THE LIONS ROAR REINCARNATED

Edited by Mark Ripplinger

Photos by Don Wood & Mark Ripplinger

June 30, 2008

Lions President Mark Miller

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE (June 30th)

Fellow Lions, we accomplished a lot this weekend! We had great visibility during the Sturgis Falls parade and our pancake breakfast was announced many times this weekend. We had a great turnout with just over 1000 served and we are donating the proceeds to the playground for North Cedar School. You will find a ballot at your table for our open officers and Directors. Please vote and fold your ballot and we will pick them up after our meeting.

We Serve ……… Mark Miller

TODAY’S MEETING (June 30th)

Rita Congdon, Cedar Falls Historical Society, will speak to the club.

COMING ATTRACTIONS

July 7th … Installation of New Officers and Annual Awards

July 14th … Deb Umbdenstock, UNI Gallagher-Bluedorn Artist Series

July 21st … Dave Stoakes - CF Schools Superintendent - Elementary Boundary Changes

BIRTHDAYS ANNIVERSARIES

Nate Garbes – July 2nd Nate & Ashley Garbes – July 1st

Dave & Karen Page – July 3rd

ANNOUNCEMENTS

None

LAST MEETING (June 23rd)

Richard McAlister, Director of Administrative Services, City of Cedar Falls, provided the club with an update on the 2008 flood event. City personnel had been watching the river levels carefully for nearly a week before the Cedar River crested. Early projections were for manageable levels --- 94 feet to 96 feet. By the weekend, things started looking worse, with a record flood projected. On Monday June 9th, the projection climbed to 100 feet, well above the record flood. On Tuesday morning June 10th, news that the river might reach 103 feet sent people scrambling. City personnel contacted some local heavy construction companies such as Peterson Contractors, Aspro and Benton’s for help moving material for sandbagging efforts. Sightseers posed a major problem for flood-protection efforts, so the mandatory evacuation of the downtown area both served to keep people safe and allow equipment and volunteers to enter the area. As the downtown area began its mandatory evacuation, the volunteer effort started gearing up. Volunteers met at the UNI-Dome parking lot and boarded Cedar Falls school buses to go downtown. By late morning the buses rolled and the giant effort had begun. Two buses shuttled volunteers downtown while a third brought flood victims from north of the river to shelters at the University of Northern Iowa. The volunteers and area contractors played a huge roll in protecting the downtown area and should receive a lot of credit for their efforts. Private contractors and City personnel continue to help the areas north of the river recover. The North Cedar Disaster Relief Center is providing supplies and services to Cedar Falls and upstream residents with flood damage and recovery.