.  A summary follows:
- Garry Johnson golfed in a tournament that raised $120,000 to build homes for disabled veterans!
- Geoff Hollimon offered a dollar for the people of North Carolina as they deal with the aftermath of Florence.
- Cindy Carlson just celebrated her 35th anniversary at Western Bank.
- Cindy also enjoyed an excellent play by Theater Latte Da entitled “Once”.  She described it as one of the best plays she’s seen.
- Mike Neeley made his debut as a beer drinker in an ad for Spiral Brewery.  Word is he needed no rehearsal and nailed it on the first take.
- Cor’s physical therapy sessions for her new knee are done and she has no plans to go back soon.
- Sue Ager sadly announced her need to retire from Rotary to allow more time with her husband Duane.
 
The New Brighton Community Support Center (CSC) is preparing for a Potluck Dinner on November 8th for all participants and supporters of CSC.  They’re looking for a few volunteers to meet once or twice to plan the potluck.  The first planning meeting will be on either Thursday, September 27th at 12 pm or Tuesday, October 2nd at 5:30 pm.   If you can help plan, call Karen Meyer at CSC (651) 387-8050 or email her at staff@communitysupportcenter.org
 
John Marg-Patton introduced our speaker, Monique Hammond. Monique’s topic was “Hearing Loss: A Silent Epidemic”.  Monique was a Hospital Pharmacist until a “sound insult” (loud sound exposure) resulted in a total loss of hearing in her left ear.  In addition to the hearing loss, she experienced severe vertigo (Meniere’s Disease). Because accurate hearing is essential to prevent medication errors, Monique knew that she would not be able to continue as a pharmacist. She began to educate herself on hearing loss and would eventually embark on a crusade to educate others to prevent them from experiencing her fate.  Since then she has spoken to hundreds of groups about protecting their hearing.  The facts about hearing loss are alarming.  One person in five over the age of twelve has hearing loss profound enough to affect communication.  Among sixty to sixty-five year olds, one in three has significant hearing loss and fully one of two seventy to seventy-five year olds is significantly affected.   There are many causes of hearing loss, but the one over which we have some measure of control is excess noise.  Loud noises result in high pressure in the inner ear.  Eighty five decibels (about as loud as a cafeteria) is the safe limit for 8 hours of exposure.  Anything louder than that requires hearing protection for prolonged exposure.  Symptoms of typical hearing loss include sound dullness, full feeling in ear(s), not understanding speech with background noise, miscommunication on and off the job, and tinnitus (ringing in the ears).  These symptoms are due to the degradation/death of hearing fibers in the cochlea located in the inner ear.  These fibers do not repair themselves and there no medical treatment available that can repair the damage.  The only answer is prevention and hearing protection is the key to prevention.  Monique’s parting thought was that we “pay it forward” by avoiding loud noises, properly using hearing protection and encouraging family, friends, and especially young people, to do the same.
John and Monique are shown below.
Meeting Recap - September 18, 2018 Jeff Benson 2018-09-18 05:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - September 11, 2018

Posted by Jeff Benson on Sep 11, 2018

 

We welcomed our Norwegian Rotary Exchange student, Maria Klakegg, to her first U.S. Rotary club meeting.  Maria was joined by her host parents, John and Dana Johnson.  Nicole Ulrich provided a video of the club welcoming Maria at the airport.  Maria, Dana and John are shown below

 

Co-President Cindy Carlson noted that the club bylaws are being revised and that the revision team, spearheaded by President –elect Dennis Connolly, welcomes input from the club.

 

The District’s Fast for Hope Nicaragua project is on hold or perhaps even dead as a result of the turmoil there.

 

Mark your calendars now for our next Harvest Pack Event, scheduled for December 11.  We will be meeting with the Lions club to jointly plan the event.

 

The Community Support Center (CSC) could use new or gently used household items for their clients who are working to remain in their homes.  CSC is located in the Faith Christian Reformed Church at 1600 Silver Lake Rd in New Brighton.

 

Mary Stewart updated us on CPY saying that, due to budget constraints, the summer program had to be shortened from 10 weeks to 7 weeks but the additional time was helpful as they planned their school year program.

 

Several Packers, Gophers and Vikings fans were inspired enough by their teams wins to cough up a happy buck.  Amy Janecek was happy for a successful Irondale Block Party last Friday.  Nicole Ulrich was happy to be on the way to getting two specially adapted bicycles designed to allow seniors to experience the thrill of a bike ride while in their wheel chairs. 

 

Our scheduled presenter today was H2O for Life Director Patty Hall, who was unfortunately unable to appear.  While we were waiting to see if Patty could make it, Maria Klakegg provided some information about herself.  She has been busy experiencing all that the Twin Cities has to offer and looks forward to new experiences, making life-long friends, eating at every fast food restaurant and also playing tennis at Irondale.  Maria will offer a more complete picture of her life when she speaks to the club in October.

 

 Nils Friberg graciously volunteered to sub for the absent speaker by completing the retirement presentation which time prevented him from finishing a few weeks ago.  Nils’ retirement from teaching at Bethel Seminary in 2001 was, in many ways, the beginning of a series of new opportunities for service.  Soon after retirement he became the Pastor of Congregational care at GracePoint Church and just a year later became their Stephen Ministry Leader; a position he still holds today.  In 2011, he and his wife Peggy discovered Wycliffe Associates, a non-profit organization striving to translate the Bible into as many languages a possible.  Nils already was multilingual so he was a natural to provide language support for translators and Peggy had 40 years of experience teaching the visually impaired.  Wycliffe Associates is also closely aligned to their faith orientation.  Nils describes this work as extremely fulfilling and energizing and it must be because Nils is a pretty spry 83 years old!  In fact, he just celebrated that 83rd birthday recently so Cindy ambushed him with the dreaded birthday hat…a dubious reward for filling in as our speaker with no notice!  See the photo below.

Meeting Recap - September 11, 2018 Jeff Benson 2018-09-11 05:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - August 28, 2018

Posted by Jeff Benson on Aug 28, 2018

Maria Klakegg, our Norwegian exchange student, will arrive at the airport this evening.  A group of about ten of us will be there to welcome her.  Nicole Ulrich displayed the “Welcome to Minnesota” banner that she created just for the occasion.  Gerry Tietz recognized new members Paul and Denise Jacobsen for their part in encouraging us to get back into youth exchange.

 

Co-President Cindy Carlson noted that our upcoming Harvest Pack Event will be held on Tuesday afternoon, December 11th.  This will be a joint effort of the Irondale Student Council, Rotary, Lions and possibly the Eagles.

 

Cindy also said that our club’s 40th anniversary is February 22, 2019 and volunteers are needed to help plan a celebration of this milestone.

 

As our club evolves, updates to the by-laws are needed to reflect changes in club structure and policies.  On Tuesday, September 11th, a team will meet to review the current by-laws and recommend changes. If you are willing and able to help, your input at this meeting would be welcomed.

 

Cindy noted that the board has allocated $500 toward a matching grant proposal to provide a security fence around the Daylight School in Kenya and also has approved a $500 contribution to Mounds View’s Festival in the Park.  The presentation of the check will be made at the next City Council meeting.

 

Happy Bucks Summary:

- Beverly is recovering, albeit slowly and Cor’s knee is getting better every day

- Nyle Zikmund was in Hamburg, Germany to attend the wedding of Ineke, his seventh exchange student “daughter”, when he was surprised, and honored, to be asked to walk her down the aisle.

 

Today’s program consisted of new-member classification talks by Nicole Ulrich and Reid Hewitt.  Nicole was the first to speak.  Nicole was raised in Winona, MN and attended college at Winona State.  She and husband, Tyson, are the proud “parents” of 2 dogs, a cat and a fish.  All of the pets are creatively named but the fish, named sushi, must be nervous about its future.  Nicole and Tyson love to travel and explore the outdoors and actively pursue service opportunities at church and in the community. She is currently the secretary of the Lions club and they help with youth musicals and mission trips at Christ the King Lutheran Church.  Nicole is also a talented and passionate photographer.  She joined the staff at Benedictine Care Center at Innsbruck about 8 months ago, working on marketing and social Media, fundraising, photography, videography and the Innsbruck Foundation.  She played a video of a specially adapted bicycle that makes it possible for the elderly to safely experience a bike ride, powered and steered by a strong legged volunteer.  Click this link for a video of Marilyn’s TWOcan Bike in action. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D_g8cv_s3X8&feature=youtu.be

 

Reid Hewitt, Administrator at Innsbruck Care Center, grew up in Brooklyn Park and played hockey and baseball.  He even played collegiate hockey while working on his health care administration degree at UW, Eau Claire.  Reid became the Administrator at Innsbruck about the same time as Nicole was hired.  He previously was the administrator at Texas Terrace Care Center in St Louis Park.  It seems that Reid’s entire extended family is involved in teaching or social service of some kind.  Reid and wife, Miriam, are the proud “parents” of rescue dog named Mr. Finn (named after Finnegan’s beer.  The 90 pound dog sleeps with them every night.  Reid’s passions are golf, sports talk radio, hiking with Mr. Finn, restaurants, breweries and, recently, home renovation.  At work, Reid focuses on finance, marketing, HR, living environment, customer service and risk management, but all these are driven by his primary focus…quality of care. 

Reid and Nicole are pictured below.

Meeting Recap - August 28, 2018 Jeff Benson 2018-08-28 05:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - August 21, 2018

Posted by Jeff Benson on Aug 21, 2018
Mike Neeley introduced us to his son, Scott, who was visiting prior to relocating to Manhattan, Kansas.
 
Cindy made us aware of an opportunity to help sort donated medical supplies.  This effort is organized by Mano a Mano, a non-profit organization working to help the poor in Bolivia, Several Rotarians expressed interest and more are welcome to help.  Stay tuned for possible dates.
 
Co-President John Marg-Patton noted that the Board will meet on Monday, August 27th at 6:45PM at the Marg-Patton residence, 1152 Rose Lane, New Brighton. Parking is very limited so park on Beach Rd (the road leading to the boat launch).
 
Cindy reviewed the District Governor’s newsletter, highlighting the following:
- September 15th Rotary Riders Event
- Camp Enterprise Article
- District Membership up by 26 members since July 1
- One Rotary Summit
Click here to download the newsletter.
 
Ed James reminded us that our Norwegian Exchange Student, Maria Klakegg, will arrive on Tuesday, August 28th, 6:05PM at the MSP Humphrey Terminal.  We’d love to give her a proper Rotary welcome, so everyone is invited to greet her at the baggage claim area when she arrives.  Please email Ed  edethola@yahoo.com  if you are going so he can let you know if there is a change in schedule.
 
Happy Bucks Summary:
- John Ordway is celebrating 42 years of marriage to his 1st wife, Marla.
- Mark Beisswenger chimed in that he was married 44 years ago this week.  Did someone offer to send a sympathy card to Gayle?
- Dave Hoel thanked all those who helped with the Hot Dog Feed.
- Dave Hoel, Cindy Carlson and Dana Rebelein are all recovering from recent vacations.
- Garry Johnson just returned from a mission trip to Alaska.
- Ed James’ Nigerian professor visited him last week and was amazed at the lack of visible security at the Governor’s mansion, unlike the multiple layers of security around the corresponding residence in Nigeria.
-Mike Neeley was able to empty out his mother’s Iowa home as well as get a couple of full price offers on the property.
- Gerry Tietz has some great ham radio equipment for sale.
 
Mike Neeley introduced our speaker, Jeff Schott, who spoke about the “Steamboat Minnehaha”.  The steamboat has had two lives; the first one beginning in 1906, when Lake Minnetonka was the place to be during the hot Twin Cities summers. Before good roads and reliable cars, streetcars would bring people to the lake and steamboats would make regular routes around the lake to get passengers where they needed to be.  These six boats were, for all intents and purposes, floating streetcars.  In fact, they were actually built in the same factory as the streetcars and looked very much the same (see photo).
As roads and cars improved, the steamboats were used less and less until they were decommissioned in 1926 and soon were sunk in deep water on Minnetonka.
 
Fast forward a half century to 1975, when diver Jerry Provost began to search for the sunken steamboats.  In 1978, he found the Minnehaha submerged on the north side of Big Island.  It took three cranes and many airbags to raise it, but the surprisingly intact hull floated without repair after being submerged for more than fifty years.  Because the steam engine and much of the interior of the boat had been removed before sinking it, a great deal of time, effort and money would be needed to restore the boat.  During the ten years it took to determine who should actually own the boat, the hull itself deteriorated and would need to be replaced, further increasing the cost to restore the classic steamship.  The restoration was accomplished in time to launch the “new’ Minnehaha exactly 90 years after its maiden voyage and she has been in continuous service now for 23 years; three years longer than her original run.  More information is available at the website.  Jeff and Mike are shown below.
Meeting Recap - August 21, 2018 Jeff Benson 2018-08-21 05:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - August 14, 2018

Posted by Jeff Benson on Aug 14, 2018
We had two guests today.  Past District 5960 Governor Tom Yuzer was visiting from California and Dean Lotter introduced us to New Brighton Planning Commission member, Nasreen Fynewever.
 
Co-President Cindy Carlson thanked everyone who participated in the Stockyard Days Parade Hot Dog Feed last Thursday.  In Dave Hoel’s absence, Jeff Benson was pressed into service to comment on the event which, by his estimation, was the best one yet.
 
Geoff Hollimon praised all those who helped to staff the CPY “Udderly Fun Zone” Inflatable Park at Stockyard Days.  The inflatables are a significant income source for CPY’s very important work with kids in our community.  Geoff also talked about CPY’s Golf Ball Drop.  This year 702 balls were dropped and the lucky winner took home over $1,200.
 
Ed James reported that, due to a conflict, the Harvest Pack planning meeting with the New Brighton Lions has been postponed.  A new date will be scheduled soon.
 
Dean Lotter, N.B. City Manager, reported that New Brighton’s new water treatment system will be going online soon and will transition from the Minneapolis water system to the Mount Simon Hinckley Aquifer.  The change in chemical disinfection protocols may result in some temporary mild orange or yellow discoloration of your tap water.  The discoloration is a normal part of the changeover.   Click here to access the New Brighton City website for more information and watch your Postal Service mail for a series of letters about the changeover.
 
Dean’s guest, Nasreen, drew PDG Tom Yuzer’s number for the raffle.
 
Cindy Carlson introduced our own Nils Friberg, who led a discussion entitled, Retirement: Stress and Resilience in Conflict.  Nils knows all about “stress”.  Much of his career has revolved around people in stressful situations.  Nils was an Emeritus Professor of Pastoral Care at Bethel Seminary, a Congregational Care Pastor at GracePoint Church, a Police Chaplain and has even co-authored a book titled, Before the Fall: Prevention of Pastoral Sexual Misconduct.  These occupations brought him into contact with countless individuals who were under stress, and each of them demonstrated some degree of resilience, or lack thereof.  Although retirement may not be as stress-inducing as some of the life crises that he has dealt with, Nils believes that it can be quite stressful.  Nils engaged us in discussion about our reasons for retirement and our pre and post-retirement experiences.  He asked us to consider the stresses of retirement, and ways of coping with the stress.  He encouraged us to focus on the blessings of retirement to minimize the stress.  Some examples of helpful strategies are:
- Have a financial plan
- Pursue a healthy life style
- Adjust your expectations
- Be positive
- Prize novelty and opportunity
- Use your social support network
- Embrace your spiritual side
- Actively manage the transitions
- Utilize your previous skill set
Nils and Cindy are pictured below.
Meeting Recap - August 14, 2018 Jeff Benson 2018-08-14 05:00:00Z 0

Addendum to Aug 7 Bulletin

Posted by Jeff Benson on Aug 07, 2018
At last Tuesday's meeting, Ike Graham (Western Bank) was inducted as a Designee and Nicole Ulrich was inducted as a Rotarian.  See photos below.
 
 
 
Addendum to Aug 7 Bulletin Jeff Benson 2018-08-07 05:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - August 7, 2018

Posted by Jeff Benson on Aug 07, 2018
Nils led the Pledge of Allegiance and gave the invocation.
 
Our guests today were: Marika (Smiley) Rebelein and potential new member Ashley Holm from Servion.
 
Many of us helped the Ralph Reeder Food Shelf move into its new space a while back.  Now it’s time to help them celebrate their Grand Opening on Tuesday, August 21st starting with a ribbon cutting at 3PM and a community social from 4-7PM.  The new location is 2544 Mounds View Blvd, in the Silver View Plaza.
 
Dave Hoel tied up loose ends for the Stockyard Days Hot Dog Feed.  It’s all hands on deck to make this effort go smoothly so be at the 300 block of Old Hwy 8 at 4:30PM to start the setup.  Be sure to be there before 5PM as they close the roads at that time for the parade.
 
CPY needs more volunteers to make their Stockyard Days “Udderly Fun” Bouncy House attraction a success.  Take a minute right now and click this link to go to the sign up page and volunteer for one or more shifts.  Nancy and I did it last year and I think we had as much fun as the kids.
 
While you’re in the Bouncy House mood, why not also volunteer for the Inflatables area at the Mounds View Festival in the Park.  Shifts are available between 11:45AM-7:30PM on Saturday August 18th.  The signup sheet will be circulated again at next week’s meeting.
 
Maria Klakegg, our Norwegian exchange student will arrive on August 28th in the afternoon.  Let’s get a big group together to greet her at the airport.
 
Ed James revealed that the next Harvest Pack food packing event will be Tuesday, December 11th after Rotary.  We’re coordinating with the Lions to make this an even bigger event than the last one.  A planning meeting with the Lions is scheduled for August 22nd.  See Ed if you’d like to attend the planning meeting.
 
Margaret Johnson had the honor to present Sue Ager with her PHF+3, signifying contributions to the Rotary Foundation in excess of $4,000. See photo above.  Sue said that the Foundation is a way for her to reach out to those in need in other countries.
 
Recent News
Paul Fournier recently took a long Amtrak trip and said that the train was great as long as you aren’t concerned about leaving or arriving on time.
 
Dave Hoel, Jeff Benson and Jason Miller had a great time on their Canadian fishing trip.
 
Dana Rebelein reported that her niece, Janet, fell and fractured her hip recently.
 
Cor reported that she is close to gaining full mobility of her knee after replacement surgery.
 
Ed James daughter will attend Notre Dame this fall.
 
Nicole Ulrich introduced our speaker, Brian Vickery, who spoke to us about New Brighton’s Stockyard Days celebration.   Brian was accompanied by the Stockyard Days Parade Chair, Tarii Kluse.   The Stockyards played a big role in the development of the New Brighton area in the early 1900’s.  Although the Stockyards are long gone, we still honor their part in the economic history of New Brighton.  Stockyard days was preceded by three other community festivals.  From 1949 through 1964 we celebrated Old Time Days.  From 1964 to the 1970’s the Jaycees organized an Independence Day celebration.  In 1981, Stockyard Days was started and was strengthened by the addition of the Antique Car Run in 1987.  This year’s celebration will include, among other attractions, inflatables, a bike race, a ski show, bands and a big parade.  This year’s budget is $60,000.
 
Brian reviewed some of the reasons for having a community celebration like Stockyard Days.  First, he emphasized the social benefit of strengthening of relationships between residents, businesses and local government.  He also said that there are several economic benefits to community celebrations, among them are increased visibility for the city, increased tourism and opportunities for business marketing and advertising.
 
Brian did his homework, and wove Rotary principals into his plea for increased Rotary involvement on the Stockyard Days Committee and in soliciting businesses for financial support for the festival.  One idea that surfaced was to organize a Job Fair tent for next year’s event and to use free will donations from participating businesses to cover the costs or even make money for Stockyard Days.
 
Co-President Cindy Carlson presented Brian and Tarii with a check from the Club for $1,500, above.
During his talk Brian expressed interest in Rotary membership so, as an enticement, he rang the sacred bell to end the meeting. Tarii, Nicole and Brian are pictured below.
Meeting Recap - August 7, 2018 Jeff Benson 2018-08-07 05:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - July 24, 2018

Posted by Jeff Benson on Jul 24, 2018

Co-President John Marg-Patton opened the meeting with the pledge of Allegiance and Sue Ager presented the Invocation.

 

Geoff Hollimon reminded us that we are helping to run the CPY inflatable recreation area at Stockyard Days again this year.  Check your email from Geoff or Mary Stewart for a link to sign up for one or more 2 hour shifts from August 10-12th.   Geoff also has tickets for the CPY Golf Ball Drop. 

 

Geoff will continue to gather donations for our deployed servicemen and women in conjunction with Citizens Supporting Our Armed Forces (CSOAF), a 501(c)3 non-profit.  Next Tuesday, July 31st, is the deadline for donations.  The supplies list and more information about CSOAF can be found by clicking here.

 

Cindy read a thank you letter from Rotaract member Laura Skubic, thanking us for our support for her mission trip to Lebanon.  Laura will speak to the club on her return.

 

Your email for July 20th should include a note from Jason Slama with an opportunity to support Mounds View’s community festival, just as we support New Brighton’s Stockyard days.  The Mounds View opportunity also involves inflatables so you won’t need to learn any new skills.  There are three time slots on August 18th.  Please contact Jason, Geoff or Cindy to sign up for a shift.

 

Bob Barmore was proud to announce the birth of his first grandchild, Penelope Kay, last week.  The vitals are: 22 inches and 8 pounds 14 oz.  Mom and daughter are both doing well.

 

Cindy Carlson’s foursome came in first in her flight and first overall in a golf tournament last weekend!

 

Always a good time manager, Cor Wilson managed to both retire and recover from hip surgery in the month of July.

 

Mark your calendars for August 24th…Our Norwegian exchange student, Maria, arrives that afternoon and we’d like to give her a warm welcome at the airport, if you are available.  Sue Ager has accepted the role of Youth Exchange Counselor.

 

Sue Ager introduced today’s speaker, Rotary World Peace Fellow, Amanda Ottman.  You’ll probably remember that Amanda accompanied Jilla Nadimi, when she spoke to us recently.  At that visit Amanda was representing the American Refugee Committee (ARC).  Today’s presentation focused on how Rotary, and specifically the Rotary World Peace Fellowship, has shaped her desire to make a difference in the world.  Her first contact with Rotary was as a Rotary Exchange student in Argentina in 2000.  The exchange experience increased her awareness of service opportunities and started her on a path that eventually led her to apply for the Rotary World Peace Fellowship.  This fellowship is awarded to only fifty of the most qualified and motivated students each year.  Argentina was one of the options that year, so Amanda naturally gravitated to the country where she had exchange program ties.  The Fellowship is a 2 year Masters program in International Studies.  It offered her an opportunity to make a strong connection to the local Rotary Clubs, share the mission of Rotary with others, and be an ambassador for peace.  She spoke about how venturing out at night in the poorest part of town to engage with the locals sharpened her vision of her mission for the future.  Upon completing her fellowship, Amanda has worked with Save the Children in Morocco, El Salvador and Haiti, and recently joined the American Refugee Committee, helping to improve the lives of refugees in the Nakivale Settlement Camp.  You’ll remember that our club donated $500 to support the efforts of the Nakivale Rotaract Club and that the Rotaractor’s efforts were chronicled in a 12 page spread in a recent Rotarian Magazine.  Amanda (and the ARC) are partnering with the Rotaract Club to provide services to the 90,000 refugees in the camp.  Amanda thanked us for our support for this mission and encouraged us to contribute generously to the Rotary Foundation.  Sue and Amanda are shown below.

  

Meeting Recap - July 24, 2018 Jeff Benson 2018-07-24 05:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - July 17, 2018

Posted by Jeff Benson on Jul 17, 2018
John Marg-Patton opened the meeting with the Pledge and Margaret Johnson provided the Invocation.
 
Our guest today was Arden Hills/Shoreview Rotarian Frank Mably.  Frank invited us to attend their annual Taste of the Hops beer tasting fundraiser on Friday, August 17th from 5:30 to 8:30PM at Snail Lake Park.  Click here for more information or to purchase tickets.
 
Co-President John said that the Board will meet on the Marg-Patton pontoon boat on Monday, July 23rd at 6PM.  Light snacks will be provided but you should eat before you come.  John’s address is 1152 Rose Lane, New Brighton.  Parking is very limited so park on Beach Rd (the road leading to the boat launch).
 
Co-President Cindy Carlson presented a GIANT card from MaryAnn Bawden thanking the club for her send-off last week. 
 
Cindy also thanked John and Marla Ordway for opening their home to host the Rotary Picnic last weekend.  What a perfect day to gather with great friends.
 
John Ordway presented Cindy Carlson and Jeff Benson with the bocce ball championship trophy (a bottle of wine).  Cindy and Jeff edged out John Ordway and Cindy’s husband Kevin in a hotly contested match.  John suggested that Cindy was extra competitive because she was playing against Kevin.  Jeff’s contribution was just picking the right partner.  Cindy and Jeff are shown with the trophy, below.
 
Cindy also made us aware that Rochester Rotary’s $95,000 Global Grant Proposal to benefit Mayan communities in Guatemala has been approved by the Rotary Foundation.  Our club pledged $500 toward the project.
 
Geoff Hollimon has tickets available for the CPY golf ball drop.  See Geoff for your chance to win big!
 
Geoff also reminded us that we will be helping again this year to supervise the bouncy houses and other inflatables at Stockyard Days.  This was great fun last year and now that we’ve got the system down it should be even better this year.  Watch your email for an online sign-up link.
 
Geoff also circulated a list of supplies needed by our deployed troops.  Citizens Supporting Our Armed Forces (CSOAF), a 501(c)3 non-profit, is gathering these needed supplies and Geoff will collect your donations and see that they get to CSOAF.  The supplies list and more information about CSOAF can be found by clicking here.
 
The Flex Group meets at US Bank at 7AM this Thursday.  All are welcome to come and see what all the excitement is about.
 
Ed James noted that our Norwegian Exchange Student, Maria, will be arriving sometime in the afternoon on Friday, August 24th.  We’re hoping to have a sizable contingent at the airport to welcome her, if possible.  We have two host families lined up but a third host family would be nice.  If you or someone you know would be a good host family, please let us know.
 
Ed James will also be offering the ‘Two Truths and a Lie” fundraiser next week.
 
Happy buck were plentiful today.  Many gave a dollar in recognition of the Ordway’s generosity in hosting the picnic. 
 
Please change your newly printed 2018-19 directory to indicate that Jason Slama, not Dana Rebelein, is the Community Service Director for the coming year.
 
I don’t know how many Taste of the Hops tickets Frank Mably sold today, but at least he was able to take home $5 as the raffle winner today.
 
Margaret Johnson introduced today’s speaker, Ed James, to give his new member classification talk.  Ed’s amazing story began in Iregba, Nigeria. Iregba is a village too small to appear on a map, but it lies near the southwest border of Nigeria.  Ed was born in 1965 and is the youngest of 6 kids.  His dad died of food poisoning when Ed was 11, but Ed’s mother was determined that her kids would get an education.  Ed put that determination to the test when he barely completed the 2nd grade.  Instead of sending him to 3rd grade, his mom had him repeat 2nd grade and it completely transformed Ed academically.  From that point forward, Ed was always at the very top of all his classes and was consistently elected or appointed to student leadership positions.  After High School there was no money for college, but after 2 years of working and saving, Ed was able to enroll at Polytechnic Ibadan where he studied Business Administration and Management.  While at Polytechnic, he led multiple student organizations while maintaining an academic performance level that is, as yet, unsurpassed.  He went on to earn his Master’s in Finance and Accounting  at Ambrose Alli University through online study after coming to the U.S. on a work visa.  His schooling in Nigeria, while rigorous, was completed without ever using a computer.  Ed’s wife encouraged him to learn about computers so, instead of taking a few lessons; Ed earned an associate’s Degree in Computer Science instead.
 
Ed’s first job in the U.S. was at ACI/Honeywell in 1996.  When Chinese competition forced his division to close in 2004, Ed became Director of International Operations at CareMate, travelling the world in search of products to supply developing African markets.  Ed left CareMate to start his own import/export business, Right Choice International Shipping, in 2007.  In 2008, Ed started working part-time as a Mental Health Counselor with ResCare, working to keep clients with mental illness employed and involved in their communities, a job he still enjoys today.  In 2012, the ever-changing international shipping market made it impossible for his international shipping business to remain profitable so he quit that business and started Right Choice Delivery Services, delivering paychecks for ADP, PayChex, Averta and CBIZ to 15 cities in the metro area.  
 
Ed has always loved singing and has sung in choirs since age 8, but he has also written nearly 80 songs and even has a CD of original songs.  He has led choruses for the International Christian Fellowship and leads a group that has performed over 100 times at his home church, Grace Evangelical Free Church in New Brighton.
 
Anyone who’s paying attention will also have noticed that Ed is totally committed to community involvement and charity work.  His Rotary membership is just one of the many ways he has a positive impact on his community.  Margaret and Ed are pictured below.
 
Meeting Recap - July 17, 2018 Jeff Benson 2018-07-17 05:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - July 10, 2018

Posted by Jeff Benson on Jul 10, 2018
John Marg-Patton opened the meeting with the Pledge of Allegiance and Margaret Johnson offered the invocation.
 
Our guests today were Bob Jacobson and Gary Bawden.
 
This Saturday is the Club Picnic at the Ordway home, 10 Dellwood Avenue, White Bear Lake (link to map).  Arrive after 2PM and stay ‘til dark.  John said today that they will need some desserts and appetizers/snacks.  The desserts were spoken for at the meeting today (you know who you are) but we will still need 5 or 6 appetizers/snacks to round out the menu.  Call John 651-429-9658 to let him know if you can bring some.  Other food, wine and beer will be provided.
 
Training for our Financial Literacy Program facilitators will take place from 11AM –Noon on Wednesday, July 11th at API Construction, 1100 Old Hwy 8, New Brighton (link to map).  Check your email from July 6th for the online event registration.  Another training session will also be held in the near future.
 
The Twin Cities North Chamber is hosting a golf tournament at Oneka Ridge in White Bear Lake on Thursday, July 26th from 12:30-6PM.  Click here for more information.
 
In preparation for their upcoming move, Past President Gerry, and wife Marlys, are holding an estate sale on Wednesday – Friday, July 11-13 staring at 9AM.  The sale is at the Tietz residence, 804 Torchwood Court, New Brighton.
 
Ed James circulated thank you notes from this year’s scholarship recipients.
 
Jason Slama, Jason’s girlfriend Elizabeth, MaryAnn Bawden, Jeff Benson, Geoff and Debra Hollimon, Dave Hoel and Nyle Zikmund, helped to move the Ralph Reeder Food Shelf into their new location at 2544 Mounds View Blvd (near the SA station).  Along with several other volunteers, they made short work of stocking  the food in the new location.  Don’t miss their open house on August 21st.
 
Today was bittersweet as we bid MaryAnn Bawden farewell as a new chapter of her life unfolds.  Cindy Carlson and John Marg-Patton reviewed MaryAnn’s myriad contributions in her 29 years with NBMV Rotary.  It’s hard to know where to start because MaryAnn’s graceful and effective touch has been felt in every area of club management.  Her attention to detail, organizational skills and uber-responsible nature made her the perfect club Secretary (I can barely remember a time when she wasn’t the Secretary).  Mary Ann was the one who always remembered to send a card or flowers on behalf of the club or provide treats and decorations for special occasions (her baking skills are legendary).  I always thought of her as the “Mom” of the club, always saying the right thing at the right time and gently reminding us “kids” what we should be doing and when we should be doing it.  MaryAnn also played an important role in the Youth Exchange program, both in our club and at the District level.  It’s an understatement to say that she will be missed.
Cindy and John presented MaryAnn with the Outstanding Service Award (above) and a Rotary necklace and Rotary-sized shot glass (below)
Gerry Tietz and Jason Miller present MaryAnn with a Lifetime Honorary membership Pin, Badge and Certificate (below)
 
Considering MaryAnn’s love for Rotary Youth Exchange, it’s appropriate that Youth Exchange was the topic for today’s program.  Margaret Johnson introduced Al JGerdin, Roseville Rotarian for 42 years and District 5960’s champion of youth exchange.  Al’s daughter travelled to Brazil as a Rotary Exchange student in 1965 and her experience compelled Al to join Rotary and almost immediately become involved in youth exchange at the club and District level.  In the years that followed, Al saw first-hand the benefits of the exchange program for the students, but also the benefits to the families and friends of the student.  Rotary has about 8,000 exchange students per year and if you multiply that by 100 friends and family members of each student, 800,000 lives are influenced by Rotary Exchange each year.  Al feels that these international interconnections will eventually reduce or even eliminate wars in the future.  He gave the example of how Rotarians in The United Kingdom and Argentina helped to mediate the Falklands crisis.  Whether or not wars can be prevented by exchange programs, it’s clear that the connections between countries and cultures created by Rotary Youth Exchange are a step in the right direction.  Margaret and Al are shown below.
Meeting Recap - July 10, 2018 Jeff Benson 2018-07-10 05:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - June 26, 2018

Posted by Jeff Benson on Jun 26, 2018
President Gerry Tietz opened the final meeting of his term as club president with the Pledge of Allegiance.  Dana Rebelein followed RI’s suggestion by providing a non-denominational invocation.

 

Gerry reported that the Board has revised our meal billing policy.  Effective July 1, meals actually consumed will be billed at the end of each quarter.  Previous policy was to pre-bill for the upcoming quarter.  This policy change makes meal costs fair for those who are unable to regularly attend meetings.  It should also make it easier to recruit new members.  Because unused meals were a significant income source ($6,000/year) for the club, the Board has raised dues to $125/quarter to help offset the lost income.  For most members, this will actually result in a lower overall cost of being a Rotarian.  The Flex Group is also investigating possible fundraisers to increase club income.

 

The Board also voted to donate $100 to a Twin Cities Rotaractor for a service mission to Lebanon and $250 toward a District Matching Grant for a Women’s Center in Guatemala.

 

Remember that on July 14th at 2:00PM the Rotary Picnic/Bocce Ball Tourney will be held at John and Marla Ordway’s home on White Bear Lake.  Food, wine and beer will be provided.  BYOB if you prefer a mixed drink.

 

Sue Ager reminded us that Roland Martinson will present his talk: Elders Rising – “The Promise and Peril of Elderhood” on Thursday June 28th, 4PM in the chapel at Benedictine Health Center at Innsbruck.  There is no cost to attend and refreshments are provided.  Seats are limited, so RSVP today to nicole.ulrich@bhshealth.org.

 

Jason Slama said the Ralph Reeder Food Shelf will be moving to a new location on Monday, July 9th.  They could really use some help with the move so watch your email for a Sign-Up Genius.

 

Remember that neither the Noon Club nor the Flex Club will be meeting next week due to the Independence Day holiday.  Be sure to attend on July 9th however, when the program will focus on Rotary Youth Exchange.  You’ll remember that Maria, our Norwegian exchange student, will be arriving in August.

 

The Happy Buck highlights for today’s meeting were:

 - Gerry gave $38 dollars ($1 for each club member) to recognize our contributions to his year as President.

- Cindy admitted to reaching 59 years young this past week.  Cindy paid $5 to avoid the Dreaded Birthday Hat (I thought we had retired it) but she couldn’t avoid the Birthday Song serenade.

 

Many thanks go to MaryAnn Bawden for the delicious cake to celebrate Gerry’s successful year and the beginning of the reign of John Marg-Patton and Cindy Carlson as co-Presidents.

 

Paul Fournier presented two nicely framed displays of the many certificates and banners we received at the District awards ceremony this year.

 

Chris Ledbeter used a Powerpoint presentation to generate reaction and discussion of club highlights from the past year.  Here are the highlights:

- Eight new Rotarians inducted, primarily due to the addition of early AM meetings.

- Great variety of interesting programs

- Harvest Pack event

- Provided three $1,500 scholarships

- Another successful, if frigid, Egg Hunt

- Financial Literacy Program kickoff

- 4:01 Happy Hour Socials

- Supported CPY’s Bouncy House Fundraiser at Stockyard Days

- Remember Niger District and Global Grant support and scholarships for Maman and Charifa

- Eight bed sets donated, delivered and assembled for homeless high school student at Life Prep Academy

- District Awards – Public Image Club of the Year, Club Service Club of the Year, International Service Club of the Year Runner Up as well as the District Governor’s Citation.

 

WOW!  We should all be proud of what we’ve accomplished under Gerry’s leadership.  It’s only appropriate that we would celebrate our success with a champagne toast, below.

 

Following the toast, John and Cindy presented Gerry with his Past President’s Pin, Gavel Plaque and an engraved paperweight (below).

 

In turn, Gerry presented president’s pins and passed the Gavel and Bell to John and Cindy (below). 

 

Cindy and John presented the slate of officers for the coming year and there was a significant change in the pathway to the presidency.  Jason Slama was forced by an employment conflict to delay his term as president by a year.  Dennis Connolly agreed to step in as President-Elect (President in 2019-20) and Jason becomes the President-Elect Nominee (President in 2020-21).  The slate of officers and board members was approved by a voice vote of the members present.

 

Cindy and John are looking forward to their Co-Presidency and propose the following “Big Picture” for the coming year:

   - Do Good

   - Have Fun

   - Celebrate

Enough said!

Meeting Recap - June 26, 2018 Jeff Benson 2018-06-26 05:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - June19, 2018

Posted by Jeff Benson on Jun 19, 2018
Bob Barmore opened the meeting with the Pledge of Allegiance and Ed James offered the invocation. Our guests today were MaryAnn Bawden’s Husband Gary and Irondale HS Activities Director Chris Fink. 
 
President Gerry Tietz reported that he just experienced his first District 5960 Board meeting.  Gerry will be representing medium sized clubs on the Board.  Congratulations, Gerry!
 
Bob Barmore said that the meeting setup and program assignment list has some months with only two Rotarians assigned so far.  He would like to have 3 members assigned for each month, so if you could help out by joining one of these 2 person teams, please let Bob Barmore know.
 
John Ordway asked those who have not paid their dues to do so, if at all possible, by our next meeting.
 
Ed James passed around thank you notes from the students who received tree saplings in our Fourth Grade Foresters tree give-away.
 
Cindy Carlson reported on the recent District Grants Subcommittee meeting.  There were 22 applications with requests for a total of $110,000.  Available funds are only $78,000 so difficult decisions will need to be made.
 
Don’t miss next week’s meeting when Gerry will pass the gavel to incoming co-Presidents John Marg-Patton and Cindy Carlson.
 
Note that next week’s Board meeting will begin at 10:30AM
 
The July issue of the Rotarian features the Rotaract Club of Nakivale, the first Rotaract club organized within a refugee camp.  Our club has donated $500 to help fund the club’s projects, so it’s great to get a closer look at this remarkable Rotaract club.

Amy Janacek announced that 16 Irondale seniors graduated from high school this year having already earned their AA degree, thanks to the Early College program.
 
Cindy Carlson said that eight homeless high school students at Life Prep Academy will be the recipients of brand new complete bed sets as a result of our fund-a-cause effort at the Gold Plate Dinner.  Dennis Connolly, Pam Wolf Sladek, Cindy Carlson Ed James, Dave Hoel and Jeff Benson (all shown below) were on hand to deliver and assemble the beds.  Life Prep Director, Pam Wolf Sladek, sent this thank you:
 
Cindy and NB/MV Rotarians,

Thank you so much for the new beds and the help assembling them!  So appreciated!!!! We are excited to have NEW beds for students that will be coming to Life Prep Academy soon!

