Stories
Last week we heard a wonderful message from Bruce Stahlman of Littleton, Colorado. Bruce is Chief Financial Officer of ARC Thrift Stores, a Colorado non-profit with 1,500 employees and $100 million in annual revenue. Bruce told us about his and wife Kelly’s twin sons. Both had severe cerebral palsy and needed round-the-clock care until their deaths in 2014 and 2015. Bruce was then diagnosed with brain cancer and underwent surgery in 2018. “First and always, it’s about gratitude,” according to Bruce. Rather than looking at the twins and cancer as calamities, Bruce chooses to see them as blessings and draws energy from the experiences to share a positive real life story that resonates with people across all of life’s situations. Stories like this are definitely worth spending an hour online on Wednesday mornings. Join us! |
A Proper SendoffLast week we heard from Steve Catt, founder of A Proper Sendoff. Steve is a memorial service officiant who works with grieving families to provide personalized memorial services. Steve urges all of us to make end of life plans ahead of time to make things easier for our loved ones. Proper estate planning is also essential to help eliminate family disagreements. Learn more about Steve and his company at www.apropersendoff.com. |
Street MedicineWith us last week was Diane Vines, a CSUSB nursing instructor who coordinates the Street Medicine Project. This project is a partnership between the school’s nursing department, UC Riverside School of Medicine, Desert Regional Medical Center, Well in the Desert and Coachella Valley Volunteers in Medicine. Project participants bring heath care to the valley’s homeless population. Diane invited two of her students to join her in the presentation and we learned the program provides valuable training to students since their usual clinical teaching sites (hospitals and nursing homes) are unavailable to them because of the pandemic. Not a single COVID-19 case has been detected in the valley’s homeless population so far, according to Diane. |
Food & Toys For The East ValleyLast week we heard from Lisa Weaver, owner of Dickie’s Barbecue Pit in Rancho Mirage. Since the start of the pandemic, Lisa has been donating food from her restaurant and collecting food items for people in need in the East Valley. Her restaurant has served over 3,200 meals to first responders and she has held four food drives to date. She is planning another drive for Christmas and has added toys to her list of needed items. See has selected the occupants of several trailer parks in the Thermal/Mecca area and is seeking enough food and toys for 60 farm worker families. Palms To Pines will be joining this effort and we’ll have complete information at our December 2 meeting. Also last week, we welcomed Sojourner Rick Gross back to our meeting. Rick joined us from Denmark! It was great to see Rick and it’s always great to get an “on the scene” update on Coronavirus from our Sojourners. Thanks Rick! |
CV Harvest BoxWith us last week was Tony Marchese, co-owner of Trio Restaurant and co-founder of CV Harvest Box. At the beginning of the pandemic, Tony and Mark Tadros, an east valley grower, saw a need to provide Coachella Valley residents with fresh produce delivered directly to their homes. Their plan would also help growers who normally served local restaurants by provided them with a new sales outlet. CV Harvest Box now supplies weekly produce boxes as well as a number of “add ons” to nearly 300 customers. Available add ons change frequently but some of the current products include mushrooms, apples, berries, pasta, cookies, coffee and olive oil. Harvest boxes are delivered on Fridays and customers can choose to order once or to subscribe to weekly, by-weekly or monthly deliveries. Harvest boxes start at just $35. Tony provided Rotarians with a promo code for a $5 discount on a delivery. Simply go to the Harvest Box website, www.cvharvestbox.com and enter promo code “Rotary” when you place your order. |
It's All About ServiceWith us last week was Chuck Weisbart, Rotary District 5330 community service chair. Chuck is a former Palms to Pines member who currently belongs to Idyllwild Rotary. Chuck talked to us about the importance of hands-on projects for the health of a Rotary club and says community service provides the greatest opportunity for clubs to get new members and keep existing members. Projects offer members a great way to help improve someone’s life and build camaraderie among Rotarians. Every service project, Chuck says, should be assessed every year to prevent them from becoming “old and musty.” |
Palms To Pines ParasportsWith us last week was Mike Rosenkrantz, board president of Palms To Pines Parasports. Joining Mike were board members Mike Porter and Jerry Alcorn. Palms To Pines Parasports is a new organization seeking to provide sports and social opportunities to people with disabilities. There are very few activities currently in the Coachella Valley and this group plans to change that. Any sport can be adopted for the disabled and they are currently providing wheel chair basketball and cycling. Many more activities are in the works. According to Mike, there are currently no adaptive sports programs offered in Riverside so his group is also offering programs there. They plan to actively reach out to disabled veterans as well. Our club will be working with Palm Springs Parasports to come up with possible future volunteer and community service opportunities so stay tuned! |
World Polio Day![]() |
The PolioPlus SocietyLaura Ahmed from Cathedral City Rotary joined us last Wednesday to talk about World Polio Day and Rotary’s new PolioPlus Society. Laura is our district’s PolioPlus Chair and she reminded Rotarians that October 24 is World Polio Day – a day to call attention to Rotary’s long-time efforts to eliminate polio. Laura also promoted the Rotary Foundation’s brand new way to recognize PolioPlus donors. Pledge just $100 annually to PolioPlus (which we all should be doing) and you’ll become a member of the new PolioPlus Society. You’ll receive a certificate and label pin to recognize your pledge. Please contact Foundation Chair Kay Van Zandt for additional information. Palms To Pines hopes to once again promote World Polio Day with another End Polio Now projection. Last year we projected the message on the side of the McCallum Theatre and this year we’re working on another site for the projection. Stay tuned! |
St. Jude's Dream Home GiveawayJennifer Castell with St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital was with us last week to promote the hospital’s second annual Dream Home Giveaway. Tickets priced at $100 will go on sale in January and they hope to better the $775,000 raised last year. St. Jude’s has raised over $500 million and given away over 600 houses over the past 30 years. Cancer remains the number one cause of death in children but the survival rate has increased fourfold since St. Jude’s opened in 1962. |
Joslyn Center![]() |
Real Estate UpdateJim Brock provided us with his annual desert real estate update last week. Jim shared August sales statistics with members. Jim’s bottom line: Because of low inventory and higher than normal demand, now might be an excellent time to sell and, if you’re thinking of buying, you might wait a bit to see just how much distressed sales increase because of the pandemic. Also last week, it was announced that Kay Van Zandt has completed an update of the club roster. It will be sent to members. Please review and report changes and corrections! |
Real Estate UpdateJim Brock provided us with his annual desert real estate update last week. Jim shared August sales statistics with members. Jim’s bottom line: Because of low inventory and higher than normal demand, now might be an excellent time to sell and, if you’re thinking of buying, you might wait a bit to see just how much distressed sales increase because of the pandemic. Also last week, it was announced that Kay Van Zandt has completed an update of the club roster. It will be sent to members. Please review and report changes and corrections! |
West Shores High SchoolWith us last week was PDG Ricardo Loretta. Ricardo told us about a Global Grant project which is actually close to home. West Shores High School at the Salton Sea is Riverside County’s poorest school and the grant will provide funds to improve the school’s computer lab, purchase laptops for students and provide technical support for the equipment. Ricardo is seeking unallocated District Designated Funds for the project. Our club’s board has approved donating our club’s unallocated DDF funds totaling $483 to the project. |
YMCA Of The DesertWith us last week was Paula Simonds, new CEO of the Family YMCA of the Desert. Paula shared with us how the YMCA has been forced to modify or eliminate programs as a result of the pandemic. The end result is they are now only able to serve a fraction of the number of children as they served before the pandemic. Fundraising has also been affected. Their Y Be Fit fundraiser is virtual this year. Participants pay $20 and have 20 days to run, walk, cycle or swim 20 miles. Learn more at www.ymcaofthedesert.org. |
Club Needs AssessmentLast week we talked about Pres. Kelli’s vision for Service Above Self. She reviewed the projects listed above and we also talked about how we’re planning to spend our annual Rotary Foundation District Designated Funds. According to Charles Riggs, our International Service chair, our club has $612 available this year for local projects. Your board has designated this money and our August Happy Dollars to Galilee Center. We had a total of 10 participants last week. Please plan to join us this Wednesday morning at 7:30 a.m. |
World Peace![]() |
Humane Society of the Desert![]() |
The Galilee CenterWith us virtually last week was Claudia Castorena of the Galilee Center in Mecca. Claudia and Gloria Gomez began providing food to low income families in a Mecca parking lot 10 years ago. After two years, a nearby building was donated and they have now grown to include a shelter for migrant farm workers and two resale stores which provide revenue for the ongoing weekly food distribution. They provided backpacks to school children last week and they are now beginning to plan for their Thanksgiving food distribution project. Our club is planning to participate in one of their weekly food distributions so stay tuned! Our July Happy Dollars were dedicated to Galilee Center and Pres. Kelli presented a virtual check for $865 to Claudia! We had a total of 14 people with us last week……..let’s get to 20 this Wednesday! |
Membership MomentAt our Virtual Meeting last week, Marilyn Sanderson, president of Rancho Mirage Rotary (and Jack Cottrell’s significant other), gave us impromptu insight into how her club picked up eight new members last year. Thanks Marilyn! Also last week, Pres. Kelli Cox asked each member to come up with a local charity which our club could help. To help, we need funds so Kelli also asked members to research various online fundraising activities our club could pursue. Finally, we’re also looking for some fun online games our members could enjoy each Wednesday morning. |
DG Barry Valdez Visits Palms To PinesRotary District Governor Barry Valdez joined our club’s virtual meeting last week for his official “visit.” Barry is a 14-year member of Rialto Rotary and has already managed to “visit” 12 clubs in our district. Like so many things today, Barry’s Rotary year is in constant flux. He is currently planning a virtual District Assembly and he wants our district conference to take place on a three-day Mexican cruise in May. Another event he is planning is a motorcycle Ride For Polio to Nevada’s Primm Valley Resort on Oct. 10 and 11. Our own Jerry Kress is already making plans to fire up his Harley and join this event. Our district normally joins with four other Rotary districts to finance Rotary’s Rose Parade float but, with the cancellation of the event, that’s one major expense he does not have to worry about. Also last week, Sergeant-at-Arms Jack Cottrell continued to collect Happy Dollars for Galilee Center. This week will be our final collection for Galilee so make sure and bring along your virtual wallets! |
Virtual MeetingWe held our first attempt at a Virtual Meeting last Wednesday and nine members joined us. Winning the most distant award was member Martin Kubelik checking in from Prague and Sojourner Anita Ratchinsky was second. It was wonderful to see fellow members and Sojourners. Kay Van Zandt was unable to be with us because Jerry De La Cruz, her significant other, suffered a severe heart attack last Sunday and is hospitalized in ICU. Our last report indicates his condition is improving but please continue to keep Jerry and Kay in your thoughts and prayers. We’re still feeling our way with Virtual Meetings but we plan to eventually incorporate regular meeting segments like Happy Dollar collection and speaker presentations into our Virtual Meetings. Please take an hour out of your busy day to join us at this week’s meeting. You never know who will join us! |
FIND Food Bank |
Search & RescueWith us last week was Joe Aguanno of the Palm Springs Mounted Police Search and Rescue. The group was formed in 1949 and has a rich history in the area. While the fire department is called out for injuries, the mounted police are used for search and rescue and, too often, body recovery. The group currently averages one rescue a month. In recent years, they often find themselves being called out to search for walk away Alzheimer’s patients. Joe only managed to share a few search stories so we need to have him back again in the future! Also last week, Foundation Chair Kay Van Zandt announced that matching points are available for Foundation contributions. Donate $50 and Kay will use her points to match the contribution and you will be credited with a $100 Foundation donation! Martin Kubelik was our lucky Raffle winner. Martin drew a three and won $3! |
Rotary Foundation Grants![]() |
Fun & Games![]() |
Alternative Education![]() |
Habitat For Humanity |
Olive CrestWith us last week was Angela Allen, Development Manager for Olive Crest. This organization has helped families for 47 years and has been active here in the Coachella Valley since 2001. Olive Crest offers an alternative to the foster care system. Also last week, we introduced our new and improved Rotary Raffle. Not only will we have our usual 50-50 raffle but we’ll also have a second raffle item for another lucky winner. Prospective member Kamryn Hafer won a Rotary coffee mug filled with candy and Pres. Margaret Claggett drew a queen in the 50-50 raffle and took home $20. Our Rotarian of the Week (Jerry Kress this week) is responsible for providing the second raffle prize. |
Students Of The YearLast week we heard from Elizabeth Kimbell of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. The organization is promoting a Students of the Year fundraising campaign where local high school students form teams to raise funds. Also last week, we learned that we are planning an outing to FIND Food Bank to pack food for distribution on Wednesday, February 5. Complete details coming soon! |
LGBT Community Center![]() |
Palms To Pines Holiday Party![]() |
Desert Ability CenterLast week we heard from Michael Rosenkrantz from the Desert Ability Center. The Center will be holding its Ability Festival this Saturday at Palm Desert’s Civic Center Park. The 8th annual Festival will feature more than 40 exhibitors and will include demonstrations of over 25 adaptive sports led by paralympic and adaptive sports coaches. The festival runs from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and the Desert Ability Center is seeking volunteers to help throughout the event. If you’re interested in volunteering, please talk with Pres. Margaret. Also last week, we heard about a fundraising activity we will participate in as part of the Tour de Palm Springs on Feb. 6 and 7. We’ll be working in their Beer and Wine Garden and we’ll also sell raffle tickets. We’ll have more information after the holidays. Finally last week, Pres. Margaret was our lucky raffle winner and took home $10 from her $3 ticket purchase. |
Xavier Colonnade Dedication![]() |
FIND Food Bank![]() |
Dead Reckoning![]() |
Icon PresentationsLast week Kim Hardee told us a bit about Icon Presentations, her and husband John’s local audio visual company. They have filled audio visual needs for local organizations since 1991 and their largest annual project is the Palm Springs International Film Festival. Also last week, Pres. Margaret reminded us of upcoming events including our blood drive (see below) on November 18 and the Xavier College Prep Colonnade dedication on November 26. Palms To Pines Rotary joined two other clubs to provide lunch tables for the colonnade project. Charles Riggs, who plays trombone with the Desert Winds Freedom Band, told us about the band’s 2019-2020 season. Their fall concert, All Gershwin!, is scheduled for November 23 at the Jewish Community Center in Palm Springs. Richard Karp was a lucky $4 winner in the Rotary Raffle |
Bears Of Alaska![]() |
World Polio Day![]() |
Club Assembly![]() |
Club Assembly
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New Member Jack Cottrell |
The Mary Kay Story |
District Governor Visits |
Demotion Party![]() |
Cup's CafeOur first Informal Breakfast at Cup’s Café drew six Rotarians plus the return of Chris Shippee. Cup’s continues to offer a fabulous breakfast menu with lots of different entrée choices. Come join us at 7:30 a.m. this week. Breakfast IS the most important meal of the day! |
Social BreakfastWe wrapped up our winter season at Desert Falls Country Club last week with a social breakfast. (Perhaps we waiting a week too long since only six members were in attendance.) As you probably know, we pay for a minimum of 15 breakfasts each Wednesday at Desert Falls so they can justify bringing in staff to serve us. During the summer months we never come close to the 15 person minimum so it makes economic sense to hold informal breakfasts during the summer months. We hope to see you at Cup’s Café on Wednesday mornings and we really hope to have a great crowd for Pres. Richard Karp’s Demotion at 5:30 p.m. on June 19 at Ruth’s Chris Steak House. Margaret Claggett was our lucky $20 Rotary Raffle winner. |
Humane Society of the Desert |
RYLA |
Desert Trial Academy |
Cannabis |
Surviving Polio |
Books, Books & Tony Danza |
Read Across America![]() |
Growing Coachella ValleyWith us last week was Janell Percy, executive director of Growing Coachella Valley. This organization was formed at the height of the drought to help inform the general public about the steps large water users like farms and golf courses are taking to conserve and use water wisely. Janell, with the help of her son Ryan, shared a film about farming and water use. Agriculture in the Coachella Valley generates $600 million a year in revenue, second only to tourism. Also last week, Martin Kubelik asked us all to vote for a photo of his son JJ on a slingshot website. Visit simple-shot.com, click on Gallery and then like JJ’s photo. Finally last week, Lillian Roberts made it two wins in a row last week when she again pulled an Ace to collect $21 in the great Rotary 50-50 Raffle. Congratulations, Lillian! We’ll remind you before Happy Dollars! |
Joslyn Center |
Desert Super Bloom |
Desert Recreation District |
Why Do We Underachieve? |
Happy Birthday Jim! |
Salvation Army |
Habitat For HumanityWith us last week was Dave Thornton of Habitat For Humanity. P2P Rotarians volunteered on a Palm Desert rehabilitation project in 2017 and our club may volunteer again this year. In 2018, Habitat constructed two new homes and rehabilitated 12 more in Indio in cooperation with the Home Depot Foundation. Over 250 volunteers took part. Dave told us the Habitat ReStore would be moving to a more visible location near Costco here in Palm Desert. The store offers new and gently used furniture, appliances, home goods and building materials. Also last week, Kay Van Zandt, Foundation Chair, presented Doug Walker with his seventh Paul Harris recognition award. Congratulations, Doug! President Richard Karp announced that our Happy Dollars for January and February would be donated to the Read With Me program. Read With Me officials hope to provide every child in the reading program with a book at the end of the school year. Finally last week, Jim Brock was the lucky Rotary Raffle winner. With only Aces remaining, Jim’s ticket was drawn and he was an automatic winner and collected $114. He donated $50 of his winnings to Polio Plus. Buy tickets this week and we’ll build the pot again! |
Martha's Village & Kitchen |
ABC Recovery Center Holiday Party |
District Update |
Volunteer Opportunities |
Fellowship BreakfastNo speaker last week so we enjoyed Rotary Fellowship and discussed our Holiday Party. Consensus was to plan a Holiday Breakfast on Wednesday, December 19….our last meeting of the year. We’ll arrange an expanded menu and we’re currently seeking some Holiday entertainment….maybe we can even talk Santa into taking a break from his busy schedule and joining us for breakfast! Also last week, we continued to pledge our Happy Dollars to support victims of the recent wildfires in both Northern and Southern California. |
Salvation Army Bell Ringing![]() |
The First Tee |
Air Ambulance Services |
Direct Current Therapy |
Growing A Better World Together![]() |
Financial Scams & Red Flags |
Ixtapa-Zihuatenejo Update |
Promote-Demote BBQ |
Summer Social BreakfastNearly a dozen Palms To Pines Rotarians enjoyed our second Summer Social Breakfast at Cup’s Café last Wednesday. With no formal speaker, club members simply socialized and enjoyed breakfast. We did talk a bit about how to use some of our district-designated Rotary Foundation monies and the board will come to a final decision on how those funds are spent in the coming weeks. We’re scheduled to be back at Cup’s Café for breakfast on Wednesday morning, August 15 so make plans to join us! This restaurant has a great menu and we’re helping a young couple pursue their American dream! Also, stay tuned for another Road Trip in September. We’ll provide complete details once we have them! |
Cup's Cafe![]() |
Kuzu Rug Road Trip |
Our Summer ScheduleIt’s summer, it’s hot and we’re few in number. Because we have a 15 breakfast minimum at Desert Falls Country Club, we need to make other meeting arrangements during the summer months. We’re planning more road trips and we’re also planning informal breakfast get togethers each week. This week, we’ll take our first Road Trip and then we’ll be getting together for breakfast at Cups Café on July 18 and 25. Cups Café is located at 77912 Country Club Drive (one block west of Washington). You’ll need to take a moment each Monday morning and read your Rotary Newsletter or check the website to find out our plans for each week’s meeting. If you’re traveling to escape the heat, more power to you! If you’re here in the desert, please join us on Wednesdays! |
Backpacks For KidsService Above Self! |
Desert Healthcare District |
Summer Social BreakfastWe held our first Summer Social Breakfast last week and our small group enjoyed great Rotary Fellowship. We collected Happy Dollars and Pres. Richard announced that the funds collected will continue to be dedicated to our planned children’s book program. Margaret Claggett reminded Rotarians that we are collecting backpacks and school supplies to donate to Coachella Valley Rescue Mission. The next time you’re out shopping, buy some supplies for children who could use our help! Since the majority of attendees were P2P Board members, we went ahead and held our monthly meeting. We decided to hold a new member orientation meeting on June 27 and we are seeking fundraiser ideas. Margaret made it three raffle wins in a row and took home $5. |
I Don't Look Good Naked Anymore |
Two New Rotarians |
