November 13, 2025 - Regular Meeting (Nov. 18, 2025)

Dear Rotarians,

It is with a heavy heart that I share that our dear friend Bill Yeuill passed away last Saturday.

Please keep Bill and his family in your thoughts and prayers.

Cal

Last Time We Met 11/6/2025
Our meeting was held at Rockwoods and was led by President elect Mark Kuyava.

We recited the Pledge of Allegiance.

Pledge Of Allegiance Words Printable - Printable Free Templates

Attending

Melanie Clemons, Dr. Laura Dockendorf, Julie Fish, Neil Gagnon, Tom Kerber, Bonnie Koste, Mark Kuyava, Joe Libor, Garrett Prehatney, Debbi Ryberg, Joe Stremcha, Theresa Slominski, Bob Maxwell, Bruce Tyler, Glen Ertel

Guests
Zack Carlton – City of Elk River
Sandy Meulners – Landscape Architect
J. Bryan Calva – City Council

Club Engagement
If you were to time travel would it be to the past or future?
11 said back
6 said to the future
1 said to stay here

Program
Zack and Sandy talked about our Historic Water Tower and the future plans to make it more of an
engaging space for our community. They spoke about how it was painted to its original colors 5 years ago and is now on the Historic Registry. Sandy spoke about the goals for the water tower, making it a welcoming community space, designing it for all ages and abilities to interact with the space. It will include walking paths, with story-telling markers talking about the history of Elk River the pathways, flowers, a water feature, swinging benches, café tables for people to sit at, benches and artwork. They are pursuing grants and hoping businesses or community members will adopt a tree or bench to also help fund this project.

Club News and Updates
Mark spoke about the Literacy Project and how the books are all stickered and ready to be distributed to the local elementary schools Nov. 24 – 26th by Rotarians that have signed up to read. Be prepared to tell a joke suitable for 3rd graders.

Julie - Save the date December 18th for the Rotary Christmas party and 65 years celebration! It’s going to be a ’60s theme with a contest for best-dressed and last to arrive. Theresa mentioned Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer, The Grinch and Peanuts Christmas movies all premiered during the ‘60s
as well.

How to Throw a 1960s-Themed Party - Holidappy

Delights and Dilemmas

Julie – joyfully welcomed great-grandniece number 32!
Bob – Flew smoothly back and forth from Florida.

Debbi – That Rob got a 10-point Buck deer hunting, she’ll be having cataract surgery next month, she got her official Rotary license plate in the mail, she’s hosting Thanksgiving this year, and she just completed her radiation for her breast cancer (diagnosed this summer).
Theresa – is grateful for the vision of the new Water Tower space!
Tom – wife’s cousin came into town, and that’s why his wife, Nora, was able to come to lunch today!

Card Draw – No winner today, over $120 in the pot!

We recited the Four Way Test

Words of Wisdom: Always remain unique, just like everyone else.

Last Time We Met 11/6/2025

Our meeting was held at Rockwoods and was led by President Cal Portner. We recited the Pledge of Allegiance.

Attending

Melanie Clemons, Julie Fish, Tom Kerber, Mark Kuyava, Pete Reiner, Debbi Rydberg, Theresa Slominski, Bob Maxwell, John Osterman, Alan Sakry, Joe Stremcha, Bruce Tyler, Stewart Wilson, Mike Zeman

Guests

Indira Sivaraj – ERHS Student of the Month, Ramya Sivaraj, Grace Dols and the DECA Executive Team

Student of the Month

First Mike Zeman introduced the ERHS Student of the Month, Indira Sivaraj. Indira is in NHS, Math Club, Swimming, and Violin (12 years) is a National Merit Semi-Finalist. Her proudest accomplishments are volunteering and giving back to the community. Her parents are her biggest inspiration and role models. She plans on double-majoring in college in Engineering and Music

Club Engagement

What is a purchase you immediately regretted?

Lululemon Stock, an ugly coat, a car, stocks, Sirus FM, a carnival ride ticket, $2,000 worth of pots/pans from the State Fair.

Rotary Moment

Cal shared photos from his trips to Savannah, GA, Des Moines, IA, Idaho and Saskatchewan and the different Rotary Memorials.

Program

Grace Dols and the ERHS DECA Executive Team shared the incredible opportunities DECA provides students in leadership and career development. They highlighted the various levels of competition—from Districts and State all the way to the International Career Development Conference (ICDC)—where students apply their skills in real-world scenarios.

Through DECA, members gain hands-on experience in marketing, sales, finance, public speaking, and project management. They also collaborate with local businesses, participate in community initiatives through DERBA, and volunteer at events such as Downtown Trick-or-Treat, serving Veterans at the Lions Club, and helping at the Thumbs Up 5K Walk.

To support their activities, students manage and sell merchandise at the DECA Depot, The Lodge (FTCEC), and the Swaggon—DECA’s mobile retail cart that travels to games and school events. Each year, they lead Tackle Cancer efforts, helping raise awareness and funds for important causes. This year’s campaign supported lung cancer research, with proceeds donated to the Randy Shaver Cancer Research & Community Fund.

With the football team heading to State, the DECA team is already gearing up to design and sell spirit merchandise for students and the community.

Club News and Updates

Mark spoke about the Literacy Project and how the books are all stickered and ready to be distributed to the local elementary schools Nov. 24 – 26^th. They can still use a few more volunteers, so please email Mark

Save the date for December 18 at Cowboy Jack’s Rotary Christmas party and 65 years celebration! It’s going to be a ’60s theme with a contest for best dressed and last to arrive.

Delights and Dilemmas

Julie – joyfully welcomed great-grandnephew number 31 into the family! She also handed over $5 to John after losing their friendly wager—she thought Monticello would beat the Elks in football… but the Elks triumphed!

John – pulled a few more cards for the card draw and is looking forward to cheering on the Elks as they face Minneapolis Washburn this Saturday.

Bob – is celebrating the Gophers' big win and is heading to Florida this weekend to visit his ailing aunt.

Theresa – is excited that Danielle will be home for a week over the holiday. She enjoyed a recent trip to her alma mater, NDSU, with her sister and was able to visit her niece, who is studying to become a pilot. She also shared her gratitude for Indira and the DECA team’s visit.

Mike – expressed gratitude for the recent NHS Induction Ceremony, the choir and band concerts this week, the Elk River Football Team advancing to Section Finals, and thanked Indira and the DECA students for joining.

Alan – returned from a road trip to Kansas where he attended a baby shower and shared his appreciation for all DECA does.

Ramya (Indira’s mom) – thanked the community, school staff, teachers, and Principal Mike Zeman for fostering such a supportive and welcoming environment.

Cal – shared that Katie will be taking a break from Rotary to focus on family, and Heather will be stepping in to lead the Taste event—and will do an outstanding job. He also mentioned traveling with his family to hockey games and proudly celebrated his nephew, who scored four points in River Falls last weekend!

Card Draw – No winner today, over $100 in the pot!

We recited the Four Way Test

Last Time We Met 10/30/2025

Our meeting was held at Rockwoods and was led by President-Elect Mark Kuyava. We recited the Pledge of Allegiance.

Attending Julie Fish, Neil Gagnon, Mark Kuyava, Tove Lichty, Dr. Laura Mullennex, Pete Reiner, Debbi Rydberg, Theresa Slominski, Ben Zawacki, Glen Ertel, Bob Maxwell, John Osterman, Bruce Tyler

Program Today was Club Assembly and we had a project of putting the stickers in the books we will be distributing to the Third Graders on November 24, 25, and 26, times TBD.

Club Engagement How many Image result for Members of Clubs

languages do you know how to say “Hello” in? Collectively, we could say it in five: English Hello, Hawaiian-Aloha, Spanish-Hola, Italian-Chao, and French-Bonjour. Mark shared several from around the world.

Club News and Updates

A veterans’ benefit sponsored by Beyond the Yellow Ribbon will be held at Aegir Brewery, Sunday, November 2 from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. It will feature a beer release, a “pay it forward” beer program, live music by Betty and Axel, military-themed music and trivia, the Nitro’s Mac Shack food truck will be on site, and the Minnesota Vikings game on a big screen, all to support the Beyond the Yellow Ribbon organization which helps local veterans, service members, and their families.

The Taste Signature Recipient will be awarded a flat $10,000 instead of a percentage of the profits. The change was made to be able to announce the award early on, instead of waiting to announce the amount several weeks after the event when all the funds and expenses have been tabulated. This change should help with promoting the Taste event and we will be able to have the big check presentation a week or two after the event.

Image result for camp enterprise minnesota

We have a Camp Enterprise candidate from Elk River and will be contributing $500 towards their attendance.

Bob Maxwell updated the website with current Taste, Bowling, and Highway cleanup pictures. Debbi will soon have updated information regarding the grants request process and dates on the website.

Rotary cleanup last week went well. Ten Rotarians picked up 15 bags of trash.

Save the date for December 18 at Cowboy Jack’s Rotary Christmas party and 65 years celebration! There will be a social committee meeting for planning next Tuesday, November 4, 5:30 p.m. at Cowboy Jack’s.

Membership Chair Laura Mullennex formally inducted Ben Zawacki into our Rotary Club. Welcome Ben!

Fundraising Opportunities Delights and Dilemmas Bruce Tyler told of a camper fire across the river from them because of an explosion. They called 911 and with the bridge out the Fire Department could not get there before it burned completely. There was one person there but was able to get out safely.

Theresa Slominski was delighted to be here today, and delighted to be spending the weekend in Grand Forks, ND with her youngest sister, Chrissy, to attend UND vs UMD hockey games.

Tove Lichty was delighted to be here today, and to be attending the CAER Gala tonight.

John Osterman was delighted to have participated in the mock interviews at Elk River High School.

Neil Gagnon had a delight that his dishwasher was replaced this morning, and a dilemma that his dishwasher is still not working and it might be an electrical issue instead.

Julie Fish was delighted for celebrating her mother’s 93rd birthday, attending a St John’s Rugby game of her great nephew (which they won) and are the Minnesota Rugby champs and now will be attending the championship game in Missouri, and a good luck buck for the upcoming Monticello vs Elk River football game.

Card Draw – No winner today We recited the Four Way Test

We recited the Four Way Test

Last Time We Met 10/16/2025

Today our meeting was held at Rockwoods and was led by President Cal Portner.

We recited the Pledge of Allegiance.

Attending

Melanie Clemons, Dr. Laura Dockendorf, Glen Ertel, Julie Fish, Neil Gagnon, Heather Kliewer, Mark Kuyava, Robert Maxwell, John Osterman, Cal Portner, Garrett Prehatney, Debbi Ryberg, Alan Sakry, Joe Stremcha, Bruce Tyler, Stewart Wilson

Guests Attending

Tracy Larson, CEO Guardian Angels

Club Engagement

Trivia of Favorite Movie Quote of All Time

Diamond Team won – Stewart, Heather and Debbi

Program

Tracy Larson – CEO Guardian Angels

GA Mission is to provide exceptional health care, housing and supportive services to seniors and their families in the spirit of God’s love.
60^th Anniversary in 2026
Started at Holy Trinity Episcopal Church
Now over 500 employees
713 residents
11 different resident facilities
Partner with Catholic Charities for Meals on Wheels
Care Center has 120 beds, 24/7 nursing care, transition care, outpatient rehab
Own Guardian Angels by the Lake, Engel Haus, Riverview Landing, Pullman Place, Lake Orono Twin Homes, Guardian Oaks, Evans Park and Angel Ridge
There’s a shortage of nurses, bringing some in from Kenya
They provide wellness centers, salons, different events, busing to and from venues, pickle ball, yoga
To donate or volunteer log onto: www.guardianangels.org

Club News and Updates:

Strike Out Polio with John Osterman - Julie, Bob, Nicole, Heather, Debbi, Rob, Pete, Neil and Melanie went! Raised $1,552!!
Sending first student to Club Enterprise! Julie was the first student to go to this camp!
10/22/25 – Mock Interviews at ERHS, volunteers needed. See Debbi.
10/23/25– Adopt A Hwy Clean Up, start around 3:30 behind Olde Main Eatery. Mark sent out the sign up sheet, clean up from 4-6 p.m, 10 signed up so far. Need about 5 more if possible. Family/friends welcome.

Upcoming Programs & Events:

10/23/25 – Board/Committee Meeting

10/30/25 – Club Assembly

11/6/25 – Mike Zeman – Grace Dols, DECA, ERHS

11-13-25 – Cal Portner – City of Elk River Communications Team

11-20-25 – Wade Bastian – Dan Cibulka – Senior Water Resources Specialist for Sherburn County Sil Water Conservation District

11/27/25 – Thanksgiving Holiday – No Meeting

12/4/25 – Melanie Clemons – Cinnamon Glassbrenner with SchoolFundr/Hometown

Delights and Dilemmas

Julie – Club Enterprise Student, parents celebrated 74 years of marriage, Monticello HS beat Elk River Elks in football

John – 61-27 Elks won vs. Cretin Durham Hall, 1^st playoff game against Cambridge next Saturday

Bob – Celebrating 33 years ago that Mighty Ducks premiered with Emilio Estafez and Brian Maxwell

Stewart – Happy to be back, thank you Guardian Angels

Heather – her partnership with Guardian Angels and CAER

Glen – Guardian Angels and his mom was there, he visited her on his motorcycle, took her for a ride and all the other women were jealous ��

Cal – Visited Iowa to attend the minor league Wild Team, visited his brother, ran into Nick Zerwas

Card Draw – No winner today

We recited the Four Way Test

Pearls of Wisdom:

I think it’s wrong that only one company makes the game of Monopoly (Steven Wright)

Last Time We Met 10/9/2025

Today our meeting was held at Rockwoods and was led by President Cal Portner.

We recited the Pledge of Allegiance.

Attending

Melanie Clemons, Dr. Laura Dockendorf, Glen Ertel, Julie Fish, Thomas Kerber, Heather Kliewer, Bonnie Koste, Mark Kuyava, Robert Maxwell, John Osterman, Cal Portner, Pete Reiner, Debbi Ryberg, Alan Sakry, Marvin Sorvala, Joe Stremcha, Bruce Tyler, Nicole Wojcik

Guests Attending

Amy Walz – Founder and Director of You’re Not Alone – Therapy Dogs, Rachel Hillyar – ISD 738 Director of Prevention, Safety & Grants

HOODLUMS – Chris, Jess, Katie, Terry

Club Engagement

If a TV Show could be real life, which show would you like to be in?

