“You don’t have to be someone special to achieve something amazing. You’ve just got to have a dream, believe in it and work hard.” – Jessica Watson

 

“Having a specific meaning and purpose in your life helps to encourage you towards living a fulfilling and inspired life.” – Vic Johnson

 

“Security is mostly a superstition. Life is either a daring adventure or nothing.” – Helen Keller

 

ANNOUNCEMENTS

(Notes provided by Allan Penwell)

 

Cassie Carroll of Champaign West passed out fliers on Solar Urbana-Champaign and asked us to consider linking up with their group purchasing program. Being in a group helps to lower installation costs of residential solar by 40%. Presentations are being made through the end of August at various public venues around C-U.

 

Tod announced a workday this Saturday at the Habitat home at 909 W. Beardsley.

 

Members are signing up to work at the Rotary booth at Taste of C-U.

 

Bucket money for August goes for school supplies at Garden Hills Elementary School.

 

 

Program

 

Bruce Knight, Director of Planning at the City of Champaign, was our speaker. Bruce is also a long-time member of Champaign West Rotary. He gave an eye-popping presentation about The Yards development in downtown Champaign.

 

The Yards is a multi-faceted development south of University and east of Walnut in downtown Champaign. The focus of this 10.46 acre tract is a 5,000-seat hockey arena, but it also includes a 180 room hotel, 179 residential units, offices, retail, conference center, and parking deck. It is a proposed partnership with the city, the CUMTD, and the University of Illinois.

 

The project will allow expansion of the transportation center at the Illinois Terminal Building which is out of capacity. It will bring a hockey venue to C-U with the ice arena and two additional sheets of ice for practice. The conference center will provide a larger space than is currently available in C-U.  The Yards will help also the 40+ bars and restaurants in downtown Champaign. Their demand is good in the summer but slows in the winter, and hockey is a sport which straddles the end of the year. The walking paths from campus through the Second Street Basin will allow access for students to The Yards as well as the campus bus systems.

 

Details and financing of the project is coming together, and hopefully there will be an announcement coming soon.

 

 

 

 

  Aug 8th Aug 15th Aug 22nd Aug 29th
Introductions Robb Patton Allan Penwell Ed Perry Rod Roberts
Reflection Angie Schoonover Jen Shelby Lou Simpson Cary Woolard
Greeters Robb Patton Allan Penwell Ed Perry Rod Roberts
Michelle Barbey Keith Brandau Paul Conforti Diana Dummitt
Song Leader Mary Kay Smith Adam Wright Oktay Baran Michelle Barbey
Notetaker Hodson Conforti Perry Penwell
Decker Weeding Hoemann Penwell Baran Johnson
Next Weekend        

 

 

UPCOMING SCHEDULE (with program committee member responsible listed in parentheses)

August 8th – Lauryn Henry will discuss her RYE experience in France (David)

August 15th – Mike Hirschi will discuss the Rotary Foundation (Darrell)

August 22nd – Mitch Marlow from the Virginia Theater will speak to us the Virginia’s upcoming season (Charlie)

August 29th – No regular meeting (5th Thursday) – 

September 5th – TBD (Cary)

September 12th – Club Assembly

September 19th – Michelle Layser, Assistant Professor of Law, UIUC will discuss tax law and social policy (Tom)

September 26th – Meghan Gentry will speak about foster care in Champaign-Urbana (Ondine)

October 3rd – Lisa Wilson, Executive Director, East Central Illinois Refugee Mutual Assistance Center (ECIRMAC) (Bob)

October 10th – Club Assembly

October 17th – TBD (Cary)

October 24th – TBD (Charlie)

October 29th – Tuesday – C-U Sunrise Rotary Charter Anniversary banquet at Biaggi’s

October 31st – No regular meeting (5th Thursday) – 

November 7th – TBD (David)

November 14th – District Governor Julie Dobski

November 21st – TBD (Ondine)

November 28th – TBD 

December 5th – TBD

December 12th – Club Assembly