Dublin-Worthington News Stories

October 21, 2020 Virtual Club Meeting

By Thursday, October 22, 2020
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President Jim Miller opened the lunch meeting promptly at noon. This is the 12th meeting of the 46th rotary year. Tim Moats gave the invocation and led the Pledge of Allegiance. 

President Jim Miller then called for any “Happy Dollar” announcements:
  • Jennifer Best was happy she and her husband had the opportunity to visit Zion National Park in Utah while en route to LA for work.  They enjoyed some hiking and were very happy overall with the cleanliness and safety of the hotel and flights.
  • Abe Ottolenghi was happy that a new great-grandchild was born yesterday.  While premature, they are doing well.
  • Ann Pechacek was happy that she actually got to work with Abe’s grandson, the father of the new great-grandchild, when he was in her book club as a child.  She mentioned that he just took a new job with a law firm and she is so proud of him.
  • Pete Barnhart was happy that he and his wife Judy are back in Florida in the Siesta Keys/Sarasota area.
  • Alan Grossman was happy about the success of the virtual Pours for Polio event that occurred the night before and that his wife Heather just started her own consulting firm on Monday.
  • Tom Rice was happy that he had a great trip to the Hocking Hills last weekend with great weather at the peak of fall foliage.  He was also happy about Worthington Presbyterian’s learning extension center that helps Columbus City school students and offers free WiFi.
  • Dave Hansen was happy that we get to watch Big 10 football rather than SEC.
  • Jennifer Heasley was happy that her nephew, who has learning disabilities, has earned all A’s and B’s so far this year.
President Jim Miller then started the announcements:
  • It has been decided that our silent auction that is held at our annual holiday party will be replaced with an online auction.  Shirley Lambert will start collecting items- we can no longer offer tobacco or alcohol products.  Watch for more details to come, and start thinking about what you can contribute.
  • Alan Grossman thanked those who were able to attend and donate to the virtual Pours for Polio event last night. World Polio Day is this Saturday, October 24. There are only 2 countries left with cases of polio- Afghanistan and Pakistan.  Traveling to these countries has proven difficult due to the challenging terrain as well as the reluctance of the people to trust our good intentions, in addition to the COVID pandemic. The goal is to eradicate polio in the next 5 years which will require about $750 million.  Our district’s goal for each club is $5,000.  Please watch for more fundraising ideas to come.
President Jim Miller then announced our presenter, arranged by Jennifer Best.  Glennon Sweeney is a research associate with The Ohio State University’s Kirwan Institute for the Study of Race and Ethnicity, where all of her research is designed to create real world impact.  Glennon grew up in the Olde Sawmill Area, the crossroads of Dublin and Worthington, where she was taught that anyone can achieve “the dream” with hard work. As an adult, she realized that far too many were working very hard with little to show for it.  Racial and religious restrictions that were created as far back as the late 1800’s turned into what are now zoning codes and policies that continue to discriminate against brown and black populations and create tremendous disparities.  These disparities can be seen in average life expectancy due to a lack of healthcare, and inability to create wealth due to the lack of home ownership.  Mortgage and mortgage insurance policies continue to segregate and divide our metropolitan spaces.  We have the ability to turn things around.  We can already see where more diverse school districts have been created through annexation, resulting in better education and experiences for everyone. Glennon’s research continues to seek an understanding of the drivers of poverty and wealth accumulation, focusing on the formation of suburban space. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Geography and Political Science, a Master’s degree in City and Regional Planning, and is working on her PhD in City and Regional Planning at The Ohio State University. Glennon is a member of the Worthington Community Relations Commission and the Franklin County Local Food Council. 

Click the image below to play the video


President Jim Miller brought the meeting to a close just before 1:00pm, encouraging members to continue their conversation and questions with the speaker. He then led members through the Four Way Test. President Jim Miller brought our meeting to a close at 12:57 PM with the recitation of the Four Way Test.
 

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