Reminder! We will be holding our Bluffton Rotary Club Annual Oyster Roast on January 31 at the Bluffton Oyster Factory. Gates open at 4:30 with oysters being served from 5 to 8 PM. The band is: Vannah & the Rump Shakers!
Our speaker at our January 21 meeting was SCDOT Public Outreach Manager Adriane Radeker. She gave us an update on the progress attributable to the 2017 Roads Bill, as well as Momentum 2050, which is the planning horizon for the department.
The DOT has 41,000 miles of roads, which is the 4th largest state-maintained highway system in the country. It also has 4,000 employees, and is responsible for 8,500 bridges. Over 2400 of those bridges are over 60 years old and need maintenance or replacement. The traffic on our highways due to commercial traffic has increased from 3 million to 10 million trucks per year over the last 10 years.
Accidents attributable to highway design have declined more than 30% in the last 10 year due to: wider shoulders, rumble strips, visible white stripes and vegetation on the sides. Over 25% of the state's roads have been resurfaced since 2017.
One of the important issues to be discussed over the next couple of years is how to adequately charge EV's, as highway maintenance is primarily funded by gas taxes today.
Regardless of issue, please let us know if something is going on to prevent you from attending our meetings. We have many members who can help, pray, or just call to lift your spirits.
Club Dues Invoices - please submit payment at your earliest convenience. Several Rotarians have outstanding balances from prior invoices - if you are unsure of who you are, please reach out to Don Kensey, Rotary Club of Bluffton Treasurer.
Do you worry about Alzheimer’s? We do not have a cure for Alzheimer’s disease, but we must find one. Finding a cure starts with you. Every year the CART (Coins for Alzheimer’s Research Trust) Fund gives research grants focused on finding a cure for Alzheimer’s disease.
Have you given to the CART Fund this year? The CART Fund is dedicated to raising funds to provide “seed” money for cutting edge, high impact research in hopes of finding a cure/prevention for Alzheimer’s disease. The goal of the CART Fund is to encourage exploratory and developmental Alzheimer’s disease research projects within the United States. This is accomplished by providing financial support for the early and conceptual plans of those projects that may not yet be supported by extensive preliminary data but have the potential to substantially advance biomedical research. These projects should be distinct from those designed to increase knowledge in a well-established area unless they intend to extend previous discoveries toward new directions or applications.
If you would you like to donate to the C.A.R.T. fund, please scan the code below:
The Bluffton Rotary Club has a YouTube Channel! You will find previous guest speakers and other fun videos, so be on the lookout for more content in the future. All you have to do is create a YouTube account and subscribe...with 80+ current members, we can do better than eight subscriber's!! Link:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8TYzr9_xUE8Jfy-lniTt1A
Did you know ClubRunner is now available on your mobile device app store for FREE?!? Once downloaded, use your ClubRunner log-in. This will give you instant access to our member directory, events, news and other important information. Here is a video that highlights some of the features: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PFLu08meAHI&t=12s