Take care,
Pamela Wolf Sladek
Director
Life Prep Academy
 
 
Amy Janecek was excited to welcome ISD 621 Director of Community Partnerships, Mindy Handberg and Irondale’s Post Secondary Planning Coordinator, Michael Werner to speak to us about Early College.  Michael Werner was first to speak.
 
He spoke about how the Mounds View School District’s Early College Program helps fulfill the district’s Equity Promise by ensuring that students are prepared for post-secondary success regardless of race, class or disability.  There are many early college opportunities available including: Anoka Ramsey Community College, University of Minnesota concurrent enrollment, Advanced Placement, P.S.E.O. and Articulated Course Credit.  The wide range of Early College opportunities enabled 95% of Irondale Students to take at least one post-secondary level course this year!  Mike also talked about district 621’s budding partnership with local employers to provide coursework aligned to industry learning pathways.  This program is called Pathways to Possibilities, and offers opportunities in automotive technology, business management, information technology, construction, solar technology and engineering, among others.
 
Mindy Handberg took the podium and used the Construction and Solar Technology pathway as one example of how these kinds of creative public/private partnerships provide other post secondary options for students.  One of Mindy’s roles as Community Involvement Director is to promote these kinds of partnerships. Right now, Century College, Mortenson Construction, Parson’s Electric, St Paul Building Trades, MN State Energy Center and the Construction Careers Foundation are all working with District 621 to develop this Construction and Solar Technology pathway.  Mindy would love to hear from other businesses that see the value in these partnerships.  These partnerships could be in the form of internships, summer jobs, site tours, or participating in advisory groups to dialog about business needs or review curriculum and/or equipment needs for the district.
 
For more information, contact:
 
Chris Fink, Mike Werner, Mindy Handberg and Amy Janecek are pictured below.
Meeting Recap - June19, 2018 Jeff Benson 2018-06-19 05:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - June 12, 2018

Posted by Jeff Benson on Jun 12, 2018
Today’s meeting was off-site at Benedictine Health Center at Innsbruck.
 
Bob Barmore opened the meeting with the Pledge and Invocation.
 
Jason Slama said that the Ralph Reeder Food Shelf has found a new home in the Silver View Center, 2544 County Highway 10. 
 
John Marg-Patton instructed us to mark our calendars for The Rotary Picnic/Bocce Ball Tourney on July 14th at John and Marla Ordway’s home.  The festivities begin at 2PM and will go until sunset.  You should have received an email invitation to the event from John Ordway around June 7th.  Please RSVP using the link in that email.
 
Jason Miller advised us that we are currently $700 short of our Rotary Foundation Contribution Goal for the Rotary Year ending on June 30.  If you are able to contribute toward this goal, please do so ASAP so the contribution will be recorded this Rotary year.  If you contribute directly to the Foundation, be sure to let John Ordway know so he can record your contribution in the club’s records.
 
John Ordway noted that it would be very helpful if everyone gets current on their dues by June 21, so he can wrap up the books by the end of the Rotary year.
 
Bob Barmore presented and updated list of monthly meeting and program assignments for the coming year.  You can download the updated list here.
 
Jason Slama reported that he has been accepted into the Sheet Metal Workers Union apprenticeship program, and will likely be unable to fulfill the responsibilities of President-Elect this year and President the following year.
 
Jason Miller said that ReNee’s friend’s son, Ty Koehn, is the Mounds View pitcher who, after a game winning strikeout, delays his celebration with his teammates to console the batter whom he had just struck out.  In a display of sportsmanship seldom seen in sport, the pitcher rushed to the plate to give the batter, his lifelong friend, a big hug.  Check it out here.
 
Jason Slama completed the MS 150 this past weekend and appeared to be no worse for wear.  Congrats, Jason!
 
Friday was Cor Wilson’s last day as she retired from CTV North Suburbs.  Her leadership was a big factor in the organization’s success and she will certainly be missed.
 
Our guest today was Benedictine Health Center at Innsbruck’s Director of Nursing, Colleen James.
 
You will remember that our May 15th speaker, Jilla Nadimi, works with the American Refugee Committee (ARC) to provide relief in refugee settlements around the world.  One such settlement is the Nakivale Refugee settlement in Kampala, Uganda.  The ARC, in partnership with Rotarians from Minnesota and Uganda, have encouraged youth in the refugee settlement to start a Rotaract Club.  Today, we recorded a video congratulating the Nakivale Rotaract club on the first anniversary of the club’s formation. 
 
Today’s meeting was at the Benedictine Health Center at Innsbruck and hosted by the Innsbruck Foundation.  BHC at Innsbruck’s Chaplain, Fran O’Connor, talked about the four pillars of spiritual care at Innsbruck, Justice, Hospitality, Stewardship and Respect.  She said that the Benedictine Health System’s namesake, St. Benedict, said “Before all, and above all, attention shall be paid to the care of the sick” and this concept drives every aspect of care at Innsbruck.  We were treated to a tour of the Benedictine Center’s facility, followed by a video of the resident’s impressions of their care.  A big development at Innsbruck is their purchase of two adjacent properties, which will allow a major expansion of the facility.  Stay tuned for news about the expansion plans.  Special thanks to Nicole Ulrich, and Reid Hewitt for hosting us today.
Meeting Recap - June 12, 2018 Jeff Benson 2018-06-12 05:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - June 5, 2018

Posted by Jeff Benson on Jun 05, 2018

President Gerry Tietz opened the informal meeting with the Pledge and Dana Rebelein offered the invocation.

 

Today’s meeting was off-site, hosted by Ed James at his party room at “The View”.  Ed had several relatives and friends in town (some from as far as Nigeria) and he wanted us to experience a Nigerian meal.  His sister, Grace, prepared a delicious traditional meal of chicken, rice, meat pies, plantain and other delicacies.  Our thanks to Ed and his family.

 

President Gerry noted that our Flex Club members have been paying full dues (including prepayment for full lunches) without getting the benefit of the lunch.  To remedy this situation, it will be proposed to the Board that lunches be on a pay-as-you-go basis, billed at the end of each quarter.  Because the unused prepaid lunches have been a source of significant income for the club ($4000-6000 per year) we’ll need a method to replace that lost income.  It will be recommended to the Board to increase quarterly club dues by $40 to make up for the lost income.  Those present voiced no objections to the proposal.

 

Ed James reported that he presented our $1,500 at-large scholarship to Alexander Koester, a St Anthony Village High School Senior.  Dana later noted that she had a conversation with a parent who talked in glowing terms about Ed’s presentation, saying that Ed was the only presenter who mentioned “service” in his talk and that he kept his remarks brief.  Way to go, Ed! (see photo above)

 

Jason Slama introduced his girlfriend, Elizabeth.  Ed James introduced his family members and guests.

 

Next week’s meeting will again be off-site at Innsbruck Care Center at Noon, with Nicole Ulrich and Reid Hewitt hosting.  Innsbruck is located at 1101 Black Oak Drive, one block West of New Brighton Ford.

 

The new beds we purchased for Life Prep Academy had not all arrived in time for yesterday’s planned presentation, so the delivery (and presentation) has been rescheduled for next Wednesday, June 13th sometime between 9:30 and 12:30.  We’d like to have a big contingent from the club to cement our relationship with Life Prep, so please come if you are able.  Cindy will send an email if she is able to provide a better estimate of the delivery time.

 

Ed James said that the nominations process for Camp Enterprise is underway at Irondale.

 

Maria, our Norwegian Rotary Exchange Student will likely be arriving in August.  We hope to have a big Rotary welcoming party for her arrival at the airport.  We’ll let you know when the date is pinned down.

 

Dave Hoel is looking for golfers to play in a best-ball tourney to benefit UofM pancreatic cancer research.  The tournament is at Majestic Oaks on June 22nd starting at 11AM.  If you would like to play, or just contribute, call Dave Hoel.

 

John Marg-Patton reminded us that the Rotary Club Picnic/Bocce Ball Tournament is on July 14th at John and Marla Ordway’s home on White Bear Lake.  Come at 2PM and stay until dark.

 

Gerry Tietz noted that Corporate Designee Nicole Ulrich will swap membership status with Reid Hewitt.  Nicole will become the Member and Reid will become the Corporate Designee.  Congratulations, Nicole!

 

Among the Happy Bucks today were:

- Jeff Benson has retired for the second time…he hopes this will be the last time.

- Bob Barmore expects to be a grandpa on July 16th!

Meeting Recap - June 5, 2018 Jeff Benson 2018-06-05 05:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - May 29, 2108

Posted by Jeff Benson on May 29, 2018
Cindy Carlson opened the meeting with the pledge of Allegiance and George Winiecki offered the invocation.
 
The Program and Meeting Assignment List was distributed and can be downloaded by clicking here.
 
President Gerry Tietz reviewed our accomplishments for the past year in light of our goals and District expectations.  It’s very clear that our club is on its game in nearly every category and we should be very proud of all our accomplishments.  Kudos, All!
 
Next year’s Co-President, Cindy Carlson, outlined plans for the coming year.  The first topic was the Gold Plate Dinner and those present today decided that April 12th would be the best date for the GPD.  We also decided to have the dinner at the Roseville Radisson again this coming year. 
 
Cindy also presented a draft budget for 2018-19.  The proposal shows a deficit of $8,811 because we have that amount accumulated in the Rotary Healthy Youth Foundation and the Board feels that those funds should be used in the community rather than sit in the Foundation.  Our total budget is $77,874.  Questions about the budget should be directed to Cindy Carlson, John Marg-Patton or John Ordway.
 
As a result of our Fund-a-Cause effort at the Gold Plate Dinner, we will be presenting 8 beds to Life Prep Academy.  The presentation will likely be on Friday, June 1 or Monday, June 4th.  If you’d like to be there for the presentation, please contact Cindy Carlson.  Cindy hopes to keep our homeless youth initiative alive with hands-on opportunities to connect Rotarians with homeless youth at Life Prep.  Life Prep is also holding their Annual Yard Sale Fundraiser on June 7-10 at 1628 County Highway 10, in Spring Lake Park.  Donated items would be greatly appreciated.  Please drop items off from 9-4 M-F.  All items should be dropped off by June 6th.
 
Cindy’s Co-President, John Marg-Patton, reminded us that Maria, Our Rotary Exchange student from Norway, will be arriving in August.  It’s been awhile since we have hosted an exchange student and we want to make the experience truly memorable for the student as well as ourselves.  You’ll soon be receiving details about how to easily get an online background check, as well as ideas about what kinds of things to do with Maria.
 
John also said that the NBMV Rotary picnic will be held a John and Marla Ordway’s home on White Bear Lake on July 14th.  (details to follow)
 
Remember that the next two Noon meetings will be off-site.  On June 5th we will meet at Ed James’ apartment (1300 Northwest Parkway, New Brighton) for a Nigerian Meal (Subway for those who prefer).  On June 12th we will meet at Benedictine Health Center (1101 Black Oak Dr, New Brighton).
 
Cindy and John's final words about their upcoming Rotary year are:
    1.       Do Good
    2.       Have Fun
    3.       Celebrate Our Accomplishments
 
We are investigating the possibility of sponsoring an Interact club at Irondale.  A key factor will be finding an instructor at Irondale willing to lead the club.
 
The Flex Group is looking into the possibility of putting together a Dragon Boat Race team at NBMV Rotary as an additional fundraiser for NBMV Rotary.  I can’t wait!
 
Dave Hoel and Jeff Benson are looking for golfers to play in a best-ball tourney to benefit UofM pancreatic cancer research.  The tournament is at Majestic Oaks on June 22nd starting at 11AM.  If you would like to play, or just contribute, call Dave Hoel.
 
John Risdall was with us for the 3rd week in a row, thanks to Paul Fournier.  It was also John’s birthday today so we broke out the Birthday Hat and did our best on the Birthday Song.  John is shown below.
Meeting Recap - May 29, 2108 Jeff Benson 2018-05-29 05:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - May 22, 2018

Posted by Jeff Benson on May 22, 2018

Cindy Carlson opened the meeting with the Pledge and Nile Zikmund offered an invocation.

 

Nyle Zikmund admitted to six decades on the planet and was rewarded for his perseverance with the honor of wearing the birthday hat (see photo below).

 

You will remember that last week’s speaker, Jilla Nadimi, works with the American Refugee Committee (ARC) to provide relief in refugee settlements around the world.  One such settlement is the Nakivale Refugee settlement in Kampala, Uganda.  The ARC, in partnership with Rotarians from Minnesota and Uganda, have encouraged youth in the refugee settlement to start a Rotaract Club.  The New Rotaract Club hit the ground running and now has 39 members working to improve life for their fellow refugees.  Cindy Carlson said that our board has responded with a check for $500 to support the mission of this remarkable group of Rotaractors.

 

Cindy also noted that our Gold Plate Dinner raised funds to buy several beds for the new residents at Life Prep Academy.  Contact Cindy if you would like to participate in the presentation of the beds.  Life Prep is also holding their Annual Yard Sale Fundraiser on June 7-10 at 1628 County Highway 10, in Spring Lake Park.  Donated items would be greatly appreciated.  Please drop items off from 9-4 M-F.  All items should be dropped off by June 6th.

 

Michelle Caron reported on the Financial Literacy Course recently presented to CPY 4th grade students by herself and Chris Ledbeter (see below).  Michelle said that the program was well received and there are plans to present the class again on May 30th.  Training is planned for club members who would like to help present a follow-up class.  Contact Chris Ledbeter or Michelle Caron if you’d like to help. 

 

Jason Slama reported that Ed James presented $1,500 scholarships to two deserving Irondale seniors.  The recipients were Devina Srey and Taylor Seim (shown with Ed James, below)..  Our $1,500 at-large scholarship will be presented to a St. Anthony senior next Tuesday.

 

After countless years as the Stockyard Days Parade Hot Dog King, George Winiecki is stepping down, so we will need a new Hot Dog King or Queen.  George has all the steps neatly laid out for his replacement.  Contact Cindy Carlson or John Marg-Patton if you are willing to take over this important responsibility.

 

President Gerry announced that next week’s meeting will be a club assembly to chart our course for the coming Rotary year.  The following two meetings will be off-site. On June 5th we will meet at Ed James’ apartment (1300 Northwest Parkway, New Brighton) for a Nigerian Meal.  On June 12th we will meet at Benedictine Health Center (1101 Black Oak Dr, New Brighton).

 

Be sure to be at the meeting on June 26th when Gerry will pass the Rotary gavel to Cindy and John Marg-Patton.

 

Due to the Independence Day holiday, the will be no meetings on July 3rd or 5th.

101 Black Oak Drive,

Cor Wilson announced that her mother passed away this morning.  Cor will also be retiring from CTV North Suburbs on June 8th.

 

Our speaker today was our own Nyle Zikmund.  Nyle took us back to the Mounds View pipeline explosion on July 7, 1986.  Nearly 32 years ago, a ruptured seam in a Williams pipeline near the intersection of Long Lake Road and Woodcrest released gasoline which pooled in the street and was eventually ignited by a newspaper delivery person’s car.  The driver suffered serious burns, but survived.  Beverly Spano and her 6 year old daughter, Jennifer, were not so fortunate.  Just as they exited their home, the gas vapor cloud ignited, causing 3rd degree burns over their entire bodies, eventually leading to their deaths.  Beverly’s Husband Don and her other daughter, Allison exited the house through another door and survived the fireball.  One hundred fire fighters (Nyle was one of them) from seven fire departments fought the ensuing fire, which reached 30 feet high and could only be contained until the remaining gasoline in the pipeline drained out and burned.  In all, 90,000 gallons of gasoline leaked out of the pipeline, much of it burning, but some also leaking into the adjacent pond/lake and into the aquifer.  As a result of this tragedy, National and State Offices of Pipeline Safety were created to help prevent future pipeline disasters.  Cindy and Nyle are shown below.

Meeting Recap - May 22, 2018 Jeff Benson 2018-05-22 05:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - May 15, 2018

Posted by Jeff Benson on May 15, 2018

Cindy Carlson opened the meeting with the Pledge of Allegiance and George Winiecki gave the invocation.

 

Everyone was thrilled to have John Risdall back with us today.  John is continuing his recovery at Watermark Senior Living, 5300 4th St. in Fridley.  John told me today that he welcomes visitors between 6 and 8 PM.

 

We also welcomed back the southern France river cruisers, Benson, Hoel, O’Brien, Neeley and Connolly, after their 16 day adventure.  All five were seated together today, so it must have been a great trip.

 

Garry Johnson introduced his guest, Jeff Rohach, and Cindy Carlson introduced Amanda Ottman who works with today’s speaker.

 

Jason Slama reported that nine volunteers showed up for the 2nd Harvest Heartland food drive last Saturday.  Under Jason’s energetic leadership, the group loaded 13 pallets of food on a semi-trailer! A couple of volunteers from Life Prep Academy joined in the fun.

 

John and Marla Ordway have graciously offered to host the Rotary Picnic at their home on Saturday, July 14th.  More details to follow.

 

Mark Lampman was lamenting the arrival of another birthday today, so we attempted to cheer him up with a Birthday Song.

 

Cindy introduced today’s speaker, St Paul Winter Carnival Queen of the Snows, Jilla Nadimi.  Although she’s only 27 years old, Jilla has managed to pack a lot of living into those 27 years.  Born in France to a Polish mother and Persian father, she came to Mounds View where she began to develop her sense of community as a Girl Scout, eventually earning a Gold Award which is the highest honor a Girl Scout can receive.  After her parents divorced, she was raised by her mother to be a strong and independent woman and this upbringing has served Jilla well.  At age 17 she worked with her Girl Scout Troop to help plan youth activities for the 50th anniversary of Mounds View’s Festival in the Park.  After graduating from Irondale in 2009, she received several scholarships which enabled her to study French and International Relations at the University of Minnesota.  She received a Benjamin Gilman Scholarship Grant, making it possible to return to France for further study.  Since then Jilla has worked to increase diversity in local government as an Urban Scholar Program intern, organized earthquake relief efforts in Ecuador, and now she is working with the American Refugee Committee, providing nutritional relief for refugee camps in places like Uganda, Rwanda and Myanmar.  As if her schedule wasn’t full enough, Jilla is also the reigning Queen of the Snows and will make 400 appearances this year in that role. She said her community festival experiences right here in Mounds View and New Brighton were part of the reason she decided to be a candidate for Queen of the Snows.  Jilla and Cindy are shown below.

Meeting Recap - May 15, 2018 Jeff Benson 2018-05-15 05:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - May 8, 2018

Posted by Mary Stewart on May 08, 2018
John Ordway led us in Pledge of Allegiance and Cindy Carlson offered the invocation.
 
Our guest today was Andrew Aplikowski, Beverly Aplikowski's son.
 
President Gerry Tietz opened the meeting with the exciting news that he will be serving on our Rotary's District Board.  Congratulations, Gerry! 
Gerry also shared with the club some sincerely sweet thank you letters from the fourth graders at Bel Air for the trees they were given from our club.  The students were so grateful for their trees, and many of them gave their tree a special name. 
 
Other Announcements
Paul Fournier shared with the club the thank you letter that Iris McGinnis wrote to the club for the help with the Community Support Center's Luncheon. 
Paul also recently visited John Risdall and said that he was in great spirits, and was the sharpest he has seen him in a couple years.  Paul was very encouraged with John's progress.  John will be moving to a new facility today.  Paul will provide more information about where John is relocating soon. 
 
Jason Slama reminded everyone to join him this Saturday at the Cub Foods near Rice Street and Hwy 36 for the Stamp Out Hunger Event from 3pm -6pm.  Even if you only have 20 minutes, please come and join Jason.  Life Prep Academy students will also be volunteering with our club.  This will be a great opportunity for us to meet some of those students. 
 
John Ordway reported that along with his wife Marlys, they are willing to host another summer social for the club at their house.  They are thinking about having it on Saturday, July 14, 2018.  More details to follow. 
 
Cindy Carlson shared with the club a thank you from Kara VanderKamp, Executive Director and President of Remember Niger, who spoke at our club a few weeks ago.  Cindy encouraged club members to consider making a special donation at the end of the meeting to support the Mother's Fund through Remember Niger.  This fund helps supply secondary education for girls.  Lastly, Cindy passed around information from Second Chance Animal Rescue.  If you are interested in fostering a cat or dog, please check out their website for more information http://www.secondchancerescue.org/sc_foster_care.aspx
 
Beverly Aplikowski was delighted to introduce her daughter-in-law, Kathleen Aplikowski, as our speaker.  Kathleen is the Manager of Direct Spending and Purchasing at Caribou Coffee.  Kathleen shared with the club the recent and ongoing changes with Caribou Coffee.  In 2012, Caribou Coffee was purchased by JAB Holding Company.  This company has also purchased Einstein Bagels, Krispy Kreme, Panera Bread, Peets Coffee, and Bruegger's Bagels, as well as other companies.  With the recent purchase of Einstein Bagels, they are currently doing a beverage upgrade at all Einsteins where they will now serve Caribou Coffee.  And likewise, Caribou Coffees will now carry Einstein Bagels.  The advantage of having all these companies under the JAB Holding Company is that now these companies can work together and get better bids by combining their supplies into one bid for items like cups, napkins, etc.  They have also been able to combine departments (such as accounting and distribution) to save money and become more efficient.  Kathleen invited our club to schedule a tour of their Roaster Center that is located in the Twin Cities. 
 
John is joined by Kathleen Aplikowski from Caribou Coffee below.
Meeting Recap - May 8, 2018 Mary Stewart 2018-05-08 05:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - May 1, 2018

Posted by Mary Stewart on May 01, 2018

Cindy Carlson led us in Pledge of Allegiance and Nyle Zikmund offered the invocation.

 

Our guests today were Carol Mueller--Mounds View Mayor, Gary Meehlhause--Mounds View City Council member, Jill Heineman--Mound View Police Foundation Board Member, and  Bob King--Mounds View Police Foundation Board Member.

 

President Gerry Tietz opened the meeting and welcomed the full room.  He asked Mary Stewart to provide an update on the Financial Literacy Class that was created, organized and run by our club for the youth at Community Partners with Youth (CPY).  Mary reported that the youth immensely enjoyed the class.  They learned how to use a checkbook register, and each youth made a set of three banks: one for spending, one for saving, and one for giving.  The youth can't wait to have another class and learn more about managing their money!  She thanked Chris Ledbeter, Michelle Caron, and Gerry Tietz for leading the class.  Here is a picture of the group. 

 

Other Announcements:

Jason Slama reported that on Friday, our club gave away trees to 4th graders at four local schools.  Even though they were a little thin on volunteers, they were able to distribute over 500 trees!

 

Jason was also excited to announce that Alexander Coaster from St. Anthony Village will be this year's recipient for our club's scholarship award.  Jason asked a club member to go to the ceremony to represent our club. 

 

Lastly, Jason urged the club to volunteer for the Stamp Out Hunger event on May 12, 2018.  The event will be held at the Cub Foods on Hwy 36 & Rice Street.  The students from Life Prep Academy will join us for the collection.  

 

George Winiecki recently visited John Risdall and said he was doing well.  He encouraged others to go and visit.  He is going to be at his current location for another ten days. 

 

MaryAnn Bawden thanked all members who attended the Community Support Center (CSC) luncheon last Thursday.  She added a special thank you from Iris McGinnis for all the support given by our club.  MaryAnn added that Nyle Zikmund represented the club well and gave a heartfelt ask - thank you Nyle!

 

MaryAnn shared with the club that she will be resigning in July so she can fully support her husband.  She will be dearly missed by all, and to celebrate all she has done for and through Rotary, we will be holding a celebration for her and her family on July 10, 2018.  More details to come.  

 

The club had a special treat with the return of our in house comedian, Jason Miller.  He had the group rolling in laughter with his latest joke.   

 

Cindy Carlson introduced our speakers, Mounds View Police Chief Nate Harder, and Mound View Police Foundation Board Member (and the City of Mounds View Prosecuting Attorney) Katrina Joseph.  Police Chief Harder and Katrina shared with the club about the Mounds View Police Foundation. 

The Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization that raises funds to support the City of Mounds View, Minnesota's Police Department, it's public safety and other functions, both directly and indirectly, with grants for services, equipment, or items which will enhance the mission of the Police Department as it relates to service to the citizens of the City of Mounds View.  Chief Harder explained that often times when the police are called, they see people at their worst.  With the help of the foundation, they are able to provide events, programs, and experiences that allow the public safety department to connect with people at their best.  The goal is to build positive relationships with the community to prevent crime and make the community stronger.  Outreach events have included: a climbing wall, hockey games, Bowl with a Cop, parades, Father/Daughter Ball, National Night Out Pre-Party, MVPD Retirees breakfast, Shop with a Cop, and Festival in the Park.  With the support of our club, they have also hosted the New Americas Academy.  Through this academy, new immigrants to the community learn about American life, about the local government and local services, they are taught about local laws, and learn how to identify human trafficking.  To find out more about the foundation, check out their facebook page at facebook.com/moundsviewpolicefoundation or send them an e-mail at moundsviewpolicefoundation@gmail.com.  Cindy is joined by Police Chief Harder & Katrina Joseph from the Mounds View Police Foundation below.

Meeting Recap - May 1, 2018 Mary Stewart 2018-05-01 05:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - April 24, 2018

Posted by Jeff Benson on Apr 24, 2018
Nils Friberg led us in Pledge of Allegiance and offered the invocation.
 
Our guests today were Smiley Rebelein and Eric Ordway.
 
Jason Miller had the pleasure of awarding Jim O’Brien with his Paul Harris Fellow +2.  Jason noted that we each have the option of making additional contributions to the Foundation via our quarterly statements.  Let Jason or John Ordway know if you’d like to take advantage of this easy way to give to the Rotary Foundation.
 
President Gerry Tietz had great news to share about the Governor’s Awards which were presented at the Conference of Clubs this past weekend. The NBMV Rotary Club was named the medium-sized “Club of the Year in both Public Image and Service.  We were also runner-up to Club of the Year in International Service.  But most exciting of all was being named the Overall Medium Sized Club of the Year for the entire District (tied with Rochester).  What a testament to Gerry’s Leadership and the tireless efforts of our Board of Directors and all of our members.  A celebration is planned for June 26 at our noon meeting.  Check out all the certificates, below.
 
Cindy announced that our incoming District Governor, Mike Becker, will be installed on Tuesday, June 12 at the Spam Museum and Paramount Theater in Austin, Minnesota.  Social Hour is from 5:30-6:45 at the Spam Museum and the installation will start at 7:00PM at the Paramount Theater.  More details are available here.
 
We will have a Rotary exchange student this coming year!  Flex member Paul Jacobsen and his wife, Denise, will be hosting along with the Johnson family.  One more host family will be needed, so let’s find one soon.
 
Our 4th Grade Foresters tree give-away takes place this Friday afternoon, April 27th, starting at noon.  If you are able to help, please contact Ed James ASAP!
 
The Peacemakers Cribbage Tournament Fundraiser is this Sunday, April 29, from 5:30-9:00PM.  It’s being held right here in New Brighton at Adagio’s Pizza Factory.  Click here to participate.
 
We will once again be helping with the 2nd Harvest Heartland food collection in conjunction with the Postal Service.  Our location will again be at Cub Foods on Rice St. near Hwy. 36.  The homeless students from Life Prep Academy will join us for the collection.  Mark your calendars now for Saturday, May 12th.  More details to follow.
 
Board News:
-We are working on a district matching grant proposal to hold a really big Harvest Pack event next year.
-$500 has been allocated for medical supplies for Bolivia
-$720 has been committed for continuing sponsorship of our Remember Niger students, Maman and Charifa.
 
Paul Fournier reported that John R. is making progress in his recovery and welcomes visitors after 3:00PM.  After this week he will be moving from Langton Place to another facility near University and 694.
 
Cindy reported that Kevin’s new hip is working well.  We thought he was pretty hip even before the surgery!
 
The tally is in for the Gold Plate Dinner and we managed a $23,800 net!  Sincerest thanks for all the hard work that went into making the event such a big success.
 
John Ordway introduced our speaker, Jim Markoe.  Jim has spoken to the club in the past regarding the low water levels in White Bear Lake.  He last spoke to the club about the lawsuit that the White Bear Lake Restoration Association and White Bear Lake Homeowners Association had filed against the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.  Jim was happy to report to us today that their lawsuit was successful and that, subject to the DNR’s appeal, help for the lake and its homeowners is likely within two years.  The judge ordered sweeping changes in the practices that were draining the aquifer and, consequently, the lake.  She also ordered direct replenishment of lake levels via a pipeline.  Jim believes that the judge’s findings will be upheld by the Appeals Court and the Supreme Court, ending what will, by then, have been an eight year battle to restore White Bear Lake to its normal level.  Jim is joined by fellow WBL Homeowners board member, Eric Ordway, below.
Meeting Recap - April 24, 2018 Jeff Benson 2018-04-24 05:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - April 17, 2018

Posted by Jeff Benson on Apr 17, 2018
Nils Friberg opened the meeting with the Pledge of Allegiance and Mike Neeley offered the invocation.
 
Our guests today were Vadnais Heights Rotarian Jeff Niesen and Stillwater Sunrise Rotarian Doug Pepin.  Doug was here to invite us to the Stillwater club’s “Brewer’s Bazaar” fundraiser on May 19th.  Click here for more details.
 
President Gerry Tietz welcomed John Marg-Patton to the stage for the final prizes in the Gold Plate Dinner ticket sales contest.  The $75 ticket sales grand prize went to Cindy for selling 10 full price tickets.  Wow!  Jim O’Brien was the lucky winner of $75 in the at-large drawing.
 
John Ordway reported that the Gold Plate Dinner preliminary numbers suggest that this year’s gala will likely be the most successful fundraiser to date.  He estimated that we may net as much as $23,000!   Well done, NBMV.
 
Nicole Ulrich reminded us of the Benedictine Health Center’s eleventh annual Gala to be held at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church on Friday, May 18th from 5:30-11:00PM.   Click here to reserve your place or donate to this very worthy cause.
 
Ed James still needs volunteers for the 4th Grade Foresters tree give-away on Friday afternoon, April 27th.  Please contact Ed ASAP to volunteer!
 
Ed also announced that we will once again be helping with the 2nd Harvest Heartland food collection in conjunction with the Postal Service.  Our location will once again be at Cub Foods on Rice St. near Hwy. 36.  The homeless students from Life Prep Academy will join us for the collection.  Mark your calendars now for Saturday, May 12th.  More details to follow.
 
More attendees are still needed for the Community Support Center Luncheon on April 26th.  Let’s have a good showing to support this great community resource.
 
President Gerry noted that we will be recognized at least three times during the District 5960 Conference of Clubs for our accomplishments during this Rotary year.  There may even be cake next Tuesday to celebrate our accomplishments.
 
Garry and Nancy Johnson are the proud announce the birth of their granddaughter, Sophie.  Mother and daughter are both doing well.
 
Cindy said Kevin will be at Regions tomorrow to receive a new hip. 
 
Cindy Carlson introduced Kara VanderKamp, Executive Director of Remember Niger Coalition (RNC).  Kara was here to update us on RNC’s efforts to promote education in Niger.  It’s not surprising that, as the world’s least developed country, Niger’s schools are extremely underfunded.  NBMV Rotary began partnering with RNC to help educate more children by acting as the primary sponsor of a Rotary Global Grant in 2012.   We have continued this partnership by participating in matching grants to create safe and sanitary schools where students, and especially girls, can begin to escape the grip of poverty.  School attendance statistics in Niger are sobering with 38% attending elementary school, 11% attending middle school and only 3% making it to high school.  RNC now supports 2,200 students in 10 communities and would like to do so much more.  Recent initiatives include schools for deaf and disabled students who are marginalized in Niger.  Niger requires all schools to be permanent cement or masonry structures, increasing the up-front cost of school buildings, but generous donations and grants are slowly, but surely, resulting in new schools.  You can help to provide bricks for schools, sponsor a child, or get more information by clicking here.   Cindy and Kara are pictured below.
Meeting Recap - April 17, 2018 Jeff Benson 2018-04-17 05:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - April 10, 2018

Posted by Jeff Benson on Apr 10, 2018

Bev Aplikowski opened the meeting with the Pledge of Allegiance and Dana Rebelein offered the invocation.

 

Our guests today were Stillwater Rotarian, Suzannah Stulberg and Roseville Rotarian, Marv Sorvala.  We were saddened to learn that Marv’s wife had passed away this past week.

 

The Flex Group will be holding its 4:01 happy hour gathering this Thursday at the Exchange.  All Rotarians are welcome to join in the fun.

 

President Gerry Tietz was happy to announce that all tickets for the Gold Plate Dinner were sold before the event.  John Marg Patton wrapped up the GPD ticket sales competition by presenting Bev Aplikowski with the prize for the 100th ticket sold.  We all owe Bev our thanks for her excellent work as “Ticket Wrangler” for this year’s event.

 

John Marg-Patton announced that Minnesota Interfaith Power & Light will present portions of a new PBS/NOVA film, “Decoding the Weather Machine” which cuts through the confusion around climate change.  A distinguished panel (including Paul Douglas) will lead the discussion.  The free program will be held at Christ the King Lutheran Church, 1900 – 7th St. NW, from 7-9PM on Wednesday, April 18th.

 

Ed James needs several more volunteers for the Fourth Grade Foresters tree give-away, on Friday afternoon, April 27th. 

 

Jason Slama gathered several volunteers to evaluate applications for our at-large scholarship, one of three $1,500 scholarships that we offer to high school seniors each year.

 

Cindy Carlson advised us to start thinking about putting together bidding groups in preparation for the live auction at the Gold Plate Dinner.  Getting your group together ahead of time will maximize your chance of making a competitive bid on some great auction items.

 

April 25th marks the kickoff of our financial literacy workshop for youth at CPY.  Flex Group member, Chris Ledbeter, is spearheading this important initiative.

 

We need a several good Rotarians to serve as greeters at the Community Support Center luncheon on April 26th.   As a founding organization of CSC, it would be great to have a big turnout, to support CSC’s mission to keep people in their homes.

 

Garry Johnson confirmed that it is his daughter, and not he, that is expecting soon.  This will be his third grandchild!

 

Dana Rebelein’s birthday apparently passed by without acknowledgement in February, but we made up for it with one of the best birthday serenades in recent memory.

 

Beverly Aplikowski introduced our speaker, humorist Eric Golub.  Honoring Rotary’s non-partisan political stance, Eric took all sides to task with smart, edgy commentaries on “non-controversial” subjects like politics, immigration, religion, race, and gender. Bev and Eric are pictured below,

Meeting Recap - April 10, 2018 Jeff Benson 2018-04-10 05:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - April 3, 2018

Posted by Jeff Benson on Apr 03, 2018

Nils Friberg opened the meeting with the Pledge and the Invocation.

 

We were honored to have Past District 5960 Governor Tom Yuzer as a guest today.  We also had a visit from a prospective member whose last name I missed (first name was Al).

 

We celebrated two birthdays today, serenading Ed James and Bev Aplikowski with the Birthday Song.

 

President Gerry Tietz thanked Dennis Connolly for his hard work in pulling together all the information for the District Governor’s Awards, which will be announced at the 2018 Conference of Clubs, which will be held April 19-20 at the brand new Mystic Lake Center at Mystic Lake Casino Hotel in Prior Lake.  I believe that you can still register for the Conference of Clubs by clicking here.

 

Gerry recognized the efforts of all those who contributed to the success of our 29th annual Egg Hunt last Saturday.  Egg Czar Dave Hoel seconded Gerry’s thanks and noted that, because the snow prevented us from distributing all the eggs this year, there were jelly beans left over.  The children’s loss is your gain, however, because those jelly beans are available for you for the paltry sum of just $1 per 2 cup bag.  If they were not sold out today, there may be jelly beans for sale again at our next meeting.

 

Gerry thanked Michelle Caron for organizing last Wednesday’s sign painting social event.  Attendance was light but a great time was had by all.

 

You’re invited to attend the 25th annual Minnesota Adult and Teen Challenge Gala on May 4th, 5:30-9:00PM, at the Hilton Minneapolis.  The event will feature Minnesota Gophers Head Coach, P.J. Fleck and KSTP Anchor, Leah McLean.  To register, or get more information, click here.

Ed James reported that two Irondale students, Iva Hammett-Kess and Adam Johnson, have been selected to be our representatives at Camp RYLA.  Ed also reminded us that many volunteers will be needed to hand out trees for our Fourth Grade Foresters program from Noon to 4PM on April 27th.  Please let Ed know if you can help with this fun project.

 

The Gold Plate Dinner is just ten days away and Bev Aplikowski is happy to report that we have sold all but 3 tickets as of today’s meeting.  It seems that some of you have not yet turned in your ticket stubs and/or your meal choices yet.  If you are among the negligent, please get that information to Beverly now!

 

John Marg-Patton announced that Dana Rebelein had won the weekly GPD ticket sales contest a couple of weeks back (while she was recovering from surgery) and Dana was happy to receive a fine Australian Merlot as a reward for her sales ability.  The current week’s winner was Michael Johnson, who selected a 4-pack of IPA.  Cindy suggested that Beverly Aplikowski receive a special award for selling a total of 11 tickets.

 

Cor Wilson won the raffle for the 2nd week in a row!

 

Our program today was Nyle Zikmund, presenting his new member Classification Talk.  Nyle was born in Hibbing and moved to Blaine as a youngster.  Although he has changed homes a few times since then, he still lives in Blaine.  He has been married to Theresa for 36 years and they have one son and one grandson, who live just 7 blocks away from them.  Nyle and President Gerry are apparently fellow alums of UW Stout.  Nyle and family love to travel and have visited all 50 states, much of Canada and internationally.  The international focus has been intensified because they have hosted eight international exchange students, remaining in contact with almost all of them and travelling to visit most of them.

 

Nyle’s first career ambition was to be a high school woodshop teacher, but industrial arts program cuts made that impossible, so he did the next best thing and went to work in a woodworking shop.  Eventually he would own Oakcraft, Incorporated, which he recently sold with the provision that he would have lifetime access to the shop.

 

Nyle also worked as a firefighter with the Spring Lake Park Blaine Mounds View Fire Department, eventually becoming Chief of the department.  Nyle also served on the board of the International Association of Fire Chiefs.

 

Nyle came out of retirement to take the City Administrator position in Mounds View.  Theresa runs her own business, Fire Services Consulting.  Nyle has a role in her company as well.  He describes his role as: “whatever she tells me to do”.

 

Nyle has been involved in the restoration of two unique vehicles: a 1953 Packard Henny and a 1923 American LaFrance Fire Truck.

 

Nyle’s family is one of only 41 remaining private landowners in the Voyageurs National Park.  The property was purchased by his grandmother and the family has resisted attempts by the Voyageurs National Park Association to purchase the property.

 

Gerry and Nyle are shown below.

Meeting Recap - April 3, 2018 Jeff Benson 2018-04-03 05:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - March 27, 2018

Posted by Jeff Benson on Mar 27, 2018
Jim O’Brien opened the meeting with the Pledge and Nils Friberg offered the Invocation.
 
It was great to have Dana able to rejoin us after her recent surgery.  Welcome back!
 
Paul Fournier reported that John is recovering after a stroke and fall that resulted in a broken hip.  He is recovering at Langton Lake Place and welcomes visitors in the afternoon only.
 
