Author: admin

Minutes of the May 13, 2021 meeting of the Rotary Club of Mobile
Call to Order: The meeting was called to order by club president Claire McCarron at 12:15 PM.
Invocation: John Garrett offered the invocation.
Pledge: Tommy Blankenship led us in the Pledge of Allegiance and welcomed guests of members.
Student Guest: There was no student guest this week.
Announcements: Claire made the following announcements:
• The Founders’ Day Cruise will be held tomorrow evening and there are a few slots remaining.
• The board will meet next week following the luncheon meeting.
New Members:
• Elizabeth Stevens introduced Wiley Blankenship, President and CEO of Coastal Alabama Partnership.
• Virginia Guy then introduced Mike Lee, President and CEO of Page & Jones.
Program: AM/NS Calvert Update
Ariel Chavez introduced Jorge Luis Ribeiro de Oliveira, CEO of AM/NS of Calvert, AL which was built by Thyssenkrupp at a cost of $4 billion. Mr. de Oliveira updated his audience with the following facts:
• AM/NS Calvert is the world’s most advanced steel finishing facility and was acquired from Thyssenkrupp in 2014.
• The firm currently employs 1,600.
• Construction is underway of a new steel-making facility to produce slabs to be used in the existing operation.
• The new plant will create some 1,000 construction jobs and result in an additional 200 employees when completed.
• The firm has a goal to be carbon neutral by 2050.
• AM/NS has sold off its Midwestern locations making the Alabama facility its principal operation in the United States.
• He stressed his firm’s commitment to keeping an open dialogue with the community and has a goal for a safe and sustainable future.
After answering a number of questions our speaker was presented a certificate noting that a donation to Reach Out and Read Alabama has been made in his honor.
Claire announced just the upcoming birthdays of members before adjourning the meeting at 1:50 PM.
Tom McGehee

MINUTES OF THE ROTARY MEETING
May 6, 2021
By Dr. Leona O. Rowan
Call to Order: The meeting was called to order by Claire McCarron, President of the Rotary Club of Mobile, at 12:15 p.m.
Invocation: Stephanie Streeter offered the invocation.
Pledge and Welcome: Tommy Blankenship led the members in reciting the Pledge of Allegiance and welcomed members’ guests.
Announcements: Claire reminded everyone of the Founders’ Day cruise event on May 14th. May 10th is the last day to purchase tickets for the dinner cruise.
Program: Garrett Williamson introduced the guest speaker, Gen. Janet L. Cobb, Executive Director of the USS Alabama Battleship Memorial Park. She enlisted in the US Army Reserve in 1974 and, in 1978, was commissioned Second Lieutenant, Signal Corps, from the University of Alabama ROTC program. Many years later, in 2017, Gen. Cobb was inducted into the Inaugural University of Alabama ROTC Hall of Fame.
During her years in the Army, Janet commanded at the detachment, battalion, brigade, directorate/brigadier general and major general levels. Her deployments include post-Desert Storm operations at the Ports of Al Jubayl and Ab Dammam, Saudi Arabia and Operation Iraqi Freedom port operations in Kuwait. In 2012, she served in the Pentagon on the Army Staff as Deputy G-4. Her final assignment was Commanding General 81st Regional Support Command, Fort Jackson, South Carolina and Senior Commander, US Army Garrison Fort Buchanan, Puerto Rico. Janet retired from the US Army in 2016 with 42 years of service. Her decorations include the Distinguished Service Medal, Legion of Merit, Bronze Star, and Meritorious Service Medal.
Janet holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Alabama, an M.S.S. from the US Army War College, and a J.D. degree from Cumberland School of Law.
Her presentation was on the history of the S.S. Drum, a museum ship located at Battleship Memorial Park. The Drum (SS-228) is a Gato-class submarine of the United States Navy, the first Navy ship named after the drum. The Drum was laid down in 1940 at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, Kittery, Maine, and commissioned in 1941. Though it was the twelfth of the Gato class, it was the first to be completed and the first to enter combat in World War II. She is the oldest of her class still in existence.
The Drum was decommissioned in 1946 and in 1947, she began service in Washington, D.C. to members of the Naval Reserve in the Potomac River Naval Command, which continued through 1967. Then she was in the inactive fleet at Norfolk, Virginia until 1969. It was during that time that Bob Edington became involved in obtaining the SS Drum for Mobile.
So, the Drum was donated to the USS Alabama Battleship Commission in 1969. She was towed to Battleship Alabama Memorial Park later that year and was dedicated and opened to the public on July 4, 1969. It was moored in the waters behind the USS Alabama until she was substantially damaged by Hurricane Georges in 1998. As a result, she is now on display on shore. The U.S.S. Alabama and Drum also sustained damage when Hurricane Katrina hit the area in 2005. It is interesting to note that most of the funding for repairs and maintenance of the submarine comes from a community of American Submarine Veterans.
By 2015, the Drum’s restoration included the complete rebuilding of part of the bow and stern sections and the installation of new I-beams inside the ballast tanks to support the submarine’s overall weight. The submarine was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1986. Today, visitors from all over the world tour the Drum and learn about the significant role she played during WWII.
After questions from the floor were answered, Claire thanked Janet for speaking to our club and presented her a certificate noting that a donation has been made in her honor to the “Reach Out and Read” literacy initiative.
Closing Remarks and Adjournment: Claire announced member birthdays and reminded everyone the meeting next week will include guest speaker, Jorge Ribeiro, CEO of AM/NS Calvert. Claire adjourned the meeting at approximately 12:50 p.m.

