NEXT MEETING: December 5, 2014

Prepare to Prosper! An Alternative Approach to Emergency and Disaster Readiness

With the recent Napa earthquake, and the 25th anniversary of the Loma Prieta earthquake (October 17th), now is the time to embrace an alternative approach to making our communities strong, resilient, and able to address the challenges and opportunities we face. Using her background in advertising and marketing research, and leveraging years of working directly with some of our most vulnerable communities, Ana-Marie Jones’ presentation is sure to leave us better prepared and with a new framework for supporting preparedness in our communities.

MEETING OF Novwember 21, 2014

Welcome

President Stoney called the meeting to order, Alan Blavins led the Pledge and Sid’s thought for the day was Birds of a feather flock together – then they crap on your car.

Visiting Rotarians and Guests

Visiting Rotarians were Stacey Duckett from Antioch Rotary and David Hammer from El Sobrante Rotary.
Guests were Sharla Sullivan from EBMUD and Shana Bagley was with Mark Howe.

Announcements

Holiday Auction

The clock is ticking down to our Holiday Auction on December 12^th. Please visit the Holiday Auction page to see what we’ve already collected—you’ll see the evergreens from last year. But you’ll also see a red button, Post my item. Click it to open a form on which you can describe your item, upload a picture if you’d like, and add to the growing collection of unusual and entertaining donations that will make this auction the best ever.

Buy a Kid a Bike Program

Each year approximately 1,000 children sign-up to for the Richmond/El Cerrito Fire & Police Holiday Program to receive toys and gifts. On a date in December, these kids come to the E.M.Downer YMCA in Richmond, receive a number, and with it, a chance to receive a bike. The bikes are distributed by lottery. The more bikes we have to give away, the more kids are winners. Last year we distributed over 300 bikes! Download flyer.

• Jim Young announced the end of the book drive and stated that if people still have bins and books to call him so they can be picked up. He thanks Richmond for donating to the project.
• Connie Tritt reminded everyone that it is foundation month which of course everyone knew. She reminded members that the club would cover half the costs to get members to their next Paul Harris for the rest of November.
• David Brown spoke about the Peres School Teachers project to give $100 for each teacher and that we were $1,000 short of the mark. After Mark Howe donated David Brown said he would match anyone else who donated and it looks like we met our goal.
• In addition to the Buy a Kid a Bike program (see below), the Richmond and El Cerrito Fire & Police collect and distribute new toys to children in our cities. If you would like to donate a new, unopened (but not wrapped!) toy, please bring it to our December 19^th meeting.

Recognitions

Happy and Sad Dollars

Norm’s Nonsense

PROGRAM

Update on the Water Supply and Drought

Lesa McIntosh, Member of the Municipal Utility District Board of Directors and former Richmond Rotarian, spoke about the current drought situation. EBMUD was created in 1923. There is a series of water storage sheds throughout California and the district’s planning has helped us get through past droughts and this drought so far. She also mentioned that the customers have taken the non-mandatory 10% cutback and actually did 11%. Lesa had many great things to say about EBMUD and is a great spoke person for them. You can view the mission of EBMUD at https://www.ebmud.com/about/mission along with the Strategic Plan for the system.

NEXT MEETING: November, 21, 2014

Update on the Water Supply and Drought

Lesa McIntosh, member of East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD) Board of Directors, will provide a timely presentation about the current water supply and the drought.  Lesa has served on the EBMUD Board of Directors representing Ward 1 since 1999. This includes the Contra Costa County cities of Crockett, Hercules, Rodeo, San Pablo; portions of Richmond and Pinole, and the communities of North Richmond and Selby. Lesa is responsible for policy decisions affecting more than 1,800 employees, 4 labor unions, 1.3 million water customers and some 600,000 wastewater customers. She is the first African American woman Vice President (2005) and President (2006 – 2008).

Lesa grew up in Richmond and attended Richmond Public Schools, graduating a year early from Kennedy High School. She has her B.S. in Political Science from UC Berkeley and her J.D. from John F. Kennedy School of Law. Lesa has practiced law in the city of Richmond for 24 years, with a current focus on business, estate planning and probate. Lesa is also dedicated to the community and serves on the Contra Costa County Bar Association, NAACP-Richmond Chapter, the Board of the League of Women Voters and as an instructor for Contra Costa College, among others.

MEETING OF November 14th, 2014

Welcome

President, Stoney Stonework welcomed everyone to the meeting and led the Pledge of Allegiance. Stoney asked everyone to take a moment of silence for freedom, peace, and justice on earth.

