- Speakers -
2-24
Tonight
we had a special program planned for all the students that are in our sponsored
"Interact Club" at the San Jacinto Valley Academy. As it turns
out their Basketball team made the CIF playoffs so some of the student's weren't
able to come, so we postponed that program until all the students can
come. We want them to see Rotary in action and hopefully impress on them
the traits of Quality, Truthfulness, our 4 Way Test that we all attempt to live
by ,service to others etc. These are the students who were able to come,
and Rigo Macias, one of the faculty advisors.
---------------
-------------
2-17
Tonight's
program was by William Truman Peck, from the Association of
Lincoln Presenters - Profiles as a Living History resentation of
Abraham Lincoln. He has been presenting President Lincoln since
February of 1981, particularly to school children, as a Lincoln look alike
and dressed in the period clothing that Lincoln wore. He is in an
upcoming movie "Lincoln look-a-like" called "Masked and
Anonymous", and has appeared on the History Channel and in a TV promo
for HBO.
His program is available for Schools, Libraries, Business meetings,
Churches, Civic Organizations, Retirement Homes etc. He can be
reached by email at sandiegolincoln@juno.com
and the website www.history-alive.com
----------------------------
2-10
Bill & Nancy
Schnitz gave a presentation about Ionized alkaline water effects on humans & the
environment. Much food that we eat contribute to raising the acid
level in the body. There are some "miracle waters" in
several places around the world, which has been exhaustively researched,
and find that the secret to long life and health is that the water is
clean, alkaline, micro-clustered, and antioxidant. In scientific terms,
the pH in the body can be shifted from Acidic to Alkaline with "Kangen
Water", and is available from Enagic. For further information
contact Trent Hilderbrand at 951-256-4579 www.LifeWithAlkalineWater.com,
More product information at www.LifeWithAlkalineWater.net
For a free 5 minute recorded message call 512-505-6833
----------------------------
2-03 Tonight
was a celebration of our Rotary Club and it's 56 years in the city of Hemet.
If you click on
Club
Projects over
on the left you can see many of the projects that we have been able to do for
our community that total more than $250,000. We have also been able to
raise and donate more than $500,000 to Rotary International www.rotary.org
in support of the many world-wide projects including but not limited to:
Polio Eradication which is 99% accomplished now with over 2,000,000,000
children now protected with the vaccine; Clean Water, Disaster aid, Food
and Health projects etc. We are always looking for good community
members who would like to help in carrying out these many
projects. Also shown is Dick Wilson (right) presenting a
Paul Harris Fellowship Award to member Ken Shaw(left). It
can truly be said that the Sun Never Sets on Rotary. Singly there isn't
a whole lot that many of us can do for our community and the world, but a
membership if Rotary multiplies by 1,200,000 world-wide members the number of
things that we can accomplish.
----------------------------
1-27
Tonight
we had what we call a member's Craft talk, where they talk about their
occupation. We had Virginia Figueredo, who works for the Bank
of Hemet, and is the Assistant Vice President as a Financial Service
Officer. The Bank is the ONLY local bank left in Hemet and the SJ Valley, and
has branch locations in Anza, Beaumont, Hemet(2), Riverside, and San
Jacinto. Her major topic that she discussed was Group Security/skimming
- ATM Card Skimming and PIN capturing Awareness. There are a number of
illegal items that can be attached to an ATM machine that by a small video
camera, or by keylogging, can copy
your card number for fraudulent use by other people. KNOW WHAT YOUR ATM
MACHINE, CARD ENTRY SLOT, and KEYBOARD LOOK LIKE AND CHECK THEM EVERY TIME YOU
USE THEM. Google "atm skimming prevention"
Did you know that the Bank has bought a
house and given it to Hospice; or that the new Hemet HS stadium is named
The John McDonough Stadium ,
for a former Bank President; or that over the past 6 years they have donated
$250,000 in Scholarship awards to students? Did you know that they have
more than 68 Community Partners for other contributions and
sponsorships? Did you know they were named as a "Super
Premier" performing bank, one of only 20 such banks in California?
And Did you know they were "one
of nation’s leading bank advisors, to participate in The Partnership for
Banking Excellence, awarded to 22 high performing banks from throughout the
U.S. We were the first bank in California to be given this distinction."
You can contact Virginia at 1555 W. Florida Ave
Hemet, CA 92543, (951)
766-4100 or by email at vfigueredo@bankofhemet.com
----------------------------
1-27
This week we had a
report about the Hemet Police Dept. Gang Suppression Officer. We
learned about some of the major gangs, what they are about, what they wear
as a uniform, where they hang out etc. etc. Two very large gangs
from the LA area are the Bloods and Crips. The Bloods wear red
when they are advertising, and the Crips wear blue.
----------------------------
1-13
Michael Scofield brought us
the subject of "Computers:
Why We Hate Them, and How They Feel About Us?".
He is a
Professional Data Manager in Loma Linda, dealing with Date governance &
integration, warehousing, analysis & visualization, and information
quality. We learned so much about the history of computers and where they
have and are leading us. It all started with the Eniac
in the 40s that help us win WWII; the 50s brought us punch cards, then
magnetic tape; the 60s brought the IBM 360 which led to the Main Frames in the
80s, 85 brought the PC; by 90 came spread sheet programs; followed by
email, the www and search engines. Now we have routers and servers, wireless
communication, Free audio and visual communication via Skype, and the new
online Wikipedia which has hundreds of time more information than Encyclopedia
Britannica which used to be the world's largest. During All that time
and the tremendous leaps in knowledge and technology, the unit price of memory
has reduced to only a fraction of a penny where it used to be thousands of
dollars. Michael can be reached at NMScofield@aol.com
----------------------------
1-6
Amelia
Hippert, is
on the Board of Directors for the Valley Health System, which is one of
the local hospital districts in California, and is one of the largest covering
800 square miles. They have two hospitals now, in Hemet and
Menifee. She talked about their transition period, now that the
voters have voted to allow the sale to the Doctors, and which will finally
lead to stability. The district does not receive tax money, and their
funding comes from their patients, which is not always profitable because they
operate under laws and rules that require them to treat a patient whether they
can pay or not, and they are not even allowed to ask a patient whether or not
they have insurance. Amelia can be reached at 951-658-3935 or www.valleyhealthsystem.com
----------------------------
12-16
Our
speaker this week was the Hemet City Manager, Brian Nakamura. He
gave us a brief summary of the state of the our City, and finally
described our city as a full-service city in Western Riverside County
offering a myriad of services, programs, and community events. In January
and throughout 2010 the City will be celebrating its Centennial birthday.
----------------------------
12-9
Tonight
we heard a beautiful story about the Angel Faces program by a very
enthusiastic Anna
Callan. From their own brochure comes their Mission Statement,
"Angel Faces is a non-profit organization whose mission is to
provide healing retreats and ongoing support designed to inspire adolescent
girls with severe facial disfigurements to achieve their optimum potential and
develop meaninful relationships for themselves, their families, and their
communities." Angel Faces "arranges retreats
designed to empower and encourage the girls along their difficult
journey" They were dreamed up and set in motion by the
founder, Lesia S. Cartelli, who endured a serious burn injury herself at the
age of nine. "Seeing the transition within the girls throughout the
week is
extraordinary.
They learn how to identify and build upon their strength to create a hopeful
future for themselves." We saw many slides and pictures of the
miracles wrought upon these girls after only a week, and I cannot tell the
story nearly as well as by simply
showing you the before and after of one girl, Haley. I costs approxmately $600
for a girl to attend, so as with any non-profit organization they have a
continuing need for funds and donations would be gratefully
received.. Further information can had at P.O. Box 235538,
Encinitas, CA 92023-5538. lesia@angelfacesretreat.org
www.angelfacesretreat.org
Our picture shows
Anna, Hemet Fire Chief Matt Shobert, and our member Ken Shaw.
----------------------------
12-2
This program
was a combination of our club meeting with the San Jacinto Chamber of
Commerce. They held a mixer with the Measure P organization and during our
part of the meeting there was speaker describing the details for voters living
within the Valley Health Systems geographical area.