Minutes of the April 29, 2021 meeting of the Rotary Club of Mobile
Call to Order: The meeting was called to order by club president Claire McCarron at 12:15 PM.
Invocation: Kim Kelly offered the invocation.
Pledge: Tommy Blankenship led us in the Pledge of Allegiance and welcomed guests of members.
Student Guest: There was no student guest this week.
Announcements: Claire made the following announcements:
• The founders Day Cruise will be held the evening of May 14th and today is the last day tp purchase discounted tickets.
• The Daphne/Spanish fort Rotary Club has announced plans for the 2nd Annual Eastern Shore Pickleball Tournament (a type of paddle ball) to be held on May 15 at 8AM in Daphne’s Lott Park. The club president has extended an invitation to all Rotarians to participate in this fundraising vent. For full information please visit: www.facebook.com/DaphneSpanishFortRotary
Program: Olivia McCarter, Forensic Genealogist
Virginia Guy introduced Olivia McCarter, a sophomore at the University of South Alabama who is also an experienced Forensic Genealogist. In addition to taking a full class load at South, Miss McCarter explained she is working two jobs in addition to studying Forensic Genealogy using DNA samples from volunteers to solve cold case files dating back decades.
Her passion for this subject, she said, was especially strong in the cases involving the murder of young children who have been buried for years as a John or Jane Doe since the identities were a mystery.
One case quite close to home was a baby girl thrown from a bridge into a river in Pascagoula. The very troubling fact in this case was that there was water in her lungs which meant the toddler was alive when she was thrown in, she added. No missing children were reported in the area she said, making this a mystery for decades.
The organization she works for is Redgrave Research Forensic Services. Since most police forces do not have funds to pay for the lab work involved, they typically reach out to the community in which the crime occurred. Using DNA samples it was proven that the child was a native of Joplin, MO who was en route with her mother and her boyfriend to Florida in 1982. While the little girl’s name is known and she has received a proper grave marker, neither her mother nor the boyfriend have been found. The mother’s family feel very strongly that their daughter met a similar fate and await further closure.
Miss McCarter said that today’s DNA testing can prove up to an 8th cousin and that samples collected as far back as 1880 have solved past mysteries involving rapes and murders. This testing freed a man held for 10 years for the rape and murder of a 9-year-old girl in Canada and proved that a neighbor had done the crime.
After sharing a number of other case histories with her audience she then answered questions. Claire thanked her for speaking to our club noting that a donation to Reach Out and Read Alabama has been made in her honor.
Claire announced just a single birthday (Norman Pittman’s) and adjourned the meeting at 1:50 PM.
Tom McGehee

Minutes of Rotary Meeting
April 22, 2021
By Kathy Miller
Call to Order: The meeting was called to order by Claire McCarron, President of the Rotary Club of Mobile, at 12:00 p.m.
Invocation and Pledge: Virginia Guy gave the invocation and Tommy Blankenship led the Pledge of Allegiance.
Members’ Guests and Visiting Rotarians: Tommy Blankenship introduced Members’ guests and visiting Rotarians.
Student Guest: Garrett Williamson introduced LaTasha Robinson, Senior Counselor at Vigor High School, who introduced JaMiayah Snow as the student guest. After Ms. Snow spoke to the Club, Claire presented Ms. Snow with a certificate.
New Member: Bob Chappelle, standing in for Meg Fowler, introduced new member Tiffany Ginn.
Announcements: Claire reminded members about the Founders’ Day Event on May 14, 2021.
Program: Virginia Guy introduced James H. Shumock, Chair of the University of South Alabama Board of Trustees. Mr. Shumock presented a program outlining developments at the University of South Alabama. He noted that at present there are over 14,000 students and a $1 billion plus budget. He said the University’s economic impact on the region includes the impact of its over 85,000 alumni, 48,000 of whom reside in Alabama. He noted that the medical school is particularly successful in retaining physicians in the state. He gave the statistics for the fall class of 2020 which included an average GPA of 3.7 and 205 members with a 30 or more on the ACT. He described the University’s emphasis on staying engaged with students, which is a major predictor in their success and graduation. He discussed the renovations to the March Library, which has been reimagined as a collaborative space, and the South Cares program. He discussed a number of new academic programs at the University including a PhD in Systems Engineering and endowed program in Marine Conservation and Resource Management. He noted that there are more than 1,700 students involved in the Pathway USA program, which facilitates students moving from community colleges to USA. He described the many new facilities on campus including the McQueen Alumni Center across from the Clock Tower, Hancock Whitney Stadium, and the Jaguar Training Facility. He also discussed the school’s success in the Sunbelt Conference and that USA has the highest academic progress rate in the Sunbelt Conference. He also outlined the growth in USA Health and the new facilities in that division including the new College of Medicine building and the Fanny Meisler Trauma Center which recently opened. He also reported on the status of the Presidential transition. Claire thanked Mr. Shumock for speaking to the Club.
Closing Remarks and Adjournment: Claire announced members’ birthdays and the program for next week. She adjourned the meeting at 1:00 p.m.
Kathy Miller
Contributing Editor
1253254

