The Rotary Club of Northfield

Today: Bob Showers, author of “Twins At The Met.” (Ophaug)

Birthdays: Bob Kuyper (6/15)

Next Week: Zach Mitchell, returning exchange student (V. Dilley)

Last Week: 

Lin Bruce has found both physical and spiritual renewal in each of the 16,000 miles she has logged on her bike in the last 14 years. It’s been, in large part, a journey of self-discovery.

She marked her 60^th birthday with a cross-country ride from San Diego to Florida and she hasn’t stopped yet. She’s biked from Washington State to North Dakota; from Fargo to Bar Harbor, Maine; Northfield to Cheyenne, Wyoming for a 50^th high school reunion; Virginia to Oregon; around the British Isles and down the Pacific Coast, a ride that had her teetering on the edge of the continent. Each ride provided her an intimate look at great landscapes, the challenge of scaling formidable hills and an education in will power and self-motivation.

“I’m a very ordinary person,” Lin said. “I’m not very athletic, but I’ve just figured out that if I sit on a bicycle and pedal, I get to wear I need to go.”

Each trip comes with anxiety. Lin loses sleep prior to a ride and wonders if her passionate pursuit is frivolous.  But in the end, she honors her commitment to herself, takes a leap of faith and goes. The physical activity makes her feel as if she is “living life full-out.” It has taught her to be in the moment and to not look too far down the road. It’s life “one day at a time.”

Lin’s next adventure is a counter clockwise ride around Lake Superior from Duluth to Duluth. May the wind be at her back.

Mini Classification

Peg Prowe grew up in Kansas, the oldest of four children. She taught physical education at Carleton College for 26 years. It was there that she met her husband, Diethelm Prowe. They raised two children in Northfield.

Peggy served on the Northfield City Council for 10 years. In 1994, Pete Stolley, then the city administrator, invited her to join Rotary to help with the bike tour and she has been with us ever since. She finds her involvement with the club rewarding on many levels. She even recites the club roster to ease her into slumber.

Paul Harris Fellowships: Fellowships were awarded to Jane Fenton and Rich
Lorang

 Presentation: A check for $20,000 was presented to Mill Towns Trail for work on trail development. Gene Enders, treasurer for Mill Towns Trail, received the check and thanked the club for its support.

Last Week Guests: Adnan (Fenton), Laura Graber (V. Dilley), Logan Regnier, one of this year’s high school scholarship recipients, and Bill Talen (Fenton), Ruth Crane (Crane), Teresa Jensen (Madigan), and Gene Enders (Zayas)

Scholarship Enhancement: Richard Maus

Announcements:

• A 5K run will be held in Red Wing Saturday, June 15, to raise money for the Goodhue Pioneer Bike Trail that runs from Red Wing to Pine Island. Rich Lorang is running in it and invites others to join him.
• Jim Prichard, our incoming president, organized a planning session for yesterday. We may hear more about that today.
• If you want to fight polio by watching the Minnesota Twins, District 5960 is offering tickets for Saturday, Aug. 3 at Target Field. The deadline for sign up is July 2. If you are interested, go to the district website at 5960.org.
• Thank you for the Marston Headley Service Above Self nominations. You’ve give the committee good material to work with.

Coming Up:

June 27 — Lonna Lyne, Rotary Fellowship Exchange to Turkey (V. Dilley)

July 4 — Holiday. Enjoy the Fireworks

July 11 — Rick Ornsby, Faribault Rotary Club’s service project

Today: Lin Bruce, Tales of Biking Across the USA (Prowe)

Birthdays: Roberto Zayas (6/5) and David Wolf (6/6)

Next Week: Bob Showers, author of “Twins At The Met.” (Ophaug)

Last Week:

It’s tough to spot a gambling addict on the street. There are few tell-tale signs. That’s why it is called the “hidden addiction.”

According to Mike Downey, a representative of Northstar Problem Gambling Alliance, it is a serious issue that afflicts 3 to 4 percent of our adult population. He says 1 percent of the country’s adult population can be considered pathological gamblers; another 2.5 percent are on the cusp and characterized as problem gamblers.

But what’s the big deal? Most of us gamble in some small way. Gambling has burrowed its way deep into the culture. A trip to the casinos has become a rite of passage for many when they turn 18. Most of the gambling is done by younger people, those with education and resources. Cards, sports events and games of skill are the most popular forms of gambling. The casinos, illegal betting and charitable gambling attract the most money. The most addictive form of gambling is the slot machines at the casinos, Downey said.

