Dennis White introduced his long-time friend, Bobby, telling us that he was the first person to start the community Thanksgiving Dinner in Cambria. He said that his job description is compassion.

Bob started off by telling us that he moved to Cambria in 1974 when Cambria was made up of ranchers, farmers, hippies and retirees. He recently started the Estero Bay Kindness Coalition after discovering that, in the Estero Bay area a large percentage of children are beneath the poverty level. These children receive free or reduced meals at their schools. For the most part, the school cafeteria is their primary source of nutrition all week. Unfortunately, many children go an entire weekend with little or no food with any nutrition.

In 2017, the group committed to filling 12 backpacks each week for students who were otherwise not going to be eating on the weekends. By the end of the school year, they were filling 40 backpacks each week. Each backpack includes breakfast, lunch and dinner, along with snacks, juice and milk, to help bridge the
gap over the weekend. This year, they have teamed up with the Cambria Connection to provide similar backpacks to students at Cambria Grammar School where 70% of the children are below the poverty level! And they are hoping to start a program where these same children can receive the backpacks during the summer when they are not getting lunch at school. They are calling this program Got Your Back.

Bob is asking for help to fight childhood hunger. Donations can be made to Cambria Connection (put “Got Your Back” on your check). To sponsor a child for a week, it is $12; for 1 month, $48; 1 semester, $228 and, for an entire school year, $456. They also accept donations of food including healthy cereal, evaporated milk, canned fruit, dry fruit, canned vegetables, canned chicken, tuna, beef, peanut butter, jelly, instant rice and boxed juice.

Thank you Bob for such an informative presentation.

ulia Rice gave us a fascinating presentation about Nigeria, the home country of Ore Okubadejo,

the exchange student our club is sponsoring and who will be staying with the Rice’s and Porters during her stay. She explained that Ore is a member of the Yoruba Tribe which consists of 40 million people, about 21% of the population of Nigeria. Ore will be arriving here August 15 and will be leaving behind her mom, a Rotarian, and 4 siblings.

Some interesting facts about Nigeria:

The Fine Master (Alas...there was no time for our favorite Fine Master)

Nigeria has the highest rate of twin births with 158 twins born per 1,000 people. One half of the population is under 15 years wold.

The name, Nigeria, comes from the River Niger. Nigeria is multi-cultural with 500 ethnic groups and multi-lingual with 600 distinct languages.

Religions: Muslim 50%, Christian 40%, indigenous beliefs 10% Nigeria is the most populist black country on earth.
Nigeria is home to the 2nd largest movie industry in the world.

Bruce Howard plus Gerry & Paula Porter told us about some of the experiences they have had in Nigeria.

Thank you all for this interesting program. We are definitely looking forward to meeting Ore and getting to know more about her and her country.

Bob Putney introduced Fire Captain, Emily Torlano who has been with the Cam- bria Fire Department since 2000. She received her paramedics license in 2004 and was promoted to Captain in 2015. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in Fire Safety Administration and is working on her Masters in Organizational Leadership.

Emily began by introducing Michael Castellanos, a Cambria native and Engineer with the Department. Engineers are required to be certified fire fighter as well as Emergency Medical Technicians (EMT’s). She also introduced Reserve Fire- fighter, Leo Salas.

The Cambria Fire Department was established in 1886 and is the 2nd oldest in San Luis Obispo County. In addi- tion to fighting fires, the department provides advanced life support, ocean and cliff rescue, hydrant mainte- nance (there are 460 of them) as well as rescuing people locked out of their cars, changing batteries in smoke and CO2 detectors and fire weed abatement. The Department recently lost a grant that enabled them to hire additional personnel but they are working on a new grant.

Training requirements have gotten much stricter. There are fewer people willing to be reserve firefighters (part- time) or volunteers because they are required to complete 1700 hours of training. As a result, there are only 12

reserves on the books.

Emily also reminded everyone to register with NIXLE to get community alerts and notifications. To register, simply text your zip code to the number 888-777. She also brought Cambria Area Fire Evacuation Plan brochures for anyone who would like one.