Cheers, Honeymooners, Leave It To Beaver, Stargate, Boston Legal, Friends, The Love Boat, 2 ½ Men, Golden Bachelorette, That 70’s Show, Gilligan’s Island

Program

Amy Walz – Founder and Director of You’re Not Alone

Logo of the Dog as a Semi colon in it, which is a symbol of resilience and mental health awareness
1 in 5 Adults have a mental health condition
46% of Americans have a condition that developed before the age of 14
1 in 6 youth ages 6-17 have a mental health disorder each year
Mental Health is an invisible disease
Amy shared she had a breakdown in 2005, where her coping mechanism was controlling her eating/exercising resulting in being diagnosed with Anorexia
She has three children and her middle son, 11, became depressed, withdrawn, showing signs of rage and attempted suicide in front of his brother. They found out he had been being severely bullied and abused by a peer in middle school.
A friend of theirs had 6-day old puppies and it was the first time she saw her son light up. They named their dog, Lily Ray of Hope. After she passed at the age of 12, Amy had a vision of a Golden. They then got Willow, Covid hit, she was working at Mercy Hospital and was trying to start a Therapy Dog Pilot Program.
2022, there are 442 middle schools in MN. You’re Not Alone received it’s first donation and then raised $18,000 in 4 months and set a goal to be in 10 middle schools.
WCCO TV did a story on them that went National, they now have 59 Dog Therapy Teams going out to all schools.
They survive on grants, donations and volunteers, organizations and corporations that support them.
They also partner with Thumbs Up 5k

Taste Check Presentation

Our Rotary Club presented HOODLUMS with a check for $10,000!!!! This will help them provide necessities for families in need, assist with medical, mortgage, and utility bills for these families, and also supply them with a complete Christmas.

Club News and Updates:

TONIGHT 10/9/25 - Strike Out Polio with John Osterman, McPete’s Bowling in Big Lake from 3 – 5 p.m. Julie, Bob, Nicole, Heather, Debbi, Rob, Pete, Neil and Melanie went.

10/23/25– Adopt A Hwy Clean Up, start around 4. Mark sent out the sign up sheet, clean up from 4-6 p.m

(Photo from this spring)

Upcoming Programs & Events:

10-16-25 – Bill Yueill – Tracy Larson, CEO Guardian Angels

10/23/25 – Board/Committee Meeting

10/30/25 – Club Assembly

11/6/25 – Mike Zeman – Grace Dols, DECA, ERHS

11-13-25 – Dirk Barrett

11-20-25 – Wade Bastian

Delights and Dilemmas

Heather – Thankful for all of the HOODLUM volunteers at the Taste, on 9/11 she attended a funeral for Margaret where they gave her grandson a dictionary that he’s now quizzing family on ��, she has her CAER Gala on Oct. 30^th.

Tom – Successful cancer surgery 5 weeks ago, scans were clear 3 weeks ago!!

Bob – Celebrated 49^th Wedding Anniversary, went to the Doobie Brothers and Star Wars at Orchestra Hall, loved the LIVIN Foundation concert

Debbi – Happy for her vacation in SE MN with Rob visiting an Amish Tour, Owl Center, quite a few wineries, went to the Chamber Convention – Braver Angels and was a volunteer at the Thumbs Up 5K

Joe - Road trip with his pups out East and had a hockey tournament

Nicole – Appreciates Amy and Rachel for coming and sharing, mom had 2^nd hip surgery, met a friend of Glen’s at the hospital

Cal – 9 Day vacation with his wife for their anniversary, Wild Opener, going to IA for the Baby Wild Team

Rachel – Thank you for today, that Ann’s program is FREE for the schools, her 2^nd visit to Rotary

Amy – Finished her story about the Asuncion Church shooting, they were able to be present at both of the children’s funerals with their therapy dogs

John – brought his good luck charm for bowling today!

Card Draw – No winner today

We recited the Four Way Test

Pearls of Wisdom:

If you think nobody cares about you, try missing a couple of payments

Last Time We Met 10/2/2025

Today our meeting was held at Rockwoods and was led by President Cal Portner.

We recited the Pledge of Allegiance.

Attending

Melanie Clemons, Julie Fish, Neil Gagnon, Heather Kliewer, Mark Kuyava, Robert Maxwell, John Osterman, Cal Portner, Debbi Ryberg, Alan Sakry, Bruce Tyler, Nicole Wojcik, Ben Zawacki, Mike Zeman

Guests Attending

Carol Mertensdorf, President of Friends of Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge

Jack Bauer – Student of the Month at ERHS

Matthew Bauer

Brenda Bauer

Club Engagement

What is the worst job you’ve ever had?

Pulling cow cheeks, Corn Detasseling, Christmas Tree trimming, Grease Gun Factory, Picking Rocks, Pizza Making, Stockroom, Loading UPS Trucks, Hardware Store Inventory, Customer Service Caller, Bailing Hay, Mascot, Babysitter, Accountant, Working at a Pool

Student of the Month – Jack Bauer, Senior at Elk River High School. He’s a National Merit Scholar, involved with the Robotics Club, Speech, Choir, Math League. Jack is interested in pursuing Mechanical Engineering and Aerospace Engineering. Favorite HS memories – Homecoming and Robotics Competitions. Favorite classes are Math and Physics.

Program

Carol Mertensdorf, President of Friends of Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge

She has attended our Rotary Club 3 times
Rotary donated $1,500 to the Refuge for a new Amphitheatre
The Refuge is on 30,700 acres NW of Zimmerman
Right now there is about 29,000 Sandhill Cranes at the Refuge
Cranes migrate from Florida, Cuba, Mississippi, they don’t like flying over large bodies of water
Crane Fossil found in Nebraska to be over 9 million years old
Early 1900’s Cranes were rare in MN
1950’s – Increase in population in MN
1979 – 15,000 Cranes, an increase of 4% yearly
Crane’s wingspan is 6-7’, they are about 4-5’ tall and weigh 6-12 lbs.
Their lifespan is 20 years
Fly between 25-35 mph

Rotary Fact

First service project was in 1917, installing public toilets in Chicago, IL.

Club News and Updates:

10/9/25 - Strike Out Polio with John Osterman, McPete’s Bowling in Big Lake from 3 – 5 p.m.
10/23/25– Adopt A Hwy Clean Up, start around 4. Mark sent out the sign up sheet

Upcoming Programs & Events:

10-9-25 – Nicole Wojcik – Amy Walz – You’re Not Alone (Therapy Dog Program), Hoodlum’s Check Presentation

10-16-25 – Bill Yueill – Tracy Larson, CEO Guardian Angels

10/23/25 – Board/Committee Meeting

10/30/25 – Club Assembly

11/6/25 – Mike Zeman – Grace Dols, DECA, ERHS

11-13-25 – Dirk Barrett

11-20-25 – Wade Bastian

Delights and Dilemmas

No time today

Card Draw – No winner today

We recited the Four Way Test

Pearls of Wisdom:

Experience is something you don’t get until just after you need it.

Last Time We Met 9/18/2025

Today our meeting was held at Rockwoods and was led by President Cal Portner.

We recited the Pledge of Allegiance.

Attending

David Anderson, Melanie Clemons, Julie Fish, Katie Harstad, Heather Kliewer, Bonnie Koste, Tove Lichty, the newlywed Dr. Laura Dokkendorf, Robert Maxwell, John Osterman, Cal Portner, Alan Sakry, Bruce Tyler, Nicole Wojcik

Guests Attending

John Houlton, First Bank Elk River

Club Engagement

What is the absolute worst ice cream flavor?

Brownie, Strawberry, Banana, Vanilla, Black Licorice, Seafood, Horseradish, butter brickle, watermelon, dill pickle

Program

Katie – Chair of the Taste of Elk River Recap

Neil has the paper ticket sales numbers
Some of the changes we made were: pushing the wheel barrow around, skipped the valet parking, volunteers had more direction, added a second entrance, more scanners to get into the venue, better ice storage, billboard, had physical tickets to sell, new website, different levels of of prizes for the wheel, more food vendors, send out more thank yous.
Things we kept the same: handwashing stations, separate VIP area, the 5:30-8:30 time-line
Things to add next year: 11 people for ticketing, have one person scan and one person do the wristbands per ticket stand, add more yard signs, sponsorship posters
Things to still discuss: date, venue, timeline for next year as the fieldhouse has a new sponsor and is in that space from 7:30 – 5:00 p.m. weekdays, so we will need to look at the timing, where everything would go including the VIP area. Needed to table the discussion today.

Club News and Updates:

10/9/25 - Strike Out Polio with John Osterman 3 – 5 p.m.
10/23/25– Adopt A Hwy Clean Up, start around 4. Mark will send a volunteer sign up sheet around next week.

Upcoming Programs & Events:

9-25-25 – Board/Committee Meeting

10-2-25 – Brue Tyler – Carol Mertesdorf, President of Friends of Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge & Student of the Week

10-9-25 – Nicole Wojcik – Amy Walz – You’re Not Alone (Therapy Dog Program), Hoodlum’s Check Presentation

10-16-25 - Tracy Larson- Guardian Angels, CEO

10/23/25 – Board/Committee Meeting

10/30/25 – Club Assembly

Delights and Dilemmas

No time today

Card Draw – No winner today

We recited the Four Way Test

Pearls of Wisdom:

What’s another word for thesaurus? (Steven Wright)

Last Time We Met 9/11/2025

Today our meeting was held at Rockwoods and was led by President Cal Portner.

We recited the Pledge of Allegiance.

Attending

Melanie Clemons, Glen Ertel, Julie Fish, Neil Gagnon, Mark Kuyava, Robert Maxwell, Cal Portner, Theresa Slominski, Marv Sorvala, Joe Stremcha, Bruce Tyler, Mike Zeman

Guests Attending

Jake & Ally Erickson – Jake is the Coach of the MN Wild Sled Hockey.

Club Engagement

Share a book you read that changed your life. Some answers were: The Bible, Rediscover Catholicism, The Shack, How I turned 1,000 into 1,000,000, Dictionary, Top 10 Ways to be a leader, Canoe Country, Start with Why, Who Moved my Cheese.

Program

Cal introduced Jake & Ally Erickson. Jake spoke about the MN Wild Sled Hockey Team. They have 54 athletes ranging in age from 5 – 47 in their programs. This organization has made an impact on people with disabilities to get to be part of a team, get physical exercise and meet more people like them. There are 4 more teams in MN, but they often have to travel out of state for tournaments.

Tournament at the Furniture and Things Community Event Center November 7-9^th!
Looking for sponsors and for attendees

Club News and Updates:

9/12 – 13 LIVIN Fest
10/9/25 Strike Out Polio with John Osterman (in the last program it was noted as 10/19, sorry)
10/23 – Adopt A Hwy Clean Up, start around 4. Mark will send a volunteer sign up sheet around next week.

Upcoming Programs & Events:

9-18-25 Cal Portner – Taste of Elk River Recap

9-25-25 – Board/Committee Meeting

10-2-25 – Brue Tyler – Carol Mertesdorf, President of Friends of Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge & Student of the Week

10-9-25 – Nicole Wojcik – Amy Walz – You’re Not Alone (Therapy Dog Program)

10/23/25 – Board/Committee Meeting

10/30/25 – Club Assembly

Delights and Dilemmas

Bob – Celebrated his 49^th wedding Anniversary!

Mike – First couple of weeks at ERHS are going great. Tackle Cancer Week and game this Friday night home vs. St. Francis

Mark – Excited the Vikings pulled off a win!

Marv – Happy to be back in MN and also building a home in Florida!

Theresa – Happy to be here today, Thankful for all who serve in this Country and thanked the MN Wild Sled Hockey for being here today!

Julie – The Vikings Win and that she has her annual girls weekend with her family!

Cal – That he was able to attend the Gopher’s Football Game, 66-0 Win! Game experience is awesome!

Card Draw – No winner today

We recited the Four Way Test

Pearls of Wisdom:

Everywhere is within walking distance if you have the time (Steven Wright)

Last Time We Met 9/4/2025

Today our meeting was held at Rockwoods and was led by President Cal Portner. We recited the Pledge of Allegiance.

Attending Melanie Clemons, Neil Gagnon, Tom Kerber, Heather Kliewer, Mark Kuyava, Robert Maxwell, Dr. Laura Mullennex, Cal Portner, Debbi Rydberg, Alan Sakry, Joe Stremcha, John Osterman, Bruce Tyler Guests Attending District Governor, Glenn Bowers, Pam Bowers, Assistant District Governor: Mike Spellman, Wade Nelson, Sheriff Ben Zawacki, James Kuklock.

Club Engagement Share an event that happened in your childhood that you remember having an impact on you. Some of the answers were: Bi-Centennial of 1996, Challenger Explosion, Gulf War, Disappearance of Jacob Wetterling, World Series, JFK Assassination, 9-11, Nixon Resigning, Moon Landing, Space Flight, Neil Armstrong

Program Mike Spellman introduced District Governor Glenn Bowers. He grew up in Illinois, likes

the Chicago Bears, and has a PHD in Plant Pathology. He’s been a Rotary member since 1986. He spoke about the Rotary Theme of the 2025-2026 year being “Unite for Good” and “Make Peace Visible”. Unite our community with events, scholarships, connecting with non-profits, applying for grants, and reaching out to other Rotary Clubs. • Rotary International’s goals are Peace, Finish the of job with PolioPlus, and increase membership • Core Values: Fellowship, Friendship & Trust • Create Positive Peace – ex, helping with a food or reading project • District Focus – Crutches for Africa, asking our club to donate $500 & collect 150 devices and transport on collection day (Spring of 2026) •

2026 Conference is April 17-18th at the Doubletree Hilton, St. Paul, focusing on Mental Health • Encouraging clubs to do domestic water projects, ex) River cleanup, lake cleanup, and discouraging people from using certain fertilizers/pesticides. • A New Rotary License Plate available January, 2026

Club News and Updates: Mark Kuyava set the date for the Adopt a Hwy event, 10/23/25, need 10-12 volunteers, meet in the parking lot behind Antique Store at 4 p.m. – 6:30p.m. and then watch the Vikings game at a local restaurant.

Debbi & Jon set the date for Strike Out Polio, 10/19/25

Heather is still looking for volunteers on 9/12-9/13 Livin’ Festival to shuttle people on golf carts and to serve beer.

Upcoming Programs & Events: 09-11-25 David Vinje – Jake Erickson, Coach of the MN Wild Sled Hockey 9-

18-25 Cal Portner 9-25-25 – Board/Committee Meeting 10-2-25 – Brue Tyler – Carol Mertesdorf, President of Friends of Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge 10-9-25 – Nicole Wojcik – Amy Walz – You’re Not Alone (Therapy Dog Program) 10/23/25 –

Board/Committee Meeting 10/30/25 – Club Assembly

Fundraising Opportunities

Birthdays – Bonnie Koste

9/7/25 Delights and Dilemmas

Dr. Laura – She’s getting married next week in Sartell

Alan – Loved the Alpha Omega Farm event in Princeton Cal – Thankful for the visit from the District Governor & his wife had a birthday this week and is now older than him

Debbi – Amanda booked a flight home from Malaysia for Christmas

Card Draw – No winner today

We recited the Four Way Test

Pearls of Wisdom: “If at first you don’t succeed, destroy all the evidence that you tried”

Last Time We Met 8/21/2025

Today our meeting was held at Rockwoods and was led by President Cal Portner.

