Yearly Archives: 2013
NEXT MEETING: June 14, 2013The History of the Navy Seal
Did you know that longtime Richmond resident Martin McNair is a former Navy Seal? Martin will share with us how and why this elite group of the armed forces started. He will describe some of the early history and, no doubt, enliven his presentation with personal accounts. MEETING OF June 7, 2013WelcomeLiliane Koziol opened the meeting with a warm welcome to everyone. Tom Waller led the pledge of allegiance and Stony Stonework asked us to take a moment of silence for peace and justice on earth. Rotarians with GuestsRichard Alexander introduced his wife Katherine Alexander, a former Rotarian herself. Sunshine ReportRalph Hill reported that Charlie Wong called him today to wish him a happy birthday and that Charlie sends his best wishes to all of us Rotarians. Announcements
RecognitionsJoe “Swampy” Bagley announced that last Wednesday was the Honorable Judge David Calfee’s 60th anniversary with the club. Judge Calfee is a generous donor and he received an enthusiastic round of applause for his generosity, as well for as his longevity. Happy and Sad Dollars
Norm’s NonsenseAn old Irishman was coming home late one night from the pub. As he passed the graveyard, he thought of all his friends in there, and then he saw a stone beside the road. He thought, “The poor man, buried out here by the highway. And he lived to the ripe old age of 145. A fine man. Let’s see, his name was Miles, from Dublin.” PROGRAMJustice Delayed is Justice Denied
David Brown introduced guest speaker The Honorable Judge Diana Becton. David explained to the group that a defining characteristic of a “good judge” is what’s called “judicial temperament”. To be considered as possessing judicial temperament, a judge must listen more than he or she talks; be curious about why the litigants are there and what’s important to them; have respect for the majesty and dignity of the American legal system; and understand the importance of everyone leaving the courtroom feeling like they’ve been heard, even if they did not prevail. David reported that Contra Costa County is very well served by Judge Becton who possesses these characteristics in abundance. Judge Becton’s presentation was titled “Justice Delayed is Justice Denied” and she went on to tell of the appalling condition of our county and state judicial system, primarily due to extreme budget cuts. Judge Becton underscored that citizens have a right to prompt access to the justice system to seek legal redress, but that due to the severe cuts the system has experienced, this right cannot currently be assured. From 2008 through 2011, the court system in Contra Costa County absorbed $7.5 million in cuts, 13% of its total budget at the time. Then, in 2012, the county system was required to absorb an additional $7 million in cuts in one year. As a result, drastic cuts have been made to personnel and the services and programs they provide including the closure of courtrooms. The Contra Costa judicial system typically handles 10,000 criminal cases, 25,000 civil cases, 10,000 family law cases, 120,000 traffic cases, 2,000 juvenile cases, and 1,300 probate cases every year. In order to handle this load, a staffing ratio of ten support staff to each bench officer or judge is necessary. Currently, the court system has a ratio of 7.7 support staff for each judge. Five courtrooms have closed including those in Concord and Walnut Creek whose courthouses now handle traffic cases only. All other cases are transferred to Martinez, as are all of Richmond’s juvenile cases. In addition to the closure of the courtrooms, one out of five of the county’s family law departments and one out of five civil law departments have been closed. Court reporters have been cut from family and civil probate cases; self-help centers have been cut by 50%; management positions have been cut by 40%; line staff have been cut by 30%; and clerks hours have been cut allowing the clerks’ office to operate on a part-time basis only. Judge Becton described the impact that these cuts and closures have had on the public. They include long waiting lines and waiting times during which people have fainted or become involved in altercations. The case load is no longer measured in the number of cases waiting to be filed, but in the number of feet of cases piled in the office, now at 23 feet high. Cases that have already been adjudicated can sometimes take six months for the paperwork to be finalized. Judge Becton reported that statewide 61 courthouses have closed since January 1, 2012 and that 26 night courtrooms have closed as well as 18 problem-solving centers. Child custody cases, which should for the good of the child take no longer than three weeks to hear, are taking up to six months. Overall, the state’s judicial system has sustained approximately 19.6% in cuts, all of which prevents people from receiving prompt access to the justice system. Although Contra Costa is a prudently operated system with an established reserve fund, new legislation requires that all reserve funds will be confiscated by the state in this next year. Judge Becton reported that due to these problems, the system has devolved into a two-track system, one for those who can afford private mediation and one for those who cannot, and that overall the ability of the system to provide adequate and timely justice has decayed. Lynn Martin, Roving Rotary Reporter |
