Rotary International asks us to Serve to Change Lives through its Focus Areas
This month Rotary International asks us to Serve to Change Lives by helping to improve the lives of mothers and their children. Explore the possibilities with us at our meeting Wednesday at noon at Wick Park or virtually via Zoom.
Jason Hess of West Middlesex, PA, is the first student in Youngstown State University history to receive the Truman Scholarship, a graduate scholarship for aspiring public service leaders. Jason will be the guest speaker when RCY meets Wednesday at St. John’s Episcopal Church, on Wick Avenue across from YSU Jones Hall. He is majoring in mechanical engineering and is a member of Sokolov Honors College at YSU. After he graduates in Spring 2024, Jason wants to earn a master’s degree in aerospace/astronautical engineering and public policy at Massachusetts Institute of Technology and focus his career on space sustainability.
Also, TODAY is the deadline to RSVP for the annual Law Day lunch program, which will be at noon Wednesday, May 3 at Fellows Riverside Gardens in Mill Creek MetroParks. Law Day will be in place of RCY’s weekly meeting. All city service clubs – Rotary, Lions and Kiwanis – will join attorneys, judges and local students at the annual event. Contact President Sharon Letson immediately if you wish to attend.
Last Week's Meeting
RCY saluted six high school students and one junior high student during its Scholastic Achievement Awards Day program at the main branch of the Public Library of Youngstown and Mahoning County.
RCY has been supporting college education for decades. What began as a loan fund for YSU students evolved into a scholarship program during the 1970s. Two years ago, RCY entered into an agreement with the YSU Foundation to offer six annual scholarships at $1,000 each to students completing their studies at city high schools and enrolling at YSU.
Scholarship recipients and their parents were invited to RCY’s luncheon program. The winners are:
Morgan Bailey, the National Honor Society president at Valley Christian High School;
Judah-Mekhi Dawson-Mwangi, of East High School and an aspiring composer/musician;
Aniya Williams, The Rayen Early College, a daughter of Rotarian Trina Williams;
Josiah Gonzalez, Chaney High School (who was unable to attend);
Gianna Martin, of Cardinal Mooney High School, who will study middle childhood education at YSU.
A sixth scholarship, in memory of the late Edward J. Hulme, a longtime RCY member, was awarded to James McGlone of Ursuline High School. Relatives of Hulme also were in attendance.
Joey Constantine, a 7th grader at Lakeview High School in Cortland, was recognized as the WFMJ-TV Spelling Bee winner. He was presented with a check for $100. He will compete in the 95th Scripps National Spelling Bee during the week of May 28 at National Harbor, Maryland.
Dr. Helen Lafferty, YSU interim president and niece of Ed Hulme, lauded the students for their credentials and parents as their first teachers. “We’ll take splendid care of you,” she said to scholarship recipients, stressing that YSU frees minds by encouraging students to think more deeply, contemplate more often, and decide more widely.
Dr. Lafferty was presented with a Paul Harris Fellow (on Harris’s actual birthday) for what Rotarian Scott Schulick called “her legacy of service to the educational community.” She is a graduate of Ursuline, YSU and the University of Pittsburgh, with post-doctoral studies at the University of Pennsylvania, Harvard, and the National University of Ireland-Galway. She has been an administrator and faculty member at Villanova University for more than four decades.
Ana Torres, of YSU Maag Library and group tour coordinator, updated members on travel opportunities as sponsored by YSU and RCY. Beyond the “Jewels of Alpine Europe” tour that will begin May 9, nine spots remain open for a tour of Australia, New Zealand and Fiji in October 2024. She also presented President Sharon with cash contributions to RCY from two prior travelers.
Also, Dawn Monteiro received her round badge and informational packet as a new member of Rotary. Welcome, Dawn!
Smarts Art Fest
SMARTS Arts School opened its doors to the public Saturday to celebrate the second annual Arts Festival in collaboration with Youngstown City Schools and the Rotary Club of Youngstown.
Using the theme “Operation Pollination," which demonstrated the significance of pollinators in the environment, the festival featured more than 100 pieces of student artwork, as well as music and dance presentations.
SMARTS created a curriculum for teachers’ use, and the classroom instruction led to students sharing their knowledge of pollinators in creative ways. Festival visitors viewed the gallery of art works, made their own pollinators at a visual arts station, and participated in drum circles.
Could a Climate-Friendly Yard Actually Be Better for Curb Appeal?
That pristine green lawn requires a lot of upkeep — and a lot of water — to maintain its lushness. With that in mind, nearly any replacement, even if it's not intentionally more sustainable, could help reduce the yard's overall drain on resources.
But while interest in these potentially more climate-friendly front yards is increasing, you have to wonder: Can a yard be both climate-friendly and attractive to passersby (and potential buyers)?
Making changes to take your yard from high-maintenance (and resource-draining) to eco-friendly can save you time and money—and even give you a new level of curb appeal.