Real Estate UpdateJim Brock was with us last week to talk about real estate. It’s turned into a sellers’ market here in the Coachella Valley with low inventories, rising prices and shorter times on the market. Affordability remains a serious problem throughout California but our home prices (a median price of $406,000) remain well below the statewide median of $584,460. The San Francisco Bay Area leads the state in prices with a median sale price of $1,010,000. Orange County’s median price of $818,000 is close to its pre-recession peak. Homeowners using Hero financing for energy efficiency improvement projects (solar, window replacement, etc.) are still running into problems when they wish to refinance or sell the property. Lenders will generally require payoff of the Hero loan before they will be willing to issue a new loan. Also last week, we learned we are continuing to plan a tree planting project at Xavier College Prep and Margaret Claggett announced a backpack and school supply drive for CV Rescue Mission. Kim Hardee won $4 in the Rotary Raffle. |
Coachella Animal Network |
RYLA & Estate Planning |
Pearl Harbor |
The Salton Sea |
General Patton Memorial Museum |
Read With Me![]() |
LifeStream Blood Bank |
State of the CityPalm Desert Mayor Sabby Jonathan provided us with a mini “State of the City” address last week. Mayor Jonathan is extremely optimistic about our city but touched on some of our major challenges including the cost of public safety (now over half of our general fund budget) and regional homelessness. The mayor told us about the Palm Desert Strategic Plan and says our population (now at 50,000) should never exceed 100,000. He also touched on our city’s educational system. A Palm Desert student will be able to attend pre-school through university and eventually earn a doctorate….unheard of in a city our size. Also last week, Margaret Claggett made it two raffle wins in a row and collected $5. Buy tickets this week! |
PawnshieldWith us last week were Tom and Michelle Bianco, owners of Pawnshield Fine Jewelry & Loan. Tom grew up in the jewelry business and the couple’s current business is located near Starbucks at 74836 Technology Dr. at the corner of Cook and Gerald Ford. They buy, sell and loan on fine jewelry and collectables. The pawn business has come a long way from the Hollywood stereotype of paying cash for stolen merchandise. Now, the industry is tightly regulated by the state. Less than one half of one percent of stolen property might turn up in a pawn shop according to Tom. Pawn loans are for up to four months and can be renewed. Some 82 percent of customers repay their loans and reclaim their merchandise. Interesting program, Tom and Michelle! Also last week, Margaret Claggett collected all of $6 in the Rotary Raffle and Doug Walker donated more Girl Scout cookies to the club. Cookie winners included Margaret, Jim Brock and Sojourner Jim Davis. Thanks, Doug! |
Desert Best Friend's Closet |
Valentines BreakfastLast week we skipped a speaker and instead enjoyed a great Rotary Fellowship breakfast at our weekly meeting. We welcomed back Sojourners Rick Gross from Germany and Norm Legare from Calgary and again welcomed guests Tom and Michelle Bianco. Pres. Richard Karp promoted the upcoming District 5330 Conference in Cathedral City on May 18-20. Richard wants to get a table of P2P Rotarians together for the event so put the district conference on your calendar now! Also last week, Treasurer Kelli Cox got the semi-annual dues invoices out so please pay promptly. In addition to your dues, please consider making additional donations to our P2P Rotary Foundation as well as to Rotary Foundation. Last but certainly not least, Jerry Kress was the lucky winner of the great Rotary Raffle. Jerry only managed to draw a three but that was good enough to break even for the week. Buy tickets this week…..let’s build the pot! |
Martha's Village and Kitchen |
Braille Institute |
Big Brothers & Big Sisters |
Sojourner SocialWe had no official program last week and instead spent time enjoying Fellowship with our members and Sojourners. We were happy to see Sojourner Jim Eggers and President Richard Karp back with us after each suffered a bout with the flu. Richard shared information about the recently passed federal tax bill with the club. Also last week, we again dedicated our Happy Dollars to help victims of the Santa Barbara fires (and now mudslides). We’ll be looking for a new worthy cause for the month of February so bring your ideas this week! Jerry Kress made it two Rotary Raffle wins in a row. Jerry had a one in three chance of pulling an Ace and taking home the pot but he was good enough to draw a 2 and take home $2. Buy tickets this week! |
Building MembershipFormer Palms To Pines Rotarian Chuck Weisbart was on hand last week to share membership ideas with us. Chuck is currently a member of Idyllwild Rotary and serves as our District 5330 Membership Chair. Chuck told us that Rotary membership in the United States is falling but membership is up in most other countries. The key to attracting (and keeping) new members is visibility within the community and great speakers. Sources of new members include new Chamber of Commerce members, new business owners, speakers and the phone directory, according to Chuck. Also last week, we welcomed back two members….Kathleen Aguilera and Martin Kubelik. It’s great to see them both! Jerry Kress was a lucky $20 winner in the great Rotary Raffle. |
Neurofeedback |
ABC Recovery Center Holiday Party![]() |
Coachella Valley Repertory Theatre![]() |
The Unforgettables Foundation |
Food For Seniors![]() |
Holiday Auction Raises $2,800Palms To Pines Rotary collected nearly $2,800 from members and other generous attendees at last week’s Holiday Auction. We had a ton of great items and there were a tremendous number of bargains. We’re still looking to collect a few payments from members so bring your checks to our November 29 meeting. A big, big thanks to Dana Tarnow, Margaret Claggett and Lillian Roberts for all of their hard work to make this event a success. Thanks also to all members who donated great items and placed bids. |
Music Mends Minds |
Mini-CPR Class |
District Governor's Visit |
Christopher's Clubhouse |
Eagle Flights |
First Hand Vegas Account |
KMIR Studio Tour |
2nd Amendment Sports |
Palm Desert Aquatics CenterLast week a few of us met at the Palm Desert Aquatics Center for an update on programs and events offered by the facility. It’s time to get back into weekly meeting mode, Palms To Pines Rotarians. We have two more excellent Road Trips planned and then we’ll be back at Desert Falls for the winter months. Program Chair Lillian Roberts works long and hard to line up interesting programs and it’s disappointing when we have a low turnout! We really hope to see all of you beginning this week. Service Above Self! |
Top Of The Tram! |
Palm Canyon Theatre![]() |
Tax Tips |
Free Volt Energy |
Sojourner SocialWith no scheduled speaker last week, we took the time to socialize with our members, Sojourners and guests. Lillian Roberts was our Rotarian of the Week and her latest Rotary Moment occurred last week while listening to our RYLA representatives. It’s amazing to consider how much Rotary has changed since its founding and reassuring to see the next generation of Rotarians progressing in life. Great comments, Lillian! Pres. Jerry updated us on our upcoming meeting schedule (see below) and Kelli Cox told us about plans for Rotarians at Work (see above.) Kelli was also our lucky Rotary Raffle winner and pulled a Jack to collect $20. Be with us and buy tickets this week! |
RYLA Report |
Meals On Wheels |
Rotary Foundation UpdateFoundation Chair Paul Parry provided us with an update on our Rotary Foundation giving last week. Each member received a giving summary so we could see exactly how much we’ve contributed to Rotary Foundation and how far away we are from the next level of Paul Harris recognition. Pres. Jerry Kress would like to see Palms To Pines Rotary become a 100 percent Paul Harris club (meaning every member has contributed a minimum of $1,000 to Rotary Foundation.) To encourage contributions, we’re introducing a club matching program. For every $1 contributed, the club will match the contribution with a recognition point – effectively doubling your contribution for recognition purposes. You must donate a minimum of $100 to receive matching points. Please consider making a contribution to Rotary Foundation by June 1 and take advantage of this opportunity! Contact Paul Parry for complete details. Also last week, we bid farewell to Sojourner Jim Davis from Calgary and member Martin Kubelik from Prague. Our winter has flown by and our part time visitors are heading north for the summer. We’ll miss you and look forward to your return! Pres. Jerry has begun a signup sheet for Rotarians At Work so make sure you sign up! Martin was our lucky Rotary Raffle winner last week. He pulled a five and decided to let his $5 ride to build the pot. Buy tickets this week! |
Desert Classic Charities |
HospiceAmy Bridges and Vivian Johnson of Gentiva Hospice were with us last week to tell us about hospice care. Gentiva is one of several hospices in the valley and it offers a variety of services to eligible patients with terminal illnesses. Hospice care is covered by Medicare and MediCal and includes physician services, nursing care, counseling services, respite care and medications, supplies and equipment. A physician must certify that a patient has a terminal condition (six months to live) to qualify for hospice care. Also last week, we learned that Palms To Pines is contributing $500 toward a Rotary Cal State San Bernardino Palm Desert campus scholarship. We also recognized Sojourner Don Kraft who is celebrating his 90th birthday and Cheryl Collins, a guest of Sojourner Kathy Martin, was our lucky Rotary Raffle winner and collected $20. Buy tickets this week and let’s build the pot! |
CV Link |
Up With People! |
Coachella Valley Water District |
Desert RATS |
Desert Homelessness |
YMCA of the Desert |
Club AssemblyLast week Pres. Jerry Kress conducted his midyear Club Assembly. The big news of the day was the election of Richard Karp as our 2017-2018 President. Richard accepted the position with the understanding that club members will all give him tremendous help and support and we plan to do just that. Congratulations, Richard! You’ll make us proud! We also heard that our club will again sponsor six Xavier High School students for RYLA and that we are working with the Xavier Interact Club to identify candidates. Jim Brock recapped community service projects completed so far and reached out to club members for suggestions on additional hands-on projects for the rest of the year. Treasurer Richard Karp gave members a financial update. Our club Foundation has a balance of approximately $28,000 and the balance of our regular club account is $7,000. Program Chair Lillian Roberts asked club members for suggestions for future programs and for future Road Trips. International Chair Charles Riggs told us about our international projects. We’ve used district designated funds to support the Guatemala literacy project and he updated us on the Mexicali kitchen project. Martin Kubelik was our lucky raffle winner and donated his $20 back to our club foundation.
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Coachella Valley Women's Business CenterLast week we heard from Kim Scanlan of the Coachella Valley Women’s Business Center. The Center opened in 2006 as an offshoot of the Inland Empire Center for Entrepreneurship and offers workshops, counseling and networking to aid women with their businesses. The Center is not just for women. Kim tells us one quarter of their clients are men. Our own Kelli Cox is one of the volunteer instructors! Also last week, Doug Walker was recognized for his latest Rotary Foundation donation. Doug received his PHF + 4 recognition pin. Congratulations, Doug! Not only did Doug receive his latest Paul Harris, he also acted as our Rotarian of the Week plus won $2 in the Rotary Raffle. Our pot this week is well over $100 so buy tickets!
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Desert Adventures![]() |
Holiday SocialWhat if we scheduled a meeting and no one came? That wasn’t the case last week when Palms To Pines Rotarians and Sojourners turned out in force but the Desert Falls staff were unaware we would be there. Rotarians set their own tables and the limited Desert Falls staff did a remarkable job of preparing a great breakfast. Rotarians didn’t let the confusion temper the Fellowship and we ended up having another great holiday social breakfast. Thanks, members, for pitching in to make things work out. We look forward to seeing you all again this Wednesday at 7:15 a.m.
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Community PolicingLast week we had the pleasure of hearing from Joel Aguilera, an officer with the Palm Springs Police Department. Joel, husband of member Kat Aguilera, told us a bit about community policing. The city is divided into several neighborhoods and officers work the same neighborhoods, attend neighborhood events and meetings and get to know the people within the neighborhood. Joel also shared some common sense tips to reduce the risk of becoming a crime victim. Joel’s grandfather was a Palm Springs officer. Joel is currently on medical leave after being injured on November 30 while apprehending a burglary suspect. Also last week, Butch Hartman was the lucky Rotary Raffle winner. Butch pulled a three and let it ride. Buy tickets this week!
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Palms To Pines Holiday Party 2016Over 30 P2P Rotarians and guests enjoyed our annual Holiday Party on Tuesday, December 13 at Cuistot Restaurant. We enjoyed a wonderful meal, outstanding Rotary Fellowship and a fun gift exchange. Thanks to Pres. Jerry Kress and Kim Hardee for handling the arrangements! See the Photo Album for additional pictures.
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Salvation Army Bell RingingPalms To Pines Rotarians spent last Friday Bell Ringing for the Salvation Army at Ralph’s in La Quinta. It was a beautiful day and shoppers were generous as always. Thanks to Ray Roth, Paul Parry, Wes Davis, Anita Ratchinsky, Dana Tarnow, Kathleen Aguilera and Jim Brock for donating two hours of their time.
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Loving All AnimalsLast week we had Janet McAfee of Loving All Animals with us. Janet gave us an update on this busy organization’s events and activities which include pet fostering and cat and dog adoptions. Their goal is placement of every animal so none are killed. They have a number of fundraising events throughout the year and have just opened a resale store on San Pablo here in Palm Desert. Also last week, Lillian Roberts was our lucky Rotary Raffle winner and took home $20. Buy tickets to win!
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Food For SeniorsP2P provided nearly $500 in food and staples for low income seniors here in the desert. Working with St. John’s Lutheran Church, the food was distributed just before Thanks-giving. Thanks to Margaret Claggett and Dana Tarnow for doing the shopping!
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Holiday AuctionPalms To Pines Rotary collected nearly $4,500 from members and other generous attendees at last week’s Holiday Auction. We had a ton of great items and there were a tremendous number of bargains. We’re still looking to collect a few payments from members so bring your checks to our November 30 meeting. A big, big thanks to Dana Tarnow, Margaret Claggett and Lillian Roberts for all of their hard work to make this event a success. Thanks also to all members who donated great items and placed bids.
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Desert Hyperbaric MedicineCorey Stogner from Desert Hyperbaric Medicine was with us last week. Hyperbaric therapy is a medical treatment that delivers 100 percent oxygen to patients within a pressurized chamber. Providing treatment under pressure increases a body’s oxygen saturation level and accelerates the healing process. The therapy is covered by insurance for a number of conditions and it is also used at Desert Regional and Eisenhower Medical Centers. Also last week, we welcomed back Sojourner Ray Roth who promptly drew an Ace and walked away with $135 in the Rotary Raffle. Welcome back, Ray!
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Welcome Kelli Cox!We inducted Kelli Cox into Palms To Pines Rotary last week. Kelli has been a CPA for eight years and works for Godecke Clark here in Palm Desert. She’s been in the desert for four years and says she loves it here. She is a horse person and active in horse shows. After her induction, Kelli promptly won the Rotary Raffle. Please welcome Kelli Cox to Palms To Pines!
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Braille InstituteWith us last week was Felice Chiapperini, a field service manager for the Braille Institute. The Rancho Mirage facility is one of five in Southern California and services clients in Riverside, San Bernardino and Imperial counties. It serves 5,000 to 6,000 clients each year. Today, according to Felice, less than 10% of the blind read Braille. The advent of adaptive technology and smart phones allow those without vision to function. Also last week, we presented Kathleen Aguilera with a check for $110 to help the families of the fallen Palm Springs police officers.
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Whoops!Wires got crossed somewhere and we ended up without a speaker last week. We’ve rescheduled Carey Stogner with Desert Hyperbaric Medicine for next week. Without a speaker, we took extra time to discuss our November 16 Auction as well as the December 19 Holiday Party at ABC Recovery Center in Indio. Consensus is to make this our club holiday party this year and we’ll have more details in the coming weeks. We again devoted club Happy Dollars to our Thanksgiving Food Basket project and collected $171. J. R. Fleischner was our lucky Rotary Raffle winner.
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District Governor VisitsLast week, Rotary District 5330 Governor Bob Duistermars of Hemet Sunrise Rotary visited our club. DG Bob met with the board on Tuesday evening and then spoke to the entire club at our regular meeting. We had a good turnout and DG Bob gave an excellent address. Also last week, we learned our Xavier High School Interact Club has received its Charter and we were happy to welcome back Past President Dana Tarnow. A job change will allow Dana to be back with us each week! We also welcomed back our first Sojourner of the season, Anita Ratchinksky. Our Happy Dollars will be used to help provide a bountiful Thanksgiving to needy seniors. Pres. Jerry won $10 in the great Rotary Raffle and let it ride. Buy tickets this week!
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Guatemala Literacy ProjectWith us last week were Dick and Helen Anderson of La Quinta Rotary. The couple told us about a Rotary Foundation literacy project in Guatemala. This 19-year-old project now involves 477 Rotary clubs in 62 Rotary districts. The Andersons have been involved in the project since its inception and have made 11 trips to the country. Also last week, new member Kathleen Aguilera gave us an update on the memorial for the two slain Palm Springs police officers. Kat's husband Joel is a member of the Palm Springs Police Department so this tragedy hits all to close to home. We dedicated our club happy dollars to the memorial fund and collected $101. Margaret Claggett gave us an update on our Xavier High School Interact Club, Butch Hartman let us know the annual Pendleton Foundation Dinner and Chef’s Auction is scheduled for November 10 at the Ritz Carlton and Kim Hardee invited members to attend the 7th annual ABC Alumni Dinner at Ruth’s Chris on October 26. A visiting Indio Rotarian won $7 in the great Rotary Raffle.
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A Survivor's StoryLast week, Pres. Jerry Kress shared a video of a moving speech given by an Indian polio survivor at PETs. The man was adopted by a family from the Yukon Territory so has had access to surgeries and rehabilitation and can now walk with the aid of crutches. He returned to India in 2002 and saw firsthand what is life would have been like if he hadn’t been adopted. He reminded the audience that in 1985, when Rotary started the PolioPlus program, there were 350,000 cases of polio in 125 countries. Last year, polio was endemic in just two countries and only one case of the virus was reported. Also last week, Margaret Claggett was a lucky $10 winner in the Rotary Raffle. Butch Hartman donated a bottle of Trump Bloody Mary Mix produced by a friend. The “Make Your Bloody Mary Great Again” mix was won by Lillian Roberts. Thanks, Butch!
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Promote-Demote PartyWe thanked Past President Charley and welcomed President Jerry at our Promote-Demote party held on July 23. Thanks to Lillian Roberts for the use of her new home and thanks to those who attended.
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Coachella Valley Wild Bird CenterLast week, members took a Road Trip to the Coachella Valley Wild Bird Center in Indio. Executive Director Linda York gave us a guided tour of the facility, which has been in operation since 1986 and open to the public since 1995. The Center cares for and rehabilitates orphaned, injured and sick native wild birds. We saw hummingbirds, ducks, various owl species, hawks and even a peregrine falcon. This was a fascinating visit. Thank you Lillian Roberts! Learn more at www.coachellavalleywildbirdcenter.org.
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Club AssemblyPresident Jerry Kress kicked off the new Rotary year last week with a Club Assembly. Jerry’s number one goal this year is to increase the “bodies in the room”. He has great plans to bring new members into the club and to improve attendance by our current membership. We’ll have more details about plans for the coming year in next week’s Newsletter. Richard Karp started the new year on a lucky note…..he pulled a Jack and won $20 in the Rotary Raffle!
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Tolerance Education CenterLast week we had a fascinating visit to the Tolerance Education Center in Rancho Mirage. Executive Director Melisse Banwer gave us a history of the Center as well as a tour. The Center’s mission is to promote tolerance, understanding, civility and respect for all peoples and it offers various programming in support of that mission. In addition to exhibits about the holocaust, the Center presents weekly tolerance-themed movies as well as rotating exhibits and programs for the LGBT and black communities. Last year, over 10,000 area school children visited the Center. The Tolerance Education Center is supported by endowments, grants and generous donations.
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Effective Public SpeakingWith us last week was Linda Jessie, a member of Desert Sunrise Toastmasters as well as Palm Desert Rotary. Linda gave us some excellent tips on speaking before a group. Since most of us have a fear of public speaking, Linda went over the “three Ps”…..Practice, Prepare and Present. You must first Practice what you’re going to say until you know the subject well. You Prepare by arriving at the venue early and meeting audience members and checking that any needed equipment works properly. Finally, you Present the talk and respect the audience by making sure to end on time. It was an excellent presentation and we all learned something! Lillian Roberts was a lucky $5 Raffle winner.
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Palm Desert Sunset Charter MeetingSeveral Palms To Pines members attended the Palm Desert Sunset Rotary Charter night last Thursday. District Governor Rudy Westervelt was on hand along with several past District Governors, other area club presidents and District Governor Elect Bob Duistermars. The new club’s charter members were introduced and officially became Rotarians. Attending from Palms To Pines were Jerry Kress, Kay Van Zandt, Lillian Roberts, Donna-Lee Ekstrom and Jim Brock. The club currently meets the first and third Thursdays of each month at Villagio Italian Kitchen on Cook Street across from the CSUSB Palm Desert campus.
