Events

DRC Sponsor: Ward Budweg

John Wasta is the past Foundation Chair for Rotary District 5970. He will be visiting our club to discuss everything you've ever wanted to know about the Rotary Foundation and Foundation giving.

Mr. Wasta is a third generation Rotarian. He has been a member of the Cedar Rapids Rotary Club for 42 years and served that club as its 100th president, presiding over their 100th Anniversary Gala in 2014. His grandfather was a fifty-year Rotarian (perhaps the first 50-year member of the Cedar Rapids club). His father has been a member of the Cedar Rapids Rotary club for 65 years (so far). 

Mr. Wasta worked in the office furniture and office supply industry for 42 years. He was a third-generation owner in this industry until he and his brother sold their business in 2011. He then started working  Director of Finance and HR at Matthew 25, a local non-profit in Cedar Rapids. He retired in March 2024. He has been active in the Cedar Rapids community since his return in 1979 when he was first recruited to volunteer for the United Way by a family friend. He has worked with the United Way, the Chamber of Commerce (now the Economic Alliance), Junior Achievement, Leadership for Five Seasons, the Workplace Learning Connection and the Greater Cedar Rapids Community Foundation, along with other community work.

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**Please complete your meal sign-up prior to the meeting, preferably not later than close of business Monday. Our face-to-face meeting Tuesday noon meeting will be hosted at the VFW, unless otherwise noted.**

DRC Sponsor: Ward Budweg

Organized in 2004, Safe Water International Ministries (SWIM) is committed to providing safe water around the globe. They distribute chlorine producing units (CPUs) to people worldwide. Over 2500 CPUs have been distributed in 35 different countries. A CPU is durable, lightweight, inexpensive, and simple to use – making it an effective tool for ordinary people needing safe, clean water.

Rev. John Battern of the Iowa Great Lakes Rotary Club has been working with SWIM for 18 years. He will be talking about his experiences with SWIM and in particular, his travels to Africa to bring safe water to the people there.

More information about this organization can be found at: https://swimforhim.org/

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**Please complete your meal sign-up prior to the meeting, preferably not later than close of business Monday. Our face-to-face meeting Tuesday noon meeting will be hosted at the VFW, unless otherwise noted.**

DRC Sponsor: Ward Budweg

Habitat Solar is an initiative under the auspices of the Environmental Sustainability Rotary Action Group (ESRAG). It represents an opportunity for Rotarians to partner with Habitat for Humanity to power Habitat homes with clean rooftop solar energy. The addition of rooftop solar to new Habitat homes will reduce the homeowner’s monthly power bills, thereby making the homes more affordable, decrease their carbon footprint, and strengthen the partnership between Rotary and Habitat.

Fellow Decorah Rotarian Tina Hall will give a summary presentation showing multiple Rotary District projects that save low-income families money, reduce air pollution, provide clean energy leadership, and result in significant environmental benefits.

DRC Sponsor: Lorraine Borowski

Fellow Decorah Rotarian and Decorah Community School District Superintendent of Schools Tim Cronin will offer a presentation to our members and answer questions on the upcoming bond issue supporting replacement of the old John Cline School. A petition began circulating this past week to take the multi-million dollar bond issue to the ballot box in November.

On Monday, July 15 the Decorah Community School District Board approved the petition for the general obligation bond project. The district intends to spend less than $38 million to tear down the existing John Cline Elementary School building and rebuild, furnish and equip a new school on the district-owned property along Heivly Street.

Tim has served as the district's superintendent since July 1, 2022. Prior to his local appointment, he served as superintendent of the Central City Community School District since 2013 in a “shared superintendent” arrangement with the nearby Dunkerton district. In addition to his role as superintendent, Tim has served as curriculum director, elementary principal, director of human resources, and director of special education. Professor Cronin is also an adjunct lecturer at the University of Iowa, where he has worked with the Educational Policy and Leadership Studies and Teaching, Leadership, and Cultural Competency programs to develop and teach graduate-level classes. He has served in leadership roles on committees for the Grant Wood and Central Rivers Area Education Associations, and the Superintendent Leadership Team of the Tri-Rivers Conference.

