NEXT MEETING: November 13, 2015

Contra Costa Mosquito and Vector Control District and You

Andrew Pierce, Community Affairs Representative with the Contra Costa Mosquito and Vector Control District, will be presenting valuable information regarding mosquitoes and West Nile Virus, rats and mice, skunks, ground-nesting yellowjackets, and ticks. Mr. Pierce will discuss the District’s free services that are available to all Contra Costa residents regarding these insects and animals, what the District does to protect public health, and what residents can do to protect themselves and their neighbors. Free literature and fun giveaways will also be made available.

MEETING OF November 6, 2015

Welcome

President Alan Blavins presided over the meeting. John Wilson led us in the pledge and Sid’s thought for the day was: The problem with political jokes is sometimes they are elected.

Visiting Rotarians and Guests

Stacey Street guest was soon-to-be Rotarian David Cole

Jerry Feagley’s guest was Tino Silva.

Announcements

• Charlie Wong as we know celebrated his 90^th birthday a few weeks ago Bill Koziol talked about possibly taking another trip to see him at his house.
• Menbere reminded us about Saluté Restaurant’s Thanksgiving Dinner to feed over 1300 veterans and homeless on Thanksgiving Day. Donations of bags are still being accepted to make care packages for each of the visitors.
• December 4^th 2015 – Don Lau emphasized the critical role of the Christmas Auction to fund our great work in the community. Please donate great items, especially dinners and multi person outings. We also need each person to bring someone to the auction who can bid on items.
• Josh Genser held his second Japanese Whiskey Tasting last Friday and talked up his next auction item, a Tasting of Montana Whiskeys.
• Connie Tritt has a list of everyone’s giving levels. She can tell you if you are close to your next Paul Harris. Get your donation in before December 31, 2015 for your taxes and earn your next Paul Harris.

Recognitions

Happy and Sad Dollars

Norm’s Nonsense

PROGRAM

Pipeline Safety. And what is a fiduciary?

We hosted speakers for two programs today. Sarah Winter and Treva Reid from PG&E described the company’s Pipeline Safety Initiative. PG&E has the 811 program, in which company personnel come out and mark underground lines before you dig. They also locate possible issues with trees that would hamper efforts to get to problems lines in the event of a catastrophe. You can go to www.pge.com to find out more about PG&E’s Programs.

Franza Griffin is a lawyer of 30 years and a fiduciary. Franza described a range of situations in which the services of a fiduciary is necessary. She represents clients who are unable to manage their assets, or managing another person’s assets improperly, as in the case of elder abuse.

NEXT MEETING: November 6, 2015

What is a fiduciary? Do I need one and why?

Franza Giffen has been an attorney for more than 30 years. Her practice has included estate planning, personal injury, small business formation and real estate. Since 1981 she has served the Contra Costa County Probate Court as a Probate Referee, appraising assets in estates going through probate. Her real estate broker’s license has assisted her in understanding the selling, renovating, managing and purchasing real estate for clients as well as in valuing property.

Franza will discuss the roles fiduciaries adopt and will provide some examples of how cases evolve. She will also touch upon elder abuse, mandatory reporting and choosing other attorneys to represent her in her cases.

Community Pipeline Safety Initiative

Following Ms. Giffen’s presentation, Treva Reid and colleagues will tell us about PG&E’s Pipeline Safety Initiative. Te utility’s pipeline infrastructure requires a systematic inspection and maintenance program to maintain public safety. We’ll learn what the entails.

MEETING OF October 30, 2015

Welcome

Alan Blavins presided over the meeting and held a moment of silence for peace, freedom and justice on earth. Connie Tritt led the pledge and Sid Chauvin’s (great to have him back) thought for the day was to respond is positive to react is negative.

Visiting Rotarians and Guests

Guest Linda Young attended with Jim Young.

Special Events

Bob Dabney received his Paul Harris award. Congratulations, Bob!

