December 2016

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COMING EVENTS

The last meeting of 2016 was a spirited gathering with a healthy turnout of Rotarians, many of whom brought guests for the occasion.

President LEE REPOSA called the meeting to order and led the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag.

CHRIS ELZI provided the direction for I’m a Rambler . . . and God Bless America.

DAVE BARBIERI delivered two timely thoughts about Christmas, including one from that sage author Dr. Seuss.

CHRIS RANNEY introduced visiting Rotarians: John Cinnamon and Sue Makovkin of Petaluma Sunrise and Erin Hawkins of Petaluma Valley.

Erin Hawkins, speaking in her roles as both Rotarian and Community Outreach Program Director for the Petaluma Health Care District, invited our club members to participate as volunteers in the Schools of Hope project, reading with primary grade Petaluma students once each week. Orientations for volunteers will begin next month.

Sonny Martin of Adobe Road Winery served some outstanding samples and shared Adobe’s plans to build its new winery and event center on recently purchased property at the corner of First and C Streets in Petaluma.

President LEE reminded us to be thinking about the importance of our upcoming Super Raffle and Crab Feed. The sale of the raffle tickets is our club’s number one fundraising effort that makes good things possible.

JUDI ALLEWELT lauded the great participation in the shopping, wrapping and delivery for our holiday children’s gifts project. JUDI singled out ELIAS HUSARY as the most exemplary of volunteers, someone who will undoubtedly be recruited by every committee chairman.

It felt even more like a Christmas celebration when President LEE announced the Petaluma City Council’s unanimous approval of the Miracle League project and presented Petaluma Rotary’s gift of $10,100 to Miracle League organizers Jennifer Richardson, Alicia Hansel, and Phoebe Libarle.

JUDI ALLEWELT was courier of another check in support of the project in the amount of $10,000 from the Petaluma Community Guild.

And like icing on a holiday cookie, President LEE added his personal stocking stuffer, $200 of ransom for recovery of a bell and gavel with which he was reunited at our recent holiday dinner.

Jennifer Richardson told us that Petaluma Rotary’s backing of the Miracle Lead was extraordinary and vital to its successful launch.

A long list of December birthdays was announced, followed by the salutary song.

OREST BALETSKY was the lucky raffle winner, plucking a blue rock for a bottle of wine.

JOANNE FERRIS introduced guest speaker Frances Rivetti, author of her second book of local history, Fog Valley Winter.

Frances spoke of her love for her adopted Petaluma and read from a chapter of the book, which has a focus on the Prohibition Era of 1920 – 1933. During the Q & A following the reading, WHIT HALL tried to coax naming of names of notorious bootleggers, implying that one or more surnames might be familiar.

Frances declined to take the bait. Although one wouldn’t expect there to be nostalgia about events that took place so long ago, WHIT was overheard humming the tune to She Was Only a Bootlegger’s Daughter, But I Loved Her Still.

President LEE adjourned the meeting with a warm message of holiday wishes for all.

This week’s Editor: Clark Rosen

COMING EVENTS

It was raining cats and dogs as PRESIDENT LEE called the meeting to order. The club was silenced by the sweet sound of our long lost club bell struck by the also lost club gavel. PRESIDENT LEE expressed his appreciation to Dan Fish for his slick detective work assisting with the bell and gavel recovery.

He led the club in the Pledge of Allegiance.

DAN FISH led us in the club song followed by God Bless America.

TOM BRANDAL provided a thought for the day.

MIKE AMBROSIO introduced two visiting Rotarians:

• President Paul Praetzel of Petaluma Sunrise Rotary. Paul announced that his club gavel disappeared last week which is suspicious timing considering our gavel appeared suddenly last week! Paul intended to look at the gavel on our head table very closely but after he purchased a Super Raffle Ticket!!! He came bearing his checkbook.


• Sebastopol Sunrise Rotary member Gay MacPheron.

CHRIS RANNEY introduced a guest at his table, Mark Lewis.