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Lowe's Gives BackLast week we had several representatives of local Lowe’s stores with us. Linda Postelle, who works with Margaret at RaboBank, brought along her husband Don as well as Theresa and Dawn from Lowe’s. The trio told us about some of the local projects Lowe’s volunteers have participated in including work for Big Brothers and Big Sisters and the Indio Boys and Girls Club. Nationwide, 44,000 Lowe’s employees volunteered for local projects last year. According to the group, Lowe’s also takes care of its own – raising funds for fellow employees when there is a need. Lowe’s is considering a number of future local projects including assisting the Galilee Center, the Cathedral City Boys and Girls Club and the Children’s Discovery Center. Also last week, we started over with the Rotary Raffle and Kay Van Zandt gave it a big boost by letting her $20 winnings ride. Next Raffle is June 22.
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Another Happy Hour VisitA few of our members visited Happy Hour Rotary last Thursday evening. Pres. Charley Riggs reports that the meeting attracted 24 people so they now have enough prospects to officially apply for a club charter. Former P2P member Chuck Weisbart again spearheaded the meeting and PDG Chehab El Awar was also in attendance. They sought and secured charter club officers and Charles Erickson volunteered to serve as the new club’s first president. Charley reports the potential Rotarians are enthusiastic and excited. Joining Charley from Palms To Pines were John Marman, Kay Van Zandt and Butch Hartman. We’re scheduled for a return visit next week so please make plans to join us at Happy Hour Rotary on Thursday, June 16.
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Reverse MortgagesRandall Buffam, a reverse mortgage consultant with Arrowhead Capital Mortgage, was our speaker last week. Randall gave us the sobering news that nearly half of retirees run out of money in retirement. Reverse mortgages offer a way for retirees 62 years and older to use home equity to extend an income stream through retirement. Randall fielded lots of good questions indicating interest among members. Also last week, Jerry Kress filled in for Charley Riggs and joined other members in thanking Lillian Roberts for arranging a great evening at Escape Room Palm Springs. J. R. Fleischner, who consistently purchases three raffle tickets each and every week, drew an Ace and collected $248 in the Rotary Raffle. J. R. donated $100 of it back to us.
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Escape Room Palm SpringsEleven Palms To Pines Rotarians and guests visited Escape Room Palm Springs last Thursday evening. We divided into two teams and spent the next 45 minutes trying to “escape” from the sinking Titanic. One of the teams managed to come up with the lifeboat key but was disqualified for a minor rules infraction. Great fun….let’s do it again!
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Tribes Of EthiopiaSteve Bein was with us last week to present a program on the indigenous tribes of Ethiopia. Steve shared some great photos he took when he toured the remote areas of the country and visited five tribes. This was a fascinating program! Also last week, Pres. Charley passed around a photo of our Coachella Valley Rotary club billboard. It’s currently at Golf Center Parkway in Indio but will move to other desert locations in the future. He also reported that the Mexicali kitchen project is making its way through the Rotary Foundation grant process and that our club donated $100 to Indio Rotary’s Math Day. John Marman was a lucky $7 winner in the Rotary Raffle. Big bucks on May 25!
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Happy Hour RotaryLast week several Palms To Pines Rotarians visited the proposed new Happy Hour Rotary Club on Thursday evening. Our good friend and former Palms To Pines member Chuck Weisbart conducted the meeting. The group hopes to attract enough interested people to charter a new official Rotary club. Chuck reports they have 14 interested people and need 20 to seek a charter from Rotary International. The group meets the first and third Thursdays of each month at 5:30 p.m. at Villagio Italian Kitchen on Cook Street across from the CSUSB campus. We’re planning to join them for another meeting on June 2 so mark your calendars! Rotarians attending last week were Charles Riggs, Lillian Roberts, Kay Van Zandt, Richard Karp, Butch Hartman (and Angie) and Jim Brock.
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Summer of "Musical Meetings" BeginsNo formal speaker last week but we did spend a bit of time going over our meeting schedule for the coming weeks. We’ve learned that the club has negotiated a reduced minimum at Desert Falls Country Club for the summer months so that should help our club treasury when we are meeting on Wednesday mornings. We urge you to pay attention in the coming weeks so you don’t end up in the wrong place at the wrong time! The club calendar on the back page of this newsletter as well as on the club website, www.p2protary.org, will be kept up-to-date at all times so pay attention! We’ll also send out weekly reminder emails. Also last week, Jerry Kress gave us a behind the scenes look at RYLA. Jerry has volunteered at his old district’s RYLA for many years and gave us details we don’t hear from our high school representatives. Jerry was also the lucky winner of $3 in the Rotary Raffle. He let it ride.
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RYLALast week we had our annual visit from our RYLA representatives. RYLA (Rotary Youth Leadership Awards) is sponsored by our Rotary District 5330 for high school juniors. The purpose is to expose them to Rotary and to help them develop teamwork and leadership skills. This year Palms To Pines sponsored six Xavier High School students. Four of them were with us last Wednesday and they told us about themselves and about their favorite activities during the weekend-long camp. Also last week, we learned that member Paul Parry underwent double bypass heart surgery. Jerry Kress reports the surgery went well and Paul should now be home recovering. Paul, we wish you a speedy recovery and look forward to your return! Last week’s Rotary Raffle pot reached $195 and Tiffany, one of our RYLA students, was a lucky winner of $2. Buy tickets this week! Draw an Ace and we’ll waive the “let it ride” rule!
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Desert AIDS ProjectJose De La Cruz, a community health educator with Desert AIDS Project (DAP), was our speaker last week. Jose joined DAP in 1994 when the organization had 450 clients. Today, DAP has over 2,400 clients and is recognized as one of the most successful AIDS organizations in the country. DAP provides counseling, treatment and even housing for its clients. It recently initiated Get Tested Coachella Valley, the first region-wide HIV testing program in the nation. Also last week, we bid farewell to Sojourner Anita Ratchinksy. We look forward to your return next winter, Anita! Pres. Charles Riggs also announced that the Mexicali kitchens project is proceeding and was recently provided with a Rotary International grant number, the first step in the Rotary grant process. John Marman was our lucky Rotary Raffle winner. John collected $20 and donated it back to the pot. Buy tickets this week!
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Gadget GalJan Boydstun, the Gadget Gal from Kitchen Kitchen, was with us last week with a plethora of new kitchen gadgets. Not only did Jan demonstrate them, she also brought along a mini-store and donated 20 percent of her sales back to P2P. Kitchen Kitchen is located in Indian Wells and features everything a person could imagine for the kitchen. The store also offers cooking classes, knife sharpening and private events. Jan also hosts What’s Cooking With Jan Boydstun Saturday evenings on KMIR. Also last week, we bid farewell to Norm Legare from Calgary South Rotary. We look forward to Norm’s return next season! Pres. Charley reminded us that we’re still seeking a new breakfast venue. Let Charley know if you have any ideas. Our Rotary Raffle pot climbed to $142 and Jim Brock was a lucky $20 winner. Following time-honored club tradition, Jim let his winnings ride! Buy tickets this week!
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Escape Room Palm SpringsMark and Dominique Fruchtman from Escape Room Palm Springs were our speakers last week. Escape Room is a live adventure game where teams have 45 minutes to seek clues and solve riddles and puzzles to find a symbolic key so they can “escape” the room. This new Palm Springs attraction has four themed rooms available and groups of three to 10 form a team. Mark is the president-elect of Palm Desert Rotary. Also last week, Don Kraft finally received his Sojourner badge….just in time for him to say farewell to Palms to Pines until next season. Ray Leaycraft of Estes Park, CO, also bid us farewell. John Marman was the lucky winner of two Escape Room Palm Springs tickets and Pres. Charley was an $8 winner in the Raffle. Charley let it ride.
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Sheriff Stan SniffRiverside County Sheriff Stan Sniff was our speaker last week. Sheriff Sniff talked about the Indio jail expansion as well as budget problems facing the department. Even with the jail expansion, the county booked 50,000 people last year and the county only has beds for 4,000 inmates. San Bernardino, with half the population of Riverside County, has twice the jail capacity. The county has been inundated with applications for concealed weapon carry permits and the wait time is now over a year, according to the Sheriff. Also last week, Sojourner Harry Helliesen bid us farewell until next winter. We’ll miss you, Harry! Harry didn’t leave us empty handed because he won Easter candy donated by Sojourner Don Kraft. Sojourner Norm LeGuere won $9 and let it ride.
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MathnasiumBrenda Rincon of Mathnasium was our speaker last week. Mathnasium is located here in Palm Desert and offers math tutoring for students using the Mathnasium Method. Brenda owns the business with her husband, Pedro, and she brought along daughter Sarah to handle the technical aspects of her presentation (thank goodness for teenagers!) In our current age, students must do well in math. The Mathnasium Method uses sophisticated techniques to determine what a student knows and does not know and then tailors a personalized learning program for each student. The most important aspect of the program is that the student is taught to understand the process in a common sense way. Mathnasium, which is been in business here since 2014, currently has 110 K-12 students enrolled and operates with 10 part time tutors. Also last week, Pres. Charley announced that the Mexicali kitchens project will undergo a thorough needs assessment as part of the Rotary Grant application process. We also recognized Sojourners Anita Ratchinksky for her upcoming 60th wedding anniversary and Don Kraft for his 89th birthday on March 20. Sojourner Kathy Martin made it two raffle wins in a row and again donated her $10 winnings back to the pot. Thanks, Kathy!
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USS IowaSteve Bein was scheduled to share photos and talk about indigenous tribes of Ethiopia but instead brought along Capt. Rich Abele, USNR (Ret.), who presented a program on the USS Iowa. Rich serves as a volunteer tour guide on the battleship, which is docked in Long Beach. The USS Iowa is one of four battleships built and all four are currently serving as museums and docked at ports around the country. The ship served during WWII, Korea and during the Cold War and was finally decommissioned in October of 1990. It arrived in San Pedro in 2012. The ship’s 16-inch guns have a range of up to 24 miles. A gun turret explosion in 1989 killed 47 sailors. The Iowa has the distinction of hosting more U.S. President’s on board than any other ship in the Navy. Rich is one of 800 volunteers who help staff the ship. It’s open daily for both guided and self-guided tours. Also last week, Pres. Charley delivered greetings from our Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo scout troop on their fifth anniversary and we learned that our happy dollars during February will go to support the Palm Desert Spirit Squad’s trip to the national championships. We started a new Rotary Raffle last week and Sojourner Kathy Martin was a lucky $4 winner. Kathy did the right thing and donated her winnings back to the pot. Buy tickets this week!
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Palms To Pines UpdateWith the last minute cancellation of our speaker due to illness last week, Pres. Charley Riggs winged it and provided us with an update on recent board actions. At the last board meeting, club leaders approved funds for several projects. The board formally approved the Mexicali school kitchens project and the donation totaled $2,120. The board also approved a $500 contribution to the deaf interpretation program for Palm Canyon Theatre. Palms to Pines has donated to this program since it began 11 years ago and Kay Van Zandt, who has been active in the project since its inception, told us five to six plays will be interpreted this year. Our board also announced a $1,200 contribution of the YMCA after school program. Board member Margaret Claggett told us about the program and about how much it has helped her family over the years. Pres. Charley Riggs told members about an upcoming Rotary Leadership Institute planned March 12 at Ortega High School in the Lake Elsinore area. The Institute provides vital training for Rotarians looking to take over club leadership positions. Jerry Kress announced an upcoming production of South Pacific by the Sun City Performing Arts Club. Play dates are March 31 and April 1, 2 and 3. Reserved seat tickets are just $15. Jerry was also the winner of the Rotary Semi-Mega Raffle. Jerry drew an Ace and took home the $77 pot.
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Baton Against TotalityLast week, member Martin Kubelik told us the fascinating story of this father’s long fight against oppression by totalitarian regimes. World famous conductor Rafael Kubelik (1914-1996) used passive resistance during the Nazi occupation of his country during WWII and then fled the country during the 42 years of Communism. During the war, he refused to speak German, a language in which he was fluent, avoided compositions by Wagner and refused to conduct on Hitler’s birthday. When the Communists came to power and began pressuring him to join the Communist Party and dictating what compositions to play, he left the country with his family and refused to return. The government confiscated all of his property and sentenced him to three years of hard labor. When the Communists lost power, he returned and, on the eve of the country’s first free elections, conducted a concert in Old Town Square which attracted over 100,000 people. Thank you for sharing the story, Martin! Also last week, we recognized Lillian Roberts for her second Paul Harris Fellow. We also raised more funds for the Mexicali school kitchens project. On a sad note, we bid farewell to Sojourner Mike Wedekind. Mike and Gail have sold their Sun City home. Mike has been a strong supporter of our club and will be missed! Anita Ratchinksky was a lucky $4 winner in the Rotary Raffle.
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Fellowship BreakfastSince we lacked a formal speaker last week, members enjoyed Rotary Fellowship during a leisurely breakfast at Desert Falls. Pres. Charles Riggs was back at the helm and told us a bit about a membership workshop he attended the previous evening. One thing coming out of the workshop was a planned evening club here in Palm Desert. Tentative plans call for a 5:30 p.m. Thursday meeting. Also last week, we raised $269 in Happy Dollars which may be dedicated to the Mexicali school kitchen project. Anita Ratchinksky also told us about the upcoming Canada Fest on February 27-28 at Aqua Caliente Casino. Everything Canada will be presented at the event. Our 50-50 Raffle started from scratch last week and Donna-Lee Ekstrom was a lucky $8 winner.
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Desert SymphonyNancy Tapick, president of the Desert Symphony, was our speaker last week. The Desert Symphony is the only paid symphony in the area and performs at the McCallum Theatre. The symphony is celebrating its 27th year this season and it’s anniversary fundraising concert will feature Neil Sedaka on April 9. Other shows this season include Classical Mystery Tour, a tribute to the Beatles, on March 24 and Piano Men, a tribute to Elton John and Billy Joel, on April 7. In addition to its paid performances, the symphony also provides a number of concerts for area school children. Also last week, Don Kraft was the lucky $240 winner in the Raffle. Don announced he will donate his winnings to the club if we proceed with the Mexicali kitchen project.
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Mexicali School KitchensPres. Charley Riggs presented a proposed project spearheaded by Mexicali Industrial Rotary to provide kitchens to three additional rural schools in the Mexicali area. Ten years ago, Palms To Pines teamed with the Mexicali club to build one school kitchen and it has been running successfully ever since. This ambitious new project will involve multiple Rotary districts and district and Rotary Foundation grants. Our board will discuss possible participation at their February 17 meeting. Also last week, we wished loyal Sojourner Jim Eggers an early 91st birthday (Feb. 7) and Jim Brock had a 50-50 shot at pulling an Ace but instead drew a 2 to boost the Rotary Raffle pot once again. Only Aces remain so if your ticket is drawn you win the pot! Buy tickets this week! |
Club AssemblyWe held our first Club Assembly of 2016 last week and Pres. Charley introduced Jerry Kress as our President-Elect. Jerry told us he joined Norwalk Rotary in 1983 and served as president of that club in 1987. He has held many offices in Rotary District 5230. He holds perfect Rotary attendance and is still active with his former district’s RYLA camps. Jerry spoke of his goals for his Rotary year as well as our club’s challenges (meeting minimums for Desert Falls). Jerry hopes to see our club add 10 to 12 new members during his term. He also wants us to enjoy more social events (see the Shen Yun information above) and take on a number of hands on service projects. He wants Palms To Pines to “feel good and do good” during his year. Also last week, Sojourner Jim Eggers was a lucky $20 Raffle winner. Buy tickets this week….just 2s and Aces left in the deck!
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Human Rights In ChinaWen Chen, of New Tang Dynasty Television, spoke to us about human rights in China. Wen has spoken with us before and she again talked about forced organ harvesting and the persecution of people who practice Falun Gong. Over 100 million Chinese were practicing Falun Gong when persecution began in 1999. Since then, millions have been abducted, imprisoned, tortured, fired from jobs, expelled from school or forced into homelessness. Also last week, Jerry Kress was officially introduced as our President-Elect and Pres. Charles Riggs announced that we are currently seeking a President-Elect Designate to follow Jerry. Margaret Claggett is seeking volunteers to help out at a February 6 jazz concert benefiting the Fuller Center for Housing and Pres. Charley let us know the club contributed $500 to help pay for Rotaract members to attend the Peace Conference. Jerry Kress was a lucky $20 winner in the raffle. Buy tickets this week….just a few cards left and a $200+ pot!
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Fee-Only Financial PlanningJoining us last week was Bob Machado, CFP, owner of Compass Rose Financial Planning in Palm Springs. Bob is a fee-only planner whose compensation comes solely from his clients. He receives no commissions or bonuses and does not sell any financial products. When Bob takes on new clients, they review goals and current cash flow as well as estate planning, risk management, retirement planning, tax planning and educational funding goals. He then comes up with an investment plan and manages that plan for his clients. Also last week, Doug Walker was recognized for donations totaling $3,000 to the Rotary Foundation. Doug also let us know that member Jeremy Wittie has been named general manager of the Coachella Valley Mosquito and Vector Control District. Congratulations, Jeremy! We also dedicated our club Happy Dollars year-to-date to help pay for Rotaract students’ registration to this past weekend’s Rotary World Peace Conference in Ontario. We raised $394 for the effort on Wednesday and it will be added to our January 6 Happy Dollar total. Finally last week, J. R. Fleischner was our lucky Rotary Raffle winner. J.R. pulled a three and proudly took home $3. There’ll be great odds to win the pot this week so buy tickets early and buy tickets often!
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Volunteers In MedicineWith us last week was Dr. Doug Morin, executive director of Coachella Valley Volunteers in Medicine. Doug told us about the group’s Indio clinic and about their upcoming Wine Lovers Auction fundraiser on February 5. Complete details and registration information is available at www.wineloversauction.com. Also last week, we welcomed the return of member Martin Kubelik. Martin also received Paul Harris recognition for his Rotary Foundation donations totaling $3,000. We also read letters from ABC Recovery Center clients thanking us for their Holiday Party and Kim Hardee was a $6 Raffle winner.
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P2P Holiday BuffetWe closed out our 2015 meeting schedule with our annual Holiday Buffet last Wednesday. We enjoyed Rotary Fellowship but did take the time to collect Happy Dollars for the ABC Recovery Center Holiday Party. In three weeks, our club raised a total of $661 to purchase presents for children of the recovery center’s clients. Also last week, he heard from Ricardo Loretta, District 5330 Membership Czar, who told us how other clubs are attracting new members. Butch Hartman was an $8 winner in the Rotary Raffle.
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Brain BoostersDr. Simone Ravicz was our speaker last week. Dr. Ravicz has a PhD in clinical psychology and is a certified business and life coach. Dr. Ravicz talked about ways we can train our brain to think differently. Dr. Ravicz is the author of Brain Boosters, Seven Ways to Help Your Brain Help Yourself. Also last week, our club Happy Dollars again went to the holiday party planned at the ABC Recovery Center on Monday, December. 21. So far we’ve raised $366 to purchase gifts for ABC clients’ children. We’ll make one more contribution this week so bring a bit of extra cash! Raffle winners last week were Dana Tarnow, who won a copy of Brain Boosters, and Jim Brock, who collected $10.
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Galilee Center TurkeysWith us last week was Sal Sandoval, owner of Desert Empire Insurance Services. For several years, Sal’s company has donated turkeys to the Galilee Center to help families in the Mecca area. This year’s food distribution is December 21 and Sal is appealing to organizations to help out. Volunteers are needed and he is also seeking donations to purchase more turkeys. Also last week, Pres. Charley is desperately seeking a President Elect since President Elect Training is coming up after the first of the year. If you haven’t served, it’s time to step up. We also agreed to earmark Happy Dollars for the ABC Recovery Center Holiday Party. Lillian Roberts won $7 in the Rotary Raffle.
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Thanksgiving And Bell RingingWhile we didn’t have an official club meeting last week, P2P members were still busy with volunteer activities. Our club raised over $600 to help provide a great Thanksgiving for eight senior households. Members Dana Tarnow, Margaret Claggett and Richard Karp did the shopping on Tuesday and the food and other household items were delivered to St. John’s Lutheran Church for distribution. On Wednesday, club members helped kick off the Salvation Army Christmas Bell Ringing campaign at Ralph’s Grocery. Thanks to members Kim Hardee, Dana Tarnow, Donna-Lee Ekstrom, Sojourner Anita Ratchinsky, Jerry Kress, Richard Karp, Jim Brock and J.R. Fleischner for taking part.