President Gerry Tietz had the honor of inducting Nicole Ulrich into the club as a Corporate Designee.  Nicole will attend meetings when Reid Hewitt is unable to attend.  Gerry, Nicole and Nicole’s dad, Curt Glenna, are shown below.
 
Egg Hunt Grand Poobah, Dave Hoel, provided last minute instructions for Saturday’s Egg Hunt. If you have volunteered to transport eggs and prizes to the park, please arrive at the North parking garage beneath CU Companies with your SUV or Van at 9:30AM sharp.  All other Rotarians should be at Driftwood Park at 10:30AM.  The Hunt is a rain or shine event; so if it’s raining or too wet to be in the park, we’ll hold it in the parking lot at the church adjacent to the park.
 
Bev Aplikowski needs your ticket stubs, with meal choices marked, ASAP.  No raffle prizes can be won without your stub and, if we don’t have your meal choice, you may not get the meal you prefer.  Please get this information to Bev now!
 
Ed James reported that April 27th is the date for our 4th Grade Foresters tree give-away in honor of Arbor Day.  Several Rotarians will be needed to present the trees and engage the kids in conversation about the value of trees.  Talking points will be available for those who need/want them.  Classroom visits are planned between Noon and 4PM.
 
Paul Fournier introduced our speaker, Chelsea Holub, President of the Twin Cities Rotaract Club.  According to the Rotary International website, Rotaract Clubs “bring together people, aged 18-30, to exchange ideas with leaders in the community, develop leadership and professional skills, and have fun through service."  Chelsea described Rotaract as middle of a continuum, bracketed by Interact at the high school level and traditional Rotary Clubs on the “older” end.  As a “millennial”, Chelsea was drawn to Rotaract as a way to be involved with others of similar ages and sensibilities.  She offered some thoughts on why millennials might not be attracted to traditional Rotary clubs:
- Time of Day: Tight work schedules for most millennials make noon or morning meetings difficult.  Her group prefers 7:00 PM.  This allows time to eat at home, rather than spend money on food.
- Location:  Country clubs and fancy hotels are avoided, with a preference for less fancy places that are close to public transportation.
- Traditions/Ceremonies: Millennials are uncomfortable with traditions like the Pledge of Allegiance, Invocations, singing, etc.
- Cost:  Student loans, low wages, and high housing costs cause millennials to avoid paying for food, if possible.  Chelsea suggested that Rotary clubs look at reduced young professional membership dues, pay as you go meals and allowing brown bag meals as ways to attract younger members.
 
The Twin Cities Rotaract Club is sponsored by the Roseville Rotary Club and meets on the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays of the month at 7PM.  One monthly meeting is for mingling and the other features a speaker.  Their 2018 fundraiser to benefit Books for Africa is coming up on April 25th, 6PM at Summit Brewing.  Sign up for the event by clicking here.  Gerry and Chelsea are pictured below.
Meeting Recap - March 27, 2018 Jeff Benson 2018-03-27 05:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - March 20, 2018

Posted by Jeff Benson on Mar 20, 2018
Recently, President Gerry Tietz was interviewed on CTV15’s New Brighton Now about Rotary’s role in the community and the world.  Gerry represented us extremely well!  Check it out by clicking here.

 

Geoff Hollimon opened the meeting with the Pledge and MaryAnn Bawden offered the invocation.

 

Our guests today were Jed Hamoud and Mike Busch from Kids Alive International.  Mike thanked us for our support for the Kids Alive Syrian refugee program in Lebanon and made us aware of their Oasis Home and foster care programs for girls who are victims of sexual assault.

 

Also visiting us today was Don Craighead, long time Rotarian who made us aware of the Rotary e-club 5960.   This unique approach to Rotary membership is entirely online, offering those with limited mobility a way to be involved with Rotary.

 

Chris Ledbeter, from our “Flex Group”, reported on the Financial Literacy Program which will be rolled out soon with CPY fourth graders.  The program will teach the basic financial skills like saving, spending and giving.  They will need volunteers to teach these skills to classes of 5-8 kids.  Contact Chris if you’d like to be part of this program.

 

Chris also reminded us that we are always welcome at their 4:01PM social hours on alternating Thursdays.  This week’s gathering is at Adagio, 2052 Silver Lake Rd, New Brighton.

 

David Hoel, Egg Hunt Czar, reminded us that the egg-stuffing will take place at The Exchange on Sunday, March 25th at 11:30AM.   The actual egg hunt will be on Saturday, March 31st, 10:30AM at Driftwood Park.  All NBMV Rotarians are asked to help with these events.

 

Ed James reported that we will once again celebrate Arbor Day by distributing tree saplings in our 4th Grade Foresters tree give-away this year.  So far, April 27th has been reserved for Valentine Hills and information on the 3 other elementary schools is forthcoming.

 

John Marg-Patton announced a tie in the weekly Gold Plate Dinner ticket sales contest.  Beverly Aplikowski and Ed James each chose a bottle of wine as their prize.  Who will win next week’s contest?  Remember, you can’t win a prize if you don’t report your ticket sale commitments to your team captain.

 

Beverly Aplikowski followed up by reminding us to turn in our own ticket stubs (with dinner choice indicated) by next week’s meeting and to get the stubs and payment for any other tickets sold to Beverly as soon as possible.

 

Geoff and Debra Hollimon are celebrating their 38th anniversary this week…Congratulations!

 

Mary Ann Bawden said that a revamped membership directory will be available in print and online versions in July.

 

Paul Fournier introduced our speakers, Iris McGinnis and Karen Meyer, from the Community Support Center.  On behalf of the club, Paul Fournier presented them with a check for $1,000 to support CSC’s mission.  Karen Meyer started the presentation by explaining that CSC’s mission is to prevent homelessness by providing referrals to the appropriate agencies and, when necessary, short-term financial assistance to prevent evictions or electric shut-offs.  CSC’s financial counseling helps families achieve financial stability in the following ways:

  - Taking the time to listen and really know the clients

  - Setting goals

  - Directing clients to appropriate services

  - unraveling the bureaucracy and red tape

  - Celebrating their successes

  - Continued long-term financial counseling

CSC partners with Ramsey County Social Services, Community Action Partnership, St Vincent de Paul Society as well as local churches and service organizations like our Rotary Club.  In fact, NBMV Rotary is a founding organization of CSC and Paul Fournier serves on its Board of Directors.

 

At any given time, 16-20 families are being served by CSC.  Karen is the sole paid staff person and CSC relies heavily on the volunteer services of 6 “active listeners” who decide where to refer clients and whether financial assistance is warranted.  CSC spends between $400-700 per family.  Ramsey County currently has 29 families on the homeless shelter waiting list and if they finally are admitted to a shelter, it costs the county $3,000/month to house a family of four.  It’s easy to see that CSC’s strategy of preventing homelessness makes much more sense than relying on homeless shelters.  But because of a tight housing market and sharply increasing rents, the risk of eviction is increasing and CSC will likely experience an increase in need for its services.

 

Iris McGinnis took the floor at this point to ask us to actively participate in their upcoming fund-raiser luncheon on April 27th from 11:30-1:00 at Christ the King Lutheran Church.  CSC is looking for as many Rotarians as possible to attend the luncheon and four to five Rotarians to greet attendees as they arrive.  NBMV Rotary will receive special recognition in the program and Iris would like someone from Rotary to present the fund-raising “ask” at the close of the program.  If you might be able to fill this role please contact Paul Fournier or MaryAnn Bawden.  You can RSVP for the luncheon at:  staff@communitysupportcenter.org.  Paul is shown presenting our check to Karen and Iris, below.

Meeting Recap - March 20, 2018 Jeff Benson 2018-03-20 05:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - March 13, 2018

Posted by Jeff Benson on Mar 13, 2018
Geoff Hollimon opened the meeting with the Pledge of Allegiance and Mary Stewart offered the invocation.
 
Geoff thanked all who attended the CPY Spring Luncheon and noted that 120 people attended and donations so far are $17,000.  CPY provided delicious cupcakes for today’s meeting.
 
Dave Hoel reminded us that the Egg Hunt is almost upon us.  The prizes will be sorted and organized tonight and the egg stuffing will occur at the Exchange starting at 11:30AM on Sunday, March 25th.   The actual Egg Hunt will be at Driftwood Park on Saturday March 31st.  Many vehicles will be needed at 9:30 AM on the day of the hunt to pick up the eggs and prizes in the North parking garage below the CU Companies offices.  Everyone else should report to Driftwood Park by 10:30AM to set up for the Egg Hunt.  Please see Dave if you can help to put up the egg hunt signs around New Brighton.
 
Dennis Connolly noted that he is in the process of completing our club’s applications for the District Governor’s Awards.  Cindy Carlson added that the District is looking for judges for the award selection process.  See Gerry if you are interested in being a judge.
 
John R. broke his leg or hip recently and is still in the hospital.  He’ll be moving to a transitional care facility as soon as he is able.
 
It was also reported that Dana R. was scheduled for surgery today.
 
Mike Neeley returned today after a two month vacation in Florida.  Welcome back, Mike!
 
We also welcomed Mark Beisswenger back today, after a work related absence.  Mark celebrated his return by drawing his own number in the weekly raffle!
 
John Marg-Patton announced the prize winners for the first 4 weeks of the Gold Plate Dinner ticket sales contest.  The winners were:
   - Week 1 – Cindy Carlson – 6 pack of Bud Lite (dilly, dilly!),
   - Week 2 – Mike Neeley – Surly Furious beer,
   - Week 3 – Dana Rebelein – not present to claim her prize,
   - Week 4 – Mary Stewart - $10 gift certificate
Will you be next week’s winner?
 
Gerry Tietz represented our club in a recent episode of New Brighton Now.  The program will be shown at the following times on CTV channel 15:  Wednesday 3/14 at 9:30PM and Thursday at 12:30PM and 8:30PM.
 
Margaret Johnson introduced today’s speaker Bev Driscoll.  Bev is a long time Rotarian and Past President of the Stillwater Rotary Club.  Margaret and Bev were part of a delegation to our District’s Fast for Hope initiative in El Corazo, Nicaragua.  Bev was here to update us on the program.  Our Fast for Hope initiative is following the new protocol for “sustainable” poverty relief.  The new thinking is that extreme poverty can only be sustainably eliminated by engaging the local community in a self-driven process of long-term goal setting and action planning.  Rotary has learned that providing money and/or infrastructure will not result in a long-term reduction in poverty unless the community itself identifies the need and takes ownership of the action plan.  We have learned from our mistakes and false starts in Nicaragua but our patience is being rewarded with slow, but steady, progress.  El Corazo identified four goals: Improve literacy, improve access to medications and medical care, provide a local water supply and improve the seasonably impassable 3.5 mile road into the community.  Since the initiative began, the community has expanded its book supply from 2 to 521 books, established reading posts and trained “reading promoters”.  A physical library is planned.  A pharmacy program has been established, “health promoters” have been trained and a doctor is available in the community ½ day per week.  Water pipes have been laid for most of the length of the road and there is hope that homes may soon have ready access to clean water.  Because of the cost, improving the road is the most challenging goal but there is hope that progress will be made soon.
 
If you have interest in being part of a future delegation to El Corazo or just want more information, click here.  Bev and Margaret are shown below.
Meeting Recap - March 13, 2018 Jeff Benson 2018-03-13 05:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - March 6, 2018

Posted by Jeff Benson on Mar 06, 2018
NBMV Rotary is pleased to announce that Michael Johnson was inducted into membership last week.  Michael is shown being inducted by President Gerry Tietz, below.
 
Today’s meeting was at the CPY Spring Luncheon.
 
CPY Board Chair, Brian White, opened the luncheon by reviewing the 21 year history of CPY.  Founded in 1997 to reduce juvenile crime by increasing adult supervision during out of school hours and summer months, CPY has since expanded its service to the community by providing a safety net for at risk youth as well as supporting and enhancing the Mounds View School District.  CPY alumni have returned to connect with and provide service to the community.  CPY’s current mission statement is: “To provide a safe, nurturing environment where youth can strengthen their personalities and develop educational and social skills”.
 
CPY executive Director, Mary Stewart, told the story of “Kayla”, a daughter of drug dealers who had become a bully and was failing her classes at school.  CPY provided the structure and encouragement to improve her grades and behavior, eventually making the honor roll in high school and enrolling in college.  Kayla is soon to graduate with a degree in math education.  Kayla is just one of many students who have benefitted from CPY programming.  Currently, CPY offers programming in the following areas:·
    -Basic Needs – CPY serve over 24,000 meals and snacks each year because students can’t learn if they are hungry.
    -Tutoring & Life Skills Mentoring - CPY offers youth programming in many areas, including: life skills, personal responsibility, goal setting, decision making, optimistic thinking and self-awareness.
 
Mary introduced CPY alumnus Sam Vang.  Sam joined CPY at age 8, about the same time his parents gave him a phone, a house key and responsibility for the care of his younger siblings.  Sam credits his time at CPY as a student, volunteer and eventually as an employee, with instilling him with the kindness, engagement, leadership skills and a sense of family that have paved the way to his graduation from the University of Northwestern with a degree in Psychology.  He plans to use his degree to help youth in a way similar to how he was helped by CPY.
 
Mary next introduced the featured speaker, the Gophers’ all time leading rusher, and Green Bay Packers first round draft pick, Darrell Thompson.  Darrell is the President of Bolder Options, an organization committed to healthy youth development.  Bolder Options shares many of CPY’s youth development goals, but focuses on one-on-one mentorship with a significant physical fitness component.  Darrell outlined Bolder Options’ four pronged approach:
    -Physical Activities       
    -Goal Setting
    -Education
    -Mentoring
For more information about Bolder Options, click here.
 
Brian White returned to the podium to explain that 80% of CPY’s budget is employment costs, and that salaries have risen 20% in recent years in order to attract and retain quality educators.  In response to this situation, Brian announced the Board’s new goal of 200 donors willing to sign up for auto-pay at $20/month.  Achieving this goal would allow CPY to remain competitive in our tight labor market.  Brian thanked all those in attendance for their continuing support of CPY.  For more information about CPY, or to donate if you missed the program today, click here.
 
Meeting Recap - March 6, 2018 Jeff Benson 2018-03-06 06:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - February 27, 2018

Posted by Jeff Benson on Feb 27, 2018
Mary Stewart opened the meeting with the Pledge and an Invocation.
 
Garry Johnson introduced his guest, former Vadnais Heights Rotarian, Jeff Niesen.  Jeff is with Lake Community Bank.
 
President Gerry Tietz inducted our newest member, Mounds View City Administrator Nyle Zikmund.  See photo above.
 
 
Jason Miller had the honor of presenting two Paul Harris Fellow awards today.  Margaret Johnson received her Paul Harris Fellow+1 and Cindy Carlson received her Paul Harris Fellow+5.  Margaret and Cindy are pictured above.
 
Happy Bucks Highlights
- Mary Stewart has returned from her family vacation in Arizona.
- Jim O’Brien has a new great-grandson.
- Nicole Ulrich took the Polar Plunge for Special Olympics, her team raising over $1,300.
 
Beverly Aplikowski reported that 59 tickets have been sold for the Gold Plate Dinner.  Let’s get out there and sell the remaining 41.  John Marg-Patton followed up with the drawing for this week’s GPD ticket sales contest.  Mike Neeley and Jason Miller had each sold three tickets this week and Mike Neeley was selected by lot to receive this week’s prize.  Since next week’s meeting is at the CPY Luncheon, we’ll report on the next two week’s winners at our March 13th meeting.  While you're out there selling tickets, think about restaurants you frequent that might be willing to donate a gift certificate for our "Dine Around Town" bundles to be auctioned off at the Gala.  An information brochure can be downloaded here.
 
Cindy Carlson updated us on the many District 5960 matching grants in process for our District.
 
Gerry noted that the District’s “Conference of Clubs” (formerly the District Assembly) will be held on April 19-20 at Mystic Lake Conference Center.  This conference is a great way to learn more about the many ways that Rotary is a force for good in the world.  Get more details here.
 
Gerry Tietz was proud to introduce his son, Nick Tietz and former Minneapolis Police Chief Janae Harteau to talk about Vitals Aware Services, a new service providing police officers real-time information that may help them approach and calm vulnerable individuals with physical or mental health issues and help prevent overreaction or escalation by police officers.  Nick is the Director of Technology for the company and Janae is the Public Safety Officer.  Nick reviewed some mental health statistics, revealing that 1 in 5 adults will experience a mental health crisis during their lifetime and that 1 in 10 police response calls involve someone in mental health crisis!  Janae explained that police officers are generally well trained to respond to typical situations but each mental health crisis is as unique as the individual who experiences it.  This argues strongly for an individualized police response to each situation.  Vitals Aware Services provides information about vulnerable individuals’ mental health status, including emotional triggers, calming methods and other information to prevent escalation or defuse an already escalated situation.  With an estimated 100 Million vulnerable adults in the U.S. and 1.3 million in Minnesota, it would seem that there is a great need for this kind of service.  The rollout of this service is going very well with subscribers in seventeen communities and five police departments on board so far. 
 
Here’s how it works.  A family provides a detailed personalized profile of the vulnerable person.  This profile is keyed to a “beacon” which is worn or carried.  When this beacon carrying person is within 80 feet of a police officer with a software enabled cell phone, the phone will alert the officer of the presence of the vulnerable individual.  While the individual is within the 80 foot range, the officer has access to the entire profile provided by the family.  All personal data is encrypted for privacy and only police officers can access the profile.  This service is available for just $9.95/month, a small price to pay for the peace of mind it offers.  Nick, Janae and proud poppa Gerry are shown below.
Meeting Recap - February 27, 2018 Jeff Benson 2018-02-27 06:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - April 26, 2016

Posted by Jeff Benson on Apr 26, 2016
Jeff Benson got the meeting started with the Pledge and Invocation.
 
Next week's program will be Jill Brown, Executive Director of the North Metro Mayors Association.
 
Our lone visitor today was Marv Sorvala, from the Roseville club.
 
Margaret Johnson celebrated another birthday yesterday, but was inexplicably absent today, preventing us from sharing birthday wishes and missing the opportunity to wear the Birthday Hat. The hat will be ready for you next week, Margaret!
 
Cor's hip surgery went well and she should be back with us soon.
 
Mark your calendars now for our Summer Social Fundraiser to benefit Kids Alive International. Chef George has graciously volunteered to donate high end appetizers and desserts for this effort. The event will be held at the home of John and Marla Ordway on White Bear Lake, Friday July 8th from late afternoon until early evening.
 
Char and Gerry Samuelson have sold their home and Char will be relocating to a nursing home soon.
 
Amy Wakem reported that we will be handing out tree saplings at two local elementary schools for our Fourth Grade Foresters program this Friday, April 29th. Volunteers are still needed for both locations and, if you haven't participated before, it's easy and fun. If you can help, please contact Amy at 651-636-8337 W or 651-470-7278 H.
 
Amy Wakem will also be representing the club at the Scholarship Awards Programs for St. Anthony Village H.S. on Friday, June 3rd and the Irondale H.S. on May 18th. She would love to have company at these award programs.
 
Jim O'Brien, Dave Hoel, Garry Johnson, Jason Slama, Nils Friberg, Dana Rebelein and Gerry Tietz have volunteered to help site leader Jeff Benson with the Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive to help resupply the 2nd Harvest Heartland food shelf. We'll be helping to transfer donated food from postal vehicles to semi-trailers. We'll gather at Cub Foods (100 West County Road B, Maplewood, MN 55117) at 2:15 on Saturday May 14th and we should be done by 4:00. If you would like to join the group, call Jeff at 763-780-2584.
 
John Risdall reported the he and Jeff Benson represented NBMV Rotary at New Brighton's Volunteer Appreciation Dinner last Sunday. It was a great celebration of the spirit of volunteerism in our community.
 
John Noltner, our scheduled speaker for today, had to cancel because his high school aged daughter's close friend took her own life this week. He has cancelled all appearances this week to support his daughter and her friends. He will reschedule at a later date.
Meeting Recap - April 26, 2016 Jeff Benson 2016-04-26 05:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - April 12, 2016

Posted by Jeff Benson on Apr 12, 2016
Gerry Tietz read the following poem at the start of the meeting.
 
When You Thought I Wasn’t Looking
 
When you thought I wasn’t looking…
I saw you hang my first painting on the refrigerator,
and I immediately wanted to paint another one.
 
When you thought I wasn’t looking…
I saw you feed a stray cat,
and I learned that it was good to be kind to animals.
 
When you thought I wasn’t looking…
I saw you make my favorite cake for me,
and I learned that the little things can be very special in life.
 
When you thought I wasn’t looking…
I saw you make a meal and take it to a friend who was sick,
and I learned that we all need to help take care of each other.
 
When you thought I wasn’t looking…
I saw you give your time and money to help people who had nothing,
and I learned that everyone can make a difference.
 
When you thought I wasn’t looking…
I saw you take care of our house and everyone in it,
and I learned the importance of FAMILY.
 
When you thought I wasn’t looking…
I saw how you handled your responsibilities, even when you didn’t feel good,
and I learned that I would need to be responsible when I grew up.
 
When you thought I wasn’t looking…
I sometimes saw tears come from your eyes,
and I learned there are things that can hurt, yet it’s O.K. to cry.
 
When you thought I wasn’t looking…
I saw that you truly cared about people,
and I wanted to be everything that I could possibly be
to follow in your footsteps.
 
When you thought I wasn’t looking…
I looked at you and wanted to say,
“Thanks for all the things I saw when you thought I wasn’t looking.”
–original poem by Mary Rita Schilke Korzan
 
Gerry followed the poem with the Pledge and the Invocation.
 
President Dana introduced her guest and sister-in-law, Janet Ampe.  Janet is president of the Rogers Rotary Club. Janet was here to promote the Rogers Rotary Golf Tournament at Fox Hollow on Tuesday June 14th. Click here for details on registering or sponsoring.
 
Dana also noted that "Moving Day Twin Cities", a walk to support the Parkinson's Foundation will be held on Saturday May 7th in Plymouth. Details are available by clicking here.
 
There's still time to register for the District Conference at Mystic Lake Conference Center on May 12-13, but hotel reservations need to be made very soon. Get the details here.
 
Next week's program will be Patrick Donohue speaking on access to capital for small businesses.
 
The Board will meet at 11:00AM on April 26th.
 
Gerry Tietz announced that the Easter Egg Hunt Video he posted on FaceBook has had 5,000 hits and over 2,500 views. Nice work Gerry!
 
MaryAnn Bawden is subbing for Cindy Carlson as a table captain for the Northeast Youth and Family Services Leadership Luncheon on May 4th from 11:30 - 1:00 at Midland Hills Country Club. Click here for details.  Contact MaryAnn if you'd like to sit at her table.
 
Amy Wakem reported that we have 2 students signed up for Camp RYLA.
 
Amy  also noted that the 4th Grade Foresters tree give-away will be on Friday April 29th.  Stay tuned for details on how you can help with this great program. 
 
Amy has just returned from a family trip to South Africa. She may be willing to provide a Rotary Program about her trip.
 
Margaret Johnson introduced our speakers from Northwestern University, Matt Hyre, Ph.D. Department Chair of Mathematics and Engineering, Associate Professor of Mathematics and Dan Crane, Ph.D. Dean of the College of Behavioral & Natural Sciences, Professor of Chemistry. They were here to speak to us about the Northwestern's Math and Engineering Department.
 
Dan spoke first in general terms about the Engineering Program. He told us that engineering, at its core, is really just problem solving. But he stressed that ethics is becoming an increasingly important component in engineering, especially in biomedical engineering. He said that Northwestern's engineering program emphasizes ethics as an integral part of their program.  The engineering program was, for many years, part of a dual degree program with the University of Minnesota. In 2008, the UofM discontinued the dual degree program and Northwestern developed its own Bachelor's degree program with many advantages over larger university programs. Northwestern offers smaller class sizes, earlier exposure to core math and physics classes and earlier opportunities for research and publishing.  This year's class is the first to graduate from the new degree program. Northwestern will soon be offering an Early College program which will allow qualified high school students to complete the first year of the college program while still in high school.
 
Matt Hyre, Department Chair of the Math and Engineering Department, echoed his colleague's thoughts about the advantages of Northwestern's engineering program. He said that 15-20% of undergrads are involved in research and many undergrads have extensive publishing experience. He also emphasized the focus on experiential learning and described Northwestern as a model Christian community. He offered some specific examples of the research being done by his engineering students. He spoke about student research on coronary artery stents, concussions, athletic mouth-guards, submarine missile launches and ventilation systems for a Navy Seal team situation practice facility.  Dan, Matt, Margaret and Dana are shown below.
Meeting Recap - April 12, 2016 Jeff Benson 2016-04-12 05:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - April 5, 2016

Posted by Jeff Benson on Apr 05, 2016
Glenna opened the meeting with the Pledge and the Invocation.
 
Our Guests today were Mary Jo McGuire and District Governor Marlene Gargulak.
 
DG Marlene took the podium to invite us all to the upcoming District Conference, held jointly with District 5950. Marlene was looking for ideas to promote a "Bridging" theme emphasize this joint effort with our sister district. If you have any ideas that would be helpful, please contact Marlene at (715)234-8314.
 
Next week's program will be Dr. Matt Hyre, professor at Northwestern University, speaking to us about biomedical research.
 
The Board will meet at 11AM on April 26th.
 
The District Conference is on May 12-13 at Mystic Lake Conference Center.  For more information click here.
 
Bev Aplikowski's 81st birthday was celebrated with a great hat and a pretty fair rendition of the "Birthday Song".  See photo above.
 
NBMV Rotary has sponsored a Bingo Tent at Stockyard Days for the past couple of years. The members present agreed that we should continue to sponsor and all members are encouraged to serve as callers or money takers this year.
 
A motion from the floor nominated Gerry Tietz and Beverly Aplikowski as Co-Presidents elect for 2017-18. The motion passed. Thank you Gerry and Beverly!
 
Happy fines were numerous today.  Here are the highlights:
  • Paul Fournier was happy for the success of the Gold Plate Dinner.
  • Jim O'Brien had a wonderful time sailing in the BVI with family.
  • Dave Hoel had the pin removed from his broken thumb.
     
MaryAnn graciously provided brownies and ice cream for dessert.  Thanks, MaryAnn.
 
Jeff Benson was honored to induct Garry Johnson into NBMV Rotary. Stay tuned for Garry's classification talk.  See photo above.
 
Paul Fournier took the podium to again thank all those who helped with the Gold Plate Dinner. Preliminary figures show income of about $17,500, very close to our previous best.
 
Paul challenged us to think of ways to create an additional sustainable income stream to help us fund the many causes we are asked to support.
Meeting Recap - April 5, 2016 Jeff Benson 2016-04-05 05:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - March 29, 2016

Posted by Jeff Benson on Mar 29, 2016
Bob Barmore opened the meeting with the Pledge of Allegiance and the Invocation.
 
President Dana reminded us that next week's program will be a review of our Gold Plate Dinner.
 
The District 5950/5960 Joint Conference is at Mystic Lake Conference Center, May 12-13.  If you haven't been to a District Conference, you really should check it out.  Click here for more information.
 
On April 19th, Kids Alive International is celebrating 100 years of providing loving homes and promising futures for kids all around the world. Click here for your invitation to join in the celebration.
 
The Ramsey County Conservation District is hosting a FREE seminar titled "Urban Pollinators" to present information on the importance of butterflies and honeybees as pollinators.  The event will be held at Ramsey County Public Works, 1425 Paul Kirkwood Drive, Arden Hills.  RSVP to: Ashley Bennett by April 14:  ashley.bennett@co.ramsey.mn.us or 651-266-7277
 
A motion was made by Cindy Carlson and seconded by Glenna Dibrell to elect Paul Fournier and John Risdall as NBMV Rotary Co-Presidents for the 2016-2017 Rotary year. They were elected unanimously by those present at the meeting. Congratulations and thanks to Paul and John. Members are encouraged to consider stepping up to be club president for 2017-2018.
 
Dave Hoel thanked those who helped with the Easter Egg Hunt on Saturday. It's estimated that 700-750 of our friends and neighbors attended the event. Feedback on the event included the following:
  • More gift stations might reduce the long lines to pick up gifts
  • 3 new signs are needed to publicize the event
  • A central location for food shelf or cash donations would be helpful
  • A coffee vendor would be nice
  • We owe a big thank you to the city garage and public safety departments
     
The program today involved final planning for the Gold Plate Dinner. Everyone is working hard to ensure a fun and successful fundraiser. Please do your part by showing up right at 6:00, if possible, and being gracious hosts to all our non-Rotarian guests.
Meeting Recap - March 29, 2016 Jeff Benson 2016-03-29 05:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - March 22, 2016

Posted by Jeff Benson on Mar 22, 2016
Nils Friberg opened the meeting with the Pledge and invocation.
 
Jeff Benson introduced his guests, Garry Johnson and Jill Truth, Farmers Insurance Agents in New Brighton.  Garry is interested in joining the club.  We also had a walk-in guest, Brent Mehrin, who saw our newspaper ad and decided to check us out (way to go, Communications Committee!).
 
PDG Gary Campbell was here to present a check for the District's matching contribution to our ECHO grant.  Gary is shown presenting the check to Nils Cindy and Geoff, below.
 
President Dana noted the upcoming Parkinson's Walk on May 7th. Check here for more information.
 
Next week's meeting will be focused on final planning for the Gold Plate Dinner.  Future programs can be found on the website at http://nbmvrotary.org/.
 
Egg Hunt News:
  • Many thanks to all who helped stuff eggs last Sunday. We had a great turnout and were done in just over an hour. Our special thanks to Bev Aplikowski for providing space at Lakeside Homes.
  • Those who have agreed to transport the eggs and prizes from the garage under our meeting place to Driftwood Park should be at the garage at 9 AM on Saturday.  EVERYONE else should be at Driftwood Park at 10 AM. Driftwood Park is located at 2974 5th NW St (just west of Silver Lake Road on 5th).
Don't forget that the Gold Plate Dinner is April 1st, 6:00 PM.  If you haven't gotten your ticket stubs (with meal choices) to Bev yet, do it right now!
 
Mary Stewart brought delicious Oreo Cookie cake today to thank everyone who attended and supported the CPY Spring Luncheon.
 
Gerry Tietz auctioned off 4 T-Wolves tickets donated by John Risdall.  Dave Hoel and Mary Stewart each got 2 tickets.
 
Val announced an upcoming "Walk for Water".  Stay tuned for more details.
 
Cindy Carlson thanked those who have contributed toward sponsorships for two Nigerian children.  We just need a few more $30 contributions to complete the sponsorship for the 2nd child. Let Cindy know if you are willing to help sponsor.
 
Nils Friberg introduced our speaker, Shawn Hofer PhD, LP.  Shawn is a licensed psychologist with Arden Woods Psychological Services. Shawn's topic was "Freud Strikes Back". Shawn began by explaining that, although some of Freud's ideas have lost favor, the effectiveness of Freudian style psychoanalysis cannot be denied.  Psychologists routinely use Freud's original concept of "talk therapy" to help their patients. Research shows that the relationship between the therapist and patient, built on conversation, is the key to successful treatment.
 
Shawn says that the foundation of Psychotherapy is the belief that we are all crazy, it's really just a matter of what kind of crazy and how much. In fact, psychotherapists themselves need regular therapy to be at their best for their patients, Shawn reviewed the basic concepts for understanding of the human mind.
  • We all have an unconscious mental life, unaware of inner thoughts and feelings.
  • Our minds are in conflict, often harboring mutually contradictory thoughts and feelings.
  • The past is alive in the present. Throughout our lives we have internalized ways of dealing with people and situations and these coping mechanisms are hard to change.
  • Psychotherapy involves a new situation and a new relationship to which patients must apply their previously formed relationship and situation templates.
  • Defense - Patients often must face facts about themselves that they don't want to admit, resulting in defensive behavior.
  • Psychological Causation - Nothing in the mind is random. All thoughts and actions serve some psychological function.
Shawn's presentation was adapted from: That Was then, This Is Now: An Introduction to Contemporary Psycho-Dynamic Therapy by Jonathan Shedler. Shawn and Nils and Dana are shown below.
 
Meeting Recap - March 22, 2016 Jeff Benson 2016-03-22 05:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - March 15, 2016

Posted by Jeff Benson on Mar 15, 2016
President-elect Paul Fournier (subbing for Dana) opened the meeting with the Pledge of Allegiance and Eric Nelson offered the invocation.
 
Tom Wilson from Risdall Marketing presented an opportunity to sponsor a table at the Achieve Services Gala on Friday, April 15th, at Bunker Hills Golf Club.  Tom serves on the board at Achieve Services, which provides employment opportunities for the developmentally disabled.  Table sponsorships are available starting at $800 (8 tickets). If you or your business are interested in sponsoring a table, click here and scroll down to the sponsorship information.  If you would like to purchase an individual ticket, click here.
 
Glenna Dibrell announced the birth of Maximillian (9 pounds 2 ounces), making her a grandma for the third time.  Everyone is doing well.  Ask Glenna to see photos.
 
Bev Aplikowski noted that she has 22 grandkids.
 
Nils Friberg is celebrating his 8th anniversary with Peg.
 
Eric Nelson announced that he is going to back to school in the fall to get his doctorate in education which means that he will be resigning as Principal at Irondale. You will be missed, Eric!
  
Geoff Hollimon thanked all those who attended and supported the CPY Spring Luncheon last Tuesday.
 
Gerry Tietz reported that Char Samuelson is in memory care.  Our thoughts and prayers are with her and husband Gerry.
 
Cindy provided an update on the Gold Plate Dinner.  This year's event will not have a silent auction. It will be replaced by "Fund a Cause" and a "Split the Pot" Raffle. We will still have the Raffle/Bingo combination and live auction as before.  Hiring a comedian is also under consideration.  Everyone should get busy selling tickets to ensure a successful event.
 
Dave Hoel reminded us that the Easter Egg Stuffing will be on Palm Sunday, March 20th at 11AM at Lakeside Homes, 1200 Foss Rd. The Egg Hunt itself will be on March 26th and everyone should be at Driftwood Park by 10 AM.
 
As promised, John 1 and John 2 (a.k.a. Ordway and Marg-Patton) brought delicious cookies to help celebrate their birthdays but happy fines and Gold Plate Dinner announcements took so much time that we were unable to sing happy birthday to them today.  John Marg-Patton seemed distressed that he would be deprived of the honor of wearing the birthday hat until Paul assured him that he could wear it next week. Whew!
 
Eric Nelson introduced our speaker, award winning photographer and author, John Noltner.  John has  worked as a freelance photographer for over 20 years, shooting for national magazines and Fortune 500 companies. Like most freelance photographers, he felt the impact of the economic recession in 2007 and, as he describes it, "the economy handed me some free time".  This free time was an opportunity to consider new ways to use his photography and storytelling skills. In his home they have the saying, "Some jobs feed the belly...and some jobs feed the soul", so John imagined a way to feed his soul by traveling over 40,000 miles around the U.S. asking people, "What does peace mean to you?". The result is a multimedia exhibit of portraits and stories of ordinary people from all walks of life, all races and religions, which reveal ideas about how we might work together toward the common good and even, perhaps, toward peace. This exhibit spawned the idea of a book version of the exhibit but, as is so common today, publishers were hesitant to publish anything unconventional. So the exhibit self-published the book titled "A Peace of My Mind" using a Kickstarter campaign. The book features interviews of 52 diverse Minnesotans and along with 2 traveling exhibits, speaking engagements and workshops, it provides a framework for dialogue about conflict resolution, civic responsibility and peace. John shared some lessons learned during his time on this project:
  • Mel Duncan, of Nonviolent Peaceforce left John with the thought that "We struggle with a shrunken notion of our own ability".
  • Jennifer McNally taught him that, "Even when life is bad, it's still really, really good".
  • Eric Gibson, a Buddhist teacher shared that, "If you think about the happiness of others, then there is always interesting work to do".
The success of this project has led to a second book, American Stories, and it will be the topic when John returns to deliver part two of his story on April 26th.  John and Paul are shown below.
Meeting Recap - March 15, 2016 Jeff Benson 2016-03-15 05:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - March 8, 2016

Posted by Jeff Benson on Mar 08, 2016
Today's meeting was off-site at the CPY Spring Luncheon.  Most NBMV Rotarians are very familiar with CPY but, for those who are not, their website offers the following description:
 
In 1997, community leaders and parents established Community Partners with Youth (CPY) with the goal of reducing juvenile crime by increasing adult supervision during “out of school” hours – those hours after school, during student holidays and over the summer months.  Over time, our goals grew until we laid out our current mission:
To provide a safe, nurturing environment where youth can strengthen their personalities and develop educational and social skills.
Today, we have become one of the state’s most respected providers to offer supervision during out of school hours to elementary and middle school youth.  Each year we care for more than 500 children, offering thousands of hours of programming for youth and their families. CPY is committed to creating an environment that fosters each child’s development.  Parents can have peace of mind, too, knowing our talented and committed staff are ensuring each child has access to programs designed to meet their needs.  All children attending our programs are nurtured and challenged, with an emphasis on leadership, excellence, honesty, respect, service & kindness; all are encouraged and practiced each day.
 
 
Rotarian and CPY board member Geoff Hollimon said that more than 150 had registered for the Luncheon and I was proud to see how many NBMV Rotarians were present (see below) to support the great work that CPY does in our community. 
 
Rotarian and CPY Executive Director Mary Stewart quizzed us on CPY statistics and some highlights were:
CPY serves over 500 K-8 graders, at 3 locations.
Over 85% of CPY's students are on the free or reduced lunch program at school.
Over 24,000 meals and snacks are served to students each year.
90% of CPY students receive scholarships to attend programs.
CPY manages all this with just 2 full-time and 10-18 part-time staff.
Click here for more information about CPY.
 
The keynote speaker was John Turnipseed (above), a former gang leader and drug dealer who overcame the effects of an absent alcoholic father, unloving mother, and multiple prison stays to become the leader of the Center for Fathering at Urban Ventures Leadership Foundation for more than 15 years and to become Vice President of Urban Ventures in 2004. John's story is a dramatic one, his lack of love and support at home drove him into the gang life, where he felt loved and appreciated.  The gang lifestyle led to jail experiences at age 12 for armed robbery and age 14 for manslaughter.  The downward spiral continued until age 40, when a very persistent mentor finally got John to consider his wasted life.  John let God into his life and finally developed the conscience that had been completely lacking in his earlier life.  Since then he has been a tireless advocate for changing the "urban cycles of recidivism, poverty and patterns of choice by modeling how to rebuild relationships and create pathways to success".   Click here for more information about Urban Ventures.
Meeting Recap - March 8, 2016 Jeff Benson 2016-03-08 06:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - Mar 1, 2016

Posted by Jeff Benson on Feb 29, 2016
Eric Nelson opened the meeting with the Pledge of Allegiance and Invocation.
 
Eric introduced his guests Mara Corey and Sharria Armstrong, teachers at Irondale. John Risdall introduced his guest, Tyler Moury, account executive at Risdall Marketing.
 
President Dana Rebelein took the podium to remind us that next week's meeting will be offsite at CPY's 5th Annual Spring Luncheon. The keynote speaker will be John Turnipseed, a great speaker with a compelling message. The luncheon will be held at the New Brighton Community Center from 12-1 PM (Check-in begins at 11:30). Click here for details. See the left hand column for future programs.
 
