Events

DRC Sponsor: Don Holmertz

Clair Blong retired from 42 years of work with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the Department of Defense, and other agencies. Much of his career was in interagency preparedness for defense mobilization, presidential continuity in nuclear contingencies, and natural disaster operations requiring defense support. His career included teaching at the National Defense University, defense resource mobilization planning, examining defense industry in the states of the former Soviet Union, heading FEMA's international affairs office, and coordinating military support to civil disaster operations.

Mr Blong is currently devoting his energies to the development of the German American Museum, Library and Family History Center and the preservation of the architecturally significant school building. He will share information about these efforts with our members.

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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

Dave Kester is with the Raptor Resource Project. Many of you were fortunate enough to attend Dave's noon presentation several months ago where he brought his falcon Jewel. It was amazing to hear Dave speak about his relationship with Jewel and their ongoing training. Since that time, they have completed their training and Jewel has been relocated to Door County, WI. Dave is now on to his next adventure with a new species of raptor and he will be accompanied at our meeting by his new companion. He plans to talk about the training and habits unique to this species.
 
Please join us on Thursday at 5:30pm at the Pulpit Rock event room. There is plenty of space so bring friends and family. The presentation is appropriate and entertaining for all age levels so kids and youth are also welcome.
 
If you are interested in learning more, please visit the Raptor Resource Project website at https://www.raptorresource.org/.

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DRC Sponsor: Don Holmertz

Colin Betts, Professor of Anthropology at Luther College, will be discussing the use of remote sensing technology to provide details about buried archaeological materials without excavating as a vital part of modern archaeology. This talk will discuss the basic principles behind remote sensing methods and show how Luther College students have used them to provide new details about two historic Winneshiek County sites: the Ice Cave Mill and the Highlandville school.

Professor Betts has been with the Anthropology Department since 1999. He also serves as director of the Anthropology Laboratory. His course topics include Archaeology, Biological Anthropology, Born to Run, Experimental Archaeology, and Remote Sensing in Archaeology. His research focuses on North American archaeology, mound construction, ethnicity, research methods and geophysical survey. He holds a BA in Anthropology from Luther College and an MA and PhD in Anthropology from the University of Illinois.

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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.

New member orientation is open to all club members as well as perspective members.  Join us to learn more about our club, district and Rotary International.

DRC Sponsor: Don Holmertz

Pastor David Severtson is a 2001 Luther College Graduate and the new Associate Pastor at First Lutheran Church in Decorah. He will offer a brief introduction of what has brought him back to the area, as well as what's happening at First Lutheran. Then, he will lead a discussion about what Rotarians see as the opportunities to partner in the community for engagement and service.

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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

Stephanie Travers, Associate Professor of Psychology at Luther College, will be presenting a talk on new research on cognitive aging. She will discuss what constitutes normal changes in memory and how to maintain mental sharpness as we get older.

Professor Travers has been with the Psychology Department at Luther College since 2006, focusing on memory, executive control processes, and aging and cognitive processes. Her course topics include General Psychology, Developmental Psychology, Cognitive Processes, and Psychology of Aging. During January Term, she leads a course on the study of adult development and aging. The course includes the physical, cognitive, and social changes that effect individuals aged 60 to 95, and examines some current findings in aging research. Professor Travers holds an AA from Bristol Community College, Fall River; a BA in Psychology from the University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth; and MA and PhD degrees from the State University of New York, Stony Brook.

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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 annual Holiday Lights display at the campground is the largest fundraiser for Helping Services.  Rotarians are assigned to work the event on 11/24/2023 and 12/02/2023.

DRC Sponsor: Alan Lerstrom

70 million Americans now live without access to a local, community news source due to the shuttering of local newsrooms, resulting in a void of critical news and information. Lon Haenel, new owner of the local news website DecorahNews.com, will share the steps that he and his team are taking to sustain local news in and around Decorah.

Lon is a digital-driven publishing executive in the local news media industry. He has done nearly everything in local news, from selling advertising to marketing subscriptions to serving as an executive for metro newspapers, like the Rockford Register Star and Columbus Dispatch. His favorite work is serving as publisher.  Lon and his spouse Sarah purchased DecorahNews.com this past April from a retiring Paul Scott. Their ties to the local community and their fondness for Decorah are through Luther College, where Sarah graduated in 1994. As a new neighbor in the Decorah business community, Lon claims the feedback and warm welcomes they've received have exceeded their expectations.

Lon and Sarah live in Janesville, Wisconsin. They have two daughters: Hannah, 27,  is an executive sales leader in Madison and McKenna, 16, is a high school junior and plays varsity golf.

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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.

We are looking forward to this year's Decorah Rotary Club Christmas Party on Thursday, December 14, at 5:30 PM, at the VFW in Decorah. Please save the date and watch for a RSVP email in a few weeks. In the meantime, our planning committees will be working on food, decorations, entertainment, and more. Everyone is invited, spouse, significant other or friend. Our food, decorating, entertainment, and cleanup committees are working like little elves to make this event spectacular.

 
The club is adding a service component to the party that has been dubbed the Decorah Rotary Bucket Brigade. If you can please bring a bucket or box with any or all of the following items. 
- Larger sized diapers
- Pull ups
- Toilet paper
- Paper towels
- Cleaning supplies
- Dish soap
- Bathroom cleaner
- Laundry detergent
- Gas or grocery cards
 
All of the buckets and their contents will be donated to Helping Services for Youth and Families
 
If you are unable to attend our Christmas party, please bring your buckets to our noon meeting our after hours meeting. Thank you!

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DRC Sponsor: Roger Huinker

Dr Michael D'Netto is the new Allergy Specialist at the WinnMed Decorah clinic. He is looking forward to meeting our members and discussing some of the basics regarding allergic rhinitis, food and drug allergies and asthma.

An allergist helps patients manage allergic and immunologic diseases. As a Mayo Clinic-trained allergist, Dr D’Netto provides testing and treatment options for infants through adults who experience food, environmental, medical, venom (insect bites or stings) and other allergies. He provides skin testing, food and medication challenges, and lung function and immune system testing. all at the WinnMed Decorah clinic. In addition, Dr D’Netto provides care for patients with asthma and skin conditions like eczema and dermatitis.

Dr D'Netto received his undergratuate degree from the University of Notre Dame and his M.D. from the Ohio State University (OSU) College of Medicine. He served his residency in internal medicine at the Mayo Clinic followed by a Mayo Fellowship in Allergy and Immunology. He also holds an M.B.A. from the OSU Fisher College of Business. While at OSU he was awarded a peer-nominated professionalism scholarship to honor his "“exemplary behavior in the areas of altruism, compassion, integrity, honesty and service." He is Bronze Level certified as a Mayo Clinic Quality Fellow. He is certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine, and a member of both the American Academy and American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology.

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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.