Monday, October 24, 2022

Rotary International asks us to Imagine Rotary through our Focus Areas
October is Economic and Community Development Month

This month Rotary International asks us to Imagine Rotary by supporting the members of our community to become economically self sufficientExplore the possibilities with us at our meeting Wednesday at noon at Wick Park or virtually via Zoom. 

http://www.youngstownrotaryevent.com

The  Zoom ID is: 3567145262

This Week's Meeting

Our speaker will be Laura Boomhower, community health educator at the Joanie Abdu Comprehensive Breast Care Center and Mercy Health Oncology Department. She has worked at Mercy Health since 2015 and formerly was the Oncology department manager. She also facilitates the Joanie’s Sister Support Group and manages the MammoVan, a mobile mammography unit. A graduate of Hiram College, Boomhower is a board member of Yellow Brick Place, a cancer wellness center.

Last Week's Meeting

Public Education - the Cornerstone of Democracy
 
According to our own Barbara Brothers, threats to public education are real. Barbara reviewed a host of initiatives and pending legislative action in Ohio that she feels will undermine what is taught in the public school system, weaken the qualifications teachers are required to have, and continue to cut funding to public schools.  
 
Issues surrounding equitable funding for schools in Ohio are complex. HB 305, the Cupp-Patterson bill addressed the unconstitutional way that public schools in Ohio are funded, with a combination of property taxes and income. It passed the house, but was never brought up for a vote in the Senate. Thus, it is only in effect for two years. 
 
Public school funding is based on a complicated formula of various items that determine how much money a school needs. States Barbara, the state of Ohio cannot find money for public schools, but will fund the voucher program. Legislation is currently pending that will make vouchers available to everyone, regardless of school district. This legislation also creates Education Savings Accounts (ESAs) that will give money for the child to parents, who can home-school their children and pay themselves for doing so. 
 
Teacher qualifications are being weakened also. Until 2015, teachers had to obtain a Master’s degree to receive permanent certification to teach. Now teachers can simply pass a test to be able to teach, and legislation in other states that Ohio seeks to adopt allows individuals with no background in education to teach in the classroom.
Barbara’s plea to us was to become educated about the issues and take action. 

Some websites to check out for important information are:
 
Barb began her career in education as a teacher in the Austintown schools, eventually working her way to Chair of the English Department at YSU. In between, she was director of humanities for Outward Bound students, won awards for her work with suburban and urban schools, and helped obtain a $2.5 million grant to develop a program whereby teachers in urban and suburban schools could collaborate and learn from one another. 
 
Also during the meeting, Dionne Lacey gave a fresh floral arrangement to Samantha Turner in appreciation of Sam's assistance at the United Returning Citizens Masquerade Ball on Oct. 14 at Stambaugh Auditorium. The ball was a fundraiser for URC, which connects formerly incarcerated persons with housing, education and employment opportunities. Congratulations to Dionne and her colleagues!
 
 

Wear the gears with pride!

Check out the 2022-23 Rotary Club of Youngstown Apparel Shop created by the Spiritwear Committee + Sherman Creative.
 
From business wear to casual, workout gear to outerwear, these items will help you show your Rotary pride with flair.
 
Our pop-up apparel store includes old favorites and loads of NEW ITEMS that you requested! Check out the options HERE!
 
PLUS we have our own Rotary Action projects t-shirts and sweatshirts (these are ordered the old-fashioned way by filling out the order form, writing a check, and sending it to office or dropping off at the next meeting).
 
The last day to order is FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 4.
 

World Polio Day is October 24!

 
 
Did You Know?
1. Polio mainly affects children under the age of 5.
2. There is no cure but polio can be prevented with a vaccine.
3. Only two countries remain endemic.
4. We've reduced cases by 99.9% since 1988.
5. Until we end polio forever, every child is at risk.
 
Polio in the News:
-In June, a man was paralyzed and diagnosed with Polio - the first known case in the United States in nearly a decade, and the first in New York since 1990. He was unvaccinated.*
 
-As of October, the Polio virus has been found in wastewater in 69 samples in the state of New York.*
 
-The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation recently committed another $1.2 billion towards polio eradication.^
 
-At the recent World Polio Summit, global leaders have pledged $2.6 billion towards eradication efforts. Rotary International pledged $150 million.**
 

We Need Your Plastic Film

We have now collected 315 pounds of plastic, with 88 of those coming in November! That leaves us with 190 to go. With the holiday season in full swing, there should be lots of items that can be recycled. 
 
Don’t forget to save your plastic film and bring it to Rotary on Wednesdays. Once we collect 500 pounds of plastic, we turn it into Trex, the company that manufactures composite decking. Trex, in turn, will donate a bench made of the recycled plastic that we will place in a pollinator garden or near a Little Free Library.
 
We have until the end of February 2023 to collect the plastic. You can turn in your recyclables to Elsa Higby, Ra’Cole Taltoan, or LInda Kostka, who will weigh, track, and turn it in. Review the list of items below to see what’s acceptable. 

Beerfest News

Mark your calendars now! RCY’s 5th annual Groundhog Craft Beerfest will be Saturday, Feb, 4, at Stambaugh Auditorium. 
Beerfest is the club’s major annual fundraiser, and there will be many ways for members to make this the best event yet, by selling tickets, securing sponsors and volunteering to set up, pour beer, or tear down on event day. 
Contact co-chairs Samantha Turner and Kevin Chiu if you have questions.
 
