AAUW Grand Rapids MN

Grand Rapids Timberline

     Volume 48, Issue 3              November, 2023

NEWS FOR AND ABOUT

AAUW GRAND RAPIDS

 BRANCH MEMBERS

 

EDITOR; Myrna Peterson

myrnakay67@gmail.com

218-301-6028

November 13, 2023

Location: United Methodist Church

Social/Registration: 5:00-5:45 PM Dinner: 5:45-6:30 PM

Menu: Pork Loin, Au Gratin Potatoes, Side Salad, Creme de Menthe Cake

           Cost $15

Food Chair: Vicki Holstrom

Food Committee: Kathy Spencer, Susan LaVelle, Louise Koglin Fideldy, Kathy Pliska

Business Meeting: 6:30 PM

Program: 6:45 PM

PROGRAM TOPIC: goMARTI - Minnesota's Autonomous Rural Transit Initiative

Presenters: Lisa Arnold and Myrna Peterson, Co-Chairs Mobility Mania - Accessibility For All

Mobility Mania is a non-profit organization with a mission to increase accessibility awareness to make Itasca County the showcase of accessibility in Minnesota, and to raise finances for local accessibility needs. The goMARTI self-driving shuttle pilot is the result of a unique partnership of multiple groups, Mobility Mania included. It has a shared goal of increasing accessibility in transportation options for residents and visitors in Grand Rapids, MN.

Lisa Arnold has 27+ years of experience working with people of different abilities in her career. Various employers include Wheelchairs Plus and  Grand Itasca Clinic and Hospital. She is currently employed by Itasca County, Health and Human Services.

Myrna Peterson is a retired educator after an auto accident 28 years ago. Since that time she has been an advocate for differently-abled people of all ages. She currently serves on the Minnesota Council On Disability, the Governor's Council For Connected and Automated Vehicles and the Governor's Advisory Council On Assistive Technology. Myrna is also active in her church and serves on several boards and commissions supporting the arts and social justice within the Grand Rapids community.  

**RSVP to AAUWRSVPGrandRapids@gmail.com by Monday, November 6.

President's Message

Greetings AAUW Members,

We have had some great speakers this fall and I am looking forward to some more very interesting programs. Many of you have been bringing guests to our dinners and we have had several of them join. Great job! Our holiday gathering will be here before you know it. We will be gathering on Monday, December 11 at the Forest Lake Restaurant again.

Thank you,

Laurie, Clausen, President  

December Dinner Choices at Forest Lale Restaurant

Choice of: Caprese Chicken, Beef Tenderloin Tips or Shrimp Linquine

Includes: Ceaser Salad, Fresh Green Beans, Bread Loaves and Dessert

Cost: $30 includes tax and tip

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***Travel Treasures

Thanks to all who donated books and travel treasures, and to all who made a purchase and/or donated to the scholarship fund. Book sales gained $135.25 and Travel Treasures gained $48. 

Thanks to Karen Karls who once again took the remaining books to the Grand Rapids Library for their sales.

    * Kathleen Spencer brought from Vienna, a Christmas ornament of Empress Elisabeth of Austria, and from the Bay of Fundy in Nova Scotia, handmade lavender and lemon soap.  

    * Jean Gardner donated a 2024 desk calendar from the National Parks of Utah.

    * Sue Mattson donated lavender bath salts and soap, and chocolate, from Croatia and Slovenia.    

    * Nita Fuhrman donated a hand-painted box from an art show.

    * Kathy Pliska donated two lunch tickets to a salad luncheon at United Methodist Church.  

    * Dody and Cathy Davies donated produce from their gardens, beets and Patterson onions.

    * Cathy Davies also donated a Christmas ornament beaded by her dear friend Rev. Terri, Stagner Collier. Cathy writes, "When I told her that our AAUW group has raffles to raise money for scholarships for women, she donated this exquisite piece."  

Norma Eppinga and Marlys Mestemacher.

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Northland Gathering

The annual Northland Gathering was held in Duluth this year, with four members from our branch attending. The Northland area consists of six branches. – Hibbing, Duluth, Brainerd, Virginia, Chisholm, and Grand Rapids. We met at the Coppertop Church with the theme, "Leadership Reimagined" with two panels throughout the day. 

**INTEREST GROUPS**

***LITERATURE

The AAUW Monday Morning Lit Group will meet on Monday, November 6th, at 9:30 AM in the private dining room at Majestic Pines. Jan Bilden will lead our discussion of THE BOOK WOMAN OF TROUBLESOME CREEK by Kim Michele Richardson. Coffee will be provided. For more information, contact Nancy Salmi at 218-326-3147 or nsalmi@earthlink.net.  

