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Kathy A. offered our invocation and President Katie introduced guest Will Holz, going live at our local Wells Fargo branch that day as its premier banker. A Rotary Minute Plus Quiz was administered, again based on the October Rotary magazine, with one of three questions guessed correctly. President Katie announced that this year we will be holding our Pastors' Appreciation lunch a week early, on November 20th, because the Salvation Army will be closed the Wednesday before Thanksgiving. We are also planning a club social the evening of December 18th, with no meeting that day at noon. She also reiterated what was stated in last week's e-Rounds regarding the Club's willingness to financially support members who would like to apply for the Chamber's leadership training program. The Rotary Minute Plus sign-up sheet was circulated for the first time, with the Club matching $95 each member commits with another $105, with the $200 given in your name to be split between The Rotary Foundation's Annual Fund, $40 to PolioPlus and $40 to our school project in Bolivia. People were also encouraged to sell roses, with a hard count of number sold needed by Wednesday, November 6th and roses to be delivered on the 11th, Veterans Day. Finally, it was announced that our Club and Sunrise Rotary have agreed to host the Rotary District Conference on April 24, 25 and 26, 2025. Matt B. started out the bragging and self-imposed fining, noting he had missed a couple meetings and thanking Matt S. for introducing this week's program, as Mark will be out of town again. Kathy A. told us she was leaving the next day to spend a week with her father in Pennsylvania. Steve A. said he will be leaving for New York on October 22nd and will be spending three weeks out there. Finally, Zack S. put in a scooter buck. Dean Monke introduced our speaker, Jeff Drake, Superintendent of the Fergus Falls Public Schools. Jeff spoke to us about the bond referenda that will be voted upon on November 5, 2024. The first question seeks approval of expending $48.84 million dollars to build a new grade school to replace Adams and McKinley and that would house students in grades three through five. If that is approved, there is also a ballot question seeking approval of another $910,000 to build soccer and baseball fields. The vote held last spring was for a 102,000 square foot facility, while the question now before voters is for a building 96,000 square feet in size. It is estimated that the reduced size of the proposed project will result in a reduction in the increase in taxes on a $250,000 home by 14% from that calculated last spring. If approved, it will take about three years for the school to be built. Right now, needed work at Adams and McKinley has an estimated price tag of $16 million, and these facilities date back to 1939. But even after expending that amount (if approved), the facilities would still come up short in parking and security, to say nothing of the fact they were constructed when teaching methods, the classroom environment and student assessment methods were all different. The new structure would also result in operational efficiencies in the areas of energy costs, repair and maintenance, as well as reduce transportation costs and allow redundant staff positions to be eliminated. It is the School Board's strong belief that a vote yes on both ballot questions makes the most economical sense for the community. |
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