The Scoop - February 15, 2016
Posted by Michael Frueh
on Feb 18, 2016
Invocation today was from Michael Ayers, who shared a boy scout prayer with the club.
Beth Keene provided fellowship - fining all those who haven't enjoyed a night out in downtown Lima for awhile. She commented that this past weekend - it was hard to get a place to park...
We watched a video showing how our Rotary dollars help children around the world - over 3 billion and counting has been donated by Rotarians!!
Our member spotlight was Tracy Sanchez - who keeps herself busy running Lima Pallet Company, and volunteers for several local boards like the BWC and local workforce development. Her company has been helping the community by hiring felons - giving them a change to rejoin society in a productive way.
We presented a Foundation grant of $1500 to Family Promise - keep up the good works...
Our speaker was introduced by Amy Odum - and is working on an area project at the request of OSU dean Gilbert. Van Maasakkers - originally from the Netherlands, is the project manager for OH/LEX - a research project looking into options for reclaiming and reusing public lands in Lima, Ohio and New Orleans, LA. Both communities have numerous tracts of vacant property, (over 700 in Lima) and combining these parcels into useable blocks is a complicated undertaking. Lot-next-door programs, community gardens, and Habitat for Humanity sites are just a few uses for these lots - and
area leaders are being interviewed to evaluate creative uses that serve the public good.