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SafeHouse of the DesertNicole Duarte and Billy William of SafeHouse of the Desert were our speakers last week. The pair work at Harrison House, a transitional living program for young adults aged 18-22. Harrison House opened in 2013 and is located in Thousand Palms. SafeHouse of the Desert also operates a 20-bed shelter for 11-17 year old youth in crisis. Harrison House is an 18-month program which provides young adults with food and housing and counseling to prepare them to successfully live on their own. According to Nicole, they have numerous opportunities for volunteers and they’ve invited us to visit the facility to see how they change lives. Also last week, Richard Karp was a $5 Rotary Raffle winner.
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Forced Organ HarvestingWith us last week was Dr. Dana Churchill, West Coast Delegate for Doctors Against Forced Organ Harvesting. Dr. Churchill presented a very sobering look at the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners in China and the resulting forced organ harvesting. His group estimates that some 55,000 Chinese have been killed for their organs. While patients wait two to three years for a kidney in the U.S., Chinese transplant centers advertise they can provide kidneys in one to four weeks. Dr, Churchill urged us to call on our governmental representatives to support bill HR #343 to call attention to the practice. Also last week, Kim Hardee made it two raffle wins in a row and collected $20 in the Rotary Raffle.
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CV LinkTom Kirk, executive director of the Coachella Valley Association of Governments, was with us last week to talk about CV Link, a 50 mile path which would connect eight valley cities and would be open to pedestrians, bicyclists and low-speed electric vehicles. This controversial project is projected to cost $100 million but Kirk pointed out that the ongoing Jefferson Street-I-10 interchange project is budgeted for $70 million. Kirk says $75 million in funding has already been secured for the project and that an environmental impact report should be completed next year. CVAG hopes to break ground in 2017. Also last week, Kim Hardee won $4 in the Rotary Raffle.
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The Ukrainian CrisisReturning last week were Ann Jackson and Ukrainian ministers Maxim and Julia Belousov. Maxim reported on the ongoing civil war in his country. Over one million Ukrainians have fled their homes because of the war and Maxim and Julia have started a charity to help provide for the refugees. Channel 3’s Megan Terlecky was on hand to cover the visit so Palms To Pines received some great publicity on the television news. Also last week, Pres. Charley again called for members to bring children’s books for our speakers, Butch Hartman told us about the Pendleton Foundation’s November 12 Chef’s Auction and Jim Brock was a $7 winner in the raffle. Buy tickets this week!
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District Governor Rudy WesterveltPalms To Pines hosted Rotary District 5330 Governor Rudy Westervelt last week. DG Rudy met with officers and directors on Tuesday evening and joined our meeting on Wednesday. DG Rudy gave an inspirational address to our club and illustrated his talk with stories from his Rotary career. He challenged us to “Make the Impossible - Possible.” He also promoted our district Foundation Gala on November 14 (see above) as well as the Rotary World Peace Conference on January 15-16 (see below.) DG Rudy was joined by wife and fellow Rotarian Karyn and Assistant Governor Anita Gray of Palm Springs. Also last week, DG Rudy drew the Rotary Raffle ticket and Jerry Kress was a lucky $9 winner.
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Rethinking PhilanthropyProgram Chair Lillian Roberts shared a thought-provoking TED Talk about charitable giving last week. Dan Pallotta, founder of the AIDS Ride, talked about the double standard that exists between the for-profit and nonprofit sectors. Too many people, Pallotta says, look at the cost of a charity’s overhead and ignore the charity’s net return. This scrutiny, Pallotta maintains, forces nonprofits to not spend of fundraising and, as a result, the amount of money raised is greatly reduced. This economic starvation is why charities are not making much of a dent in major social problems. Also last week, Lillian Roberts pulled an Ace and collected $100 in our Rotary Raffle. Buy tickets to win!
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Hooray For HollywoodWe managed to get portions of Jerry Kress’ “Hooray For Hollywood” video to play last week but were left literally hanging when the video froze just before Jerry’s big finish! We’ll never know how it concluded but the good news is that Jerry plans to continue performing with the Sun City Performing Arts group so we’ll have opportunities to see him live and on stage at future performances. Also last week, we received an update from Rotarian of the Week Kim Hardee on her latest pet clinics and we learned Palms To Pines is providing banners for Mini-Muster. Margaret Claggett had to leave a bit early last week but that didn’t stop her from winning the Rotary Raffle. We’ll have $7 for Margaret this week!
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Road Trip: Cooking With ClassPalms To Pines Rotarians and guests enjoyed an evening of good food, drink and fellowship at our final Road Trip of the year last Tuesday evening when we visited Cooking With Class in La Quinta. Owner Jane Angwin greeted us and told us about her business and about Cork and Fork, their recently opened restaurant next door. Cooking with Class offers numerous cooking classes and special events and is also available for private parties. We enjoyed several hors d’oeuvres as well as wine and other refreshments. Special thanks to Butch Hartman for purchasing additional wine for the group and to Lillian Roberts for arranging this evening. This was another fun P2P event!
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Honorary Member Ken RobertsKen Roberts was recently named an Honorary member of Palm Desert-Palms To Pines Rotary by our board of directors.
Ken was a member and Past President of the Palm Desert Noon club when he was asked by the then-District Governor to spearhead formation of a Palm Desert morning club. He did so and was a Charter member of Palms To Pines and served as our club's president in 1986-87. He went on to serve as District 5330 Governor in 1992-93.
Member Kay Van Zandt recently corresponded with Ken and her report follows:
Ken and Jeni Roberts are living in Ephrata, PA, and they tell me it is beautiful there. For those of you who never had a chance to know or work with Ken and Jeni, suffice it to say our club would not be here today if not in large part because of Ken's unending dedication and efforts toward our success. Because of the important role Ken played in the establishment and growth of our club for many years before relocating to PA, the board has named Ken an Honorary member of our club. This is a long overdue and well deserved honor in recognition of his innumerable contributions to our club and District 5330 during his tenure as District Governor, and for the many other Rotary services he performed while here. And Ken would be the first to give credit for his contributions to Jeni who was behind him and alongside him throughout Ken's Rotary years here in the desert. Typical of their never ending commitment to Rotary, they are continuing their dedicated services with their local club and District.
Ken had a back operation early this year and Jeni had a neck operation 9 weeks ago, but they are both doing well. Using Ken's own words, you can get an idea of what he and Jeni are up to in their PA Rotary activities.
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The Rotary FoundationJim Brock spoke to us last week about various ways we can contribute to the Rotary Foundation. We currently have 17 Paul Harris Fellows in our club. Jim started his presentation with a video from International President Ravi Ravindran and told us his goal is to see every member of our club make annual donations of $50 to the Foundation Annual Fund and $50 to Polio Plus. Jim distributed Rotary Direct forms to members. Rotary Direct allows donors to set up automatic credit card payments to the Foundation. Also last week, Margaret Claggett gave us an update on member Margot Serrano and Donna-Lee Ekstrom was once again a Rotary Raffle winner. Donna-Lee pocketed $20.
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BankingMargaret Claggett was our speaker last week and talked to us about changes in banking. Margaret has been with RaboBank for 30 years and tells us foot traffic into branches has dropped dramatically in recent years. She also told us about a resurgence of “check washing”, where bad guys get possession of a completed check and dip it into chemicals to remove the written information and then add their information and cash it. Banks offer fraud resistant checks to prevent this and she also recommends customers use electronic bill pay to completely eliminate handwritten checks. Also last week, Art Fleming was a lucky $5 winner in the great Rotary Raffle.
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The Drought and our LandscapeDonna-Lee Ekstrom was our speaker last week and talked to us about the ongoing drought and how it affects our landscape. Donna-Lee warns that we shouldn’t rush to completely eliminate turf and trees from our landscape because they continue to be an excellent way to combat many environmental issues. Hardscape and artificial turf, Donna-Lee says, increase dust and heat. Our desert doesn’t really have many native plants but a variety of drought tolerant plants from other regions are available. Drip irrigation is an effective way to reduce water use and it’s also important to water at the proper time of day. Very informative program, Donna-Lee! Also last week, Lillian Roberts collected $4 in the Rotary Raffle.
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Technology - 2, Palms To PInes - 0We once again had technology issues last week and were unable to show highlights from the recent Sun City Players “Hooray For Hollywood” show. Jerry Kress, a member of the group, was our planned speaker. Donna-Lee Ekstrom didn’t let the fact that we only had eight members in attendance bother her and pulled an Ace from the deck and collected $72 in the Rotary Raffle.
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ELF Bicycles!Last week we hit the road and visited Evan’s Eye Care to test drive the ELF bicycle. Greg Evans is selling these contraptions and we got to take several of them for spins around the parking lot. These three wheeled machines are electric and solar panels charge the battery for extended cruising. Top speed is 25 miles per hour and they have a range of 20-25 miles. Base price is $5,500 and you can learn more at www.elfbikes.com.
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This And ThatMargaret Claggett, our scheduled speaker, was on bed rest following a slip and splash accident (she fell attempting to board a boat in San Diego) so we tried to improvise at last week’s meeting. Lillian Roberts had her computer re-boot just as she was ready to share a TED Talk video on philanthropy with us and Kim Hardee shared a short video of an Indio City Council meeting. Despite the glitches, the Rotary Fellowship was outstanding as always and we did manage to hold the Rotary Raffle successfully. J. R. Fleischner was a lucky $6 winner. There are just nines and Aces left in the deck so buy tickets at our next Desert Falls meeting (on September 2). We wish Margaret a speedy recovery and we still want to hear about banking!
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Mr. Tax Man!Richard Karp talked to us about taxes and methods of small business organization last week. Richard explained the differences between C and S corporations and LLCs and what type of organization is appropriate for your business. Richard also talked about the IRS crackdown on improperly classifying employees as independent contractors and the ongoing 30 percent tax credit for solar installation. Also last week, Doug Walker reminded members of the memorial service for former Rotarian Eric Vogt this Saturday from 1 to 4 p.m. at Cornerstone Covenant Church, 73605 Dinah Shore, Suite 100, Palm Desert. Art Fleming was our lucky Rotary Raffle winner last week. Art won $10 and returned his winnings to the Raffle Pot. Buy tickets this week!
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Real Estate UpdateJim Brock provided an update on Coachella Valley real estate activity last week. Median sale prices and number of sales have increased slightly valley wide in the past year but Palm Desert is actually down a bit in both categories. Palm Desert currently has a 6.1 month inventory of homes for sale. Our city’s current median sales price is $184.89 per sq. ft ($167.00 for attached units). In addition to the update, Jim also told members of a major change in lending which begins Oct. 3. The federal government has dictated a change in lending disclosure paperwork and added increased timelines to the lending process. Some large lenders are suggesting 60 or even 90 day escrows because of the change. Buyers and sellers should be prepared for this longer sale process. Jim also talked about the pitfalls of using PACE/HERO financing for energy efficient home improvement projects. Also last week, Donna-Lee Ekstrom drew a King and took home $20 in the Rotary Raffle.
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End Of The Year PartyPalms To Pines held an end of the year Social at Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse last Wednesday evening. Members and guests enjoyed complimentary food (a full meal!) and some great Rotary Fellowship. Those of you who did not attend really missed out! Thanks to Kim Hardee for making the arrangements and preparing a Palms To Pines Rotary slide show which ran during the event and special thanks to Butch Hartman for picking up the tab for refreshments! Thanks to everyone who made the effort to come out and support Palms To Pines Rotary!
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Children's Discovery CenterPalms To Pines members (11 of us) hit the road last week on our first Road Trip of the summer. We visited the Children’s Discovery Museum of the Desert in Rancho Mirage. New CEO Carol Scott led us on a tour of this impressive facility and shared her ambitious vision for the museum. Carol has directed children’s museums in Pasadena and South Carolina and brings a wealth of experience and enthusiasm to her new position. Her plans include adding rotating exhibits to the museum and installing more interactive activities for youth aged two to 15. These plans are designed to get children coming back to the museum again and again. She also plans to add a program for “average” middle school students to get them enthused about volunteering and community service. This group could prove to be an excellent partner for Palms To Pines in future projects. Carol has been on the job less than two months but she has big plans for the Children’s Discovery Museum.
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The Jewelry BizOur own Butch Hartman provided us with an overview of his long and varied career last week and told us just how he ended up here in the desert as a jewelry store owner and member of Palms To Pines Rotary. Butch began his working career in business banking in Orange County. He decided to change careers and joined a friend’s jewelry manufacturing business and helped grow that business and was eventually vice president before the owner decided to sell. Butch wasn’t in a position to buy the business so decided to go on the road as a jewelry sales representative. As the number of strong-arm robberies of sales reps increased, Butch purchased a jewelry store here in the desert and Hartman Jewelers has been on El Paseo for the past 18 years. Butch offers free jewelry inspection and cleaning and his goal is to “Make people happy.” Lillian Roberts was a $20 winner in the great Rotary Raffle.
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New Year Club AssemblyPres. Charley Riggs led a Club Assembly this past week. Charley recapped Rotary International goals for the coming year and challenged Palms To Pines to show a net three member membership gain this coming year. Club members also discussed possible new projects for the year. Charley also recognized Kay Van Zandt, Butch Hartman (18 years), Jerry Kress (32 years), Jim Brock, Art Fleming and Martin Kubelik for perfect attendance and honored Lillian Roberts, Brock, Fleming, Hartman and Kress for their service to the club last year. Butch was instrumental in collecting $3,100 in Happy Dollars last year! Donna-Lee Ekstrom was a lucky $20 winner in the Rotary Raffle.
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Rotary Convention UpdatePres. Charley Riggs shared photos of his trip to the Rotary International Convention in Sao Paulo, Brazil with us last week. Before the convention start, Charley joined other District 5330 Rotarians on a visit to a community recycling center our Foundation contributions helped fund. This International Project was supported by four Rotary districts and is located in a community of 30,000. The goals of the project were to clean up the environment, operate at a profit and provide jobs to locals. Charley reports the project is meeting all three goals. Charley also reported that 30 of Rotary’s 34 zones worldwide reported growth this past year and we continue to make progress on polio eradication. Also last week, Butch Hartman was a lucky $5 winner in the Rotary Raffle.
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Chinese CultureDr. Wen Chen was our speaker last week and she told about the devastating effects of China’s Cultural Revolution and how the country is now experiencing a renaissance of traditional Chinese culture. Dr. Chen came to the United States in 1994 and is now a citizen. She is an associate biologist at Caltech and volunteers her time to educate the West about what’s happening in China. The destruction of traditional Chinese culture began with the Communist takeover of the country in 1949 and was especially severe during the Cultural Revolution from 1966 to 1976. The Communists destroyed ancient artifacts and relics and tens of thousands of Chinese were jailed or sent to the countryside for re-education. Dr. Chen told us about Shen Yun Performing Arts, a nonprofit group which brings China’s traditional values to life with dance and music.
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Horses, Birds and Jaguars!Our own Lillian Roberts came ready to show us photos of a recent Arizona bird photo shoot only to have her computer not cooperate. Lillian scrambled and shared photos she’s taken of a wide variety of subjects including horses, birds, jaguars, caymens (relatives of the alligator) and even bats. Even though her program didn’t go as planned, Lillian still managed to entertain us and provided a fascinating look at the techniques she uses to get some of her best shots. Technology has allowed photographers to produce what were once considered extraordinary photos on a regular basis. Also last week, Kay Van Zandt announced a planned Obamacare protest this week…..talk to Kay for details…. and Art Fleming was a lucky $2 winner in the Rotary Raffle. Art opted to “let it ride” so buy tickets this week!
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CVAGBenjamin Druyon, a management analyst with the Coachella Valley Association of Governments (CVAG), was our speaker last week. Benjamin told us that CVAG is funded by dues from valley cities and also receives state and federal grant money. CVAG oversees multi-city transportation projects and also promotes environmental initiatives. CVAG is starting to implement energy efficiency programs providing homeowners with financing to complete energy-saving upgrades to their homes. CVAG’s most high profile (and controversial) current project is the proposed CV Link, a 52 mile path for bicyclists, pedestrians and low-speed electric vehicles. This multi-million dollar project would run from Desert Hot Springs to Coachella and is being promoted as a safe, car-free method of transportation.
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COD Public Safety AcademyChristopher Madigan, director of the COD Public Service Academy, was our speaker last week. The Academy was founded in 2001 and offers training for careers in law enforcement, fire science and services and emergency medical services. Each year the Academy presents a Top Cop award and this year it went to Brock Bowers who has begun working for the Palm Springs Police Department. P2P presented a cash award to Bowers at a recent COD awards ceremony. Madigan talked about the Academy’s success rate. Because there are few requirements for entering the Academy, only 15-20 percent actually complete the coursework. A recent fire science class had 23 graduates and 17 were immediately employed. Also last week, Art Fleming was our lucky Rotary Raffle winner. Art collected $3 and returned it the Raffle pot.
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How Dogs Help KidsDr. Lori Friesen was with us last week to tell us about her program using dogs to help children read and succeed in the classroom. This new program is currently in use in five desert elementary schools at the second grade level. Some 112 students are currently involved. Dr. Friesen hopes to expand it to include additional schools and first and third grade classes as well. The program uses dogs--both real and toy--to make reading fun for the students in class as well as at home. You can learn more at Dr. Friesen’s website, www.howdogshelpkids.com. Since Palms To Pines already donates children’s books to area elementary schools, this program could be a perfect tie-in. Also last week, J. R. Fleischner was a lucky $7 winner in our Rotary Raffle.
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Power To The PeopleWith us last week was Jacques LaFebvre, who talked about solar power options. Jacques told us about advances in the solar power industry and believes now is the time for homeowners to invest in rooftop systems. He believes it is important to end our reliance on the international energy companies and suggests people should invest in solar panels and electric vehicles. Here in our desert, Jacques says, we’ll always need utility companies because of our high energy demands during the summer months. However, a properly sized solar installation will generate excess energy to be sold back to the utility company much of the year to offset the high summer charges. Also last week, Jerry Kress and Paul Parry were surprised when Jerry’s grandson, Sgt. Adam Seaholm, presented each of them with appreciation plaques for their help with recent legal issues. We’ll have more next week. Lillian Roberts returned from vacation and pulled an Ace to collect $58 in the raffle.
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Financial Wellness Check-UpMark McKell, the “Estate MD,” was our speaker last week. Mark provided some sobering statistics about how unprepared most Americans are for retirement. According to Mark, Fidelity Investments reports that the average 401k balance of Americans 55 and over is just $162,000 – not nearly enough for a comfortable retirement. He talked about various strategies for maximizing your income from Social Security and how your Medicare supplemental insurance policy is becoming one of your most important assets in retirement. Mark also talked about annuities and how they can provide a steady retirement income stream. Also last week, Foundation Chair Jim Brock presented Pres. Charley Riggs with his first Paul Harris Fellow award and Butch Hartman celebrated 18 years in business on El Paseo by providing Snickers bars to the members. Congratulations, Butch! Art Fleming made it two Rotary Raffle wins in a row last week. Art managed to draw a 10 and took home $10.
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Cyber Threats To Our National SecurityOur speaker last week was Jim McFarlin, an author and national speaker on the subject of cyber threats to America’s national security. Jim gave us a sobering assessment of just how little prepared business and government is to stop cyber warfare. He provided numerous examples of recent data breeches large companies have experienced. The crown jewel for cyber terrorists is our country’s electrical grid. There are four interconnected power grids in the country and, if they’re knocked off line, 85 percent of the nation’s economic activity would be at a standstill within 20 days. Cyber terrorism has leveled the playing field, according to McFarlin. Even small countries can do serious harm to our country. Also last week, club members donated $381 in Happy Dollars toward purchase of a Shelter Box for Nepal and, following the meeting, our board voted to allocate an additional $619 to complete the purchase. Good work, Rotarians! Art Fleming was a lucky $2 winner in the Rotary Raffle.
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Swim To WinA conflict prevented our RYLA representatives from speaking last week so Karen Creasey of the Palm Desert Aquatic Center joined us to tell us about an upcoming event to raise money for YMCA aquatic programs. Madison Rising, a popular patriotic rock band, will perform at the Agua Caliente Casino on Friday, May 22. Proceeds will benefit the Swim to Win Foundation and the event will be hosted by Olympians Janet Evans and Rowdy Gaines. Lillian Roberts would like to purchase a box for the performance so contact her if you’d like to join in the fun. Also last week, we learned that the Indio Rotary Math Day is scheduled for Saturday, May 2, at John Glenn Middle School. In past years, our members have volunteered at this event and it’s a fun morning for all. Let Pres. Charley Riggs know if you’d like to help out. We bid farewell to Sojourner Kathy Martin last week. We look forward to her return in the fall. Doug Walker pulled an Ace from the deck and collected $180 in our Rotary Raffle.
