Dr. Alfred Dobbs talked at RCAAN's lunch about early heart disease detection on May 16th. He works at Michigan Heart through St. Joseph Mercy Hospital Ann Arbor.

If you are a smoker, quit. If you are overweight, lose it. If you have high cholesterol, lower it. If you are sedentary, get moving.  Don’t rely on the old insurance risk assessments for heart disease; get a calcium screening. 

That was free medical advice we got from G. Alfred Dodds, a cardiologist with Michigan Heart and Vascular Institute, our speaker on May 16. Dr. Dodd said that stress tests cannot detect blockages in the coronary arteries early enough; the new calcium screening is more effective, although health insurance doesn’t cover the test.

He also said that regular physical activity is one of the best ways to help battle heart disease. He also emphasized the danger of smoking and pointed out that bans on smoking in public have produced 20 to 40 percent drops in hospital admissions for heart attacks.

Risk factors for coronary artery disease:

Men or post-menopausal women over 50

Family history of heart disease

Smoking

Diabetes

High blood pressure

Obesity or an inactive lifestyle

This Week's Quote,

In every community, there is work to be done. In every nation, there are wounds to heal. In every heart, there is the power to do it.

Marianne Williamson ; Author, Spiritual Teacher and Lecturer

Biography:

Marianne Williamson  is a spiritual teacher, author and lecturer. She has published ten books, including four New York Times #1 bestsellers. 

She is also the founder of Project Angel Food, a meals-on-wheels program that serves homebound people with AIDS in the Los Angeles area, and co-founder of The Peace Alliance, a grass roots campaign supporting legislation to establish a United States Department of Peace. 

She serves on the Board of Directors of the RESULTS organization, which works to end poverty in the United States and around the world; and has taught the “Sister Giant" seminars, supporting women in running for political office and aligning their politics with their spiritual values.

Marianne's Web-page

On May 9, 2013 Jim and Jacquie Harkema talk about Identity Theft. They are from Legal Sheild.

Poker Fundraising for the Rotary Club of Ann Arbor North Foundation will take place at the Heidelberg Restaurant at 215 N. Main Street Ann Arbor on the weekend of June 6,2013 - June 9, 2013.

Sign-up Using Google Drive  Now any RCAAN member can see and sign-up for a shift on the Poker Schedule. Thanks!! 

This Weeks Quote,

"Your success and happiness lies in you. Resolve to keep happy, and your joy and you shall form an invincible host against difficulties."

Helen Keller,

Helen Adams Keller was born on June 27, 1880 in Tuscumbia, Alabama. In 1882, she fell ill and was struck blind, deaf and mute. Beginning in 1887, Keller's teacher, Anne Sullivan, helped her make tremendous progress with her ability to communicate, and Keller went on to college, graduating in 1904. In 1920, Keller helped found the ACLU. During her lifetime, she received many honors in recognition of her accomplishments.

More on Helen Keller

Margie Farnsworth talked to RCAAN on hypno-therapist on May 2, 2013

Margie Farnsworth, a certified hypno-therapist, was our speaker. Margy explained that she uses  hypno-therapy to help her clients achieve stress relief without medical intervention. Margie described hypnosis as a natural state of concentrating on one thing, such as being deep in thought while driving and missing your exit, or being engrossed in a television program and not hearing when someone is speaking to you. Hypnosis can help with pain management, addictions, weight management, sports performance and phobias.

A subject cannot be forced into a hypnotic state and cannot be forced to do anything he or she does not want to do.

Margie explained that the therapist’s role is to point out the reasons that your subconscious mind is keeping you from succeeding at smoking cessation, or weight loss, or whatever challenge you are facing.  Hypnosis induces a state of relaxation of the conscious mind, so that the therapist can make suggestions to the subconscious mind.

The Photo's from The 2013 Rotary Club of Ann Arbor North Eighties Party Fundraiser are here. They were taken by Cupcake Detroit via Liz Mackinder. Thank you Liz.

2013 Rotary Club of Ann Arbor North "80's Party" 

All Photo's of Conference Click Here

This Weeks Quote,

"I determined never to stop until I had come to the end and achieved my purpose."

David Livingstone, Explorer, Missionary.

Synopsis

Born on March 19, 1813, in Blantyre, South Lanarkshire, Scotland, David Livingstone pursued training in medicine and missionary work before moving to Africa in 1841. He crossed the continent from east to west and would ultimately come across many bodies of water previously uncharted by Europeans, including the Zambezi River and Victoria Falls. He was a staunch abolitionist after witnessing the horrors of the African slave trade, and returned to the region twice after his initial voyage. He died on May 1, 1873, in Chief Chitambo's Village, near Lake Bangweulu, North Rhodesia (now Zambia).

Our Back to the Eighties Party, held Saturday, April 20, at the Holiday Inn’s remodeled ballroom, was a blast! The Golden Girls were there, along with Michael Jackson, Madonna and PacMan,  with a special appearance by Gene Simmons.

Congratulations to Fundraising Chair Matt Copeland and his committee for putting on another great party! Thanks to everyone who attended, bought a raffle ticket, donated a prize or raffle item, or completed in the Big Hair or Best Eighties costume contests!

Our annual fundraising party is the major way that we raise money to do good works the following year and we thank everyone for their great support!

Sean Reed talks to the Rotary Club of Ann Arbor North on April 25, 2013.

At April 18th RCAAN Meeting Claire Zepeda talked about her Sailing Club.

What do you call a female sailor?

Captain!

“Captain” Claire Zepeda gave us a delightful presentation on the joys of sailing with the American Sailing Institute. Claire said that if it weren’t for Rotary, she might never have joined ASI, because she learned about the organization at a Rotary North meeting when talking with Chris Juillet, a former RCAAN member!

ASI began as an offshoot of the American Youth Hostel organization, teaching 100 people to sail with borrowed sailboats. After 30 years of growth and several boats, the program morphed into ASI.

The ASI fleet has 15 18-ft. inter-lake sailboats available for members to enjoy.  Sailing classes take place at Kensington and Stoney Creek Metro Parks. Costs are $375/summer and $135 for second season.

ASI Sailors enjoy concerts, banquets, picnics and sight-seeing tours. They have even been in a “Pure Michigan” commercial. Next year the group will celebrate the 200^th anniversary of the Battle of Lake Erie in Put-in-Bay.

This Weeks Quote,

"Life's most persistent and urgent question is, 'What are you doing for others'?"