Gambling becomes a problem when a habit causes disruptions in any major area of your life: psychological, physical social or vocational. Mike is quick to point out that a gambling addiction is not a moral failing; it is a disease. But Mike said there is a cure. The state lottery funds treatment programs through the Minnesota Department of Human Services. There are 102 providers in 89 locations across the state. The Minnesota Problem Gambling Hotline is the best way to connect with these resources. The number is 1-800-333-HOPE.

Mini Classification

Roni Deschamps is a California girl. She grew up there and taught special education in Los Angeles schools for many years. She moved to Minnesota eight years ago to be near her youngest son.

She has two other children, 10 grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. Besides teaching, Roni has worked in finance in several different settings.

Roni lives in Walcott Township south of Faribault. When she’s not at Rotary, she volunteers with the Rice County Historical Society and the Faribault Preservation Commission. She lives in Walcott Township south of Faribault and is a neighbor to Mike Downey, last week’s speaker.

Last Week Guests: Adnan (Fenton) and Jim Burau (V. Dilley)

Scholarship Enhancement: Mark Abbott

Announcements:

Tonight, tonight won’t be just any night. Tonight there will be festivities and food.  You are invited to gather at the Estenson Ranch Event Center at 6 p.m. to celebrate  graduation and the youth exchange program.

Coming Up:

June 10 — Correspondents will meet with the outbound students and families at 7 p.m. at Estensons. If you have questions, contact Vickyi Langer.

June 20 — Zach Mitchell, returning exchange student (V. Dilley)

June 27 — Lonna Lyne, Rotary Fellowship Exchange to Turkey (V. Dilley)

July 4 — Holiday. Enjoy the Fireworks

July 11 — Rick Ornsby, Faribault Rotary Club’s service project

Today: Mike Downey, Training Consultant, Northstar Problem Gambling Alliance (Deschamp)

Birthdays: Joe Hargis (5/29)

Next Week: Lin Bruce, Tales of Biking Across the USA (Prowe)

Last Week:

My fact-checkers down at headquarters tell me Erin Mayberry got it mostly right. With apologies to former Vikings’ coach Denny Green, she is who she says she is.

She grew up in St. James, Minn., the oldest of three kids. They lived on the edge of town with woods and a creek that served as their playground. Erin was a tennis player and a member of the golf team in high school. She continues to golf and golf well, shooting in the 80s.

Erin attended South Dakota State University for a year before transferring to the Minnesota State – Mankato and graduating with a degree in Recreation, Parks and Leisure Studies. She subsequently earned a Masters in Public Administration from Hamline University and a license in Community Education from the University of St. Thomas.

Her career in community education began in Marshall, Minn., but in 2004 she moved to Northfield to become the Recreation Coordinator. During her eight years in that position, the number of programs grew from 34 to more than 120. When Hannah Puczko retired in December of last year, Erin became director of the school district’s Community Services Division. She considers it the best job in the district because of the wide range of services her department offers, from early childhood education to senior enrichment programs.

Erin has made her presence felt during her time in the community. She has been a member of WINGS for six years and recently served as the organization’s president; she is secretary of our Rotary club, sits on the board of Northfield Healthy Community Initiative and serves as a mentor through Connected Kids.

She has also been a foster mother to two teenagers.One graduated from the University of Wisconsin at River Falls in May and another will graduate from Northfield High School in June. Erin calls it the most “meaningful learning experience” she has had.

Mini Classification

All you need to know about Hannah Puzcko is that she bleeds green and gold and enjoys her three grandkids.

Raised in De Pere, Wisconsin, she received a B.A. in French from St. Norbert’s College and then taught eight years at a high school in La Crosse. She carpooled with a colleague and little did she know that would be their courtship. She still gets choked up every time they have the oil changed.

They moved to La Crescent, Minn. where Hannah became the school district’s first community education director. She came to Northfield for a similar position in 2001 and retired last December.

Her husband, Howard, and she have two children. Matt, 36, lives in St. Paul and has 18-month old Oliver. Her daughter, Kate, 31, lives in Onalaska, Wis. and is mother to three-year old twins. In retirement, Hannah has been visiting the grandkids, traveling with her husband, doing some consulting and writing and cheering for the Green Bay Packers.

