(If you have any comments or questions, please contact the editor)
SNOW COVERED ISSUE FEBRUARY 7, 2026
VOL. 6 NO. 19
RHS SAS STUDENTS-TRENTON & AVA
NEWS-NOTES-NONSENSE
On Thursday GlennB presented a great program about the long history of the "Shell" refinery. He is the newly elected prez of the Refinery Museum. Now we know how Roxana got its name. The museum is open from 10-2 on Wednesday and Thursday.
JoeS has received notification from the Illinois Secretary of State that our foundation is now officially the Riverbend East Rotary Club Foundation.
Prez Mark welcomed new/transferring members Karen Jackson and Matt Katzamanis. Monica Bristow was also in the house and plans to transfer soon. All three were quality members of the Riverbend club. We welcome their experience and commitment to all things Rotary. Karen has been a Rotarian since1999 and Matt since 2010.
RHS January SAS students Ava Cherry and Trenton Hollaway were on hand along with family members and counselors. These two kids are outstanding students and members of our community. Both of them would make great future Rotarians.
According to CherylM "Once a Shell, always a Shell".
Prez Mark reported that we had a successful Taste of Rotary event at Joe's Pizza. He calculated that the event may net as many as 5 new members.
Our foundation Trivia Night is scheduled for Feb 28th. Get your team together, $200 a table for up to 8 players. Register by February 14th for free toasted ravs. Round sponsorships are $100. Got a bottle of booze collecting dust? Donate it for our booze barrow raffle. SherryT is in charge of the basket raffle. See both trivia flyers below for additional details.Through the Decades is the theme.
Thanks for your years of service-GeorgeT-54 years, KendraG-2 years.
Congrats to AlanaY on being named to the Growth Association board of directors.
Prez Mark announced that we will have a social night at the Atomic Pinball Arcade https://atomicpinballarcade.com/ on Friday March 6th, 7-9 PM. Come when you want, stay as long as you like. He plans to chow down at the Burger Bar https://www.facebook.com/fergusonstreetburgerbar/ before heading to the arcade. He welcomes everyone to join him.
Early-birders included JoeS, GlennB and RodneyD.
MarkSp, he of proud Italian heritage, did not recognize our Italian beef main.
Last to arrive included KelliD, CoryG, GeorgeM and ChrisH.
We had 19 members dining on Italian beef, cheezy taters, rolls, salad and apple crisp.
SAA RickH recruited CherylM to serve as the finemaster. RodneyD and Leonard Berg offered shameless plugs. RickH led a sitting ovation for all our 2025 event chairs. Birthday wishes went out to PattiA and MarkSp. We missed 4 out of 5 trivia Q's (the student table was the only one to answer correctly). Not at our Taste of Rotary? Pay a $.
The $119 jackpot went unclaimed by CherylM and GlennB. MattK won the scratchie.
Opening duties were covered by JoeS, MarkSp and RodneyD.
RIVERBEND EAST ROTARY FOUNDATION-IT'S OFFICIAL!
DECEMBER SAS EA-WR STUDENTS
RODNEY INVITES EVERYONE
PHOTO OP
ALL THINGS TRIVIAL
America's trade deficit fell to its lowest level since 2009. Rising exports of what played a role in closing that gap?
A-Microprocessors
B-Precious metals
C-Oil
D-Grain
(Find the answer near the end of the newsletter)
Today is National Ice Cream for Breakfast Day
In what U.S. region are black-eyed peas considered lucky?
New England
Pacific Northwest
South
Great Plains
In the Southern U.S., black-eyed peas are commonly served at New Year’s celebrations. The peas represent coins, and they’re often served with greens symbolizing paper money, and cornbread for gold. To achieve the most luck possible in the coming year, some consider it important to eat exactly 365 black-eyed peas on New Year’s Day.
FROM OUR ARCHIVES
Sourced from the Eastender News, Make-Up and Banner newsletters
February 2018
PaulG, DaveA, AlanaY and JeanK were among the 100 area Rotarians who packed 25,000 food packets for the NICE Foundation.