11-25
With
Thanksgiving as the beginning of our annual time for thinking kinder thoughts
and words, we had Amber Calvert and Sherri Pastell from the Ramona
Humane Society as our speakers. Amber is the Customer Services
Specialist and Assistant Volunteer Coordinator for the Society, and Sherri
is the Membership Volunteer Coordinator, Customer Service Specialist, and works
with POPCO (Pet Overpopulation Coalition). They gave us a great program
about the Society. They are celebrating their 40th Anniversary
this year, and how they have grown since their beginning, especially considering
that it is all from donations, as they do not take any government
money. I cannot do them properly with such a short summary, but you
will find information about: Shelter/Clinic Hours; Adoptions/ Animal Clinic;
Events at RHS; Volunteer at RHS; Why Spay or Neuter; Wish List; Adoptables; RHS
Newsletter/ Online Resource; Employment Opportunities) on their website at http://ramonahumanesociety.org/
, or Contact them at: 690 Humane Way, San Jacinto, CA 92582;
PHONE: 951-654-8002, FAX: 951-654-2830;
email at info@ramonahumanesociety.org.
----------------------------
11-18 Wiggs
Mendoza, president of the nonprofit organization The Green Coalition of
San Jacinto Valley, told us their goal is to be a resource to our
community. "The coalition's action plan includes community
education through workshops and activities; citizen participation through use
of a green directory that identifies locations of recycling centers and
product outlets; and advocacy for green development for businesses and homes"1
Building
green is about managed growth and Wiggs hopes that people in the community
will work together to balance ecological, economic and social needs to ensure
a clean, healthy and safe environment for all members of society and for
generations to come. Information and/or Membership applications
are available by contacting
Mendoza at
greencoal@rocketmail.com
or
951-929-0854. http://www.greencoalition-sjv.org/
1
The PE Nov. 18, 2008
----------------------------
11-11
Kati Ford
works
as
a Senior Services Coordinator for La Vista Prevention Services, an offshoot of La Vista Recovery and Wholeness Center for Women
in San Jacinto. She was speaking on Medication Issues and how they affect your health and your wallet.
La Vista
not only helps women of all ages but also pregnant women in Riverside County and have done so for over 35 years.
As a speaker she focuses on ways to stay safe when taking prescription drugs, as we know many people can get into trouble with drug
interactions, particularly children and seniors. She is available and can speak for whatever length
a club would desire, and will have handouts. She is a retired RN and
haas many years of experience in hospitals throughout L.A. and Orange County.
For further information La Vista Prevention Services is at 2220
Girard St., San Jacinto, CA 92583. 951-925-0532 www.lavistarecovery.com
greencoal@rocketmail.com
----------------------------
11-04
Karen Bradford,
from the Rotary Club of Jurupa, was our speaker. We have had her before
and she is so good, that we wanted her to come and tell us about her just
completed journey to Tibet, at the rooftop of the world. This is a very
difficult trip due to the fact that it has to be approved by and go through
China to get there. Almost immediately she was denied her air flight
from a major Chinese city to Lhasa, the traditional capitol of Tibet, China,
and she had to then take a two day rail trip. Tibet is the size of
Europe with a population of 6 million, and is situated on the East
side of the Himalayan Mountains..
Her primary reason for the trip was to go to Mount Kailash, and make the
Pilgrimage Around The Most Sacred Mountain In
Tibet. This mountain is sacred to the Hindu and Buddhist religions, to
the same degree that going to Mecca is to the Muslims.
It was a 4 day trip to get there, and then it is a 32 mile trip around the
mountain. Once there she was able to hire a Tibetan horse (pony) to circle the
mountain.
Once
back in Lhasa, it was China's 60th anniversary celebration, very serious, and
the presence of the Chinese Military was extremely obvious in their watching
of any foreigners. It make Karen very nervous and she opted to return
home a week early.
----------------------------
10-28 Our
speaker was from the EMWD (Eastern Municipal Water District).
Unfortunately I
was not able to attend so have no further infomation.
----------------------------
10-21
Sandy Hancock, from "Inspire", told us about the "Life
Skills Training for Foster Children about to be dumped into the real world on
their own." Inspire
works with former foster youth who have turned 18 and finished high school and
are therefore no longer eligible for the foster-care system. The private
nonprofit charity helps the young women and men with housing, transportation
and other needs in the program that requires them to attend college or
vocational classes full time, work at part-time jobs, attend counseling
sessions and meet with mentors. It
works with former foster youth to set goals and helps them complete their
education. Each
student is assigned a Mentor to help them.
Inspire has a house in Riverside and two apartments
and works with 16 former foster youth. They also have an additional 3 in the
planning/desired stage. The charity receives no government funds
and depends on donations to continue their program.
They can be contacted at: Inspire Life Skills Training Inc., 2279 Eagle
Glen Parkway, Box 112, PMB 131, Corona, CA 92883. 951-316-0011
http://www.inspirelifeskills.org/
or kristi@inspirelifeskills.org
----------------------------
10-14
Tonight we had a Compelling
talk by Andrea Stone, Executive Officer at Rescue Task, Force. "RTF is
an agile and innovative non-profit org. whose mission is to alleviate
suffering and provide developmental aid to those who have been marginalized by
geography or economic deprivations. We often go to where others do not
go to help those who are outside the scope of conventional relief
providers." They "fulfill their mission statement in service
to others under four different project categories:
1. Happy Hearts for Hurting Heroes - Build a Back Pack for
(Brave young men and women severely wounded in the war on terror);
2. Clean Safe Water - Moskito coast - Honduras (Water Filter - details
below);
3. Immediate Disaster Response/Relief (On the ground, determining and
filling immediate needs);
4. Literacy Schools for Woman in Afghanistan (Bringing light to a very
dark place).
Back
to her talk tonight specifically #2, The
group from RTF
is made up of Doctors, Dentists, Nurses, and members who come to help. She described
this compelling trip to Uhsan: LAX to Honduras in a 13 hour
flight(much subsidized by the airlines including transport of clay pots) to
Tegucigalpa; Then a flight in a bush plane to a dirt strip
in Puerto Lempira; Many hours overnight in a boat across
the Terracasta Lagoon & swamps; then up the Cuda river on a 6 day
canoe trip up rivers and swamps; and finally a two day "hike"
carrying everything they took with them THROUGH MUDDY TRAILS WHERE THEY SANK
IN TO THE KNEES OR EVEN TO THE WAIST to be met by the whole village populace
and others. Why are they there? Illness, Constant Pain,
Malnutrition, Discomfort and Death particularly from parasites which live in
contaminated water. The Dentists pull innumerable teeth from people who may
have travelled from as far as 9 days hence to get there, and have had constant
tooth pain day and night for months or even years. The Doctors examine
and treat hundreds of people who are desperately ill, many close to death.
These people live surrounded by insects especially mosquitoes that carry
Malaria and Dengue Fever. And worst of all the parasites which cause:
diarrhea which leads to dehydration; bloated stomachs; fatigue; lack of
concentration; and malnutrition. The mothers pass these parasites to their
infants through their breast milk, and the fatal cycle repeats.
RTF
has found a unique and cost-effective way to provide clean water to those
Indians living in the jungle of the Moskito Coast: A clay pot filter
that is impregnated with colloidal silver. When dirty water strains through
the pot, the water comes out clean and free of any parasites. Today the
Doctors report diarrhea is down 90%
Would
you like to help, $90 buys a water filter for a family of four that will
produce clean water for two years, or you can specify for of the other 3
categories:
864 No. 2nd St. #340, El Cajon, CA 92021, 619-328-6511, info@rescuetaskforce.org,
www.rescuetaskforce.org
or you can
see in on YOUTUBE Project report. Search "Rescue Task Force
Water", or insert this URL http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T3071I5QQ2Q
----------------------------
10-07
James
N. McCallum, ChFC, and VP of Thornes & Associates. Inc spoke to us
about the present Economy. Gov't stimulus money should stimulate the
Economy. But the Gov't appetite for money, which it prints and the Fed.
Reserve buys, is inflationary, and the new normal is 4%/year which will
probably last for some time. This is deflationary to our US Dollar against
other countries. Some important factors are: when Interest is Low
- Bonds are High; when Interest is High - Bonds are Low; The Gov't has
taking over control of the Auto Industry i.e. GM, & most of Chrysler, and
next will probably be the Airlines and Trucking; Gov't is pushing to
take over Health Care i.e. the "Public Plan" and reorganize it; Real
Estate still too high; at this moment Bonds, Treasury bonds & Bills, and
CD's are to be avoided. He handles our own Alma Brook Memorial Nursing
Scholarship Foundation 501 c3 funds very competently, and we are happy to
endorse him. Contact Jim at 412 E. State St, Redlands, CA 92373;
800-835-7440; or jmccallum@thornesinvest.com.
