Your Weekly Get Up & Go Has Been Updated

Posted by Meaghan Likes 
on Feb 26, 2016
 
Weekly News & Views by: Dick Bourne
Photographs by: Jim Belenis
 
 
This morning was a sleepy reporter’s dream!  We enjoyed seemingly dozens of lovely languid tunes by Dave Morse, and plenty of time for a leisurely breakfast.  When the cat’s away…president Gary Johns was not to be seen, and after all, we had been forewarned of his cosmetic interlude.  Dave’s semi-legible extended playlist (did he know in advance how long his piano act would last?) is available on request.
 
Before any call to order, Bruce Wolk was already circulating and selling (a week early) $20 options on the March Madness college basketball board, even before downing his first bites from an unusually limited breakfast buffet consisting of simple scrambled eggs, fried potatoes, and cut melon; no BACON, no berries, nothing even half-baked.  Too healthy!
 
At last, around 7:15, we enjoyed the return (remember last week’s quiet rasping?) of Chuck Snipes lusty voice, leading us through our customary odes to happiness and America. Dennis Lindsay then stepped forward to announce that, like perennial flowers, he and associate “aster”-risk Larry Olsen would guide the rest of our Friday hour together.
 
As guests were solicited, Brian Sway introduced John Profit, a fellow Peace Corps veteran who is also a UCD alum; and Keith Watenpaugh introduced (without names) that dynamic duo we already know as Arta and Arun.  The only Visiting Rotarian was Mark Kropp of the Vacaville Sunrise club.  (Friday’s Enterprise ran an article about Mark’s recent hat-toss into the local State Assembly race.)
 
The reporting pace picked up noticeably as we turned to announcements:
  1. Tim Daleiden noted an upcoming ski at Northstar, and even provided a brief list of Sunrise Rotary ski-stars (here’s where the pace outstripped the pen) but he didn’t include Patsy Inouye, who sadly broke an arm skiing last weekend with Jeff Adamski’s wife Heidi.  We hope she heals ASAP!
  2. Rose Cholewinski reminded us of the 5/21 Ribs and Rotary fundraiser, and noted the availability of 10- $200 sponsorships for potential inking on the back of Rotaract Ribs and Rotary T-shirts.  Great exposure!
  3. Clay Brandow mentioned challenging a Woodland Rotarian to our looming Trivia Night (March 12), and in exchange promising to publicize their Woodland Opera House “San Francisco Munich Trio” event on 3/20 (handouts provided).  Eagle-eye Larry Olsen noted that the flyer showed a Duo, not a Trio (pianist not shown).
  4. Speaking of table handouts, Chuck Cunningham referenced one too, encouraging attendance at our “Putah Creek Winery Give Back Tuesday” fundraiser at their Davis tasting room (110 F St. Suite D) next Tuesday 3/1 at 5:00.  Our club gets 15% on wine sales. (The Editor’s apologies for not getting this edition out before the event on Tuesday, but a friendly reminder that Davis Sunrise Rotary will benefit from Putah Creek Winery sales every Tuesday the entire month of March).
  5. Carolyn Stiver announced that we are approaching March, and it’s soon time for the next quarter of Meals on Wheels signups.
  6. David Morse (the younger) provided some details on our Jay Gerber award event in April, and reminded that this special Friday gathering will be in lieu of our normal 7 AM meeting.
  7. Vanessa Errecarte noted that the deadline was Friday for Jay Gerber Award nominees, and also solicited help for a video they are working on for the program.
  8. Lucas Frerichs spoke for an ailing and absent Nikki Grey-Rutamu, to give a reminder of the Rotaract game night event at Swim America tonight (Friday 2/26).
  9. Bruce Wolk, now through with his breakfast, pitched our March Madness fund-raiser. Winners earn funds toward PHF; and our new Foundation (see below) makes it tax deductible.  Dennis will give receipts for contributions to document the write-offs (“so its free!!??) The Editor notes you may want to consult your tax professional before taking tax advice from the Get Up & Go.  Bruce also reported a brainstorm effort on how to get non-donaters to donate; Bruce started it off with a donation equal to his new age (70 next week) which caused a few laughs with the next announced birthday donation of $100 from Dick Morrissey.
  10. Chuck Snipes offered up the official Trivia Night reminder: it’s coming Saturday 3/12; so you can ski the day before.  We need to pick up the pace since only1/3 of the tables are reserved; he gave special thanks to Tim Daleiden, who challenged another company for our big night.  We’ll likely enjoy Symposium pizza.
 