When asked why so many personnel respond to 911 calls, Emily explained that the fire engine must be “at the ready” in case of emergency so the 3 personnel assigned to each engine need to stay together. She also advised anyone noticing cars parked in such a way as to block access to a street, to contact the fire de- partment. They will send someone out to have the car(s) moved.

Fire hydrants need to be maintained on a regular basis because they can rust making it nearly impossible to operate. In an emergency situation, every minute counts so it is important that hydrants be maintained, although maintaining 460 hydrants is no easy task.

We actually went past our usual ending time because it was such a great presentation and there were so many questions. Thanks to Emily and her crew for taking the time to tell us about the Cambria Fire Department.

Janet Meyers introduced our speaker, Anne Wyatt, executive director of HomeShareSLO, a housing policy planner and former County of SLO planning commissioner. Anne enjoyed life in Cambria while operating the Bridge Street Inn from 1997 to 2011.

Anne began by telling us that HomeShareSLO is a local non-profit that facilitates home
share matches between those with an extra room and those looking for affordable
housing. The organization was started in 2017 as a service to seniors living alone in San
Luis Obispo County. There are over 11,000 single seniors in the county and probably just
under 500 in Cambria alone. The average income for single senior women is $1100 a
month. The program helps to share the ideas of home sharing, brings people and rooms together and performs extensive background checks on renters. A minimum income is required for home seekers and there is a multi-part matching process. Why home share? Besides the extra income, it can provide companionship, security, community building and likely allow you to stay in your home longer. For more information, go to www.HomeShareSLO.org.

It was a very interesting presentation. Thank you Anne.

Janet Meyers introduced Michael Bradley, Chief Executive Officer of the California Mid State Fair. He is a 4th generation Californian and provides a unique combination of fairs and exposition management, non-profit leadership and business development; he’s de- veloped an extensive background in agriculture and hands-on experience in marketing and community relations. Most recently he has directed the Arizona National Livestock Show in Phoenix as the CEO.

Mike told us that the Fair began having entertainment in 1969 with Buck Owens as the
first artist. This year’s entertainment will include some of the biggest names in the industry including Luke Bryan, Demi Lovato, Faith Hill and Tim McGraw, Eric Church and Pitbull, to name a few.

50% of attendees come from outside a 50 mile radius and 440,000 people attend annually. Because of this, it was decided to adopt a new slogan, “America’s Favorite Fair”.

The mission of the California Mid State Fair Heritage Foundation is to preserve and enrich the heritage of the 16th District Agricultural Association and showcase agricultural industries to the community; to offer support to the 4-H and FFA projects and create agricultural education opportunities; maintain a standard of excellence in the facilities and create capital improvement opportunities and to serve as an arm of the California Mid-State Fair that can accept charitable donations. A new building, the Paso Robles Pavilion, is a 100,000 square foot building which was a gift from the Heritage Foundation. The building will only house events related to the Fair and agri- culture, but can serve as shelter during natural disasters.

One of the main goals of the Fair is to give kids a learning experience. Many under the age of 40, according to Mike, believe milk comes from the grocery store. California produces more food than Iowa and Texas combined. Future Farmers of America (FFA) is the largest single youth organization in the country with over 85,000 students in California FFA clubs alone!

At the end of his presentation, Mike advised us that 2 tickets to any non-sold out performance, either for the 2018 or 2019 Fair would be donated to out club! Than you Mike!

RYLA GRADUATES

Cambria Rotary Club RYLA coordinator Jane Howard began with a brief overview: RYLA stands for Rotary Youth Leadership Awards. CUHS Counselor Cheryl Seay helps with student selection, alerting students to application deadlines and arranging interview dates and times. Most students are juniors when they apply and attend. This year there were 5 juniors and 1 sophomore from Coast Union H.S. RYLA is conducted for 4 days at Camp Yomah in Ojai. Cristel Chesney, Laudon Rowen and Elaine Beckham drove the students to and from the camp. Jane praised the leadership of the camp: Darin Arrasmith is the chairperson and our own Nancy McKarney is his very capable administrator. Jane brought Tim Carr up to the podium to be recognized as the 2018 Most Outstanding RYLA

Counselor. About 250 attended RYLA this spring, April 19-22. Five RYLA graduates attended the Rotary luncheon. Student Testimonies about RYLA:

ZACK AZEVEDO---He was worried about a specific student ending up in his cabin. As it turned out, this particular student was a terrific person and lots of fun.

