Rotary Gimlet for January 3, 2019 (Jan 07, 2019)

There was an unusual sensation in the room. Those present were not quite ready. Even the sound of the bell as struck by President Steve Yorde was not sufficient. Reciting the familiar Rotary Four Way Test seemed too hard. It took a restart to get everyone on the same part of the test. Thankfully the President did not execute on his stated desire to ring the bell again and start over. This writer can only imagine the resulting chaos!

Fortunately, calm was restored by Jeff Iisakka who provided a reflection on an important event 81 years ago. On January 3, 1938, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt announced the formation of the National
Foundation for Infantile Paralysis to combat the polio epidemic, better known then and now as “The March of Dimes.” The March of Dimes campaign was promoted by radio and movie star Eddie Cantor. The nation was asked to donate dimes to fight the polio epidemic. After President Roosevelt’s death in 1945, the U.S. dime was redesigned. And in 1946, the Roosevelt dime was introduced. Rotarians continue the work started 81 years ago, and we can be proud of our present worldwide efforts to eradicate polio.

Next up was our fellowship reporter, Dave Holappa, to inform us of the current events involving our members. Bill Gronseth received a well-deserved work zone fine for his article on the 2019 goals for the Duluth Public Schools. Steve LaFlamme was ready to contribute his four dollars for Oneida Realty’s role as the managing agent for the Depot. Mayor Emily Larson was recognized for her recent heartfelt newspaper article describing a difficult week in October - Dave Holappa paid her fine. To celebrate the long awaited significant snowfall, early snowmobile pioneers in the club (and any of their relatives) were fined: Sandy Hoff, Dan Maki, Dick Fischer and Earl Rogers who announced he had a snowmobile dealership in 1965 selling machines for $695 (I think that made Earl’s fine a work zone!). The Duluth News Tribune ran a piece on the “Top Photos of 2018.” Of the eight photos highlighted, two of them were of Rotarians: Earl Rogers inside a B-52 bomber, and Dan Markham shooting ducks out of the sky. Past Assistant Governor Phil Strom celebrated 52 years of marriage to Babs with a $52 contribution to the Golden Can. And on the international stage, a recent article appeared discussing a petition to have Minnesota cede the Northwest Angle to Canada. Rising to the occasion to represent the interests of the Duluth Rotary Club, the State of Minnesota and the United States of America, four of our members, John Moir, Jon Ohman, Tom Young and Jim Schwartz are to travel soon to the Northwest Angle to reinforce our territorial claim. Rumor has it there may also be some ice fishing on Lake of the Woods!

And to introduce our future leaders, Chana Stocke and Marc Seigar presented the outgoing November and incoming January Junior Rotarians. These young people from the seven area high schools represent the best and the brightest.

The Paul Harris Fellowship, named in honor of the founder of Rotary, is awarded to those who have contributed $1,000 to the Rotary Foundation. Once a Paul Harris Fellow, further contributions of $1,000 are recognized with a sapphire. Phil Strom, as Chair of the Foundation Committee, awarded sapphires to the following for their generous ongoing financial support of the Rotary Foundation:

· Rob Hofmann - one sapphire

· Dick Pelinka - one sapphire

· Dean Casperson - two sapphires

· Tricia Bunten - five sapphires

Dick Pelinka, Rob Hofmann, Tricia Bunten, Dean Casperson and Phil Strom

Chair of the Day Dick Pelinka made quick work of his introduction of fellow Rotarian Mayor Emily Larson. Mayor Larson was excited to be with us for her State of the City update. Blending City and Rotary, she referenced keeping the momentum going with our collective commitment to each other, the community and international interests. Clearly investment in the City of Duluth is on an upswing with $1.5 billion of construction scheduled to come on-line in the next two years. This is good news for the implementation of the “Imagine Duluth 2035” initiative. This initiative has five areas of focus. The first is open space including our parks and creeks which represent 30% of the City’s area. The second is economic development which has changed primarily from industrial, fifty years ago, to financial and medical. The third is housing where we need thousands of additional units at all income levels. The fourth is energy with a focus on efficiency, conservation and environmental sustainability. The fifth is transportation with an emphasis on walkability. It is not just about increasing the tax base. It is about new jobs, innovative ideas and a perspective to maintain positive momentum. The role of City government is to set the basic rules, apply them fairly and get out of the way.

Chair of the Day Dick Pelinka with speaker Mayor Emily Larson