Events

Join fellow Rotarians and guests for the 2025 Holiday Party at Northland Country Club on Tuesday, December 9 from 5:00-8:00pm.

There will be heavy hors d'oeuvres, a cash bar and music by Nick Hyde.  Nick performed for last year's party and was wildly popular!  Nick is a DJ and talented violinist and will provide music for listening or dancing, so bring your dancing shoes and plan to have fun!

Please RSVP to Past President Elizabeth Simonson by Friday, December 5 at esimonso@umn.edu or 218-391-4772.

The Cyclists of Gitchee Gumee Shores (COGGS) is a leading non-profit mountain bike advocacy organization in the Duluth/Superior Twin Ports Area of Minnesota and Wisconsin. COGGS was established in 1994 as a nonprofit 501-c3 organization. We are committed to sustainable trail development, equitable trail access across the Twin Ports, and to developing a welcoming outdoor recreational culture by promoting opportunities, education, programming, partnerships, and healthy outdoor fun. 

More about Ansel: As a lifelong mountain biker, my journey has taken me through some of the best biking destinations across the country. After a decade of exploring new trails, my family and I put down roots in Duluth, where access to trails is truly unbeatable—especially with two young kids in tow. With a background in trail building and cycling advocacy, I’m excited to bring my experience to the community and help expand access to the incredible trail network that Duluth has to offer.

Many minerals of economic interest (such as nickel, copper, gold and cobalt) are found in high sulfide ores. The sulfur content of these ores may be 5-10 times higher than the mineral of interest. As such, high sulfide mining creates a very large amount of waste sulfur which is discarded into the environment with toxic affects. Literature reviews have shown that all high sulfide mines in water rich areas have contaminated the local water based environment. This presentation will review the state of high sulfide mining in Minnesota and discuss the specific dangers resulting from this type of mining.

Tom Anderson MSEE (Master of Science in Electrical Engineering from the University of Minnesota) is a resident of Tamarack, Minnesota and a founding member of the Tamarack Water Alliance. The Tamarack Water Alliance is a group of local residents and landowners working together with others from across Minnesota to protect water and community health through education.

He recently retired as a principal technologist for the Alliance for Telecommunications Industry Solutions, or ATIS ( atis.org ), a Washington, D.C., nonprofit that assists telecommunications service providers and vendors with information and communications technology and standards. He also teaches a variety of courses in the UMD Seniors program.

Recycling 101

What actually belongs in your recycling bin? And what happens to it after it leaves your curb? Take a peek behind the scenes to learn the systems and processes that sort your recyclables and turn them into something new.

Emma Pardini’s role as a Sustainability Specialist serves to educate and develop community programs aimed at improving recycling and reducing waste across Resource Renew’s 530 square mile region. In the community, Emma serves as the Vice President on the board of Reuse Minnesota and as the Sustainability Chair on the board of Duluth Superior EcoRotary.

I describe my experience in the sport of ski jumping from a young age through the Olympic experience. This will include my family history with the sport, how I ended up making ski jumping my primary sport, and the setbacks and victories experienced along the way.

Biography of Speaker (For Introduction by the Chair of the Day): I live in Duluth with my wife Linda and four children (Izzy 16, James 13, Emily 11, Teppen 9). I work for RSM as a Manager in the National Office of Ethics and Independence, focused on independence monitoring of services provided within several large private equity firms. I am a licensed CPA in Minnesota and a member of the Duluth Lions Club.