Irvine Spectrum Rotary News

Gillian's demotion party success

2010-07-13T16:53:00.000-07:00

By Past President Gillian Bradshaw

Hello to my "former subjects"!

Greetings from Providence, RI - appropriate location since Providence is "the power sustaining and guiding human destiny" which is what we Rotarians are trying to do ... and of course RI is not only the abbreviation for Rhode Island ...?! Providence indeed!

Anyway, my Demotion party was absolutely BRILLIANT! THANK YOU!

I was "shaken, not stirred" by our very own Tom Bond (a hair-raising experience!) - thank you so much to Tom and his beautiful wife, Sonya - our hosts at Mahony Castle!

What a tremendous honor to have our "Queen of the District" Johrita in attendance, along with her husband, and her "XOs" Rae and Roy, as well as others from the District - I hope you will join us at many more events! I can't wait to see what Mark Brubaker (or was that"Mike?!) cooks up for Mody next year!

I'm glad that Bret still has his head on his shoulders after surviving his year as DG, though I guess he knew he was going to as "Priceless" Shapiro had managed to!

And Mody --- thanks for toning it down a little -- I know you had wanted to do some outrageous things that would not befit a new President! Seriously, though, I know you have been planning this for months - now you can relax (oh no, you can't - you have to run 52 meetings, 12 Board meetings, attend President's Dinners .... and so much more - and all so much fun!).

I'm not lying when I say I was "speechless" when I saw the video Randy created - I can't wait to have a copy! I love Rowan Atkinson and Monty Python and do indeed try to "always look on the bright side of life! I can't wait to show it (and the flyer) to my family in England next month! They may be having second thoughts about where I chose to emigrate?!

Speaking of lies ... er ... spies ... I think Austin (no, not that Austin as in Wall) Powers aka Tony Murcia has to win the prize for best costume and performance! Yeah baby!

Rick Topping - it is a rare person who can pull Robin away from a camping weekend or yoga retreat - well done - and thanks for getting him to our wedding on time as our best man! And also for inviting your goddaughter, Caroline, and her sister Sarah and husband Kevin - I can't think of a better way for us to have a family gathering! And, of course, without you, I wouldn't have joined ISRC!!

Al, I was honored to be initiated into the Jewish ... er ... what was that .... todaraba and Shalom for that!

Diane, it was such fun to have you part of the party rather than sweating it out in the kitchen!! I bet you can make a mean Shepherd's pie and trifle, though?! The ringlets did indeed save buying another wig - and your role in the skit was very clever.

And the other "jesters at court" were very amusing too - Mark, Dale, Barry, Al, Vicki, Mody, Tom, Rick .... who have I missed?!

Luana - as always, clever decorations and "sweets" - I loved the tea bag flowers, and "anyone for coffee, Mate?!"

And Kathy, because I know you had a big hand in all of this, party-giver supreme!

The food was delicious! Very authentic indeed - I thought the caterer might have been The Olde Ship, but Robin thought not?! Scrumptious!

It was great to see so many members, and so many guests!

Bob, Becky, and Dan - it was so nice that you could join us too!

Oh, I could go on all night (actually, I have gone on all night - it is 4 am in Rhode Island!), and I am sorry if I missed anyone!

So I will bid you adieu and leave you singing "Always look on the bright side of life" because that's what this Rotary family makes me do!

Thanks again a "gillian" times!

Gillian

Anaheim over the years

2010-06-16T13:46:00.000-07:00

by Ray Sanford

Anaheim native Steve Faessel gave a fascinating history of Anaheim and Orange County, complete with photos of the early years.

Faessel served on the Orange County Historical Commission until June 2006. Faessel served on the Commission’s Editorial Board for the republishing of the Orange County history, 100 Years of Yesterdays. He has served as the Commission’s Chair for the 2000 and 2001 terms.

He is a volunteer researcher for the Anaheim Public Library in the Elizabeth Schultz Local History Room. In addition to being the Anaheim Public Utility Department’s unofficial Historian, he has written a number of articles on Anaheim including his recently published illustrated local history books for Arcadia Publishing, Early Anaheim, and Anaheim: 1940-2007. In addition to these, Faessel recently completed a large format illustrated history of Anaheim for Turner Publishing: Historic Photos of Anaheim. A new small-format book for Turner Publishing: Recalling Anaheim has just been published.

