SPOKES VOL. LXIV NO. 16 October 24, 2017
Our greeters this morning were Richard Swanson and Nick Tuit.
We opened our meeting with the Pledge of Allegiance and Art Ayers offered our invocation.
Guests:
Our guests today included our speaker, Bob Tolpa and Dorothy Lockwood’s daughter Angela.
Spotlight:
President Renner read a proclamation from Rotary International about World Polio Day, celebrated on this day! Since the inception of the fight against polio in 1984, Rotary has raised $1.7 billion to eradicate polio.
Music:
Jim Davis was our song leader today, assisted by “Fingers” Gruber and a revitalized Dottie. We began with the old standard (And by old, I mean really old as it was published in 1912) “Moonlight Bay”. We followed that with “Oh, You Beautiful Doll”, a ragtime love song published in 1911 with words by Seymour Brown and music by Nat D. Ayer. The song was one of the first with a twelve-bar opening. We finished with one of our favorites, “Smile, Sing a Song”.
Announcements:
- Don’t forget the Club Runner App for your phones, it’s a great resource! It now features member birthday and anniversaries. Hopefully consistent use of Club Runner will keep members aware of their anniversaries and save much grief. Spokes can also be assessed through this app.
- Snowbirds are reminded to let Bob Straits and Rhonda know when you will be gone and to take care of your financial arrangements prior to leaving.
- Members are encouraged to move around each week so you get to know your fellow Rotarians, especially new members.
- Our first Blessings in a Backpack work session is scheduled for November 3rd. Let Rhonda know if you will be able to help.
- Bob Straits and Rhonda Wendzel reported on a successful Haven Harvest beer and wine tent. Bob estimates that we will clear at least $1500 on the event. Rhonda thanked all who helped that afternoon and evening, especially her co-chair Dorothy Lockwood.
- President Renner ran into Edward DeYoung this weekend and he is working to start a Roteract Club at EMU, helping Rotary grow!
- We received a very nice thank you from Kiwanis for our donation to their Parenting Expo.
50/50
Tom Ruesink asked Angela Lockwood to draw the 50/50 ticket today and she led Barry Winkel towards the promised land. Unfortunately, Barry’s luck ran out as he was unable to find a money winning card. Stu Comiskey, on the other hand, was able to collect the $2 prize.
Fines:
- Tom Fleming celebrated the birthday of daughter Cymbre this week
- Jerry Portman’s sister in law is celebrating her birthday.
- Jeff Melvin celebrated the birthday of his future daughter in law and announced that she will marry into his family next September 1st.
- Tom Renner noted that his mother in law would have been 101 years old this week.
- Paul Hix noted that one of our members won one of the District Raffle prizes last week and the money was donated to the Pullman Health Clinic.
- Bob Copping, having studied his gift from Jerry Gruber last week, was able to tell us a story about cows in a marijuana field and how the steaks were too high to continue that practice.
- Glenn Pietenpol was noticeable silent, even given Notre Dame’s win this weekend.
- Don Hodgman just returned from a trip to Iceland to prepare for winter in Michigan.
- Dene Hadden noted that the Honorable Mention ranked SHHS volleyball team will play #4 ranked Niles in District play next Monday evening at 7:00 PM at the high school.
- Jerry Gruber noticed that the SHHS girls swim team was at the Wellness Center for practice this morning as they get ready for conference and state meets.
- Bob Boerma was proud to announce that his son Scott has finished a work commissioned for the Boston Pops Orchestra.
Mark Odland introduced our speaker, retired EPA official Robert Tolpa.
Robert, who had a long career with the EPA has worked with Canadian officials on clean water and air treaties and is proud to have been a key player in the Northwest Indiana Environmental Enforcement Initiative.
He reviewed the history of treaties designed to keep the Great Lakes clean from the initial 1909 water apportionment treaty to the 1987 action plan which was designed to focus on clean air, clean water, resource conservation, safe drinking water and superfund sites.This treaty, a follow-up to a treaty signed in the 1970’s was renewed in 2012.
Bob talked in detail about the success of the plans to clean up land and water in North West Indiana and the many pollution sources located there.He was especially proud of the work his team did to get the United States Steal Gary Works cleaned up, and getting contaminated sediments cleaned up in canals and especially in getting a number of SEP’s or Supplemental Environmental Projects established whereby industries agreed to clean up efforts as part of settlements or negations with the EPA.
Bob concluded by answering a few questions from members and also indicated that he had a special passion for NW Indiana as he had grown up there.
President Renner provided Bob with one of our speaker’s gifts and thanked him for presenting.
We are reminded that the AAUW will be holding a forum for all of the City candidates on Thursday evening, October 26th.
We closed the meeting with the Rotary Four Way Test.
Next week’s program: Salvation Army Update
Next week’s Greeters: Ted Weber and Bill Roberts
Editarian: Dene Hadden