Minutes of the April 15, 2021 Meeting
The Rotary Club of Mobile
Call to Order: The meeting was called to order by Claire McCarron at 12:15 PM.
Lori Myles offered the invocation. Tommy Blankenship led the Pledge of Allegiance and introduced the meeting guests.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
• Board meeting today
• Reminder to club members to update roster photos and info
• Founders Day evening is May 14.
NEW MEMBERS
None
Program: Sheriff Sam Cochran, Sheriff of Mobile County.
Sam Cochran is a native Mobilian who graduated from the McGill Institute and went on to attend the University of South Alabama where he holds both a bachelor’s and master’s degree in criminal justice and public administration. He is also a graduate of the FBI National Academy. He began his law enforcement career with the Mobile Police Department as a police cadet where he spent 31 years working his way through the ranks, serving the last 10 years as Chief of Police. In 2006, Sam Cochran was elected Sheriff of Mobile County and re-elected in 2010, 2014, and 2018.
The sheriff’s remarks were in two main areas. The first was the lack of growth in the city of Mobile and the second had to do with current police conditions. His general theme was that the city needed to show some growth after many decades of stagnation. In fact, the city has not grown in population since the 1960s. There have been various opportunities to annex areas adjacent to the city limits. Those opportunities were declined by the various city councils over the years. In the sheriff’s view, it is important for the city to grow to help fund infrastructure and the corresponding tax base it would come with annexation. According to the sheriff, there are some 80,000 citizens of Mobile County reside near the city limits.
The sheriff then talked generally about recent gang related instances of shootings and other serious crimes. Because of the current national political environment of police pushback, his department is having a challenge with recruiting in addition to high turnover.
President McCarron thanked Sheriff Cochran for his presentation and noted that, in his honor, a donation had been made by the club to “Reach Out and Read Alabama”
Adjournment
The meeting adjourned at 12:59 PM.
Rob Diehl

Minutes of the April 8, 2021 meeting of the Rotary Club of Mobile
Call to Order: The meeting was called to order by club president Claire McCarron at 12:15 PM.
Invocation: Allen Ladd offered the invocation.
Pledge: Tommy Blankenship led us in the Pledge of Allegiance.
Student Guest: There was no student guest this week due to Spring Break for area schools.
Announcements: Claire made the following announcements:
• A board meeting will be held next week following the regular meeting.
• Rotary Happy Hour was held this past Tuesday evening at El Papi and a great time was had by all. Be sure to watch for the next one.
• Please submit updated photos or changes in contact information for the upcoming Roster ASAP.
• Watch the mail for your invitation to the Founders Day cruise the evening of May 14 and please RSVP since space is limited.
Program: Mike Lee: President and CEO of Page & Jones, Inc.
Virginia Guy introduced Mike Lee who brought the club up to date on the latest activities around our port. Included were:
• Dredging of the ship channel to a depth of 50-54 feet to allow larger ships as well as existing ships with larger loads. A planned widening of the channel will permit two ships to pass each other as well. Mike said funds are in place and that routine dredging is underway in the meantime. This will reduce wait time for ships and make the port more appealing to shippers. 2025 is the target date for completion of the project he added.
• The container terminal has been improved and can handle 500,000 containers on site. There are new cranes, and now two ships can be unloaded at once. A new refrigerated warehouse, the largest in North America has been completed and can store 42,000 pallets of frozen food and is in use by Walmart.
• The automobile terminal will allow an increase in the shipment of automobiles through Mobile thanks to a public/private partnership. This will assist in cars manufactured around Alabama as well as up into Tennessee.
• The cruise ship industry is awaiting permission from the CDC to start up and in the meantime is petitioning courts to allow that decision in future to be made at a state, not national level. Cruises may begin in some Gulf ports by July but Mobile’s cruises may not begin before August or September.
• Amtrack Passenger Service is in the news he said and added that the Port Authority and a wide range of businesses are against it unless Amtrack comes up with the funds needed to add an additional track and needed infrastructure. Mike reminded his audience that the passenger trains are given the right of way and without an additional track this may well have a detrimental effect on commerce and as a result, jobs.
Mike answered a number of questions before Claire thanked him for speaking to the club and presented him with a certificate noting that a donation in his honor has been made to the Reach Out and Read program. After announcing the upcoming birthdays of Rotarians Claire adjourned the meeting at 1:00 PM.
Tom McGehee