The two Tony(i)s

2010-06-16T13:38:00.000-07:00

Tony Murcia gave up his red badge this week in exchange for a blue one from Toni Thomas.

Congratulations, Tony

Haiti Clinic

2010-06-09T13:33:00.000-07:00

By Ray Sanford

The program this week was about the Dental Care for Children project in Haiti. Rotarian Austin Wall, DDS and Chuck Tozzer, DDS traveled to Les Cayes, Haiti to hold a dental clinic for orphaned children.

You can see the photos here.

Irvine Dental Screenings

2010-06-05T14:54:00.000-07:00

By Ray Sanford

The Irvine Dental Screenings project went off without a hitch on Saturday.

We set a new record. We saw 126 kids — 40% more than last year!

Dr. Tozzer and Dr. Wall were both from Dental Care for Children and have participated every year since the inception of this program. Amazingly, they'd just returned from doing several clinics in Haiti!

You can learn more about the work Dental Care for Children does at http://www.dentalcareforchildren.org

The Assisteens, as usual, were organized, efficient and in control. Kudos to Tricia and Lizzie, who planned, scheduled and trained the young women so well there were no hiccups. Great work!

Our veteran school nurses had everything ready to go and kept all the forms, kids and parents organized. I'm sure it was like herding cats at times, but it never showed.

School Board member Dr. Gavin Huntley-Fenner dropped by for a visit so we put him to work being a dental assistant to Dr. Tozzer. It's no wonder the IUSD runs so well with people like Gavin on the board.

Goodies and coffee were provided by Todd Wardlaw at The Corner Bakery in The Marketplace. Many thanks for their continued support. Please patronize Corner Bakery and let them know how much you appreciate their support.

Photos of the event are here.

U.S. Coast Guard - Terrorist Watch

2010-04-27T05:49:00.000-07:00

The U.S. Coast Guard paid a visit to the Irvine Spectrum Rotary Club to inform the members and guests about the potential for terrorism, specifically to the Los Angeles and San Pedro ports. Coast Guard officer, Commander Matlin and Auxiliary Coast Guard member, Captain Jacobs (also the former president of the Whittier Rotary Club) spoke about the importance of civilian vigilance in keeping an eye on the 95,000 miles of shoreline, 300 thousand square miles of waterway, 6,000 bridges and 361 ports of call in the United States.

Captain Jacobs shared the need for everyone out on the water to work as partners in fighting terrorism via small crafts and boats. Captain Jacobs also displayed the primary goals of terrorism: to weaken and disrupt daily life and cause a nation to live in fear. He also stated that since 9/11 many Americans have lived with their heads in the sand, refusing to recognize the threat of terrorism.

America shares three international borders with Canada, Mexico and Russia (via Alaska), making the U.S. a target for small vessels, which provide access to IEDs, weapons of mass destruction, small arms, biological and nuclear weapons. Jacobs stated, “We need to develop the Israeli / British mind-set toward terrorism – it is part of our life.” In addition, the U.S. needs to develop a fast recovery that defeats the terrorist objectives, as terrorists gain power by disrupting our way of life. As we found out this past weekend, there are individuals here who wish to do Americans harm.

“Trust your gut,” says Jacobs. After viewing a short movie and message from the Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard, Jacobs gave the Club the following number to call if anyone sees suspicious activity in the water: 877-24WATCH. However, if you see something very concerning, call 911. For more information on how you can be a partner with the U.S. Coast Guard go to: http://www.uscg.mil/top/missions/M_Security.asp

Blue Badges at Fairhaven Memorial

2010-04-14T09:51:00.000-07:00

by Ray Sanford

Ray Benedicktus, Lisa Grajewski and Randy Woods receive their blue badges from Toni and Mody.

Three club members received their blue badges during our club's offsite visit to Fairhaven Memorial hosted by club member Marla Noel.

We all got a tour of both the public and private areas to see just what goes on "behind the scenes." Even though they are busy, they made sure our members didn't see actual cases. [whew!]

What a lot of members didn't know is the huge amount of talented people with very specialized knowledge it takes to run an organization of this size. Fairhaven employes almost 90 full time staff. Their counselors are trained in both the religious and cultural aspects involved in the loss of a loved one and how to honor their life.

