Call to order: President Musterman called the meeting to order at 1:05
Invocation: Pat Brown
Pledge: Mary Dewey
Introduction of Guests
No guests today but Ed Musterman recounted a telephone conversation with new mother, Noelle Case. She reports doing well but rather harried with 5:30am rise to care for baby, a day of work an 8:00 bedtime for baby and mother (more like a nap as baby is up throughout the night. No rest for the new mother. Noelle will try to return to a future luncheon.
Birthdays and Anniversaries
Steve Winters has an anniversary February 19.
Guest speaker, Adam Saunders reported an anniversary on February 23 with a new baby expected in July.
Mystery Person –
Chuck Boots award the luncheon certificate to Scott Stager for all his work at the Rootin Tootin Chili cook-off. Steve Winters circulated a picture of Scott during a break after consuming a taste of contestants’ chili.
Greeter – Sid Sullivan spent last week-end in Des Moines, IA attending his grandson’s 5th birthday party. He talked about the amazing work a group of teachers and administrators are doing to turn around one of the poorly performing schools in a tough north side high school in that city
Announcements
- Sign In
- New Member recruitment event – C.O. Mike Hatchet, Jessica – March 2nd
No report as committee members were somewhere else on this Presidents’ Day
- Oratorical – Rick reminded members Feb 24 is the deadline for registering for this Saturday, 10:00 am, March 4 event at our clubhouse. No one has yet registered.
- Whiteman AFB Derby event update – Rick and Chuck reported the airmen picked up 12 derby cars for their March 11 and 12. Rally Race at Whiteman AFB. Rick and Chuck will both be attending arriving the Friday prior to assist with any last minute tune ups with the cars.
Rick mentioned our own June, Soap Box Derby still needs sponsors for program ads ($100. for full page, $75 for ½ page, $50 for ¼ page and $25 for 1/8 page). Car sponsorships are still available for $150 / year with 3-year sponsorships encouraged. In addition there is a Corporate Sponsorship for $1,500, a Silver Sponsorship for $1,000 and a Bronze Sponsorship for $500. See attached for Soap Box Derby sponsorship form. Contact Rick McKernan at (573) 881-3471 or mckernan@mchsi.com/
- Computer Giveaway – Rick reported the give-away of 30 computers went well. Det. Tracy Perkins, of Boone County Sheriff’s Dept. gave the presentation to kids and parents on Internet Safety. Jim Murphy and Charlie Landgreder help at the event.
- Food Bank – Carl Scott, distributed a sign-up sheet for MU Baseball Game Day in support of the Food Bank. Larry Fick and Jim Murphy are still helping packaging food on Monday afternoons.
- Essay contest – Carl/Mike Carl Scott reported we received two essays that are now before the judges.
- Bike Safety May 20th – Mary Dewey reports Walt’s Bike Shop is contributing water bottle for this event. City firefighters, police and the city electric department are helping. Mary was encouraged to also contact Community Service to see if any of the University students in his program might volunteer. It could be a path toward new memberships.
- Rootin Tootin Chili Cook-off – Scott Stager reported that this was a successful event. The club received a “3rd in Flight” plaque (3rd place in a group of ten participant groups) but failed to place in the overall best chili awards. The plaque will be placed on the clubhouse wall. Rick Mc, Max M, Steve W, Chuck B, Carl S, Charlie L and his wife Bonnie L helped with this fundraiser for Boys and Girls Town.
- Board meeting – Feb 23rd. at 600 in the clubhouse. Youth grants for the Hickman Review and Fun City will be considered.
- Jim Beckett downsizing to move into a house within Columbia’s city limits. He donated an Optimist International paperweight and Optimist bib to the club.
Today’s Speaker
February 20 – Adam Saunders, Center for Urban Agriculture
Adam Saunders made his 5th annual visit as our luncheon presenter. He announced his goal of getting sponsors for 50 rows of plantings has surpassed the half-way mark. Each row is 4’ by 60’ of vegetables, producing 760 servings of tomatoes, 337 servings of Kale, 638 serving of collards, 177 servings of carrots and 625 servings of green onions and scallions. Sponsorship is $1200.00 per row with fractional sponsorships available at a pro-rated contribution. So far he has received sponsorships for 30 rows. Last year the Urban Gardens produced 14,000 lbs. of food, half of which went to the Food Pantry, the rest going to feed the many children and adult volunteers who worked in the gardens.
Columbia Center for Urban Agriculture will host this year’s Empty Bowls 2017 on Sunday, March 19 from 11:30 am – 5:30 pm at Missouri United Methodist Church, 204 S. 9th Street in Columbia. Guests can receive a unique bowl created by Lee and Paxton-Keely elementary students for a $20.00 donation. The Columbia Area Career Center, Culinary Arts will prepare the soup. The event is free. Contact Adam at (573) 514-4174 or columbiaurbanag.org or on Facebook for questions and additional information.
The big news this year is the proposed multi-million dollar, multi-year plan to create a Farmers Market Shelter & Urban Agriculture Park in the 20 acre Clary-Shy Park (vacant land west of the ARC currently the summer temporary site for the Farmers’ Market). Ground breaking for Phase 1 of the plan is hoped for 4th quarter 2017. The cost will be $1.2 to $1.65 million. The overall cost at project completion in 4 years is anticipated to range between $ and $5 million. Already over $800,000 has been raised for Phase 1 with a commitment of $400,000 from the Columbia Parks Sales tax, a couple local foundations and local contributors. Phase 1 is expected to provide 42 of the proposed 95 vendor stalls and 42 of the proposed 90 additional parking stalls, the Pedestrian Plaza with seating and edible landscaping planters and an Outdoor Classroom with initial plantings and perimeter fencing.
The completed plan is expected to provide a CCUA office, storage area and CCUA operated urban space plus a multi-purpose building kitchen and restroom, an amphitheater and pond with a repositioned soccer field. Ultimately this will provide the Urban gardens with three times the land for planting. The city-wide roll out of the plan is scheduled for May 6 with a mock up in Clary-Shy Park of the upcoming locations of all the new additions.
Adam Saunders, Development Director for CCUA, can be reached to volunteer or help promote this undertaking at adam@columbiaurbanag.ord or direct at this cell 573-356-9392.
UPCOMING SPEAKERS
February 27 – Steve Hollis, Columbia Dept of Public Health
March 6- Jenny Flatt, The Family Impact Center
March 13 – Justin Anthony & Adrian Heese, CPD Community Police – Columbia Youth Basketball.
March 20 – Ann Girourd, Columbia Public Library- Library Technology Resources
Adjourn with the Creed: 1:00
Optimistically Yours,
Sid Sullivan
Downtown Optimist Club 