We recited the Pledge of Allegiance.

Attending

Roger Clemons, Julie Fish, Neil Gagnon, Katie Harstad, Tom Kerber, Heather Kliewer, Mark Kuyava, Cal Portner, Garrett Prehatney, Pete Reiner, Debbi Rydberg, Alan Sakry, Theresa Slominski, Joe Stremcha, David Vinje, Bill Yueill, John Osterman, Bruce Tyler

Guests Attending

Harold Matson, Anoka Rotary (selling raffle tickets for their fundraiser); Jacqara Jackson, Cannabound Manager, City of Elk River; Joe Audette, Retail Operations Manager, City of Elk River

Club Engagement

Describe your job without using your job title. Some answers were Crisis Solver, Cat Herder, Housing Problem Solver, Money Renter, Lion King, Home Enjoyment Provider, Home Fixer, Hammock Hangers, Mentor of Public Servants to Make More Money, City’s Biggest Drug Dealer, Lounge Manager, Business Therapist, Food Doctor, Dr. Chill, and Paper Surgeon.

Rotary Moment

Cal provided a recap of the 2024-2025 (Heather’s year) Rotary Foundation Contributions in our District: $424,380 contributed to the Annual Fund, which broke down to $194 Annual per Capita, 18 major donors, 12 major gifts, and 167 Paul Harris eligible donors contributing $1,000; $114,639 contributed to Polio Plus; and $216,840 contributed to the Endowment Fund.

Program

Joe Stremcha introduced Jacqara Jackson, the Cannabound Store Manager for the City of Elk River. She brought in plants, fruits, and vials of scent oils to share about “terpenes”, the natural aromatic oils that plants produce like citrus, pine, and lavender. Cannabis is a terpene, and she hopes to educate people on its benefits and effects while providing a great customer experience in their new store. Northbound and the new Cannabound should be opening in the spring with a fall grand opening.

Club News and Updates

8/28 Board Meeting

8/28 Alpha & Omega Farm Pizza Night (don’t forget to pre-order your crust and let Julie know!)

9/4 District Governor Glenn Bowers will be attending

9/12-9/13 Livin’ Festival volunteer opportunities - Heather will be sending out an email to sign up for Beer Servers, Guest Parking, Shuttle Service, and cleanup.

Katie Harstad provided a Taste Update with winners of raffles, etc. Attendance was 695 and the preliminary estimate is a net of $35k for $9k to Hoodlums. Jim Boyle will have an article in the Star News soon and Katie expressed a huge thanks to everyone!

Fundraising Opportunities

Happy Birthday – We sang happy birthday to Theresa Slominski, Neil Gagnon (50!), Mark Kuyava, and Katie Harstad paid to not have us sing to her.

Delights and Dilemmas

Bill Yueill was delighted his wife will be celebrating her 90^th birthday on Saturday, baptizing the first of now five great grandchildren at a family gathering at Rutgers.

Al Sakry was delighted with his wife Diane’s 55^th birthday today.

Katie Harstad was delighted with the State Fair.

Theresa Slominski was delighted with her annual sibling get together last weekend.

Heather Kliewer was delighted that she and Doug had dinner with Al and Diane last Saturday, the Taste, and John Houlton will be the presenting sponsor of the CAER Gala.

Tom Kerber was delighted with the Taste and how that fills his bucket.

Card Draw – No winner today

We recited the Four Way Tes

Pearls of Wisdom:

“A clear conscience is usually the sign of a bad memory” Steven Wright

Last Time We Met 8/7/2025

Today our meeting was held at Rockwood’s and was President Cal Portner.

We recited the Pledge of Allegiance.

Attending:

Dirk Barrett, Wade Bastian, Melanie Clemons, Roger Clemons, Glen Ertel, Julie Fish, Neil Gagnon, Katie Harstad, Heather Kliewer, Bonnie Koste, Mark Kuyava, Joe Libor, Tove Lichty, Bob Maxwell, Dr. Laura Mullennex, Cal Portner, Pete Reiner, Alan Sakry, John Osterman, Bruce Tyler,

Nicole Wojcik

Guests Attending

A representative from Magnus Veteran’s Foundation (left early)

Club Engagement

f you could know the answer to one conspiracy theory — whether it was true or not, and the actual events that happened — which would it be?

Table Answers:

Neil Armstrong landing on the moon, Area 51, JFK’s death, Barney Fife and his one bullet, COVID – made-made or made up by media, Aliens, Epstein Suicide

Top 10 Conspiracy Theories:

1. The moon landing was fake 2. The government killed JFK 3. COVID-19 was engineered by the media 4. The earth has been sucked into a black hole 5. Walt Disney created Frozen as a distraction, 6. Denver Int’l Airport is Illuminati’s HQ 7. The earth is hollow 8. The World is flat 9. Prince Charles is a vampire 10. Bigfoot is real.

Rotary Minute

Cal talked about how you can contribute to Rotary: Polio Plus, Annual Fund or Endowment Fund (log into your Rotary account)

Club Assembly – Taste of Elk River led by Katie, Taste Chair

Katie reviewed the status the Taste details—the map, food/beverages, event games, sponsors, event day details, volunteers and shifts and ticket sales.

Club News & Updates

No Meeting 8/14/25

8/21/25 Joe Stremcha – Jacqara Jackson, Cannabound Manager, City of ER Board/Committee member

8/28/25 Board Meeting

8/28/25 4:30-8:30 Alpha Omega Farm, RSVP to Julie, order your pizza crust ahead of time by logging onto this website, Pizza Night 8/28 - Alpha Omega Farm , family, friends, former Rotarians invited as well.

9/4/25 Cal Portner – Glenn Bowers, District 5960 Governor

9/11/25 David Vinje – Jake Erickson, Coach of the MN Wild Sled Hockey

9/18/25 Adam Stumne

9/25-25 Board/Committee Meeting

Fundraising Opportunities

No Birthdays

Delights and Dilemmas

Tove – named Forbes List of Top Next Gen Wealth Adviser Best in State,

Buck – Didn’t receive tabs reminder, so went in and got them right there!

Nicole – Night to Unite – met Mayor and encouraged to join local government, going to Colorado in a couple of weeks to first stepson for his 21^st birthday, thanks for the car tabs tip!

Bonnie – Happy to be here as she’s been so busy

Julie – Pickle fest was a hit – 44 quarts done, excited for her annual dad and daughter’s fishing trip

Bob – Mark K. told him his Biz group spoke highly of Bob that he has not been part of for over 7 years.

Pete – Dilemma – for everyone else who bought a card

Katie – Selling Lions tickets for $10, John and her will be doing the home football games together – John announces, and she will run the jumbotron, let her know if anyone likes hockey as she’s looking for someone, she was named Volunteer of the Month for August.

Card Draw – Cal was the big winner!

(Bad) Advice for the Week: If at first you don't succeed, skydiving is not for you.

Image result for four way test rotary club

4 Way Test:

Is it the truth?
Is it fair to all concerned?
Will it build goodwill and better friendships?
Will it be beneficial to all concerned?

Last Time We Met 7/31/2025

Today our meeting was held at Rockwood’s and was President Cal Portner.

We recited the Pledge of Allegiance.

Attending

Dirk Barrett, Melanie Clemons, Roger Clemons, Glen Ertel, Julie Fish, Katie Harstad, Heather Kliewer, Mark Kuyava, Tove Lichty, Bob Maxwell, Dr. Laura Mullennex, Cal Portner, Pete Reiner, Theresa Slominski, Joe Stremcha, Nicole Wojcik, John Osterman, Bruce Tyler, Stewart Wilson

Guests Attending

No guests in attendance

Club Engagement

One person at each table was given a question to read and tell us one truth and one lie, the rest of the table guessed which was which. (Truth/Lie tellers this week: Bob Maxwell, Joe Stremcha, Dr. Laura Mullennex, Pete Reiner).

Rotary Minute

Cal talked about one of the missions of the Rotary Club, which is the fight against Polio. To eradicate it.

History of Poliovirus:

1400 BCE: Egyptian carvings show a priest with a withered leg, believed to be a case of polio — one of the earliest suspected depictions of the disease.
1840: German physician Jakob Heine provides the first medical description of poliomyelitis as a disease.
1894: First major outbreak in the U.S. occurs in Vermont, with 132 cases and 18 deaths.
1908: Karl Landsteiner and Erwin Popper identify poliovirus as the infectious agent by transmitting it to monkeys.
1916: Major epidemic in New York City infects over 27,000 people; over 6,000 deaths across the U.S.
1952: Worst polio outbreak in U.S. history: over 57,000 cases, 3,000+ deaths.
1953: Dr. Jonas Salk develops the inactivated polio vaccine (IPV) using killed virus.
1957–1961: U.S. polio cases drop by more than 90% following widespread Salk vaccine use.
1961: Dr. Albert Sabin’s oral polio vaccine (OPV) — made from live attenuated virus — is licensed and becomes the preferred method globally due to easier administration and cost-effectiveness.
1988: Launch of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) by WHO, Rotary International, UNICEF, and CDC.
2000: Western Pacific region declared polio-free (including China, Australia).
2014: Major Milestone: India, once a global polio hotspot, is declared polio-free after three years with no new cases.
As of 2025, Afghanistan and Pakistan remain the only countries with endemic wild polio.

Club Assembly – Taste of Elk River led by Katie, Taste Chair

Before email went out to obtain sponsors, we were at $23,000.

After email went out to obtain sponsors, we are now at $27,500.

Sponsorships:

Presenting – First Bank Elk River

Platnum/ Big Wheel- Tove Lichty, Edward Jones

Double Gold – RE/MAX RESULTS

Gold – Cornerstone, Bob FM, Bonnie Koste – American Family, Blaze Credit Union, The Bank of Elk River, Elk River Heating & Air

Silver – Wayne Swart/State Farm, North Central Insurance, Aurora Asphalt & Concrete, Landform Professionals, Plaistad, Franklin Outdoor, Connexus

Food/Beverages:

16 Food Vendors so far – possibly a couple more

23 Beverage Vendors so far

1.3K people interested in the event on Facebook

Games: Mark, Nicole

Big Wheel – could spin for chances to win a prize basket or smaller value booze.

Ring Toss

Wheel Barrel (52 cards/$20 a card), Phillips to donate liquor for the barrel.

Liquor Raffle

Top Shelf booze – should it be its own raffle or part of the Wheel?

*Drawing for Raffle(s) at 7:30 pm., must be present to win, 15 minutes to claim, could have a second consolation winner with a smaller prize (case of beer)

Signs: - Katie will work with Julie at Elk River Printing to have these made.

Pipe/Drape/handwashing stations ordered. No garbage duty!

Volunteers:

Need to decide how many we need and where they will be. Hoodlum will provide 12 volunteers. The volunteers will check in at the Rotary table on the day of, get their assignments, instructions)

Map: Katie and John are working on the map for the vendors at the event. It’s going to change multiple times before the event, so we probably won’t have one until the day before or day of. It’ll be a donut shape with vendors on the inside and outside. Roger/Debbi to send out instructions to vendors and ask about their electrical/ice needs. Katie will produce table tents for each vendor to find their location. Rockwood’s has vases, and Katie has the chips for voting for their favorite tastes.

Photographer/videographer – using Jake from FTCEC

SELL TICKETS

Club News & Updates

Now we have a Social Committee

Meet Quarterly, first event 8/28/25 4:30-8:30 Alpha Omega Farm, RSVP to Julie, order your pizza crust ahead of time by logging onto this website, Pizza Night 8/28 - Alpha Omega Farm , family, friends, former Rotarians invited as well.

Fundraising Opportunities

Happy Birthday – We sang happy birthday to Glen Ertel, Roger Clemons & Dr. Laura Mullennex!

Delights and Dilemmas

Theresa – She’s no longer Secretary and participate more, her daughter is flying in, she got to spend time at her cabin.

Heather – No longer President, thanks Cal!

Julie – Didn’t have to attend the Board Mtg. last week.

Tove – Her sister and family are visiting this week.

Nicole -Ate lunch at Pizza Ranch last Thursday with Bob, John, Glen, had a great girl weekend with the Mud Run in Le Sueur, going to see daughter in Fargo, ND.

Card Draw – No winner today

Advice for the Week:

When everything is coming your way, you’re in the wrong lane.

Last Time We Met 7/17/2025
Today our meeting was held at Rockwoods and was led by past President Heather Kliewer. We sang and
recited the pledge:
We pledge ourselves to: Create Hope in the World. We will accomplish this by reaffirming our mission to
inspire leaders with passion to serve humanity, strengthen youth for tomorrow's leadership and dedicate
ourselves to enhancing lives in our world. Before we speak, act, or make decisions, let us pause and ask
ourselves: Is it the truth? Is it fair to all concerned? Will it build goodwill and better friendships? Will it be
beneficial to all concerned? These are our compass and will ensure that our actions are filled with
integrity and genuine care.

Attending
Melanie Clemons, Julie Fish, Neil Gagnon, Tom Kerber, Heather Kliewer, Mark Kuyava, Tove Lichty, Pete
Reiner, Debbi Rydberg, Nicole Wojcik, John Osterman, Bruce Tyler, Bruce Tyler

Guests Attending
Jeremy Evers – Magnus Veteran’s Foundation
Emily Quist – Open Doors for Youth
Desire Elverum – Open Doors for Youth
Trevor Sharrod - Open Doors for Youth
Jessica Oval – CAER Food Shelf
Kat Sarff – Sherburne County United Way
Pam Schmid – Peacemakers Minnesota
Julie Schultz – Mainstreet Family Services
Mel Harmon – River’s of Hope
Hanna Ruth Patterson – River of Hope
Wendy Gerard – Granny’s Closet
Program
President Heather Kliewer introduced each of our Rotary Donation Recipients and spoke a little bit
about:

Open Doors for Youth, HOMELESS YOUTH RESOURCE CENTER - Mission: We provide a safe and welcoming place at our center, where young people can
get assistance with immediate needs. We make connections to service providers in the
community who help them with goals in the areas of employment, education, housing,
and well-being.

Rivers of Hope, Rivers of Hope is a non-profit, 501(c) (3), organization that was founded in 1989 by a
group of Elk River citizens concerned with the problems of domestic violence in their
community. In 1991 the founders added a youth program and by the mid-1990’s Rivers
of Hope had expanded and was serving all of Sherburne and Wright Counties. Today office space is centrally located in Monticello and Rivers of Hope maintains a strong, anti-violence presence in our community.