The Egg Hunt is coming up soon, so mark your calendars now so you will be available to help. Egg stuffing will be on Palm Sunday, March 20th at 11AM at Lakeside Homes, 1200 Foss Rd. The Egg Hunt itself will be on March 26th and everyone should be at Driftwood Park by 10 AM. 
 
By now all of you should have received Paul Fournier's email informing the club that, for health reasons, he would be unable to serve as President 2016-17. Dana announced that John Risdall has offered to be co-president with Paul for the 2016-17 term (following the club meeting, a special Board meeting passed a resolution to present the proposed co-presidency for approval at the March 15th regular club meeting).
 
The Board will have its regularly scheduled meeting on March 22, 11 AM.
 
Don't forget that the Gold Plate dinner will be April 1st. Tickets should be available soon. Margaret Johnson passed out a Gold Plate Dinner sponsorship information sheet.  You can download it here.
 
Gerry Tietz presented Bev Aplikowski with a Paul Harris Fellowship +3.  Thank you Bev, for your support of the Rotary Foundation.
 
Cindy Carlson reported that support has been strong for sponsoring Maman, a 7 year old Nigerian student.  In fact, the $360 needed to sponsor him for a year has already been raised and she has begun collecting the additional contributions needed to sponsor a female student as well. Contact Cindy if you would like to contribute.
 
Dana summoned John Marg-Patton to the front so that we could properly celebrate his birthday, but John resisted the summons, drawing a surly response from the membership until he defused the situation by offering to partner with John Ordway to bring dessert in two weeks so that we could celebrate both John's birthdays at once. Finemaster Jim Kadechka was not so easily pacified, fining John a dollar for the delay tactic.
 
Glenna Dibrell offered a happy fine in anticipation of her 3rd grandchild, who should be born any day now.
 
Eric Nelson introduced Irondale teacher Mara Corey, who thanked us for our support of the Classical Actors Ensemble's upcoming performance of "Macbeth" at Irondale.  We are invited to attend the performance on Friday March 11th at 11AM.  Eric and Mara are shown below.
 
Eric Nelson introduced our speaker, Sharriah Armstrong.  Sharriah spoke to us about "Paideia", a learning method that she employs to increase student engagement and improve literacy skills at Irondale.  Sharriah described Paideia as a discussion method that teaches rules for civil discourse and thought exploration in a professional setting.  It teaches students how to think critically, not what to think.  To ensure civil discussion and inclusion of all viewpoints, she has seven rules for Paideia discussions:
  • Avoid sarcasm
  • Always refer back to the text being discussed
  • Use mindful body language
  • Avoid side conversations
  • Speak when no one else is speaking
  • Use names whenever possible
  • Use accountable talk for professional conversations
     
Sharriah led us through a Paideia discussion and many were impressed by the effectiveness of this learning strategy. Our thanks to Sharriah for sharing it with us.  Dana, Eric and Sharriah are pictured below.
Meeting Recap - Mar 1, 2016 Jeff Benson 2016-02-29 06:00:00Z 0

Meeting recap - February 16, 2016

Posted by Jeff Benson on Feb 16, 2016
Linda LaFond opened the meeting with the Pledge and an invocation.
 
Our guest today was Richard Scovill.  Richard saw an article about our club in the paper (nice work, P.R. Committee).
 
Our District governor's newsletter contained a couple of items that seemed of particular interest:
"Rotary Global Rewards" is one more perk of Rotary Membership.  This program entitles Rotarians to discounts from an extensive list of retail and online businesses.  Check it out at Global rewards.
Blaine/Ham Lake Rotary is offering an opportunity to hear Maria Pacheco, founder of Communities of the Earth, speak about her economic development work in Guatemala.  The presentation is at TPC in Blaine on Feb 26th, 7PM.  Click here for details.
 
President Dana noted that the Board will meet next Tuesday at 11AM.
 
Next week's program will feature new member Winie Bradford and Gerry Tietz, showing us how to get more from our website.  Future programs can be found in the left hand column.
 
Don't forget that our March 8 meeting will be offsite at CPY's 5th Annual Spring Luncheon.  The keynote speaker will be John Turnipseed, a great speaker with a compelling message.  The luncheon will be held at the New Brighton Community Center from 12-1 PM (Check-in begins at 11:30).  Click here for details.
 
Paul Founier took the podium to firm up responsibilities for the Gold Plate Dinner, which is only 6 weeks away.  John Marg-Patton, Mark Beisswenger, George Winiecki and Bob Barmore will handle the bingo, Gerry T. and Jim O'Brien will decide on food choices,  Mary Ann Bawden will work with a yet unnamed person on the decorations and printed programs, Cindy Carlson, Glenna Dibrell, Margaret and Gerry Tietz will work on sponsorships, live auction and other fundraising opportunities, Val Johnson and John Ordway will take care of payments at the dinner and Val Johnson will get the gambling license.  If I have erred in recording any of these responsibilities, please let me know and I'll issue a prompt retraction!
 
Cor Wilson introduced today's speaker, Tyler Middleton, VP of Operations, MN for CenturyLink.  Tyler provided an overview of Century Link and I think many were surprised at the size and scope of this 18 billion dollar company.  The company owns and operates 240,000 fiber optic route miles domestically and owns or leases 280,000 more fiber optic route miles internationally, but they  are working at a furious pace to expand their fiber network to bring 1GB service to Minneapolis and 15 other major metropolitan areas across the U.S.  To be clear, 1GB is a thousand megabytes per second, a bandwidth that would have seemed completely unnecessary 10 years ago.  Tyler explained that many home networks now have 20 or more networked devices and that video streaming has led to an exponential increase in bandwidth demand.  Netflix alone accounts for 50% of internet bandwidth!  Fiber-based GB internet also has the advantage of symmetrical upload and download speeds, unlike asymmetrical systems which have upload speeds only 10% of download speeds.  GB internet will also let CenturyLink provide a new internet based television service called Prism TV.  Prism TV will compete directly with Xfinity, breaking the monopolistic stranglehold Comcast has had on TV viewers for so many years.  Prism TV comes with a wireless set-top box with no coaxial cable connection, allowing you to take TV programming to any location, even outside.  With 210 channels of HD content, instant channel changing and  PEG (public, educational and government) available for other Twin-Cities metro communities, CenturyLink should be very competitive with Xfinity.  To find out more, click here.  Dana and Tyler are pictured below.
 
 
 
Meeting recap - February 16, 2016 Jeff Benson 2016-02-16 06:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - February 9, 2016

Posted by Jeff Benson on Feb 09, 2016
Linda LaFond opened the meeting with the Pledge and Invocation.
 
John Risdall introduced his guests; Samantha Rubin form the T.C. North Chamber of Commerce and Gina Jacques from LaMettry Collision.  Other guests were Mary Jo McGuire and Mary Burg, and Joel Fox
 
Next week's program will be Tyler Middleton from CenturyLink.  Future programs can be found in the left hand column.
 
Jeff Benson had the pleasure of inducting Jason Slama into the club.  Jason has a Master's in Health Fitness Management.  He owns his own Muscle Activation Technique practice which he operates out of the Minnesota Muscle Gym in Mounds View.
 
Mary Stewart reminded us that C.P.Y. is participating in the Box Tops for Education program.  Just clip the pink labels on many common products, get the box tops to Mary or Geoff, and C.P.Y. gets $.10 for each one.  What a great way to help C.P.Y. continue their great work in our community.
 
Paul Fournier said that, based on responses to his survey, he won't be making any sweeping changes to the Gold Plate Dinner fundraiser for this year.
 
Paul also said that he has arranged for NBMV Rotary members to receive a 15% discount on tickets for  "A Chorus Line" at the Ordway.  The production runs from February 16-28 and demand is very high, so act today if you are interested.  Tickets are available on the Ordway website, or by calling 651-224-4222 To get your 15% discount, use the promotion code LUNDSTRUM15
 
District 916 Education Foundation is holding their 25th Annual Gala Event on Friday, February 19, 2016 at 5:30 pm at Jimmy's Conference Center (just east of 35E and County Road E) in Vadnais Heights.  Information and tickets are available here.
 
Sue Ager announced the birth of her first grandchild, Desmond.
 
President Dana paid $20 to avoid wearing the Birthday Hat but, alas, she still was forced to listen to us sing the birthday song.  See photo below.
Cor Wilson introduced today's speaker, Ramsey County Commissioner Blake Huffman.  Blake spoke to us about his Veterans Journey Home project, a housing initiative for veterans.  Blake explained that there are 30,000 veterans living in the Twin Cities and many of those veterans face significant mental, physical and financial challenges.  Veterans Journey Home seeks to help by "providing affordable housing in safe neighborhoods served by great schools to military veterans and their families".  
 
VJH is currently building a home in Shoreview where dozens of partners have contributed over $100,000 worth of money, materials and labor to the project.  The community has backed the project by volunteering and donating money, local companies have provided materials and students from St Paul College are developing their construction skills while being the primary workers on the site.  Geothermal technology and extra insulation will keep energy costs manageable for the homeowner or renter.
 
VJH is also planning a six unit housing project on donated land in Vadnais Heights.  Dunwoody's architecture students will design the homes, St Paul College carpentry and cabinetmaking students will play a primary construction role and Century College's interior design students will also play a key role.  Job Core students will assist in the construction and painting of the homes.  Commitments are in place for support from companies, churches, communities and also business and civic groups like Rotary.  The total cost of the project is 1.9 million and 88% of that total has been secured in grants and in-kind donations, leaving $236,000 still to be funded.   Blake's contact info:  blake@journeyhomemn.org  651-249-1732  Dana and Blake are shown below.
 
 
Meeting Recap - February 9, 2016 Jeff Benson 2016-02-09 06:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - February 2, 2016

Posted by Jeff Benson on Feb 02, 2016
Linda LaFond opened the meeting with the Pledge and invocation.
 
John Risdall introduced his guest, Seth Thorson, owner of Eurotech Auto Service in New Brighton.
Linda Lafond's guests were her husband, Roger and son, Steve.
 
President Dana reminded us that there will be a brief Board meeting immediately following next week's club meeting.
 
Next week's program will be Blake Huffman, Ramsey County Commissioner.  Mr. Huffman will  speak on "Housing the Homeless".
 
Dana noted that the Technology and Public relations Committees have been merged to form the Communications Committee.
 
Paul Fournier may be able to get tickets for "A Chorus Line" at the Ordway in February.  He'll have a sign-up sheet next week.
 
Finemaster Jim Kadechka quizzed us on the results of the Iowa Caucus and our knowledge proved wanting.   Immediately after fleecing us of our hard-earned dollars, Jim had the nerve to win the raffle.
 
Linda LaFond was proud to introduce her son, Steve, to talk with us about diabetes and healthy lifestyles.  Steve grew up in Fridley, studied biology and chemistry at the University of Minnesota and recieved his PharmD from Minnesota as well.  As a pharmacist, Steve has a natural interest in diabetes, but his young daughter's diabetes diagnosis makes his interest more personal. As a self-confessed health fanatic and former personal trainer, he is also very interested in how lifestyle can prevent or minimize the impact of diabetes.
 
Steve explained that there are two kinds of diabetes; type 1 and type 2.  Both types result in the body being unable to regulate the level of sugar in the body.  Symptoms (if present) are similar for both types: fatigue, poor healing, increased thirst and frequent urination. Type 1 diabetes results when the body's immune system attacks the cells in the pancreas that make insulin, resulting in no insulin being produced.  In type 2 diabetes, the pancreas is still able to produce insulin, but the body is unable to utilize the insulin properly. This is called insulin resistance, and it is primarily caused by lifestyle factors like high sugar diet, obesity and inactivity.
 
Type 2 diabetes affects 28 million Americans and that number is growing very rapidly.  Even more ominous is the 86 million Americans who are pre-diabetic, many of whom will become type 2 diabetics if they are unable to make lifestyle changes.  Equally alarming is the fact that pre-diabetes and type 2 diabetes are occurring at much earlier ages, with children and teens showing a huge increase.
 
Steve had some dietary suggestions for diabetes control and prevention, but these suggestions are healthy for non-diabetics as well.  Fruits and vegetables (the more colorful, the better), lean meats, eggs, fish, yogurt, omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin D.  Avoid processed foods, especially highly processed carbohydrates and sugar. 
Dana and Steve are shown below.
Meeting Recap - February 2, 2016 Jeff Benson 2016-02-02 06:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - January 26, 2016

Posted by Jeff Benson on Jan 23, 2016
Geoff Hollimon opened the meeting with the Pledge and an invocation.
 
President Dana reminded us that next week's speaker will be Linda LaFond's son Steve, who will talk to us about diabetes management.  Future programs are listed in the left hand column.
 
Our joint food drive and fundraiser with the T.C. North Chamber netted 1366 pounds of food and $1676 for the Ralph reeder Food Shelf.  Thanks go to all who helped or contributed.
 
Our P.R. Committee has published a Rotary Peace Scholarship article and is also preparing an article about our club for a paid ad which will appear in the Lillie News soon!
 
Don't forget about the District 5960 Leadership Academy, to be held at the Roseville Radisson on Friday, January 29, 5:30-10:00PM (dinner provided) and Saturday, January 30, 7:30-8:45AM (continental breakfast provided).  It's a great way to sharpen you leadership skills and meet Rotarians from other clubs.  The District Mid-Term meeting immediately follows the Leadership Academy, beginning at 9AM on Saturday and running until 2PM (lunch provided).  The Mid-Term meeting is an opportunity to meet other Rotarians and share ideas about all aspects of Rotary.  For more information, or to register, click here.
 
Nils Friberg had the honor of presenting pins to Glenna Dibrell for her Paul Harris Fellowship +2 and Geoff Hollimon for his Paul Harris Fellowship +3.  Our congratulations and thanks go to Glenna and Geoff.
 
Paul Fournier led a group discussion about what our club will look like in the future, including discussion about fundraising in general and the Gold Plate Dinner Fundraiser, specifically.  Paul outlined some of the issues he sees facing our club:
>How can we increase involvement of the community at large in our activities and fundraising?
>How do we increase the vitality of the club as its members age?
>How do we attract younger members?
The lively discussion brought forward many ideas that could help to make us a better club.  Good luck to Paul as he leads the Gold Plate Dinner planning and prepares for his year as club president.
 
 
Meeting Recap - January 26, 2016 Jeff Benson 2016-01-23 06:00:00Z 0

 
Meeting Recap - January 19, 2016

Posted by Jeff Benson on Jan 19, 2016
Cindy Carlson opened the meeting with the Pledge and Nils Friberg offered an invocation.
 
Our guests today were Ken and Judy Dalager, parents of our speaker, Kevin Dalager. Bob Barmore's guest was Sandy Hillsdale and Dave Hoel's guest was Rich Pieper.
 
John Risdall announced that Carole Miller died last week after a battle with cancer.  She will be missed by all who knew her.
 
Don't forget the Board meeting next Tuesday at 11AM.
 
Next weeks program will be a Club Assembly with a focus on the upcoming Gold Plate Dinner.  Future programs can be found in the left hand column.
 
 
Paul Fournier has a birthday this week, and he noted that he is at that tender age where your family gives you flannel-lined jeans for your birthday.   Several Rotarians, all of them younger than Paul, fessed up to owning flannel-lined jeans and I'm also considering the purchase after this past week's cold weather.  Congratulations, Paul!
 
Mark Beiswenger introduced today's speaker, Kevin Dalager.  Kevin is Mark's nephew, son of Ken and Judy, husband and father of two kids, and a New Brighton resident.  Kevin's engineering degree is from Iowa State and he has been with Mortenson Construction for 18 years.   Mortenson is a 60 year old, 3rd generation company with 4,000 employees and over two billion dollars in annual earnings.  Kevin is a construction executive on the new Vikings Stadium, supervising all the concrete, plumbing and electrical work for the project, which was the topic of today's presentation.   Construction for the new stadium began in December of 2013 and is scheduled to be completed by July of 2016.  At 1.7 million square feet, it is nearly twice the size of the Metrodome that it will replace.  It will seat 65,000 for regular season football but is expandable to 72,000 for special events.  The addition of many more club seats, lounges and suites as well as more spacious concourses and public areas will make the new stadium "state of the art".  Interesting details like the clear roof and giant 55 foot wide by 95 foot tall doors make the stadium even more distinctive.  The stadium will host the 2018 Super Bowl and 2019 NCAA Final Four, and has configurations for baseball and other events.  Kevin emphasized the challenges of designing and constructing a project of this size and complexity and his slides drove home the point. The iconic design required massive concrete pours, 26 million pounds of steel to support the roof and giant cranes to lift the steel roof trusses into position 300 feet above the ground.  It's also challenging to coordinate the efforts of hundreds of subcontractors to get the project done on time and on budget.  Judging from the progress to date, Kevin and his team have what it takes to do the job.  (Mark would probably say that Kevin learned everything he knows working at Beisswengers Hardware)  For more on the project, click here.  Dana and Kevin are pictured below.
 
 
  Meeting Recap - January 19, 2016 Jeff Benson 2016-01-19 06:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - December 29, 2015

Posted by Jeff Benson on Dec 29, 2015
Mark Beisswenger led us in the Pledge and gave the invocation.
 
Jeff Benson introduced his guest, Jason Slama.  Jason is a prospective member who found us via our website. Yeah!

There was no speaker because today's meeting was a Club Assembly.
 
Bev passed out invitations to the club's Winter Party, to be held on Friday, January 8th at 6PM.  Famous Dave's will be catering.  Alcohol and mixes will be provided but you are welcome to bring your own if you have a special preference.  Don't forget your white elephant gift!  RSVP to Bev at 651-633-1264 or Aplikowski@comcast.net
 
Dana initiated discussion about some possible changes to our Gold Plate Dinner format.  A comedian challenge and raffle changes are among the suggested changes.  Check your recent emails for one from Paul Fournier requesting feedback and suggested changes to our Gold Plate fundraiser.  A club meeting to evaluate possible changes will be coming soon.
 
Amy Wakem outlined the Community Service Committee's plans for next year.  We will continue to support Adopt-a-Park, 4th Grade Foresters, Ralph Reeder Food Shelf Holiday Food Drive, Camp RYLA and Camp Enterprise.  We are also looking at starting a Pollinator Project.
 
Cindy Carlson reported on the successful completion of our Niger Global Grant and said that our District Matching Grant Sanitation Project in Niger is underway.  There may also be an opportunity to participate in proposed Global Grants in South Africa and Ethiopia.  Geoff Hollimon updated us on our support for ECHO.  Our District Matching Grant, scheduled for next year, was moved up to this year.  Geoff also explained that District matching funds are limited to $3,000 per club per grant.  This promotes teamwork among clubs, pooling their contributions, with each participating club contributing up to the $3,000 limit.  This ensures the maximum possible district match for each project.
 
John and Marla Ordway will be hosting a fundraiser at their home this summer.  Chef George Serra will donate the food and his considerable culinary skills.  Stay tuned for more details.
 
Jeff Benson reminded us of the goal of 55 members that we set at our visioning event in 2013.  Working toward that goal, the Membership Committee will continue to work with the Tech Committee to keep the website fresh and attractive to prospective members.  They will also continue to work with the P.R. Committee to get the word out about our club.  They are considering alternative membership options that may make Rotary possible for more people.  Jeff stressed that these efforts only set the stage for membership growth. Real progress toward the goal of 55 members still depends on individual club members inviting others to visit the club, to see what Rotary is all about.  This is every Rotarian's responsibility.
 
Gerry reported that we exceeded our goal of $1,000 in member contributions to Polio Plus in November and December.  He also reported that our club was one of only two clubs in the District that contributed an average of more than $100 per member to the Foundation last year.  Wow!  Gerry also challenged us to see if those, who haven't already done so, could increase our mandatory $10 quarterly Foundation contribution to $25 per quarter, thereby making us an EREY (Every Rotarian Every Year) Club.
 
Mark Lampman reported on Youth Service/Youth Exchange.  Mark feels that to continue our inbound exchange program participation we need to have a committee of at least 3 people.  He said that finding host families is a big problem.  Jeff suggested that we devote some time at a club meeting to figure out what our involvement in the exchange program will look like in the future.
 
Gerry Tietz reported that the Tech committee continues to work on making the website better.  Gerry has successfully linked the site to FaceBook , LinkedIn, Twitter and YouTube, and has made almost any information about our club that you might need available in the member section.  Please help Gerry feel that the effort is worthwhile by checking out the website and especially the member section.
Meeting Recap - December 29, 2015 Jeff Benson 2015-12-29 06:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - December 22, 2015

Posted by Jeff Benson on Dec 22, 2015
Mark Beisswenger opened the meeting with the Pledge and a "Child's Prayer" in honor of his new grandson, Andrew Mark.
 
Please note the addition of an "Upcoming Events" section at the top left of the newsletter and the website home page.
 
Winie Bradford had the birthday stage all to herself today since Dean and Sue were A.W.O.L.  Dean and Sue, you can run but you cannot hide from the birthday hat forever!  Winie is shown rocking the birthday hat, below.
 
Bob Barmore was our speaker today and presented a slide show of his recent trip to Israel.  Bob was joined on the trip by his wife, Julie and 44 others from Bethlehem Baptist Church.  Bob and Julie packed a lot into their ten day trip, visiting four sites each day, and gaining a new perspective on the Holy Land and the origins of their Christian faith.  Bob and Dana are pictured below.
Meeting Recap - December 22, 2015 Jeff Benson 2015-12-22 06:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - December 15, 2015

Posted by Jeff Benson on Dec 15, 2015
Mark Beisswenger opened the meeting with a musical bell ringing and an invocation which ended with a plea for some snow on behalf of Beisswenger's Hardware.
 
President Dana welcomed our many visitors, including: Susan Hoel, Ruth Marg-Patton, Marika (Smiley) Brandt, Mike Baker (Marika's Boyfriend) and Denny and Debbie Connolly (Guests of the Marg-Patton's).
 
Dana reminded us of the Board Meeting next week at 11:00AM.
 
Next week's program will be Bob Barmore, with photos from his recent trip to Israel.  See the list in the left-hand column for future programs.
 
Our Holiday Party will be at Bev Aplikowski's home on Friday, January 8th; arrive between 6 and 6:30PM.
 
The District 5960 Mid-Term/Leadership Academy will be held at the Radisson Roseville on January 29 & 30.  This meeting is a great way for Rotarians to learn more about Rotary and polish their leadership skills.  The Mid-Term meeting will never be closer or more convenient than Roseville, so this is your chance to check out this great meeting. More information is available here.
 
The District Conference this year will be held jointly with District 5950 on May 12th and 13th at Mystic Lake Casino in Prior Lake, MN.  Mark your calendars now.
 
A few slots may still be available to volunteer with 2nd Harvest Heartland Food Shelf, call or email District Governor Elect Jim Hunt. 612-770-2203 jim.hunt.d5960@gmail.com
 
The Irondale High School Choir, directed by Jason Etten, provided our program for today, once again showing how great the choral music program is at Irondale.  We were treated to a mini-concert featuring the Guyz Group and the Triple Trio.  Those of us with good counting skills noted that the young women had only seven singers instead of the normal nine.  A couple of singers were ill, but the remaining seven sounded just like nine.  The concert was followed by our annual carol sing-along with the choir which is, for many, the favorite program of the year.  The choir is shown below.
 
Meeting Recap - December 15, 2015 Jeff Benson 2015-12-15 06:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - December 8, 2015

Posted by Jeff Benson on Dec 08, 2015
Mark Beisswenger opened the meeting with the Pledge and, in honor of Pearl Harbor, a tribute to our men and women in uniform.
 
Our sole guest today was Marv Sorvala, who returned to the club despite, or perhaps because of, wearing the birthday hat last week.  Marv is here so often, we should really get him a name badge.
 
President Dana made several announcements of upcoming events, including:
     
The T.C. North Chamber is hosting a Holiday Charity and Recognition Luncheon this Thursday, December 10th, from 11:00-1:30 at the New Brighton Community Center.  For more details, click here.
 
Next Tuesday's club meeting will feature a holiday concert and sing-along with the Irondale Choir.  Let Jason Miller know if you will be bringing a guest, so we can be sure to have enough food.
 
See the list in the left-hand column for future programs.
 
Our Holiday Party will be at Bev Aplikowski's home on Friday, January 8th.
 
The District 5960 Mid-Term/Leadership Academy will be held at the Radisson Roseville on January 29 & 30.  This meeting is a great way for Rotarians to learn more about Rotary and polish their leadership skills.  The Mid-Term meeting will never be closer or more convenient than Roseville, so this is your chance to check out this great meeting. More information is available here.
 
The District Conference this year will be held jointly with District 5950 on May 12th and 13th at Mystic Lake Casino in Prior Lake, MN.  Mark your calendars now.
 
If you are interested in volunteering with 2nd Harvest Heartland Food Shelf, call or email District Governor Elect Jim Hunt. 612-770-2203  jim.hunt.d5960@gmail.com
 
Jeff Benson presented John Risdall with a New Member Sponsor Pin.  John received the district award for sponsoring Winie Bradford's membership in the club.  Let's see how many others in our club can sponsor a new member and receive the special pin with blue background.  Jeff, John and Winie are pictured below.
 
 
Val Johnson announced her proposal for a Global Grant project to provide clean water to elementary schools in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.  She will present the proposal at the next board meeting.
 
Mark Beisswenger, substitute finemaster, was up to the task as he deftly removed dollar bills from wallets and purses of everyone present.
 
Todd Kruse looked dapper as he celebrated his birthday with "The Hat" and an unusually melodic birthday song serenade.  Todd is shown below.
 
Mark Beisswenger introduced our speaker, Steve Yoch.  Steve is an attorney and partner at Felhaber Larson and serves on the board of trustees of the Mounds View Schools Educational Foundation.  Steve is also an historian and author and his presentation today was about his debut novel, "Becoming George Washington".  Steve's 99% historical novel lays out the little known details of Washington's life, with emphasis on his early failures and how they shaped his development into the icon of leadership that we revere today.  The author's note in the book describes Washington as a "brash, ambitious, passionate and angry young man" who was "transformed by experience".  "His greatness is all the more remarkable when one considers the challenges he overcame.  Success was not an accident; it was the product of experience, intelligence, and (most of all) persistence."  Steve's presentation was intriguing and caused me, and several others, to buy his book.  I can't wait to read it!  Steve and Dana are shown below.
 
Meeting Recap - December 8, 2015 Jeff Benson 2015-12-08 06:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - December 1, 2015

Posted by Todd Kruse on Dec 01, 2015
 
Fellow Rotarian - Mark Beisswenger - opened our meeting with a nautical bell ringing performance and then offered the Invocation.  Amen!
 
Guests at today's meeting included - 
 
  • Marvin Sorvala -  Roseville Rotarian who should just join our club instead! 
  • Deb Nygaard -  Roseville Rotarian who promoted the Rotary Educator Exchange Program (REEP) with Sri Lanka priced at $2500 per educator to enable our local teachers to gain insights on ESL programs
  • Dr. Karen Gulliver - from Argosy University who is interested in a potential project for the Mekong River in Vietnam
President's Announcements - 
 
  • Future speakers at club meetings were reviewed (see the list at - www.nbmvrotary.org) 
  • December 10 Holiday Lunch for Ralph Reeder Food Shelf was promoted with a request for Rotarians to staff the club's information table for recruiting new Rotarians.    The club is donating a $500 challenge grant for this event. 
  • January 29 to 30, 2016 Rotary's District Mid-term Conference will be held in Roseville, Minnesota
 
Other Announcements - 
 
  • Gerry Tietz noted Char Samuelson's health status which drove her relocation to the Fargo area.   Gerry discussed the possibility of organizing a tribute to Char's history of civic engagement which was agree could be a nice addition to our April 1, 2016 Gold Plate Dinner.
  • Mary Stewart noted that Bev Aplikowski will again be hosting our club's holiday party set for January 8, 2016
 
Birthdays Celebrated - 
 
Marvin Sorvala and Mark Beisswenger both celebrated their birthdays today by wearing the hats of honor!
 
 
Rotary Foundation Report - 
 
Nils Friberg presented a Paul Harris Fellow (+2) award to Gerry Tietz.  Fortunately Glenna took the photo instead of the "selfie" Gerry wanted to take of the ceremony.
 
 
The self-described "Director of Happiness" (Mark Lampkin aka Finemaster) then assumed the floor to suggest that in the spirit of the Thanksgiving holiday everyone in the room had many things for which to be thankful thus they should each contribute $1 happy buck.   Sadly this week's substitute Bulletin Editor (Todd Kruse) did not record all of the thanksgiving messages but rest assured life is good for Rotarians!
 
The happy dollar fines wrapped up with the Right Reverend Nils Friberg posing the eternal question asked at every home during Thanksgiving -  "How many cooks does it take to stuff a turkey?    Answer - only one cook but  you really have to push to get him in there................"     
 
A wide collection of groans and smiles followed Nils' observation of the laws of physics.    
 
Guest Speaker -  
 
Today's guest speaker, Cheryl Thomas of the Global Rights for Women (www.globalrightsforwomen.org) GRFW  project, based in in Minneapolis opened her presentation by sharing a 3 minute video overview of their organization's work.   This video is located on their website and is definitely worth spending 3 minutes of your life to better understand the challenges in our world.  
 
GRFW got its start in the former republics of the Soviet Union and the Baltics.  GRFW only works in  countries where a local group invites them to be involved so they are working with a local resource and ally in any given country. 
 
Ms. Thomas noted that Minnesota has been a historic leader in legal reform to combat violence against women with a 1979 law versus Austria's passage of a similar law in 1997 which was the first European nation to enact such a law.  
 
GRFW relies on volunteer judges and police officers from the USA to help with local/in-country training programs.   
 
 
President Dana presented Ms. Thomas with a coffee mug and Rotary light/pen as a token of our club's appreciation for her presentation.   Clearly there is much work for groups like GRFW to make our world a place which is "Fair to All Concerned".
 
President Dana (with Mark Lampkin leading the charge!) closed our meeting with all attendees rising to recite Rotary's Four-Way Test
 
Submitted by - Todd A. Kruse, Club Secretary, on behalf of Bulletin Editor, Dr. Jeff Benson,  WT   (World Traveler)
 
 
Meeting Recap - December 1, 2015 Todd Kruse 2015-12-01 06:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - November 24, 2015

Posted by Jeff Benson on Nov 24, 2015
Jeff opened the meeting with the Pledge and invocation.
 
President Dana reminded us of the following upcoming events:The District 5960 Midterm is Jan. 30, 9:00-2:00 at the Roseville Radisson.  Midterm is a time to meet and network with fellow Rotarians, learn of club activities around the district, and re-energize for the rest of the year. All Rotarians are encouraged to attend, particularly Club Presidents, Presidents-elect and Board members, Assistant governors, and District Leadership. Get more information here.
 
Our Gold Plate Dinner fundraiser is scheduled for April 1, 2016.
 
Mark your calendars now for the District Conference which will be held May 12-14, 2016 at Mystic Lake Casino in Prior Lake.  Details are forthcoming.
 
Geoff Hollimon reported that our ECHO grant proposal, which had been delayed because of another district grant proposal, is on again for this Rotary year.  Geoff will have details in the near future.
 
Nils Friberg had the honor of presenting Mike Neeley with his Paul Harris+2 award, indicating total contributions to the foundation of over $3,000.  Way to go, Mike!  Nils and Mike are pictured below.
 
Char Samuelson will be moving to an assisted living facility in Moorhead, MN as she continues her recovery after her recent fall.  Our best wishes go with her and Gerry.
 
Val reported that former NBMV Rotarian, Roger Anderson, passed away this past week.
 
Jim Kadechka announced the rapid-fire births of two grandsons in just two days this past weekend.  The boys are named Andrew James and Shawn Michael.
 
A big thank you to all who helped organize for the holiday rush at the Ralph Reeder Food Shelf!
 
John Marg-Patton reported on his hike to the bottom of the Grand Canyon.  As the signs say: "Going down is optional...Coming back up is mandatory".  John and Ruth spent two nights on the Canyon Floor, plenty of time to rest up for the "mandatory" return to the canyon rim.
 
November is Rotary Foundation Month, and Gerry Tietz, along with his new Foundation Committee sidekick, Nils Friberg, presented a great overview of the scope of Rotary Foundation Programs and how donations flow from clubs and individuals to the myriad of grants and programs which are supported by the Foundation.  Here are the highlights:
 
The mission of the Rotary Foundation is to enable Rotary Members to advance world understanding, goodwill and peace through:
  • Improvement of health
  • Support of education
  • Alleviation of poverty
The foundation's areas of focus are: —
  • Peace and conflict prevention/resolution
  • Disease prevention and treatments
  • Water and sanitation
  • Maternal and child health
  • Basic education and literacy
  • Economic and community development
Donations to the Foundation are invested for three years with the investment proceeds and only 5% of the principal used for administrative costs.  The remaining principal is then split 50/50 between the District Designated Fund (DDF) and the World Fund.  The DDF goes back to the district, where it is split 50/50 between District Grants and Global Grants.  The World Fund is used by Rotary International to fund Matching Grants, Packaged Grants, Peace Fellows, Polio Plus and other international programs.
 
New Brighton Mounds View Rotary has been a District leader in both giving and grants leadership for many years.  In fact, we were one of only two clubs in the District to be an EREY (Every Rotarian Every Year) club this past year.  This means that every NBMV Rotarian contributed to the foundation and we averaged over $100/year/Rotarian.
 
For more information about the Rotary Foundation, and our club’s amazing participation, check out Gerry’s and Nil’s PowerPoint in the Home Page Download Files Tab in the left column, or click here.  Gerry and Nils are shown below.
 
 
Meeting Recap - November 24, 2015 Jeff Benson 2015-11-24 06:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - November 17, 2015

Posted by Jeff Benson on Nov 17, 2015
Jeff opened the meeting with the pledge of allegiance and an invocation.
 
President Dana invited Jeff back to the podium to introduce and induct our newest member, Winifred "Winie" Bradford.  Originally from Liberia, West Africa, Winie has lived in th U.S. since 1991.  She is an entrepreneur and independent representative for 5LINX, providing products and services for home and business.  Winie has been an active volunteer in the Minneapolis area, and seems destined to be an active Rotarian as well.  Please take a moment to introduce yourself to Winie and you'll see what a great addition she will be to our club.  Jeff and Winie are shown below.
 
John Risdall provided a special steak dinner for Val Johnson, in honor of her election to Mayor of New Brighton.  Congratulations Val, and bon appetit!
 
Todd Kruse forwarded the District Governor's email newsletter to the club this past week.  If you missed it, go back and find it to catch up on all the good stuff going on in District 5960.
 
Amy Wakem garnered 7 volunteers to help with holiday food organization at the Ralph Reeder Food Shelf on Monday, November 23rd, from 9:30-11:00.  More help would be appreciated, so if you can help, please email Amy at Amy@AmyWakem.com.
 
Please note upcoming programs in the left column.
 
Also note that our Gold Plate Dinner has been scheduled for April 1st.  Mark your calendars now.
 
Dave Hoel displayed the "General Custer Award" that was given to him by then president Jim Kadechka after our first Easter Egg Hunt in 1990.  We were expecting 30-50 people but the weather was perfect and we were overwhelmed by 600 or so anxious parents and kids.  Dave stood his ground, bravely trying to maintain order using nothing but a bullhorn.  It was a miracle that no lives were lost and no injuries were reported, but the emotional scars remain.
 
Gerry T. updated us on Char's progress after her recent fall.  Recovery has been slow due to complications and Char, now at Benecictine Care Center at Innsbruck, is considering a move to Moorhead to be closer to her daughter.  Our thoughts and prayers are with Char and Gerry in this difficult time.
 
Todd Kruse has set up LinkedIn and Twitter accounts for the club and will be giving a tutorial at an upcoming club meeting.
 
Glenna celebrated her birthday but the birthday hat was nowhere to be found.  An investigation is underway to locate the missing hats and bring the responsible party to justice.  Glenna is pictured (sans hat) below.
 
Our Presenter today was Tami Moberg.  Tami has been a part of the Mounds View community for over 30 years.  A degree in Social Work from Bethel University started her on a path to many service activities including the Young Life Committee for 15 years, the Bethel Alumni Board, Church and School Volunteering.  Tami, and her husband David, have been foster parents for many children through the Ramsey County Crisis Nursery.  For the past 5 years, Tami has worked at Irondale High School and one of her roles was to support the STRIPES program.  STRIPES stands for Students Together Respecting the Importance and Purpose of Education in Schools and it surrounds students with a "safety net" that meets their needs by partnering with various community businesses, parents and universities.  STRIPES teaches young men to be resilient, persistent and focused on education.  While working with these young men, Tami saw the need for a place for them to meet after school hours.  Her dream was  to find a home that could be open for students to get support from caring adults.   In March, 2015, a home was found and the Quincy Treehouse was born.  Quincy Treehouse is a partnership with Treehouse, which has been providing support to students for over 30 years.  Quincy TreeHouse was established to provide hope, guidance and unconditional love to at-risk teens dealing with issues like depression, suicidal tendencies, substance abuse, truancy, self-injury and homelessness.  Teens experience grace and are reminded that they are loveable, capable and worthwhile.  All teens are welcome, regardless of background.  Check out the Quincy TreeHouse website here.  Dana and Tami are shown below.
 
 
 
 
Meeting Recap - November 17, 2015 Jeff Benson 2015-11-17 06:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - November 10, 2015

Posted by Todd Kruse on Nov 10, 2015
Today's Rotary Club meeting was opened by the ringing of the bell by Jim O'Brien who led the club in the Pledge of Allegiance.  Jim also announced that the club did not have any guests today and called on Padre Nils Friberg to offer our Invocation.   
 
PRESIDENT'S ANNOUNCEMENTS and UPCOMING EVENTS 
 
  • President Dana Rebelein commented that the November 7th Foundation Dinner was very worthwhile and educational.    President Dana also highlighted that Cindy Carlson gave an excellent presentation on the Niger water project the club supports and that our club should consider Cindy for a future presentation at a regular club meeting.   President Dana completed her remarks by noting our club was awarded an "EREY banner" for Every Rotarian Every Year donating to the Rotary Foundation.  
  • The club's Technology Committee will meet on November 13th at 11:30 am at DD's Cafe to learn how to leverage social media to promote the club via a presentation by Risdall Marketing.   Dana will also explore how to email all club members the District Governor's Newsletter. 
  • December 10 reminder of the Holiday Charity Lunch for which the club is collaborating with the Twin Cities North Chamber of Commerce at the New Brighton Community Center.   Rotary will have an information booth onsite to promote the club and recruit new members and Amy Wakem will coordinate the club's traditional November food drive among local businesses to support this December 10 lunch event. 
  • January 29 to 30, 2016 Rotary's District Conference will be held at the Radisson Hotel in Roseville.
  • April 1, 2016 has been set as the club's annual Gold Plate Dinner being held at the Mermaid Event Center in Mounds View.
 
PUBLIC RELATIONS 
 
Linda LaFond reported that the CEAP check presentation by Dr. Jeff Benson was published in The Bulletin newspaper.  
 
 
ANNOUNCEMENTS
 
  • Gerry Tietz noted that club member Char Samuelson was hospitalized due to a fall and head injury -   the club will send her a get well card and flowers.
  • Gerry Tietz presented President-elect Paul Fornier with another Paul Harris Fellow gem for his financial support of the Rotary Foundation. 
 
