Youngstown Rotary Clatter - Tuesday October 1, 2024 (Sep. 29, 2024)

Rotary International asks us to Imagine Rotary through our Focus Areas

October is Economic and Community Development Month

This month Rotary International asks us to Imagine Rotary by supporting the members of our community to become economically self sufficient. Explore the possibilities with us at our meeting Wednesday at noon at Wick Park or virtually via Zoom.

http://www.youngstownrotaryevent.com

The Zoom ID is: 3567145262

Rotary International Foundation | Rotary International

ROTARY THIS WEEK

A representative of the Mahoning County Solid Waste District, AKA The Green Team, will help us sort through matters of recycling, residential and business waste, and other environmental topics. See you at Wick Park!

Rotary Last Week

Rotarian Aimee Fifarek says the Public Library of Youngstown and Mahoning County is doubling down on customer service in response to automation.

Voters in the General Election on Nov. 5 are being asked to support Issue 2, which is a 2.4 mill renewal levy to support the library system. That levy provides roughly half of the libraries’ total budget, with the rest coming from the State of Ohio, Fifarek said. She is the library system's executive director.

Levy proceeds support three funds – buildings and repair, operational expenses, and technology needs, she continued. Mahoning County’s 14 public libraries had about 650,000 visitors in 2023 and fulfilled 92 percent of requests for materials.

Fifarek paraphrased fantasy author Neil Gaiman, who said: "Google can bring you back a hundred thousand answers. A librarian can bring you back the right one."

In other news, Stacia Erdos said the Operation Warm committee would like to distribute children’s winter coats at Harding and Taft elementaries before Halloween. Volunteers will be needed for coat fittings, she stressed. Watch your email for more information.

Also, another 40 lbs. of recyclable film plastic was collected, bringing our total to date to 598 lbs. We have 5 months to reach our 1,000-lbs. target.

EAT, DRINK, AND END POLIO

As World Polio Day nears, Youngstown Rotarians are doing double duty on the fundraising front.

The district wide Purple Pinkie Project delivers sweet treats and educates friends and neighbors about the debilitating disease. Cream-filled long john doughnuts from Struthers IGA Bakery are dabbed with purple frosting – a reminder of the purple-stained pinkie fingernails of newly-vaccinated children in developing countries.

Pre-ordered doughnuts will be available on Oct. 23. Doughnuts are $20 per dozen, $9 of which will go to RI’s End Polio Now Campaign. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation will provide a 2:1 match, which will turn $9 into $27.

On Oct. 24, which is World Polio Day, the Traveling Groundhog Craft Beer Preview also will be an End Polio Now event. Rotarians will gather from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Penguin City Beer, 460 E. Federal St. For every pint of Penguin City sold, the brewery will make a donation to EPN, which also will be matched 1:1 by Youngstown Rotary Foundation and 2:1 by the Gates Foundation. Invite your friends! Free pumpkin carving also will be happening. Thank you to Stambaugh Auditorium for sponsoring our preview night.

Globally, polio has not been eradicated in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Also, a second round of emergency polio vaccines is underway now in Gaza, after an infant was diagnosed for the first time in 25 years in the Palestine territories.

HELP FOR HURRICANE VICTIMS

Our Rotary family and neighbors have been stricken by natural disasters. Because of Hurricane Helene, 227 people are dead, and an additional 16 died during Hurrican Milton. Property damage is extensive throughout the Southeast. Rotarians, Rotary and Rotaract clubs, and friends of Rotary can help by visiting Rotary’s disaster relief page at https://www.rizones33-34.org/disaster-relief/ or using the QR code below to donate money.

SAVE THE DATE

Official Visit by District Governor Elayne Bozick, noon Oct. 23, Wick Park Pavilion.

Pints for Polio fundraiser, 5:30 -7:30 p.m. Oct. 24, Penguin City Brewing Co., 460 E. Federal St.

Annual Holiday Party, 6 p.m. Dec. 11 (more information to follow).

Help Plant Trees

The YSU Legacy Forest Program will return to Mill Creek MetroParks on Thursday, Nov. 14, to install a microforest of 1,600 trees as part of its continuing effort to reduce greenhouse gasses. Since its inception in 2020, the program’s goal is to plant one tree for every incoming YSU freshmen student.

Volunteers will work from noon to 4 p.m. Sign up now by emailing your name and phone number to cacala@ysu.edu. You will receive a follow up email closer to the planting date with directions to the site and parking instructions.

District Governor Elayne Bozick encourages participation in this event. Troy Rhoades says First Energy is donating most of the trees and will send 40 employees to work alongside YSU students, employees, and faculty. It will take many volunteers to plant these bare-root and larger root ball trees.

Trees are important in the pollinator ecosystem. Here is an explanation by the Arbor Day Foundation:

“Bees and other pollinators rank at the top of the list of important insects, moving pollen from flower to flower to ensure pollination and the resulting production of many of our most important fruits and vegetables. Our supermarket shelves and dining room tables would look dramatically different if not for pollinators — especially bees. But in many areas, parasites, a lack of forage, and other factors are threatening bee health and survival. Trees’ flowers are a critical source of forage for bees, providing nutrient-rich pollen and nectar that bees use for food and to make honey.”

ADF cites maple, serviceberry, linden, hawthorn and tulip trees as beneficial. Many native species trees also are good sources of food for pollinators.

TUESday, october 1, 2024

ROTARY THIS WEEK

Rotary Last Week

EAT, DRINK, AND END POLIO

HELP FOR HURRICANE VICTIMS

SAVE THE DATE

Help Plant Trees

News EDITOR

Welcome to Youngstown Rotary

Service Above Self