CAER Food Shelf, Mission: Provide support and relieve hunger, together Our Vision: Hunger is no longer a barrier to the health and well-being of people in our
community

Sherburne County United Way, Home | Sherburne County Area United Way | Nonprofit
Mission: Our mission is to create a community where every person has the ability to thrive
without social barriers. We work towards this by collaborating with local nonprofits and
organizations, providing resources, and organizing initiatives that address critical
community needs. Our focus is on empowering individuals and families to lead healthy,
successful lives.

Granny’s Closet, Mission: Granny's Closet improves quality of life for both senior citizens and adults with
disabilities by partnering with our community and Anoka and Sherburne County agencies. We envision a world in which people age with dignity and feel empowered to
maintain their quality of life.

Magnus Veteran’s Foundation, Helping veterans and their families - Magnus Veterans Foundation
Mission: At Magnus Veterans Foundation, our wellness model is focused around our five performance pillars (Medical, Physical, Psychological, Spiritual & Social) as we address the gap between our warriors and our communities. As less than 2 percent
of our nation’s population has served in the Armed Services, our elite Special Operations Forces division has recognized the need for specialized care
requirements for both veterans and their families. Magnus is committed to reconnecting our warriors with our communities while addressing the whole person
and their families through the U.S. Special Operations Command Preservation of the Force and Family (POTFF) initiative. POTFF allows us to provide exceptional
health care to both veterans and their families at no cost.

Peacemaker Minnesota, PeaceMaker Minnesota
Mission: Our mission is to help schools be safer places, free from bullying and harassment, and help youth learn positive relational skills like empathy, respect,
cooperation and how to resolve conflicts peacefully.

Mainstreet Family Services, Main Street Family Services - We Help Families Become the Best
They Can Be - Mission: We Provide Support Services That Bring Your Family Closer Together. Main
Street Family Services equips individuals and families with solutions, resources, andpractical strategies to improve their lives. We act as a hub of connected services where
families can find what they need.

Heather thanked the Donations Committee for selecting these recipients. Debbi and Neil spoke about the
important work each of these organizations provides to our community.

Board and Committee Updates and Reports

Taste of Elk River updates: John Osterman announced that RE/MAX Results is making a $2,500 donation!
Debbi announced that we are up to 16 food vendors! Melanie announced that the billboard is up today
through the Taste of Elk River.

Heather announced that Katie will be doing an interview on BOB FM (August 7th or 8th).

Upcoming events to promote the Taste are DERBA’s Christmas in July 7/24 and the CAER Classic Golf
Tournament 7/25.

Heather sent around the sign up sheets
Neil said a reminder about Rotarians donating $20 for the Liquor Wheel Barrow at the Taste.

Julie announced there will be a Social Committee meeting next Tuesday at Lupien Brewing at 5:30 p.m.
All are welcome.

Fundraising Opportunities

Happy Birthday – We sang happy birthday to Pete Reiner!

Delights and Dilemmas

Julie – her 92 and 93 year old parents went to their 75 th HS Reunion. She also had some car trouble this
past week.
Nicole – Happy about wrapping up her Band Series in Delano, was honored to present Neil with a Paul
Harris award, finishing up a year-long hail damage project, closed on Mark’s parent’s house and will be
running in the mud run next weekend in Mankato.
Kat – Used her kids tooth fairy money to say thank you for having her here!
Alan – Was happy to go to Ely, MN to fish and watch the sunsets. Enjoyed the benefit for Magnus Foundation last night.
Debbi – Had fun on her roadtrip with Rob to Moose Lake, Tobby’s, listing to the Delano Community
Band, found out she likes kaluha and hot cocoa, and the plants are going in at the Chamber offices.
Tom- liked his road trip to Duluth to see the Tall Ships
Heather – Her grandpa turns 99 today and still lives alone, drives!

Card Draw – No winner today

Pearls of Wisdom:

A determined soul will do more with a rusty monkey wrench than a loafer will accomplish with all the
tools in a machine shop.

Last Time We Met 7/10/2025

Today our meeting was held at Rockwoods and was led by President Heather Kliewer. We sang and recited the pledge:

We pledge ourselves to "Create Hope in the World". We will accomplish this by reaffirming our mission to inspire leaders with passion to serve humanity, strengthen youth for tomorrow's leadership and dedicate ourselves to enhancing lives in our world. Before we speak, act, or make decisions, let us pause and ask ourselves: Is it the truth? Is it fair to all concerned? Will it build goodwill and better friendships? Will it be beneficial to all concerned? These are our compass and will ensure that our actions are filled with integrity and genuine care.

Attending

Melanie Clemons, Neil Gagnon, Katie Harstad, Tom Kerber, Heather Kliewer, Mark Kuyava, Tove Lichty, Dr. Laura Mullennex, Cal Portner, Garrett Prehatney, Debbi Rydberg, Theresa Slominski, Joe Stremcha, Nicole Wojcik, Dave Anderson, Bob Maxwell, John Osterman, Bruce Tyler, Stewart Wilson

Guests Attending

Gavin Clemons, son of Melanie Clemons; Debbie Wilson, wife of Stewart Wilson; John Dietz, Mayor, and wife Jayne Dietz; Bill and Roxanne Harstad, parents of Katie Harstad, and Rylah, Everly, and Oak, children of Katie Harstad; Jen Katke and Tony Seibert, Furniture and Things co-workers of Katie Harstad.

Program

President Heather Kliewer invited Stewart Wilson to lead the program for inducting our three new Paul Harris fellows. Stewart had a surprise guest for the program, stating it was someone we all knew but had never met, our very own Paul Harris, founder of Rotary! Stewart invited Paul Harris forward and then asked him a few questions, and then Paul asked Stewart a few questions. The questions covered the early life of Paul Harris, how Rotary started and has grown since, how our Elk River Rotary club was started and has grown, and all the good things Rotary does around the world with fellow Rotarians that are incredible people doing incredible things. (It was later revealed that Neil Robinson, college buddy and good friend of Stewart’s, was the Paul Harris actor.) We inducted three new Paul Harris Fellows and for each Fellow, $1,000 was donated to the Rotary Foundation to continue the good work of making the world a better place. Debbi Rydberg was then invited to introduce the first Fellow, Katie Harstad. Nicole Wojcik introduced Neil Gagnon, the second Paul Harris Fellow, and finally, Cal Portner introduced John Dietz, the third Fellow. Congratulations to all three and thank you for your commitment to excellence and service in our community. The world is a better place because of you!

Bob Maxwell then shared a video of the past 65 years of our Elk River Rotary club to recognize our 65^th year of being a club. Happy Anniversary Elk River Rotary!

The Gavel Passing was next, and Heather Kliewer did a 2024-2025 year in review of the club and then invited incoming President Cal Portner to recite the pledge and become our new President for the 2025-2026 year. Cal presented Heather with a crystal globe as a thank you for her service. Thank you to Heather and congratulations to Cal!

Board & Committee Updates and Reports

Taste of Elk River updates. John Osterman announced that the Treasurer, Neil Gagnon, will be invoicing everyone $20 to cover the cost of the liquor wheelbarrow that will be raffled off at the event. A big thank you to Melanie Clemons for the marketing that she is doing to promote the event this year. We have 13 committed food vendors this year (and two more likely), 30 liquor vendors, and 1,200 Facebook followers!

Upcoming events to promote the Taste are DERBA’s Christmas in July 7/24 and the CAER Classic Golf Tournament 7/25.

Fundraising Opportunities

Happy Birthday – We sang happy birthday to Cal Portner the “down and dirty” way in our most terrible rendition to celebrate his 60^th birthday! He said the pain of the song takes some of the pain away of the number 60.

Delights and Dilemmas

We were running out of time and so saved the Delights and Dilemmas for the next meeting.

Card Draw – No winner today

Pearls of Wisdom:

“To improve is to change, to be perfect is to change often” Winston Churchill

Last Time We Met 6/19/2025

Today our meeting was held at Rockwoods and was led by President Heather Kliewer. We sang and recited the pledge:

Attending

Melanie Clemons, Julie Fish, Tom Kerber, Heather Kliewer, Mark Kuyava, Debbi Rydberg, Alan Sakry, Theresa Slominski, Bob Maxwell, John Osterman, Bruce Tyler

Guests Attending

Nancy Bynum and Denise Bois, President and Board Member of Elk River Friends of the Library

Program

Theresa Slominski introduced Nancy Bynum and Denise Bois from Elk River Friends of Library. Nancy spoke first and commented that their mission is very similar to ours with the focus on literacy and youth. They are a 501(c)3 first organized in 1970 to help promote the library and its resources in the community. Their mission is to support the Elk River Public Library, enhancing and enriching the variety and quality of its services and resources. Some programs they have are “1,000 books before kindergarten” where families check out books and read to their children to introduce them to a love for reading, a watercolor painting group, and the summer and winter reading programs where they provide bookbags and coupons for free items to local restaurants when achieving reading milestones in the programs. The winter program is open to adults too! They have book sales to raise funds, and this year received a $18,000 grant for shelving from the Central Minnesota Library Exchange. They use their funds to purchase shelving, tables, bins, and signs, Caldecott and Newbury children’s books, put together discussion bags (multiple copies of a book and discussion resources to use in a book club setting), and provide four $500 scholarships to all ages to cover the cost of books for higher education. Denise spoke about other programs they bring to the area include Art Adventure through the Minneapolis Institute of Arts, Zoo Mobile, and Raptor Center visits. This summer the library is so busy that they are meeting at Elk River Lutheran Church (which is a good problem to have!) Their greatest need is funding for their programming.

Board & Committee Updates and Reports

Taste of Elk River updates. Sponsorships are at $18,000 with a goal of $25,000, food vendors have been contacted with postcards and have received one response so far but have four or five vendors committed. There will be a raffle meeting with Mark and Nicole next Monday so an update will follow that.

Tuesday, June 24, the Loons will be playing starting at 5:30 at Aegir Brewing so it will be a great social opportunity.

Looking into registering for Elk River Fest 7/26 to have the wheel and sell Taste tickets. Karen Wingard is the contact for that. The Anoka County Fair is 7/22 -7/27 so the overlap is challenging.

Fundraising Opportunities

Happy Birthday – No birthdays today

Delights and Dilemmas

John Osterman was delighted that he and Lynn were going to Grand Marais to celebrate their 50^th wedding anniversary.

Heather Kliewer was delighted for her 27^th anniversary tomorrow.

Bob Maxwell was delighted to celebrate his oldest granddaughter’s golden birthday today.

Theresa Slominski was delighted to have spent some time at the cabin with her youngest sister staying up way too late talking.

Debbi Rydberg had a dilemma that Chip and Dale went to their vet appointment, and they are pudgy. She was delighted to give a shout out to her husband for doing “all the things” lately.

Tom Kerber was delighted to share the saga of his sailboat and after his wife locating a rudder and paying way too much to have it shipped, he had to find a piece of teakwood for an extension, found it, tested the sailboat out a week and a half ago and now looking forward to the 4^th of July.

Card Draw – No winner today

Pearls of Wisdom:

“It is the Summer Solstice. The earth rejoices in abundance and light, and so do we.” Deborah Blake

Last Time We Met 6/12/2025
Today our meeting was held at Rockwoods and was led by President Heather Kliewer. We sang and recited the pledge:
We pledge ourselves to; Create Hope in the World; We will accomplish this by reaffirming our mission to inspire leaders with passion to serve humanity, strengthen youth for tomorrows leadership and dedicate ourselves to enhancing lives in our world. Before we speak, act, or make decisions, let us pause and ask ourselves: Is it the truth? Is it fair to all concerned? Will it build goodwill and better friendships? Will it be beneficial to all concerned? These are our compass and will ensure that our actions are filled with
integrity and genuine care.

Attending
Melanie Clemons, Roger Clemons, Julie Fish, Neil Gagnon, Katie Harstad, Heather Kliewer, Mark Kuyava, Laura Mullennex, Cal Portner, Pete Reiner, Debbi Rydberg, Alan Sakry, Theresa Slominski, Marvin Sorvala, Joe Stremcha, David Vinje, Nicole Wojcik, Glen Ertel, Bob Maxwell, John Osterman, Bruce Tyler, Stewart Wilson

Guests Attending
Joel Brott, Sherburne County Sheriff and past Rotarian, and Ben Zawacki, Sherburne County Commander

Program
Alan Sakry introduced Sheriff Joel Brott and Joel introduced Ben Zawacki to make the presentation. The department’s slogan is Commitment to Service with Integrity and Pride. The picture of Joel was from 2009 and he joked about what the job has done to him since then. Ben provided an overview of all of the services the Sheriff department offers including Operations, Image result for Joel Brott Sheriff. Size: 175 x 185. Source: www.hometownsource.com

Image result for Joel Brott Sheriff. Size: 175 x 185. Source: www.hometownsource.com

Boat/Water and Snowmobile Patrol, K9 division, Court Security Transport, Investigative Division which also includes the schools’
presence, Drug Taskforce, Computer Forensics, Criminal Intelligence Center, Range and Training Center,
Emergency Response Unit, Dive Rescue Team, Reserve Duties (volunteer), Mounted Patrol (volunteer),
Dispatch, and the Sherburne County Jail.

Board & Committee Updates and Reports

Taste of Elk River update. Katie Harstad met with John Houlton and was able to talk about the changes
for next year when the ice will not be taken out. John is providing the same music as last year. The three
restaurants of Phil and Diane will be at the Taste event! John has requested that we are at Elk River Fest, Sherburne County Fair, and Anoka County Fair to sell tickets for the Taste. We have already committed
to being at the Chamber Golf Tournament 6/26, DERBA Christmas in July 7/24, and the CAER Golf
Tournament 7/25. Liquor vendor updates – Bemidji Brewing will be included this year. Food vendor
updates – we have a total of four restaurants committed. Postcards have been sent out to restaurants to encourage participation. Heather Kliewer passed around a sign-up sheet for volunteering at the above-
mentioned events and dates.

June 5 Elk River Rotary has been chartered 65 years! Happy Birthday to us!

Fundraising Opportunities

Happy Birthday – We sang Happy Birthday to Dave Vinje and Bruce Tyler, the $5 version for $10.