Tim holds a Ph.D. in educational administration from the University of Iowa and took part in graduate studies at the University of Wisconsin, and earned a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from Luther College.

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**Please complete your meal sign-up prior to the meeting, preferably not later than close of business Monday. Our face-to-face meeting will be hosted at the VFW. The meal sign-up, meeting announcment, and any other logistical information will be distributed in advace to all members by email.

Incoming Co-Presidents Mike Huinker and Phil Iversen will be hosting a club assembly with the After Hours group to discuss plans and priorities for the 2024-2025 Rotary year.

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DRC Sponsor: John Moeller

Jodi Enos-Berlage, Professor of Biology at Luther College, will visit our club to present on "The Power of the Unseen" -- a topic based on the title of her upcoming keynote presentation at the Iowa Women in Agriculture Annual Conference being held in Ankeny, IA on August 1st.

Professor Enos-Berlage has served in the Biology Department since 2000. Her primary teaching responsibilities include Microbiology, Immunology, and Principles of Biology. As the coordinator for Biology department internships, she facilitates and evaluates over 40 student internships/year in the health care, research, and environmental areas. She maintains an active research program that engages many undergraduate students. Research areas include agricultural and urban water quality monitoring, land use, water resources, and watershed work. Local projects include both the agricultural and urban Dry Run Creek Watershed in Decorah. Another principal research area is marine bacteria and how they sense and respond to environmental signals.

Professor Enos-Berlage received her Ph.D. in Bacteriology from the University of Wisconsin. She also holds a B.S. in Microbiology from the University of Illinois.

In addition to her extensive leadership, teaching and research work, Professor Enos-Berlage and her spouse John own and operate a a small farm in the Dry Run Creek Watershed outside of Decorah with their three children.

For more information on the Iowa Women in Agriculture Annual Conference please visit the organizational website at https://iowawomeninag.org.

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**Please complete your meal sign-up prior to the meeting, preferably not later than close of business Monday. Our face-to-face meeting will be hosted at the VFW. The meal sign-up, meeting announcment, and any other logistical information will be distributed in advace to all members by email.

DRC After Hours Sponsor: Tina Hall

Habitat Solar is an initiative under the auspices of the Environmental Sustainability Rotary Action Group (ESRAG). It represents an opportunity for Rotarians to partner with Habitat for Humanity to power Habitat homes with clean rooftop solar energy. The addition of rooftop solar to new Habitat homes will reduce the homeowner’s monthly power bills, thereby making the homes more affordable, decrease their carbon footprint, and strengthen the partnership between Rotary and Habitat.

Fellow Decorah Rotarian Tina Hall will give a summary presentation showing multiple Rotary District projects that save low-income families money, reduce air pollution, provide clean energy leadership, and result in significant environmental benefits.

DRC Sponsor: Lorraine Borowski

On July 1, 2024 Charles City-based Enterprise Media, Inc. assumed ownership of the local Decorah-area print media. As part of the transition, the former Driftless Journal has been renamed The Driftless, with the business and advertising aspects of the operation overseen by Enterprise Media CEO Christopher Hall along the local staff. The former Decorah Public Opinion has been renamed the Decorah Leader, under the new leadership and management of News Editor Seth Boyes. Mr. Boyes will join us at our noon meeting to share information on Decorah Leader operations and new areas of local emphasis.

Mr. Boyes began his news career as a staff writer at the weekly Spencer Reporter in 2016 and transitioned to the Dickinson County News in early 2017. In 2021, he was named News Editor and served as the paper's sole news writer for its 1,200 subscribers. He was also responsible for supplying news content for the Okobojian — a free weekly summer publication circulated throughout the Iowa Great Lakes region — as well as the annual Experiance Okoboji visitors guide.

During Mr. Boyes’ eight years writing local news, he has earned 10 first-place individual awards from the Iowa Better Newspaper Association for writing and photography, as well as 25+ second and third-place honors. His work also contributed to numerous staff awards for the Dickinson County News, which has placed among the top three newspapers in its competition category 14 times since 2011.

Mr. Boyes was born in Elkader, where his mother worked for the Clayton County Register. Though the family moved while he was still young, they often visited family and friends in communities like Guttenberg and Garnavillo. His spouse is a 2009 graduate of Luther College.

