Windsor Rotary Archived Bulletins

Author: Tom Boylan

  • 2020-01-21 Hon. Authur (Andy) Wick

    CLICK HERE TO SEE DOCUMENTS RELATING TO THE LATEST CLUB MEETING

    PDF of Meeting Slides: January 21 Rotary Meeting

    The meeting got off to a great start at 7:30 with a ringadabell by President Maureen Merrill. 

    There was a “Four-Way” recital by everyone.

    Martin Luther King Junior’s words stood in for the ailing Susan Cole, who is dealing with the flu. 

    “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”   Martin Luther King Jr.

    After a moment of silence to take in the words of MLK, we had a song sung with enthusiasm… “Wild Thing.”

    Photojournalism provided by Sue Nelson –  scribbles by Tom Boylan.

    Guest of Rotarians:

    Barbara McChesney with Dancing with the Stars and Stripes was introduced by Leslie Lewis.

    Matt Rush was introduced by his friend and our member Jason Black. 

    Renee Hyde introduced Lauren Anatoli with Sonoma State Culinary services.

    Larry Wasem stepped up and introduced our program speaker and former Windsor Rotarian Judge Andy Wick.

    Brian Williams, principal of Windsor Middle School was welcomed and introduced by Michael Juric, who then went on to introduce Windsor Town Council member Esther Lemus.

    Announcements:

    Glenn Sugden got the shout out as Powerhouse Rotarian of the Month.

    Fine master and Niner fan Leslie Lewis recruited Pam Moulton to help her find those that were not present at her home for the big game. 

    A slew of Rotarians fell prey to her fundraising techniques when she started asking for money from those who failed to read the Windsor Rotary bulletin, and then she targeted those who wound up at Levy Stadium for the playoff game. Shady Bill Bolster was in attendance and offering support to the team. 

    If you let a “Niners” fan find those who are not, there are too many names to write in the bulletin. The Super Bowl follow up to the playoff event is to be held at Rene Hyde’s new home. Is it a trick that no one was given the address?

    The festive mood turned sour when the finemaster tried to milk $5 from the scribe, but Pegi Ball played an end-around by donating the $5 in recognition for the writer of the club words. Pegi belongs in the Hall of Fame!

    Daniel Meyers took the Mic and recognized the Student of the Month, but he credits her with the title Student of the Year, Sabrina Piana Cervantes. Ms. Cervantes is a student at the Axis Academy at Windsor High School. She is a science student with exceptional skills and an interest in Bio-Engineering. Sabrina gave us a limited introduction to her cell studies, which she would like to continue to pursue at the University of Nevada, Reno… or UC Santa Cruz. We are in good hands for the future.

    President Maureen shared there is a new theater night coming up at the Left Edge Theater, located at Luther Burbank Center for the Performing Arts, on March 26th at 6:30. Consider your ticket a donation to the club fund.

    We are promoting the Tri-Tip Tuesday in March… good eats and more money for the club and the culinary Academy at Windsor High School.

    Dancing with the Stars and Stripes is an opportunity to support Jose Diego and his fleet feet.

    Program:

    President Maureen introduced our speaker Andy Wick, Judge, Sonoma County Superior Court, and a frequent Justice with the State Appellate Court. We learned of his long history and commitment to the creation of the Town of Windsor. He was kind enough to share those beginnings with numerous members of the Windsor Rotary Club.

    Judge Wick shared that he was once called upon to consider running for Congressman of the North Coast. He shared that he was wise enough to know that wouldn’t be his calling, so he turned away from political opportunities. After turning down the opportunity to disrupt his life with a run for Congress, he became someone who was easily swayed by John Lewis to become a member of the Founding Fathers, and Mother, of the Town of Windsor.

    As a Sonoma County judge, we learned that Andy has presided over more than 18,000 trials. Last year he was delighted to have been asked to become a temporary plaintiff to the Appellate Court of San Francisco. He was given all of a day to make a decision, and after a brief discussion with his wife that night, he took the position the next day. He was sworn in by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court while having a phone conversation. They took no time to bring him on board.

    In Andy’s opinion, there is a real need for older white males to support the minorities and show that we can turn back the negativity associated with the past. He was honored to have the opportunity to make a lasting difference in the cases he was assigned. His first case was a difficult one in that he dealt with the trial of a man who was accused of killing a three-year-old. Difficult emotions, but dealt with fairly. His second trial was a major real estate case worthy of millions, and worthy of an appellate court decision.

    His tenure with the Appellate Court ended last month and now he is back in his home county of Sonoma. Andy gave our guest and next week’s speaker, Esther Lemus, a compliment for her abilities as a prosecutor. He also shared a story about running into Mike Merrill and our president at a meeting he took with the Governor of California. Interestingly enough he shared that the Governor spent his entire interview time wanting to know about Andy’s childhood. We had an opportunity to see some true emotion on Andy’s part as he recalled his childhood and his time with the Los Angeles Police Department patrolling Compton, a very difficult neighborhood.

    While serving as a police officer Andy was swayed by two judges that he ought to pursue law. One of those judges wound up on the California Supreme Court and remains a mentor and friend to Andy today. 

    The following was offered by Rotary District Polio Plus Co-Chair Larry Myers

    Attached is the latest financials for POLIO PLUS FUNDRAISING A/0 1.20.20. It details a tremendous increase in contributions since my last report. A total of  $141,186 has been credited to our district POLIO PLUS ACCOUNT. The Gates Foundation will add their 2 for 1 donation of $ 282,372 which means you have been responsible for $ 423,558 since July 1, 2019.

    Polio Plus Report

    You will notice 2 clubs had a substantial increase in contributions (Santa Rosa Sunrise & Sebastopol). This was due to individual Rotarians in those clubs making a major one-time contribution to saving children’s lives. Also, Calistoga Rotary completed a major fundraiser for POLIO PLUS which is included in this report.

    Our top fundraisers are:  Santa Rosa Sunrise $32,248,  Sebastopol $23,267, South Ukiah $20,545, Calistoga $ 8199, Sebastopol Sunrise $ 4307, Crescent City $4219, Fort Bragg $3610,  Santa Rosa $3550, Cloverdale $3514, Southwest Eureka $ 3420, Lakeport $3290, Petaluma $3054, Arcata Sunrise $2878, Napa $2718, Eureka $2392, Willits $2306, Mendocino $2230, Napa Sunrise $1702, Healdsburg $1593, Arcata $1592, Rancho Cotati $1452, Petaluma Sunrise $1392, Valley of the Moon $1102, Mad River $1055, Kelseyville Sunrise $1010, Windsor $966, Fortuna Sunrise $912, Petaluma Valley $ 640, Garberville $595, Santa Rosa East $450, Del Notre Sunrise $ 240, North Napa $200, Rohnert Park-Cotati $190, Glen Ellen-Kenwood $180, Healdsburg Sunrise $ 125, Old Town Eureka $100, Santa Rosa West $90, Fortuna $ 75, Clear Lake $50, Middletown $10.

