Your Weekly Get Up & Go Has Been Updated

     President Rose Cholewisnki opened our meeting with her thoughts of the slaying of Davis Police officer Natalie Corona.   Rose asked us to think of the words of our opening song “Smile” and how the words apply.  After members sang “Smile” and “America the Beautiful,” President Rose asked for a moment of silence in memory of Officer Corona.

 

     Your reporter didn’t catch the introductions of guest Rotarians and guests.  President Rose circulated post cards noting that our club does a lot of traveling. 

 

     Yael Franco shared information about “Tree Davis”  which educates volunteer groups about our urban forest including how to plant and treat trees.  Tree Davis is having a volunteer event, February 2, 2019, 9 am to 12pm at Washoe St, corner of Cowell and Washoe across from Willow Creek Park.  Vanessa Errecarte encouraged members to attend “it’s a family event and there will be donuts.”

 

      Clay Brandow reminded folks at Lori Raineri’s request, of the new member cocktail party: 2/1/19 at 5:45 pm at Lori’s house, all members are welcome, especially new members.

 

A Dixon high graduate, she met her husband in her junior year.  Justina and her husband of 18 years, Pedro, have four children:  Isabella is 15 and a sophomore at Dixon high; she has been an honorary Rotarian for the Dixon club for 10 years.  Christopher will be 7 next month and is in first grade. He joins Justina’s Mother-in-law at the Dixon Club’s meetings.  Ronan will be 4 next week and is in her first year of preschool.  Owen is 2.5. 

 

Justina didn’t always dream of being in the trash business. After attending junior college and obtaining two criminal justice degrees, Justina learned that the courtroom was not in fact as it was on TV.  She spent 17 years in the food and beverage industry and learned a lot of great life lessons, notably patience. She started her career at Recology in 2007 and earned a BA and MBA in business. “People are always going to have trash to get rid of so it’s not a bad business to be in.“

 

Justina has a side business in health and wellness.  Dealing with her mother’s cancer and treatments for Ronan who had Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia, “I’m passionate about being healthy inside and out and educating others on how to do the same.”

 

Justina and Pedro have discovered cruises and are hoping to start making that a regular habit.

 

Sgt. of the day Rick Stromberg apologized on behalf of all the Sergeants.  Sergeants neglected to recognize Dick Berry’s recent community project which included working with an Eagle Scout candidate and making a sign for the Science Center.  Rick paid a self-imposed fine of $20.

Kenneth Firestein is happy he doesn’t have a paycheck-to-paycheck job (though he did have one as a cab driver).  He is concerned about federal workers and asked members if there is something to be done like granting small loans to workers.  Sgt. Rick asked Kenneth to pick someone to express what was happy for him or her in 2018.  Marc Thompson is happy that his family fulfilled a lifetime dream visiting Africa.  Don Winters is happy that his family has a place to visit in Santa Cruz.  Chuck Cunningham turned 70 today. He will be drawing social Security benefits.  Members spontaneously joined in singing Happy Birthday Chuck!

 

Jay Brookman is happy for having his two sons home for the holidays and in 2018 was 10 years cancer free.

 

Joseph Uzarski was happy to visit his parents and is thankful that his grandfather

recovered from a collapsed lung.

 

Jack Latow reminded members of his long association with the Davis law enforcement community noting the dedication of law enforcement officers, and because of their work “my children are safe and happy.”

 

Lucas Frerichs apologized to members for his appearance, noting that he and other council members have been at the incident area for most of the night and early morning.  He thanked members for the moment of silence for officer Corona.

 

Today’s program featured travel pictures and stories from three of our members.

 

Mack Walker shared pictures of his trip to Chile and Argentina.  Punta Arenas, islands with “Jack Ass” penguins so called for their donkey like heehaw call.  Torres del Paine National Park, Mack’s group decided to stay inside one day rather than hike.  The wind was so strong the travelers laid down so that the would be blown off the trail. 

Later on to Glacier Perito Moreno – unlike most glaciers, this one is still growing.  Also the group took in a look “Fitz Roy, ” a rock climber’s favorite, on the border between Argentina and Chile.

 

Located on the border of Argentina and Brazil, Iguassu Falls is twice as high as Niagara Falls.  Mack warned us to make sure or boat captain is awake and in a good mood for the ride to Devil’s Throat.  

 

Chuck Cunningham shared wild life photos taken at Yellowstone National Park during the winter.  He shared stunning pictures of the animals in the snow: Bison, Elk, big horn sheep, bald eagles and grey wolfs.

 

Jim Smith shared pictures and a video of Mountain Gorillas in the jungles of Uganda and Rwanda.  It takes one year to plan, no colds, dense hiking up hill, in groups of eight. “You only stay for an hour and can’t get closer than 7 meters to gorillas, but the gorillas don’t know the rule.”  Jim shared many up close shots of males, females, and young gorillas.  Toward the end of one visit “a gorilla got very close to a woman in the group, smacked her butt as he passed her and kept walking.”

 

Draw of the day: With contributions to the pot in excess of $1,000, Dave Heard announced that there would be two draws today.  Birthday boy Chuck Cunningham’s first draw yielded a cry from Patsy Inouye juggling her camera and a wad of tickets, no Joker.  Chuck’s second ticket draw also matched one in Patsy’s wad, she drew the joker winning $1,184.    Wow!