The Bettendorf Rotary Club News

Feb 20, 2008. Guests Welcome at our next meeting, Wed., Feb 27, 2008 Noon at the Fortune Garden. Featuring:

Jim Spelhaug Pleasant Valley School District

Superintendent and Marty Lucas Bettendorf School District Superintendent… will bring members up to date on renewal of the School Infrastructure Local Option, or SILO, tax. On Feb. 13, the proposed statewide sales tax for school construction received a strong recommendation from the House Education Committee, the second step in a major rewrite of school finance law. The committee voted 14-9 to send the bill forward. Because the measure deals with tax issues, its next destination is the tax-writing House Ways and Means Committee. “I think people looked at their own district and their own situations and voted for what’s right for those folks,” said state Rep. Roger Wendt, R-Sioux City, the bill’s lead sponsor. The bill would change the SILO into a permanent and statewide tax. Under current law, the 1-cent tax is approved on the county level and has to be renewed about every 10 years. All 99 counties have the tax on the books. The committee vote had little to do with partisanship and more to do with each legislator’s level of confidence that the money would be used for its intended purposes — school construction and property tax reduction. Ten Democrats and four Republicans voted for the bill. Six Republicans and three Democrats voted against it. As the measure started its legislative journey early in February with passage by a bi-partisan five-member education subcommittee, it became apparent that business leaders opposed it while rural lawmakers and school officials favored it. Under current law, counties get to keep most of the proceeds from local sales. The proposed statewide version of the tax would reduce the regional differences in the payment levels for schools. The state would gather the projected $400 million and distribute it to schools based on an enrollment formula. The money could be used for school construction or to reduce property taxes.

– By Fred Anderson

The Bettendorf Rotary Club News Feb 20, 2008, Page 1 of 6

Announcements:

From Mr. Brian Kennedy,

program chairman:

Upcoming Featured Speakers

o 3/5: QC Arts, David Sanchez,

Jazz Saxophone

o 3/12: Iowa Right to Work

o 3/19: Alina Severs, Iowa Right to Work Committee

o 4/30: Gregory Geoffroy, President of Iowa State University

Please use this news!

Invite prospective new members who might

appreciate our speakers.

Lunch and program only $8 per visitor, payable at the door.

• President Lisa Brown: Davenport Rotarian, Bill Burress, was in Nicaragua and saw the latrines that we furnished. He also suggested we send someone to The Central America Fair that occurs every January which talks about many other projects we can get involved in.

• Harry Coin: If you missed last week’s

Razzle Dazzle program then please see Carolyn Leutwyler for a copy of the DVD.

Our very own Nicole McWilliams was selected for Quad-Cities Area Leaders Under 40 - 2008

QUAD-CITIES AREA LEADERS UNDER 40 18 Individuals Recognized This Year!

These individuals join 129 alumni leaders to make up an impressive group who continues to have a positive impact on our communities through their professional and civic leadership. Join the community in celebrating these leaders!

• Thursday, April 10, at 6 p.m. • The I-Wireless Center. • $45 per person. Tables of 10 $450

For more information, call Shelly Wells Cain at 309.796.5052 or cains@bhc.edu Please Mark your calendar to help Nicole Celebrate! Stay tuned for more information.

The Bettendorf Rotary Club News Feb 20, 2008, Page 2 of 6

Meeting Review Noon, Feb 20, 2008, the Fortune Garden. Presiding: President Lisa Brown

Lisa opened the meeting with the membership accompanied by Bernie Vogel on the piano in ‘The National Anthem”, then paused for a moment of reflection for world peace and fellowship and for those the group noted with particular burdens. Ron Essner remembered our troops overseas.

Songs led by Tom Howard with Bernie Vogel at the piano Tom will be heading to California next week so it deemed appropriate to start off with a “fun” California song… “California Here I Come” and “By the Light of The Silvery Moon”

Fred Anderson Presented “The News”, offering headline services for those Rotarians allergic to traditional news outlets and an art history update… In Berlin an Anti-smoker in Germany was so angry that his girl friend lit-up, he emptied a fire extinguisher to put out the cigarette-caking her and the apartment in white powder. My colleague said “it looked like a bomb went off” said the officer. The Anti-smoker said “he isn’t bothered by the damage it caused and he is through with his girlfriend.”

The Bettendorf Rotary Club News Feb 20, 2008, Page 3 of 6

Chuck " Take Risks” Mooney, Club Secretary, Reports:

Make up a meeting at nearby Rotary Clubs:

Monday, noon…………………….Davenport The Outing Club Monday, noon….…Moline-Calvary Church of the Quad Cities Monday, 6 pm……..….……………...QC Illinois-Moline Club Tuesday, 7:15 am……. River Cities-Brothers Rest. Rapid City Tuesday, noon…………..…….Rock Island - QC Botanical Ctr. Wednesday, noon………………….Bettendorf-Fortune Garden Wednesday, 5 pm……………………….Mini Meet-Lunardi’s Thursday, 7 am………….………..IA Quad Cities-The Lodge Thursday, noon….East Moline-Christ United Methodist Church Thursday, noon……………..Milan-Milan Community Center Friday, noon…………...……………...North Scott-Steeplegate Inn

Sergeant-at-Arms

Sergeant-at-Arms “AWOL”

Classified AD….

