Rotary on the Road

Gardens of the Fox Cities (Kathy Dreyer)

Lynn Van Vreede talked about how the Memorial Park Arburatum and Gardens and Scheig Learning Center opened in 1996 as a free public garden.  In 2009, they changed their name to the Gardens of the Fox Cities. The Gardens pays the City of Appleton $1.00 per year rent for the 38 acres of land. The Gardens is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization and does not receive any money from the local, state or federal governments. They have a staff of 2 full time and 4 part-time employees.  Today, they have 26 themed gardens, a 4 acre prairie, trails for walking and cross country skiing and a large natural wetland.  The Gardens offers educational programs for children 5-18 including Marvin’s Gardens and Seeds to Market, host school field trips, hold after school programming, adult classes / workshops and hold wedding ceremonies and receptions.  The Seeds to Market program is an accredited class for students through the Appleton Career Academy.  Two of their biggest fundraisers are the Garden to Gourmet Dinner (A Sustainable Dinner for a Sustainable Future) and the Heirloom Plant Sale. During the summer, they held two music in the gardens events.  In the future, the Gardens would like to add a Kitchen Garden to teach visitors basic gardening techniques and a Junior Landscape Program for youth ages 11-16. 

Paper Discovery Center (Kathleen Lhost)

Boxes lunches were served in the River Level while Kathleen showed a short video about activities at the Paper Discovery Center and talked about the history of the building, the paper industry in the Fox Cities, the history of the Paper Industry International Hall of Fame and its program, the Paper Discovery Center.  The Paper Discovery Center opened in late February of 2005.  The Paper Discovery Center is a science and technology center in Northeast Wisconsin with the aim of celebrating the art and science of paper through interactive and engaging educational programs, exhibits, and activities, with a focus on the industry’s exciting future. This summer the Paper Discovery Center offered a summer science series with programs such as Optical Illusions, Kitchen Flight, Slimy Science, Wild About Water and Finding Rainbows.  After lunch, Kathleen led a brief tour through some of the exhibits and answered questions about funding for the organization.

Valley Packaging (Barbara Kelly)

19 Rotarians met at the Roemer Road location of Valley Packaging Industries, Inc.  We were greeted by President Bob Russo, Heather Harrington and Mat Busch, who presented an overview of the organization's expansive operations.  Valley Packaging Industries provides training rehabilitation and/or therapy services daily to more than 650 adults, students and children with disabilities.  VPI is an equal opportunity employer, providing integrated employment to over 1,000 people, with and without disabilities.  Many of the jobs are in their packaging business, which contracts with many other companies needing packaging services to raise revenue and provide work opportunities for their clients.Staff noted that VPI exists "To promote the dignity and worth of individuals who have disabilities or are disadvantaged and to assist them in developing their optimum level of social vocational and economic independence in the community." After the presentations, we were given a tour of the packaging operations.  Those of us in attendance now know what this year's Christmas Kleenex boxes will look like, having seen an amazing assembly line putting them together.  There were many other operations going on in the building also.  Thanks to VPI for expanding my understanding of how much you do for our community.

Wastewater Treatment Plant (Curt Detjen)

The things we all take for granted … Appleton wastewater plant is a major operation going unnoticed.  It processes an average of 10,000 gallons/minute totaling over five billion gallons per year.  The operation is fed by more than 350 miles of sanitary sewer running beneath our city streets.  The last addition was completed in 1992 at a cost of $68 million, including the addition of the egg-shaped digesters that are the distinguishing visible feature of the plant.  This technology is still state of the art.  Appleton provides this service at the lowest cost of all area communities.  Product is processed completely in a 22-hour cycle.  Effluent is discharged to the Fox River while the 20,000 tons of bio-solids are converted to compost or field spread as a fertilizer product.  The plant even captures and uses a portion of the methane gases it produces, using it as a natural gas replacement for use in its heating and cooling operation.  This saves about $200,000 per year.  The group was given a tour, including an experience in the special, smelly room.  We appreciate that Chris Shaw, Bob Kennedy and Chris Stempa provided Rotarians with such a comprehensive presentation and walking tour of the plant.