Stories

We're doing it again!  Our Holiday Nut Sale is underway and you can help support our STRIVE Scholarships.  

Rotarian Lisa Armstrong, Armstrong Accounting is chairing this important community event.  

Orders for nuts can be made online via this link.  You can also email any questions to Lisa.

Bryan Elges attended a Rotary Club of Ashland meeting in May where his daughter Gabriella was  awarded a $1,500 scholarship.

During the meeting,  the club’s fireworks chair, Mitch Piskur, pitched the club’s annual Fireworks Super Raffle fundraiser. Elges bought one of the $100 tickets.

It was a great investment. His ticket was pulled on July 4th as the winner of the $4,100 pot in the 50-50 raffle.

“The Rotary Club gave my daughter an outstanding award, so I thought I would make a donation back.  I happened to have a $100 bill in my wallet, so I pulled it out. I got it back and more,” said Elges, who says he likes to buy local and support projects of local organization.

Elges says when Piskur called to tell him he was a winner, he first thought it was a joke.

Gabriella is a recent graduate of Ashland High School and the Career Center, and will be attending North Central State College to study nursing.When asked about his plans for this winnings, the proud father said he and Gabriella went to Best Buy and picked out a “very nice laptop” for her to take to college.

The Rotary Club of Ashland has produced Ashland’s July 4th fireworks for more than 40 years. The Super Raffle is one piece of the fundraising efforts for the annual celebration, including the William Roepke and William Buckingham Fireworks Endowment Fund.

Rotary Fireworks Chair Mitch Piskur (right)  presents a $4,100 check to Bryan Elges, who had the winning ticket in the Rotary Club’s annual 50-50 Fireworks Super Raffle.

We're doing it again!  Our Holiday Nut Sale is underway and you can help support our STRIVE Scholarships.  

Rotarian Lisa Armstrong, Armstrong Accounting is chairing this important community event.  

Orders for nuts can be made online via this link.  You can also email any questions to Lisa.

Inducting seven new members highlighted the Rotary Club of Ashland’s celebration of its 99th birthday on May 4. Joining the local service club (from left) were Bri Noel, Lisa Skok, Terri Dorner, Stephanie Featheringill, Lori Wolf, Joe Baumgard and Kolleen Miller (not pictured). The club also welcomed back returning member Lindsey Roberts-Gasche. Recent Rotarian service projects include assisting with local COVID vaccination clinics, co-sponsoring the second annual "Make Ashland Sparkle" community cleanup and the upcoming spring spruce-up at the Ashland Senior Citizen Center on May 15.

(Story from Ashland Times Gazette - May 11, 2021)

Rotary July 4th Fireworks 2020

“Socially Distance Style’’

After months of the pandemic, the Rotary Club of Ashland decided it was especially important to celebrate our nation’s birthday with its traditional fireworks display. So the club’s 30-plus-year Independence Day tradition will continue on Saturday July 4 at Community Stadium —with a few modifications due to coronavirus concerns.

The response of our sponsors —and community — has been unbelievable. A huge thank you to all who make sure Ashland had its July 4th celebration during these trying times!

Be careful and be safe 

- Social Distancing

There’s plenty of space around Community Stadium and surrounding neighborhoods to spread out and practice social distancing.  The fireworks show will be higher than usual expanding the viewing area. Please act responsibly and wear masks where appropriate.

Share your pictures/Win a gift card  

Post your photos on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram showing how you are socially distancing that evening using #AshlandRotary4th. Winners will be reposted on our Facebook page, will receive gift cards to Downtown Perk or Eva’s Treats,

Not only in the air, but on the air 

Patriotic Tribute

The fireworks will have its own synchronized soundtrack broadcast on two local radio stations, beginning about 9:45 p.m..

    —WRDL-88.9 FM, Ashland University’s radio station

    —101.3 WNCO, sponsored by Pediatric Consultants of Ashland & Mansfield. Thank you iHeart/WNCO for producing patriotic soundtrack.

