Our Valentines program follows-on our 2011 "Waiting For Superman" film series.  No, it's not about the romance between Superman and Lois Lane.   Rainier Valley Rotary member Dawn Mason did a charter school fact-finding tour of several of Los Angeles best charter schools in mid-January.  She's going to report on what she saw and heard.  What makes the best charter schools the best?  What about all the rest?

The City of Seattle's Department of Neighborhoods supports numerous programs in and around Rainier Valley, including Historic Preservation, P-patches, and with spot grants to local organizations.  How is the Department coping with diminishing budgets?

 Does a deep tunnel under Seattle's waterfront create jobs?  How about widening the 520 bridge and putting tolls on it? How about tolls on Spokane Street Viaduct?  How about closing the State's liquor stores?  These are issues on which legislators (and Seattle's Mayors) staked-out positions over the past decade.  Did we get reasoned positions?  Sound solutions?  

 In a recent article on Seattle's "CROSSCUT" news/commentary blog, Eric Scigliano takes a look at the richness and scarcity of businesses in Southeast Seattle:  Nail salons - plenty, Trader Joes - not yet.  Eric lives in the Hillman City neighborhood, and from that high vantage point he can see the fast-food franchises up near Franklin High, and the plethora of multi-ethnic convenience stores stretching through to Rainier Beach.  What prevents a Trader Joes or a True Value Hardware from locating here?

Our January 17 program speaker has been shifted to January 24. 

How do you reduce your heating & lighting utility bills?  Make your home more comfortable & efficient?  This free seminar is co-sponsored by the Lakewood Seward Park Community Club & Seattle’s Home Performance Collaborative.

If you think your bread's gone stale, your paprika has lost some zest, and your lemonaid's a little saccharine, maybe it's time to examine not just your pantry, but your food choices.  This program will bring a new program developed by the Pacific Science Center to Rainier Valley, and give us an opportunity to consider how to spread the word about food and health. Here are some elements of the program:

As preparation for our January 24 program, you may wish to crack open that Rotary picture dictionary to the world map,  and find Belarus.   Belarus used to be part of the Soviet Union.  Since separating from Russia, it's now considered a third-world country, and it hosts one of the largest experiments in the effects of radiation poisoning on human beings ever conducted.

Join us to plan the 2012 Projects & events
***   especially RVRC's 50th Year Celebration   ***

Join us for our Kickoff Meeting for the 2012 Year, and meet William Spiritdancer, founder of the Star Kids Film project.