    So far 40 clubs have donated to saving children’s lives since July 1, 2019, leaving 7 clubs with zero donations. I HOPE TO SEE 100% PARTICIPATION IN THE NEAR FUTURE. I am sure we will make 100% of our clubs again this year.

    Now an update on our goal of the total eradication of the poliovirus. As I mentioned in a previous report there were 3 highly infectious strains of the poliovirus when we started our initial immunizations in the Philippines almost 45 years ago. Today we are down to one strain. Quite a remarkable accomplishment but we knew that eliminating that final case would be difficult and it has been. Last year I talked about our challenges in Pakistan where we had a dramatic increase in cases. However, we continue to work with our global partners including those in the Muslin communities who have joined with us to establish a road map to reach the goal of total eradication. Last month I detailed the name of those worldwide partners but I am sure you noticed the list is headed by the Gates Foundation and Rotary.

    Next month I will spend additional time on our immunization projects but today I primarily wanted to recognize what a tremendous District we have that continues to support our goal of changing lives & saving lives through Polio Plus. You continue to dig deep and so many of you have been with me from the start and will be with me when we reach our goal.

    In closing, I want to share an experience that changed my life in the late spring of 1985. I had the honor of being your district governor in 1984-85 and was attending R.I. Convention in Kansas City, Missouri.

    That morning at a General Session, we had the honor of listening to Dr. Albert Sabin who had developed the oral polio vaccine we use today. As Dr. Sabin started talking about Rotary (Rotarians) accepting a challenge to eradicate a highly infectious and potentially deadly virus from our planet

    I started recalling my trials as a 6-year-old waking up one morning paralyzed. Memories that I had pushed way back in my memory bank likely because it was a difficult time for me.

    Waking up that morning in 1946 with my head in a fixed locked position against my chest. The ambulance ride to Los Angeles General Hospital, the spinal tap late that night waking up in award of 20-30 boys most older than me. The Sister Kenny Treatment of scalding hot woolen blankets 8 times a day then therapy to try & move my paralyzed left arm away from my body, trying to straighten my paralyzed left leg.

    After a couple of months being transferred to a rehab hospital, a converted WWII Navy hospital near San Pedro where I learned to use a wheelchair and to finally stand up and support myself on parallel bars. I remembered a morning between treatment using my wheelchair to explore wards down the hall & wheeling myself into a ward of iron lungs, not knowing what they were but seeing the heads of children my age and older outside of a cigar-shaped machine that enabled them to breathe.

    Spending 1 year in 4 different hospitals and finally being able to go home.

    All these memories and more came back to me that day. I actually heard very little of his presentation but it opened a door for me that culminated in a phone call from D.G. Terry Clark asking me to organize a fundraising effort in 2002  which raised $405,000 that year. I thought the task would last until 2005- when we would celebrate the eradication of polio on our 100th anniversary of Rotary. Well, my 3+ year term ending up being 19 years as your chair and now co-chair.

    This short term commitment has not only changed my life but helped us join together to save children’s lives around the world.

    Well, all of you know I can get carried away & I have done it again this month. We are making a difference in the world we serve, locally in your community, nationally and internationally through supporting the many programs of our Rotary Foundation.

    Thank you for all you do each day to make life a little easier for those less fortunate.

    Yours in Rotary,

    Larry D. Myers, P.D.G., Polio Plus Co-Chair, 5130

  • 2020-01-14 Dr. Rich Mucci – Syndome X – Do You Have It or Will You Get It?

    CLICK HERE TO SEE DOCUMENTS RELATING TO THE LATEST CLUB MEETING

    Rotary began at a cool 7:35 because President Maureen Merrill opted to let a few Rotarians make it through the food line before kicking in the “energy” of the meeting.

    Jose Diaz was asked to honor Carl Wiuff with the pledge of allegiance.

    Howard Thurman was quoted by Susan Cole, who shared, “Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive and go for that. Because what the world need is more people that have come alive.”

    Photography by Sue Nelson, words by Tom Boylan

    Guests of Rotarians:

    Pam Moulton introduced our lovely Italian Exchange Student, Vittoria, to the room.

    Renee Hyde introduced Lauren Antoni the Director of the Sonoma State Culinary program.

    Announcements:

    We are invited to a gathering at Leslie Lewis’s home to celebrate the downing of the Green Bay Packers next Sunday, 3 pm at 1323 Mildred CT., Windsor. Of course, you should plan to bring some appropriate snacks and something to wash down the victory. If you think you can make it, Leslie asks that you text her at (707) 481-1976.

    Carol Martin says that March 31st we will be repeating the Tri-Tip Tuesday program. Make plans to eat well. Carol went on to tell us we will be partnering with the Vintners Academy to allow for funding a 501(c)3 program, more details to follow.

    Windsor Rotary Community Foundation board members met and made a determination that the fund is going to be able to donate $20,000 toward projects this year. A dream comes true for those who started the program. 

    President Maureen introduced the January Rotarian “Powerhouse” of the Month, which went to Glenn Sugden. He received a warm round of applause while he stuck the recognition pin to his shirt.

    Maureen provides this list of our past “Powerhouses” for you: 

    July: Carol Martin

    August: JB Leep

    September: Renee Hyde

    October: Bill Conklin

    November:  Jose Diaz

    December: Tom Boylan

    Larry Wasem got married in Fairfax, Virginia forty-three years ago and he claimed that the $5 tip to the Justice of the Peace paid off. Larry let us know that he made his annual donation to the Paul Harris Foundation.

    Donations for Foothill Park from Coronado Rotary!

    We learned that the Rotary Club of Coronado held a fundraiser and decided they would make a $15,000 donation toward rebuilding the Foothill Park. 

    Jose Diaz is getting his feet warmed up for the Dancing with the Stars and Stripes competition  April 25. 

    Activities:

    New Member Induction:  Brandon Krueger

    President Maureen asked Membership Chair Renee Hyde to step up and welcome our newest member Brendan Krueger, Windsor Unified School District Superintendent of Schools. He is our newest corporate member, which allows for him and three colleagues (including member Lamar Collins) to partake in the Windsor Rotary world. Please be sure to welcome Brandon to Windsor Rotary.

    Brandon Krueger, Ed.D.

    bkrueger@wusd.org

    707.837.7701

    “Power of 3” Membership Growth Project – 2-month activity!

    Renee Hyde was called back up to revisit the membership drive, and Pam Moulton got the first award for her clever relay of a photo of her teammates. She was handed a gift card, which she says she will be sharing with the rest of her team, including JB Leep, Tom Boylan, and … oh yeah, Ken Moulton.

    Renee suggests you ought to keep the ball rolling to engage the community to participate. If you don’t have a team, let her know and she can find one for you. 

