August 2015

Issues are arranged in reverse order. Scroll down to find the issue you want.

COMING EVENTS

After a rock-star like mic check (test, test, test), President GARY BRODIE opened the last regular meeting of August at the appointed half hour and immediately led us in the Pledge of Allegiance, . . .

. . . followed by a rousing rendition of our Club theme song (Gypo) and God Bless America, led by President-Elect LEE REPOSA. Past-President HENRY HANSEL then delivered our Thought for the Day, followed by the customary round of handshakes, hugs and busses amongst the members.

CARLI THOMAS introduced the Visiting Rotarians who joined us for lunch, followed by the introduction of our guests, including my youngest daughter, Cassie Baddeley, who graduated from high school in June and is off to Cal-Poly on September 12 (se habla empty nest?!).

The Prez then allowed immediate Past-President MICHAEL CARUANA to finish up some left over business from his year (ended June 30, 2015), . . .

. . . including the formal presentation of a Good Hands award to HENRY HANSEL for all his help and support during Michael’s reign. Good job, Henry!

Past-President WALLY BRAGDON, who sponsored CARLI THOMAS, was then called upon to present her with a hat pin, and noted that we’re looking for a few good members. Good work, Wally and congratulations, Carli.

DAN FISH was the Club’s lone August birthday boy…but he wasn’t at the meeting, so no cake for him (apparently the long arm of the law couldn’t quite reach that far!). Fortunately, there were plenty of members who married in the month of August, so we had plenty of anniversaries to celebrate, including the marriages of RENEE HAYNES, MARCUS BENEDETTI, JOHN SCHARER, GEOFF ELLIS, and AL CATTALINI.

The Chairman of the Club’s annual golf tournament this year (Monday, September 21, 2015), GREG O’BRIEN, gave us a status report on how it’s going. There are only a few openings left, so if you haven’t signed up for golf or dinner yet, you should do so ASAP!

Next, Past-President ONITA PELLIGRINI and CHAD FILLINGER inducted and presented our newest member, MICHAEL AMBROSIO. Welcome aboard, Michael, we’re happy to have you, especially since now our Club will have a full complement of Michaels…Michael A, Michael B and Michael C, the alphabet Michaels!

The Prez then fined MICHAEL C (CARUANA) $100 for his quick exit post-debunking…apparently Michael had an early a.m. flight to South Africa the next morning to visit with his son. Thanks, Michael and welcome back! There were no other fines, but be afraid, be very afraid, because the Prez did give LEE REPOSA a hunk of rat cheese for some intel!!

Ticket #893319 proved to be a winner for CHRIS ELZI, who pulled a blue rock to claim a nice bottle of raffle win for his private reserve!

JIM BECKER then introduced our speaker, HENRY HANSEL, who gave us a very informative first person account of his family business (Henry Curtis Ford and the Hansel Dealership), as well as the history and trends of the automotive industry in America. After a Q&A session, Henry received a Rotary memento and a hearty round of applause for a program well done and well received!

See you all next week!

This week's Editor: Mike Baddeley; Photos by Michael Nistler

COMING EVENTS

It was an unusually cool day as PRESIDENT GARY BRODIE called together the Rotary Club of Petaluma at the Petaluma Golf and Country Club. PRESIDENT GARY welcomed the assembled members and led us in the Pledge of Allegiance. He then asked who brought this weather? and the day's program speaker, Dr. Angelo Capozzi (a member of the Belvedere/Tiburon Rotary Club) confessed he may have dragged it up from down south.

PRESIDENT GARY invited LEE REPOSA to step up as the day's voiceman and LEE led us in a sweet-sounding rendition of God Bless America.

PRESIDENT GARY then called on new member CARLI THOMAS for our “Thought For The Day”. CARLI confessed she's not a poem person and chose instead a quote from Joe Montana because she is apparently a football fanatic. Hugs and greetings followed.

Besides our program speaker, we had two visiting Rotarians announced by CHRIS RANNEY . . . Cassie Moyers, formerly with the Ogden, UT Rotary (classification Event Management) who recently moved to Petaluma and is shopping clubs. Cassie has a long history of Rotary service and we are hoping she joins with us . . . the BEST club in Petaluma!

The second visiting Rotarian was Maureen Frances from the Petaluma Service Alliance and member of Petaluma Valley Rotary who was also a guest of PAST PRESIDENT MICHAEL CARUANA.