     

***WALKING & TALKING
The Walking Group walks on Tuesdays at 1 PM. The locations change from week to week, but will be in the Grand Rapids area. The group is open to new members interested in walking. If you would like to join us, send your email and cell number to Karen Karls at k.karls@paulbunyan.net.

The walking group was invited to walk from Nancy Raymond's home to see all the beautiful maple trees. 

You will receive an email with the weekly walk location. Members walk when they can or want to; no need to RSVP. We generally walk for about an hour. If the weather is very dreadful, we may cancel, and will let you know. However, we are a hearty group of women who value the fresh air and exercise, as well as companionship. 

***SUNSHINE & CARING
If any member of AAUW needs a bit of sunshine because of illness or a sympathy card, please let me know and I will send a card from AAUW. You can email me at cyndy.agle@gmail.com.

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Meet a Member

Greetings AAUW Sisters!

My name is Lynette Eck and I've been an AAUW member in Grand Rapids for over 40 years. Marianna Diekmann recruited me shortly after my family and I moved to Grand Rapids.  

I was born in Grand Rapids, the second of four daughters of George and Helen Brown. I grew up and attended school in Hibbing, and was fortunate to attend the gorgeous Hibbing High School from seventh through 12th grade and two years of "junior college". 

Back in the late 50s and 60s there were no organized sports for girls, but I participated in many school activities, including cheerleading, choir, community plays, GAA, Girls League, Future Teachers of America and our school newspaper. I was also a cheerleader in junior college. I made many lifelong friendships and was influenced by some outstanding teachers. 

I attended St. Cloud State University and graduated with a baccalaureate degree in Elementary Education and a minor in Library Science. I have a life license and later added ABE endorsement. Upon graduation I accepted a teaching job in Little Falls, MN, where I remained for six years. 

During that time, I married a high school classmate, Roger Eck, after he had completed two tours in Vietnam with the US Marine Corps. Roger became a deputy sheriff in Morrison County where Little Falls is the county seat. We remain there until Roger was accepted to the MN State Patrol Academy. Our first son, Michael, was born during Roger's fifth week of the training in the Patrol Academy. Upon completion of his MSP training, Roger was assigned to West Metro District 2500. I then resigned my teaching position in Little Falls to relocate to Anoka, MN. 

Our second son, Brian, was born two years later! I had been substituting teaching in the Anoka Hennepin District when I was offered a position as a Title I teacher, where I remained until Roger accepted a transfer to district 4190, the Grand Rapids station. We moved here on our 10th wedding anniversary.

I applied for and was hired to start an adult basic education program for 5 school districts through Itasca Community College. The State Board of Education had begun an initiative of developing broad based adult basic education programs throughout Minnesota, encompassing, low-level basic literacy skills, medial literacy, English as a second language and GED training through local efforts. Previously, the only adult education programs were for the GED level. The administration at ICC applied for and received an initial grant to cover five school districts; Grand Rapids/Bigfork, Coleraine/Greenway, Deer River, Hill City and Remer/Northland. I started class sites in these districts where I was the ABE instructor. I eventually hired local instructors to teach in these districts.   

After an initiative from the Department of Corrections to start ABE classes in county jails, I approached sheriff Russ Johansson, offering to go into the jail and start ABE classes at no cost. Initially, to Itasca County so that it would be in compliance before the state mandated ABE programs. He accepted and Itasca County was one of the first in the state to offer ABE to inmates. I taught the jail class three mornings a week. The next year and subsequent years, Itasca County contributed funds to continue its ABE program mandate. I'm proud to say that during my tenure, 13 inmates took and passed their GED equivalency test while incarcerated. I sought donations from local civic organizations to help defray the cost of taking the GED test by inmates and people attending ABE classes couldn't afford to pay for taking the GED tests. 

I was lead ABE teacher for 11 years until AEOA took over the ABE program, and I accepted a position with the University of Minnesota to coordinate an alcohol research program called Project Northland. Project Northland was a research project situated in Northeastern Minnesota, because of the high incidence of alcohol use and abuse, as determined by the U of MN from data received from the US Department of Education. This effort began when the cohort was determined to be the class of 1998. Eight school districts in Northeastern Minnesota were approached by the U of MN to participate. I was selected to coordinate the program for ISD 318 and the cohort were fifth graders in Grand Rapids and Bigfork and continued until they graduated in 1998. 

I received extensive training by U of MN professionals, who determined Northeastern MN was in need of better alcohol, education for young people because of the data they collected. They developed curriculum and community studies that were based upon sound practices. Their belief was that studying the effects of the Project Northland curriculum on a specific age group in a controlled setting would help change the attitude and access of alcohol by youth. The goal was to encourage young people to resist alcohol and the temptation to use and abuse alcohol throughout life. 

