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The Gimlet
Volume 108 #16

 
This Week at Rotary
We Meet at Noon on Thursday
October 20, 2022
IN PERSON & ZOOM
For Those Attending in Person
Plated Meal
(Zoom Meeting Opens at 11:45)
(Link Sent Thursday Morning)
At
Holiday Inn Downtown
What Does Being a Top Gun Really Mean?
Gary Black
Navy Aviator and Top Gun Graduate
 
Lieutenant Commander Gary Black is a retired Naval Aviator who attended TOPGUN in 1980.  He will share stories of ejections, lightning strikes, emergency aircraft carrier landings, and flying against MiGs.
Chair of the Day: Jim Landwehr
Highlights from Last Week’s Meeting
By Patra Sevastiades
 
“It is your interest that is at stake when your neighbor’s wall is ablaze,” wrote Horace some 2,000 years ago in Rome. It is true today: a blight in a neighborhood impacts all its residents. Even modest improvements can motivate further change. Who hasn’t experienced this themselves? You paint one room in your house, and it looks so good that you want to paint another. On Thursday Rotarians gathered to hear about a new Duluth program based on that premise.
 
President Barb Perrella welcomed everyone and led us in reciting the Pledge of Allegiance and the Rotary 4-Way Test.
 
President Barb Perrella
 
Next, Rob Hofmann offered the Reflection. He observed that our sense of community begins with family and expands outward to our neighborhood, our city, and later our globe. Rotarians aim to improve the world at all levels.
 
Rob Hofmann
 
President Barb Perrella then introduced our guests Sarah Erickson and Annika Frazer of “Love Your Block” and Jessica Saxon, school counselor at Marshall School.
 
Jim Schwartz self-reported that as of two days ago, his wife, Barb Schwartz, is cancer free! President Barb Perrella celebrated her and husband Sam Perrella’s 30th wedding anniversary and added that a vacation recognizing this milestone will prevent her from being at Rotary next week; President Elect Gary Melander will be in charge.
 
Jim Schwartz shares GREAT NEWS!
 
Jon Ohman, co-chair of the Rose Sale Committee, asked for volunteers to help distribute roses over the next two days. David Fulda coaxed potential volunteers, “I will give a free carpet sample to anyone who joins me at Miller Hill Super One!” Past President Bill Gravelle chimed in, “David provides coffee and doughnuts!” President Barb Perrella gave a shout-out to Vinod Gupta, whose efforts resulted in a Rose Sale coupon book featuring many new sponsor coupons this year.
Rose Sale Committee Co-Chair, Jon Ohman         
Past President Bill Gravelle
 
President Barb Perrella urged all to attend the next Fellowship Breakfast on Friday, October 21, 8:00am, at the Kitchi Gammi Club; to bring guests to a Rotary breakfast or lunch; and that October 24 is World Polio Day, a perfect time to donate to help eradicate polio.
 
Chair of the Day Renee Mattson
 
Chair of the Day Renee Mattson introduced presenter Sarah Erickson, who has been involved in nonprofits and has worked at the Great Lakes Aquarium for 20 years. Now she is the “Love Your Block” Fellow of the City of Duluth.
 
(L to R) Speaker Sarah Erickson, 
President Barb Perrella, Sarah Erickson and Annika Frazer
 
Our speaker explained that “Love Your Block” is a dynamic, short-term project meant to focus on areas of blight in neighborhoods, stimulating the development of fresh ideas and improved neighborhoods. The program is sponsored by the Bloomberg Center for Public Innovation at Johns Hopkins. Duluth is one of eight cities this year that successfully applied for and received the two-year grant, which provides two staff for two years and financial resources to invest in neighborhoods via small grants. The program launched in February 2022, focused on two neighborhoods, Lincoln Park and Central Hillside.
 
 
Working with city departments, the “Love Your Block” team has promoted cross-department interaction, which has enhanced problem-solving related to blighted properties.
 
Working with nonprofits, the team has promoted cross-organizational interaction, and amplified their mutual work of improving neighborhoods.
 
Most importantly, the team has worked with Duluth residents, encouraging them to envision improving their neighborhoods, sharing the resources available, and helped neighbors organize into community teams. These teams come up with ideas to improve the neighborhood, obtain grant money to do it, and then implement the plan.
 
