The meeting was opened with an invocation by Mary
ANNOUNCEMENTS
(notes provided by the venerable Neal Chamberlain)
The District Conference will be held May 3 & 4, 2014 at the Hilton Garden Inn in Champaign.
Scott announced the need for volunteers for the Interact International Fair, Central High School, April 3, 5:30 pm (help needed for booth set up).
Rod announced “The Journey Into Dyslexia”, March 31, 6:30 pm, Douglas Branch Public Library, 504 E. Grove Street, Champaign, IL. This is a film screening Sponsored by C-U Rotary Club. Please come join and assist our club in making this a great event.
Paul Conforti related his good vacation experiences in 80 degree weather in Arizona. He enjoyed attending a spring training Cub baseball game. However Paul was unhappy about a “prized foul ball” which flew into his section was snatched-up by a Cardinal fan (poor Cubs fans, they never get any breaks).
PROGRAM
Speaker of the day, Bruce Hannon, President and Director of the Land Conservation Foundation, was introduced by Tom Ulen.
Hannon stated “The Land Conservation Foundation” is organized and financed privately; it is not under government control. It is supported by private grants and donations. The foundation’s primary objectives are preservation, restoration and education.
Hannon noted that the foundation’s current project is the restoration and preservation of the wooded area along the Sangamon River between Monticello and Allerton Park. In years past the area near the banks of the river was covered with trees and foliage. However, land along the river has been sold and cleared of trees in order to allow for farming. Therefore, coverage of plant life along the river has been fragmented. The foundations plans include the following:
*Acquire, by purchase or donation, the land alongside the river which is currently privately owned. These areas will be replanted with trees and shrubs.
*Restore and repair the existing levy (levy has been breeched 6 times). The levy will restore flood control and provide a trail for hikers leading from Monticello to Allerton.
*Through these purchases and erosion control measures, the natural beauty and the wild game habitat will be restored.
Hannon said the foundation finds a wide variance in land owner’s willingness to cooperate with the foundation’s endeavors. Some owners are very cooperative and encourage the use of the area by the general public. However, there are others who are skeptical and fear that strangers will bring problems and prefer that they stay out of the area. Some of these strangers are no doubt even stranger than Neal Chamberlain.
A note of interest about our speaker: As a hobby (avocation) Bruce Hannon repairs and restores old clocks, many of them in public buildings.
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| Apr 3rd | Apr 10th | Apr 17th | April 24th | |
| Introductions | Ed Perry | Marsha Reardon | Rod Roberts | Tod Satterthwaite |
| Invocation | Neal Chamberlain | Reuben Chambers | Paul Conforti | Molly Delaney |
| Greeters | Ed Perry | Marsha Reardon | Rod Roberts | Tod Satterthwaite |
| Eric Batsie | Keith Brandau | Alan Chalifoux | Neal Chamberlain | |
| Song Leader | Kris Young | Harold Adams | Curt Anderson | Oktay Baran |
| Notetaker | Perry | Penwell | Hodson | Lintner |
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Upcoming Schedule
April 3rd – Carly McCrory, Communications Director, Champaign County Economic Development Corporation, will discuss the 2014 Innovation Celebration Winners
April 10th – Jan Kane will discuss her mission trips to Haiti
April 17th – Varkki George, an urban planner who lived and worked for seven years in Dubai
April 24th – Dr. Stephen Boppart
May 1st – Samual Byndom, Director of Urbana Adult Education
May 8th – TBD
May 15th – Pat Titus, Titus Farms, representing the Illinois Pork Board