Working Wardrobes

2010-04-07T17:51:00.000-07:00

This year marks the 20th anniversary of Working Wardrobes. Founded by Jerri Rosen Working Wardrobes provides assistance to men and women in difficult situations who benefit from receiving help in preparing for interviews and new jobs. Several organizations throughout Orange County work as a referral source for the organization.

Entering the program, Working Wardrobe clients receive a six-week course, that provides insight into the interview process and preparation for new employment. In addition, clients receive three outfits, personal grooming tips and a “new look.” As of this 20th anniversary, Working Wardrobes has transformed over 50,000 lives.

In addition to providing training and resources Working Wardrobes has three thrift shops in Brea, Laguna Niguel, and Tustin. All of these shops, along with community donations, benefit the organization. The shops take in clothing that is not necessarily appropriate for job interviews. Ninety percent of proceeds from the shops go to funding Working Wardrobes.

Another source of income is “Ladies Night Out.” These nights can be arranged with The Hanger shops and are a great way to get together with friends and raise money for Working Wardrobes at the same time!

If you would like to donate your gently worn clothing to Working Wardrobes, bring it to Rotary club meetings and let Al know!

Ensenada Dental Clinic a milestone.

2010-03-28T09:03:00.000-07:00

by Ray Sanford

Our club celebrated it's 11th international dental clinic this weekend by helping the children of Escuela Primaria "La Esperanza" in a remote section of Ensenada. This very poor neighborhood is comprised mostly of immigrants from the southern regions of Mexico and Central America who have moved north looking for work.

Each clinic is at a different school and is picked by the Ensenada Calafia Rotary Club in conjunction with the Ensenada Department of Education to pick the school most in need. This clinic was attended by almost 50 children, each sporting a Rotary sticker. Altogether, over $36,000 of free dental services was delivered in one long day.

The clinic also marked Dr. Tozzer's and Dental Care for Children's 90th clinic in Baja California over the last 18 years. In a ceremony during the clinic, dignitaries from Ensenada and Baja California arrived to present him with a plaque noting his continued giving to the citizens of Ensenada. To date, the amount of free dental services the organization has provided to the Ensenada region tops $2.5 million.

Notable were the volunteers from around the world. Besides dentists and specialists from Southern California, others came from Peru, Brazil, India, Lebanon, Egypt and Armenia. Joining them were more students from the USC Dental School and a visiting Rotarian from London, England.

While our club members have helped by painting, building and furnishing school supplies in the past, this clinic marked a transition to having most of the work done by the children and families who were receiving treatment. This way, the clinic isn't a "hand-out" as each person gives back something to support the school. Entire families, as well as club members from both Irvine Spectrum and Ensenada Calafia clubs pitched in to plant trees and do much needed repainting.

Saturday evening, while the USC students were busy visiting the attractions in downtown Ensenada, the Rotarians were treated to a fabulous dinner at the home of Fabiola and Miguel Valdez. Fabiola is an Ensenada dentist and a member of the Ensenada Calafia Rotary club.

More photos

Irvine Spectrum Rotary goes "Hands On"

2010-03-24T16:35:00.000-07:00

The Irvine Spectrum Rotary recently gave a gift to a local food pantry that brought their years' giving to five thousand dollars! "The club has not only generously given of their dollars" said Ed Ewart, Executive Director of South County Outreach, "the members have been on site all year round handing out turkeys at the holidays, donating back-packs for low-income children and even mopping the pantry floors and painting donation barrels."

$1,500 of the grant was funded by the Rotary District 5320 matching grant foundation chaired by Grant Eagle. This district grant was applied for by Steve Zivolich, the community services donation chair of the Irvine Spectrum Rotary Club Board of Directors. The remainder of the $5,000 donation was made up of donations and fund raising efforts of the Irvine Spectrum Rotary Club membership. In addition to the financial donation, several Rotary members volunteer their time at the South County Outreach food bank including Peggy Slater who also serves on the South County Outreach Board of Directors.

"This is the kind of community partnership that makes a difference in the lives of people" said Ewart. Through the Rotarians generosity, and that of other donors South County Outreach was able to provide 63,714 services to individuals in need last year. Emergency services include groceries and financial assistance but more importantly the agency attempts to provide tools that help people help themselves. Those tools include a Computer Learning Center. where people receive free job skill training and the opportunity to develop a Self Sufficiency Action Plan that helps people take charge of their financial future.

