Greg Bockheim gave an update from his office at the Zoo.
After a coronavirus-induced hiatus since early March, Rotary Club of Norfolk members and guests united on April 29 thanks to the wonders of technology. Live from her home, President Lorna Cochrane gathered 50 Rotarians online for our first official Zoom meeting. Being reunited never felt so good! Familiar Rotary rituals were there:
- Ringing the Rotary bell to start the meeting
- Bob Heely on guitar leading us in singing "I Can See Clearly Now"
- Reciting the Four-Way Test
- Joe New giving an invocation based on inspiring words from Helen Keller about staying optimistic
- Joey. Rothgery updating us on how we are caring for our members in these stressful and isolating times
A new twist courtesy of Zoom was getting to see members in their homes and, in at least one case, their car as Colin McKinnon showed off fabulous looking strawberries he and his wife, Patt, had just picked. (Note: Patt was driving while Colin was Zooming).
A bonus of our online meeting was seeing and hearing from our former club and board member Ashley Molinaro, who recently finished her Ph.D. and moved to Northern Virginia with her family where she started a new job and belongs to a Rotary Club in Arlington. Ashley keeps up with us via Facebook and was happy to reunite with us. She is a regular Zoom attendee at her Rotary Club's meetings.
Featured Speaker
Speaking to us from his art-filled office was our own Greg Bockheim, executive director of the Virginia Zoo. He updated us on how the zoo, its 700 animals and staff are faring since the zoo closed five weeks ago due to cornavirus restrictions. Greg and animal care staff are on duty at the zoo with care givers working in alternating teams at the zoo so that if members of one group become ill or have to quarantine, the other team could still come to work. About half the zoo's 97-member staff are furloughed. Many of those still on staff are telecommuting from their homes.
Spring is typically the busiest time of year for the zoo with as many as 5,000 guests visiting each day. But, this year there are no guests, which means the zoo is losing at least $450,000 in revenue this quarter from lost ticket sales, cancelled birthday parties and other events. The zoo is a hybrid city and nonprofit entity, and the coronavirus' impact on city support for the zoo is unknown at this point.
On a positive note, Greg reported that the animals are doing well. With no guests around, zookeepers have taken miniature cows, sheep and other barn animals on strolls to see zebras and giraffes and to graze in parts of the zoo they normally don't visit. Since closing, the zoo has welcomed two baby bongos and a tapir. A baby sloth got named Trey in a naming contest. Two giraffes should be born soon.
Greg is using this interlude to build a waterfowl pool in a new tropical bird conservatory that is under construction. He and his team also are planning what precautions will be needed once the zoo can reopen. One challenge is improving technology for no-contact ticket sales and also ordering food from the cafe.
The pandemic "will force us to think differently, see what we can do better and get more creative," Greg says of future zoo operations.
He closed his talk by highlighting favorite art pieces in his office. As a fan of The Chrysler Museum's glass studio, he showed off his glass chicken and giant candy corn he snared at a members' sale by getting there early. He also highlighted his colorful Dung Dude sculpture made from elephant dung and a can of special O'Connor Brewing beer that features zoo images on the can.
Business meeting
- Joey Rothgery thanked Barbara Lifland and Linwood Beckner for leading the team to call members and check on them. She also let us know that both Fred Walker and Jack Kavanaugh are home after surgery and doing well. Kay Kemper is spending isolation time in Florida as is honorary member Jerry Adamson. At age 92 he fondly remembers his Rotary Club days.
- The club is sad for the loss of long-time member Nancy Chandler; Alice Massey, wife of our member Joe, and Arlene Kesser, Sharon Laderberg's mother.
- Our club has inducted three new members -- Chris Bugg, who works with Sandler Training Coastal Virginia and whose grandfather was Rotary International president in 1929-30; Stephen Kirkland, executive director of Nauticus, and Brian McGuire, who moved here with the Navy and is finishing his degree at Old Dominion University.
- The weekly money our club would be paying for our meals is being donated to the Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia and Eastern Shore, which is under stress as it provides food for countless people who have lost their jobs due to business furloughs and closures. So far that has been $6,450, which with the Foodbank's purchasing power will be about $38,700 worth of food. Any donations club members make for the Foodbank through Norfolk Rotary Charities will be matched by our charities funds.
- May 7 is a Foodbank volunteer day for our members, but there are restrictions on the number of people. Volunteers must be able to lift 35 pounds. Stay tuned for details from board member Rachel Bellis.
- We thank President-elect Jim Kitz for heading up our Foodbank financial support efforts and are sorry the Rotary International convention is cancelled meaning he will not be visiting Hawaii in June. Since it is one of his favorite places maybe we should host a luau for Jim when we can gather in person. Jim is happy that some of the funds the club allocated for him to attend the convention can be used to help the Foodbank.
- Our next Zoom meeting will be on May 5 -- Cinco de Mayo! Get ready to celebrate. Look for Zoom details for how to join in the fun and fellowship.