Program for September 14, 2015: Erik Acker, Wildlands Fire Management
Invocation:  Erika Cox
Rotary News:  New members, Megan Johnson, Andrew Anderson and Holly Thomas Koehler.  Potential new member, MCC President Dr. Naomi DeWinter.
Happy News: Welcome to our guestsGreg Mandsager, Mayor Hopkins, Randy Hill, Bill Haag, Jim Edgmont, Jodi Hansen, Joe Spradling, Jim Harbaugh, Casey Byars and Dave Gobin all present as part of the Mississippi Corridor Project. Janet Morrow is happy that her son has started 8th grade, her daughter is a Senior and also has been accepted at Iowa State.  Harvey Allbee is happy to report he has been married to his wife, JoAnn for 60 years!! Nathan Mather dropped his daughter off at Kindergarten today and he reminded all of the School Board Election on September 8th!!
 
Program: Dan Burden was introduced by Jodi Hansen. Dan says Muscatine is one of the top performing Blue Zone Communities.  He provided a powerpoint which demonstrated walkability and livability  in city spaces today. We have spent the last 10 years overdesigning roads for cars. An effort is being made to bring speeds down to 20 which is a great boon to retail and creating a sense of place.  Today the boomers and milennials are llooking for the same things... a downtown center and a place to loiter and linger.  He believes Muscatine is a good place to utilize the concept of connectedness since our downtown streets are already on a grid of connectivity.  If one only has one car it helps keep 127 million dollars in the economy at home because you are not using those dollars to maintain a second car etc.  Dan invited participation in the Mississippi Corridor meeting on Tuesday, September 1, 2015 at the Riverview Center Building from 5:30-8:00 pm.  Terminology used in redefining spaces today includes edges, districts, nodes and landmarks all of which enhance and help redefine existing streets and transportation routes.