Martin Luther King Jr., Civil Rights Activists

PLEASE RSVP, PAY BY CHECK OR PAYPAL, OR PAY $55.00 AT THE DOOR.

RSVP Here Today To Matt Copeland 

The "80's Party" Is Less Than A Month Away

The Rotary Club of Ann Arbor North and Jeff Crause of Edward Jones invite you to "Back to the Eighties" for a night of fun and games, 80's style, and dancing to music that made the 80's ROCK! Do you remember... The Cosby Show... Ghostbusters... Trivial Pursuit... Back to the Future... moon walk... the '84 Tiger's... Big hair? Dig out those stone-washed jeans, shoulder pads and leg warmers and get ready to party like it is 1989! This fun-filled evening will benefit the RCAAN Foundation. 

APRIL 20, 2013 ROTARY CLUB OF ANN ARBOR NORTH "EIGHTIES PARTY"

FUNDRAISER

Location: Holiday Inn North Campus Main Ballroom, 3600 Plymouth Road Ann Arbor, Michigan

Date and Time: Saturday, April 20, 2013

                              6:00 PM Reception

                              7:15 PM Open Dining Buffet

Cost: $50.00 per person  in advance; $55.00 per person at the door. Table of 8 is $400.00 

Raffle tickets Sale: Buy one $20.00 ticket or several for a chance to win $1500, $500, or $250 in cash prizes. With only 300 tickets for sale, your odds of winning are great! (If less than 150 tickets are sold, a 50/50 cash prize will be drawn. Winner need not be present.)

Checks payable to: RCAAN P.O. Box 131022 Ann Arbor, MI 48113 

Keep coming back to www.rcaan.org for the most up to date details about the Eighties Party.

This Weeks Quote,

"Only those who have learned the power of sincere and selfless contribution experience life's deepest joy: true fulfillment."

-Tony Robbins, Writer and Motivational Speaker

Profile

Writer, motivational speaker. Born Anthony J. Robbins on February 29, 1960 in Glendora, California. The author of several best-selling self-help books, including Unlimited Power and Awaken the Giant Within, Robbins has become something of a celebrity for his much-publicized "firewalk" seminars. Based on his theory of neuroassociative conditioning, the seminars enlist particpants to walk over hot coals in bare feet to prove that it?s fear and inner doubt that often holds people back from achieving greatness and overcoming obstacles they believe to be impossible. Though Robbins theories, techniques and self-promoting style have received much criticism, he remains a popular figure and has a coached several world leaders, including George H. W. Bush, Bill Clinton, Mikhail Gorbachev and Princess Diana.

More On Tony Robbins

At April 11, 2013 Rotary Club of Ann Arbor North Meeting Deborah Renner, will be talking about The Turner Senior Center, "Big Hearts For Seniors".

Deborah Renner, a volunteer with the Turner Senior Resource Center, told us about the Big Hearts for Seniors, a running/walking team that will raise funds for five senior programs at the Ann Arbor Marathon, Sunday, June 9.  Big Hearts is looking for runners, walkers and supporters to make this year’s event a financial success.  TSRC is the community center that gives seniors enriching activities and hosts several classes.  Other programs that will benefit are: Meals On Wheels, the Housing Bureau for Seniors, Osher Lifelong Learning Institute and the Silver Club Memory Loss Programs.

“Washtenaw County is aging faster than surrounding counties,” said Deborah, “ and programs like these help to keep  Ann Arbor a great place to retire.”

To be a part of the Big Hearts team, call 703-402-0626 or visit www.annarbormarathon.com and select Big Hearts for Seniors as your charity.

This Weeks Quote,

"Happiness often sneaks in through a door you didn't know you left open."

John Barrymore, Theater Actor

WARNING! This video has adult language. PLEASE, DO NOT LET CHILDREN WATCH UNLESS YOU APPROVE IT FIRST. Thank You.

Thomas Ulch was our speacker on Feb 14th, he came back to our meeting last week to ask us to support his book. Go to Barenaked Travel Web-Page and give your support, Thank you.

Hello! I'm Tom Ulch and my project is "Barenaked Travel" a coffee table photography book. I have the photos and the stories and now want to publish the book!

Barenaked Travel is about traveling naked of prejudices and preconceived notions and just being open to what ever the Universe decides to send your way. Be that experience positive or negative.

This book will be a collection of stories and photos from around the world. Watching the sun rise over Tikal in the jungles of Guatemala while drinking whiskey from the bottle with construction workers restoring the temples. Or riding around El Salvador in a 1985 Toyota Corolla taking pictures and eating pupusas.

Having traveled to over 35 countries now, what I have learned is that some of the best stories come from the worst experiences. Being stuck on an un-air conditioned bus in Vietnam for 30 hours. Or breaking down on the Autostrada in Italy in July. Not fun in the moment, but funny after.

I have been telling these stories for years and now it is time to collect them all and write them down with the photos that accompany them. The book itself will be a 12x9 coffee table book of 80+ pages. Hardcover with a dust jacket. I have seen examples from the printer and the quality is excellent. I'm super stoked to share all of these stories and photos with you!

There will be a reception/show at the Warehouse in November for the project! Thank you in advance for your support and feel free to e-mail any questions you may have!

There was no Photoshop used in any of these images.

As an added reward, all pledges at/above the $55 level, will also be entered into a drawing for a custom framed, 8x12 image from the book.

This Weeks Quote,

"Life is the art of drawing without an eraser."

John W. Gardner, Leadership Author 

Biography For John W. Gardner

John William Gardner, (October 8, 1912–February 16, 2002) was Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare under President Lyndon Johnson. During World War II he served in the United States Marine Corps as a captain. In 1955 he became president of the Carnegie Corporation of New York and, concurrently, the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. He was also the founder of two influential national U.S. organizations: Common Cause and Independent Sector. He authored books on improving leadership in American society.

On March 28, 2013 Mike Vanover and the Director of Fly Children's Art Center talked to the Rotary Club of Ann Arbor North meeting about the Center.

Our own Mike Vanover and Katie Whitehouse spoke to us about the FLY (For the Love of Ypsilanti; For the Love of Youth) Art Center. Mike is president of the center’s board; Katie is program director.

FLY is a mobile art center that gives children freedom to explore and create without the constraints of a structured art class.  The key to FLY’s approach is to get kids to unleash their own creativity. FLY supplies art materials and suggests general themes, “Make something that has moving parts” or “Make something that floats.”  The adults do not judge the children’s processes or products and each child is free to discover his or her own talents and means of expressing ideas through art.