 

Operation Warm Update

RCY President Sharon Letson says 931 coats have been ordered for this year’s distribution to local students during November. The need is substantial, and yet our club is still working to reach its fundraising goal.
 
Coats cost $20 each. Make checks payable to the Youngstown Rotary Foundation and mail them to the RCY office, 201 E. Commerce St., #450, Youngstown, OH 44503. Gifts may be made in honor or memory of persons; memorial cards are available.
 

 

Operation Pollination

WE NEED MILKWEED!
 
 
To stop the decline of monarch butterflies, billions of new milkweed plants need to be added across the continent to support the several generations each year that migrate thousands of miles from Central Mexico to Eastern Canada and New England.
 
The days are getting shorter and temperatures are dropping but the gardening season is far from over. You can help monarch butterflies by planting milkweeds, the only plant that monarch caterpillars can eat.
 
Milkweed seeds are mature and ready to be harvested right now! Look for pods that are gray, dry, and beginning to pop.
 
How to Harvest Seeds from Milkweed Plants:
  • Correctly identify the plant and make sure the seed pods and seeds are mature.
  • Pull the full pod from the plant stem and place in a brown paper bag.
  • Label the bag with as much information as you can (variety of milkweed, location, date, zip code, etc.).
  • Drop off milkweed seed at one of our drop-off locations: Mahoning County Soil and Water Conservation District on Industrial Road, or Youngstown Rotarians can bring them to the weekly meeting. You know who to give them to 😊
 
How to Grow Milkweed:
Milkweed seed can be planted directly in soil or started indoors.
  • You can sow milkweed seeds by scattering them on the soil surface 1/4-1/2 inch apart, and then cover them with about 1/4 inch of additional soil.
  • Water the area frequently after planting until plants become established.
Many species need to be vernalized (cold treated) before planting. Prolonged exposure to low temperatures ensures that flowering occurs in the appropriate season of the year- spring. Milkweed is one of the plant species that require freezing to germinate.
  • Vernalized seeds can be planted in the spring after the danger of frost has passed.
  • Non-vernalized seeds can be planted in the fall, and nature will provide the cold treatment.
See Monarch Watch's milkweed propagation guide for further recommendations, information on vernalization and instructions for starting milkweed seeds indoors.  
 
For further details on milkweed growing and conservation use, visit the Xerces Society's Milkweed Practicitoner Guide, which is a complete guide to milkweeds, including biology/ecology, propagation, benefits to wildlife, and use in restoration projects.
 
 

Pints for Polio

 
A great attendance for a great cause. Good job club!
 

THIS WEEK IN ROTARY HISTORY

May 21, 1996: Upon the recommendation of a special committee chaired by Fred Owens, the Rotary Club of Youngstown launched the “Put Kids First” initiative.
 
CAUSE FOR CELEBRATION
 
 
Birthdays:
Becky Keck - October 24th
Ron Faniro - October 25th
Troy Rhoades - Oct 28th
 
Anniversaries:
Stephen DiPaolo - 3 Years
 
 
The Four-Way Test
 
1. Is it the truth?
2. Is it fair to all concerned?
3. Will it build goodwill and better friendships?
4. Will it be beneficial to all concerned?
 
Proposed New Member
 

Brendan Considine

Executive Director, The Montessori School of the Mahoning Valley

Sponsor: Mike Latessa

Considine is an administrative educator with 8 years of teaching experience in the Youngstown City Schools and the Alliance City Schools, and 14 years as an administrator as Classroom Supervisor at The Rich Center for Autism. He currently is the Executive Director/Head of School at The Montessori School of the Mahoning Valley. Brendan has also served as adjunct faculty at Thiel College, Westminster College, and Youngstown State University teaching string pedagogy and music instruction. As a performing musician, Brendan is also Concertmaster of the Greenville Symphony and Youngstown’s Legacy Scoring Orchestra. Brendan holds three degrees from Youngstown State University – a Bachelor of Arts in Music Education, Master in Music, and Master of Science in Education – Educational Administration. Recently, Brendan was on a committee that wrote fine arts learning standards for the Ohio Department of Education. As an administrator, he is a voice for students with special needs, and also is an Ohio licensed Principal. Brendan lives in the Handel’s neighborhood in Youngstown with his wife, Karen, and their three children.
Bulletin Editor
Steve Poullas
Advertisement for Russell Hampton
Advertisement for ClubRunner
Advertisement for ClubRunner Mobile
Bulletin Editor
Steve Poullas
Club Information

Welcome to Youngstown Rotary

Service Above Self

Wednesdays at 12:00 PM
Wick Park Pavilion
260 Park Avenue
Youngstown, OH 44504
United States of America
Phone:
(330) 743-8630
Connect through Zoom: http://www.youngstownrotaryevent.com/
DistrictSiteIcon
District Site
VenueMap
Venue Map
Please add mailservice@clubrunner.ca to your safe sender list or address book.
To view our privacy policy, click here.
 
ClubRunner
102-2060 Winston Park Drive, Oakville, ON, L6H 5R7