 
HAPPY FINES VIA THE FINEMASTER 
 
Jim Kadechka flew solo today as Finemaster but he rose to the occasion but assessing fines to most of the attendees!  Happy fines offered by club members included - 
 
  • Mark Beisswenger celebrating a Vikings win and a Packers loss to which several members noted should cost $2.00!!
  • NEW ROTARIAN - Winie Bradford contributed a dollar to celebrate being a new club member and to note the great club atmosphere she has already experienced. 
  • Dana and Glenna noted the success and value of the recent Foundation Dinner including the excellent meal!
  • Gerry Tietz was thankful for his wife's improved health.
  • Cor Wilson promoted the Century Link franchise discussion at tonight's New Brighton City Council meeting.
  • World traveler Paul Fornier celebrated his recent trip (first time ever!) to Fargo, North Dakota which he enjoyed.
  • Gerry Tietz highlighted and gave thanks for John Ordway's skills as club treasurer -  Editor's Note:  we should all watch for our invoices via email from John
  • Linda La Fond recognized and thanked all the veterans in the club -  happy Veterans Day and thank you on November 11.
  • Geoff Holliman noted that Winie and her husband were a lot of fun to meet with during the Foundation Dinner.
  • Todd Kruse was thankful for having attended the Iowa State University Navy/Marine ROTC Annual Ball this past weekend to hear his fraternity brother serve as the keynote speaker.    
GUEST SPEAKER
 
Today's guest speaker was Marsh Jones, Olympic Sprint Coach,  with the Rice Creek Boat Club (RCBC) whose Power Point presentation opened with a slide focused on "Youth Obesity and the Internet Age"  which led to a presentation on youth sports trends and the work of the RCBC.    Mr. Jones offered the following statistics - 
 
  • By age 17 at least 59% of youth have participated in some organized sport
  • By age 15 at least 70% of kids have dropped out of all sports
 
Why? 
 
Parental pressure, financial burden, burn out from being single sport centric,  "total victory" mindset,  etc.  
 
Maybe "video games" are not the cause of children dropping out of sports but instead the cause could be Parents? 
 
 
Mr. Jones noted that the "Long Term Development Model" (LTDM) should be used with young athletes where at the youngest ages children play a wide variety of sports where "fun" is the focus,  then as they age children "learn to compete",  and towards the end of high school these athletes develop goals for their athletic involvement.
 
History of the RCBC
 
Jones noted the club was started to provide cross-training opportunities for cross country skiers via three programs - 
 
  1. Marathon
  2. Sprint I
  3. Sprint II
In 2016 the RCBC will celebrate its 10th Anniversary and today they own 40 boats including both canoes and kayaks.   Club members are involved in two groups 1.) Introduction and 2.) Competition. 
 
The RCBC travels several times each year in the USA and internationally for various tournaments thus the club is launching a fundraising drive to defer travel costs and to purchase requisite equipment.     
 
Each athlete is expected to purchase their own paddle which typically cost nearly $500 each but last for several years and retain nearly all of their resale value -  unlike several stocks this Bulletin editor purchased over the years!!!      Nearly 90% of the club's members return on a year to year basis  prior to aging out to college, etc. 
 
A pending project that was noted was that the RCBC is working with Ramsey County to build a boat house for the club's equipment but the RCBC would benefit greatly from any volunteers in the Rotary Club network who could provide assistance with grant writing to help raise funds for the club.  
 
President Dana presented Mr. Marsh with a Rotary coffee mug so he can bail out their boats and  closed the meeting by having club members recite Rotary's Four Way Test. 
 
 
 
Submitted by:  Todd A. Kruse, Club Secretary in the place of our regular Bulletin Editor, Dr. Jeff Benson whose writing skills are greatly missed due to his travel schedule.  
 
 
 
 
 
 
Meeting Recap - November 10, 2015 Todd Kruse 2015-11-10 06:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - November 3, 2015

Posted by Jeff Benson on Nov 03, 2015
Jeff Benson opened the meeting with the Pledge and invocation.
 
Our guests today were: 
Coon Rapids Rotarian - Margie Rash
Bill McReavy
New Brighton's finance director and Dean's guest - Brenda Davitt 
Prospective member - Winie Bradford
 
Don't forget the Foundation Celebration this Saturday, November 7th, 5:30PM at the Holiday Inn East, St Paul.
 
Todd Kruse announced a holiday food drive to benefit area food shelves.  Our club will join the TC North Chamber to provide food for those in our community who don't have enough this holiday season.  Rotary will collect food and help pack food bags at the Ralph Reeder Food Shelf as we have done in the past.  The Chamber will be hosting a Holiday Charity and Awards Luncheon on Thursday December 10th, from 11:00AM to 1:30PM, at the New Brighton Community Center.  The luncheon is free, but tickets are limited.  RSVP to Samantha Rubin - 763-571-9781.
 
Our Gold Plate Dinner has been scheduled for April 1st, 6:00PM.  Mark your calendars now!
 
Cindy Carlson updated us on our District Matching Grant for sanitation and handwashing stations at a school in Niger.  Thanks go to Cindy for her hard work on this grant.
 
Geoff Hollimon reported that he visited ECHO in Fort Myers, FL last week.  He had an opportunity to visit with board members and see the results of our contributions to this very relevant and worthwhile organization.
 
The Irondale choir will entertain us with a concert and Christmas Carol sing-along at our December 15th club meeting.  Guests are welcome but please let Jason Miller know if you will bring a guest so we can plan for enough food.  j.miller@smithschafer.com
 
Mike Neeley and Jeff Benson were blessed with the opportunity to put on the birthday hats to celebrate their advancing age.  Life just isn't fair!  See the photo below.
 
Jim O'Brien reported that his wife Maureen was diagnosed with cancer last week and that surgery was successful.  They will find out soon if chemo is needed.
 
Thanks go to MaryAnn for the delicious treats for today's meeting.  You are the Best!
 
Jeff introduced our speaker Bob Jacobson, New Brighton's Director of Public Safety.  Bob's topic was the President's Task Force on 21st Century Policing.  Bob began his talk by describing a trend of decreased trust between peace officers and the public they are sworn to protect.  Recent events in Ferguson, Cleveland and New York City are the extremes, but they are indicative of the overall trend.  In response to this trend, President Barack Obama signed Executive order 13684, establishing the Task Force on 21st Century Policing.  The introduction to the task force's final report describes its mission: " to examine ways of fostering strong, collaborative relationships between local law enforcement and the communities they protect and to make recommendations to the President on ways policing practices can promote effective crime reduction while building trust."  Bob reviewed the six "Pillars" of the Task Force's recommendations.
Pillar One - Building Trust and Legitimacy  
>Law Enforcement should adopt the “guardian” vs. “warrior” mindset
>Police cannot be viewed as an occupying force
>Establish culture of transparency and accountability to build public trust
>Law enforcement should initiate positive non enforcement activities
>Should conduct annual surveys to measure levels of public trust
>Workforce encompass broad range of diversity
Pillar Two - Policy and Oversight
>External/independent investigations for officer involved shootings and/or in custody deaths
>Conduct peer reviews of critical incidents
>Establish civilian oversight mechanisms
>DOJ/COPS Office should provide technical assistance and funding to small agencies toward interagency collaboration, shared services and regional training
Pillar Three - Technology and Social Media
>Use of technology can build community trust
>Must have defined policy framework with defined purpose and goals
>Use of technology should improve transparency without infringing on individual rights
>DOJ should establish national standards for research and development of new technology
>Should consider local needs aligned with national standards
>Adopt model policies and best practices
Pillar Four - Community Policing and Crime Reduction
>Community Policing should be a guiding philosophy
>Law enforcement should work with community residents to identity problems and collaborate on solutions with meaningful results
>Engage in multi disciplinary, community team approaches
>Communities should support a culture and practice of policing that reflects the values of protection and promotion of dignity for all
>Develop youth in the community through positive police/youth collaboration and interactions
Pillar Five - Training and Education
>As the scope of law enforcement expands so does the need for expanded and more effective training
>Federal government should support the development of partnerships with training facilities across the country
>National post graduate institute of policing for senior executives
>Ensure licensing boards require training such as Crisis Intervention Training, disease of addiction, implicit bias, procedural justice, etc.
Pillar Six - Officer Wellness and Safety
>Emphasize support and proper implementation of officer wellness and safety
>Develop programs for financial support for law enforcement officers to continue to pursue higher education
>Encourage implementation of scientifically supported shift lengths
>Analyze not only officer deaths but “near misses”
>Tactical first aid training, ballistic vests for all, wearing seat belts
 
It bears noting that the New Brighton Police force had implemented most of these recommendations long before the Task Force was commissioned.  While Director Jacobson would be hesitant to brag; its's abundantly clear that his leadership and the professional attitude of his officers has made New Brighton's Police Department a shining example of community policing at its best.  Check out the N.B. Public Safety webpage here.  Bob and Dana are shown below.
Meeting Recap - November 3, 2015 Jeff Benson 2015-11-03 06:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - October 27, 2015

Posted by Jeff Benson on Oct 27, 2015
Our Guests today were New Brighton city councilperson Mary Burg and prospective club member Winifred (Winie) Bradford.
 
Todd Kruse announced the Chamber's upcoming Holiday Charity and Recognition Luncheon to be held on December 10th, 11:00AM - 1:30PM at the New Brighton Community Center.  You can get more details here.
 
 
The Board recommended Friday, April 1, 2016 as the date for our Gold Pale Dinner and the date was confirmed by a vote of the members present.
 
The Tech Team and the Public Relations Committee will have a joint committee meeting on Friday, November 13th, 11:30 - 12:30, at DD's.  Last week's Rotary speaker, Tracy Henry, will attend the meeting to provide some guidance on how to market our club online.  All interested members are encouraged to attend.
 
New Brighton Mounds View Rotary has 20 registrants for the Annual District 5960 Foundation Celebration on Saturday November 7th, 5:30-9:00PM at the Holiday Inn East (note the venue change).  If you'd like to join in the fun, I believe you can still register here.
 
President Dana presented a Rotary International new member sponsor recognition pin to Jeff Benson.  Jeff is shown with new member Todd Kruse below. (Photo courtesy of Gerry Tietz)
 
Jason Miller introduced our speaker, Teri McLaughlin, Vice President of Dardis Communications, Inc.  Dardis Communications is one of the Midwest's leading professional training companies, helping thousands of professionals become better communicators and leaders.  The Dardis trademark is " Speak as well as you think".  Teri identified three core skill sets that are the focus of her company's training programs:
  • Leadership and Presentation
  • Professional Image
  • Consultative Selling
 
As an example of the training process, Teri walked us through the process of creating an effective "elevator speech".  According to Teri, and effective elevator speech is has three components:
  • A short, compelling statement about your company.
  • Three headlines (specific examples of the product or services you offer)
  • Invite further conversation about how you might partner with the prospect.
 
President Dana was brave enough to offer our Rotary elevator speech as an example.  More informations about Dardis Communications is available on their website.  Teri and Dana are shown below.
 
Meeting Recap - October 27, 2015 Jeff Benson 2015-10-27 05:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - October 20, 2015

Posted by Jeff Benson on Oct 20, 2015
John Risdall opened the meeting with the Pledge of Allegiance and gave the invocation. 
 
President Dana introdced her guests; Sister Ruth Ellen Rebelein and Janet Ampe, both of whom have been visitors in the past.  John Risdall introduced Tracy Henry, a Senior Digital Marketing Manager at Risdall Marketing Group and today's speaker.  Since he was here, Tracy made a pitch for the Irondale Youth Hockey Association, of which he is the current president.
 
Dana announced that we made the front page of the October 16th edition of the Sun Focus community newspaper.  The photo shows Jeff Benson, on behalf of the New Brighton Rotary Club, presenting a check for $1,000 to Community Emergency Assistance Program (C.E.A.P.).  Our club has been a consistent supporter of CEAP and it was great to have our support recognized in the local paper.  Linda LaFond deserves the credit for getting the article published and she says that we should also expect to see the photo in this Wednesday's New Brighton Bulletin.  Way to go, Linda!!!
 
Dana reviewed the list of upcoming programs, which can be found on the left side of this page.
 
Don't forget the Foundation Celebration, Saturday November 7th, 5:30-9:00PM at the Holiday Inn East (note the venue change).  Gerry tells me that 16 of us have seats reserved! Get the details here.
 
Jim O'Brien had successfully avoided wearing the birthday hat for over 2 months, but everyone must pay the piper, even those who try to weasel out of it by trying to claim the "over 80 exemption".  Nice try Jim!  Jim is shown below.
The finemasters efficiently vacuumed up any loose dollars with a combination of happy fines and a political quote table quiz.  What will those politicians say next?
 
Our speaker, Tracy Henry, identified the five types of online marketing strategies that are available to help businesses and organizations get their message to potential customers.  According to Tracy, the five types are websites, search engines, social media, awareness and email.
 
Websites can be effective but they must be functionally sound and have "credibility" for todays web-savvy users.  For Tracy, credibility means usable, attractive and, most of all, mobile friendly since 30% of all website views are from mobile devices.
Search has become the replacement for White Pages, Yellow Pages and the Encyclopedia.  Careful content management and search engine optimization are essential to be noticed in this competitive area.
Social Media is valuable as a means of, as Tracy put it, "amplifying" your message.  FaceBook is useful for personal and B2C communication.  LinkedIn is best for professional and educational communication.  Tracy described Twitter as the vehicle for timely and newsworthy communication, while Pinterest is best for inspiration and creative communication.  When asked which of these four social media avenues would be best for the purpose of attracting new members to our Rotary Club, Tracy suggested a combination of FaceBook, Twitter and LinkedIn.
Awareness involves the placement of clickable ads or messages designed to direct the user to your website.  These are often referred to as "click bait".
Email methods include e-newsletters and ads that are "targeted" to an individual's search profile.
 
Tracy wrapped up with the basics of online marketing:
-Ensure that your website portrays credibility and is mobile optimized.
-Claim and optimize your Google business listing.
-Create and configure appropriate social media accounts.
-Post content to social media daily.
-Track your results.
 
Check out the Risdall Marketing Group website at http://www.risdall.com/   Dana and Tracy are shown below.
 
 
 
 
 
Meeting Recap - October 20, 2015 Jeff Benson 2015-10-20 05:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - October 13, 2015

Posted by Jeff Benson on Oct 13, 2015
Paul Fournier opened the meeting with the Pledge of Allegiance and Jeff Benson offered an invocation.
 
Alan Player, an Apple valley Rotarian who visited us a year ago to promote their Education Foundation fundraiser, was here again to sell raffle tickets for an opportunity to win a Ford Focus.  Alan noted that last year's effort raised $39,000.
 
It was great to have George back to the club after successful opening of his completely blocked coronary artery.
 
Our speaker today was Jim Lukaszewski.  Jim is world renowned as a crisis manager, using his public relations expertise to guide organizations and their leaders through crisis to recovery.  Jim's topic for today's presentation was "The Ethical Expectations Leadership".  Jim began his talk with the story of a major medical products company that was indicted on several hundred felony charges, among which were illegal alteration of medical devices that resulted in two deaths and serious harm to several others.  This situation developed, as so many of them do, when an executive said “do whatever it takes” to keep sales up and costs down.  By the end of a six year legal process, six company executives were in jail and the company was forced to change its business climate, and Jim was a part of that process.  Jim offered the story to illustrate patterns of failed leadership behavior and inadequate or ineffective organizational response that often leads to these types of disasters. Here are some of the elements of these patterns:
  • When things go wrong in an organization, it generally starts at or near the top.
  • Top executives are very smart people who think they can "beat the rap".
  • Almost every ethical crisis requires that people are aware of the ethical problem, yet remain silent.
Jim suggested the following "Ethical Expectations of Leadership"
  • Find the truth as soon as possible.  Tell the truth and act on it as soon as possible.
  • Promptly raise the tough questions and answer them thoughtfully.
  • Vocalize core business values and ideals constantly.
  • Walk the talk
  • Help, expect and enforce ethical leadership
  • Foster ethical pathways for employees to to rise to the top of the organization.
  • Be a cheerleader, model and teacher of ethical behavior.
  • Make core values more important than profits.
You can check out Jim's website at http://www.e911.com/  Paul and Jim are pictured below.
 
Meeting Recap - October 13, 2015 Jeff Benson 2015-10-13 05:00:00Z 0
Social Media Links Gerry Tietz 2015-09-29 05:00:00Z 0

New Brighton Mounds View Rotary Donates $1,000 to CEAP

Posted by Jeff Benson on Sep 29, 2015
CEAP, or Community Emergency Assistance Programs, helps our financially challenged neighbors by providing emergency assistance and financial counseling to help them become financially stable and independent.  CEAP also provides referrals to partner agencies and services that may be able to help.  The New Brighton Mounds View Rotary Club supports CEAP's mission and is pleased to be able to support that mission with a donation of $1,000.   Check CEAP out at http://www.ceap.org/   Holli Rolfe, CEAP Family Services Manager at the Blaine location, is shown receiving the check from Jeff Benson.
 
New Brighton Mounds View Rotary Donates $1,000 to CEAP Jeff Benson 2015-09-29 05:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - September 22, 2015

Posted by Jeff Benson on Sep 22, 2015
Todd Kruse opened the meeting with the Pledge of Allegiance and Nils Friberg offered an invocation.
 
President Dana announced that George was able to have two stents placed in his blocked coronary artery, and open heart surgery was avoided.  George is understandably thrilled and feeling very well!
 
We have been offered a unique fundraising opportunity which would raise $2,000 for the club with very little effort on our part.  Chef George Serra is willing to donate his time and materials to prepare gourmet appetizers for a group of 40-50.  Attendees would contribute $40-50, with all the proceeds going to a charitable cause of our choosing.  All we need is a location for the event.  Let Linda LaFond (763-571-6937) or Mary Stewart (651-442-6891) know if you could host the event.  We can't afford to pass on this opportunity.
 
Saturday, November 7th, is the District 5960 Foundation Event.  As in past years, we'd like New Brighton to have a big contingent at the event.  The club will cover the cost for Rotarians, so contact Gerry Tietz (651-636-1899) for information or to register.
 
Everyone should be here next week as we welcome Marlene Gargulak, our District Governor, to the club for her annual visit.
 
Cindy Carlson is looking for a polio survivor in our area who might be willing to be interviewed about their polio experience as part of our PolioPlus fundraising push this fall.  If you know of anyone, please let Cindy know (651-772-1080).
 
Geoff Hollimon's birthday provided us yet another opportunity to demonstrate our melodic magnificence on the birthday song.  Happy Birthday, Geoff!  See photo below.
 
Dave Hoel (651-636-3589) and Mike Neeley (651633-7330) are looking for some help for the Spina Bifida picnic this Sunday the 27th.  Give them a call if you can help out for a few hours, starting at 11AM.
 
Sue Ager reported that Duane is making progress with his recovery from Guillain-Barre syndrome.
 
John Ordway introduced Jim Markoe, spokesperson for the White Bear Lake Restoration Association (WBLRA), who presented an update on the seriously low water level in White Bear Lake.  Since 2003, the average water level of the lake has been steadily decreasing.  This decrease has been attributed to depletion of the aquifer beneath the lake by high volume (i.e. municipal) water wells surrounding the lake.  White Bear Lake is unique in that it has a direct connection with the underlying aquifer, so that it is draining into the depleted aquifer faster than rainwater runoff can replenish it.  Six billion gallons is drawn out of the aquifer each year by the high volume wells and almost all of it goes into the Mississippi River via storm and sanitary sewer systems.  Jim reported that the surface area of the lake has decreased by 25% and the lake level has gone down 5 feet in the last 15 years, creating untold problems for homeowners as well as promoting zebra mussel and milfoil growth in the lake.  In 2012, a lawsuit was filed which eventually led to an unprecedented seven rounds of court ordered mediation.  In 2014, a 36 month stay of litigation was imposed, which has the following provisions:
     1. Multifaceted water conservation efforts
     2. Development of a plan for surface water utilization
     3. DNR to set a protective minimum lake level
     4. The right is reserved to pursue lake augmentation (get water from a reservoir or the Mississippi river)
Let's hope that these efforts can restore this great lake to it's former glory.
 
The White Bear Lake Restoration Association website is http://www.wblra.org/  Jim and Dana are shown below.
    
 
 
Meeting Recap - September 22, 2015 Jeff Benson 2015-09-22 05:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - September 8, 2015
 
 

Posted by Todd Kruse on Sep 08, 2015
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Our September 8 meeting was called to order by Todd Kruse who led the club in the Pledge of Allegiance and offered a reflection on Labor Day for the Invocation.
 
Announcements 
 
President Dana then led the meeting with the following annoucements - 
 
1. District Governor nominations are due on October 2nd so Dana encouraged club members to submit their own names for consideration.
2. The Goodwill Friendship Exchange with India is scheduled for January 9-10, 2016
3. Dana is also exploring options for new club member name badges
 
Programs 
 
The September and October line up of guest speakers was reviewed and is posted on the club's website -  September 15 our speaker will be Steve Kracht of Bell Pole Company.
 
Announcements from the Floor
 
1. Gerry is hosting a club Technology Committee meeting at 11 am on September 15 at DD's Cafe
2. Glenna promoted Benedictine's open house set for September 12
3. Mark (Lampman) noted he had a blister and the club feigned sympathy for his ailment!
4. Mark (Beisswenger) reported that he will soon have "bone on bone" thumb surgery soon.  Ouch!
5. Nils reported that his son is recovering but slowly from his recent surgery
 
Fines
 
Jim (Kadechka) was happy about the round of frisbee golf he played in New Brighton and Margaret echoed Jim's comment noting that frisbee golf is really fun.   Did someone say "Rotary frisbee golf tournament............."?    
 
Bev contributed a happy dollar now that her recent medical issues/tests were completed
 
Mary (Stewart) gladly paid a dollar to celebrate being back at club meetings and to celebrate the new school year
 
Dana parted with a dollar to celebrate her grandson's football performance
 
Amy thanked the club for the wedding gift donation in Amy's name to Peacekeepers
 
Geoff promoted the October 2 Community Partners for Youth (CPY) annual party
 
Val offered a dollar to note how much fun she had working at the MN State Fair despite the hot weather!
 
Birthdays
 
 
 
The club sang Happy Birthday to Linda LaFond since she was "39 again" this month. 
 
 
 
 
Guest Speaker
 
Todd (Kruse) introduced Julia Donnelly,  Political Director, for the 49'ers labor union which represents nearly 33,000 members in the construction industry.    
 
 
 
Julia noted that 40% of their members were unemployed during the Great Recession which helped cause higher divorce rates, addiction, and related problems. 
 
This union works with nearly 800 contractor companies and has three operating divisions - 
 
1. Pension fund
2. Self-insured health fund
3. Training fund - which includes their training center near Hinckley which sits on nearly 400 acres and has a $17 million annual operating budget.   The training center shapes their apprentice programs and works with the "MSHA" (OSHA style regulations specific to the mining industry) regulations to develop their certification courses
 
Julia noted they work with the MN Chamber and local chambers of commerce to lobby for policies that will generate job creation.  In terms of job creation the proposed Polymet mine is almost  a bigger job opportunity than the Metro Dome with nearly "2 million work hours" and noted the regulatory/environmental permit process is delaying the project.   
 
President Dana asked about transportation funding and Julia explained the potential funding sources such as a "gas tax" -  which would indeed help repair roads and bridges but it would also add cost to using construction equipment.  
 
Julia closed her presentation noting that the average age of their members is 47 and the average retirement age is 62 so they need to recruit youth into the industry.  Overall most jobs in their industry last 7 to 8 months each year due to the nature of the industry (such as weather).  
 
President Dana presented Julia with a Rotary Club coffee mug as a token of our appreciation then closed the meeting by having club members recite the Four Way Test. 
 
Meeting Recap - September 8, 2015     Todd Kruse 2015-09-08 05:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - September 1, 2015

Posted by Todd Kruse on Sep 01, 2015
 
Today's club meeting was called to order by Todd Kruse who led the club in the Pledge of Allegience and Invocation where he offered a prayer for safety and fun for all Minnesota State Fair attendees and the hope for children returning to school next week to "learn, have fun, and grow up to become Rotarians!" 
 
Guest Introductions:
 
Craig Leiser -  Stillwater Sunrise Rotary and representative for District-5960 international projects
Sandy and Gary Campbell -  Anoka Rotary Club  (selling $10 raffle tickets which offers a $5,000 travel voucher as the grand prize for this club fundraising event!!)
Charlie Hall -  former member of this club now living in Hugo, MN
Sue Schabert - owner of Minuteman Press and guest of Todd Kruse
Gerry Lund
 
President Dana then led the meeting with several Announcements:
 
  • "Pollinator Project" (Give Bees a Chance!!)  information was distributed to club members to gauge our interest in the club playing a possible role
  • Survivor Network brochures are on hand with the club should any members want to distribute to any interested/in need of assistance
  • Mounds View Schools activities calendars were distributed
  • The 10th Annual West Africa Project Fair was noted as being set for November 10 to 19, 2015 in Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire.  Cost is $1,779 (double occupancy)
  • District Governor candidate nominations for the 2018-2019 Rotary year are due on October 2, 2015 
  • Winnipeg Goodwill Friendship Exchange is set for September 18 which will be the 90th anniversary for this event
  • District-5960 is hosting a Goodwill Friendship Exchange with India scheduled for January 9 and 10, 2015
  • A word of "thanks" was given to club members who participated in the August 25 Sunny Square Park clean up project 
 
Upcoming Programs at Club Meetings:
 
September 1 -  Rod Dummer with Dalco Enterprises based in New Brighton
September 8 -  Julia Donnelly with the 49'ers labor union speaking on "Labor Day" themes
September 15 - Steve Kracht with Bell Pole Company of New Brighton 
September 22 -  White Bear Lake water level overview  AND  11 am board of directors meeting
September 29 - District 5960 Governor Marlene Gargolak  AND 11 am directors and committee chairs meeting with Governor Gargolak
 
October 6 -  Mark Baden and David Cummings,  "Stained Glass restoration work on the Island Chapel on the campus of the University of Northwestern-St. Paul"
October 13 -  Jim Lukaszewski ,  author and consultant on leadership and crisis communications issues
 
Announcements from the Floor:
 
Representing District 5960 Craig Leiser (PDG) presented a $2800 check which was accepted by Cindy Carlson for our club's Niger latrine/clean water project.
 
Fine Master/Happy Bucks:
 
Jim Kadechka happily separated dollars from club members who failed to wear their name badges today but several other dollars flowed into the kitty via several celebrations from club members including;  Sue Ager's grand child on the way, John Risdall's story of his broken arm (he was smiling due to heavy medication it appeared!), Geoff for his Alaska cruise, Glenna memorialized the passing of her husband's step father at age 94, and former club member, Charlie, who was happy to visit the club again. 
 
Birthdays:
 
Nils (September 1st) wants again celebrated his 20th birthday (perhaps 60 years later!) while sharing the story of his family appearing at his front door early in the morning to wish him a happy birthday.   
 
Program:
 
Rod Dummer, our guest speaker from Dalco Enterprises, was introduced by Todd Kruse.   
 
Rod opened his presentation by noting his past visit to the Hopkins/Minnetonka Rotary Club.     
 
Dalco was founded in 1959 in what is now Hubert's Bar (across from the former Metro Dome) by three guys who eventually parted ways for individual ventures.
 
Dalco's culture was resulted in great longevity of employees with one worker recently celebrating 43 years at the company.   Today they have 162 employees focused on a customer base in Minnesota, Wisconsin, northern Iowa, and Michigan.  They are the largest privately owned janitorial supply company in the USA. 
 
Rod noted the company utilizes the "traction/EOS process" to help drive excellent company performance (from the book "Traction" by Gino Wickam) and is hosting a September 15 trade show/open house at their New Brighton headquarters from 9 am to 2 pm.  
 
Dalco has experienced substantial consolidation and competition from large competitors like Grainger and Staples.  While Dalco has a wide range of clients it was noted they have numerous health care industry clients plus they sell custom floor mating and  A LOT OF TOILET PAPER! 
 
Rod closed his presentation by noting Dalco's primary challenges to the success of their business:
 
  1. Taxes
  2. Health care costs - they are self-insured
  3. Talent recruitment
  4. Employee turnover is increasing
  5. Technology upgrade costs
 
President Dana presented Rod with a Rotary Club coffee mug as a token of our appreciation for his very informative presentation. 
 
 
Four Way Test:
 
President Dana led the club and we adjourned at 1:35 pm
Meeting Recap - September 1, 2015 Todd Kruse 2015-09-01 05:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - August 25, 2015

Posted by Todd Kruse on Aug 25, 2015
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Rotarians gathered in Sunny Square Park for our August 25 meeting with a two fold mission: 
 
1.  Eat sandwiches while enjoying the beautiful weather as we lounged on picnic tables  - much better than being stuck in an office!
 
and 
 
2.  Walk the park collecting any trash we discovered.  As you can see from the enclosed photos there was plenty of clean up work for our club but now the park looks even better.  
 
Twenty club members signed in at this gathering (after a few stopped at DD's Diner first!!) so many hands made for light work on this project.   Perhaps the highlight of this project was the search conducted in search of the park building key enclosed in a small envelope that was checked out for this event. 
 
 
 
After club members searched in vain for the missing key which speculation led us to believe it was accidentally placed in our garbage bags we later discovered that the missing key was found on the floor of President-elect Paul's car!!     
 
 
 
Our meeting/service project adjourned at 1:30 pm while the sun was shining and birds were singing.  
Meeting Recap - August 25, 2015 Todd Kruse 2015-08-25 05:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - August 11, 2015

Posted by Jeff Benson on Aug 11, 2015
Today's Meeting was off-site at Bilfinger Water Technologies (formerly Johnson Screens).  Paul Fournier introduced our host and speaker, Al Smith, whose background is in agricultural engineering.  Al played a video explaining the "Hydrologic System" and the role of well-water screens in filtering sediment and prolonging the usable life of water wells.  The video, although dated, explained that 15 million homes in the U.S. get their drinking water from individual wells, averaging 200 feet deep.  Filtering screens, like those manufactured by Johnson, are needed for many of these wells to keep sediment from clogging the well.   Minnesota is a great place for individual wells, with plentiful aquifers that can easily supply 10-15 gallons per minute.  Many other regions, however are happy with 2 or 3 gallons per minute.  For those who are tech-minded, the screens are made from a variety of materials but their premier screen is made from a continuous triangular stainless steel wire, formed into a cylinder and electric resistance welded.  On a tour of the huge production facility after the meeting, we were able to see screens being made in all sizes from 2 inches to 10 feet in diameter.  Al is pictured below, courtesy of Dana Rebelein.
 
President Dana opened the business meeting wiith the Pledge and George Winiecki offered the invocation.
 
Marv Sorvala (Roseville) was our sole visitor.
 
Dana thanked all those who helped with various Stockyard Days activities.  George Winiecki, Mark Beisswenger and Val Johnson each offered a more specific thank you to Rotarians who helped with the Hot Dog Feed, Rubber Duckie Race and Bingo Tent, respectively.
 
Cindy announced a bike ride fundraiser to support Peacemaker Foundation's anti-bullying efforts on Saturday September 12th.  Information can be found here.  Get a registration form here.  Get a donation form here.
 
Don't forget that the Board meets next Tuesday (a week earlier than usual) at 11:00AM, in the room adjacent to our regular meeting room.
Meeting Recap - August 11, 2015 Jeff Benson 2015-08-11 05:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - August 4, 2015

Posted by Jeff Benson on Aug 04, 2015
George Winiecki opened the meeting with the Pledge of Allegiance and offered an invocation, which included a prayer for good weather on Thursday for the Stockyard Days Parade Hot Dog Feed.
 
President Dana Rebelein reviewed the meetings for the month and you'll find them listed to the left.  Note that the August 11th and 28th meetings are off-site.
 
Val Johnson didn't have the Stockyard Days Bingo Caller sign-up sheet today but she will email all the members Tuesday evening.  Please sign up for a shift or two and you'll be helping raise funds for Stockyard days and our Club.  Those of you who have done it know that it's easy and a lot of fun.  Those of you that haven't should give it a try.
 
Remember that Thursday, Aug 6th is the Hot Dog Feed for the Parade participants, so be there (just South of the Dairy Queen on Old 8) before 5PM.  We're serving 1,100 hot dogs, so we need you (and your spouses if they are willing) to help.
 
Nils Friberg presented Todd Peck with a Paul Harris Fellow+1 award, signifying contributions to the Foundation of over $2,000.  Way to go, Todd!
 
There were four birthdays to celebrate today.  Jim Kadechka, Todd Peck, Gerry Tietz and Val Johnson were all fighting over who would have the honor of wearing the hats (we only have two) but order was restored by singing twice.  The two birthday duos are shown below.
 
Mike Neeley announced that Fridley/Columbia Heights Rotary is having a Pig Roast Fundraiser on Wednesday, August 26th, from 5PM to 8PM at Locke Park, 6911 University Ave. in Fridley.  A Dixieland Band will provide the entertainment. Tickets are $25 per person and are available from Mike Neeley (651) 636-6966.
 
Mark Beisswenger has Stockyard Days Rubber Duckie Race tickets.  (651) 636-8159
 
Val Johnson introduced our speaker, Frank Bond.  Frank shared his story of homelessness.  Frank son's were selling drugs and his home was seized as a result.  He stayed at a shelter for a while but was upset by the attitudes of staff and other homeless people at the shelter, so he left the relative comfort of the shelter and became truly homeless, staying in abandoned buildings, under bridges or whatever places he could find.  In winter, he and other homeless people would walk the skyway or ride a bus to stay warm.  Val met Frank near her workplace and they became friends.  Val's encouragement "lifted his spirits" and he credits her with giving him the confidence to get a job.  He has an apartment now but over half his income goes to rent.  He admits that he is still struggling to make ends meet, but is proud to be working hard to achieve a better life.  Frank and Val are shown below.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Meeting Recap - August 4, 2015 Jeff Benson 2015-08-04 05:00:00Z 0

Meeting Summary - July 28, 2105

Posted by Glenna Dibrell on Jul 28, 2015
Meeting Announcements:
  • Dana read a note from the New Brighton Historical Society thanking the club for its support of the caboose restoration. 
  • ECHO publication was passed around to help the club get better informed of all the work this organization does. Anyone interested in a subscription should see Geoff Hollimon.
  • Board Meeting Notes:
    • The Board voted to contribute $500 in support of the Chisago Lakes club's $40,000 Jamaica project to assist two impoverished communities with medical equipment and training (this will buy $100,000 worth of equipment due to some excellent negotiations).
    • Cindy Carlson noted that she and Char Samuelson met with the other local clubs that make up the Healthy Youth Foundation and discussed the possibility of doing a fundraiser for the Peacemaker organization. Still in formative stages.
    • There is a Friendship Exchange to India January 9-20, 2016; see Dana or the District Site for more info.
    • There is a Rogers Rotary Club motorcycle rally on August 22; see Dana for more info.
    • Board meeting schedule is slightly adjusted in the coming months: next meeting is August 18 and there will be two meetings in September--one on the 22nd and another on the 29th for the District Governor, who will be visiting our club that day.
  • Stockyard Days is coming right up August 2-10. See Val to volunteer for Bingo; see George to let him know if you will be helping for the parade hot dog feed on August 6th.
  • Mark your calendars that our August 11 meeting will be offsite at the Bilfinger Water Tech / Johnson Screen plant. Paul asked for people to sign up to confirm their attendance and will be asking for box lunch orders at next week's meeting.
  • Val, Paul and George are the August Committee members; Jason, Todd Kruse and John Ordway are the September Committee members.
  • MaryAnn Bawden celebrated her birthday (see photo below).
  • The club is making a contribution to the Peacemaker organization in honor of Amy Wakem's wedding; if you want to bring a card to Amy's August 8th wedding celebration party consider writing a check to Peacemakers as your gift to her.
 
Program: Susan Park Rani, PE, on the Destination Medical Center (DMC) Initiative.
  • John Risdall introduced Susan as a member of the DMC board, appointed by Governor Dayton.
  • Susan provided an overview of the initiative, which is a statewide effort to help Mayo Clinic and Rochester become a global medical destination for patients and their families from around the world.
  • There is increasing competition for international patients (Cleveland Clinic, Johns Hopkins, MD Anderson) and Mayo has seen significant reductions in their international patient volume. To become a viable destination it isn't enough to just be an outstanding research and medical resource; it also requires world class hotels, restaurants, transportation and cultural options for these visitors. 
  • A statue was passed by the MN Legislature to fund $585 million to leverage a $5 billion investment from other sources. There is a comprehensive strategic plan to harness the energy and creativity of the entire community.
  • This initiative is pulling together resources from Mayo and their nonprofit the Economic Development Association, the city of Rochester, the county and the state of MN. All are working together to make this happen over the next 20 years. It is the largest and most complex project undertaken by the state.
  • Susan will be serving a four-year term on the board. We were honored to meet her and have an inside look at this amazing initiative. Thanks for John Risdall's introduction.  John, Susan and Dana are shown below.
Meeting Summary - July 28, 2105 Glenna Dibrell 2015-07-28 05:00:00Z 0

Speaker Recap - July 21, 2015

Posted by Cindy Carlson on Jul 21, 2015

Janet Cobus, Development Director, and Bob Elsenpeter and his canine partner Herbie, came to say "thank you" to our club for a $250 contribution that we made to Can Do Canines to help purchase a $22,000 Ford transit van that was funded with the generosity of 12 Minnesota Rotary clubs, and to bring awareness about this locally based non-profit organization that serves people in MN, WISC, IA, ND and SD.

Can Do Canines is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for people with disabilities by creating mutually beneficial partnerships with specially trained dogs.  These individually trained dogs, often adopted from animal shelters or donated by select breeders, are provided to their partners free of charge, thanks to donations made by people and organizations like Rotary.  For more than 25 years, Can Do Canines has trained and placed nearly 500 dogs providing assistance with:  hearing, mobility, seizure, diabetes, or autism.    Janet and Bob helped us to understand the huge quality of life benefits...often not only for the recipient adult or child...but also for the other family members who receive some relief from high levels of anxiety, worry and dependence.

A key component in raising future assistance dogs is the Can Do Canines Prison Puppy Program.  It is currently operated in four Minnesota prisons and involves 40 - 50 dogs at a given time.  The puppies usually enter at around 18 weeks of age and are each assigned two handlers.  This is a special privilege for carefully selected inmates.  Inmates raise the puppy, teach obedience, and in some cases, even teach assistance dog skills, such as pulling open a door.    Inmates benefit from the relationships with the dogs, and gain skills, self confidence and self control that transfer to other areas of their life in an out of prison.  Prison officials say that it's not only the participating inmates that benefit-the entire prison environment seems to be positively transformed.

Overall, the dogs go through 7 or 8 levels of obedience training before being placed in a home.  They are certified by ADI.  If not for the generosity of donors, the average cost for a fully trained dog would be $25,000.    Currently 180 people are on a waiting list to receive an assistance dog.   Can Do Canines anticipates that they can provide matches for 46 people and dogs in 2015, and expect to increase that to 76 in 2017.  More donations are needed to make these wishes into reality.