Maureen was invited to the podium to provide an update on the Walnut Park project. She shared a photo of the Peace Poll, invited members to a workday on August 29 starting at 8:00 AM to put up the donor plaque, noted that over 200 commemorative bricks are awaiting installation, and thanked our club for kicking off what has become an outstanding community service project. Maureen ended by throwing out the idea that the three Petaluma Rotary clubs should consider helping each other, when needed, with human effort . . . not a bad idea!

Announcements included PRESIDENT GARY'S reminder about the upcoming SCARC dinner. PRESIDENT GARY then announced that the wine bought at the Balletto Vineyards SCARC was still for sale. Members could buy a very nice bottle of wine for $50 and earn 100 points towards their Paul Harris or Polio Plus. Those who bought a $40 bottle last week could up their benefit by contributing and additional $10. MICHAEL NISTLER, PAST PRESIDENT TOM BRANDAL, CHRIS RANNEY, JUDI ALLEWELT AND SHERRY RANNEY (who had to spend her own money for her own bottle) all stepped up to the offer.

PRESIDENT GARY then called CARLI THOMAS back to the podium and presented her with her official Chicken Badge and dinged her the traditional $5 fine. CARLI was suitably delighted, as were we to welcome our newest full-fledged member!

PRESIDENT GARY called LEE BEAN, President of the Board of the Rotary Club of Petaluma Foundation, to the podium to preside over the annual meeting of the Rotary Club of Petaluma Foundation. LEE called the meeting to order. The Foundation, begun in 1983, has over $500,000 in assets, has provided $275,000 in grants to schools and non-profits ($90,000 in just the past four years). Exchange Bank currently manages and invests the funds. This year the Foundation received 83 grant requests totaling over $40,000. Thanks to help from JUDI ALLEWELT, JANE SALDANA-TALLEY, JOANNE FERRIS, LEE BEAN, JOE TAMBE, and RICK GORMAN awards were given to 70 grantees totaling $27,000, and another $2,000 each was given to Giant Steps and the McKinley School Summer Science program thanks to funds provided during PAST PRESIDENT MICHAEL CARUANA'S year. The financial report shows assets at the end of fiscal year 2014/15 of $527,080, less $26,316 in grants awarded and $3,019 in expenses for investment management, for a year-end total of $512,594. LEE made a motion to approve Foundation Board member nominees, RICK MOSSI, JAMES BURLESON, and STEVE GAVRILOFF. The motion was seconded and approved (with no nays or abstentions) by the club members in attendance. A summary of the grants awarded and financials will be posted on the club website. The meeting was adjourned.

Due to the Foundation report and program, members were spared PRESIDENT GARY'S weekly member gratitude segment, so be prepared for next week.
The day's raffle was won by KATHY O’CONNOR who won a nice bottle of Judge and Jury wine.

The program speaker was Angelo Capozzi, MD, Co-Founder and Medical Director for Rotaplast International, who was wonderfully introduced by RENEE HAYES. Dr. Capozzi gave a riveting presentation on the beginnings of Rotaplast (Rotary Plastic Surgery) in 1992 while he was with the Rotary Club of San Francisco. The first mission was in 1993 to Chili. In the 22 years since, Rotaplast has completed 202 missions in 16 countries and helped over 17,000 children born with orofacial cleft and suffering from severe burns. Teams include medical and non-medical volunteers and 12 missions are planned for the current year. The presentation was both fascinating and inspiring. Great work!

Meeting adjourned.

This week's Editor: Jane Saldaña-Talley; Photos by Michael Nistler

COMING EVENTS

The gavel is back, having been missing in action for two weeks. Nonchalant PRESIDENT GARY led us in the Pledge.

He called upon BARNEY FAUSS for double duty: as song leader and “Thought For The Day”.

After a rambling rant about politically correct word usage, he delivered a thoughtful invocation.

Visiting Rotarians introduced by JIM BECKER included Charlie Stewart (Long Beach) and District 5130 Governor, ERIN DUNN.

DISTRICT 5130, which used to be District 513 and covered the long corridor from Half Moon Bay to Crescent City, was the subject of the monthly Rotary quiz. When the session ended, all members present had learned some Rotary fun facts, and the Club donated $100 U.S. (thanks, PRES. GARY!) to the R. I. Foundation for Polio Plus.

GOVERNOR Erin Dunn, who drove from Fortuna to give her report, was treated to a “fine” demonstration by PRES. GARY (we now call the fines “recognition”). For causing the Club to change our Golf tournament date, because the Forty-Niners have a Monday night game, DON RAMATICI and JOHN ZIMMERMAN paid $100 and $50 respectively. DON also pointed out that PP MICHAEL CARUANA never fined him which hurt DON.

VISITS to all clubs in the District find diversity in fundraisers.