The center was founded in 2009 by Ruth Marks, a local artist and educator.  Since its founding, FLY has given hundreds of children the chance to discover the joy of creating something from their own imagination. The center visits after-school programs and community centers, particularly in under-served areas. 

At the end of the presentation, President Laura gave Katie a check from our club’s foundation to support the center’s work.

Fly Art Center

This Weeks Quote, 

"Nothing is impossible, the word itself says 'I'm possible'!"

 Audrey Hepburn, Actress 

Synopsis

Actress, fashion icon, and philanthropist Audrey Hepburn was born on May 4, 1929, in Brussels, Belgium. At age 22, she starred in the Broadway production of Gigi. Two years later, she starred in the film Roman Holiday (1953) with Gregory Peck. In 1961, she set new fashion standards as Holly Golightly in Breakfast at Tiffany's. Hepburn is one of the few actresses to win an Emmy, Tony, Grammy, and Academy Award. In her later years, acting took a back seat to her work on behalf of children.

More Biography on Audrey Hepburn.                           

On March 21, 2013 Don Faber talked at The Rotary Club of Ann Arbor North meeting about his recently published book on "Michigan's first Governor."

Don Faber, a Michigan historian and former editor at The Ann Arbor News, shared the work and life of Stevens T. Mason, Michigan’s first and youngest governor. Faber has written a biography of the young leader. Program Chair Kelly Mendenhall introduced our speaker.

During Mason’s short life, he served as territorial governor of Michigan, then governor of the new state, at age 24.  Mason was known as a principled young man who moved Michigan forward by:

Co-founding the University of Michigan;

Spearheading the state constitution;

Leading Michigan in the Toledo War, which gave the state the Upper Peninsula; and

Advocating the appropriations for the state’s Soo Locks, which made Michigan a key player in arming the United States for World War II, over a century later.

"Michigans First Boy Governor" From University of Michigan Press

"Legacy of Stevens T. Mason, Michigan's 'boy governor,' explored in new biography" From Ann Arbor.com

This Weeks Quote, 

"Behavior is what a man does, not what he thinks, feels, or believes."

Emily Dickinson, Poet

Profile: 

Born on December 10, 1830, in Amherst, Massachusetts, Emily Dickinson was educated at Amherst Academy from 1840 to 1847 and Mount Holyoke Female Seminary from 1847 to 1848. She met the Reverend Charles Wadsworth in Philadelphia in 1854, and he may have been the inspiration for some of her love poems. Thomas Wentworth Higginson, a former minister and author, seems to have been her literary mentor, as indicated in an extended correspondence beginning in 1862. Her sister, Lavinia Dickinson, discovered hundreds of her poems after her death and they were published in selections from 1890 onwards. These early selections sold well. The first authoritative edition, The Poems of Emily Dickinson (3 vols), edited by Thomas H. Johnson, did not appear until 1955. She is known for her poignant, compressed, and deeply charged poems, which have profoundly influenced the direction of 20th-century poetry, and gained her an almost cult following among some. 

Not much is known about Emily Dickinson's personal life, which has led to much speculation by scholars and readers alike. It is noted that she lived in Amherst all of her life and became a recluse around 1862. Dickinson died a few years later on May 15, 1886. Only two of her poems were published in her lifetime.

More Biography on Emily Dickinson

Nicole Kring's was our speaker at the RCAAN meeting on March 14, 2013. Above is one instrument she built for Penrickton Center in Taylor MI, for her project to win the Girls Scout Gold Award.

Nicole Krings, daughter of President-Elect Keith Krings, spoke to us about her Girl Scout Gold Award. Nicole is a member of the National Honor Society at Northville High School

The Gold Award is the highest award a girl can achieve in Girl Scouting, the equivalent of the Eagle Award in Boy Scouting. Nicole explained the process of identifying an issue or problem, investigating solutions, recruiting help from the community and raising funds to make the project a reality. The Gold Award requires 80 hours of community service.

Nicole chose to build simple musical instruments for the children at the Penrickton Center for the Blind. The Penrickton Center is a nonprofit day care and residential care facility for children who are blind and have other disabilities. The center was founded by three families to provide care for their own children in 1952.

Nicole raised funds for the instrument kits by conducting drives for scrap metal and deposit soda cans. She also donated her own babysitting money. With the help of her father, she learned how to work with wood to construct a Cajon drum and a Strumbly guitar.  She plans to build and deliver four more instruments to the Penrickton Center, as funds become available. 

President Laura Van Steenis announced that our club will support Nicole Krings’ Girl Scout Gold Award Project with a $500 grant. Nicole’s dad is our President-Elect Keith Krings.

This Weeks Quote:

"Don't judge each day by the harvest you reap but by the seeds that you plant."

Robert Louis Stevenson, Author

Synopsis:

 Learn More About Robert Louis Stevenson.

When: April 26, 2013 12:00 PM to April 27, 2013 9:00 PM

Where: Royal Park Hotel, 600 East University Drive Rochester, Michigan  Web-Site

Registration is now open on the District Conference registration web page link here Conference Registration Our District Conference is set for Friday and Saturday, April 26th and 27th, at the elegant Royal Park Hotel in Rochester.

Join Rotatarians from across the District to hear exciting speakers, including our global grant scholar Yilin Zhang, Alan Monroe from Shelter Box, youth exchange students, the Four Way Test, breakout sessions, and the famous Mad Hour of Rotary.

Let's celebrate our great year, highlight our great plays, honor our quarterbacks and our incoming Presidents, and have a ROTARY BLAST.

Breadout Schedule

For more information about The District Conference and Schedule go to our events page.

Author, psychologist and child advocate Cindy Champnella, was the speaker to The Rotary Club of Ann Arbor North on March 7, 2013, She is the Auther of "The Waiting Child: How the Faith and Hope of One Orphan Saved the Life of Another" and "The Twelve Gifts of Life: Finding Extraordinary Meaning in Ordinary Moments".

For Donations To Cindy's Warm Blanket Orphan Home In Kenya 

Congratulations to the Charter Members of Rotary Club of Ann Arbor West. Last night Ann Arbor West had their Charter Night Party at Weber's Inn with a great attended event. In the photo above the new Member's received their Rotary Pins. Below Don Riddell present President of Ann Arbor West Robert Overhiser the club's Certificate of Membership.

This Weeks Quote,

"Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts".

Winston Churchill, Prime Minister, Journalist.