    Presentation Notes – Our Member, Dr. Rich Mucci

    JB Leep was formal in introducing Dr. Rich Mucci. Rich spent years in medical school only to advance and become a surgeon providing general vascular and gastric surgery. He brought his talents to Healdsburg and the North Bay in 1976. We found out that Rich also became a Rotary Mentor of none other than JB.

    Rich made the mistake of starting his talk by donning a Green Bay Packers hat… After a few catcalls, he went on to tell us about how he started his educational journey to discover the ways his past education should be questioned for all he eventually learned was wrong. 

    According to Rich’s research, only 12% of Americans are considered healthy. Over 100,000,000 people in the US are pre-diabetic and caught in the cycle of poor health associated with Insulin resistance, which leads to Metabolic Syndrome. 

    We learned that the research into heart disease in the early ’60s was skewed due to the limited reporting of the person considered the major investigator of heart disease. Of 29 countries researched the end results of only seven were shared. 

    For all the diets and suggestions on how to get healthy, the world continues to get more obese and that has caused heart disease and cancer to increase among the population dramatically. Rich says that cholesterol is not the culprit, but carbohydrates are a bigger factor. Glycogen is what makes us active, and insulin is the basis for the development of glycogen. 

    Low Carb diets showed the best results for those who were diagnosed with pre-diabetes. Within 6 months of starting a low carb diet, most of the participants in the study eliminated their need for additional insulin. His suggestion: Eat only Whole Foods, avoid sugars and starches. Eat within an eight hour period and eat your protein prior to eating your carbs. Use fruit-based oils (olive, avocado, grapeseed) rather than vegetable oils,  which require a high level of chemical processing. 

    This was a fascinating program and I would suggest reaching out to Rich to ask him to share some of his slides or to provide additional information. 

    He shared a reading list for those who want more information on Metabolic Syndrome and your health:

    “The Big Fat Surprise” by Nina Teicholz

    “Obesity Code & Diabetes Code, by J.Fung, MD

    “Good Calories, Bad Calories,” by Gary Taub

    “Lies My Doctor Told Me,” by Ken Berry MD

    “The Obesity Epidemic,” by Zoe Harcombe

    For Your Calendar

    Tuesday, March 31 

    Tri-Tip Tuesday strikes again! Details coming. 

    Saturday, April 25 José at Dancing with the Stars and Stripes 

    Benefitting Veterans Resource Center, with whom we are planning joint activities centered on their new Veterans Apartments in Windsor.  7 PM at Jackson Theater, Sonoma County Day School off Aviation Blvd. 

    May 15-16 – Annual District Conference

    President Maureen urges you to plan on this opportunity to celebrate our accomplishments with Rotarians from all over our 6-county district.  The next usually-annual Conference is not planned to be held during 2020-21, it will be in Oct. 2021 instead, so this is our only conference for the next 17 months! 

    It is essential that you make lodging reservations NOW!  

    Use this link for lodging info, please. Registration info will come from the district.

    Calendar

    Saturday, June 27 late afternoon/evening — Annual Presidential Debunking.  

  • 2020-01-07 Happy New Year

    CLICK HERE TO SEE DOCUMENTS RELATING TO THE LATEST CLUB MEETING

    Rotary began with a ring of the bell and a commemorative Pledge of Allegiance in honor of Carl Wiuff, and we followed with a request by President Maureen Merrill that we share a moment of silence in honor of Carl’s passing just before Christmas.  //www.youtube.com/embed/Pjc-EI_TrQQ?feature=emb_logo

    Please visit the following link for a tribute to Carl Wiuff: https://windsorrotary.co/tribute-to-carl-wiuff/ 

    Photos by Sue Nelson, words by Tom Boylan.

    Fleet-footed Jose Diego introduced Barbara McChesney with Dancing with the Stars and Stripes.

    Renee Hyde introduced Lauren Antoni, the Culinary instructor at Sonoma State University.

    Ken Moulton introduced Vittoria, our Exchange daughter from Italy, and the latest to fall into the “CAL Fan” category.

    Ed Turner took the microphone to share some moments to remember his friendship of 24 years with Carl Wiuff. He suggested his friendship with Carl was akin to reading a novel where each chapter introduces you to something new. 

    We learned that Carl was not so much an avid exercise nut, but was keen on grabbing the free coffee at the health club. Once done with his workout, he would head around the corner to enjoy a cup of coffee with his friend Ed at Airport Business Center and whatever treats that might be on hand.

    We also learned that regardless of whether Ed was in the office, Carl made his regular route from the coffee to the treats. He became a regular with the staff, and warm reception was always given.

    It was Carl that suggested the Club get behind a project to give the children of Windsor a place to play; the Windsor Skate Park is here today due to the leadership and direction of Carl.

    Once the park was in place, Carl worked with Ed to create the “Carl & Ed Fund,” which is the Windsor Rotary Community Foundation, the John Lewis Endowment Fund. Today, we are at over $500K in the fund, and it is allowing the Club to fund projects without disturbing the fund’s reserve.

    Cancer poses painful treatments for anyone, and in Carl’s case, Cancer treatments took their toll. We were fortunate to have had him with us at the Christmas party this year. Shortly after that party, he passed. 

    Ed invited others to speak of their long-time friend, and Susan Cole shared the story of a “2001 A Skate Odyssey.” Her enthusiasm at the early meetings to build a skate park allowed her to share the idea to buy 500 T-Shirts with the new slogan emblazoned across the shirt. Carl looked at Susan and said she was out of her mind because we would wind up with 400 shirts leftover. The order changed to 50 shirts, but in the process of selling those shirts, she met Greg French, who wound up donating $10K after buying two shirts for his family.

    Michael Juric was Carl’s sponsor in the Club. He shared a story of the Pre-President’s Training and how Michael shared stories of Carl’s leadership with incoming presidents and that Carl’s legacy lives on in the stories Michael shared with the future leaders on how to be a great leader, like Carl Wiuff.

    Pam Moulton shared that his impact crossed cultures, and Carl made an impression that won’t be lost. 

    The Club was shown a pictorial testimony prepared by Sue Nelson depicting Carl’s years with his friends in Rotary. Pictures are worth a thousand words, and we watched a book of memories. Rest in Peace, our friend. 

    Our own Jose Diaz is a contestant in this year’s Dancing with the Stars and Stripes on Saturday, April 25th. The ballroom dance contest raises funds for Veteran’s Resource Center, a Veteran’s support network based in Santa Rosa that provides a variety of services from counseling to housing and more. 

    Jose shared his reason for joining the program. He has several friends who are Veterans, and several of his friends are heading off to become members of the military. Rachel is his professional dance partner, and together they will be asking for donations toward their efforts. His goal is to raise $5000, and we can do more than buying the ticket, look for opportunities to dine and donate at Charlie’s and other places.

    Barbara McChesney gave us more of the program and offered that Jose is the youngest participant in the history of the contest. Dancingwiththestarsandstripes.org will provide you with more info on the event. We were given a demonstration of the dance where Maureen stepped in as a surrogate Rachel. La Bamba filled the room, and amazingly many sang along. Some fancy footwork to be sure was provided by Jose.

