MEETING OF SEPTEMBER 18, 2003
Rotator Writer: Wyatt Allen
Editor: Dick Blanding
BOB FENWICK began the proceedings by leading us in the Pledge of Allegiance and SETH MANNING led us in “He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands” (I personally like the way the lyrics were projected on the screen for all to see rather than sheets of papers that need to be handed around!)JANE REED provided a timely thought for us to ponder as summer comes to an end with excerpts from a poem entitled, “When Summer Meant Nobody Got Older.” Technology certainly has changed how our kids and grandkids spend their summer from what we remember (those of us who still remember, that is!).
After Pres.-Elect CINDY introduced visiting Rotarians and guests, Pres. AL announced that announcements would be made:
· DICK HENNING announced plans for a GROUP STUDY EXCHANGE (GSE) trip to Holland in April 2004. Do you know any 25-40 year-old professional or business prospects what would benefit from a Rotary-paid trip to visit businesses and other entities in Holland? Let DICK know if you do.
· JOHN CARDOZA recommended we all become familiar with the “Clubmate” program since our club will be utilizing this system more and more for those of us with computer access. You can access the Clubmate program on club’s website http://www.losaltosrotary.org and click on “member services.” Next, click on “portal.clubmate” and use the down arrow to your name. Click on your name and enter your access code (if you don’t know your code, SANDRA WHIPPLE or JOHN CARDOZA can supple it for you). A sign-up sheet for a tutorial lesion will be circulated at the Sept. 25th meeting.
· TRACIE MURRAY asked us all to save Oct. 30th for a fundraiser for our Rota Care facility in Mountain View. It will be a wine tasting event hosted by the Sunnyvale Rotary Club. Cost estimated at $50 per person for a great cause.
· VICTORIA EMMONS announced each of us will receive a letter announcing the annual Rotary Foundation campaign. Everyone is asked to give generously to this very valuable foundation that does so much good around the world. Complete a raffle ticket for every $10 contributed and be eligible for the prize drawing (If you don’t think anyone ever wins, just ask MEL KAHN).
· MARGE BRUNO announced the start of Leadership Los Altos, a program that provides potential volunteers with knowledge of all the varied opportunities for volunteer service in our community. You will meet once monthly beginning in September for than runs monthly Sept. through May. It is a very comprehensive course for anyone interested. A tremendous thanks to MARGE, PENNY LAVE and GINNY LEAR who run this valuable program.
· CINDY LUEDTKE thanked JOHN CARDOZA for his efforts to get an article in Gentry Magazine about Partners For A New Generation. Additional volunteers are needed for tutoring and mentoring in our local elementary and high schools. Please consider donating an hour or more a week for this valuable activity. You will gain from the experience!
· A representative from District 5110 announced an opportunity for Rotarians to participate in a trip to Bolivia in February 2004 for World Community Service. In addition to hands-on work projects, a side trip to the Amazon Basin in planned.
· JACK HEIDMILLER announced a Sister Cities picnic, but it has already happened by the time you see this newsletter. Sorry, JACK. He also reported on his visit to the burn clinic near Santiago, Chile that treats severely burned young children that wouldn’t have any other medical care available.
PAUL NYBERG provided an updated version of his five-minute talk. Beginning life
February 1932 in a farmhouse during a blizzard in northern Minnesota, the doctor was repaid for coming to the house to deliver PAUL with three loads of firewood since his family didn’t have much money during the depression. PAUL related several telephone calls that changed his life. While working in an aircraft factory, he received a call from his mother that his draft notice had arrived. He spent the next few years in the Army signal corps serving in Korea. He used the GI Bill to achieve a degree in journalism at Illinois and graduate studies at CAL-Berkeley. He began a magazine for teens as well as a high school sports publication. While staying at Rickey’s he received another phone call…that the building that housed his business was ablaze and his equipment and records were literally going up in smoke. Well, so much for that business!
In 1974, he received a call from Jim Zuber that attracted his to this area of California. In 1978, he received a call from doctors that his eldest son, Dan, was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Disease that resulted in loss of life 50% of the time. The good news, Dan is about to celebrate his 43rd birthday and is a thriving husband and father.
In 1984, he received a call from a realtor due to his ownership of Homes and Land magazine that lead to his eventual marriage to LIZ.
ROY LAVE provided the phone call in 1987 inviting PAUL to join Rotary.
IN 1993, ROY again provided the phone call to let PAUL know that the Town Crier had been closed down by the Chicago Tribune. PAUL & LIZ were already negotiating with the Tribune to buy the paper and miraculously were able to get the next edition on the street on time! After selling off their other publication in 1995, they purchased the building occupied by the paper and completely rebuilt the present structure that so aptly complements the “Village” atmosphere of our downtown. They are now operating the Town Crier upstairs as well as the Main Street Café and Books (and Preston candies, too!) on the street level. PAUL & LIZ saved our local paper and now have saved one of our local cafes, too! Thank you!
LEM SUMMEY was given little time, but extracted donations to our club from DAN DUTTON (joined the president’s club for 50th anniversary!), BOB FENWICK (also joined the president’s club having traveled abroad), SAM PESNER (celebrated 25th anniversary at Pac Bell Park), DENNIS YOUNG (threw out first ball at Giants game last Friday) and made STEVE GRUBER wait until next week (LEM, get it while you can!).
