Pictured (from top) - - Edwin Acevedo and Dan Hurlock are the two newest Downey Rotarians. Expectations are high for the two gentlemen, as they are charged with both curing cancer and solving climate change. By next Thursday. At noon.
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This Past Tuesday, February 23, 2021
In response to President Willy’s concern that the Hub Bub paints him in an unflattering light, we’d like to report that our President conducted last Tuesday’s meeting in a masterful fashion.
At exactly 12:30 PM, Willy called the meeting to order with decorum, warmth, and a demeanor that indicated solid, steady Rotary leadership.
It was so impressive, that when we pledged allegiance to the flag, several Rotarians pinned their video screens to President Willy instead of the flag.
It was enough to bring tears to your eyes.
With a last-minute rescheduling of our speaker, the entire meeting was dedicated to the induction of two new members of the Downey club. Your editor initially declined the offer to handle the induction, citing an inability to pronounce words with the letter “c” and “r” during public speaking. President Willy, with a steely Presidential determination, enforced the order.
As a result, Edwin Acevedo, local real estate mogul, and Dan Hurlock, Downey Fire Chief, with all due pomp and circumstance, were added to the distinguished group making up the Rotary Club Of Downey. The collective IQ of the Downey club jumped 23 points with their inclusion, and interestingly, the rumored transfer of Darren Dunaway to LA5 will bolster both clubs respective IQ even further.
The world’s two newest Rotarians were given several minutes to speak about themselves, their families, and their professions. The general sentiment is that the new members are a great addition to the club. John Lacey urged caution however, reminding everyone what high hopes we originally had with DUSD Assistant Superintendent Roger Brossmer.
Next Tuesday, March 2, 2021
This week’s speaker is the same guy we had planned for the prior week. Details of last week’s cancellation were not made available to the Hub Bub, so blame can’t be meted out. That said, program chair Mel Sanchez has indicated she hasn’t made a mistake since her wedding day, so the fault must lie with our speaker.
Gabriel Enamorado is the Executive Director of Stay Arts, and we suspect he will be joining us on Tuesday. Since he got the logo to his organization last week, the Hub Bub refuses to reprint it two weeks in a row. We have our standards. Kind of.
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Kind of Like the Blob
Impact of Downey Rotary Spreads
So, LA5's Malinda Monterrosa appears at a Downey Rotary Zoom meeting and within days, her picture and story involving a project with the first five Rotary clubs makes the March issue of Rotary magazine. Coincidence? Maybe. The influence of the Rotary Club of Downey? Far, far more likely.
As a necessary aside, who wants to let Malinda know that her parents could have easily admitted to a spelling mistake early on, and they wouldn’t have their daughter’s name routinely butchered by spell check?
Regardless, reading the article that described how Malinda and LA5 engineered a meeting with the first five Rotary clubs, Downey President Willy Medina has been inspired for a new project. As Rotary International’s 737th club, President Willy has directed secretary Patricia Megallon to contact the first 737 Rotary clubs for a group Zoom meeting.
What it lacks in planning is, well, that it lacks planning. Two members from the Newman Rotary Club in Brookhaven (club 732) were overjoyed at the opportunity to attend, and a total of six Rotarians are currently slated for the April 1 event. “I think we can get it up to nine Rotarians,” she claims. Go Patricia!
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Something Gets Done
Monthly Board Meeting Report
The Board met last week for their February meeting, and the following are a few highlights:
1. The club financials are in order, and we are awash in cash to the point where Treasurer Barbara Lamberth has indicated we can “spend it like a drunken sailor.”
2. Improbably, the accounts receivable are in order, and a few bizarro’s out there are actually prepaying their dues.
3. With urging from Dr. Xochitl Ortiz at Columbus High, we are embarking on a modest Service Above Self scholarship program for at least three of the four high schools. Details will follow when the Board sees fit.
4. We are working out the details regarding the presentation of gift certificates to front line medical workers here in the city. The certificates will be from local Downey-based food establishments. No McDonald’s are slated to participate, not even the historic one on Florence Ave.
5. Per the article below, the Board has approved an offer from the LA5 club to participate in a virtual game of trivia. Only legitimate Downey Rotarians can participate, and I’m happy to report that former Jeopardy star Ken Jennings has agreed to join the Downey club next week.
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What Else Would It Be?
District Awards Us, Uh, District Grant
by Barbara Lamberth
Downey Rotary has been advised that we were awarded a District 5280 Grant for the Downey Foundation for Educational Opportunities. The $2,000 grant was funded by an original $750 club donation.