    Vittoria was recognized for attending a bowl game at Levi Stadium, Cal against Illinois. Maureen asked for a cheer, and we heard her say, “Go Bears!” Ken was happy. 

    Michael Juric is celebrating his birthday today, and Steve Klick is giving up the past year and welcoming a New Year next Saturday. In memory of Carl, Steve donated to the Carl & Ed Fund. 

    Upcoming programs include an introduction by Rich Mucci to Syndrome X, a metabolic disease that is an epidemic throughout the country. It sounds like a good program for January 14th. Windsor Town Council member Esther Lumes is due the following week, and His Honor Judge Andy Wick will close out the month. Good meetings all. 

    George Johnson is currently in an assisted living facility dealing with health problems. If you would like to send him a note, contact his wife Alicia Johnson at 9600 Montez Ct., Windsor, CA 95492.

    Renee Hyde is jump-starting the Membership Campaign. A new program is a group of three; she and Maureen have plotted to have Inviters, Process Folks, and Mentors become organized. 

    We broke into groups and made a commitment to participate in bringing new members into the Windsor Rotary Club. If you missed the meeting, ask someone how you can participate, or better yet, ask Renee.

  • 2019-12-17 Chiefs Mark Heine and Matt Gustafson – The Fires

    CLICK HERE TO SEE DOCUMENTS RELATING TO THE LATEST CLUB MEETING

    Seasonal bell-ringing began at 7:30 when President Maureen Merrill began the meeting.

    Heros was the theme of Susan Cole’s inspiration, “A hero is no braver than an ordinary man, but he is brave five minutes longer.”

    Wooly Bully was all the rage as Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs’ brought out the best in the Windsor Rotary choir.

    Recorded imagery for the day was provided by the talented Sue Nelson, and the words were brought to you by Tom Boylan.

    No visiting Rotarians, but guests were aplenty:

    JB Leep introduced our speakers, Fire Chief Mark Heine and Deputy Chief Matt Gustafson with Sonoma County Fire District

    Mark Hansen with owner of Bricoleur winery on Starr road was introduced by Alison Huber.

    David Carr and Bill Adams of Northbay Met High School were introduced by alumni Jose Diego.

    Marcos Flores, town Barber with Gentleman’s Barber Shop was introduced by Bill Conklin. Marcos is here for his second meeting and we are hoping to see him on a regular basis.

    Ken Moulton introduced Vittoria, our student exchange student all the way from Italy. Ken bragged about his newfound daughter and her being recognized as a scholar-athlete with a 4.0-grade point average to go along with a mean volleyball spike.

    Jean Hackenburg was enthusiastically introduced by her husband John Hackenburg.

    Sue Nelson introduced John Nelson.

    Rene Hyde introduced our newest member, Lamar Collins who was emblazoned with a Rotary pin and asked to make a commitment to waking up early on Tuesday mornings.

    Lamar shared his motto, “Strong Schools, Strong Community” and then shared an invitation for Windsor Rotarians to introduce themselves to students at the High School through a new program called Community Circles. This is an opportunity for students at Windsor High School to meet and greet with the leaders of the community. Just be yourself when you get the opportunity.

    Michael Juric clarified the new membership program called community membership, which gives community organizations, including schools, the fire department, and families an opportunity to become one with Windsor Rotary. Ask Michael for more information on how easy the process is to go from partner to Rotarian.

    We raised some money for Amber, our weekly server. She received a cash donation of $361. Tears of joy swept over her as she shared how much she enjoys being with us even if she has to wake up early on Tuesdays.

    The club displayed some aggressive bell ringing the past couple of weeks as they brought in donations to the Salvation Army thanks to Bill Bolster and the Dick Bishop Holiday Bell Ringing team.

    Program:

    Steve Klick introduced Mark Heine and Deputy Chief Matt Gustafson (a Windsor resident) with a warm welcome. Chief Heine spent 30 years with the Novato Fire Department prior to joining the Sonoma County Fire District, which is a combination of Rincon Valley, Windsor, and assorted other departments, both paid and volunteer.

    The Tubbs Fire gave the Chief a good overview of how to trim the costs of providing fire services by consolidating departments to have one unified administration. The movement is growing with the expansion to include the Bodega Bay Fire District and the Russian River Fire District is underway.

    The District serves 175 square miles with 75K residents in Urban, Suburban and rural communities. There are five staffed fire stations, and three volunteer and firefighter staffed stations. The District also is responsible for the Sonoma County Airport EMS and crash / fire rescue.

    Deputy Chief Matt shared the perspective of Windsor firefighters giving up the name and history associated with the Windsor Fire Department. It is a heartfelt transition, but one for the better of the department personnel and the community they serve.

    Chief Mark then shared the efforts to define the mission of the consolidated department. We found out there are many facilities in the district that are in need of rebuilding due to earthquake concerns. Windsor is an island of newer facilities and we were told these are in good shape.

    One of the major steps forward is to build out the personnel. Currently, there are fire crews, but there is a need to include an EMT member of the teams.

    The Chief went on to explain the Kincade Fire and the impact it had on fire personnel and the community. The 2017 fire gave a lot of understanding of what to look for and how to respond to the first report of a fire. Fire spotter cameras installed after the 2017 fires gave him insight into the beginnings of the Kincade Fire, which destroyed close to 500 buildings.

    We had an opportunity to see what the Chief saw the night the fire started. The fire spotter camera showed the Geyser fire from its beginning at 9:24 PM. Within a very short amount of time, there was a surge in the spread and within two hours the fire had consumed 1000 acres.

    According to Mark, this fire was enough to bring in 150 strike teams which entail five engines per team. By the early morning, there were 75 more strike teams added to the call for help. We were fortunate that there were no other fires in the State when the fire started. More than 5000 firefighters came to the Sonoma Fairgrounds and the fight was on.

    It was Friday morning when the fire was beginning to move toward local neighborhoods. Computer modeling showed the path of the fire was going to roll through Windsor. The smoke trails showed the path that was due to take over the entire West County. We were told the importance of leaving the area when the evacuation was ordered meant that the firefighters could fight the fire rather than provide resources to individuals who would not leave.

    Credit was given to Sherriff Mark Essick for his decision to make the evacuation order mandatory, and the people of Sonoma County get the credit for leaving, in an orderly fashion.

    We were given an opportunity to see videos of the path of the fire. The firefight was compared to a chess game. Chief Heine spent his time traveling the Windsor community to check on spot fires, which were many. The fire advanced on Foothill neighborhood on four different fronts. The dramatic images brought us were concerning because they looked like they were taken from President Maureen’s front porch. She shared it was not her home, although her home did sustain damage because of the fire.

    The fire cost 88 million dollars to fight. There will be a tax measure in the upcoming election, which would generate $50 million in revenues to allow for hiring 200 new firefighters in the District.