Thornes website is www.thornesinvest.com
------------------------------
9/31/09
Roger schultz
,
the Superintendent/President of Mt. San Jacinto Community College District,
was our speaker and enlightened us with a lot of little known information about
the Colleges. They have two Main Campuses in San Jacinto and Menifee, and an
Education Complex in Temecula and a new in Feb. 2008 San Gorgonio Pass Service
Center. The District covers a geographical area from Anza to Corona, and
San Gorgonio Pass area to Temecula. Nationally they are the Second Fastest
Growing college in the nation with over 10,000 students, with 26,148 students
enrolled in the fall of 2009.
Their
education programs lead to an AA Degree in Arts and Science, and Certificate
Programs, examples being: Registered Nursing; Fire & Police Science;
Alternative Energy; Emergency Medical Technicians etc. who are
credentialed. On the average getting credentialed raises one's
income from $26,600 to $45,671 for an increase of 86%. For the 80% of the
students working, there are even classes offered online. For further
information go to their website at
http://www.msjc.edu
where you can get Campus addresses, and contact information.
------------------------------
09-23-09
Gustavo Gonzalez is a Rotarian
from the Palm Desert Rotary Club. The Hemet Sunset Club joined in with
them, along with some other local Clubs, to sponsor a Water Project in
Honduras. A huge amount of land in rural areas in the Third World
Countries is without any clean water and have to drink out of polluted stream
and rivers, which contributes greatly to their high mortality rates especially
amont their children and elders. Because of this Rotary International made
a call to all Rotary Clubs to make Clean Water a part of their International
projects.
Imagine having
to walk miles just to get water to drink, and the having the risk of it carrying
dysentery, cholera, malaria and many other undesirable objects. Gus told showed
us pictures and told us about this Matching Grant project done in conjunction
with the local Club Rotario Santa Barbara in Honduras. Their club organized and
built a building in 4 days in preparation to housing a water sanitation business
which would supply pure clean water to this town of about 8,000 population. Our
part of the project was to supply all the necessary filters and other equipment
that would take the local water and turn it into clean water. It is then
put into 5 gallon bottles like we have and sold to the local people. If
you would like to contribute to a water project, or any other one for that
matter, Email
CARL
or Call Secretary,
Carl Cardey at
(951) 929-4941
and we will direct you
to the proper place .
------------------------------
9-16-09
The speaker was Crystal Howard from EnviroMINE,
Inc. Her topic was that the Construction Industry is suffering an AGGREGATE
CRISIS which is putting Riverside County's Infrastructure Projects at
Risk. Aggregate is the sand, gravel and crushed stone consumed in every
residential, commercial and industrial building, for public works projects such
as roads, highways, bridges, schools, hospitals, and water delivery and sewer
treatment facilities. Aggregate is the second most consumed commodity in
the world, behind water. Think about this: every Californian needs
almost 7 tons of aggregate per year, a total of 544tons a lifetime. Figure that
about 25 tons per truckload ,That is about 20 truckloads. It takes
about: 229tons/house; 21,000 tons per 1 lane for 1 mile of highway.
In order to meet future damane and build needed infrastructure, we are obligated
to allow a permit for local sources of aggregate. For more information
about the aggregate crisis, call 877-505-5004, email them at info@aggregatecrisis.com
or visit their website at www.aggregatecrisis.com.
ccardey@verizon.net
------------------------------
9/9/09
Tonight we had Sally Kaiser-Dyer BSN, MA, the
Coordinator for Loma Linda
International Heart institute's: Cardiac Lifestyle
Management Clinic, and Community Education Programs. He talk was centered around
causes of Heart Disease i.e. Atherosclerosis, Blood Pressure
Cholesterol and laughter effects, Charecteristics of Healthy Endothelium
i.e. the blood vessels, controlling Risk Factors etc. For further
information she can be reached at the Loma Linda University Medical Center,
11234 Anderson St. Room 1636F, (800)INTL-HEART, or
sdyer@ahs.llumc.edu
------------------------------
9-2
Tonight
we had Shannon Bernier from Transworld Systems. Her presentation was
"Ten Steps to a Healthy Cash Flow", a program for businesses to help
them control their Cash. Condensed somewhat there are: 1. Define credit
policy; 2. Ask for payment when service is rendered; 3.
Invoice/Bill promptly; 4. Use "address service requested" to
avoid mail 'skips'; 5. Contact Overdue accounts immediately; 6. Develop
systematic plan for overdue account; 7. Use again sheet for a/r
decisions, not feelings; 8. "Watch" collection laws;
9. Use Professional third party (like Transworld) promptly. NSF
checks quickly; 10. 100% collections no a reasonable goal. The goal
of Transworld is to provide prompt and inexpensive service to those who need a
collection agent. You can reach her a 1950 So. Sunwest Lane, Ste 301, San
Bernardino, CA 92408, (951) 237-9244 or shannon.bernier@transworldsystems.com.
web.transworldsystems.com/sanbernardino
------------------------------
8-26
Mary Snow from the "California Family Life
Center" told us about on of their programs, "Kin Care",
which provides "Services for Relatives Raising Relative Children".
Their Mission is "committed to building on the strengths of the extended
family as the first option for children who have been displaced from their
natural parents." I'm sure that most of us who are grandparents can
imagine the difficulty of having to care for the young grandkids, and would face
it with more than a little trepidation. So that's where Kin Care comes in
to the home and provides many services,
from Planning and Support Groups to help with any court required paperwork
for guardianship and/or kin adoption, counseling, to links to legal
services. For further information: Kin Care at the Senior Service
Center, 1075 N. State St., Hemet; (951) 791-3557. http://www.cflckids.org/
msnow@rivcoaefd.org
Another
service they have is the "Empower Youth Program" for youth
ages 16-21 from low-income families. Once eligibility has been
determined and potential participant has fulfilled the basic requirement, he
or she may participate in the many opportunities they provide: work readiness
skills, certificate programs, work experience & career exploration,
leadership development, education. For further information:
Empower Youth program is in the Empower State Building at 930 No. State St.,
Hemet; (951) 765-0917
------------------------------
8-19 cancelled
----------------------------
8-12
Karen
Bradford, Rotarian from the Jurupa Club, gave us our program about Rotoplast.
It is a program when Rotarians volunteer their services to perform
reconstructive surgery for problems involving Cleft Palate and other
deformities primarily of the mouth. The palate is the roof of ones mouth
that separates the breathing channels from the eating and drinking
passageway, and cleft means that there is a hole in the roof which causes severe
problems in the breathing/eating/drink processes. Another problem is
severe malformation or cleft of the area in the lips leaving ugly gaps, and
often involvement of the teeth locations.
They
have served 138 missions in the past, and 12,121 patientsThe Rotoplast
volunteers on the last trip went to Barquisimeto, Venezuela and Karen gave us a
very informative program describing the processes involved in getting there, and
particular patient problems and the processes involved in repairing them.
For further information and even volunteering to go on a mission and help, see
their website: http://www.rotaplast.org/missions/pastmissions.php
or contact us.
----------------------------
08/05/09
Chief Richard
L Dana, of the Hemet Police Dept was our speaker this week to give us a
report about the state of law enforcement in our city. He conveyed to us how
positive he is about the Officers and employees in his department. They
are People Oriented and he told about the very high level of volunteerism he
sees from them. He says that they are an exemplary force and as good as any
Police Dept. he knows about.
The "goal is to
provide our community with the best possible services that reflects our pride in
our city and our commitment to a safe and caring environment. With a
strong commitment to Community Oriented Policing, our members work together in
partnerships with our community to prevent crime and enhance the quality of life
for citizens, businesses, and visitors in the City of Hemet."
Of course there are still
people that we live with that don't follow the laws and he told us a few to
specifically watch out for: There have been people who have received
large checks in the $Thousands for no apparent reason. If one cashes them,
they lead to unknown people using it go to get ones bank account and then the
ability to clean it out before one even knows about it, so "DON'T CASH
THESE CHECKS"; "BE AWARE OF YOUR SURROUNDINGS" particularly
at night out in dark parking lots; and there has been some cases of Home
Intrusion so keep your doors locked. If they have to make noise breaking doors
or windows, they will go somewhere where they can walk in quietly and put put
one in harms way.
You can check their website at http://www.cityofhemet.org/pd/index.htm
--------------------------
07/29/09
Kenneth Young, Superintendent of
Schools for Riverside County. Their primary goal is Improving
Student Achievement. The focus of the Division of Educational
Services is on improving student achievement in Riverside County.
