HARBOR LIGHT NEWSLETTER 2014-04-16

Posted by ROB DAVIS 
 
Harbor Light Newsletter
Wilmette Harbor Rotary Club
 
MEETING DATE:  April 16, 2014
PRESIDING: president Jeff Martin (who was in absentia last week because he and family were vacationing in Ireland.
 
GREETERS:  Al Dolinko,
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:  Susan Fisher
 
ATTENDANCE:  Chris Simcox
PIANO: JOHN RAY
 
GUESTS: 
Ray Hopkins, former club member
Vern Squires, past village manager
Carolyn Jevelian, wife of the late Steve Jevelian
Carol and Greg Korak, recipient of Steve Jevelian award 
 
VISITING ROTARIANS: 
Vera Meyer, Northbrook club, district Youth Exchange Chair
 
ANNOUNCEMENTS: 
  • Puran Stevens – needs volunteers for the club’s soup kitchen on May 19th at the Evanston Unitarian church
  • Puran Stevens – looking for a replacement to lead the soup kitchen next year
  • Puran Stevens – is a board member of Tahirih Justice Center, which recently raised $500,000. The TJC succeeded in passing a law that protects women from abuse when in the U.S. with a diplomatic official.
  • George Pearce and Barry Miller – the Fresh Market Wine Tasting event is Wednesday May 21st. Tickets are available for sale at $37.50 each. Each Rotarian is responsible for selling four tickets. Write checks payable to Wilmette Harbor Rotary Foundation. They are also looking for raffle items.
  • NO MEETING ON MAY 21st
  • Will Daniels – there are four viable applications for our vocational scholarships, but with only $1500 in the budget, Will is requesting the club agree allocate some Shenanigans collections so that each applicant can receive a scholarship.
Presentation of the Steve Jevelian Award
(photo shows president Jeff Martin presenting the Steve Jevelian award to Greg Korak)   
Steve Jevelian was a former member of our club who died in 
2005. Ray Hopkins, who was the club’s president then, initiated this award in Jevelian’s memory to honor so
meone in the community who has exhibited exc
eptional service above self.
The club presented this year’s award to Greg Korak.  For fun, Greg is a tri-athlete, tennis player, and windsurfer. Greg has tutor students in math and science at Family Matters for the last ten years and also serves on the board of directors. Last year he started tutoring at Connections for the Homeless. If that weren’t enough, he teaches Sunday school, regularly volunteers for Family Promise AND volunteers for Adaptive Adventures, which reaches out to wounded warriors through sports.
(photo shows left to right: Greg Korak, Carolyn Jevelian, Carol Korak)
Greg’s comments: He said it’s humbling to be picked out to receive this aware when hundreds of others are actively involved in many services. He remembers Steve Jevelian as a welcoming and enthusiastic man who left a tremendous legacy. Greg say he follows a pattern of longevity:
  • 33 years in Wilmette house
  • 35 years married to Carol
  • 37 years Avon Products
  • 40 years with his 1961 Alfa Romeo
At Avon he is currently the Director of Global Engineering. Tutoring is his primary passion. His kids didn’t need study help so he felt under-utilized until he signed up to help at Family Matters ten years ago
 
SHENANIGANS:  Bob Meeder regaled us with pithy puns
 
PROGRAM:
Gail Schechter – Exec Director, Open Communities for the North Shore (previously known as Interfaith Housing for the Northern Suburbs) advocate of fair housing
Lorelei McLure, Wilmette Human Relations Commission (recipient of person of the year award0; founder of North Shore Race Unity Task Force; and, founder of Community council of international students at Northwestern University
 
Gail Schechter
  • Open Communities is a leading voice for housing, economic and social justice in north suburban Chicago, working to promote inclusive communities that are welcoming to all.
  • Investigates fair housing discrimination (Puran Stevens has participated in this activity.)
  • Counsels people on foreclosure prevention
  • Promotes homesharing to reduce housing costs
  • Advocates affordable housing options
  • Employee volunteers, undercover to measure living conditions; if necessary file complaints
  • Why is affordable housing important? Diverse housing options provide a win-win option economically and morally.
  • Affordable means housing costs represent <30% of income
  • Wilmette average house was $600,000 in June 2012 while the median income was $117,500. Average income in Chicago was $61,000.
  • Residents paying 35% or more of income for housing represented 27% of homeowners and 30% of renters.
  • Since 1990, Wilmette lost 225 rentals, 17% of stock, while gaining 14% owner occupied housing.
Lorelei McLure:
  • Wilmette Cares advocates for affordable, inclusive housing in Wilmette
  • There’s a true need in Wilmette where all four existing affordable housing buildings have long waiting lists
  • Unemployment, divorce, and illness are key factors contributing to housing stress.
  • Positive social and economic impact
  • Wilmette plans to adhere to the IL legislation, which requires 15% of all new development be devoted to affordable housing, but it did not want to continue financial support for it’s HAP (Housing Assistance Program) with the intent to let private money fill the gap.
 
Open Communities is a 501(c)3 organization located at 614 Lincoln Avenue, Winnetka, IL 60093
 
 
NEXT MEETING CLUB DUTIES (April 23, 2014):
Greeters:    Hank Hufnagel and John Baker
Thought for the Day:  Karen Donnan
Shenanigans:  Will Daniels
Set-Up:   Gil Gilbert
Attendance:  Mike Bailey
Scribe:  Greg Michel