Rotaryminder for April 29, 2025
Posted by Mary Beth Harper
GUEST:
Greg Dostal, Vice President, Consumer Lending, Portage Community Bank in Kent
HAPPY BUCKS:
Many people were happy. Nelson Burns announced that John Flynn is home from the hospital and feeling better. David Dix appreciated the $9,000 raised at the Portage Parks Foundation auction last weekend.
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Doug Fuller announced Tap Talks at North Water Brewery will be held Tuesday, May 13, featuring Jim Myers, who will present on 128 years of Thompson Drugs in Kent.
Interested in helping with Wizardly World in Kent this summer? Contact Amanda Senn.
Larry Lohman reported that our water project in El Salvador is on track to be completed in a month. Interested in traveling with a Rotary delegation June 13 to 16? Contact him.
A number of members attended the Rotary District Conference last weekend, including Rachel Kerns, Amanda Senn, Shawn Gordon, Jen Lennox, Kaleena Gharky, David Hansford, Asad Khan and Larry Lohman. Our club won second place in the Friendship Village competition. Member Bob Lohman was presented with a 50-year award for his Rotary service.
Dominique Bollenbacher announced upcoming Kent clean-up days, including brush pick-up. DORA continues all year with a large downtown footprint. See the city’s website for details.
Denise Baba announced PARTA’s 50th anniversary open house on June 4. PARTA is conducting a community transit survey available on the website. New buses have arrived, too.
Todd Kamenash is asking for community volunteers to assist as session monitors for the 50+ presentations at the International Town and Gown Conference to be held in Kent during the first week of June. Talk to Todd about more details or visit
https://www.itga.org/index.php/conference/2025-conference.
PRESENTATION:
Kaleena Gharky introduced President Rachel Kerns, who discussed her participation at the 2025 Rotary Presidential Peace Conference in Istanbul, Turkey, in February. Held at one of the largest hotels in the world, Rachel enjoyed Turkish food and meeting delegates, who numbered more than 1,000.
One of the topics discussed throughout the conference involved “Peace in a Polarized World.” Rachel said she was proud of the inclusiveness of our club and its involvement in the Rotary Peace Fellows program. District 6630 contributes $25,000 each year to the Peace Fellows.
RESPONDER: Asad Khan
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