Each of the five units in the division has a mission that ultimately
addresses this focus. These units are: District and School Success
Center, Regional School Improvement Unit (includes Regional System of
District and School Support), Safe Schools Unit, the Teacher Support
Center (includes BTSA), and Career Technical Education. This is all provided
to the 23 school districts and the more than 400,000 students living in
Riverside County,
through the unique programs they operate directly, including Special
Education for the severely handicapped, Head Start, Migrant Education,
Alternative Education through independent study, Community Schools and
Juvenile Court Schools, and through the latest Career Technical Education
(CTE) programs. In addition, the Riverside County Office of
Education administers a broad range of state and federally funded grant
programs and services designed to ensure student success throughout the
county. And they have also been hit hard by the recession and
had to lay off 140 employees. They can be
contacted via their website at http://www.rcoe.k12.ca.us,
or by Phone: (951) 826-6530, Fax: (951) 826-6199 or E-mail: General
Comments (rpeoples@rcoe.k12.ca.us)
--------------------------
07/22/09
Matt Shobert,
Fire Chief for the city of Hemet. Much of what he spoke about were
the effects that the recession is having on the Fire Department.
Personnel has be cut back from 61 to 45 firefighters, higher level middle
management positions and one station was closed with cooperation from the
County FD. Last year the Department responded to 12,398 emergencies and
the above factors obviously affect the level of service. Much of
this was predicted last year and Measure O would have taken care of these
problems to a great degree. It received 55% of the vote but needed
just few more votes. Hopefully there may be some Federal Stimulus
money coming to assist in moving and/or rebuilding stations.
The primary services that the FD is supposed to assist in are Fire,
Earthquakes, and Floods.
--------------------------
07/15/09
Rich Dell'Acqua is the new Rotary District Governor
of 5330, of which our club is a member. As I said below, every year
the new DG visits every Club in the District to tell us what all the new
District and Rotary International plans are for the next year. As
you can see from above "The future of Rotary IS IN YOUR HANDS".
The primary goal for the year is the continuation of the fight to
eradicate Polio. World wide it is down to about 1000 new cases, but
it MUST be eradicated and the Bill Gates Foundation has put $355,000,000
if we will match it. In the United States, something like 1/3 of our
youth are not protected from the virus so the fight is on to get it
completed before it spreads throughout the world again. We started
the year with President Bob giving a check for $1,000 to our DG
Rich. Anyone can help and add to it. Just contact Carl Cardey
at 951-929-4941. All contributions are Tax Deductable.
--------------------------
07/08/09
This is the first meeting of our new
year and our new President Bob Duistermars. He devoted our
discussion as a strategic planning meeting about how to receive our new
Rotary District Governor, next week. And we also were planning our
new year. Rotary Clubs, District and even International are very
unique in the world of business in that we change our leadership every
year. Imagine any other corporation with 1.2 million members, 32
thousand clubs, and 600 Districts completely changing their business
leadership every year.
-------------------------
07/01/09
One of the greatest pleasures
that we have as a Rotary Club is the presentation of scholarships every
year to help our young people in their quest for a superior
education. This year we were again able to give our $16,000
Alma Brook Memorial Nursing Scholarship. . Alma Brook was the
beloved wife of Art Brook, a past Club Member and Rotary District 5330
Governor, and he formed this Scholarship in her memory. We
have been able to help 7 young women complete their AB Degree and
RN. Now we are starting our 8th young lady who just graduated from
Hemet HS on her way, and this was a particularly special meeting where we
got to introduce to the whole club, the young lady and her mother, Jessica
and Theresa Kendall.
--------------------------
05/13/09
This
week we had Lary Townson, EMT-A as our speaker. He is the Nat'l
Director of Law Enforcement Division for Emergency Medical Products, Inc. They
specialize in in the sale and service of pre-hospital equipment and
supplies, specifically a kit for gunshot trauma. Gunshot victims can suffer
any number of injuries from sucking chest wounds to vital organs, and often
can bleed out before an EMT can arrive. Often Even then there isn't
enough time to transport the victim to an Emergency Trauma Center.
This kit is simple enough that with only a little training most anyone can
apply it temporarily giving that time necessary for transport.
It is a relatively inexpensive kit that has been installed in many schools
and other organizations that might have a risk of shooting victims.
Lary can be reached at 951-318-4531 or 800-771-0366 or lartripar@aol.com.
--------------------------
04/22/09
PROGRAM SPEAKER: Rod
Pacheco, Riverside County District Attorney, did a wonderful job as our
speaker Wednesday evening. It truly is amazing how our County has grown and
how the case load for the DA has increased. Mr. Pacheco has been doing great
work bring our crime ratio down until it is one of the very best in the
State.
One of the
most alarming topics discussed is the number of active gangs in our area.
Crime is a business and gangs are international in scope and have over 100,000 members worldwide.
To combat these problems Mr. Pacheco has established
task forces in communities throughout our County.
We certainly
can be proud of the efforts of Mr. Pacheco and his team.
Two items of
concern that were brought to our attention are the inadequacy of both our
court system and our prisons. The courts are clogged because of a lack of
judges and our
prison do not have the capacity to handle all of criminals being convicted
of violent crime.
CLUB NEWS:
Wednesday was a very nice turnout. We
had to set up tables on the museum floor to accommodate all the guests! It
worked out well and we thank all the members that helped set up and clean
up.
We welcomed Mark back after a very
busy couple of months kept him away from club. He was given his Red Badge
and will embark on the quest to earn the Blue Badge of Membership. He needs
to learn all of our names, so be helpful….introduce yourself each time you
see him until he tells you to stop! Dick Wilson won $17.00 in the raffle,
but Bob was able to get a couple of those dollars back during our
fines.
Lori Van Arsdale was one of our guests and, after taking a tour of the
Museum, donated
$800.00
to Fingerprints to help upgrade the carpet in the front of the Museum.
Lori! We are glad Rotary brought you to a place
where you could see a need and fill it. For the Youths who come, we Thank
you.
-------------
-------------
04/04/09
We
had an outstanding event on Sat. at our pancake breakfast which has been
renamed: "The
Jennifer Daniel Memorial Pancake Breakfast. Jennifer was the driving
force that started this annual event, which is the kickoff for the new Hemet
Youth Baseball season, and they very graciously joined with us in
celebrating her life. This was a combined event: HYB supplied
food; We supplied the labor with help from the San Jacinto Valley Academy
students, and Bob Duistermars
President/Director of the Central Counties United Way brought their trailer
and supplied all the cooking equipment. We served well over 400
breakfasts in 3 hours before the teams began their new baseball season, and
raised over $1,000 for HYB..
To keep the pancakes and sausage
flowing as fast as it takes, requires a lot of help and Principal Doug
Ferber from the San Jacinto Valley Academy Charter School brought some of
his students with him to help us. What a wonderful group of young
people, learning to give a little back to society, and without their help,
our job would have been much more difficult. Doug brought his
two sons who were also a great help.
The first hungry
mouths
San Jacinto Valley Academy Students getting ready to
serve.
Doug and his two
boys Ken is sluffing off and
Margaret
watches OK,
back to work Ken
Pancakes a'cookin'
Yes we let the SJVA students eat Bob
Duistermars with the United Way Van
And
last but not least, the HYB presented us with a lovely plaque commemorating
our Past President, Jennifer Daniel. It was during her term as
President that she saw the need for helping the HYB raise money in support
of their outstanding service to the youth of Hemet and San Jacinto
Valley. At that time they also put a Rotary sign up in the backfield
of one of the diamonds. An example of two Charities working
together.
Jerry with the plaque, and other members.
--------------------------
3//11/09
Tonight we held
our annual "4 Way Test" speech contest on Mar. 11 for local
High School Students. Competing from West Valley HS were
Phylicia Barron, Andrew Davis, Monique Garcia, Tatianna Huckstep,
Thabiso Mawema, and from Alessandro HS was Marcos Palacios.
The students are
timed for 5-8 minutes and can select any topic they wish, but have to
intertwine somehow the "4 Way Test" that all Rotarians try to live
by, which says: "Of the things we think, say or do: 1.
Is it the Truth? 2. Is it Fair to all concerned? 3. Will it
build goodwill and better friendships? 4. Will it be beneficial
to all concerned?"
