Suzanne Collinsworth-Smith, Editor

July 17th, 2009

July is Literacy Month

Upcoming Programs and Events

Presented by the new Program Chairman, Leland Hammerschmitt and his crew.

July 24th-Will Burg-Port Hueneme

July 31st-Fifth Friday-Club Social

August 7th-Paul Crabtree-Ojai Sustainability

August 14th-Chris Platt-Stem Cell Research PLUS New Member Short Get Acquainted Talk

August 21st-Norm Davis-Ojai Water Issues and Water Rates; Matilija Dam

August 28th-District Governor Visit-Luz Maria Ortiz

In the Beginning....

In the absence of President Scott Past President Tony Thacher called the meeting to order at 12:10 PM. Jim Berube led us in the Pledge and Tony read our Rotary 4-Way Test. Lunch was served. At 12:30 PM the meeting was reconvened.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Visiting Rotarians and Guests

Dave Neville passed the roving microphone introducing first visiting Rotarians Stacy Drucker from Santa Rosa and Reggie Wood from Ojai West. Other guests included Christine Drucker, wife of Sanford and Dave Brubaker of Ojai Community Bank, special guest of John Russell. Leland Hammerschmitt introduced our speaker for the day, Larry Mosler.

 

 

 

 

 

Announcements. . .

  • Rotarians were reminded to check the bulletin board for information.
  • Tony Thacher introduced Roger Phelps as Sergeant at Arms and Roger noted the use of our new wireless sound.
  • Tony advised that Ojai had been named one of the top ten tennis towns in the country. Voting was underway to determine the winning city which will be awarded $100,000 to be used for community wide programming or facility enhancements. One vote per e-mail address. Go to www.besttennistown.com/ to vote! Voting is open from July 16 to 26.
  • Bob Skankey announced that the International Service Committee will be meeting on Tuesday, July 21, 7:30 AM at Café Emporium. Feel free to bring your ideas or willingness to be a part of the great projects our club does overseas.
  • Carl Gross announced that the committee to establish guidelines for our Club Invocation will meet Wednesday, July 22, 7:00 AM at Café Emporium. The committee will be looking at ways to embrace our diversity and all are welcome.

 

  • Bruce Brockman came to the mike to present thank yous to Jane McCarthy for her service as Vocational Chair and to Peter Haggerty for his service as Treasurer during Bruce's year.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  • Catherine Lee passed the sign-up sheet for those interested in purchasing Rotary shirts. Both the dress shirt and golf shirt models are available. If you are interested, please sign up or call Catherine. Make your check payable to Ojai Rotary. The order will be placed after next Friday's meeting.

 

 

  • Al West was called to the podium to share about the International Convention in Birmingham England. Al noted that this was his 7 th International Convention and it was THE BEST! (Of course, it was in England.) Al shared that the highlights were the House of Friendship, Speakers which included the Secretary General of the United Nations, Jane Goodall and our own Deepa Willingham. Next year's convention will be held in Montreal and Nic Frank, Mike Weaver and Al will be getting out information and hoping our club will be well represented. WATCH YOUR E-MAIL.

 

 

 

 

 

  • Finally Tony Thacher noted that 25 years ago, during his term as club president, the Ojai West club was chartered. Tony and John Gray exchanged correspondence which crossed in the mail, noting the need for a second Rotary Club in Ojai. Ojai West President Reggie Wood addressed the club, noting our long history of doing things together. He invited us to their 25 year celebration which will take place at the Ojai Valley Inn on Friday, November 13. The cost will be $76 per person. Reggie also invited us to their Chile Cook-off on October 3 at Lake Casitas and reminded us that also coming are a joint beach party at Larry Wilde's beach house and the Rotary Work Day on November 5.
  • Click here for pictures of the Demotion Party.

Fining: Colin Jones

 

 

 

Colin Jones was allocated time for a shortened fining session. Birthdays of Dick Weirick, Marty Babayco and Jim Combs were noted, as well as anniversaries of Peter Haggerty, Frank Finck and Dana Huffman. Colin then stumped most of us with questions about past presidents, including the major stumper which was passed around netting the club about $100 in fines until someone finally guessed that Bill Ghormley was president when our club celebrated its 50 th year.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Program

 

Leland Hammerschmitt was again shorted on his 5 minutes regarding programs for this year. However he was able to tell us that next week the program will be Will Burke, manager of Port Hueneme. On July 31 we will be treated to a 5 th Friday at the home of the Kaplans. For today's program Bob Daddi introduced Larry Mosler, owner of the Mosler Rock Quarry. Mr. Mosler shared with us his frustrations regarding the removal of the Matilija Dam, which has been approved by Congress without funding. In the current fiscal environment it is difficult to predict when the $140 Million will be available for the Army Corps of Engineers to take down the dam and dispose of the material. Mr. Mosler suggests that over a 5-10 year period an aggregate producer like himself could gradually take down the dam, process and recycle the bulk of the materials on site, all at a cost of about $75 Million. His talk included a glimpse into the many issues and regulations involved.

The meeting was adjourned at 1:30 PM

Coming Up Next Week...

Will Berg

JULY 24th- Port of Hueneme

Mr. Burg will speak about the impact of the global economic crises within the Port industry in general and on the Port of Hueneme and its customers specifically.

Topics will include :

Special District governance; Port as a landlord; Customers; Economic impacts .

Port of Hueneme is the only deep-water harbor between Los Angeles and San Francisco, and it is the fourth busiest harbor in the state. The port also serves as an import/export station for cargo and as a staging area for offshore oil operations. It also provides space for local sport and commercial fishing industries, and is the home of the largest dockside refrigeration storage facility on the West Coast. A U.S. Customs Port of Entry and Foreign Trade Zone designations are among the advantages of Port of Hueneme.

Mr. Berg's Background

Will, (a 3 rd generation Oxnard native) is a 21-year veteran of the Cruise & Travel industry, although his International background goes back even further. After completing two years of post-Graduate work at the National Political Science University in Taipei, Taiwan Will went on to receiving a Master's degree in Comparative & International Politics from the Monterey Institute of International Studies.

In 1978, capitalizing on his fluency in Mandarin Chinese, Will began escorting and translating for various Canadian and American groups visiting China, making him among some of the earliest north Americans to step behind the Bamboo Curtain. He's literally been to China more than a hundred times.

In 1984 Will began a stint as port and enrichment lecturer aboard cruise ships calling in Asian destinations along the Pacific Rim from Japan to India, before taking over shore excursion operations with such prestigious companies as Crystal, Seabourn and Princess Cruises.

Today Will represents the Oxnard Harbor District as Director of Marketing, and chief Public Information Officer. The District is an independent special district which owns and operates the commercial Port of Hueneme. Operations at the Port generate more than $650 million in positive economic impact and approximately 5,000 direct and indirect jobs in Ventura County annually.

He promotes the County's quintessential niche port to among others, the Fresh Produce and Auto Carrier industries and manages the Oxnard Harbor District's Grantee Status of Foreign Trade Zone # 205. The Zone annually handles over $6 Billion worth of cargo paying over $175 million in duty directly to the U.S. Treasury.

Final Thoughts

"Most people are prisoners, thinking only about the future or living in the past. They are not in the present, and the present is where everything begins."

Carlos Santana