Rotary International asks us to Imagine Rotary through our Focus Areas
This month Rotary International asks us to Imagine Rotary by supporting the Rotary Foundation. Explore the possibilities with us at our meeting Wednesday at noon at Wick Park or virtually via Zoom.
Our speaker will be Gina DeGenova, who will serve as interim Mahoning County Prosecutor upon the retirement of Atty. Paul Gains this week. Atty DeGenova joined the Prosecutor’s Office in 2005 and has served as litigation counsel, lead counsel for county officeholders including Sheriff Jerry Greene and the Board of Commissioners, chief assistant prosecutor, and public information officer. She graduated cum laude from Youngstown State University, where she earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Applied Science, and received her Juris Doctorate from the Cleveland State University Marshall College of Law. A resident of North Lima, she is a member of many organizations, including the Ohio Prosecuting Attorneys Association, National District Attorneys Association, Youngstown Business and Professional Women’s Association, and Youngstown Lions Club.
Last Week's Meeting
Barbara Brothers and the Rev. Gayle Catinella led the annual Rotary Thanksgiving Service, which consisted of prayers and reflections. At each table, Rotarians and guests shared their thoughts on gratitude, especially how Rotary teaches, inspires and harvests the quality of being thankful.
One Rotarian expressed gratitude for diversity in membership and its opportunities for personal growth. Another cited the Happy Bucks segment of weekly meetings. Stories in Rotary magazine inspired gratitude around one table. Yet another member recalled the positive, long-lasting influence that the club’s mentoring program had on one student.
The closing prayer expressed thanks for “our Rotary family, and the good work we do together.” Thank you, Barbara and Gayle, for your beautiful, thoughtful program.
In other business, John Fahnert reminded members that the club’s annual Youth Exchange Overnighter for exchange students (including our own Manuela) will be Feb. 4 at the downtown YMCA. Volunteers are being sought; contact John for details. Dave Stillwagon gave an update on the Operation Warm coat distribution at Harding Elementary School.
Also, a guest speaker from Ukraine will attend RCY’s meeting on Dec. 7, President Sharon said. Members are strongly encouraged to attend and bring a friend – let’s fill the meeting room!
Red Kettle Drive
Youngstown Rotarians have supported many service projects, and the annual Red Kettle Drive by The Salvation Army is one of our enduring commitments. Once again, members rang the bell over Thanksgiving weekend at the Giant Eagle Supermarket in Poland. Red Kettle Drive donations enable communities to “put a present under someone’s tree today and a roof over someone’s head tomorrow,” according to The Salvation Army.
Special thanks to project co-chairs John Fahnert and Don Foley for coordinating our club’s participation, and to all who volunteered.
Ukraine Fundraising Goal
The final challenge to raise $3,000 to reach the $100,000 goal was exceeded within 48 hours because of the generosity of individual Rotarians and one club. A total of $5,207 was raised, and $500 will be added by the challenge maker, bringing our total to $102,207.
Thanks to all who made this possible in our club and across the district.
Plant a Clover Lawn, How To - Part 2
Clover is having a moment as an easy-care, drought-tolerant grass alternative
By Derek Carwood
White clover is the type of clover that works best for lawns. In cold winter areas, plant in early spring. In mild winter areas, planting in fall is usually preferred. The easiest way to plant a clover lawn is to start with seeds, typically available at hardware stores or online.
Ideally, clover should be mixed in with an existing lawn. Pure clover tends to go dormant in cold winter areas, leaving bare patches before it grows again in spring. Intermixed grass will help keep things looking good until then.
Before seeding, you’ll want to first dethatch your lawn. Rake away any leaves, lawn clippings, or other debris from the established lawn. This will expose the soil and leave it ready for seed application. Next, grab a handful of clover seeds and lightly sprinkle them across the prepared lawn. A hand-powered seed spreader will work too. There’s no need to apply clover seeds heavily as they’ll grow fast and quickly fill in the gaps. Finally, sprinkle a little topsoil over the seeds. Be sure to add enough to cover the clover seeds, but not so much that the grass is completely covered as well. Then, water well and keep moist until you begin to see seedlings pop up in a couple of weeks.
Care Tips
Caring for your clover is easy and once established, it will require very little effort. In regions with regular precipitation throughout the year, watering is rarely needed. In dry summer regions, watering just once or twice a week is usually more than enough. Unlike grass lawns, clover never needs fertilizer. Thanks to the ability to get nitrogen from the air, clover feeds itself and improves the soil without your help.
Keeping your clover lawn free of weeds is important during the first couple years of growth. Crabgrass, foxtail, spotted spurge, plantain, and purslane are a few common weeds that should be removed. Hand-pulling is the best option because herbicides used on lawns are broadleaf herbicides that are likely to kill the clover.
Other Lawn Alternatives
If you’re not quite sold on a white clover lawn, there are several alternatives. The micro-clover variety Miniclover provides a completely no-mow lawn. It grows just 4-6 inches in height while providing all the benefits of regular clover.
Existing grass lawns can easily be overseeded with other low-growing plants that will coexist while providing a more traditional look. Mixes, such as Bee Lawn from Twin City Seed Company, are scientifically-backed options for creating pollinator habitat. Bee Lawn contains white clover, self-heal, and creeping thyme. Over 60 bee species were identified foraging in the Bee Lawn Mix planted around Minneapolis - a little higher than the number of species found on clover only lawns.
Check with your local extension office about the best options for your local conditions and for any ordinances or restrictions where you live. Sometimes these rules only restrict planting in the front yard while leaving more flexibility in the backyard.
We have now collected 315 pounds of plastic, with 88 of those coming in November! That leaves us with 190 to go. With the holiday season in full swing, there should be lots of items that can be recycled.
Don’t forget to save your plastic film and bring it to Rotary on Wednesdays. Once we collect 500 pounds of plastic, we turn it into Trex, the company that manufactures composite decking. Trex, in turn, will donate a bench made of the recycled plastic that we will place in a pollinator garden or near a Little Free Library.
We have until the end of February 2023 to collect the plastic. You can turn in your recyclables to Elsa Higby, Ra’Cole Taltoan, or LInda Kostka, who will weigh, track, and turn it in. Review the list of items below to see what’s acceptable.
THIS WEEK IN ROTARY HISTORY
November 1954: Harry Schagrin, a charter member, began his 40th year of perfect attendance, a record unsurpassed in the district and even throughout the Rotary world as far as can be determined; Harry was even brought to one meeting via “stretcher” when he was sick!
CAUSE FOR CELEBRATION
Birthdays:
Stacia Erdos Littleton - Dec 4th
Anniversaries:
Carol Sherman - 21 Years
The Four-Way Test
1. Is it the truth?
2. Is it fair to all concerned?
3. Will it build goodwill and better friendships?
4. Will it be beneficial to all concerned?
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