This week at Rotary
Next Meeting
Thursday, October 29, 2026
Lunch Buffet
Doors Open 11:30 a.m.
12:00 P.M. START
At
Kitchi Gammi Club
This week’s speaker
Maria Diesel
Rotary Exchange Student
“My Rotary Experience in the USA”
Maria Diesel arrived in Duluth from a small town in Brazil. She is a Rotary Exchange Student at East High School. Tutored in English from a young age, she is being hosted by three Rotary families during her nine months at East. Come hear Maria tell her own story of what it is like to be an exchange student in Duluth, what she has discovered about herself, and her experience of the United States.
Chair of the day: Angel Saczko
Upcoming Club 25 Events
Twin Ports Rotary Foundation Celebration
Annual Paul Harris / Rotary Foundation Celebration
November 4, 2026
5:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
5:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Kitchi Gammi Club
831 E. Superior Street, Duluth
Upcoming Club 25 Volunteer Opportunities
Second Harvest Northland (2302 Commonwealth Avenue Duluth MN 55808)
Wednesday, November 11th from 1pm to 3pm
We have 5 spots reserved for our group.
Please RSVP to Allison Hanig Landrus at ahanigla@amfam.com.
Hi folks! Please save the dates for these 3 great volunteer events. Please sign up to participate for the youth of our community:
- 1) Rotary/Life House Thanksgiving Dinner: Tuesday, November 24
2) Boys & Girls Club Decorate the Christmas Tree: Tuesday, December 1
3) Rotary/Life House Holiday Dinner: Tuesday, December 15
How? Contact Dan and Karen Dock !
Twin Ports Rotary Interclub Council Opportunities
Twin Ports Rotary Pickleball Players: Starting in September
We’ll organize it as a men’s & women’s mixed doubles league. We’ll play twice/month on a flexible schedule. We won’t be keeping track of wins and losses; we’re just playing for pure fun! To sign up or for more information contact Brad Jenson (past president of Harbortown) at 218-349-7566 or bradley.jenson1956@gmailcom.
We’ll organize it as a men’s & women’s mixed doubles league. We’ll play twice/month on a flexible schedule. We won’t be keeping track of wins and losses; we’re just playing for pure fun! To sign up or for more information contact Brad Jenson (past president of Harbortown) at 218-349-7566 or bradley.jenson1956@gmailcom.
Highlights from Last Week’s Meeting
By Patra Sevastiades
President Dan Maki rang the bell, and we stood to say the Pledge of Allegiance. Wait—where was the American flag? Missing! Fortunately, we had our podium banner.
President Dan Maki welcomed everyone to Rotary.
We improvised: the podium banner with the American flag!
We also said the Rotary 4-Way Test. Jerry Thoreson delivered the Reflection, graciously stepping in when the scheduled Rotarian was unable to attend. Jerry lauded speaker, Dan Hartman, as a person who is gifted in history and marketing. President Dan then welcomed our guest, Judy Sage, guest of husband Allen Anway.
Allen Anway self-reported with evident satisfaction that he had a better food than the rest of us. He had stepped into the Alworth Scholarship luncheon being held upstairs, was recognized as an Alworth Scholar, and was invited to join them. When he said he was going to Rotary, he was urged to fill a plate with superior cuisine.
Allen Anway was told, “Take a plate of better food down to Rotary!”
Allison Hanig-Landrus dropped $2 in the Golden Can to celebrate the Milwaukee Brewers’ competing in the 2026 World Series—only the second time in team history (first time was 1982)!
Allison Hanig-Landrus, formerly of Milwaukee. Go, Brewers!
Jim Landwehr reminded Club members that they still have time to donate to our Club’s Foundation in support of the Scholarship Fund benefiting Duluth area students focusing Science, Technology, Engineering or Mathematics (STEM) who are attending a vocational school. All donations will be matched dollar for dollar by the Club Foundation, so your impact will be doubled! The campaign ends on October 31. Donation link: https://duluthrotary.org/donate/scholarship-fund/
A nurse who tended Jim Landwehr after his double lung transplant attended nursing school because of a Rotary grant!
Past President Zach Walters reminded members to sell tickets to the Big 50-50! Each ticket costs $100, and it doubles as a chance to win a marvelous cash prize and a ticket to attend our annual Holiday Party/drawing of winning ticket stubs on Wednesday, December 16, at Pier B. Our aim is to sell 250 tickets, so do sell the five you have received! Turn in the stub with the purchaser’s information along with their cash or check. IF we sell all tickets, it will yield $12,500 for the Grants Committee to provide grants to local causes and a 1st place cash award of 35% ($4,375), a 2nd place cash award of 10% ($1,250), and 3rd place cash award of 5% ($625).
Past President Zach Walters urged each Club member to sell their five Big 50-50 tickets!
Dr. Bob McClelland of Superior Rotary reminded Club 25 to be part of the World’s Largest Polio Walk on Saturday, October 24, at 10am at Wade Stadium, to support the Rotary International Foundation’s Polio Plus initiative. All five Twin Ports Rotary Clubs are participating.
