Sonoma County Supervisor Shirlee Zane took office in January 2009 and prior to her election led Council on Aging for 10 years as CEO. She has over 30 years of experience working in health and human services as a family therapist, minister, hospital chaplain, special education professional, and inner city social worker.

Supervisor Zane serves on several countywide and regional boards, including First 5, the SMART Train and the Bay Area Air Quality Management District, among others. Through the National Association of Counties, she works on implementation of health care reform, long-term care goals, mental health issues, and a health and human service policy platform for counties across the US.

The Supervisor is pleased to have recently spearheaded the conversion of the Palms Inn in Santa Rosa to over 100 units for veterans, seniors and disabled persons who were previously homeless. She also serves on the County’s Chanate property ad hoc committee. The Supervisor views this opportunity as a legacy project; her vision is for a development that complements the surrounding neighborhood and provides benefits to all Sonoma County Residents.

With roots extending to 1975, and the vision of then Supervisor Mike Riley, what was known as River Switchboard began assessing and serving the unmet needs of West County residents.  In the days before dialing 211 for information and referral, people living in the Guerneville, Forestville, River Road Corridor had employment, housing, nutrition and healthcare concerns escalating their personal challenges.  Today, West County Community Services is a one-stop, multi sector agency providing all those support services to all ages.  With a staff of 30, 12 full time and many part time and volunteers, WCCS serves over 2,000 residents at 7 sites with an annual budget of $1.5 million.  

It has 6 core areas:  Employment support, Mental Health Counseling, Youth Diversion, Senior Case Management. Crisis Support and Housing, and Winter Shelter management which serves up to 100 adults.  A strong part of their youth oriented services is Project Success, which promotes empowerment and peer counseling through a professionally supervised volunteer training.

Newly selected Executive Director Tim Miller, former Sunrise Rotarian, delivered an informative history and received a hearty welcome back to Sonoma County after his hiatus to the Philippines where he coordinated Lutheran Relief efforts following Typhoon Haiyan in 2014.

On a regular basis, our resident photo pros Warren Smith and Jack Strange submit 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 and Ross! Link to Meeting Sightings. The most recent are on the last page!

Additional photos may be found on the SR Sunrise Facebook Page.

Noel Glab announced that the price for Culinary Auction tickets is $150 per person and will remain the same for tables.  Noel and the Culinary Committee will be calling Rotarians to obtain detailed descriptions of each personalized unique auction item being donated to raise needed funds for Rotary charitable giving at the local and international level.

Marty Behr, Sunrise Membership Chair and Carolyn Anderson, Sunrise Foundation Chair, each reported on their respective committees.  Marty announced plans for recruitment of 10 new members by this time next year, allowing for a few anticipated resignations, and revealed the date for another Great Guest Challenge on December 1, 2016.

Carolyn spoke about the critical need to raise funds to complete the world-wide eradicate of polio.  The disease, which had only remained in Pakistan and Afghanistan, has now been discovered in another country.  We are so close to globally defeating polio.  Let's complete the job!

It is rumored that President Merle Hayes will give out additional raffle tickets to those who bribe or please her at the next Rotary meeting.  The odds are 3 to 1 for picking the black marble out of a bag with three white marbles.  Good Luck!

John F. Germ

President 2016-17

In the summer of 1917, only a few months after the United States entered the first world war, Rotary held its eighth annual convention in Atlanta. Although many Rotarians at the time thought the convention should be canceled, the Board of Directors ultimately agreed with Paul Harris that it should continue as planned. In the midst of such uncertainty and fear, Harris penned, as part of his convention greeting, some of the most-quoted words in Rotary:

Individual effort when well directed can accomplish much, but the greatest good must necessarily come from the combined efforts of many men. Individual effort may be turned to individual needs but combined effort should be dedicated to the service of mankind. The power of combined effort knows no limitation.

Fittingly, it was at this convention that then-President Arch C. Klumph proposed a Rotary endowment fund “for the purpose of doing good in the world.” The power of combined effort was joined by a new power: that of combined resources. It was a combination that has proved unstoppable and has been behind so much of Rotary’s work for the last 100 years. Today, it is difficult to imagine Rotary without its Foundation. It was the Foundation that turned Rotary from an organization of local clubs into an international force for good with the power to change the world.

In this Rotary year, we are marking the centennial of our Rotary Foundation in the city where it all began: Atlanta. Our 108th Rotary International Convention promises to be one of the most exciting yet, with inspiring speakers, great entertainment, and a wide array of breakout sessions to help you move your Rotary service forward. And of course, we’ll be celebrating the Foundation’s centennial in style.

Whether you’re a regular convention goer, haven’t been to one in a few years, or haven’t yet attended your first, the 2017 convention will be the one you won’t want to miss. Atlanta is a great destination in its own right, with great food, friendly people, and many local attractions to enjoy. But the real reason to come to the convention is always the convention itself, and the people, ideas, inspiration, and friendship you’ll find there. To learn more, and save money on registration, visit www.riconvention.org. See you in Atlanta!

Sunrise Rotarians are urged to register, now, for the Rotary International Convention in Atlanta Georgia, June 10 - 14, 2017.  Hotel rooms are going fast.

Kalyan Banerjee

Trustee Chair 2016-17

A few months ago, I read a story in this magazine about a man named Carl Sanders, a member of the Rotary Club of Kenosha, Wis. Sanders had developed a successful painting business despite the fact that he could not read – a shameful secret that he struggled to keep to himself.

This story surprised me a little. I tend to think of illiteracy as a problem that mainly afflicts people in poor countries, not U.S. Rotarians. But Sanders’ situation is not so uncommon. Even in a wealthy country like the United States, millions of people lack basic reading skills.

Sanders’ story had a happy ending. He shared his secret with a fellow Rotarian, who steered him to a local literacy program and encouraged him as he tackled his reading lessons.

Our Rotary Foundation wants to create more such happy endings, and there is no shortage of people who need them. Today, more than 750 million adults are functionally illiterate globally.

In 2015-16, our Foundation awarded 146 global grants totaling $8.3 million to support basic education and literacy projects worldwide. These projects vary considerably – from providing computers and school supplies in Ghana to sponsoring an after-school homework program in the U.S. to developing a literacy and mentoring program for Roma girls in Bosnia, a project that addresses the gender imbalance that exists in many parts of the world.

In my country, Rotary has been on a literacy mission for the past few years. India has a population of 1.2 billion and is about 75 percent literate. Illiteracy occurs mainly in rural India, where most people live. So Rotary in India joined hands with the government to eliminate illiteracy, especially among women, because literate women raise literate families, ensuring a better future for all. Indeed, the numbers are staggering, and when it is done, the impact could be incredible.

As we observe Basic Education and Literacy Month in September, let’s think about the millions of people whose chances for success remain blocked by illiteracy. Our Foundation is helping many of them, but with Rotarian support and involvement, we can do so much more.

Sunrise Rotarians and their guests are cordially invited to preview the 6th Street Theater production of the "Rocky Horror Picture Show" on Wednesday, October 19, 2016.  A $35 ticket includes a free glass of wine.  Attendance is limited to 93 seats and Sunrisers will raise $3,000 on a full house.  See Deb Francis (pictured above with handout) for tickets and further information.

Jennifer Adams celebrates a recent trip to Crater Lake and the acquisition of a new car with a "recognition" gift to Rotary.