50-50 Super Raffle Drawing Live on WRDL

There’s still time to time to buy a Super Raffle ticket from Rotary Club members, online at ashlandrotary.net or at Armstrong Cable, 1215 Claremont Ave. The deadline is 5 p.m. Friday July 3. Tickets are $100 each, with a maximum of 150 being sold.

The winning ticket will be drawn live, on the air, during the fireworks pre-show on WRDL-88.9 FM. The pre-show is expected to begin at 9:15 p.m. and will feature Mayor Matt Miller and Rotary Club officers who will honor local veterans and pandemic essential workers.

Raindate: In case of rain, the fireworks will be moved to Saturday July 5.

• Spreng-Smith Insurance - 320 College Avenue - Ashland
• Farmers State Bank - 1000 Sugarbush Drive - Ashland
•  Ashland Area Chamber of Commerce - 211 Claremont Avenue - Ashland

This week we'll back at the Heritage Room where we'll hear from a local guy, Dave James, who is leveraging micro-enterprise in Cambodia. He's creating entrepreneurship with the poorest of the poor.

Thanks to everyone who signed up for the Funnel Cake Booth. There's just a couple slots left, please click on the link to the left if you'd like to check out open times.

Happy Labor Day!  We can credit and give a hat tip to Matthew Maguire, who in 1882 worked to bring about what we observe on the first Monday of every September -Labor Day.  Although its impact has changed as unions have changed and this annual ritual has become, in more modern times, the marking of the end of summer vacation.  Hope your weekend has been great.

Seems only fitting that Uncle Si from Duck Dynasty helps to remind us to celebrate the economics of all who work hard.  So take a few moments this weekend to equally “nap hard”.  Be safe!  Blessings!

 

Direct link: Duck Dynasty - Work Hard, Nap Hard

Editors:  Just a reminder if you've signed up you can view your time to serve via this: link to sign-up.

 

The Ashland County Fair (September 15-22) is less than a month away and we're putting together the serving team for the Funnel Cake Booth.  There are 42 different opportunities to serve and so far 16 of the slots have been spoken for.  Click on this link to sign-up online, or click on the image below.  Note:  If you signed up at the meeting and need to change your time, please use "rotary" as the undo code.

 

 

We're very excited to announce that the ClubRunner Mobile App is now available for download!  The ClubRunner Mobile App is your key to connect to our Ashland Rotary ClubRunner website on the go!

Tom Gregory from the Hummel Group in Orrville offered a useful presentation on 7/30 on key components to the Affordable Care Act and the changes that will be made by the health care reform legislation as its implemented over the next several years.

He provided this Legislative Brief provides as followup and it provides a timeline for key reform provisions. It has been updated for the Obama Administration's decision to delay the employer mandate penalties until 2015. 

You can download it here.

Great story in last week's Ashland Times Gazette about Chuck Ulrich and his grilling expertise.  Read it here.. 

 

A big thanks to Jonithon LaCross from the Public Utilities Commission for his very insightful and useful presentation on Retail Electric choices.  Here's a link to the apples-to-apples comparison chart to help you with a snapshot comparison of electric supplier price options and contract terms.

Greetings!  We hope you will find this new newsletter useful as a tool to better connect you to our local club. 

We need to give a huge THANK YOU to Chuck Ulrich, who has served as the editor of our email newsletter for many years.  Chuck has tirelessly provided the Club with a weekly email listing upcoming events and news about our meetings,  and we are grateful.

Today, we launch a new eBulletin and we hope this new format will leverage our communication with our members and will help you stay informed.  You will find most of the information you need right here and we hope to have it to you each week by Monday afternoon. You can also access this information via our webpage here.

Included in each eBulletin  will be: 

• a list of this week and future speakers,
• listings of special events like our annual Steak Fry
• a story or two about a past meeting you may have missed 
• a listing of the most recent Rotary Citizen of the Week

Additionally we hope to keep you informed where we will be meeting (Heritage Room or 9th Floor Amstutz) and perhaps the menu for lunch. 