NEXT MEETING: June 7, 2013Budget challenges to California's judicial system
The Honorable Diana Becton will discuss the budget-driven challenges that face our State’s judicial system. MEETING OF May 31, 2013WelcomePresident Jim Young rang the bell and called the meeting to order. Heather Kulp led the pledge of allegiance and Stoney Stonework asked for a moment of silence for freedom, peace, and justice on earth. President Jim had this thought for the day: “It ain’t over til the fat lady sings”, referring, of course, to the successful concluding performance on May 26 of the Lost Secrets play at the East Bay Center for the Performing Arts. Rotarians with GuestsNorm Foley introduced his wife, Bonnie. Sunshine ReportJim reported that Norm Lundberg is a new grandfather. Congratulations! Announcements
Recognitions
Happy and Sad Dollars
Norm’s NonsenseOn the rewards of higher education: PROGRAM
Richard Alexander introduced Rear Admiral Tom Cropper, President of the California Maritime Academy (CMA) in Vallejo. Richard’s son, who’s now finishing his senior year at CMA, also played on the school’s rugby team with Tom Cropper’s son, who graduated in 2012. Admiral Cropper is a graduate of Iowa State University and received his US Navy officer commission in 1981. He pursued a 31-year career as a naval aviator before retiring and becoming President of the CMA. The CMA is a California State University (CSU) of Engineering, Technology, and Marine Transportation. It is one of 23 campuses in the CSU system and one of only seven degree-granting maritime academies in the United States. With about 1,000 undergraduate students enrolled at the 80-acre campus, the CMA offers six different Bachelor degrees and one Master’s Degree in Transportation and Engineering Management. Key values learned at the CMA are teamwork, trust, reliability, and self-discipline. There is a major emphasis on developing leadership qualities in CMA graduates as they prepare for careers of service. Recognized by various publications as offering an affordable, high-value education, the CMA boasts a 94% job placement rate for its graduates. Licensed ship’s officers can make $70-100K at the age of 22. As Admiral Cropper pointed out, the CMA is not just a merchant marine academy. It’s a complete maritime university that is
With water accounting for 70% of the earth’s surface, 80% of food protein, and 90% of world trade transport, the oceans are vital for life as we know it. This quote provided by Admiral Cropper (author unknown) provides a haunting reminder of the ocean’s majesty and mystery: “The sea is huge and it is always changing. Its many moods and unending motion are unforgiving of human weakness and constantly place great stress on people and equipment.” Rotating Scribe, Tom Waller |
NEXT MEETING: May 31, 2013The California Maritime Academy
California Maritime Academy (CMA) in Vallejo is a California State University (CSU) of Engineering, Technology, and Marine Transportation. It is one of 23 campuses in the CSU system and one of only seven degree-granting maritime academies in the United States. With about 1000 undergraduate students enrolled at the 90-acre campus, CMA offers six different Bachelor’s degrees and a Master’s degree in Transportation and Engineering Management. Rear Admiral Thomas Cropper, current President of the University, will tell us more about the school, its past, present, and future. MEETING OF May 24, 2013WelcomePresident Jim Young rang the bell and called the meeting to order. Richard Alexander led the pledge of allegiance. In drawing particular attention to another recent, senseless killing of a polio vaccination team member in Pakistan, George Egan asked for a moment of silence for freedom, peace, and justice on earth. Prescient President Jim had this thought for the day: more sold-out performances are anticipated for the last weekend of the Lost Secrets play (and, lo and behold, there actually were more). Visiting RotariansIt was great to see Leslie Levy, formerly a Richmond Rotarian when her law office was in Richmond and now a member of the Berkeley Rotary Club. Rotarians with Guests