Synopsis, 

Winston Churchill's life was a trajectory of events leading to his stand against Adolph Hitler's threat to control Europe. After the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Churchill helped lead a successful Allied strategy with President Franklin D. Roosevelt and General Secretary Joseph Stalin during WWII to defeat the Axis powers and craft post-war peace. After the breakdown of the alliance, he alerted the West to the expansionist threat of Soviet Communism.

More Biography For Winston Churchill

At Febuary 28, 2013 Rotary Club of Ann Arbor North meeting, the speaker was Susan Hutton talking about The Volunteer Task Force For Engine Idling.

Susan Hutton gave out this hand-out to the club, which is distributed by the Climate Protection Campaign.

President Laura introduced our speaker, Susan Hutton, who serves on the City of Ann Arbor’s Climate Protection Campaign Task Force on Engine Idling.

Susan Hutton explained why we should turn our car engines off when idling for more than 10 seconds: Children are particularly vulnerable to exhaust fumes. Fumes can trigger asthma attacks and cause respiratory ailments.

Idling a small car for only 10 minutes each day wastes more than 30 gallons of gasoline per year.  Idling harms the vehicle and can damage spark plugs, cylinders and exhaust systems. An idling vehicle emits 10 times more pollution than one traveling at 32 mph.  Help stop climate change, acid rain and smog by turning off your engine. Reduce warm-up idling by starting to drive after 30 seconds of idling. Excessive idling will harm your engine.

Tell family, friends and neighbors about the benefits of reduced idling.  Protect our children’s health, save money and protect the environment by turning your vehicles off.           

   Motor-smart.org

This Weeks Quote,

"Peace is a journey of a thousand miles and it must be taken one step at a time."

-Lyndon B. Johnson the 36th President of the United States of America

Synopsis:

Lyndon B. Johnson, the 36th president of the United States, was born in Texas on August 27, 1908. He was elected vice president of the United States in 1960, and became the 36th president in 1963, after President John F. Kennedy was assassinated. During his administration, Johnson initiated the "Great Society" social service programs, signed the Civil Rights Act into law, and bore the brunt of national opposition to his vast expansion of American involvement in the Vietnam War. Johnson died in Texas on January 22, 1973.

More Biography of Lyndon Johnson 

At Febuary 21, 2013 Rotary Club of Ann Arbor North meeting the speaker was Richard Detweiler the President of The Great Lakes Colleges Association. He talk about Strengthening Eduction In The Traditionan Of The Liberal Arts.

Kelly Mendenhall introduced our speaker, Rick Detweiler of the Great Lakes Colleges Association, who spoke on the history of higher education and the value of a liberal arts education.

The Great Lakes Colleges Association is an alliance of eight colleges in the region, with the purpose of promoting liberal arts. Our speaker said that a liberal arts education focuses on developing critical thinkers, citizens who can make society better by becoming active participants in government and all walks of life.

Rick took us through a review of the history of education. He said that the first universities were founded to educate the upper classes.  Only after the American Revolution was higher education open to the middle classes.

Is higher education worth the cost in today’s economy? Rick asserted that it is, because college graduates earn twice what high school grads make, and college grads have much less unemployment than high school grads do.

Our speaker told us that a liberal arts education creates critical, analytical thinkers who are responsible and engaged citizens.

 Great Lakes Association Web-Page

It is Rotary International 108 year anniversary this week. Let's celebrate by wearing our Rotary Pins all week and talking up Rotary and Ann Arbor North. Tell people how proud you are about being a Rotarian. Be happy and Celebrate the History.

Rotary International / Rotary Club of Ann Arbor North

"IMPORTANT UPDATE"

Meeting Location Change This Week:

We have just been informed that our room at Holiday Inn will be available this week for our weekly meeting. So the Feb. 21, 2013 Rotary Club of Ann Arbor North meeting will be in our normal room in Holiday Inn, North Campus 3600 Plymouth Road Ann Arbor Michigan 48105 MAP.

Hope to see you there.

For the most up-to-date information continue coming to www.rcaan.org.

Thank You!!

Rotary International Celebrating 108 Years! 

This Weeks Quote,

"Peace and friendship with all mankind is our wisest policy, and I wish we may be permitted to pursue it".

Thomas Jefferson, Third President of United States

Synopsis

Kelly Mendenhall (RCAAN Member) and speaker Thomas William Ulch ll, at February 14th meeting. Thomas is a Travel Photographer Poet, and Author, and EMU Professor. He shared his photographs and stories of his travels.

Kelly Mendenhall introduced our speaker, Professor Tom Ulch, who took us on a photographic tour of Europe, Central America and Southeast Asia.

Tom said his travelogue is called “Bare Naked Travels,” because he doesn’t touch up his photos with Photo Shop. He likes to capture the unscripted, unplanned spontaneous moment of shared humanity across cultures.  His travel philosophy is “to leave pre-conceived notions at home and let life experiences take him where they will.” 

Tom described his experience in an eight-hour sweat lodge ceremony in Central America as he showed us photos of the event. 

He also showed photos of his trips to marketplaces in El Salvador, wild animal preserves in Southeast Asia, and the sobering, harrowing memorials to the victims of the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia’s Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum.

Thomas Ulch's Photography Web-Page

This Weeks Quote,

"Our prime purpose in this life is to help others. And if you can't help them, at least don't hurt them."

-Dalai Lama, Activist, Political Leader, Religious Leader

Synopsis,

At the February 7th Rotary Club of Ann Arbor North's meeting Natsu Oyobe Ph D. , Associate Curator of Asian Art at The University of Michigan Museum of Art talked about Japanese tea ware and print collections.

 University Of Michigan Museum Of Art

Meeting Locale Changes

We will be meeting in a small section of the newly remodeled Holiday Inn North Campus Ballroom this week, as the renovations continue at the Holiday Inn.  Remember to enter through Door A for Febuary 7, 2013 meeting. Parking is available in the back (west side) of the building.

Ann Arbor North 

This Weeks Quote,

"If you think you can do a thing or think you can't, you are right".

Henry Ford, Inventor of the Automobile and Ford Motor Company.

Synopsis,

Born on July 30, 1863 on a Dearborn, Michigan farm, Henry Ford created the Ford Model T car in 1908 and went on to develop the assembly line mode of production, which revolutionized the industry. As a result, Ford sold millions of cars and became a world-famous company head. The company lost its market dominance but had a lasting impact on other technological development and U.S. infrastructure.

At the January 31, 2013 Rotary Club of Ann Arbor North meeting Eric Jones from Transamerica talked about Social Security. 

Eric Jones, a field representative for Trans-America Investments, talked to us about Social Security.  Kelly Mendenhall introduced our speaker.

