The Weekly Bulletin

Jan 29, 2018

 

Call to order: Ed Musterman, President

Invocation: Ken Oster

 

Pledge: Adam Bekos

Introduction of Guests   Ron Berg was introduced and indicated his intent to submit an application for membership in the Downtown Optimist. Recently retired from the Missouri Department of Mental Health, he has been looking for an organization to further engage with the community. He is currently involved with other non-profit community groups here in Columbia but no civic clubs. His wife is a nurse with University Hospital and interested in becoming involved with club activities.

 

Birthdays and Anniversaries

None

 

Mystery Person –

Charlie Langreder after faking to the right and to the left of his table mates made the award to Scott Stager for his work organizing and buttonholing volunteers for the upcoming Boys’ and Girls’ Chili Cook-Off event.

Greeter   –

Jim Murphy was today’s greeter. He explained his absence for the past few weeks. His wife, Sabra, was not feeling well and after a trip to the doctor she was diagnosed with the flu, given a prescription and a bill for $100. The next day Jim’s sister was hospitalized with a breathing problem. A couple of days later, Sabra was still not feeling well so Jim returned her to Urgent Care. This time urgent care determined she needed to go to ER and was then referred for immediate surgery. She is recovering well and Jim is much relieved. Unfortunately, Jim’s sister’s condition worsened and she passed away last week. Jim was welcomed back by the club after these personally trying times and has the heartfelt sympathies and support of his fellow Downtown Optimist members..

Announcements

• Sign In or Pay the Pig

All are signed in and wearing their badge.

• New members, Bonnie Yantzie, Adam Bekos and Mark Snyder, were at lunch and recognized.
• Food Bank –Larry Fick noted that he and the regular volunteers to the Food Bank, Jim Murphy, Jack Cruise plus other occasional volunteers put in 325 hours last year.

• Feb 9-10, E.MO District Meeting in Rolla – Let us know if you are attending so C.O. can send a check.  The Club should get recognition as an honor club status. The meeting will emphasize things that can be done to grow membership.
• Rootin Tootin Chili Cookoff – Scott Stager.is requesting one more cook’s assistant to help with the cooking detail.
• Soap Box Derby – Rick McKernan recounted for our guest speaker that the DOC has 44 derby cars for local youth to participate in the Annual Soap Box Derby race. The entry fee is a nominal $20.00 to ensure no kid is denied participation in the Derby for lack of money.  Winners in the three race classes are provided with $1,000 stipends to compete in the national races in Akron, OH. He mentioned a potential crisis would be if a family couldn’t afford the balance to make the week long excursion to Akron. Our speaker, Supt. Stieplemen offered to write a check should that be needed.
• Oratorical & Essay – Rick McKernan took a little extra time to explain some of the toils he has had trying to recruit participants for these two events. He recounted the Kirksville Schools system has some 70 applicants where Columbia has yet to receive a single applicant. The Kirksville superintendent of schools was a former winner of the Oratorical Contest. Rick went on to explain the national prize money for the Oratorical contest winner is $22,000. Dr. Stiepleman asked if Rick would have some time after the meeting to discuss this further.
• Computer Giveaway – Rick McKernan, Feb 17^th. The city computers will be delivered to our clubhouse on Wednesday, Feb 14. Volunteers are needed Thursday afternoon at 5:00 to physically clean the keyboards, monitors and CPU’s. The giveaway will take place on Saturday morning.
• DO Club Chili Cookoff – 8 chili entries and the winner of the chili cookoff was Becca Winters. Kelly Meyers of Coyote Hill Christian Home was the quest speaker. Upon completion of her talk President Musterman presented her with a check for $2,000 that was recently awarded for her grant request by the DOC Board.  Much thanks to Steve Winters, Scott Stager and others who assisted in preparing for the Social.
• Scholarships – Cyrilla has the flu but sent a report that all application materials have been distributed to the local public high schools.
• Columbia Youth Basketball – Mary Dewey reports the Anthony team is 2 and 2 for the season and will play again next Saturday at 8:00.

 

Today’s Speaker

Peter Stiepleman, Supt. Columbia Public Schools

Dr Stiepleman addressed the Downtown Optimist not to encourage them to vote in April nor to vote to approve a new $30 million issue but to educate us on what CPS has done with prior monies raised through bond issues and to explain how the current $30 million bond issue will be spent should voters approve it. He was enthusiastic, upbeat and full of favorable facts as always. In short, he dazzled the twenty plus members who attended today’s luncheon meeting.

 

Over the past ten year CPS has focused on the elimination of trailer classrooms with its building campaign in both (larger) new schools and additions to existing schools. From 173 trailers in 2007 the district is on track to have only 20 in place by the year 2020. Given the unpredictability of student population growth in Columbia, the superintendent felt twenty trailers is a virtual zero. The current student population is 18,552 and anticipated to increase to 20,000 by the year 2020. Some of the new schools built in the recent past include Alpha Hart Lewis, Battle H.S., Battle E.S., Beulah Ralph, the new Cedar Ridge E.S located in the Valley View Subdivision. In addition, schools are now equipped with ground source heating, air conditioning and better lighting. The older schools received new roofs and tuck pointing. And, all along there has been a continual contribution to technology infrastructure. Dr. Stielpleman alluded to the evolution of the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) and Arts focus of Benton E.S. to Achievement Enriched Opportunities (A.E.O.) innovation at Jefferson M.S. He mentioned Jefferson M.S. is being used as an incubator for new faculty to serve in the new Sinclair Rd. middle school planned for 2019.

 

The proposed $30 million bond issue will come at no additional cost to taxpayers. It will be serviced by the current $0.9719 debt service levy. Monies will be used to achieve the Board of Education’s goals of: reducing overcrowding in schools, including reducing the number of trailers; improving the physical and learning environment in all facilities; and increasing the functional life and efficiency of facilities.

 

Bond monies are earmarked for 1) construction of a new middle school on Sinclair Rd., 2) building additions to Lee Expressive Arts E.S. and other unidentified elementary schools 3) building improvements to specific schools and 4) augmented safety for security and technology enhancements to provide a secure environment for learning in our tomorrow’s K through 12 students.

 

In the Q & A following the presentation Dr. Stiepleman mentioned the graduation rate has increased during his tenure from 85% to 90%. Minority student rates have increased as well moving from 67% to 81%. There was time for a few other questions but only time for cursory answers and several questions were left unasked.

 

 

UPCOMING SPEAKERS

Feb 5 – Terri Leifeste, Publisher & Charles Westmoreland, Mg Editor, Columbia Tribune

Feb 12 – Nannette Ward, Central MO Stop Human Trafficking

Feb 19 – Bonnie Yantzie, Fun City

Feb 26 – Jack Huested, OATS

 

 

 

 

 

 

Adjourn with the Creed: 1:00

Optimistically Yours,

 

Sid Sullivan

Secretary