The grant proposal consisted of the following information:
The Downey Foundation for Educational Opportunities (DFEO) provides Downey children with the resources and opportunities to be successful individuals. They supplement Arts, Music, Health & Fitness and College Preparation programs during after school hours.
Programs include Music Classes (Guitar, Drums, Violin, Ukulele, and World Music), Visual Arts, Theatre, Dance, Recreational (Soccer, Basket Ball, Physical Fitness) and College Preparedness.
Their goal is to ensure that after school enrichment education is affordable, accessible, and equitable for all Downey students. Through donations, DFEO has been able to grant need-based financial aid scholarships to those children who cannot afford to pay for educational programs.
The classes offered range from $35-$60 per student per month; with musical instruments provided if needed.
Downey Rotary has been promoting Basic Education & Literacy throughout our community for years. With this grant, we will be able to assist more than 25 need-based families with a scholarship for their child or children.
The Foundation was able to provide financial assistance from $42 to $225 per child for classes in World Music, Visual Arts, Guitar, Acting, Violin, Soccer, Fitness, Ukulele, Tutoring, Dance, Fitness and Drum programs.
Since their programs are currently virtual, we were not able to have a formal awards celebration; however, they did provide us with the pictures attached to share with the club.
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Rich Knows All
Guatemala Literacy Project
by Richard Strayer
The Guatemala Literacy Project trip to Guatemala is currently scheduled for July 20 – 25 (will be confirmed in April).
For those who don’t know, Downey Rotary is a sponsor of “GLP”, and several of us have been to Guatemala to observe the various programs of the GLP. Feel free to contact me if you want more information.
The cost is approximately $2,000 per person - $1,450 per person double occupancy for room, transportation in Guatemala and most meals. American Airlines has a non-stop flight for roughly $420 – Copa has a 1 stop flight for approximately $383.
For more info go to: coeduc.org/tours and scroll down to “snapshot”.
As always, you are free to contact me directly @richard11601@hotmail.com, or call/text me @ 714-600-6614.
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But Can He Take the Heat?
Matt Kinley Enters The Fire
Matt Kinley, he of former Downey Rotary fame, was waiting for his 3:30 appointment with the pants salesman, when, trolling through various Rotary newsletters, he came across the exchange in articles between the Hub Bub and LA5’s El Rodeo. The below letter was sent to me and my counterpart at LA5.
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Tammy and Ray,
I see the simmering dispute between LA-5 and Downey. I’m offering to help.
Tammy, you don’t know me, but I am a Past President of Downey and Past Editor of the Hub Bub. I can tell you that you have a tiger by the tail. Downey has some dangerous members. Ray Brown is tenacious. When he has nothing to do, it’s important to give him a job. But once he has a job, he goes at it like it like one of those penguins marching over the frozen tundra to put food in his beak to feed the baby penguins. And, you don’t want that breath in your life. Metaphorically speaking. In other words, Hub Bub after Hub Bub (after Hub Bub) will direct that fishy breath in your direction.
Ray, as the President of the other large club, I can try to explain to you about the majesty of us large clubs. It really is something to behold. We are above all of this. We are too important to mess with. We are too busy solving not only our community problems, but the world’s problems as well. We just don’t have time to deal with penguins.
But since I know Ray thinks of himself as a nice person and I know LA5 as the second premier Rotary Club in the county, I thought I’d reach out and offer my mediation services. RCLB will offer it’s Zoom services to have a mediation with the players from both clubs during our regular noon meeting on 3/17/2021 and we will find a solution as to what divides you two.
Respectfully,
Matt Kinley
Pres. #104 Rotary Club of Long Beach
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Letter From the Editor
Dear seven readers, before you read this article, take a couple of minutes and peruse Matt Kinley’s letter above. I know, it’s lengthy, he makes excessive use of multi-syllable words, and he uses the “I” word way too frequently. But work your way through it, and let me know when you’re done.
Ok, thanks.
Poor Matt and Long Beach Rotary, struggling for relevancy in a stay-at-home environment, and looking to inject themselves in what is clearly a matter between clubs in District 5280. Also, it strikes us as rather pedestrian for President Linley to play the ours-is-bigger-than-yours game. While it is clearly beneath the Long Beach club, it is, truth be told, entirely in the culture that is Downey Rotary.