Suddenly, a blighted area begins to look more cared for, and everyone notices. It may be the first improvement that triggers more. Where blight is reduced, safety increases and property values begin to climb. Everyone benefits.
 
The difference? A run-down playground is now inviting. UMD and St. Scholastica students helped neighborhood children paint over a graffiti-filled wall with a mural. Community gardens were improved. A boarded-up residence surrounded by trash was cleaned up. Owners of blighted properties have been approached by the city to see if a plan can be worked out for them to catch up financially on back taxes or fees and to tap resources to improve their properties. Little by little, change is happening. Neighborhoods are looking—and feeling—better.
 
The 50/50 drawing was won by Zach, the Jr. Rotarian from Proctor, with a ticket given to him by Jon Ohman.
 
President Barb Perrella adjourned the meeting.
 
Overheard before the meeting: “Yesterday, ten people showed up to deliver roses to the various pick-up locations!” said President elect Gary Melander, co-chair of the Rose Sale Committee. Thank you to those hearty volunteers—and to Dan Dock and his volunteers who decorated the Boys and Girls Club and brought cookies for Halloween this week!
 
Rose Sale Committee Co-Chair, Jon Ohman and the Skyway Team. Photo by Jeff Fifield
 
(L to R) Steve Hadley, Past President Dean Casperson and Patra Sevastiades at Mount Royal Market. Photo by Jeff Fifield
 
Rotarians in action at Mount Royal Market. Photo by Jeff Fifield
 
 
This Week's Meeting
Thursdays at 12:00 PM
Holiday Center Great Lakes Ballroom
200 W. Superior St
Duluth, MN
United States of America
Venue Map
Venue Map
Speakers
Oct 13, 2022
Collaborative Caretaking of Spaces and Neighbors
Oct 20, 2022
What Does Being A Top Gun Really Mean?
Oct 27, 2022
Force Protection in the Middle East During COVID 19
Nov 03, 2022
UMD: Perspectives From a Returning Bulldog
Nov 10, 2022
Duluth’s HRA – From Owned Housing to Development and Everything in Between
Dec 01, 2022
Dec 08, 2022
View entire list
Upcoming Events
Rotary Board of Directors
Rotary Office
Oct 19, 2022 4:00 PM
 
Rotary Breakfast at the Kitchi Gammi Club
Oct 21, 2022 8:00 AM
 
Club Breakfast at the Kitchi Gammi Club
Nov 11, 2022 8:00 AM
 
Rotary Board of Directors
Rotary Office
Nov 16, 2022 4:00 PM
 
View entire list
Birthdays & Anniversaries
Member Birthdays
Dan Dock
October 4
 
Ryan Johnson
October 7
 
Gary Melander
October 8
 
Dean Casperson
October 10
 
Mark Peterson
October 10
 
Kevin Jones
October 14
 
Branden Robinson
October 15
 
Jim Monge
October 15
 
Bonita Nelson
October 16
 
Jerry Pelofske
October 24
 
Jena Evans
October 27
 
Jon Ohman
October 30
 
Mary Niemeyer
October 31
 
Join Date
Jena Evans
October 4, 2012
10 years
 
Gerald Ostroski
October 6, 1983
39 years
 
Renee Mattson
October 6, 2005
17 years
 
Bob Bennett
October 13, 1977
45 years
 
Karol Sowers
October 18, 2012
10 years
 
Steve LaFlamme
October 20, 1983
39 years
 
David Clark
October 22, 2020
2 years
 
Jeramy Mercil
October 24, 2019
3 years
 
Official Publication of
Rotary Club of Duluth
207 W. Superior St.
Suite 201
Phone:218-722-0451
Duluth Minnesota 55802
 
Editor:
Rob Hofmann
218-464-2895
 
Writers:
Darlene Anderson
Rob Hofmann
Al Makynen
Traci Marciniak
Phil Strom
Steve Yorde
 
Photographer:
Jerry Thoreson
 
 
Rotary Office Hours:
By Appointment Only
Until Further Notice
Website: duluthrotary.org