Eric told us that Social Security provides 38 percent of the income for most couples over age 65. The three most common questions that people have about Social Security are:

Is the program going to be there for me when I retire?

At what age should I file for Social Security?

What effect will Social Security payments have on my taxes?

Social Security is expected to be able to pay full benefits through 2036 and will provide 77 percent coverage through 2085. This system of government-guaranteed retirement income has become strained because people are living longer lives and the ratio of workers to beneficiaries is now 3:1.

Traditionally, retirement age has been 65. Now, the age for receiving full benefits from Social Security depends on your birth year. Those born before 1943 can still retire at 65. Workers born between 1944 and 1955 must work until age 66. The retirement age goes up, based on one’s age. For every year that an employed person delays retirement, Social Security benefits grow by 8 percent. The idea is to be able to predict your own life expectancy, always a tricky proposition.

As of 2012, the maximum monthly benefit a worker can receive at age 66 is $2513.

More Info. At United States Social Security Administration

This Weeks Quote,

Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does.

--William James

Profile

William James was born in New York City on January 11, 1842, into an intellectual household; his father was a philospher and his brother was novelist Henry James. After medical school, James focused on the human psyche, writing a masterwork on the subject entitled The Principles of Psychology. He later became known for the literary piece The Will to Believe and Other Essays in Popular Philosophy, which was published in 1897. James died on August 26, 1910, in Chocorua, New Hampshire.

© 2013 A+E Networks. All rights reserved.

Profile Located At Biography.com.

At January 24, 2013 RCAAN meeting Shana Bussa brought Nicole Adelman (Executive Director of IHN at Alpha House) to the club to talk about Alpha House. Alpha House is a Homeless Shelter.

Our speaker was Nicole Edelman, executive director of Alpha House.  Nicole was introduced by Shanna Bussa, development director for Alpha House.

Alpha House is the shelter for families established by the Interfaith Hospitality Network.  Several years ago, two Ann Arbor women saw a need for emergency family housing and created a cooperative system for various faith congregations to meet this need. Originally,  churches opened their buildings to families for two weeks at a time and families moved from church to church. Later, St. Joseph Mercy Hospital donated the building that is now Alpha House to IHN. Now, volunteers from different congregations come to Alpha House to prepare and serve meals and the families stay in the shelter.

Alpha House can house 25 people for up to 90 days. The Alpha House staff helps clients obtain jobs and housing and works with families for up to one year.  Volunteers are always needed to fix meals and play with the children in shelter. 

Homeless children suffer from a wide variety of problems, including hunger, poor academic performance and mental health issues.

Above is another version of the video Nicole and Shana presented us at the meeting.

Nicole Adelmen, Shana Bussa From Alpha House, Matt Copeland Son, Noah And Madison Marshall.

Junior Rotarians?

Noah Copeland and Madison Marshall shared their service project as president and vice president of the Junior National Honor Society at their school. They raised money for Alpha House and Ozone House for “Help after the Holidays.”  They collected donated items plus $115 so far. After hearing that the school canceled a “spirit day” the kids were counting on to raise money, Vern Hutton suggested we all pitch in and we came up with $74 to help the students meet their goal.

For More On Alpha House

At January 24, 2013, The Rotary Club of Ann Arbor Inducted Lisa Spaulding as a newest member.

Lisa Spaulding was inducted into our club by President Laura Van Steenis. Lisa’s sponsor is Kelly Mendenhall. Congratulations, Lisa, and welcome to Rotary North!

This Weeks Quote,

An individual has not started living until he can rise above the narrow confines of his individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of all humanity.

--Martin Luther King Jr.

Synopsis:

Martin Luther King Jr. was born on January 15, 1929 in Atlanta, Georgia. King, both a Baptist minister and civil-rights activist, had a seismic impact on race relations in the United States, beginning in the mid-1950s. Among many efforts, King headed the SCLC. Through his activism, he played a pivotal role in ending the legal segregation of African-American citizens in the South and other areas of the nation,as well as the creation of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. King received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964, among several other honors. King was assassinated in April 1968, and continues to be remembered as one of the most lauded African-American leaders in history, often referenced by his 1963 speech, "I Have a Dream."

On January 17, 2013 the RCAAN went to Colonial Lanes and had 2 hours of bowling and ate good food.  In the 2 hours we filled 3 lanes playing 3 games on each lane. See Photo Albums for more fun photos.

At January 17, 2013 Rotary Club Ann Arbor North meeting Char Luttrell talked about her employer Ms. Molly Foundation. 

Above is the video that Char showed us at the meeting on Jan. 17th about The Ms. Molly Foundation.

RCAAN Member Char Luttrell, the Development Director of the Ms. Molly Foundation, presented our program.

Under the leadership of President Laura Van Steenis, the RCAAN board recently awarded the Ms. Molly Foundation a $2500 grant to support domestic violence shelters and to build capacity to work to eliminate domestic violence.

The Ms. Molly Foundation began in 1996, founded by the wife of the owner of the Molly Maid Company, in response to the large numbers of employees who were victims of domestic violence. Since then, the organization has raised $1.4 million and funded 140 shelters across the country, wherever Molly Maid franchises are active. Last year, the foundation raised $240,000. The agency funds 11 shelters in Michigan, including SafeHouse Center in Washtenaw County, LaCasa in Livingston County, Haven in Oakland County and First Step in Wayne County. Until now, all support for the foundation’s work has come from the owners of the Molly Maid Corporation, franchise owners, employees, customers and vendors.

Now the foundation is seeking donations from individuals and community groups in an effort to increase capacity to fund one-third of the nation’s 1500 domestic violence and sexual assault shelters and to eliminate domestic violence in one generation. RCAAN Members Gail Scott and Virginia and Gordon Nordby (along with one anonymous donor) have become Cornerstone Sponsors of the foundation’s “Bold Step Forward” campaign to raise $53,000 by June 30, 2013.

Ms. Molly Foundation Web Page

Here is the NEW Rotary International Theme for 2013-2014. Take a look!!

At the January 10, 2013, Rotary Club of Ann Arbor North meeting President Laura accepts a check for The  Rotary Club of Ann Arbor North Foundation. Phil Zepeda presented the check of $1000 which was a gift from Dr. Steven Modell.

At the Rotary Club Ann Arbor North meeting on January 10, 2013, Susan Lackey talked to us about The Legacy Land Conservation.

