Jim's story for May 7 Bulletin
 

  

      Rotarians of the Month Steve De Baets and Ed Kushins

 

It was Monday, April 30, 2018, and President Mark Burton yielded the floor to “Dr. Chris” Ullman, who offered up the following: “In our desire to make a difference, members in Rotary can be summed up thusly: expecting more than others think is possible, caring more than others think is wise, risking more than others think is safe, dreaming more than others think is practical and succeeding more than others thought achievable. Rotary isn’t who we are, Rotary is what we do.” All of which is epitomized by Rotarians of the Month Steve De Baets and Ed Kushins, as well as by Manhattan Beach Police Department employee and Las Vegas shooting victim Rachel Parker, who was memorialized for us by Captain Tim Hageman on behalf of this year’s El Camino Rachel Parker scholarship recipient, Madison Chomori, who was joined at the podium by our Scholarship Chair Dennis Morehead with Nancy Tonner, Assistant Director El Camino College Foundation, and by three of our generous contributors: David Boochever, Charlie Steinmetz, and Ned Colletti.

       

       Rachel Parker Scholarship - Scholarship Chair Dennis Morehead,
      contributors David Boochever, Charlie Steinmetz, and Ned Colletti.

 

 

 

As I write this, we are about to start the eagerly anticipated banner night of our Rotary year, Celebrate Manhattan Beach.  At our Monday meeting, Jordan Holbert prepped us for the evening with a preview of Live Auction items and with special thanks to David Gendron, Jan Rhees, Lisa Hemmat-Lupercio, Bill Bloomfield, Barbara Matles, and more whose names I missed.  (I’ll keep writing, but all I want to do is get over to the hotel and find a drinks sponsor for myself.)  By the time you read this, you’ll be trying desperately to remember the best jokes from CMB, which, by now, have slipped away.

 

 

Deb Robertson appeared in a RYLA sweatshirt, having spent three days at Lake Arrowhead with a raft of teenagers.  RYLA, started in part by our own Kent Caldwell, stands for Rotary Youth Leadership Assembly, and is a District program teaching leadership skills to our future leaders.

 

 

Vinny Fazzino showed up with a huge living wall, an example of what we can bid on at CMB.  Composed of vegetables, fruits, succulents and plants, with a simplified and effective irrigation system, it’s an impressive piece of artwork, and a genuine wall garden.  This is now a big part of Vinny’s business, so contact him for more information.

 

 

 

Kathleen Terry and husband Fred Manna are prepared for any emergency, but, much as they love us, they are not enamored of the possibility that we will all be arriving at their home in case of an emergency.  So Kathleen is making sure that our cars, at least, have a few days of emergency supplies.  For a mere $25 (her cost) she will provide you with an emergency kit for your car.  Get one.

 

 

 

 

Our guest speakers were Stephanie Sampson, Public Relations Manager for LAWA (Los Angeles World Airports—and I have no idea where that name comes from, but we are basically talking about LAX) and her associate William Ringland.  They focused on what they call LAMP—the Landside Access Modernization Program, the main feature of which is an elevated track with a Disneyland-style rail that will circle the airport.  It starts construction this year and will open in 2023.  It will make three airport stops, connecting to moving elevated walkways.  Each stop will get a train every two minutes.  It will eventually connect to a new Metro line.  There will also be a CONRAC—a Consolidated Rent-a-Car facility, and an ITF, an Intermodal Transportation Facility for multiple stories of parking.  This is a public-private partnership and will cost $4.8 billion.  Check out www.FlyLAX.com/ConnectingLAX.  The developer will work off private loans and will not be paid until the work is done, on time.

 

 

 

Progress can be rough while in process.  Our speaker compared the airport construction process to a home remodel—“It will get worse before it gets better.”  Progress also apparently requires capital letters:  LAWA, LAX, LAMP, CONRAC, ITF—or, in the case of teenagers, RYLA.  The best capital letters of all?  CMB.  See you tonight!