Learn more about the Decorah Leader by visiting their website at https://www.driftlessjournal.com.

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**Please complete your meal sign-up prior to the meeting, preferably not later than close of business Monday. Our face-to-face meeting will be hosted at the VFW. The meal sign-up, meeting announcment, and any other logistical information will be distributed in advace to all members by email.

DRC Sponsor: Kim Bonnet

Sometime during the night of June 10, 1912, a person or persons unknown bludgeoned to death Josiah B. Moore, his wife Sara, their children Herman, Katherine, Boyd, and Paul, and two overnight guests Lena and Ina Stillinger. The sensational crime in Villisca, Iowa led to nearly 10 years of investigations and trials.

Luther College Professor Emeritus, Decorah resident, and author of the book Fiend Incarnate: Villisca Axe Murders of 1912 Ed Epperly will present the first of a four-part series of talks during the month of September on his unprecedented, authoritative investigation into what many consider to be America's greatest unsolved mystery.

Dr. Epperly has been researching the 1912 Villisca axe murders for over 60 years. He has written dozens of articles and blog entries, and appeared on CourtTV and other radio and television programs. He is a popular guest speaker at colleges, universities, historical societies, museums, libraries, and book stores.

Fiend Incarnate is a companion to the award-winning documentary feature film Villisca: Living With a Mystery.

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**Please complete your meal sign-up prior to the meeting, preferably not later than close of business Monday. Our face-to-face meeting will be hosted at the VFW. The meal sign-up, meeting announcment, and any other logistical information will be distributed in advace to all members by email.

DRC Sponsor: Kim Bonnet

Luther College Professor Emeritus, Decorah resident, and author of the book Fiend Incarnate: Villisca Axe Murders of 1912 Ed Epperly will present the second of a four-part series of talks during the month of September on his unprecedented, authoritative investigation into what many consider to be America's greatest unsolved mystery.

Dr. Epperly has been researching the 1912 Villisca axe murders for over 60 years. He has written dozens of articles and blog entries, and appeared on CourtTV and other radio and television programs. He is a popular guest speaker at colleges, universities, historical societies, museums, libraries, and book stores.

Fiend Incarnate is a companion to the award-winning documentary feature film Villisca: Living With a Mystery.

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**Please complete your meal sign-up prior to the meeting, preferably not later than close of business Monday. Our face-to-face meeting will be hosted at the VFW. The meal sign-up, meeting announcment, and any other logistical information will be distributed in advace to all members by email.

DRC Sponsor: Kim Bonnet

Luther College Professor Emeritus, Decorah resident, and author of the book Fiend Incarnate: Villisca Axe Murders of 1912 Ed Epperly will present the third of a four-part series of talks during the month of September on his unprecedented, authoritative investigation into what many consider to be America's greatest unsolved mystery.

Dr. Epperly has been researching the 1912 Villisca axe murders for over 60 years. He has written dozens of articles and blog entries, and appeared on CourtTV and other radio and television programs. He is a popular guest speaker at colleges, universities, historical societies, museums, libraries, and book stores.

Fiend Incarnate is a companion to the award-winning documentary feature film Villisca: Living With a Mystery.

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**Please complete your meal sign-up prior to the meeting, preferably not later than close of business Monday. Our face-to-face meeting will be hosted at the VFW. The meal sign-up, meeting announcment, and any other logistical information will be distributed in advace to all members by email.

DRC Sponsor: Kim Bonnet

Luther College Professor Emeritus, Decorah resident, and author of the book Fiend Incarnate: Villisca Axe Murders of 1912 Ed Epperly will present the fourth and final talk of a four-part series during the month of September on his unprecedented, authoritative investigation into what many consider to be America's greatest unsolved mystery.

Dr. Epperly has been researching the 1912 Villisca axe murders for over 60 years. He has written dozens of articles and blog entries, and appeared on CourtTV and other radio and television programs. He is a popular guest speaker at colleges, universities, historical societies, museums, libraries, and book stores.

Fiend Incarnate is a companion to the award-winning documentary feature film Villisca: Living With a Mystery.