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Palm Springs International Film FestivalKim Hardee told us a bit about the Palm Springs International Film Festival last week. Kim and her husband’s company handles the audio visual requirements for the Festival Gala and she brought along some clips showing just what’s required to stage an event of this magnitude. Kim had hoped to also bring along a representative from the Palm Springs Film Society to tell us a bit more about the Festival but a last minute cancellation forced her to go it alone. Next year’s festival will be the 27th and each year more than 130,000 people attend. Over 400 volunteers are needed to stage the festival. The Festival Gala is one of the industry’s big three awards shows along with the Golden Globes and the Academy Awards. Kim’s company also does the audio visual work for Fashion Week El Paseo. Thanks, Kim, for sharing what you do with Rotary! Also last week, Lillian Roberts was a lucky $20 winner in the great Rotary Raffle. The pot will be over $200 this week with only a few cards remaining. Buy tickets!
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Deaf In A Hearing WorldLast week Kay Van Zandt brought along two friends and we heard from Samo Lascano who, with Kay’s help interpreting, told us about growing up deaf in a hearing world. Samo lost his hearing as a result of a high fever and he was not diagnosed as deaf until school. He began wearing hearing aids when he was 8. Samo attended regular schools and was passed from grade to grade and, as a result, only managed minimum proficiency in reading and math at high school graduation. Samo participated in sports in school and did well at wrestling, He also enjoys break dancing. Samo brought along a TTY machine the deaf use for telephone communication and told us about how technology has made life easier. Thanks, Kay, for a very interesting program. Kay did it all last week and filled in for an ill Pres. Charley Riggs. Also last week, we bid farewell to Sojourners Anita Ratchinksky, Ray Roth and Norm LeGuere and Art Fleming and Jim Brock were the lucky winners of $10 in the Rotary Raffle.
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9-11 Eyewitness AccountWith us last week was Bert Upson who provided a riveting account of his escape from the South Tower of the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. Bert had just arrived for a meeting on the 78th floor of the South Tower when the first plane struck the North Tower. Those on the 78th floor were lucky that the floor had an express elevator and, ignoring instructions to take the stairs, Bert and others in the meeting took the elevator and managed to get out alive. His account was fascinating and he has written a book about it. On A Clear Day is available on Amazon.com Also last week, Pres. Charley announced that our March Happy Dollars and P2P match mean SOS Ride will receive a contribution of $880. Also, we bid farewell to Sojourners Mike Wedekind, Lee Gingrich and Ray Roth. We look forward to seeing them next winter. Finally last week, Lillian Roberts drew a face card and took home $20 in the Rotary Raffle. The pot will be close to $200 this week so buy tickets!
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Cyber ThreatsGary Williams of Schaefer Williams, a Rancho Mirage computer firm, spoke to us last week about cyber security. Reports of hacking, ransomware, malware and cyber warfare have exploded recently and cyber threats could be the next big form of warfare. Gary highlighted several of the recent threats and, judging by the number of questions, could have spoken on the topic for days. Cyber security is clearly on people’s minds! Also last week, we began having to say farewell to some of our seasonal visitors. Member Martin Kubelik is heading home to Prague and faithful visitor Don Kraft is returning to Seattle. Don, a Rotarian for 60 years, says he’ll be telling Seattle Rotarians about spending the winter with a group of “real Rotarians”. Thanks for the compliment, Don! Our Rotary Raffle pot grew to $153 and departing Sojourner Harry Helliesen, who won it earlier this winter, took $5 back to Yakima with him. We look forward to seeing you next February, Harry!
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Up With PeopleUp With People was in the Coachella Valley last week and Jennifer Carlson of Iowa and Isaiah McGregory of Colorado were with us to tell us about the visit. Up With People is celebrating its 50th anniversary and 110 young adults from 20 countries were here performing community service and also putting on two shows. The group members stayed with host families here in the desert and the proceeds from their performances went to the Ophelia Project. Up With People’s motto is “bringing the world together through service and music.” The members sign on for six months and visit communities in countries throughout the world. Also last week, we learned that our board has dedicated March Happy Dollars to the SOS Ride organization and we also have the opportunity to participate in a fundraiser working in the LPGA tournament concession stands. Sojourner Lee Gingrich was the lucky winner of $8 in our Rotary Raffle. We’ll be over $150 this week so buy your tickets early and often!
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End of Life Options ActDwight Moore was with us last week to tell us about the End of Life Options Act which is currently making its way through the state legislature. Dwight divides his time between the Coachella Valley and the state of Washington, one of five states which already have similar legislation on the books. The California law is modeled after Oregon law and would give a terminally ill, mentally competent California adult resident the legal right to ask and receive a prescription to hasten death after all required criteria is met. Also last week, we welcomed back member John Wohlmuth, who has been recovering from shoulder surgery, and Sojourner Lee Gingrich from Tacoma, Washington. Great to see both of you! Assistant District Governor Ricardo Loretta was on hand to light a PolioPlus torch (lucky the fire sprinklers didn’t go off!) and one of our visiting Rotarians won $7 in the Rotary Raffle. Martin Kubelik, Kim Hardee and another visitor won the last of the Girl Scout cookies donated by Butch Hartman.
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End Of Life Options ActDwight Moore was with us last week to tell us about the End of Life Options Act which is currently making its way through the state legislature. Dwight divides his time between the Coachella Valley and the state of Washington, one of five states which already have similar legislation on the books. The California law is modeled after Oregon law and would give a terminally ill, mentally competent California adult resident the legal right to ask and receive a prescription to hasten death after all required criteria is met. Also last week, we welcomed back member John Wohlmuth, who has been recovering from shoulder surgery, and Sojourner Lee Gingrich from Tacoma, Washington. Great to see both of you! Assistant District Governor Ricardo Loretta was on hand to light a PolioPlus torch (lucky the fire sprinklers didn’t go off!) and one of our visiting Rotarians won $7 in the Rotary Raffle. Martin Kubelik, Kim Hardee and another visitor won the last of the Girl Scout cookies donated by Butch Hartman.
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Club AssemblyLast week, Pres. Charley Riggs had just returned from PETs so we held a Club Assembly. Charley reported that over 300 Rotary President-Elects from five districts attended the event and it featured some outstanding speakers. It’s already time, he says, for Palms To Pines to select a president-elect nominee to head our club in 2016-17. Charley discussed goals for the remainder of his term and for next year. He talked about Rotary Foundation giving goals for both PolioPlus and the Annual Fund and he led a lengthy discussion about membership. We’ll be talking more about both of these subjects in the coming weeks so bring your ideas! Also last week, we exchanged club banners with Geoff Faul, a visiting Rotarian from Ontario, Canada and Jerry Kress pulled a three to take home $3 in the Rotary Raffle. Martin Kubelik, Lillian Roberts and Kay Van Zandt were lucky winners of Girl Scout cookies compliments of Butch Hartman. Buy tickets this week!
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Coachella Valley Rescue MissionScott Wolf, community relations manager of the Coachella Valley Rescue Mission, was our speaker last week. The mission started as a faith-based soup kitchen in 1971 and has grown into an organization occupying a 43,000 sq. ft. facility in Indio. It serves over 200,000 meals a year and has space to house 225 people on a full time and temporary basis. Scott shared information about mission programs and invited all of us to tour the facility and volunteer. The mission operates on a $5 million budget and is nearly 100 percent privately funded. Also last week, we welcomed former P2P member and president Chuck Weisbart and learned he’s the Idyllwild Rotary president-elect. PETs – say this secret word at check in this week and receive three free raffle tickets! Butch Hartman was our lucky raffle winner last week and took home $2. Butch also provided more Girl Scout cookies and the lucky winners were Anita Ratchinksky, Jerry Kress, Art Fleming and Martin Kubelik. |
Mysteries Of The MindLast week we were entertained by Carl Christman, a COD instructor who also performs at the Magic Castle in Hollywood. Carl involved club members in his Mysteries of the Mind routine and demonstrated how he can influence minds with the power of either negative or positive suggestion. Also last week, we welcomed back Sojourner Roland Catenacci from Illinois and we kicked off our YMCA swimsuit campaign. Dana Tarnow left the meeting with $475 in contributions for suits so we’re off to a great start. The suits are for third grade students participating in YMCA swim lessons. P2P will again be sponsoring area middle school students to attend PRYDE, Rotary’s youth leadership program. We’ll be sending four students this year. Sojourner Harry Helliesen pulled an Ace and took home $147 in the Rotary Raffle. We had more Girl Scouts cookies donated and Roland Catenacci, Lillian Roberts and Jim Eggers all took home boxes. |
Palm Desert Aquatic CenterWith us last week was Karen Creasey, YMCA Aquatic Manager for the Palm Desert Aquatic Center. Karen provided an update on the pool and told us about a new program to teach third graders to swim. The program consists of eight sessions and there is a need for swimsuits for many of the swimmers. Dana Tarnow will head up the effort of our club. We’ll provide suits sized 10-12 and they can’t be cotton because of the pool filtration system. You can either purchase suits yourself or provide money to Dana and she’ll do the buying. A visiting Rotarian from Normal, Illinois commented that his club purchases jackets for students but here in our beautiful desert, we purchase swimsuits! Karen also told us the Aquatic Center attracts over 110,000 visitors a year and they’re adding cabanas to the complex this year. Jerry Kress was a lucky $6 winner in our Rotary Raffle and Lillian Roberts and Sojourner Mike Wedekind won boxes of Girl Scout cookies donated by Butch Hartman. |
Rotary Leadership DevelopmentWith us last week was Rotary District 5330 Governor-Elect Rudy Westervelt and his wife Karen. Rudy led the club in an interactive workshop on leadership. Both Westervelts are past club presidents and Rudy went on to do training workshops at the district level and at PETS. One of his goals during his term as District Governor is to attract more women to Rotary and he hopes female membership reaches 50 percent. He’ll be directing a Rotary Peace Conference next year in Ontario and that event is expected to attract Rotarians from throughout the world. Also last week, Ricardo Loretta visited and announced that our valley wide Rotary scholarship fund has now reached $16,000. P2P is a donor and the scholarship will go to a student at CSUSB-Palm Desert. Jim Brock was absent last week so Butch Hartman handled the raffle and Margaret Claggett was a lucky winner of $20. Congratulations to Margaret! Buy tickets this week! |
COD Alumni AssociationLast week we heard from Past Rotary District 5320 Governor Jim De Boom, who currently serves as interim executive director of the College of the Desert Alumni Association. The 31-year-old association provides grants, gifts and scholarships to COD students. Income for the association comes from the highly visible street fair. The fair features 300 booths and is open weekends at COD. Statewide, 12 community colleges hold similar events and COD’s fair serves as a model for those events. Nearly $10.5 million in income has come from the street fair since its inception and vendors pay $1.2 million a year in business license fees to the City of Palm Desert. Also last week, Kim Hardee announced she is coordinating another low cost animal clinic January 30 and 31 at ABC Recovery Center in Indio. She’ll have more information this week. Martin Kubelik had a chance at $93 in the Rotary Raffle but had to settle for $5. Buy tickets this week! |
Eyes On GreatnessWith us last week was Abbie Joseph-Harrington of Eyes On Greatness. Abbie consults with a variety of small businesses, corporate sales teams and people looking to start businesses about sales techniques. She has more than 30 years of award winning sales and business experience and she gave us a very interesting talk on the importance of storytelling in successful sales. Although many of us are not in sales, we all have the need to sell Rotary so Abbie’s presentation was very relevant. Also last week, Jerry Kress promoted Born Yesterday, a play at Sun City which will be performed Jan. 23-25 and Kay Van Zandt told us that the Palm Canyon Theatre would be doing A Chorus Line with ASL interpretation on February 1. We can attend and sit in the ASL section for just $10! Palms To Pines has helped fund the interpretation of plays for a number of years. Finally last week, Sojourner Kathy Martin had the lucky ticket in the Rotary Raffle and took home $3. |
RYLA!Last week we heard from three of our four representatives to December’s District 5330 RYLA. The three – Fisayo, Sierra and Emerson – are Xavier High School juniors. As always, we left the meeting with renewed faith in the next generation because these students were sensational! All three were extremely articulate and all will grow to be outstanding leaders. Because of the popularity of RYLA (our camp is the largest in the country), it now been divided into two sessions. We’ll be sending three more student leaders to April’s camp. Also last week, we welcomed member Martin Kubelik back with us for his annual winter stay and he continues to maintain perfect attendance! Lillian Roberts announced that Country Club Animal Clinic will be holding an open house from 4-6 p.m. on January 22 to support Loving All Animals. She’s planning food, drink and they’ll also have dogs available for adoption! Kim Hardee started the new year off right by collecting $9 in the great Rotary Raffle. |
Holiday BreakfastLast week was our annual Holiday Fellowship Breakfast. We enjoyed a great buffet and Jim Brock filled in for an MIA Pres. Charley Riggs. During the abbreviated meeting, Kim Hardee reported on the ABC Recovery Center Holiday Party. P2P Rotarians contributed funds to help buy presents for some of the center’s clients. Several Rotarians read thank you letters from some of the clients and it was obvious to everyone at the meeting that this was one of the most meaningful projects Palms To Pines has taken on. Here’s just one example, “…..I can’t express to you how appreciative I am. It has been years since I was able to give and wrap presents for my son. It is truly a memorable experience for me and what I believe to be a landmark in my recovery. I forgot how special family is. How special these times and holidays are. How special the memories are and just the little things in life are. Most importantly because of your help, I have a start at having a relationship with my son again. Thank you.” –S.L. |
2014 Holiday PartyOur annual Holiday Party took place last Wednesday evening at Desert Falls Country Club. We had great prime rib and chicken and spent an enjoyable evening of Rotary Fellowship. Chair Dana Tarnow lined up a DJ for entertainment and the DJ even managed to get Rotarians up and dancing. Quite an achievement! We ended the evening with a Holiday Raffle and Jim Brock was the lucky winner of a round of golf for four at Desert Falls and Kay Van Zandt’s ticket earned her a $100 bill in the first ever John Marman Raffle sponsored by Sojourner Jim Eggers and wife Marge. We’ve added a number of photos of the party to a photo album on our club’s website at www.p2protary.org. Check it out! We thank Dana Tarnow for her hard work in putting this event together. |
Building RelationshipsKathy Condon, a speaker, trainer and author, spoke to us last week about building relationships. In today’s connected world, according to Kathy, you have to combine social media and face to face networking to successfully build relationships. Every event is a networking opportunity and you should network at least three times a week. Kathy had some great tips for anyone in business. Also last week, we signed up to help provide gifts to children at the ABC Recovery Center holiday party and learned we’ll have another opportunity to help with Salvation Army Bell Ringing on Saturday, Dec. 20. Bell Ringing Chair Richard Karp will have a signup sheet at the Holiday Party. We also received a pitch to volunteer and donate to Rotary’s Rose Parade float project. Kim Hardee was our lucky Rotary Raffle winner and took home $4. |
Holiday ServicePalms To Pines Rotary members con-tributed over $400 to provide Thanksgiving meals to five needy families here in the Coachella Valley. Dana Tarnow, Art Fleming and Jeremy Wittie visited Stater Brothers last week and filled a pickup with Thanksgiving meals. Service Above Self! |
Rotary Golf FellowshipsThe last minute cancellation of our speaker created a hole in our programming last week but Sojourner Gerry Kelly and member Mike Laughlin stepped up to tell us about upcoming Rotary Golf Fellowship tournaments. Gerry is active in the International Golfing Fellowship of Rotarians and the 2015 tournament is planned in Turkey April 19-25. Gerry’s Victoria, BC club will be hosting the 2017 IGFR tournament. Mike Laughlin invited all Rotarians to the 2015 United States Golfing Fellowship of Rotarians tourney planned for Hilton Head Island May 16-20. Mike also told the club about the Monterey Bay Golfing Fellowship of Rotarians annual desert event on Jan. 17 and 18. Sojourner Mike Wedekind was the lucky Rotary Raffle winner and announced he would draw the Ace of spades and then proceeded to do just that and walked away with $106! |
ABC Recovery CenterKim Hardee presented a program on the ABC Recovery Center last week. The center began in 1963 and has grown into an eight acre campus housing 120 clients at a time. Kim brought along Daniel M. who told us how the center has changed his life. Daniel was paroled 20 months ago and has been clean and sober since arriving at the center. Daniel has held a job for the past 17 months, the longest term of employment he has ever had. ABC holds an annual Christmas party and Palms To Pines may be involved with that. We thank Kim for bringing us a truly inspirational program! Also last week, we heard about this year’s District 5330 trip to India for their National Immunization Day. The 12-day trip is Feb. 13-24 and we’ll immunize children against polio. Donna-Lee Ekstrom won $3 in the raffle and donated it to our Thanksgiving food project. |
Sister Cities Trip to Ixtapa-ZihuatanejoLast week we heard from Pres. Charley Riggs about the August Sister Cities Committee trip to Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo. Taking the trip from Palms To Pines were Charley and wife Carol, J. R. and Connie Fleischner and John and Madonna Marman. Charley shared photos of the trip and also talked about the progress of the scout troop we help to sponsor. Sister Cities representatives presented the troop with $1,500—their half of the $3,000 sponsorship. J. R. Fleischner is working with a local scout troop to see if we can help to develop interaction between the two troops. Also last week, we learned that our September and October Happy Dollars totaled $622 and will be donated to PolioPlus. We also welcomed back returning Sojourners Rick Gross, Ray Roth and Mike Wedekind (who took home $7 in the Rotary Raffle). |
Host An International StudentWe had a busy meeting last week! Helen Holdun, the residential coordinator for gphomestay at Palm Valley School, was our featured speaker. She told us about opportunities to host international high school students who attend Palm Valley School. Host families receive a $10,000 stipend to assist in defraying expenses for the student during the year. Thirteen host families are sharing their homes with 16 international students at Palm Valley this year. Learn more at www.gphomestay.com. Also with us last week was Louise Neeley, the Palm Desert Historical Society chair of Mini-Muster. Louise presented certificates of appreciation to the P2P Rotarians who assisted in this annual event. Anne Jackson of Calimesa was also with us and brought along a Ukrainian couple who are coordinating relief efforts in their beleaguered country. Lillian Roberts was a lucky $20 winner in the Rotary Raffle. |
Palm Desert Campus of CSUSBPriscilla H. Porter, Professor Emeritus from CSU, Dominguez Hills, was our speaker last week. Dr. Porter currently serves as director of the Porter History-Social Science Resource Room at the Palm Desert campus of CSU, San Bernardino. She gave us a brief history of the campus which is the valley’s only four year university. Last year’s freshman class consisted of 104 students and 94% returned for their second year. This year’s freshman class totals 113 students. The university is preparing to construct dormitories and expects a surge in enrollment once completed. Also last week, Kay Van Zandt reported that Young Frankenstein will be performed at the Palm Canyon Theatre on Nov. 2 with an ASL interpreter. Palms to Pines has long supported this ASL program. We also learned that we’ll again be bell ringing for the Salvation Army. The effort begins the day before Thanksgiving and will continue until Christmas. Richard Karp will have details. Butch Hartman won $8 in the Rotary Raffle. |
DG Shab El Awar VisitsRotary District Governor Chehab (Shab) El Awar made his official visit to Palms To Pines last Wednesday, DG Shab was accompanied by his wife, Bricia, and Assistant Governor Ricardo Loretta. DG Shab, who has only been a Rotarian for 16 years, talked of his passion for Rotary and the importance of each individual Rotarian….”When you build a castle, every nail helps.” DG Shab recognized members John Wohlmuth, Jim Brock and Margaret Claggett with Service With Passion medallions and also honored Treasurer Art Fleming with his first Paul Harris Fellow award. Not only did John Wohlmuth win a medallion, he also was our lucky Rotary Raffle winner. His luck ran out, however, when he only managed to draw a two from the deck! |
Housing For VeteransJeff Moritz of the Fuller Center for Housing was our speaker last week. This organization works with the elderly and veteran families to help them with housing. They have rehabbed homes here in the Coachella Valley and, on Nov. 15 and 16, they’re planning their most ambitious project to date – building an entire home from the ground up in just two to three days! The home is in 29 Palms and will be sold to a veteran with a no interest loan. There are numerous volunteer opportunities on this project and there will be more opportunities for help on future projects. Also last week, Vocational Service Chair Jeremy Wittie appealed to club members for vocational service project ideas. Let Jeremy know if you liked a previous project or have ideas for something new! |
East Valley Health Care InitiativeWith us last week was Assistant District Governor Ricardo Loretta providing us with an update on Rotary’s East Coachella Valley Health Initiative. Palms To Pines has contributed to this undertaking and Ricardo told us just what’s been accomplished to date. The initiative began three years ago when Palm Desert Rotary helped distribute food from a Thermal parking lot. Since then, Galilee Center has grown and now operates out of a Mecca warehouse complete with refrigeration and a delivery vehicle. Other projects include visiting medical teams, water filtration, education and computers. Also last week, Jerry Kress introduced his special guest Max Stern and Sojourner Rick Gross made a visit. We also learned that our September Happy Dollars totaled $241. Happy Dollars for September and October will be donated to PolioPlus. Butch Hartman was the lucky winner of $5 in the Rotary Raffle. |
Divorce 101Our own Paul Parry spoke to us last week about divorce. Paul told us that California has been a no fault divorce state since 1969 so we no longer have to hire a private detective to catch our spouse in the act. Since California is a community property state, everything acquired during a marriage is generally split 50-50 between the spouses. The three big issues to resolve are the division of property, custody of children and support. Thanks, Paul, for doing your part to keep our marriages together! Also last week, Dana Tarnow told us our club’s annual Holiday Party is scheduled for Thursday, Dec. 11 so put this on your calendar now! Assistant District Governor Ricardo Loretta was with us and reminded us that the annual District Foundation Gala is scheduled for Oct. 25. We’ll have more information next week. Donna-Lee Ekstrom drew an Ace and took home $120 in the Raffle. She promises a donation this week! |
Desert Falls Country ClubWith us last week was Dan McMahan, membership director at Desert Falls Country Club. Although we meet at the club on a weekly basis, most of us have little idea of what goes on at Desert Falls besides our meetings. Desert Falls is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year and they have special events scheduled throughout the year to celebrate. To survive today, country clubs must offer members more than just golf and dining, according to Dan. Desert Falls has 50 to 60 events on the calendar for the coming season and many of them are family oriented. To celebrate the 30th anniversary, Desert Falls is offering a discounted initiation fee for new members. Also last week Jerry Kress instituted a “buddy system” to encourage attendance. Members will be calling missing members to urge them to come to our weekly meetings. Butch Hartman had to settle for $20 in the Rotary Raffle. Big pot this week! |
Photography TipsOur own Rob Strain shared photography tips and some of his favorite photos with us last week. Although rain hampered his photographic efforts on a recent visit to Glacier National Park, Rob did make a visit to Arizona and shared some beautiful scenes from that trip. Essential equipment for good photos includes a tripod, multiple lenses, filters and a cable shutter release, according to Rob. For those of us with only pocket cameras and smart phones, Rob also covered some basic design elements needed for good photos and how to use those elements in different ways for different effects. Memorable photos result from looking for the unusual, according to Rob. Also last week, Lillian Roberts received her sponsor’s pin for sponsoring new member Kim Hardee and we learned P2P will have a booth at the Palm Desert Chamber’s Business Expo at Fantasy Springs on Oct. 2. Butch Hartman collected $10 in the Rotary Raffle. |
YMCA Y Be Fit ChallengeYMCA Executive Director Rob Ballew and board member Sabby Jonathan were with us last week to promote the Y’s upcoming Y Be Fit Challenge. This event will be held on Sunday, October 12 at Civic Center Park and will feature a reverse mini-triathlon, 5K Run//Walk and a 1K Color Run. In addition to the races, the Y Be Fit Challenge will also feature a health and fitness fair, booths, activities, music and free swimming at the Palm Desert Aquatics Center after the event. Rob also talked about the many programs the YMCA offers here in the desert. The Y operates the Aquatics Center which received over 120,000 visits last year. Other programs include camps, preschool, child care and many athletic programs. Also last week, we learned that our September and October Happy Dollar donations will benefit Polio Plus. Kim Hardee was our lucky Rotary Raffle winner. Kim took home $9. We’ll have over $100 in the pot this week so make sure and buy tickets! |
CV Mosquito & Vector Control DistrictLast week, 14 Palms To Pines members and guests enjoyed our final Road Trip of the summer when we visited the Coachella Valley Mosquito and Vector Control District facility in Indio. Member Jeremy Wittie was our host and member Doug Walker, who serves on the district’s board of directors, was on hand to provide additional input. Jeremy did a great job of explaining the ways mosquitoes are monitored and we saw traps used in the process as well as learned about the chemicals used for control of both mosquitoes and red imported fire ants. We also toured the district’s new laboratory. The new lab will allow the district to fine tune its quality control efforts. Very informative! |
Tax StrategiesCPA Richard Karp spoke to us last week about tax strategies for the coming filing period. Richard tells us he expects tax rates to remain the same although final changes to the tax code will probably not surface until the end of the year or even January of 2015. To reduce your 2014 tax liability, Richard suggests such things as paying both of your property tax installments before the end of this year, pre-paying any state tax liability prior to Dec. 31 and making charitable contributions prior to year end. Richard also talked briefly about how trusts can help reduce taxes.. Also last week, Jeremy Wittie pocketed $10 in the Rotary Raffle….just enough to provide donuts for this week’s Road Trip! |
Coachella Valley Real Estate UpdatePast President Dana Tarnow, a broker with La Quinta Palms Realty, provided the club with an update on our valley’s real estate market last week. Dana reports that both sales and prices have dipped in most areas from a year ago and that days on market have gone up. Valley wide, it takes an average of 116 days to sell a home. This is the highest in over a year. Rents are increasing so our valley remains attractive to investors. Many first time buyer have difficulty competing with investor buyers. Kim Hardee was our lucky Rotary Raffle winner last week but only managed to draw a two so took home $2. |
Rotary 101Jerry Kress, with 31 years of perfect Rotary attendance, presented a primer on Rotary for our members as well as prospective new members last week. Jerry gave us a brief history of Rotary and told us about Rotary’s first community service project—providing a public restroom in Chicago. From that first club in Chicago, Rotary has grown to over 34,000 clubs throughout the world. Jerry is our Membership Chair this year and his goal is to see us attract one new member a month. Also last week, Kay Van Zandt was recognized for her ongoing contributions to the Rotary Foundation. She received her PHF + 4 ($5,000 donated) pin. Jerry Kress’ special guest Max Stern was our lucky Rotary Raffle winner last week. Max drew an eight and took home $8!