LEE BEAN, president of the Rotary Club of Petaluma Foundation announced that the end of the calendar year is a time many of us think about charitable contributions. He invited members to consider a gift to our local foundation.

BRIAN BREEN announced the Super Raffle Team Draft took place on Dec. 2. Team captains should have delivered tickets to their team members. If you have not received yours by now, please check with BRIAN or RICK GORMAN and they will let your captain know.

This year, we are asking every member to sell 12 tickets. This is our biggest fundraiser and the winning ticket will be drawn at the Crab Feed on Feb. 24. The appreciation event for the winning team, all team captains and the top ticket sellers will be at The Shuckery!

JUDI ALLEWELT gave a big shout out to ELIAS HUSARY for all his work on the Children’s Holiday Gift program. There were bags all over the Country Club filled with wrapped gifts for the members to deliver following the meeting. This year, 165 children were receiving warm clothes and toys from our club.

CHRIS RANNEY announced the Crab Feed tickets will be $65 each this year. Sales begin this week! New this year will be a limited live auction of 4-5 items with all proceeds going to the Miracle League. There was speculation as to whether a Date with Chris Ranney was one of the items. Details to be announced.

PRESIDENT LEE celebrated our newest member, MAGGIE RADNAY, who was formally inducted at the Member’s Holiday Party Dec. 9.

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JAY PALM spent a great deal of time in Las Vegas these fall: once stint for 17 days and another for 14. DAN FISH also visited JAY there for part of the time. DANNY paid $25 towards his fine schedule and JAY matched it.

Then, JAY paid an additional $30 because his badge was found on the ground in the parking lot.

KATHY O’CONNOR thanked her committee who put on a wonderful Member’s Holiday Party.

RENÉE HAYES won the raffle and a nice bottle of wine. All proceeds from the weekly raffle benefit our Dictionary Project for Petaluma 3rd Graders.

JOANNE FERRIS introduced the program speaker: Bill Reading, co-owner of Sonoma Portworks.

As Bill spoke, members tasted Sonoma Portworks’ Petit Verdot Port.

Next week’s program: Frances Rivetti reading excepts from her recently published Fog Valley Winter.

This week’s Editor: Joanne Ferris

COMING EVENTS

Hung by the Chimney with Care: A flummoxed President LEE REPOSA finally opened our annual Holiday Party to a full house, all nattily attired in their best Holiday Season wear at a splendidly decorated Hermann Sons Hall on a festive Friday evening, but not before he . . .

(1) was handcuffed by President-Elect CHRIS RANNEY to the Club bell (which mysteriously returned apparently of its own accord),

(2) listened to an impassioned plea letter (read by Past-President MIKE BADDELEY) from the long-lost Club gavel for forgiveness for being AWOL, and

(3) was the high bidder ($200) in an auction by Past-President GARY BRODIE to sell the handcuff key! While nobody took credit for the missing bell or gavel, rumor around ye olde yuletide log was that it was the auctioneer, and all the evidence (including an incriminating power point pictorial by President Nominee MICHAEL NISTLER) certainly seemed to point that way!!

Reindeer Games: Once the relieved Prez finally uncuffed himself (although he seemed a bit too familiar with the process), he gaveled the meeting to order (with a real gavel, no less) and led us in the Pledge of Allegiance,

. . followed by a rather cacophonous rendition of Rudolf the Red Nosed Reindeer, led by GARY BRODIE, the red nosed immediate Past President who actually knew some of the words!!

The Prez then happily called up MAGGIE RADNAY, her sponsor CHRIS RANNEY, and Membership Chairman RICK MOSSI to induct her as our newest member.

After being formally pinned with her new member pin and saying a few kind words of appreciation, Maggie was given a big hand of congratulations and well wishes from all.