Announcements

• Saturday, November 21st is Rotary Foundation Day at the Races
• The Peres School Teacher fund campaign raised $2,900 all from individual Rotarian donations. President Alan Blavins had the pleasure of bringing the checks to the school and giving them to two of the teachers. He was amazed at the enthusiasm for the gift. Alan thanked all those Rotarians whose donations made that happen.
• November 26 is the day for the annual Thanksgiving Giveaway and Dinner at Saluté Restaurant. The restaurant asks for volunteers to help serve food to the community members and hand out gift bags to guests.
• Saturday November is the date for a concert by the Untouchables (a local band from the 60’s) at the West Contra Costa Salesian Boys and Girls Club. See Hank Covell for tickets for the event.
• The Rotocare Clinic sent a wonderful thank you card to our Club for providing the food to the clinic. The last four years The Salesian Interact Club has provided the food for the two months per year in the name of Richmond Rotary. Martin at La Strada generously donated the food for several of those weeks.
• Alan Baer reminded the club that the Barsheep mixer is always the last Friday of the month.
• Pam talked to the club about the Buy a Bike Program for the Christmas Firefighters Program. To get a bike for each child about 61,100 would have to be raised. We our currently at $3,000 with $1,500 individual donation and the club match. $47 dollars buys a bike and a helmet for a child.
• Connie reminded members of the importance of our Auction in raising funds to complete all the projects we do. We really need items like dinners and also tours that can sell for $50 to $150 per person. We also need to bring friends that can spend money at the auction.

Recognitions

Happy and Sad Dollars

Norm’s Nonsense

PROGRAM

Dirk Rosen is the founder and Executive Director of the Marine Applied Research and Exploration (MARE), a non-profit organization. MARE supports a healthy ocean by collecting information on deep-sea ecosystems using remote controlled robotic technology. Dirk founded MARE in 2003 and is a registered professional engineer. Dirk discussed the use of the deep sea camera to track fish populations and damage to the ocean bottom. You can see much more about MARE at www.maregroup.org.

NEXT MEETING: October 30, 2015

California’s Ocean Wilderness: What’s Up Down There?

Dirk Rosen is the founder and Executive Director of Marine Applied Research and Exploration (MARE), a not-for-profit organization.  MARE supports a healthy ocean by collecting information on deep-sea ecosystems using remote controlled robotic technology.  Dirk founded MARE in 2003 to protect and restore the ocean’s invaluable, yet threatened resources by enabling science-based marine conservation efforts in support of sustainable fisheries for future generations.  He has 25+ years of deepwater vehicle design and operations experience with remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) and manned submersibles.  He has led or co-led 27 ROV ocean surveys assessing Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), exploring our National Marine Sanctuaries, performing fish stock assessments and environmental impacts of wave power and seismic survey sites, evaluating the impacts of fishing gear and recovering lost science equipment.  Currently Dirk and MARE are in the middle of completing California’s final deepwater network of MPAs, those from the Oregon border to Fort Bragg.

Prior to starting MARE, Dirk was president of Deep Ocean Engineering, test pilot for all three Deep Rover 1,000 meter-rated manned submersibles, and a designer/operator of the Phantom and Bandit Remotely Operated Vehicle systems, (of which more than 500 were built).  Later at Hawkes Ocean Technologies he was the project manager for the 11,000 meter rated Challenger, a manned submersible designed to go to the deepest point in the ocean, the Marianas Trench.  Dirk is a registered Professional Engineer, but don’t hold that against him!

MEETING OF October 23, 2015

Welcome

President-Elect, Josh Surowitz, standing in for current President Alan Blavins, skillfully called the meeting to order at the Richmond Country Club. Connie Tritt led the pledge of allegiance to the flag. George Egan asked for a moment of silence for freedom, peace, and justice on earth. Sid Chauvin (good to have Sid back again!) provided this thought for the day from Mike Ditka of NFL fame: “You will never be a loser until you quit trying.”

Visiting Rotarians and Guests

• Pate Thomson was a visiting Rotarian from the Berkeley Club.
• Jon Lawlis introduced his guest and fiancé, Darlene Quenville.

