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Our guest speaker this week will be Candace Brown from the La Crosse County Historical Society. LCHS is a non-profit membership corporation, founded in 1925 (and merging with another organization by the same name, founded in 1898). The organization incorporated in 1939. Its early constituents called for the collection of historical materials of all kinds and the use of these in encouraging "the spread of knowledge about the history of La Crosse County". This original mission is still a part of what we do today, but we believe there is more to achieve.
Last week Rotarian Robin Moses was our speaker....Downtown Mainstreet Inc. and Upcoming Projects in Downtown La Crosse. Some of the exciting developments are the Lot "C" Development, The Charmant Hotel, The Hampton Inn, The Fairfield Inn, Hilton Home2Suites, The Court Above Main, The Old Crow, to name just a few. The Impact on developments in La Crosse...$200 million in downtown investment, $20 million in retail demand, 400 new hotel rooms, 800 new employees, 246 housing units, 3000 construction works. More information on Downtown Mainstreet visit their website by clicking here.
To view Robin's PowerPoint presentation...click here.
Downtown Mainstreet Inc. (DMI) was created in 1990 to oversee, coordinate and facilitate the revitalization of La Crosse's central business district. DMI is a private, non-profit organization founded by businesses and financial institutions to help restore the downtown district's role as the center of the Coulee Region. It originated because of a need for an organization to bring various groups together to complete the City Vision 2000 Downtown Master Plan, which outlines a vision and strategy for Downtown La Crosse. The City Vision 2000 Downtown Master Plan was completed in 1992 and was the impetus for much of the public and private investment that has taken place since.
The mission of Downtown Mainstreet Inc. is economic redevelopment and revitalization of downtown La Crosse. The organization works to enhance, revitalize, and redevelop La Crosse's original central business district through the elements of organization, design, promotion and economic restructuring.
Please keep Phil Quillin and his family in your thoughts and prayers...Phil has battled cancer for the last 11 years...all his options have been exhausted. As of July 30th he is in hospice. Phil joined Rotary on March 7, 1963. He will be honored at our Avenues of Service Dinner on August 18th with the Lifetime Achievement Award the Rotarian that nominated him said "he has been a loyal and faithful member of Rotary for 52 years. He has contributed his skills, expertise and finances in numerous ways through the years. Phil was wherever something needed to be done in La Crosse until his illness. To know Phil is to love him." If you would like to send him a note/card his address is: 622 Benora Lee Court, Apt 406, La Crosse, WI 54601.
Every Rotarian is Responsible for Membership Growth
If no written objection to the proposal stating reasons is received by the Board of Directors from any member of the club within seven days following publication of the name of the prospective member, the prospective member shall be considered to be elected to membership.
Debra Lash
Classification: Apparel Wedding Proposed by Steve O'Malley
Ruthann Schultz Classification: Youth Organizations YWCA
Proposed by Roz Schnick
Rotary Golf Outing is Wednesday, August 26th at Cedar Creek. 12:30 shotgun start. Cost is $75 for golf and dinner, $45 for Cedar Creek members. $20 for 3 feet of string (limit 3 feet per team). Please register by contacting Bob Allen at robert.s.allen@stifel.com
Rotarian Jodi Widuch, Executive Director of The Parenting Place was on local media stating that access to diapers is a great need for parents in our community. So The Parenting Place is having a diaper drive.
Peter Krause announced that we would help with this cause....our club took monetary donations to buy a pallet of diapers for The Parenting Place. In three weeks we collected $2,330 to cover the cost! The good news is that with the help of Rotarian Craig Ubbelohde and his connections the $2,330 will buy THREE pallets of diapers. Thanks to all who made this possible by making a donation.
Jod Widuch, Executive Director or The Parenting Place...said absolutely amazing! You have created a tangible and immediate way to relieve parental stress and improve the wellbeing of young children in our community.
Our Rotary Youth Exchange Student for 2015-16 will be Anniina, a 16 year-old girl from Finland. We are excited to sponsor Anniina while she is here. She will be arriving on Thursday, August 13th at 1:40 pm at the La Crosse airport. It would be nice to have a welcoming group go from our Rotary Meeting to the airport to greet her. Her first host family will be Robin and Richard Moses.
We hope you will consider opening up your hearts and home to make Anniina feel welcome. She will be staying at three host families while she is here however, we would love to have other Rotary families help make Anniina feel at home in La Crosse. Are you going to have a family gathering or attend a special event....ask Anniina to join your family.
Things she would like to do while she is here...Loves Nature - Hixon Forest Hike to Grandad Bluff; Riverside International Friendship Gardens; Visiting the Shrine an Visiting St. Rose Convent. Let Bill know if you would like to give her a tour of any of the above.....it will be a great way to learn more about Anniina.
We are also looking for Rotarians to pick her up from Onalaska High School and bring her to our Rotary Meetings on Thursdays. If we could get four members to step up and do on a rotating basis each month. Pleases contact Maria Norbergif you can volunteer.
In Rollin’ with Rotary, four young professionals are traveling across the country to celebrate Rotary, giving to communities across the US. Between August 1st and August 9th, Adam, Jason, Kathy, Marie and Rotary International will stop in 9 cities (including Madison) from State College, PA to Cedar Rapids, IA. Hopping into an RV, packed with the desire to inspire others, the Rolling with Rotary crew will bring attention to local and international needs by doing massive Random Acts of Kindness, highlighting Rotarian activities, and creating community service projects.
