Events

DRC Sponsor: Kim Bonnet

Lycia Jens, co-owner and operator of the new West Side Whisk Bakery, will visit our club to speak about the new business, what it means to be a 'cottage bakery' and other fun things associated with this unique, ground-breaking endeavor.

West Side Whisk Bakery officially launched as a business in February 2026 and held their formal grand opening on May 23. The bakery specializes in long-fermented sourdough breads, cookies, cinnamon rolls and artisan fruit scones. They are part of a growing movement of cottage food entrepreneurs heavily dependent on social media and word-of-mouth endorsements that are reshaping how communities think about local food. The bakery's limited-production model has been quite popular and weekend pop-up sales events sell out on a regular basis.

Jens is a graduate of Decorah High School and attended Northeast Iowa Community College. She and her spouse Izac have three children (four if you count Jens' sourdough starter "Lenny," which she feeds every day and considers as almost another child).

---

**Please complete your meal sign-up prior to the meeting, preferably not later than close of business Monday. Our face-to-face meeting will be hosted at the VFW. The meal sign-up, meeting announcement, and any other logistical information will be distributed in advance to all members by email. 

DRC Sponsor: Kim Bonnet

Dr. Erik Brink is a board-certified general surgeon who provides full-time surgical and clinical care at WinnMed in Decorah. He will presenting information on the new da Vinci Surgical System® capabilities at the hospital.

da Vinci robotic surgery is a specific type of robot-assisted surgery. It enhances the dexterity and range of motion of the surgeon’s hands and adds precision in hard-to-reach areas. Three or four robotic arms hold surgical instruments and an endoscopic camera allows the surgeon to see inside your body. The instruments fit through a small incision, which eliminates the need for larger incisions like the ones in traditional “open” surgeries. In most cases, this results in fewer postoperative wound complications and a quicker recovery time. The arms only move when the surgeon is controlling them. At no point does the robot operate on its own.

The da Vinci Surgical System® got its name from Leonardo da Vinci’s study of human anatomy. The U.S. Food & Drug Administration cleared the da Vinci robot for surgical use in July 2000. It is one of the leading surgical robotic systems used in healthcare today.

Dr. Brink received his undergraduate degree from Warner Pacific College in Portland, OR and his osteopathic medicine degree from A.T. Still University of Health Sciences in Kirksville, MO. He completed his general surgery internship and residency through Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine in York, PA. As a Commander in the United States Navy Reserve and member of the Medical Corps, Dr. Brink provided surgical care and leadership in multiple locations throughout the world for over 16 years. He began full-time surgical and clinical care at WinnMed in June 2025. He and his spouse Kari have three adult sons.

---

**Please complete your meal sign-up prior to the meeting, preferably not later than close of business Monday. Our face-to-face meeting will be hosted at the VFW. The meal sign-up, meeting announcement, and any other logistical information will be distributed in advance to all members by email. 

DRC After Hours Sponsor: Melissa Berkland

April Bril serves as a Safe Routes to School Coordinator with Upper Explorerland Regional Planning Commission (UERPC), where she teaches bicycle safety, coordinates Walking and Biking School Bus programs, and promotes active transportation throughout Northeast Iowa. She will be visiting the After Hours group to speak about the variety of UERPC programs supporting the local community.

April helped champion Decorah's WalkBike Month initiative this past Spring through community events, citywide signage, and the return of bike rodeos for Carrie Lee Elementary students. She has also helped develop programs such as the annual Recycle Your Bicycle campaign, as well as Winter Walking Field Trips and the spring/fall Biking Field Trips program, co-hosted with the Decorah Public Library. She enjoys the variety of her work and the opportunity to partner with students, families, schools, and community leaders to build healthier, more connected communities.

April graduated from Decorah High School in 2004 and received her bachelor's degree from Loras College in 2008. She and her husband returned to Northeast Iowa in 2015 and enjoy raising their three children, two dogs, and several chickens near friends and family.

---

DRC Sponsor: Kim Bonnet

Luther College Professor Emeritus, Decorah resident, and frequent Decorah Rotary raconteur Ed Epperly will speak to our club on the topic "World War II Through the Eyes of a Child."

Ed was six years old at the time of the bombing of Pearl Harbor, and has vivid memories of the event. The next few years of his childhood were dominated by the war. He plans to share his memories of those unique years in American history. 