The
winning students were: third place was Tatianna Huckstep, Second was Monique
Garcia, and First was Andrew Davis. The students were awarded $50,
$100, and
President Jerry
Julian, Monique Garcia, Tatiana Huckstep, Andrew Davis |
$200 respectively, and Andrew will advance to a Rotary District mid level
competition where they compete with winning students from Riverside and San
Bernardino Counties. The winning students then compete one last time
at the District Conference and the overall winner is awarded $1,000.
Judges
for the competition were: Marilyn Forst, Trustee - HUSD; Paula
Lawrence, Pres. of Physical Rehab Center in Hemet; and. Dr. Steven Simpson,
owner of Hemet Optometric Center.
----------------------------
2/25/09 "February
is Rotary International's "World Understanding Month - a time to focus
on the importance of goodwill and understanding for peace. It is a
time for all of us to pause and consider how we are pursuing Rotaryk's
fourth Avenue of Service - International Service - because it is our
international service, and our international fellowship, that will do the
most to help us all build a more peaceful tomorrow." So
tonight we watched a video from Rotary International showing us the
International Vision of Rotary. and are inspired to continue our quest to
assist in some small way. The year we have contributed to a Water
Project in Zimbabwe.
----------------------------
2/18/09
We had Rebecca Mashatt as our speaker. She is the Principal of the
Nuview Bridge Early College High School, which is the Charter school for the
Nuview Union School District in Nuevo, CA. Charter schools are public
schools that are particularly responsive to students needs and are held accountable for
improved student achievement. Nuview Bridge was begun with a $400,000
grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and is particularly
advanced in that it connects with the Riverside Community College in Moreno
Valley. It is one of a national initiative to establish 70 Early
College High School over a five year period, and began in 2004. Other
organizations that support are the Ford Foundation, Carnegie Corp., of NY,
and the W.K. Kellogg Foundation.
Beginning in the 9th grade a student may begin taking college courses, along
with the normal HS curriculum. It is the responsibility of the parents
to take the students to the HS, but after that the are transported to and
bake from the RCC campus. By the time they graduate from HS, they can
at the same time graduate from RCC with an AA degree. The school
accepts students from all over Riverside County and has 365 students at this
time with a maximum to be 400. Research shows charter schools do a better job increasing
student achievement than traditional public schools, and these Early College
HS are geared to reach the low-income and first -generation college students
to motivate them to see themselves as "college material" and to
reduce family tuition costs. For more information you can call
951-928-8498 or email tfrey@nubiew.k12.ca.us.
The HS is located at 30401 Reservoir Ave. in Nuevo, CA.
--------------------------
2/11/09 We had what we call a
periodic Fellowship night, at the home of Jerry Julian, our President.
It is a chance for members, families, and prospective members to get to know
each other better.
--------------------------
2/4/09 
This
meeting was devoted to our lost beloved Jennifer. We just sat and
talked with our heavy hearts. Before we were done we decided on at
least two ways to memorialize Jennifer: We do an annual pancake breakfast
for the opening of the youth baseball season and Jennifer was very much a
leader in getting it started. So it will become the Annual Jennifer
Daniel Memorial Pancake Breakfast. A second way will be a
Jennifer Daniel Memorial Scholarship at Hemet HS, where she graduated.
We will form a Foundation that will award a scholarship every year to a
graduating senior at Hemet High who is planning to major in finance of some
sort. We are starting it with a $1,000 initial donation,
and The Central County United Way will also be joining with us.
We hope to build this to at least $10,000 so that we know a $1,000
scholarship will be donated yearly in perpetuity and from the eanings.
We invite any other organization or people to join us in this event in her
name.
--------------------------
1/28/09 Member Bob
Duistermars gave us a craft talk where we hear personal and business
information and history. As it turns out Bob grew up most of his life
here in the valley on his family dairy farm. After his education he started
his own dairy farm on land that how has the San Jacinto Unified School
District on it. He had 800 cows in his dairy but eventually the dairy
owners grew bigger and bigger until it wasn't profitable to have a smaller
dairy and they gave way to the modern era.
Then he gave us
somewhat of a report on the Valley economic conditions and differences
between Hemet and San Jacinto. San Jacinto seems to have lived within
a balanced budget as a matter of policy, whereas Hemet seems to have been
caught up with the failing economics like most of the rest of the
country. So unfortunately Hemet has been hit with a lot more
downsizing and layoffs compared to San Jacinto.
--------------------------
1/21/09 Again we had a young lady,
Riana Dilley, who is employed by the Hemet USD in their CC After School
Service-Learning Clubs for 6th to 8th grade students in the Middle
Schools. Specifically She and their Club are looking for volunteers
from the adult and service community, to come and meet with the kids.
Specifically she covers Acacia, Dartmouth, Diamond Valley, and Rancho Viejo
Middle Schools. They
are using part of their campus to learn how to plant and grow flowers and
vegetables.
The students who join examine the needs of their local community to
choose specific areas to address through service projects which they plan
and implement. Special attention is paid to projects that help
alleviate poverty. And they also learn about the life and values of Cesar
Chavez. This valuable leadership training teaches them skills of
organizers, leaders and decision makers for long term projects and programs.
For further information email Riana at Rdilley@hemetusd.k12.ca.us
or call at 765-5100 ext. 3923
----------------------------
1/14/09 Great News. Mark decided
to join our club giving up feedback to the School
1/7/09 Opening our new year we had the Principal
of West Valley High School, Mark Lenoir, give us an overview of the school
and its programs, staff, and students. If you go to their
website at http://www.hemetusd.k12.ca.us/sites/wvhs/home/
you will find links to everything from "Academics" to "School
Info". The school was built to house about 2,200 students when it
opened in 1996, but through growth in the community it reached well over
3,000 students. The opening of the new Tahquitz HS helped drop
attendance back to the level where the school was designed for. In
passing there might even have been a comment or two about their First Title
in any sport. CIF
Division 3A Boys Basketball Championship: West Valley vs. Perris - Mar. 01,
2008
----------------------------
12/17/08
We had Patrick Ozzi Oswald. In April 2004 he received the
prestigious national Lewis Hine Award recognizing his 20 years of advocacy
for troubled, disadvantaged children and youth. Ozzie also helps with
fundraising for CFLC and is passionate about helping kids and staff alike
... always willing to lend a hand in anyway he can. Come and hear Ozzi tell
us about the California Family Life Centers. 930 N
State St., Hemet, CA 92543, Phone: (951)
765-6955 http://www.cflckids.org/staff.html
----------------------------
12/11/08
We had Beth Camarillo from Exceed Valley Resources who discussed
their Mental Retardation & Developmentally
Disabled Services. The essence of their program is to train
their clients to become more independent, so they can become taxpayers and
use fewer social services. They handle about 700 persons with
disabilities throughout the Inland Empire at EXCEED's 5 facilities;
transport about 180 persons to their program and/or work; 120 clients
are employed by companies in the communities with an average wage of
$8.05/hour and job retention over 5 years; 327 clients did packaging
and assembly worth $621,000 in 2004-2005.etc. Some of their loyal
customers are: Lowe's Distribution Center, Milgard Windows, Bradshaw
International, CalTrans, Vons, Home Depot, March Air Reserve Base,
Walgreen's Distribution Center. They can be of help in:
janitorial, kitting, packaging, assembly, wiring, lighting assembly, blister
packs, shrink wrap, collating, lettershop services, recycling, repacking,
labeling, product pres & shipping, rework, lawn maintenance etc. Can
they be of help to You, or do you know someone who could benefit from their
program? Contact Beth Camarillo -Employment Specialist Supported
Employment at: 951-780-8444 ext. 225 or bethexceed@hotmail.com
www.weexceed.org
----------------------------
11/20/08
Dr. Jeanne
McClellan talked about two Rotary Graduate Studies Fellowship
programs: One leads to a Masters degree in international relations,
peace studies, conflict resolution , or related areas. This program is aimed at professionals
under 40, with an AB Degree, and significant work experience in the areas of
conflict resolution. The must have literacy in a different language than
English, and if accepted would attend one of 4 Universities: Int'l
Christian U. in Tokyo, Japan; Univ. del Salvador in Buenos Aires, Argentina;
U. of Bradford in West Yorkshire, England; and U. of Queensland, Brisbane,
Australia.
The other one is a Short-term Professional Development Certificate Program
in Peace and Conflict Resolution, three months long held
at Chulalongkorn U. in Bangkok, Thailand. It is designed for
professionals in mid-to-upper-level positions in fields related to conflict
resolution and mediation. Applicants must be employed at least five
years in a field that is related to conflict resolution or peace keeping,
and have bachelor's degree or equivalent infields such as law enforcement,
government, education, unions, media, and NGOs.