Sunshine ReportDoris Mitchell is a new mom. She and her son (born on May 10) are doing well. Congratulations, Doris, and we look forward to seeing you soon! Announcements
Recognitions
Happy and Sad Dollars
Norm’s NonsenseThree people were going to the guillotine. The first was a lawyer, who was led to the platform, blindfolded, and had his head put on the block. The executioner pulled the lanyard, but nothing happened. To avoid a messy lawsuit, the authorities allowed the lawyer to go free. The next man to the guillotine was a priest. They put his head on the block and pulled the lanyard, but nothing happened. The blade didn’t come down. They thought it must have been divine intervention, so they let the priest go. The third man to the guillotine was an engineer. He waived his right to a blindfold, so they led him to the guillotine, and put his head on the block. As he lay there, he said, “Hey, wait. I think I see your problem.” PROGRAMAlbert Fraenkel, Baton Rouge Ambassador-by-the-Bay<img src=”https://richmondcarotary.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/fraenkel-supremecourt.gif” style=”float:right;borders:none;margin:0 0 10px 10px;” > Jan Brown introduced the program speaker, Albert Fraenkel, past President of a large Rotary Club in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and a successful entrepreneur who moved west to retire in San Francisco 15 years ago. Albert and his wife Ellie, together for 59 years, met Virginia Brown, Byron’s mother, at a park in San Francisco a while ago. That acquaintance eventually led to this enjoyable talk by an amiable story teller and accomplished Rotarian. Albert declared that his life has been blessed. He was born in New Orleans, went to Tulane University, spent a couple of years in the Navy during the Korean War, and moved to Baton Rouge, where he and Ellie borrowed a lot of money to start a furniture distribution company from scratch. He remembers their first sale, a $10.95 playpen that convinced them they could make a go of it. The furniture distribution company grew steadily as more employees were hired (over 600 at the peak). Soon there was diversification into mattress manufacturing with plants in several states. After a few years, the company was set up with an Employee Stock Ownership Plan valued at more than $30 million (from an initial personal start-up investment of $12,000). Fifty-four years after start-up, the company is now being acquired by a large manufacturing company in Richmond, VA, which will continue operations in Baton Rouge. As his company grew during those years in Baton Rouge, Albert was asked to join the local Rotary Club, which had 380 members at the time (all male, all white). Albert became Baton Rouge Rotary Club President in 1986, the same year Don Hardison was President of Richmond Rotary. At the start of Albert’s term, Baton Rouge had 450 Club members (one non-white, still all male). Following California’s lead, the Baton Rouge Club added five female members in 1987 and continued its diversification over the years. Today, as one of the 50 largest Rotary Clubs in the United States, Baton Rouge Rotary has 475 members, a full-time Executive Director, its own 5000-ft2 headquarters, and a $960,000 Club Foundation dedicated to Education-related projects. As he spoke fluently with no written notes, Albert highlighted some unique issues for large Rotary Clubs. For example, “scooters” seem more prevalent (members who check in but routinely leave early). The Houston Rotary Club, with about 900 members, needs to recruit about 100 new members each year just to stay even and keep up with attrition. It’s also harder to form close friendships in a large organization. Clubs with 30-60 members seem to be the most friendly. (Hey, that’s us!) Albert said to encourage new members to join in order to be of service to the community, to remember that friendships are enhanced through service, to grow by building on unique Club strengths, to go slow in releasing a Club member, and to not shy away from worthy projects that last longer than a year. As for staying mentally sharp, Albert takes courses at the Fromm Institute for Lifelong Learning at the University of San Francisco. So stay thirsty, my friends, and keep those neurons firing. Rotating Scribe, Tom Waller |
NEXT MEETING: May 31, 2013The California Maritime Academy