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Coachella Valley BreweryWe had another successful P2P Road Trip last Tuesday evening when we met at Coachella Valley Brewery in Thousand Palms. A total of 21 members and guests got to sample several brews and take a tour of the state-of-the-art brewery. It’s a beautiful facility and we may plan another event there in the future. Big thank yous to program chair Lillian Roberts for making the arrangements and to Dana Tarnow for providing some appetizers to help keep us sober. Stay tuned for information on our next Road Trip! These are great events so make every effort to attend our next one. |
East Valley Animal ControlLast week, Kim Hardee spoke to us about animal spay and neuter and low cost vaccination clinics being held in the East Valley. One of the last clinics drew over 500 people for 40 available appointments so there is a tremendous demand for services. Although the clinics are billed as “free,” they attempt to collect some monies because of the cost of bringing a mobile unit to clinic locations. In additional to spay and neuter and vaccinations, the clinics also offer micro-chipping for pets. A typical clinic can result in the prevention of 9,000 unwanted animals from being born, according to Kim. Not only was Kim our speaker last week, she was also our lucky Rotary Raffle winner. She took home $7! Our raffle pot is growing so buy tickets at our next meeting! |
Death KnocksLast week our own Jerry Kress and fellow cast member Max Stern were with us and presented Death Knocks, a Woody Allen short play. Also last week, we had two guests—Frankie Riddle and Aurora Wilson. Margaret Claggett brought both and reports they are interested in joining Palms To Pines! Frankie works with the City of Palm Desert and is a former P2P member and Aurora is a member of the COD Board of Trustees. Both would make outstanding additions to our club. Membership Chair Jerry Kress has a goal of increasing our membership by 12 (one member a month) and we’re already on our way. Jerry has made it very easy to attract new members….simply provide him with a name and contact information and he’ll do the rest! Past Pres. Dana Tarnow was our lucky Rotary Raffle winner and took home $20. Buy tickets this week! |
New Year AssemblyNew Palms To Pines Rotary President Charles Riggs held a Club Assembly last week. Charley talked about Rotary and his plans for our coming year. We plan to continue many of our past projects such as our support for the Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo scouting program and also take on additional community and international projects. We’re continuing our discussion with members of the Mexicali-Industrial Rotary Club about a joint project equipping school kitchens and we’re also planning a trip down to Mexicali for the club’s annual barbecue on October 19. In our local community, we’re moving forward with plans to supply back to school supplies and backpacks to local students and we’re looking into a hands-on project involving construction or rehab of a home for a local veteran. Another major emphasis in the coming months will be building our membership. Membership Chair Jerry Kress has some big plans for our efforts so stay tuned! Lillian Roberts kicked off this year’s Rotary Raffle by drawing a six and taking home $6! |
Palm Desert Sheriff's StationLast week we enjoyed another successful Road Trip when 16 Palms To Pines Rotarians toured the Palm Desert Sheriff’s Station. The station is a base of operations for policing Palm Desert, Indian Wells, Rancho Mirage and the unincorporated areas of the Coachella Valley. Nearly 200 people, 160 vehicles and two dogs are based at the huge station. We toured the station’s logistics center, evidence area and intake center and also got close up looks at a typical patrol vehicle and one of the forensics vans. John Wohlmuth, P2P member and Palm Desert City Manager, was on hand and told us that the city contracts for 1.6 officers per 1,000 residents at a cost of $15 million a year. Providing the same coverage with a city-managed department would cost $25 million a year. |
Recognition AssemblyPres. Dana Tarnow conducted a club recognition assembly last week. It was her final official meeting of her two terms as club president and she recognized members of her Board of Directors as well as other Rotarians who held club positions during this past year. Dana also recognized members with perfect attendance. They include Jerry Kress, Butch Hartman, Art Fleming, Pres. Dana, Jim Brock and Martin Kubelik. Jerry has 31 years of perfect Rotary attendance and Butch has 17 years! Dana bestowed gifts of wine to her board members and also distributed leftover Rotary wine to other club members….just about everyone walked away with something! Fittingly, Pres. Dana had the winning raffle ticket and won $4. She “let it ride” so buy tickets next time! |
Red Imported Fire Ants!New member Jeremy Wittie provided a very interesting program on red imported fire ants last week. Jeremy is Scientific Operations Manager for the Coachella Valley Mosquito and Vector Control District and that agency has been tasked with fire ant control since 2005. Fire ants are originally from South America and were introduced to the southeastern part of the United States in ship ballast. They made their way to our area in nursery stock. The district uses bait to control the ants so call Jeremy if you get bit! Also last week, Mike Laughlin was a lucky $10 winner in the Rotary Raffle. |
Vocational Training Team![]() Last week we heard from Lisa Brock, Palm Desert’s librarian and our club’s representative on Rotary District 5330’s first-ever Vocational Training Team. The team spent three weeks in Southern India earlier this year and Lisa shared photos of the trip and told us of her experiences. Also last week, we learned our board had voted to share this month’s Happy Dollars with the Pegasus Riding Academy and will share funds collected in future months with Best Friend’s Closet and Loving All Animals. Butch Hartman was the somewhat lucky Rotarian who collected all of $3 in the Rotary Raffle. |
Greenday RecyclingWe took our first road trip of the summer last week and visited Greenday Recycling in Indio. In addition to normal recycling activities, Greenday repurposes much of the glass product they take in. They create all kinds of garden artwork and architectural elements using a glass and concrete mixture. The Greenday folks walked us through the plant and showed us the steps required to repurpose your old Corona bottle into a garden bench or architectural column. This was a great trip enjoyed by 15 members and guests. |
Pegasus Riding AcademyOur speaker last week was Albeth Paris Grass of the Pegasus Riding Academy. Pegasus offers therapeutic riding to disabled children and stroke recovery patients at their facility off Cook street north of the I-10. They currently have riders aged four to 80 in the program. Pegasus has over 100 volunteers working with their clients and is currently conducting a fundraiser to build a covered arena so they can offer riding all year long. New member Jeremy Wittie drew an Ace and collected $201 in the Rotary Raffle. Welcome to Rotary, Jeremy! |
Savory SpicesMary Cardas from Savory Spice Shop was our speaker last week. Mary brought along samples of a number of different spices she sells and we sampled a couple of salts, two cinnamons, bay leaves, ginger and a blend called Peruvian Chili Lime. Mary’s El Paseo shop features high quality herbs, spices, blends, sauces, stocks, kitchen specialty items and gift packs. Another great program! J.R. Fleischner was our lucky Raffle winner and he took home $9. |
Birds Of South TexasLast week’s speaker was our own Lillian Roberts who showed us photos of some of the birds of south Texas. Lillian shared some of her favorite photos of south Texas birds and they were spectacular! Great impromptu program, Lillian! New member Jeremy Wittie received his red new member badge. Jeremy will earn a regular member badge after making up a meeting, attending a board meeting and participating in a club project. Jeremy also won $20 in the raffle. |
The Gadget QueenLast week’s speaker was Mardi Boettcher of Desert Computer Tutor. Mardi bills herself as The Gadget Queen and offered tips on just what gadget is best suited for various applications. Mardi offers computer and gadget workshops and in-home computer tutoring. Learn more at www.desertcomputertutor.com. Also last week, Jerry Kress was our lucky Rotary Raffle winner. Jerry pocketed $10! |
Club AssemblyWe had a Club Assembly last week and President-Elect Charley Riggs introduced his leadership team for the coming Rotary year. Current President Dana Tarnow has agreed to serve as club secretary and Art Fleming will continue as treasurer. Margaret Claggett will again head our P2P Foundation and Jim Brock will be in charge of the Rotary Foundation. Butch Hartman will continue as Sergeant-At-Arms and Lillian Roberts will again arrange programs. Charley’s main goal for the coming Rotary year is to have fun so it should be a great year! We also welcomed Jeremy Wittie to our club last week. Jeremy serves as scientific operations manager for the Coachella Valley Mosquito & Vector Control District as was sponsored by Doug Walker. Welcome, Jeremy! Charley Riggs won $6 in the Rotary Raffle and donated his winnings to the pot. |
2014 RYLALast week we had several of our 2014 RYLA representatives with us to tell us about this year’s camp in Thousand Pines. District 5330 operates the world’s largest RYLA and the group had to be divided into two camps for the first time this year. Some 350 high school juniors attended each of the sessions on successive weekends. We sent a total of seven students to RYLA this year and with us last week were Katie May, Alexis Safoyan, Amanda Bolanos and Kaitlyn Ellis. Amanda attended RYLA last year and was chosen as a counselor for this year’s session. One of our representatives summed up her experience by saying, “RYLA makes you step out of your comfort zone.” Also last week, Pres.-Elect Charley Riggs filled in for Pres. Dana and Butch Hartman was our lucky Rotary Raffle winner. Butch took home $8. Buy tickets this week! |
Scuba DivingKathy Peper, owner of Get Wet Scuba, was our speaker last week. Kathy has owned a dive shop here in the desert for 14 years and recently relocated the shop from Palm Springs to here in Palm Desert. Although we’re a drive away from the nearest ocean, Kathy sells and rents dive equipment, offers instruction in preparation for dive certification and coordinates dive trips for her customers. She tells us the California coast offers some of the best diving in the world. Kathy showed us an incredible video of a recent dive trip to the Philippines and answered lots of questions. Also last week, we had to bid farewell to two of our loyal Canadian Sojourners. Mike Wedekind and Anita Ratchinksky are returned north for the summer. Iowa visiting Rotarian Chuck Gustafson was a $20 raffle winner Raffle plus he won a $75 introduction to scuba certificate. |
Auto Insurance 101Local attorney Michael Shippee was with us last week and provided a primer on automobile insurance. He urges all of us to regularly review our coverage to make sure we don’t have an unpleasant surprise when we actually need it. Review your policy annually and adjust your coverage as needed! Also last week, we bid farewell to seasonal member Martin Kubelik. He took a moment to express his appreciation for our club and his apprehension about the situation in Central Europe. Martin, we wish you a safe summer and look forward to your return next January! We also heard about the Rotary Wine Club. The club offers a number of wine options and you can sign up and get two bottles of wine monthly. Ten percent of your payment goes to Rotary. Learn more at www.rotarywineclub.com. Sojourner Jim Eggers was a lucky $10 raffle winner. |
Our Desert WaterBob Keeran of the Coachella Valley Water District was our speaker last week. Bob gave us a brief history of the district and updated us on the district’s efforts to insure a reliable supply of water in the future. Our drinking water comes from our own aquifer and we’ve been overdrafting for years. The district imports water into recharge basins and that water is allowed to percolate back into our aquifer. A major program of the district is the use of Colorado River and recycled water to irrigate our golf courses. Currently 15 courses use recycled water, 27 use Colorado River water and plans call for shifting an additional 50 courses to recycled water in the future. Also last week, Sojourner Mike Wedekind hit it big in the Rotary Raffle. Mike collected $2 and was generous enough to donate back to the raffle fund. Big money this week! |
Mega-Auction Is Mega-Success!Our first ever Palms To Pines Mega-Auction was a great success! The club raised $4,125 in just over an hour last Wednesday….a great first time effort! Professional auctioneer Max Von Wening handled the fundraising effort and many items sold for above the stated value. Thanks to the following Rotarians and Sojourners for securing donations: Jim Brock, Paul Parry, Lillian Roberts, Kathy Martin, Richard Karp, Mike Wedekind, Margaret Claggett, Louise Oppenheim, Rob Strain, Martin Kubelik, Butch Hartman, Jerry Kress and Charley Riggs. Buyers included Kathy Martin, Jim Eggers, Butch Hartman, Rob Strain, guest Daniel Trevino, Louise Oppenheim, Jim Brock and Pres. Dana Tarnow. Special thanks go to Dana Tarnow and Margaret Claggett for all of their work insuring a successful inaugural auction. Plans are already underway to make next year’s event even more successful! |
Architectural HistoryMartin Kubelik talked to the club about his career as an architectural historian. A major part of that career was the study of the Villa Rotunda near Venice. Martin’s team implemented a new dating technique to date the age of bricks used in construction of this famous villa which was built in the 1500s. The dating technique is still controversial in architectural history circles but Martin and his team is convinced it is accurate. They’ve dated the start of Villa construction at 1575. The villa is extremely famous in Italy and in architectural circles throughout the world. You can find plates, wine and many other souvenirs featuring the Rotunda. Also last week, Pres. Dana was the lucky Rotary Raffle winner. Dana managed to pull a two from the deck and was generous enough to donate her winnings back to the Raffle pot. |
Mosquitoes!Doug Walker and his guest Jeremy Wittie stepped up last week and gave us a great impromptu program on the Coachella Valley Mosquito and Vector Control District. Doug has been a district board member since 2007 and Jeremy is the district’s scientific operations manager. The district was started in the 1920s to control eye gnats and mosquito control was added 20 years later. Control of red imported fire ants is a more recent addition to the district’s duties. Despite being called on for a program without any preparation, the pair did an outstanding job! We’ll be planning a field trip to tour the district’s new laboratory this summer. Also last week, Jerry Kress won $4 in the Rotary Raffle. |
Beer!Dave Humphrey from Coachella Valley Brewing Company was our speaker. This local craft brewery opened in August and uses state of the art equipment to produce 14 different brews. The brewery’s equipment is controlled by an iPad and they can produce 17 barrels of beer in just two hours using much less water and electricity than traditional methods. They also achieve 98 percent ingredient efficiency because of a special filtration system. The Thousand Palms brewery is open to the public and we’re planning an upcoming field trip to tour and taste! Also last week, visitor Kathy Martin officially became a club Sojourner and received her badge and John Marman scored $9 in the Rotary Raffle. |
HydroponicsCole Langford, owner of Palm Desert Hydroponics, was our speaker last week. Hydroponics will eventually replace much of current farming techniques, according to Cole, because it’s 90 percent more efficient. You can grow plants twice as fast, twice as big and enjoy four times the production of current methods, he says. He is currently preparing to go into commercial farming using hydroponics at a farm in Anza. His retail store, located on Highway 111 just east of San Pablo, sells everything needed to get started with hydroponics including a kit for under $80 that will give you all the basics. Also last week, Margot Serrano returned after a long absence and was presented with her seventh Paul Harris recognition pin and we learned that Jim Eggers turned 89 last week. Congrats to both! J.R. Fleischner won $8 in the Rotary Raffle. |
Pars For PawsElsie Hewling and Janet McAfee from Loving All Animals were with us last week. Elsie is one of the directors of Pars For Paws, the group’s fifth annual golf tournament. This year’s event is scheduled for Sunday, February 23 at Palm Desert’s Shadow Mountain Golf Club. They’ve lined up tons of prizes and the event is designed to be fun for the entire family. The pair also updated us on Loving All Animal’s lengthy list of events here in the valley and talked about the group’s foster pet program. Also last week, Lillian Roberts collected $10 in the Rotary Raffle. You can’t win unless you buy tickets! |
Board Of EqualizationWith us last week were Lance Christiansen and Ken Maddox from the California State Board of Equalization. The BOE is charged with tax administration and fee collection with the state. The pair told us about the functions of the BOE and how audits using industry ratios are used to catch tax cheats. Cities throughout the state are losing income because of under-reporting on a variety of taxes and fees. We found it amazing just how complex our tax structure is and their presentation generated a ton of questions. Good program! This week, say the secret phrase “Ron Burton” and receive three free Rotary Raffle tickets! Also last week, Jim Brock was a last minute replacement for Pres. Dana Tarnow who woke up ill, Sergeant At Arms Butch Hartman collected tons of Happy Dollars and Sojourner Jack Daniels pocketed $7 in the Rotary Raffle. |
Volunteers In MedicineLoretta Moss, an Indio Sunrise Rotarian, spoke to us about Volunteers In Medicine last week. Volunteers in Medicine operates a no cost clinic in Indio which provides basic primary medical and dental care to those who qualify. The County of Riverside has provided a building for the clinic and, in the last three years, 13,000 patients have been seen. Loretta talked about the ongoing need for care and pointed out that Flying Doctors makes their only United States visit each year. Patients seen by the Flying Doctors are sent to Volunteers in Medicine for follow up care. Also last week, we welcomed back John Marman and we were also visited by former member and current Idyllwild Rotarian Jean Dores. Suzy Homme was a lucky $5 Raffle winner and donated her winnings back to the pot. Buy tickets this week! |
Valley CrimestoppersLast week Sam Cross and Larry Shanahan of Valley Crimestoppers were with us to tell us about their organization. The group offers rewards of up to $1000 for anonymous tips on area criminal activity. Since its start here in the valley, the group has paid out over $132,000 in rewards and has resulted in an estimated $18 million in recovered property and contraband and helped solve scores of criminal cases. Their hotline averages 30 to 35 calls a month and callers receive a personal code. If their information leads to an arrest and conviction, they can claim their reward. Also last week, one of our Washington visitors claimed $20 in the great Rotary Raffle! |
Coachella Valley iHubJoe Wallace, managing director of the Coachella Valley iHub, was our speaker last week. The iHub is part of the Coachella Valley Economic Partnership and opened in 2011. Funded by grants from government and the private sector, the iHub’s goal was to attract 50 companies during the first five years of operation. To date, 24 companies have joined the iHub making it one of the most active and successful in the state. The goal of the iHub is to attract sustainable industries to our valley and to keep them here as they grow and succeed. Also last week, Richard Karp announced another day of Salvation Army Bell Ringing. We’re scheduled to Bell Ring at Ralph’s this Saturday from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. Sign up for a shift this week. Pres. Dana won $4 in the raffle. |
The Girlfriend FactorWith us last week was Ellen Woods of The Girlfriend Factor. The Girlfriend Factor was founded in 2005 and provides grants to women aged 25 to 63 to help them achieve their educational goals. The group has provided over $240,000 in grants since the grant program began in 2007. They have helped local women studying a wide range of professions including business administration, nursing, graphic arts and public relations. The group raises grant funds with corporate sponsorships, individual donations and events. Also last week, we learned we provided great Thanksgivings to four needy valley families and we also distributed Salvation Army gift requests for local children. We’re not sure how many requests we had but they went quick! Great job! |
TM Disorders & TherapyDr. Leonard Feld, a dentist from Indian Wells, talked to us about how a slight misalignment of the jaw can cause all kinds of problems including headaches, dizziness and ear, face and neck pain. His office treats many patients with these symptoms. Also last week, we completed our Polio Plus campaign and exceeded our fundraising goal. The total raised was $1,286. Monies raised by Nov. 30 will be matched two to one by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Jim Brock introduced his daughter, Lisa Brock, who has been selected as a member of District 5330’s first ever Vocational Training Team. The team will travel to Southern Indian in January and focus on literacy. Lisa is the head librarian at Palm Desert Library. A La Quinta visiting Rotarian won $196 in our Raffle and donated $100 of it to our Polio Plus campaign. |
