MEETING RECAP
A Fine Day it Will Be
Sunday, February 13, 2022
By: Mary MarlinA Fine Day it Will Be
THE LAKEWOOD KEY
Welcome, Lakewood Rotarians!! And what a fine day it will be when we can fist bump, shake hands, rub elbows or catch a quick hug for the first time in weeks!! Yes, welcome to the new normal! And speaking of normal....the bell chimed at 12:30 and Jim Rooks took the reins to begin our Friday meeting.
He welcomed all and soon Scott Buser gave the invocation and Bob Peterson led us in the Pledge of Allegiance. Cheerful greeters, Wendy McGowan, James Osundwa, and Dwight Williams were at the front desk encouraging all to enjoy the meeting and have a great day. (By the way, it worked!) Making the meeting work were Rob Erb, Tom George, James Osundwa, Rick Selden, Terry Roarke, Bob Martin, Leanna Christian and Kendra Riconosciuto. Quite the team that makes it all happen....every week! John Lowney, of course, was waiting for the fines to be paid, Greg Horn was Sergeant at Arms and the raffle encourager, Steve Enquist managed the Foundation donations, Greg Rediske monitored the president's limited gaffes and yours truly took minutes and somehow volunteered to schedule greeters.
| Welcome, Lakewood Rotarians!! And what a fine day it will be when we can fist bump, shake hands, rub elbows or catch a quick hug for the first time in weeks!! Yes, welcome to the new normal! And speaking of normal....the bell chimed at 12:30 and Jim Rooks took the reins to begin our Friday meeting. He welcomed all and soon Scott Buser gave the invocation and Bob Peterson led us in the Pledge of Allegiance. Cheerful greeters, Wendy McGowan, James Osundwa, and Dwight Williams were at the front desk encouraging all to enjoy the meeting and have a great day. (By the way, it worked!) Making the meeting work were Rob Erb, Tom George, James Osundwa, Rick Selden, Terry Roarke, Bob Martin, Leanna Christian and Kendra Riconosciuto. Quite the team that makes it all happen....every week! John Lowney, of course, was waiting for the fines to be paid, Greg Horn was Sergeant at Arms and the raffle encourager, Steve Enquist managed the Foundation donations, Greg Rediske monitored the president's limited gaffes and yours truly took minutes and somehow volunteered to schedule greeters. Visiting Rotarians and Guests: Pres. Rooks welcomed Mick McDaniel from Tacoma South Rotary Club. Gael Whalen, Jason Whalen's wife, was welcomed as well. Mary Moss introduced her friend and Council Member, Patti Belle....not to be confused with Patti La Belle, so I've heard. The Puffins who were up and ready for action were: Steve Saalfeld, James Osundwa, Wendy McGowan, Bob Martin, Andy Phillips, Dwight Williams, and Linda McDermott. Health & Wellness: Eric Warn, regarding the health of members, mentioned that Wynn Hoffman's son had passed away. Difficult news to hear. Connie Coleman-Lacadie's husband is recovering from surgery. Eric also mentioned that he is collecting eyeglasses for the Lakewood Lions so don't throw yours away. Good news then arrived with Greg Horn who gave a Rotary Theme Banner to Jim Rooks for serving all of us in the club so well. Eradicating polio has been our focus; last year we donated $1500 toward the cause. Greg then thanked the club for their efforts to support eradication of this awful disease. Induction of Another Puffin: Veronica Bronkema, sponsored by her husband Carl, was then asked to come to the podium. (Carl was still looking for the puffin!) Becoming a new enthusiastic member, Veronica was introduced to the pledge, the 4-way test, and shared some information about her life. She grew up in Mexico with Rotaract, has been married to Carl for almost two decades, has two sons, went to UW, and is now an administrator with the Dept. of Labor and Industries. She also serves on the Board at the Credit Union and is very excited to become a member of Lakewood Rotary. She now has the Red Badge, information about the club, a Rotary pin and, of course, the invoice. Jim assured her that he gave her the "family rate". Above: Latest Puffin: Veronica Bronkema Rose Stevens then introduced Mick McDaniel from Tacoma South Rotary Club. His club has been instrumental in assisting India with a much needed computer device called the Unplugged Hub. It works like a modem and disk drive when plugged in, but can become a hotspot for 50 computers for schools when unplugged. Several training levels are available for kids and also Microsoft and English as a second language information is also available. People in India have an average salary of about $1.25 a day. We can do at least 100 times as much with our money through projects in India. Check out the Rotary Magazine for more information. Then Mick congratulated Lakewood members for helping India with much needed computer help with our $2000 donation. Paul Harris Awards: Steve Enquist then presented Paul Harris awards to James Osundwa, his first....Peter Marsh, his first....and Ed Shannon, his 6th. Just so you know, Mary Horn received her 7th, 8th and 9th Paul Harris awards recently and as of today both Mary and Greg Horn, as a couple, have given a total of $25,000 to the Rotary Foundation!!! This means they now have a second Major Donor award, a crystal with their name on it, a diamond pin for each of them, and a pendant (that Mary immediately claimed). Lakewood Rotary now has 98 Paul Harris fellows!!! As a club we have given $1.3 + million. Well done, team!!! Above: A Puffin and PH Fellow, James Osundwa! Little Free Pantry: Jim then gave kudos to the Little Free Pantry committee for such an outstanding job and some of the hardest workers he has seen. Applause deserved. Fines and Generous Giving: Then came fines, with Carl Bronkema giving $100 for turning 58, for being able to play in the PGA Pro Am Tournament recently, and for having the love of his life and his partner in crime in the Lakewood Rotary club with him. (He should get an award for just that!! Just sayin') Steve Saalfeld's oldest son is now an engineer in training and has a job in Portland. Not sure what Steve paid as a fine, but, hey, his son now has a job. And Steve has his address! Sally Smith is 70% protected from bad Covid bugs and donated $100 while being so grateful for those who supported her. The Program: Jason Whalen, our Mayor of Lakewood, then introduced John Caulfield, the City Manager of the City of Lakewood. Jason smiled when he said it was one employee he could bother. John has had many leadership roles...Mountlake Terrace City Manager, Mr. Everything at City of University Place, Federal Way financial guru, Army Ranger in the 2nd Battalion at Fort Lewis, several Boards he has served on, and now serving Lakewood with honor. John received his Masters degree at Seattle Univ. and his bachelor’s degree at Boston University, where, rumor has it, he was a member of the same class as Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Above: City Manager John Caulfield So here are some of the events happening in Lakewood. John mentioned that in the last two years, the city has shown inspiration, perseverance and resilience because of the challenges of Covid-19, and the finances have been the best in decades. The City has never been stronger....outstanding employees, no drawdown in services even with the three-headed monsters of: Pandemic, Supply Chain, and Inflation. Several areas of interest are parks, streets, youth programs, and JBLM cooperation. Also being addressed through the Federal Cares Act funds are issues such as rent, utilities, child care, landlords and businesses. $7.2 million is addressing homelessness, education, equity, and emergency shelters, with cooperation from Habitat for Humanity, Boys and Girls Clubs, Communities in Schools and other organizations. John discussed military matters, tribal relations, Safe City Projects, and how the City is addressing the needs of first responders, health care workers, Police Academy, and more. Soon the police will all have body cameras; the police cars already have cameras, which helps to build assurance within the community that we are all working together to de-escalate and solve problems. John mentioned that Police Chief Mike Zaro is definitely helping to make it all happen. Last year in 2021 there was $159 million worth of new construction! This is an amount that often takes 30 years! Public policy changes are paying off. Housing is a definite immediate focus. Fourteen agencies are working together to address housing needs. Woodbrook Business Park is a major business plus. The freeway access to and from Thorne Lane has helped a lot. One manufacturing firm may soon bring in 800 employees, earning at least $100,000 a year. Lakewood Landing is receiving millions in investment. National and international districts are continuously improving. Downtown Central Park and new libraries plus a senior community center are also coming. A major focus is also on the Natural Environment. Thirty-five initiatives are in the works. With the possibility of a damaging flood from Clover Creek in the future, attention must be paid to the solutions now! Tree preservation, streets and sidewalks, gutters and curbs always need attention. Sound Transit has given $44 million through 2030 to address improvements. Parks at American Lake and Fort Steilacoom are being given $18 million for improvements. Also, get ready for the "fun stuff"....Summerfest on July 9th, Farmer's Market, Saturday Street Festivals, Kids fishing, Senior Activities, Clubs, Sports, and Tractor Tree Lighting. Lakewood is on it! We thank you, John Caulfield, and support all your efforts for making so many changes and your "Our glass is half full" attitude. With that, President Jim, hit the chime. The raffle ticket holder was Dwight Williams, but he didn't win the big one, by pulling out only a white chip Till next time.......yours truly, Mary Marlin Calendar of Upcoming LR Events: (if you have an item send it to Joe Quinn) 3/27-31 Sunriver Rotary Ski Trip (sold out) ? Lakewood Rotary Auction 6/25 Rotary Installation Banquet 7/21 Floating Board Meeting at Holly Hedge 8/27-28 The Courage (tentative date: unconfirmed) 9/11-13 Reeder Rotary Roadster Romp to Sun Mountain 12/16 Tom and Jerry Party and President’s Roast Reminder: Tacoma Country and Golf Club Dress Code Main Clubhouse: Golf Attire and denim will be allowed in all areas of the club, but no rips or tears will be accepted No pool attire No T-shirts, mock neck acceptable for men No hats for men inside No athletic wear including hooded/college sweatshirts |
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