Announcements

• We’ll hear more about this at the next meeting but President Alan Blavins encourages Club members (and friends and family) to consider volunteering to help out at the Fifth Annual Day of Giving Thanks dinner event hosted at Salute Restaurant. In this well-organized and worthwhile activity, there are morning and afternoon shifts (9am to 12:30pm and 12pm to 3:30pm) as well as a variety of volunteer positions/roles (from Greeters to Dining Room Assistants to Transportation Assistants and more). Learn how you can help.
• The Rotary World Peace Concert 2015 will take place at the Herbst Theater in San Francisco on Saturday, November 14. Click here for more info and to purchase tickets.
• Pate Thomson from Berkeley Rotary provided an update on the Richmond Rotacare medical clinic, which has been serving uninsured patients for about two and a half years. Plans are now in place to move the clinic about four blocks from its current location at the Brighter Beginnings offices, 2727 Macdonald Avenue, to the new Family Justice Center, 254 24th Avenue, in Richmond. After completing some minor space reconfigurations, the clinic will relocate in December and be fully operational in January. Pate said funding for all this will come from a Rotary District grant supported by donations from the eight BARSHEEP Rotary Clubs. Richmond Rotary’s hoped-for contribution is $1,400.
• Pam Jones encouraged everyone to get on board with donations for the bike-purchase project for the annual holiday gift-giving event at the YMCA. Each bike costs $47 ($45 for the bike plus $2 for the helmet) and the Club will match giving up to $5,000. About 1200 kids are expected at the event. Last year, over 350 bikes were given away. New Club member, Mey Saechou, reported that she was a happy new bike recipient 21 years ago when she was attending Verde Elementary School. Now there’s a great testimony!

Recognitions

Happy and Sad Dollars

Norm’s Nonsense

PROGRAM

Liliane Koziol introduced the program speaker, Ruben Lizardo, Director of Local Government and Community Relations for the Office of the UC Berkeley Chancellor.

Ruben provided an update on the “Berkeley Global Campus at Richmond Bay” (BGCRB).

The BGCRB project is centered on the 170 acres of Richmond property known as the Richmond Field Station, owned by UC Berkeley for over 50 years. A variety of engineering research work currently takes place on the property.

UC Berkeley Chancellor Nicholas Dirks presented his vision for the BGCRB to the University’s Academic Senate in October 2014. When it was originally to be launched with funding from the Lawrence Berkeley National Lab (LBNL), the project was known as the Richmond Bay Campus.

Under the Chancellor’s leadership, the BGCRB will serve as a new research and action hub in Richmond with a focus on global issues, culture, and collaboration. The LBNL remains a steadfast partner in the BGCRB but this is clearly now a UC Berkeley-led project.

While other internationally focused projects launched by universities have been located abroad, the Chancellor’s plan is to create a global campus in Richmond. The idea is to have the BGCRB be the focal point for an international coalition of academic institutions, the private sector, and community partners who will collaborate on research projects to address global challenges like energy, the environment, health, and the economy.

A lot of this is still very much in the concept stage but the intention is for this to be a new model for global engagement and research integration that will have deep ties to the main UC Berkeley campus and to the local community through a variety of educational, public health, community outreach, labor, and transportation partnerships.

Chancellor Dirks has been clear in his commitment to the Richmond community and how he believes the project can be a real catalyst for Richmond’s south shoreline. Through the South Shoreline Specific Plan, the City of Richmond is leading the way to improve infrastructure and enhance transportation, residential, and commercial development to ensure the Berkeley Global Campus is part of a sustainable and vibrant community that includes jobs, business opportunities, and an array of recreation and social outlets.

Much is yet to be done (defining specific actions, funding, schedules, etc.). Still, things are happening. There’s a BGC Community Working Group, in which our own Josh Genser is serving. An initial set of Working Group recommendations that might become the “Richmond Compact” will be going to the Chancellor in December for consideration. In the bigger picture, UC Berkeley has a couple of Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) pending with Cambridge University in the UK and National University in Singapore as potential BGCRB partners.