West Africa Project FairLast week we heard from Lillian Roberts about her trip to Togo, West Africa, for the 9th West Africa Rotary Project Fair. Lillian spoke of her visit and shared photos of the project fair and the country. According to Lillian, the area’s exploding population growth (over 50 percent of the population is under 18) means there are plenty of opportunities to help make a difference. Many of the proposed projects focused on providing clean water. While in Togo, Lillian also participated in a polio eradication event and delivered nearly 55 pounds of school supplies donated by P2P members. Also last week, we welcomed Sojourner Ray Roth back for the winter months and we also were happy to see Jerry Kress back with us after a health scare. (The false alarm prompted Jerry to swear off cigarettes so let’s provide a bit of peer pressure to keep in on the straight and narrow!) We also learned that our Rotary District 5330 is seeking funds for Philippines disaster relief. Earmark donations for disaster relief and write your checks to the Rotary District 5330 Foundation. |
Ronald McDonald HouseMike Kovack, executive director of the Loma Linda Ronald McDonald House, was our speaker last week. The house, which opened in 1996, is one of over 200 such facilities worldwide and provides lodging for families of hospital patients. According to Kovack, between 30 to 40 percent of families using the Loma Linda house are from the Coachella Valley and high desert. Almost since it opened, the house has been at capacity and they’re raising funds to add an additional 13 rooms to the 21 room facility. One easy way we can help is to collect aluminum can pull tabs. Please start collecting tabs and bring them to Rotary. Every beer and soft drink we drink can help so drink up! Also last week, it was a pleasure to welcome back returning Sojourners Mike Wedekind and Jack Daniels. It’s great to see our meeting room filling up again! Now we need more of our delinquent members back in the room! Our Rotary Raffle pot grew to $168 last week and Donna-Lee Ekstrom held the winning ticket and collected $10. Buy tickets this week for a great chance to win the pot! |
Rotary FoundationNovember is Foundation Month and P2P Rotary Foundation Chair Mike Laughlin provided us with an update on the Foundation and Rotary’s PolioPlus program. Mike talked about ways of giving to the Foundation included an automatic payment method called Rotary Direct (see below). PolioPlus began in 1985 and Rotary is close to eliminating polio from the world. Polio was endemic in 125 countries when our efforts began and we’re now down to seeing polio common in only three countries. Also last week, Jim Brock celebrated his 40th anniversary of Rotary membership by making $100 PolioPlus contributions in the names of four P2P members, Tracey Essex, Richard Karp, Paul Parry and Pres. Dana Tarnow. Every one of our members has contributed to Rotary Foundation and if you’d like to know how close you are to your first (or next) Paul Harris Fellow you can check your status online at the RI website. Lillian Roberts pulled a face card and collected $20 in the Rotary Raffle. Buy tickets this week! |
David WambaughDavid Wambaugh, the son of bestselling author Joseph Wambaugh, was our speaker last week. David, who is bi-polar, struggled with drug and alcohol addiction for years before seeking treatment. He is now a drug and alcohol counselor in San Diego. David told us about growing up as a bully and about how tables were turned and he became the victim of bullies. David has recounted his addiction struggles in a memoir called The Last Call and will be back in Palm Desert on Dec. 1 for a book signing at Barnes & Noble. Also last week, we welcomed back Sojourners Anita Ratchinsky of Alberta and Rick Gross of Germany. It’s great to see our Sojourners returning! Jim Brock was the lucky winner of Lillian Roberts’ donated desktop computer. Lillian donated the computer to help raise funds for her trip to the Rotary West Africa Projects Fair in Togo, Africa. We can’t wait for Lillian’s program on the trip! Finally last week, Anita Ratchinsky was our lucky raffle winner. With $151 available in the pot, Anita pulled an eight and took home $8. |
District Governor's VisitRotary District 5330 Governor Joe Ramos made his annual visit to Palms to Pines last week. DG Joe met with officers and directors on Tuesday evening and then joined us for breakfast Wednesday morning. DG Joe recognized P2P members Jerry Kress, Butch Hartman, Art Fleming and Jim Brock for their service to Rotary and presented them with “Energizer” pins. DG Joe told us about district plans and urged Palms To Pines members to donate to Polio Plus and participate in the Oct. 26-27 March to End Polio in San Bernardino. The District Governor also promoted the upcoming Foundation Gala on Nov. 16 and the annual District Conference on May 2-4. The Conference will once again be held at the Doral Resort in Cathedral City so there’s no excuse not to attend! Joining DG Joe at our meeting was Assistant District Governor Frank Peabody of Palm Springs Noon Rotary. Art Fleming was the lucky Rotary Raffle winner and DG Joe pulled a six for Art for $6. The pot will be over $150 this week so buy tickets early and buy often! |
The Affordable Care ActLast week we received an eye opening look at Obamacare, the Affordable Care Act. With us was Rick Liuag, an insurance broker who specializes in the new law. Rick told us that insurance costs will go up and everyone’s access to health care will be reduced in the long run. The main difficulty Seniors on Medicare will face is access since doctors will face increased patient loads and may cut back on accepting Medicare patients. Rick says he expects many large employers to eliminate group coverage to allow employees to join the individual exchanges. Rick suggests individuals look into specialized insurance policies such as telemedicine plans, accident coverage and cancer coverage. Rick has additional information available at www.myfreeobamacarereport.com. Also last week, we learned we would not be helping with a Beer Garden during the Patriot Ride because security costs forced organizers to cancel the Beer Garden. Lillian Roberts was a lucky $20 Rotary Raffle winner and will use the money for her upcoming trip to the Rotary Project Fair in Togo, West Africa. |
CV Spin's Patriot RideDaphne Jasperse and Tim Esser were with us last week to talk about CV Spin’s upcoming Patriot Ride For Our Heroes. Patriot Ride is a new event for the organization which annually produces the Tour de Palm Springs. Tim, a former P2P member, told us a bit about the history of the group and the Tour de Palm Springs which has grown to over 10,000 bike riders and over 1,000 volunteers. The first Patriot Ride will be held on Saturday, Oct. 26, in La Quinta. Tim hopes to see it evolve into an event similar to the Palm Springs ride. Palms To Pines is planning to help out at the Patriot Ride by working in the beer garden and we’ll learn more this week. Also last week, Jerry Kress told us about his next musical, s’Wonderful, s’Marvelous, s’Music, which will be held at Sun City Oct. 25-27. Also, Charley Riggs updated us on recent flood relief efforts conducted by our Ixtapa scout troop and Lillian Roberts promoted her computer raffle and the need for cash donations for school supplies for her Africa trip. Jerry Kress was a $4 winner in the Rotary Raffle. |
Animal Welfare UpdateTracey Essex, who recently joined the Palm Springs Animal Shelter, provided us with an overview of animal welfare in the Coachella Valley. According to Tracey, there are only two open admission (they accept every animal) shelters in the valley—Palm Springs and the Coachella Valley Animal Campus in Thousand Palms. Tracey introduced Tamara Hedges, a member of the Executive Board of the Palms Springs Shelter, who explained that their facility is a progress open shelter, meaning that every animal is cared for until adoption. Also on hand was KESQ reporter Bianca Rae, who has become active in desert animal welfare groups. Bianca started “Jack’s Fund” which is dedicated to helping open admission shelters get animals adopted. The funds have been used for adoption events, fundraising initiatives and spay/neuter clinics. Margaret Claggett was a lucky $2 winner in the Rotary Raffle! |
The Aerospace IndustryOur own Kay Van Zandt gave us a fascinating look at her “real” career last week. Kay went to work as a flight attendant for TWA in 1965 and spent 14 years with that company before moving to Lockheed Aircraft in Burbank. Kay was a sales representative for Lockheed until, in 1982, the company stopped new plane construction. She then moved to Lockheed Aircraft Services which specialized in modifying existing planes for different purposes. The company’s customers where both governments and private entities and Kay worked extensively with modifications to the C-130 and the L-1011. Some of her favorite modifications were the conversion of both of those planes to mobile airborne hospitals and extravagant modifications for heads of state. This was a fabulous glimpse into the career of one of our longtime members. Thanks, Kay! Suzy Homme was our lucky Raffle winner. Suzy took home $5! |
Palm Desert UpdatePalm Desert City Manager and P2P member John Wohlmuth provided us with a city update last week. Particularly exciting was the long list of new retail stores coming to our city. John mentioned Home Goods, Whole Foods, Nordstrom’s Rack, PGA Superstore, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Wal-Mart Neighborhood Market, and a number of new restaurants are in the works. These additions will insure our city continues to be the valley’s retail hub. While Palm Desert is the third largest city in the Coachella Valley (behind Indio and Cathedral City), we lead the desert in sales tax revenue. John told us that census data indicate that our city has 40 percent more homes than households meaning the city has over 10,000 second homes within the city limits. Thanks, John, for what is always a very informative update. Kay Van Zandt won the Raffle for the second straight week and once again donated her $3 back. |
First TeeWith us last week was Chris Keener, program director for the First Tee of the Coachella Valley. P2P presented Chris with $500, a portion of proceeds from May’s USGFR golf tournament hosted by our club. Chris told us that the First Tee has been here in our valley for five years and currently has 1,350 participants. The program introduces youngsters aged five to 18 to golf and also teaches life skills through its nine core values. Nationwide, the program has 200 chapters and also runs programs in 4,800 elementary schools. Also last week, we welcomed back Tracey Essex, who has been in Atlanta for training for two weeks, Butch Hartman, who took his first vacation (an Alaskan cruise) in 16 years, and Doug Walker, who enjoyed a trip to Maine and the Canadian Maritime Provinces. Kay Van Zandt was our lucky raffle winner and she donated her $9 winnings back to the club.
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Palm Desert Historical SocietyP2P Rotary was on the road last week and visited the Palm Desert Historical Society. Twelve members attended and were told about the history of both Palm Desert and the Historical Society by President Brett Romer. We enjoyed coffee and donuts and then took a guided tour of the society’s museum. In addition to Palm Desert historical photos and memorabilia, the museum also houses a large collection of historical firefighting equipment. This makes it very popular for school field trips and ties in with the Society’s annual Mini Muster. The historical society receives a portion of its annual budget from the city but depends on memberships, donations and fundraisers for the majority. Their biggest annual fundraiser is a Yard Sale which is scheduled this year for Nov. 9 and 10. Also last week, we learned that longtime P2P member John Marman suffered a stroke on Aug. 25. No visitors at this time but send him a card! |
What Jewelers DoButch Hartman provided another summer trade talk last week and told us about his career and what he does at Hartman Jewelers. Butch showed us some of the tools he uses on a daily basis as well as some of the custom work he provides his customers. Butch also told us how computerized wholesalers provide overnight delivery to allow quick completion of custom orders. Thanks, Butch, for the program! Also last week, Pres. Dana reminded newer members of the need for Live Scan fingerprints to comply with Rotary’s youth protection policy. P2P will reimburse you for the cost! Also last week, only one member provided the secret word to receive free Rotary Raffle tickets. Read this newsletter every week and you could also get free tickets! Louise Oppenheim didn’t need free tickets to pull an Ace and collect $143 in the raffle. She donated $20 back to P2P and also donated $20 to guest Elle Wohlmuth. |
Stocks And BondsLouise Oppenheim was our speaker last week and told us about bonds and bond funds and about how to spot an investment scam. Louise recommends always checking a potential broker’s complaint record through the National Association of Securities Dealers (www.finra.org). Louise has been in the business for 23 years without a complaint. Also last week, we learned that John Marman is planning a raffle at next week’s road trip to the Palm Desert Historical Society. The lucky winner will receive two tickets to see Willie Nelson! You MUST be present to win. Finally last week, Jim Brock and Art Fleming won the raffle for the second straight week. They donated their $2 back to the raffle pot. |
Travel UpdateSuzy Homme presented her annual travel update last week. Suzy covered a wide range of topics including security concerns, travel insurance and popular travel itineraries. Suzy says security issues can be minimized by traveling as a part of a group and suggested travelers visiting any non-Western destinations should always be in a group. She also stressed the importance of travel insurance. Your health insurance plan will usually not cover you when you’re outside the country so travel medical insurance is extremely important. Nearly 85 percent of travelers now secure insurance. Popular travel destinations are booking quickly for 2014, Suzy says, so make your plans now for next year. European river cruises, the fastest growing segment in the travel industry, remain extremely popular and there are also great values offered by ocean cruise lines. Asia, Turkey and other Middle Eastern destinations offer good travel bargains. Thanks, Suzy, for a great program! Also last week, Pres. Dana announced that several newer members will be notified that they need to be fingerprinted to comply with our Rotary District 5330 Youth Protection Program. You’ll be notified by email. Art Fleming and Jim Brock were the lucky winners of $8 in the Rotary Raffle. They let their winnings ride so we’ll have over $125 in the pot this week! Buy your tickets early and often! |
BG Bird GardensLast week we enjoyed another Road Trip. Our destination was BG Bird Gardens in South Palm Desert. The gardens are at the beautiful estate of Lindi and Geno Biggi. Lindi is the founder of Loving All Animals and the Bird Gardens are a testament to that love. Our tour was conducted by P2P member Tracey Essex and she told us that there are over 60 exotic birds housed there. There are a number of flamingos and also a beautiful koi pond on the property. Our small group of Rotarians enjoyed a continental breakfast under the palapa and then embarked on a tour which included a visit to the birds’ bedroom (all are housed indoors at night) and the kitchen where staff prepares a proper diet for each animal. This was a spectacular trip! |
Real Estate UpdateWhat was to be a tag team effort between Pres. Dana Tarnow and Jim Brock last week turned into the Jim Show when Pres. Dana was pressed into babysitting duty for two grandchildren and had to miss our meeting. Jim acted as Rotarian of the Day, ran the meeting and then presented his half of a Coachella Valley Real Estate update. Jim specializes in country club communities and provided recent sales statistics for single family and condominium sales for Rancho Mirage, Palm Desert, Sun City, Indian Wells and La Quinta. Although the housing market is improving, Jim tells us that a number of factors will continue to slow recovery. Rising interest rates, a large number of underwater homeowners (over two million in California), and an uncertain economy continue to hinder recovery. The large number of underwater properties means that over 20 percent of California homeowners cannot participate in the current housing market unless they can complete a short sale. This has led to extremely low inventories in many areas of the state and has led to higher prices for that inventory. Also last week, Lillian Roberts was the lucky winner of $6 in the Rotary Raffle. |
Club AssemblyWe kicked off the 2013-2014 Rotary year last week with a Club Assembly. Pres. Dana Tarnow began her second term by vowing to get it right the second time around and she introduced the other members of her leadership team to the club. Dana also recognized last year’s directors and reviewed our club’s many activities and projects and also talked about the year ahead. Our club’s board is considering adding some additional fundraising events during the coming months. Possibilities include a fashion show and a club-wide yard sale. More details will follow! Also last week, Tyler Everhart, a financial planner who has recently relo-cated from the San Diego area, visited our club. Suzy Homme used Butch Hartman’s ticket to claim $20 in the raffle. Suzy decided to “let it ride”. |
California Suite Was SweetJerry Kress, Palms To Pines Rotarian, retired high school football referee and retired leasing guru, showed us just how talented our members are last week when he shared a DVD of his recent performance in Neil Simon’s hit Broadway play California Suite. No, Jerry wasn’t starring on a Broadway stage but he was performing with his Sun City Palm Desert theater group. The DVD was lots of fun! Thanks, Jerry! Also last week, we welcomed two visiting Rotarians including former member and Past President Marleen Rogers. Marleen was visiting friends here in the desert and now lives with husband Paul in Trinity, Florida. Also with us last week was Jim Conway, current Rancho Mirage Rotary president. John Marman led us on a stroll down memory lane last week when he brought a bunch of photos of Rotary activities in our club’s early years. It was really hard to believe just how poorly some of our older members have aged! Pres. Dana Tarnow returned from babysitting duties and shared information about an upcoming Coachella East Rotary Club golf tournament at Mountain View Country Club on Sept. 16. Let Jim Brock know if you’d like to play! Finally last week, Margaret Claggett was a lucky $5 winner in our Raffle. |
Palm Desert LibraryLast week, Palms To Pines took the first road trip of the summer with a visit to the newly-remodeled Palm Desert Library. Following a continental breakfast, we heard from Librarian Lisa Brock who told us that our local library is the second busiest library in the Riverside County library system. The library remodel included cosmetic upgrades but, more importantly, technology upgrades to bring the library into the 21st century. The library features free Wi-Fi for patrons and the number of available computers has been tripled. The library now features a self-checkout system as well as an automated sorting system for returns. In additional to books, the library offers music CDs and DVDs of movies and popular television programs. The facility also hosts a number of regular events for children, teens and adults. Nearly 20 Palms To Pines Rotarians attended our first summer road trip. Stay tuned to see what’s on the agenda for later this month! |
Your Smile!Our own Rob Strain spoke to the club last week about the wonders of cosmetic dentistry. Rob had prepared a complex computer presentation to compliment his talk and, naturally, we had technical issues so it didn’t work properly. Luckily, we were able to get the gist of what he was attempting to show us and we learned just what’s involved in changing a person’s smile. Rob stressed the importance of dental health….noting that most people in their 90s still had their own teeth. Rob talked about veneers and crowns and the importance of size, shape and color in crafting a new patient’s smile. Great job, Rob! Also last week, Jerry Kress continued his Rotary Minute presentations by telling us how to exploit our Rotary membership to obtain free boots….very informative, Jerry! Jerry also made it two Rotary Raffle wins in a row last week when he pulled a seven and took home $7 of Rotary money. Remember, we will NOT be meeting at Desert Falls for the next two weeks! This week, we’ll be touring the new Palm Desert Library and we’ll be celebrating Independence Day on July 3. We’ll have a Club Assembly at our next Desert Falls meeting on Wednesday, July 10. |
Tea!Wow! Who knew tea could be so complex? Our own Tracey Essex, who works at Teavana on El Paseo, told us everything we could ever want to know about tea. Not only does tea offer many health benefits, but it also tastes good. Tracey told us about the various types of tea—white, green, oolong, black and herbal—and even brewed up a number of samples for members to taste. We learned about proper brewing techniques and equipment and about the importance of timing the brewing process. Thanks, Tracey, for introducing us to the fascinating world of tea! Also last week, Rotarian of the Month Jerry Kress provided us with a Rotary Minute about the Rotary Foundation and we learned that Pres. Dana is still seeking Rotarians to volunteer for a number of open club leadership positions. We also heard from a Salvation Army representative urging our club to join other valley Rotary Clubs in bell ringing this coming holiday season. We also managed to build the Rotary Raffle pot by only handing out $3 in the raffle so buy tickets this week. Finally, please plan to attend our End of the Year party this Saturday at Margaret Claggett’s home. RSVP to Pres. Dana ASAP! |
