President Brad Weiss welcomed members to the meeting.  Barb Miles offered a Thought for the Day from Albert Einstein: “Science without religion is lame. Religion without science is blind.”  

 

 

The meeting began with a banner exchange.  Julian Vivas of Caracas, Venezuela, recently completed his MBA at DePaul University.  His visiting parents -- Rotarian Alejandro Vivas (RC of LaVictoria, Venezuela) and Maria Eugenia Reveron – were welcomed and club banners were exchanged. 

 

Bill Glader of the Taste of Evanson (TOE) Committee shared some good news about the upcoming event (Sunday, July 9, 4-7 p.m.).  ZS Associates, sales/marketing consultants and tenants in One Rotary Center, committed their sponsorship at the Bon Vivant ($5,000) level!  Thanks to Randy Usen and MaLu Simon for securing this important donation!  Evanston Lighthouse Rotarians will be participating in the Fourth of July parade, wearing embroidered Taste of Evanston chef hats and distributing informational postcards to the crowd.  If you’d like postcards or posters to distribute around Evanston, please contact Bill or another member of the committee.

 

Volunteers are also needed on the day of the event.  There are many tasks – serving, paddle raise spotting, raffle set-up and sales, clean-up – for which volunteers are still needed on the day of the event.  If you’re able to help out, please sign the sheets on the tables or contact Volunteer Coordinators Ilana Seligman and Joan Borg. 

 

Our Facebook presence has grown tremendously, thanks to the efforts of Marisa Naujokas.  Hundreds of Facebook friends have said they’re “going to” Taste of Evanston, and thousands (!) have said they’re “interested.” If you’re planning to attend, please buy your tickets soon so you won’t be disappointed.   Taste of Evanston is a fun social event that raises funds for our Foundation and three wonderful local organizations. Please consider sending an invitation to your friends and family.  It is possible to pay for tickets online, or using the form emailed to all members on June 12.   (Please remember to include the names of your guests if you’re paying by check.) 

 

Gary Peterson announced that the next Golf Road Clean-up will take place on Saturday, June 17, at 8:30 a.m.   The group will meet, as usual, in the TJ Maxx parking lot and the task should take about 40 minutes.  Please consider this ‘hands on’ opportunity – and bring your work gloves!   

 

Brad noted that many ELRC members are currently at the RI Convention in Atlanta.  If you’d like to take advantage of a special promotional rate ($295) for next year’s Rotary Convention in Toronto, please visit www.riconvention.org and register before midnight on June 14, 2017.  Toronto is a beautiful city and the convention promises to be another wonderful gathering.

 

Helen Oloroso explained that three members stepped up to learn more about serving as Scribe at our weekly meetings. If others are interested, please let Helen know.   Wearing a different hat, Helen explained that we will NOT be having a morning meeting on June 27. Instead, an Installation Reception for our new Board will be held at the Hilton Garden Inn on June 27 at 6:15 p.m.   Soft drinks and heavy hors d’oeuvres will be served.  Beer and wine will be available.  Every member is invited and encouraged to bring one guest.   Please let Helen know, via email or the sign-up sheets on the tables, whether you will be attending.  

 

Neil Gambow, club organizer for the Fourth of July Parade, encouraged members to walk (or ride) in this annual event.  The parade kicks off at 2:00 p.m.  Rotarians will be wearing their Rotary or End Polio shirts (if available) and Taste of Evanston chef hats.   Come join the fun!

 

 

Brad announced that Rotary will be participating in a Peace Corps Partnership Workshop in Denver on August 4.  Please let Brad know if you would like additional information.

 

Don Gwinn, chief organizer for Rebuilding Together, read a very sweet thank you note from homeowner Ida Lewis.  Ida acknowledged that she was overwhelmed with the condition of her home before receiving our help.  She was grateful for everything that was done, commenting that “everyone was just so nice.”  Thanks to Don and his crew for finding so many ways to make a difference in just one day!

 

Ken Green announced that the club needs a team leader for this fall’s Beach Clean-up effort.  Our club, in collaboration with the Alliance for the Great Lakes and other Evanston residents, will be collecting beach trash on the morning of Saturday, July 16.  The team leader attends one evening meeting during the summer (date TBD) and helps with basic coordination of the event.   While Beach Clean-up technically falls under the auspices of the Community Service Committee, you do not need to be a CSC member to participate or lead this effort.  Please let Ken or Community Service Chair Elaine Clemens know if you’d like to help.

 

Kea Gorden announced that raffle tickets are now available for the two youth bicycles donated by Dale Bradley.  Tickets are $10 each and the drawing will take place at the June 27 Installation Reception.  The bikes are appropriate for a very young child, with removable training wheels.  If you don’t have any young bike riders in the family, please consider purchasing a ticket for a local charity. Preschools, like the School for Little Children, would be happy to have them for their own fundraising events or pupil use.

