Press Democrat Sportswriter Bob Padecky Tells His Remarkable Kenny Stabler Story
Our speaker for Thursday, November 18, 2021, was the amazing Bob Padecky, sportswriter extraordinaire for the Press Democrat. Bob has been writing a sports column for the PD since 1987. He’s won a ton of national, state, and local awards. He moved to California from Florida in 1976, worked for the Sacramento Bee and others, and found his way to the PD. He’s been entertaining Bay Area sports fans ever since. Bob was asked to talk about his most memorable experience writing about an athlete. Bob did not disappoint!
Bob told about his interactions with former Raiders quarterback and renowned bad-boy, Kenny Stabler (aka "the Snake"), while attempting to interview Stabler for an article in 1979. Bob was at the Sugar Bowl in 1979 for the Super Bowl and made an appointment to meet with Stabler in nearby Gulf Shores, Alabama, near Stabler’s hometown. When Bob arrived at the airport in Gulf Shores, Stabler refused to be interviewed. Stabler, however, called Bob several weeks later and set up a new “exclusive” interview in Gulf Shores. That’s where the story gets weird! Bob and Stabler met in Stabler’s bar, Lefty’s, but Stabler refused to discuss anything of importance, and ultimately disappeared. Bob finally gave up and went to his car, where he was promptly surrounded by local police department cruisers. The police found cocaine in Bob’s rental car. He was arrested, handcuffed, taken to the jail, stripped searched, and interviewed. He was ultimately told his life was in danger and escorted to the airport. He was told that the “Sinkhole Gang”, a notorious cocaine smuggling crew, was looking for him. He laid low with friends in Florida. Sometime later when Bob was traveling to visit a friend in Phoenix, his friend was called by someone who told him to tell Bob that he should never come back to Alabama and that he’d “never leave.”
Bob did not change his attitude towards Stabler over the years. Despite many threats, including death threats and bricks thrown through his window, presumably from Stabler’s fans or friends, Bob continued to tell his story about Stabler to national sports publications. He was even offered the chance to sell the story to Michael Douglas Production Company. All Bob had to do was write the story and let the professionals make a film about it. John Belushi would play Bob! Bob ultimately declined because he believed the story would never be told in film the way it actually happened.
Bob also found ways to show Stabler that he would not be intimidated. At a press conference Stabler told Bob to “Duck you.” Bob got his “subtle revenge” at Stabler by showing up next to Stabler at press conferences all season long. He could see Stabler’s hands clenching but, of course, Stabler could do nothing while the cameras and a gaggle of sportswriters were focused on him.
Bob is an amazing storyteller and undoubtedly could regale us about sports figures for hours. One thing that struck me, however, was Bob’s take on the National Football League and its hold over American life. He said: “When you own a day of the week you can do whatever you want.” Well said, Bob! And thank you for taking the time to entertain and inform us!
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!
Thought of the day: "Lead me or follow me or get out of my way." "We are going rip out their guts and use them to retread our tanks." -- George S. Patton.
Birthdays: Peter Hobert celebrated with his son and his son's girlfriend. Jennifer Hembed took her husband to see My Fair Lady in San Francisco.
Paul O'Rear reported 120 trees planted during the recent Tree Planting Event.
Scott Holder has two slots open for Bell Ringing on December 3.
Rotary Ladies celebrated a festive social event on Wednesday evening with wine, snacks and merriment.
President Jennifer's thought for the day: "Service to others is the rent you pay for your room here on earth." Mohammed Ali
November 22, 2021 marks the first day of Sagittarius Season. This is the adventure sign of the Zodiac. Sagittarians are ruled by the planet Jupiter, which is the planet of abundance. People born under this sign are truly one of a kind. They embody passion, intensity, curiosity, and adaptability. A Sagittarius’s quest for knowledge has no bounds. This makes them exceptional story tellers and full of creativity. They are notorious of being blunt at times, which can cause hurt feelings and misunderstandings. Though they can be irreverent at times, they are quickly forgiven due to their enthusiasm and optimism. When a Sagittarius is intrigued by something, they go all in. However, they do have the reputation of getting bored and moving onto the next fascination quickly. They have so many interests that they bounce from one subject to the next.
This charismatic sign draws others in like a flame. It’s no wonder Sagittarius is a fire sign! Their larger- than-life persona is magnetic making it effortless to attract friends and lovers. Sagittarians are the comedians of the zodiac. They are known to be unfiltered, which can either scorch the earth around them or leave people laughing with tears rolling down their cheeks—usually the latter. Free spirited, dynamic, and full of life, a Sagittarius is always up for a great time and an unparalleled adventure. We all need a Sagittarius in our lives-they help quell our wanderlust, and they take us out of our comfort zone-both physically and intellectually.