The Legacy Land Conservancy’s current emphasis is on protecting the land in Michigan’s “Emerald Crescent,” the green belt that stretches from Brooklyn, Michigan, through Chelsea, Michigan, to Whitmore Lake, Michigan. This arc follows the head waters of the Huron River through Washtenaw and Jackson Counties, including the Waterloo State Recreation Area and the Pinckney State Recreation Area.

The Legacy Land Conservancy began in 1971 as a private non-profit organization that works to protect the beautiful natural places of southern Michigan, including forests, farmlands, wetlands and rivers. Since then, the organization (formerly the Washtenaw Land Trust) has protected more than 3,700 acres and worked to secure funding to protect thousands more. The Land Conservancy has created five public nature preserves.

Learn More About The Legacy Land Conservancy

Diego Ibarra Sánchez for TIME

A child getting a polio vaccine at Toll Plaza, outskirts of Karachi. Polio is a highly infectious disease caused by a virus that can provoke permanent paralysis in a matter of hours. There is no cure, but there are safe and effective vaccin

-Diego Ibarra Sanchez For Time

A portrait of Saiful Islam holding his 8-month-daughter, Sulaim, at his home in Mardan (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa). He made the decision of refusing vaccinations for his daughter because of rumors vaccines could contain animal urine. She was struck by polio two months ago. Both of her legs are paralyzed now.

See More Photos From Time Magazine Article

Daniel Berehulak / Getty Images

Usman, 7 months, receives polio-vaccination drops at the Merlin clinic at a UNHCR camp for internally displaced people on July 13, 2012, in Jalozai, Pakistan.

At Rotary Club Ann Arbor North meeting on January 3, 2013 we had Dr. Richard Stahler-Sholk and Dr. Judith Culburg talking about "Poverty, Human Rights and Health" in El Salvador and Cuba. Richard Stahler-Sholk and Judith Kulburg are professors at Eastern Michigan Univeristy where they teach Study Abroad Courses. 

Drs Judy Culberg and Richard Stanier-Sholk, professors at Eastern Michigan University, who spoke to us about global poverty.Drs. Culberg and Stainer-Sholk told us that poverty is the central problem connected to all of the world’s major problems.

Their classes at Eastern Michigan University expose students to both the theory and the personal experience of poverty. Each year they take students on trips to El Salvador and Cuba, where the group interacts with local people who are struggling with poverty.In El Salvador, the students are introduced to Salvadorans who have suffered because of the civil war of 1980-1992. Many Salvadorans are the sole surviving members of their families, all victims of war.

The classes visit schools, community centers and hospitals, to see the effects of poverty on the population. They also stay in local people’s homes, where they are welcomed very warmly. As a result of their travels and studies, the EMU students become citizens of the world.

Happy New Year!!

This Weeks Quote:

"Let our New Year's resolution be this: we will be there for one another as fellow members of humanity, in the finest sense of the word".

--Goran Persson, Prime Minister Of Sweden From 1996-2006

 From The Members At The Rotary Club Of Ann Arbor North, Have A Wonderful Holiday Season.

Kelly Mendenhall, talks to The Rotary Club of Ann Arbor North, about herself and the meanings behind her tatoos. 

The speaker at the Rotary Club of Ann Arbor North meeting on December 20, 2012, was our own Kelly Mendenhall, who told us about her body art.

Kelly shared her personal story of loss and growth as she explained the meaning and purpose of several of her 18 tattoos, challenging us to look beyond tattoos to see the person and learn about the life they represent.

Kelly’s father died when she was four years old. Her mother had to start her own business to support the family. When Kelly got older, she learned that her father had been in prison for ten years before she was born. She contacted the Michigan Department of Corrections and received lots of information about her dad, including a photo, which is the basis the tattoo on her right forearm. Kelly said that every time she looks at her arm she thinks of her father.

Her anchor represents her mother, who has truly “anchored” her family through many ups and downs. Her butterfly is for her sister. Her ship is for her aunt. She wears a lighthouse on her arm to honor the people in her life who have guided her. A sparrow is in memory of a good friend who died during his third tour of duty in Iraq. All in all, Kelly has buried 15 family members and friends in her short life.

In what Kelly describes as her “quarter-life crisis,” she suffered depression following several losses. She decided, she says, “not to live in fear” but to press on with her life, going to school in London and completing her master’s degree at Eastern Michigan University.

She urged us to get to know people with tattoos and see them as individuals with stories to tell. One reason she is in Rotary is because Rotarians have accepted her as she is, tattoos and all!

RCAAN announces that we have awarded a $2500 to the Ms. Molly Foundation.

At December 20th RCAAN Meeting, President Laura announced, that the RCAAN board had awarded $2500 to the Ms. Molly Foundation, to support local domestic violence shelters and to work to prevent and eliminate domestic violence. Gail Scott also presented a personal check for $1,000 for the foundation to Char Luttrell, development director.

This Weeks Quote:

"The only gift is a portion of thyself".

--Ralph Waldow Emerson, Author and Minister

From The Rotary Club of Ann Arbor North our hearts and prayers go out to those individuals that were killed, and families of the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown CT.

This Weeks Quote:

"Personality has power to uplift , power to depress, power to curse, and power to bless".

--Paul Harris, Founder of Rotary Club

Harris was born in Racine, Wisconsin. At age 3, when his family fell on hard times, they moved to Vermont to live with Harris' paternal grandparents. He attended Princeton University, the University of Vermont, and the University of Iowa. For the next five years, he worked odd jobs for a newspaper as a salesman and a reporter, on fruit farms, as an actor and cowboy, and on cattle ships that traveled to Europe. Harris would settle in the Beverly neighborhood of Chicago, where he lived until his death in 1947.

He began his law practice in 1896 in Chicago. In 1905, Harris organized the first Rotary Club "in fellowship and friendship" with three clients, Silvester Schele, Gustavus Loehr, and Hiram Shorey . His initial goal was to create a club of professional and business men for friendship and fellowship. Early on, Harris realized that Rotary needed a greater purpose. While Harris served as president of the Chicago Rotary Club in 1907, the club initiated its first public service project, the construction of public toilets in Chicago. This step transformed Rotary into the world's first Service Club.

Harris had great ambitions for the growth of Rotary, and very early in the organization's history new clubs were started, first on the west coast, and then all over the US and in Europe

Newest RCAAN Member, as of December 6, 2012, Curtis Hoesing.

We Have A New Rotarian

Curtis Hoesing was inducted into our club. He is an administrative officer at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Scott Nelson was his sponsor. Congratulations, Curtis! We are looking forward to getting to know you and to working with you.

