RI Video

GUESTS
Guests and potential new members last week included Shannon Spangler, an accountant that lives in Windsor but works in Ft. Collins, and Marie Alkire who recently moved back from Hawaii.

ANNOUNCEMENTS
Pete Hyland announced that we would be selling beer during the festivities Labor Day weekend. He passed around a sign up sheet for Saturday, September 2 as well as Sunday and Monday, September 3-4.

Dorothy Simmons asked everyone to check their contact information and either sign off or make any changes necessary.

PROGRAM
President Ron Clark showed a DVD from Rotary International that discussed the history and many of the programs of Rotary. It was noted that Rotary was the world's first humanitarian organization. The program stressed the Polio Plus program that was started in 1985 with the goal of having polio eradicated in the world by 2005. As we know, that goal was not made because of wars and other political problems in parts of the world. It should be noted that the goal is close at hand.

The DVD also showed the friendship and business development programs. One significant program is the micro-lending program that started in Uganda. $50 to $1000 loans are made to start or expand a business. For example, Nuria was loaned $85 to buy some more goats. She now has 100 goats, has opened a restaurant, and not coincidentally has a husband. The success rate of the program exceeds 90%.

QUIZ ANSWER
The most watched sport in America is NASCAR.

NEXT QUESTION
Prior to this development, accurate, coordinated time was unnecessary. For instance if you lived in Peoria, the time may be 9 AM, but if you lived in Gary, Indiana, they may say that the time was 9:15 AM and it really didn't matter. What development changed this and required an accurate, coordinated time system?

Habitat for Humanity

GUESTS

Steve Bullard of the Ft. Collins Breakfast Club was a visiting Rotarian last week.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Bob Penny gave a report on the trip to the RYLA camp in Estes Park.

The ever thoughtful, Jody Niswender, brought home made bread, jelly, and flowers from her garden that she sold and gave the money to the club.

PROGRAM
Eula Frantz from the Windsor Chapter of Habitat for Humanity gave a presentation about the organization. Habitat was started in 1976 by a man named Millard Fuller and the Windsor chapter was affiliated in 1996.

Worldwide, habitat has built over 200,000 homes. There are 29 affiliates in Colorado, and 1600 in the US. There are also affiliates in 30 other countries. To date, the local group has built homes only in Severance. This is because of the availability of lots there that meet the criteria. The first lots for the project were donated by the railroad and then Everitt Enterprises gave additional lots. There is one house currently under construction in Severance and its roof trusses should have gone on this week.

Habitat home owners have to meet certain income criteria and invest 300 to 500 hours of "sweat equity" in their homes and others. Mortgage payments from the homeowners must be used to build new houses and there is no interest charged. Habitat strives to build "Built Green" homes to keep the utility and maintenance costs for the home at a minimum. If you wish to volunteer, call 970-686-9281.

Side Note: The August issue of the Rotarian Magazine has a feature article about Harry Connick, Jr. and what he has done for his home town, New Orleans. Connick has been a Habitat for Humanity volunteer since 1999 and was named the honorary chair of Habitat for Humanity’s Operation Home Delivery, a rebuilding plan for the Gulf Coast.

QUIZ ANSWER

The Southern Lights are the Aurora Australis.

NEXT QUESTION

What is the most watched sport in America?

The Rotary Club of New York City celebrates its 96th anniversary on August 24.

New RI President William B. Boyd has made his theme, "Lead the Way." He's calling his choice for the RI theme "an affirmation of my belief in the power of Rotarians to change the world, one positive act at a time."

Union Colony Civic Center: 2006-07 Season

ANNOUNCEMENTS
President Ron Clark announced that Chris Leffler has agreed to chair the Community Service Committee for the coming year.

PROGRAM
Mark Briemhorst was our speaker. Mark brought us the Season Schedule for the Union Colony Civic Center in Greeley. The 2006-2007 season is labeled as the "Season of the Stars" with the Stage Spectaculars Series featuring "I Can't Stop Loving You", Andrew Lloyd Weber's "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat", Michael Martin Murphey's "Cowboy Christmas Carol", Lily Tomlin Live, and Aida by Elton John and Tim Rice.

The Just for laughs Series has Victoria Jackson, "Sister's Christmas Catechism", and "Capitol Steps" (Sounds like the old "That Was the Week that Was").

Other series include the "Critics Choice Series", "Catch a Star Family Series", and the "Travel Film Series". There will be three special events featuring Phil Vassar, Sa Chen, and Lee Greenwood. So the next time you are saying, "there is nothing to do". Look at the calendar and make a date.

Briemhorst was with the Lincoln Center in Ft. Collins for a number of years before moving to the UCCC. He says that UCCC has more seating, a fully functional lobby with concessions, and entertainers, and other features. There is a 10% discount for group sales, and employees of the City of Greeley can purchase season tickets through a payroll deduction plan. He said that they are extending that service to other companies and organizations.

QUIZ ANSWER
Wow, I finally picked a quiz question that Ardin Wright couldn't answer. The name of the town where Gary Cooper was the Marshall in High Noon was Hadleyville. Now a little extra coincidence. Grace Kelly who played his wife in the movie had a cousin in Montrose, Colorado who owned a pool hall. Her name was Hadley. Coincidence...Maybe? Also, Carl Foreman wrote the screen play and it was the last one he did before he exiled himself to England because of Senator McCarthy and his House Un-American Activities Committee.

NEXT QUESTION
We all know that the "Northern Lights" are called the Aurora Borealis. What are the "Southern Lights" called?

USELESS INFORMATION
The early "clock towers" had no faces, only bells in them. They told time by the pealing of the bells. The word clock comes from Italian for bells: "clocca".

School District Administration Building Expansion

ANNOUNCEMENTS
President Ron Clark announced that Jody Niswender had been chosen Windsor Rotarian of the Year. Congratulations Jody...well deserved!

Ron also announced that the club would have another evening social event the last Thursday in August as August is a month with five Thursdays.

PROGRAM
Our program last week was brought to us by Karen Trusler, Superintendent of Schools, Stephanie Watson, Assistant Superintendent, and John Vasquez representing the School Board.

They gave an informational talk about the upcoming expansion and rehabilitation of the school administration building. Vasquez pointed out that the current building was constructed in 1989 when the student population was 1500. Now, there are 3200 students in the district. The proposed plans would provide for expansion and growth for the next fifteen years at the current rate of growth. The building now houses fifteen employees whereas the expanded building will have room for 27.

Vasquez said he felt it was important to do this project now as the rate of inflation on building materials is extremely high, and if they wait, it will cost disproportionately more to construct the building.

They are providing these informational programs to try to curtail negative perceptions. For instance, some people believe that this will be done with bond money. That is not the case. It will be paid for by interest earned over the last several years. He also pointed out that interest funds are restricted for capital improvements and cannot be used for maintenance or salaries.

NEXT QUIZ QUESTION
Now that we are back on a regular schedule, I'll start the quiz again. What was the name of the town in which Gary Cooper played the Marshall in "High Noon"?