HAPPY BIRTHDAY                        Janice Black     June 2 Dave Bartoli      June 4 Bill Murray         June 4 Pauline Wallin   June 4 Lisa Lewis         June 6

JUNE ANNIVERSARIES CONNER, M.D., Ken     30 GRAMMES, Lou            29 ROBINSON, Bill.            24 HENNINGER, Peter       23 SMITHER, A. John        23 PARTHEMORE, Gib      19 HINDERMYER, Patricia   9 PERSICO, Maria              9 BREAM, Tom                   8 FEINOUR, Steve             7 LUTZ , Kevin                    5 MCNAUGHTON, Diane    2

PROGRAM:
Stephen R. Reed was elected Mayor and Chief Executive Officer of the City of Harrisburg at the age of 32, taking office in 1982 and having been reelected six times since.  In his past five-reelection bids, he was the unprecedented nominee of both political parties.  He is the longest serving mayor in Harrisburg history and is currently the longest-tenured mayor of any city in Pennsylvania.  Prior to taking the helm of government in Pennsylvania’s Capital City, he served three terms as a member of the state’s House of Representatives (1974-1980) and he also served as a Dauphin County Commissioner (1980-1981).  He was both the youngest legislator and youngest commissioner ever elected in Dauphin County and the second youngest mayor in City history.  He was born August 9, 1949, in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania.  He is a 1967 graduate of Bishop McDevitt High School in Harrisburg and he attended historic Dickinson College in nearby Carlisle, PA.

Mayor Reed has initiated a wide range of programs and policies aimed at stimulating business and residential programs throughout Harrisburg.  As a result, over three decades of decline in the City’s economy have been reversed with major net gains in the number of businesses, private sector jobs and livable homes, with major increases, after 25 years of sharp decline, in property values.  The highest level of private investment in City history has now been realized in the period since 1982, amounting to over $4.4 billion in new investment in Harrisburg.  The number of businesses on the City tax rolls has increased 454%, and property values have risen eight-fold from $212 million in 1981 to over $1.7 billion today.  Programs he initiated have resulted in substantial reductions in the crime, fire, unemployment and vacant property rates.

Mayor Reed has also focused on restoring the City’s financial health, resulting in the City’s credit rating, non-existent in 1981, being restored and upgraded.  Today the City is able to routinely enter the public finance market with credit endorsements at an AAA rating, the highest in the U.S. market.  His financial programs and policies have earned Harrisburg the nation’s top two financial awards, the Distinguished Budget Presentation Award and the Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting, making Harrisburg one of 26 out of the 2,460 municipalities in the state to do so.

As a result of his leadership, Harrisburg’s emergency response operations and capabilities regularly receive rave reviews from state and federal evaluators, and have often realized the saving of lives and properties during floods, blizzards and other natural and manmade disasters.  Mayor Reed also serves on a federally appointed review panel for judges being considered for appointment to the federal bench in Pennsylvania’s Middle District Court.
In 2000, the Pennsylvania State Legislature undertook the unprecedented action of removing control of the declining Harrisburg School District from its elected school board and placing it solely in Mayor Reed’s hands, making him the first mayor in the state to be tasked with also running a school district.

Then considered the worst-run district in the state, Reed’s efforts in just seven years of leadership have already realized increases in the graduation rate – up 116%; number of graduates going on to higher education – up 383%; enrollment – up 39%; amongst many other positive indicators.  The dropout rate has dramatically declined from 8.4% to 4.8% and the teenage pregnancy rate is down 35%.  Reed’s focus on early childhood education has resulted in the city’s first-ever daily pre-school programs for children aged three to five, thus better preparing them for elementary school and lifetimes of learning.  Thanks to Mayor Reed’s vision, Harrisburg is currently one of the only cities in the nation that has full educational opportunities for students from age three to post-graduate studies.

