January 20, 2017
NEXT MEETING: January 20, 2017
Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy in the East Bay
Martin Bond, Executive Director of Community Energy Services Corporation (CESC), will speak about what is on the horizon for energy efficiency and renewable energy in the East Bay. CESC works to improve the health, safety and energy efficiency of the homes of the most vulnerable in our communities through an integrated whole house approach.
CESC provides a variety of services that increase the health, safety, and energy efficiency of homes. These services are free to Bay Area residents with low incomes. For those residents who don’t meet the income standards for our free programs, CESC provides home improvement services at a cost in line with other licensed contractors. All of our services are high quality, and provided by a trustworthy team of experts with a strong interest in serving the community. CESC also specializes in helping small and medium-sized businesses meet their energy saving and climate protection goals, and partners with local governments, utilities, and business associations to provide our programs and services to businesses throughout Northern California.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
The 10th Annual Richmond Rotary Crab Feed is on January 28, 6pm, Salesian HS cafeteria. You must pay David or Erle for your seats or you can’t eat! We already have 90 reservations!
MEETING OF January 13, 2017
Welcome
Today’s Meeting was called to order by Past President Alan Blavins.
Dan Tanita led us in the Pledge and David Brown asked for, and got, a moment of silence for peace and freedom and justice for all.
Thought for the Day
Past President Alan Blavins had his own thought for the day, a bit of doggerel:
Yesterday is history.
Tomorrow is mystery.
Today is a gift,
And that’s why they call it the present.
(To me, it’s a mystery how “mystery” rhymes with “history”.)
Visiting Rotarians
Mark Linsky, Youth Services Chair from the Pleasanton Club, who was here to talk about De Anza High School Junior Achievement, only to learn that our Club is not the sponsor of the De Anza Interact Club.
Guests
Oscar Garcia brought his friend Gordon, but I didn’t catch his last name.
Jon Lawlis had two Darlenes, one Darlene Drapkin, who has visited our club before and may be a threat to join, and the other Jon’s sweetheart.
Recognitions and Happy and Sad Dollars
Fine Master Ric Ambrose recognized Shana Bagley-Howe for both her birthday and 2nd club anniversary.
Mike Winter complained that he had been missed in 2016 for his 81st birthday and 49th club anniversary. Ric blamed Oscar.
Happy & Sad Dollars
Ric was sad because Jan Brown’s mother, Betty, passed away. We all send our condolences to Jan and Byron.
Shana was happy to be back from three weeks of camping in Baja, where Mark fell off his motorcycle and the motorcycle broke the window of their camper when it (the camper on which the motorcycle was mounted) drove over a bump in the road. Shana paddle boarded every day!
Alan Baer was happy about the Rotary Day at the Warriors. Don Lau was also there to watch the Warriors win. (Again? Yawn…)
Erle was happy his Cal Bears hired a new football coach, but Ric and Connie were happy that the new coach is a former Oregon Duck. Doesn’t matter, the Big Game is in the bag for Stanford for at least three more years.
Who Am I
Jim Findley gave his Who Am I (at last):
Jim is a Richmond native, born October 17, 1948 in Richmond Hospital on 23rd Street. His mother was born in Elk City, OK, in 1930, his father in Richmond, at home on 4th Street, in 1920. Both sets of grandparents were neighbors of each other on 36th Street, so Dad literally married the girl next door.
Jim was employed by PG&E for a very long time, and was also an IBEW union official, even serving on the Marin Central Labor Council. Jim was unemployed for only three months of his entire adult life, and, thus, had the sort of career that used to be the American dream, but that’s difficult to have any more. Jim retired in 2013.
Jim has been married twice. He had 4 kids with his first, including a surprise set of twin boys. That family ended up blended with his second wife’s children, of which there were also four!
PROGRAM
East Bay Center for the Performing Arts
Mara Lockowandt and Dolores “Lolis” Garcia from the East Bay Center for the Performing Arts. Mara is Director of School Partnerships and Lolis is Assistant Director for the Center’s resident arts company, Son de la Terra.
The 50th anniversary of the EBCPA is coming up! The Center serves youth ages 3 to 18. It has 8 resident arts companies and gives private music lessons. It also provides programs in the WCCUSD schools in school and after school, on school sites and at the Center. They also provide training for teachers. They reach 5,000 students in 20 to 25 schools. There is also an intensive summer program at the Center for about 130 middle and high school kids, and a summer program at school sites for about 750 elementary school kids.
The Center has a Diploma Program, which is a 4-year program in arts production for 130 students. Classes go Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., in the summer. The program also includes academic tutoring and help with college applications.
The Center also delivers “wrap-around” services, consisting of referrals to other service providers when student needs are identified, such as mental health services and counseling.
Lolis then gave us a demonstration of various types of Mexican music that visitors and students can enjoy and even join in at Month Fandangoes on the second Saturday of each month from 9:00 a.m. to noon.
Josh Genser - Rotating Scribe