Los Altos Rotary Club Home of the Annual Rotary Fine Art Show February 27 2014

Beginnings . . . 
This was the last Rotary meeting of Black History Month and Rotarian RASHEIN LINDSEY brought us the Thought for the Day from Martin Luther King, who famously said, "Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that."
 
The expansion of Black History Week to Black History Month was first proposed by the leaders of the Black United Students at Kent State University in February 1969. The first celebration of the Black History Month took place at Kent State one year later, in February 1970.  In 1976 as part of the United States Bicentennial, the informal expansion of Negro History Week to Black History Month was officially recognized by the U.S. government. President Gerald Ford spoke in regards to this, urging Americans to "seize the opportunity to honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our history."
 
Thanks Rashein! 
 
MARV PATTERSON, sitting at the front table, was close enough to be called on by President JACK KELLY to lead the pledge and he did so with aplomb.  Immediately thereafter, our very own Banjo Man RON STEFANI, broke out the musical equipment and we all sang the best version of "You Are My Sunshine" ever sung by Los Altos Rotary.
 

A Little Song Will Do
"You Are My Sunshine" was first recorded in 1939. It has been declared one of the state songs of Louisiana as a result of its association with former state governor and country music singer Jimmie Davis. The song is copyright 1940 Peer International Corporation, words and music by Jimmie Davis and Charles Mitchell.  According to a 1990 article by Theodore Pappas, the original song was written by Oliver Hood.
 
Two versions of "You Are My Sunshine" were recorded and released in 1939 prior to Jimmie Davis' version. The first was recorded for Bluebird Records (RCA-Victor's budget label) on August 22, 1939 by The Pine Ridge Boys (Marvin Taylor and Doug Spivey), who were from Atlanta. The second was recorded for Decca Records on September 13, 1939 by The Rice Brothers Gang. This group was originally from north Georgia, but had relocated to Shreveport, Louisiana, where they were performing on the city's KWKH radio station. The version by Jimmie Davis was recorded for Decca Records on February 5, 1940.
 
Davis and Charles Mitchell are the credited songwriters of "You Are My Sunshine". Davis bought the song and rights from Paul Rice and put his own name on it, a practice not uncommon in the pre-World War II music business.  Some early versions of the song, however, do credit the Rice Brothers. According to some accounts, clarinetist Pud Brown was also involved with the Rice Brothers for the song's origin or first arrangement.
 
Davis said that for some time he had been enthusiastic about the song and had unsuccessfully tried to convince record companies to record it before finally making his own 1940 record of the song. Davis' version was popular and was followed by numerous other covers, including those of Bing Crosby and Gene Autry, whose versions made the number a big hit.
Davis emphasized his association with the song when running for governor of Louisiana in 1944, singing it at all his campaign rallies, while riding on a horse named "Sunshine". His authorized biography, You Are My Sunshine: The Jimmie Davis Story, was published in 1987.
 
Thanks for the history lesson Ron!
 
Visiting Rotarians, Guests
President Elect KENDRA GJERSETH welcomed visiting Rotarians and Rotarians with guests, of whom there were many.  Stu Gans, Jr., of the San Jose club and District Governor Elect Susan Valenta, from the Gilroy club were honored visitors.
 
Next week:  65 Years of Los Altos Rotary will be celebrated at the Los Altos Golf and Country Club. Meet there early to get a parking spot!
 

Cioppino Feed, March 7, 6-10 P.M.
PP TRACIE MURRAY, our distinguished past president, reminded everyone of the Cioppino Feed benefit with proceeds going to help Vets at Foothill through the Manoukian Scholarship.  There are great prizes including a 5-day Club Med vacation donated by Rotarian ROY JONES.  One hundred are signed up, so the event will be a fun evening of fellowship and cioppino.

 
Satellite Meeting for Make-ups and Fellowship
ROY LAVE reminded everyone that the weekly satellite meeting will be Tuesday at 8 a.m. at the Jesuit Retreat House, cost $15 per person for breakfast.  Join them!

 
RON STEFANI presented President Jack with the banner of Sydney Cove, Australia, Rotary.  Ron spent the last month trying to learn Aussie.  Apparently, he flunked the class because he's now back leading us in song!  Ron encouraged everyone to seek out Rotary during your travels.  Welcome back Ron!

 
DG Elect Invites Rotarians to District Conference
DG Elect Susan Valenta invited everyone to attend the District 5170 Conference in San Jose, April 11-13.  Special room rates are available for the weekend of inspirational Rotary speakers and events.  This is especially important for Red Badgers who can learn so much about Rotary and grow your network of fellow Rotarians.  LINA BROYDO and DICK HENNING helped in lining up the speakers for this year’s conference.  Dwight Clark and many other featured speakers will be on hand.  Sign up online.

 
On a Sad Note
Past President STEVE ANDERSON let us all know of the loss of his wife Kathy's mom who died at Past President TRACIE MURRAY'S Cedar Crest Rehabilitation Center in Sunnyvale. We all extend our condolences to Kathy for her loss.

