DIGITAL EDITION     No. 14     January 30, 2013     EDITOR: Jim Johnson     PHOTOGRAPHER: Nicole Le

Our Program For February 6th:

ROTAPLAST: CHANGING LIVES, CHANGING FACES

Shannon McConnell introduces us to Critical Care Nurse Sandy Stabile


Feb 6 Rotoplast

Nurse Sandy Stabile holds a young patient as he wakes from anesthesia

Shannon’s friend, Sandy Stabile, has been a critical care nurse for 33 years. In this  photo Sandy is holding a child after surgery because “the kids do so much better if we hold them rather than making them lay on a bed”. Sandy volunteers on surgical mission trips that focus on repairing cleft lips and palates for children—Alliance for Smiles, OperationSmile, and Rotaplast. She became a Rotarian because of her work with Rotaplast and since 2005 has been to Nicaragua, Honduras, Guatemala, Venezuela, India, Philippines, China, Paraguay and Mexico. Her mission to Colombia will be her 14th. Rotaplast has performed 15,000 reconstructed surgeries in countries around the world since it was founded   in 1992 as a world community service project of Rotary in San Francisco, committed to changing lives through reconstructive surgery.

UPCOMING PROGRAMS….

February 13, 2013: Press Democrat CEO Steve Falk
February 20, 2013: World Community Service Update

OPENING CEREMONIES

With the Flamingo ballroom overflowing with the blue uniforms of Santa Rosa firefighters, law enforcement officers, and their guests before him, President William called to order the 19th Annual Public Safety Awards luncheon and asked Nona Lucas to lead the assemblage in the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag, followed by  Cathy Vicini, who led us in an inspirational invocation.

VISITING ROTARIANS

Gary Vice introduced today’s visiting Rotarians: Past President of Santa Rosa Rotary East, Ken Carr, engineering, and from the Rotary Club of Healdsburg Sunrise, former member of the Mother Club, financial advisor Dan Erickson, who had the honor of escorting Terri Abramson, widow of the founder of the Rotary Club’s Public Safety Awards, Lee Abramson,.

GUESTS OF ROTARIANS

With her microphone and clipboard firmly in hand, Immediate Past President Marnie Goldschlag toured the room introducing our special guests, Santa Rosa Law Enforcement Officers and Firefighters, and their family members. Cathy Vicini introduced her son, David, Robert Pierce welcomed his guest, Darron Elliot, and Kerrie Chambers introduced her guest from Rabobank, banker Manuela Gonzalez. Jim Johnson introduced his guest, former Rotarian New York City detective Jim Gerien. Local banker Elizabeth Karbousky was introduced by her host Jack Abercrombie, Jose Guillen introduced his guest and co-worker Cindia Martinez, and Wayne Rowlands welcomed Annette Walker. Also signing the guest register was Marie Anderson. We enjoy having guests, especially guests who love us so much that they become Rotarians.

FELLOWSHIP

Thank you to the following members who fulfilled the Fellowship positions at today’s meeting:
Raffle: Vicki Hardcastle
Visiting Rotarians: Gary Vice
Ticket Collector: Jackie McMillan
Ticket Sales: Chip Rawson & Gesine Franchetti
Greeter: Larry Miyano

SPECIAL GUEST STEVE FALK

While dancing around the ballroom Wednesday, Ex-Prez Marnie bumped into Steve Falk, the former president & CEO of the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce for the past six years. Mr. Falk is the new president of Sonoma Media Investments, which operates The Press Democrat, Petaluma Argus Courier, the North Bay Business Journal and other media properties. Mr. Falk will be our special guest at the Rotary luncheon on Wednesday, February 13th, to speak to our 90-year-old Rotary Club about the new ownership of the North Bay’s 115-year-old newspaper. Falk is not a newcomer to the newspaper business; before joining the S. F. Chamber, he had been president and publisher of the San Francisco Chronicle.

FEBRUARY 13: CHANGE IN ROTARY VENUE

The Press Democrat CEO’s presentation to the Rotary Club will not be at the Flamingo Ballroom on Wednesday, February 13th. It has been moved the St. Rose Hall. Lunch will be served shortly after 12 noon, followed by the Rotary meeting. Steve Falk will be introduced before 1 pm to allow as many questions and answers as possible.