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**Please complete your meal sign-up prior to the meeting, preferably not later than close of business Monday. Our face-to-face meeting will be hosted at the VFW. The meal sign-up, meeting announcment, and any other logistical information will be distributed in advace to all members by email.

DRC Sponsor: Jim Morrow

All club members are strongly encouraged to attend this noon meeting when we will be joined by the 2024-2025 Rotary District 5970 Governor and Decorah Rotarian Shannon Duncan. Governor Duncan will be sharing information about initiatives in District 5970 as well as her goals and objectives during the ongoing Rotary year.

Our fellow Rotarian Shannon presently serves as an Account Manager for CentralSquare Technologies, a company providing public sector software solutions supporting local community government and management. Previously she worked as a branch manager for Manpower in Decorah. She has a long and illustrious record of volunteerism in Decorah including service as Chair of the Board of Directors and Ambassador Committee Member for the Decorah Area Chamber of Commerce; United Way Allocations Committee; EARL Transit Event Committee; Decorah Area Wellness and Recreation Committee; Animal Welfare Foster and Rescue Representative; and of course, past President of the Decorah Rotary Club.

Shannon attended Decorah High School and is a 1995 graduate of Luther College.

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**Please complete your meal sign-up prior to the meeting, preferably not later than close of business Monday. Our face-to-face meeting will be hosted at the VFW, supplemented by Zoom broadcast. The meal sign-up, meeting announcment, agenda, and any other logistical information including a Zoom meeting link will be distributed to all members by email in advance.

DRC Sponsor: Jim Morrow

Chris Garcia-Prats serves as Assistant Athletics Director for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and Head Soccer Coach at Luther College. He will visit us to share information and insights on the Luther Men's Soccer program and prospects for the coming season, his 17th as Head Coach.

During his time at Luther, Coach Garcia-Prats has led the Norse to an enviable overall record of 187-91-42 including a 78-34-14 mark in conference play. His teams have won three conference championships (2011, 2013, 2017); four conference tournament titles; and have made six appearances in the NCAA Division III National Tournament (2011- round of 16, 2013, 2016, 2018 - Elite 8, 2019 - Elite 8, 2022). Three times he has been named Regional Coach of the Year (2011, 2018, 2019). His teams have also finished the year ranked nationally at No. 5 (2019); No. 8 (2018); No. 14 (2011); No. 22 (2013); and No. 23 (2016). He has coached six All-Americans, 59 all-conference honorees, five conference Most Valuable Performers and 22 all-region performers. Three times his coaching staff has been named Conference Coaching Staff of the Year (2011, 2017, 2018).

Before Luther College, he served as the assistant men's soccer coach and recruiting coordinator at Trinity University in San Antonio, TX. During this stretch Trinity made six NCAA Division III National Tournament appearances advancing to three semifinals, finishing as the national runner-up in 2007 and captured the national championship in 2003.

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**Please complete your meal sign-up prior to the meeting, preferably not later than close of business Monday. Our face-to-face meeting will be hosted at the VFW, supplemented by Zoom broadcast. The meal sign-up, meeting announcment, agenda, and any other logistical information including a Zoom meeting link will be distributed to all members by email in advance.

DRC Sponsor: Jim Morrow

On November 28, 2017, 19-year-old Brendan Sime and son of our guest speaker Jennifer Sime lost his life to sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP). Like so many families who have lost loved ones to SUDEP, they knew nothing about it and did not know Brendan was at risk.

In memory of her son, Jennifer has been a steadfast supporter for over six years through participation in multiple aspects of the Eplilepsy Foundation of America and the Danny Did Foundation including Walks to End Epilepsy, running marathons, and sharing her family’s story to raise awareness about SUDEP. She works to honor Brendan's life by helping others and continuing to share the love and light he brought into this world.

For more information on the Epilepsy Foundation of America please visit https://www.epilepsy.com/volunteer.

For more on the Danny Did Foundation please visit https://www.dannydid.org.

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**Please complete your meal sign-up prior to the meeting, preferably not later than close of business Monday. Our face-to-face meeting will be hosted at the VFW, supplemented by Zoom broadcast. The meal sign-up, meeting announcment, agenda, and any other logistical information including a Zoom meeting link will be distributed to all members by email in advance.