For decades, a white picket fence and a pristine lawn have represented the ideal yard and peak curb appeal for many in the U.S., but as Americans better understand the effects of climate change, homeowners are increasingly willing to ditch grass in favor of more eco-friendly alternatives.
This shift is revealed, in part by landscape design services that show that requests to replace lawns have increased 66% year over year. Additionally, over the same period, requests for a more functional front yard increased 150%.
What a Climate-Friendly Yard Might Look Like
Developing a more climate-friendly yard starts when you ditch your grass. Lawns are something that Europeans preferred, and the tradition crossed the pond.
It goes back to Thomas Jefferson having a love of the English landscape, and there's a direct line between the English landscape tradition and lawns being across the United States. The desire for the lawn is very deep in our cultural preferences. People should not feel guilty or judged for having a lawn, but it would be good for people to be aware of the impact of lawns.
Alternatives to lawns include ornamental grasses, native plants and trees, various hardscapes such as pathways or gravel, and ground cover, such as clover, that doesn't require frequent mowing and watering.
Even the maintenance of your lawn can affect the environment. Gas-guzzling mowers, weed whackers, and leaf blowers produce exhaust and create noise pollution that affects area wildlife.
Plus, replacing the lawn can mean a better use of your front-yard space like expanding ornamental planting, and the other side to that area for maybe a functional use, like a seating area or a kids' play area.
Think of the Birds
Climate-friendly yards begin with less water waste and fewer powerful chemicals, but the result is a healthier local ecosystem. The typical American lawn doesn't make for a good habitat for most local flora and fauna (hence the need for efforts such as No Mow May), but a yard that incorporates different types of climate-friendly plants can provide shelter for animals and insects while conserving water and releasing fewer pesticides and fertilizers into local waterways.
When you think about all the area that lawns occupy across the country, it's an immense missed opportunity to support biodiversity and just to have more aesthetic variety and better expressions of regional landscape character.
Homeowner associations have historically preferred traditional lush grass lawns, but they're becoming more flexible. Emphasize the benefits of your eco-friendly changes — especially if you live in an area where droughts are common — and your HOA could be open to changes that support those goals.
Do Buyers Care?
Surprisingly, perhaps, more and more buyers are interested in climate-friendly yards, either because it means less maintenance than a standard patch of grass or because they're concerned about the environment. In Nevada, climate-friendly yards aren't just aesthetically pleasing, they're also a major perk for buyers who need to be in line with local standards on water use and fire mitigation. A yard that already meets that criteria can be a major selling point.
Sellers have the first eight seconds to win buyers over That buyer's 'love at first sight' curb appeal now depends on what the cost would be to replace that water-hogging grass and install a more modern artificial turf in its place.
Consider whether a similar shift in your area — regardless of drought conditions — could pay off, either in lower maintenance needs or other cost-savings, and you may find that your curb appeal falls into place as neighbors and potential buyers alike grow to appreciate the many benefits of a climate-friendly lawn.
East Palestine Help
World Bee Day News
The Monarch butterfly may be the symbol of Operation Pollination, but there’s no disputing the importance of bees in our lives. They carry pollen from flower to flower, which enables the production of fruits, nuts and seeds that we need and enjoy. That is only one reason why World Bee Day will be observed on May 20.
A local celebration will be from noon to 4 p.m. that afternoon at Honeycomb Arts and Wellness Center at the Judy Rogers Memorial Garden, 1931 Belmont Ave. See our fellow Rotarian Jessica Romeo for information.
THIS WEEK IN ROTARY HISTORY
March 24, 1934: James A. Henderson, a local car dealer, and Richard Graham provided a sparkling program by debating the following: “Resolved – The Modern Automobile is a Better Vehicle than the Ancient Ox-Cart.”
CAUSE FOR CELEBRATION
Birthdays:
Aimee Fifarek - April 29
Anniversaries:
Luke Politsky - 2 Years
Service Project Opportunities for May and June:
Just another reminder about some service project opportunities to share with you all for the rest of President Sharon's year that I feel would be great for club fellowship and wonderful community service. See below and please reach out to me if you can volunteer your time and/or if you'd like more information.
1) St. John's Women's Coffee and Food Pantry Opportunity:
- On the 3rd Saturday of the month (5/20 and 6/17) there is a women's coffee/breakfast from 8:30-10a where we will bring breakfast and serve those who come to St. John's.
After breakfast, from 10-11:30a, the food pantry opens at we will bag and distribute food to those who come to the pantry. Please let me know if you are available on any of the dates above and we will coordinate from there. We are looking for 5-10 Rotarians for this.
2) Taft Food Pantry:
- We need teams of 2 Rotarians to deliver food in the community from the Taft Food Pantry to the Taft Families. The last fresh food delivery day is on May 16th. This will take 30 minutes per team...you will get food for 8-10 stops that are pre-routed. The teams of 2 Rotarians will pull up at the pantry at 2p, load cars and deliver the food. We will need about 8-10 Rotarians for this as well. Please let me know if you are able to do this on 5/16.
.png)
