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DIGITAL EDITION   No. 92   September 3, 2014     EDITOR: Matt Everson   PHOTOGRAPHER: Nicole Le

Our Program For September 10th

COPE

Iola Beckley, City of Santa Rosa COPE Coordinator

Iola Beckley, City of Santa Rosa COPE Coordinator

The Napa earthquake has woken up a lot of people who now feel they should be more prepared. Citizens Organized to Prepare for Emergencies (COPE) is the winner of the California League of Cities Helen Putnam Award for Excellence.

Iola Beckly, City of Santa Rosa COPE Coordinator will do a presentation to the club this week.

Iola Beckley began the volunteer position of COPE (Citizens Organized to Prepare for Emergencies) two years ago when Retired Fire Captain Craig Lowe resigned. Having been a survivor of the Great Alaskan Earthquake in 1964, and having lived in California for over 50 years experiencing numerous earthquakes during that time, this volunteer job seems just right for her. Iola will give you an overview of the City of Santa Rosa’s program that is sponsored by the Fire Department. Mr. Lee Dibble, COPE Radio Coordinator, will also speak briefly about the volunteer ham radio operators that connect neighborhoods to their local fire station and then to the Emergency Operating Center (EOC) with damage assessment reports and requests for assistance if needed

UPCOMING PROGRAMS

September 17: Chop’s Teen Club
September 24: Changing the Game
October 1: Forensic Dentistry – Jim Wood

USEFUL LINKS

Visit our district at: http://www.rotary5130.org
Check out Rotary International at: http://www.rotary.org
Come see us at: http://rotarymeansbusiness.com
Be prepared: http://srcity.org/departments/fire/firecorps/pages/cope.aspx
G
et your tickets at: http://worldpillowfightchampionships.com

OPENING CEREMONIES

President Mark opened the meeting and invited Vicki Hardcastle to lead our fine group in the Pledge of Allegiance.

Next, your bulletin editor for the week had invocation duty. With the start of school upon us all, I read a quote to help stamp out bullying-

“If you see someone struggling to make friends or being bullied because he/she is shy, not as pretty, or not wearing the ‘in’ clothes, or doesn’t have many friends…Step up and say “HI!” You never know what that person is facing and your kindness will make a difference.”

VISITING ROTARIANS

We had none. Zippo. Zilch.

GUESTS

I know soon-to-be-member Emily Harrington was a guest of Cecil Humes The ‘guest list’ was nowhere to be found after the meeting. I’m sure there were more! Maybe they were “Polterguests”!

Raffle winners Steve Olsen and Karen Ball

Raffle winners Steve Olsen and Karen Ball

TODAY’S RAFFLE

The raffle had $79 on the line. Steve Olson pulled the winner for the men and Karen Ball for the other side! President Burchill asked a few trivia questions. Steve knew what a Ditty Bag was. Karen did not. Steve won. Do you know what a ditty bag is? Clue – it is not related to a woman’s bra…

ROTARY MAGAZINE QUESTION

The question to be asked on September 10th is…  What does Mr. Levi’s My-T-Fine Soul Sauce have to do with Rotary? (answer page 43)

BIRTHDAYS

Mrs. Karbousky invited Bart, Cecil, Ryan, Penny, and Jackie up to hear a little song. You know the one – “Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you…” That one. Except in this group, no one sang the final refrain “and many more…” Others sharing a birthday this month but not present were Carl Campbell & Doug Chase.

September birthdays

September birthdays

ANNOUNCEMENTS

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  • Bocce Ball try-outs! Who is up for a Inter-Sonoma County Rotary Club Bocce Ball smack down!? I am! Sometime in October. Dates to be announced.
  • Want to look slick? Stylish? Well, we have the clothes for you. Rotary emblem emblazoned on things like sleeveless fleece vests, button down denim shirts, golf shirts, and more! One request, if I may, to the hardworking Ginny Cannon who has done a wonderful job on all these fine items? Speaking for the sub-50 year old members – any chance we could add one item in here that might appeal to the younger set? A sweet Rotary Hoodie maybe?
  • Queen Jeanne announced she is “collecting old things” and as she “already has Fred” she is looking for more vintage Rotary stuff. Magazines, shirts, pictures. Contact Jeanne.
  • Pillow Fights STILL need a few beer pouring pros. Email Tech Pro Don McMillan
  • World Community Service will meet next Tuesday at Rick Allen’s.

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Eunice Valentine receiving her blue badge

Eunice Valentine receiving her blue badge

BLUE BADGE

Almost to the day that she joined our Club a year ago (September 11, 2013) Eunice Valentine proudly received her blue badge from President Mark. Congratulations, Eunice!