Decorah Rotarians may recall Dr. Epperly's four-part presentation to the club in September 2024 on his book Fiend Incarnate: Villisca Axe Murders of 1912 and his authoritative investigation over 60 years into one of America's greatest unsolved mysteries. He has written dozens of articles and blog entries, and appeared on CourtTV and other radio and television programs. He is a popular guest speaker at colleges, universities, historical societies, museums, libraries, and book stores.

Fiend Incarnate is a companion to the award-winning documentary feature film Villisca: Living With a Mystery.

---

**Please complete your noon meal sign-up prior to the meeting, preferably not later than close of business Monday. Our face-to-face meeting will be hosted at the VFW. The meal sign-up, meeting announcement, and any other logistical information will be distributed in advance to all members by email.

DRC Sponsor: Jim Morrow

Richard Kyte is Director of the D.B. Reinhart Institute for Ethics in Leadership at Viterbo University in La Crosse, Wisconsin. He is an Endowed Professor of Ethics at Viterbo and a member of the Downtown Rotary Club of La Crosse. He has published and lectured widely on topics related to justice, forgiveness, virtue, and the meaning of life. His recently released book Finding Your Third Place looks at the essential gathering spaces in our society where friendships are formed, relationships are nurtured, and the tapestry of community is woven. Dr. Kyte recently presented a well-received talk at the Iowa Falls District Conference and will be speaking to our members about his book and the importance of community and local connection.

In his book, Dr. Kyte combines storytelling, social science, and philosophy to explore what it is that makes a third place; factors that create and support vibrant communities, the role of hospitality in creating belonging and social connection, how "third places" foster friendships and bind us to others in our community, and what it takes to find and create a third place of your own.

After growing up in Frazee, a small town in northwestern Minnesota, Dr. Kyte attended Hamline University where he earned a B.A. in philosophy. He then went on to graduate school, obtaining a Ph.D. in philosophy from The Johns Hopkins University in 1994. Since then he has taught at several colleges and universities including Pikes Peak Community College in Colorado Springs, Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and Christian Brothers University in Memphis, Tennessee. He serves on numerous boards, including the Editorial Board of the La Crosse Tribune, the La Crosse Community Foundation, and the Coulee Region Chapter of Trout Unlimited.

---

**Please complete your meal sign-up prior to the meeting, preferably not later than close of business Monday. Our face-to-face meeting will be hosted at the VFW. The meal sign-up, meeting announcement, and any other logistical information will be distributed in advance to all members by email. 

DRC Sponsor: Phil Iversen

In February 2026 career music educators, Decorah residents, and local philanthropists Jim and Liz Fritz presented a plan to the Decorah City Council for a privately funded, solar-powered performance pavilion and market plaza in downtown Decorah. Jim will be visiting the club to provide background information on the proposal and a status report on the progress of this initiative.

The proposal includes a central green space, an outdoor performance pavilion, a canopied farmers market area, public restrooms and adjacent playground areas. The proposed location is east of River Street between Day Spring Lane and Heivly Street. The project is described as being designed to complement the surrounding downtown architecture while maximizing use of what many characterize as underutilized space. A major component of the plan involves solar generation. Using waterproof solar arrays as canopy, the pavilion would generate up to 45,000 kilowatt-hours annually with the market canopy providing up to 250,000 kilowatt-hours per year. The energy production is envisioned as helping to offset long-term maintenance and management costs. Initial estimates of planning and construction costs range from $1.5 to $1.75 million.

The Decorah City Council and local committees have reviewed the proposal and discussed timelines, operational frameworks, and legal details. As of August 2026 the project remains in the planning and discussion phases.

Following retirement from their illustrious education careers, Jim and Liz founded Mission Green LLC, a local non-profit organization dedicated to supporting the local community’s transition to sustainable energy. More information about the pavilion proposal is available on the Mission Green website at https://missiongreen.llc/decorah-performance-pavilion/.

---

**Please complete your meal sign-up prior to the meeting, preferably not later than close of business Monday. Our face-to-face meeting will be hosted at the VFW. The meal sign-up, meeting announcement, and any other logistical information will be distributed in advance to all members by email. 

Our annual Fall Roadside Cleanup event is scheduled for Saturday, October 17.  Please meet at Putnam Law Office at 8am to pick up bags and safety vests.  We will take a group photo prior to heading out to the cleanup sections.

DRC Sponsor: Jon Lund

Details TBA

---

Help Rotary International's continued efforts to end polio and support us on World Polio Day. The Rotary Club of Decorah has partnered with local establishments who will be donating $1/pint purchased on October 24. Options vary per location so please ask server for additional details.

