Alexandria Rotary Club

Coach Dennis Kalpin

The coach of the Alexandria Cardinal football team, Dennis Kalpin, was the guest speaker at the Alexandria Rotary Club noon meeting. Coach Kalpin didn't focus on wins on the field but the fine citizens that the program has developed and is developing.

Referendum Voting

When and where to vote

Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, September 25. Our school district encompasses all or parts of 28 city and township election precincts which are combined into 12 school district precincts and polling places. District 206 households with a registered voter will be notified of their school district precinct and polling place via a first-class letter to be mailed in early September. If unsure about where you vote, call Carol Gaffaney in the Superintendent's Office at (320) 762-7711.

Absentee Voting
Anyone interested in an absentee ballot may download a ballot and mail it. Or, obtain a ballot at the District office (1910 Aga Drive, Suite 206) weekdays from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. As a convenience to absentee voters, the District Office will be open on Saturday, September 8th, and Saturday, September 22nd, from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

The Green Menace

Rotarian Larry Zilliox (4-time Paul Harris Fellow) provided today's program for the weekly Rotary meeting at the Broadway Ballroom. The topic was the Emerald Ash Borer.

The Emerald Ash Borer is an exotic beetle that was discovered in southeastern Michigan near Detroit in the summer of 2002. The adult beetles nibble on ash foliage but cause little damage. The larvae feed on the inner bark of ash trees, disrupting the tree's ability to transport water and nutrients. Emerald ash borer probably arrived in the United States on solid wood packing material carried in cargo ships or airplanes originating in its native Asia. Since its discovery, the Emerald Ash Borer has:

• Killed more than 20 million ash trees in Michigan, Ohio and Indiana. Most of the devastation is in southeastern Michigan.
• Cost municipalities, property owners, nursery operators and forest products industries tens of millions of dollars.

Read how to identify signs and symptom of the Emerald Ash Borer at emeraldashborer.info. With our tourism and a large number of Ash trees in the Alexandria area, the Green Menace is a real threat.

Referendum 2007

September 25th is the date to vote for a brighter future for District 206. Jerrod Hammerback talked about the bond referendum which voters will be considering. The referendum is for the:

• Construction of a new K-6 elementary school to replace the aging and outdated Washington Elementary
• Construction of a new Early Education Center connected to the new elementary school
• Renovations & repairs at Garfield Elementary to improve learning environments, address health & safety concerns, and reduce operating costs
• Purchase of land for a future high school (in preparation for Phase II, which proposes a referendum for a new high school in 3-5 years)

Literacy

Washington Elementary teachers gave a presentation at today's Rotary meeting on the Literacy Collaborative Reading Program.