DRC Sponsor: Jim Morrow

Thursday, October 24 is Rotary International (RI) World Polio Day. The designated World Polio Day is a time for Rotary members, public health advocates, and all who want a world free from polio to come together, recognize our progress in the fight to end polio, and talk about the actions we need to take in order to end polio for good. In recognition of that intention, fellow Rotarian Jim Morrow will be assembling a slate of speakers to bring the club up-to-date on RI's progress toward worldwide eradication of polio through its PolioPlus program. The topics to be discussed include the history of RI involvement in the polio eradication effort; the current global state of affairs; and how our club and its members can continue to support this important initiative.

Rotary launched PolioPlus in 1985 and was a founding member of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative in 1988. Through decades of commitment and work by Rotary and its partners, more than 2.5 billion children across the globe have received the oral polio vaccine. The world has made huge strides against polio with cases down 99.9% over the last four decades. With renewed global attention and commitment, the ulitmate goal of eliminating polio is clearly within reach.

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**Please complete your meal sign-up prior to the meeting, preferably not later than close of business Monday. Our face-to-face meeting will be hosted at the VFW. The meal sign-up, meeting announcment, and any other logistical information will be distributed in advace to all members by email.

DRC Sponsor: Phil Iversen

Dr. Bill Smith, Luther College Vice President for Communications, will be visiting our club to share updates and insights from Luther for the 2024-2025 academic year.

Dr. Smith came to Decorah from Arkansas State University (ASU) where he served since 2013 and most recently as Chief Communications Officer. At ASU, he led external and internal communications efforts. He initiated a visual branding program, served as primary university spokesperson and managed crisis communications. For his work in university communications, he has won multiple regional awards from the Council for the Support and Advancement of Education (CASE).

He is a historian as well as a communications expert. Dr. Smith holds a Ph.D. in History from the University of Arkansas, as well as an M.A. in History and a B.A. in Journalism from the University of Louisiana at Monroe. He has taught history at Northwestern State University in Natchitoches, Louisiana, and at Northwest Arkansas Community College. For the regional National Public Radio affiliate in Northwest Arkansas, he created and co-hosted a monthly “We’re History” radio program reflecting on the use of history in popular culture. His scholarly areas of expertise are in U.S. diplomatic and military history as well as 20th-century U.S. and European history.

As a crisis communications expert, he holds certifications in public information and the incident command system from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. He achieved the National Weather Service’s StormReady Campus certification for Arkansas State in 2017 and 2022. 

An avid cyclist, Dr. Smith holds a certification as a safety course instructor from the League of American Bicyclists, and he has served as board president of the Northeast Arkansas Bicycle Coalition. His cycling interests brought him to Iowa in 2018 to complete RAGBRAI (Register’s Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa).

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**Please complete your meal sign-up prior to the meeting, preferably not later than close of business Monday. Our face-to-face meeting will be hosted at the VFW. The meal sign-up, meeting announcment, and any other logistical information will be distributed in advace to all members by email.

DRC Sponsor: Don Holmertz

Theresa Fullhart and Karla O’Connell from the Decorah Veterans Affairs (VA) Clinic will join us to talk about the services provided at the Decorah VA Clinic, how to enroll, the various VA health care benefits, and a peek into the new Decorah VA Clinic facility. Ms Fulhart is a social worker at the clinic and Ms O'Connell is the administrative officer.

The new VA outpatient clinic will total approximately 17,000 square feet. This space will allow the VA the ability to grow Primary Care and Mental Health services to Veterans, reducing travel time and adding convenience for patients.

For more information about VA benefits and health care please see Decorah VA Clinic.

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**Please complete your meal sign-up prior to the meeting, preferably not later than close of business Monday. Our face-to-face meeting will be hosted at the VFW. The meal sign-up, meeting announcment, and any other logistical information will be distributed in advace to all members by email.

DRC Sponsor: Don Holmertz

Steve Slessor, Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) of WinnMed in Decorah, will be providing updates on the many growth initiatives at WinnMed. Among those of particular interest includes the Transforming Tomorrow Facility Project. He will also detail the ongoing evolution in the relationship between WinnMed and the Mayo Clinic Health System.

