“Fearlessness means taking the first step even if you don’t know where it will take you.  It means being driven by a higher purpose, rather than by applause.  It means knowing that you reveal your character when you stand apart, more than when you stand with the crowd.” – Chadwick Boseman

ANNOUNCEMENTS

(notes provided by the distinguished gruntleman from Connecticut, Ed Perry)

Mary asked everyone to reply to the survey that she recently sent out. She will review the survey results with the board.

PROGRAM

Mary Ellen Wuellner and Andrew Kerins presented information about the Champaign County Forest Preserve District’s request for an increase in revenue on the ballot this November. Mary Ellen is the Executive Director of the Champaign County Forest District (CCFPD) and Andrew has served eight years as a CCFPD board member. 

Andrew provided information on each of the county’s Forest Preserves with what they provide to the public and what is needed. We are fortunate to have six forest preserves scattered throughout the county which provide a variety of recreational and educational services. Andrew listed Lake of the Woods, Homer Lake, Middle Fork, Sangamon River, River Bend, and the Kickapoo Rail Trail, and gave examples of what activities were offered in each. He noted that the mission of the District is to connect people to our natural environment treasures.

Mary Ellen emphasized that the Forest Preserve District has continued to provide careful and responsible management. Since the district was formed in 1948 there has never been a successful referendum to increase taxes for the district. Old shelters need to be replaced, water spillways need to be rebuilt, trails and roads need to be upgraded, equipment needs to be brought up to date, roofs need to be replaced and educational centers need updating.

Today the yearly capital budget is capped at approximately $240,000 which is simply not enough to keep up with the district’s maintenance backlog.  Some major parts of the preserves are deteriorating, and they need immediate work or services, programs, and facilities will start to be shut down.

The increase being asked for on the ballot is 1.6 cents which translates to a yearly increase of $5.33 per $100,000 home assessment. The increase would generate a little less than $700,000 for the district. This money would begin to address the current backlog of needed work which is estimated over $3,700,000. It is critical that this referendum passes this November.

Additional information can be found at https://www.yestoforests.org.

—

—

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

*All meetings via Zoom*

September 3rd – Caleb Miller, Senior Vice President of Surgical Services, Carle Foundation Hospital, will speak about the impact COVID-19 has had on their hospital, including health care workers, patients, and how the hospital has had to adjust procedures due to this virus  (Bob)

September 10th – Bryant Seraphin, Chief of Police, City of Urbana  (Cary)

September 17th – Robert Lawless, Max L. Rowe Professor of Law, UIUC  (Tom)

September 24th – Sarah Livesay, Executive Director, Grand Prairie Friends (Andrew)

October 1st – TBD 

October 8th – Dr. Barbara Jones, Chair of the Urbana Rotary Peace Building Committee (Mary)

October 15th – TBD (Ondine)

October 22nd – TBD (Tom)

October 29th – TBD 

November 5th – TBD (Bob)

November 12th – TBD (Cary)

November 19th – TBD (Charlie)

November 26th – No meeting – Thanksgiving

December 3rd – TBD

“Life is either a daring adventure or nothing.” – Helen Keller – 1880-1968 – Author

“A mind that is stretched by new experience can never go back to its old dimensions.” – Oliver Wendell Holmes – 1841-1935, Former Associate Justice of the Supreme Court

“The process of spotting fear and refusing to obey it is the source of all true empowerment.” – Martha Beck – Author-Speaker-Life Coach

ANNOUNCEMENTS

(notes provided by the unorthodox and unconventional Paul Conforti)

Elvis sang America the Beautiful

Our club welcomed back Jerry Payonk who has renewed his membership.  He was previously a club member from 1992-2004. Jerry is a civil engineer with Clark Dietz specializing in traffic. His wife, Janet, is an engineer with Vermilion County. They have two daughters. He has a twin brother. He is a passionate fan and collector of science fiction films of the 1950s. 

PROGRAM

Our guest speaker was Evelyn Shapiro, Promotions Manager at the Champaign Public Library.

Evelyn Shapiro grew up by the ocean in Portland, Maine, and spent time living in the San Francisco Bay Area before landing in Champaign-Urbana. She is promotions manager at Champaign Public Library and loves collaborative projects that bolster our sense of connection as a community.

Evelyn studied art at Wesleyan University in Connecticut and has immersed herself in the world of publishing and marketing since—learning the software and design strategies along the way. For 10 years she ran her own design studio here. With more than 75 published books and CDs, her award-winning designs have received top honors from Parents’ Choice, University College and Designers Association, and the Chicago Book Clinic. From the San Francisco Bay Guardian weekly newspaper to Phoenix Publishing to Krannert Art Museum and now Champaign Public Library, Evelyn has enjoyed having a key role in designing effective solutions for marketing to diverse audiences.

Evelyn promotes the concept of the modern library in which our library is much more than a building to check out books, but instead functions as a cornerstone of community interaction through not only creative outreach and a information resource but also as a center for a variety of community activities.

