Weekly News & Views by: Dick Bourne
Photographs by: Patsy Inouye
We climbed the stairs this morning for the last Student-of-the-Month program of 2017. Dave Morse (the elder)’s carols streamed and floated off the keyboard to further enforce the inescapable mood of the 
holiday season. The music continued with Chuck Snipes-led renditions of Smile And America the Beautiful, and a fair share of the high school contingent and parents managed to join in. Soon President David Morse (the younger) emerged on the right flank to call up Nancy Storm for the featured program. Soon all students were “staged up” and Nancy launched her well-honed Rotary “elevator speech.” This impressive summary elevated the crowd and who knows? She may have enticed a few future Rotarians.
holiday season. The music continued with Chuck Snipes-led renditions of Smile And America the Beautiful, and a fair share of the high school contingent and parents managed to join in. Soon President David Morse (the younger) emerged on the right flank to call up Nancy Storm for the featured program. Soon all students were “staged up” and Nancy launched her well-honed Rotary “elevator speech.” This impressive summary elevated the crowd and who knows? She may have enticed a few future Rotarians. The student awards started with DaVinci, presented by Susan Kirby; next came Michelle Flowers from King High. The last two institutions were represented by Tom McHale (Davis High) and Kathy Starr (DSIS). After the individual presentations, the 8 (of 9) awardees present filed out through the congratulatory gauntlet, to a standing ovation, and we buzzed and chattered before President David urged us on to other Rotary matters.
The full room had included only one Visiting Rotarian (self-introduced, as best this scribe could tell): Tim Dehne, from Corvallis Oregon; and one guest, Hope Snipes, home from college and introduced by her previously-featured songmeister dad Chuck. We turned to announcements, and incoming President Rose Cholewinski feigned an announcer role while in fact attempting to secure her afore-mentioned status as incoming president. Rose audaciously passed out ballots with an un-opposed slate headed by hers truly. The ensuing clamor included references to Russian elections and even (can you believe this?) a slightly-muffled suggestion to write in Manny Carbahal as an alternate candidate for president.
A much more serious subject followed as Nancy Storm brought us thanks from the Stromberg family for the many calls and email inquiries about Rick’s condition following his heart attack. Rick is making progress but is still in ICU with a long recovery road ahead. To maximize desired family privacy, Nancy will be our conduit to further updates. Our hearts go out to Pat and all the Strombergs in this difficult time.
Roy Kroener announced that he and Cynthia are offering a 4th year of their scholarship program for a deserving Davis high school student. The scholarships are offered through the Yolo Community 
Foundation and the application deadline is 3/9/18. For more information, contact Roy or see https://sacregcf.academicworks.com/opportunities/706.
Foundation and the application deadline is 3/9/18. For more information, contact Roy or see https://sacregcf.academicworks.com/opportunities/706. After some confusion about our upcoming meeting schedule, Dick Berry set us straight: We do meet next Friday the 22nd, with Craig Reynolds set to tell us his adventures with agave tequila (Dos Volcanes). But Dick will host the usual dark week Rotary meeting at Black Bear Diner on the 29th. We restart with a first 2018 meeting on January 5.
With announcements all announced, Sir David turned to “Mail Call,” waving three recent postcards. Meaghan Likes sent from San Diego, where she and husband Jeff are the godparents to a newphew (did that save any space?). Clay Brandow, in his ubiquitous Beach Boys “I get around” mode, sent one from the Davis Farmers Market. Confirming that none of us was admitting to leaving California in recent weeks, Roy and Cynthia Kroener carded us from Palm Springs.
With the call for a sergeant, a befuddled-looking Larry Olsen ambled forward with a sheath of papers. Before any Happy Bucks could distract him, Larry initiated an interrogation of Rose about those choice-less ballots, but Rose deftly offered Happy Bucks anyway, and Larry graciously capitulated. Rose was rosey-happy for the successful Holiday Party at Swim America, claiming that she was in bed that night by 11, and looks forward to hosting more of them! Let’s hope the bloom is never off this Rose.
Many more Happy Bucks followed. Irena Asmundson was happy to have rung the Salvation Army bell, where she handed out cookies, though many folks wouldn’t take them. (A survey should have been taken to determine the statistics of rejection between health, fear of embedded razor blades, and wanting them saved for others.) Apparently only the starving college students saved Irena from having to toss her cookies. Carolyn Stiver was happy for her husband’s safe return from fire-fighting, and for Jim Grieshop’s real-time substitution for Rick Stromberg’s Meals On Wheels assignment. Andrew Newman gave for an upcoming “first Yolo ABC mixer with attorneys, brokers and CPA’s” at City Tavern, January 18 from 5-8 PM. (Note: this semi-savvy reporter knows only that this bash has something to do with alcohol and money; stay tuned for future scuttlebutt and/or blackmail). Other savvier ears (Manny Carbahal’s) knew the result would be a fixing of fees, but Manny charitably promised that any surplus revenues would accrue to our own Sunrise Foundation.
Meaghan Likes (she of the new shingle, thanks for the nice open house!) gave HB’s for Stephanie Carbahal’s bell-ringing (did she give cookies?), and for Gretchen Peralta’s gift-wrapping party; thanks Gretchen, for all the efforts of you and your fellow elf-ettes on our behalf! Not to be out-happied, Gretchen gave for Larry Greene and Dan Carson, and others, for their generous gift-wrapping and delivery. Chuck Snipes was thrilled for his dad’s Christmas gift of tickets to the Rose Bowl. We assume Chuck will not be there for Christmas, but instead will attend the big game between his Georgia 
Bulldogs and the Oklahoma Sooners on New Year’s Day. Ray Salomon was happy about picking up his daughter in Santa Cruz (presumably UC?). John Morgan was happy that Rose rescued him after “lights out” on party night; he had left his headlights on. Clay Brandow was happy to be going to Chico for his nephew’s graduation from the Fire Academy. Flame-control clearly runs in the family!
Bulldogs and the Oklahoma Sooners on New Year’s Day. Ray Salomon was happy about picking up his daughter in Santa Cruz (presumably UC?). John Morgan was happy that Rose rescued him after “lights out” on party night; he had left his headlights on. Clay Brandow was happy to be going to Chico for his nephew’s graduation from the Fire Academy. Flame-control clearly runs in the family! With only seconds left, Sergeant Larry fumbled his many papers; in the end, only an Enterprise article about Dick Berry’s fencing exploits went public. Fined $5, Dick, to great laughter, forced a sawbuck on the dumbfounded Sergeant Larry. With no time left, our sergeant-of-the-week graciously accepted overtime Happy Bucks from Mark Thompson, who thanked Brody Hamilton for helping him display his toy trains as part of a (toot-toot, all-aboard!) 11 home model train tour.
We ended with a momentous Draw-of-the-Day, as Dave Heard announced the pot had surpassed $2000 and we were down to four cards. Hope Snipes drew Will Portello’s ticket #624 (way too high for this scribe’s measly ticket rack in the 430’s). Will was soon the winner of a free breakfast….WAIT! THAT’S THE JOKER!!!! Will now has free breakfasts for almost three years. Merry Christmas Will!