Sid’s thought for the day was, the definition of a ‘politician’ is one who shakes your hand before the election and your confidence after.

Announcements

Holiday Auction

The clock is ticking down to our Holiday Auction on December 12^th. Please visit the Holiday Auction page to see what we’ve already collected—you’ll see the evergreens from last year. But you’ll also see a red button, Post my item. Click it to open a form on which you can describe your item, upload a picture if you’d like, and add to the growing collection of unusual and entertaining donations that will make this auction the best ever.

Buy a Kid a Bike Program

Each year approximately 1,000 children sign-up to for the Richmond/El Cerrito Fire & Police Holiday Program to receive toys and gifts. On a date in December, these kids come to the E.M.Downer YMCA in Richmond, receive a number, and with it, a chance to receive a bike. The bikes are distributed by lottery. The more bikes we have to give away, the more kids are winners. Last year we distributed over 300 bikes! Download flyer.

• Bill Koziol gave the Sunshine report stating he’d seen Charlie Wong and that he is in good spirits and appreciates phone calls. Ralph Hill had surgery recently and will be undergoing radiation therapy for three weeks. He is in the Greenridge care facility in El Sobrante.
• Mark Howe reminded everyone to donate books for the West County Reads book drive.
• David Brown announced that we now have $1,500 for the Peres Elementary School teacher fund. The goal is to give each teacher in the school $100 toward classroom materials and supplies. If you’d like to donate, please bring a check to David.

Recognitions

Happy and Sad Dollars

Norm’s Nonsense

PROGRAM

Talk with Dan Ashley, ABC7 News

Stacey Street introduced today’s speaker, Dan Ashley, news anchor for ABC7 news. Dan has been an anchor for over 30 years, 20 of them with ABC7 here in the bay area. He’s covered major news stories locally, nationally, and internationally. He serves on numerous boards including the Red Cross, the Contra Costa Crisis Center, CASA, and others. He also sings with a rock band called Push which does classic rock covers.

Dan started off saying that bringing back stories to tell the public is a sacred trust and one he takes very seriously. He also noted that having a job that allows him to go and speak to others is very rewarding. He talked about broadcasting in terms of the impact of technology on news. In past years the news was on at six and 11:00 but now it’s required to be on at 5, 6, 10, and 11 daily. CNN started this trend with a 24-hour news cycle and it changed everything. The expectation is now that news will be reported immediately and as it happens. As a result, local news is often about updating and keeping the story refreshed as it unfolds. This whole trend has damaged newspapers dramatically. In past years, newspapers would be all over the newsroom – advanced copies of newspapers from everywhere would be used to source broadcast news stories. This is no longer the case. Now, there isn’t a single newspaper in the newsroom where he works.

When a big story hits they go into what’s called a “continuous coverage” mode. If they don’t, the public will find the story somewhere else so they have to be on at the same time as CNN, MSNBC, Fox, etc. If a story is big enough to “cut in” on regular programming they know that no matter how big the story is, they will get calls from those who are angry because they cut in on Jeopardy. Social media is another facet of electronic communications impacting news. Dan is now required to Tweet on a regular basis. At its core, though, the job of news reporting is the same as it’s always been. Dan noted that the most important thing is to live in a place where the news can be freely reported and where ideas and beliefs can be expressed openly.

NEXT MEETING: November 14, 2014

Talk with Dan Ashley, ABC7 News

Dan Ashley, anchor with ABC7 News, will speak about his career as a reporter and provide highlights from his work. For more than 30 years, Dan has reported on a wide-range of issues and events; some joyful, some tragic, from reporting in San Francisco’s Marina district in the days after the Loma Prieta earthquake, to watching John Glenn blast off on-board the space shuttle at Cape Canaveral, to visiting the Auschwitz concentration camp in Poland with Bay Area holocaust survivors.

Dan is also extremely involved in the community, serving on several boards including the American Red Cross, Commonwealth Club, Contra Costa Crisis Center and the California Symphony.

MEETING OF November 7, 2014

Welcome

President Stoney Stonework welcomed everyone to the meeting. Jon Lawlis led the Pledge of Allegiance, and Stoney asked everyone to take a moment of silence for freedom, peace, and justice on earth.

Sid’s thought for the day was, “the definition of ‘experience’ is the name men give to their mistakes”.

