The Greater Lima Region makes a significant contribution to the Rotary Community Stage and Park.
The Greater Lima Region and six of its partner businesses have donated $250,000 to the Lima Rotary Community Stage and Park. President/CEO Doug Olsson says GLR is very excited to partner with Rotary, "The amphitheater and park will continue the revitalization efforts of downtown Lima and provide a beautiful gathering place for residents to participate in concerts, events and other activities. The project aligns perfectly with GLR's strategic goal of investing in key community development projects." GLR will receive naming rights for the park for its contribution. Committee member Tracie Sanchez told us the old buildings have been cleared from the site of the park and grass seed has been planted. She says they ran into a small hiccup when 5 underground storage tanks were discovered, but with cooperation from the state, the city and other partners, the tanks have been removed.
Guest speaker Bath Fire Chief Joe Kitchen had an interesting presentation on the history and traditions of the American fire service. The mission of the American fire service is to save lives and protect property. There are 33,000 fire departments in the United States with 52,000 stations. 80% of fire departments are volunteer, but because they are mostly rural, they protect only 20% of the population. Joe says that the trend right now is for volunteer departments to merge. "Fire districts are huge in Ohio right now. They're taking the resources of two or three little towns, putting all that money together into one organization. They can usually hire a few people, maintain their equipment better. I'm a huge advocate for consolidation. I really believe that we can provide better service to our community." The first American (volunteer) fire department company is often credited to Ben Franklin, around 1736, in Philadelphia. This started as a "club" or co-op, to protect each other's homes in the event of a fire. The first paid fire department was established in Cincinnati in 1853. The Bath Township Fire Department was established in 1957 and in 2004 the department transitioned from volunteer to paid. Joe says firefighting is a dream career. "I've really been richly blessed with having the opportunity to never have to drag myself out of bed in the morning to do a job that I absolutely love."
Also at Monday's meeting, Myron Meas exchanged his red badge for a blue badge, Joy Reichenbach received her Paul Harris +1 pin, and President Ken announced that the club raised more than $2,625 for Polio Plus. The match from the Gates Foundation brings the total to $7,875.
