Rotempary (Feb. 26, 2025)

Breakfast meetings are on Wednesday mornings at 7:30-8:30 at Central Mix Community Space, 4030 Central Avenue, Columbia Heights. Drop in! Guests Welcome!

Find us online at:https://www.fridleychrotary.org/ and connect with us at fridleychrotary@gmail.com or on Facebook at Fridley-CH Rotary.

Joining the FCH Rotary breakfast meetings on Zoom (request by the previous Monday at skeeler@isd14.org): open the link below, click on Open Zoom Meetings, and follow the prompts.

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/5539809296

PROGRAM

16 members and guest CeCe Kellner of the Fridley High School Kiwanis Key Club heard Rick Heidrick of Stillwater Sunrise Rotary and the District 5960 LIFT program review the program’s history and its continuing focus on pursuing sustainable projects at communities in Nicaragua.

New member Anna Bottila was inducted, and Shortstop Bar & Grill our meeting site from 2017-Feb. 2025 was farewelled with presentation of a commemorative wall plaque.

UPCOMING PROGRAMS Mar. 5- First meeting at Central Mix, 4030 Central Avenue, Columbia Heights; Ron Steiner leads a presentation of Magnifi Credit Union’s “3 Essentials”. Mar. 12- Liam Genter, Columbia Heights Fitness Court Project. Mar. 19- Club President Mike Oakley leads a club business session focusing on the July 28 Golf Classic fundraiser.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Central Mix community space and Coffee Shop, 4030 Central Avenue, Columbia Heights, will be tried first as our new meeting site, beginning next week, Wednesday March 5. For a guarantee of $100 per meeting, Central Mix will provide the meeting space, basic coffee service, a pastry tray, and will accept individual food and beverage orders. Photos: TheCentralMix.com.

Parking at Central Mix: street parking on southbound Central Avenue between 41^st Avenue and 40^th Avenue; surface lot across Central Avenue; disused restricted surface parking and free parking ramp behind Central Mix entered from 40^th Avenue, with alley and walkway access.

REMINDERS

The next Operation Pollination virtual meeting is scheduled for 7:30 a.m. on Tuesday, March 4. Use Zoom reference https://colheights-k12-mn-us.zoom.us/j/89549675071.

Social Committee Scott Lund invited members to participate in Beer Choir at Forgotten Star Brewing, 38 Northern Stacks Dr., Fridley, from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. on Saturday, March 8.

The next dues invoice, for the quarter ending March 31, is expected to be issued March 15. Pay invoices by check at a meeting, mail a check to FCH Rotary at 3966 Reservoir Blvd., Columbia Heights 55421, or use the club’s VENMO account. To use it for payments to the club, download the VENMO ap and type in Fridley-Columbia HeightsRotaryClub.

The next STRIVE program visit will take place on Thursday, March 20, to Hennepin Tech and the adjacent law enforcement academy. Contact Steve Klaers at 612-599-8103 about attending.

The club board meets next on Wednesday, April 2 at 9 a.m.

The Rotary District ‘Make Peace Visible’ Annual Conference is scheduled for Thursday-Saturday May 1-3 at Mystic Lake Event Center, 2400 Mystic Lake Blvd, Prior Lake. Register at https://makepeacevisible.org/.

The 2025 Golf Classic fundraiser is scheduled for Monday, July 28, at The Refuge Golf Course in Columbus Township, Anoka County.

The Columbia Heights Mayor’s Monarch Festival is scheduled for Thursday, August 14. The club usually staffs an informational table.

With the club board approving an expenditure in 2025-26 for a Rotary grant proposal, members are encouraged to suggest possible projects for either a district or international grant. Contact Secretary Bob Tholkes at fridleychrotary@gmail.com.

Rotary International announced that the May 27-28, 2028 (changed from 2029) RI convention will be held in Minneapolis. It will be organized cooperatively by Districts 5580, 5950, 5960, and 6250.

Additional mentors for Fridley STRIVE students are sought. Contact Steve Klaers at 612-599-8103.