Visiting Rotarians and Guests

The number of visiting Rotarians was 48 and due to the large number they will not be individually named in this edition of the Flywheel. Nonetheless, we appreciated every one of them and were happy to see them! Club Presidents Ron Tueitmoe of Pinole, Mark Scott of El Cerrito, and O’Neal Dillon of Berkeley were introduced.

District Governor Pam Gray and Fred Colignon joined Stoney at the head table.

Announcements

The clock is ticking down, the drum is beating: our Holiday Auction will take place on December 12^th, so here’s another reminder. Please visit the Holiday Auction page to see what we’ve already collected—you’ll see the evergreen favorites from last year. But you’ll also see a red button, Post my item. Click it to open a form on which you can describe your item, upload a picture if you’d like, and add to the stock of unusual and entertaining donations that will make this auction the best ever.

Buy a Kid a Bike Program

Each year approximately 1,000 children sign-up to for the Richmond/El Cerrito Fire & Police Holiday Program to receive toys and gifts. On a date in December, these kids come to the E.M.Downer YMCA in Richmond, receive a number, and with it, a chance to receive a bike. The bikes are distributed by lottery. The more bikes we have to give away, the more kids are winners. Last year we distributed over 300 bikes!

To increase the number of winners, please consider making a $47 donation ($45 for the bike, $2 for the helmet). Please make your checks payable to Richmond Rotary Club, and send to 3260 Blume Drive, Suite 410, Richmond, CA 94806. If you prefer you can make your donation via PayPal, using the Donate button below. Download flyer.

• Hank Covell gave the Sunshine Report saying that he’d visited Ralph Hill and that Ralph is doing well and accepting visitors at the El Sobrante Care Center.
• Kathleen Franks from the Berkeley Club encouraged everyone to attend the upcoming RotaCare fundraiser on November 13th. Musicians Alasdair Fraser and Natalie Haas have donated their performances for this event.
• Jim Young reminded everyone to bring children’s books for the West County Reads literacy project.

Recognitions

Happy and Sad Dollars

Norm’s Nonsense

PROGRAM

Stoney introduced today’s speaker, Brad Howard, Rotary International’s Director for Zones 25 and 26 for the 2015-16 and 2016-17 Rotary years. Brad is a past district governor; served as a member of RI’s Membership Development and Retention Committee; and served ten years as the coordinator for Zone 26’s End Polio Now campaign. Over the years he has led 22 groups of over 1,000 Rotarians on trips to West Africa and India to participate in polio immunization efforts. He is also the recipient of the Rotary Foundation’s Distinguished Service Award and the International Service Award for a Polio Free World.

Brad’s focus today was on the Foundation and how critical it has been to Rotary’s success in a variety of service projects, particularly the polio campaign. He started by noting that although Rotary’s motto is “service above self”, the real reason people join Rotary first and foremost is for the sense of community it provides. The second most common reason is to make a difference in the community, to do something worthwhile. Brad stated that what makes Rotary unique in the world is its international scope and it’s Foundation. The Foundation he noted is a simple, efficient tool for impacting service and inspiring peace throughout the world. It’s simple because it’s easily scalable. Over the years the Rotary Foundation has given $1.2 billion to eradicate polio, the biggest private health care project in the world. Prior to Rotary’s taking on the polio eradication project, the World Health Organization had concluded that it couldn’t be done! Right now, new cases of polio remain in three countries – Nigeria, Afghanistan, and Pakistan. In 2013, there were 416 new cases worldwide. In 2014 thus far, there are 278 new cases. Of these, six new cases are in Nigeria, 18 cases are in Afghanistan and the remainder is in Pakistan, the problem in Pakistan being the Taliban. Regardless, there are efforts being made politically to get immunization workers into the Taliban controlled areas and the Pakistani Prime Minster recently claimed that Pakistan would be polio-free in six months.

Other outcomes include changing how other organizations have changed their own expectations because of what Rotary has done with polio, citing an example of the United Methodist Church and their efforts to distribute mosquito nets to nearly 300,000 homes in one African country. When asked how they thought they could do that, they replied that they saw what Rotary had done with polio and decided they could! Infrastructure created by Rotary in the campaign against polio was also recently used to prevent the spread of Ebola in Nigeria which could have experienced the same epidemic other western African nations are now experiencing. As a result, Nigeria is Ebola-free.

Brad noted that the Rotary Foundation has been Rotary’s single most important structure in these efforts and thanked everyone for their continued support.