Steve was appointed to the CAO position on June 1, 2021. He previously served as the chief executive officer for Buchanan County Health Center in Independence, Iowa, and had been in that role since 2013. Prior to serving there, he held various leadership and administrative roles at UnityPoint Health Allen in Waterloo, Iowa, including Vice President of Strategy and Business Development, Vice President of Operations, Senior Director of Strategic Development, and Director of Business Planning and Development. He received his Master of Health Administration from University of Iowa, and his Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration from University of Northern Iowa.

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**Please complete your meal sign-up prior to the meeting, preferably not later than close of business Monday. Our face-to-face meeting will be hosted at the VFW. The meal sign-up, meeting announcment, and any other logistical information will be distributed in advace to all members by email.

The Decorah Rotary Club is honored and excited to host our friend Musa Kamaika Lengidari at our After-Hours meeting during his fundraising swing through the U.S. and his two-week Decorah stay in early November. Please plan to join us for this fascinating and engaging speaker.

Luther College has a long and fruitful connection to Tanzania and the Maasai culture through a continuing January Term (J-Term) Paideia course offering. Almost eight years ago (February 2017, to be exact) Decorah Rotarian and Luther Professor John Moeller spoke to our club about the course and its examination of the tension between the African national parks movement and pastoralist societies; and how wildlife conservation efforts and ecotourism have impacted the relationship of the Maasai people and their environment. Two months later, our longer tenured Decorah Rotarians may recall a visit by "The Maasai Guys" (<- link) at our previous meeting location in the upstairs room at T-Bock's. Leboy Oltimbau and Musa Kamaika joined us in full Maasai regalia and shared their personal stories of the Maasai culture, their lifestyle and traditions, their friendship and association with Luther College, and their efforts to balance traditional practices with new ideas and technologies.

Later in 2017 Musa founded the non-profit Natopiwo Organization, a non-governmental organization operating in rural Maasailand in northern Tanzania. Their work supports Maasai families in the Arusha Region through the education of youth, the economic empowerment of women, and the distribution of basic provisions such as food, water, and health insurance cards. They are presently raising funds to renovate a 40-years old water reservoir/dam that provides water to approximately 10,000 people and millions of domestic and wild animals in Monduli District.

Musa has dedicated his life to serving his community, promoting Maasai culture, and providing basic needs to people. The Natopiwo Organization is the realization of a life-long dream. He works to form partnerships and design sustainable development initiatives that meet the needs of the community now and envision a more resourced future for all. He also serves as an elected chairperson of Eluwai Village government. He works as a translator, tour program coordinator and guide, and research assistant for international researchers, university courses, and tourists. His family has lived in the community for generations, and he resides there with his wife and two children.

For more information about the Natopiwo Organization please visit https://natopiwo.org.

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DRC Sponsor: Don Holmertz

Winneshiek County Habitat for Humanity (WCHFH) Executive Director Gus Johnson will be joining us to talk about the history of Habitat projects in Winneshiek County, ongoing and future projects and collaborations, and opportunities for organizational and individual involvement.

Mr. Johnson grew up in Holmen Wisconsin, went to college in Nebraska and worked as a high school teacher for 35 years -- 31 of those years at South Winnneshiek High School in Calmar. He retired from teaching in 2000 and started volunteering for WCHFH in 2001. He lives in Spillville with his wife Jan, who was also a career teacher at South Winneshiek.

Habitat for Humanity is a nonprofit housing organization working in local communities across all 50 states and in more than 70 countries around the world. Habitat’s vision is of a world where everyone has a decent place to live. Habitat works toward this vision by building and improving homes in partnership with individuals and families in need of a decent and affordable place to live. Partner families must have employment, demonstrate that they currently have an inadequate housing situation, and be willing to invest at least 150 hours of labor ­or "sweat equity" ­into building their home and the homes of others. WCHFH houses are sold to low-income working partner families at no profit and with no interest charged.

WCHFH  is a locally operated affiliate of Habitat for Humanity International, a nonprofit, ecumenical housing organization. Since its inception WCHFH has completed over 30 projects in the local area. With the recent build in Fort Atkinson, WCHFH has a presence in every single town in Winneshiek County.

