This will be an interesting week – no fooling!

YSU President Bill Johnson will address the club at noon Wednesday at the Tyler History Center – Mahoning Valley Historical Society, 325 W. Federal St. (We will meet at theTyler for the next three weeks while the Wick Pavilion roof is under repair.)

The next Rotary After Hours gathering will be at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday at Bistro 1907. Can’t attend lunch-hour meetings? Want to introduce a future member to Rotary? Be there!

Bring a friend to the Rotaryclipse preview at 4 p.m. Friday at Penguin City Brewing Co., 460 E. Federal St. Rotarians Richard Bernacki and Aspasia Lyras-Bernacki will tap the Black Moon IPA that was brewed especially for Rotaryclipse. Throughout the weekend, $1 of each Black Moon pour will go to support our club’s fundraiser for STEAM education.

Meet again from 2 to 5 p.m. Sunday at Penguin City for the full Rotaryclipse experience. Bring your family, check out the exhibits, and buy NASA-approved glasses for viewing the solar eclipse on April 8. Rotaryclipse chairman George Nelson needs volunteers to work 1-hour shifts at the Rotary table and to sell merch and 50-50 tickets.

Our March 27 program by Western Reserve Port Authority was very informative. The meeting was at Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport, which also hosts the Youngstown Air Reserve Station. Anthony Trevena, WRPA executive director, said the airport has 111 miles of runway to maintain. Also, the air reserve base is Trumbull County’s top employer, and the second-highest employer in Mahoning County.

Our fellow Rotarian Josh Prest, executive director of the Eastern Ohio Military Affairs Commission, detailed how lobbying on the air base’s behalf will result in a full squadron of new planes (worth $1 billion) beginning in July and millions more in federal support to install new runways.

Mike Hillman, who owns a full-service company to support commercial aviation, discussed opportunities to own, charter or lease aircraft there. 

Joe Deramo of Pittsburgh Institute of Aeronautics, which has a branch campus at the airport, emphasized rising demand for aviation technicians. 

Atty. Joe Maxin, WRPA’s compliance officer and lead instructor of YSU’s new flight school, was introduced. 

The meeting ended with a walk on the tarmac to view the flight school’s planes.

Monday, March 18th, 5 to 8:30 pm

Cocktails and light food provided

BYOB - wine or beer if that is your preference.

Where and what is Lloyd's? A speakeasy in the basement of Phil and Elsa's house at 334 Tod Lane, Youngstown.

What is Climate Fresk?  A game about climate change.

Please RSVP by registering for the event.

RCY’s third round of film plastic collection will launch soon. Bring your film plastic to the Rotary meeting on the second Wednesday of the month, beginning April 10. Nextrex Recycling Challenge is our national program partner, and they have raised the stakes! We need to collect 1,000 lbs of plastic at a minimum, and we have 12 months to do it. 

Thank you to those who signed up to be part of the weighing and transporting team! Your service is essential to our recycling efforts.

The keys to success are as follows:

Step 1:  Become familiar with what is and is not acceptable and read the FAQ.

Step 2:  Put a bin labeled film plastic only at your workplace and/or home. Download and post the acceptable items poster and the unacceptable items poster. If you need a bin, Elsa Higby has one large cardboard bin remaining.

Step 3:  Tell your co-workers to bring their plastic from home and put it in the bin.

Step 4:  Bring your collection to Rotary on the 2nd Wednesday of the month. If you cannot do this, then email elsahigby@gmail.com and we'll find a solution.

Step 5:  While at Rotary, be sure to replenish your bin liner supply.  All film plastic must be collected in a clear film plastic bin liner (not black).

Rotaryclipse will kick off with a special event Friday, April 5, at Penguin City Brewing Co. At 4 p.m., we will tap the Black Moon IPA that Penguin City has brewed for us and begin sales. Remember, $1 of each Black Moon pour will go to support our fundraiser for STEAM education. We also will preview some of the merchandise to be sold at the main event. Invite friends!

Join us again from 2 to 5 p.m. Sunday, April 7, at Penguin City for the full Rotaryclipse experience. It will be a family-friendly event with fun, educational exhibits to include movie props from the science fiction and fantasy museum under development in Warren. Buy your NASA-approved eclipse-viewing glasses and be ready for the total solar eclipse on Monday, April 8.

With many new members in the club, it is time for another Fireside Chat. This orientation session will be from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. March 21 at Prima Cucina, 103 W. Federal St. New and seasoned members will gather to discuss club history, aspects of membership and getting involved. Please register here. Contact Justin Froelich for information at 330-942-0179 or email him at justin@temaroofingservices.com.

Thousands Of Hummingbirds Are Headed For Ohio During Their Migration This Spring

By April Dray

Is there anything more beautiful than spring in Ohio? Well, yes, actually, yes there is: Hummingbirds in Ohio! Thousands of joyful, colorful hummingbirds, like a miniature feathered rainbow fluttering through the air. Each spring, the hummingbird migration in Ohio will have thousands of these beautiful little birds appear in the skies over the Buckeye State. 

Are you wondering, “When do hummingbirds come back to Ohio?” You can usually start to catch them in late April, during their annual migration. They’ll be easy to spot in quiet yards, especially those armed with hummingbird feeders, all across the country. Read on to find out more about these bejeweled birds.

In February, hummingbirds began migrating from Mexico and Central America to the U.S. and Canada.

Fun fact: There are more than 300 recognized species of hummingbirds, but only about a dozen migrate to the U.S. and Canada.

Ohio hummingbirds are ruby-throated hummingbirds. The males are particularly easy to spot, with their bright red throats that give the species its name. The ruby-throated hummingbirds, in fact, are the only type of hummingbird that breeds east of the Mississippi River.

Male hummingbirds typically arrive about two weeks before the females on the hummingbird migration in Ohio. Males usually arrive in early April. Visit the Hummingbird Central website to stay up to date about their migration patterns and the best time to see hummingbirds in Ohio.

At just under four inches long, the ruby-throated hummingbird is tiny but mighty. In fact, they flap their wings an average of 53 times every second and fly up to 25 miles an hour.

If you'd like to spot some hummingbirds in your yard this year, it's a good idea to put your feeders out a few weeks before their expected arrival. You don't have to purchase anything fancy, just a basic hummingbird feeder like those from an online retailer like Bed, Bath and Beyond will do.

Get your sugar water ready, have your camera on hand, and sit back and wait for the hummingbirds to arrive in Ohio! It will put a big smile on your face, we promise.

And if you’re feeling major spring vibes, be sure to check out this butterfly house in Cleveland — it’s stunning!