Silver Lake Plant Emission Reduction

After many years of concern expressed by numerous environmentally concerned citizens about emissions from the Silver Lake Power Plant, and a lot of investigation by RPU, the first step in making further emission reductions a reality is about to take place.

The City Council will be asked, at its July 5th Council Meeting, to approve negotiating and executing a contract agreement with an engineering firm, Utility Engineering, to provide professional engineering services for the design, contract procurement, construction management, site engineeering, and start up work for the Emission Reduction Project -- not to exceed $4,375,750 (which includes a 15% contingency).

I expect that this will be approved and since the plant is in the Fifth Ward, I would expect that I have your full support as well.

Thanks

Fantastic Opportunity To Help Our Community

Statistically, more American children suffer long-term life-harm from the process of learning to read than from parental abuse, accidents, and all other childhood diseases and disorders combined. So says a recent Public Television, DVD & Web Documentary Series, Children of the Code.

Some states plan their prisons based on the illiteracy rate of their population and there is ample evidence to show that there is a direct correlation between literacy, drop-out rates in school, crime, poverty, and joblessness. Our local Kiwanis clubs are already providing reading activities, increased access to books, motivation, and inspiration through our Reading Around the World programs and the Rotary Clubs have had a long time “Rotary Readers” program in our elementary schools – a couple of ways to help overcome the reading “problem”.

But what if you have difficulty learning to “break the reading code” … interpreting the symbols that we use for language and reading, our alphabet? Many of the reading problems can be detected and corrected at an early age or can be coped with through professional and caring assistance programs. Locally we have the Rochester Reading Center/Dyslexia Institute.

A local businessman and member of the Reading Center Board approached me as a Kiwanian and asked for help to raise funds for the Reading Center to help address this growing problem. This is important and an emphasis program world-wide in Kiwanis.

Our Soldiers Field Veterans Memorial organization’s goals include “education for our rising generations”. What a natural collaboration. They are planning a re-dedication of the Memorial on August 26th. at which time a statue of a nurse will be unveiled to commemorate the significant contribution nurses and corpsmen played in the fight for freedom. As part of this dedication, we are going to fill the field behind the Memorial with a “Field of Flags” – hopefully one flag for each name on the wall.

You may sponsor a flag for a loved one or for a name on the wall for $25 and receive a certificate and desk top flag with base as a thank you. The proceeds from these flags will go to the Rochester Reading Center. Of course, sponsorship opportunities for multiple flags will be available and we will be happy to provide this information to you. All donations are tax deductible. The flags will be stored and used for future Memorial events.

Checks made out to “The Field of Flags Fund” can be sent to Field of Flags Fund, PO Box 534, Rochester, MN 55903.

For more information, to schedule a speaker for your business or service club, or to volunteer to help with this effort, contact either myself, Bob Nowicki, at 285-0295 or Wanda Mitchell 252-9841.

A media release and invitation to community leaders is being planned for the near future. Your support and cooperation is greatly appreciated.

Thank you,

Bob Nowicki