"I want to express our deepest appreciation to the volunteers and donors of the Irvine Spectrum Rotary and Rotary International for their incredible generosity and for giving a "hand up" to people in need with their "hands on" service", said Ed Ewart.

Irvine Spectrum helps fund program for persons with disabilities

2010-03-24T16:34:00.000-07:00

Jewish Family Services of Orange County has announced the launching of it’s new program to provide supports to persons with disabilities and their families. The new program titled Special Needs Support Services (SNSS) will help families and persons with disabilities, to facilitate services that are provided in inclusive and community based contexts. As a Jewish Family Service program, SNSS is non-sectarian and therefore services are available to the entire community.

Dr. Jan Weiner the new SNSS program coordinator is also a staff member of the special education department at California State University, Fullerton. Dr. Weiner has over 25 years of experience in the field of disabilities with a special emphasis on best practice programs for persons with autism spectrum disorder. She was also the project director of the Full Inclusion Pre-school Project that resulted in over 100 students with significant disabilities integrating into regular pre-school programs throughout Orange County.

Dr. Weiner noted, that “The SNSS program will include information regarding laws/legislation on families’/consumers’ rights, authentic assessment, strategy development for positive behavior support, advisement on evidence based best practice, universal design, accommodations consultation, collaboration with schools and other community facilities to design inclusive opportunities, assistance with developing IEP/ITP/IFS goals and objectives and referrals to additional resources”.

Dr. Weiner also explained that “this program was initiated and designed based on an extensive needs assessment completed by the Jewish Family Service Special Needs Commission, that is representative of the Orange County community of persons with disabilities and their families”.

SNSS has received funding support to date from two individual family donations and the Irvine Spectrum Rotary Club.

Ensenada Dental Clinic

2010-03-16T12:33:00.000-07:00

The school for our upcoming dental clinic has been selected. It's in the same general area as the last clinic but it's smaller and even poorer.

Lupita Creo, International chair for the Ensenada Calafia club is arranging discounted prices on rooms at the Hotel Coral, our 5-star home away from home.
http://hotelcoral.com/English/html/Hotel/Hotel.html

She's also passing the word to the school principal and teachers that we expect the families of the children treated to assist in any fix-up work we're doing. This is to keep the families involved and to help them take ownership of the school so our efforts to fix it up will remain.

View Larger Map

The singing angel

2010-03-10T12:25:00.000-08:00

Irvine Spectrum Rotary was serenade by the Harmony Partners barbershop quartet. Partners in Harmony, an organization started by Warren Willard, a founding member of our club, is dedicated to supporting youth vocal programs in middle and high schools. The group recently raised money for Tesoro High School to allow for a quartet to compete in the Far Western Competition in Reno.

Following the barbershop quartet the club heard from Naomi Montero, a ten year old 4th grader who raised the roof with her beautiful soprano voice.

Naomi’s family immigrated to the US to realize Naomi’s potential. She currently studies voice lessons with Selma Hayak’s mother and is enrolled in a charter school with an emphasis on the arts.

The Irvine Spectrum Club donated $1,000 to support Partner's in Harmony training and several members of the club presented individual donations to help Naomi.

If you are interested in donating please contact John Alcorn.

Everyone has a secret!

2010-03-03T12:24:00.000-08:00

According to Randy Wood, everyone has a secret! Randy gave his inaugural Craft Talk on March 3rd. His business: keeping people honest.

Randy helps businesses keep people honest by providing detection and prevention of fraud through education, technology and kinesics interviews and interrogation.

Randy shared that businesses loose up to seven percent (annually) due to fraud and it often goes undetected for years. Small private businesses tend to be the biggest losers due to asset misappropriation. This past year has been especially significant with regard to fraud as financial targets are harder to achieve, people are afraid of loosing jobs, companies are offering fewer bonuses and many employees are doing more work for the same amount of pay.

Thanks to Randy for educating us on how to watch out for deviance in the workplace!

Former Irvine Spectrum Rotarian Enters Assembly Race

2010-02-10T08:00:00.000-08:00

Dan Hoffman, a former Irvine Spectrum Rotary Club member, expressed his desire to run for California State Assembly. Petitioning to put his name on the ballot, Hoffman will run for the 70th District. Assemblyman Chuck DeVore (R) currently holds the 70th District seat, which includes Irvine. DeVore is leaving the Assembly due to term limits. After giving a brief review of politics in California, Hoffman shared the procedure of running for office.