Delights and Dilemmas
Julie Fish was delighted that former Rotarian, Sheriff Joel Brott was in the house!
Theresa Slominski had some dilemmas but was most delighted and grateful for her family, friends, and
her Rotary family.
Nicole Wojcik was delighted that the school year was wrapped up, her participation in the Delano
Community Band, that her camper was now open, and that she quit her 2nd job so she can enjoy more
time at the camper.
John Osterman was delighted to give Joel a hard time from Dan Weber who spoke the previous week.
Debbi Rydberg was delighted to have attended the Rum River Festival and participated in the largest
Duck, Duck, Grey Duck game. She was also delighted that daughter Amanda landed safely and found a
house to lease that is so beautiful she wants to go visit.
Katie Harstad was delighted to have attended Bonfire Wednesdays as a regular person and not have to
work, and the National Dance competition coming up in Wisconsin Dells that will have lots of her family
along for the fun.
Alan Sakry was delighted to have Joel and Ben here with a great presentation.
Heather Kliewer was delighted with the communication that happens with this club and how things just happen that she doesn’t have to micromanage with the Taste.
Joel Brott was delighted with the many years that he has been here and thanked everyone for the
support over the last 18 years - stating that it does not go unnoticed!

Card Draw – No winner today.

Pearls of Wisdom:

“A good father is one of the most unsung, unpraised, unnoticed, and yet one of the most valuable assets
in our society.” Billy Graham (in honor of Fathers’ Day)

Regular Meeting - 6-5-2025
Last time we met, President Heather Kliewer led our meeting. We sang out song and pledged our pledge!
Her PowerPoint presentation was colored to reflect the graduates from all the schools in ISD 728!

Attending:
Melanie Clemons, Roger Clemons, Julie Fish, Neil Gagnon, Tom Kerber, Heather Kliewer, Mark Kuyava, Joe Libor, Cal Portner, Debbi Rydberg, Alan Sakry, Marv Sorvala, Joe Stremcha, Bill Yueill, Bob Maxwell, John Osterman and Bruce Tyler

Program
Our program today was arranged by Debbi Rydberg and we heard from Dan Weber and Brian Fleming from Sherburne County. They came to give us an update. Dan Weber is a past Elk River Rotarian, a Paul Harris Fellow through Elk River Rotary! Brian is the Economic Development Coordinator. Dan started the presentation and stated that he sees many familiar faces from a previous time he spoke to us in 2023. The first subject up was transportation and land use. Two weeks ago the 169/Co. Rd. 4 construction project began and will go for a couple of years. The number one legislative priority is TH10/SCHH 11. Also CMRP is working on a new bridge crossing. A PEL study is being done. The next step for Tier 1 is to discuss options of locations.   The county is going through ordinances and reviewing all of the land use ordinances and updating. The SherCo plant in Becker is transitioning to tons of solar power – 3200 acres of it that will generate 700 mega watts of power. Unit 2 will be deconstructed in 2023 and Unit 1 in 2026 and Unit 3 will come down in 2030. Sherburne County is working through tax base issues. They are hoping for a few data centers to come in as some own land already in Sherburne County. Broadband has expanded from October 2022 to December 2024 and now serves many more in Sherburne County with high speed internet. In the public and community eyes . . . THC edibles and drinks have come about. Sherburne County has one application in Livonia for a dispensary. Sherburne County Attorney, Kathleen Heaney retired and we have a new replacement that has been with the county for 20 years. There is a state challenge of requiring the county to pay state paid items amounting to 4 to 6 million dollars and will be passed onto the county budget in 2026. Dan said that all counties in Minnesota will be pressed with this challenge. Sherburne County is preparing the best it can.   Brian Fleming spoke next. Brian has been with Sherburne County since August of 2024. Previous to that he worked at the City of St. Cloud, the US Navy and was a high school English teacher. He enjoys working in Sherburne County! He gave an update on the NorthStar that will be transitioning towards bus lines, not the train. The writing is on the wall for a significant change. A housing study was done back last fall. It identified the demand for 5200 new housing units. There is a growing need for patio homes, one level homes, etc. A strong need for market rate and affordable/subsidized rental housing. The median home in Sherburne County is $394,000.00. There is a housing trust fund at Sherburne County that is used as a permanent and continuously renewable source of funding to meet in part housing needs of moderate, low and very low income households. There will be an upcoming public hearing June 24. Sherburne County has a Child Care Finder on their website. Brian told us about the interactive map of child care availability of providers. The Economic Development team and Health and Human Services teams use this tool often. There are 140 home site providers and 19 centers in Sherburne County. They also told us about the business lab. They offer free 1:1 business consulting with business owners. This is available through the Sherburne County Economic Development website. Questions, Brian Fleming @ 763-765-3014 or Dan Weber @ 763-765-3001.

Board and Committee Updates and Reports

Taste of Elk River Updates
-Melanie Clemons has been in contact with BOBFM.
-If you need a vest, please reach out and let someone know so you can get one!
-If you have an extra vest, please turn it in.
-Mark Kuyava reported that he and Nicole Wojcik have been working out some game ideas from a human slot machine to a dunk tank! Stay tuned for more fun ideas!
-Ticket sales online are now up to 4 tickets sold and no Rotary members were chosen.
-Bill Yuiell would like a sponsor packet.
-Paper tickets were given to Neil Gagnon, Treasurer to handle. They will be available from him next week.
-Food vendor postcards are being mailed out soon!
-If you get a sponsor and they need an invoice, please reach out to Neil Gagnon/Treasurer

-Upcoming volunteer events to sell tickets:
                June 26 – Elk River Area Chamber of Commerce Golf Tournament
                July 3 – Elk River Farmers Market
                July 24 – DERBA Christmas in July Event
                July 25 – CAER Golf Classic Tournament

President Heather gave a shout out for the first road s

ide clean up that took place on Saturday, May 31. Mark Kuyava who led the event, gave a summary. We gathered from 8:30 to about 11:15 and finished half the trail. The hard half! Lol! Debbi, Julie, Katie, Mark, his wife Kali, Marvin, Joe S. and Bob were participants. We collected 20 bags of trash, a muffler, fiber cable, sign posts, metal folding chair, a lot of cigarette butts, empty and full booze bottles, one dead dear a couple of critter carcasses and a fresh new baby bird nest!

Delights and Delimas

-Heather Kliewer was happy to have attended the Ivan Sand Graduation ceremony!
-Alan Sakry was happy that his daughter Jordan married Scott and they are buying a home!
-Marvin Sorvala had a $10 for a story about blood in his urine in November that determined that he aggressive bladder cancer. The procedure was to put live TB bacteria in his bladder then flush it out and do this for 6 weeks. His wife is a holistic medicine person and they said they are not doing that! She hooked him up with the Budwing diet and he has stuck to it and it was determined at his last check up that his cancer is gone! He will continue on this diet!
-Bob Maxwell was happy that Julie Fish drove to pick him up towards the end of the clean up so he didn’t have to walk one more step! He was also happy that his oncologist appointment went well and they say his blood cancer is ok!
-Dan Weber (guest) was happy to be back at Rotary after being gone for three years!
-Melanie Clemons was happy for her daughter, Ginger for finishing off her junior year of high school with 104% on a test and pulling A’s all year! She was also happy for her son, Gavin, who is graduating high school tonight!
- Roger Clemons was a happy and proud grandpa to Ginger and Gavin!
- Debbie Rydberg was happy and thankful to Guardian Angels who recently donated chairs to the chamber office and she was happy for a fun time had at the Zimmerman Business Council Happy Hour.
- Neil Gagnon was $4 happy for a great trip with his family out west vising Custer State Park, an ATV excursion, Grand Tetons, Yellowstone, a rodeo in Cody, Wyoming and made it back safely with some kid fighting!
-Tom Kerber was happy to tell us that he and his family have adopted a new cat on Saturday!
-Julie Fish was happy to have attended Ivan Sand Graduation, participated and survived highway clean up, happy to assist Bob in his time of need and very happy and proud of her great nephew who will graduate from Monticello High School and is going on to college at St John’s and will be in Army Guard!

Card Game – an 8 of clubs was drawn and there was not a winner!

Pearls of Wisdom:
To accomplish great things, we must not only act, but also dream. Not only plan, but also believe.

Last Time We Met 5/29/2025

Today our meeting was held at Rockwoods and was led by President Heather Kliewer. We sang and recited the pledge:

Attending

Dirk Barrett, Melanie Clemons, Roger Clemons, Julie Fish, Katie Harstad, Heather Kliewer, Mark Kuyava, Tove Lichty, Cal Portner, Pete Reiner, Debbi Rydberg, Theresa Slominski, Joe Stremcha, Bill Yueill, Bob Maxwell, Bruce Tyler, Stewart Wilson

Guests Attending

none

Program

Today was Club Assembly.

Mark Kuyava provided an update on the Adopt-A-

Highway cleanup for Saturday, May 31.* Meet in the Olde Maine Eatery parking lot 8:30-8:45 to arrange route plan and car staging. Bring grabbers and gloves, if you have them. Vests, some gloves, and garbage bags will be provided. It is a 2 mile stretch total and should be able to be completed easily from 9:00-12:00 noon. Everyone needs to watch the video and review the information Mark sent out in the email. Anyone over the age of 12 can participate, we just need signed waivers for those ages 12-17.

*Photo from 5/31/2025

The Elk River Rotary Club will be participating in some upcoming events to promote Rotary and the Taste. We will be at the Elk River Chamber Golf Tournament 6/26, The Farmers Market 7/3, Christmas in July DERBA event 7/24 (evening), and CAER Golf Classic 7/25. We will have the Wheel at these events and providing a chance to win tickets to the Taste.

The Taste event was discussed. If anyone needs a vest, please let Katie Harstad know so that they can be ordered if they need a different size than what we have available. Katie challenged everyone to talk to a business about sponsoring, and the sponsor listing was passed around for people to sign up to contact. Other fundraising events to have at the event were discussed. Some ideas were the human slot machine, carnival games such a ring toss with bottles of liquor water and pop, balloon darts with prizes inside the balloons, some kind of chuck a puck adaptation, bags, the high-end booze raffle, and a dunk tank. If anyone has ideas, please let Katie know. Ticket sales are individually based this year, with everyone being a horse in the race. So far two tickets have been sold online (and they did not designate a Rotarian). Paper tickets will be available next week. The costs for pipe and drape have gone up but it is still viewed as a necessary expense for the event.

Board & Committee Updates and Reports

Heather Kliewer recognized Paul Harris Fellows Tove Lichty and Stewart Wilson for their contributions to the Rotary Foundation and presented them with pins.

Cal Portner talked about his upcoming presidency for 2025-2026. He recognized the past presidents that are core Rotarians of our club, our own “Mt Rushmore”: Stewart Wilson 1979, Glen Ertelt 1981, Bob Maxwell 1984, Julie Fish 1988, and John Osterman 1991, and thanked Julie Fish, Molly Hanson, and Theresa Slominski for their commitment to Rotary. He shared the RI President’s message “Unite for Good”, and shared his focus for the upcoming year will be on the club experience, the greater good of Rotary (Every Rotarian Every Year), and continuing our community impact.

Theresa Slominski provided a grant update that the 59 clubs in our district have been contacted to request funding of our Rwanda global grant. As a reminder, the grant focuses on planting 8,000+ trees and establishing three demonstration farms to help the area with the changing climate and protecting their soil and crops. It is an effort to help the community thrive instead of just survive.

Fundraising Opportunities

Happy Birthday – Happy Birthday to Heather Kliewer!

Delights and Dilemmas

Julie Fish was delighted to have celebrated her dad’s 93^rd birthday, and the announcement of great niece or nephew #32!

Debbi Rydberg was delighted to have attended the Zimmerman Wild West Days Car Show with over 400 cars! She was also delighted to have had her first pontoon ride of the year on Monday!

Bob Maxwell was delighted to be rid of his cataracts and is now working on figuring out the glasses moving forward!

Card Draw – No winner today.

Pearls of Wisdom:

“Growing old is mandatory, growing up is optional.” Walt Disney

Last Time We Met 5/15/2025

Today our meeting was held at Rockwoods and was led by President Heather Kliewer. We sang and recited the pledge:

Attending

Dirk Barrett, Wade Bastian, Melanie Clemons, Roger Clemons, Julie Fish, Neil Gagnon, Katie Harstad, Thomas Kerber, Heather Kliewer, Mark Kuyava, Laura Mullennex, Cal Portner, Pete Reiner, Debbi Rydberg, Alan Sakry, Theresa Slominski, Joe Stremcha, Glen Ertel, Bob Maxwell, John Osterman, Bruce Tyler, Stewart Wilson

Guests Attending

none

Program

Today we had board elections for fiscal year 2025-2026 and Cal Portner distributed voting ballots to all members. The ballot results: President – Cal Portner, President-Elect - Mark Kuyava, Treasurer – Neil Gagnon, Secretary – Melanie Clemons, Director at Large – Joe Stremcha (Public Image Chair), Director at Large – Laura Mullennex (Membership Chair), Director at Large – Debbi Rydberg (Foundation Chair). Katie Harstad will continue as Taste Chair and Heather Kliewer will remain on the Board serving as Past President. Mak Kuyava will continue as Service Chair in his President-Elect year.

Board & Committee Updates and Reports

Taste of Elk River update. Katie Harstad presented the website that we are bringing over from last year’s newly created website. Online ticket sales are live on the Facebook page! Regular tickets are $40 and VIP tickets are $65. Paper tickets will be available as well and Neil and Cal will be the point people for obtaining those tickets. Sponsors will receive paper tickets for their attendees. The sponsorship packets will be going out electronically in an email today and all club members will receive the electronic version as well. Please contact Theresa Slominski with any organizations you will be personally reaching out to. We have an “other option” for sponsorships if organizations have a new idea they want to offer – they just need to reach out to Katie or Theresa with their idea and proposed dollar amount.

Next week, 5/22, is the Board Meeting. (There is a group that has been meeting at Pizza Ranch for lunch on the day of the Board Meetings and anyone is welcome to join them.)

5/29 is Club Assembly with more Taste discussion.

Note: 8/14 there will be no meeting since it is the day after the Taste event, and we will all be too tired.

Mark Kuyava has nine members signed up for road clean-up and he would like to have more involvement. The best date so far is 5/31 from 9:00am until noon.

Fundraising Opportunities

Happy Birthday – Happy Belated Birthday to Stewart Wilson and Happy Birthday to Debbi Rydberg!

Delights and Dilemmas

Heather Kliewer was delighted with her daughter’s 36^th birthday today and that she is pregnant with the 7^th grandchild.

Bob Maxwell was delighted that his oldest grandchild finished the first year at Drake and had a shirt to prove it.

Melanie Clemons was delighted that her son received two scholarships, one of them from Elk River Rotary. She was feeling a bit of a dilemma with her oldest graduating high school and all the mom emotions with that and was grateful for this group to support her in this season of her life.

Wade Bastian was delighted and thankful for Cal speaking at the Leadership Breakfast this morning. He had a PSA that his email had changed recently so if you were trying to contact him be sure you have the correct email address (it is correct on the bulletin.) He was also delighted for last weekend with his daughter’s graduation in Duluth and the family had fun being with her to celebrate. A dilemma is that his son is in the Washington National Guard and will be deployed to Africa so he and his wife are flying out to send him off and see him before he goes.