Last Week Guests: Our Exchange students: Adnan, Cindy and Rachel; Ann Flaten Pixley (Flaten); Ryan Heinritz, Susy Immel and Hayes Scriven (Reese)

Scholarship Enhancement: Visitor Hayes Scriven of the Northfield Historical Society

Announcements:

Today is your last chance to nominate a club member for the Marston Headley Service Above Self Award. The award is given each year to a club member who has given of his or her time and energy to make the club a success and has demonstrated strong involvement in the community. Scott Richardson has nominatin forms if you need them. E-mailed nominations are also welcome. Send them to Scott Jack Hoschouer or Jim Pokorney.

The community is remembering Dan Freeman with an endowment to fund the annual Fourth of July fireworks display, one of Dan’s passions. The Northfield Area Foundation has offered a $5,000 match to kick off the fundraising. If you would like to contribute, contact Hayes Scriven at the Northfield Historical Society. It is serving as the fiscal agent for the fund.

Vicky Langer will be correspondent coordinator for our 2013-14 outbound students, giving Ryan Blumhoefer a “paternity break.” There are 19 this year and one adopted from Mankato. We need 19 correspondents or have some double up. If you are interested, talk to Vicky.

On Thursday, June 6, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. please join club members and families for the exchange student graduation party at the Estenson Ranch.

Coming Up:
June 13 — Bob Showers, author of “Twins At The Met.”
June 20 — TBA

Today: Erin Mayberry: The Truth and Nothing But the Truth (Puczko)

Birthdays: Keith Covey and Jon Snodgrass (5/19), Robert Flaten (5/21), Chris Heineman (5/23)

Next Week: Mike Downey, Training Consultant, Northstar Problem Gambling Alliance (Deschamp)

Last Week: 

The Northfield Healthy Community Initiative (HCI) is entering its 21^st year with a well-earned state and national reputation for youth development efforts. It is one of the longest-running initiatives of its kind in the country.

Zach Pruitt, executive director for HCI, said the group doesn’t provide direct programming, but is successful at convening key players around important issues and building successful collaborative partnerships.

HCI’s next major initiative is Northfield’s Promise: Every Child Cradle to Career. It is an effort to align community resources around a common mission: to give every child an opportunity to be successful. It is a logical extension of HCI’s longstanding youth asset-building work

HCI operates on a $300,000 annual budget. No longer eligible for federal funding, HCI is looking for more local support to sustain its work.

Here are some of the HCI efforts revealed through the HCI Bingo contest.

1,048
The number of youth who participated in Primetime out-of-school enrichment programming last year. Ninety-three percent of those attending saw their academic performance improve.

332
The number of youth served by TORCH (Tackling Obstacles and Raising College Hopes) last year, a four-fold increase from the program’s first year in 2005. Twenty-one TORCH students graduated from high school last spring. Fourteen alums have earned post-secondary degrees or certificates last year.

67
The number of Youth Investment Grants awarded last year by HCI. The grants involved thousands of local youth. More than half of the projects were developed and submitted by youth.

1,100
The number of scholarships awarded by the Northfield Youth Sports Collaborative since the shared scholarship pool was created in 2002. More than $106,000 has been invested to help youth become involved in youth athletic programs.

50
The number of individuals or organizations that have been recognized by HCI with a “Making a Difference” award for making a commitment to the youth of the Northfield community.

8,600
The number of pounds of medication, both prescription and over-the-counter, that has been collected in Rice County since the “Take It To The Box” program was launched in 2009.

4,000,000
The amount of grant money that HCI has imported from outside the community over the last nine years to benefit local youth initiatives.

For more information about Northfield Healthy Community Initiative, go to www.northfieldhci.org.

Headline News:

On July 25, we will begin a six-month trial of a new meeting venue,  the United Methodist Church. At the end of February, we will vote to decide if we should stay or should we go…back to the Northfield Golf Club. Queen Jane said an extended trial will give us an opportunity to see how a different venue influences membership and our comfort. She underscored that this is an experiment, not a permanent change.

Last Week Guests: Xiaoxia Williams (Robertson) and our Exchange students: Diatou, Adnan, Cindy and Rachel. This was Diatou’s farewell meeting. Last Saturday, she returned to her home in France. She said she had an “amazing experience” during her nine months in Northfield and will take many nice memories home with her.

Scholarship Enhancement: Exchange students with an assist from Virginia Kaczmarek

Announcements:

Laura Palmquist, St. Olaf student and Northfield native, has been awarded a $30,000 Rotary Peace Fellowship to study peace and conflict resolution in Sweden next year.

Charlie Cogan announced that another $4 billion has been pledged to finish the polio eradication project by 2018. The Bill Gates Foundation is contributing $1.8 billion and Bloomberg Philanthropies $100 million. Other partners include Rotary, World Health Organization, UNICEF, United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as well as national governments around the world. More info: www.polioeradication.org. Charlie reminds us that giving to this project counts for Paul Harris recognition. 

