Monthly Archives: January 2019
NEXT MEETING: February 1, 2019The 1951 Coffee Company, and Refugees
MEETING OF January 25, 2019WelcomePrez Jerry welcomed all to the friendly Richmond Rotary Club and Grandpa Jon Lawlis led the Pledge. Bob Dabney offered a prayer for peace and also to keep our members who may not be doing well in our thoughts. Sergeant-at-Arms Sid offered: “I was brought up to respect my elders, but it’s getting harder and harder for me to find one now.” Visiting Rotarians and GuestsJosh Surowitz’ guest was Chad Workswright and Liliane Kozial had as her guest Mariya Katsman. Announcements
RecognitionsHappy and Sad DollarsNorm’s NonsensePROGRAMArtificial Intelligence Harnessed for Human Support
Liliane introduced our speaker Pablo Ferrari who has started an organization to address the homeless crisis by using artificial intelligence (AI). Pablo started Nomad Artificial Intelligence to provide support to homeless people: information about shelter locations, restrooms, social services, weather forecasts, and more. After conducting hundreds of on-street interviews with homeless people, Pablo and his team formed several hypotheses about conditions most likely to lead to positive outcomes:
Pablo provided us with a few examples of what they have developed including FELIX which can serve as a mobile case manager and can provide information like weather forecasts found on a smart phone. He has also developed a plastic mobile Urban Nomadic Camp trailer, which can be attached to a bicycle. His prototypes of Nomadic Camp facilities can be constructed without screws or nails, and, as the name tells us, are quite mobile. For more information: www.nomads.ai
The Menehune, Rotating Editor |
NEXT MEETING: January 25, 2019Empowering People Through A.I.
MEETING OF January 18, 2019WelcomePresident Jerry Feagley called the meeting to order. The members pledged allegiance to the flag. Jim Finley led a silent prayer for peace, freedom and justice on earth. “Thoughtful” Sid Chauvin had this to share: “Love your enemies – it will confuse them greatly….” Announcements
RecognitionsHappy and Sad DollarsNorm’s NonsensePROGRAMRichmond's New City Manager, Carlos Martinez
Carlos provided an overview of the city budget, currently $168 million, with the majority dedicated to public safety: 41% of the budget is for Richmond police, and 18% is for the fire department. The remaining is allocated with 10% to infrastructure and operations, and 31% to other city departments. Carlos next reviewed major accomplishments and events of the past year. He discussed the Documentary Transfer Tax, Measure H – a tax paid by a buyer or seller upon property sale; the North Richmond Annexation – Council hasn’t made a determination yet, but could have an impact of $2 million; Marketing the City of Richmond through the SF Business Times Richmond insert; Health in All Policies Strategies – health equity policy as a preventive measure to support economic development in Richmond; the new Richmond-SF Ferry, recently launched and a huge opportunity for the City; Richmond Housing Renovation Program, in partnership with Richmond Community Foundation and SparkPoint Contra Costa; Point Molate; and the Chevron Modernization Project– state of the art, lower pollution delivery system. He also provided an overview of significant development in process or planned for Richmond including: The Richmond Yellow Brick Road in the Iron Triangle; Harbor View Senior Apartments/Harbor 8 housing; Artisan Cove; Richmond BART Garage Retail; Terraces at Nevin – featuring 268 affordable units; Shops at Hilltop; Latitude at Terminal 1; 12th and Macdonald, mixed use retail/affordable housing project; Marina Way Residential; and Point Pinole Business Park. He summarized that all these positive accomplishments and developments are a result of the snowball effect of the reduction in crime and general improvements in the city and speak to the efforts of those who preceded him. Stacey Street, Rotating Editor |
NEXT MEETING: January 18, 2019Meet our new City Manager, Carlos Martinez
MEETING OF January 11, 2019WelcomePresident Jerry called the meeting to order at 12:30 sharp. He asked Nick to lead the group in the Pledge of Allegiance. Alan Blavins offered an invocation, “Peace on Earth,” as heads bowed in silence. (Pennies for their thoughts.) Visiting Rotarians and GuestsJosh Surowitz introduced his guest, Chad Workswright. Although he doesn’t celebrate Christmas, David Brown gave a terrific impersonation of Santa Claus, doling out fat checks to Rotacare, Early Childhood Mental Health, the Richmond Museum of History, the YMCA, the Richmond Community Foundation, and the Richmond Art Center. Except for Rotacare, representatives of those organizations were all in attendance today. Widespread merriment ensued. Announcements
RecognitionsHappy and Sad DollarsNorm’s NonsensePROGRAMWhat's Happening at the Richmond Museum of History?