NEXT MEETING: November 7, 2014

Why Rotary?

Past Rotary District Governor Brad Howard will discuss the Rotary Foundation as part of “Foundation Month.”  Brad, a member of the Rotary Club of Oakland-Sunrise and Past District Governor of District 5170 (California’s Silicon Valley) will be the Zones 25 & 26 Rotary International Director for the 2015-16 and 2016-17 Rotary year.  He served as a member of RI’s Membership Development and Retention Committee, was responsible for membership in North America.  He also served for 10 years as the Zone 26 End Polio Now Coordinator, and has led 22 groups of Rotarians, comprised of over 1,000 people, to participate in polio national immunization days in West Africa and India.

Brad has extensive experience in training Rotary senior leadership during two terms as an International Assembly Training Leader, and as one of two global leaders, he also served an unprecedented three terms as International Assembly Seminar Trainer.  He is a recipient of the Rotary Foundation’s Distinguished Service Award and the International Service Award for a Polio Free World, and Rotary International’s Service Above Self Award.

MEETING OF October 31, 2014

Welcome

Stoney called the meeting to order, Nick Despota led us in the Pledge, and Sid’s thought-for-the-day was from Betty White, who observed, “Everyone should get 8 hours of beauty sleep and 9 hours if you are ugly”

Visiting Rotarians and Guests

Sid’s guests included everyone who likes, which turned out to be more people than we: Zelpha Chauvin, Brian Chauvin, Ellison Dunlap III, Nancy Dunlap, Anthony Dunlap, Ellison Dunlap IV, Wilma Grant, Carlton Melson and Carolyne Melson. Don Lau’s guest was Jordan Lau.

Special Events

We held the new member induction for Nico Veran. Welcome, Nico, to the Friendly Richmond Rotary

Announcements

• Bill Koziol reported no Sunshine Report today. (Maybe because it was raining today. Finally.)
• Herb Cole reminded everyone that it is time to collect money for Peres school teachers. Every year we collect $100 for each teacher. He also reminded everyone that it was Erle’s wife Phyllis’ grandfather who donated the land for Peres School.
• Don Lau reminded everyone that the Holiday Auction is December 12^th. To make his life less crazy and minimize the need for this year’s Auction Helpers to call you and ask what you’re donating, please visit the Holiday Auction page.
  Once there, click the red Post my item button. A form will appear on which you can describe your item, upload a picture if you’d like, and help grow the inventory of cool gifts that will make this auction the best ever.
• Henry Moe announced that the Interact District Conference is coming up and some of the Interact students could use help attending the conference. 4 rotarians announced that they would cover the fees for the students.
• Jim Young offered more details on the West County Reads Children’s Book Drive. Thank you Herb Cole for bringing in the bag full of children’s books. And thanks to Mark Howe for giving use some sorting space for separating children’s books from other contributions.  I forget who asked but, Little Red Riding Hood and the Big Bad Wolf in the Hollywood Hills, is not a children’s book. Those still wondering about children’s books can consult Amazon’s Children’s Book Categories. Besides placing a book collection bin at your place of business, church or favorite hangout, here’s what every Rotarian can do to support the Book Drive:- Peruse your bookshelves and donate gently used children’s books you no longer want.
  – Bring your donations to the next Rotary meeting or call for a pickup, 235-8443.
  – Volunteer to collect books once or twice a week (see Mark Howe or Jim Young).
  – Volunteer to help sort books.
  – Donate cash. Donations will be used to purchase Spanish/English paperback dictionaries and bilingual children’s books. Make checks payable to “The Ed Fund-WCR”.

Recognitions

Happy and Sad Dollars

Norm’s Nonsense

PROGRAM

Halloween: Holy or Hellish?

Henry Moe introduced Sister Mary Greenan, an introduction which Sister Greenan proclaimed to be easily the worst one she has ever been subjected to. Letting bygones be bygones, Sister Mary proceeded to offer a brilliant, visually entertaining presentation about the origins of Halloween. To highlight just one nugget: During the Middle Ages, the people of England, Ireland and France believed that spirits walked among the living, looking for victims they could carry off to the nether world. To escape this dreaded fate, benighted townsfolk disguised themselves to resemble ghosts and the walking dead. (“I know… let’s dress up like them so we blend in, then they won’t find us!” Right.)

The history lesson was thought-provoking—we were asked to consider the very real dark side lurking within each us—but Sister Mary’s humor and cleverness outshone the content of even this most fascinating presentation.