Jingle Bells: Next, CHRIS RANNEY introduced his incoming Board of Directors and officers for the 2017/2018 Rotary year, commencing July 1, 2017, including officers TAWNY TESCONI (Treasurer) and GAIL CARDAROPOLI (Secretary), Board members MIKE BADDELEY, JOANNE FERRIS (Past President), CHAD FILLINGER, RICK GORMAN, RENEE HAYES, ELIAS HUSARY, RICK MOSSI, ONITA PELLEGRINI, CHARLIE STUART and TONY WESTERN, and ex officios LEE REPOSA (Immediate Past-President), MICHAEL NISTLER (President Elect), and ED FULLERTON (District 5130 Liaison/PDG Advisor).

The Prez then pinned MICHAEL NISTLER with the President Nominee pin to formalize his election as our Club President for the 2018/2019 Rotary year.

Santa Baby: After a heartfelt round of applause and congratulations, and a little Holiday cheer, the Prez wished everyone a Merry Christmas, and encouraged one and all to enjoy the festivities, the live music and to dance the night away…and so we did!

This week’s Editor: Mike Baddeley

COMING EVENTS

Bong! Bong! Bong! What was it? It sounded somewhat like Big Ben but it was PRESIDENT LEE’s latest electronic bell calling the meeting to order. The members dutifully rose and joined Lee in the Pledge of Allegiance.

TONY WESTERN led us in I’m a Rambler, . . . and God Bless America.

Filling in for DON RAMATICI, PRESIDENT LEE gave some Thoughts for the Day, holiday gift suggestions.

There were no visiting Rotarians but several Rotarians introduced guests: ED FULLERTON, his wife Carol; TAWNY TESCONI, her 9-year-old niece; WHIT HALL, his wife Sigrid; RICK MOSSI and SHARI RANNEY, prospective member Maggie Radnay; AND MAUREEN RUDDER, her husband Rick.

RICK GORMAN announced that Super Raffle captains would draft their teams on Friday.

BRIAN BREEN encouraged members to get their tickets and start selling, even before they know what team they’re on.

JUDI ALLEWELT updated our Holiday Gift Program for underprivileged kids. With $8,800 to spend on gifts for 147 kids our Kmart shoppers accomplished the task this past Monday morning with just $114 left over. Great budgeting, Judi! Volunteers will wrap the gifts on Saturday and ELIAS HUSARY will organize gift deliveries. Be ready to help when Elias asks.

KATHY O’CONNOR reminded members to RSVP now for our Holiday Party at Hermann Sons Hall, Friday, December 9. (The Club will be dark next Thursday, December 8.)

RICK MOSSI finished filling his slate of Salvation Army bell ringers. You can continue the tradition of HERB BUNDESEN and BARNEY FAUSS of keeping the kettle boiling by showing up at Petaluma Market on Wednesday, December 7 between 10am and 6pm. When you show up, toss in some cash and then ring the bell yourself for a while. PRESIDENT LEE presented a training video for bellringers unfamiliar with proper technique.

We all sang Happy Birthday to MARLENE FREETLY who is celebrating a very special birthday tomorrow.

It’s a convoluted story, but STEVE POWELL and JIM BECKER will be missing our Holiday Party next week. It seems their ladies connived to lure them to Kauai instead for some very special Mele Kalikimaka . . . or whatever. Anyway, it cost them $50 each.

Songleader TONY WESTERN returned with the winning raffle ticket and walked off with a bottle of Cline Cellars wine.

CHAD FILLINGER observed that the attack on Pearl Harbor happened long before he was born but was delighted to introduce someone who experienced the attack firsthand as a five-year-old boy at Hickam Field on December 7, 1941.

Now that almost 75 years have elapsed, that boy is a bit older. WHIT HALL captivated the room with his story of that Sunday morning and the days immediately following. Whit’s recounting was augmented with graphics by MICHAEL NISTLER and recollections by LEE BEAN and MARLENE FREETLY who were stateside in 1941. The presentation ended with a standing ovation for Whit and the group-sing of Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition.

This week’s Editor: Al Cattalini