We are inviting nominations for the Marston Headley Service Above Self Award. The award is given each year to a club member who has given of his or her time and energy to make the club a success and has demonstrated strong involvement in the community. Nominations are available today at the front desk. Please return them to Scott Richardson, Jack Hoschouer or Jim Pokorney or e-mail your nomination with supporting material by May 30.

Youth at The Key are organizing a community fundraising-all-ages concert for July, and our Rotary club will partner with them to help with promotion, ticket sales, food and other tasks.   Look for more information soon.

On Thursday, June 6, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. please join club members and families for the exchange student graduation party at the Estenson Ranch.

Coming Up:
June 6 — Lin Bruce, Tales of Biking Across the USA (Prowe)
June 13 — Bob Showers, author of “Twins At The Met.”
June 20 — TBA

Today: Zach Pruitt, Healthy Community Initiative, Northfield Youth Bingo (Mayberry)

Birthdays: Russ Halverson 5/15

Next Week: Erin Mayberry Classification Talk (Puczko)

Last Week:

Tim Madigan, who we know best as Northfield City Administrator, took time off from city affairs to share his vast knowledge about the US/Dakota War of 1862. Tim, a native of Washington, PA, home to the Whisky Rebellion of 1862, has always enjoyed history.

As a former high school history teacher in Morton, MN, with its significant native Dakota population, Tim became interested in the detailed story of the Dakota War years ago. The perspective of history on the Dakota War has changed over time as the complexity of the issues and events is studied in more detail by more historians and descendents of both sides.

The actual war lasted only one month, during the middle of the Civil War, beginning on August 17, 1862, with the first killing of white settlers.  Well over 600 settlers and over 100 Dakota lost their lives in what was clearly a “total war” and not just a “conflict” since the targets were civilians as well as military on both sides.  Due to the war, thousands of settlers became refugees; many never returned to Minnesota.

The four major causes of the Dakota War were American expansion encroaching on native lands, broken treaties wherein promised payments to the Dakota were never made, starvation and mistreatment of the Dakota which was rampant, and negative effects of the “warrior lodge” mentality in Dakota male society, which led to violence.

The complexity of the war was compounded by competing interests of four major groups involved in the conflict.  The Dakota, who were often not unified in their views, the mixed blood French and English traders, the Yankee New Englanders and the newer immigrant German and Scandinavian settlers. Each had widely differing approaches to each other as lands were settled at a vey rapid pace.

The war culminated with the execution of 38 Dakota on Dec. 26, 1862 in Mankato and the complete forcible internment and ultimate removal of all native Dakota and other tribes from southern Minnesota by the following year.

Tim suggested that anyone interested in further study of the Dakota War read biographies of three of the major players, Chief Little Crow, Bishop Henry Whipple and Alexander Faribault.

Mini Classification: Neil Lutsky responded to a request he had received to present a “clarification” talk by doing just that.  Neil, a native of Allentown, PA, was drawn to Northfield by a job offer at Carleton College where he has been a professor in the Psychology Department for 39 yeas.  Neil appreciates the generosity, caring nature and dedication that prompts Rotarians to practice “Service Above Self.”

Paul Harris Award: Congratulations to Alan Alberg, our most recent recipient of the Paul Harris award.  A former member, Al joined our club in 1980 and fondly recalls when women were first allowed membership.  Al has always valued how Rotary brings community members together in friendship and service.

Last Week’s Guests: Laura Palmquist, St. Olaf student and applicant for a Rotary Peace Fellowship to study in Sweden, and our exchange students: Diatou, Adnan, Cindy and Rachel.

Scholarship Enhancement: Kurt Larson

Announcements:

Dale Ness is looking for both business and individual sponsors for the annual bike tour in September.

Youth at The Key are organizing a community fundraising all ages concert for July, and our Rotary club will partner with them to help with promotion, ticket sales, food and other tasks.   Look for more information soon.

On Thursday, June 6, from 6:00 pm o 8:00 pm please join club members and families for the exchange student graduation party at the Estenson Ranch.

Coming Up:

May 30 — Mike Downey, Training Consultant, Northstar Problem Gambling Alliance

June 6 — Lin Bruce, Tales of Biking Across the USA (Prowe)

Today: Tim Madigan, City Administrator, History of US/Dakota War

Birthdays: Charlie Cogan (5/6), David Halsor and Ivan Imm (5/7)

Next Week: Zach Pruitt, Healthy Community Initiative

Last Week:

While China’s influence in Africa continues to grow, local observer Richard Bodman says it doesn’t mean the United States is being crowded off the continent. In fact, he said there are plenty of opportunities for cooperative ventures between China and the U.S.