Environmental Club Service - Laguna de Santa Rosa Clean Up
On Saturday, November 13th, 20-25 dedicated “Lagunistas” cleared a 50-yard swath of wild blackberry bushes and planted native sedge grass along Irwin Creek at the Laguna de Santa Rosa. Representing Sunrise Rotary were President Jennifer Adams, Ken Petro, Rob Sanville, Penny Millar and Paul O’Rear. The morning started with a short talk by Laguna Foundation Executive Director Anne Morkill, Volunteer Director Maggie Hart and Director of Restoration & Conservation Wendy Trowbridge. The volunteer group them trudged half a mile across boggy wetlands to Irwin Creek where they split into the “destruction” team chopping and pulling up blackberry bushes and the “construction” team planting sedge grasses. The morning began foggy as can be but by noon layers were being shed. All were ready to call it a day after three hours of restorative work.
M.J. Girard is currently an on air personality on KOWSfm.com His “Roots of Rock” is broadcast every Sunday morning at 7 AM
Hope that your Thanksgiving celebration was totally enjoyable. Lynn and my family are scattered about the globe, and we had a quiet dinner with our dear friends James and Christine.
As this year draws to a close, we will reflect upon the past with both gladness and sadness, remembering those who suffered from the pandemic, and those who succumbed to its awesome debilitating power. The virus is microscopic, yet it’s powerful effects will remain for decades. Please protect yourselves and those you care about.
Barely a month to get some of the greatest artist highlighted. Elvis will open December followed by Streisand, then a blend of holiday tunes on the 19th with the last edition of the “Roots of Rock” to feature number one tunes from Billboard’s Top 10 count down.
This Sundays featured artist began on radio, then television as part of a family situation comedy. Only eight years old on the first episode, ultimately becoming the the epitome of what was called “teen idol” ironically coined to describe him as his fame literally exploded from the silver screen co-starring with John Wayne, Dean Martin and Angie Dickenson in the 1959 Howard Hawks classic western “Rio Bravo”.
He placed fifty-three songs on the Hot 100, his first number one “Poor Little Fool” was the first number one tune on the newly created Billboard Hot 100 Chart. He went on to record 19 additional top ten hits and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987.
At age 16, he wanted to impress his then girlfriend, Diana Osborne, who was a huge Elvis fan, by stating that he was going to cut a record, even though he had no contract with a record company at that time. With his father’s assistance he signed a one record deal with Verve Records, covering a Fats Domino tune “I’m Walking”. Before the single was released, he made his television Rock and Roll debut on April 10, 1957 singing and drumming in the Ozzie and Harriet episode “Ricky, the Drummer”. Shortly afterwards Ricky made an unannounced appearance with the Four Preps at Los Angeles’ Hamilton High School lunch hour assembly. He was mobbed by screaming teens, and the rest, as is said, is history 101 !
Ricky Nelson
Hope that you can tune in live this Sunday, if not the program is available on KOWSfm.com under the Roots of Rock banner, and always on Girard.org.
A car was involved in accident in a street. As expected a large crowd gathered. A newspaper reporter, anxious to get his story, could not get near the car. Being a clever sort, he started shouting loudly, "Let me through! I am the son of the victim," The crowd made way for him. Lying in front of the car was a donkey.
Three clubs — Rotary, Rotaract, and Interact — collaborated on a cookbook project organized by the Rotary Club of Haliburton, Ontario. Ursula Devolin, the club’s New Generations chair, thought about what members could do during a pandemic: “Everybody’s been cooking through COVID-19, and it seemed to me it would be nice to have a community cookbook.” Interactors from Haliburton Highlands Secondary School and members of the Rotaract Club of Haliburton Highlands illustrated and designed the spiral-bound book; members of all three clubs collected the 84 recipes inside. Book and ad sales generated about $2,800 for the Mahatma Gandhi Sishu Siksha Sadan school near Kolkata, India, which the Rotary club has supported for about 15 years.
United States
When Judy Gross saw an online ad from someone seeking help with yardwork, members of her Rotary Club of Central Ocean Toms River, New Jersey, were ready to step up. In the ad, local resident Coreen Onnembo-DiLea explained that she was having a hard time keeping up with a garden that brings joy to her 99-year-old father, Achille “Acky” Onnembo, a U.S. Coast Guard veteran who served in the Allied invasion of Normandy in 1944. On a Saturday morning in April, six club members showed up with shovels, mulch, flowers, and stones. “Little did I know I’d hear from a team of superhumans that would handle the entire project,” Onnembo-DiLea wrote in a letter to the club.
