“Before you act, listen. Before you react, think. Before you spend, earn. Before you criticize, wait. Before you quit, try.” – William Arthur Ward

 

“Sometimes you find out what you are supposed to be doing by doing the things you are not supposed to do.” – Oprah Winfrey

 

“Mastering others is strength, mastering yourself is true power.” – Lao Tzu

 

ANNOUNCEMENTS
(Notes provided by Allan Penwell)

There is no meeting on Thursday, July 4th. The meeting on July 11th is Pass the Gavel Day.

 

June bucket money goes to a Buddy Bench at the Don Moyer Boys and Girls Club in honor of Penn Nelson.

 

A big thank you to Lou Simpson and Ed Perry for their work in updating the keyboard at the Decker Garden.  See the publicity these two stars received: https://www.news-gazette.com/news/top-of-the-morning-july/article_4b6afe9d-1b39-5a3e-ad1e-bdfd524cb4af.html

 

SPECIAL NOTE

From: Laura Gallagher Watkin <lauragw@agestrong.org>

Hello-

I was not clear from your website who to reach out to so feel free to forward me on to the right person. I work at a non profit aging organization called CRIS Healthy-Aging Center and we are going to be offering a free class in Champaign for people  age 55+ called Aging Mastery. This is a national program and I have attached a flyer I can send you  for our upcoming session which starts on August 6 at 2:00 pm at the Champaign library. We are looking to get the word out about the class and were hoping you could help us.  I thought it might be of interest to some of your older members.  I am happy to answer any questions you may have about the class.

 

PROGRAM

Robb introduced Karl Gnadt, the Managing Director of the Champaign-Urbana Mass Transit District (CUMTD). The CUMTD has introduced technology to public transportation and installed one of the first real time bus information systems. The UIUC has the fifth largest body of international students which is one of the reasons the CUMTD had nearly 12 million rides per year with their 111 buses. In comparison, other cities with larger populations do not have similar ridership, including Indianapolis with 9mm, Nashville with 9.5mm and Ann Arbor with 6.9mm.

The CUMTD is an efficient system with $2.50 of operating cost per ride. Indianapolis is $6.86. Nashville is $5.94, and Ann Arbor is $4.52.

There are 19 weekday routes. The MTD offers safe rides at night and will pick anyone up that is not on an operating route. An Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) service is provided, and now the MTD is county wide with transportation to Rantoul and St. Joseph.

Sustainability is very important at CUMTD.  While the life of a bus is usually 12 years, there are two articulated buses in the system that are in their 20th year.  As of now 85% of their diesel buses are hybrids and use 50% less fuel than the old buses. All of these efforts mean a big reduction in emissions, but they are going even further by testing fully electric buses using hydrogen fuel cells. The MTD will produce their own hydrogen on site.

Karl also talked about the MCORE project which will total over $50 million in transportation infrastructure improvements. The cities have contributed $16mm. The MTD has contributed $6mm of their reserves, and federal government funding has provided the balance. The MCORE project is scheduled to extend to downtown Urbana after the next phase is finished.

The Yards is another project in which CUMTD is involved. The MTD is involved because they are out of capacity at the 20-year old Illinois Terminal Building. There is not enough room for buses at peak transfer times. The Illinois Terminal building has always been self-sustaining through rental fees. Funding is in process for this proposal.

 

 

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  July 11th July 18th July 25th Aug 1st
Introductions C-U Sunrise Ben Mast John McDaniel Phyllis Mischo
Reflection Rotary Ed Perry Rod Roberts Tod Satterthwaite
Greeters Annual Ben Mast John McDaniel Phyllis Mischo
Awards Mary Kay Smith Adam Wright Oktay  Baran
Song Leader Extravaganza Jen Shelby Lou Simpson Charlie Smith
Notetaker Hodson Conforti Perry Penwell
Decker Weeding Penwell & LaCharite Perry Patton Stull
Next Weekend        

 

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

July 11th – Pass the Gavel and annual Club Awards ceremony

July 18th – Tod Satterthwaite will discuss his journey abroad

July 25th – Joan Dixon, President/CEO, the Community Foundation of East Central Illinois

August 1st – TBD (Bob)

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

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

August 22nd – TBD (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 – TBD (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 31st – No regular meeting (5th Thursday) – 

November 7th – TBD (David)

November 14th – Club Assembly

November 21st – TBD (Ondine)

November 28th – TBD 

December 5th – TBD

December 12th – Club Assembly