Getting to Know Red Badger RON LEVINE
Ten minutes is too short a time to get to know Rotarian RON LEVINE.  HIs career in law enforcement has taken so many twists and turns that it's hard to compress such an active life into such a short time.
 
Ron was born in San Francisco, grew up in Redwood City where he went to High School, graduating in 1976.  He always dreamed of being in aviation and was especially fond of space flight, having grown up in the shadow of Moffett Field and NASA.  He dreamed of going to the Air Force Academy, but ended up at the Police Academy where he launched a long career in security and police work.
 
He started out as a teen cadet in San Mateo County, then Palo Alto and Atherton.  Later he made stops in San Carlos, and ultimately Los Altos Police Department.  Ron was assigned to undercover work, was involved in the security for the 1984 Olympics the 1985 Super Bowl, and the Democratic National Convention.
 
Ron has experience as a jailer, K-9 patrol, but was ultimately promoted to administration where he spent the remainder of his career. 
 
Ron retired early from law enforcement to be with and to care for his beloved daughter who died of brain cancer about a year ago. 
 
After leaving law enforcement, Ron worked as an engineer at HP and as project manager for Y2K with Carly Fiorina, who was in his office when the rollover occurred.  He worked with 3Com as an investigative manager and traveled the world.
 
He returned to law enforcement at Foothill-DeAnza PD and in August 2004 became chief of the department.
 
Ron has a passion for anything that flies and has had the thrill of his life when he suited up in astronaut gear and flew in a U-2 trainer to an altitude high enough to see the curvature of the earth. He is a pilot and has met many astronauts and enjoys the history and thrill of flight.
 
Dave Smith Explains the Acronym LAREF
LAREF stands for Los Altos Rotary Endowment Fund.  LARC, Los Altos Rotary Club raises money. LAREF spends it.  LAREF contributions are tax deductible.  The following charts and graphs show the income and grants made by LAREF this year.

Here is a link to DAVE SMITH'S LAREF Powerpoint presentation.

Tom Powers Recognizes those who need to give
Finemaster TOM POWERS announced some good news:  "We have all the money we need for all our Rotary projects," he said, "the bad news is it's in your pockets."   Tom had a table of Olympic-style judges who held up signs to set the amount of the fines. 

Tom turned to his judges whose scores read $20 for JACK HIGGINS who chipped in $20 for a new grandson,

• JEANNE MACVICAR who said she was "highly involved" with Relay for Life, but not responsible for raising all the money by herself, such modesty cost $20.
• PE KENDRA paid $25 with an IOU. 
• SANDIE WHIPPLE was invited to contribute $90 to join the President's Club for a BIG birthday and a new granddaughter.
• CRYSTA KRAMES contributed her "first born child", as suggested by one of the judges, especially to save money in the future.  
• ABBY AHRENS donated $20 and
• ALLISON SALISBURY chipped in $25. 
• Both MARLENE COWAN and KAREN FOX got away without paying because they were absent. 

Steinbeck; Once Hated, Now Beloved
On novelist John Steinbeck's birthday, Rotarian LINA BROYDO introduced speakers Colleen Finegan Bailey and Elizabeth Weldon Smith who are leading the celebration of the 75th anniversary of the publication of Steinbeck's famous Dust Bowl novel "The Grapes of Wrath."   Bailey is a member of the Rotary Club of Salinas who, as executive director of the National Steinbeck Center is organizing the 34th Steinbeck Festival.  Smith is curator of the Steinbeck museum.  Together, the two women presented the Steinbeck story in both word and video.
 
In “The Grapes of Wrath”, Steinbeck wrote about "the place," Bailey said.  And that place was Salinas, or so the locals thought.  But Steinbeck was really writing about the Central Valley.  The book made him so unpopular in his hometown that they burned his novel in protest.  His arrogance and generally irritable nature did not at all endear him to community leaders. 
 
Now, however, Steinbeck brings tourists to Salinas and Monterey each year to celebrate his life and novels -- including "Grapes of Wrath."  The Steinbeck Festival runs May 2-3, 2014.  Check out tickets and the program at www.steinbeck.org.
 
The Steinbeck home in central Salinas is staffed by volunteers not far from the Center for Arts and Culture which are now the focus of literary tourists from around the world.  The National Steinbeck Center grew out of the Steinbeck Festival when city leaders determined that celebrating their black sheep novelist was "beneficial to all."
 
Smith, curator at the center, noted that Steinbeck was recognized by today's Google Doodle.
 
She told of the center's project to retrace the steps of the Dust Bowl driven family as they crossed the country in the great migration to the Central Valley in search of survival.  The resulting video was shown in out-takes and interviews of oral history.  They started their project in Oklahoma and worked their way south and west through Texas, Arizona and New Mexico collecting 78 stories along the way from the mid-point of Route 66 all the way to California.
 
To learn more and attend the Steinbeck Festival May 2-3 go to www.steinbeck.org. 
 
Thanks to the Program Committee for another great program!