If you’d like to receive periodic email updates and news about BGCRB, click on this link to sign up.

NEXT MEETING: October 23, 2015

Berkeley Global Campus, Richmond Bay

Berkeley Global Campus, Richmond Bay represents a transformational model for the expansion of educational and research activities. Building on University of California, Berkeley’s international reputation, Lawrence Berkeley National Lab’s groundbreaking research and the unique setting of Richmond Bay, the new Berkeley Global Campus will be a focal point for an international coalition of leading academic institutions and private sector and community partners. The Berkeley Global Campus will focus on global engagement and research integration with deep ties to the main campus and the local Richmond community through a variety of educational, public health, community outreach, labor and transportation partnerships.

Campus representatives Terezia Nemeth, Development Manager for the Berkeley Global Campus, and Ruben Lizardo, Director, Local Government and Community Relations, will do a brief presentation on the project and the status of Richmond community relationships.

MEETING OF October 16, 2015

Welcome

Prez Alan Blavins called the meeting to order and asked Oscar Garcia to lead us in the Pledge. Alan asked for a moment of silence for freedom, peace, and justice on earth. He offered this quote: “If love is blind, why is lingerie so popular?”

Visiting Rotarians and Guests

Doris Mitchell’s guest was Adriana Quintero.

Special Events

Tiffany Straus, sponsored by Your Scribe, was formally inducted into the Richmond Rotary Club. Tiffany started as the Executive Director of Early Childhood Mental Health in April and is the wife of past-Rotary President Doug Straus.  Welcome, Tiffany!

Announcements

• Pam Jones said that the “Buy a Bike” program for the upcoming Christmas Toy Program has begun. One unit costs $47 ($45 for bike and $2 for helmet). Pam indicated the Club has a $5,000 match approved. Please make payments to our Treasurer. The Toy Giveaway is December 19 at the E M Downer Family Y. At the end of the meeting, it was announced that 14 bikes had already been purchased.
• David Brown announced that we have met our goal for providing $100 to every classroom teacher at Peres Elementary School. Prez Alan gets the privilege of personally delivering a check to each of the teachers at Peres.
• Liliane Kozial reminded all about the presentation on October 23 regarding the Berkeley Global Campus in Richmond. Presidents of all the BARSHEEP clubs have been invited to also attend. Please make every effort to be there.
• Alan Baer announced that the San Pablo Rotary Club is having its 3rd Annual Gumbo and Chili Event at Maple Hall on October 24. Alan also provided a heads-up that the Rotary International President will be in the Bay Area on January 3, 2016.  Tickets are $85/person or $800/table. Alan is hoping to put a table together. This event is surely going to be sold out.
• Henry Moe announced that the InterAct Club is hosting a get-together at Salesian High School. The speaker they have lined up is “the one and only” Dr. Cliff Dochterman on November 18.  You should not miss an opportunity to hear Cliff, a true Rotary legend.

Recognitions

Happy and Sad Dollars

Norm’s Nonsense

PROGRAM

The Biggest Explosion in History, or, How I Learned to Love Magnetars

Jim Young introduced our speaker, Peter R. Harvey, UC Project Manager and liaison with NASA. Anytime something gets shot into space it probably crosses Peter’s desk before launch.

Your Scribe was way in over his head with the presentation but I will give it a shot, as follows.

As part of the Space Scientific Laboratory, Peter studies “things that go bump in the night” like Magnetars, which emit enormous amounts of cosmic radiation (huge energy bursts of gamma rays, particles, etc.). Peter and his colleagues believe the energy and related effects from the last detected Magnetar may well have had something to do with the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami that killed 250,000 people and destroyed coastal cities all around the Indian Ocean.  Although the Magnetar episode actually happened thousands of years ago, its effects reached earth just prior to the 2004 tsunami. Peter indicated there may have been 4 Magnetars over time and maybe one caused the end of the dinosaurs.