TERRY KIEBEL, president of Wildlife Rescue, was introduced as our speaker and informed us all of the services and activities of the community organization she represents. TERRY career background includes the Palo Alto Police Department as well as Raychem Corporation. She began assisting Wildlife Rescue as an animal care giver
and participating on the “squirrel team.” Volunteers who help orphaned or injured squirrels prepare to release back into their environment. She now is the organizations president.
Wildlife Rescue began serving Palo Alto, Mountain View, Los Altos and Los Altos Hills almost 25 years ago taking in as many as 2,500 animals, reptiles and birds annually. They have 3 paid staff and in excess of 150 volunteers, 40 of whom are home-care volunteers caring for animals or birds at their homes. They provide a shelter, have a telephone hotline to provide guidance and assistance, and provide a community education and outreach program.
They receive funds to offset the $100/animal cost from individual and corporate contributions and contracts from several cities. Their annual fundraiser is scheduled Oct. 10th at the Thomas Fogerty Winery.
During the question and answer period, TERRY attempted to provide answers and guidance to our members to rid themselves of aggressive squirrels, coax skunks from under their home (leave a talk radio on loud when you’re not home and place ammonia soaked rages where it may drive them away), encourage birds to leave your house or business (turn off lights and open windows or doors), dealing with a possum and an owl that threatens their cat, etc.. LEN MCBIRNEY claimed to have written a book about how to deal with squirrels, but had a disclaimer that they are smarter than we are so don’t bother. DICK HENNING informed the membership the LOUIS BOREL has a recipe for anything you can catch. I think TERRY had more useful suggestions for discouraging unwanted wild animals and birds than our members could come up with.
If you are interested in assisting Wildlife Rescue or need their assistance, you can contact them in Palo Alto at (650) 494-7283. The shelter is located at 400 Middlefield Road.
Membership Report
The Board has approved publishing the adds/drops to our club on a quarterly basis in the Rotator. Here is the list for the first quarter, July 1-Sept 30.
Adds:
Malini Alles
Louis Borel
Mike Harrigan
Joe LoConte
Marlis McAllister
Hinda Weber
Rhonda WentzelThere have been no drops.
Jean Hollands is on an Excused for Health absence until 12/31/03.
John Cardoza
SecretaryGroup Study Exchange
From Dick Henning:
Fantastic opportunity for 4 persons to participate in a 4 week GSE to the Netherlands in April 2004. Men & women between the ages of 25-40 who have done well in their business or profession. Every thing is paid by R.I. foundation & therefore, a prospect cannot be related to a Rotarian.
Our club is rich in history of GSE having two of our members on teams, including the first men’s team and first women’s team.
If you have a potential candidate, give me that person’s e-mail address.
Programs and Events
September
Sept. 25: Sandie Zander and Jim Walker, latest developments with the Wheelchair Foundation
Sept. 27: Wine Tasting Tour at Byington WineryOctober
October 2: Jim Mealey- Rotary Foundation
October 9: Rama Bhatia- Partners in Rotary Service
October 16: Candidates for the Los Altos School Board, Foothill-DeAnza Board, and discussion of the El Camino Hospital bond issue
October 16: Flu shots at the weekly meeting
October 23: Roy Lave-Candidate Forum
Oct. 24: Fellowship Night
Oct. 30: Karen Fox, St. Petersburg/Leningrad
NovemberNov. 20: Jennifer Kuiper- Israeli/Palestinian Conflict
Nov. 21: Fellowship NightDecember
Dec. 4: San Jose Mayor Ron Gonzales
Dec. 17: Holiday Party, Jesuit Retreat House
JanuaryJan. 16: Fellowship Night
Jan. 31: Progressive DinnerFebruary
Feb. 20: Fellowship Night
Feb. 27: Cioppino Feed, Garden House
March
March 26: Fellowship Night
April
April 7: Celebrate Spring at Chef Chu's
May
May 7: Golf Tournament
May 21: Fellowship NightJune
June 25: Kickout Dinner
OTHER ROTARY CLUB MEETING PLACES
On-line Meeting: www.rotaryeclubone.org
MONDAY
Palo Alto: Rickey's Hyatt House, 12:15 p.m.
TUESDAY
Los Altos Sunset: The Echo Restaurant, Los Altos, 7:15 p.m.
Sunnyvale: Ramada Inn, 12:15 p.m.
Mountain View: Adobe House, Moffett & Central, Mountain View, 12:15 p.m.
WEDNESDAY
Menlo Park: Menlo Park Recreation Center, Menlo Park, noon.
Woodside/Portola: Woodside Village Church, Woodside, 7:30 a.m.
Sunnyvale Sunrise: Wild Woodys Grill, Sunken Gardens Golf Course, 7 a.m.
Cupertino: Quinlan Community Center, 12:15 p.m.
East Palo Alto Bayshore: Boys & Girls Club of the Peninsula, 2031 Pulgas Avenue, East Palo Alto, 12:15 p.m.
FRIDAY
Palo Alto University: Sheraton, El Camino, Palo Alto, 7:30 a.m.
"Information in this newsletter is intended for the exclusive use of the members of the Rotary Club of Los Altos to facilitate the work of the club and to promote club fellowship. It is not to be used for any commercial or outside, unrelated, non-profit purposes. No publication of material in this newsletter should occur without the express permission of the club President or the Editor of the Rotator."Copyright 2003 The Los Altos Rotary Club