This week's Rota-Teller editor: Ricardo Marzo.

NEXT WEEK:
Fine Can: Lyn de l'Eau
Microphone: Connie Heizer
Visitors: Joe Allen
Editor: Mike Madick

May 29 - Chris Albertson - Petaluma Fire Chief
June 5 - Kay Marquet & Kate Ecker - Community Foundation Sonoma County--What is it?
June 12 - Another interesting program
June 19 - President Ed’s last official meeting

This week’s Rotary meeting was held at the Fairgrounds. This was the annual Chamber, All-Clubs Luncheon. As usual, the chicken was great, served with beans, potato salad and watermelon.

The meeting is sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce Ag committee, which supports youth fairs and Agricultural education. Dave Martinelli was the Master of Ceremonies.

Several of our fellow Rotarians serve on the Ag committee, including RICH JOHNSON, RALPH SARTORI, BILL GROVERMAN and JIM MICKELSON. Current Chamber President is fellow Rotarian, RICK MOSSI.

Another fellow Rotarian, TAWNY TESCONI, is the Fair Director and she introduced the members of the Fair Board. She also announced that last year’s Fair attendance was up 21%.

Dairy Princess Andrea Krout was introduced.

Raffle tickets were purchased by the various clubs. The Prize was having your club President place his feet in a bucket of cement. For the second year in a row , the Rotary Club of Petaluma, won the raffle.

Our good-natured President, ED FULLERTON, than took off his shoes, rolled up his pants and stuck his feet in the cement. We all were hoping it was quick drying, but it was the 48 hour kind. We will now find out how well President Ed washes between his toes. President Ed was quoted as saying “this was the most fun he has had a the fair in a long time.”

Our speaker was Sam Dolcini, who spoke about the issues facing Agriculture today.

This week's Rota-Teller editor: Lou Steinberg.

NEXT WEEK:
Fine Can: Clark Rosen
Microphone: Lou Steinberg
Visitors: Loretta Catarozoli
Editor: Ricardo Marzo

May 22 - Salute to Agriculture - Community Lunch at Sonoma-Marin Fairgrounds (socializing starts at 11:30 a.m.)
May 29 - Chris Albertson - Petaluma Fire Chief
June 5 - Kay Marquet & Kate Ecker - Community Foundation Sonoma County--What is it?

Our Club's 49th Annual All-Day Breakfast was held on May 15 in lieu of a regular meeting, and all Club Members (well almost all!) participated to make this year's Breakfast yet another success, thus ensuring that there will be a well funded Children's Holiday Party. The unflappable perennial Chairman of the event, President JIM MICKELSON, once again had everything working as smoothly as a well oiled pump, despite his volunteer crew of assorted and varied skill sets.

After the final meal was finished (and the last gin fizz slammed down), preliminary reports were that more than 800 breakfasts were served to our well-fed patrons, who collectively consumed more than 6000 eggs, 2000 strawberries, 1200 rolls, 400 lbs. of ham, 63 gals. of orange juice and 36 gals. of milk! While nobody seemed to know the amount of coffee poured, it was the consensus of all that there would have been a lot more if President Elect-Elect BABE AMARAL had any idea how to work the coffee maker . . . it seems Babe became increasingly confused with every cup he drank as to whether the proper order was water, filter, coffee then brandy or versa vice (hic!)(!)

Speaking of confusion in the kitchen, Past President DONALD P. RAMATICI, had trouble keeping his pilot light lit (hey, when you're 75+ you're lucky if it lights at all!!), but nobody complained of cold eggs . . . or a lack of gin for that matter, as the gin fizz ritual for the evening shift continued . . . albeit without the Gin Master himself, Past President GENE BENEDETTI, who gave everyone a kind word and moral support (as only he can!) during the noon shift - - - needless to say, gin consumption was down and profits up!

Kudos and thanks-a-plenty go out to all who participated in this fun and worthwhile event, patrons and Club members alike, with a special thanks to our members who worked double shifts, all the junior and senior high school Interact members who helped, and the 2003 Dairy Princess. And we should all give an extra big thanks to JIM who made sure all was in order, that everybody had a good time, that nobody burned themselves or sliced any fingers off, and, perhaps most importantly, that our future leader, Babe, got home safe and sound.

See you next week.