Alan Sakry was delighted to have Stewart Wilson back and is jealous of all his Florida time. He was also delighted for Jordan and Scott’s wedding in fifteen days, and finally, to Katie and her excellent job with the Taste event, being a mom of three kids, her involvement in Rotary, Lions, and all the hats she wears!

Debbi Rydberg was delighted to have spent Mothers’ Day with her 94-year-old mom who is doing so well, delighted with the Boy Scout breakfast this morning, and especially delighted to have had some of her dad’s old family films restored so she could watch them.

Stewart Wilson was delighted to be back, enjoyed the notes on the programs while he was away, and enjoys the annual visit from Alan and Diane when they come to Florida.

Pete Reiner was delighted to have gone to South Dakota with his brothers to meet his sister for their nephew’s graduation ceremony and was grateful there were no fights on the road trip. He was delighted with all of Katie’s hard work on the Taste event, and excited for upcoming music events where he could see his favorite bands.

Card Draw – No winner today.

Pearls of Wisdom:

“My goal is not to be better than anyone else, just better than I used to be.” Wayne Dyer

Last Time We Met 5/8/2025

Today our meeting was held at Rockwoods and was led by President Heather Kliewer. We sang and recited the pledge:

Attending

Wade Bastian, Roger Clemons, Julie Fish, Neil Gagnon, Katie Harstad, Thomas Kerber, Heather Kliewer, Mark Kuyava, Laura Mullennex, Cal Portner, Garrett Prehatney, Debbi Rydberg, Alan Sakry, Theresa Slominski, Joe Stremcha, Nicole Wojcik, Bill Yueill, Bob Maxwell, Bruce Tyler

Guests Attending

Luke Smith from Snap Fitness

Program

Garrett Prehatney introduced Luke Smith, owner of Snap Fitness, for our program today. Luke is very passionate about health and fitness and has two facilities in Elk River and Rogers. He has about 20 employees, about half of which are coaches. He has coaches, not trainers, as a coach does more than train/teach you exercises and nutrition; coaches encourage you and believe in you until you do. He stated that fitness health should be “deep” so we can find the motivation to move and change if needed. Gravity and time are working against us, and everyone can improve in some way, but we need to choose to work on our health or else we will stagnate and even go backwards. He talked about the three necessary components of a “do-angle” (not a “try-angle” because we need to “do”, not just “try”.)

They are supplements, nutrition, and exercise. He stressed not overwhelming yourself if you need to tackle all three, just do small changes every day to work towards your goals.

Board & Committee Updates and Reports

Club Assembly is 5/29 (also Heather’s birthday ��).

The 2025 Taste signature recipient vote is Hoodlums, which stands for Helping Others Out During Life’s Unkind Moments. First Bank of Elk River will be our signature sponsor, and they have increased their contribution amount to $12,500! To promote ticket sales this year, it will be a horse race theme without teams, just individual horses. The highest ticket sales individual will be awarded a flashy gold vest to wear at the event, and the next four highest individuals will also receive an award. The Sponsorship form is almost complete for distribution.

The Adopt A Highway signs are up! Mark Kuyava has ordered 25 yellow vests for us to use. We will not be cleaning anything up in the medians or bridges, only on both sides. Garbage bags will be provided, and we all work together moving along the highway in both directions. Everyone needs to view a safety video before participating. It will take approximately three hours and will be done on a Saturday or Sunday, likely in the morning from nine to noon. Mark will be sending out a survey for the best time and date to do the first cleanup this spring.

Debbi Rydberg announced that the Donations Committee met and will be distributing funds to Rivers of Hope, Magnus Veterans Foundation, Open Doors for Youth, United Way, Main Street Family Services, CAER, Granny’s Closet, and Peacemakers, totaling $11,000.

Fundraising Opportunities

Happy Birthday – no birthdays today

Delights and Dilemmas

Heather Kliewer was delighted to have attended the Make Peace Visible Conference last week, which was focused on hunger relief. Her grandson Harrison received his First Communion on Sunday, and he was smiling the entire time!

Bruce Tyler had a dilemma that in baseball throwing a baseball into the crowd was encouraged but doing it in bowling is apparently frowned upon.

Bob Maxwell is celebrating 40 years in Rotary!

Katie Harstad attended her first Minnesota Ice Arena Managers Association conference and found it very empowering. It is a different demographic than she is used to but being in Rotary definitely helped her fit in. She was delighted for Mothers’ Day coming up and that she will not be working on that day for the first time in two decades.

Neil Gagnon was delighted that golf starts this evening, and very proud of himself that he was proactive in getting his wife a Mothers’ Day gift this year.

Al Sakry was delighted for Luke Smith to be here and felt he is a great coach!

Wade Bastian was delighted to thank Rotary for their support at the Leadership Breakfast, and that his daughter is graduating from Duluth this weekend and they are going to celebrate with her.

Debbi Rydberg is celebrating Mothers’ Day with her 94-year-old mom, and her 60^th birthday celebration at Boondocks next weekend and all are invited. She is delighted the painting at the Chamber is done today, and finally for her husband who keeps giving her $1 bills to be able to express happiness at Rotary.

Theresa Slominski was delighted with the sunshine.

Julie Fish was delighted to be celebrating Mothers’ Day with her 92-year-old mom. She had a delight and then a dilemma and then delight and dilemma and delight with her sister and brother-in-law celebrating their 50^th anniversary in April and then the next morning he ended up in the hospital to have stints placed in his heart, then needed 5 valve bypass and that turned into 5 stints being done, and now he is recovering.

Nicole Wojcik was delighted for her dad’s 77^th birthday in heaven, her stepson being home for a short while for a funeral, her daughter moving into her apartment in Fargo this weekend and so being able to celebrate Mothers’ Day with her, and for Mark’s birthday.

Card Draw – Al Sakry won with a six of diamonds!

Pearls of Wisdom:

“A mother is she who can take the pace of all others, but whose place no one else can take.” Cardinal Mermillod

Last Time We Met 5/2/2025

Today, in lieu of our regular meeting, we attended United Way’s “Bridge the Gap” event at the American Legion in Elk River. The focus was on collaborating with impact: how businesses and nonprofits can support each other and strengthen the community. The event was done in coordination with Sherburne County Area United Way (SCAUW), Central Minnesota Community Foundation, The Initiative Foundation, Minnesota Council of Nonprofits, and Community Table - and believed to be the first of its kind in bringing businesses and nonprofits together. A delicious lunch was provided by Community Table and there were presentations from Minnesota Council of Nonprofits on the state nonprofits in Minnesota, and United Way on the state of nonprofits in our community. Each spoke of the challenges with the economics of our times, decreased business and individual giving, and decreased federal grant funding impacting the community. The needs continue to grow, while the financial resources are shrinking. Volunteer time and passion are needed as much as the dollars and SCAUW would love to be able to help everyone find a way to contribute to a stronger community. They are a great resource to match volunteers and donations with the appropriate needs in the community.

Last Time We Met 4/17/2025

Today our meeting was held at Rockwoods and was led by President-Elect Cal Portner. We sang and recited the pledge:

Attending

Wade Bastian, Melanie Clemons, Roger Clemons, Julie Fish, Thomas Kerber, Mark Kuyava, Joe Libor, Cal Portner, Debbi Rydberg, Alan Sakry, Theresa Slominski, Joe Stremcha, Nicole Wojcik, Mike Zeman, Glen Ertel, Bob Maxwell, John Osterman, Bruce Tyler

Guests Attending

Lily Sofil, Student of the Month, and parents Jaime and Tony Sofil; Marlene Daniels, visiting Fargo Rotarian; Michael Spellman, Assistant District Governor; Steve Hamilton, Elk River Head Football Coach, Mike Cross, Elk River Football Defensive Coordinator, and Elk River Football Running Backs Gavin Schmidt and Brecken Keoraj

Program

We welcomed visiting Rotarian Marlene Daniels. She is from Fargo, ND where they have five Rotary Clubs, including a Rotaract Club. Marlene is a member of the oldest club in Fargo that is 110 years old, and Paul Harris came and helped found their club! She is the second longest serving member with 38 years.

Membership Chair Julie Fish officially welcomed Mike Zeman to the Elk River Rotary Club with the swearing-in ceremony. Congratulations Mike!

Mike Zeman introduced our Student of the Month, Lily Sofil. She works with the Yellow Ribbon Campaign

which focuses on mental health and suicide prevention in high school and middle school. She is very proud of the work they have done in the middle school and
of her co-chair Anna Murphy. Her favorite class is History, and she plans to attend Anoka Ramsey Community College for education to hopefully teach History someday.

John Osterman introduced Elk River Head

Football Coach, Steven Hamilton, Defensive Coordinator, Mike Cross, and players Gavin Schmidt and Brecken Keoraj. The Elk River Football team has won 3 State Championships under Coach Hamilton. Coach Hamilton spoke about the culture that they have with their team and how much it is about relationships. He feels he has the best coaching staff in the state, and they are very good with the team. They are good people and care about the players. Mike Cross spoke and noted that while Coach Hamilton said he has a great coaching staff, he was named the 5A Coach of the Year and Minnesota State Coach of the Year. He continued saying that they have special players who are committed and talented, and echoed Coach Hamilton’s sentiments on the relationship being so important. They work with the students to be good players and good students now, so that in the future they can be good businesspeople, good husbands, good fathers, etc.

Board & Committee Updates and Reports

There is a Board Meeting next week, 4/24.

Sherburne County Area United Way’s “Bridging the Gap” event will be our meeting for May 1. It will be a lunch meeting at the American Legion on Thursday May 1, 11:45 to 1:00 and lunch is provided by Community Table for $15. Registration is required so visit the website at sherburneunitedway.org or the Chamber’s website to register.

Fundraising Opportunities

Happy Birthday – We sang Happy Birthday to Julie Fish, scuba style!

Delights and Dilemmas

Cal Portner had a dilemma that two of his favorite high school coaches for hockey and baseball have passed away within 37 days of each other. He had a delight that he was able to attend the Wild game on Tuesday night and it was probably the best professional sporting game he has ever attended.

Julie Fish was delighted to have our visiting Rotarian with us and noted that she is close to her service with 37 years. She was delighted to announce that her 31^st great nephew or great niece was on the way.

Mike Zeman was delighted to have the football team here and said that the Elk River High School is an amazing place with amazing kids and needs to showcase that better. WCCO did a two-minute segment on their DECA program, which he is also very proud of.

Nicole Wocjik also commented on what a great high school Elk River has, and said she was able to hear the Rogers High School and Elk River High School DECA presentations and was in awe! She was delighted to welcome Mike Zeman to the club and has enjoyed working with him for many years. She was delighted to have Marlene here from Fargo and was going to encourage her daughter to join the Rotaract there.

John Osterman was delighted to have the football team here and gave his favorite football call as announcer for the game – “Move those chains boys, that’s another Elk River first down!”

Theresa Slominski was delighted with the Wild winning the game on Tuesday night and to have all our guests here today.

Card Draw – there was no winner today

Pearls of Wisdom:

“Just when the caterpillar thought the world was over, he became a butterfly.” Chuang Tzu

Last Time We Met 4/10/2025

Today our meeting was held at Rockwoods and was led by President Heather Kliewer. We sang and recited the pledge: We pledge ourselves to "Create Hope in the World". We will accomplish this by reaffirming our mission to inspire leaders with passion to serve humanity, strengthen youth for tomorrow's leadership and dedicate ourselves to enhancing lives in our world. Before we speak, act, or make decisions, let us pause and ask ourselves: Is it the truth? Is it fair to all concerned? Will it build goodwill and better friendships? Will it be beneficial to all concerned? These are our compass and will ensure that our actions are filled with integrity and genuine care.

Attending Leah Atkinson, Wade Bastian, Melanie Clemons, Neil Gagnon, Katie Harstad, Thomas Kerber, Heather Kliewer, Joe Libor, Tove Lichty, Bonnie Koste, Mark Kuyava, Dr. Laura Mullennex, Cal Portner, Pete Reiner, Debbi Rydberg, Alan Sakry, Theresa Slominski, Joe Stremcha, Nicole Wojcik, Glen Ertel, Bob Maxwell, John Osterman, Bruce Tyler

Guests Attending Amy Lord, ISD 728 Career and Technical Education Coordinator Program Heather introduced Amy Lord, CTE for ISD 728. Amy was grateful for the opportunity to speak with us and was encouraged by our pledge statement, especially with Rotary’s mission to strengthen youth for tomorrow’s leadership. She works with middle school and high school students, helping them to explore and discover what is available for careers and future schooling, which may be a four-year college, a two year college, a technical or trade school, etc. She is proud that Elk River offers internships, industry credentials (like OSHA 10 and Serve Safe), hands-on involvement in various industry organizations (like DECA, Pro-Start, and HOSA), partnerships with local businesses, college credits, and career fairs. They start in eighth grade with a bus trip to Anoka Ramsey Community College and Anoka Technical College, St Cloud University in tenth grade, job shadows in eleventh grade, and internships in upper grades. There are various camps that employers provide, and they encourage the students to participate and explore these options. They also provide instruction on things like how to speak with supervisors and peers, the importance of grit, etc.

Board & Committee Updates and Reports 2025-2026 Board Nominations are coming up and if you think you are interested in a board position, please let Cal Portner or Heather Kliever know. Cal updated that Mark Kuyava will be the president elect, and Dr. Laura, Melanie Clemons, and Joe Stremcha have expressed interest in being on the board. He plans to vote for board members on May 15.

Katie sent out an email today asking for members to vote on the Taste Signature Recipient. There will be a Taste meeting next week, April 17, after the regular meeting. As a reminder, the Taste Event will be Thursday, August 13.

Mark Kuyava updated on the Farmers Market, and we will be collecting batteries again this summer. The city has also been collecting batteries through the winter months at the indoor Farmers Markets.

Tom Kerber provided an announcement for the upcoming Sherburne County Area United Way’s “Bridging the Gap” event. It will be a lunch meeting at the American Legion on Thursday May 1, 11:45 to 1:00 and lunch is provided by Community Table for $15. Since this is the same time as our regular Rotary meeting, it was decided to have that event replace our regular meeting, Thursday May 1. See you at the American Legion! Registration is required so visit the website at sherburneunitedway.org.

Fundraising Opportunities

Happy Birthday – We sang Happy Birthday to Wade Bastian, with OOMPH!

Delights and Dilemmas

Heather Kliewer had a dilemma that Doug’s sister, Delight, passed away at 60 years of age. Tove Lichty was delighted with the UW “Bridging The Gap” event and thanked Tom for the information shared.