For this week 7/23 we will be meeting in the Heritage Room and the lunch menu is: Spinach and Romaine Salad, Beef and Noodles and AU Cookies.

Please let me know if you have anything you'd like to share and how you like this new communication tool.  Please also contact me about possible future speakers or programs you would enjoy. 

President Jerry as instituted a new program that will recognize a person, who demonstrates the principles of the 4 Way test.  The first award was presented to Andy Harpster from Brethren Care Village. 

Robert James Studeny passed away Monday, Nov. 28, 2011, a day before his 84th birthday.

He was the son of James and Bertha Studeny of Shaker Heights.

Bob served in the United States Army during World War II.

He then moved to Ashland in 1956 with his wife of 60 years, Dorothy (née Koogle) Studeny, when they purchased Overynder Florist, which became Ashland Florist. They ran the florist business successfully for 38 years. Bob was involved in many civic organizations, including Rotary and the library board.

Rotarian Tom Roepke, youth pastor of New Hope Community Church, gave highlights of his recent Present: Hope Tour. The 803-mile bicycle ride from Missouri to Georgia was a fundraiser in partnership with an international disaster relief organization, Convoy of Hope,  to help the victims of tornado damage in Joplin, Mo., and Tuscaloosa, Ala.  The tour began Sept 22 in Joplin and ended on October 5, 2011 in Atlanta.

 Mike Hall, plant controller at Novatex, sponsored by John Augenstein; and Jason Miller, assistant director for major gifts at Ashland University, sponsored by Ralph Tomassi were welcomed as the newest members at this week's meeting.

Exciting news! The selection of the person who will lead our "ambassadors” to Italy as part of the Group Study Exchange ( GSE) has been selected. Our congratulations to Madeline Finnerty of the Rotary Club of Ashland. She will lead the Outbound GSE Team from our district to RID2090 next May.

Dan Phillip, president and founder of Transformation Network spoke to the club on 11/08.  Phillip recalled the early days of the agency, starting in 1999, when there was no money but a strong motivation to help people, initially women on welfare. He learned quickly that the work is difficult, messy and hard to change people's lives.

President Julia Wright spoke to the club on a new project "A Bookcase for Every Child." She presented statistics showing that 63 percent of Ashland County children were not ready for kindergarten based on the standard KRAL tests for school readiness.

The program for the day was presented by Ashland Chamber of Commerce. Barbie Lange, executive director; John Ballinger, Leadership Ashland director; and Melissa Martin, membership services coordinator, presented the various programs and supports that the chamber offers the local business community.

Peggy Boales with the Council on Aging spoke to the club today, Tuesday, August 2nd.

She informed the club of the numerous entities the council is able to provide to the senior citizens of Ashland County. At the end of June, they have provided 3,566 onsite and 17,890 meals in the homes of seniors who need assistance; although, their resourcefulness is not limited to the meals that are made locally.

 

By COURTNEY ALBON  T-G Staff Writer

A group of Korean visitors on Tuesday got a sweet taste of Ashland.

Participants in the Rotary Group Study Exchange, the five visitors from Gwangju, South Korea, began their day Tuesday with a tour of the Lance bakery. They learned of the company's process for mixing, baking, sorting and packaging cookies -- and were able to taste a few in the process.

SE Team from RID 3710 (Korea) has arrived and are making their way to our club.  We will be hosting them from May 6-10.  Stay tuned for more details.

2011 Rotary Four-Way Test speech contest winners were announced today. Winners were Nathan Richey, Taylor Campbell and Gabby Hitchcock

Today, Tim Norris of www.aginfotech.net spoke about the use of technology in farming.

 Facebook   LinkedIn   Twitter   YouTube

Welcome to our Rotary Club! 

The Syosset High School Interact Club's entry into the Rotary International 2010 Interact Video Contest.

Happy New Year from MESA...Here's the update on what's going on.

