Tidings for the Month of July -- All Meetings! (Jun 28, 2023)

Steve Leonard, new KRLT Executive Director

New KRLT Executive Director Steve Leonard updated us on the Kinnickinnic River Land Trust. For 30 years, KRLT has worked with the community to protect the Kinnickinnic watershed (from north of Hammond and Roberts down to the Kinnickinnic State Park). The presentation focused on the recent purchase of the Community Forest: community support which made it possible; future plans to make the trails more accessible; and how local schools will use this site and the adjacent School Forest as an outdoor classroom.

Presidential Transition at 5:01

At a very enjoyable, well attended 5:01 at the West Wind, we thanked Rick for his leadership of our club over the past year as he passed the gavel to Linda as incoming president. Tony Pedriana's "top 6" list added a humorous, in fact hilarious, note while Rick expressed thanks for the support of the members.

This Week's Announcements

Diaper Drive is "going gangbusters" - let's keep it going: Rotary and Ezekiel are collecting diapers and donations for purchase of diapers for St Croix Valley United Way. This is in response to a need Steve McCarthy mentioned in his talk about the work of SCV United Way. Click Read More for the full description of the project. And by the way, the Amazon link works very well if you choose to donate that way!

Joke of the Week Reader Challenge: We're stretching last week's admittedly stretchy joke by asking you to come up with wordplay on the same theme. Thanks to Tony Pedriana for submitting the two that led to this idea; see his first two down below. And be warned, Scott -- more to come!

Club in D5960 Hits the Century Mark! Linda received an email announcing that the current RI President will be visiting Rice Lake as they celebrate their club's 100th anniversary. While they are close to capacity for the event, they have offered us the possibility of attending. Click Read More for details.

LIFT Initiative Update

LIFT -- standing for Listen, Inquire, Facilitate, and Transform -- is District 5960's only district-wide service project. It aims to reduce extreme poverty and to improve the quality of life in rural Nicaragua. In describing both the philosophy and the conduct of the project, Jim Hunt emphasized the numerous connections to non-governmental organizations who are the "boots on the ground" when Rotarians are not there.

About the Speaker: Jim Hunt is a member of the White Bear Lake Rotary Club. Jim has been a Rotarian since 1989, and he was District Governor during the 2016-17 Rotary year.. He is very active at both the club and district level. At the District level, he is a Grants mentor on the district Grants Subcommittee, the District International Service Chair (DISC) and a member of the LIFT steering team.

Click "Read More" for more detail on LIFT.

New Senior Living Options - The Sycamore

River Falls has a new Senior Living option at 745 Sycamore Street. Megan Harstad, the Outreach and Sales Director for The Sycamore of River Falls, spoke about how The Sycamore came to River Falls and what the new senior living center has to offer our community in terms of apartments, amenities, and nursing services. She also briefly described the history of Ebenezer, the company behind The Sycamore.

Joke of the Week

READER CHALLENGE - Add your to those below! [I'll put a couple of new ones in each week -- in bold]

Lawyers get disbarred and clergy defrocked. So doesn't it make sense that ballplayers would be debased, politicians devoted, cowboys deranged, models deposed, Calvin Klein models debriefed, organ donors delivered, and dry cleaners depressed, decreased and depleted -- and Rotarians detested?

From Elaine: Musicians get denoted.

From George: The Lone Ranger gets deranged.

From Bill: Pastors get depasteurized.