Congratulations to all on a successful Taste of Hops & Vines on August 27!!!
The details will be in soon – but a good time was had by all!
We added some new attractions:
Gift Card Trees – $20 gets you a gift card from $35 to $70! WE SOLD OUT
The School of Rock – high school age students played for an hour. A bit loud – but many thought a great addition (and some did not appreciate the change).
Several Rotarians have spent time on a couple of Saturdays in June working on beautifying Floral Park in Arden Hills. This has been one of our on-going projects to the local community. Most of the work has been weeding and removing invasive species. Beyond the improvements in the gardens, it has been a great time to enjoy pleasant Saturday mornings, and, more importantly, spending some nice time with fellow Rotarians. We have scheduled ourselves to work on the second and fourth Saturdays of the month from 9:00 to 11:00. The time isn’t rigid and if you would like to help but can’t stay for two hours, that is fine. Love to have you there.
Update on our Global Grant: Ear & Hearing Care for Liberia
Background: During our September 9, 2025, club meeting, we packed 7 “kits” that arrived in January.
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One of 7 Equipment kits for Ear & Hearing Care
The team from the Non-Profit, Church Aid, Inc. has recently delivered these 7 kits to different hospitals around Liberia. Providing Ear & Hearing Care outside of the capitol city of Monrovia is a HUGE step forward for Liberia.
Moses Bimah and Dargai Porkpah are nurses at Curran Lutheran Hospital, which is in remote Lofa County, a 5 to 10 hour drive from Monrovia, depending on the road conditions and flooding. They were trained as Hearing Instrument Specialists at a 10 month program at the Starkey Hearing Institute in Zambia (a different African country).
Moses and Dargai (in front with the “kit”)
at Curran Lutheran Hospital in Lofa County, Liberia, West Africa
Hearing Test in Progress: Liberia, West Africa
with the audiometer from the “kit
Thanks to all for your support as we continue to make progress to bring
Frank Mabley and his wife Jean Kummerow were our speakers today and presented a fascinating look at the country of Uzbekistan, which they visited in April 2024. They traveled there at the invitation of a former exchange student that Frank hosted in 1998. Uzbekistan and its fellow "stans" located in Central Asia are unknown to most of us due to distance and their history of previously being part of the U.S.S.R. I think we were all taken by the dazzling art and architecture we saw in their presentation. Even the subways are works of art. Uzbekistan had a long hay day (120 BC to 1553 AD) as part of the "Silk Road". This country, which is 80% Muslim, has recently begun to attract international visitors and welcomes them warmly. Apparently Rotary has not yet gained a foothold there but, given the current environment may certainly get there. Thank you Frank and Jean!
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