RECOGNITIONS

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  • Rich de Lambert was dinged for a photo showing him trying to put the moves on Dan Schell’s wife, Nancy. Well, 60 years ago! But Dan still isn’t over it.
  • The aforementioned Queen Jeanne has a new car! A Ford Escape. She claimed it is very useful as a car, can even haul manure. Ray Dorfman quipped “Hey, I was IN THAT CAR LAST WEEK! Are you saying I’m manure?” To which your editor piped in “No Ray – that was when she was hauling ass!”
  • Robbie Fouts wasn’t even recognized for going to …excuse my yawn…Burning Man. Did you wear your sleeveless Rotary fleece?   He was peeved that the whole event has gone so mainstream. While he was cliché in being a Burner, he was unique in his generosity, giving $200 total and spreading it around many different causes.
  • Will Haymaker went up to Alaska. He brought back a few cool things for the year-end Presidential auction. A condom and lip balm made of moose droppings! “It may not help your chapped lips but will at least get you to stop licking them!” was that company’s motto. Also, a “real Alaskan t-shirt – made in Mexico.” His best gift, ice from the glaciers, melted…
  • You editor was dinged for his new Mazda 6. Cathy Vicini ratted me out! But it is ok! I deserved it.
  • Some Happy Bucks happened. Two of my favorites were that Ray Giampali’s son is coming home from Afghanistan! YES! And then that Kathleen Archer’s daughter, Erin, has a job at the prestigious DC law firm – Dewey, Cheatum and Howe.

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Photographer Robert Pierce giving his Rotary Business minute

Photographer Robert Pierce giving his Rotary Business minute

ROTARY MEANS BUSINESS MOMENT

Robert Pierce let our Club know that he is back in the business of making you look way better than you look in real life. “I’m not retired!” he told the club. “I only look like it…”

If you’d like a new portrait for your website, business brochure or that special family heirloom you should call Robert today.

PROGRAM

Yale Abrams introduced today’s two guest presenters. He said he’d seen this talk from PG&E and Sonoma Clean power before and found it most interesting. Yet your editor was left wanting. Matt Spence from PGE and Geof Syphers from SCP were quite friendly. And, if you wanted to know a few things about PG&E or SCP, you were able to gain that from the talk. However, neither side even attempted to make a case for us as to why a Sonoma County citizen should choose one over the other.

Nor was it clear to me who is paying for the SCP experiment. It is an experiment as Geof mentioned time and again, “we’ll have more data soon.”

We had thoughtful and respectful questions posed to both. True to form, those questions were not answered by either man for what appeared to be a mortal fear of making a concise point or stance.

What a shame. Steve Olson asked, “As the power, at the end of transmission, comes over PG&E wires, how do I know if the power my home uses is ‘clean’ or ‘dirty’?”

Speakers

Speakers Geof Syphens from SCP and Matt Spence from PG&E

A legitimate question. The answer was “You don’t.” What?

“But if you don’t know, why would you pay for clean power? Why is this whole thing even exsistent?” The answer from Geof , and I am really paraphrasing here, was “well, it just makes you feel better.”

The reality is, we don’t know anymore as I write this than I did before our meeting Wednesday..

It seems that if you elect SCP, it is a philosophical (and potentially costlier) election rather than a true choice between competing power sources. One may elect to pay SCP but one may NOT, apparently, actually get SCP-sourced energy. Did that last sentence confuse you? You’re not alone.

In general, most folks would likely agree that clean power sources are best for the planet. But in practice, SCP doesn’t seem to provide anything more than an opportunity to help folks feel good. Like a bumper sticker that says your kid is the student of the month or something. But maybe that’s just your editor being cynical…

I had truly hoped to get some straight talk from both organizations. I don’t know why I hoped for that. But I left the discussion no more informed than when it began. That’s too bad.

 

OFFICERS

Rotary Club of Santa Rosa Officers

President: Mark Burchill, President Elect: Jose Guillen, President Elect Nominee: Doug Johnson, Past President: Peggy Soberanis, Secretary: Jack Abercrombie, Treasurer: Cecil G. Humes, Sergeant at Arms: Jack Geary

President Rotary International

Gary C.K. Huang, member of the Rotary Club of Taipei, Taiwan

Governor, District 5130

Kevin Eisenberg, member of the Rotary Club of Calistoga

Attendance Secretary

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

Board of Directors

Karen Ball, Tim Delaney, Debra Dorfman, Tim Fawcett, Bill Hatcher, John McHugh, Jack Tolin, Cathy Vicini