Nigeria has gone one year — longer than ever before — without a case of wild poliovirus. The last case was reported on 24 July 2014 in Kano state. Once the gateway to polio in Africa, Nigeria is paving the way to eradicating the disease on the continent.
But reaching the milestone is only one step on the final road to ending polio and it is too soon to celebrate victory. Until polio is eliminated everywhere, it can return to Nigeria and the rest of Africa. Less than a decade ago, in 2006, polio paralyzed 1,000 people in Nigeria.
For the African region to be certified polio-free, including Nigeria, there must be no polio cases for two more years. To do this, all children in Nigeria and throughout Africa — including those in hard-to-reach and underserved areas — must continue to be protected against the disease.
QUARTERLY INVOICES - Quarterly Invoices were sent out last week by email....please review your invoice...it will show your new pledge for 2015-16. Starting July 1st there was an increase in the meal charge. Please note the quarterly charge for meals is now $169. Please contact rotarylax@charter.net if you have any questions. Your prompt payment will be appreciated.
AVENUES OF SERVICE BANQUET...Our 26th annual Avenues of Service Banquet will be on Tuesday, August 18, 2015 at the Four Seasons Community Center, Caledonia, MN. Save the date for an evening of Rotary fellowship. We will gather with area Rotarians to recognize the hard work of individuals and clubs. Each club will recognize one member of their club for Rotarian of the Year (Matt Boshcka from our club)...we will honor the Lifetime Achievement Award (Phil Quillin from our club and Dirk Gasterland from East) and the Rising Star Award (Matt Boshcka from our club).
Avenues of Service Awards are: Club Service: After Hours Club; Vocational: Caledonia Club; New Generations: All Clubs for their work with Interact; International: After Hours Club and Community Service: East and After Hours Club.
You can now register online for this event. We are hoping to rent a bus to take Rotarians over to Caledonia...if you would like to ride the bus, please note that. The cost of the bus will be $10 or less per person...depending on how many ride it.
Cards will be for sale before and after our Rotary Meeting.
Birthday, Wedding, Sympathy, Get Well, Anniversary, Congratulations, Note Cards and other cards will be available. All cards are unique and hand-made. Thank you cards are only $1.00, as are the note cards, which are blank inside. The regular cards are $2.00 and $3.00 each. Some cards are three for $5.00 and some three for $10. Anita donates all sales to the Rotary Works Foundation!
Happy Birthday
Cheryl Hanson - Aug 6
Scott Chorski - Aug 9
John Dingman (honorary) - Aug 9
Todd Restel - Aug 11
Peter Hughes - Aug 12
Happy Wedding Anniversary Pat (Joanie) Smith - Aug 6
Dean (Dianne) Dickinson - Aug 7
Elmer (Lil) Grassman - Aug 7
Gloria (Steve) Doyle - Aug 8
Brent (Ellen) Smith - Aug 11
Happy Rotary Anniversary
Mark Jolivette - Aug 8 - 24 years
Anita Froegel - Aug 10 - 28 years
Jim Lewis - Aug 12 - 33 years
Please note: Raffle, Fines, Birthday, Anniversaries and Scooters are all donations that will go to the club If you are making a donation and would like it to go to the Rotary Works Foundation or Rotary International Foundation, we ask that you write a check to the Foundation of your choice.
July 30th: Raffle:$60 Fines: $11; Scooters: $7; Scrip: $170
MEMBERSHIP 2015-16
Active Membership
June 30, 2015 - 167 Aug 3rd - 167
Honorary Members 23
Honorary Membership is offered to members who have distinguished themselves by meritorious service in the furtherance of Rotary ideals. Honorary membership is the highest distinction that a club may bestow and should be conferred only in exceptional cases. Honorary members cannot propose new members to the club or hold office and are exempt from attendance requirements and club dues. Honorary members will continue to receive The Rotarian Magazine compliments of the club.
Membership Proposals....we will no longer ask for three references when you propose a new member. This was a criteria that our club had set not RI. This will help us process new members into our club more efficiently. You can access the membership proposal form online, under the Club Information site page.
Moon Tunes of La Crosse is a Valley Rotary Project bringing free concerts to Riverside Park most Thursdays in the summer from 6:00 – 8:00 pm....click here for schedule.
If you would like to volunteer to give your Classification Talk, do Rotarians in the News be a greeter or raffle ticket seller, or announce guests, you can email the Monthly Program Chairs that are listed above....just click on their name.
k Rotarian Robin Moses was our speaker....Downtown Mainstreet Inc. and Upcoming Projects in Downtown La Crosse. Some of the exciting developments are the Lot "C" Development, The Charmant Hotel, The Hampton Inn, The Fairfield Inn, Hilton Home2Suites, The Court Above Main, The Old Crow, to name just a few. The Impact on developments in La Crosse...$200 million in downtown investment, $20 million in retail demand, 400 new hotel rooms, 800 new employees, 246 housing units, 3000 construction works. More information on Downtown Mainstreet visit their website by 
Rotary Golf Outing is Wednesday, August 26th at Cedar Creek. 12:30 shotgun start. Cost is $75 for golf and dinner, $45 for Cedar Creek members. $20 for 3 feet of string (limit 3 feet per team). 
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