You can go to: rotary.org,
click on Students and Youth,
then click on Educational Programs, and then click on Rotary
Centers for International Studies. Or
if you are interested or
know someone who might qualify, contact ccardey@verizon.net
for further information.
----------------------------
11/13/08
was our Past District Governor Red Peryea
who discussed our Group Study Exchange (GSE) program. "The Rotary
Foundation’s Group Study Exchange (GSE) program is a unique cultural and
vocational exchange opportunity for business people and professionals
between the ages of 25 and 40 who are in the early stages of their careers.
The program provides all expenses paid, except for personal items, for teams
to exchange visits in paired areas of a different country. For three to four
weeks, team members experience the host country's culture and institutions,
and will stay with Rotarian families. It give one a chance to observe
how their own vocations are practiced abroad, develop personal and
professional relationships, and exchange ideas." Do You
Fit? Are You Interested? Contact us
----------------------------
11/6/08
Our speaker this week was Betty Folsom,
Coordinator of Child Welfare and Attendance for Jurupa USD. She is a
Rotarian in charge of our District Ambassadorial Scholarships (AS). "The
purpose of the Ambassadorial Scholarships program is to further
international understanding and friendly relations among people of different
countries and geographical areas. The program sponsors several types of
scholarships for undergraduate and graduate students as well as for
qualified professionals pursuing vocational studies. While abroad, scholars
serve as goodwill ambassadors to the host country and give presentations
about their homelands to Rotary clubs and other groups. Upon returning home,
scholars share with Rotarians and others the experiences that led to a
greater understanding of their host country". (http://www.rotary.org/en/StudentsAndYouth/EducationalPrograms/AmbassadorialScholarships/Pages/ridefault.aspx)
There are 3 different kinds of awards: 1. Academic for one
year and $24,000; 2. Multi-year with $12,000 x 2; or a Cultural
with a humanitarian emphasis to learn a language and go to a place where
help is desperately needed 3 months with $10,000, or 6 months with
$15,000. DO YOU HAVE THE DESIRE OR KNOW SOMEONE WHO DOES AND
QUALIFIES? Contact us
and Apply
for a chance to make a difference
In addition we had a young lady,
Riana Dilley, who is employed by the Hemet USD in their CC After School
Service-Learning Clubs for 6th to 8th grade students in the Middle
Schools. The students who join examine the needs of their local community to
choose specific areas to address through service projects which they plan
and implement. Special attention is paid to projects that help
alleviate poverty. And they also learn about the life and values of Cesar
Chavez. This valuable leadership training teaches them skills of
organizers, leaders and decision makers for long term projects and programs.
---------------
-------------
Disclaimer: In the spirit of Rotary
International's Non-Political and Non-Religious policy, we allow candidates
to come and present their positions to us, but that does NOT imply or assume
any endorsement of the Candidate or other election items. In the
interest of absolute fairness, we will not present any Candidates
qualifications or positions in our website, because anything put in
here is very subjective, and items could be either added or left out in an
attempt to measure with other Candidates who may or may not come later.
---------------
-------------
10/30/08
The speaker this week was the last
candidate for HUSB, Charlotte Jones.
(See the Disclaimer above)
----------------------------
10/23/08
Our speaker this week was Wayne Discher, the
Librarian at the City of Hemet Library. He chose to speak about
Intrinsic Values and the four economic services the Library has for the
community. 1. Literacy: especially for the very young, and the
many partnerships with organizations and people in the community helping to
accomplish this. 2. Employment & career resources:
Internet access both with 38 computer stations, and wireless access both
inside and from the parking lot; How-To-Do packets available for many
appropriate topics. 3. Small Business Resources: many
data bases on market research, demographics, how to get licenses; new
business mixers. 4. The Building and facilities: They are like
a Community living room. Reading and Cultural programs, History and
Heritage, and Economy etc. The Library gives direct
service to over 1500 people per day, 60 % of which are children, along with
DVD/CD and videos, books on tape, and online they get between 400,000 and
1,000,000 hits online.
----------------------------
10/16/08Our
Speaker was Marilyn Forst, candidate for a Board seat on Hemet Unified
School District.
(See the Disclaimer above)
----------------------------
10/9/08Our Speaker was
Susan Beltran who is with Hemet Hospice. Hemet Hospice was founded in 1979
by a group of compassionate community leaders motivated by a common concern
for terminally ill patients and their families. Their focus was on providing
hospice patients with the emotional and spiritual support needed during
their illness. Click for
more
----------------------------
10/2/08
Our Speaker was Sid Cottrell, candidate for a
Board seat on Hemet Unified School District.
(See the Disclaimer above)
----------------------------
9/25/08Our
Speaker was Ron Bryer, candidate for a Board seat on Hemet Unified School
District.
(See the Disclaimer above)
----------------------------
9/18/08
Today was the official visit by our Rotary
District
5330 Governor, Dr. Robin Shepherd, along with
his wife Maureen. All the Officers or Rotary, from the International
level, down to the Club level change every year. (Imagine any other
corporation with 1,200,000 workers spread throughout the 7 continents,
changing the leadership every year? We do it and very successfully)
This gives the Club members a chance to meet the new District leaders, and
the Governor to meet all the clubs to check on their needs and successes,
and to offer any needed help from the Districts' leaders.
----------------------------
9/11/08 Today
was a Club assembly where we discuss plans, working and future.
----------------------------
8/28/08
Today we had a lovely lady from New
Zealand, Geraldine Boutoni. She is very well versed on the plants,
vegetables, and fruits that grow and come from her homeland. Since I
have a black thumb when it comes to horticulture, most of it went
over my head, but I do remember she told about an apple that has an
excellent taste and can even be bought at our Henry's store in Hemet.
She also told us about Volcanoes in NZ, and there are a surprisingly large
number that are considered active.
----------------------------
08/28/08
Today we had Dr. Lisa DeForest, Candidate for the Hemet Unified
School Board,
(See the Disclaimer above)
----------------------------
08/21/08 Today we had Patti Drusky, who is the President/CEO of
the
Hemet/San Jacinto Valley Chamber of Commerce, and she gave us a brief
history. In 1999 the Hemet and San Jacinto CoC merged with approximately 500
members. In 2001 they started to submit News & Views Newspaper Articles
(550). In 2003 began the 1st chamber Chat newsletter and Power Lunch (650).
In 2004 they held the 1st Fiesta (700). In 2005 they started the 1st
Olympus Awards (750). In 2006 the 1st Harvest Kick-Off began (800).
In 2997 the 1st Learn to Play in S.J. (850). This year they launched the San
Jacinto Chapter (900), and on Fri. Aug.22 they will add their 1,000th
member, a truly remarkable achievement. Contact them at 615 N. San Jacinto
St., Hemet 92543, by phone at 951-658-3211, and their website is at
http://hemetsanjacintochamber.com/
----------------------------
08/14/08
Today we had Florentine Tabares, the Director
of the newly reorganized Fingerprints Youth Museum, tell us all the exciting
things that are happening to the old Kid Zone. This is a Hands On Learning
Center where kids can come pay, explore, and learn. Kids are "invited"
to touch everything rather then the "don't touch" attitude of many museums.
Learning programs are developed according to the Education Dept. of the
State of California. One of the exhibits is called the "Shakezone"
which is and interactive earthquake exhibit that is
the first of its kind, and sponsored by NSF through the Southern California
Earthquake Center in Los Angeles. There is a learning center
being designed and constructed, and will be ready soon. Also an
"Educator's Portal" is being finished which will give educators a series of
lessons, teachers manual, and tests that will match the California
requirements.
They are located at 123 So. Carmelita, in Hemet, just south of
Florida. Their phone number is 765-1223, and they are developing
a website at http://fingerprintsmuseum.com/
----------------------------
08/07/08
Today we had Len Wood, City Manager for the
City of Hemet. He gave us a report on the status of the City. With the
economy depressing, the state of the city has done the same thing. Its
revenue has dropped to the point where there is a $7,000,000 shortfall which
means one of two things, Either a way is found to raise that money, or
the City will have to make reductions in its spending, some of which has
already been done. About 37% of the General funds are untouchable, by
law: developer's impact money, gasoline tax, water and refuse
collection funds. So the only thing left is reducing the City's
expenses. They are facing the elimination of 1/3 of the Firemen and
Policemen. Consider that Police and Fire response time would increase by 2
minutes. A reduction in the Library by 1/5, and similar reductions in the
other City Departments.