The California Maritime Academy (CMA) in Vallejo is a California State University (CSU) of Engineering, Technology, and Marine Transportation. It is one of 23 campuses in the CSU system and one of only seven degree-granting maritime academies in the United States. With about 1000 undergraduate students enrolled at the 90-acre campus, CMA offers six different Bachelor’s degrees and a Master’s degree in Transportation and Engineering Management. Rear Admiral Thomas Cropper, current President of the University, will tell us more about the school, its past, present, and future. MEETING OF May 24, 2013WelcomePresident Jim Young rang the bell and called the meeting to order. Richard Alexander led the pledge of allegiance. In drawing particular attention to another recent, senseless killing of a polio vaccination team member in Pakistan, George Egan asked for a moment of silence for freedom, peace, and justice on earth. Prescient President Jim had this thought for the day: more sold-out performances are anticipated for the last weekend of the Lost Secrets play (and, lo and behold, there actually were more). Visiting RotariansIt was great to see Leslie Levy, formerly a Richmond Rotarian when her law office was in Richmond and now a member of the Berkeley Rotary Club. Rotarians with Guests
Sunshine ReportDoris Mitchell is a new mom. She and her son (born on May 10) are doing well. Congratulations, Doris, and we look forward to seeing you soon! Announcements
Recognitions
Recognitions
Happy and Sad Dollars
Norm’s NonsenseThree people were going to the guillotine. The first was a lawyer, who was led to the platform, blindfolded, and had his head put on the block. The executioner pulled the lanyard, but nothing happened. To avoid a messy lawsuit, the authorities allowed the lawyer to go free. The next man to the guillotine was a priest. They put his head on the block and pulled the lanyard, but nothing happened. The blade didn’t come down. They thought it must have been divine intervention, so they let the priest go. The third man to the guillotine was an engineer. He waived his right to a blindfold, so they led him to the guillotine, and put his head on the block. As he lay there, he said, “Hey, wait. I think I see your problem.” PROGRAMAlbert Fraenkel, Baton Rouge Ambassador-by-the-Bay
Albert and his wife Ellie, together for 59 years, met Virginia Brown, Byron’s mother, at a park in San Francisco a while ago. That acquaintance eventually led to this enjoyable talk by an amiable story teller and accomplished Rotarian. Albert declared that his life has been blessed. He was born in New Orleans, went to Tulane University, spent a couple of years in the Navy during the Korean War, and moved to Baton Rouge, where he and Ellie borrowed a lot of money to start a furniture distribution company from scratch. He remembers their first sale, a $10.95 playpen that convinced them they could make a go of it. The furniture distribution company grew steadily as more employees were hired (over 600 at the peak). Soon there was diversification into mattress manufacturing with plants in several states. After a few years, the company was set up with an Employee Stock Ownership Plan valued at more than $30 million (from an initial personal start-up investment of $12,000). Fifty-four years after start-up, the company is now being acquired by a large manufacturing company in Richmond, VA, which will continue operations in Baton Rouge. As his company grew during those years in Baton Rouge, Albert was asked to join the local Rotary Club, which had 380 members at the time (all male, all white). Albert became Baton Rouge Rotary Club President in 1986, the same year Don Hardison was President of Richmond Rotary. At the start of Albert’s term, Baton Rouge had 450 Club members (one non-white, still all male). Following California’s lead, the Baton Rouge Club added five female members in 1987 and continued its diversification over the years. Today, as one of the 50 largest Rotary Clubs in the United States, Baton Rouge Rotary has 475 members, a full-time Executive Director, its own 5000-ft2 headquarters, and a $960,000 Club Foundation dedicated to Education-related projects. As he spoke fluently with no written notes, Albert highlighted some unique issues for large Rotary Clubs. For example, “scooters” seem more prevalent (members who check in but routinely leave early). The Houston Rotary Club, with about 900 members, needs to recruit about 100 new members each year just to stay even and keep up with attrition. It’s also harder to form close friendships in a large organization. Clubs with 30-60 members seem to be the most friendly. (Hey, that’s us!) Albert said to encourage new members to join in order to be of service to the community, to remember that friendships are enhanced through service, to grow by building on unique Club strengths, to go slow in releasing a Club member, and to not shy away from worthy projects that last longer than a year. As for staying mentally sharp, Albert takes courses at the Fromm Institute for Lifelong Learning at the University of San Francisco. So stay thirsty, my friends, and keep those neurons firing. Rotating Scribe, Tom Waller |
NEXT MEETING: May 24, 2013Baton Rouge Ambassador-by-the-Bay Report
