The Weekly Bulletin

April 22, 2019

Call to order: President Dewey at 12:02 p.m.

Invocation:  Pat Brown

Pledge:  Bonnie Langreder

 

Introduction of Guests and New and Old Members (who have been gone)

Rick Mckernan’s granddaughter Haley attended the meeting today.

 

Welcome any new or returning members

None

 

Birthdays and Anniversaries

• Pat Brown is celebrating his 13^th wedding anniversary.
• Jack Cruise is celebrating 45 years with the Optimist Club this week.

 

Mystery Person

President Dewey gave the award today to Ken Oster this week.

 

Sign In or Pay the Pig

None

 

President Announcements

• District Meeting: President Dewey stated the 3^rd quarter Optimist District Conference will be held at the St. Louis Hilton Hotel at the airport on 5/3/19 and 5/4/19.  If you are interested in attending please let President Dewey know.  Our essay winner Celena Schmolzi will be reading her winning essay at the Conference.  President Dewey, Red Leighton, and Rick Mckernan will be attending the meeting.
• Election of Next Year’s Club Officers: President Dewey stated we have approved the D.O. Club Search Committee Officers slate.  Kelly Schilling is President Elect, Tony Parisio is First Vice President, Board Members-Mike Hatchett and Phyllis Nichols for a two-year term and Elena Ryakhmyatullov as a new Board Member.  We still need a Secretary, and please let President Dewey know if you have any recommendations.
• Soap Box Derby: President Dewey asked Rick Mckernan to provide an update on Soap Box Derby planning. Rick stated one of the Derby cars from Columbia, sponsored by Schaeffer Auto Body, was on display at Scott Air Force Base in Illinois.
• Scholarships:
  • President Dewey indicated scholarship awards will be presented at the Columbia high schools as per the dates and times below:
    • Douglass High School: Friday, 5/24/19 at 10:00 a.m. at Missouri Theatre. Rick Mckernan has agreed to make the presentation;
    • Hickman High School: Tuesday, 5/21/19 at 7:00 p.m. in Hickman Gym. Jim Murphy as agreed to make the presentation;
    • Rockbridge High School: Wednesday, 5/22/19 at 7:00 p.m. in Rockbridge Gym. Steve Klein has agreed to make the presentation.
    • Battle High School: Wednesday, 5/22/19 at 6:15 p.m. in Battle Gym. A D.O. Club member to give presentation has not yet been determined.  We are checking with a D.O. Club member, who is a teacher at Battle High School, to see if he will make the presentation.
  • Socials:
    • Dos De Mayo Event: President Dewey stated the Dos De Mayo event will occur on Thursday, 5/2/19 at the D.O. Club house.  She added Larry Fick is now taking money for the event.  Social hour 5:00 p.m. to include fresh sopapillas.  Dinner at 6:00 p.m.  $10/adult.  Kids eat free.  Raffle for a $25 gift certificate to Las Margaritas Restaurant.  $1/ticket, $5/6 tickets.  Benefits go to Childhood Cancer research.  There are currently 26 persons who are signed up for the event.

 

• Fun City Dinner: The Fun City Youth Academy Champion Dinner will be held Saturday, 5/4/19, from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the Progressive Missionary Baptist Church, 702 Banks Avenue, Columbia, MO.  Cost is $25/ticket.  Please plan to attend.  Pat Brown, Downtown Optimist Club member, will receive a lifetime achievement award.
• Hallsville Optimist Club Casino/Bunco Night: On Saturday, 5/11/19 the Hallsville Optimist Club will be hosting a Casino/Bunco Night and Taco Bar at the Bob Lemone Building at 6:00 pm. Cost for playing Casino is $20.00 for a bag of 2000 chips, $10.00 to play Bunco game, $10.00 Bottomless Cup and $10.00 for all-you-can-eat Taco Bar. There is a 50/50 raffle. The money goes back to the Community of Hallsville, for example, local scholarships to Buddy Sacks.
• Boone County Relay for Life walk: This event occurs on Friday, 5/31/19 at Hickman High School Track from 5:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. Please come out and support the American Cancer Association in finding a CURE for Cancer.
• Bike Safety Rodeo: The Bike Safety Rodeo at Karis Church (606 Ridgeway Ave) Thursday, 6/6/19 from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. with set up starting at 4:00 p.m.  Tables and chairs will be provided.