For more information on WCHFH please visit their website at https://www.habitat.org/ia/decorah/winneshiek-county-hfh. 

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**Please complete your meal sign-up prior to the meeting, preferably not later than close of business Monday. Our face-to-face meeting will be hosted at the VFW. The meal sign-up, meeting announcment, and any other logistical information will be distributed in advace to all members by email.

DRC Sponsor: Don Holmertz

Quinton Liebl, owner and operator of Liebl Habitat Solutions in Decorah, will be introducing his business with our members and providing information on the cross-section of services his company provides to the community.

Quinton moved to Decorah in 2019 for a job opportunity. Relying on his background in Natural Resources, he started Liebl Habitat Solutions in 2022 as a side business, transitioning it to a full-time, full service business in March of 2024. Liebl Habitat Solutions focuses on assisting private landowners maintain, enhance, and restore their property and reach their habitat and land goals. They provide services such as tree cutting and timber stand improvement, invasive species removal; fenceline, yard, and storm damage clean up; prairie management including prescribed fire burns; and targeted pesticide applications. They prioritize customer service and performing work in a matter that is efficient for the landowner and low impact to the landscape.

For more information please visit their website at https://www.lieblhabitatsolutions.com.

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**Please complete your meal sign-up prior to the meeting, preferably not later than close of business Monday. Our face-to-face meeting will be hosted at the VFW. The meal sign-up, meeting announcment, and any other logistical information will be distributed in advace to all members by email.

DRC Sponsor: Alan Lerstrom

Vesterheim President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Chris Johnson will talk about the Vesterheim Museum's plans for the upcoming year, including commemoration of the 200th anniversary of organized Norwegian immigration to the United States.

In 2025, Norwegians and Norwegian Americans will celebrate the 200th anniversary of the voyage of the Sloopers. On July 4, 1825, 52 Norwegian's departed Stavanger, Norway on the sloop Restauration taking three months to sail to New York in what would become the first in successive waves of immigration from Norway to the North American continent. Between 1825 and 1925, roughly one-third of Norway's population left their home country to start new lives in North America. Chris will talk about Vesterheim's plans to commemorate this important event as well as share exciting opportunities that folks here in the Decorah area have to take classes in Vesterheim's nationally recognized folk-art school.

Chris Johnson is in his tenth year serving as President / CEO of Vesterheim, the National Norwegian American Museum & Folk Art School. His ancestors emigrated from farms near Norway's Sognefjord in the 1860s and settled in parts of Wisconsin, Iowa, and South Dakota. Born and raised in New Hampton, Iowa, he remembers visiting Vesterheim as a child on school field trips. He holds a bachelor's degree in history from Luther College, and a master's degree in museum studies from the University of Nebraska. He has worked in the museum field for more than 35 years, holding positions at places such as Living History Farms, Arbor Lodge State Historic Site, and the State Historical Society of North Dakota. Decorah Rotarians may also recognize Chris as the father of Hallie Johnson, the club's Rotary Global Scholar who is presently in Scotland for graduate studies at the University of Edinburgh.

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**Please complete your meal sign-up prior to the meeting, preferably not later than close of business Monday. Our face-to-face meeting will be hosted at the VFW. The meal sign-up, meeting announcment, and any other logistical information will be distributed in advace to all members by email.

DRC Sponsor: Alan Lerstrom

Winneshiek County Sheriff Dan Marx will visit our club to discuss the topic of scams, including the most common and recent trends. He will give examples of real-world, local encounters with scam artists and the ways they use to exploit their victims, often with veiled threats and promises of wealth or romance. 

Dan Marx’s family moved to the Decorah area when he was preschool age. His calling to service began early, as he became certified as an Emergeny Medical Technician prior to graduating from high school. As Sheriff, Marx serves as the chief law enforcement officer in Winneshiek County. In addition to his leadership responsibilities, his functions include patrols, investigations, jail operations, civil processes, court orders, court functions and community/public relations. Sheriff Marx has been involved with county law enforcement for the past 26 years. He was appointed to the position of Sheriff in 2015, was elected to that position in 2016, and was recently reelected to a third term. He holds a degree in police science and criminal justice and is a member of Iowa State Sheriffs' and Deputies' Association.