  • 2019-12-10 David Traver – Living With Lions (Audubon)

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    The bell-ringing began at 7:30 by a festive looking President Maureen Merrill.

    Four-way test was recited and soon to be memorized; Is it the truth?

    Gazelle knowledge and Lion hunger combined to give us inspiration by Susan Cole. “With each new day in Africa, a gazelle wakes up knowing he must outrun the fastest lion or perish. At the same time, a lion stirs and stretches, knowing he must outrun the slowest gazelle or starve. So it doesn’t matter if you’re a gazelle or a lion when you wake up in the morning, you’d better start running.” Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum

    Jingle Bell Rock got the joint rocking.

    Sue Nelson provided the photos while Tom Boylan provided the words.

    Guests:

    Mark LeJon, a financial advisor for Glenn Sugden, was a guest.

    Brian Ling introduced Justin Wilcox and Jeff Harrison with the Refuse & Recycling team.

    JB Leep introduced Dave Trabor the Ambassador of Lions.

    President Maureen introduced Brandon Krueger Superintendent of Windsor Schools, and Lamar Johnson, Windsor High Principle.

    Announcements:

    Tom Boylan was recognized as the “Powerhouse” Scribe.

    John LeCave busted a tendon and suggests he will be doing less yard work with friends. He is on the mend and our Club Foundation Chair.

    Maureen shared that the board is open club members and invited us to drop in for the next meeting. Michel Juric, Renee Hyde and Brian Ling got a shout out because of their work at developing Corporate memberships. We have Windsor Unified School District and the Windsor Police Department as our corporate members.

    Sue Nelson thanked us for invading her home for the holiday Christmas party. There are things that were left behind and were available for pick up at the meeting. If you left something behind at the holiday party and weren’t around to pick it up at the meeting, contact Sue. Tom Hassur got the nod of appreciation for bringing Sue Nelson the Salvation Army bucket that he made especially for her. The bucket is a reminder that you aren’t supposed to take the money home after ringing the bell. Bev Graham was recognized for her efforts to get the party together. It turned out that 54 people showed up for the party, and Bev added, “If you haven’t paid your $10 remember…” Is it the truth?

    Dick Bishop Holiday Bell Ringers were stationed at Walmart, including Jim Ruppert, Craig Curreri, Tom Hassur and Art Diaz were the ones that collected the money and Bill Bolster managed to walk away with the bucket, in honor of Sue Nelson. More signups are needed for this weekend, or just drop by Walmart and look for the festive Rotarians.

    Pegi Ball says this Thursday is the luncheon that shares the holidays with Windsor seniors living at Bell Manor. Heather Cullen and the Vinyl Revival choir will be on hand to entertain. All are welcome to take part or partake.

    Night at the theater takes place on December 13th at the Left Edge Theater located at the LBC Center for the Arts. Plan to make a donation at the door and the money will go to the Windsor Rotary Community Foundation

    We will be going dark for Christmas and New Years but we are scheduled to be here next week, December 17th to hear from Windsor Fire Chiefs’.

    Joe Deacon is dealing with a bout of pneumonia, so consider sending him some support with a card or a phone call (707) 806-4299.

    If you would like to have an easy way to find contact information for fellow club members, try loading the DACdb phone app, which will give you all club contacts right on your phone.

    Program:

    JB Leep introduced our speaker by first turning down the lights because the lions that David is going to release prefer to eat in the dark. David Traber is the lion ambassador with Audubon Canyon Ranch (ACR) Conservation in Action. Dave shared it was tricky to speak to Rotarians about the Lions… good pun.

    The title of the speech is “Living with Lions,” but the conservancy works on the preservation of a variety of species, including Egrets. Dave let us know that the founder of ACR is Marty Griffin who had the vision to make the conservancy work.

    Lions are located throughout Western North America and all of South America. Over the eons, the lion of the Americas have developed amazing survival skills that make them unique from African lions.

    When it comes to raising lion cubs, the parent is extremely protective and unlike the common house cat, when a lion rolls around like a house cat, they are not being overly friendly, they are marking their ownership of the territory or another animal.

    Here’s something else we didn’t know… a mountain lion can jump vertically 15 ft. No one volunteered to out jump like a lion because our ceiling is too low, but Jose Diego was willing to stand at the end of a long rope so that Dave could demonstrate the lion’s ability to jump 25 ft horizontally; too bad that Jose was only 20 ft away from a mountain lion looking to mark him.

    John Hackenburg responded to a challenge by our speaker to try and outrun a lion, which John pointed out, “I only need to outrun you.”

    We should care about the mountain lion for ecological reasons. An example of a broken ecology was made when Yellowstone Park attempted to eliminate coyotes due to their appetite for deer, but soon after coyotes were killed, the ecological balance changed. The deer began eating all the greenery and their waste was introduced in a much greater volume to the creeks and rivers within the park. This changed the nature of the park and within years the experts reintroduced the coyote and the parks ecology was quick to recover to its natural state.

    Dave stressed the importance of keeping the wild in our region is to keep our ecology balanced. All of the wildlife keeps our environment healthy. We were introduced to the art of trapping lions with some interesting video that showed the trap in progress. Although the trap is located in the wild, when the cat is trapped the trap triggers a phone call to the monitoring party. That sends them on a journey to tag the lion and observe the health of the animal. The lion is also given a collar that is designed to fall off within a year to allow the lion to go back to its natural state, save the ear tag.

    The art of lion tracking is much like a Google alert used for navigation. We were shown a map that gave the positioning of mountain lions in Sonoma County. The map also makes note of the male versus female lion activities. Lions like to eat deer and any area with deer is more likely to be home to lions. Interesting story to learn that Sonoma County lions like wineries; your scribe suggests the connection with wineries must be in the pairing offered with Venison.

    In Sonoma County there approximately 55 thousand people per lion, which would suggest you should not go into the woods at night wearing a deer costume. Lions are smart to kill a deer and then leave the entrails to the vultures while burying the meat, so they can have several days of dining. We were also told they do like the taste of domestic cats. The expert shared that they know they like the domestic cat because of the number of cat collars found.

    Mountain lions are known to travel great distances looking for love, however, in Sonoma County, we tend to think lions have traveled far when they show up in downtown Santa Rosa because they tend to wander in the creeks that lead to downtown.

    Dave let us know that if we are moved by the information and the work his organization does, we can seek him out to offer assistance. If you happen to know of someone with a box grader for a small tractor, the ACR would love to offer a donation form from the 501c(3) organization.

  • 2019-11-26 Spotlight on Craig Curreri

    CLICK HERE TO SEE DOCUMENTS RELATING TO THE LATEST CLUB MEETING

    We had a two-minute warning from President Maureen Merrill and then she rang the bell.

    According to Ken Moulton, the only inspiration we need is “Go Bears.”

    Bill Bolster suggested that life is 10 percent of what happens to you and what you do about it is 90%.