RAFFLE

Nothing newsworthy about this week’s raffle except a jackpot that has grown to more than $300! Norm Owen, Past  President and Past DG of District 5130 was the lucky ticket holder this week but did not even dent the big jackpot, which will be up for grabs again next week with better odds than ever…only 20 to 1 that a winning joker might be drawn!

ADOPT-A-FAMILY UPDATE

P1300005

Kathleen Archer

Past President Kathleen Archer updated our fellow Rotarians and guests on the club’s emergency Adopt-a-Family Holiday Project that provided two families—both single moms and five young children with food, toys, and the fascinating news that the most-needed holiday necessity was a huge bale of toilet paper. Just another good reason to volunteer and help with the Giro Bello fundraising project!

GIRO BELLO 2013

Giro Bello ClassicThis past Monday morning registration for Rotary’s third annual fundraising cycling event—the Giro Bello—opened for business in preparation for the  three Beautiful Rides, each appropriate for cyclists of various levels of ability and energy  through the forested hills and crystal streams of western Sonoma County scheduled for Saturday, July 6thDoug Johnson is Chair of this year’s Giro Bello, backed initially by 25 Rotarians dedicated to making the year’s first fundraiser for the Rotary Club of Santa Rosa the most success of all. The Giro Bello, which premiered on the local cycling scene only 18 months ago, kicked off with 550 registered cyclists, and netted $20,000 to help fund community projects for that Rotary Year.  Only one year later, more than 750 registered cyclists and dozens of hard working volunteers generated almost $50,000 to fund Rotary projects during our club’s 2012-13 Rotary Year.

Plans for our Rotary Club’s third annual Giro Bello, which is only is only five months away, anticipate more than 1,000 registrations, with riders from the whole San Francisco Bay Area signing up to participate in one of three “Beautiful Rides”—the 30 mile Fun Ride, the 70 mile Metric Century, and the 100 Mile Century Ride. If we can meet our goal, this single event will enable us to fund close to $75,000 for new and on-going community grants and projects that will benefitting thousands of Santa Rosa families and children.

Doug Johnson has this to say about this year’s major community fundraiser: “We are not kidding ourselves. To start with over 500 riders in Year One, grow 50 percent last year, and then target 50 percent again in 2013 is going to take great organization and many volunteers—inside and outside Rotary—with everyone’s full support. Giro Bello needs you! Visit GIROBELLO.COM today. Learn more about this exciting opportunity. Decide what will be the most fun for you, your family and friends, and what you can do to help the most.”

The Giro Bello website is best for info and registration; those interested in helping should email Doug Johnson at djohnson@discoveryofficesystems.com, or contact him immediately at 707-849-6429.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Carmen Sinigiani announced that the cyclists’ registration for the 2013 Giro Bello began on Monday, January 28th. President William thanked all the folks that participated in the fund-raising dinner last Sunday afternoon for the two recovering students from Elsie Allen High School, Alexis Varga and Christina Garcia Torres.

YOUTH LEADERSHIP FORUM: STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES

Applications are now available for the 2013 Youth Leadership Forum for Students with Disabilities in Sacramento, the week of July 22-26. The program is provided to accepted high school students with disabilities at no cost. The annual five day leadership program provides information and resources about employment, education, independence and assistive technology. Students have the opportunity to interact with students their own age and staff with various disabilities to develop long-lasting friendships. Students stay in the dorms on-campus at California State University in Sacramento. For more information or to encourage a student to apply, access instructions and apply though this link: http://dor.ca.gov/ylf/ Please pass this information and link along to anyone you think may be interested.

