Detroit Lakes Morning Rotary

Detroit Lakes Morning Rotary Detroit Lakes Morning Rotary Club meets Tuesday mornings at 6:55am at the Holiday Inn, Detroit Lakes, MN
(previously Detroit Lakes Breakfast Rotary)

DL Morning Rotary 8/25/26:Program Amy Stearns discussed Project 412, named after the 412 lakes near Detroit Lakes. The g...
08/27/2026

DL Morning Rotary 8/25/26:
Program Amy Stearns discussed Project 412, named after the 412 lakes near Detroit Lakes. The group aims to improve the area by raising funds for both the group and individual projects. They received a $90,000 grant to match. They developed Wavemakers, a program where individuals commit $412 annually, with 100% of the funds benefiting the community. A separate fundraiser sponsored different businesses or organizations for the trolls. Ortenstone Gardens, a city park on 54 acres, includes a Gift Shop and parking. The park’s tagline is “No risk, No magic,” and it features Barefoot Frieda, a troll. Last year, 8,000 zinnias were planted, and this year, volunteers planted over 15,000 annual plants. The community provides significant support, including building, moving rocks, and pulling weeds. A group called “the Old Guys get ‘r done” volunteers. Ortenstone Gardens’ goal extends beyond the troll project, likened to “building an airplane while flying it.” A map shows trails and upcoming exhibits.

Sara Hoffman oversees the Gift Shop. The green building on the right in the picture is the Gift Shop.
Ortenstone Gardens’ new Gift Shop, built on the left of the green storage closet, offers food, gelato, and Troll merchandise. The Troll merchandise, inspired by the builder’s motto “turning trash into treasure,” features “2nds” shirts with slight flaws and is made from recycled materials. The shop also displays items from other artists at Ortenstone.

Ortenstone Gardens boasts approximately 1.5 miles of trails, including Art Skabt, rock cairns at the trail’s start; the Storybook walk, featuring art from Charlie Harper; and the Rock Gardens, where storytelling events occur every other Friday during the summer. Old Sticky, a stick bug made from wood, and exhibits from Kent Estey are also featured.

Future plans include a reflection pond and a magic forest. With seasonal color changes and new displays, Ortenstone Gardens encourages frequent visits.

DL Morning Rotary 8/18/26:Program Mark Jensen, superintendent of Detroit Lakes Schools, introduced Renee Kerzman, Direct...
08/26/2026

DL Morning Rotary 8/18/26:
Program Mark Jensen, superintendent of Detroit Lakes Schools, introduced Renee Kerzman, Director of Curriculum, Instruction, and Technology. She discussed the mentorship program for new teachers in Detroit Lakes. Pam Daly, coordinator for the Detroit Lakes Public Schools, assigned each new teacher a mentor for three years.

Renee asked new teachers to introduce themselves. Thirteen new teachers shared their backgrounds and work assignments in the Detroit Lakes School district. Two positions remain open.

DL Morning Rotary 8/11/26:Program Mary Rotter introduced Superintendent of DL schools, Mark Jensen. Mark joined Detroit ...
08/12/2026

DL Morning Rotary 8/11/26:
Program Mary Rotter introduced Superintendent of DL schools, Mark Jensen. Mark joined Detroit Lakes in 2020 during COVID. He became principal at Rocori High School in Minnesota in 2005, two years after the school shooting.

Mark and his wife Mindi have three sons. They met in 9th grade and have been married for 36 years. Mindi was an elementary teacher and curriculum director at Rocori.

Mark shared his sons’ post-high school plans. Matthew went to law school but hated his internship. Jake took a gap year to work breaking horses in western North Dakota. He loves horses and graduated from Iowa State as a veterinarian, spending a year in Texas at an equine facility. Nicholai left school his sophomore year to play hockey and eventually earned an MBA from Omaha, Shreveport, and Youngstown, Ohio.

Mark’s experience with his sons inspired him to help youth discover their career interests early. Detroit Lakes Public Schools addresses this issue with 9th-grade interviews.

The DLPS Vision/Mission/Purpose:
- Vision: Students are prepared to thrive beyond graduation.
- Mission: Consistent expectations, opportunities, and support ensure student success.
Meaningful support and strong relationships ensure every student develops the skills, confidence, and connections needed to thrive beyond graduation.

• Purpose: Deliver education excellence.
• How: Relationships, innovation, development, and equity.

District Health:
- Enrollment is stagnant, and families aren’t moving to Minnesota. Each enrolled child contributes approximately $10,000 to the district.
- The Maintenance budget has tripled.

Mark highlighted positive developments, including a new online curriculum with AI to prevent cheating, allowing students to learn at their own pace.

The 26th Annual Ted Heisserer DL Morning Rotary Peach sale will be held this Friday and Saturday. We appreciate Nereson ...
08/12/2026

The 26th Annual Ted Heisserer DL Morning Rotary Peach sale will be held this Friday and Saturday. We appreciate Nereson allowing us to use their parking lot, because their tent was recently damage in a storm, the Peach sale will be held in the back (south) of the parking lot.

DL Morning Rotary 8/4/26:Program Peter Jacobson introduced Kate Stearns, our presenter today.Kate, a sophomore at St. Be...
08/06/2026

DL Morning Rotary 8/4/26:
Program Peter Jacobson introduced Kate Stearns, our presenter today.