Decorah Rotarian Roger Huinker will be distributing "Fraud Fighter" pamphlets at the meeting.

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**Please complete your meal sign-up prior to the meeting, preferably not later than close of business Monday. Our face-to-face meeting will be hosted at the VFW. The meal sign-up, meeting announcment, and any other logistical information will be distributed in advace to all members by email.

DRC After Hours Sponsor: Shannon Duncan

Students from the Decorah Middle School Climate Change Action Group (CCAG) and their sponsor Scott Boylen will visit the After Hours group to share their vision for an innovative, future elementary school. Their purpose is to engage area adults and engender their support for a new, energy-efficient, renewable energy-powered infrastructure designed for the students – and climate – of the future.

The students are comprised of 6th - 8th graders who volunteer their time and energy to the CCAG before and after school, as well as during weekends and vacation time. These young climate advocates illustrate the benefits of solar and geothermal energy, school gardens, electrochromic glass, insulation and more, while explaining how it would benefit learning conditions and a stable climate for their children’s generation.

They will be offering a slide presentation, other visuals, and a question-and-answer session.

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DRC Sponsor: Alan Lerstrom

Ann Bushman and Sheila Reicks had never met before. It took two phone calls and a six-hour, one-on-one conversation for them to agree to purchase a long-standing business in Saint Lucas, IA, the former White House Supper Club. Both having experience in customer service and in the food industry, they took possession in November 2022 and did three weeks of soft open before officially opening the new Sips & Savors on December 28, 2022. Ann and Sheila will talk about the experiences and challenges of their new business along with plans for celebrating the restaurant's upcoming two-year anniversary.

Sheila manages the front/bar area of Sips & Savors while Ann manages the back/kitchen. Their first year of business offered many difficult tasks, led by identfying and effectively marketing to their target clientele followed by maintaining a full staff. They place a priority on creating new and fresh items for their customers and strive give people a place to meet up with friends or celebrate family events and to talk, relax and enjoy great food, drinks and dessert.

On their two-year anniversary date (12/28) they will be offering prime rib as their food feature, loaded Bloody Marys, and soft serve ice cream served by Harley Baumler, the Iowa Alternate Dairy Princess. Ann and Sheila remind everyone that their gift certificates make wonderful stocking stuffers.

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**Please complete your meal sign-up prior to the meeting, preferably not later than close of business Monday. Our face-to-face meeting will be hosted at the VFW. The meal sign-up, meeting announcment, and any other logistical information will be distributed in advace to all members by email.

DRC Sponsor: Ward Budweg

Dave Smutzler, founder of the paranormal investigative group P.I.G.s (Police Investigating Ghosts), will be sharing his group's techniques used in paranormal investigations (which differ from what most people are used to seeing on TV shows) and will share some spooky stories!

Dave's interest in the paranormal began in college. He didn't have any actual experiences at that time but the fascination continued into his career as a Decorah police officer, which began in 1991. He has a desire to help people even when a logical or obvious explanation isn't available, and that desire makes Smutzler and his team passionate about investigating perceived paranormal occurrences. Smutzler claims he’s participated in more than 100 investigations, including some of Iowa’s more famous haunted sites — like the Cresco movie theater, Edinburgh Manor in Scotch Grove, and many others.

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**Please complete your meal sign-up prior to the meeting, preferably not later than close of business Monday. Our face-to-face meeting will be hosted at the VFW. The meal sign-up, meeting announcment, and any other logistical information will be distributed in advace to all members by email.

DRC After Hours Sponsor: Shannon Duncan

Fellow Rotarians Jim Morrow and Phil Iversen will bring the After Hours group up-to-date on Rotary International (RI) progress toward worldwide eradication of polio through its PolioPlus program. The topics to be discussed include the history of RI involvement in the polio eradication effort; the current global state of affairs; and how our club and its members can continue to support this important initiative.

Rotary launched PolioPlus in 1985 and was a founding member of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative in 1988. Through decades of commitment and work by Rotary and its partners, more than 2.5 billion children across the globe have received the oral polio vaccine. The world has made huge strides against polio with cases down 99.9% over the last four decades. With renewed global attention and commitment, the ulitmate goal of eliminating polio is within reach.

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