For more information on the fight to end polio, please visit endpolionow.org.

Pints for Polio Locations:

DIXIE'S BIERGARTEN

KING PIN BOWLING ALLEY

PULPIT ROCK BREWING COMPANY

T'BOCKS SPORTS BAR & GRILL

TOPPLING GOLIATH BREWING COMPANY

---

Questions may be directed to Shannon Duncan via email at sdunc11@gmail.com.

DRC Sponsor: Jim Morrow

Decorah Rotarian and past District 5970 Governor Ward Budweg and his spouse, Decorah Rotarian Jacky Budweg, traveled to Taiwan in June in conjunction with the annual Rotary International Convention being hosted in Taipei. As part of that journey, they represented our club and district in the End Polio Now Taiwan Cycling Tour. Ward and Jacky will reflect on and share their many amazing adventures and experiences while traveling in Taiwan.

The End Polio Now Taiwan Cycling Tour started from Kaohsiung in southern Taiwan and finished at the Taipei Music Center. The tour spaned seven days and six nights along the scenic east coast, visiting some of the most beautiful sites of Taiwan. Participants raised funds and awareness to help Rotary's End Polio Now campaign.

The 2026 Rotary International Convention took place in Taipei from 13-17 June. It was hosted at the Taipei - Farglory Dome and the Taipei Nangang Exhibition Center, with over 38,000 attendees from 140 countries and regions.

Most Decorah Rotarians know Ward and Jacky in a variety of contexts. In addition to their Rotary leadership roles, their yard and driveway were an annually recurring construction zone for the Rotary Nordic Fest float. They are co-authors of the 2020 book The World at 10 MPH. The book provides a fascinating look at their global, 1,106 day, 33,523-mile joint bicycle journey across six continents from 2007-2010.

---

**Please complete your meal sign-up prior to the meeting, preferably not later than close of business Monday. Our face-to-face meeting will be hosted at the VFW. The meal sign-up, meeting announcement, and any other logistical information will be distributed in advance to all members by email. 

Decorah Rotary is proud to once again partner with local groups in support of the Decorah Community Meal. Our assigned day is April 3, 2025. The event takes place in the Fellowship Hall (lower level) at Decorah Lutheran Church, 309 Winnebago Street.  The sign up includes spots for salads, desserts and workers.  Food items can be dropped off as early as 4:15 in the church kitchen the day of the event.  If you have a container that you need returned, please make sure it is marked with your name.  The event coordinators have requested that children under the age of 14 be accompanied by an adult.

For those of you signing up to work, you may be assigned to any of the following jobs:

Cut and serve desserts, refill dessert table

Mix and pour drinks, refill drinks

Floater/Runner; Keep main table stocked with dishes, silverware, napkins, entrées, salads

Serve coffee and greet guests.

Bus dishes and help in kitchen after meal

Dry washed pots, pans, bowls, etc.

Unload dishwasher and put dishes away

Wipe tables and chairs

Vacuum/mop and help with take-down

Assistance to any of the DCM committee members as needed

DRC Sponsor: Shannon Duncan

Chris Lindell serves as chair of Rotary District 5970’s District International Service Committee (DISC), a team of experienced Rotarians who help clubs expand and strengthen their international service. The DISC connects clubs with Rotary resources, expertise, potential partners and other clubs while encouraging greater collaboration throughout the district. Chris will provide an overview of the state of international service in District 5970 and highlight the many ways clubs and individual Rotarians can make global connections—from youth and cultural exchanges to international projects and Global Grants.

Expanding Rotary international service opportunities not only extends Rotary’s impact around the world, but also gives members more ways to become meaningfully engaged. Strong international connections can help clubs attract new members, retain existing members and provide the kinds of experiences that make Rotary membership rewarding.

A second-generation Rotarian, Chris has been a Rotarian for 38 years and has belonged to four Rotary clubs, including four years with the Rotary Club of Auckland, New Zealand. He is a past president of Cedar Rapids West Rotary and has held numerous club and district leadership positions, including serving as the District Global and Peace Scholarship Chair.

Chris is a native of Le Mars, Iowa, and married his high school sweetheart. They have two adult children. Following careers in jewelry, utilities, banking and engineering, Chris fully retired in 2024. He is an avid bicyclist and musician—and a self-described computer geek.

---

**Please complete your meal sign-up prior to the meeting, preferably not later than close of business Monday. Our face-to-face meeting will be hosted at the VFW. The meal sign-up, meeting announcement, and any other logistical information will be distributed in advance to all members by email.