How can we help?  Make a donation or pledge support for their annual fundraiser "Can Do Woofaroo" walk and festival on Saturday, Sept 12th in New Hope.  Check out 
http://can-do-canines.org/   Bob, Janet, Dana and Can-Do-Canine "Herbie" are pictured below.

(MANY THANKS to Cindy Carlson for providing this summary)
 

 

Speaker Recap - July 21, 2015 Cindy Carlson 2015-07-21 05:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - July 21, 2015

Posted by Dana Rebelein on Jul 21, 2015
Mary Ann Bawden opened the meeting, offered the invocation, and introduced Pat Drovdal and Allisyn Gurley, guest of Dana Rebelein.
 
Cindy and Dana took notes in the absence of Jeff Benson, masterful Bulletin editor.
 
Dana announced that DG Marlene Gargolak will visit us on September 29. Because that would ordinarily be our quarterly club assembly date, committees are asked to address the club during announcement times on days leading up to that to share goals and plans, seek input, etc.
 
The Midterm will be in Roseville again, January 29 & 30. All officers and board members should put that on their 2016 calendars now to save the dates. This is also the first session for President-Elect training.
 
A picture of current Stockyard Days Royalty was passed around. One of the princesses is sponsored by our own Mark Beisswenger of the famous hardware store. We contribute significantly to SYD, sponsoring the social event for royalty, the hot dog feed, and $1,000 from bingo proceeds.
 
Despite his retirement as chair of the hot dog feed after last year’s event, George Winiecki stepped up to the plate/pot  and arranged for the location, satellites, water, etc. Dave Hoel will get the wieners, buns and chips. This year, he will get 1100 dogs and buns and chips. Set up will be at 4 p.m., and the 120 unit parade, including a group of unicyclists, starts at 6. Many hands are needed to make it go smoothly.
 
Geoff Hollimon announced a CPY golf ball drop and carnival Aug 1, 2015. Mascots, including Madonna the St. Paul Saints pig, and Goldie Gopher, will be there. The carnival will run from 1 to 4:30, with 15 free games and prizes. Tickets may be purchased for face painting and playing in an inflatable.  The balls will be dropped at 4:30 p.m. by the New Brighton Fire Department. “Buy” balls from Geoff.
 
Char Samuelson received her Paul Harris plus 3 pin from Gerry.  Congratulations, Char! And thanks for your generous support of The Rotary Foundation.  Gerry Tietz and Char are pictured below.
 
(MANY THANKS to Dana Rebelein for providing this meeting summary)
Meeting Recap - July 21, 2015 Dana Rebelein 2015-07-21 05:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - July 14, 2015

Posted by Jeff Benson on Jul 13, 2015
MaryAnn Bawden opened the meeting and offered the invocation.
 
President Dana Rebelein announced the upcoming speakers and said she has some suggestions for those looking to fill a speaker slot.
 
We are running the Stockyard Days Bingo Tent again this year.  There will be a sign-up sheet next Tuesday so remember to bring your calendars to the meeting.
 
If you are going to Amy Wakem's reception on August 8th, Mark Lampman could use some help from club members to assemble the pizzas that he is baking at the event.  Call Mark if you can help him out at the event.
 
Paul Fournier announced that we will be having an off-site Rotary meeting on Tuesday, August 11th.  We'll be visiting Paul's former employer, Johnson Screens.  We will enjoy a short movie/presentation about water well design and installation along with a plant tour for whoever is interested and could stay an extra 15 minutes.  The meeting will begin as usual at 12:15 and we will have DD's box lunches, menu to be determined.   Johnson Screen company is located at 1950 Old Highway 8, just across the street from Beisswenger's. The visitor's entry is the North driveway, with parking at the far SW corner. (Paul will hand out a map and provide a sandwich selection sign-up sheet at a future meeting).
 
Todd Kruse introduced his guest, Denny Smith.  Denny is a diversity inclusion trainer.
 
Marv Sorvala of the Roseville Club was also visiting today.
 
MaryAnn introduced our own Cor Wilson, who updated us on recent developments at the North Suburban Communications Commission as well as at CTV North Suburbs.  Cor is the executive director for CTV North Suburbs and for the North Suburban Communications Commission (NSCC).  Cor started by showing a video outlining the wide variety of programming and services provided by CTV North Suburbs.  We are all probably familiar with the community access programming on Channel 15, but CTV North Suburbs also provides classes in video production and editing, internships for students interested in media production or information technology and fee-based video production services for community organizations.  NSCC/CTV15 is funded by the $4.15 PEG fee paid by cable subscribers and fees from the previously mentioned video production services.  Cor said that Comcast's monopoly over our local cable services is being challenged by CenturyLink, which has applied to provide local services alongside Comcast.  Minneapolis has already approved CenturyLink and their service seems to have what it will take to compete with Comcast.   Time will tell if more competition in the cable marketplace leads to lower prices or better product offerings in the future.   Dana and Cor are shown below.
Meeting Recap - July 14, 2015 Jeff Benson 2015-07-13 05:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - July 7, 2015

Posted by Jeff Benson on Jul 07, 2015
MaryAnn Bawden opened the meeting and offered the invocation.
 
Our guests today were Don Craighead from the Roseville Club and Frank Mabley, immediate past president (for about 4 hours) of the Arden Hills Shoreview club.
 
It was announced that Sue Ager's husband, Duane, has been hospitalized with Guillain-Barre Syndrome.   Nils Friberg updated us on his son, Jim, who will have surgery in 2 weeks to repair an aortic aneurysm.  Our thoughts and prayers are with Duane and Jim, and their extended families.
 
Val Johnson was interviewed by WCCO TV at her Village Scoop ice cream shop.  She looked like she survived the ordeal, despite the 3AM start time.
 
President Dana Rebelein attempted, in vain, to celebrate the birthdays of Amy Wakem (absent) and Todd Kruse (actually born on December 5th).  Todd Peck was the actual birthday boy but he was absent as well. 
 
Mary Ann introduced our speaker, Iris McGinnis, a volunteer with the Community Support Center of New Brighton and Mounds View.  The Community Support Center is an off-shoot of CEAP, which has a service area that includes mostly Anoka and Hennepin counties.  Our own Nils Friberg was involved in bringing CEAP services to the New Brighton Mounds View area, and CEAP still provides assistance in our communities in the form of the Community Support Center (CSC).
Iris offered us the opportunity to join other community members in the annual "Walk a Mile for Your Neighbors" event which will again be held at beautiful Silverwood Park on July 26th.  Last year the event raised $12,000 for the CSC, a significant portion of their $75,000 annual budget.  The remainder of the $75,000 is from donations by churches, individuals and groups, like Rotary, who believe in the Community Support Center's mission to combine short-term emergency assistance with long-term financial counseling to promote self-sufficiency for low income families.  CSC's volunteer advocates carefully allocate their limited resources to families who are most likely to become self-sufficient with minimum financial assistance.  CSC also gets help from local businesses that offer employment opportunities to their clients.  Our own Val Johnson did just that by hiring the son of a CEAP client to work at the Village Scoop.
 
Iris introduced Ed Petsche, the outgoing CSC coordinator, who noted some startling statistics from the Federal Reserve Report - 2014.  The report said that 47% of respondents would not be able to cover a $400 emergency expense within one month's time.  The report also indicated a 92% increase in poverty since 2000.  Our own Mounds View School District reports 117 homeless households with 187 homeless students.  These statistics emphasize the need for programs like the CSC.  Iris and Ed thanked NBMV Rotary for our continuing support.  Dana, Ed and Iris are shown below.
 
 
 
Meeting Recap - July 7, 2015 Jeff Benson 2015-07-07 05:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - June 30, 2105

Posted by Jeff Benson on Jun 30, 2015
Jeff Benson opened the meeting and offered the invocation.  Jeff noted that former member Bob Jacobson married Diane this past weekend.  Jeff also said that Nils Friberg is currently in Rochester with his son Jim, who has been diagnosed with a brain aneurysm.  Our prayers go out to Nils, Jim and their families.
 
Our guest today was Mary Jo McGuire.
 
President Margaret started the final meeting of her presidential year with a review of her 30th reunion in Taiwan.  She had a wonderful time and, despite still suffering from jet-lag, appeared rested and relaxed.  Margaret distributed cards from Pinewood Elementary School students, thanking our members for talking to them about the value of trees and for the tree seedlings we gave them in celebration of Arbor Day.  Eric Nelson selected a few of the funniest to read aloud.  Thanks to Amy Wakem for organizing the Fourth Grade Foresters program, even though she was on a leave of absence.
 
Geoff Hollimon read a letter from ECHO thanking us for our multi-year matching grant totaling $8,326.  The letter also outlined some of the recent developments at ECHO, including regionalization of ECHO's training and services to bring them closer to areas of high demand.  These regional centers offer programs on natural farming, rice intensification, seed swapping, livestock production and nursery management, among many others.  ECHO is world renowned for their expertise in small-scale farming practices and our grant will help ECHO to promote these innovative practices around the globe.  Thanks to Geoff Hollimon for his work to secure the matching grant.
 
Don't forget that next Tuesday, July 7th, at 11 AM, there is a training session for all committee chairs on using the ClubRunner committee management module.  Please bring your (fully charged) laptop or tablet to get hands-on experience with the module.  The session will be held in the normal meeting space.
 
Dean Lotter gave a brief update on the city's efforts to manage the trace amounts of 1,4-dioxane that had been recently discovered in New Brighton's drinking water.  Although no regulatory limit has been set for this contaminant, Dean, and city staff are aggressively seeking a permanent solution which will be funded by the U.S. Army.  For more information on the problem, click hereThe temporary solution currently in effect is to switch to a deeper, uncontaminated, aquifer but there is concern that late summer water demand may exceed the pumping limit of these deeper wells.  The City has already established guidelines for its own water usage during the peak demand period.  To view those guidelines and see what you can do to reduce the burden on those temporary wells, click here.
 
Margaret offered a very thoughtful and sincere thank you to the Board members and all other Rotarians who had a part, big or small, in the successes we've shared during her presidency.  She also thanked us for the kind words and personal support she has received.  Margaret then welcomed our new president., Dana Rebelein, to the stage.  Dana presented Margaret with a plaque to commemorate her presidency and thanked Margaret on behalf of the club for her leadership and the creation of a great foundation on which to build future successes.  See Margaret with her plaque, below.
Dana then revealed Rotary International President K.R. “Ravi” Ravindran's theme for 2015-2016: "Be a Gift to the World".  She briefly outlined her own vision for the coming year.  For the past couple of years we have run a deficit budget to bring our reserves down to an appropriate level for a non-profit organization, and that level has been reached.  Dana's (and the Board's) challenge for the coming year is to provide the maximum benefit for each dollar we donate to our charitable partners.  Dana recognized the outgoing and incoming Board members and distributed a sign-up sheet for members to indicate which committees they would like to serve on in the coming year.  If you were unable to sign up today, you can be sure to see the sign-up sheet at the next meeting.  See Dana with her Pre-Presidential Mug, below.
Meeting Recap - June 30, 2105 Jeff Benson 2015-06-30 05:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - June 23, 2015

Posted by Jeff Benson on Jun 23, 2015
Todd Kruse opened the meeting and led us in the Pledge of Allegiance.
 
Gerry Tietz introduced our guests, Marv Sorvala from Roseville, and Ezra Krohn, our outbound exchange student to Italy in 2013.
 
Cindy updated us on our district Matching Grant Project in Madaoua, Niger.  Progress is being made on latrines and handwashing stations.
 
Ezra Krohn updated us on his recent travel back to Italy, where he reconnected with his exchange host families.  Ezra will be attending the University of Manitoba in the fall to study international business.  Ezra is shown below.
 
Cindy Carlson chose the blue birthday hat since the red one would have clashed with her pink blazer.  Happy Birthday Cindy!  See photo below.
 
Jeff Benson introduced our speaker, Past District Governor Clare Lillis.  PDG Clare was here to speak to us a couple of months ago about our District's Nicaragua initiative.  Time was limited for his previous presentation so he agreed to come back to complete his talk.  Before addressing Nicaragua, Clare spoke a little about his experience at the Rotary International Convention in Sao Paulo, Brazil.  Clare said it was the smallest convention he has attended, but the speakers, entertainment and the food were all excellent.  Under President Gary C.K. Huang's leadership, Rotary has expanded its presence to 206 countries and has experienced a net increase of 47,000 members.  Overall contributions to the Rotary Foundation were also up dramatically this year, in large part due to 47 new Arch Klumph Society members, each of whom contributed $250,000 or more to the Foundation.  Wow!!!
Clare also learned that significant progress is being made on polio eradication.  There have been no new type 3 polio cases in 2 1/2 years and even Afganistan and Pakistan are making significant progress due, in great measure, to the efforts of women in those countries.  Clare said that total polio eradication is possible in 6 years.
District 5960 Nicaragua Initiative is also making great progress.    The project has empowered the local community in the planning and execution of the project.  The community identified 1.roads and water, 2. literacy and health, 3. leadership and 4. capacity and engagement as its key needs.  Clare and many others from the district have worked tirelessly to ensure that the project stays on track and the keystone of the project, a new road and reliable water supply, is in the final planning stage.  Rotary will likely use a Global Matching Grant to raise approximately $300.000 to complete the project.  Dana and Clare are pictured below.
 
 
 
 
Meeting Recap - June 23, 2015 Jeff Benson 2015-06-23 05:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - June 16, 2015

Posted by Jeff Benson on Jun 16, 2015
Jeff Benson opened the meeting and offered the invocation.
 
President-elect Dana Rebelein (filling in for President Margaret) reminded all old and new board members that next Tuesday, June 23rd, we will have a joint meeting of this year's and next year's boards.  The meeting will be held in the room adjacent to our regular club meeting room at 11AM. 
 
Jeff Benson announced that we are considering various ways for service-minded people, with time or financial constraints, to become involved in Rotary without becoming "members" of the club.  He welcomed your feedback on this or other ways to increase participation in, and awareness of, New Brighton Mounds View Rotary.
 
Sue Ager brought up the idea of having our weekly meetings in the morning rather than at noon.  If you have opinions about our meeting time, please make your feelings known to the Board.
 
Val summarized her experience at the RI Annual Convention, held in Sao Paulo, Brazil earlier this month.  Val wasn't impressed with this convention, compared with her previous convention, but she reported that the Water Summit was excellent.  She's already looking forward to Seoul next year.
 
Jeff Benson introduced our speaker, Karen Thompson, of Junior Achievement Upper Midwest.  Karen presented a picture of Junior Achievement that was quite different than the picture many of us had in our heads about Junior Achievement.  JA has adapted to the changing needs of students in a number of ways. JA now serves students from K-12 with a number of interactive, hands on experiences that develop Financial Literacy, College and Career Readiness and Entrepreneurship Skills in students.  JA has developed these educational experiences so that they can be comfortably delivered by volunteer business people in the school classroom, with the support of the classroom teacher for behavior control, if needed.  Activities are available for all grade levels and volunteers are provided with step-by-step instructions, training videos and access to JA staff for questions.  This program would be a natural fit for Rotarians who embrace the vocational service focus of Rotary.  Junior Achievement is solely funded by donations from individuals and businesses.  To volunteer, or just get more information, contact Karen at 651-255-0050 or karyn@jaum.org.  You can also find out more about Junior Achievement by going to:  http://jaum.org   Dana and Karyn are pictured below.
 
 
 
Meeting Recap - June 16, 2015 Jeff Benson 2015-06-16 05:00:00Z 0

Meeting Summary - June 9, 2015

Posted by Jeff Benson on Jun 08, 2015
Gerry Tietz opened the meeting and offered the invocation.
 
Our guests today were Mary Jo McGuire, and prospective member Sean Kinsella (Jeff's guest), owner of Right at Home, a home care and assistance agency located in New Brighton.
 
President Margaret Johnson read a very nice thank you letter from "Can Do Canines", thanking us for our $250 donation to their service dog training organization.  A representative from the organization will speak to the club on July 28th.
 
Margaret noted that she will be in Taiwan for the next two Rotary Meetings so the next time we see her will be at her final meeting as president on June 30th.  President-elect Dana Rebelein will fill in during Margaret's absence so she should be all practiced-up for the first meeting of her tenure on July 7th.
 
Gerry Tietz reminded all committee chairs and directors that they are requested to attend a training session on using the "committee" module in our ClubRunner club management software.  The session will be held in the our normal meeting area at 11:00AM on July 7th.  Please bring your wi-fi enabled devices so you can get help actually accessing the functions of the software.
 
Mark your calendars now for the New Brighton Stockyard Days Celebration, August 2-10.  Make special note of the Stockyard Days Parade on August 6th, because we'll need your help to feed hot dogs to all the parade participants.  We'll start cooking at 4:30PM.
 
Gerry Tietz introduced our speaker, Samara Bilyeu-Anderson, from Lillie Suburban Newspapers, Inc.  Samara spoke to us about many ways to make make your advertising dollars go further.  For newspaper advertising, Samara advised to forego full-page ads in favor of multiple smaller ads on an ongoing basis.  This strategy keeps your message in front of potential customers or clients, promoting top-of-mind-awareness (TOMA, in advertising lingo), so that your business comes to mind no matter when the customer decides they need your product or service.  She stressed that, unless you've already got strong branding, you must include all the information the customer needs to make a decision to contact or visit your business.  Make no assumptions about what the customer already knows about your company.  Samara said that your newspaper advertising representative will be happy to help you design ads and ad programs for maximum effectiveness.  Even though Samara's job is newspaper advertising, she also offered that radio, TV, internet and direct mail advertising can, depending on your situation, be important elements of a comprehensive marketing strategy.  Regardless of the advertising media, however, frequency and consistency are the cornerstones of any effective advertising effort.  Gerry and Samara are shown below.
 
 
 
Meeting Summary - June 9, 2015 Jeff Benson 2015-06-08 05:00:00Z 0

Meeting Summary - June 2, 2015

Posted by Jeff Benson on Jun 02, 2015
Gerry Tietz led us in the Pledge and invocation.
 
There were no guests today.
 
President Margaret read two thank you letters from recipients of our scholarships at Irondale.  The recipients were: Ryan Norlinger and Megan Montero.
 
Margaret also read a letter from MaryAnn Bawden praising Dana Rebelein for her inspired speech at the presentation of our "at large" scholarship during the St.Anthony H.S. scholarship awards ceremony.  The recipient of the scholarship was Elena Dorman, a New Brighton resident.
 
Sue Ager announced that her son is engaged and will be married in Bangkok, Thailand.  Talk about a destination wedding!
 
Returning member Jim Kadechka announced that his son and daughter are each expecting a baby and those babies are both due on the same day in November.  WOW!!!!
 
Jeff Benson had the great pleasure of re-inducting Jim Kadechka into the club.  Jim first joined the club in 1984 and was president in '89-'90.  Jim owns a printing company, Apache Print, in St. Anthony.  One wonders if he's rejoining Rotary to escape diaper changes when his 2 grandkids are born in November.  Jeff is making it official, below.
 
Jeff Benson introduced our speaker for the day, Todd Kruse, to present his new member classification talk.  Todd grew up a farm boy in a poor German family in Ida Grove, Iowa.  Todd has been interested in politics and public policy since he was very young and remembers accompanying his father to zoning and planning commission meetings as a child.  Todd related that he has been a member of seven Rotary clubs, joining clubs in most of the many locations where he's been employed.  His first service club experience was with the Kiwanis in Iowa, where it was the only club in town.  This early experience helped to shape and nurture his interest in civil society.  Todd entered Iowa State to pursue a degree in industrial engineering but graduated with a Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Arts, Economics, Political Science, with a minor in Speech Communications.  Although he didn't mention it, he also holds an M.B.A. in International Management and has numerous other educational experiences in public policy and public affairs.  Todd has had an interesting variety of occupations including U.S. Senate Campaign Field Representative, Government and Industry Relations Manager for Frontier Communications, Vice President and European Director for DCI Group, Managing Partner of Constantine Group, Adjunct Faculty Instructor for MNSCU and, of course, his current position as the President of Twin Cities North Chamber of Commerce.  Todd talked about the roles of local, state and national chambers in providing direct services to businesses and helping to inform policy makers about the needs of businesses.  Todd lives in Inver Grove Heights with wife, Jaleh, and 2 kids, aged 7 & 11.  Gerry and Todd are shown below.
Meeting Summary - June 2, 2015 Jeff Benson 2015-06-02 05:00:00Z 0

Meeing Recap - May 26, 2105

Posted by Jeff Benson on May 26, 2015
Events and Announcements:
All committee chairs (you know who you are) should mark their calendars for the "All Committee Chairs Meeting" at 11AM, Tuesday, June 2nd.  This meeting is extremely important as we plan our work for the coming year.  We'll meet in the conference room adjacent to our regular meeting room.
 
Don't forget that our outbound exchange student to Italy, Ezra Krohn, is having a graduation party on Saturday, June 6th, form 4-8PM.  We are all invited.  Ezra's mom, Anne, is involved in the District 5960 exchange program and is considering membership in our club.  The invitation is shown below.
The Rotary Rally With The Twins is happening on June 20th.  The deadline to order tickets is June 2nd.  For more information, or to purchase tickets, click here.
 
Our guests today were Jim Kadechka (to be inducted next week), Mary Jo McGuire, and Erica Buckingham (guest of Glenna Dibrell and currently interning at Risdall Marketing)
 
Mark Beisswenger has been unable to attend for a while , so it was great to see him at the meeting.  Mark said that his wife Gail recently had a heart vessel stent placed and is doing very well.
 
Val Johnson introduced our Speaker, Laura Crepeau.  Laura is a senior at St. Kates, with a major's in both biochemistry and biophysics and will pursue a career in trauma medicine.  Laura spoke about her efforts to help the women of Tanzania with problems related to menstruation.  It all started during her freshman year when she traveled to Tanzania with her sister during j-term.  While in Tanzania, she became aware of the cultural taboos surrounding menstruation and the many difficulties faced by menstruating women each month:
-Feminine hygiene products are in very limited supply and cost as much as ten times their cost in the U.S.
-Because of limited supplies and cultural taboos, few women attend school or other normal activities during their periods.
-The use of unsanitary cloths, rags and even dirt, instead of proper products, is a primary cause of infections for women.
Laura came back to the U.S. determined to do something about these problems, so she wrote the manufacturers of feminine hygiene products to see if they could be of help, but got no response.  She reasoned that reusable pads might be a viable solution so she personally sewed 2,000 pads in her "spare time" and distributed them to Tanzanian women.  At some point Laura and our own Val Johnson connected and HER. Empowerment was born.  This initiative empowers the Tanzanian women by providing them with the materials and instructions to make their own reusable pads.  Her. Empowerment's mission is to educate more women and provide them with proper pads which will allow them to fully attend school and other activities.   Val and Laura are pictured below.
Meeing Recap - May 26, 2105 Jeff Benson 2015-05-26 05:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - May 5, 2105

Posted by Jeff Benson on May 04, 2015
Our guests today were Past District Governor Craig Leiser and NBMV Past President Jim Kadechka.
 
PDG Leiser presented Margaret a check from District 5960 for $3,750.  The money was the District's match for the ECHO grant which was just completed.  Thanks once again to Geoff Hollimon, who spearheaded the grant.
 
Margaret was proud to report that our club received the 2014-2015 Zone Literacy and Education Award for our efforts to promote Literacy and Education in the New Brighton Mounds View community as well as internationally.  This award is a big deal in Rotary and we should be very proud.  A hastily taken photo of the award is shown below.
 
Gerry Tietz was pleased to present Cindy Carlson with a Paul Harris Fellow +4 award, signifying that she has contributed a total of over $5,000 to the Rotary Foundation.  Congratulations, Cindy, and thank you for your continuing support of the Foundation.  Cindy and Gerry are shown below.
 
Val Johnson, MaryAnn Bawden and Char Samuelson represented Rotary at the New Brighton Town Hall/Open house this past Saturday.  It's a great opportunity for us to create community awareness of Rotary and also interest people in joining Rotary.
 
John Ordway reported that we can probably expect $17,500 net from the Gold Plate Dinner.  These proceeds will help the Board to handle the ever-increasing requests for donations.  Thanks again to all who contributed to the successful fundraiser.
 
Watch the Lillie Suburban News this week for a story about our Fourth Grade Foresters Arbor Day Tree Giveaway.  Thanks to Linda Lafond, Cor Wilson and others who have found a way to get our stories and events published in the local papers.  This will surely lead to greater awareness of all the great things we so quietly accomplish in our community.
 
Dean Lotter reported on a new water contamination issue for New Brighton.  New technology has made it possible to detect extremely low concentrations of chemicals in drinking water and a recent test by the Minnesota Department of Health has detected trace amounts of 1,4-dioxane in the City's water.  The chemical was used in solvents at the Twin Cities Army Ammunition Plant.  Although the health risk is thought to be very low, the City and the Army are cooperating to address the problem, and the Army will pay for the eventual solution.  Until a solution is implemented, New Brighton's water will be coming from deeper wells that are free of the contaminant.  Kudos to Dean and New Brighton city government for their swift and transparent response to this situation.  For more information, click here.

Margaret Johnson and Bob Barmore teamed up to celebrate their birthdays.  See the photo below.

Cindy Carlson introduced our speaker, Kara VanderKamp from the Remember Niger Coalition,  You'll remember that Kara has spoken to us in the past about Niger, and that we were the lead club in a Global Matching Grant project where ten District 5960 Rotary clubs raised $11,500 which, when added to matches by District 5960 and the Rotary Foundation, resulted in a total of $37,300 to improve conditions in schools in Niger.  Niger is the least developed country in the world and lack of education is a big part of the problem.  Fully 60% of the population has no schooling at all.  The current rate of school participation is very low and the rate is even lower for girls, only 37% of whom attend  primary school and only 8% attend secondary school.  Our Global Grant helped to improve the conditions at three schools supported by the Remember Niger Coalition.  Your dollars provided new and improved latrines, electrical power, fresh water, computer training and improved security to make these schools healthier, safer and more attractive to parents struggling with the decision to send their children to school, or not.  To find out more about the Remember Niger Coalition, click here.  Kara VanderKamp, Cindy Carlson and Kara's Associate Cathy Hickman ae pictured below.

 

Meeting Recap - May 5, 2105 Jeff Benson 2015-05-05 00:00:00Z 0

2015 New Brighton Moundsview Egg Hunt Video Is Available On You Tube

Posted by Jeff Benson on Apr 30, 2015
CTV North Suburbs has put together a great video of our 2015 New Brighton Mounds View Egg Hunt.  It's available on YouTube by clicking here.  The video first appeared on CTV's North Suburban Beat news show.  You can check out all the other ways that CTV North Suburbs serves our communities by clicking here
2015 New Brighton Moundsview Egg Hunt Video Is Available On You Tube Jeff Benson 2015-05-01 00:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - April 28, 2105

Posted by Jeff Benson on Apr 27, 2015
John Risdall welcomed his guest, John Johnson.  John Marg-Patton welcomed NBMV Past President Jim Kadechka.
 
Our Gold Plate Dinner fundraiser was a great success again this year.  Event chair Dana Rebelein, and many others, expressed their appreciation for all the hard work that goes into planning a successful event of this kind.  This is our sole fundraiser of the year, so we depend on a successful dinner to fund most of the good work we do in the community and the world.  Thanks to all for a job well done!
 
Our "Fourth Grade Foresters" Arbor Day tree giveaway was a hit again this year.  Thanks to the many intrepid Rotarians who delivered the trees and answered questions from the 4th graders.  Also thanks to Amy Wakem, who organized the event.
 
Our club will be represented at the Town Hall/Community Open House on Saturday May 2nd, 8-Noon, at the New Brighton Community Center.  Click here for details.
 
Cindy Carlson and Bev Aplikowski are each hosting a table at the NYFS Leadership Luncheon on Wednesday, May 6th from 11:30-1:00 at Midland Hills Country Club in Roseville.  Please contact Cindy or Bev if you can attend.  Get more information about the luncheon here.
 
Paul announced that the last performance of "And the World Goes 'Round" will be on May 17th, so those who had planned to attend on May 20th will need to reschedule.  Contact Paul to arrange a time to attend before the 17th.
 
Bob Barmore introduced his good friend Mike Cleary, who spoke to us about the need for careful pre-planning of your intended charitable giving as part of estate planning.  He stressed that if you don't have a well thought out estate plan, the government will provide you with one that you definitely would not have made if had the choice.  Charitable giving, as a part of estate planning, can be a valuable tool to maximize the benefit to a charity while minimizing or eliminating taxes on appreciated assets.  Charitable remainder trusts, paired with life insurance, are one example of estate planning that benefits the donor and the charity while the donor is still alive.  Mike's most important message was that NOW is the time to do your estate and charitable giving planning, and that concerns about the complexity and cost of estate planning can be greatly minimized by deciding what your giving goals are before you visit an estate planner.  By deciding three things (where the money will go, when it will go and how much will go) before you visit a planner/attorney, you can dramatically reduce the cost of estate planning.  Mike and Bob are pictured below.
Meeting Recap - April 28, 2105 Jeff Benson 2015-04-28 00:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - April 21, 2015

Posted by Jeff Benson on Apr 20, 2015
Our meeting today was filled with last minute details for the Gold Plate dinner.  This Friday is the big event we all have a part to play in the success of our major fundraiser.  Let's do our best to show our guests a great time and show them what a classy organization we are.  Setup at the Mermaid will begin at 2PM and even though we have some people signed up to help, please consider showing up to lend a hand.  Remember that the theme is "The Roaring 20's", so it would be great if many of us would dress the part.  Costumes are "admired but not required".  Social hour begins at 6:00 and dinner is at 7:00.  Twelve tickets remain to be sold, so there will be an opportunity at the dinner to purchase additional chances to win the big money!
 
Sue Ager was unable to be at today's meeting as she was attending her sister-in-law's funeral.  She wanted to remind us of the Benedictine Gala on Friday, May 1st.  If you don't have your tickets yet, contact Sue.
 
Cindy Carlson and Bev Aplikowski are each hosting a table at the NYFS Leadership Luncheon on Wednesday, May 6th from 11:30-1:00 at Midland Hills Country Club in Roseville.  Please contact Cindy or Bev if you can attend.
 
Dave and Susan Hoel are the proud grandparents of Henrik Alan Stordahl, 8 lb., 11 oz. and 22 in.  Mother (Lauren) and son are doing well.
 
Geoff announced that the Echo Grant has been completed and the new Gator utility vehicle should already have been delivered to a very appreciative ECHO staff.  Once again, we got a lot of praise from the District for doing the grant and doing it right.  Great work, Geoff!
 
Bob Barmore introduced our speakers, Steve Jahnke and Chris Drahn, of Nuveen Investments. Steve and Chris presented information about the bond market in general and about Minnesota's bond market in particular.  It's one thing to listen to a talk about the bond market, but quite another to write an intelligent summary of a talk about the bond market.  Fortunately for me, and for you, Chris has written a piece on Minnesota's bond market which I will attempt to summarize here.
 
Minnesota enjoys a relatively good bond investment outlook for a number of reasons.  First, with a budget surplus, high taxes and favorable credit perception among investors, demand for Minnesota municipal debt is high.  Minnesota's economy is also relatively stable due to a good mix of higher paying jobs and high worker education levels.  Investors also note that Minnesota's recovery from the recession outpaced the national recovery with a year-over-year GDP growth rate of 2.8%. Minnesota's debt management is also in the top 25% nationally.  The health of Minnesota's pension system is also good compared to many other states, having passed pension measures in 2010.  State statutes also safeguard general obligation debt for many levels of Minnesota government, with the state auditor having the authority, but so far not the need, to levy property taxes to cover all principal and interest on State G.O. bonds.  Local level bonds have similar safeguards as well.  These safeguards have resulted in fairly high demand from in-state investors which, in turn, attracts out- of state investors.  This has resulted in a stable market for many years and Chris feels that that stability will continue in the near future.  Chris, Bob and Steve are shown below
 
Meeting Recap - April 21, 2015 Jeff Benson 2015-04-21 00:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - April 14, 2015

Posted by Jeff Benson on Apr 13, 2015
Margaret was warmly welcomed back after a couple of weeks away.
 
Dana's guest today was her daughter-in-law, Janet Ampe. She was present to invite us to the Rogers Rotary Foundation "Big Cup" golf tournament. Details may be found at: http://rogersrotary.com/golf-tournament.  While Janet was here she also offered an opportunity to join her in this year's "Moving Day Twin Cities" walk/run for parkinson's disease.  Janet recently underwent successful deep brain stimulation surgery which has enabled her to walk in the event this year.  For more information, click here.
 
Gold Plate Dinner News
- Final GPD planning meeting is Tuesday, April 21st, 11AM at CU companies.  All GPD committee chairs should attend and all interested Rotarians are welcome.
- Please bring a bottle of wine or six-pack of beer on Tuesday, April 21st, to donate for a new fundraising effort at the GPD.  Val will be collecting your donations.
- Please get your silent auction donations to Cindy Carlson or Mary Stewart ASAP so they can have everything ready for the gala.
- Bev reminds us that that there are still 14 tickets left to be sold, so let's get it done!
 
Val needs one more volunteer to help her staff our Rotary booth at the New Brighton Town Hall Meeting from 8AM to Noon on Saturday, May 2nd.  Please call her if you can help.
 
Margaret read thank you's from District 5960 for our continuing support of Polio Plus, and from Ralph Reeder Food Shelf for the 163 pounds of food collected at the Easter Egg Hunt.
 
The Board will meet at 11AM on April 28th.
 
Mark reported that his mother passed away on Easter, but praised Benedictine Health Center for the compassionate care that she received during her stay there.
 
Our Speaker today was Eric Nelson.  Eric gave his long-awaited classification talk and here are the highlights.  Eric grew up as a "Rice Street Boy" on the East Side of St. Paul.  School was all parochial until 8th grade, but high school was at Tartan H.S.  Eric worked full time evenings to pay his own way through college, graduating from the UofM in 4 years with two degrees and no debt!  He got his graduate degree from St Mary's University of Minnesota.  He met his wife Christine (Chris) in high school but she wisely waited to show any interest until college had matured him a bit. The light of Eric's life is his daughter, Julia. Eric's first job was in the basement of the Tin Cups bar, trimming frozen chickens and he also worked at Rainbow Foods while in college.  His first education job was teaching at Henry Sibley H.S. but he soon got an assistant principal job at Edina H.S., where he worked for 12 years.  When the Irondale principal job opened up, Eric jumped at the chance to learn from 621 Superintendent, Dan Hoverman and to continue the great work started by Colleen Wambach and Scott Gengler at Irondale.  Eric loves lists and presented his list of loves, summarized here:
1.  The Desert
2.  Golf
3.  Arsenal Football Club (Soccer)
4.  Italy
5.  WWII Documentaries
6.  The Gophers
7.  Netflix
8.  Music (all kinds)
9.  The Godfather I and II
10. And of course, Countdowns and Lists
Eric and Margaret are pictured below.
Meeting Recap - April 14, 2015 Jeff Benson 2015-04-14 00:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - April 7, 2015

Posted by Jeff Benson on Apr 06, 2015
Margaret was in San Francisco and Dana was in Italy, so Glenna was conscripted to lead the meeting, which she did with her usual style and grace.
 
Dave reported that Saturday's NBMV Rotary Easter Egg Hunt was a great success.  Dave credited the many Rotarians, spouses and family members who participated in making this 26th annual egg hunt every bit as successful as the 25 that preceded it.  Working like a well-oiled machine, we carefully spread out 6,000 plastic eggs filled with jelly beans and prize slips and watched as every egg was gathered up in just over a minute.  Great weather led to a big turnout (Dave estimated 900 people) but parents and kids remained calm as they waited to redeem their prize slips.  We also collected 163 pounds of food for the Food Shelf.  Thanks again to all those who helped in any way.  Check out the Egg Hunt '15 Photo album here.
 
Gerry had the honor and pleasure to present Sue Ager with a Paul Harris Fellow+2 award, recognizing her total contributions of over $3,000 to the Rotary Foundation.  Way to go, Sue!  Sue and Gerry are shown below.
 
Bev Aplikowski celebrated her 80th birthday this past week, and I couldn't help but think of the positive impact that she has had on her community in those many years.  Thanks, Bev, for all you do!  Bev's birthday photo is shown below.
 
Geoff Hollimon reported that our ECHO grant is almost completed.  We pooled this year's and last year's ECHO budget and got a sizeable contribution from Prior Lake Rotary to enable the purchase of a John Deere Gator and internet video publishing software.  Ed Kiefer would be proud that we have continued to support his beloved ECHO.  Thanks to Geoff for all his hard work on this matching grant.
 
There was an opinion article in the Star Tribune yesterday about how Rotary's Polio Plus program is close to ridding Africa of polio.  You can read it here.
 
Our 3 Irondale Scholarships will be presented at the Senior Recognition Program at 6PM on May 20th.  It would be great if another Rotarian could join Amy at the event to represent our club.  Call Amy if you can join her.
 
Sue Ager reminded us that May 1st is the date for the Benedictine Gala.  See Sue for more information about this fun event.
 
Bob Barmore introduced our speaker, Bob Showers, a baseball historian and independent author.  In 1970, Mr. Showers traveled with his family from his home in Iowa to the Twin Cities for a Twins game, caught Twins Fever and has never recovered.  He later moved to Bloomington and worked in the marketing department for the North Stars, and eventually  wrote a book with Lou Nanne about the North Stars.  That success led him to write a book about the early years of the Twins franchise, from their arrival in 1961 until their last game at Metropolitan Stadium in 1981.  The book includes photos of all 252 players from that era and lots of stories, many of them previously unpublished, that offer a fresh look at the beginnings of professional baseball in Minnesota.  Proceeds from the book go to the Minnesota Twins Charitable Fund.  Glenna, Bob and Bob are pictured below.
Meeting Recap - April 7, 2015 Jeff Benson 2015-04-07 00:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - March 31, 2015​

Posted by Jeff Benson on Mar 30, 2015
Dave Hoel thanked the Rotarians, spouses and family members who helped stuff prize slips and 400 pounds of jelly beans into 6,000 plastic eggs last Sunday.  The volunteers were very efficient this year, completing the task in about 2 hours. Thanks to Bev for providing the community room at Lakeside Homes, which makes the process so convenient.  Also a special thanks to Jim and Maureen O'Brien's three granddaughters, pictured below, who have been a regular part of the egg hunt crew for several years.  Rotarians are reminded to be at Driftwood park, on 5th St. NW, just West of Silver Lake Road, at 10AM on Saturday, April 5th to set up for the hunt.
 
NBMV Rotary is sponsoring 2 students to attend Camp RYLA again this year. RYLA stands for Rotary Youth Leadership Awards.  As the name implies, the 5 day camp helps high school students develop leadership and other skills through a variety of  physical, mental, emotional and intellectual challenges. We hope to have the students report to the club after the experience.
 
Paul Fournier will pass around the sign-up sheet again next Tuesday for the Jungle Theater`s "And The World Goes 'Round", an excellent musical revue. Mark your calendars now for either May 13th or 20th, and make sure to sign up next Tuesday or call Paul to reserve your seats.
 
Our guests today were Rotarians Marv Sorvala, and Mary Jo McGuire.
 
Sue Ager reminded us that the Eighth Annual Benedictine Gala will be held on Friday, May 1st, at St John The Baptist Catholic Church, 5:30PM.   Individual tickets are $60 and you need to reserve your spot by April 19th.  See Sue for more details.
 