The Mayor also undertook the establishment of the city-based Harrisburg University of Science and Technology, the first new university to be formed in the state in over 100 years.  The University focuses on the STEM skills of science, technology, engineering and math, and is innovatively linked to business incubator and workforce development programs as well as the Harrisburg School District’s Science and Technology High School, or Sci-tech High, which prepares local students for higher education in the mathematics and science fields.

UPCOMING PROGRAMS / MEETING LOCATIONS:                                                 
MAY 25            NO MEETING

June 1           Mayor Stephen Reed
Hilton

June 8            Michael Horgan, Exec. Chairmand JPL and Anson J. Flake,President and Co-Founder Hydroworx
Hilton            Best Places to Work

June 15         Groups Study Exchange Review and Youth Exchange Student – Paul Huang
Hilton

For complete programming go to our website: hbgrotary.org and click on calendar.
For meeting cancellations due to inclement weather.... Tune to ABC27-TV
or check your e-mail or call the Rotary office at 234-1208.

NEWS AND NOTES:  
• Roster Information sheets were placed in the badge boards.  Please review to make sure your contact information is correct, select your 2009-10 committees and return to Linda.  You can also check to see if your contact information is correct by going to www.hbgrotary.org, sign in and go to Membership Roster.

ATTENDANCE:
LAST ROTARY MEETING:  5/18/09       58%                      
Rotarians  57     Active Specials   8            Guests  5       Visiting Rotarians  0   = 70

Minutes by Mitch Tillett: 
Another fine Rotary Meeting was held at 333 Market Street.   The meeting was called to order by President Barry Ramper at 12:15 p.m.  Al Schmidt conducted the invocation.  Congratulations to Joe Bedard, last Rotarian to show up!

Visiting Rotarians and Guests were announced by Charlie McNutt.  Happy Birthday to Tom Peluso, Bill Spahr and Bob Craumer.

Next Bonnie McCann gave a report on the Donated Miles Program for Rotary Volunteers.  Donated Miles is a program whereby frequent flyer miles are donated by Rotarians for the benefit of other Rotarians who wish to volunteer for out of town projects.  If you have miles which you think you are not going to use, please see Bonnie.

Mike Benkovich gave a mini-classification speech.  Mike did an excellent job.  He is a Financial Advisor representing Financial Service Corp.  Mike specializes in small business planning. Mike stated the two challenges in his industry today are first the broad market decline and second, the lack of consumer confidence in Financial Institutions.  The opportunity; more than ever before people need financial advisors to guide them through the complex decision making process.

Next, Jeff Boswell did the Good News reporting.  Lots of good news today- $99 was collected for HRF.  John Judson announced a 5K Walk which will start from City island this Saturday.  This walk will benefit various non-profit organizations.  If you are interested, show up at City Island this Saturday morning or call John Judson.

Chuck Fromer is at Holy Spirit Hospital and John Smither will be starting chemo therapy on May 19th.  Take a moment to send a card or reach out to them.    

Ron Guss gave a report on the Youth Exchange Program.  We have a German Student arriving next Fall named Lucas.  Lucas is looking for Host Families in Susquehanna Township.

Virginia Roth introduced the Speaker of the Day, Dr. Kathleen Howley.  Dr Howley is the Assistant Vice Chancellor of Academics and Student Affairs for PASSHE.  Dr. Howley was born deaf.  When she was born because of the lack of balance and ability to hear, the doctors told her parents she was severely retarded.  She had a brother who was 18 months older than her and as she grew, she learned life skills by mimicking her older brother.   Around this time, her father discovered that she was deaf and not severely retarded.  Her parents were determined to get her into the public school system verses a school for the deaf.  Kathleen was determined to succeed in the public education system.

Kathleen told many funny stories about her life.  She was an inspiration to all who listened.  She has a positive attitude and has overcome many obstacles in her life.  The message that she wishes to convey is whether implied or stated, what is going on at your work place with regards to discrimination of people with birth defects.  Thank you for a powerful message Dr. Howley.

Meeting was closed by President Barry Ramper at 1:20 p.m.