The Rotary Club of Ashland installed new officers for the 2013-14 year.  Outgoing President Dennis Miller shared his farewell address before handing the gavel over to incoming President Jerry Strausbaugh.

(Editors Note: This is a facebook post from the Rotary Tour for Mesa page.)

Day 5: Mansfield--Loudonville—Ashland - The Loudonville Rollercoaster

The reward for crawling uphill all day at 3 mph is a few brief hair-raising downhills at 35-40 mph. But unlike roller coasters, nobody was willing to go back and do it again.  Our host families from the Mansfield Rotary graciously fed us breakfast and returned us to the Holiday Inn , where re-assembled our bikes and gear and obtained final instructions from “Sergeant Pepple.” MESA Chairman Dave Daugherty was also on hand to send us off. Thanks so very much, Dave, President Andy Chalk, and the Mansfield Rotary for your wonderful hospitality and generous support of MESA and the Tour.

The Rotary Club of Ashland's Interact Club was recognized and selected as the top achiever for 2013 in their age category. 

The Kids Who Care program recognizes service by Ashland County individuals ages 6 to 18 who demonstrate outstanding charitable commitment to the Community.  Nominations will be considered based on Initiative/Creativity, Community Benefit, and Generosity. Award categories are Grades 1-6, Grades 7-8, and Grades 9-12.  The program is sponsored by the Ashland County Community Foundation

Pictured (LTR) Jeremy Jackson, Skye Fetters, Dayna Taylor, and Stormey Trayter.

 Rotary's areas of focus

Rotary clubs serve communities around the world, each with unique concerns and needs. Rotarians have continually adapted and improved the way they respond to those needs, taking on a broad range of service projects. The most successful and sustainable Rotary service tends to fall within one of the following six areas:

• Peace and conflict prevention/resolution
• Disease prevention and treatment
• Water and sanitation
• Maternal and child health
• Basic education and literacy
• Economic and community development

Rotary International and The Rotary Foundation recognize these six areas of focus as organizational priorities, and there are countless ways that Rotarians can address these needs locally and internationally. For ideas, consult the publication Rotary’s Areas of Focus.

Clubs and districts participating in the Future Vision pilot can apply for Rotary Foundation Global Grant funding by targeting specific goals for one or more of the areas of focus. Learn more about these goals.

Areas of focus resources

• Peace and conflict prevention/resolution
  • Rotary Centers for International Studies in peace and conflict resolution
• Disease prevention and treatment
  • Rotarian Action Groups specializing in this area
• Water and sanitation
  • Water and Sanitation Rotarian Action Group  (WASRAG)
    • Technical guides developed by WASRAG
  • RI/USAID International H20 Collaboration
• Maternal and child health
  • Rotary's strategic partnership with Aga Khan University
  • Rotarian Action Group for Population Growth & Sustainable Development
• Basic education and literacy
  • Rotary's partnership with the International Reading Association  and the Dollywood Foundation's Imagination Library  
• Economic and community development
  • Oikocredit International
  • Rotary Community Corps program
  • Rotarian Action Group for Microcredit

(editors note:  this article originally appeared in the Tuesday, January 22, 2012 edition of the Ashland Times Gazette)

Dr. William M. Emery's passing leaves a legacy of health care in Ashland community

written by Irv Oslin T-G Staff Writer Published:

Download order form here

All proceeds from the 2012 Nut Sale Campaign will be used to support SHELTERBOX  Each ShelterBox supplies an extended family with a tent and essential equipment to use while they are displaced or homeless. Todate the Rotary Club of Ashland has provided funding for 4 boxes that have been delivered to Pakistan and to Haiti.  

The ShelterBox solution in disaster response is as simple as it is effective. We deliver the essentials a family needs to survive in the immediate aftermath of a disaster. 

Each green ShelterBox is tailored to a disaster but typically contains a disaster relief tent for an extended family, blankets, water storage and purification equipment, cooking utensils, a stove, a basic tool kit, a children’s activity pack and other vital items. 

