La Grande Rotary received emergency COVID grant funds from Rotary District 5100 to help families with food needs in Union County.  These funds purchased 1200 pounds of fresh vegetables and fruit from our Saturday Market that were distributed last Saturday to the Food Bank. Michelle Long, past president of La Grande Rotary, wrote the grant, purchased, and delivered the food.  Now that is Rotary in Action!

Michelle and Jessy Watson’s dad, Larry.

Mike Billman spoke to Rotarians gathered at Pioneer Park Pavilion this week. A backdrop of trees was an appropriate setting for a talk on Oregon Forestry. Billman’s thirty years experience in leading both private and State efforts to manage forests has thrust him in a pivotal position of urging the use of collaboration as a method for managing healthy forests.  By developing working relationships with teams of foresters, timber owners and mills, and environmentalists, Billman has found that collaborative resolutions can avoid litigation and acrimony and achieve the aims of having a healthy forest.

Hot dogs, hamburgers, pickle juice, mayonnaise, and sticky sodas made grimy surfaces on Pioneer Park picnic benches this summer. Craig Nightingale, pictured, scrubs down at the Rotary Pavilion in Pioneer Park, Tuesday.  Thanks to service-oriented Rotarians, it is time to have another picnic!