All Hail The Weather Guy!
Posted by Linda Geery on Nov 03, 2016
President Dan welcomed Rotarians to our first meeting at the Dante Club. We will be meeting there for a three-month trial. He also wished everybody a Happy Halloween and All Saints Day.
President Dan thanked music director Aaron French (Zanker Recycling), he noted that no piano is available, so if anybody has access to a piano, please let the club office know. He also thanked our greeters Judy Duru (J A Collins Properties) and Virgina Varela (Golden Pacific Bank) as well as audio visual director J.D. Dannenfelser (JD Enterprises).
The thought for the day was offered by Calle Stezer (Setzer Forest Products), who shared a fun weather antidote in honor of our Speaker of the Day, Dave Bender.
President Dan introduced his head table: “Chair of the Day”, Bill Proffit (Land Park Ski & Sport) Sports), Dave Bender, speaker of the day, Callee Setzer, Shirlee Tully (Sacramento Regional Community Foundation), and Dan Fennocchio (Cunningham Engineering Corporation).
Announcements: Ken Noack Jr. (Newmark Cornish & Carey) announced the return of “Big Game Day”, which will be November 15th, celebrating the Causeway Classic as well as the Cal vs. Stanford Game. Where your Big Game Colors and come out for a fun meeting.
Virginia Wade (SAFE Credit Union) shared that our club will be out at Loaves and Fishes on November 29th, both morning and lunch shifts are available. For details, watch for her e-mail.
Roy Alexander (Sacramento Children's Home) reminded us about theater night, Saturday, November 5th, dinner at Lucca followed by The Sound of Music. He has two tickets available, contact Roy if you’re interested in attending.
President Dan invited Rotarians to the President’s breakfast on November 18th, Evan’s Kitchen – 7:30. Attendance is limited to 25, so reserve your spot.
Roast, Boast and Toast:
Bob Miller (First US Community Credit Union) contributed in honor of his 21st wedding anniversary.
Don Brown contributed, sharing that our club has five active members that are 94 years old. All were in attendance today, Jack Bowker, Maynard Nelson, Bob Cole, Ed Willey and Mead Kibbey.
PP Dave Cohen (Cohen – Durrett) contributed in celebration of his 30-year anniversary and renewal of vows to his bride, Diann.
Randy Friedman (US Navy) contributed to encourage our club to find a piano for meeting days!
Chris Ann Bachtel (First Northern Bank) had a lovely picture featured on a mailer for the Sacramento Regional Community Foundation. Chris Ann contributed to our foundation and shared that she believes in the good work of the SCRF.
Walter Dahl (Dahl Law, Attorneys At Law) shared that PP Scot Sorensen will be returning to the Sacramento area in late December, look for him at future RCS meetings!
Bill Proffit the Chair of the Day introduced Dave Bender. Bill shared some witty weather tales:
- Consider the fragile snowflake; look what they can do when they stick together?
- There is no such thing as bad weather, only poor wardrobe choices!
- Consider, without weather, 9 of 10 people wouldn’t be able to start a conversation!
Dave Bender is with CBS 13 and he shared how he got his start in the weather business. Dave took a non-traditional path to becoming a weather person. It all started when he was 16 and working as a bus boy in a Mexican restaurant. A gentleman from the San Diego Wild Animal Park came in and by the end of the evening; he offered Dave a job cleaning cages. He figured why not, so he took the job. The animal keepers noticed that he talked a lot. In an effort to give themselves a break they offered Dave an opportunity to work on portions of the animal shows. He was enjoying what he was doing so he decided he would major in veterinary medicine in college. He continued his work at the Wild Animal Park and it lead him to opportunities to appear on talk shows with Birds. His big break, the David Letterman Show. Dave put together a “cheesy video” and they called him in for February “sweeps week”. Tropical birds and bad weather! Dave was picked up at the JFK Airport in a Limo, in spite requesting a station wagon to accommodate the bird cages. Because the weather was so bad and he had no other options, he took the birds out of their cages and let them lose in the limo. “The birds were going crazy in the limo”! The Letterman show went well and it leaded to work with the Tom Snyder and Merv Griffin shows.
While doing homework one day he sees a weather man on TV in San Diego and thinks “I Can do that”! He obtains a job at the NBC affiliate in San Diego. Which lead to an opportunity in a very tiny market, Yuma Arizona. Dave commented when the town is small they don’t care if you make a mistake, but Yuma, AZ turned out to be very predictable: sunny and hot, sunny and hot, sunny and hot.
After 1 year he went back to San Diego, then onto Washington D.C. After his third year in DC he decided to return to the west coast and landed in Sacramento. He stared with Channel 10 in 1993 and has been with Channel 13 for 20 years.
Weather prediction for 2016-2017 rain? Neutral pattern or as Dave put is no “El No No”. Neutral pattern indicates 1/3 possibility of more than average rainfall, 1/3 possibilty of less and average rainfall and 1/3 possibility of average rainfall.
Dave has had “lots of fun” as a weather guy including driving NASCAR, stick-time with the Blue Angels and hot air balloon rides.
Our next meeting is November 8th; Gregory Favre will be our speaker at The Dante Club. Hope to see you all there!