Nicole Wojcik had a great visit to Charlotte, NC; her friend in Florida had her baby, Frankie; and a bit of a dilemma that her daughter found an apartment in Fargo so will be staying there and not coming home this summer. Finally, she is delighted with a wedding for her cousin’s daughter on Friday.

Wade Bastian was delighted with the Jim Akers Leadership Breakfast on Thursday, May 15, at 7am, and Cal will be the guest speaker. His daughter is graduating for her master’s degree, and they will be attending her graduation ceremony.

Alan Sakry is delighted that his wife, Diane, and Shelly will be going to Charlotte NC and he will have five days of blissful partying.

Bonnie Koste was delighted to be going to Scottsdale next week, and her ninth great-niece was born.

Debbi Rydberg had a dilemma that her daughter will not be coming home this summer, she is moving from Delhi to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. She was delighted with celebrating Rob’s birthday and going to a few wineries and now her wine rack is doing very well.

Katie Harstad was delighted with her ex-husband’s decision to check himself into treatment and excited for the new experience her children will get to have with their father in the future. She was also delighted that her retired parents are taking care of her youngest son instead of sending him to daycare.

Leah Atkinson was delighted to be back. She had a dilemma that her last travelling assignment as a Family Nurse Practitioner was cancelled en-route, and so she spent some time with family and then returned home – to a furnace not working and other multiple issues. Her theme song now is Elton John’s “I’m Still Standing”! She starts another work assignment on May 5 in Moses Lake, WA and so will be here next week and then will be gone again for six months.

Card Draw – there was no winner today Pearls of

Pearls of Wisdom: “Leaders don’t create followers, they create more leaders.” Rotary

Blast From The Past -

Rotary or Chamber Golf? Year?

Last Time We Met 4/3/2025

Attending Dirk Barrett, Melanie Clemons, Roger Clemons, Julie Fish, Neil Gagnon, Molly Hanson, Katie Harstad, Thomas Kerber, Heather Kliewer, Mark Kuyava, Dr. Laura Mullennex, Cal Portner, Garrett Prehatney, Alan Sakry, Theresa Slominski, Joe Stremcha, Bill Yueill, Bob Maxwell, John Osterman, Bruce Tyler

Guests Attending David Kuhnly, Elk River Chief of Police

Program Bob Maxwell introduced David Kuhnly, the new Elk River Chief of Police, and noted that the police won the Guns and Hoses Hockey game last weekend. David gave a little bit of background about himself. Personally, he has been married for 18 years and has three children ages 18, 15, and 13. Professionally, he started as a CSO in Golden Valley and was a reserve in Robbinsdale at the same time from 2002 2005, then he did patrol and investigations 2005-2013, Sergeant 2013-2018, Commander 2018-2022, and then Deputy Chief at Plymouth 2022-2024, and then Police Chief in Elk River starting 11/12/2024. He feels that the Elk River police department is the best organization he’s been in stating that they are highly professional, knowledgeable, and just good people.

Board & Committee Updates and Reports

2025-2026 Board Nominations are coming up and if you think you are interested in a board position, please let Cal Portner or Heather Kliever know.

Cal plans to discuss it more next week. There will be a Taste meeting scheduled soon.

Katie is still looking for a co-chair so please let her know if you are interested. Katie would like to vote on the Signature Recipient in the next week or so.

Mark Kuyava will be talking with Karen Wingard at the City of Elk River about continuing to collect batteries at the Farmers Market this summer.

Fundraising Opportunities

Happy Birthday – No birthdays today, Garrett did not want us to sing to him.

Delights and Dilemmas

Alan Sakry was delighted to have visited Stewart Wilson in Florida and had awesome weather.

Molly Hanson was delighted to be at Rotary today. She is having a “wellness day” today for work and then will be heading to Arizona tomorrow.

Bill Yueill was delighted to have two new great grandchildren that are healthy and will have two more in the coming year. He was delighted that his wife, Lynn, was feeling better after having an embolism but had a dilemma that she was unable to fly at this time and so they could not attend their grandson’s soccer game as planned.

Cal Portner was delighted to be back after attending PETS training, was delighted with the staff and the Chief of Police to be here at Rotary and he is very proud of all of them. He also had travelled to Myrtle Beach, SC and it was remarkable. He and his wife were at a pub there and happened to see Kyle Haugen from Prior Lake. Bob Maxwell was delighted with the Guns and Hoses event and thought Melanie did a fabulous job planning it. He was also delighted with the Gophers Women’s Basketball win last night.

Garrett Prehatney was delighted for his new nephew and being an uncle but has a dilemma that he lives with his brother and now needs to find a new place to stay.

Card Draw – Dirk Barrett won and donated it back to Rotary (Heather encouraged it a bit.)

Pearls of Wisdom: “Doing nothing is very hard to do….you never know when you are finished.” Anonymous

Last Time We Met 3/20/2025

Today our meeting was held at Rockwoods and was led by President Heather Kliewer. We sang and recited the pledge: We pledge ourselves to "Create Hope in the World". We will accomplish this by reaffirming our mission to inspire leaders with passion to serve humanity, strengthen youth for tomorrow's leadership and dedicate ourselves to enhancing lives in our world. Before we speak, act, or make decisions, let us pause and ask ourselves: Is it the truth? Is it fair to all concerned? Will it build goodwill and better friendships? Will it be beneficial to all concerned? These are our compass and will ensure that our actions are filled with integrity and genuine care.

Attending Melanie Clemons, Julie Fish, Thomas Kerber, Heather Kliewer, Mark Kuyava, Tove Lichty, Debbi Rydberg, Theresa Slominski, Nicole Wojcik, Bob Maxwell, John Osterman, Bruce Tyler

Guests Attending No guests today.

Program: Tove Lichty introduced Tom Kerber, our own Rotarian and Business Coach. Tom talked about the concept of a coach for a sports team and what a coach does and does not do. The coach isn’t the one running the field or playing the ball; the coach is the one taking individuals and teams to the next level. What does a business coach do? Tom’s business is “Focal Point Coaching” and a Focal Point Coach helps businesses obtain clarity about what they do and how they do it, and identify what needs attention. There are six key areas all businesses need to master to be successful: Time, Team, Talent, Money, Strategy, and Future. Tom distributed a Diamond Mining Process handout. This exercise helps you determine where you are at with Financial Independence, Family & Relationships, Business Success, and Health & Fitness on a graph. The goal would be to achieve a perfect diamond shape, representing full satisfaction in each of these critical areas of life. An imperfect diamond shape identifies areas for improvement. Tom’s information is: Tom Kerber, 612-743-2689, tkerber@focalpointcoaching.com. Tom closed with stating that the Rotary Four Way Test is a big part of what he does.

Board & Committee Updates and Reports

2025-2026 Board Nominations are coming up and if you think you are interested in a board position, please let Cal Portner or Heather Kliever know. There will be a Taste meeting scheduled soon. Katie would like to have a co-chair so please let her know if you are interested. Heather is looking into the Canva software for Rotary to be able to use for the Taste event.

Next week will be our Board meeting. Fundraising Opportunities

Happy Birthday – No birthdays today, although Julie Fish’s birthday is coming up and she encouraged us to google “scuba singing”.

Delights and Dilemmas

Heather Kliewer was delighted that the Pot ‘O Gold 5k event went well and they had good weather. They had 239 registered and 150 celebrated at Aegir afterwards. She had three decks of cards for games and the winner for all three decks was an 8!

Tom Kerber was delighted to celebrate 20 years of marital bliss March 19.

Tove Lichty was delighted to have returned from a two-week trip in Vietnam and Cambodia. It involved 20 hours of flying, 6 different hotels, beautiful countryside, and hot, humid weather in the 90s. They saw the Angkor Ruins, which is actually in the jungle, and it was cicada season that was so loud you had to shout to talk! She tried some different food she never would have otherwise but drew the line at the stuffed frogs. Overall, it was a spectacular trip!

Julie Fish was delighted that Rotarian Tom Kerber presented and so proud of him starting his coaching career.

Debbi Rydberg was delighted for her son’s father-in-law being home from the hospital, and one week from today is the “Groovy Gala” Chamber event, from 5:30 - 8:30pm at Rockwoods.

Nicole Wojcik was delighted that her national anthem singing went well and the honor guard even asked her to join their schedule. She and Mark will be traveling to Charlotte, North Carolina to visit her cousin April 3-6.

Card Draw – no winner this week

Pearls of Wisdom: “Spring: a lovely reminder of how beautiful change can be.” Anonymous

Don't Forget:

Last Time We Met 3/13/2025

Today our meeting was held at Rockwoods and was led by President Heather Kliewer.

We sang and recited the pledge: We pledge ourselves to "Create Hope in the World". We will accomplish this by reaffirming our mission to inspire leaders with passion to serve humanity, strengthen youth for tomorrow's leadership and dedicate ourselves to enhancing lives in our world. Before we speak, act, or make decisions, let us pause and ask ourselves: Is it the truth? Is it fair to all concerned? Will it build goodwill and better friendships? Will it be beneficial to all concerned? These are our compass and will ensure that our actions are filled with integrity and genuine care.

Attending Wade Bastian, Melanie Clemons, Julie Fish, Neil Gagnon, Thomas Kerber, Heather Kliewer, Mark Kuyava, Joseph Libor, Dr Laura Mullennex, Debbi Rydberg, Theresa Slominski, Joe Stremcha, Nicole Wojcik, Bob Maxwell, John Osterman, Bruce Tyler

Guests Attending Mark Dickinson, Elk River Fire Chief and Kaitlyn Hennes, Administrative Assistant Elk River Fire Department Program Joe Libor introduced the Elk River Fire Chief, Mark Dickinson, who gave an update on the Fire

Department. He was last here six years ago when he first started as the Fire Chief. There has been a restructure and reorganization of the department, a new fire station (Fire Station 3) added on the East side of town, an update and remodel of Station 2, and a new aerial fire truck ordered since he came. The Fire Academy has been very instrumental in training fire fighters in the area, not just Elk River, which has proved beneficial as they assist each other on fires outside our community. They have some training resources at Fire Station 3 and a burning trailer. A study was done in 2018 and again in 2023 identifying that Station 1 has reached the end of its useful life and will need to relocate that facility somewhere - still central to Elk River. They have a potential of 60 fire fighters, and they are at 51 now so are continually looking to expand their numbers. The next hiring Expo is April 24 and is a great introduction to what a fire fighter is and helps take away fears and misconceptions of the job. Community outreach is very important to the department, whether it is education in the schools, safety within the community, or social media education.

There is a boot hockey charity event at the Kiser Arena March 30 at 3:30, police against fire, and benefiting The Boys and Girls Club and Soldier 6.

Board & Committee Updates and Reports

Tom Kerber will be presenting next week, and the following week will be our Board meeting.

Fundraising Opportunities

Happy Birthday – we sang the regular way to Melanie Clemons

Delights and Dilemmas Heather Kliewer was

delighted that her daughter, Cheri, had surgery on Saturday and feels like a million bucks now! She was also delighted with her parents’ celebration of their 50th anniversary last weekend.

Bob Maxwell was delighted to have the Police Chief in a few weeks to present, which will be after the police and fire charity hockey game.

Nicole Wojcik was delighted to have had an awesome Florida trip and the family she went to help with is doing well. She is also delighted to be singing the national anthem at the Zimmerman Archery Tournament this weekend.

Theresa Slominski was delighted with the sunshine and warm weather today!

Julie Fish had a dilemma that her vehicle tabs were $500 and delighted that her license was renewed at the Wright County Licensing Center which is a very nice facility, and they even have a drive-thru!

Neil Gagnon was delighted to be traveling to Florida next week.

Card Draw – no winner this week

Pearls of Wisdom: “Wherever you go and whatever you do, may the luck of the Irish be with you.” Irish Blessing

Last Time We Met 3/6/2025
Today our meeting was held at Rockwoods and was led by President Heather Kliewer.

We sang and recited the pledge:
We pledge ourselves to "Create Hope in the World". We will accomplish this by reaffirming our mission to
inspire leaders with passion to serve humanity, strengthen youth for tomorrow's leadership and dedicate ourselves to enhancing lives in our world. Before we speak, act, or make decisions, let us pause and ask ourselves: Is it the truth? Is it fair to all concerned? Will it build goodwill and better friendships? Will it bebeneficial to all concerned? These are our compass and will ensure that our actions are filled with
integrity and genuine care.

Attending
Dirk Barrett, Roger Clemons, Julie Fish, Neil Gagnon, Katie Harstad, Thomas Kerber, Heather Kliewer, Bonnie Koste, Mark Kuyava, Cal Portner, Debbi Rydberg, Theresa Slominski, Marvin Sorvala, Joe Stremcha, Nicole Wojcik, Bob Maxwell, John Osterman, Bruce Tyler

Guests Attending
Colton Hanson, grandson of Bob Maxwell; Alec Plaisted, partner of Plaisted Companies
Bob Maxwell introduced his grandson, Colton Hanson, who was able to accompany him since he had no school today.

Program
Bonnie Koste introduced Alec Plaisted, a partner in Plaisted Companies, overseeing Sales and Marketing, the Landscape division, and a member of the Leadership Team.

Plaisted Companies was founded in 1990 by his father, Todd Plaisted. They created a custom blend of sand for Princeton Golf Course bunkers and grew very quickly after that and now serve around 325 golf courses in the tri-state area. They expanded into peat harvesting, horticulture special blend soils, engineered soils and environmental solutions, custom blended soils, landscape supply for outdoor spaces, boulder acquisitions, homeowner-friendly loading bins with online ordering capabilities, a fleet of trucks that deliver any way you want, and
propane delivery in the winter months. They are very proud of their reputation for innovation, reliability, and customer service in their company of about 150 employees with Alec, his brother, and his father at the helm. They hope to continue their growth with acquisitions, adding salespeople, and building partnerships, and feel that their engineered soils and horticulture blends have a lot of growth opportunity.

Board & Committee Updates and Reports
Mark Kuyava with Service Projects provided an update on the Adopt A Highway project and we are
waiting on a sign to designate our area along Highway 10 from approximately Dairy Queen to the 101
overpass. We are required to clean twice a year and may clean three times a year in spring, summer,
and fall.
Debbi Rydberg with the Donations Committee updated that emails have been sent to the non-profits
they had in their database to let them know how to apply for grants and the timeline. Joe Stremcha will
send out the email to survey the club on the focus for donations and awarding the grants.
Katie Harstad is still looking for a co-chair to help with the Taste. She is interested in any feedback from
past weeks since she has been gone. If you haven’t signed up for an area of the Taste to help with yet let
Katie or Heather know.
Julie Fish noted that Terry Bizal has been removed with regret from membership and Mike Zeman has
been added.