The Champaign Public Library’s strategic plan is to inspire, inform and connect our community through access and outreach, workforce development, early learning, technology and community building.

The Champaign Public Library offers a number of different programs and services, including Kanopy and Kanopy Kids, genealogy, Gale Online Learning teams, Summer Reading Challenges, Crafty Adult Workshops, Writer’s Workshops, and more.

Evelyn Shapiro can be reached at 217-403-5365 or at eshapiro@champaign.org

—

—

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

*All meetings via Zoom*

August 27th – Mary Ellen Wuellner, Executive Director, Champaign County Forest Preserve District (Andrew)

September 3rd – Caleb Miller, Senior Vice President of Surgical Services, Carle Foundation Hospital (Bob)

September 10th – Bryant Seraphin, Chief of Police, City of Urbana  (Cary)

September 17th – Robert Lawless, Max L. Rowe Professor of Law, UIUC  (Tom)

September 24th – Sarah Livesay, Executive Director, Grand Prairie Friends (Andrew)

October 1st – TBD 

October 8th – Dr. Barbara Jones, Chair of the Urbana Rotary Peace Building Committee (Mary)

October 15th – TBD (Ondine)

October 22nd – TBD (Tom)

October 29th – TBD 

November 5th – TBD (Bob)

November 12th – TBD (Cary)

November 19th – TBD (Charlie)

November 26th – No meeting – Thanksgiving

December 3rd – TBD

“The moment we begin to fear the opinions of others and hesitate to tell the truth that is in us, and from motives of policy are silent when we should speak, the divine floods of light and life no longer flow into our souls.” ― Elizabeth Cady Stanton – 1815-1902 – American suffragist, social activist, abolitionist

“Keep stepping toward your dreams. No matter how far it seems.” – Unknown

“What we see depends mainly on what we look for.” – John Lubbock – 1834-1913 – English Banker-Scientist-Philanthropist

ANNOUNCEMENTS

(notes provided by the erudite Mary Hodson)

Our Membership Meetup will be held at Riggs Beer Company on August 20 at 5:30PM.   A pop duo will perform and Dave’s Dogs Food Truck will be on hand.  Invite your friends and family!

PROGRAM

Charlie introduced Trisha Crowley, president of the local chapter of the League of Women Voters.  The League is celebrating its 100th anniversary.  It was founded by suffragettes who realized the need to educate women about issues and candidates.  Today, the League of Women voters includes men in their membership and on their board.

The mission of the League of Women Voters is to register, educate and activate voters.  In normal times, League members have voter registration tables at community events. Now you can go to their website for a step-by step video on how to register.   

In May, the Illinois legislature made changes, some temporary, to the election rules.  Everyone who has voted in the last three elections will automatically receive an application to vote by mail.  Ballots will be mailed on September 24 and can be returned either through the mail or in special drop boxes.  A team of three election judges will empty the drop boxes every day.  The team will verify the signatures on the ballots.  The County Clerk will contact voters to resolve any questions about the signatures.

There will also be early voting at multiple locations.  The new law reduced the required number of election judges to three at each polling place.  It also made Election Day a school holiday, allowing schools to be used as polling places, and reduced the requirements for 16 year olds to serve as election judges.   Election judges are paid $200 per day.

The League of Women Voters does not endorse candidates but it does take positions on issues after a process of study.  Members speak on behalf of approved positions.  They have advocated the elimination of the Electoral College for the past fifty years.  They recently have taken the position that the Illinois flat tax should be abolished.  Illinois, one of just four states that have a flat income tax, has one of the most regressive tax structures in the nation.   When all taxes are included, the lowest 20% of the population pay an average of 14.4% of their income in taxes.  The top 20% of Illinois taxpayers pay an average of 7.4% of their income in taxes.  Additionally, there is no tax on personal services.   The subsequent loss of revenue to the state has caused a loss of support for education at all levels.

—

—

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

*All meetings via Zoom*

August 20th – Evelyn Shapiro, Promotions Manager, Champaign Public Library (Ondine)

August 27th – Mary Ellen Wuellner, Executive Director, Champaign County Forest Preserve District (Andrew)

September 3rd – TBD (Bob)

September 10th – TBD  (Cary)

September 17th – TBD (Tom)

September 24th – Sarah Livesay, Executive Director, Grand Prairie Friends (Andrew)

October 1st – TBD 

October 8th – TBD (Mary)

October 15th – TBD (Ondine)

October 22nd – TBD (Tom)

October 29th – TBD 

November 5th – TBD (Bob)

November 12th – TBD (Cary)

November 19th – TBD (Charlie)

November 26th – No meeting – Thanksgiving

December 3rd – TBD

“History will judge us by the difference we make in the everyday lives of children.” – Nelson Mandela

“You are far too smart to be the only thing standing in your way.” – Jennifer J. Freeman – Actress

“The secret of change is to focus all of your energy, not on fighting the old, but on building the new.” – Socrates

ANNOUNCEMENTS

(notes provided by Allan Penwell)

Jerry Payonk, a former member, has applied for membership again. If you attended the club social on July 30th at Riggs, then you may have met Jerry. Speaking of the social, it was quite a success, and a good time was had by all.