Dr. Bob, wearing his World’s Largest Polio Walk hat, invited all to attend!
Chair of the day Sheryl Homan introduced the talented Dan Hartman, executive director of the Duluth Entertainment Convention Center (DECC).
Sheryl Homan introduced DECC mastermind Dan Hartman.
Dan Hartman shared his vision for the DECC and its day-to-day realities.
Dan Hartman, a former Rotarian, kicked the Golden Can with $2 to celebrate his son, Logan’s, having recently won the Proctor Invitational Cross Country. Dan also thanked the many people in the room who helped him build his career.
On this, the 60th anniversary of the DECC, Dan observed that the DECC was the collaborative result of seven different Duluth architectural firms, a true community endeavor. Dan observed:
- Too often, we treat the DECC like a cafeteria, a place to leave rather than a place to linger after a movie, hockey game, or concert.
- The DECC is considered an institution, viewed as “the man” rather than as a local treasure.
- The DECC is a regional center—not just a Twin Ports center. Dan is building up its relevance on the Iron Range.
- We sometimes forget how fortunate we are to live in Duluth. It is a beautiful magnet.
The DECC has true economic impact on Duluth. In 2023, the DECC had 440,000 visitors. In 2025, that number had exploded to 670,000—people who buy a cup of coffee, gifts for people back home, a meal, and more.
In 2025, the economic impact on Duluth of the DECC was $75 million. By contrast, the 2025 DECC expenses were $14 million.
What are the revenue streams that fund the DECC and its 400 mostly part-time employees? Parking (15-20% of revenue), beer, catering, and concessions. The tourism tax dollars the DECC receives pays only for the electricity bills at the DECC’s ten properties. Events and concerts have little impact on revenue, other than for parking and beer sales.
Some of the new and expanding events at the DECC:
- Not-So-Haunted Ship for those who don’t want to be terrified
- Rock Orchestra
- Gourd Days festival (attracted 15,000 people!)
- The IIHF U18 World Championship is coming to the DECC in 2027! The annual event is organized by the International Ice Hockey Federation for national under-18 ice hockey teams from around the world.
- Duluth Oktoberfest
- UMD Men’s Hockey Tailgate
- Swan Lake (international dancers, one night only)
- Broadway shows
- Excalibur gaming festival
- Tattoo festival
Dan announced that parts of the DECC will be renamed next year! Also, the DECC is seeking $10 million in bonding to upgrade the 60-year-old properties.
Members applauded our speaker. President Dan Maki thanked Dan Hartman and our guest. Jim Landwehr was the winner of the 50/50 drawing, pocketing a cool $30.
Chair of the day Sheryl Homan, speaker Dan Hartman, Bob Reichert, and Bill Sozansky.
Happy Rotarians enjoy lunch together.
Rotarians In The Community!
Rotary's World's Largest Polio Walk
October 24, 2026
10:00 am to 12:00 pm
Wade Stadium
Patra Sevastiades, Past President Dean Casperson, Fred Friedman, Marty Sozansky, Bill Sozansky, Allison Hanig-Landrus, Marilyn Fifield, and Jeff Fifield at the World’s Largest Polio Walk on 10/24 (Not pictured: Jon Ohman).
Fred Friedman, polio survivor, talked about how community action and Dr. Jonas Salk’s dedication led to the polio vaccine.
Mike Rosenzweig (owner of the Duluth Huskies) and his work crew partnered with Rotary to make the World’s Largest Polio Walk at Wade Stadium a success.
__________
Club 25 – 100 Years Ago This Week
By Jerry Thoreson
The Gimlet
Vol. 10, No. 52 • October 27, 1926
Roll Call: Members 126. Guests 10. Total 136.
A Future President at the Duluth Armory. A Forgotten Visit.
Then Secretary of Commerce Herbert Hoover spoke at the Duluth Armory on October 23, 1926
Meeting minutes are often viewed as mundane records of matters that, within a year or two, may be long forgotten. But buried in the minutes of the October 21, 1926 Rotary meeting was this announcement:
“President Herb announced that Herbert Hoover would be the principal speaker at the Armory, Saturday evening, October 23.”
I wondered if this was THE Herbert Hoover who would become the 31st President of the United States, serving from 1929 to 1933.
Unfortunately, the Duluth News Tribune and Herald archives from that era are buried in library microfilm, not digitized for AI to search.
However, AI did uncover something remarkable. The Congressional Record of March 13, 1928, cited Hoover's October 23, 1926 speech in Duluth!
It's a fascinating read, with a subject that could be pulled from today's headlines: TARIFFS!
Hoover, then Secretary of Commerce under President Calvin Coolidge, advocated the benefits of protective tariffs on foreign trade.
Congressional Record, March 13, 1928
History seems to repeat itself!
Read the Congressional Record of March 13, 1928 HERE.
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