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Los Altos Rotary Club
Home of the Annual Rotary Fine Art Show
March 6th 2008
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| Writer: Jean Hollands - Photographer: Larry
Madsen -
Editor: Cindy Luedtke |
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This Thursday's Program: Mar 13 2008
Stan Attenbury |
Thursday, March 6th - Happy Birthday, Los Altos Rotary - The 59th
Anniversary of this organization's charter. 1949 !!!!!!!!!!!!
Pledge: JOE RENATI
Song: God Bless America by SETH MANNING
Thought for the Day: LARRY CHU: Secrets to Longevity--the
Chinese secret: Keep Breathing!
Visiting Rotarian: David Fulton, Sacramento
Rotarians with visitors: JERRY MOISON, with 3 guests, CINDY LUEDTKE,
with 2 guests, and JACK HIGGINS with 3 guests.
Co-Sergeant of Arms: SCOTT FLEMING
There were 13 announcements:
 JOHN MOSS: The Ciappino Dinner is next Saturday evening, March
15. Contact BELLA BERLLY or go to the club website to sign up.
Plan to attend the District Conference is, April 11, 12, and 13.
Enrollment available through the website
There will be a Los Altos Forum re: planning of the new city center: March 8
at 8:30 a.m. at Hillview Community Center
KAREN OWEN: Need volunteers for meals for Free clinic. Contact
her for more information.
 RICH CASEY AND BAIDRA MURPHY announced the Genealogy Program for March
20 and asked for and received volunteers.
JOHN CARDOZA reminded us of the Filoli event April 5th. Lunch and $25
per person. Sign up on the website.
ROY JONES urged all who don’t currently own one to buy Rotary T-shirts.
It is our uniform for the annual art show.
JERRY MOISON announced there are plenty of opportunities for individuals and
businesses to support the Fine Art in the Park through sponsorship.
Added to the growing list this week is CINDY LUEDTKE, FIRST REPUBLIC BANK
with a $1000 pledge.
JULIA ROSE announced congratulations are in order for
 LLARRY CHU as CHEF CHU’s received the Community Pride award at the recent Chamber Awards
Banquet.
 JOE RENATI received Lifetime Member status in recognition of
his many years of service to the Los Altos Chamber.
JACK KELLY informed that the winner of our speech contest, haheen Adibi,
will be moving on to the regionals events.
STEVE SHEPHERD:
Golf Tourney: June 20, Moffett Field, $65 each,
new course remodeling. Sign up on the website coming soon. (Right
Steve?)
BELLA BERLLY: Cioppino chefs DAVE LUEDTKE and JOE RENATI for March
15th. The recipe calls for 100! Sign up now.
SAM PESNER: Gardner Award for MARGE BRUNO April 3. Sign up on
OUR website to join the Rotary table(s).
10 Minute Member Speech  STEVE ANDERSON, PAST PRESIDENT, and beloved by all, offered the ten- minute
speech.
Steve happily and mischievously grew up in Bend Oregon, and had a fun
childhood. He didn't really pay attention to school until, like SAM
PESNER, at about ages 14, they each and separately, decided to some day go
into the field of optometry.
In high school, the ailment, Osgood Schlatter, halted STEVE'S Olympic
athletic career, but it was not until he was medically discharged from the
service--that Steve knew something more was limiting him--that was Lupus
Disease. Steve served in Kansas and Vietnam. It is only
recently, however, that a subject that Steve is very reluctant to speak
about,-- that his disease had progressed into Inclusion Body Myocitis, a
disabling disease which is progressive and weakens the muscle strength.
STEVE shared that one day we may see him in a wheel chair.
AA quiet gasp filled the room.
Then, STEVE, "Mr. . . I am fine" warned us that we are not to go up to him,
after this declaration, with, "How are you, STEVE? No, how are you
really, STEVE?" If a fellow Rotarian should dare to do this, our stoic
and beautiful friend will answer with, simply, "I am fine."
STEVE also shared his life as a widower with a 2 year old and a teen-ager,
and how his Rotary friends helped him with all and every aspect of the
funeral and memorial. At the time, STEVE believed he would never marry
again, but, then, along came Cathy... His bride since 1999. br />
STEVE also reminded us about the Palo Alto V.A. Hospital, and after years of
treatment there--what wonderful service and staff they have.
The following is the writer's indulgence: The statement below is one of the
"stand out moments" in my Rotary tenure:--Jean Hollands
With nearly 40 years of Rotary service, and a love of his good friends,
Steve declared, "Rotary is my Religion." Raised as a Catholic,
including an altar boy and at one brief period, prospects of priesthood,
Steve is now our own form of spiritual leader (oh, he would hate that kind
of talk!), but with a huge standing ovation, we showed Steve how much we
revere and respect that he is "just fine."
Fine Master, TRACIE MURRAY
Tracie prompted DICK DUHRING with, "Today is your birthday." to which
he replied. "It is?" No fine.
BILLY RUSSELL contributed $40 in celebration of a new great-grandchild and
MATT CABOT offered $100, representing $10 for each of his 10 grandchildren,
one of them just new to the world.
We had an election of new Directors;
Congratulations go to DAVE SMITH, JOHN CARDOZA, and JERRY MOISON, our
newly-elected Directors to begin serving a two-year term beginning July 1,
2008.
The program for the day : Colon Health, by our own DR. JACK HIGGINS.
JACK's sensitive and masterful talk described the 3 kinds of colon
explorations of today, and the symptoms, of colon cancer, although they are
often recognized too late,. Jack produced a power point description of
the "gold standard" of colon discovery as a colonoscopy. He reminded us that
as of 2001 Medicare will pay for colonoscopies.
From a practical standpoint, he also reminded us to drink every drop
of the prep liquid and to have our own colonoscopy at age 50 and every 5
years or more frequently if polyps are discovered.
JACK introduced, and with his first disclaimer of his career, his new
venture--with the Third Eye Retroscope technology. Fred Seddiqui, Founder
and CEO of Avantis, attended today’s program. Fred is a community
involved man who is excited about his product. The New York Times made
a pivotal announcement about colon cancer just yesterday. This new product
can uncover the polyps that hide behind the colon folds, and also flat
polyps, both often undiscovered by the standard colonoscopy.
DR. HIGGINS reminded us of the three celebrities, Ronald Reagan, Katey
Couric and Heidi Klume, all who have made their colonoscopies public,
increasing awareness and the rate of
correctol colonoscopies, and thus,
lives saved, increased dramatically with these public revelations.
 Lastly, Amy Goldsbury gave an inspirational 5 minutes about her Stage IV
colon cancer discovered at age 29 and with a 2-year old son. Had her
medical doctor not recommended a colonoscopy, she would not have survived.
Her symptoms were only 2 instances of bleeding and slight weight loss.
This young woman, now age 33, was a charming, energetic and motivational
speaker who touched the audience with her enthusiastic and positive approach
to enlighten the world and to inspire each of us to have the almost painless
opportunity to save your own life.
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