After this “full metric” ten-item announcement string, Dennis figuratively tore off his substitute president’s hat and assumed the sergeantial role and mood, first soliciting happy bucks, which flowed into our coffers in this order:
  1. Manny Carbahal- Happy first to be shown how to run a meeting (presumably a reference to our leisurely start); but really, to have recently survived a tandem bicycle accident in which his wife Debbie cracked some bones, but luckily received ER help from Gretchen Peralta; both are happy from a Vicodin prescription; Gretchen noted that Manny wasn’t forced to get naked, though she did offer scissors for his trousers; Larry Olsen recalled a similar experience years ago for his broken collarbone.
  2. Dick Berry was happy to have seen a Las Vegas show; the ensuing uproar seemed to establish that it was zombie burlesque; and that he “caucused three times” while there.
  3. Rose was happy (actually, thrilled!) that her daughter has a new position at Nugget, one of the USA’s top ten employers.
  4. In a seeming echo, Jack Latow was also happy to have a daughter working for Nugget.
  5. In a move that even more palpably pandered to the sergeant, Susanne Rockwell also offered happy bucks for Nugget, for four dozen great cupcakes for a soccer event.
  6. Ending the Nugget lovefest and acknowledging Bruce Wolk’s upcoming 70th birthday, Tom Read happily noted that in 6 months Bruce will be 70.5 and will have to start withdrawing funds from his huge UCD pension. (And by have to… we mean GET to J)
  7. Kira King was happy that her dad, diagnosed with terminal cancer, has received a test cancer treatment involving amino infusion therapy at the UCD med center.
  8. Don Saylor was happy that daughter Kate was performing in a Kennedy Center concert of Civil War music (https://www.facebook.com/events/1150973461580748/).
 
Turning from happy bucks to prepared material, Dennis looked without success for Jay Brookman, who is hereby forewarned about a circulating picture in a Girl Scout uniform?? Looking next, and successfully, for Chuck Cunningham, Dennis cashed in on Cunningham Engineering’s near-miss of Sacramento’s “top 25” engineering list (they were #28, though this fact was obscured by the hole punch on the sergeant’s news clipping).  The next query was for Jim Belenis: Could the recent Enterprise photos (front & last page of Sports section) of a dribbling Anna Belenis be her last? Jim was spared a fine when he confessed that he takes sports editor Bruce Gallaudet to lunch monthly.
 
Jeff Adamski seemed prepped to be the next target, as he quickly offered, in recognition of First Northern Bank’s profitable 2015: $100 for the Rotary Foundation (will he live to be 100?) and $20 more for his fine.  With this negotiation done, Sgt. Dennis asked whether Jeff ever had a ski accident.  After a “Not that I can remember” Clay noted that both his dad and his daughter Chloe had, and at least one of them had successfully self-medicated with martinis for a compound fracture.  Dennis, with a deft and devious look toward Dave Heard, asked if anyone in the room had experienced an accident due to self-medicating.  Dave’s sheepish response described how, late after a recent dog burial party (how could he make this up?) he went outdoors at night to relieve some liquid pressure, and fell off a 6’ concrete ledge.  Consequential facial damages led him to a Placerville ER, where he noted that “at least they let me keep my pants on!”  On this “fine” and raucous ending Dennis changed hats again with the clever segue “Speaking of Foundations” to thank Manny for masterminding our new Sunrise Rotary Foundation.  (Dennis started discussions on this subject 15 years ago, and they have finally come to fruition). 
 
A handout emphasized the new Foundation’s value for local projects.  It won’t be competing with the RI Foundation.  The new entity includes both a general fund and an endowment fund (EF).  Funds in the latter, which was started by one club member and “7 or 8 past presidents” and now totals more than $15,000, are not to be touched until 2026.   
 
The General Fund (GF) can be used immediately for local projects, but 20% of all GF gifts will go to the EF.  Manny noted that Dennis is the fund treasurer and can designate funds.
Larry has scheduled the first open un-fundraiser on 3/25 at the Bicycling Hall of Fame from 5-7 PM.  We are all welcome to just drop by to socialize (and write a check).  Questions and comments ensued:
  1. Jack Latow: Might it hurt RI contributions?  Manny: Who knows?  Hopefully this will be seen as another worthy cause, without diminishing our ~$30K annual RI contributions.
  2. Manny noted from a recent conference that at least 80% of clubs have a local foundation.
  3. Chuck Cunningham: Is there an international portion of the GF?  Dennis: Yes, Example March Madness.
  4. Bruce Wolk clarifies that checks go to Davis Sunrise Rotary Foundation, whereas RI checks go to Rotary International.
  5. Dick Bourne: Will our social fundraising events be open to the general public? Dennis: Maybe.
  6. Dennis: Think about putting our local Foundation in your estate plan- like Chuck Cunningham is doing; Kira arranges these for clients, and it is easy to do.
  7. Clay: for his next Bob Dunning column; can his fine go to our Foundation?
  8. Referencing recent accidents, Larry encouraged our cyclists and skiers to sign up for this beneficiary deal ASAP, while still alive…
 
At last it was time for Draw Of The Day, hosted by Dave Heard.  Ticket #646 won a free breakfast, but neither your aging reporter, your Draw Of The Day host, nor premier card-picker Bruce Wolk remembers whose semi-winning fingers failed to find the joker.  Next meeting: Learn about the Davis Fencing Club.