As Club Board members and supporters, we would love for you to RSVP and attend this event in our home (with spouses) and help spread the word to any of your friends who enjoy reading novels, as well as your Indian friends. This is a rare op to meet someone so famous!

Amitav Ghosh will also describe the project that our club is involved with called, The India Project: Project Dignity.

Manish Mehta

Time: 6:30 PM-8:00 PM

Location: Manish Mehta's House (RCAAN Member)

E-Mail or Contact Manish for RSVP                              

More On Amitav Ghosh

Top Photo: Jeanine Delay,

As President of A2Ethics.org Jeanine has many roles: from helping develop and grow A2Ethics ventures to leading the efforts to secure and endow funding for A2Ethics work. She translates the big, and sometimes quirky ideas, into sustainable programs.    

Bottom Photo: Erin Mattimoe,

Joined the A2Ethics.org board in 2010. She is most recognized around town as the MC for The Big Ethical Question Slam.

At the November 29, 2012 Rotary Club North Meeting we had two speakers from A2Ethics. Jeannine Delay the President, of A2Ethics and Erin Mattimoe a Board Member, gave a brief summary of the non-profit A2Ethic

The mission of A2Ethics is to give ethics a permanent voice and place in our community. The organization uses three approaches:

1. An online community

2. Educational programs

3. Live events, such as the A2Ethics Slam and the High School Ethics Bowl

A2Ethics is looking for ways to answer ethical questions in all areas of working life. With the automotive industry crisis and the general economic crisis, new ethical questions have arisen, especially for the freelance community of workers.

The next Ethics Slam will be held next February 7. Teams from local businesses will compete by answering various questions on ethical dilemmas.

A2Ethics Web-Page

At the November 29th RCAAN Meeting, we got the opportunity to meet Ken and Jill Angold-Stephen. They were guests from Epping, England about 20 miles outside of London. The Angold-Stephens were in Ann Arbor to visit their son and his family. They have been married 48 years and have a grandson and a granddaughter who will be attending Greenhills School. After Ken introduced himself and Jill, he presented Laura with Epping's Rotary Club Flag. Then Laura reciprocated with giving him our Rotary Club Flag.

Epping, England Map.

Epping, England City Streets.

Epping-Ongar-Railway.

No Rotary Club Of Ann Arbor North Meeting on

November 22, 2012.

From Everyone At Rotary Club North, HAPPY  THANKGIVING!!

The 12 minute video Lorrie Douglas shown at the RCAAN meeting November 15, 2012.

The Nicaragua Project Web-Site.

What We Do

Intercultural Center and Hotel – Plan

• Build an Intercultural Exchange Center and 24-bed hotel within the community of Catarina, Nicaragua. Catarina is famous for the magnificent view of El Mirador (Crater Lake) and is close to the International Airport and many nature sites.
• The Center will provide visitors and locals with language education, meeting facilities, conferences, and a small outdoor amphitheater for presentations.
• The Hotel includes a natural setting in a restful community, 2 blocks from the Mirador view, hiking, restaurant, private bathrooms with hot water, A/C, gift shop with local art, and transportation to and from the airport and tourist sites.
• “Green” building standards will be employed with the most compatible structure for the culture and environment.
• The Center will appeal to eco-tourists,Spanish immersion students, project groups, socially invested visitors, educators and researchers, artists and writers.

Phase I: Foundation – 2005-2011
Land purchased. Organizational structure established. Outreach, partnerships, & fundraising begun.

Phase II: Building – 2012-2013
Begin building cabanas, lobby, meeting rooms. Formalize partnerships.

Phase III: Additions – 2013-?
Center operational, add 2-story hotel units, pool, outdoor stage, & amenities.
Expand employment & training options

Thank You The Nicaragua Project Web-Site for video and story.

The Nicaragua Project

 Lorrie Douglas (Board Member of The Nicaragua Project)

Joe Summers (Founder of The Nicaragua Project)

Lorrie Douglas and Joe Summers, with The Nicaragua Project talked to The Rotary Club Ann Arbor North Members on November 15, 2012.

The Nicaragua Project is a nonprofit effort to create sustainable economic development in Catarina, Nicaragua by building an eco-friendly hotel and conference center in an area where families are living on a monthly income of $400.

The project is currently seeking matching funds to double the fundraising results from $30,000 to $60,000. If successful, the campaign will allow the project to begin to build in 2013.

For more information see Nicaragua Project.

This Weeks Quote:

"When you become detached mentally from yourself and concentrate on helping other people with their difficulties, you will be able to cope with your own more effectively. Somehow, the act of self-giving is a personal power-releasing factor".

--Norman Vincent Peale

As Greg Ewin talked about, at the November 8th Rotary meeting, here is the YouTub Video of the Kid's at Pantanal Center For Education and Research playing the University of Michigan Fight Song "Hail To The Victors" with the Rotary Club donated Violins.

The Music at Nazaré Program is a new PCER project to teach music and organize an orchestra at the Nazaré Orphanage in Poconé, Mato Grosso, Brazil. The Nazaré orphanage is a home for children, many of whom are orphaned and have grown up on the streets. We aim to teach music as a positive influence in their lives, and to use music as a means to promote other health and educational projects in the area. Additionally we are working to develop collaborations with other youth orchestras in Brazil and throughout South America. The project began Summer 2012 through the lucky coincidence that the Poconé rotary club had just donated a collection of violins, violas, cellos, and guitars to the orphanage, and among the PCER volunteers in Brazil were two violinists.

Progress

At the end of lessons the students often started requesting that we play songs they knew (anything from the Mendlessohn Wedding March to Lady Gaga) and we obliged as best we could! We worked individually with some of the older kids to have them help teach some of the younger ones, with mixed success (likely due to the short time we had).

To prepare for the coming summer and expansion of the program, we are currently working with the University Musical Society (UMS) at University of Michigan, and discussing a collaboration with the Michigan Pops Orchestra. On the global level, we are in contact with a number of influential musicians and cultural figures in Brazil and both youth and professional orchestras throughout South America. I don't want to publish names or details yet before things are more worked out, but exciting things are happening, and happening fast!

Thanks to Pantanal Center Web Page for story and Video.

On November 8, 2012 Gregory Ewin a student at U of M, talked to Rotary Club of Ann Arbor North about The Pantanal Center For Education Research in Brazil

Gregory Ewing talked to The Rotary Club of Ann Arbor North on November 8, 2012. Gregory is an engineering senior at the University of Michigan. Greg has been involved with the Pantanal Partnership in Brazil since his freshman year.

