Flag Salute & Invocation by Steve Swan
Visiting Rotarians: Sanju Choudhury from ID, Brett and Debbie VanSteenwyk.
Guests: Paul Twedt, Emelio, Tammy.
Announcements
World Polio Day today
New Members
Bill Gorman led the induction of Heather Flaherty and Justin Kulhanek. Welcome!
Student of the Month
Katelyn Grams (Ryan and Shayne are her parents) is a senior Squalicum High School. A 4.0 student with numerous activities and volunteer interests. Michelle Campbell counsellor at SHS, talked about Katelyn and her many achievements. Katelyn came to the dais and talked about her various volunteer activities, both at school and with her church (Hillcrest), some international travel as well.
Business Bucket by visiting Rotarian Sanju Choudhury who talked about his business, Jeeves Ads http://www.jeevesads.com, which is a franchising opportunity involving indoor digital media - basically tv screens in public places that show rotating advertisements (in Idaho where he lives). He is encouraging his Bellingham friend Tammy to develop the business here in Bellingham.
Bucks in the Bay
- Brad Cornwell for his Ducks’ performance against the Huskies!
- Tresha for missed meetings, happy bucks for the events last weeks, sad Huskies lost, update on Stan who is back home, $50 for Foundation for birthday, finished her second half marathon!
- Lance kudos to Ryan and Shayne for their successful daughter, and happy for his son’s football victory;
- Mark Turner new grandson!
- Tim Krell happy for Graham family!
- John Purdie belated 51st birthday bucks $100!
- Brent Walker $200 for Foundation back from Europe, visit to Normandy saw many grateful people there, also at Bayonne the French are still very appreciative of the US forces;
- Mimi Ferlin football games, visit to Stan, and grandson was on Modern Family;
- Jim Johnson for Normandy, back from his most successful trip to the Philippines and Vietnam;
- Debbie Kiene update on son’s recovery, Salish to Salish 10k run last weekend, kudos to Michelle the counsellor from Squalicum;
Program
Lance introduced Dr Greg Baker, superintendent of Bellingham Public Schools. He gave us an update on the public school system.
Bellingham Promise https://bellinghamschools.org/about/the-bellingham-promise/ guides the BPS in its strategic plan in the coming years.
Some recent initiatives:
-Driver education classes are now taught in school sophomore year, free of charge.
-Central kitchen creates meals from locally produced foods;
-Capital projects like Sehome HS is now finishing up, new athletic fields at BHS and Squalicum HS;
-The old district office (currently in a very old building on Dupont) will relocating to Barkley District into a new building in a few years;
-The “bus garage” and transportation facility on Meador is being remodeled;
-Three elementary schools will be rebuilt soon;
McCleary Decision was about the state being responsible for fully funding education, and has now brought in more money, mainly funding compensation to teachers and staff, and lowering class size. However, the state’s definition of “basic education” needs to be updated; for example, the state funds 1.6 nurses for 12,000 students across 22 schools, which is totally inadequate Until the definition is changed, local funding is used to fill the budget gap.
Bonds and levies: Levies are for learning and bonds are for building. Levies can be used to support salaries, programs, software, hardware, curriculum, services and more. They can also be used for staffing that supports the application and implementation of technology. Bond dollars are restricted to our capital facility rebuilds and improvements and any other expenses related to our schools and buildings. These come to voters every other year, off cycle, in February.
YMCA and BPS are working jointly on a possible deal to take over the City’s Arne Hanna Aquatic Center.
Martin wins the raffle.
Respectfully submitted,
Stowe Talbot
Next Week NO MEETING: Instead, we have a fellowship gathering at Thousand Acres Cider House - starting 4:30pm on October 29th!