TORI EHLERS---She learned that 20 seconds of confidence such as smiling to someone can be life changing. In her Diversity class she learned that everyone was unique, and she learned how to reach out to fellow students.

FIONA CLOWARD---She learned that it was physically impossible to complete the obstacles of the Ropes Course without relying on, and having trust in, your fellow students. She learned that it was important to take the time to listen to other students’ stories. And she learned not to give up on her

dreams.

CESAR HERNANDEZ---He felt shy about mixing with new people at first. He tried to hang out with his friends the first day. But by the evening of the first day he found himself bonding with some new friends on his color team and in his cabin. He learned from Camp Director Darin to “take off your cool card” and be yourself. Cesar especially enjoyed the goal setting class and will use the notes he wrote in his binder. He concluded that the four days of RYLA were the best time of his life.

EMMA SISON—Emma said she could describe RYLA in one word---REFRESHING Emma admitted that she started at camp with a bad attitude. At first she worried that no one she knew was on her color team or in her cabin. But then she bonded with two new friends who are still in communication. She was sad to return home from RYLA, but realized a responsibility to share this inspirational experience with those who did not attend. She felt that the RYLA experience can bring out your “inner leader”.

Congratulations to the 2018 RYLA Graduates!

PRESENTATION: BRINGING MEDICAL CARE TO CAMBRIA

Janet Meyers introduced our speakers, Dr. Laurie Moyer-Mileur, a Registered Dietician and research professor at University of Utah School of Medicine and Barbara Bronson Gray, Vice President of Cambria Community Healthcare District, registered nurse and managing editor at WebMd, among other accomplishments.

Laurie began by telling us that she is legally blind (then proceeded in telling a few blind jokes (we need this lady in Rotary) and was recently approved for a guide dog. She explained that the process of getting medical care to Cambria was a 6-step process:

#1 Define the need: It was determined that Cambria, San Simeon and the surrounding area are medically underserved. For our population of 7500 people 4-6 full-time caregivers are needed. 80% of respondents to a survey on healthcare said more options are needed.

#2 Options Available to Meet Needs: When the Community Health Center was approached about providing more medical personnel, the result was actually a decrease of 2 doctors. Dr. Gong only works 4 days a week and Dr. Dave Griffith provides house call services only for severely ill, immobile patients. So we reached out to Tenet and Dignity Health.

#3 Infrastructure: Tenet agreed to provide services but needed space. First Physicians Partners signed a lease with John & Renee Linn for the full downstairs portion of the medical building on Main St. 

Permits have been pulled and a September opening is planned.

#4 Expect Resistance: Barbara told us they were surprised when they met with resistance, saying “what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger”. She told us of someone who actually contacted First Physicians Partners urging them not to come to Cambria.

#5 Expect Problems: The original site selected for a medical facility was the old Heritage Oaks building but that did not work out. After signing the Lease with the Linn’s, the permit process was held up due to a new computer system slowing down the process.

#6 Communication: It is important to keep everyone up to date, listen to their stories and focus on the end zone. The new facility will have a full time doctor plus staff, will have extended hours and Saturday hours to accommodate working people. There has recently been interest in setting up an Urgent Care facility her also.

Thanks to both Laurie and Barbara for this interesting and important presentation and for all the work they have done to bring healthcare to Cambria.

Dr. Jim Brescia introduced our speaker, Daniel Williams, RPM Supervisor, Grizzly Youth Academy.

Daniel Williams explained that Grizzly Youth Academy (GYA) is a partnership between the California Na onal Guard and the Grizzly Challenge Charter School. For youth between the ages of 16 and 18 who have dropped out of high school, or are at-risk of dropping out, we offer a highly-structured environment that promotes leadership, cooperayion, and academic skills, while building self-esteem, pride, and confidence.