Bodman, a retired St. Olaf College professor of Chinese and a life-long student of China, said China needs Africa’s oil, gas, minerals and labor to continue its strong economic growth and avoid frustrating a growing middle class at home. China is moving high-value manufacturing off-shore. The emerging independent African states, who identify with China and view it as a successful model for developing countries, have welcomed China’s interest.

The U.S. still buys more oil from Africa than China does, and we provide more economic aid, but China’s cultural and economic footprint continues to grow. There are now one million Chinese living and working in Africa. It has 20 news bureaus and 29 Confucian Institutes on the continent and invites 4,000 to 5,000 African students to study in China each year.

Bodman said China has been successful packaging economic aid with loans to African countries and investing in the countries’ infrastructure, a contrast to Western investment which is largely geared to extract resources. Moreover, African countries appreciate China’s lack of interference in their internal affairs.  China doesn’t lecture the African nations about human and democratic rights.

China is often viewed as a threat, Bodman said, but the Chinese are looking for business partnerships in Africa. He also sees opportunities for the U.S. to cooperate on health and peace-keeping initiatives. But for this to be a fruitful meeting of the minds, we need to be more cognizant of how the Chinese perceive U.S. geo-political moves, Bodman said.

Mini Classification:

Bob Flaten is still Bob Flaten. Nothing has changed since his last mini-classification.

Farewell Mizuki

Last week was Mizuki Oeda’s’s last meeting with us. She thanked us for her experience here. She was a good sport, literally. She participated in cross country and basketball during the year, and she was a good ambassador for her home country of Japan. She made friends easily, evidenced by her selection as the Snow Queen at Northfield High School last February.

Lynne Young honored

Lynne Young is retiring as director of the Northfield Public Library after 28 years of service, and we couldn’t let that go unnoticed. John Ophaug presented her with his latest literary turn, “Fifty Shades of Rotary,” a real page-turner, as they say. Lynne accepted it in the spirit in which it was offered.

And now, the rest of the story….

When we last left our story, there was a lot of backyard, over the fence speculation about Charlie Cogan inviting Richard Maus to the to the district Rotary conference in St. Paul. Only later, at the conference, was Charlie’s motivation unmasked. No scandal here. Richard was receiving a Regional Service Award for a Polio-Free World.

This award recognizes individuals for their outstanding contributions to Rotary’s efforts to eradicate the crippling disease polio. Richard is one of only 10 Rotarians world-wide to receive this award in 2013.

Nice going, Richard. Much deserved.

Guests: Brynnie Rowberg and Sharon Trebenaker (Flaten); Jim Young (Young); Katie St. Clair and Adrienne Falcon (Fenton); and Mizuki, Rachel, Adnan, Cindy and Diatou.

Scholarship Enhancement: Bob Craig

Announcements:

— Adrienne Falcon, director of Academic Civic Engagement at Carleton College, and Katie St. Clair, a Carleton statistics professor,  are looking for community-based projects that revolve around collection and analysis of data. They have a three-year grant to provide this local service.  If you have a need, please contact them at: afalcon@carleton.edu or kstclair@carleton.edu

— Brad Frago, our Youth Protection Officer, reminds us that all members who have significant interaction with youth need to be certified volunteers. Everyone needs to be recertified every three years. The process is quick and easy. Go to http://www.rotary5960.org/ryp/index.cfm and get that taken care of.

Coming Up:

May 23 — Lin Bruce, Tales of Biking Across the USA (Prowe)

May 30 –

June 6 — Exchange Student Graduation Party, Estenson Event Center

Today: Dick Bodman, Retired St. Olaf Professor, China in Africa (Flaten)

Birthdays: Reginaldo Haslett-Marroquin (4/28), Geralyn Sheehan (5/2) and Rick Estenson (5/4).

Next Week: Tim Madigan, City Administrator, History of US/Dakota War (Reppmann)

Last Week: 
Adnan Mansjur is usually where the action is.

During his exchange year in Northfield, he has bought into our winter immersion program. He’s been ice fishing, snowmobiling, skiing and even spent a night in an Arctic bed and breakfast.

On his trip to New York City with the high school band, he wound up with some face time at the Today Show. And when he returns to Indonesia, he will get back to doing what all 16-year olds boys yearn to do — race cars.

