Aug 3rd
The Redlin Art Center’s 6^th annual summer event, featuring country music sensation Sawyer Brown, is “ready to go” on August 8^th reported Redlin Art Center Director Julie Ranum at the August 3^rd meeting of Kiwanis Club.  As many as 20,000 persons are expected to attend this banner Watertown event made possible by the Redlin Art Center.  Ms. Ranum reviewed the day’s line-up of entertainment which begins with Clifford the Big Red Dog at 11am and culminates with the Sawyer Brown concert at 8pm.  In addition to family-oriented entertainment acts scheduled throughout the day that include Phil Baker, Fly By Night band and the Glacial Lakes Harmonizers, 20 food vendors, including Kiwanis Club, will be set up to feed the crowd throughout the entire day. President Karyl Somers reviewed the very successful Kiwanis Minnesota-Dakotas District Convention that was held at the Watertown Event Center July 31-August 2.  Kiwanis is organizing its first annual prayer breakfast on Friday August 14.  Proceeds will be used to fund scholarships for pre-schoolers.  Dr. Rick Melmer, Dean of Education at the University of South Dakota and former superintendent of the Watertown School District prior to serving as the secretary of the Department of Education under Governor Rounds, will deliver the keynote address.  Tickets are available from Kiwanis members. 

Aug 10th
A very successful Minnesota-Dakotas District Convention, held at Watertown’s Event Center July 31-August 2, was reviewed by President Karyl Somers and the other Kiwanians who attended the event at the August 10 meeting of Kiwanis Club.  Kiwanis International was impressed with the organization of the meeting sessions and the facilities offered by the Event Center and encouraged Watertown to bid for the 2013 convention. Susan Severson was inducted as a new member of the club by Doug Austin.  Kiwanis first annual prayer breakfast will feature Dr. Rick Melmer as the keynote speaker.  Melmer is the Dean of Education, University of South Dakota and former superintendent of the Watertown School District prior to serving as the secretary of the Department of Education under Governor Rounds. Proceeds will be used to fund scholarships for pre-schoolers.  Tickets are available from Kiwanis members for the Friday August 14 event at the Cornerstone United Methodist Church.  The club plans to sponsor two WHS Key Club members to attend Kiwanis’ Key Leadership Camp in October.  

Aug 17th
The creation of Watertown’s new radio station, KXLG 99.1 FM, was described by long time local radio personalities David J. Law and Jim Aesoph at the August 17 meeting of Kiwanis Club.  Law and Aesoph said that Bob Faehn, who previously owned two Watertown stations but had sold them several years ago, decided a year ago to get back into radio in Watertown.  With FCC approval in July, the construction of the new station’s tower is expected to be completed by the end of August and the station may be on the air as soon as mid-September.  In addition to morning talk shows, as a 24-hour station KXLG will feature music from the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s.  Law said that many of the station’s crew was coming over from current Watertown radio stations, and that one significant difference the new station will feature is that all programming and management decisions will be made locally. Kiwanis’ first prayer breakfast, held on August 14, proved to be very successful and is expected to become a regular event for supporting pre-school programs.  A thank you note from Kiwanis District Governor Bill Lardy was acknowledged for the club’s hosting and assistance with the recent Minnesota-Dakotas District Convention held in Watertown. 

Aug 24th
Mike Cartney, Vice President, Lake Area Technical Institute, offered a lively presentation on the challenges that advancing technology has created in the world of education at the August 24 meeting of Kiwanis Club.  Cartney highlighted that a change in culture is accompanying the advancing technology that is rapidly being adopted by a very socially conscious generation; instructors are challenged as to whether they are teaching technology or using technology to teach.  Today’s students are accustomed to information (education) being available on demand (Internet being one source), which has allowed them to essentially explore the world during their childhood.  Yet websites, including social networking sites such as Facebook, will be marginalized in the next five years as Twitter, blogs, “microsites” and all that is small and mobile replace them.  New generations of consumers and technology will move to more mobile, more interactive communication / information tools, emphasized Cartney. Macy Kludt, president of Watertown High School’s Key Club, was a guest and was presented with the proceeds from organizing and staffing the book store sales at the recent Minnesota-Dakotas Kiwanis District Convention.

Aug 31st
The history and business development results of the Watertown Development Company were reviewed by Traci Stein, WDC’s business development director, at the August 31 meeting of Kiwanis Club.  Organized in 1947, WDC and Focus Watertown joined forces in 1999 to become the primary business development arm for the city.  While Focus Watertown is the recruitment element for business development, WDC owns and manages five industrial parks totaling 150 acres that are specifically designed for manufacturing, providing new and expanding manufacturers with first class infrastructure and building sites.  It also builds facilities to company specifications and leases them back to manufacturers.  WDC fosters workforce development through its co-sponsorship of job fairs and workforce development advertising campaigns.  It also assisted in developing a needed rail spur near Glacial Lakes Energy.  Ms Stein commented that despite the current economic climate, $39 million of building permits for new construction have been issued through July for Watertown. President Karyl Somers indicated that several WHS Key Club members are planning to attend Key Leadership Camp in October.  Convention & Visitors Bureau Director Karen Witt commented on the very busy coming weeks that Watertown convention and tourist facilities will experience with the Senior Games bringing 500 persons to the city, the Realtors Convention of the Dakotas attracting up to 600 visitors, and the state meeting of county commissioners and the SD Municipal League each attracting about 300 people to their meetings.  Kiwanis meets every Monday noon at the Elks Lodge; however the next meeting will be on Tuesday September 8 due to the Labor Day holiday.

Written by Tim Oviatt