If you want more details, ask Ric Ambrose, who seemed to be asking very good questions.

NEXT MEETING: October 16, 2015

The Biggest Explosion in History, or, How I Learned to Love Magnetars

Remember the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami that killed 250,000 people and destroyed coastal cities all around the Indian Ocean? What if someone told you it may have been triggered by an astronomical event in deep space? Peter R. Harvey, UC Project Manager and liaison with NASA is going to do just that, and he doesn’t wear a colander or an aluminum foil hat.

Peter has more than 30 years experience in various space projects, holds a Masters degree in Computer Science from the University of California and has been the Project Manager for the NASA RHESSI project (Reuven Ramaty High Energy Solar Spectroscopic Imager). Peter has also worked on many other Cal/NASA projects with acronyms too numerous to list here.

So if you want to know about ‘things that go bump in the night’, 35 to 50 million light years from Earth, don’t miss this program.

MEETING OF October 9, 2015

Welcome

President Alan Blavins called the meeting to order, led us in the Pledge of Allegiance, and asked for a silent prayer for peace.  Herb Cole offered the thought of the day: “I don’t need anger management; I just need people to stop pissing me off.”

Visiting Rotarians and Guests

• Asst. Governor (Area-8) Alan Baer welcomed guest Antonio Mendoza of the Philippines Consulate and SF Rotary.
• Liliane Koziol introduced Gladys Dodds and her husband Erick Dimlanta
• Other guests: Abel Pineda, field representative for Assemblymember Tony Thurmond

Sunshine Report

Bill Koziol reported that Ralph Hill’s celebration of life is still in the planning stages and should happen in a few weeks.

Announcements

• Treasurer David Brown, Esq., announced that he is still accepting donations for Peres Elementary classroom/teacher supplies. We need about $200 more to meet our goal.
• Don Lau reminded us that his infamous Luau is scheduled for Saturday, October 17 at 5:00 pm at 17 Powderbowl Ct, Richmond. Tickets are still available for $75 (see the Menehune if you want to enjoy some ono-licious grinds with your braddahs).
• Club Director Henry Moe announced that food has been donated for Rotacare and the Interact students will do the cooking.
• President Alan Blavins reminded us that next Friday’s meeting is at Café Soleil, 3550 San Pablo Dam Road (Dan Sanders, please take note).

Recognitions

Happy and Sad Dollars

Norm’s Nonsense

PROGRAM

Conversation with Assemblymember Tony Thurmond

While we were waiting for Assemblymember Tony Thurmond to arrive (no doubt, stuck behind a train), Alan Baer introduced guest member Antonio Mendoza. Mr. Mendoza is from the Philippines Consulate and also works with the Bataan Legacy Historical Society (see Flywheel: https://richmondcarotaryflywheel/august-21-2015/ ). He mentioned that the Bataan Legacy will be organizing a drive for care packages to be sent to troops sent to the West Philippines Sea for liaison work and training.

After giving a Paul Harris Fellow recognition to Assemblymember Tony Thurmond, Pam Jones introduced him as our speaker.

Assemblymember Thurmond said that in his first year of office, there has been a steep learning curve with figuring out how to actually get things done. He is often reminded of service above self, because every day he has the opportunity to make a difference. He gave a shout out to Mayor Tom Butt for his work on the West County health services task force.

Assemblymember Thurmond has been busy working on many issues on behalf of his constituents.  These include: affordable housing, funding to prevent children from missing school, and methane monitoring (uh oh, we are back to those aging stars spewing gas…https://richmondcarotary2015/07/?post_type=flywheel ). He discussed the recent change in the way we view affordable housing.  It is no longer just low-income housing affecting those below the poverty line. As housing prices rise, it is now an issue for working and middle classes.  They are being outbid by higher earners paying with cash on homes they might be able to afford.

Assemblymember Thurmond eloquently answered the questions from the peanut gallery. He thanked us all for our support.  His website is here: http://asmdc.org/members/a15/ .