There will be a new member social at Riggs on August 20th similar to the one in July. The focus is new members and is being organized by Diana who is membership chair and board member.

The next social will be on Thursday, October 30th which will have a Halloween theme. Maybe everyone can wear a mask.  (Editor’s note – that joke was an Allan Penwell-original)

At the August board meeting, it was agreed to waive the $30 application fee to be collected by the club.

Service projects are limited these days, and the Eastern Illinois Food Bank has cancelled their repacks. Work continues at the Decker Garden, and we have been making deliveries to help Food as Medicine.

Generous members have contributed $1,115 to Bucket Bucks, formerly known as Bucket Money. These funds are about 6 months of our regular monthly donations to the community. Thank you, members! 

There is no designated Bucket Bucks recipient for August, and none thus far for September. If you have a worthy cause then please share with Mary Kay.

Charlie is working on an international service project proposal for the club. More to come later.

Two or three years ago, C-U Sunrise Rotary completed a strategic plan. It needs to be updated, and Eddie has to agreed to take on this task.  Thank you Eddie!

Our meetings are broadcast on Facebook Live as well as Zoom. Darrell reports there were 14 watching on FB last week, but we don’t necessarily know who they are.

PROGRAM

Sue Grey is President and CEO for United Way. She has had various leaderships in community organizations and has been with United Way since 2006. She has been married to Tom for 32 years and has three children, two grandchildren and a lovable mutt named Ziggy. Sue discussed what United Way has been doing during this trying time of the pandemic.

The United Way launched their COVID-19 Response effort on March 17th with a total of $1.1 million from a combination of gifts and grants. The fund has helped 271 families in housing assistance, 1,653 children for school supplies, and food assistance totaling $335,000. 

Technology access has been important for online learning. One innovation was the MTD has buses that have internet communications. The buses were parked in neighborhoods where internet was limited and created a hotspot. Funding was provided to offer tablets to those children in need.

Cleaning supplies were provided along with masks to seniors and people with health conditions. There has been considerable support for families with over 30,000 diapers distributed to families with childcare needs.

Sue also noted that Rotary has provided $36,000 for school supplies.

—

—

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

*All meetings via Zoom*

August 13th – Trisha Crowley, President, League of Women Voters of Champaign County (Charlie)

August 20th – Evelyn Shapiro, Promotions Manager, Champaign Public Library (Ondine)

August 27th – Mary Ellen Wuellner, Executive Director, Champaign County Forest Preserve District (Andrew)

September 3rd – TBD (Bob)

September 10th – TBD  (Cary)

September 17th – TBD (Tom)

September 24th – Sarah Livesay, Executive Director, Grand Prairie Friends (Andrew

October 1st – TBD 

October 8th – TBD (Mary)

October 15th – TBD (Ondine)

October 22nd – TBD (Tom)

October 29th – TBD 

November 5th – TBD (Bob)

November 12th – TBD (Cary)

November 19th – TBD (Charlie)

November 26th – No meeting – Thanksgiving

December 3rd – TBD

“I am deliberate and afraid of nothing.” – Audre Lorde (1934-1992) – writer, feminist, civil rights activist

“The greatest joys in life are found not only in what we do and feel, but also in our quiet hope and labors for others.” – Bryant McGill – Author

“When you make a demand of the universe, you don’t have to know how you’re going to do it or how much time it’ll take to do it, you only need to know that it will happen. Keep the faith!” – Peggy McColl – New York Times Best-Selling Author

NOTES

There was no regular meeting this week.  Instead, C-U Sunrise Rotarians gathered at Riggs Brewery for an evening social. Much fund was had by all.

—

—

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

*All meetings via Zoom*

August 6th – Sue Grey, CEO And Executive Director, United Way of Champaign County (Cary)

August 13th – Trisha Crowley, President, League of Women Voters of Champaign County (Charlie)

August 20th – Evelyn Shapiro, Promotions Manager, Champaign Public Library (Ondine)

August 27th – Mary Ellen Wuellner, Executive Director, Champaign County Forest Preserve District (Andrew)

September 3rd – TBD (Bob)

September 10th – TBD  (Cary)

September 17th – TBD (Tom)

September 24th – TBD (Charlie)

October 1st – TBD 

October 8th – TBD (Mary)

October 15th – TBD (Ondine)

October 22nd – TBD (Tom)

October 29th – TBD 

November 5th – TBD (Bob)

November 12th – TBD (Cary)

November 19th – TBD (Charlie)

November 26th – No meeting – Thanksgiving

December 3rd – TBD