President Sofie Ameloot welcomed everyone to the Centerville Rotary Club and led reciting of the Pledge of Allegiance. PDG Harvey Smith provided the prayer.
Lee Hieronymus led singing of God Bless America.
Thanks to today’s greeters Jesse Campbell & Gina Smith.
Today’s announcements:
- President Ameloot shared Dave Trout’s grandson, Ethan, a graduate from CHS, passed away unexpectedly last week, at the young age of 20. He was a very enterprising young man, selling candy as a little kid on the bus or clothes at the University of Kentucky, and had a lucrative car detailing business.We know he will be so very missed by his family. Please keep Dave and his family in your prayers.
- Welcome today’s guests - our exchange student, Enzyme, Kim Zwver, guest of Jeff Senney (and Wilmington Rotarian), and Jim Stuart’s wife, Lauren.
- Dictionary/Thesaurus distribution: we still need 4 more people to complete the distribution. Please let Jackie D’Aurora know if you can help.
- Adopt a Family - drop off today or Monday. Thanks to all who participated.
- Looking for a family to host Enzyme. She is with Amy Hary now temporarily, but we desperately need another family or two to fill her school year.
- Uriah Anderson extended the Paul Harris match to today - get a check by 5 pm to him at his office to participate.
- Next week is our Holiday dinner party in place of the noon meeting. Wear your Holiday best or Ugly Christmas sweater and enjoy an evening of Rotary fellowship.
Pat Beckel was our Sergeant at Arms with assistance by Jim Stuart.
Happy Bucks were generously given for:
- Pat B shared his son, Duncan signed a record deal and will have an album launch party at Town Hall Theatre soon. Check out duncanbeckel.com
- Gina S had two recent book launches.
- Carol K was thankful for family visits in PA over the last 2 weeks where she saw all kids, grandkids, her mom, sister, niece, nephew, and great nephew.
- Amy H for Enzyme being here today.
- Brad H for Enzyme and for Amy stepping in as a temporary host, but noted we are still looking for another host family.
- Sofie A for today’s guests, and a lovely Thanksgiving, including time with a 6 mo old baby - she survived 5 days of a full house.
- Andrea S was happy for people who do nice things for others.
- Jim S for his wife being here today.
- Ron H for seeing family members at Thanksgiving.
- Adam M for a great Thanksgiving with family.
- Dale B reminded all that Woodland Lights is going on right now and it is a great family experience.
- Jim H shared his grandson at Texas A&M defended his thesis and dedicated it to Jim!
- Wyatt T apologized for being late.
- Elda GG was super happy for family coming from St Louis for Thanksgiving.
- Jeff S shared his daughter & 5 kids were in town for Thanksgiving and they did a clam bake! He was happy for Kim visiting today from the Wilmington Rotary Club.
- Frank P said the Coffee Club was successful again with 14 people in attendance, including our District Governor. The next one is January 7.
- Bill M for today’s guests and especially Liz & Terry from the Library.
- Lee announced the Miamisburg Pancake Day is this Saturday at Miamisburg HS. Farm Report was about the Important ingredient for good bourbon - white oak. Within 20-30 years there will not be enough white oak to make bourbon barrels. It takes 40-80 years to grow a good white oak and he said landowners in OH are responsible for making sure we keep white oaks growing. Plant a tree!
- Rand O was happy for his Doctoral presentation.
- Liz Fultz was happy to be here.
Our speaker today was Liz Fultz, Executive Director of the Washington-Centerville Public Library.
Liz started at the Washington-Centerville Public Library (WCPL) as a Reference Librarian, moved to Building Manager, then Assistant Director, and in 2019 was named Executive Director.
Liz noted she has worked with Bill for 25 years at the library. They have one employee who’s been there for 50 years!
WCPL has two full-service libraries - Woodbourne and Centerville Library, and Creativity Commons at RecPlex east.
Creativity Commons has a 3D printer, large format printer (banners) sublimation printer (garments) and much more. In 2023 over 17,000 people visited, and they are looking to surpass that number this year.
The equipment is free to use, you just pay for consumables. It is best to make appointment, as they are vey busy.
The library is more than just books.
- They provide programs and had over 1400 programs last year
- Rotating art displays
- Meeting rooms >4500 users/year
- A Library of Things - musical instruments, science equipment, Roku devices preloaded with the subscriptions, laptops, hotspots, and more
- Passport application & photo
- Free COVID test kits
Centerville Library opened in 1995 and there have been a lot of changes since then - the Internet was in early stages and smart phones didn’t exist. Liz noted the changes in cultural shifts drives changes to their spaces and needs. Some of the carpet and most furnishings are original, and although they have been maintained well, they are showing their age.
The library renovation will redesign the existing space, without adding on to the library. Thirteen staff members were moved to the new building on Congress Park Dr.
In 1974, Dottie Yeck convinced developers to sell land at the corner of OH 48 and Mandel to the Library for $1. Fifty years later, the library sold it for $500,000 and used those funds to purchase the new building.
Library redesign will include:
- After hours pick up
- Creativity Commons will move to the current youth services space
- Meeting rooms
- More accessible restrooms
- Outdoor play space
The library will not completely close, but will maintain essential services including hold pick-ups, Wi-Fi, the Children’s Room, some information stations, scanner and copier access, and a small sampling of most collections. Programming and meeting room access will be suspended throughout the renovation, but they will be available at
Woodbourne Library.
The project is expected to begin in March 2025 and take 14-15 months to complete.
They are not asking for any more public money for this project. WCPL hasn’t asked for additional funding since 2012; this will be funded by money saved.
They plan to downsize the non-fiction collection some for more comfortable seating & more light - will be lowering the shelving units to allow more natural light and will create more nooks/crannies.
President Ameloot thanked Liz for sharing the updates and made a few more announcements:
- Rotary is sponsoring the Centerville-Washington Diversity Council MLK Breakfast held on January 20, 2025 and have 2 more spots open at our table. Civil Rights activist and life-long resident of Selma, Alabama, JoAnne Bland will present the keynote address. For more info visit cwtdiversity.org
- Next Coffee Club is on Tuesday, Jan 7
- No noon meeting next week because of the Holiday dinner; Jan 9 is the next noon meeting
- Rotary Women Connect meet tonight & then Jan 9
President Ameloot adjourned the meeting with reciting of the Four-Way Test.
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