Cadet Raul, a 17 year old from Santa Maria, told us that, while in public school, he had a grade point average of 0.17. He did
not care about school and had no life goals. He was constantly scared and nervous. When his guidance counselor told him
about Grizzly, he decided to give it a try. He explained how hard it was, at first, getting up at 5 a.m. and jogging to class but
the program has changed his life. He said he was concerned about returning home after graduation, worried that things
might be different, but he said he soon realized that the only thing that changed was himself. He is proud to say his gpa is now at 3.8 and he is looking forward to a promising future.

Matching cadets with a caring, responsible mentor is one of the most important components of the Grizzly Youth Academy experience. The mentor acts as an anchor of support to the cadet during their 5 1⁄2 month residential phase and continues supporting him/her throughout their 12 month post-residential phase (a total of 17 1⁄2 months). The mentor is key to a graduate’s successful transition to employment and/or continuing education. An established goal for all students is to complete a My Action Plan (MAP). This life plan is a guide for the Mentor and the Cadet to follow after graduation 

on.

Mentoring responsibilities are fully communicated in the mandatory one-day Mentor Training session (see dates below). The Grizzly Youth Academy o ers this training mul ple mes each class, only requiring mentors to a end ONE session. If anyone is interested in mentoring a cadet, contact Grizzly Youth Academy at 1-800-926-0643 or go on line to h ps://www.grizzlyyouthacademy.org/mentors/about-mentoring/

Dr. Joe gave a fascinating presentation about some ancient teachings that remain relevant to maintaining balance in our lives. He reminded us of some lessons learned over thousands of years regarding the importance of:

• Feeling safe

• Experiencing passion and creativity

• Using our energy carefully

• Living from the heart

• Healthy communication

• Gaining and utilizing wisdom

• Clearing the mind

• And perhaps leave us with a reminder to pause and be in awe of this thing called life – and all that it offers

PRESENTATION: ABE LINCOLN, "SLO NOOR FOUNDATION"

Jim Easton, of the Rotary Passport Club of the Central Coast, told us that the Passport Club now has 23 members and they are 100% Paul Harris members! They average over 100 hours service per member. He then introduced today’s speaker: Abe Lincoln (the newest member of the Passport Club). Abe graduated from Cal Poly and is currently Executive Director of the SLO Noor Foundation.

Abe Lincoln began working with the SLO Noor Founda on, the only fully licensed clinic in SLO
County, because he was inspired by Dr. Ahmad Nooristani. Dr. Nooristani was born in
Afghanistan. After his father died, his mother smuggled he and his brother to Pakistan and eventually to the United States where he went on to get his medical degree. He was passionate about giving back so he set out to provide free health care to every uninsured person in SLO County. He has raised enough funds to build a primary care clinic, a vision clinic and a dental clinic in San Luis Obispo and recently opened a primary care clinic in Paso. All services are provided free of charge for uninsured adults in SLO County. Dr. Nooristani has convinced the majority of medical professionals in SLO County to volunteer me to this cause. They depend on grants and donations. You can get more information about the SLO Noor Foundation at http://slonoorfoundation.org/

President Mike presented District Governor, John Weiss, with a club pin. He told us that John joined Rotary in 2001, became Morro Bay Rotary President in 2009/10, has been an instructor at PETS, Youth chair, has brought in 50+ new members and chartered the 1st Interact Club in Morro Bay.

DG Weiss began his presentation by awarding a Paul Harris Service Fellow to Bob Putney in recogniti on of his many services to not only our local club but the District, International and Polio. Congratulat ons to Bob.

DG John then told us that, after a rather large 50,000 person survey, the two most important points of Rotary membership were: 1) Family; and, 2) Service.

He further emphasized that the main objective of Rotary: “Avenues of Service” for which he made a truly personalized presenta on and review of our Club’s Avenues of Service: Club, Vocational, Community, International, Youth and the inherent programs of each.