The EA club heard a presentation about veterans rights.
EA-WR Junior Rotarians Caitlyn Olinghouse and Xavier Collman broke bread with the WR members.
It was announced that the Kennedy family had recently closed on the purchase of the Eastgate Shopping Center.
Cosmic Bingo was scheduled for March 24th. JeanK and PattiA had all the details.
The Color Run was on tap for June 3rd. LindseyH and PattiA were leading the effort.
JeanK, RickH and PaulH missed on their 50-50 jackpot opportunities.
CherylM and PaulG paid Happy Fines.
PHOTOS OF THE WEEK
DATELINE:ROTARY
WHAT'S ON TAP IN DISTRICT 6460
Spring Learning is scheduled for March 7th and is open to all Rotarians. There's no charge. Sessions run from 9-2:30. Registration deadline is February 25th.
Tickets for the Literacy Day at the Ballpark are now on sale. The Cards vs Cubs game is on May 30th @ Busch Stadium. Order your tix by March 26th and save 10%.
There are four $3,000 district college scholarship available for the 2026-27 academic year. The deadline to apply is May 31st.
The RYLA (Rotary Youth Leadership Academy) is scheduled for April 10-12.
For additional information and links about these events please see the district newsletter you received on February 1st.
AND I QUOTE
“Experience is the name everyone gives to their mistakes."Oscar Wilde
"I don’t mind a reasonable amount of trouble."-Sam Spade (Humphrey Bogart) in “The Maltese Falcon”
"Unless commitment is made, there are only promises and hopes; but no plans."-Ralph Waldo Emerson
"Snow provokes responses that reach right back to childhood."-Andy Goldsworthy
SMILE
• What did one hat say to the other? You wait here. I’ll go on a head.
• What do you call a magic dog? A labracadabrador.
• What did the shark say when he ate the clownfish? This tastes a little funny.
• Why did the frog take the bus to work today? His car got toad away.
• What did the buffalo say when his son left for college? Bison.
• What is an astronaut’s favorite part on a computer? The space bar.
• Why did the yogurt go to the art exhibition? Because it was cultured.
• What do you call an apology written in dots and dashes? Re-Morse code.
• Did you hear about the two people who stole a calendar? They each got six months.
• What do cows do on date night? Go to the moo-vies.
THE NUMBERS
During the recent holiday season, shoppers made a record 56% of all purchases on mobile devices-Adobe
Small businesses—those with up to 500 workers—employ nearly half the American workforce and represent more than 40% of gross domestic product-U.S. Chamber of Commerce
Merchants expect four out of five people will return an unwanted gift within a month of receiving it this year, and 17% of holiday purchases will be sent back, according to the National Retail Federation. Total returns for the retail industry will reach $850 billion this year
The average Instagram user is now spending 27 minutes a day watching Reels, versus YouTube Shorts users’ watching for 21 minutes on that platform-Sensor Tower. (TikTok is still king with the average user spending 44 minutes a day scrolling its main feed.)
During the recent holiday shopping season the volume of returns increased 12% year over year from Black Friday through the following Thursday (November 28–December 4)-Loop
30% of 2025 college graduates were able to find entry-level jobs in their field, an 11% drop since 2024-Cengage Group’s 2025 Graduate Employability Report
(Trivia answer-B)
OBJECT OF ROTARY
The object of Rotary is to encourage and foster the ideal of service as a basis of worthy enterprise and, in particular, to encourage and foster:
First:The development of acquaintance as an opportunity for service.
Second: High ethical standards in business and professions, the recognition of the worthiness of all useful occupations, and the dignifying of each Rotarian's occupation as an opportunity to serve society.
Third: The application of the idea of service in each Rotarian's personal business, and community life.
Fourth: The advancement of international understanding, goodwill, and peace through a world fellowship of business and professional persons united in the ideal of service.
