DIGITAL EDITION No. 296 December 12, 2018  EDITOR: Kris Anderson PHOTOGRAPHER: Diane Moresi PUBLISHER: Richard Lazovick

Our Program For Wednesday, December 19, 2018

UPCOMING SOCIALS                 

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

Opening Ceremonies:

Pledge of Allegiance: Tim Fawcett

Invocation:  Jeanne Levin Jeanne attended the funeral for Klara Susy Raful this last week. Susy was a concentration camp survivor. On a forced death march, she made it to Czechoslovakia. She met a U.S. soldier and was married to him for 71 years. She could have chosen to give up on that march. She could have dwelled on her terrible life for those few years of suffering around World War II. But she did not. She chose not to hate. What a role model she must have been for her friends and family.

Visiting Rotarians:

None today

Guests:

Nour Maxwell and Chad Maxwell; Sheryl Bratton

Sunshine Report:

Alan Hardcastle does not have stage 4 lymphoma as was feared.  He has molecular lymphoma that is easier to treat. 

Raffle:

Per Michael Moore, we have 5 marbles and $126.00 in the pot.  Kim Graves had the right ticket, but she pulled a yellow marble.  Better luck next week!

Cathy Vicini’s Joke of the Week:

Once upon a time, there was a cat who died.

When she got to heaven, God asked her how she liked being on earth.

She told the Lord that it was awful, she had to sleep in cold back alleys where there was no food and life was hard.

God told her that he was sorry it had had turned out that way but here, in heaven, she would be happy and He would give her the most comfortable, warm pillow to sleep on.

The cat laid down upon the pillow and was happy.

A few days later, about a dozen mice that came to heaven together and God asked them how they had liked earth.

Earth was no better for them than it was the cat.

They explained to God that it was tough and exhausting and their feet were worn out from always running from cats and dogs and people.

God felt bad for the mice and decided to give them roller-skates.

One day God sees the cat again and asked her how she was liking heaven.

She explained that it was absolutely wonderful.

The pillow he gave her was the most comfortable place that she had ever slept on, but even better than the pillow were the meals on wheels.

And thank you to Cathy for the wine condoms!

Announcements:

President Tony regrets to inform us that the lunch price is going up January 1^st to $29.00.  Also, there will no longer be a dessert option.

Pete Lescure is looking for fellowship signups. 

Rio Ray let us know that for the previous two weekend Rotary bell ringers raised 5476.06!

Ann and Jeff Gospe will be hosting a Rotary Christmas social at their home on Friday, December 21^st.  Please bring your beverage of choice and hors d’oeuve, dessert or other side dish to share. See attached flyer.  Information also on our Facebook page(s). Click here to download flyer.

Judy Glenn told the cookie bakers to bring their cookies to her house on Friday or Saturday morning.  Set up will be at Spreckles around 1:00.  Santa Claus will be ready to go when The Nutcracker is over.

Ted Wilmsen is now taking signups for the dictionaries in January.

President Tony says, “Don’t forget the Polio Plus buckets on the tables and we will have another free Paul Harris drawing once all the squares are sold.

Casey Carter says that Tim Fawcett has passed the written exam to get his driver’s license back.

Auction Time!

Cathy Vicini brought in a Corvin to auction off.  A Corvin is a way to get wine out of the bottle without opening it.  It inserts a needle to pour the wine and the bottle is topped off with argon gas.  The wine can be tapped again and again over, potentially, years and still be fresh.  They retail for $400.00.  Holly Garrettson won with a final bid of $275.  Then there were tickets for a show at the Luther Burbank Center for Saturday night.  Chip Rawson won that auction for $60.00.  The $335 for both auctions is going to the John Brown scholarship fund.

Recognitions:

Julia and Rose took the family to Washington DC.  They stayed at the Mayflower Hotel.  The room across from theirs was where Franklin Delano Roosevelt wrote one of his most famous speeches.

Fred Levin got a new car.

Ted Wilmsen celebrated his 45^th wedding anniversary

President Tony’s 5^th grandchild was born, Calice Anthony.  He also traded his Lexus in for a newer Lexus

What is a Zone?

Doug Johnson informed us that Rotary clubs are grouped into districts and districts are grouped into zones.  We are currently in Zone 25.  Due to less Rotarians in the United States vs. other parts of the world, the United States will be consolidated.  We will then be in one 24

Guest Speaker Sheryl Bratton, Sonoma County Administrator

Sheryl started this job October 24, 2016.  Sonoma County is made up of a half million residents within and around 30 cities.  84.4% have graduated from high school.  Our unemployment rate is 3.4%.  The median income is $73,000.  The median price of a home is $642,000.  The annual budget is about 1.69 billion.  Where that money goes is a challenge.

The fires on 2017 exasperated the challenges of a balanced budget.  Sheryl has suggested to the Board of Supervisors that there needs to be an Office of Recovery and Resiliency to deal with community preparedness and infrastructure.  This office is to have 5 positions and funded at 1.2 million per year.  Focus will be on housing, safety nets, economy and natural resources.

We lost 5000 homes in the fires and we will need 30,000 by 2023.  There are 39 fire agencies.  This needs to be reviewed considering new emergencies like last year’s fires.  Homelessness and behavior health are major issues.  The general plan needs to be updated for the 20 years starting 2020.  The population is changing.  More younger Latinos and more senior citizens.  What to do with the Glen Ellen psychiatric facility?  Our own, Fred Levin, brought up the pension issue. ????  The county has formed a committee of 7 people from the community.  The county is limited by the unions and employee contracts and commitments from previous years.  The pensions are well funded…..for now.

Governor, District 5130

Barb Spangler, Valley of the Moon Rotary Club

Attendance Secretary

Debi Zaft P.O. Box 505 Santa Rosa, CA 95402

Board of Directors

Club Service I, Membership, Ryan Thomas
Club Service II, Club Meetings, Jeff Kolin
Club Service III, Fundraising, Steve Baime
Club Service IV, Member Activities, Anne Gospe
Club Service V, Information Technology and Records, Brandon Urich
Community Service I, Member Involvement, Andrea Geary
Community Service II, Youth, Laura Held
Vocational Service, Carolyn Fassi
International Service, Peter Holewinski