Rotary International asks us to Serve to Change Lives through its Focus Areas
This month Rotary International asks us to Serve to Change Lives by helping everyone learn skills that will allow them to become economically self sufficient. Explore the possibilities with us at our meeting Wednesday at noon at Wick Park or virtually via Zoom.
It’s time for our Scholastic Awards program! Meet the high school students who will receive club-sponsored scholarships to YSU, as well as the WFMJ Regional Spelling Bee winner. Join in congratulating them on their academic successes. Your hard work and contributions made these awards possible; your presence will make the event memorable for these young people.See you Wednesday at Wick Park!
This week’s menu: Manicotti; meatballs; salad; bread.
RSVP by Thursday to President George Nelson to attend the Downtown Service Clubs Annual Spring Meeting with Bob DiBiasio of the Cleveland Guardians from noon to 1:30 May 8 in the YMCA Manchester Room. Lunch fee is $10. Clubs will be billed for no-shows.
Rotary Next Week
Mahoning County Dog Warden Dianne Fry will be our speaker on April 23. The dog warden’s Facebook page is full of photos of various breeds of dogs who are awaiting adoption. The shelter, at 1230 N. Meridian Road, Youngstown, is in constant need of food, treats, and toys. Of all dogs taken to the shelter, it’s the large breeds that end up staying for months, if not longer.
TWO ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGES
A message from Elsa Higby, RCY Environmental Committee Chair:
We have 192 lbs. to go and only two more plastic collection days to meet the Trex recycling goal. It’s a little too close for comfort. For those of you who intend to start collecting, please use these last two months of this campaign and bring in your plastic!
As for meeting our OP District Challenge, listed below are some action items from the complete list of eligible activities found here. You will find more resources at this link, such as garden design, recipes, and a list of books to read.
1. Promote OP topics on social media consistently. At least monthly. When you do this, send Elsa the link: 10 points per 10 posts. (Perhaps we can divide this up between a few of us? Email Elsa if you are interested at elsahigby@gmail.com)
2. Plant a pollinator’s garden (at least eight varieties of native plants) in your community or in a club member’s yard—15 points per garden.
3. Host an event for your community. This may be educational and include inviting community members to a meeting with a relevant speaker. Have a mixer or club meeting to invite prospective members and serve pollinator cocktails (see link above) 10 points per event.
4. Grow a native plant or milkweed in your yard, window box, or pot. OR choose another project from the resource packet or on the back of this page.
5. Read a suggested or related book or article, and for extra points, share takeaways with the club during fellowship or in the club’s newsletter. 1 point per article read. If you share takeaways at a meeting, we get an extra point. Here are a few suggestions:
A message from District 6650 Governor Elayne Bozick:
Once again we are coming together out of concern for those affected by the wildfires in California. Dan Himelspach, the RI director representing California, has reached out regarding how we can help. Please read and share.
From Director Himelspach:
We are now up to 10,000 structures destroyed in the Los Angeles area, 36,000 acres burned, 150,000 ordered to evacuate, and another 166,000 warned they may need to flee.
Firefighters have come in from all over the U.S. and Canada. Civil authorities are responding the best they can, but the situation at this point is out of control with more high winds in the forecast.
Our Rotarians are responding to the best of their ability, but many have been personally affected. Districts 5280 and 5300 are being heavily impacted and both are deeply engaged in organizing disaster relief efforts. Both have activated District Disaster Relief Funds to assist the victims of the fires.
District 5280 (Los Angeles) has also created a Resource Directory and online spreadsheet for In-Kind Donations.
Eastgate Regional Council of Governments Director Jim Kinnick, April 30, Wick Park Pavilion.
Annual Law Day Program with Mahoning County Bar Association and Downtown Lions and Kiwanis clubs, May 1; more details to follow.
Great Rotary Bake Off/Peace Pole fundraiser, noon May 7, Wick Park Pavilion.
Pollinator Palooza Plants
Cup Plant, a relative and lookalike of the Sunflower, is a native plant that grows from eastern central Canada to the southeastern U.S. It’s a tall one, topping out from 4 to 8 feet, and welcomes full sun. It can be planted in medium to wet and/or clay soil. The unique arrangement of its leaves along stems enables it to collect water that birds, butterflies and animals drink.
Mahoning County Land Bank is cultivating Cup Plants at the Cityscape at Briel’s greenhouse. Look for Cup Plants on sale at the first Pollinator Palooza Festival from 9 a.m. to noon May 10 at Mahoning Soil & Water Conservation District, 850 Industrial Road, Youngstown, 44509. Co-sponsors are Operation Pollination, the County Land Bank, and OSU Extension Mahoning County. Admission is free. Join vendors and community partners as they celebrate planting for pollinators.
January 10, 1947: Youngstown Vindicator reporter Esther Hamilton, who covered Rotary Club of Youngstown weekly meetings on her beat, was made an honorary member of Club.
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