Jan 16, 2018-Rotary Forum

By Dick Dannells

Pres. Jeff King opened the meeting at 12:42 PM by asking members what is the most unusual item on their bucket lists. Charla Anderson won the prize of a Steve Curry designed Rotary pin for her bucket item of attending the Kentucky Derby in Louisville, Kentucky

Pres. Jeff had Paul Holden pay a $60  spin-the-wheel fine for a poor introduction of the guests at his table. Fine master Mark Olson fined Greg Baker $35 and Jack Hardy $30 for their January 17, 2006 and January 21, 1997 respective  club anniversaries. He then fined Pres. Jeff for him and Sally’s January 22, 1972 wedding anniversary. Kari Ziegler and Bonnie Mogan were fined $25 each for missing trivial quiz questions.

Mike Frederick asked for volunteers to help starting at 9 AM Saturday, January 20 at Port Huasna Road to wipe down floors and otherwise clean up one of the newly installed double wide mobile homes that is a part of the Fort Hope Foster Care Homes for women who have been subjected to bad elements. Bonnie Mogan announced that our next social will start at 5:30 PM on Wednesday, January 24 at the Inn at the Pier, where we had last week’s Rotary vocational tour. Connie O Henley as Chair of the Membership Committee, circulated looseleaf notebooks that contain comments that have been received based on email surveys. She encouraged us to answer the next survey on February 1. Steve Curry announced May 7, 2018 is the date of the annual golf tournament at the San Luis Obispo Country Club. Jenny Dierek will be the cochair of this event. Steve stated that the proceeds from these tournaments are divided between scholarships and adding to the $190,000 endowment that we hope to grow to $250,000. Pres. Jeff reminded us that the goal of the R I Pres. is to have every Rotarian plant a tree this year. Steve Curry stated that we should look in our yards if we have oak trees to find acorns that are sprouted with two leaves. If so we should transplant them by digging deeply to avoid cutting off their large Kappos, and then keep the transplanted tree moist for distribution to the rest of the members at a later date. We can also plant acorns in earth and keep them moist.

Shelby Nelson introduced her husband Kevin who began by stating that he joined the Arroyo Grande Fire Department in 2001 before 9/11. He became a seasoned fireman in 2003. He joined Cal Fire in 2008 and volunteered to enter the investigation section, which required him to go to the Police Academy at Hancock College in May 2012. He became a fire inspector in Fresno and in 2014 he became a full-time fire investigator. One of the first things you do in a “Wildland Fire Investigation FI-210, Origin and Cause Determination,” is have a pilot fly over the scene to take aerial photographs. With photos in hand, the fire investigator goes on the scene to investigate such things as which side of the rocks contain stains, since the stain shows the direction of fire as it passes over the rocks. He will also look for catalytic converter ceramic cores that shoot out of the exhaust pipes of poorly maintained cars. He passed around such a core. Another investigative tool is to determine the pattern, such as V pattern in grass, which indicates that the fire started at the base of the V. The investor will get down on hands and knees to examine the grass. Since the fire starts very slowly only the base of the grass will be singed. The job of investigator is to exclude arson, lightning, equipment,  electrical, and accidental fires. Only about 18% of the fires are actually caused by carelessly thrown cigarettes. In 2016 during the Chimney Fire near Lake Naciomento, a series of small fires were started in the area. After an intense investigation, Kevin apprehended Debra Collins after she ran from a walker. She was subsequently found guilty of arson and incarcerated for number of years.

By Dick Dannells

Pres. Jeff King opened the meeting at 12:42 PM by asking members what is the most unusual item on their bucket lists. Charla Anderson won the prize of a Steve Curry designed Rotary pin for her bucket item of attending the Kentucky Derby in Louisville, Kentucky

Pres. Jeff had Paul Holden pay a $60  spin-the-wheel fine for a poor introduction of the guests at his table. Fine master Mark Olson fined Greg Baker $35 and Jack Hardy $30 for their January 17, 2006 and January 21, 1997 respective  club anniversaries. He then fined Pres. Jeff for him and Sally’s January 22, 1972 wedding anniversary. Kari Ziegler and Bonnie Mogan were fined $25 each for missing trivial quiz questions.

Mike Frederick asked for volunteers to help starting at 9 AM Saturday, January 20 at Port Huasna Road to wipe down floors and otherwise clean up one of the newly installed double wide mobile homes that is a part of the Fort Hope Foster Care Homes for women who have been subjected to bad elements. Bonnie Mogan announced that our next social will start at 5:30 PM on Wednesday, January 24 at the Inn at the Pier, where we had last week’s Rotary vocational tour. Connie O Henley as Chair of the Membership Committee, circulated looseleaf notebooks that contain comments that have been received based on email surveys. She encouraged us to answer the next survey on February 1. Steve Curry announced May 7, 2018 is the date of the annual golf tournament at the San Luis Obispo Country Club. Jenny Dierek will be the cochair of this event. Steve stated that the proceeds from these tournaments are divided between scholarships and adding to the $190,000 endowment that we hope to grow to $250,000. Pres. Jeff reminded us that the goal of the R I Pres. is to have every Rotarian plant a tree this year. Steve Curry stated that we should look in our yards if we have oak trees to find acorns that are sprouted with two leaves. If so we should transplant them by digging deeply to avoid cutting off their large Kappos, and then keep the transplanted tree moist for distribution to the rest of the members at a later date. We can also plant acorns in earth and keep them moist.

Shelby Nelson introduced her husband Kevin who began by stating that he joined the Arroyo Grande Fire Department in 2001 before 9/11. He became a seasoned fireman in 2003. He joined Cal Fire in 2008 and volunteered to enter the investigation section, which required him to go to the Police Academy at Hancock College in May 2012. He became a fire inspector in Fresno and in 2014 he became a full-time fire investigator. One of the first things you do in a “Wildland Fire Investigation FI-210, Origin and Cause Determination,” is have a pilot fly over the scene to take aerial photographs. With photos in hand, the fire investigator goes on the scene to investigate such things as which side of the rocks contain stains, since the stain shows the direction of fire as it passes over the rocks. He will also look for catalytic converter ceramic cores that shoot out of the exhaust pipes of poorly maintained cars. He passed around such a core. Another investigative tool is to determine the pattern, such as V pattern in grass, which indicates that the fire started at the base of the V. The investor will get down on hands and knees to examine the grass. Since the fire starts very slowly only the base of the grass will be singed. The job of investigator is to exclude arson, lightning, equipment,  electrical, and accidental fires. Only about 18% of the fires are actually caused by carelessly thrown cigarettes. In 2016 during the Chimney Fire near Lake Naciomento, a series of small fires were started in the area. After an intense investigation, Kevin apprehended Debra Collins after she ran from a walker. She was subsequently found guilty of arson and incarcerated for number of years.