The NYFS Leadership Luncheon will be held at the Midland Hills Country Club from 11:30AM to 1:00PM on Wednesday, May 6th.  Cindy Carlson and Bev Aplikowski are each hosting a table and they would love to have you join them.
 
Since today is the 5th Tuesday, a club assembly was held to review planning for the Gold Plate Dinner silent auction.  The silent auction is vital to the success of the fundraiser, so it's important that each club member contact businesses and friends to see if they might have something to donate.  We have only three weeks until the event so please make those contacts ASAP. We could also use some more volunteers to help with the silent auction, so contact Cindy Carlson or Mary Stuart if you can be of help.
 
We still have at least 30 tickets remaining to be sold for the dinner, so get out there and beat the bushes for friends and business associates that might enjoy this great event.  Please remember also to return your personal ticket reservation stub (with meal choices) to Bev by Tuesday, April 7th, so we can get an idea of where we stand on ticket sales.
 
 
 
 
Meeting Recap - March 31, 2015​ Jeff Benson 2015-03-31 00:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - March 24, 2015

Posted by Jeff Benson on Mar 23, 2015
Dana filled in, last minute, for Margaret.
 
There were no guests or visiting Rotarians today.
 
Upcoming Activities:
 
All members are invited to attend some or all of the District 5960 Conference, being held at the Kahler Grand Hotel in Rochester from April 30th - May2nd.  More information is available here.
 
Paul Fournier is organizing opportunities to attend a musical review at the Jungle Theater titled, "And the World Goes 'Round'.  Paul's wife Chrissy is involved in the production, so you know it will be great.  The dates are Wednesday, May 13th and Wednesday, May 20th, at 7:30 PM.  Contact Paul if you would like to attend.
 
There was lengthy discussion about planning for the Gold Plate Dinner which is scheduled for Friday April 24th.  To summarize:
     -There are still 40 tickets unsold, so think about who you could invite to join in the fun.
     -We need more items for the silent and live auctions.
     -More volunteers are needed for the silent auction team.  See Mary Stewart.
 
The NBMV Rotary Easter Egg Hunt is fast approaching and your help will be needed to make the event a success: 
      -On Sunday, March 29th, at 11:00AM, we will meet at Lakeside Homes community room, 350 Old Hwy 8 SW, New Brighton, to fill the plastic eggs with jelly beans and prize slips.
      -On Saturday, April 4th, at 10:00AM, we will all meet at Driftwood Park, 2705 5th St NW, New Brighton, to set up for the hunt. 
 
John Risdall is putting together a group to dine, listen (and possibly dance?) to 30's and 40's music at Crooner's, 6161 Hwy 65 in Fridley.  Call John for more information.
 
We are all invited to attend Achieve Services annual gala on Friday, April 17th.  For more details, please visit their website.
 
Our Speakers for today were our own Eric Nelson, principal of Irondale H.S., and Mindy Handberg, from the Mounds View Schools Education Foundation.  Eric spoke first with a presentation entitled "Progress Towards the Promise".  The promise referred to is the District 621 Equity Promise, ensuring that all students are prepared for post-secondary success regardless of race, class or disability.  We've all familiar with the "achievement gap" issue that frustrates educators, parents and students but Eric believes that the achievement gap will not be solved until three other "gaps" that create the achievement gap are addressed.  Eric called these the Aspiration, Opportunity, and Expectation gaps.  One pioneering way that Irondale, and now Mounds View are addressing these gaps is by making the ACT exam available to all high school juniors, without cost to the student.  Another way is Early College in High School, which creates opportunities not just for the top 20% but also for the "academic middle", the middle 60% who have often had less support while educators focused on the top and bottom 20% of students.  In 2015 at Irondale, 244 students have accumulated college credit while still in High School, compared to 175 in 2012.  To view the video "Progress Toward the Promise" click here.
The progress that district 621 is making is, in part, due to initiatives undertaken by the Mounds View Schools Education Foundation.  Mindy Handberg, executive director of the Foundation, followed up on Eric's presentation by outlining the MVSEF's initiatives for 2014-15:
-Kindergarten Literacy Centers - providing books and other materials to provide enhanced learning opportunities for the youngest in our district.
-Laurentian Environmental Center - grant expands opportunities for all district 5th and 7th graders to participate in hands-on environmental activities related to their science and math programs.
-High School Physics & STEM Career Fairs - the Foundation supports career fairs reinforcing the value of a strong science curriculum.
-Equity Promise Scholarships - provided a lead gift in support of the Equity Promise Scholarship program, a new comprehensive district initiative that aligns with the goal of positioning all students for post-secondary success.  This scholarship program recognizes students who have demonstrated success in a variety of ways, not just pure academic achievement.  Recipients will have demonstrated academic growth and sustained participation in activities throughout high school.  Overcoming challenges, displaying perseverance and exhibiting "grit" are also considered.  Eric and Mindy are pictured below.
 
Meeting Recap - March 24, 2015 Jeff Benson 2015-03-24 00:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - March 17, 2015

Posted by Jeff Benson on Mar 16, 2015
Last week's meeting was at the CPY Luncheon, and Mary Stewart thanked the 20 Rotarians who attended, and also thanked the club for donating the amount that we would usually pay for lunches and meeting room rental.  She also announced that CPY has received a grant from the United Way of $50,000/year for 3 years to improve CPY's middle school programs.  Great news for a great organization!  Mary is pictured below with Margaret Johnson and CPY board member Geoff Hollimon.
 
 
The NBMV Rotary Easter Egg Hunt is fast approaching and your help will be needed to make the event a success: 
      -On Friday, March 20th at 6:00PM, we will gather in the parking garage directly below our Tuesday meeting place.  Pizza will be provided but bring a beverage of your choice.
      -On Sunday, March 29th, at 11:00AM, we will meet at Lakeside Homes community room, 350 Old Hwy 8 SW, New Brighton, to fill the plastic eggs with jelly beans and prize slips.
      -On Saturday, April 4th, at 10:00AM, we will all meet at Driftwood Park, 2705 5th St NW, New Brighton, to set up for the hunt. 
 
John Risdall is putting together a group to dine, listen (and possibly dance?) to 20's and 30's music at Crooner's, 6161 Hwy 65 in Fridley.  Call John for more information.
 
Linda LaFond introduced her guest, Carol Jackson.  Carol is a librarian with the Ramsey County Library, Mounds View Branch.
 
We are all invited to attend Achieve Services annual gala on Friday, April 17th.  For more details, please visit the website.
 
Mike Abel visited today to announce a new job with the VA.  He'll start on Monday, and he hopes to continue in Rotary but he's not sure at this point if it will be possible.
 
Paul Fournier announced a couple of possible dates to attend a musical review at the Jungle Theater titled, "And the World Goes 'Round'.  Paul's wife Chrissy is involved in the production, so you know it will be great.  The dates are Wednesday, May 13th and Wednesday, May 20th, at 7:30 PM.  Contact Paul if you would like to attend.
 
You may remember that, two weeks ago, John Marg-Patton negotiated his way out of wearing the birthday hat by promising that he (and John Ordway) would provide desert at a future meeting.  Today John and John made good on their promise by providing us with delicious cupcakes.  Both John's were able to avoid wearing their hats but we managed to sing to one John (Ordway) over the protests of the other John (Marg-Patton).  Neither John could escape the photographer, however.  Photos of both John's are shown below.
 
 
Our speaker today was Past District Governor Clare Lillis.  Clare's first exposure to Rotary was when his neighbor, our own John Risdall, asked if he would like to host a Rotary Exchange student.  Clare soon became a Rotarian and has since become a great ambassador for Rotary.  Clare spoke to us today about his experience with Fast For Hope Nicaragua.  Fast For Hope began 20 years ago and has funded many projects aimed at alleviating poverty and poor living conditions.  Objective review of the long term impact of these well-intentioned projects revealed that many of the efforts had not been sustainable.  So, in 2007, the Fast For Hope Committee decided to explore new and sustainable ways to be of service in the world.  The result was a new vision of how to help people who are living in extreme poverty.  This new vision empowers the local community to determine their needs and take ownership of the solution in cooperation with Rotary.  Although it requires a greater initial investment of time and money, this grassroots approach insures sustainability because it is a community project rather than just a Rotary handout.  Clare described how this community ownership has led to big changes in El Corozo, Nicaragua, where District 5960 leaders have helped community leaders to develop literacy, professional development and road improvement initiatives that have led to widespread community support and involvement.  This new model of charitable aid to impoverished communities may just be the one that results in long term solutions to extreme poverty.  For more information, or to find out how you can help, click here.   Clare is pictured below with Margaret Johnson and Mary Stewart.
Meeting Recap - March 17, 2015 Jeff Benson 2015-03-17 00:00:00Z 0

26th Annual Easter Egg Hunt

Posted by Coralie Wilson on Mar 09, 2015
Driftwood Park in New Brighton will be the site of the 26th annual Rotary Club Egg Hunt.  The event is sponsored by the New Brighton / Mounds View Rotary Club.  The egg hunt is open to all children ages 1 month to 7 years of age.  Over 5000 plastic eggs filled with 400 pounds of jellybeans wait the egg hunters.  Some eggs will have prize tickets in them, which are redeemed for a variety of treasures.
 
The hunt is divided into 4 age groups; each child has the opportunity to gather candy filled eggs.  The age groups are: 1-24 months, 2-3 years old, 4-5 years old and 6-7 years old.  Please bring a basket or bag in which the children can collect their eggs.
Driftwood Park is located just west of Silver Lake Road on 5th Street SW in New Brighton.  The Egg Hunt is Saturday, April 4 and begins sharply at 11:30 AM.  It takes the egg hunters only minutes to gather up all the eggs.  So, don’t be a minute late!
 
Parking is available on the street and in the Salem Covenant church parking lot.  There is a small parking area just west of the park.
 
The Rotary Club will be collecting non-perishable food items for the local Ralph Reed Food Shelf.  Please bring what you can for this important cause.
 
The Easter Bunny will take a few minutes of his busy schedule to make an appearance at this year’s hunt.  Bring your camera.
 
Rotarians at the CPY luncheon.
26th Annual Easter Egg Hunt Coralie Wilson 2015-03-10 00:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - March 3, 2015

Posted by Jeff Benson on Mar 02, 2015
Margaret reported on a great article in the Sun-Focus paper about our Rotary Day Event.  Thanks to Linda and Cor for their persistence in getting the article published.
 
Our guests today were John LeTourneau from the Ramsey Rotary Club and his guest, Alex Carlson from Acheive Services.  You may recall that Alex spoke to the club about Achieve Services a little over a year ago.  They were here to promote Achieve's 10th Annual Fundraising Gala, to be held on Friday April 17, 5-9PM at Bunker Hills Golf Club.  More information is available here.
 
Gerry was pleased to present Geoff Hollimon with his Paul Harris Fellowship+2, indicating total contributions of $3,000 to the Rotary Foundation.  Geoff and Gerry are pictured below.
 
Upcoming events:
 
Don't forget to sign up with Geoff Hollimon to attend the CPY Luncheon next Tuesday, the 10th, 12:00 - 1:00PM, at the N.B. Family Service Center.  This meeting will be the Rotary meeting for the week.
 
Mark your calendars now for the NBMV Rotary Easter Egg Hunt on Saturday April 4th, at 10AM.
 
Our annual Arbor Day tree giveaway to area elementary school students will be on April 22nd.
 
The Gold Plate Dinner is fast approaching...get your tickets sold now and email Bev Aplikowski if you need more tickets.   bev@homesbylakeside.com
 
John Marg-Patton was scheduled for his birthday serenade today but he wangled his way out of it by promising dessert for all on March 17th.  Alas, no photo of John in the Birthday Hat.
 
Our speakers today were Adrian Klim and Shawdy Kiani, Irondale seniors who attended Camp Enterprise on scholarships from our club.  Both students were very impressed with their experience at camp and thanked us for the opportunity to attend.  Adrian will pursue a marketing degree at UMD and Shawdy will be a pre-dental student at the Uof M Twin Cities Campus.  The students were accompanied today by their teacher, Diane Waite, who positively gushed with praise for Camp Enterprise.  She noted that Irondale participants have benefited greatly from the program and that some have actually returned to the camp as counselors.  With all the talk about students not being prepared for college, it's nice to see that there are students (like these two) who are more than ready.   Diane, Shawdy, Adrian and Principal Eric Nelson are pictured below.
 
 
 
 
Meeting Recap - March 3, 2015 Jeff Benson 2015-03-03 00:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - February 24, 2015

Posted by Jeff Benson on Feb 23, 2015
Our Guest today was Marv Sorvala, from the Roseville Club.
 
Gerry Tietz presented Eric Nelson with a Paul Harris Fellow Award, made possible by the generous donation of Paul Harris recognition points by club members.  Gerry also had the pleasure of presenting Dana Rebelein with a Paul Harris+5, recognizing Dana's $6,000+ in total contributions to the Rotary Foundation.  Gerry is pictured with Eric and Dana, below.
 
We welcomed John Marg-Patton back from Florida with the usual good-natured abuse.
 
Eric Nelson's was unsuccessful in arguing that he didn't have to wear the birthday hat because he was born on February 29th, and there is no 29th this month.  Nice try, Eric!  See Eric in his hat below.
 
Cindy introduced Jan Anderson of Hope 4 Youth, a drop-in center for homeless youth in Anoka County.  Hope 4 Youth was started in 2012 by a group of citizens who were concerned about hundreds of youth in Anoka County who were experiencing homelessness.   Their dream was to provide a safe place where homeless youth could first receive the help they need to survive, and later, the help they need to fit back into society, thrive and grow.  Due to zoning restrictions, they are not allowed to provide shelter overnight in their current location.  A new location has been identified that would permit overnight shelter and they are hoping to be able to relocate soon.  Until that time, Hope 4 Youth provides drop-in services in the afternoon only.  You can help by donating food, clothing, bus passes, gift cards and other items that would be helpful for homeless youth.  You can also donate your time in many ways including mentoring, cooking, office help and technical assistance.  You can find more information at Hope4YouthMN.org Jan is pictured with Cindy below.
 
Meeting Recap - February 24, 2015 Jeff Benson 2015-02-24 00:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - February 17, 2015

Posted by Jeff Benson on Feb 16, 2015
John Risdall's guest today was Yazdan Bakhsh.  Yazdan spoke to the club on January 6th about the current situation in Afganistan.
 
Gerry Tietz had the pleasure of presenting two Paul Harris Fellow Awards.  Mary Stewart received her first Paul Harris Fellow Award as a result of members contributing their recognition points to honor Mary for her community service through CPY.  Jason Miller received his Paul Harris Fellow +7 Award, signifying total contributions of $8,000 to the Rotary Foundation.  Jason leads the club in individual contributions to the Rotary Foundation, setting an example for all of us to follow.  Mary and Jason are pictured with Gerry below.
Dana, and several members of the Gold Plate Dinner Committee, filled us in on plans for the gala scheduled for April 24th.  The theme is the Roaring 20's, so dressing in 20's vintage clothing is recommended, but not required.  If you're planning on a period costume, start planning now!
 
The Board of Directors will meet at 11AM on February 24th.
 
Don't forget that we'll be attending the CPY luncheon in lieu of our regular Rotary meeting on March 10th.  Geoff Hollimon and several other Rotarians are organizing tables.
 
The Clean Water Forum was a great success, according to those who attended.  Val was commended for helping to make the event fun and informative.
 
Glenna Dibrell introduced our speaker, Tim Cheesebrow, of Music Works Minnesota, a 501c3 non-profit organization providing youth and adults with songwriting classes and performance opportunities to help them create original music.  One part of MWM's mission has been to provide music education and performance skills mentoring for middle school students, using musical self-expression to foster core life skills and build self confidence for students who are often challenged by conventional educational programs.  Their alternative approach to music education is currently available to middle school students in the Mounds View and Spring Lake Park school districts.  Programs are offered during the school day, as an after school activity and in a four week summer camp setting.  More information on Music Works Minnesota can be found here.  Tim is shown with Glenna below.
 
 
Meeting Recap - February 17, 2015 Jeff Benson 2015-02-17 00:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - February 10, 2015

Posted by Jeff Benson on Feb 09, 2015
Due to a conflict, our regular meeting place was not available today.  We met, instead, at the Risdall conference room.  Thanks, John!
 
Rotarian Mike Scholl, from the Ramsey club, visited us today.
 
President Margaret, along with many others, thanked Linda LaFond, John Risdall, Glenna Dibrell and all the others who helped to make our "Illuminate Rotary" event a great success.  We were able to talk to many prospective Rotarians and create awareness of Rotary while honoring local businesses that participated in our holiday food drive for the Ralph Reeder Food Shelf.  Great job everyone!
 
Gerry presented Corrin Secrist with a Paul Harris Fellowship, made possible by members donating recognition points.  As a new member, Corrin has displayed all the attributes of a seasoned Rotarian and proven herself worthy of the award.  Congratulations Corrin!  Corrin and Gerry are shown below.
 
Jeff welcomed Todd Kruse as the newest member of our club.  Todd is the president of the Twin Cities North Chamber and will be a great addition to the club.  Watch your bulletins for Todd's classification talk...it should be a good one.  Nice to have you onboard, Todd!  See the photo of Todd and Jeff below.
 
 
Upcoming Events:
Feb 24th - Board Meeting, 11:00AM
March 10th - CPY Luncheon
Upcoming Speakers:
Feb 17th - Tim Cheesebrow - MusicWorks MN
Feb 24th - Jan Anderson - Hope 4 Youth
Mar 3rd -   Camp Enterprise Students Speak
 
Former NBMV Rotarian Matt Fulton's parents both passed away recently.  George says he has Matt's current contact information.
 
Nils introduced our speaker, Jed Hamoud.  Jed has spoken to our club in the past regarding Middle East issues, but his presentation today was about Kids Alive International.  Kids Alive International is a Christian faith mission dedicated to rescuing orphans and vulnerable children and meeting their spiritual, physical and emotional needs.  Kids Alive International had its humble beginnings 100 years ago in China when missionaries Ava and Leslie Anglin began taking in homeless children.  Kids Alive has since expanded to include 14 countries worldwide and $10 million in annual revenue.  Kids Alive helps children by providing residential homes, care centers and schools for abandoned and abused children, all within the framework of Christian love and compassion.   For the last twelve years, KIds Alive has received the highest rating (4 stars) from Charity Navigator.  Fewer than 1% of charities receive this ranking.  In fact, more than 85% of donations go directly to helping children.  More information can be found here.  Jed is pictured with Nils below.
 
 
 

 


 

 
Meeting Recap - February 10, 2015 Jeff Benson 2015-02-10 00:00:00Z 0

Rotary Day Event - February 3, 2015

Posted by Jeff Benson on Feb 03, 2015
Our Rotary Day Event took the place of our regular noon meeting today.  The event was held to honor the participants in our recent holiday food drive effort to help stock the shelves of the Ralph Reeder Food Shelf.  Twenty one Rotarians and guests joined twelve food drive participants from local businesses for hotdogs, tacos and delicious desserts.  The highlight of the event was the presentation of the prestigious Paul Harris Fellow Award to Lisa Baker for her outstanding service to the community.  Lisa started working part-time at the food shelf 15 years ago.  Lisa's hours rapidly increased to full-time as the demand for food shelf services has increased 300% in the past 15 years.  The Food Shelf is now serving 16,000 individuals annually; 7000 of whom are children and 1500 of whom are seniors.  Since grants and state aid amount to less than 10% of the food shelf's budget, donations of cash and food are constantly needed to restock the shelves.  The Christmas holiday season places an even greater burden on food shelf supplies, so New Brighton Mounds View Rotary's Holiday food drive helps to make sure that food shelf clients have enough food during the holidays.  Lisa also acknowledged the invaluable contributions of her assistant, Sue Peake, and the volunteer efforts of the Rotary Club, as well as businesses, schools and churches whose donations and volunteer efforts allow the food shelf to dramatically reduce hunger in our community.  Our sincere thanks and congratulations go out to all who participated in the Holiday Food Drive and we hope that you will join us again next year. 
Gerry Tietz presents Lisa Baker with the Paul Harris Fellow Award
 
 
Sue Peake and Lisa Baker 
Rotary Day Event - February 3, 2015 Jeff Benson 2015-02-04 00:00:00Z 0

Meetng Recap - January 27, 2015

Posted by Jeff Benson on Jan 26, 2015
We had a number of guests today.  John Risdall invited Don Eitel from Risdall Marketing.  Dean Lotter invited Joe Hatch, administrator at New Brighton City Hall.  Jeff Benson hosted Winnie Bradford of 5LinX Products and Services for her second visit to the club. 
 
Margaret was back at the helm after two weeks away and read a thank you note from the Rice Creek Boat Club ($250 donation) as well as one from the Ralph Reeder Food Shelf, for our efforts in collecting 1,846 pounds of food and $625 in donations.  Well done, Rotarians!
 
A reminder to all that next weeks meeting will be held from 4-7 PM at DD's in conjunction with our Rotary Day celebration of donors and volunteers for our successful Holiday Food Shelf Drive mentioned above.  All NBMV Rotarians should attend this meeting.
 
Our February 10th meeting will be held in the Risdall Marketing Conference Room at the regular time.
 
The Gold Plate Dinner tickets were distributed at today's meeting.  Each Rotarian is responsible to buy one ticket for themselves and do their very best to sell as many more tickets as they are able.  Get started talking to friends and business associates now!
 
Val canvassed the meeting to assess support for running the bingo concession at Stockyard Days again this year.  The vote was affirmative, so we'll be looking for number callers to staff the concession.  We'll donate the first $1,000 to Stockyard Days and anything over that goes to Rotary.  I was nervous about doing it last year, but I had a blast.  I hope you'll give it a try.
 
Dean was understandably excited about New Brighton finally reaching an agreement with the Federal Government about how New Brighton will be compensated for ongoing expenses related to the Army's contamination of the water supply.  The agreement, yet to be ratified by the N.B. City Council and the Federal Government, would result in a minimum of 59.4 million dollars paid to New Brighton over the next 30 years.  This issue has consumed a huge amount of time for Dean and his staff, and they are obviously pleased to be able to put it behind them.  Our collective gratitude goes out to Dean, City Hall Staff and legal counsel for their tireless pursuit of a fair settlement from the extremely parsimonious Feds!  Click here for more details.
 
After a beautiful (for us) rendition of the Birthtday Song to honor Dana's birthday, Jeff spoiled the afterglow by fumbling with his camera and making Dana wait to take off the hat, which she was anxious to do, as you'll see in the photo below.
Our speakers today were Kathy Blegen-Huntley and Joan Elwell from the Lakeshore Players Theater.  Joan and Kathy filled us in on Lakeshore Players capital campaign to fund the construction of a new 16,000 square foot, 240 seat, performing arts facility.  The campaign is called "Light the Stage" and it's goal is to create a multi-generational entertainment venue to replace their current facility, which to put it kindly, is suffering due to it's age, lack of handicap accessibility and inadequate parking.  The proposed 2.76 acre site is four blocks north of the White Bear downtown business district at the current site of Twin City Nursery, and next door to the White Bear Center for the Arts.  John Ordway's wife, Marla, is on the Capital Campaign Committee.  For information about Lakeshore Players Theater Productions, click here.  Kathy and Joan are pictured with Margaret, below.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Meetng Recap - January 27, 2015 Jeff Benson 2015-01-27 00:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - January 20, 2015

Posted by Jeff Benson on Jan 19, 2015
The Gold Plate Dinner Flyer was distributed at today's meeting.  If you didn't get a copy or weren't at the meeting, the document will be available again next Tuesday.
 
Don't forget the Clean Water Forum, sponsored by the Anoka Rotary Club, on Thusday, February 12th, starting with breakfast at 7:15AM and ending at 10:30AM.  Get more details here.
 
You should have received your Rotary Dues Statement by email on January 20th.  John is trying out the billing function of our new ClubRunner website.  If you did not receive your statement, or have comments about this process, please contact a board member or John Ordway.
 
John Risdall's guest today was Don Eitel, a Risdall Marketing employee.
 
Dana Rebelein's stepdaughter, Janet Ampe, a Rotarian from the Ramsey club, brought Lia Nuuvali as a guest.  Lia is from Columbia Heights and has a strong interest in Rotary membership.  As a reward for bringing us a prospective member, Janet was allowed to celebrate her birthday with us by wearing the much coveted birthday hat. (see below)
 
Dave Hoel announced his retirement from the silk-screen printing industry.  Dave has plans to keep busy in retirement by being a sales rep for energy efficient industrial lighting products.  Sounds like a bright idea to me.
 
Our speaker for today's meeting was Mary Anstett from East Side Neighborhood Services (ESNS).  Organized in 1915, East Side Neighborhood Services is a non-profit human service agency that provides social and other services to individuals, families and communities, primarily in northeast and southeast Minneapolis.  Their purpose is to assist people of all ages and backgrounds in realizing a higher quality of life.
 
ESNS got it's start as a settlement house for immigrants and, over the ensuing years, has blossomed into a wide ranging service organization with 26 different program areas and an annual budget of over six million dollars.  Their services include, among many others, child day care, youth programs, youth and senior employment programs, senior day care and transportation programs and women's programs.
 
Mary was also here to let us know that ESNS's 10th annual "Snow Shoe Shuffle" fundraiser for Camp Bovey will be held in Long Lake Regional Park on February 7th.  The Snow Shoe Shuffle (a snow shoe race/walk) is the primary fundraiser for the summer day camp.  The Snow Shoe Shuffle is actually a Midwest Regional Qualifier for the United States Snow Shoe Association, so it attracts some major talent as well as recreational snowshoe enthusiasts.  The Race starts at 10AM if you want to watch and registration is at 8AM if you want to participate. Check here for more details.  Mary is pictured with Dana below.
 
Meeting Recap - January 20, 2015 Jeff Benson 2015-01-20 00:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - January 13, 2015

Posted by Jeff Benson on Jan 12, 2015
Margaret was unable to to preside at today's meeting due to an emergency surgery today to repair a torn retina.  Our thoughts and prayers are with you, Margaret!
 
Cindy introduced Todd Kruse, President of the Twin Cities North Chamber of Commerce.
 
Linda LaFond announced that the Gold Plate Dinner theme will be " The Roaring 20's", so start thinking about a costume, if you plan to wear one.  As Linda put it, "period dress will be admired but not required".
 
Don't forget that we are hosting the second Area 9 Social for local Rotary Clubs.  We'll meet at the Exchange (across form our regular meeting place) this Thursday, January 15th, from 4:30 - 6:30.  Champagne will be served.  Join us whenever you are able.  Make-ups will be available to attendees.
 
Val reminded us that the Clean Water Forum, sponsored by the Anoka Club, will be held on Thursday, February 12th at the Green Haven Golf Course, 2800 Greenhaven Road, in Anoka.  Breakfast is from 7:15 AM-8:15 AM and the program is from 8:00 AM -10:30 AM.  Register at www.anokarotary.com
 
Many thanks to Bev for hosting the Holiday Party.  A great time was had by all!
 
John Risdall reported that his second cataract surgery went as well as the first and that he can now fully appreciate his colorful ties.
 
Paul Fournier said that our serenade for his 81st Birthday was the best he's heard in over 30 years.  We're wondering about his hearing.  (see photo below)
 
Dana introduced our speaker, Connie Hayes, superintendent of the Northeast Metro 916 Intermediate School District. Connie expressed appreciation for our $500 contribution to the Rotary District 5960 Literacy Program, which will be used to fund print and digital resources for Northeast Metro 916 students.  District 916 is a specialty district serving eleven school districts in the north and east metro, operating under a joint powers agreement among the member districts.  Member school districts include Centennial, Columbia Heights, Forest Lake, Fridley, Mahtomedi, Mounds View, North St.Paul - Maplewood – Oakdale, Roseville, South Washington County, Spring Lake Park, Stillwater and White Bear Lake.  ISD 916’s board of directors is composed of one member from each of the participating districts.
 
Disrtict 916 services are focused in three areas:
  • Educational Services, including Alternative Learning Centers, Career and Technical Centers, grants, research and staff development.
  • Special Education Services, including programs for physically, mentally and emotionally challenged students as well as staff development and assistive technology training.
  • Administrative Services, including shared legal, transportation and interpreter services.ISD 16 also consolidates existing member district programs for increased efficiency.
The key benefits of ISD 916 are: (from ISD 916 website)
  • Innovative and quality educational options that are not available to students in their home districts.
  • Staff will be retained, resulting in a better learning environment for students.
  • Northeast Metro 916 will be partners with districts and others in creating and delivering quality programs and services.
  • Programs will be led and delivered by people who have the competency to do the job.
  • Northeast Metro 916 is recognized as an educational option that provides a high return on investment.  
Northeast Metro 916 has an annual budget of 67.7 million dollars and its 650 employees serve nearly 5,000 students each year, with the majority receiving services for emotional/behavioral disorders and autism spectrum disorders.  Intermediate School Districts operate on a fee-for-service basis, with student services funded by tuition which is billed to the student’s home district.  Superintendent Hayes is pictured with Dana below.
 
 
 
Meeting Recap - January 13, 2015 Jeff Benson 2015-01-13 00:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - January 6, 2015

Posted by Dana Rebelein on Jan 05, 2015
Glenna paid fines for sharing multiple pictures of her new grandchild and won the drawing, though the pile of coins dumped before her may have been a little short of the customary prize.  Geoff was glad to be back after recovering from a bad cold; the club was glad he waited till then to return. He hosted his daughter and her friends and sent them off to Wisconsin for a football game. He was commended for his Christmas light display.  John Risdall’s new look got rave reviews.  Todd got down and dirty and installed an emergency carpet, showing off skinned knuckles to prove it, and Cor was honored on her birthday.  Cor is pictured below.
 
John Risdall introduced Yazdan Bakhsh who was born into the persecuted and exploited Hazara culture  of central Afghanistan. He left there at age 15, escaping through Iran with only $3 hidden inside his sock after customs officials took anything of value, including his jacket. He was taken in by an American family who called him “son Joe.” When they needed to escape through a civil war, he led them to the airport and was taken to the U.S. He attended Grace High School (now Totino-Grace) in Fridley.
Mr. Bakhsh talked about the political situation in Afghanistan, including discrimination and persecution that continue today. He shared a photograph of a Hazara village that was leveled by Kuchi/Pashti raiders within the past two years. In his book, You’ll Be My Son Joe, he wrote of life as a young child in Hazarajat, difficulties he overcame, and people who helped him to fulfill his dream of freedom.  Yazdan is pictured below.
Meeting Recap - January 6, 2015 Dana Rebelein 2015-01-06 00:00:00Z 0

Club Meeting Recap - December 2, 2014

Posted by Jeff Benson on Dec 01, 2014
Our guests today were both Rotarains, Bob Tholkes (Fridley/Columbia Heights) and Marv Sorvala (Roseville).
 
Our district is holding its annual Mid-Term Assembly/Leadership Academy January 30 and January 31, 2015.  Its being held in Roseville, so there's no excuse not to attend some or all of the event.  Check it out and sign up online at http://rotary5960.org/showDoc.cfm?pObject=561&pMenuTop=0
 
Mark your calendars on Tuesday, Feb 3rd, 4:30-7:00PM, for our Rotary Day Event, celebrating our community volunteers.  The event will be in lieu of our regular club meeting on that day.  We'll have a taco bar, beverages and lots of fun and fellowship.  If you'd like to share your thoughts about this event, there will be a planning meeting on December 16th, 11:00AM at Risdall Marketing.
 
Now that Thanksgiving is over, its time to think about our Rotary Christmas Party.  If you would like to host the party, or help plan it, contact the Fun Committee (Beverly, Paul, Jim or Dave).
 
Bev Aplikowski introduced her good friend, and today's speaker, Dorothy Fleming.  Dorothy was ably assisted by her husband, Mike.  Dorothy's topic for her presentation was: "The Happiest Season: A Walk through Movie Memories".  Dorothy reviewed several familiar, and some not so familiar Christmas-themed movies, focusing on the moral and emotional themes that make us watch them over and over again.  Dorothy and Mike are also very interested in the homes which were a focal point for many of these classic films and have made several road trips to see and sometimes tour these iconic residences.  Check out Dorothy's web site at http://www.justdorothy.com/
 
Dorothy and Mike are pictured with Bev below.
 
 
 
Club Meeting Recap - December 2, 2014 Jeff Benson 2014-12-02 00:00:00Z 0

November 25th Speaker

Posted by Jeff Benson on Nov 25, 2014
Our Speaker today was Dean Lotter.  He had hoped to be able to update us on New Brighton's legal battle with the U.S. Government, but the legal wrangling is still in process and he cannot comment until it is settled.  Instead, Dean presented a summary of city's financial condition.  Financial Sustainability was a key element of the Strategic Plan developed by the Council and Staff in 2013.  Managing debt is a key element of financial sustainability and city management has worked hard on debt reduction, reducing total debt by 4.9 million in 2013 (a 10% reduction).  A plan is in place to fund capital expenditures thru 2025 without borrowing, eliminating interest expense on these purchases.  Another benefit of good financial management is that our AA credit bond rating is likely to rise to AA+ and could even go to AAA, if projections bear out.  This would bring an added benefit of lower interest rates when we do have to borrow.  These cost reductions, along with personnel management and controlling annual increases in department costs, have kept average budget increases well under one percent per year over the last seven years.  This is much better than other comparable cities.   Dean's city management mantra, “One City-One Set of Resources-One Set of Services”,  seems to be effective in managing New Brighton's tax dollars.  (Dean and Margaret are pictured below)
November 25th Speaker Jeff Benson 2014-11-26 00:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - November 11, 2014

Posted by Jeff Benson on Nov 10, 2014
On this Veteran's Day we honored our veteran members, Geoff Hollimon, David Hoel, Mike Abel, Mark Beisswenger and Jim O'Brien.  Geoff, Dave and Mike were present to accept our thanks for their service to our great country. (see photo above)
 
The Rotary Area 9 Social, hosted by the Arden Hills/Shoreview club, was well attended by our club and others.  Cindy, Jason, Dana, Mike N. and Margaret attended from our club and reported that it was a great opportunity to meet Rotarians from other clubs in our area.
 
A group from our club will join the Roseville club this Saturday at Bridging to assemble dressers.  The "dresser build" will run from 9-12Noon at Bridging's Roseville location.
 
Some of you have signed up for the food bag filling at Ralph Reeder Food Shelf on November 25th from 9-11AM.  There may be room for one or two more so, if you are interested in helping, give Gerry Tietz a call.
 
Mark your calendars now for the District 5960 Leadership Academy/Mid-Term Assembly to be held on January 30-31, 2015 at the Radisson Roseville.  All Rotarians are encouraged to attend - there is something for everyone.  It would be great to have a good turnout by our club for some or all of the activities.  Click here for information about the event.
 
On the evening of Tuesday, February 3rd, we will be recognizing community volunteers for their service at our "Rotary Day" Event.  This event will be in lieu of the regular club meeting on that day, and we hope that all will be able to attend
 
Corrin Secrist presented the Clubrunner Website Tip of the Week.  Today's tip: How to upload your photo to the member profile section of the website.  If you missed today's meeting, contact Corrin and she will email you the instructions.
 
Dana encouraged us all to sign up for a Rotary Fellowship Group.  Dana has joined the Quilters and Fiber Artists Group.  A list of Fellowship Groups can be found here.  Val chimed in that Rotarians also have the opportunity to join "Rotary Action Groups".  Val is, of course, partial to the Water and Sanitation Rotary Action Group (WASRAG) but you can find a complete directory of the Rotary Action Groups here.
 
Gerry led us in the "Heads and Butts" game to help fund this year's commitment to Polio Plus.  Jason kept a firm hold on his "Butt", winning the $10 prize as he watched all challengers fall by the wayside.  Just a few minutes later, he won the Raffle as well.  If we could get Jason to Vegas, we could really make it big!
 
Several Rotarians offered happy fines in honor of loved ones who have served their country in the armed forces and in other ways as well.
 
There were no birthdays for the second week in a row, and the birthday hats were feeling very lonely. 
 
SPEAKER

Our speakers today were Ruth and Carmen Marg-Patton.  Ruth and Carmen shared the story of their walk along the el Camino de Santiago to celebrate their 60th/30th birthdays.  The el Camino de Santiago is a network of routes in Europe, all leading to Santiago de Compostela in the Northwest corner of Spain.  During the middle ages, these routes served to guide Christians on pilgrimages to St James' tomb which is located in Santiago de Compostela.  Tens of thousands of modern-day "pilgrims" walk the Camino each year, and the people who live along the route provide accommodations and food at a very reasonable cost.  Ruth and Carmen chose to walk the last 200 miles of the Camino, starting in Leon, Spain.  Their ten day trip required that everything they needed, except food, be carried in their backpacks, but conversations with fellow hikers revealed that there are services that would shuttle some of their gear to the next hostel.  Less weight on their backs made it much easier on their already blistered feet (200 miles is a LONG way to walk in ten days, even without a pack).  Ruth described all the gear and pharmaceutical aids that helped them survive the blisters, heat, sore muscles and chaffing.  Although it might seem that hiking the el Camino is just about surviving the journey, it was clear that, for Ruth and Carmen, it was a great mother-daughter bonding experience.  Thanks to Ruth and Carmen for sharing the experience with us.  Ruth and Carmen are pictured below.

 

 
Meeting Recap - November 11, 2014 Jeff Benson 2014-11-11 00:00:00Z 0

Marsh Jones - Rice Creek Boat Club

Posted by Jeff Benson on Oct 27, 2014
Our speaker at today's meeting was Marsh Jones, of the Rice Creek Boat Club. The Rice Creek Boat Club was founded in 2007 by our speaker and Joe Manns, as a way to get kids involved in paddle sports. The club had humble beginnings; with a real challenge to scrounge, beg, and borrow equipment for the 15 young athletes who were looking for off-season cross-training and upper body strength development to make them better cross-country skiers. They started out by focusing on marathon canoeing on lakes and rivers (often upstream in the rivers), and by 2010 had added sprint racing (200-1000 meters) to their program.  Since 2010, the club has become very competitive, winning races in local, regional and even national competitions. At the 2014 USA Canoe/Kayak Sprint Nationals, eight paddlers brought home 5 medals. One member, Sarah Tokos, was named to the U.S Junior World Team and is an Olympic hopeful. These kids are serious athletes. If you live on Long Lake , and are up by 6AM, you may have noticed as many as 20 athletes participating in the club's grueling morning workouts. 
 
The challenges facing the club are mostly financial.  Even though all club coaches are volunteers, frequent boat repairs and 15 scheduled road trips stretch the club's $21,000 annual budget to the limit. The club is a 501(c)3 charitable organization, solely funded by club memberships and private donations. For more information about the Rice Creek Boat Club click here.  Marsh is pictured below with Linda Lafond.
 
 
Marsh Jones - Rice Creek Boat Club Jeff Benson 2014-10-28 00:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - October 28, 2014

Posted by Jeff Benson on Oct 27, 2014
The ever-thoughtful MaryAnn Bawden started us off right with some of her home-made chocolate chip cookies. M-M-M-Good!
 
There were no guests today, but the good news was that there were extra cookies!
 
Mary Stewart reported on a successful CPY Beach Party Fiesta Fundraiser. Rotary was well represented and everyone had a great time.
 