    There was a technical break as we waited for the musical interlude, which was provided by no one. We called the song off when the tech wasn’t cooperating. If we could have sung it would have been appropriate to sing Billy Preston’s, “Nothing from nothing leaves nothing.”

    Photos by Sue Nelson, words by Tom Boylan.

    Visiting Rotarians were vacant

    Guest of Rotarians:

    Diane Brabitz introduced our first exchange student and her daughter Melissa, who when asked her age let us know she is old enough to have an 11-year-old son.

    Bill Bolster introduced our 2021 exchange student Kate Smith and her mom Beth. Kate shared that she is prepared to go anywhere Rotary sends her, although Italy would be great.

    Announcements:

    Jose Diaz is still the powerhouse of the month. 

    If you want to suggest a speaker, pass along your suggestion to JB Leep and he can make it happen.

    Billy’s Sizzling Barn Bash was a success with more than 22 people wandering through Bill Bolster and wife Joan’s amazingly well preserved home, circa 1800s. You should have seen the barn.

    Pegi Ball announced that the Bell Manor lunch is Tuesday, December 12th at noon. Heather Cullen will be entertaining with her golden voice.

    Bev Graham sent around a sign-up sheet asking for commitments. There is a fee of $10 per person requested. Reminder: there is a white elephant gift exchange, please bring something worthy at a cost of approximately $25. December 7th at John & Sue Nelson’s home.

    Foundation Energy was provided by Foundation Chair John LeCave, who declared that every month is Foundation Month, either RI or our Community Foundation. He noted that we are #31 out of more than 500 clubs worldwide for donations to the foundation, and #24 in per capita spending. He reassured us that the dollars we donate are well spent. 

    Sandi Krutz gave us a report on her travels to Brazil. She took the bus… when she arrived. Her connections she made during her year as President became a Global Grant which went toward the restoration and more of a San Paulo hospital. Although the government provided a physical facility for a surgical unit, Rotary provided everything that went into the unit. Somewhere in San Paulo, there is a plaque recognizing the donations and the efforts of Rotary to make a change in the world. 

    We took a tour of the hospital watching her many slides. She reinforced the $3000 that Windsor gave went into the kitty helped raise the total to $93,000. Because of the RI Foundation, we wound up actually being credited for more than $7000. Rotary Foundation works. 

    Maureen recognized Sandi for her doing this project on her own. Sandi was also excited to share that Google Translates is a good resource for people who don’t know a lot of Portuguese.

    Leslie Lewis stepped in to be the fine master and took very little time to get Diane Brabitz to make a donation for making Leslie feel really old. Diane opted to make a splash with a $1000 donation to the exchange student program… her daughter reminded Diane the total would actually be $1020… due to the old comment.

    Ken Moulton was willing to spend a few dollars at the Big Game… where the Bear’s won (first time in 9 years.) He did bring back a memento that he caught when at the game. He offered the losing team’s jersey that he brought all the way from Stanford Stadium to hand off to JB Leep. 

    JB Leep took front and center to acknowledge Alison Huber who gave away 64 air filters after the latest fire. JB had an opportunity to pass many of them out to his neighbors. A generous donation went to the Windsor Rotary Community Foundation.

    Alison Huber was called out to share her adventures to Tijuana. Her claim to fame on her trip was summed up, “We lived.”  Three days and $30 to the Windsor Rotary Community Foundation.

    Bill Bolster was called up to share his appreciation for the gifts he received, including a bottle of Barn Burner wine and a bag of marshmallows (I thought that was appropriate for a Barn Burner party.) He let us know that 50 years ago he met Joan and then broke into a Fifth Dimension song, “Bill.” The wedding anniversary and the song cost a few dollars in his donation to current year projects and the Windsor Endowment Fund. 

    John How opted to come back from Hawaii and pay a donation to Polio Plus.

    Program:

    Craig Curreri took the microphone to give us the answers to the real estate questions that are sure to come during the get together over the Thanksgiving dinner table. He shared a slide that reflected his personal home tending up over the years. Home sales pricing for the past year has been flat. There are as many homes coming into the market and the sold inventory matched the listings. 

    According to Craig, the market is not going to add enough homes due to the cost of construction. Currently, there are only 25% of residents in Sonoma County can afford a home. Looked at another way, 75% of residents in Sonoma County can’t afford to buy a home. 

    The fire of 2017 and the recent 2019 fire represents a loss of 2.5% of our housing stock. Over 5450 homes lost to the fires. Currently, he reports that the rebuild is only 20% completed and 36% in construction with 9% in the permit process. There is a big question about what is going to happen with the rest of the numbers.

    The emotional impact is growing due to the second round of fires. Combine high insurance rates with PTSD issues and the questions are many for why stay? Renee Hyde shared that the cost of insurance is staggering and many will not be able to afford the increases, but the I little option. Deductible costs are literally going through the roof. 

    Craig suggests that the climate for staying is actually healthy. What we need is to promote new building, but we have to recognize that certain areas are going to have a difficult time, including Fountaingrove. The cost of rebuilding higher-end homes is higher than the value of pre fire. In his opinion, there is not a strong enough economy to provide buyers for homes that are increasing so dramatically. 

    In conclusion, Craig is optimistic that Sonoma County will hold its appeal and the sky is not falling. Rebuild efforts will continue, prices will hold steady, inventory will remain low, we will all age and need to make adjustments in our lifestyle… like, sell your home.

    Maureen sent us off with a suggestion to bring a few guests in the next few weeks. Miss Sonoma County, Windsor Fire Chiefs, and a Lion tamer are in store for December meetings.  

  • 2019-10-15 Clint St. Martin Presents Devil Pups

    Next Meeting, Tuesday, Oct. 22: Craft Talks from Members

    Pegi Ball, Bill Rash & Larry Wasem . . . not to be missed!

    The meeting was called to order by president Maureen Merrill at 7:30

    Susan Cole was inspirational and told us that young people are great teachers for not fearing what they don’t know

    A rousing God Bless America started at the back of the room and caught on throughout the room.

    Scribe for the day was Tom Boylan

    Photographer for the day was Sue Nelson

    Visiting Rotarian:

    Alison Huber introduced Larry from Battle Ground, Washington where he is so well known as the current President of his Rotary Club, they don’t use his last name.

    John LeCave introduced Meredith Rennie with Windsor Parks and Rec Department

    Announcements:

    Community Engagement was the first announcement and Steve Klick let us know that he and Alison, and Bill Bolster were the comity to determine what we would do for a fundraiser… Steve asked Rene Hyde to let us know the theme this year is “Community Engagement”

    Steve followed with an event suggestion that would mirror the Tri-Tip fundraiser. Partner with the Vineyard Academy and both High School and Middle School arts programs. He is suggesting we explore the development of the event.

    Discussion went to the auction concept and a refocus to engage the community versus going after a fundraiser.

    Maureen brought up the amazing donation of $140,000 to the John Lewis Fund by Glenn Sugden. Our Community Foundation now has more than $500,000 and we can start using some of the residuals to fund our efforts of engagement with the community.

