Bell ringing started at 7:31 and President Bill Bolster reminded us of last week’s program offered by Elizabeth Gore regarding Ask Alice.
Michael Juric shared the news that Ken Moulton has been diagnosed with ALS (Lou Gehrig ’s disease. He is off on a road trip today and he is experiencing this life-changing event in typical Ken fashion.)
Renee Hyde offered a pledge to the flag and although we offered it willingly, we also did it in some somber tones.
Doug Williams was called on to share the Four-Way Test, and that’s the truth.
Be inspired; “How wonderful it is that nobody need wait for a single moment to improve the world.” according to Ann Frank and recited by Barbara McChesney.
JB Leep sang a little Yeah, Yeah, Yeah along with a few other lyrics offered by Paul McCartney and John Lennon.
Wally Krutz shared the basics of where the Rotary four-way test got its start, the Aluminum Company was trying to turn around its bottom line and came up with a test that when his people followed, they wound up bringing their company back into the profit column. Rotary adopted the test in an effort to promote the basic tenets of the way to model life.
No visitors of any kind but 35 of us were in attendance.
The scribe, Tom Boylan, got a shout out for being the Rotarian of the Month.
Glenn Sugden let us know our first official Rotary Virtual Bingo went over well with lots of friendship and a few cocktails. Sandi Krutz let us know that the ultimate winner drove away with a Ferrari.
Dick Bishop Memorial Bell Ringing
- We need a coordinator for the Dick Bishop Memorial Bell Ringing sign-ups. Let President Bill know if you can help. We found out that Dianne Brabitz keeps a kettle in her office to promote donations, and Dianne is planning to match the contents of the kettle and make it a donation to the Windsor Rotary Foundation. Those who sign up to assist with the bell ringing need to work either solo or as a couple, so partners are welcome to ring in some cheer and dollars. Before this scribe could finish this thought, the bell ringing coordinator slot was filled by Mike Merrill.
- Mike and Bill are in need of some company! Sign up and help us ring the bell by calling Mike Merrill 707-484-0310
Heather Cullen says this is the last week of the food drive. She is hoping we can muster a few Thanksgiving dinners to feed those less fortunate.
Renee Hyde is working on a Virtual Holiday Social. She says we need to look around for a toy that reminds us of one of our fellow Rotarians. An idea to purchase a cash register toy that would represent Ed Turner. The event is slated for December 19th and there was a straw poll showing that most of us like the idea. There will be more info to come from Rene as things develop. Carol Martin started a poll to see what times people were willing to attend. It appears 6 PM to 8 PM is looking festive.
Susan Cole reminded us there is a possibility to adopt a family for the holidays, in addition to our toy drive.
December third is when Boys with Bandwidth meets. Let Michael Juric know you are interested in attending.
President Bill is reminding everyone that scribes and bell ringers are needed. Send your volunteer email to [email protected].
COVID CORNER
Diane Brabitz, our COVID nurse sent the following chat notice:
Public Health and most infectious disease docs are recommending we cancel big family dinners and only do with your household members. it is the only way we will stand a chance of containing this virus until the vaccine can be distributed.” Di.
In addition, she sent the latest in her COVID reports:
Total Cases: 11,055 (last week 10,455)
New Cases: Fri 68
Sat 98
Sun 125
Mon 85
THIS IS 223 NEW CASES OVER THE WEEKEND AND THE LARGEST SURGE TO DATE!
Deaths: 150 (last week 146)
Hospitalized: 19 confirmed and 5 suspected
There are now 19% of our cases in the 25-34-year-olds and 17% in the 35-44-year-olds
We have tested a Total of 226,144 and 9163 recovered (last week 222,291 in our county with 8534 people recovered) Total negative tests 215,689
- (unfortunately, this number does reflect people who have tested more than once and our health care workers are testing monthly)
Sonoma County is still on the strictest Tier of Lockdown (the Purple Tier – this is one time that being purple is not good!!!) Because we have been unable to stop the surge of new cases. The Tiers are based on 3 metrics …… new daily cases per 100,000 residents, the overall percentage of positive tests, and the test positivity rates in the county’s most disadvantaged neighborhoods. Our Public Health Officer is trying to get the State to include data from the private labs that are testing but are not reporting data to the State because it would bring Sonoma County down to the required numbers. However, we are seeing many of the counties that moved forward falling back into the stricter tiers because of the resurgence of positive cases.
Public Health and the CDC are very worried about an increase in numbers all over the USA from the celebrations in the Streets and in Washington DC from the elections, various Halloween celebrations, and continuous large gatherings that are occurring in Sonoma county. Again, I emphasize – “We have got to get people who have symptoms to stop, isolate, and get tested!” (this is like stop, cover, and roll with an earthquake people, but related to our coronavirus!) This could save hundreds of lives if people would be more cautious and think of others.
