Welcome to the Rotary Club of Omaha

This week our guest speaker was the Honorable Jean Stothert, Mayor of the City of Omaha. Mayor Stothert gave us a presentation chock full of information about the good things going on in Omaha, from improvements in public safety, to managing the City budget, and holding the line on taxes. The Mayor is a long-time member of Millard Rotary and it is always good to have her speak at Downtown Rotary.
 

Thanks to Mayor Stothert for taking the time to give us her State of the City address, and thanks to Rotarian and former Mayor Hal Daub for his introduction.

Mayor Stothert was joined by Mike Piernicky of Olsson Associates who was representing “Improve Omaha!” organized by the Greater Omaha Chamber of Commerce. Mike talked about  the reasons for voting “YES” on the City’s $227 Million bond issue package that will be on the May 15 primary ballot. There will be 5 separate bond issue questions on the ballot: Street improvements of $151.3 Million; Sewers for $11.5 Million; Parks & Rec for $15.5 Million; Public Safety of $9.8 Million; and Public Facilities of $39.4 Million. For more information, go to www.improveomaha.org

Good News:

Roger Holthaus gave a shout out to Mayor Stothert for her support of his client, Andrew Evans, a quadriplegic, when she was on the Millard School Board.

John Ewing announced that he had now entered his late 50’s at the age of 57. Congratulations on your birthday!

Father Lloyd Gnirk suggested that perhaps we are living inside a giant snow globe and whoever is in charge of it is a little over-eager to shake it up.
 

Phil Taylor let us know that the Omaha World Herald recently won awards in 30 categories from the International Society of Newspaper Design, including the 9^th Best Newspaper Overall. Phil will give more news about the World Herald next week as our speaker.

John Sullivan had good news about upcoming redevelopment at Westroads Mall.

Steve Karcher, whose wife is with the Arbor Day Foundation, was thankful that 40 Rotarians from various clubs had signed on to plant trees on his wife’s birthday, April 28.

Camille let us know that Hal Daub was recently elected to the Greater Omaha Chamber’s Business Hall of Fame. Congratulations Hal!

And Congratulations to Jeremy Krumweide who was in the news recently for joining Security National Bank as Vice President of Private Banking.

Next week, we have an update on the Omaha World Herald from Downtown Rotarian Phil Taylor. Please be sure to join us.