    Bill Bolster is bolstering us all to sign up and get the Christmas scene going and the best way to get that feeling going is to honor Dick Bishop as a Dick Bishop Windsor Community Bell Ringing. Save the December 7th and 14th dates for a trip to Walmart to ringadabell.

    Bev Graham says that December 7th will be our Annual Holiday party to be held at John & Sue Nelson’s home. More to follow.

    Robin Resendez let us know that the Sonoma County Art Trails starts at Chris Landwehr’s clay in motion studio.

    There is still room at the Windsor table for the District 5130 Foundation South dinner on November 2nd. Make plans to join the table for this annual Gala, celebrating our Rotary Foundation.

    Doug Williams wife has decided to go to a High School reunion rather than make Doug go to dinner that evening to celebrate 27 years of marriage.

    John LeCave got the thanks for 16 years of Windsor Rotarian. JB Leep and Carol Martin got the nod for their three years that feels more like 30 years of service

    Program:

    JB introduced our speakers, including Clint St. Martin, a Marine who served in Iraq and after leaving the military received his degree in sociology from Sonoma State. He is the facilitator for the Marine sponsored youth program called Devil Pups. Clint also introduced Paxton Gude, a Devil Pup who also is an Interact member.

    We learned that Devil Pups is a derivative of Devil Dog which was a tagline the Germans gave the US Marines in World War I. The DP program is similar to the Boy Scouts program in its goal to teach civic responsibility and “Growth Through Challenge.”

    Clint shared that he seriously thought about joining the Air Force, but was won over to the Marines after spending 10 days at Camp Pendleton right after High School in a program that he eventually would be in charge of for Sonoma County members. He joined the Marines after 9/11 and began his military duty, which included a tour in Iraq.

    We were entertained with a video that one of the Devil Pup kids, Landon Donnell, created in an effort to raise dollars to purchase ear buds. The video included scenes offered by Comcast when they were honoring Clint for his community work and his specific work with the Devil Pup program.

    Paxton gave us his recollection of his 10 days in training as a Devil Pup. He says the event changed his life and that he doesn’t feel that the Boy Scouts are the same in their mission. He shared that he and other Devil Pups arrived at the base on a bus and were met by a jovial drill sergeant who introduced the Devil Pup volunteers to the world of high energy screaming. After the “recruits” stopped crying, they integrated to the program.

    Paxton shared a brief connection with Rotary where he has attended several international conferences and spent time with Past RI President Ian Riseley, who arranged for a donation to a service project that the Devil Pups were working with. (Your Rotary Foundation $$ at work!). He spoke highly of his involvement with Interact and Rotary.

    The program not only introduces young people to the military branches it also has ties with Law Enforcement where they provide training in weapon safety and first responder gunshot wound care.

    The meeting ended… without the scribe who had to leave a little early.

    Marie Coakley rang the bell to adjourn the meeting in honor of the Windsor Rotary Club’s 32nd anniversary just a few weeks ago on September 22.

    Please visit www.windsorrotary.org to see calendar items and upcoming programs!

    Look forward to CRAFT TALKS and review of our service projects at our next meeting!

    Calendar Items:

    DateEventInfoContact / comments
    11/2, Sat., 9 – 12Annual Foundation SeminarFinley Center, Santa Rosa Registration link at www. Rotary5130.orgContact Foundation Chair John LeCave 707.280.5236, jlecave@ sonic.net
    11/2, Sat, 5:30 PMAnnual Foundation DinnerDoubletree, Rohnert Park Reception 5:30, Dinner 6:30, $70 per person Registration link at www. Rotary5130.orghttps://www. rotary5130.org /calendar/ Windsor Rotary table! Contact Pres. Maureen
    11/4, Monday, 5-6:15Monthly Club Board MeetingMaureen’s office, 145 Wikiup Drive (north side of street) off ORH, in “South Windsor”Special topics: Fundraising decisions and Project direction
    11/4, 5:30 & 7Rotary at Symphony! Honoring Rotarian Yale AbramsGreen Center, see more info: google Santa Rosa Sunrise RotaryMarty Behr, behr@ Whidbey.com; 206.391.3427
    11/7, Monday 11:30 – 1:30Rotary Annual Veterans LunchVets Memorial, SRLeah Hansen, 292.5173, lmhansen1@ sbcglobal.net
    11/9, Sat., 9 AM t 10 or 10:152nd Saturdays! Rotary Hiking & Dog Walking Club – friendly and healthy!Meet at Foothill Park, Arata EntranceJust show up! Regulars include Bill B, Joe D and Pres. Maureen
    12/7, eveningHOLIDAY PARTY!Home of Sue & John Nelson – watch for more infoBev Graham, Coordinator
    5/15 – 5/16/2020Annual District ConferenceFortuna River Walk Lodge in Humboldt CountyGet rooms now! Ask Maureen for more info

  • 2018-09-25 Town Council Candidates Panel

    Our special Town Council meeting was held in the grotto at Charlie’s Restaurant in Windsor. Unlike our typical meeting, we were allowed to sleep in this Tuesday and gather in the grotto at 5:15 PM.

    President Sandi Krutz rang the bell at 5:30 PM

    Our pledge was led by Daniel Myers

    The inspiration was that we had numerous people in our audience who were enthusiastic to hear the various candidates for the Town of Windsor Town Council.

    Our emcees for the candidate forum included John LeCave and Maureen Merrill.

    Rather than take notes your scribe, Tom Boylan took to Social Media and posted a live video on Facebook. To revisit the forum please visit: facebook.com/windsorrotary

    We often hear that the note of a great meeting is in the number of people who linger at the last ring of the bell. There were quite a few people lingering into the evening.

  • 2018-05-08 Teacher Appreciation Meeting!

    Bell rang at 7:30 by President Steve Klick

    Inspiration came through John How

    We sang a song of May and were led by Bill Arnone.

    Rotarian Guests

    We had a gentleman from Southern California out to keep his perfect attendance

    Our guest from Ukiah has informed us of his 47-year history but failed to give his name, although we do know that he has a daughter here today to be recognized.

    Guests

    Jack Hyde introduced Yana, our lovely exchange student, and Janet Hyde.

    Bill Bolster introduced Alison Hooper

    Art Diaz introduced our outgoing exchange student, Natasha Figueroa

    Ken Moulton introduced a past member and Mayor of the Town of Windsor, Bruce Okrepkie

    Pat Sabotage is here to represent Senator Mike McGuire and Assemblyman Jim Wood. Representing Supervisor James Gore was Ginny Chamberlain.

    School of Windsor was represented by Superintendant Brandon Kreuger, Mary Burkey

    After the introductions, we were read a series of proclamations recognizing the importance of teachers in our community.

    Benita Jones was the first of the principles to introduce their respective teachers. Jen Grady with Mattie Washburn Elementary turns out to be the kindergarten teacher that everyone wishes their children had.

