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 preserving access to fresh water and quality sanitation in our community. Explore the possibilities with us at our meeting Wednesday at noon at Wick Park or virtually via Zoom.
No Noon this meeting this week due to our Annual Steak Fry, 5:30 p.m. - 10:00 p.m, Scott Schulik’s house, 2304 Fifth Ave. Youngstown, OH 44504.
Rotary Last Week
How can we memorialize a "legacy member" of the Rotary Club of Youngstown? That is the challenge ahead of us concerning the late Atty. Robert Manchester, 50 years after he served as president of Rotary International. Scott Schulick and Bill Lawson presented a summary of Manchester's life as a husband, father, practicing attorney, and community member. Manchester was extremely active and served many organizations at local and national levels — the U.S. Chamber, boards of education, the March of Dimes, and board of health among them. He also was a double Eagle Scout and a 33rd degree Mason. Manchester's leadership of RI from 1976 to 1977 is "the highest honor of this club," Schulick said. Should we install a marker in a prominent place? Rename a local landmark after him? This is an open conversation. Schulick and Lawson will make a second presentation on Manchester later.
In other news, the Membership Committee needs more people power as we prepare to welcome new members in the pipeline. See Jack Kravitz, Elayne Bozick, or Gerri Jenkins for information.
Troy Rhoades and Jessica Romeo also need committee members to work on sponsorships for Beerfest '27. It will be from 3 to 8 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 30, at Stambaugh Auditorium. The first hour will be for VIPs only. Expect to hear more about volunteer opportunities during this, our biggest annual fundraiser.
Our Operation Warm Kick Off was a huge success with a wonderful turn out; great music by Hoss & the Juggernauts, and food from local food trucks. Thank you to our sponsor JC's Landscaping & The Tree Dudes, and to everyone who gave a donation to our cause. This year our goal is $32,000 in order to ensure that we are able to help more schools in the Youngstown District.
SPOTLIGHT ON BIKE BELMONT
The 4th Annual Bike Belmont is set to roll through Youngstown on Sunday, May 17, 2026, bringing energy, activity, and community pride to the Belmont Avenue corridor. Hosted by the Building a Better Belmont, the event continues to grow as a signature celebration of neighborhood connection and healthy living.
According to the event chair Jack Kravitz, the idea for Bike Belmont began as a simple but powerful exercise. Members of the organization wanted to better understand Belmont Avenue, not just as a roadway but as a place to live, shop, dine, and enjoy. “Many of us had never really taken the time to experience it fully,” Kravitz explained. The solution; a bike ride through the corridor, combining exploration with the group’s shared enthusiasm for cycling.
This year’s event introduces several exciting additions, including a new 5-mile family-friendly ride, a vendor fair, food trucks, and a post-ride “Jazz in the Park” celebration at Wick Park. Cyclists can still choose from the popular 12-mile community ride or the 32-mile airport route, which offers the unique experience of riding on the runway at Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport.
E-bikes are also expanding access to the event. Kravitz notes their growing popularity, emphasizing that they still require pedaling while helping riders go farther and tackle hills more comfortably. E-bikes will be available for the 5- and 12-mile routes.
With a goal of 500 riders this year, Bike Belmont continues to showcase the Belmont corridor as a vibrant destination- one ride at a time. This is a wonderful opportunity for our Youngstown Rotarians to continue supporting this event by signing up to volunteer and join in the ride. For more information check out the Registration Link at Build a Better Belmont.
SAVE THE DATE
Steak Fry, August 26, 5:30 p.m. - 10:00 p.m, Scott Schulik’s house, 2304 Fifth Ave., Youngstown, OH 44504
Ohio is known for its fair share of crazy storms (especially this summer), but have you ever wondered how they impact pollinators? Severe storms, high winds, and heavy rainfall negatively impact pollinators like bees, butterflies, and birds by causing physical injury or displacement, destroying critical floral resources, diluting flower nectar, and degrading pollen viability.
For centuries honey bees have been the original meteorologist, able to detect shifts in the air pressure before a storm, the bees will scramble to return to their hives before a storm hits.
When storms hit, strong winds and heavy rain can injure or displace bees, butterflies, birds, and other pollinators. Many seek shelter close to the ground, beneath leaves, in grasses, shrubs, or on the protected sides of trees. Storms can also disrupt pollination itself. Heavy rain may physically damage flowers and increase the risk of disease. Rain can dilute the nectar that flowers provide as a food reward, making them less attractive to pollinators. Strong winds may also carry insects far from their normal feeding areas, leaving gardens quieter even after the storm has passed.
Planting native plants and pollinators in your garden is an important step towards helping our pollinators during inclement weather seasons. A storm may pass in hours, but its effects on pollinators and pollination can last much longer. Supporting healthy pollinator gardens is one way we can help these essential creatures recover and return to our landscapes.
March 19, 1971: the William Holmes McGuffey Historical Society of Youngstown presented their plans to establish a park on their McGuffey Homesite property in Coitsville Township.