GREG O’BRIEN and CHAD FILLINGER urged members attend the Annual Golf Tournament and prime rib dinner (golf and dinner---$150; dinner only $45). CHRIS RANNEY was recognized for his major contribution toward youth scholarships. Remember the new date: September 21, 2015. Please reach outside the Club to find corporate sponsors!! Foursomes contact GREG ASAP.

PETALUMA Rotary is focused on rewarding older members while bringing in new ones. MICHAEL CARUANA awarded a trophy to RICK VAN BEBBER for his steadfast duty selling lunch tickets.

SHARI RANNEY and LEE REPOSA received pins from GARY for bringing in new members CHAD FILLINGER and RENÉE HAYES.

The awards were deferred from MICHAEL CARUANA’s year due solely to a “misplaced thought”.

TAWNY TESCONI reported on her recovery from a fractured hip and discarded her wheelchair.

She also had the winning raffle ticket and won a bottle of local wine.

ROTARY has produced many excellent district governors and current DG Erin Dunn is no exception. Upbeat, demonstrative, and energetic, Erin laid out her plans for District 5130 for this year.

Her final action before concluding her visit was to present the “Rising Star Award” to CHAD FILLINGER for his participation in projects.

Be here next week when MICHAEL CARUANA is presented with the “Falling Star Award”.

Meeting adjourned (where was the gavel?).

This week's Editor: Paul Lounibos

August 20:
Visitors: Chris Ranney
Fine Can: Sarah Cummings
Microphone: Brian Breen
Thought: Carli Thomas
Editor: Jane Saldaña-Talley

August 27:
Visitors: Carli Thomas
Fine Can: Elias Husery
Microphone: Joanne Ferris
Thought: Henry Hansel
Editor: Mike Baddeley

COMING EVENTS

PRESIDENT GARY BRODIE presided over an animated crowd on a beautiful afternoon. His presidency is off to a great start as can be seen in the following photos:

Our speaker was the new Petaluma City Schools District Superintendent, Gary Callahan. He brings a tremendous amount of experience and understanding to his new post. He comes to Petaluma from the Roseville City School District, where for four years he was the assistant superintendent of educational services. Before that, he was the director of secondary education, interventions and assessment and K-12 professional development for six years at the Woodland Joint Unified School District. He has also been an elementary teacher, a principal and vice principal, an adjunct instructor at Teacher’s College of San Joaquin and has worked at the Placer County Office of Education.

The Petaluma City Schools District includes six elementary schools in the Petaluma City Elementary School District with an enrollment of about 2,120. The Petaluma Joint Union High School District includes two junior high schools, a community day school, two high schools, two alternative/continuation schools and a continuation high school, with a combined enrollment of about 4,900.

We congratulate Gary Callahan on his new post and wish him a warm welcome to Petaluma!

Additionally, please find below a fascinating report on Rotary’s Polio Eradication Program from this year’s Rotary Convention:

Nigeria and the whole continent of Africa is on the cusp of being polio free, Dr. Hamid Jafari told audience members at the Rotary Convention on 8 June in São Paulo, Brazil.

Between 2013 and 2014, the reported cases of polio dropped from 53 to just six in Nigeria. Even more encouraging, said Jafari, is that the last case of polio in Nigeria was reported in July of last year and the last case in all of Africa was reported in Somalia in August.

“With a year of no polio cases in Nigeria tantalizingly close, and no cases in Somalia since August, the tireless work of so many people across the continent is paying off,” said Jafari, director of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative for the World Health Organization. “But it is incredibly important that Nigeria remains vigilant. As long as polio exists anywhere, it will continue to be a threat everywhere.”

Transmission of the wild poliovirus has also never been stopped in Afghanistan and Pakistan. In 2014, 85 percent of polio cases worldwide were in Pakistan, the country’s highest case count in over a decade. But progress has been made over the last few months to stem the spread of the virus. The focus for the government and all of the polio partners has shifted to missed children. Vaccinators have gained access to areas that have been out of reach for years, said Jafari.

Since January, cases in Pakistan are lower than this time last year thanks to advocacy work from Rotary members, said Jafari. “This is a reminder that we cannot let politics and conflict stand in our way, because at the end of the chain stands a mother or father that just wants to protect their child. But the coming months are the real test. We are entering the high season for polio transmission.”

Jafari encouraged attendees to stay committed. “I need you to continue to advocate and engage with your political leaders with that strong, influential Rotary voice of yours, so that all our stakeholders continue to commit to funding the final stages,” he said. “I need you to keep on educating and engaging your communities and the global community on this great endeavor.”

This week's Editor: Ricardo Marzo