At the Russian River Confluence, TJ VanderYacht helps drive collaborative efforts to tackle water challenges and strengthen climate resilience across the North Coast. Drawing on a background in public health and environmental science, TJ focuses on fostering partnerships and implementing practical, inclusive solutions that benefit both communities and ecosystems.
Michael Thompson
Michael Thompson served as an Assistant General Manager for the Sonoma County Water Agency until his retirement in 2023. He currently serves as the Project Manager for the Russian River Confluence and provides water resource consulting services. He holds a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering, masters' degrees in civil engineering and in business administration, and is a California-registered professional civil engineer.
HICAP Volunteer Tom Kelber Reveals the Mysteries of Medicare
Our speaker for January 15, 2026, was Tom Kelber, a volunteer with the Health Insurance Counseling & Advocacy Program (HICAP) as a Medicare counselor and educator. Tom worked for over 25 years in the credit union industry and is now retired. He graduated from Cal Poly Pomona with a degree in Management & Human Resources. Tom developed an interest in health-related causes as a result of his own health condition and now volunteers his time advising people about Medicare, among other things.
HICAP is part of Senior Advocacy Services, a resource for seniors and their families in the North Bay. SAS collaborates with older adults to preserve their rights, dignity, and quality of life through the provision of information and advocacy programs, including Medicare education and advocacy for seniors in long-term care. Seniors can make an appointment with HICAP volunteers, who provide free, unbiased Medicare counseling.
Tom gave us an overview of the coverage provided by Medicare and the ways to augment Medicare to provide more complete health coverage to seniors (and others who are entitled to Medicare based on disability). Medicare Part A provides hospital insurance and is free at age 65. Medicare Part B provides outpatient coverage for a premium (the base premium is $206.50/month) with an annual deductible. However, Part B only pays 20% of “approved charges,” so “full coverage” requires an additional health insurance program. These additional programs include Medicare Advantage and Medigap plans. Medicare Advantage plans take over from Medicare, provide HMO/PPO managed coverage, and are typically cheaper than the Medigap plans. The classic Medicare Advantage Plan is Kaiser. There are now only 9 Medicare Advantage plans available in Sonoma County and the market is still shrinking. Medigap plans are subscribed by law but provided by private insurance companies. There are lots of variations, with different pricing. They generally allow the patient to see any doctor who accepts Medicare and do not require a co-pay. Another supplement is Medicare Part D, prescription drug coverage. There are 12 different plans and prices vary from $0 to $227.80. Your selection might depend on the prescriptions you need.
Tom recommends that Medicare beneficiaries shop Medigap plans every year. Price is important and changes regularly. A HICAP counselor can help educate you about Medicare and can even help you decide on the best plan for you. You can call HICAP at 800-434-0220 to set up a personal meeting with an advisor.
Thank you, Tom, for the timely and helpful presentation and for all the work you do helping people navigate the intricacies of Medicare.
On a regular basis, our resident photo pro Warren Smith, submits pictures of what is going on at the weekly meetings. You can always find the most recent pictures at the websites photo journal called "Meeting Sighting" Please note that all the meeting photos for the entire Rotary year are at this location with the most recent on the last page.
Thanks for all the great pictures Warren!Link to Meeting Sightings. The most recent are on the last page!
Last Saturday Sunrise conducted its largest work project of the year ~ so far! With leadership from Golden Hammer Leroy Carlenzoli and Community Service Director Rob Sanville, members of Sunrise and Sebastopol Rotary joined hands on hoes, shovels, rakes amd wheel barrows in initial clean up on Verity's new Steele Lane campus.
President Lori Rodrigues gets down in the weeds, fine tuning what had been a jungle of ivy. Close to two dozen volunteers including Verity Executive Rebecca Fein and her husband, board member Ashmi and spouse joined along. Sunrise Spouses were well represented with Betsy Sanville and Clarinda Ziegler who demonstrated remarkable shovel skill.
Weed-whacking-birthday modest coordinator Rob Sanville quietly clears overgrown grass from sidewalks. Until now hard to navigate, the extensive yard is being transformed through a Rotary District Governor's Grant. Rob and Leroy, working with Bonnie Landers, Sunriser and District Grant Director, the project has begun with an essential removal of debris requiring multiple club recruited trucks, aka Rob, George Pappas and Bill Sauber with Sebastopol Rotary.
As overgrown grass and the leaves off the now barren trees are removed a clearer path around the backyard emerges. Executive Director Rebecca Fein remarked how she is looking forward to using the now more hospitable area for classes in a more ordered, serene setting.
Removing the debris and transferring it for recycling punctuated this workday. Jorge Pappas and Max Childs took a load to grab and grow for a conversion to mulch. Bill from Sebastopol went to another site to dispose of fencing and pipe remnants.
A presidential prerequisite. Max moves yard waste with George's heave ho!.
Back at Verity Leroy and George recap and reflect on the successful progress. What is next? Stay tuned!
The Rotary Club of Beijing is focusing attention on a condition at birth called hypospadias, in which the opening for urination is lower in boys. In rural China, the need for specialized medical training, financial hardship, and social stigma pose challenges to identifying and treating the condition, which can cause serious health problems if left unaddressed. The club has funded more than 160 corrective surgeries since 2016 at a cost of about $1,400 each using proceeds from its annual ball, a Rotary Foundation global grant, and other sources. In April the club sent a vocational training team of two Rotarians and two urology surgeons from the Children’s Hospital of Hebei Province to the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia in the U.S. for three weeks of specialized instruction. Another 50 surgeries are expected in the near term, says club member Gilbert Van Kerckhove.
Philippines
An auto repair program that trains electric vehicle technicians at a Philippine university is getting a boost from the Rotary Club of Iloilo. With the support of a $32,000 Rotary Foundation global grant, the club provided equipment that is benefiting more than 300 students and faculty members, says Herman Lagon, a club member and college spokesperson. The university also plans to offer community-based training for youths and adults, with a goal of reaching 120 trainees annually through 2028, he says. The club partnered with the Rotary Club of Namweon Central in Korea. “The grant is of great help for the studies of the poor but deserving students, as well as a genuine service to the community,” Lagon says.
This story originally appeared in the January 2026 issue of Rotary magazine.
Rotary projects make a difference in communities around the world.
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The Rotary Club of Beijing is focusing attention on a condition at birth called hypospadias, in which the opening for urination is lower in boys. In rural China, the need for specialized medical training, financial hardship, and social stigma pose challenges to identifying and treating the condition, which can cause serious health problems if left unaddressed. The club has funded more than 160 corrective surgeries since 2016 at a cost of about $1,400 each using proceeds from its annual ball, a 
An auto repair program that trains electric vehicle technicians at a Philippine university is getting a boost from the Rotary Club of Iloilo. With the support of a $32,000