Category Archives: Rotary Club of Madison

February 5: Celestial Events in 2025

Posted on February 7, 2025 by | Leave a comment

–submitted by Larry Larrabee

Jim Lattis, director of the UW Space Place, who manages the UW Washburn Observatory and teaches courses in introductory astronomy, provided a tour de force of what’s occurring in our heavenly skies. Dr. Lattis told us what to expect this year in the way of lunar (2) and solar eclipses (2, but not visible in the US.). He also explained sun spots and their effect on earth. We were informed about T. Coronae Borealis, the Blaze Star, that concludes an 80-yr. cycle with a 3-day burst of brightness. He also invited us to witness space events at the campus observatory two Wednesday evenings each month, weather permitting. Visit https://go.wisc.edu/washobs.

If you missed our meeting this week, you can watch it here: https://youtu.be/NTtVuKhSWxk.

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January 29: Bald Eagles in Wisconsin: Remarkable Recovery Story

Posted on January 31, 2025 by | Leave a comment

–submitted by Jessika Kasten

Ecologist Jeb Barzen shared the remarkable recovery of bald eagles in Wisconsin. In 1973, there were only 108 nesting birds, but following the elimination of DDT, this number increased to 1,684 by 2019. Research shows that eagles are dynamic birds, moving based on food availability. More ice on rivers results in fewer nesting eagles in that particular area during winter. Considering various needs and perspectives is key to achieving win-win outcomes in ecological issues. To reach solutions, Barzen emphasized the importance of a common vision, iterative collaboration to build trust, and approaching outcomes with an open mind.

If you missed our meeting this week, you can watch it here: https://youtu.be/P17mbtMJ_YI.

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Posted in 2. Meetings, Madison WI, Rotary Club of Madison, Rotary Weekly Guest Speaker, Weekly Rotary Guest Speaker

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January 22: For the Good of Wisconsin

Posted on January 24, 2025 by | Leave a comment

–submitted by Jessika Kasten

At the January 22 meeting, Universities of Wisconsin President Jay Rothman emphasized the need for more public funding for our public universities, noting Wisconsin ranks 43rd in the U.S. for such support. The universities will request $855 million in the next biennial budget, which would avoid tuition hikes and allow them to maintain high-quality, world class education standards. Rothman highlighted that our public universities offer a 23:1 return on investment and urged Rotary members to advocate for this funding to their legislators.

If you missed our meeting this week, you can watch it here: https://youtu.be/5ShbKBC0mOE.

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January 15: Untold Stories of Blacks in History

Posted on January 17, 2025 by | Leave a comment

–submitted by Jessika Kasten

From a young age, Judge Derek Mosley was encouraged to learn and share the untold stories of Blacks in History. Did you know that Eston H. Jefferson, son of Thomas Jefferson and his slave Sally Hemmings, lived and is buried here in Madison? Have you ever heard of the Black female Battalion the Six Triple Eights, who worked to get mail to U.S. soldiers during World War II? How about the “White Lion,” which was the boat that began the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade? Judge Mosley encourages all of us to learn and share these (and many more) important stories, which are central to our history as Americans.

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January 8: Wisconsin’s 2025 Economic Outlook is “Pretty Good”

Posted on January 10, 2025 by | Leave a comment

–submitted by Jessika Kasten

On January 8, John Koskinen from the Wisconsin Department of Revenue spoke on the 2025 Wisconsin economic outlook. John shared that overall, Wisconsin is in a very good (or “pretty good” if you want to be Midwest nice) economic position. Our Real GDP is going up, and our unemployment rate continues to go down (3.4% to 2.9% y/o/y). We continue to have in-migration from other states and our births outpace our deaths. Our cost of living is about 8% less than the U.S. average and poverty rate is 7th lowest in the nation. Overall, the future is bright, much in part due to the strong, hardworking middle class.

If you missed our meeting this week, you can watch it here: https://youtu.be/RMndVJVpWho.

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December 11: The Lullaby Project

Posted on December 13, 2024 by | Leave a comment

–submitted by Kevin Hoffman

Rebecca Redmann is the Teaching Artist Coordinator for the Lullaby Project at the Overture Center for the Arts. She explained the process and demonstrated a few musical creations that were the result of musicians and songwriters collaborating with new and expectant parents to create a unique and expressive lullaby for their children. It starts with a letter from the parent to the child (to be read later by the child as an adult) expressing the parent’s hopes and dreams for the future. Teaching artists who are singer-songwriters then take the sentiments expressed and words used to create a personal lullaby for the child. The resulting lullaby is a musical keepsake that is uniquely compelling, special, and timeless in strengthening the parent-child bond.

If you missed our meeting this week, you can watch the video here: https://youtu.be/tre_W5RgdnA

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