Cal Portner provided a website update that is mostly backend changes that he is working on with the
changes that RI had implemented. He is looking forward to having news updates on the website.

Next week we have Joe Libor bringing the Fire Chief, Mark Dickinson, for his program.

Fundraising Opportunities

Happy Birthday – no birthdays today

Delights and Dilemmas
Heather Kliewer was delighted that Endless Poxybilities volunteered to epoxy

the new floors in the CAER garage for free and it looks beautiful! Her parents are celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary this
weekend. She had a dilemma that her oldest daughter, Cheri, is in the hospital with an infected kidney
stone that turned sepsis, trying to stop the infection and return her to health.
Nicole Wojcik was delighted that she had been skiing over the weekend and only fell twice. She was also
at the State Capitol yesterday for Minnesota Community Education Advocacy Day and was able to meet
with representatives and senators. Haley is coming home today through Saturday. She is taking an
“emergency” trip down to Florida to help her friend out who is expecting their second child in a few
weeks and has had a sick child in the hospital with severe pneumonia last week. Finally, she will be
singing the national anthem again for the Zimmerman Archery Tournament.
Theresa Slominski was delighted that her husband had a successful trip to Colorado last week with his
siblings and mom to clean out his brother’s condo, and for the boys’ state hockey tournament -
especially with East Grand Forks playing so well last night.
Marv Sorvala was delighted to be up her for a week and practice using his Michigan snow scoop.
Bruce Tyler was delighted to share a very serious announcement that he and Cassy invested in a dozen
eggs and placed them in their safe deposit box to see what happens.
Bob Maxwell was delighted to share that Colton’s brother, Chase, was in a basketball tournament in
Farmington and played against Kevin O’Connell’s son and he was gracious enough to take a picture with
their team.
Julie Fish was delighted with her Florida Keys vacation, for Marvin having to shovel while he was back,
and for the Three Rivers’ Bargo at the Buff.
Debbi Rydberg was delighted to have been at the Laundromat and needed quarters and only had a $20
bill so she has lots of quarters – a throwback to Marilyn – and so two dollars in quarters for her cat Dale
who was “nosey” and fell into the toilet, and the Chambers’ Groovy Gala (a throwback to the 70s) on
March 27 which she hopes to see many of us attend.
Katie Harstad was delighted to be back after having a crazy couple of weeks: her family is back down to
one sport instead of three, she made it through the hockey sections week, she got influenza A in the
process, and she was presented with the President’s Award for marketing at the Lions Club. She is
excited to go on a field trip tomorrow to the State Hockey Tournament.

Card Draw – no winner this week

Pearls of Wisdom:
“The beauty of daylight-savings time is that it just makes everyone feel sunnier.” Ed Markey

Last Time We Met 2/20/2025

Today our meeting was held at Rockwoods and was led by President Heather Kliewer.

We sang and recited the pledge: We pledge ourselves to "Create Hope in the World". We will accomplish this by reaffirming our mission to inspire leaders with passion to serve humanity, strengthen youth for tomorrow's leadership and dedicate ourselves to enhancing lives in our world. Before we speak, act, or make decisions, let us pause and ask ourselves: Is it the truth? Is it fair to all concerned? Will it build goodwill and better friendships? Will it be beneficial to all concerned? These are our compass and will ensure that our actions are filled with integrity and genuine care.

Attending
Dirk Barrett, Wade Bastian, Melanie Clemons, Roger Clemons, Neil Gagnon, Heather Kliewer, Mark Kuyava, Joseph Libor, Tove Lichty, Dr. Laura Mullennex, Cal Portner, Pete Reiner, Debbi Rydberg, Alan Sakry, Theresa Slominski, Joe Stremcha, Bill Yueill, Bob Maxwell, John Osterman, Bruce Tyler

Guests Attending
Gavin Schmidt, Student of the Month, and Candace Schmidt, his mother; Mike Zeman, Principal Elk River
High School
Program
Mike Zeman introduced Gavin Schmidt, the Student of the Month, a senior at Elk River High School.
Gavin is a senior leader in the building, captain of the football team, runs track, and is a bleacher leader
of winter sports. He plans on attending the University of Minnesota Duluth to play football and his major

is still undecided. His favorite classes are yoga and weightlifting, and his favorite teacher was his third-
grade teacher. His hero is his dad who is a hard worker and very disciplined, and Saquon Barkley.

Heather Kliewer presented the amended bylaws reflecting the regular meeting schedule change. We
had a quorum and so a motion was made by Debbi Rydberg to accept the change of the bylaws,
seconded by Pete Reiner, and the motion passed.

Board & Committee Updates and Reports
The Donations Committee presented Categories with descriptions to use for the applications and asked
for feedback on them. The categories align well with Rotary International: Economic Empowerment,
Environmental Preservation, Lifelong Learning, Health Welfare and Wellness, and Youth Enrichment.
Once the categories are finalized, Joe Stremcha will be sending out the information from the Donation
Committee for the club to help prioritize the funding focus, via an email to vote.
The Taste of Elk River signature recipient was discussed. The organizations submitted were CAER,
Magnus Foundation, Three Rivers Foundation, Main Street Family Services, and Hoodlums. The
discussion centered around having a single signature recipient or have it be a general fundraiser and
spread the wealth to more organizations through the Donations Committee grants. We will allow some
more time for members to think on this topic before deciding. Joe will include this information in the
email he sends.
February is “Share The Love” month for Rotary General Foundation. Your donations made through “My
Rotary” can be matched with Paul Harris points. Be sure to set up your “My Rotary” account if you have not already.

Next week, February 27, 2025 is the Board Meeting. There will be no student of the month in March.
Fundraising Opportunities

Happy Birthday – We sang Happy Birthday to Dirk Barrett, a horrible version at his request.

Delights and Dilemmas
Theresa Slominski was delighted the steamer people came and unfroze the sewer at her cabin this past
weekend.
Mike Zeman was delighted that the Elk River wrestling team was going to the State Tournament this
year, for the first time in 23 years! They upset the 1st, 3rd, and 4th seeds!

Neil Gagnon was delighted for his trip to Mexico and had a wonderful time and was glad that the plane
landed upright on its wheels.
Wade Bastian was delighted with the warmer weather and hopes to have his maple taps in next week.
Roger Clemons had delights and dilemmas as there was car trouble over the weekend, and his furnace
locked up over the weekend but is working now.
Robert Maxwell was delighted with Gopher football and basketball, and for the Squatch hockey team
that his having a great season.
Tove Lichty was delighted to have been in Arizona last week for a partner meeting and found out that
she was recognized in the Forbes top women wealth advisors. Congratulations Tove!
Melanie Clemons is delighted to be back after being sick for two weeks, her daughter is now driving with
her drivers permit, and her son is graduating this year and so it has been an emotional roller coaster.
Heather Kliewer was delighted that her granddaughter Maddie turned 1 February 8, for her trip to
Cancun last week, and the CAER Trot O’ Gold 5k March 15.

Card Draw – Tove Lichty was the winner this week!

Pearls of Wisdom:
“Never put off until tomorrow what you can do the day after tomorrow just as well.” Mark Twain

Last Time We Met 2/13/2025

Today our meeting was held at Rockwoods and was led by President-Elect Cal Portner.

We sang and recited the pledge: We pledge ourselves to "Create Hope in the World". We will accomplish this by reaffirming our mission to inspire leaders with passion to serve humanity, strengthen youth for tomorrow's leadership and dedicate ourselves to enhancing lives in our world. Before we speak, act, or make decisions, let us pause and ask ourselves: Is it the truth? Is it fair to all concerned? Will it build goodwill and better friendships? Will it be beneficial to all concerned? These are our compass and will ensure that our actions are filled with integrity and genuine care.

Attending Wade Bastian, Thomas Kerber, Cal Portner, Pete Reiner, Debbi Rydberg, Alan Sakry, Theresa Slominski, Joe Stremcha, Bob Maxwell, John Osterman, Bruce Tyler

Guests Attending Jessica Ovall, CAER; Tim and Michelle Hiller.

The Car Clinic Program - Tim Hiller presented for The

Car Clinic, a non-profit ministry in Elk River that provides vehicle repairs and maintenance for people in financial need. They provide free labor, discounted parts, and a 27-point inspection, along with a meal while the repairs are being completed. Typical recipients are single parents, seniors, disabled individuals, veterans, or anyone who is in a season of financial distress. Tim told the story of how he felt called to provide this service even though he had no idea how it was going to work and he had limited mechanical experience. He felt this has been a walk of faith where God provided the resources over the years, and in March they will celebrate their 20-year anniversary. Kare 11, Land of 10,000 Stories, made a story in 2017 that really grew their business. 'Car Clinic' tends to cars and their owners | kare11.com They have grown from providing the service a few times a year to 8-10 cars one Saturday a month in their home garage and are booked for six months out. They also take car donations and fix them up and give them away to people in need and help other individuals start car clinics. Tim would like to find a garage building so that he can do the work Monday through Friday because they have so much need. He would like to also be able to fix cars at a reduced rate to provide income for the free services he is providing. He is looking for help with fundraising, grant writing, donations, and property or low-rent facility to take it to the next level. Donations and information can be found at tim@thecarclinic.org and www.thecarclinic.org.

Board & Committee Updates and Reports Debbi Rydberg reported that Rotary has placed an ad in the Community Guide to recruit members and make Rotary more visible in the community, as well as a Taste update. She also reported that the applications will be updated on the website for organizations to apply for donation requests.

Fundraising Opportunities – none

Delights and Dilemmas

Debbi Rydberg was delighted with a wonderful trip to Texas, has new floors in some of her house (thanks to Dirk Barrett for help with that), attending a conference on AI and ChatGPT, gave herself a fine for having her name badge in her car instead of on her person, and glad to be back to Rotary after being gone for a while.

Wade Bastian was delighted to have seen a segment on Good Morning America on the 150th anniversary of Boy Scouts and the name change to Scouting America. Tom Kerber gave himself a fine for being late and was delighted with The Car Clinic that happens to be on the same street he lives on.

Bob Maxwell was delighted that his knee issues seemed to be resolved with a cortisone shot and found out that D3 Elk River players were recognized at the hockey arena when he found his son’s name on a plaque along with all the other D1 and NHL players that were recognized.

Joe Stremcha was delighted that his dogs were at the groomers today, and his stepbrother and wife have a new son, Emerson, born at 4:30am and his mom is flying in today to see the new baby.

Theresa Slominski was delighted to have The Car Clinic here today, to attend the Squatch game with her son and have some quality time with him.

Card Draw – no winner this week

- None

“Pearls of Wisdom: eave nothing for tomorrow which can be done today.” Abraham Lincoln

Last Time We Met 2/6/2025

Today our meeting was held at Rockwoods and was led by President Heather Kliewer. We sang and recited the pledge: We pledge ourselves to "Create Hope in the World". We will accomplish this by reaffirming our mission to inspire leaders with passion to serve humanity, strengthen youth for tomorrow's leadership and dedicate ourselves to enhancing lives in our world. Before we speak, act, or make decisions, let us pause and ask ourselves: Is it the truth? Is it fair to all concerned? Will it build goodwill and better friendships? Will it be beneficial to all concerned? These are our compass and will ensure that our actions are filled with integrity and genuine care.

Attending Julie Fish, Neil Gagnon, Katie Harstad, Thomas Kerber, Heather Kliewer, Bonnie Koste, Mark Kuyava, Cal Portner, Pete Reiner, Theresa Slominski, Nicole Wocjik, Bill Yueill, Bob Maxwell, John Osterman, Bruce Tyler

Guests Attending - No guests today

Program Today Katie Harstad led a discussion on the Taste of Elk River 2025, which will be held Wednesday, August 13 at the Furniture & Things Event Center. Katie stated for 2026 we may need to explore alternative venues than the main ice, due to the time it takes to remove the ice and then restore the ice. There is a huge demand for ice time and it is very expensive to remove, and they are missing out on revenue opportunities of $250 per hour when the ice is out. That is an amount that cannot be recouped with day venues on the dry surface. There will be an alternative entrance at the side rather than over the steps this year. We are doing paper and digital tickets this year. Katie asked for help on committees for the Taste as it is our biggest fundraiser of the year. She asked for help with asking sponsors, asking restaurants, creating the sponsorship package, beverage assistance with John O (and learning that piece as well), games and fundraising (asking for items or alternative ideas for use of wheel), ticketing, marketing, and entertainment/music. Today Katie emailed a google link for a spreadsheet that tracks everything related to the Taste event. Everyone can use this spreadsheet to share information and if you are not able to access it you can send information to Katie at tasteer@rotaryelkrivermn.org and she will update. This will be a great tool for providing information year over year. Slips of paper were provided at the meeting to nominate an organization to be the Signature Recipient, and an email will also be sent to everyone so those not in attendance are still provided an opportunity to submit a nomination. Once nominations have been collected, there will be a vote via an email google form.

Board & Committee Updates and Reports

Salk STEM Middle School is looking for History Day judges February 19, 20 and 21. Heather provided a QR code to register or the website is https://forms.gle/RpCwsHRgDo77YGce7.

Our bylaws need to be updated for the meeting change from every Thursday to the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Thursdays with the 5th Thursday designated as club assemblies. We need to have a quorum and so this will be on future meetings’ agenda.

Mark Kuyava gave an update on the Adopt a Highway project. Our club will be responsible for the section of Highway 10 that starts approximately at Dairy Queen and stops just before GRE, on both sides of Highway 10. The sign will say “Sponsored by Elk River Rotary” and will be installed in about three months. More information to come for the first cleanup, likely in May.

Fundraising Opportunities

Delights and Dilemmas

Heather Kliewer was delighted with her granddaughter, Maddie’s, first birthday on Saturday. She is also delighted to be going to Cancun next week. Bonnie Koste was delighted to be here, delighted to be back from vacation in Mexico, and the Pond Hockey Tournament at Handke Pit on Saturday with any proceeds going to Three Rivers.

Tom Kerber was delighted to have completed a bucket list item by participating in a Polar Plunge for the Special Olympics down in Maple Grove. He also had a dilemma that his wife’s cousin (who is like a sister to her) was dying of blood cancer at 47 and they will visiting her this weekend.

Theresa Slominski was delighted with the Squatch game/Rotary social on Friday.

Neil Gagnon was delighted to be going to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico on Monday.

Katie Harstad had a dilemma that she will be gone the next three weeks from Rotary because things will be so busy at the F&TEC.

Nicole Wocjik was delighted to practice self-care on Tuesday morning for a massage, and the in-laws visited on Sunday to watch church on their 85” big screen TV.

Happy Birthday – none

Card Draw – no winner this week

Pearls of Wisdom: All you need is love, but a little chocolate now and then doesn’t hurt.

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