The Pantanal (Literally "the swamp") is the world's largest flood plain, stretching across Brazil. Bolivia and Paraguay. It is home to hundreds of plant and animal species, including the world's largest rodent. The economic drives are the fishing and cattle industries and eco-tourism. The people who live in the Pantanal are in a political limbo; no state wants to take care of them.

The Pantanal Partnership began when a U-M student visited the region as an eco-tourist and returned with fellow students to engage the local residents to improve their surroundings while maintaining their ancestral homes.

In 2010, the partnership built a research center. In 2011, the group built a bio-digester to turn cattle waste products into methane gas. That year, the team also installed bio-sand filters at the research center, producing clean drinking water.

Last year, the group was able to expand the bio-sand filter program to other schools and to use the project to teach biology, chemistry, and English. When the children saw mico-organisms under a microscope, they began to grasp the idea of particles in the water that were to small to be seen by the eye. Until then, they had no understanding of the necessity for clean water.

The U-M students also worked on a water tower, which enabled a wi-fi connection so that Pantanal residents can access medical help.

Some students are even learning how to play the stringed instruments that a Rotary Club had provided for their school, now that they have a music teacher from the University of Michigan. They can now play the "Hail to the Victors" on Violin.

Learn More About Pantanal Center For Education and Research By Following Link:http://www.pantanalcer.org/

Seventeen individuals participated last Saturday (November 3, 2012), which began as a chilly morning as evidenced by the photos. RCAAN was assigned two senior citizens homes to rake and bag fall leaves.

Seventeen individuals participated last Saturday (November 3, 2012), which began as a chilly morning as evidenced by the photos. RCAAN was assigned two senior citizens homes to rake and bag fall leaves

Rotarians from RCAAN:

• Keith Kriengs (Leader/Organizer, replaced John Arenz who had a conflict)
• Tammy Broderick
• Lisa Hudy
• Manish Mehta
• Scott Nelson
• Mario Romero
• Mike Vanover

Non-Rotarians:

• Chris Hoesing (an prospective member?)
• Keith Krieng's wife and two daughters

Skyline Interact Members:

• Bonney Cai (President)
• Kathryn Carethers
• Claire Chouinard
• Emily Davila
• Tara Djoe
• Maddie Goodson

Thanks are due to everyone!

This Weeks Quote:

"My own definition of leadership is this: the capacity and the will to rally men and women to a common purpose and the character which inspires confidence"

--General Montgomery

On November 11, 2012 David Blough came to The Rotary Club of Ann Arbor North meeting to talk about "The Markets". David Blough works at United Bank and Trust in Ann Arbor.

At The Rotary Club of Ann Arbor North meeting, on October 25, 2012 Manish Mehta, talked about his trip to India. Where he visited the Rotary Club of Ann Arbor North sponsored toilet, which is a part of the Project Dignity of India.

Our own Manish Mehta, our international service chair, brought us up to date on our Project Dignity, a project to bring sanitation facilities to the Sunderbans area of eastern India, and showed us photos from his recent tour of the area.

Manish shared some stark statistics with us: 4 in 10 humans have no toilet facilities, 90 percent of diarrhea is caused by bad water, there has been a 40 percent decrease in cases of diarrhea in areas that now have toilets.

Project Dignity places Rotary-funded toilets with selected families who will set a good example for their neighbors, to encourage sanitary habits.Clean water means that children are healthier and able to go to school regularly. This means that mothers are able to work to improve their families’ lives. Private toilets mean that girls and women can have dignity and freedom. 

Project Dignity’s Rotary partners are: our own club and Rotary clubs in Ann Arbor Downtown, Ferndale, Milan and Saline. We are also working with the Rotary Club of Calcutta Midtown and the Sri Ramakrishna Ashram to select which families will receive toilets. (The ashram, an interfaith agency, also loans bicycles to girls so that they can get to school safely.)Manish explained that Project Dignity is experimenting with a social entrepreneurship model, to enlist local people to sell the toilets to others. 

Learn More On Project Dignity of India At Rotary India Humanity Foundation

Dan Weiss talks to the Club, about his Clinic and an Orphanage in Brazil that he and his wife donates their time.

At the meeting on October 18, 2012 of The Rotary Club of Ann Arbor North, Peggy Windsor, Former Member and Past President, introduced our speaker, Dan Weiss, another Former Member and Past President. Dan runs a Medical Clinic in Brazil.

Dan began his remarks by congratulating our Club on the amount of work we do for a small to medium sized Rotary Club. He said, "the club he now belongs to in Brazil likes to drink beer; he is trying to get them involved in some service projects!"

Dan shared some slides and comments about an Orphanage in Brazil where he and his Wife are donating their time. He told us,"that the goal of the Orphanage is to provide a true home for children up to 12 years old, a permanent place for them to live. Many of them will never be adopted". The Organization has many needs; among them is the need for industrial-sized washing machines to keep the children's clothes and diapers clean.

City Manager of Ypsilanti, Speaks at October 11th Meeting.

At the Rotary Club Ann Arbor North meeting on October 11th, David Lange the City Manager of Ypsilanti, gave a speech on how Ypsilanti is doing after these hard economic times.

Ralph Lange, has helped many communities achieve long-term financial stability. He enjoys working and living in the Midwest, especially Northern Ohio and Southeastern Michigan. Ralph told, "us that Ypsilanti has much potential for a great come back".

He discussed that they are talking to developers about developing the closed Vistion Plant. It is 180 acres and it is hard for a city if that much land going undeveloped.

He liked the fact that the Wolverine Rail Road goes through Ypsilanti. He see's potential for the railroad, that could give transportation for Metro Airport, Eastern and Michigan Universities, Ann Arbor, Ypsilanti, and Detroit resident. This could give cheap public transportation around the area instead of having to rely on the expensive car.

Other reasons for the potential for Ypsilanti come back, is the city is right in the middle of the I-94 corridor between Ann Arbor and Detroit. Ypsilanti also has many enthusiastic boosters and they are very spiritual and spiritually diverse.

Ralph said, "that one of the challenges of downsizing City departments is to balance the budget, yet not eliminating vital City services". He acknowledged, that crime continues to be a problem in Ypsilanti. Ralph believes that bringing businesses back to the town will provide a greater tax base, and allow the City to hire more Police Officer's.

Ralph is busy speaking to community groups (like our club), and working with SEMCOG, Spark East, The Chamber of Commerce and the Downtown Development Authority.