Prior to our official guest speaker, Brian Battle urged the audience to VOTE YES on the upcoming March 17 District 220 Referendum for $147M capital funding for urgently needed improvements to infrastructures across the District 220 school system.
He provided the Top 10 reasons that funding was needed, and emphasized the excellent AAA Bond rating and fiscal management that has been the reputation of the District for the last 12 years. He also reminded everyone that the referendum was associated only with capital improvements AND NOT associated with the teachers’ pension issues being addressed at the state level.
The prior bond will be retired this year. The request for new funding would still allow a $75 reduction in the average $500K home’s real estate taxes, while continuing to protect the reputation of Barrington’s strong school system and related property values.
Fiesta!
Although Maria Peterson was out of town, she had prepared “words of thanks” to individuals who played major roles in the success of the Rotary “Fiesta” Rendezvous and had Suzanne Gibson read her message.
Everyone agreed the evening was enjoyed by all!
Dan Naranjo secured his last volunteer for the Friday, February 28, Rotary Reads events going on at the District 220 elementary schools.
Joe Dorociak shared that everyone was welcome to join the Music on the Hill performance coming up on Saturday evening, 7PM, at the Barrington Presbyterian Church featuring a renowned Beethoven pianist.
Elizabeth McGrath displayed a stoned carved sculpture that she felt would appropriately recognize Maria Peterson’s contributions to the successful Rendezvous.
Guest Speaker: Bill Morris, Blue Star Recyclers
Bill Morris, Blue Star Recyclers' Founder in Colorado Springs, Colorado, began his presentation sharing the incidents that gave birth to his idea of providing worthwhile employment to disabled/ challenged individuals aging out of state or federal support or educational systems. Much like his friend Randy Lewis, he looked for an opportunity to match the unique skills of certain individuals with work that could benefit the environment and perpetuate a non-profit enterprise.
The electronic recycling that has become Blue Star’s industry is focused on using 95-97% of the goods picked up from businesses that look to turnover their waste. The revenue stream provided by charges for pick up and recycling of materials pay for the employment of workers. Where materials are donated to Blue Star, this material can be recycled and the earnings to Blue Star can provide capital investment dollars.
Bill and his leadership have seen first hand the mental, physical and emotional changes and development in his employees as they apply skills that come very naturally to them to the work at hand. There have been multiple examples of employees moving on to supervisory positions providing them even more pride in the jobs they are doing.
Bill emphasized the “value” of his business in overcoming WASTED TALENT and WASTED RESOURCES. Socially he demonstrated the value of the employees and their well-being; Economically he described the reduced burden on the tax base, unemployment and medical resources when people can earn their own wages; Environmentally he can show how his company is able to retrieve the most from the electronic waste to eliminate additions to the landfills. He has calculated for every $1 invested he sees a $2.65 return.
Through his friendship with Randy Lewis, Bill and Blue Star have now branched out to Illinois in Buffalo Grove with a partnership with Mitsubishi focused on recycling computers, fluorescent bulbs and data destruction. He is also working with the Glenview Rotary to plan a “pick up” service that could provide recycling to other organizations for printers, cables, for free. Other electronic items may be picked up for 55 cents a pound.
And finally, Bill has begun to work with Barrington District 220 to identify potential employees that can learn the recycling skills required to successfully function in the Blue Star environment.
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