Adnan’s home country, Indonesia, is a cultural mosaic, comprised of 17,000 islands and 500 different ethnic groups. “Unity in diversity” is the national slogan. Sumatra, Java and Bali are among the largest islands in the archipelago. Indonesia is included in the Pacific’s “rim of fire.” It has the largest number of active volcanoes in the world.

Indonesia offers beautiful beaches, rugged jungles and majestic mountains. It is a country with rich traditions and one that provides a window to our understanding of prehistoric man. The Java man, a pivotal anthropologic find, was discovered there in 1891. Indonesia was also once home to President Barack Obama during part of his childhood.

Our fair city has been a dramatic departure from the packed cities Adnan knows back home. He traded traffic gridlock and frequent flooding for snow and cold, although a bucolic snow and cold.

His father is a dentist, who had his own exchange experience in Minnesota 40 years ago. His mother is a housewife. He has two sisters and a younger brother.

When Adnan looks ahead to future action, he sees himself pursuing a medical degree and continuing his racing.

Mini Classification:
 Mark Quinnell does not quite qualify for “townie” status. He moved to Northfield as a two-month old with parents Hunts and Betty Quinnell. Timing is everything.

A graduate of both Northfield High School and St. Olaf College, he moved away for a brief couple of years and then returned to Northfield to become a fixture in the business community as a State Farm insurance agent.

Mark and his wife, Sue, have two children. Emily, 25, is now working as a child protection worker in Madison, Wis. Evan, 21, is a junior at St. Olaf College. He sings in the St. Olaf Choir and with the Limestones.

Brett Reese and Mike Allen were Mark’s Rotary sponsors, and dMark is grateful for being asked to be part of this club.

And now, the rest of the story….
When we last left our story, there was a lot of backyard, over the fence speculation about Charlie Cogan inviting Donna Maus to the to the district Rotary conference in St. Paul. Only later, at the conference, was Charlie’s motivation unmasked. No scandal here. Richard was receiving a Regional Service Award for a Polio-Free World.

This award recognizes individuals for their outstanding contributions to Rotary’s efforts to eradicate the crippling disease polio. Richard is one of only 10 Rotarians world-wide to receive this award in 2013. Nice going, Richard. Much deserved.

Visiting Rotarian: Lynn Thoraldson, Lakeville Rotary Club. Taste of Lakeville is May 16. For more information, go to http://www.lakevillerotary.org/

Guests: Marlin Paschall-Zimbel and Matt Irwin (Covey), Ivy Ainsworth (Blaha) and Adnan’s gallery: Henry Jokela, Wes Braker, Annika Fredrickson, Maria Olson, Elise Hanson, Zoe Webb, Mark and Teresa Duschene, Dan and Juliana Sayner, Susan Quinnell and Susie Beaumaster.

Scholarship Enhancement: Keith Covey

Announcements:

John Ophaug noted the passing of Jean Perman, an honorary Paul Fellow Harris. Her husband, Orv Perman, was a member of Rotary for 50 years, a Paul Harris Fellow and a past president. Jean’s funeral was last Saturday.

Betsy Spethmann, a member of the Literacy Committee, requested help sorting and distributing books for the Early Childhood Family Education (ECFE) literacy project. Five hundred have been re-circulated, but there are another 1,000 to go.

Be sure to reserve the evening of Thursday, June 6, for an exchange student graduation party at the Estenson Ranch.

Brad Frago, our Youth Protection Officer, reminds us that all members who have significant interaction with youth need to be certified volunteers. Everyone needs to be recertified every three years. The process is quick and easy. Go to http://www.rotary5960.org/ryp/index.cfm and get that taken care of.

Neil Lutsky is looking for a member to volunteer to be the Club Archivist. Lynne Young is retiring from serving in this capacity for many years – thanks Lynne.

Coming Up:

May 16 — Zach Pruitt, Healthy Community Initiative
May 23 — Lin Bruce, Tales of Biking Across the USA (Prowe)

Today: Adnan, Youth Exchange Presentation (Quinnell)

Birthdays: Richard Maus 4/24.

Next Week: Dick Bodman, Retired St. Olaf Professor, China in Africa (Flaten)

Last Week: 

With the snowy weather of late our speaker, Paul Mooty, could have easily sold us some of his Faribault Woolen Mills Company blankets, but we were content just to hear the amazing story of how this historic company has been given new life.

