LAST WEEK'S MEETING
Thanks to last week's Cogwheel Reporter, Scott Richardson.
GUESTS
Martha Brown (Brown), Mary Savina (Reid), Emma Iverson (Iverson) and Dr. Nicole Sturhman.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Rotary’s Halloween drive-thru parade Saturday, Oct. 31, will have a change of venue. The early snow makes it difficult to host at the Estenson farm, so the committee is looking for a new location with solid ground. Stay tuned.
Our re-imagined free-range Turkey Trot is off and running. Eighty-five people have already signed up for the event. Go to our website or our Facebook page and find the link to signup for the event. Team leader Jim Loe encourages us to create our own “turkey flocks.” The deadline for sign up is Friday, Nov. 6.
The CAC is also re-imaging Operation Joy, an annual gift-sharing program for families living on the margins. According to Michelle Lasswell, who sits on the CAC board, the program typically brightens the holidays for some 800 children in the area. Because of COVID-19, gift cards will be distributed this year instead of toys. Michelle asks that you consider donating to this cause.
Northfield Area Chamber of Commerce is holding a car raffle to replace some of the fundraising events that have been shelved due to the pandemic. Only 750 $100 tickets are being sold. You can’t win if you don’t play.
If you ordered a “I Was Robbed” Jesse James Bike Tour T-shirt, they are available for pickup on Vicki and Lee Dilley’s patio at 714 Highland Ave.
HAPPY NEWS
Bruce Morlan's grandkids visited and ran his dog ragged.
Jim Loe is celebrating a good Raider Cross Country season, which ended last week with a meet in Owatonna.
LAST WEEK'S SPEAKER
Rachel Reid
Rachel Reid, Bat Research in Costa Rica. Hosted by David Brown.
Writer’s Apology: Dr. Rachel Reid inhabits a professional world of which I know nothing. The following is a liberal arts major’s valiant attempt to explain her research in “conservation paleobiology.”
Dr. Rachel Reid knows bat guano when she sees it. To the uninitiated, it is “do-do.” To her, it is a geologic record that helps her understand the ecological systems of the past and formulate restoration plans for the future.
Rachel, a member of the Geoscience faculty at Virginia Tech University in Blacksburg, Va., is a graduate of Northfield High School and Carleton College and, more importantly, daughter to Martha and Dave Brown. Her field is important for learning how to counteract the effects of climate change. By analyzing the carbon isotopes and other tracers in “guano,” she develops a clearer picture of the animal and plant life that existed in years past. Her research started in caves in the Missouri Ozarks. She is learning more from caves in Virginia.
For more information on Rachel’s research, she can be contacted at: rebreid@vt.edu.
COMING UP
Robert S. Spalding
November 5 — Robert S. Spalding, Brig. General USAF (ret.), US-China Relations in a Post-Coronavirus World. The spread of the coronavirus and its aftermath has shown the world the true nature of the Chinese regime. How will the US navigate foreign and national security policy in this emerging bi-polar world?
Scott Wopata
November 12 — Scott Wopata, Carbon Neutral Emergency Housing. CAC is bringing together emergency shelter, affordable housing, and environmental justice in a community-based solution in Northfield. Hear about this incredibly ambitious project that prioritizes the future of our community and planet without sacrificing the need for social justice and support. Yes, we can do all of these things at the same time and we need to do it now.
Ed Marek
November 19 — Ed Marek, 5960 District Governor, District Governor's Club Visit.
November 26 — Thanksgiving, Turkey Trot with Your Chosen Flock.