Please, please if you listen to anything, RETHINK YOUR PLANS FOR THE HOLIDAYS OF THANKSGIVING AND CHRISTMAS! I know most of us would like to be with family and are COVID fatigued, but the life you save could be yours or that of another family member. Do not take the risk; just because they are family members does not mean that spread of this virus cannot happen. If you want a holiday festival or dinner then only 3 separate households, a total of 12 people or less and if someone is coming from out of our county, have them quarantined for 14 days and be tested before they come. This is the only way we are going to contain this deadly disease!
Help to control this awful, deadly disease so we can hug one again, socialize and support businesses. It is up to each of us!
Let’s really become SONOMA COUNTY STRONG AGAIN. Thanks, Di
Announcements
Leslie Lewis decided to return as a fine-master and picked off the easy ones that thought they were celebrating their birthday in a low key manner. Susan Cole thought her dinner at Coppola’s was chilly enough to offer a healthy donation to the Rotary Foundation.
Doug Williams tried to make us feel sorry for him because he spent his birthday in a board meeting. Doug shared he got a great birthday present in the form of a Medicare card and made a donation to the John Lewis Foundation and that’s when Brian Ling blew the whistle.
Leslie then went after our president and asked him to share his anniversary of 51 years celebration. He must not have left a tip at Cabianca in Santa Rosa, because he made a generous donation to the Foundation.
Joan Mora made a donation for the welcoming of Isabella Vida La Rosa, her granddaughter. Doug Williams decided to offer a donation on behalf of John Nelson who is concluding 17 years as a Fire Board member.
Program
Craft talks were introduced by JB, who offered to allow Maureen Merrill the honors for introducing Mike Merrill, who then went on to introduce himself…. and this from a man who needs no introduction.
Mike started this journey in the world as a native of San Francisco living in the shadow of Coit Tower. At an early age, his family made the move to Nevada City, California. Ironically when he was a kid in SF he played cowboy and when he moved to Nevada City he became one.
Growing up in Nevada City was more akin to growing up in the American Graffiti style of life, but that changed when he made the move back to San Francisco and attended the University of San Francisco where he eventually graduated with his Law degree. We had an opportunity to see a photo of Mike the athlete in a soccer uniform.
In 1963 he went off to OCS for the Marine Corp and wound up with more legal training and eventually went to Vietnam as a Judge Advocate.
He became active in Rotary after moving to Santa Rosa where he tried to join the Santa Rosa Club and found they were not too receptive, so he went off and formed a club called Santa Rosa West Rotary Club. He eventually became the president and eventually went on to serve as a District Governor. The best thing he found in Santa Rosa was a young woman who became Mrs. Merrill…
Mike shared his passion for flying was only matched by his concern for the Humane Society of Sonoma County and other groups. One of his many committees included the founding of the Sonoma County Airport Committee in 2005. That group receives the credit for bringing commercial aviation back to Santa Rosa. Mike gave a lot of credit to his partner and our fellow Rotarian, Bill Arnone for his work at bringing airlines into Sonoma County.
We were fortunate to have our new member share that the work at the airport is still moving on.
JB Leep did his own introduction and we shared a dramatic “JB!” on the screen. He let us know that he was born in Stanford Hospital, which is a reverse coincidence since he went on to graduate from Stanford University.
He shared a series of images showing a handsome young man getting into Ham Radio and other activities. Eventually, that young man went off to an East Coast prep school, with one drawback… it was all boys. We had a chance to see a photo of JB as a football player, but he shared that it was a fortunate injury that ended his sports career and saved him from having to play additional games. It was no game that he won an award for mathematics and science when he graduated and that helped open the door to his education at Stanford University.
JB let us know that an MG can actually make it cross country. He hobnobbed with people like Harry Hamlin of TV fame who also was a British car enthusiast.
We found out that JB’s dad was a Navy man until he left the service and began a home building company, Leep Homes. JB spent a lot of time learning the trades from the shovel up.
World travel included time in Italy where he learned the language to better fit in. His world travels became a love of his, having spent time throughout the middle east and around the world. After his travels brought him home he wound up graduating from Stanford.
The wanderlust returned when he went off to Europe to drive a VW van across the continent. We heard of many adventures prior to his return to America where he sought out a past love who became his wife and partner in many ways, including in the clothing business. Tragically his wife was lost in a freak accident on the couple’s property and shortly afterward he opted to leave the clothing business, which happened to be called JB Harper. The moniker he uses today was found when he was all of 35 years old.
We concluded the meeting with a Go Bears theme and the CAL cheer. In honor of our own Ken Moulton; Go Bears, Go Bears!