Hoffman, who has lived in Irvine in 15 years, states he is the best Republican to take this seat. He expressed his concern for the current state of California and said that is the main reason he is running. Current issues with California include the loss of $16 billion and paying more money for California’s prisons versus education. Tuitions at state universities have increased exponentially across California, wherein salaries for correction officers exceed that of educators. Hoffman went on to share that in 2006 California spent $227 million in overtime to certain groups of corrections officers.

As a result of the economy, according to Hoffman, there have been severe cuts across the state affecting all services. As a result many incumbents are disillusioned and not looking to run for office again. The state’s loss of a substantial amount of its budget is the main reason Hoffman says he is running for office, “I’m looking to raise money and create jobs for the state without raising taxes.” Hoffman also believes it is time to stop passing laws for the sake of passing laws.

Myanmar Water Project

2010-02-03T10:04:00.000-08:00

John Brainerd spoke about Rotary’s water program in Myanmar. Major activity in Myanmar is agriculture – even orphanages grown gardens. However, due to a lack of infrastructure, children had to walk to a river to fill buckets and carry them quite a distance back to the orphanage garden. Instead of attending school and socializing children were carrying buckets of water back and forth to take care of the garden.

Two and a half billion people lack access to clean water. Each year 1.8 million people die from diarrhea, much of it cause from severe diseases such as cholera, typhoid, and dysentery. Eighty-eight percent of deaths are due to unsafe water or inadequate sanitation or hygiene, and 1.4 million are children ages five and younger, according to the World Health Organization. Malnutrition- related deaths of children five and under caused by unsafe water, inadequate sanitation, and insufficient hygiene total 860,000 a year.

When Rotary inquired further as to what Myanmar needed most – physicians in Myanmar stated they needed permanent water projects. Though a daunting project, Rotary agreed and has already designed and built 15 of the 60 requested systems. Working with Save the Children and the Myanmar Compassion Project, the project is serving 200 orphanages. Seventy to eighty percent of the water is used for agriculture, ten percent is used for kitchen use, and ten percent is used for laundry. The children now have time for school and social activities. Newport continues to work with Maesai Rotary to keep the project alive.

To find out more about the Myanmar Water Project, including the project’s entire history and how to make donations go to: http://www.myanmarwater.org/

Laguna College of Arts and Design

2010-01-13T11:38:00.000-08:00

Laguna College of the Arts & Design student Trevor Christianson presented his junior class artwork to the Spectrum Rotary Club. Introduced by the school’s VP of Development, Patsee Ober, Trevor also thanked the Club and Fairhaven for his scholarship he received.

Laguna College of the Arts and Design, an accredited college, and requires a portfolio from applicants, is home to 110 students and will celebrate its 50th anniversary in two years. Located in the Laguna Canyon, it is a beautiful campus and well designed for art students. The school provides education at the bachelor and master level, creating future artists who express their talent through traditional art, i.e. painting, sculpture, sketching to newer forms of art such as animation and game art. Ninety six percent of the college’s students benefit from financial aid.

Trevor shared the story of his journey to LCAD. Originally from Northern California, Trevor attended community college before being accepted at LCAD. Impressed by the success of the students, Trevor made LCAD his priority. He shared the process of his paintings – from beginning to end – and shared that the best teachers teach them to use their gifts and strengths.

Patsee offered the Club to visit the school to view the students’ artwork on display. The school is at 2222 Laguna Canyon Road, Laguna Beach, CA 92651. Please contact Patsse Ober at 949.376.6000 x229 to find out more about the school.

Beautiful Taiwan

2010-01-06T07:37:00.000-08:00

by Lisa Grajewski

Speaker: Maxine Lu—Project Manager, Taiwan Tourism Bureau

National Geographic Travel has described Taiwan as the “best kept secret.” After a stunning presentation by Maxine Lu, it would be hard to disagree with the magazine’s assessment.

The Island, off the South East coast of China, is a 14 hour flight from Los Angles and well wroth the time in the air! Approximately 14,400 square miles, Taiwan is slightly larger than Maryland. It is home to 23 million people, all of whom speak a myriad of languages: from Mandarin and Taiwanese to Hakka and other indigenous languages. English is also a prominent language in Taiwan.