PROJECT AMIGO’S ED AND SUSAN RETIRE

This spring, Ed Rose and Susan Hill will retire from Project Amigo, the California non-profit located north of the city of Colima, on the Pacific coast. Beginning April 1, 2013, Coke Newell will be the new executive director of the youth education project. For the past seven months Coke Newell and his wife Cindy have served as visitor coordinators for Project Amigo. Our Rotary Club is one of more than 40 Rotary Clubs that sponsor the project that is governed by an 11 member board of directors, which includes Past President Will Haymaker. Project Amigo is part of Rotary International Programs and our club’s International Service and Rotary International Programs through the club’s World Community Service Committee. For more information, access www.projectamigo.org .

SHELTER  BOX FUNDING

Did you know that a portion of our World Community Service funds go toward the purchase of a Shelter Box? Did you know that we have purchased 5 of them in recent years: two in 2010, two in 2011 and one in 2012?? Did you know that you can track our boxes on line to see where they were sent??? Here is how to do that:

Google www.shelterbox.org/trackbox.php   On the right you will see Get Tracking.

1. Select search type Box number
2. Select Country – USA
3. Enter box number
Our five box numbers are:  10356, 10357, 16007, 19129, and 20906.
For a refresher about the Shelter Box program, see the article and pictures under Projects on our website.

ROTARY’S LEE ABRAMSON PUBLIC SAFETY AWARDS

P1300009Ron Shull, the Santa Rosa Fire Department Firefighter of the Year 2012: Santa Rosa Fire Chief MarkMcCormick led off the annual awards by presenting the Firefighter of the Year trophy to veteran Fire Engineer Ron Shull—who began working with the Santa Rosa Fire Department when he enrolled in the work experience program through Montgomery High School. Chief McCormick emphasized that Ron’s positive contributions to the citizens of Santa Rosa and his fellow workers over his 29 year career are significant as he continues to work with the city’s firefighters while preparing the next generation who will follow him in the years to come. Having spent most of his career assigned to Engine One at the headquarters and Fire Station One on Sonoma Avenue, his exceptional experience has been of great value to the other firefighters. McCormick pointed out that Ron has served on the executive board of the Santa Rosa Firefighters, on the physical fitness, earthquake preparedness, and other key committees in addition to the SRFD Hazardous Materials Team.

IMG_1941Michael J. Clark, Law Enforcement Officer of the Year for 2012: Santa Rosa Chief of Police TomSchwedhelm recalled for Rotarians and guests that in late Saturday afternoon on, April 28, 2012, police officers were on the lookout for a felony domestic violence suspect who had violated a criminal protective order. When officers attempted to stop the suspect’s vehicle, he fled south onto U. S.101 at high speeds, crashing his auto, careening into a creek just north of Petaluma and bursting into flames. Officer Clark went down the steep embankment to find the suspect seriously injured but alive & conscious. Realizing that the suspect would likely be consumed by flames unless extracted immediately, Clark risked his own safety by lifting him bodily thru the missing windshield space, pulling the 270 pound man from the burning car to safety.

Closing remarks: Veteran Rotarian Jim Johnson, Club Historian and founding member of the Public Safety Committee, recalled that in the Santa Rosa of the 1980s and early 1990s, public safety had become a major local concern. With the growing emergence of local gang activities, high profile crimes of violence and passion had combined with the dramatic Loma Prieta Earthquake of 1989 and the extreme flooding of the Russian River a few months later to require exceptional efforts by both firefighters and law enforcement that deserved public recognition. Thence the city’s largest and oldest Rotary Club created the Public Safety Awards in 1994. The annual awards meeting is hereby adjourned until the conclusion of this year and early 2014.

 

OFFICERS

Rotary Club of Santa Rosa

President: Bill Rousseau, President Elect: Peggy Soberanis, Secretary: Jack Abercrombie, Treasurer: Cecil G. Humes, Sergeant at Arms: Jack Geary

President Rotary International

Sakuji Tanaka – Rotary Club of Yasjio, Japan

Governor, District 5130

Michael Juric – Rotary Club of Windsor

Attendance Secretary

Jack Abercrombie P.O. Box 505 Santa Rosa, CA 95402 707-538-4770

Board of Directors

Matt Fannin, Jose Guillen, Paul Hamilton, Nicole Le, Diane Moresi, Vinay Patel, Robert Pierce, Carmen Sinigiani, Creed Wood, Marnie Goldschlag, Past President