 

Announcements from the Floor:   

None

 

Today’s Speaker

Today’s speaker is Tim Haller, a Park Ranger with the Big Muddy National Fish and Wildlife Refuge, part of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.  This is a federal agency through the U.S. Department of the Interior.  As per the presentation, and pamphlets and other materials distributed at the presentation, the Big Muddy National Fish and Wildlife Refuge was established in September, 1994 as part of the National Wildlife Refuge system. The network of approximately 565 refuges is a living heritage, conserving wildlife and habitat for generations to come.

The Missouri River is a changing, dynamic river. Before channelization there were many tributaries, side areas, shallow areas, and sand bars along the river.  The Missouri River for thousands of years has been a route of travel for wildlife and humanity.  Over the next century multiple steamships sank in the river due to murky, swift water that hid snags and shallow shoals.  At the turn of the 20^th century a full-scale effort was conducted in an effort to control the river.  Congress enacted the Missouri River Bank Stabilization and Navigation Project to control the river by building pile dikes to direct flow and prevent bank erosion.  This allowed for steamboat and barge traffic.  Federal mandate is to maintain this channel for navigation.  By the 1950’s the river had been channelized from Sioux City, IA to St. Louis, MO.  Channelization reduced fish and wildlife habitat by separating the river from its floodplain.  In the 1980’s Congressed recognized the great loss of fish and wildlife habitat; thus, resulting in the Missouri River Mitigation Project.  The purpose is to recreate some of the lost habitat through purchasing land that could be used to reconnect the river to its floodplain.  The refuge lands strives to restore national floodplain habitats for fish and wildlife.  With the 1993 flooding, this revived the concept of a national wildlife refuge on the Lower Missouri River.

Wetlands created by the river provide a place to feed and rest for migrating water fowl.  Scour holes created by the river fill with water and are ideal for turtles and fish.  Sand bars are excellent areas for attracting migrating shorebirds.

Mr. Haller additionally spoke about the Overton Bottom North and South Units, as these are areas on the Missouri River near Rocheport, MO just west of Columbia, MO.  Overton Bottoms North includes 2,550 acres in Cooper County; and 3,886 acres in Cooper and Moniteau Counties in Overton Bottoms South.  There was recently a new Refuge Office built in this area.  Office hours are Monday through Friday 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Address is 18500 Brady Lane, Booneville, MO 65233.  Phone is 660-672-2806.  Website is www.fws.gov/refuge/big_muddy/

As per the pamphlet, you can volunteer for the Big Muddy refuge.  Contact www.volunteer.gov

UPCOMING SPEAKERS

• 4/29/19 – NO MEETING (Everyone come to the Social on Dos de Mayo 5/2/19 from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m.)
• 5/6/19 –  Kim Sringley-Werner from Missouri State Private Lands U.S Fish & Wildlife Service
• 5/20/19 – Kelly Meyer – Coyote Hill Christian Children’s Home
• 5/27/19 – NO MEETING (Memorial Day)
• 6/3/19 –  Julia Dorm and Brittney Abbott from The Food Bank for Central and Northeast Missouri
• 6/10/19 – MacKenzie Everett-Kennedy from Hickman Review and Celena Schmolzi the winner from the Optimist Essay Contest.
• 7/22/19 – Clara Umber from Ten Outreach Program
• 8/5/19 –  Ellen Drummond from Junior Achievement Program

 

Adjourn with the Creed: 12:58 p.m.

Optimistically Yours,

Ron Berg, Secretary

 

                            

 

East Missouri District 2018-2019  “IT’S FOR THE KIDS”