The Taiwan Tourism Bureau has worked hard to market Taiwan, drawing visitors from all walks of life – for all reasons. The new logo for Taiwan:

T = A house
A = the host
I = the guest
W = host & guest shaking hands
A & N = The host is offering tea to the guest

For those participating in the Rotary trip to Taiwan there is a lot to choose from for the traveler. Whether you are interested in art, and decide to visit the National Palace Museum, home to one of the largest collections of Chinese art and one of the top museums in the world or you want to ride on the Alishan, one of three remaining Alpine trains – Taiwan will keep you busy. For the foodies, Din Tai Fung, one of the top 10 gourmet restaurants in the world (according to NY Times) is an opportunity to experience delicate and delectable dumplings. And, as Taiwan encapsulates the best of Chinese cuisine, you will have many other opportunities to temp your taste buds!

Taiwan is also known for its natural beauty, diverse species (a quarter of the world’s animal species are found in Taiwan, as well as exclusive species) and breath taking destinations, such as Sun Moon Lake - Taiwan’s “Lake Tahoe” and a favorite honeymoon destination. Sunrise is particularly favorable as the water changes color with the rising son.

Along side the environmental diversity, Taiwan is diverse in its racial, cultural, and ethnic makeup as well. In addition to the several languages spoken in Taiwan, cultural influences from the Chinese, Japanese, Spanish, Dutch, English and others can be found in the tiny country. It truly seems there is something for everyone in Taiwan.

Judge David O. Carter

2009-12-23T10:24:00.000-08:00

By Lisa Grajewski

U.S. Federal judge David O. Carter spoke to the Irvine Spectrum Rotary on Wednesday, December 23. Judge Carter, who has been involved in an Orange County case questioning President Obama’s citizenship, explained that the power to remove a sitting president from office resides with Congress, not the judiciary.

Judge Carter then spoke about his recent visits to Afghanistan and the state of the US military in that region. He stated the Taliban has created a rift with the communities of the region by using the area as shelter. Judge Carter also discussed the precarious situation with the intelligence agency of Pakistan, vis-à-vis possible breaches in security for the U.S. Due to a pending trial, Judge Carter had to make his talk brief, but offered to return and speak about other topics of interest.

Judge Carter received both his bachelor's degree and his law degree from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). After graduating from college, Carter accepted a commission in the United States Marine Corps and was promptly ordered to Vietnam where he received, among other awards, a Bronze Star and Purple Heart for his valiant service in Vietnam. In addition to the Obama case, Judge Carter has been involved with other interesting cases such as the Mexican Mafia trials (United States v. Fernandez, et al), Anna Nicole Smith (In re Marshall), Aryan Brotherhood Trials (United States v. Mills, et al) and Gay-Straight Alliance (Colin ex rel. Colin v. Orange Unified School District).

Irvine Spectrum Rotary welcomes three new members

2009-12-23T09:28:00.000-08:00

Membership Chair Toni Thomas welcomes three new members to the The Irvine Spectrum Rotary club. From left above, Diane Parriott, Lisa Grajewski, Toni Thomas, and Randy Woods.

Run for the Wall - Bob Yaap

2009-12-15T05:43:00.001-08:00

Bob Yaap gave his craft talk to the Irvine Spectrum Rotary club last Wednesday. Bob, who was one of the founding members, had the distinction of giving the inaugural craft talk when the club began. An entrepreneur, Bob has owned several businesses, from Burger King franchises to Great Pacific Securities, which he started in 1990.

A graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point, Bob flew helicopters in Vietnam, loosing 19 of his classmates. He has since gone on to support U.S. veterans by getting involved in Run for the Wall, a motorcycle ride from California to the Vietnam Memorial in Washington, DC.

According to the website, “Run For The Wall recognizes the sacrifices and contributions made by all veterans who have served our nation. Veterans of recent conflicts and those currently on active duty are especially welcome to join us as we ride for those who cannot.”

Bob shared pictures and stories of the cross country ride that he took with his good friend, a Vietnam veteran, who lost his leg in the war, and 800 hundred other veterans, friends, family members and supporters of service members involved in past and current conflicts.

What Matters Now

2009-12-14T08:30:00.000-08:00

Click below for some thoughts about the coming year.