I think it’s also important to reflect on Matt’s offer to act as a mediator. Sadly, while Matt brings significant intellect to the matter at hand, his history as a litigator and law practice owner make him woefully unprepared in the art of mediation. The slash-and-burn techniques he has honed over the years are inconsistent with the Rotary theme of peace, fellowship, and service. Especially with the knuckleheads at LA5.
Truth be told, there appears to already be a mechanism in motion for a possible mediation effort. Chrissy and Malinda, our new “friends” at LA5, are suggesting a Trivia Competition between the clubs. Downey Rotarians, masters of the trivial, have Board approval to partake in such an event. We’ll see if the powers that be at LA5 can stomach the east side challenge.
As this trivia competition offer foolishly came from the enemies...um, folks at LA5, the Hub Bub will not presume to know if the invitation is extended to any of the lesser clubs from District 5320. Matt and Long Beach Rotary will have to pursue this on their own.
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SnapShot: Lorine Says LA5 Has Nothing On Us
By Lorine Parks
The Bub extends congratulations to our two newest members, Downey Fire Chief Dan Hurlock, and Edwin Acevedo, Downey Realtor. Welcome to the club, fellows.
The LA5 Club, charmed by Ray Brown’s witty writings in the Bub, visited us again by Zoom. Time did not allow them to explain all the enticements they wanted to offer any Downey Rotarian who would leave us to become a member of the LA5, but Malinda M. and Christina M. did display their recruiting banner
Before they proceed any further, we wanted to remind them of the heritage that comes with being a member of Downey. LA 5 may have been founded in 1909 as the fifth Rotary club to be formed, but look what our year, 1924, brought forth.
In addition to the Rotary Club of Downey, other significant births in 1924 include US Presidents Jimmy Carter and George H.W. Bush. Other 1924 babies were actors Marlon Brando, Doris Day and Don Knotts; politicians Shirley Chisholm and Daniel Inouye, and Tom Landry, coach of the Dallas Cowboys.
Who does 1909 have to put up against them?
In January, Howard Carter opened the large stone sarcophagus of the Pharaoh Tutankhamen and on Feb 12, George Gershwin’s groundbreaking symphonic jazz composition "Rhapsody in Blue" premiered at Carnegie Hall with Gershwin himself playing the piano with Paul Whiteman’s orchestra.
May: Benjamin Spock, a Yale medical student, won a gold medal as part of the men’s 8-man rowing team in the Paris Olympics. Johnny Weissmuller won gold in the 100-meter swimming event. Gertrude Ederle won a gold medal the summer Olympics in Paris. The US dominated the Paris Olympics and Finland (Finland?) ranked a distant 2nd.
In June, Congress granted U.S. citizenship to all American Indians, and George Mallory (38), a British schoolteacher, and Andrew Irvine (28), a student at Cambridge, attempted to reach the top of Mount Everest from their camp at 26,800 feet.
In October Paavo Nurmi ran a world record 4 mile (19:15.4) and 5 miles (24:06.2)l the 1st Little Orphan Annie strip appeared in NYC Daily News.
Notre Dame beat Army 13-7, and The NY Herald Tribune’s dean of sports writers Grantland Rice dubbed the backfield "The Four Horsemen"’ with these words: “Outlined against a blue-gray October sky, the Four Horsemen rode again. In dramatic lore they are known as Famine, Pestilence, Destruction and Death. These are only aliases. Their real names are Stuhldreher, Miller, Crowley and Layden.” Not even the Bub produces prose like that.
In November the Sunday Express published the 1st British crossword puzzle, and Calvin Coolidge was elected 30th president on a platform of pro-business policies,
Dec 25, Rod Serling (d.1975), writer and host (Twilight Zone, Night Gallery), was born in Syracuse, NY.
Also in 1924: The last known native wolf in California was trapped and killed in Lassen County; Red Grange, football player from the Univ. of Illinois, led his team to victory against the Univ. of Michigan by scoring 5 touchdowns in the first half of the game.
The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 1924 was awarded to Willem Einthoven "for his in discovery of the mechanism of the electrocardiogram." The Nobel Peace Prize 1924? No Nobel Prize was awarded that year.
Travel advisories: In France the Ile St.-Louis made an unsuccessful attempt to secede from Paris and France and issued its own passports; and the first traffic light in Europe was set up on the Potsdamer Platz in Berlin.
And did I mention Don Knotts was born. AND eggs were 32 cents a dozen. So there, LA5, take that. What has 1909 got that can match Downey?
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