Presiding: President Mr. Jim Daly
Invocation: Rodney Greene
Fellowship: with Jim Konrad, who talked about Valentine’s Day and where roses now come from – Colombia. Who knew?
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Birthdays:
Kathleen Stauffer on Feb. 7
Rotarian Anniversaries:
None.
Rotarians with guests:
Stan Lucas brought his sister, Annie.
Visiting Rotarians:
None.
Announcements:
- Pres. Mr. Jim Daly thanked those donating to his president’s project and thanked those who participated the previous week in the Happy Dollars discussion. He also said carnival discussions are ongoing.
- Mike Cooney reports the No-Show Gala has received more donations, including from the Otis Library and Bob Farwell, Surplus Unlimited and Mike Matera, Rich Pascal, The Savings Institute, Andrew Nollman and Theresa Madonna. Mike also has a plan to extend giving opportunities to others in the community with personal notes from Rotarians.
- That text alert you received was Mike Cooney testing the messaging he is planning for late news and alerts. Remain calm!
- The Rotary flagpole at Howard T. Brown Park is down, and it appears to be the work of vandals. Jim Daly says the club may wait to see who purchases the marina before deciding if the flagpole goes back up there or possibly elsewhere.
- The Young Marines are looking to raise money for a flag retirement box to be placed in Norwich City Hall. See Jim Daly for details.
- There is a Rotary mixer at the SuperCharged Indoor Karting and Trampoline in Oakdale on Feb. 19, from 6-8 p.m.
- Kyle Muenzner says the Native Son/Native Daughter meetings have started. The first one was Friday, and we apologize for not getting the word out sooner.
Happy Dollars: with Nancy Gentes, who saluted the Super Bowl-winning Patriots.
Mike Gordon said Bonnie Hong is now at Norwichtown Rehabilitation Center and would appreciate visitors.
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Gary Young pulled his hamstring playing tennis last week and is still hurting. He also appreciates his time playing Scrabble with Annie Lucas.
Andrew Nollman gave $20, $13 for the Patriots, $6 for their Super Bowl titles and $1 for Kyle Muenzner inviting him to join the crew going to the victory parade in Boston on Tuesday.
Mike Matera is heading to Brazil to celebrate his wife’s 50th birthday party.
Rodney Greene went to Nashville to see his grandchildren, then went to Texas for the funeral of his closest uncle, who died at age 99.
Mike Cooney remembers the Patriots’ first Super Bowl appearance (it did not go well for them). He also recalled that Jack Grinold, who he knew at Northeastern, helped give the Patriots their name. Also, Mike’s son was second in his den’s Pinewood Derby.
Stan Lucas talked about him and his siblings deciding to live together after their parents passed away. Despite some strong personalities, “it’s been an enjoyable 10-12 years. It’s been a lot of fun,” he said.
Auction:
None today. Instead, a $20 donation.
Lottery:
Ray Baribeault, the first person to draw, pulled the ace of spades. Congratulations!
Program:
NCDC’s Bob Mills gave an update on the city’s development. He talked about the impact the new Mohegan Sun convention center and proposed Preston Riverwalk could have. He also said there is movement on Broadway and thanked Chelsea Groton bank for its donation to get the Global Cities Norwich going. He also said NCDC plans to “energize” the Stanley Israelite Business Park. “I hope in the next year you will see a different park,” he said.
Jill Fritzsche of Foundry 66 talked about the expansion of Foundry 66, doubling its occupancy and tripling its space. She said the facility has put $1.4 million into downtown. Next up are small retail co-ops. She also talked about the importance of social media to help grow your imprint.
Mills came back to talk about traffic patterns, including applying for a grant for a Franklin Square rotary and his worries that the city missed an opportunity by not passing the bonding vote in November.