Thanksgiving with Marines

2009-11-30T19:53:00.000-08:00

by Tim Wolin

We participated in the Marines' Thanksgiving that Rick Topping proposed. It was great. I think my family enjoyed it more than the marines. My son and I picked them up early in the morning. The marines had MREs for breakfast, so we immediately went to breakfast (again). Later my wife put out a huge Thanksgiving dinner.

We ended up on the phone with both of their families (Texas and Missouri) and all exchanged contact info.

We are excited about next year as well.

This was a cool email from one of the Marine's moms:

I love this pic! Thank you so much for sharing it with me. It's so nice to know there are families out there that are looking out for our boys when they are away from home on holidays. God will certainly bless you for that!

Thank goodness for those women that enjoy cooking! I know Justin and his friend really enjoyed a good home-cooked meal. Please thank your wife for that.

If you take any more pics today please don't hesitate sending them on to me.

I'm going to send this pic to everyone on my email list!

Be sure and look us up when you pass thru. We will always have a place for you and your family here @ our home.

Thanks and God Bless!

Sandy

OCTA

2009-11-18T15:44:00.000-08:00

by Mody Gorsky

The Spectrum Rotary Club presented a check of $1,000 to Allison Burnigham in support of her walk for breast cancer.

Sarah Swensson and Eileen Padberg from Orange County Transit Authority (OCTA) provided some education on the upcoming Metrolink increase in 2010. The link will increase service between Fullerton and Laguna Niguel.

OCTA is working with cities where enhancements are taking place to allow for safety measures. Cities along the route, such as Irvine, which has two locations to be enhanced, are being informed of details behind the pending construction.

A surprising amount of the public (80%) is unaware of train crossing safety. As a result of the research that came up with this figure, OCTA has teamed up with Operation Life Force to put together an awareness campaign focusing on: education, engineering and enforcement.
OCTA is going to schools to educate children about crossing tracks safely, and working with community leaders to build awareness.

In addition, local law enforcement will issue citations to those not follow train safety laws, emphasizing the importance of safety laws in place. “Forty five percent [of drivers] speed up to get through gates closing; 20% stop on the tracks and 7,000 pedestrians neglect to look both ways when crossing [the tracks]” Says Sarah Swensson.

OCTA is working with communities and businesses near the tracks in order to help them understand how the changes will affect their cities and businesses. One of the strategies will be to institute “Quiet Zones.” No horns will be blown [by the trains], but instead crossing will utilize lights and bells to warn those near the track.

To find out more about the OCTA upgrade, visit the updated website

The website provides information on the new project and a toll free number to lodge concerns and complaints.

Ensenada Dental Clinic

2009-11-14T12:47:00.000-08:00

By Pat Rodgers

Good morning, friends, from beautiful Ensenada, Mexico. Have been here since Friday evening, as part of our Rotary Club Dental Clinic and work day at a local school. The hotel is a great one, overlooking the marina and Pacific ocean and light years ahead of Motel 6.

Our Rotary Club does a Dental Clinic and work project several times a year down here and this is the first one I have attended. I must say, it was a worthwhile experience.

The Dental Care for Children van and it's group of volunteer dentists, along with students from the USC dental school, were well organized and treated over 50 kids from a local elementary school. There was over $24,000 worth of dental services delivered.

Then the rest of us, the common laborers, undertook the work project of repainting the block walls of the school buildings which were adorned with graffiti. After a quick trip to Home Depot, to pick up the paint and supplies, we embarked on the project. It took about six hours of manual labor and true to the Rodgers painting form, I got as much paint on me as I did the school. Fortunately, it was water based paint and cleaned up easily.

The parents and kids from the school were great and many pitched in and helped. I had forgotten the joys of manual labor, especially painting with rollers and brushes. At the end of the day, I remembered why I have such great respect for people who do painting for a living. Stepping back and looking at the finished project however, we did a pretty god job for amateurs.

The kids got their teeth fixed and a clean new looking school building. In viewing their basketball court, I also noted that neither of the two backboards had baskets, so while we were getting paint, I also dropped into the local Wal-Mart and picked up two baskets and two new basketballs for them. The school principal was most appreciative and the kids will enjoy their basketball court again.

All in all it was a successful trip. The folks I am riding with have to leave early this morning to get to a funeral back home this afternoon. Hopefully, there will not be a long line at the border, since we are leaving early. Hope that each of you has an enjoyable Sunday and my best wishes to all.