Paul Mooty, past President of the Edina Rotary Club, and his cousin, Chuck Mooty, purchased Faribault Woolen Mills in 2011, two years after the previous owners had closed the business and abandoned the plant. Both Paul and Chuck have extensive legal and business experience and welcomed the challenge to breathe new life into the oldest manufacturing company in Minnesota.

Carl Klemer, an immigrant from Germany, began the company in 1865 with a carding machine to process raw wool, and by 1877 he was manufacturing blankets. In 1882 the original building of the existing complex along the river was completed.  Water power from the adjoining dam powered the mill until the 1930′s.

Faribault Woolen Mills continued to grow and became the industry leader in the USA. One hundred thousand blankets were produced for WWI soldiers and 250,000 for WWII soldiers. In 1949 stadium blankets were introduced, followed by moth-proof and washable blankets in the late 1950s.

Previous owners closed the mill in 2009, leaving without even cleaning off desks.  Paul and Chuck took a risk and purchased the business just before much of the specialized equipment was to be sold and shipped to Pakistan. After major upgrades to electrical, plumbing, heating and other building systems in the 175,000 square foot facility in 2011, the 145 year-old mill once again manufactures high quality blankets all the way from receiving the raw wool to shipping the finished product.  The mill facility is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places.  Four new looms have been installed to increase capacity. Several former mill employees were rehired and employment currently totals approximately 50.

Landing a good contract with J.C. Penney Co. and working diligently to encourage internet buying, Faribault Woolen Mills once again sells excellent quality blankets that last and last.  What an upbeat success story – thanks to Paul Mooty for a great presentation.

Mini Classification: Devon Barnes has accepted a new job in Owatonna and unfortunately will be resigning from the club.  He will continue to live in Northfield with his wife Kimberly and their two children and promises to stay in touch.   Best wishes to Devon.

Visiting Rotarian: Ryan Heinritz, Director, Paradise Center for the Arts, Faribault

Guests: Nate Carlson (Conway), Ron McDonald (Taylor), exchange students: Diatou, Adnan, Mizuki, Cindy and Rachel.

Scholarship Enhancement: Linda Wilgohs (again?)

Announcements:

Kurt Larsen will soon be offering Rotary clothing for sale at Larsen Printing – stay tuned for further details and perhaps a style show.

Be sure to reserve the evening of Thursday, June 6, for an exchange student graduation party at the Estenson Ranch.

Check out the website for Lakeville Rotary Club’s “Taste of Lakeville” fundraising event scheduled for Thursday, May 16, from 5 – 9 pm at the Lakeville Area Arts Center:  http://www.lakevillerotary.org/

Neil Lutsky is looking for a member to volunteer to be the Club Archivist.  Lynne Young is retiring from serving in this capacity for many years – thanks Lynne.

Coming Up:

May 9 — Tim Madigan, City Administrator, History of US/Dakota War (Reppmann)

May 16 — Zach Pruitt, Healthy Community Initiative

May 23 — Lin Bruce, Tales of Biking Across the USA (Prowe)

Today: Paul Mooty: The Faribault Woolen Mill (Barnes)

Birthdays: Wayne Abdella (4/17), John Fossum (4/19)

Next Week: Adnan, Youth Exchange Presentation (Quinnell)

Last Week:

When and how should the “international community” intervene in the affairs of a sovereign state is a tough, tough question. It invites us to revisit a medieval world order where absolute despots treated their subjects like chattel. Unfortunately, that model persists in some corners of the world.

Former ambassador Robert Flaten challenged us to consider whether sovereignty belongs to the individual or the state. A 2005 United National General Assembly Resolution proclaims a right of the international community to intervene militarily in sovereign states to protect people. Critics have viewed this as a neo-colonial effort to reassert the influence of western countries. They see it as a double standard when the United States is not held accountable for its treatment of Native Americans or Russia or China for their treatment of Muslims.

“Is it a valid concept,” Robert asks, “to take nation states out of the center put people in their place?”

It’s an ongoing dilemma because intervention does not always succeed. Failure is as bad as doing nothing at all, he said. “By intervening, do we do more harm than good?” he asks.

Intervention worked in Kenya and recently in Libya, but Somalia was a disaster. Bob said there is still no consensus in the international community about how to handle Syria.

Other observations from the former ambassador:

— Egypt will be resolved eventually, but it will be messy.
— North Korea saber-rattling could be only for internal purposes.
— The U.S. military has assumed far too many diplomatic functions. That needs to be reversed.

