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Wally C. offered our invocation after which President Katie welcomed Becky Bjerke from Gate City Bank as a guest. We also had in attendance Candi Musse, who has now moved to the Lisa M. household, and three students from Hillcrest, introduced by Dean M. From left to right below, Cherisse Ufondu is originally from Nigeria but now a U.S. citizen, is the senior class secretary and was the student manager of the girls' basketball team; Eva Tjelta is from Wisconsin and played volleyball and basketball, is in the choir and next year plans on attending school in Alexandria. Cohen Draxten played basketball and he is planning on pursuing a career in law enforcement. A Rotary Minute Plus quiz was administered, again based on the March issue of the Rotary magazine and three of three questions were answered correctly. Will wonders never cease! Steve Austvold was presented his badge, with Kathy and he now holding a family membership.  Cody O. announced that volunteers will be needed for a spring ditch clean-up on April 5th. We then launched into brags and fines. Keith O. said he was glad to be back from Arizona, attended a couple make-ups down there and that all children visited one week at a time. Deb M. paid a fine and a brag for being absent while in Spain a couple weeks, stating that their daughter had been an Exchange Student there in 2004-05 but it was Deb's first visit to the country; Deb was also happy to have Candi joining us, and Candi reported she has gone out for track and after the first day of practice had a really sore leg. Buzz L. made his annual report of seeing his first robin of the spring - that very morning. Wally C. told us that the prior weekend he did 20 hours of continuing education so he could continue in his professional practice, to which Keith O. asked the often-heard question of any professional -- why do they call it practicing? Katie J. paid in for missing the prior week's meeting, thanked Zack for filling in and told us she enjoyed four days with her children in Boise. John M. introduced Justin and Jessie Beyer from Beyer Body Shop & Towing. With Justin doing most of the talking, we were told their grandfather started the shop and he retired just a few years ago. Business was described as being historically cyclical. In the last ten years they have started doing equipment hauling. For towing jobs, they typically go 30 miles each direction out from Fergus, but also field calls from locals stranded in Fargo or even Valley City. They have seen everything there is to see, so are less likely now to ask how someone got into an unusual situation. Jessie is the chief mechanic for their trucks, a lot of which are 2000 or 2002 model years, and also operates all the trucks as business dictates. Most of the guys in the shop are versatile that way and they usually have 10-12 workers during regular business hours, with staff numbering about 20 if you include both full and part-time employees. Cars now look worse after an accident but that is counterbalanced by designs intended to absorb more energy, allowing people to walk away from accidents when you would not expect them to do so. Seat belts do save lives based on everything they have witnessed. Electrical vehicles are not high on their list of likes and, because of the likelihood a damaged one could start a fire, they are now required to be stored separately from other vehicles. The amount of body work the business does has decreased and Justin said that once their father retires that aspect of the business will probably be discontinued. |
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