Rotarians Dedicate Community Park Pavilion

Members of the Effingham Noon and Sunrise Rotary clubs gathered Thursday evening for the ribbon cutting for a Rotary Pavilion at Community Park.

(THOSE PICTURED, LEFT TO RIGHT: SUNRISE ROTARIAN JEFF MIHLBACHLER, CHAMBER AMBASSADOR JO HUSKEY, SUNRISE ROTARIAN BECKY BROWN (partially obscured), NOON ROTARIAN TONYA SINER, NOON ROTARIAN CARRIE CRIPPEN, NOON ROTARIAN KERRY HIRTZEL, NOON CLUB PRESIDENT LOIS HOENE, NOON ROTARIAN MONTE BARTELS, SUNRISE CLUB PRESIDENT JOEDY HIGHTOWER, NOON ROTARIAN CARL SCHWINKE, SUNRISE ROTARIAN KATHY SCHROEDER, NOON ROTARIAN NORMA LANSING, SUNRISE ROTARIAN HEIDI DONALDSON, CHAMBER AMBASSADOR CAROL HOURIGAN, SUNRISE ROTARIAN LIBBY MOELLER, AND SUNRISE ROTARIAN JERRY JANSEN)

The pavilion was erected on the east side of the park and farther back to the south from Temple Avenue than the aging pavilion it will replace. The new location is much closer to surrounding parking and close to the playground equipment installed in recent years.

The pavilion will be known as The Effingham Rotary Pavilion and will include the Rotary International logo on a sign. When the concrete was poured for the floor of the pavilion, the Rotary logo was stamped into the surface.

The $32,000 project cost was footed by the local Rotary clubs along with grants from Rotary at the district and international levels.

(HERE'S THE ROTARY WHEEL IMAGE AS IMPRINTED IN THE FLOOR OF THE ROTARY PAVILION)

As part of the festivities, Lauren Ring was honored as a Paul Harris Fellow. A Rotarian earns a Paul Harris Fellowship by contributions of $1,000 to the Rotary Foundation. Rotarians can honor family or friends with the Fellowships, as was the case with Noon Rotarian Dave Ring and daughter Lauren.

It's part of a big weekend for Lauren, who is getting married on Saturday.

(PICTURED LEFT TO RIGHT: DAVE RING; KARIS HOMSI, A FORMER ROTARY EXCHANGE STUDENT FROM BRAZIL WHO LIVED WITH THE RINGS DURING HER YEAR IN THE U-S AND IS IN TOWN FOR SATURDAY'S WEDDING; PAST ROTARY DISTRICT GOVERNOR RON SCHETTLER; LAUREN RING; AND ROTARY NOON CLUB PRESIDENT LOIS HOENE)