 

Brad read a thank-you note from recent Vocational Scholarship recipient Luke Forbat. 

 

 

Debi Genthe boasted her younger daughter who just graduated from high school as one of the class’ top 10 students.  For the jazz-minded, Debi has tickets for a July 14 Youth Jazz performance, featuring many talented young performers (including her daughter’s boyfriend). 

 

Helen Oloroso boasted Chuck Bartling for his ongoing editing of The Light.  Chuck has worked on The Light for years, originally as a writer and now as our editor.   Chuck added: “Time flies when you’re getting old.”   

 

Ann Weatherhead boasted Rotary and circulated an article from today’s Wall Street Journal, citing Rotary’s contribution to polio eradication. 

 

Don Gwinn explained that his son Peter, a comedy writer and performer, has been working recently on an “internet-only” production.  Who did Peter recently work with?  Tim Kazurinsky, husband of new member Marcia Kazurinsky!

 

 

 

Neil Gambow introduced Marty Lyons, Chief Financial Officer and Assistant City Manager of Evanston.  Usually asked to speak about taxes and budgets, Marty welcomed this chance to talk about a new and exciting project in Evanston. 

 

Originally built in 1974 at a cost of $2.5 million (significantly over its $1.7 million budget), the Robert Crown Center has served Evanston as a venue for hockey, speed skating, figure skating, baseball, soccer, summer camps,and other public activities.  “Ready for renovation” since 2001, Evanston in 2011 sought a public/private partnership that would design, build, finance, and operate the facility.  When overall market conditions did not make this viable, plans were put on hold.  Two years ago, with the Center showing severe wear and a number of civil, structural, architectural, and mechanical issues, the city again looked to the future.

 

Replacement of the Center is now being planned, with Woodhouse Tinucci Architects serving as architects/consultants.  The new center will be built on Robert Crown Center grounds, but not on the current building site, allowing current programs to continue during construction. 

The City Council does not plan to bond/tax to raise funds for the new facility.  Instead, the proposed $30 million Crown Center, Park & Library will be funded through private contributions and commitments from the City of Evanston ($10 million) and the Evanston Public Library  ($2 million).   Friends of the Robert Crown Center, a new 501(c)3 nonprofit charitable organization, was formed in 2016 to spearhead community fundraising efforts for the project.  Fundraising to date has been quite successful, with private donations of $4 million matched, bringing the total to $8 million.  Breaking ground on the new facility is scheduled for next year. 

 

What will the Center look like?   Currently in the schematic design phase, the rough plans (distributed on the tables) have already changed.  The new Center will include a completely new facility and park, two full ice sheets (current facility has 1-½ sheets), a new library branch and technology center, gymnasium with seating area, turf athletic fields, multi-purpose rooms, expanded locker rooms, and a common gathering area.

 

Located at Main & Dodge, the new building will be sited on the current ball field.  Parking will primarily be located on Main Street, with minimal impact to residential neighbors.  Per Marty, one goal of the project is “no losers.”   Trees will be kept, tennis courts and sports fields will be improved. Stakeholder feedback is being solicited. Bigger and better is another ambition of the project.  The most significant and exciting change is the inclusion of a 6,000-square-foot  library in the new Crown Center.  Libraries and ice rinks are a popular pairing in Canada and planners on this project are looking north for inspiration. 

 

Currently 61,000 square feet, the new (potentially multi-story) Center is likely to include 130,000 square feet of usable space.  The building will, at a minimum, be Silver LEED-certified with more than 200 parking spaces.   Efforts are being made to ensure that the new center is fiscally sustainable.  

 

Part of a public process, there will be a mid-July information session for community members and stakeholders.  The Friends of Robert Crown Center (FRCC) web site offers additional info, schematics, and an opportunity to donate (www.friendsofcrown.org).

 

Still very much a work-in-progress, the Robert Crown Center seeks to be a multi-use, family-oriented facility with the potential for pop-up programming (arts, community events, etc.)  The next few years promise to be a very exciting time in southwest Evanston!

 

 

 

 

Alejandro Vivas, RC of La Victoria, Venezuela

Tom Nash, RC of Winnetka Northfield

 

 

Frank Elizaranas, guest of Tom Nash

Emery Bonge, prospective member and guest of Kea Gorden

Marty Lyons, guest speaker

 

 

Jacob Bachman – June 19

 

 

Charter member John Heimbaugh –  32 years

Charter member Ira Graham – 32 years

Charter member Jeff Gardner – 32 years

Charter member Paul Brown – 32 years

Charter member Bob Teska - 32 years

 

 

Set-up: San Lovering and Kea Gordon

Greeters: Susan Prout and Keith Sarpolis

Thought for the Day: Marissa Naujokas

Scribe: Helen Oloroso

Break-down: Kristen Brown and Carol Bild