MEETING OF May 17, 2013WelcomePresident Jim Young rang the bell and called the meeting to order. Herb Cole led the pledge of allegiance and George Egan asked for a moment of silence for freedom, peace, and justice on earth. President Jim had this thought for the day: “It’s Opening Night!!” Rotarians with GuestsAlan Baer introduced his guest, Gonzalo Ochoa, owner of G&O Tires and Service Center on 23rd Street in Richmond. Sunshine ReportThe Club wishes a speedy recovery to Henry Moe, who has a bad case of the flu. Announcements
Special EventsNew member Rosa Lara did her “Who am I?” Lara was born in Mexico and grew up in Richmond, attending Helms Middle School and graduating from Richmond High School in 2003. She attended Contra Costa College, worked for Kaiser for a while, and then signed up for the 12-week RichmondBUILD program to develop skills in the construction and renewable energy fields. By week seven of the class, she was working for the City of Richmond in code enforcement and abatement while boarding up abandoned houses. Reflecting the work-hard ethic that she learned from her father, Lara was then recognized for her many talents by being selected as Recruiter for the RichmondBUILD program. And she’s now President of the 23rd Street Merchants Association. Congratulations, Lara, and welcome to the Club! RecognitionsAlas, no birthdays or anniversaries or extraordinary personal accomplishments merited recognition on this fine day. We sped along into Happy and Sad Dollars, making up for the calm in this category. Happy and Sad Dollars
Norm’s NonsenseA fleeing Taliban terrorist, desperate for water, was plodding through the Afghan desert when he saw something far off in the distance. Hoping to find water, he hurried toward the mirage, only to find a very frail little old Jewish man standing at a small makeshift display rack — selling ties. The Taliban terrorist asked, “Do you have water?” The Jewish man replied, “I have no water. Would you like to buy a tie? They are only $5.” The Taliban shouted hysterically, “Idiot Infidel! I spit on your ties. I need water!” “Okay,” said the little old Jewish man, “If you continue over that hill to the east for about two miles, you will find a restaurant. It has the finest food and all the ice-cold water you need.” Several hours later he crawled back, almost dead and gasped “They won’t let me in without a tie!” PROGRAMThe Fine Art of Improvisation
The scheduled program speaker had a family emergency to take care of so Jim Young asked President-Elect Liliane Koziol to lead an open discussion about possible programs and projects for the coming year. Liliane shared that one of her planned activities for next year is a literacy project in India. This will involve providing desks and other equipment to some specific schools in that country. The project will be done in conjunction with a group the Club has worked with before in Monterey, Mexico. There will be BARSHEEP Club participation, District grant applications, and in-country travel opportunities for interested Rotary members. There was a lot of discussion about the desirability of local hands-on projects that allow Rotary members to come together for a few weekend hours to accomplish worthwhile tasks while socializing and building relationships within the Club. A well-remembered example of such an activity was the Club’s association with Christmas in April, a local non-profit that enabled Rotarians to make minor repairs and renovations to senior-citizen and other disadvantaged people’s homes. Mike Winter has been looking into Rebuilding Together, the apparent non-profit successor organization to Christmas in April. He’s had some difficulty establishing communications with Rebuilding Together and is concerned about what he hears is a “pay to play” feature requiring fees to be paid before being connected with project work. Several members pointed out there should be lots of opportunities for project work that don’t require paying a fee to be helpful (for example, what the Club has done with NIAD). Lynn Martin further advised that it’s important to connect with non-profits in terms of what they truly need. There was also good interaction about the pros and cons of simple, short-term projects versus more comprehensive, longer-term projects. Short or long, a project should add value in some meaningful way. In terms of future speaker programs, Herb Cole suggested the Club schedule a lunch at Three Seasons, the widely acclaimed on-campus restaurant at Contra Costa College where students in the Culinary Arts Management program prepare for careers in gastronomical delights. Rotating Scribe, Tom Waller |
Jan Brown introduced the program speaker, Albert Fraenkel, past President of a large Rotary Club in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and a successful entrepreneur who moved west to retire in San Francisco 15 years ago.