Palm Springs Restaurant WeekWith us last week were Bob Schneider of Desert Adventures and Eric Morcus of Kaiser Restaurant Group to promote Palm Springs Desert Resorts Restaurant Week. Now in its sixth year, Restaurant Week features reduced prices on participating restaurant meals and special pricing and events at many area spas, resorts and attractions. Restaurant Week dinners range from $26 to $38 per person and other participating companies offer 10 to 20 percent discounts. Desert Adventures has put together a number of “Jeep and Eat” packages featuring an evening jeep tour of the San Andreas Fault followed by dinner at several participating restaurants. Restaurant Week runs through Father’s Day (June 16) so make your reservations right away! Learn more about participating restaurants at www.palmspringsrestaurantweek.com and find out about the Desert Adventures packages at www.red-jeep.com. Also last week, we got the details about our End of the Year Party (see above) as well as learned some important event dates for the coming Rotary year. Tracey Essex had her ticket pulled and drew an Ace to collect $71 in the Rotary Raffle. Tracey donated $20 of her winnings back to the club. |
Trekking In PeruLast week we enjoyed a fascinating trek to various Inca sites in Peru. Lillian Roberts was our tour guide and she brought lots of great photos of her two week journey. Her group traveled by horseback to ancient ruins including Machu Picchu and traveled to elevations of over 14,000 feet. It’s clear from Lillian’s photos that this trip was not for the faint of heart but she brought back some amazing images of a civilization which lasted only 150 years. According to Lillian, the Inca selected their city sites for spiritual reasons because they worshipped the sun, moon and surrounding mountains. Many of their buildings were specifically oriented to capture a specific view for their religious ceremonies. Disease and the Spanish brought an end to the civilization. Great program, Lillian! Have you taken an interesting vacation and documented it with photos? Think about sharing it with club members in the coming months. These member travelogues are often some of our best programs! Also last week, we learned that John Marman’s dog Stewie did something involving fly ball and Jerry Kress was the lucky Rotary Raffle winner, collecting $3! Jerry requested a guard to accompany him to his vehicle to safeguard his cash. |
Group Study ExchangeWe packed a lot of activity into our one hour meeting last week. Not only did we have LaVerne Rudder from the AIFS Foundation speak to us about hosting foreign exchange students but we also had PDG Helene Kalfuss from Palm Springs Rotary with us to present a program on the district’s most recent Group Study Exchange Team. The AIFS Foundation’s FLEX program brings students from various independent states of the former Soviet Union to our country to experience life in a democratic society in order to promote democratic values in their own countries. Helene told us about leading her GSE team to Southern India. While there, the team visited Rotary clubs, universities, medical facilities, museums and various recipients of Foundation Matching Grant programs. Helene says the team will be the final GSE team. Rotary is changing the program to focus on vocational service—sending representatives to share vocational expertise with people in other countries. Also last week, we recognized Carlos Garcia as the latest recipient of our COD Nursing Program grant and Art Fleming was honored for his work with the recent USGFR tournament. Tracey Essex won $9 in the Rotary Raffle. |
PRYDE and GolfWith us last week were our PRYDE representatives. Four seventh grade boys were sponsored by our club and reported on their experiences at this annual leadership camp. Also last week, Suzy Homme returned from China and collected $10 in the Rotary Raffle. Finally last week, Palms To Pines hosted the 24th Annual United States Golfing Fellowship of Rotarians National Tournament at the Indian Wells Golf Resort. Tournament Chair Jim Brock reports 54 golfers and 23 spouses from throughout the United States and from as far away as Germany participated. When the three day tournament concluded, Palms To Pines member Mike Laughlin was crowned National Champion! Thanks to all the Palms To Pines members who helped out including Pres. Dana Tarnow, Rob Strain, Doug Walker, Lillian Roberts, John Wohlmuth and Charles Riggs. Very special thanks go to Art Fleming for overseeing the finances, staffing the daily Hospitality Suite and attending many of the event’s functions. Despite record high temperatures, attendees proclaimed the tournament the best event in the organization’s 24 years! |
Palm Desert Sister CitiesRosemary Ortega, president of the Palm Desert Sister Cities Foundation, was our speaker last week. Palm Desert has had a Sister Cities program for 30 years and currently has two Sister Cities, Gisborne, New Zealand and Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo, Mexico. Since its inception, the Sister Cities Foundation has organized a number of programs with our Sister Cities. They’ve had an artist in residence program, student photo exchanges, lifeguard and firefighter training, mayoral exchanges and donations of public safety equipment. To date, the foundation has coordinated the donation of four ambulances and two fire trucks to Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo and trained over 1,400 public safety workers. Local public safety employees have donated their time to accompany the equipment to Mexico and provide operation and maintenance training to Mexican firefighters and mechanics. Our club has gotten involved with Sister Cities by helping to sponsor a scout troop in Mexico. Also last week, we gave away another $20 in the Rotary Mini-Raffle. Buy tickets this week to build the pot! |
Coachella Valley Repertory TheaterRon Celona, artistic director of the Coachella Valley Repertory Theater, was our speaker last week. CV Rep is a regional professional theater and they held their first performance at The Atrium in Rancho Mirage in January, 2012. According to Ron, they like to perform “plays that make you think.” In addition to their own productions, CV Rep also brings in visiting artists for special performances throughout the year. Next up will be the Amin El Collective Jazz Band on Saturday, May 18. Next season’s line up will be announced later this month. Learn more at www.cvrep.org. Also last week, we learned that we’re again planning a series of “road trips” for the last meeting of each of the summer months. If you have an idea for an offsite meeting, please let Pres. Dana or Lillian Roberts know! We’re also looking into the possibility of holding joint meetings with some of our nearby Rotary neighbors. Stay tuned! Finally last week, the Rotary Mega Raffle reached $384 with only aces and jacks remaining in the deck. Mike Laughlin had the winning number and calmly pulled an Ace and took home the jackpot. We’re counting on Mike to do the right thing this week! |
Math Field DayAgain this year, John Marman is seeking Palms To Pines members to help out at the annual Indio Rotary Middle School Math Field Day this Saturday. The annual event takes place this year at John Glenn Middle School and, according to John, is always fun. Our members will be serving as proctors as the competitors test. John Glenn is located at 79655 Miles Avenue (between Dune Palm and Jefferson) in Indio. We’ll need to be there for the proctors meeting at 7:30 a.m. If you’d like to help out, please contact John at johnmarman@gmail.com. Join us! Also last week, we bid farewell to a few additional hardy Sojourners who are heading north for the summer. We look forward to their return when our weather cools! Finally last week, Cal McIntosh came prepared to win the Rotary Mega-Raffle. Cal knows you need to buy tickets in order to win so he purchased $20 worth and, naturally, his ticket was pulled for a one in three chance at over $300. Unfortunately for Cal, he only managed to pull a nine. We’ll have well over $300 available this week! |
Sheriff Stan SniffRiverside County Sheriff Stan Sniff was our speaker last week. Sheriff Sniff took office in 2007 and oversees 4,000 employees in the second largest sheriff’s department in the state. In addition to policing the county’s unincorporated areas, the department also contracts with 17 cities (including Palm Desert) for police services. The department also operates five correctional facilities and also provides court and coroner services. One of the biggest problems facing the department, according to Sheriff Sniff, is a change in state law which pushes state prisoners back to county jails. Deputies booked 50,000 people into the county jail system last year and there are fewer and fewer available beds for prisoners because of the change. The county had to release 7,000 prisoners early last year and those numbers will continue to increase. Also last week, Anita Ratchinsky made a farewell appearance until next winter and had her ticket drawn in the Rotary Mega-Raffle. With $312 available, Anita pulled a face card and headed to Canada with $20 American. |
Palm Springs Air MuseumWith us last week was Don Melvin, a docent with the Palm Springs Air Museum. Don is one of 149 volunteers at the museum and he’s a docent for the museum’s B-17, one of only 11 remaining which still fly. The museum is housed in three hangers and includes 25 aircraft, an 8,000 book library, flight simulators and static displays. The museum offers many educational programs and the next big public event will be the Memorial Day flower drop on Monday, May 27. Also last week, Butch Hartman filled in for MIA Pres. Dana Tarnow. We received a surprise visit from former Palms To Pines member Jim Blaisdell who is now a Minden, Nevada Rotarian and John Marman called for volunteers for Indio Rotary’s annual Math Day competition on May 4. We also learned that Rotary Presents brought in approximately $6,000 and that next year’s event is scheduled for February 27, 2014. One of our visiting Rotarians missed out on $288 in the Rotary Mega Raffle but did go home with $5. Odds are good this week so buy tickets! |
Rotary Desert Health InitiativeRicardo Loretta of Palm Desert Rotary and Dick Anderson of La Quinta Rotary were with us last week to talk about the Desert Rotary Health Initiative. The project is a broad initiative focusing on the medical, hunger, education and clean water needs of low income residents of the eastern portion of the Coachella Valley. Both the Palm Desert and La Quinta clubs are cooperating on this project and they hope to get support from Rotary clubs from throughout Southern California. The initiative has the approval of Rotary District 5330 and a matching grant application is before Rotary International. The grant will provide refrigeration units for Galilee Center, a food distribution service in the east valley. The two clubs have major plans for the area including providing water filtration systems for an estimated 100 small trailer parks with clean water issues. Also last week, one of our visiting Rotarians had the lucky raffle ticket but only managed to draw a 3. We’ll have nearly $300 in the pot this week so buy tickets! You can’t win without a ticket! |
64 Years And Counting.......Last week’s speaker was a no show but visiting Rotarian Don Kraft demonstrated Service Above Self and stepped up to fill the void. Don provided us with a fascinating history of his 64 years in Rotary (yes, 64 years!)—most of it as a member of Seattle Rotary, the fourth club established in the world in 1909. Don joined Rotary at the age of 21 and is a second generation Rotarian. His father also had a long and distinguished Rotary career, serving as a club president, district governor, RI Director and eventually First Vice President of Rotary International. Even more amazing than Don’s 64 years of Rotary membership is the fact that Don has 64 years of perfect attendance! Seattle Rotary has over 600 members and is the largest Rotary club in the world. Thank you, Don Kraft, for an outstanding program! Paul Parry was our lucky Rotary Raffle winner last week and took home $20. Big bucks in the pot this week so buy tickets!
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Rotary Presents!Last week we went over work assignments for our Rotary Presents! event. Every member should plan on being at the Annenberg Center by 5:30 p.m. Monday to get organized before the crowd arrives at 6 p.m. We also got a preview of a couple of the live auction items—a cute rescue dog named Foxy and a tennis racquet autographed by BNP Paribas Champion Rafael Nadal—bring your checkbooks and credit cards! Also last week, we learned that we’ve scheduled our annual Rotarians at Work day for Saturday, April 27. We’ll again be assisting seniors with clean up work at their homes. Louise Oppenheim provided the club with an update on our Rotary Foundation giving. We’re not sure how we did it, but our donations for the current Rotary year total $7,240—nearly three times last year’s total. Mike Wedekind was our lucky Rotary Raffle winner and pocketed $7. Buy tickets this week!
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Club AssemblyLast week Pres. Dana Tarnow held a Club Assembly. In addition to reviewing our coming events, the main discussion topic was the need for officers, directors and other club leaders for the coming Rotary year. Pres. Dana has gone beyond the call of duty and agreed to serve another year as our President but we are in desperate need of “new blood” in leadership positions for the coming year. If you have yet to serve as a club officer or committee chair (or last did so 10 or 15 years ago!), now is the time to step up. This is YOUR Rotary Club and Palms To Pines needs you! Also last week, Cal McIntosh had a chance at $177 in the Rotary Raffle but only managed to draw a four so our pot should be over $200 this week. Buy tickets!
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Loving All AnimalsWith us last week was Lindi Biggi, founder of Loving All Animals. Loving All Animals is one of the two charities our Rotary Presents! event is supporting this year. The group was formed to get other local animal welfare groups to work more closely together. One of its largest annual events is the Super Pet Adoption weekend which was held in November at Whitewater Park in Rancho Mirage. Hundreds of pets were adopted into loving homes this past year. Also last week, we welcomed back two M.I.A. Rotarians, Doug Walker and Jeff Patterson. Doug has been fighting a lingering cold and Jeff is working harder than ever trying to retire……..it was great to see them both. Finally last week, Lillian Roberts had a chance for $140 in the Rotary Raffle but only managed to pull a two from the deck and took home $2. Buy tickets this week!
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Variety, The Children's CharityBob Brown, an Indian Wells Rotarian, was with us last week to tell us about Variety, The Children’s Charity. Variety is one of the two charities that will receive donations from our Rotary Presents! event. Variety is a worldwide organization and the main project the group does in the desert is an annual bicycle giveaway. Bikes go to underprivileged children as well as to special needs kids. Also last week, P2P welcomed Tracey Essex as our newest member. Tracey is with Loving All Animals and is a great addition to our club. Welcome, Tracey! We bid farewell to winter visitor Kathy Martin. Kathy, who is from Seattle, promises to join us again next winter and we look forward to her return. Speaker Bob Brown was our lucky Rotary Raffle winner. Bob drew and eight and took eight P2P dollars back to Indian Wells with him.
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Off The GridDave Stewart, manager of Off The Grid Survival Gear here in Palm Desert, was our speaker last week. Dave is a self-described “Prepper” who has purchased a 20 acre farm and is attempting to make it as self-sufficient as possible. Off The Grid sells all kinds of emergency equipment and supplies. According to Dave, when a disaster occurs, everyone needs to prepare for hypothermia, thirst, hunger and be able to protect themselves (from those who aren’t prepared). Also last week, Rob Strain filled in for an ailing Pres. Dana, Martin Kubelik unveiled P2P Rotary pins available for a $10 Happy Dollar donation and we learned that Coachella Rotary is seeking a Palm Desert home for a Rotary Youth Exchange student for the remainder of the school year. Margaret Claggett repeated as our raffle winner and picked up $6.
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Light For ChildrenOur own Mike Laughlin was our speaker last week. Mike presented information about Light For Children, a project of his old Rotary club in Springville, CA. Through the efforts of one particular member, the club and the Rotary Foundation, Springville Sierra Sunrise Rotary has managed to build a school for over 180 students in Kingali, Rwanda. The school is an ongoing project for the club and they are currently raising funds to construct a security fence. The club goal is to raise $5,000 which, through the magic of Rotary Matching Grants, will turn into $15,000 for the project. If you’d like to contribute, send a check to Springville Sierra Sunrise Rotary, PO Box 149, Springville, CA 93265. This program shows what an impact a small club can have! Margaret Claggett was our lucky raffle winner taking home $10.
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Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo VisitorsPalms To Pines Rotary recently welcomed a delegation of civic leaders from Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo, Mexico, a Sister City to Palm Desert. Our club has been active in their area and one of our most successful projects has been the formation of a scout troop to serve the young people in their community. The visitors joined us on January 23 and presented Charles Riggs, our International Service chair and a member of the Palm Desert Sister Cities Committee, with a number of items to express their appreciation for our support. We received a framed Scout emblem for the Zihpacti troop, plaques from the provincial Scouting office and from Ixtapa Rotary as well as reports on the status of the project. The troop currently has 102 members and an additional 29 prospects. Ixtapa Rotary President Irene Juarez Martinez also sent along a letter listing other needs of the Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo community. |
YMCA of the DesertWith us last week were Paula Simonds and Karen Creasey of the YMCA of the Desert. Karen, who manages the Palm Desert Aquatic Center, provided us with an update on this world-class facility. Palms To Pines donated swim suits and $1,000 to the pool last summer to help low income children learn to swim. The pool complex is very successful, operating above projections since open-ing. Paula, the community relations director, told us the YMCA operates on a $7 million annual budget and, in addition to the Aquatic Center, runs sports programs, preschool programs and after school programs throughout the Coachella Valley. Also last week, Jerry Kress was honored with his seventh Paul Harris Fellow and Pres. Dana Tarnow won $20 in the Rotary Raffle.
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Castro, Communism, Cars & CigersJim de Boom, a past District Governor from Newport-Balboa Rotary, provided a fascinating program on Cuba. Jim was part of a 65-person tour of the island nation sponsored by the Palm Desert Chamber of Commerce. Visiting Cuba is like entering a time warp, according to de Boom. The nation is stuck in the 1950s and everything from cars to books and magazines remind a visitor of that era. The Chamber sponsors a number of tours each year and is planning a return visit to Cuba this May. Also last week, we welcomed eight visitors from Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo who were in Palm Desert as part of a Sisters Cities visit. One of our Mexican visitors was the winner of $20 in the Rotary Mega-Raffle. We’ll be close to $200 in the pot this week so buy tickets!
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Employment LawBarbara Baron, a local attorney specializing in employment law, was our speaker last week. Although California is still an “at will” employment state, scores of laws have seriously impacted the ability of employers to terminate employees. According to Barbara, an employer better have good reasons for termination and keep detailed documentation. Terminated employees tend to sue often in our state. Barbara presented a very interesting and informative program. Also last week, Martin Kubelik received his 100% attendance pin and we received a Rotary Presents! update from Chair Art Fleming. Please join us in planning this important fundraiser! Mike Laughlin was our lucky Rotary Raffle winner. Mike took home $10. Buy tickets this week!
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Self DefenseWith us last week was Deanna Bivins of Red Dragon Karate here in Palm Desert. With a violent crime happening in this country every 22 seconds, Deanna has developed a special class for women and seniors. Her program builds awareness, confidence, observation and perception among her students. Barbara led club members in some self defense training at the conclusion of her presentation and it was quite a sight! Barbara is holding an introductory seminar on the program at her studio the evening of January 23. Call her at 760-776-7522 for more information. Also last week, John Marman brought samples of the winning Mini-Muster artwork and the club welcomed back member Martin Kubelik who shared his latest collection of club banners he collected to maintain his perfect attendance. Finally, Shawna McNeill left early but still picked up $6 in the Rotary Raffle. We’ll be over $150 this week!
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EEDAPTWith us last week was Bob Hively of EEDAPT (Education and Employment Adapting to Change). EEDAPT is a 24/7 online program to help students and other job seekers make better decisions about education, employment and talent development. EEDAPT is working with Palm Desert Noon Club on a needs assessment for projects in the eastern end of the Coachella Valley and hopes to partner with Rotary International to promote stronger connections between youth and organizations which can facilitate employment opportunities. Also last week, Jerry Kress was the lucky Rotary Raffle winner. Jerry pulled an eight and took home $8. Buy tickets this week!
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