With the big reduction in
Sales and other Taxes, there is no other way to raise the money, without
coming to us the taxpayers. On the Ballot in November will be
Measure "O", which will ask for a 5% sales tax increase in the City limits.
It can only legally be spent within the City. There will be an oversight
committee and an independent audit to see that the money is used for what it
has been committed. And finally, there will be an exemption for low income
people, and Seniors.
----------------------------
07/24/08
Today we had two ladies, Dona Barber and Sue
Tatosian, from the Western Center for Archaeology & Paleontology, Southern
California's newest museum. In the picture on the table you can see a
model cast from a Saber-toothed cat, just one example of the many
world-class museum attractions designed to stimulate your senses. They
have Laboratories and do Research, have Curation facilities that protect and
store the over one million specimens, and an Education & Conference Center
to provide
classroom space for students from elementary schools to
post-graduate researchers. So take a trip and see Max, the biggest mastodon
ever found in the West; and Xena, the 1,000 year-old mammoth who rules over
the central exhibit hall, and all the Interactive exhibits. They have
many levels of Membership starting at $15 for students. The Western Center
is at 2345 Searl Parkway, Hemet, CA 92543. Telephone is 951-794-0032
and
www.westerncentermuseum.org for complete information.
----------------------------
07/10/08 and 07/14/08 We
had business meetings, called an Assembly, to discuss our upcoming events.
When we do that, we don't have a speaker. And it's vacation time so
smaller attendance.
----------------------------
07/03/08
Our speaker today was Matt
Shobert, the new Fire Chief for the City of
Hemet. He is working hard to learn all about the present Fire Department,
and the city of Hemet. His immediate concern was the extra fire danger that
the 4th of July would bring. His long term desire is to add a
trained paramedic to every fire truck. We are the only city in the County
of Riverside that does not have them. More often than not, the City fire
trucks will arrive at a call site before the ambulance, which indicates the
need. Another desire is to get a helmet on every bicycle rider. AND, He
was a Rotarian in Sedona, AZ, and we have inducted him into our Club.
----------------------------
06/24/08
David Minasian
discussed the major shift in Hollywood movie plots. They have
developed the themes with huge amounts of violence, sex and other topics,
considered by many in our society to be unsatisfactory. David has many
years of film making, script writing, and book authoring beginning back when
he was 10 years old, using the family 8mm movie camera. His first film
in 16mm, done while he was taking film-making at the university, was
nominated for an Oscar. He then went to work for Jeremiah films,
making documentaries. There has been a movement lately, which He
is involved in, toward more films that are family oriented without all the
trash that Hollywood is using. He produced “The Joyrider”,
and assisted Mel in the production of “The Passion”. (Picture is
Jerry on the left, and David on the right)
----------------------------
06/17/08
Our speaker this week was Jack
Warneke, a well known local writer and long time
citizen from San Jacinto. He has served our communities in many positions
along with his wife Nancy. He talked to us about San Jacinto History. He
touched on the development starting with the; Soboba Indians; then the
Spanish; Juan Batista DeAnza who developed the
new route to San Francisco. In this area originally there were 7 tribes and
The Temecula Indians. During a terrible drought
the Temecula Indians attacked the tribes in what is now called
Massacre Canyon, and only the Soboba Tribe
survived. One of the most noted men was Edward Hewitt, the first Teacher in
San Jacinto. He later belonged to the County School Board, the
the San Diego County School Board, became the
State Superintendent of Schools, and formed the 1st Teachers
Union. Jack has a book on all this history that will be available very soon.
And because of the decades of work and volunteering, San Jacinto has named
one of the new Parks, the Warneke Park in the
Coventry Acres development. He can be contacted at 654-4550 or
jnwarneke@netzero.net
----------------------------
06/10/08
Rich and Sue Dell ‘Acqua,
a Rotarian and his wife, showed us a PowerPoint program about their trip to
India. They went to check on current and past projects that clubs in
our district are involved with. They took money with them to deliver
to other Rotary Clubs with whom some of our club are partnering with, and
they were constantly on the look for other new projects. They were
hosted by different clubs including the Calcutta Metro Rotary Club.
They also traveled to the Nagaland area and Korima
village among other places. Nagaland is in the North East part of
India and very difficult for visitors to enter, but their needs are great
and Rich and Sue received a very warm welcome.
----------------------------
06/03/08
Our speaker was Kati Ford from La Vista, a
local recovery place for women. She and her staff are promoting "Not in
Our Town," an effort to educate people on the effects of prescription
drug overdoses. Often teens get their parents' or grandparents' medicines
and take them themselves and share the "legal" drugs with their
friends. If you have children be on the alert for parties at which
some of them “Farm” their stolen drugs to other children.
----------------------------
05/27/08
This a special meeting. First we had a
student, who we had sponsored to a weekend leadership seminar, tell us about
his experiences and what he learned and received from it. Another positive
learning experience that we were able to sponsor.
Next we had Jared Moore
and Mark Miller from the Ramona Hillside Players, give us a short sample of
what to expect from the current program: Charley’s Aunt. It was a
very funny exchange between Father and Son: Father who is funding his
Son’s university education to a level that Son thinks he should get; and
Son who now learns that the family funds are extremely limited
and is shocked to find out he is now considered
“poor”. Without having seen the Play, but based on the Title, one
would think that maybe Charlie’s Aunt might have something to say about
his future. Last chance, Fri & Sat. May 30 & 31 at 7:30 pm,
and June 1 Matinee at 2:00 pm. $12.00 single admission, Seniors
$11.00. Be at the theater no later than 15 minutes prior to
curtain. Reservations suggested at <?xml:namespace
PREFIX="SKYPE"?>
951-658-5300.
Ramona Hillside Players, PO Box 462, Hemet, CA 92546.
http://www.ramonahillsideplayers.org/home_page.htm
And
Lastly we are very pleased to induct
three new members: Doug Ferber, Ken Shaw, and Nhamo Mawema. Doug is the
Principal at
the San Jacinto Valley Academy, a Charter
School in the San Jacinto Unified School District. Ken is Special Projects
Director with the Central County United Way, and Nhamo is a Rotary Member in
Zimbabwe. He is living here for a finite time and will maintain his
membership there, but wanting to continues his contribution for Rotary, we
have inducted him as an Honorary Member. A big welcome to all our new
members.
----------------------------
05/20/08
Sorry, but this week I was absent.
----------------------------
05/13/08
This week our speaker was Charlene Stover
speaking about Scholarships for San Jacinto High School, the difficulty of
getting them for the students, and of course the value to the students.
Many times a scholarship, even small, may influence a graduating student to
go on to further ther education at San Jacinto
Community College or other Schools.
In addition she talked about the San Jacinto Education Foundation
which was founded in 2001 to enhance the educational experience of young
people in our educational community. It is a voluntary organization
dedicated to improving the educational opportunities of the
studenr of SJUSD through teacher incentives,
scholarships and grants in areas where the need is greatest. They have
founded the Edward Hyatt Athletic Hall of Fame, and the Distinguished Alumni
Recognition Award. If you wish to contribute, contact them at 2045 So.
San Jacinto Ave., San Jacinto, CA 92583. also
(951)929-7700
x4530
----------------------------
05/06/08
This Week our speaker was Dr. Helene
Kalfuss, Past District Governor of our District
5330. Helene, along with her husband Leonard Kalfuss,
MD, presented their program, Helene and Leonard on the Road. They
went on a trip to the Orient as an Oversight Committee for Rotary
International, to evaluate the success of the vision and
interocular implant programs that the RI
Foundation had funded. These are done as matching grant programs with
Rotary Districts and Rotary Clubs. In Bangalore & So. India they visited
several hospital sites that Rotary Clubs had built and sponsored. India has
100,000,000 or 25% of all the worlds blind people with many of them
cataracts, and these programs were to do interocular
lens implants to replace the normal lens. They also traveled to Cochin
Harbor and Sharada. Then went on to Singapore
and Dandar Surway in
Malaysia before returning home. The volunteerism
of Rotarian Doctors, Nurses and members, along with the Clubs and Districts
on both sides of the world magnify and multiply the money and efforts toward
aiding many needs in the world.
----------------------------
04/29/08
Today we had Bob Duistermars fill in again and
he talked about the San Jacinto Valley Academy, a Charter School that the
United Way had a part in getting started. It has progressed to the point
since it's opening in 1997, to where it is now serving 300 students, and Sr.