    Her students had the following to share:

    “She is always nice to us and is so sweet. I like that she lets us go to recess.”

    “I like that she teaches us about frogs.”

    “I like that she lets us play games in Morning Circle.”

    “I like when she reads stories to us.”

    Julie Stearn stepped up the accolades for Nicole Albini with Windsor Creek elementary. The kids said the following:

    “Mrs. Albini is the most organized and clean teacher I have ever had. She makes things fun and makes me want to come to school.”

    Brooks Elementary principle Kimberlee Kimes introduced us to Kimberly Van Pelt. Her student quote:

    “Mrs. Van Pelt really cares about us and she can make us laugh!”

    Brian Williams represents Windsor Middle School as principal and teacher enthusiast. He introduced us to the teacher of the year Pete Sullivan. Pete’s student said:

    “Mr. Sullivan always makes his class entertaining and involving. No matter how creative an idea is, he will help you achieve it.”

    Principle Jeanne Acuna with Cali Calmecac Language Academy introduced a 19 year veteran of the school, Beatrice Robles. Her student says it best:

    “Maestro Robles is nice,sweet, funny and REALLY organized. She understands when you have problems. No matter what grade you have in her class, she still helps you. She has a lot of patience!”

    Principle Susan Nystrom has been at the helm of change for the Windsor Oaks Academy to become Big Picture Learning’s North Bay Met Academy. Her introduction to Shannon Johnson as her teacher of the year. Her accolades are sometimes best presented by her student’s words:

    “I was failing school my freshman year. Since being in WISH/Independant Study with Mrs. Johnson. I have been very successful at school and am on track to graduate in June.”

    Victoria Long is the Administrator for North County Consortium Preschool Speech and Language Program. She introduced us to Lisa Needham. Lisa has spent the past 11 years of her 15 as a teacher working within the Windsor School District. Her student chose the following to say:

    “Eatin’ ‘back an’ readin’ book.” When asked what he liked about Miss Lisa, he indicated that Miss Lisa likes ‘JiggyPuff’ from one of the Pokemon images on his shirt.”

    Stacy Desiderata is the new principle for Windsor High School. It didn’t take her long to recognize the great skills that Danielle Buckman brings to the classroom. Several student quotes include:

    “My favorite thing about being one of Mrs. Blackburn’s students is knowing how much she cares for us. She is willing to help with problems inside or outside of math. I am so thankful I had the opportunity to be her student this year.”

    Mrs. Buckman is one of the nicest teachers I have ever had. She makes math fun and easy to understand.”

    Ken Moulton took the reins and thanked everyone for their efforts to work with children. He especially wanted to recognize the 3 administrators who are retiring this year, including Benita Jones, Kim Kimes, and Jeannie Acuna. Each received a bouquet of flowers and a warm round of applause.

    Now go out and teach someone!

  • 2018-02-13 Pam and Ken Moulton, and Michael Juric Explain Uganda!

    Opening bell at 7:30 and Pres Steve Klick turned to E. Marie Coakley for a flag salute

    Inspiration was provided by the worldly traveler Michael Juric who suggested of all the wonders in the entire world, it is a wonder that he found… you!

    Sandi Krutz filled in for Bev Graham as songstress and led us in a rousing God Bless America. ­­

    Guests of Rotarians:

    Chris Landwehr introduced Mike Rausch with Windsor Police Department, Glenn Worthkin Computer Robotics store.

    John Hackenburg introduced his partner in life, Jean Hackenburg.

    Olivia Lemon with the Town of Windsor was introduced by Carol Martin.

    Out bound student, Natasha Figueroa will soon be off for Brazil, but spent the morning with us and was introduced by Bill Bolster.

    Pam was sort of introduced by Dick Bishop.

    Announcements:

    Robin Phillips had a little girl, Abigail Rose Resendez 6lbs 10oz

    Carol Martin and JB Leep celebrated an anniversary at Starks Restaurant for a 28th anniversary

    Susan Nelson became a day older… Yesterday.

    SNAP Event in Healdsburg with Windsor Rotary hosting Foss Creek Community Center: 1557 Healdsburg Avenue.    Set up at 9 am

    Contact Craig Curreri for more information on the upcoming 3rd grade dictionary distribution at Cali Calmecac Elementary school.

    People’s Choice Awards presented by Sandi Krutz who told us $5000 was raised.

    Carol Martin accepted for Pink Flamingos

    Fire Relief Fund with Jason Black.

    Movie Night won for best must do it again movie night

    Most money raised went to the Flamingos

    Lobster Feed on April 24th. Please pass along the sponsorship forms and share the Save The Date provided by JB Leep.

    Raffle Drawing:

    Pres Steve announced the winning number and our Natasha had it…since she is a minor we didn’t make her roll the dice, instead we made a donation… Congratulations!

    Special presentation:

    Olivia Lemon made a presentation on our newest community service project, Tuesday Night Kids’ Movies on the Town Green. The movies is centric to Windsor residents and especially families and has drawn up to 1000 people.  The Rotary Club of Windsor is going to be the presenting sponsor. Additional sponsorships are available for other companies. There are numerous opportunities to expand promotion of Windsor Rotary through social media, e-banners, banners and a short film prior to the run of the feature movie.

    We got to watch a movie from Pixar… Lou!

    Program:

    Back to Africa, presented by Michael Juric, Ken Moulton and Pam Moulton.

    Here was a recap of the group trip to Uganda with Dale Knight.

    We were treated to a gallery of images shot by Pam of the country, it’s people, animals and fauna.

    Pam shared the many ways our club has been involved with international activities, both abroad and at home through the hosting opportunities of exchange students and Rotary travelers.

    Ken offered a brief history of Uganda, the pearl of Africa. After a 14 hour flight to Dubai they then headed out to Entebbe, Uganda. Uganda is located in the South Eastern portion of Africa. They became independent in 1962. Many of the various tribes were met with brutality by Idi Amin in 1972. He was eventually chased out in 1979. Today the country is prospering and all of the team felt safe in their adventure wherever they went.

    Uganda is the start of the River Nile, which flows north. 41 million population with 56 tribes and nine indigenous communities. The average life span is 55 years.

    The team went to visit schools and brought numerous school books that were paid for by our club. The books were distributed to schools with classrooms that offered desks and benches, and others that placed children on the ground.

    Michael introduced several other projects the team and Rotary have been involved with. Of the 5 schools the team visited they ran a range from boarding schools with young scholars to technical schools with automotive classes, fashion design. Schools included elementary to the equivalent of high school.

    Pam let us know the intrigue the children showed seeing white people and were curious as to whether the white would rub off if they held hands. The connection with the children was exceptional with numerous dance recitals and chanting. It was inspirational to see the depth of humanity that locals had for each other. Interesting comment was that no one was truly homeless since near everyone was open to encouraging and nurturing others.

    Our presentation was concluded with images of the animals that inhabit the surrounding countryside. Amazing photos and an amazing team that reflected Rotary People in Action.