May 25, 2002 

Last Week’s Program...
Ed Riney, Publisher of the Owensboro Messenger-Inquirer, spoke to Rotary regarding the future of the Owensboro/Daviess County community. Mr. Riney talked about the three strategic long term issues that he sees the community facing: leadership, education, and health care costs/wellness. Mr. Riney feels that identifying some of the weaknesses and working toward correcting them can make the community healthier and make for a better tomorrow.

Ed Riney pointed out that leadership is a serious problem in our local governance. Overlapping responsibilities and competing interests attest to this problem. He believes that Daviess County would be better served if it could function as one community, with one vision and one clear leader. The local government leadership then could be more readily defined. Creating a better environment for effective leadership through merging city and county government is part of the solution to encourage visionary leadership. Encouraging entrepreneurship is another step in the right direction.

Education, training and development of human capital also need to take on a heightened sense of urgency in Owensboro and the region. Greater education levels lead to increased incomes, more profitable businesses, a healthier population and clearly create new businesses. Mr. Riney noted that better educated and trained citizens lead to better leadership and improved quality of life.

Insurance representatives believe that health care costs in our area are so high because the health care providers charge higher fees than other metro areas of Kentucky. Better health care is not just about holding down costs for curing illnesses. It is about changing a culture that helps make us sicker than we need to be. Innovative partnerships between the local schools and Owensboro Mercy Health Systems are working toward making a significant difference in the health of the community. Students are working to reduce smoking, drugs, and alcohol in our area and to promote healthy eating habits.

Mr. Riney stated that the three strategic issues are related. Statistics show that better educated people tend to eat better, exercise more and generally have healthier lifestyles. It is because of the future of our children-- the next generation of Owensboro/Daviess Countians, that these three issues are so important.

We thank Mr. Riney for sharing his insights on improving the future of our community and for being such a good community leader. We acknowledge his many contributions and tireless efforts to make Owensboro and Daviess County even better.

Attendance: 100

Highest Attendance This Year: 146

Invocation, Pledge & 4-Way Test: Bob Garmon

Fellowship Report: Donna Risley

Introduction of Guests: Sandra Young, guest of David Young; Mayor Waymond Morris, guest of Ron Payne; Mason Ralph, guest of Charles Ralph; Claire Neal, guest of Ed Riney; Tim Thomas, visiting Rotarian from Elizabethtown and guest of Jack Darnell; Rebecca McCubbins, guest of Fred Reeves; Nick Brake, guest of Candance Brake; Craig O’Bryan, guest of Dean Enrenheim; Tom Payne, guest of Henry Payne; and Steve Bright, visiting Rotarian from Paducah.

Meeting Makeups: Keith Cain, Wes Poling, and Frank Wagner, all at Breakfast Rotary; Martel Wightman at Marshall County.

New Members: We welcome Chuck Young of South Central Bank, and Barry Young of Kelly-Wilmore to Owensboro Rotary. Chuck Young and Barry Young were introduced by their father, David Young. We are glad Barry and Chuck joined Owensboro Rotary and we look forward to visiting with them.

Thought for the Week: "Do not take life too seriously. You will never get out of it alive." - Elbert Hubbard

YOUR PRESIDENT SPEAKS:
Did you know that a single strawberry has over 200 seeds and is the only fruit with its seeds on the outside? Did you know that strawberries were named because of the way the runners "strew" or spread along the ground? Well, May is Strawberry Month, and if you like strawberries as much as I do, this makes you happy!

Strawberries were thought to have been cultivated in ancient Rome. The first American species of strawberries appeared around 1835 in Massachusetts and were a Hoveg variety. Today, every state in the U.S. and every province in Canada grow strawberry plants.

Strawberries grow as wild plants and also as cultivated plants. They can be eaten fresh, in pie, in barbeque sauce, in muffins, in and on ice cream, in crepes, in cheese, in jelly, in jam, in cobbler, in butter, in salad, in syrup, and used in drinks including wine, koolaid, and shakes.

Locally, strawberries are grown at several farms including Reids and are sold by the West Kentucky Growers Coop, Farmers' Market, etc. They are also almost always available in our grocery stores and are shipped in from a variety of sources.

People have been fascinated with strawberries throughout history, and Shakespeare even wrote about them in Henry V and Richard III. Music is written about them, such as the song, "Strawberry Fields Forever." Festivals are named for strawberries --there's the one in Crawfordsville (IN)--the Annual Strawberry Festival, Humboldt West Tennessee Strawberry Festival, and the Strawberry (AZ) Festival.

The Rotary Center for International Studies at the University of California--Berkeley, where Strawberry Creek traverses the campus from end to end, has 51 different international teaching, research, service, and exchange programs and centers. They even refer to strawberries in Spanish (fresa), in Chilean (frutilla), in French (fraise), and in German (erdbeere).

We hope you have had the opportunity to enjoy Kentucky strawberries this month! Have a great week!

Marilyn

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS
Rotary International has been selected to receive the 2002 Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Award for Global Health, a recognition that carried with it a $1 million award. This is great news for the humanitarian and educational programs supported by Rotarians!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO...
Keith Osborne - May 27

ANNOUNCEMENTS:
• The Gala will be held on Thursday, June 13, at the Owensboro Country Club-- mark your calendar and plan to attend! You may bring a guest. THERE WILL BE NO REGULAR CLUB MEETING ON WEDNESDAY, JUNE 12.
• Door Prizes: The lovely garden/stepping stone compliments of Target and Jennifer Meador was won by Pat McFarling. Thank you Target and Jennifer Meador and congratulations Pat! The free oil/filter change at Champion Ford Quick Lane compliments of Bruce Brubaker was won by Todd Inman. Thank you Bruce Brubaker and Champion Ford and congratulations Todd!

ROTARY REMINDERS...
• Don't forget to make up your missed meetings at breakfast Rotary at 7 on Tuesday mornings at Moonlite Barbecue.
• The Program Chair for May is Candance Brake.
• The Program Chair for June is Glenn Higdon.
• Nancy Fuqua will be at the Fellowship Table in May.
• Henry Payne will be at the Fellowship Table in June.
• If you have an email address and are not receiving the Impetus online, or you have changed your email address, please send an email to kim@mediaworksadvertising.com and you will be added to the Rotary email address list.
• Log on to Rotary’s website at www.owensbororotary.org. You’ll find our current member directory, photos of new members, past copies of the Impetus, some interesting history, and more!

Please mail any questions, suggestions, or comments regarding the Impetus to:

Mike Wallace
MediaWorks Advertising, Inc.
208 West 3rd Street
P.O. Box 1866
Owensboro, KY 42302
Phone: 270-684-4554
Fax: 270-684-7314
Email: mike@mediaworksadvertising.com

DEADLINE FOR ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION TO BE INCLUDED IN THE IMPETUS IS THE WEDNESDAY PRIOR TO MONDAY'S PUBLICATION DATE.

UPCOMING PROGRAMS
June 5 - Cap Gardner Day
June 12 - No meeting due to Gala on June 13
June 19 - TBD
June 26 - President's Awards Program

2001 - 2002 OWENSBORO ROTARY CLUB OFFICERS 
President: Marilyn Brookman 
Vice President: Larry Mercer 
Secretary: Jeff Ebelhar 
Treasurer: Bob Nation 
Directors: Sim Davenport, Bill Dexter, David Edds, Jr., Tom Smith, Darrell Higginbotham, Pat McFarling, Jane Noble 

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