Darlene introduced today’s speaker, Melinda McCrary, Executive Director of the Richmond Museum of History. Melinda began by highlighting a newly-opened exhibit, Pioneers to the Present—Jews of Richmond and Contra Costa County. The exhibit showcases many unknown stories of the local Jewish community. Events surrounding the exhibit include a Day of Learning lead by Rabbi Dean Kertesz, a chamber music performance, a Jewish-themed story time for kids, author Elizabeth Rosner’s talk on intergenerational trauma, author Richard Schwartz survey of Jewish arts in Richmond, and much more. Download this flyer for details. Melinda also asked for a volunteer to host a house party to raise funds to restore a mural depicting Richmond circa 1941, which Melinda rescued from the basement of the Richmond Post Office. Because the conservation of the mural will be quite costly, all contributions will be appreciated. Jerry Feagley kindly offered to host the party. Melinda has been planning an exhibit recognizing the 100th anniversary of women’s suffrage in the United States. But mindful of the fact that Richmond Rotary will also be 100 years old next year, she is committed to mounting a concurrent exhibit that will recognize our club’s centennial. David Brown has been working with Melinda to identify artifacts and documents for that exhibit. Pitching in to Improve Richmond GreenwayBecause we had several minutes to spare before adjourning, Jerry invited Jan to talk about Rotary’s support for development of the Harbout-8 park on the Richmond Greenway. A grove of young oak trees (named the International Oak Grove) at the western gate of the park needs protection. Josh Genser will be coordinating a Rotary volunteer day this spring. Rotarians will be called upon to assist, either by pounding circles of posts around the tree trunks, or by handing out refreshments to those who do. All Rotarians are invited to Pogo Park’s MLK Day “Mock Up” event on January 21 from 9am to 2pm at Harbour-8 to see progress made and hoped for. (See the Improvement Plan.) Harbour-8 Park spans Harbour Way to 8th St. along the Richmond Greenway between Ohio and Chanslor. -Nick Despota, Flywheel Editor |
NEXT MEETING: January 11, 2019
MEETING OF January 4, 2019WelcomeWe welcomed two guests: Paul Brown, Retiree from UPS (guest of Jim Findley); and Ryan Grady, Making Waves Academy (Guest of Jerry Feagley). AnnouncementsAt 12:30 pm, President Jerry Feagley opened the meeting. Mike Winter led us in the Pledge this week. Herb Cole did the invocation for peace, freedom and justice on earth. Sid’s thought for the day was, “Since light travels faster than sound, some people appear bright until you hear them speak!! “ ~ Albert Einstein RecognitionsHappy and Sad DollarsNorm’s NonsensePROGRAMFishing Around the World
The people in this area were self-supporting, made their own bricks, homes had dirt floors, chickens coming and going! Main income crop in the area are brazil nuts. The farmer who was the fishing tour guide owned 60 lakes. The tour was made up of 8 people (four dads and four sons) and our guides. We missed the first day of fishing as American Airlines lost our luggage that contained our fishing gear. But happily went out via tractor and got to do some fishing on a lake. Alan’s son caught the first Arapaima but it got away. They went to a second lake, where Alan caught an Arapaima that weighed about 200 lbs., approximately 4 feet long, on a 100-lb. test line. Alan and two guides got in the water to hold up the fish for photo. Alan’s son later brought in his own Arapaima. They traveled over several days via tractor through the forests to five different lakes and a river. They paddled their own boats. Caught large Catfish, Pacu, and the famed Arapaima. One lake had Pirana in it. One of the other fisherman, a teenager caught the biggest Arapaima of the trip — it took six men to hold it up for the photo. All fish were released back into the wild. They did eat one small Arapaima and had BBQs in the forest every day. Also got to hear and see some very noisy Howler Monkeys! It turned out to be a very nice trip! Alan and his son, Josh, may even go back!!! And for those of you dying to know more about Arapaima, our scribe Darlene Quenville pulled up from the depths this information: The Arapaima is one of the largest freshwater scaled fish in the world. It is an air-breathing fish that lives in the rain forest rivers of South American’s Amazon Basin and nearby lakes and swamps. These giant fish can reach 9 feet long and weigh up to 440 pounds. They have a wide, scaly, gray body and a tapered head. Though arapaimas can stay underwater for 10 to 20 minutes, they tend to remain near the water’s surface, where they hunt and emerge often to breathe with a distinctive coughing noise. They survive mainly on fish but are known to occasionally grab birds close to the water’s surface. - Rotating Scribe Darlene Quenville |
Melanie Miksis is joining us today to speak on behalf of the Berkeley-based, refugee-empowering non-profit organization, 1951 Coffee Company, a non-profit specialty coffee organization that promotes the well-being of the refugee community in the US, providing job training and employment to refugees, asylees, and special immigrant visa holders while educating the surrounding community about refugee life and issues.
Pablo Ferrari, former head of Cognitive Tech, left that firm three months ago to dive into the homelessness crisis, and subsequently founded Nomad Artificial Intelligence. In addition to A.I., his other passions are natural language processing and using technology to empower people. Pablo will share his recent entrepreneur work on an app that empowers San Francisco homeless people via A.I.,crossing the fields of technology and human rights.
Darlene Drapkin introduced the day’s esteemed speaker, Richmond City Manager Carlos Martinez. Studied architecture in Mexico City and came to the US to advance his career by getting a Masters in Architecture and City Planning at U.C. Berkeley, and has been in the Bay Area since. Carlos’s two children are both attorneys in the Bay Area.
Every year he and his son, Josh, take a fishing trip together somewhere in the world in the hunt of the river monsters. Alan usually organizes all the details of these trips but this year he went online and found an interesting fishing trip in Bolivia. When he asked the guy for pictures of the place they would be staying, he never got a response or photo, but finally the guy just sent him an airplane ticket. So he and son took a chance and said let’s try it. They flew first to Santa Cruz, then to Trinidad, and then on a prop plane landing in a field in a very rural area in Northern Bolivia. Upon arrival, they were met by guide and took their transport (a tractor and cart) to their accommodations, which at this point they were getting a bit worried about where they would be sleeping. Their rooms were actually built not too long ago, and they shared a decent-sized clean room with two beds. Although the beds were the hardest beds they ever slept on! The area was very rural, lots of animals roaming around, no fences.