Kate, a sophomore at St. Ben’s, was encouraged by a friend to join ETL, a nonprofit social justice organization active on the campuses of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s University. Their goal is to amplify suppressed voices, provide a raw look at social justice issues, and mobilize listeners to make change.

Kate spoke about her trip to Lesotho, a 9-hour drive from Johannesburg, South Africa. Known as the “Kingdom in the sky,” Lesotho is in the highlands. While there, Kate and her group filmed 16 interviews with locals for a documentary.

They met a foundation called Touching Tiny Lives (TTL), based in the remote Mokhotlong district of Lesotho. Founded in 2004, TTL provides critical support to vulnerable and orphaned children under five suffering from malnutrition and HIV/AIDS complications.

Kate discussed the challenging transportation in Lesotho, which took them 4.5 hours to travel 20 miles. Most people walk, making it difficult to access health clinics.

ETL typically visits different parts of the world annually. They research and decide their destinations. The organization runs on donations and grants. More information is available at www.extendingthelink.com.

Below is information on viewing the documentary Kate and her group created during their trip.

DL Morning Rotary 7/28/26:Rick Michaelson spoke about the Rotary Foundation. He’s glad Dave Long, the District Chairman,...
08/03/2026

DL Morning Rotary 7/28/26:
Rick Michaelson spoke about the Rotary Foundation. He’s glad Dave Long, the District Chairman, is here to “fact check” and provide information.

Polio is a major focus of the Rotary Foundation. Dave Long reminded us that October 24 is Polio Day, and they’re holding nationwide walks to raise $1 million.

The Rotary Foundation was started by Arch C. Klumph with an initial investment of $26.50. It’s grown to over a billion dollars.

Rotary Foundation supports World Community Service Grants for building wells, schools, clinics, and other projects.

Mary & Jerry Schutz helped build a clinic in Guatemala. They spent a week in the mountains and found the work rewarding.

Our club partnered with a club in Cabo San Lucas to build a school. The kids spent the week at school and returned home on weekends. Due to food storage issues, the Rotary clubs provided a propane fridge and freezer and bought bedding.

Delta donated money, and the names of all sustaining members of the Rotary Foundation will be drawn for $100 each. Today’s winner was Mike Stearns.

Visit portal.clubrunner.ca/1303/ to learn more about our club.

DL Morning Rotary Program 7/21/26: Amy Stearns, one of two full-time staff at Project 412, a non-profit organization th...
07/26/2026

DL Morning Rotary Program 7/21/26:
Amy Stearns, one of two full-time staff at Project 412, a non-profit organization that started 3 and 3/4 years ago, shared an overview of the Pitch Contest, a competition for new businesses or small existing businesses looking to expand. Johnny Holmes will play at Trucks and Tunes in the park this Thursday. Ortenstone Gardens has new sculptures, storytelling every other Friday at noon, and Monday Music Moments. Sara Hoffman, the other full-time staff member, introduced the winners of this year’s contest, Tang and Torch Sauce Company led by Kyler Hicks and Leo Segura. Paul Haarstick received the $1000 2nd place prize for GoodBooks software, a software specifically built for non-profit organizations with annual revenues of under $50,000 to address common accounting problems. Roberta Latvola received the Audience Choice Award for her presentation on Third Way Gardens, a farm-to-table dining business offering weekly CSA produce boxes, educational classes on growing, cooking, and preserving food, and more.
Theme-inspired international meals served in an immersive outdoor farm setting.

Brian Ferdon and his wife opened the Music Shop in the mall. They received the $10,000 grand prize award. The shop is Ferdon’s solution to limited local music resources. It’s the only option within a 50-mile radius of Detroit Lakes. They offer retail sales of instruments, music lessons, and instrument repair.

Are you drooling?? It will be here before you know it, the 26th annual DL Morning Rotary Club Peach sale! August 14th & ...
07/24/2026

Are you drooling?? It will be here before you know it, the 26th annual DL Morning Rotary Club Peach sale! August 14th & 15th Nereson's parking lot.

Are you drooling!! Delicious Peaches will be for sale on the 14th & 15th of August in the Nereson's car dealership parki...
07/22/2026

Are you drooling!! Delicious Peaches will be for sale on the 14th & 15th of August in the Nereson's car dealership parking lot.

DL Morning Rotary meeting 7/14/26Program: Leon Senn, a member of our club and president of the Lake Detroiters Associati...
07/22/2026

DL Morning Rotary meeting 7/14/26
Program: Leon Senn, a member of our club and president of the Lake Detroiters Association (LDA), presented today. The LDA recently changed its membership requirements, making it accessible to anyone, regardless of lake residence. Currently, they have 300 to 400 members and aim to increase it to 500+. Annual dues are $25, and they now offer online membership. Established in 1944, the LDA had Dick Hecock as a prominent member.

LDA recently hosted a researcher from Minnesota Aquatic Invasive Research Center (MAISRC) to discuss swimmer’s itch research. LDA donated $5000 to MAISRC and participates in the 4th of July fireworks show. They plan to survey candidates for Becker County Sheriff to address lake safety and cleanliness concerns. LDA collaborates with other area lake associations to build memberships. They awarded Tera Guetter the Friend of the Lakes Award.

Leon handed out a flyer at the meeting, which he keeps on his beer fridge. His family and guests can enjoy a beer from the fridge for a $25 donation, which also includes LDA membership.

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Detroit Lakes, MN
56501

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