High Grades 9-11. Next year they will have their first graduating class.
The Charter schools work under the hat of the San
Jacinto Unified School District. The
education of the children is based on the Inquiry learning method, and the
sole focus of the school since its start has been on Achievement.
The main focus of their educational
program is to deepen students' awareness regarding their natural and social
environment. The school has no problem meeting the federal No Child Left
Behind Act (NCLB) requires that all schools and districts meet Adequate
Yearly Progress (AYP) requirements. There is also a required high level of
Parent participation. They are located at 480 N. San Jacinto, San Jacinto,
CA 92583. Tel:
(951) 654-6113
Check their website for further information:
http://www.sjacademy.org
----------------------------
04/22/08
Today we had Chuck Peeples from West Valley High
School as our speaker. He is the head coach of their basketball program and
presented a great story of progress with their program. Chuck cam 5 years
ago and faced a team that had hardly won a game for several seasons. When
he put out a call at the beginning of that year
for potential players, only 2 came. This is a winning story of young 9th
grade students who had never played basketball, and many from
underprivileged homes. In the intervening 5
years the program grew steadily and at the last season 45 students showed up
to play. They began to make the CIF playoffs, and at the end of the last
year they beat all toughest school in the
league, and Then Perris to take the Championship. They are the only team in
the valley to have ever won the CIF Title.
------------------------
04/08/08
Today we had Tatianna Huckstep as our speaker. She is a student at West
Valley High School. We selected her to attend RYLA this past weekend
(Rotary Youth Leadership Awards), which is a weekend at a mountain
resort and the chance to get together with other Junior - 11th grade -
students from many HS in Riverside and San Bernardino counties. They are
given much training in leadership skills that will help them throughout
their lifetime. Being mixed together in small groups allows them to
discuss and learn skills in areas of diversity, relating to
personal issues positively, turning negative situation into positive,
Stereotyping, and morals and values. And they finally get to listen to
several top speakers who relate their life experiences and what a person
achieve if they just have faith and stay focused. One example was a
felon, who when he was released from prison turned his life around and
trained to become an RN. These students are nervous when they begin to
come together on Friday after school, and by Sunday are very tearful when
the have to go home and away from their new found friends.
Contratulations to Tatianna, and we just might see her returning next year
as a returning counselor.
----------------------------
03/29/08
Today
we had Russ Bogh, Past Assemblyman from our 37th District, and again a
Candidate for the same seat. Amazingly enough he didn't even give us the
usual political entreaties. His talk was basically about the State
budget. The deficit when he was previously in office was about $24B which
was reduced to about $4B. Unfortunately it has risen again to $18B. He
also talked about the effects of Prop. 58 and Prop. 76. Also about waste
by the state government and how it impacts transportation, education and
other departments.
In line with
our non-political position, we will also invite his opponent to talk to
us.
--------------------------
03/25/08
Our speaker today was unable to come at the last minute. We had Emerson
Bixby, from the Hemet Historic Downtown Theater, in attendance to be
honored as our business of the month. We enticed him to be our speaker
and tell us all about the theater and his thoughts about the Theater and
Hemet. It turns out that Emerson is a very community oriented person and
in addition to just running a theater, he uses it to enhance the lives of
the citizens in our valley. A very few of his ideas are using movies as a
benefit for people with serious problems. Another event centered around
amnesty for small furry creatures.
There is a beautiful website at http://hemettheatre.com/ with a
Film Schedule and much more information. It is located at
216 E. Florida Ave.
Phone number is 951-658-7123
----------------------------
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10/22/07
Measure G - Vote No was the topic of
Clyde Osborn, Treasurer of
the Valley Health System.
He gave us his interpretation as to what the issues are be if Measure G
passes. Again, as a Board Member, he is not allowed to speak for the
Health System, and spoke only for himself. One of his main
positions is that a successful vote Yes, will take the hospital out of the
hands of a local elected Hospital Board, and put it in the hands of a
private organization, with a debatable past history.
10/9/07
Measure G - Vote Yes
was the topic of
Amelia Hippert,
a Professor at Mt. San Jacinto College, and a
Board Member of the Valley Health
System. She came to give us information about
the condition of the Valley Health System. As a Board Member she is not
allowed by law to speak for the Health System, which she made very clear
to us.
9/18/07 Tom
Wilson, Field Representative for Paul Cook
Assemblyman 65th
District,
described Paul's works and interests in the Calif. Legislature since his
election, particularly Health care, and his seat on the Committee on
International Trade. Paul has issued updates on bills that he is
following: AB 282 - Stolen Valor Act; AB 339 Manuf. Homes
Escrow; AB 455 Contractor's State License Board Quorum; AB 456
Construction Management Education Account; AB 1525 BPPVE Extention Act -
Private Education; and AB 1662 - Overseas Ranked Ballot. In
addition, Tom is on the Valley Healthcare Board, and answered some
questions about the valley hospitals.
9/11/07
Sonya Haffner,
Executive Director of "T.H.E. Center, Inc., Therapy for Handi-capable
Equestrians", spoke to us today about the great center here in Hemet, and
what they offer especially, to both children and adults with handicaps.
Sonya has
been a riding instructor since 1995 and a NARHA Registered Instructor
since August 1998 as well CHA (Certified Horsemanship Association) Level
4 Western, Level 3 English certified instructor. She is comfortable
teaching both riders with disabilities and those without. Over the years
she has taught riders as young as 3 years old and up to seniors. While
most of her therapeutic students have physical disabilities, Sonya has
also worked with those that are mentally impaired, learning disabled,
severely emotionally disturbed, sight impaired, hearing impaired, and many
with multiple disabilities. " I have been blessed to instruct such a
diverse group of students over the years." 
Hemet Police Captains Dave Brown and Rob Webb
gave us more information and demographics about the city. One reason
the City Police Dept. is considered so effective is that 80+% of the
officers live within the city limits, so they have more of a personal
interest because their kids live here too. 
8/14/2007: Former Assemblyman Russ Bogh gave us a lot of his history while in
office, along with the many
Assembly Bills that he authored and were voted into law: Helped reduce the
$10billion deficit to $700million today; Indian Tribe gaming contracts
which will now put hundreds of millions of dollars into the state revenue;
victims rights; RapeShield Law; sex offender housing; police & firefighter
aid when injured in the line of duty; the true costs of Illegal's in the
state - $10billion in health care alone; etc. etc. He has a
business background with the accompanying ability to know what pays for
itself and what doesn't, which many other Assembly members do not
seem to.
7/16/2007 RYAN School of
Aeronautics Museum:
Mike
Gow, Hemet City Engineer, gave us a comprehensive talk about the future of
the City infrastructure, especially roads, sewers, and building both
commercial and a private. The city expects to spend $100,000,000 over the
next 5 years for infrastructure. There are four shopping
centers in planning stages including: the Garret Ranch at NE corner of W.
Florida and Warren Rd; Promenade at NE corner of W. Florida & Myers.
Of interest is the fact that the Garrett ranch will require 1 million cu.
yds. of earth which translates to 50,000 truck loads. Within the
City each truck pays a fee of $3/cu. yd. of earth to help in paying for
road damage.
Speaker Tue., 7/17:
Today we had Duane Baker, who is the Senior Assistant
City Manager for the City of Hemet. His primary responsibility in
Hemet is Economic Development, and he is responsible for implementing the
City's business retention and business attraction program.
During the record breaking 2005 year, over 1,300 building permits were
issued, and although the economy slowed during 2006 
06/25/2007
Business
of the Month - June:
Triple Time Tire and Auto Express.
Each month we will be awarding a Certificate to a business in our area
that one or more of our Members has observed and had dealings with. They
have shown that they operate their business with high ethics, and in
accordance with the 
Lori
Van 
Bob Knepp - Honorary Member
Reported
on the progress we are making on replacing the 17" computer monitors at
the Braille Institute Computer Learning Center in Palm Desert, with a
series of increasingly larger flat screen monitors up to at least 32".
Also a 20" flat screen has been added to their mobile testing and service
vehicle.
Marsha Spell: CASA
(Center Against Sexual Assault). Availability to the community
including free classes: Child Abductions Prevention & Personal Safety,
Self-defense, Child Lures, Awareness, Assertiveness, Physical Techniques &
Finger Printing. Speaker Contact & 24 hour Crisis Line at
(951)652-8300 