I worked directly with students in classrooms, with families, with community influencers and law enforcement to promote the goals of Project Northland. 

The success of Project Northland and the curriculum has been replicated in school districts around the country and in several countries around the world. I wish I had been able to view how these Class of 1998 students as adults use alcohol and how they serve as examples to their children. 

After Project Northland ended and the Class of 1998 graduated, I was hired as a Safe and Drug Free Schools Coordinator for ISD 318 until I retired. After retirement, I volunteered as a reading and math tutor in the third grade until Covid ended my time going into the classroom. 

We are proud of our sons who both are successful in their dream jobs. Mike is a Minnesota State Trooper like his father. In fact, he is a Lieutenant in the West Metro District 2400 and wears his father's Lieutenant badge. He's married with three children and two grandchildren. Our great grandsons are Oliver, age 5, who is in kindergarten, and Nolan, who is 3.

Brian is a CAD designer with TEAM Industries. He has nine US patents, three Canadian patents and one European patent for clutches and brake systems in snowmobile's, 4-wheelers, golf carts, etc. He's married and he and his wife are clearing land, preparing to build a home on the 10 acres of land they purchased five years ago.  

I've had several roles and AAUW, starting with being a board member, treasurer for five years and co-president with Colleen Nardone. I then took over collecting data for the directories and seeing to its printing and distribution for 11 years. I have also been the October food chair for several years. Thank you to AAUW for keeping me engaged and informed. I love this group and its mission.

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Believe you can and you are halfway there.

                       ...Eleanor Roosevelt

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Welcome, Julie!

We have another new member! Julie Karels attended our October meeting as a guest of Vicky Holmstrom. Julie taught senior English for many years and said she loved every minute of it. She has only been in our community for a short time so please make a point of introducing yourself. Please add her contact information on the blank pages of your directory. 

Julie Karels

603 NE 7th St.

Grand Rapids, MN 55744

320 761-5368

BS English Secondary Education

University of Minnesota 1974

October and April are special recruiting months for our branch. Guest meals are only $7 and if they join at the meeting, they qualify for half price on the National portion of our membership under the Shape Our Future campaign. Julie took advantage of this and only paid $54 rather than $90. 

Julie Skallman - Treasurer

Lifetime Members Update

Did you know that we have 5 Lifetime Members? To become a Lifetime Member you must have been a paid member for 50 consecutively years.

Our Lifetime Members are:

Sharon Burt

Shirley Jacobson

Colleen Nardone

Harriet Lucia

Marilyn Rossman

The 5 members represent over 250 years of membership! Each has been a Lifetime Member for well over 50 years and they have served on the board in many positions, including president, and they have led special interest groups over the years. 

We want to let the members know how much we appreciate what they have done for our organization.

In September, Dody Davies joined our branch is a dual member. Dody is a Lifetime Member in Willmar where she has been a member for over 50 years.

Thank you, all for your dedicated support! 

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AAUW Grand Rapids MN Branch General Meeting Minutes

October 16, 2023

The Grand Rapids branch met at the United Methodist Church on Monday, October 16, 2023, for a social hour, dinner and program. Thirty-eight members attended, as well as four guests and the speaker. One guest joined that evening and two guests took home AAUW brochures. 

The fall book sale took place to raise money is for the Scholarship Fund and Travel Treasures added to the total funds raised. 

The evening's speaker was Michelle Witte, Executive Director of the League of Women Voters of Minnesota. Her presentation was titled "Empowering Voters and Defending Democracy since 1919".

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I first had this recipe over 30 years ago at a bridge outing. The hostess had a roaster full of these fresh vegetables and another roaster of a bone in ham. I never forgot it. I now enjoy vegetables from the farmers' market for about a month from mid-August to mid-September. I think I made it almost a dozen times this past month for different friends and family. ...Nancy Raymond

Fresh Vegetable Casserole

Just scrub and slice vegetables. Use amounts, according to the number of people attending the gathering. 

Sliced potatoes

Sliced onions

Green beans

Sliced carrots

Sliced yellow squash

Sliced zucchini

Cut the corn off the cob

Sliced tomatoes

Salt, pepper and butter

Cover and bake for one hour at 350°. 

I usually zap in the microwave, the carrots and green beans for about a minute, so everything gets done approximately at the same time. This recipe warms up excellently if you have leftovers. 

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Linda Lonson - November 13

JoAnn Bakken - November 14

Susan 'Sue' Mattson - November 16

Dorothy 'Dody' Davies - November 23

Margaret Pecha - November 29

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