Wanted: Sergeant-at-Arms Must be diligent, constantly alert; enjoy oriental food, of sound mind and body, humorous and easy going. Experience not necessary but helpful. Starting salary is poor but our expectations are low.

Guests: Penny Kainney with Steve Habenicht Dee James with Rich James . Rotary Meeting Make Ups: Duncan Cameron at Daytona Beach, Florida & Oceanside, Florida.

At today's committee meeting: Ralph W. Heninger, Rich James, Jim Legare, S.K. Nanda, Dave Falk, Todd Larson, Decker Ploehn, Ron Essner, John DeDoncker, Pat Eikenberry, Jeff Hassel, Ben Selden. Missing Today: Adams, Ahlstrand, Atnip, Ball -7, Bowe -2, Calabrese -3, Cameron, Chambers -5, Clow, Colely, Dobesh -4, Ellstrom -7, Gallagher, Hyder -7, Kappeler, Kennedy -6, Koehler -6, Loweth, McWilliams, L. Miller -4, Mitvalsky, Naumann, Perisho -7, McCool -2, Ross -2, Rossmiller, Snyder -7, Spelhaug, Spyrow -2, St. Laurent -4, Tunnicliff, Voigt -6, Worley -7.

The Bettendorf Rotary Club News Feb 20, 2008, Page 4 of 6

Bill Tubbs: DON'T MISS THE Des Moines District Conference April 26th. The main speaker will be a survivor from the World Trade Center debacle. Joe Dittmar from a Date with Destiny A Historic and Inspirational View of 9/11/01 Joe Dittmar is Branch Property Manager in Richmond, VA for Colony Insurance Company, part of the Argo Group. He is a 29-year veteran of the business and a native of Philadelphia, PA. On September 11, 2001, Joe was attending a business meeting at the NYC offices of the Chicago-based AON Corporation – on the 105th floor of Two World Trade Center. He is one of only seven survivors of the 54 insurance executives meeting that day.

Joe's sharing of his experience gives an informational, historical, inspirational and even motivational insight into one of the most incredible events in history. While steeped with facts and observations of historic proportions, his presentation also presents concepts and ideas on what was learned that day and what lessons we can continue to teach.

We hope several Bettendorf Rotary Members will make reservations for this fantastic conference.

The Sheraton Hotel Website for Room Reservations is: http://www.starwoodmeeting.com/Book/distrot6000 A Special Room Rate of $109.00 Plus 12% Tax Is Available Until April 2

nd. You May Call the Sheraton

Direct: 1-888-627-8043, Or Local 515-223-1800 For Assistance Contact Carolyn Scharff, District Administrator, 877-976-8279 or email: dis6000admin@lisco.com

The Bettendorf Rotary Club News Feb 20, 2008, Page 5 of 6

Gunda S. Davis, author of “Pumpkin Soup and Shrapnel, Growing Up under the Third Reich” As I sat and listened to Gunda speak at Rotary, the wooden shoes she wore as a child kept reverberating in my ears. Born in Germany in 1935, Gunda shared many of her stories about growing up in Hitler’s Germany in the 1930’s and 40’s. It seems odd and almost funny the memories that stick in the mind of a small child, especially given the horrors of one of the most shocking periods in world history.

• Hexe, a small brown dachshund dog given to her by her mother. • Head lice in the fourth grade and having all her hair cut off. • Suite case packed and ready at the door for the allied air raids in 1941 • Wooden clogs carved by her grandfather when her feet out grew her shoes

Germany had suffered through very difficult economic times in the 1920’s, and hungered for the “the good life” by the time Hitler came to power in 1933. With his promise of work on the Autobahn, Hitler quickly captured the hearts and minds of Germany. The war moved steadily closer to Gunda as air raids over Germany became an almost daily event. Suitcases were packed and standing at the door, awaiting the dash to the nearest bomb shelter for safety. Virtually every house on her street was destroyed, with hundreds losing their lives nightly. By 1945 the Russians would occupy the city. With food in short supply, Gunda’s family would sneak into the camps of Russian soldiers to steal potatoes, and also raid the American camps garbage pile. Times were difficult indeed. Davis, now 72, recalled her father and uncles were imprisoned as war criminals. Her father had served with the German SS in Poland, and Gunda thankfully never knew his exact duties for the Nazi’s. At age eleven Gunda spent her summers in Perleberg, Germany picking fruit with her sixty-nine year old Aunt Sophie. Times were hard and barter was the name of the game. American cigarettes, nylons and chocolate were common currency and highly valued. Jewelry, table lines, fine china, oriental carpets and other treasures were exchanged for food items. Often being paid for day labor in the garden with pumpkins, Gunda explained that Aunt Sophie was a master at finding new ways to prepare meals using the pumpkin. Today pumpkin is not her favorite foodstuff. Following the war, Gunda and her mother moved to West Berlin, where she graduated from high school in 1955. While attending the University of Heidelberg, she met American soldier James Davis, and they were married in 1960 in his hometown of Marlinton, W. VA. From a girl in wooden clogs to a grandmother in Bettendorf, Iowa, Gunda Davis has led a rich and rewarding life and we were honored to have her speak at Rotary. By Connie Mangler

The Bettendorf Rotary Club News Feb 20, 2008, Page 6 of 6