Serbia
The Rotaract Club of Belgrade Čukarica spotlights men’s health with dramatic flair. For several years, the club has staged a play as part of the “Movember” global initiative — “m” is for “mustache” — which has funded more than 1,250 health projects. Penned and directed by doctor and former club member Emilija Ivančajić, the play, Men and Other Problems, adopts a lighthearted approach to serious matters such as suicide and prostate and testicular cancers. The event went on hiatus because of COVID-19, but the 2019 production drew an audience of some 300 people. “All club members act in the play, with special guests from other Rotaract clubs in District 2483,” says Kristina Zejak, the club’s immediate past president.
Tanzania
For girls in the developing world, a lack of safe transportation can be a barrier to education. At the Ndevelwa Secondary School outside Tabora, Tanzania, for instance, “typically only the boys had the benefit of bikes to help with the journey,” says Elizabeth Demichelis, a member of the Rotary Club of Modesto Sunrise, California. “Thus the concept of pink bikes was born.” The Modesto Sunrise club, with help from the local Rotary Club of Arusha, arranged for the bicycles to be made available to girls; the conspicuous color is a theft deterrent. The girls, their families, and the head of school signed contracts denoting responsibility for the care of the assigned bikes.
Nepal
Long after a vocational training team helped Nepali schoolteachers make the most of their Rotary-funded library and computer lab, the initiative continues to pay dividends. “The resource center is helping to manage online classes in this pandemic time, even in the rural areas of Nepal,” says Rabindra Thapa, a member of the Rotary Club of Kathmandu North, which joined the Rotary Club of Stowe, Vermont, in the global grant-supported project at the Shree Ram Secondary School in Koshidekha. Carolyn Holcombe Damp, a past volunteer at the school, enlisted her partner, Larry Heath of the Stowe club; her sister, Joan Holcombe; and Didi Kearsley — all retired educators — for the team’s trip in late 2017. They stocked the facility with some 1,500 books, 15 laptop computers, and other equipment. The Stowe club and District 7850 each provided $10,000; The Rotary Foundation added $15,000 in funding for the project.
This story originally appeared in the November 2021 issue of Rotary magazine.
Rotary Club of Santa Rosa Sunrise - Founded June 30, 1986
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Three clubs — Rotary, Rotaract, and Interact — collaborated on a cookbook project organized by the Rotary Club of Haliburton, Ontario. Ursula Devolin, the club’s New Generations chair, thought about what members could do during a pandemic: “Everybody’s been cooking through COVID-19, and it seemed to me it would be nice to have a community cookbook.” Interactors from Haliburton Highlands Secondary School and members of the Rotaract Club of Haliburton Highlands illustrated and designed the spiral-bound book; members of all three clubs collected the 84 recipes inside. Book and ad sales generated about $2,800 for the Mahatma Gandhi Sishu Siksha Sadan school near Kolkata, India, which the Rotary club has supported for about 15 years.
When Judy Gross saw an online ad from someone seeking help with yardwork, members of her Rotary Club of Central Ocean Toms River, New Jersey, were ready to step up. In the ad, local resident Coreen Onnembo-DiLea explained that she was having a hard time keeping up with a garden that brings joy to her 99-year-old father, Achille “Acky” Onnembo, a U.S. Coast Guard veteran who served in the Allied invasion of Normandy in 1944. On a Saturday morning in April, six club members showed up with shovels, mulch, flowers, and stones. “Little did I know I’d hear from a team of superhumans that would handle the entire project,” Onnembo-DiLea wrote in a letter to the club.
The Rotaract Club of Belgrade Čukarica spotlights men’s health with dramatic flair. For several years, the club has staged a play as part of the “Movember” global initiative — “m” is for “mustache” — which has funded more than 1,250 health projects. Penned and directed by doctor and former club member Emilija Ivančajić, the play, Men and Other Problems, adopts a lighthearted approach to serious matters such as suicide and prostate and testicular cancers. The event went on hiatus because of COVID-19, but the 2019 production drew an audience of some 300 people. “All club members act in the play, with special guests from other Rotaract clubs in District 2483,” says Kristina Zejak, the club’s immediate past president.
Long after a vocational training team helped Nepali schoolteachers make the most of their Rotary-funded library and computer lab, the initiative continues to pay dividends. “The resource center is helping to manage online classes in this pandemic time, even in the rural areas of Nepal,” says Rabindra Thapa, a member of the Rotary Club of Kathmandu North, which joined the Rotary Club of Stowe, Vermont, in the global grant-supported project at the Shree Ram Secondary School in Koshidekha. Carolyn Holcombe Damp, a past volunteer at the school, enlisted her partner, Larry Heath of the Stowe club; her sister, Joan Holcombe; and Didi Kearsley — all retired educators — for the team’s trip in late 2017. They stocked the facility with some 1,500 books, 15 laptop computers, and other equipment. The Stowe club and District 7850 each provided $10,000; The Rotary Foundation added $15,000 in funding for the project.