President Margaret reminded us that the Foundation Recognition Dinner is this Saturday, Nov. 1st, 6:00PM at the Prom Center. With 19 NBMV Rotarians already signed up, we will likely be one of the best represented clubs at the event. We still could use one more New Brighton Rotarian to fill out our second table. See Gerry Tietz if you are interested.
 
On November 6th, six Rotary Clubs in our area (District 9) are invited by the Arden Hills/Shoreview Club to a social event to meet our Rotary neighbors. The event begins at 4:30 but you can come later if need be. We'll meet at the Green Mill Restaurant at 694 and Lexington.
 
In recognition of Veterans Day, on November 11th, NBMV members are invited to wear their uniforms and or bring any memorabilia of their time in the service.
 
On Saturday, November 15th, 9AM- Noon, Bridging will be having a "Dresser Build" day at it's Roseville location for volunteers to build dressers from kits. NBMV Rotary has participated in these events in the past, and they were great fun. If there is interest, the club will cover the cost of a couple of kits. Members are also welcome to purchase kits for $35 after a $35 match from an anonymous donor. Lets get a group together and get this done!
 
Don't forget that we will be helping to pack bags of food at the Ralph Reeder Food Shelf on Tuesday, November 25th, 9-11AM. Check your email for details and then call Gerry to sign up.
 
Corrin Secrist handed out a useful guide for accessing the "Member" section of our new website. If you missed today's meeting, see Corrin next week for a copy. Also, in the coming weeks Corrin will be presenting a "Website Tip of the Week" at each meeting. These tips will guide you through the basics of the website and how you can benefit by being familiar with its content and features. 
 
Cindy did her best to capture a good photo of Jeff wearing the Birthday Hat, but it would appear that he has no future as a 'hat model". (see below)

Meeting Recap - October 28, 2014 Jeff Benson 2014-10-28 00:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - October 21, 2014

Posted by Jeff Benson on Oct 20, 2014
Glenna, Margaret, Dana, Amy and John M-P enjoyed a beautiful fall evening as they made short work of the Sunny Square Park cleanup, allowing plenty of time for refreshments at New Brighton Bar and Grill. 
 
CPY's Beach Party Fiesta, supporting youth in New Brighton and the surrounding area, will be held on Friday, October 24th, from 6-10PM, at the New Brighton Family Service Center.  Cost is $50 per person and $90 per couple.  As of Tuesday, Todd Peck has 4 places available at his table, you could also call Geoff Hollimon or Mary Stewart for tickets or you could just show up at the event.
 
Mark your calendars for the Board Meeting next Tuesday, October 28th, 11AM.  Any member is welcome to attend board meetings.
 
Gerry announced this year's Holiday Food Shelf Drive.  There are volunteer opportunities on November 25th and December 3rd.  Watch your email for details.
 
The Arden Hills/Shoreview Rotary Club is initiating an Area 9 Social Event, with several local Rotary Clubs invited to attend.  The first event will be on Thursday, November 6th, 4:30 PM at the Green Mill Restaurant (694 and Lexington).  What a great way to meet, or stay in touch with, our Rotary Area 9 neighbors.
 
John Risdall announced the New Brighton Rotary Day Event scheduled for the evening of Tuesday, February 3rd.  The event will recognize New Brighton volunteers and promote community awareness of Rotary.  Stay tuned for details.
 
Gerry reminded us that November is Foundation Month, and he will be finding creative ways to help us reach (and hopefully exceed) our goal of raising $2,000 for polio eradication.  We won't have dining gift certificates to auction off this year, so if you have or know where you can get items or gift certificates to donate for auction at the meetings, it would go along way to helping us meet the goal.  Gerry also plans to provide bonus Foundation recognition points to those who make contributions to the foundation during November and December.  He also encouraged those with unused Recognition Points to consider donating some points to get our new members, Corrin Secrist, Eric Nelson and Linda LaFond qualified for Paul Harris Fellowships.  More to Follow...
 
Mike Neeley was treated to a pretty good (for us) rendition of the birthday song.  I think I may even have heard some harmony!?
 
 
Meeting Recap - October 21, 2014 Jeff Benson 2014-10-21 00:00:00Z 0

Jerry Hromatka - NYFS Update

Posted by Jeff Benson on Oct 20, 2014
Char Samuelson introduced Jerry Hromatka, who is a frequent enough presenter at our club as to almost need no introduction.  Since Jerry's last presentation, NYFS has been renamed Northeast Youth and Family Services, to reflect their merger with White Bear Lake Area Community Counseling Center.  Together they now serve over 4,000 youth, aged 5 to 21, with mental health and other issues that prevent them from being successful in school or in the community.  Below are some of the ways that NYFS benefits our communities:
  • helping youth stay in school and achieve their full academic potential
  • preparing youth for employment
  • stabilizing families in crisis and help them thrive
  • helping seniors live independently in their homes for as long as possible
  • helping juvenile delinquents redirect their lives and stay out of the criminal justice system
  • improving the emotional health and well-being of youth, families and individuals

For more information about NYFS, please call  651-486-3808 or visit them on the web at www.nyfs.org.

Jerry is pictured below with Char Samuelson

 

Jerry Hromatka - NYFS Update Jeff Benson 2014-10-21 00:00:00Z 0

Ken DeCubellis, CEO of Black Ridge Oil and Gas

Posted by Jeff Benson on Oct 06, 2014

Our October 7th speaker was Ken DeCubellis, CEO of Black Ridge Oil and Gas.  Black Ridge Oil & Gas controls approximately 10,000 net acres in the Bakken and Three Forks areas in western North Dakota and eastern Montana.  The 2013 US Geological Survey assessment estimated that there are 3.7 billion barrels of recoverable oil in the Bakken Formation and an additional 3.7 billion barrels of recoverable oil in the Three Forks Formation.  Black Ridge is not directly involved in drilling operations, but it does lease land over these oil-rich areas.  Much of our energy need has been sourced, at great cost, from the middle east but the development of horizontal drilling technology now allows previously inaccessible oil and natural gas deposits to be economically sourced from oil shale formations within our own borders.  The Black Ridge website features a video of the horizontal drilling process.  http://www.blackridgeoil.com/Drilling/   Ken acknowledged the fear that this kind of drilling might damage the environment, but suggested that proper safety measures can prevent such damage and that companies that fail to follow those procedures should be held fully accountable.  Setting aside the environmental debate, it is clear that there is enormous economic benefit in this domestic source of oil and gas.

 
 
Ken DeCubellis, CEO of Black Ridge Oil and Gas Jeff Benson 2014-10-07 00:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - 10-7-2014

Posted by Jeff Benson on Oct 06, 2014
We will be cleaning up Sunny Square Park on Thursday, October 16th, at 4:30 PM.  Immediately following the clean-up, we will gather at New Brighton Bar and Grill (formerly Champps) to rehydrate and replenish any calories expended in the clean-up effort.  Sunny Square Park is located at: 2201 Eastman Drive, New Brighton.
 
World Polio Day is October 24th.  On that day, Rotarians around the world will come together to fight polio.  Join them at 6:30PM to view the livestream: "End Polio Now: Make History Today" and receive a global update on the current status of polio eradication, hear inspiring stories, and musical performances. The event will begin at 6:30pm CDT and will be streamed live at endpolionow.org.
 
Lake Elmo Rotary is spearheading a fundraiser for "Angel of Mercy" orphanage in Bambui, Cameroon.  The project received a 5960 district grant. The fundraiser is at Midland Hills Country Club, October 24th, 5-11PM  http://www.angelofmercyusa.org/Home.php
 
The CPY Beach Party Fiesta fund raiser will be Friday, October 24, 2013, from 6-10 p.m. at the New Brighton Community Center.  Get your tickets soon!
 
The annual Rotary Foundation Dinner will be on Saturday, November 1st.  You should already have received an email from Gerry with the details.
 
Dean Lotter is back from his leave of absence, and reported significant progress in negotiations with the U.S. Army over their continued funding of New Brighton water cleanup.  We hope to be able to have a program on the subject in November.
 
Amy announced an opportunity to advertise your business on the Website and the weekly bulletin for just $25 a year.  Contact Jeff Benson for details.
 
Eric Nelson is celebrating 20 years of wedded bliss this week, while Char Samuelson reported that she tied the knot 48 years ago.
 
Corrin was also very excited to announce that she will be celebrating her first wedding anniversary this coming week.  She seemed somewhat less excited to celebrate her birthday by wearing the birthday hat. (see below)
Meeting Recap - 10-7-2014 Jeff Benson 2014-10-07 00:00:00Z 0

Meeeting Recap - September 30, 2014

Posted by Jeff Benson on Sep 29, 2014
Announcements and Events:
 
Prior to the meeting, a slide show of Jeff's photos from the Spina Bifida Picnic was displayed.  If you haven't seen them yet, you can view them on Photo Albums section on the website home page nbmvrotary.org
 
Jeff Benson announced that Rajiv will need to take a leave of absence until January 1 to deal with some health issues.
 
Margaret read District governor Karel Weigel's thank you letter to the club for the warm and creative welcome she received at her official visit to the club two weeks ago.  DG Karel also praised our club for our commitment to local and international service and our involvement in Rotary at the district level.   I think we owe ourselves a giant pat on the back!
 
We will again be sponsoring two students at Camp Enterprise.  We'll invite the students to the club to fill us in on their experience.
 
We will be cleaning up Sunny Square Park on Thursday, October 16th, at 4:30 PM.  Immediately following the clean-up, we will gather at New Brighton Bar and Grill (formerly Champps) to rehydrate and replenish any calories expended in the clean-up effort.  Sunny Square Park is located at: 2201 Eastman Drive, New Brighton.
 
World Polio Day is October 24th.  On that day, Rotarians around the world will come together to fight polio.  Join them at 6:30PM to view the livestream: "End Polio Now: Make History Today" and receive a global update on the current status of polio eradication, hear inspiring stories, and musical performances. The event will begin at 6:30pm CDT and will be streamed live at endpolionow.org.
 
Lake Elmo Rotary is spearheading a fundraiser for "Angel of Mercy" orphanage in Bambui, Cameroon.  The project received a 5960 district grant. The fundraiser is at Midland Hills Country Club, October 24th, 5-11PM  http://www.angelofmercyusa.org/Home.php
 
The CPY Beach Party Fiesta fund raiser will be Friday, October 24, 2013, from 6-10 p.m. at the New Brighton Community Center.  Get your tickets soon!
 
The annual Rotary Foundation Dinner will be on Saturday, November 1st.  You should already have received an email from Gerry with the details.
 
There was no speaker today due to Club Assembly Committee Meetings.
Meeeting Recap - September 30, 2014 Jeff Benson 2014-09-30 00:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - September 23, 2014

Posted by Jeff Benson on Sep 22, 2014
Dave Hoel, and others, reviewed Sunday's Spina Bifida picnic, which was sponsored by NBMV Rotary and Mike Neeley's Corvette Club.  The kids enjoyed the games (provided by CPY) and the Corvette rides.  Jeff Benson's photos of the event are posted in the Photo Album section of our website at NBMVRotary.org
 
Dave Hoel also announced that he'll soon have another grandchild to spoil.
 
Gerry Tietz announced that he's worn his post-surgical body brace for the last time!
 
Anoka  Rotary's  "Unlimited Possibilities" Fundraiser will be held at the Green Haven Golf Club on September 25th, starting at 6:00 PM. TIckets are $40.00 for individuals and $70.00 for couples.  Proceeds benefit youth and youth programs in Anoka County.
 
Lake Elmo Rotary is spearheading a fundraiser for "Angel of Mercy" orphanage in Bambui, Cameroon.  The project received a 5960 district grant. The fundraiser is at Midland Hills Country Club, October 24th, 5-11PM  http://www.angelofmercyusa.org/Home.php
 
The CPY Beach Party Fiesta fund raiser will be Friday, October 24, 2013, from 6-10 p.m. at the New Brighton Community Center.
 
The annual Rotary Foundation Dinner will be on Saturday, November 1st.  You should already have received an email from Gerry with the details.
 
Margaret reminded us that our next meeting will be a Club Assembly, so come prepared to meet with your committee.
 
Geoff Hollimon is a year older this week and he wore his birthday hat with as much dignity as he could muster (below)
Eric Nelson, Irondale High's new principal, was inducted into the club.  Erik lives in Eagan with wife, Christine and daughter, Julia.  Welcome to the club, Eric!  (See photo below)
 
 
Meeting Recap - September 23, 2014 Jeff Benson 2014-09-23 00:00:00Z 0

Speaker: Steffanie Angell "Loving Bella, Firstborn with Spina Bifida"

Posted by Jeff Benson on Sep 22, 2014
Steffanie (third from left) with Margaret, Mom (Lori) and Aunt (MaryAnn) 
 
Steffanie Angell is the mother of Bella, an eight year old girl who has Spina Bifida.  Steffanie describes Bella as a "miracle' child, and with good reason.  At 23 weeks into Steffanie's pregnancy, a scan revealed that her unborn child had myelomeningocele, the most severe form of spina bifida, which occurs when the spinal cord is exposed through an opening in the lower spine, resulting in partial or complete paralysis of the parts of the body below the spinal opening.  Because severe brain damage usually accompanies this level of spinal deformity, her doctors recommended that she terminate the pregnancy.  Steffanie, and husband Jed, decided against termination and Bella was delivered by C-section.  Bella's spinal deformity was more severe than anticipated, but her brain injury was less severe than expected, and surgeries to repair her spine and place shunts to relieve the fluid pressure on her brain were very successsful.  The demands of caring for Bella made it necessary for Steffanie to quit her job, and the medical bills mounted quickly and are finally under control after eight years.  Steffanie and Jed's patience and focus on Bella's abilities, rather than her disabilities, has resulted in a beautiful, vibrant and capable daughter...a miracle indeed!  (see Bella's photo below)
 
 
Speaker: Steffanie Angell "Loving Bella, Firstborn with Spina Bifida" Jeff Benson 2014-09-23 00:00:00Z 0

District Governor Karel Weigel Speaks to NBMV Rotary

Posted by Dana Rebelein on Sep 17, 2014
The official visit of DG Karel Weigel was cause for celebration and, thanks to MaryAnn and Mark L., we celebrated enthusiastically!  Serious research revealed that DG Karel’s interests include food and wine, so  her appearance was greeted with Champagne and ginger ale, bubbly balloons, wine wisdom and an elegant dessert. Frivolity aside, DG Karel spoke on “Light up Rotary,” tying it to “It’s better to light one candle than to curse the darkness.” She shared insights and encouragement through stories and quotes.  She traveled to Nicaragua to assess the results of our ongoing District 5960 activity there, where the approach is to build relationships before we build stuff. The plan is to “do with” rather than to “do for” others, leaving something sustainable. Many people have to make decisions out of a short list of poor options; Rotary’s job is to make the list longer and the options better. Rotary helps build economies for people, capacities for individuals so they are self-sufficient and able to move forward. She passed on a lesson taught to her by her mother, “Doing good things for others is the right thing to do, and it makes you feel good.” The District Governor was given the treasured NBMV Rotary mug and a good bottle of wine.  See the photo album section on the right side of the website home page for more pictures of DG Karel's visit.
District Governor Karel Weigel Speaks to NBMV Rotary Dana Rebelein 2014-09-18 00:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - September 16, 2014

Posted by Dana Rebelein on Sep 15, 2014
The Risdall Luminous Sculpture Museum is “on” for 4-8 p.m. September 18, 2014 at 550 Main Street, NB.
 
We are hosting the Spina Bifida Picnic again this year. The date is September 21st and we'll need 4-5 Rotarians to be there from 10:30 AM-12:30PM
 
Anoka Rotary Club's "Unlimited Possibilities" Fundraiser will be held at the Green Haven Golf Club on September 25th, starting at 6:00 PM. TIckets are $40.00 for individuals and $70.00 for couples.  Proceeds benefit youth and youth programs in Anoka County.
 
Lake Elmo Rotary is spearheading a fundraiser for "Angel of Mercy" orphanage in Bambui, Cameroon.  The project received a 5960 district grant. The fundraiser is at Midland Hills Country Club, October 24th, 5-11PM  http://www.angelofmercyusa.org/Home.php
 
The CPY Beach Party Fiesta fund raiser will be Friday, October 24, 2013, from 6-10 p.m. at the New Brighton Community Center.
 
The annual Rotary Foundation Dinner will be on Saturday, November 1st.  You should already have received an email from Gerry with the details.
 
Happy news included George’s new grandchild, Cindy’s great golf game out east, Cor’s presentation about Community TV to the Roseville Club, Dave Hoel's anniversary & the marriage of Bev’s youngest son.
 
Guests were Past District Governor (96-97) Tom Yuzer, Marv Sorvala from Roseville, and Val’s guest, Tom.
Meeting Recap - September 16, 2014 Dana Rebelein 2014-09-16 00:00:00Z 0

Dr. Ann Frisch - Non-Violent Peace Force

Posted by Jeff Benson on Sep 08, 2014
Dr. Ann Frisch, a St. Paul Rotarian, reported on the work that Non-Violent Peace Force is doing around the world to help resolve armed conflicts.  Non-Violent Peace Force is made up of 200 men and women who have been specially trained to facilitate peaceful resolution with a non-partisan, grassroots approach.  By engaging all parties to the conflict, closely monitoring the local situation, utilizing early warning/response techniques and rumor control, these skilled peacemakers have had a life-saving impact in conflict areas around the world.  A recent Rotary Foundation decision to allow the use of Matching Grant funds for training will make this form of peacemaking possible in many more areas of the world.  In fact, our board of directors recently contributed $500 to a matching grant for peacemaker training for the South Thailand Peace Project.  (Dr. Frisch and Cindy Carlson are pictured below.)
Dr. Ann Frisch - Non-Violent Peace Force Jeff Benson 2014-09-09 00:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - September 9, 2104

Posted by Jeff Benson on Sep 08, 2014
District Governor Karel Weigel will make her official visit to our club meeting on September 16th.  You don't want to miss this meeting.  Lots of fun is in store and rumor has it that wine will be served.
 
We are hosting the Spina Bifida Picnic again this year. The date is September 21st and we'll need 4-5 Rotarians to be there from 10:30 AM-12:30PM
 
Anoka Rotary Club's "Unlimited Possibilities" Fundraiser will be held at the Green Haven Golf Club on September 25th, starting at 6:00 PM. TIckets are $40.00 for individuals and $70.00 for couples.  Proceeds benefit youth and youth programs in Anoka County.
 
Lake Elmo Rotary is spearheading a fundraiser for "Angel of Mercy" orphanage in Bambui, Cameroon.  The project received a 5960 district grant. The fundraiser is at Midland Hills Country Club, October 24th, 5-11PM  http://www.angelofmercyusa.org/Home.php
 
The annual Rotary Foundation Dinner will be on Saturday, November 1st.  You should already have received an email from Gerry with the details.
 
Mike Abel announced that he has left American Family and is working for Insurance Advisors, Inc. in Hugo.  Time constraints with the new job have forced him to request a leave of absence until Feb. 1, 2015.  Mike's work contact information has been emailed to the membership.
 
There were no visitors at today's meeting.
 
Linda LaFond joined the club last week, just in time to celebrate her birthday today by wearing the "Birthday Hat" (see below).
 
 
Meeting Recap - September 9, 2104 Jeff Benson 2014-09-09 00:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - September 2, 2014

Posted by Jeff Benson on Sep 01, 2014
The White Bear Lake Rotary Club invites us to the Rotary Taste of White Bear Lake, Saturday, September 6th, from 2-5PM at Pine Tree Apple Orchard.  Get your tickets at www.tasteofwhitebearlake.com.   $35 before September 3rd, $40 at the event.
 
District Governor Karel Weigel will visit the club on September 16th.  You don't want to miss this meeting.  Lots of fun is in store and rumor has it that wine will be served.
 
We are hosting the Spina Bifida Picnic again this year. The date is September 21st and we'll need 4-5 Rotarians to be there from 10:30 AM- 12:30PM
 
Past District Governor Gary Campbell, was present to promote the Anoka Rotary Club's "Unlimited Possibilities" Fundraiser, to be held at the Green Haven Golf Club on September 25th, starting at 6:00 PM. TIckets are $40.00 for individuals and $70.00 for couples.  Proceeds benefit youth and youth programs in Anoka County.
 
Lake Elmo Rotary is spearheading a fundraiser for "Angel of Mercy" orphanage in Bambui, Cameroon.  The project received a 5960 district grant. The fundraiser is at Midland Hills Country Club, October 24th, 5-11PM  http://www.angelofmercyusa.org/Home.php
 
The annual Rotary Foundation Dinner will be on Saturday, November 1st.  You should already have received an email from Gerry with the details.
 
Visitors Were:
  • Michael Wilder, our speaker Rebekah's father and board member of  Rebekah's Chinese orphanage project, Hope Station.  http://www.hsorphans.org/meet-our-board.html
  • Former NBMV Rotarian, Charlie Hall.
  • Dan Ashbach
  • Past District Governor Gary Campbell
 
NBMV Rotary's newest member, Linda LaFond, was inducted into the club by Jeff Benson.  Linda was proposed by Dana Rebelein.  Watch the meeting schedule for Linda's classification talk and take a moment to meet Linda at next week's meeting.  (see photo below, with Jeff and Dana)
 
 
Meeting Recap - September 2, 2014 Jeff Benson 2014-09-02 00:00:00Z 0

Joanna Klein, Ph.D.

Posted by Jeff Benson on Aug 25, 2014
Joanna Klein is a Hopkins HS Grad who completed her Ph.D. in Genetics at Iowa and then came to the UofM as a post doc fellow.  She has taught at the University of Northwestern - St. Paul for the last 12 years.
 
Joanna spoke about her Lake Johanna E. Coli Monitoring Project.  The purpose of the project is to monitor the lake for potential health risks of waterborne infectious diseases on recreational users of Lake Johanna.  E. Coli bacteria are normally present in our digestive tracts and are always present in lakes and streams because of waste from mammals and birds, storm water runoff and untreated sewage.  The concentration of E. Coli in lakes and streams is the best indicator of the potential for disease among those using the water for recreational purposes.  The maximum acceptable level of E. Coli is 235 bacteria per 100ml  and the maximum average level is 126 bacteria per 100 ml.  Joanna reported that these maximum levels have never been exceeded in the many years that she has been testing.  A couple of suggestions for minimizing the chance of disease from waterborne E. Coli were: Don't swim the day after a rainstorm and make sure pets don't defecate near shore or in beach areas.
 
Joanna also spoke about her work with the Science Research Institute (SRI) program.  The program was a collaboration between University of Northwestern and Concordia University - St. Paul.  The goal of this 5 week summer program was to increase high school student interest in S.T.E.M. subjects, especially in the inner-city.  The program involved faculty guided research projects where 4 to 5 high school students, and one college student mentor, designed and conducted hands-on studies.  Students would then report their findings in their regular high school classes in the following academic year.  The program also featured visits to biotech companies, student designed service/learning projects and a trip to the science museum.
Joanna Klein, Ph.D. Jeff Benson 2014-08-26 00:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - August 19, 2014

Posted by Jeff Benson on Aug 18, 2014
Jeff introduced Linda LaFond, who has been proposed for membership by Dana Rebelein.
 
Dana announced the American Red Cross Blood Drive at Benedictine Health Center, Wednesday, Sept. 3, from 2  to 7p.m.  Call 651-288-5221 or visit www.redcrossblood.org and enter sponsor code 0176493.   Bring photo ID or donor ID card. All presenting donors will receive a coupon for a free haircut from Sport Clips.

Darrell Stone from the White Bear Lake Rotary Club was present to invite us to the Rotary Taste of White Bear Lake, Saturday, September 6th, from 2-5PM at Pine Tree Apple Orchard.  Get your tickets at www.tasteofwhitebearlake.com.   $35 before September 3rd, $40 at the event.
 
Lake Elmo Rotary is spearheading a fundraiser for "Angel of Mercy" orphanage in Bambui, Cameroon.  The project received a 5960 district grant. The fundraiser
is at Midland Hills Country Club, October 24th, 5-11PM  http://www.angelofmercyusa.org/Home.php
 
MaryAnn announced her 51st wedding anniversary.
 
Tim Roche and Char Samuelson shared the stage as they celebrated their birthdays (below).
 
Meeting Recap - August 19, 2014 Jeff Benson 2014-08-19 00:00:00Z 0

Corrin Secrist - New Member Classification Talk

Posted by Jeff Benson on Aug 18, 2014
Corrin (Claypool) Secrist was Born in Ham Lake and grew up in Blaine, attending Blaine H.S. where she played Viola and many other stringed instruments in the school orchestra.  You may be surprised to know that Corrin also played in a 'heavy metal" band named "Below the Weak" and had the necessary multiple facial piercings to complete the heavy metal look.  During high school she was also active in her church, serving as a youth leader and volunteering for various mission trips.  She also participated in P.W.A.P. (People With A Purpose) service projects.  Corrin graduated from college with a degree in Industrial and Business Psychology and put that degree to work at J.C. Penney, where she worked for a few years until she met her future husband Brian, a computer engineer.  Around the time she met Brian, she became interested in property management and took a job with Stuartco.  Jump forward 3 years and Corrin and Brian have been married for one year, she is the property manager for The View At Long Lake as well as a property in the Loring Park area, and in her spare time Corrin is working on her Masters Degree and training for next year's St. Paul Triathlon.
Corrin Secrist - New Member Classification Talk Jeff Benson 2014-08-19 00:00:00Z 0

Ezra Krohn - Outbound Exchange Student to Italy

Posted by Jeff Benson on Aug 12, 2014
Recently returned from his Rotary Youth Exchange year in Varese, Italy, Ezra Krohn filled us in on his adventure.  Ezra provided a very interesting, and somewhat philosophical review of his experience of Italian social customs, food, education and architecture.  He spent a fair amount of time talking about the emotional roller coaster ride that he, like so many other exchange students, experienced as he moved away from home, adjusted to a new language, new school, new friends and new cultural norms, and then adjusted again as he returned home again.  From this writer's perspective, it appears that Ezra has adapted very well.  Since his return, Ezra has become involved with Rotex, a Rotary organization for past exchange students.  Ezra will complete his senior year of high school at the University of Minnesota under the P.S.E.O. program.  Ezra's mom, Anne, and sister, Hanna, were present to hear Ezra speak and Anne took the podium briefly to give us her very eloquent take on how Ezra has changed as a result of the exchange.  Pictured below are Ezra, Hanna and Anne, bracketed by our exchange gurus, Mary Ann Bawden and Sue Ager.  Just one more example of the many ways that Rotary promotes peace and understanding in the world.
Ezra Krohn - Outbound Exchange Student to Italy Jeff Benson 2014-08-13 00:00:00Z 0

August 12, 2014 - Meeting Recap

Posted by Jeff Benson on Aug 11, 2014
Next week's speaker will be new member Corrin Secrist, who will give her Classification Talk.  Be sure to be there to learn more about our 2nd newest member.
 
Thank You to all who participated in the Stockyard Days Hot Dog Feed.  Fifteen Rotarians helped out and it couldn't have gone better.  One thousand thirty dogs were served to hungry parade marchers, many of whom expressed appreciation for our participation.  No wonder our parade is the third largest community parade in Minnesota, after only the Aquatennial and Winter Carnival Parades.  Kudos to co-chairs George Winiecki and Todd Peck, and also to Dave Hoel, who always gets us a good deal on some of the food.  Thanks also goes to Brian Bona of Bona Brothers for the use of their parking lot.
 
Val Johnson reported that the NBMV Rotary bingo tent grossed $3,000 and that Rotary's net was about $1,200 after expenses.  This year's agreement was that the net proceeds would go to Stockyard Days.  Thanks to all those who volunteered to help.
 
Paul Fournier is still gathering responses for our group outing to see "The Mystery of Irma Vep".  If you haven't let Paul know your preference for October 1st or 8th, please do so as soon as possible.  This show is a real hoot and you don't want to miss it.  Paul can also get you tickets for another performance if you are unable to go on the 1st or 8th.  You can contact Paul at: lmcsubway1@aol.com
 
We welcomed Nils Friberg back after his 17 day teaching stint in Brazil.
 
Visitors today were: Ezra Krohn (our speaker) Anne Krohn (Ezra's mom), Hanna Krohn (Ezra's sister).  John Risdall's guests were, son Ted Risdall, Mark Anderson and Jake ? from Impact Mailing.  Dana Rebelein's guest was Linda Lafond.
 
Mark Beisswenger announced that Bob Barmore had won $500 in the Ducky Race Raffle.  Bob was apparently unaware that he had won...perhaps that's how he will explain the oversight to the I.R.S.
 
We celebrated Gerry Tietz' and Val Johnson's birthdays with a rousing Happy Birthday Song while the dynamic duo wore the birthday hats with uncommon grace (see photo below).
August 12, 2014 - Meeting Recap Jeff Benson 2014-08-12 00:00:00Z 0
CEAP Program Features Clare Brumback and Iris McGinnis Jeff Benson 2014-08-05 00:00:00Z 0

Meeting Recap - August 5, 2014

Posted by Jeff Benson on Aug 04, 2014
Next week's speaker is Ezra Krohn, our recently returned exchange student.  Ezra will fill us in on his adventures in Italy.
 
Don't forget that we'll need lots of help Thursday August 7th at the Stockyard Days Parade Hot Dog Feed.  Please arrive at 5:00PM at the Bona Brothers Building, just south of the Dairy Queen on Old Hwy 8.
 
Paul Fournier reminded us that we will be seeing "The Mystery of Irma Vep" at the Jungle Theater on either Wednesday the 1st or Wednesday the 8th of October.  I'll be sending an email soon with details.  You'll be asked to reply with your preference of the 1st or 8th.
 
Cindy Carlson updated us on the progress of our Niger Global Grant Program.  International communications can be a challenge, but Cindy reported that great progress has been made on this water, sanitation and education matching grant.
 
Geoff Hollimon reported that our Echo grant received $3,250 in matching funds.  We'll probably hear more on this in the future.
 
Tim Roche's last day at NBMV Rotary will be August 19th (he's accepted the Lakeville Chamber president position).  Gerry Tietz heard Tim say that he has not had the opportunity to don the birthday hat since he joined the club.  We going to remedy that oversight at our next meeting, when you'll be able to see Gerry and Tim in their hats.
 
Val Johnson still has several openings in the schedule for help at the Rotary Bingo Tent for Friday, Saturday and Sunday, the 8th through 10th of August.  The shifts are only two hours long and we want to show our community that Rotarians can be counted on to help out.  Please call Val at 651-491-3364 to find a time slot when you can help.
 
 
Meeting Recap - August 5, 2014 Jeff Benson 2014-08-05 00:00:00Z 0

July 29, 2014 Meeting Recap

Posted by Jeff Benson on Jul 28, 2014
Todd Peck introduced Chuck Blake and Chuck's guest, Dori Holt.  Chuck (pictured below with Gerry Tietz) was honored with a Paul Harris Fellowship for contributions to the Rotary Foundation in memory of his wife Pat.  Pat was a very active NBMV Rotarian.  It was wonderful for us to reconnect with Chuck and he knows he is welcome to join us anytime!
 
Rajiv Garg and wife Sangeeta have just celebrated their 26th wedding anniversary.
 
George Winiecki reminded us that helpers for the Stockyard Days Parade Hotdog Feed on Thursday, August 7th, should report at 5:00 to the Bona Brothers location on Old Highway 8 (same location as last year).  We have a lot of hungry mouths to feed and your help will be appreciated.
 
Tim Roche announced that he has accepted a position as president of the Lakeville Area Chamber of Commerce.  Tim lives in Lakeville, so he'll have a lot less commuting time, and he plans to join the Lakeville Rotary Club.  Tim will be adding his strengths to an already strong Lakeville club.  We will miss Tim's contributions to our club, but we're glad that he'll be continuing his Rotary involvement.  Tim's last day with us is Aug. 19th, so be sure and take a moment to wish him well.
 
Maybe it's just me, but I think MaryAnn Bawden (pictured below) looked quite fetching in her new birthday hat.  What do you think?
 
Margaret will be unable to preside over the August 5th and 12th meetings, so Dana will be wielding the gavel for those meetings.  We had better be on our best behavior so she doesn't change her mind about being president for the 2015-16 Rotary year.
 
As today was a "Fifth Tuesday", we had our first Club Assembly of Margaret's administration.  Each committee met to plan their activities for the year, and committee chairs made brief reports to the entire club.  I, for one, sensed a lot of positive energy in the reports and came away thinking that NBMV Rotary is going to have a great year.
July 29, 2014 Meeting Recap Jeff Benson 2014-07-29 00:00:00Z 0

July 22, 2014 Meeting Recap

Posted by Jeff Benson on Jul 21, 2014
Todd Peck introduced Eric Nelson, the new principal of Irondale H.S. and Kent Mollberg, a Detroit Lakes Rotarian who recently moved here and works for Education Minnesota.
 
George Winiecki reminded us that we are feeding hot dogs to the Stockyard Days Parade participants again this year and he will need plenty of Rotarians present to feed the multitudes.  Mark your calendars for August 7th at 5:00PM.
 
We're also going to need lots of help to run the Stockyard Days Bingo tent.  Val Johnson is spearheading this effort, which should give the Rotary Club some much needed exposure in the community.  Sign up for a time slot (or two, or three) at next weeks meeting, or give Val a call.  We will have a brief worker's orientation session after the August 5th Rotary club meeting.  It's very important that we all pitch in to make this a success!
 
Paul Fournier reminded us that we can attend "The Mystery of Irma Vep" at the Jungle Theater on either October 1st or 8th.  Be prepared to sign up for one or the other at next Tuesday's meeting
 
Next Tuesday's meeting will be a Club Assembly.  Committees will meet to plan their activities for the coming year.
July 22, 2014 Meeting Recap Jeff Benson 2014-07-22 00:00:00Z 0
Val Passes The Gavel To Margaret, As New Rotary Year Begins Jeff Benson 2014-07-08 00:00:00Z 0
Dr. Melissa Mork - The Power of Humor Jeff Benson 2014-07-01 00:00:00Z 0
NBMV Rotary Theater Night - "The Mystery of Irma Vep" Jeff Benson 2014-07-01 00:00:00Z 0
Amy Wakem and Cindy Carlson Celebrate Their Birthdays! Jeff Benson 2014-07-01 00:00:00Z 0
Evan Gersonde and Zak Armstrong - Minnesota Twins Community Outreach Jeff Benson 2014-06-25 00:00:00Z 0
Robin's Farewell Pizza Party A Great Success Jeff Benson 2014-06-11 00:00:00Z 0
Kopila Valley Children's Home and School in Nepal Jeff Benson 2014-06-11 00:00:00Z 0
NBMV Rotary Bids Adieu To Robin Jeff Benson 2014-06-10 00:00:00Z 0
Hannah Smith Receives $1,000 NBMV Rotary Scholarship Jeff Benson 2014-06-05 00:00:00Z 0
June 3, 2014 Meeting Summary Jeff Benson 2014-06-03 00:00:00Z 0
Pizza 101- Mark Lampman Jeff Benson 2014-06-03 00:00:00Z 0
John Risdall's Birthday Jeff Benson 2014-05-27 00:00:00Z 0
Officer Aaron Slack (School Resource Officer) Addresses the Club Jeff Benson 2014-05-27 00:00:00Z 0
Jeff Benson Reaches Paul Harris Fellow+4 Jeff Benson 2014-05-20 00:00:00Z 0
Dean Lotter Reviews Northwest Quadrant Development Progress Jeff Benson 2014-05-20 00:00:00Z 0
Shane Shipman Speaks About API Group, Inc. Jeff Benson 2014-05-13 00:00:00Z 0
NBMV Rotary donates $500 to New Brighton Area Historical Society Jeff Benson 2014-05-06 00:00:00Z 0
NBMV Rotary Club Presents Check to PeaceMaker Minnesota 2014-04-30 00:00:00Z 0
NBMV Rotary Club Receives Zone Award For Literacy Gerry Tietz 2014-04-30 00:00:00Z 0
Third Annual Fourth Grade Foresters Tree Give-Away JLB 2014-04-26 00:00:00Z 0
2014 Easter Egg Hunt Was Awesome! 2014-04-20 00:00:00Z 0
Rajiv Garg Joins The New Brighton Mounds View Rotary Club Gerry Tietz 2014-04-16 00:00:00Z 0
Jason Miller-Paul Harris Fellow Plus 6! Gerry Tietz 2014-04-15 00:00:00Z 0

Parkinson's Disease - A Rotarian's Story

Posted by Dana Rebelein on Apr 08, 2014
Janet Ampe receiving her mug from President-Elect Margaret Johnson
 
At the April 8 meeting, Janet Ampe talked about Parkinson's disease.  Speaking fro personal experience, as she was diagnosed with it when only 40-years old, she explained the nature and treatment options of the disease, and the stage of grief one experiences when diagnosed with it (denial, anger, etc.).  Janet said she has received blessings through her illness, including strengthened faith, better perspective re. what is important, patience and contact with people she would not otherwise have met.
 
Janet Ampe practices employment and commercial law with Henningson & Snoxell, focusing on small businesses, non-profits and churches.  She is a member of the Rogers Rotary Club and is a multiple Paul Harris Fellow.
Parkinson's Disease - A Rotarian's Story Dana Rebelein 2014-04-09 00:00:00Z 0

April 1, 2014 New Brighton Mounds View Rotary Club Meeting Notes

President Val Johnson arrived and opened the meeting by stating how wonderful the world is today in that only two hours ago she was in Chicago.  It doesn't appear she had to pay a late fine.  Happy fines were suspended as a lot of business needed to be taken care of during the meeting.  
 
President-elect Margaret Johnson, Gold Plate Dinner chair, reported activities to make the event a success were on track.  She showed the banners recognizing event sponsors and announcing that nearly $10,000 has been committed from the sponsors.  Ticket guru Bev Aplikowski indicated that about fifteen tickets were still available and that anyone wanting to purchase a ticket, at the raffle price of $75 should let her know. Geoff Hollimon and Cindy Carlson explained the status of live and silent auctions.  Some great items are on the auction block: guided fishing trip to Lake Mille Lacs, shooting at the New Brighton Range, pizza outing for 100 people, jewelry and more.
 
April 1, 2014 New Brighton Mounds View Rotary Club Meeting Notes Gerry Tietz 2014-04-02 00:00:00Z 0

Mark Beisswenger - Paul Harris Fellow Recognition

Mark Beisswenger, recognized with a Paul Harris Fellow +2 pin at the April 1, 2014 club meeting.  
 
Mark has given twenty-three years of service the the New Brighton Mounds View Rotary Club.  The presentation of Paul Harris Fellow recognition is The Rotary Foundation's way of expressing its appreciation for a substantial contribution to its humanitarian and educational programs. It is named for our founder, Paul Harris, a Chicago lawyer who started Rotary International with three business associates in 1905.
 
The picture shows how grateful Mark is for receiving the recognition from the club's Rotary Foundation Director, Gerry Tietz
Mark Beisswenger - Paul Harris Fellow Recognition Gerry Tietz 2014-04-01 00:00:00Z 0
March 18 Club Meeting Gerry Tietz 2014-03-18 00:00:00Z 0
Welcome to our new website! Gerald Tietz 0
Integrated eBulletin for Easier Communication Gerald Tietz 0