Here's the video Tom Roepke mentioned during his presentation this week that impacted him and his students as  motivation for riding 500 miles to raise awareness of modern-day slavery. You can support the effort here.

Mayor Glen Stewart presents the Paul Harris Award to Madeline Finnerty on Tuesday during the 90th anniversary celebration of Ashland Rotary at Ashland University’s John C. Myers Convocation Center.

Rotary Club of Ashland on Thursday celebrated 90 years of service locally, throughout the country and abroad.

Club members and their spouses gathered at Ashland University to take a look back at club history and activities over the years and honor members who have made significant contributions in the past year.

Ashland Rotary was founded May 1922. The club met for its first meeting at Hotel Otter. Charter members included Phil Myers of F.E. Myers pump company, John McDowell, a former Ashland City Schools superintendent and namesake of McDowell Auditorium and J.L. Clark of Hess and Clark and founder of Samaritan Hospital.90yj

The Ashland Rotary Club sponsored a Bookcase Project recently where people in the community built personalized bookcases for local children.

Rotary Club President Julia Wright initiated the idea and since they began the project in January more than fifty bookcases have been made and more than 3,000 books were donated.

The bookcases were filled with books for the little ones and given to them during a ceremony on Sunday. Along with the books, the children received a stuffed puppy to cuddle up with and read to, as a reading buddy Wright says the teachers whose students have received donated books and read to by volunteers, have seen an increase in vocabulary, and gained the ability to rhyme and comprehend.
story courtesy WMFD TV

Dr. Henry Charles Chalfant 84, a loving husband, father, grandfather and friend, of Ashland passed away Sunday evening, March 4, 2012 in the Hospice House following a brief illness.

He was born August 21, 1927 in Washington, Pennsylvania. Henry was the son of the late John S. and Louise (nee Reckers) Chalfant.

Henry married the love of his life, the former Vera Clem on August 9, 1953. He graduated from Case Western Reserve University, class of 1954 with his doctorate of medicine along with his wife. Henry proudly served his country as a Captain in the United States Army Medical Corps.

Vice president and program chairman Dennis Miller introduced Ashland University football coach Lee Owens, who spoke at the July 26th meeting about AU football this year and in the future. His speech, "From Winner to Champion," referenced the Pat Riley book, "The Winner Within."

Spiritual, family, educational, community and friends are the five components a football player and any other person must consider on the way to being a champion.

Owens spoke about a 10-day football camp in which the players focus on creating a winner's toolbox, not a loser's toolbox. Much emphasis is placed on the phrase, "Decide to be a Champion."

The speech and the enthusiasm with which Owens spoke about creating a winning attitude for players got the whole group of Rotarians, in the words of president Julia Wright, "fired up" and ready for football season.

This week's meeting speaker was Mr. Evan Scurti.  He was introduced by Program Chair Dennis Miller.  Scurti is the Ashland Area Development Director. His program was an overview of where we are in development in Ashland and the surrounding area.  
He spoke of considerable progress in local community development in the last few years and what we must do become even more viable for expansion of existing companies, startups of new ones and attraction of existing companies to our area.

2012 officers

Ashland Rotary Club met July 5 at the Country Club of Ashland. President Madeline Finnerty called the meeting to order. The club opened with the invocation, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance and the Rotary's four-way test.The program was a club assembly for installation of officers for the fiscal year beginning July 1.

By COURTNEY ALBON  T-G Staff Writer

Josianne Stone's connections to World War II are personal and her memories vivid.

The Ashland resident grew up in Belgium during the war and she and her family were active in the Belgian Resistance. She shared some of her experiences Tuesday at the Rotary Club of Ashland's weekly meeting. Stone is the mother of Steve Stone, executive director of the Mental Health and Recovery Board of Ashland County.

The Ashland Rotary Club recognized winners of its 2011 scholarships at Tuesday’s meeting.

ClubRunner makes it easy to publish your weekly Club eBulletin, and send to all members and friends of the club, by incorporating home page stories and events with the push of a button.