Mini-Classification:

Robert Flaten is a true Northfield product. His grandfather and father were both professors at St. Olaf College. Bob grew up here and, no surprise here, graduated from St. Olaf College. After a stint in the Air Force, he earned a graduate degree from George Washington University and then spent 32 years in the United States Foreign Service. He served in France, Pakistan, Washington D.C., Israel and ended his career as Ambassador to Rwanda.

Member Induction: Victoria Langer, a teacher on leave from the Northfield School District, was formally inducted into the club. Her sponsor is Laurie Williams, a longtime friend.

Guests: Susan Hatfield (Taylor), a clean-shaven Steve Wlimot (Fenton), Tim Willgohs (L. Willgohs), James Rehwaldt (Yogi) and our exchange students: Mizuki, Rachel, Diatou, Adnan and Cindy, some of whom are enjoying winter’s long embrace.

Scholarship Enhancement: David Wolf

Announcements:

— Dave Brown reminded members of the half-price sale for Paul Harris Fellowships. A $500 donation will be matched by the club’s credits with the foundation to qualify you for the award. The promotion is open to new and repeat fellows.

— Rotary will host a graduation party Thursday, June 6, for our graduating inbound students, our returning outbound students and for our new outbounds. More to come.

— Rotary will be partnering with The Key to produce a concert in July to raise funds for the youth center. If you have anything to contribute to this effort, contact Missi Arens.

— Peg Prowe reported that the Minnesota House has $1.7 million earmarked for the Mill Towns Trail, part from Legacy funding, part from bonding. This still needs approval from both the Senate and the Governor.

Today: Bill Davnie, a retired Foreign Service officer, will speak on Myanmar (Flaten).

Birthdays: Megan Tsui (4/6).

Next Week: Paul Mooty: The Faribault Woolen Mill (Barnes)

Last Week:

We Americans put a lot of people in jail, one out of every 100 adults, and it doesn’t always help, says Christine Curtis, director of Rice County Community Corrections.
She said we incarcerate people at a rate four to seven times that of other developed countries. One in three American adults has been arrested by the time they are 23, and it doesn’t bode well for their future education and employment.

Our reliance on deterrence and punishment developed in the 1980s. Then there was a growing recognition that incarceration doesn’t change behavior. Over the last 10 years, corrections programs have been identifying evidence-based practices that make a difference in the lives of those behind bars and reduce recidivism. They are using cognitive behavioral approaches to combat the dynamics that help produce a criminal: dysfunctional family, anti-social peers, substance abuse and anti-social attitudes. The most intensive treatment is reserved for those who are at the highest risk for recidivism. It is designed to enhance offender motivation, provide positive reinforcement, address cognitive behavioral function and provide ongoing support.

Intensive treatment for those with a lower risk of repeating is self-defeating, she said. It’s like sending them to crime college. That’s why the diversion program is so important, particularly for young, first-time offenders: to keep them out of the system.

Christine said she is always looking for community partners to help integrate offenders into the life of the community. “Demonizing our population doesn’t help anything,” she said.

Mini-Classification

Matthew Rich, our soon to-be president-elect, is a lawyer in Northfield. He’s been working in Northfield with Marv Grundhoefer and David Ludescher for four and a half years. He’s been a member of Rotary for five.

He is married to the former Leah Whitworth, and they have two children with a third expected in September.

Guests: Diethelm Prowe (Flaten), George Zuccolotto, Cliff Martin and MerlinPaschell-Zimbel (Fenton), Victoria Langer (Fenton) and our exchange students Mizuki, Rachel, Diatou, Adnan and Cindy, who have many good things to say about spring.

Scholarship Enhancement: Linda Willgohs

Announcements:

—Vicki Dilley announced that we will host five inbound exchange students next year. They will be coming from Brazil, Japan, Chile, South Korea and Kurdistan. She is looking for counselors for these students. If you are interested, talk to her.
— Mark Abbot, chair of the International Service Committee, reported that funding has now been secured for a project to purchase beds for a home for the elderly in Brazil. Our club contributed $2,400 of the $4,000. He also noted that we honored a request from Todd Thompson, our song leader at-large, and donated $960 for a projector needed for video conferencing between students in Guatemala and Northfield.
— Chris Weber, chair of the Global Grant Scholar committee, announced that Laura Palmquist, a St. Olaf College student, is our nominee this year.
— John Ophaug noted the passing of Carol Fossum, longtime Northfield resident, St. Olaf Class of ‘56 and mother of one of our members, John Fossum.  Her funeral was last Thursday, April 4, at St. Peter’s Lutheran Church.

April 18 —Meeting place: United Methodist Church.

April 25 — Adnan, Youth Exchange Presentation (Quinnell)