Nate introduced his daughter-in-law who has a degree in Wildlife Conservation from the University of Wisconsin. Katie is an Outreach Coordinator for the River Raisin Watershed Council (RRWC) and she and her hubby live in Dundee.
Katie said that the council’s executive and other committees are comprised of 63 individuals each of which represent a different municipality within the watershed. Corporate sponsors help underwrite the costs of events put on by the RRWC. The watershed is the size of Rhode Island! It starts up by the Brooklyn/Irish Hills area (the “headwaters”) and flows (very crookedly that is) down into Monroe and then out into Lake Erie, Katie said. The River Raisin itself is about 140 miles in length. The Guinness Book of World Records lists it as “The world’s crookest river”!
"The council really wants to spread the word about the river", Katie said. The RRWC goes to various events throughout the year to promote their efforts and enlighten people about the watershed. Such venues include: the Lenawee County Fair, the Great Outdoor Jamboree, the annual Art-A-Licious, Family Fall Celebration in Adrian, the Wampler’s Lake Boat Wash and the Washtenaw County Clean-Up Day.
The council, Katie said, participates in numerous river cleanups among which was our recent one at Trestle Park. The council also worked along the river near Wacker Chemical freeing up log jams. They work to remove invasive species in Dundee with the help of the Boys and Girl Scouts, Stewardship Network – all in an effort to make for a healthy environment.
Katie said that there are four regions in the watershed and meetings are going on all the time with representatives from each area to catch up on what they are doing. They have a program called “Adopt a Stream”. The council has identified and marked 22 such sites along the river from which bugs are collected. They are aquatic insects that live on the bottom of the river and tell a lot about the quality of the water in terms of level of pollution, degree of oxygen present, etc., she said/
Katie concluded her presentation by speaking about the signage that are posted on numerous road crossings in order to reduce littering, the Discover the Raisin $200 scholarship, the work the Blissfield Rotary Club was doing to help Frank Baker on his property and the items at the Clinton Arts Center some of which raise money for the council.
Rotarian of the Year – At the recent Changeover Dinner, Susan Tobey was presented the coveted award for all she did this past year for our club and to further the ideals of Rotary in our community. Congrats, Susan. Well deserved! Kathy Williams was recognized for her service to the board and Bob Behnke will be serving a new 3-year term. Nate Smith retires from the board having served one year as Immediate Past President during Kathye’s year.
Special Recognition – Immediate Past President Kathye presented Luke Barnett with a plaque that read: Outstanding Honor for Luke Barnett for our sincere gratitude for your unselfish service to our club and to the Woodworking Project. Congrats, Luke. What a great program to help our honored vets.
Changeover Dinner – President Nelson reminded anyone who attended this event but did not pay, to do so. The meal cost was $11 and you can pay Rhonda the next time you see her.
Last Meeting – It is with much regret that President Nelson announced that this would be Tara Dumas’ last meeting as she will be leaving the Lenawee Y and taking a position closer to home. He also read a note from Pattie Ellerholz who said that she would be resigning as well to take care of some family issues requiring her to be out of town on Thursdays.
Thank You – President Nelson read a note from Blakely Raines from the Japanese Exchange program thanking us for our support of the program.
Fence at the Women’s’ and Children’s’ Ministry Center - Tecumseh – Nate mentioned to members that both our club and the Morning Club have donated $2,000 each and the Tecumseh Rotary Club has donated $1,000 to erect a fence on the property. Kathy Williams has secured a power auger that will make the job easier. Once the holes are dug, we will set the posts with the help of Dan Baker Construction. The next day the actual vinyl fence will be attached. The dates we’ll need volunteers are: Thursday, July 18 (3pm-8pm) and Saturday, July 20 (9am-3pm). A sign-up sheet was passed around and will be again at next week’s meeting. Please be sure and sign up!
New Member Brochures – They are now available reflecting our new president, District Governor and RI President along with the address of our new location. It is a tri-fold brochure with an official membership form in the middle. Be sure and pick some up and recruit, recruit, recruit!
DG Chambers’s Official Visit – Prez Nelson wanted to be sure and make everyone aware that John will visit our club on Thursday, August 15. The board will meet with him at 11am and he will address the club at our regular meeting. Please be sure and attend. Let’s have a huge turnout for DG John!
Mud Hens Game – REMEMBER: The Adrian Morning Rotary Club has extended an invitation to join them on Friday, August 9 to go to a Mud Hen’s game. Tickets are $33@ and include the ticket to the game and a meal. Should you be interested in going, please contact Yours Truly. If you want to car pool, let me know that as well.
Upcoming Programs:
July 18 – Dr. Julie Yaroch – New ProMedica Hospital & Y
Mark Daniel Maloney, of the Rotary Club of Decatur, Alabama, USA, is the new President of Rotary International for 2019-20. Maloney is a principal in the law firm of Blackburn, Maloney, and Schuppert LLC, with a focus on taxation, estate planning, and agricultural law. He represents large farming operations in the Southeastern and Midwestern United States, and has chaired the American Bar Association’s Committee on Agriculture in the section of taxation. He is a member of the American Bar Association, Alabama State Bar Association, and the Alabama Law Institute.
Nate introduced his daughter-in-law who has a degree in Wildlife Conservation from the University of Wisconsin. Katie is an Outreach Coordinator for the River Raisin Watershed Council (RRWC) and she and her hubby live in Dundee.
throughout the year to promote their efforts and enlighten people about the watershed. Such venues include: the Lenawee County Fair, the Great Outdoor Jamboree, the annual Art-A-Licious, Family Fall Celebration in Adrian, the Wampler’s Lake Boat Wash and the Washtenaw County Clean-Up Day.
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