President's Message

Sharon Schendel

I'm honored to serve as President of the Rotary Club of Del Mar. For most of my life, I was content to be in the background, taking direction from others. The people of the Rotary Club of Del Mar and the projects they spearhead inspired me to take a leadership role. This is a special year for Rotarians: Jennifer Jones is the first woman to be President of Rotary International. She chose "Imagine Rotary" as her theme and challenged members to dream big and work together to make dreams into reality.  Every day, members of Rotary Club of Del Mar imagine how they might make the world a better place. Please take a moment to watch this video to see how our club's projects are helping enhance our own community, and communities around the world. 
Come join us!
 
 
 
 

What’s Rotary?
 
Rotary is where neighbors, friends, and problem-solvers share ideas, join leaders, and take action to create lasting change.
Club Stories
District Training Seminar March 25, 2023
Posted on Mar 05, 2023
This once-a-year event will equip you with all you need to know about Rotary at the club, District, and International level. In the morning session from 8-noon, learn from experienced Rotarians the ins and outs of club management, the Rotary Foundation, fundraising and more.  The AFTERNOON session (Noon to 2 PM) is particularly important for our club. To be eligible for District and Global grants, TWO members MUST attend and be certified. Click HERE to visit the registration page.  Registration is FREE this year with the option to purchase lunch (the club will reimburse this cost). 
Club Social: Beeside Balcony on March 28
Posted on Mar 19, 2023
Caroline Moran and Brett Mattei enjoying food from Beeside Balcony at the 2022 Sunset Soirée
 
March is a two-for-one month for club socials!  Come by Beeside Balcony on Camino Del Mar Tuesday March 28 from 4:30-6:30 PM.  Beeside Balcony is our newest restaurant providing tastes at our Sunset Soirée, so it would be great to have a good turnout to thank them for their support.
RYLA Facilitators Needed
Posted on Mar 19, 2023
Become a RYLA facilitator and you too can have a new dress, just like Don Fipps!
 
Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA) is back in person for the first time since 2019. This year our club is sponsoring five high school juniors (including Greg Harris’s son Daniel and the Macey Milligan, President-Elect of Cathedral Catholic Interact Club and daughter of our great faculty advisor Mara Milligan). 
Greg Harris is on the RYLA committee and says that they are still in need of facilitators. Talk to Greg or Chris Stewart if you’d like to be a facilitator. It’s an experience you’ll always remember! Training is in Encinitas on March 25 from 8-noon and the RYLA weekend is April 14-16 in Idyllwild (facilitators must attend the entire weekend).
Ramping Up Reading With the San Diego Council on Literacy
 
Posted on Mar 19, 2023
 
 
Jose Cruz (upper left), CEO of San Diego Council on Literacy, speaks to our club. Shown are volunteers with some of the 350,000 new books the council has distributed to children since 2020
 
You probably don’t give a thought to the mechanics of reading, but for an increasing number of children, reading is difficult. Jose Cruz, CEO of the San Diego Council on Literacy spoke at our March 23, 2023 meeting about literacy statistics and ways to help. Currently, nearly two-thirds of children in the United Sates are not proficient in reading. Among low-income students, 4/5 aren’t on track with reading by fourth grade. Difficulties with reading can echo throughout life: students who aren’t on track to read by third grade are 4-fold less likely to graduate high school. Low literacy rates also have broad economic impacts.
In San Diego county, 34% of fourth graders read below basic levels. Multiple factors contribute to literacy rates including general poverty, lack of access to books, parents who themselves do not read well, and inconsistent use of effective teaching methods (click HERE to watch the video Cruz showed that discusses different methods to teach reading).
The Council seeks to unite the community in supporting literacy through advocacy as well as facilitating partnerships and resources. The Council serves over 100,000 people in San Diego county each year by working with 34 different agencies that provide services to promote reading and also sponsor book giveaways.
There are multiple ways that you can help increase literacy including donating new or like-new books to low-income communities, supporting programs like Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library that delivers new books to children, or volunteering to be a tutor for a child or adult. 
Welcome New Member: Richa Garg
Posted on Mar 19, 2023
Membership chair Dee House (left) inducted new member Richa Garg (center), who received her pin from her mentor, Linda Groom
 
We’re delighted to induct our newest member, Richa Garg. She first visited our club during the pandemic period, and we’re happy that she persisted as we worked through that rather strange time. Richa’s younger daughter recently started college and she was looking for ways to give back to her community. With the help of her mentor Linda Groom, Richa is already well on her way to exchanging her red badge for a regular badge.
Badge Conversion: Clay Sheffrey
Posted on Mar 19, 2023
Clay Sheffrey after his "rescue" by Del Mar Lifeguards at the 2022 Chili & Quackers
 
Congratulations to Clay Sheffrey who traded in his red badge for a regular horse badge at the March 16, 2023 meeting.  He’s been an active member from the start, and at last year’s Chili & Quackers braved the chilly waters as our “swimmer in distress” who allowed the Del Mar Lifeguards to show off their rescue prowess. Clay was also a fantastic help at the Sunset Soirée. He’ll be part of the crowd at the upcoming District 5340 Training Symposium on March 25.  
Disaster Relief USA:  Rebuilding with Rotary
 
Posted on Mar 18, 2023
Scenes from Disaster Aid USA projects. Upper left: Mark and Nancy Matthews with a homeowner whose home they helped restore
 
It began with a visit to the House of Friendship, one of the best parts of the Rotary International Convention. There, Mark Matthews, a member of Rotary Club of La Mesa (and Val Myer’s brother-in-law), learned about Disaster Aid USA (DAUSA).  At the time, Mark was nearing retirement from the restoration company he founded in 1980, Christian Brothers Emergency Building Services. DAUSA provided a perfect opportunity for him to apply his skills to help those whose homes were in the path of a disaster.  Mark and his wife Nancy spoke at our March 2, 2023 meeting. They showed a number of pictures from properties they’d worked on in Texas and Florida.  
DAUSA was established in 2010 and members of its Board of Directors are all active Rotarians who represent all of the Rotary Zones in the United States.  They leverage the broad Rotary network to ensure that they work effectively with members of affected communities and focus their efforts on those most in need. They serve as a “muck and gut” team that tarps roofs, removes downed trees and vegetation as well as household debris. They also help prep meals.
DAUSA rebuilds communities by first assessing needs and then securing and delivering aid with the help of Disaster Aid Response Teams (DARTs) that work directly with those who have been impacted by disaster.  
Visiting San Diego Downtown Evening Rotary Club
 
Posted on Mar 17, 2023
Visiting San Diego Downtown Evening Rotary Club (l to r): Susan Hennenfent (President Del Mar Solana Beach Rotary Club), Maryzella Jimenez de Juarez-Uribe (President, San Diego Downtown Evening Rotary Club), Patricia Velásquez (President-Elect, San Diego Downtown Evening Rotary Club), Maria Fernanda Torres Garcia (President, Rotary Club of San Diego Coastal)
 
Assistant District Governor (and District 5340 Governor Nominee Designate) Luis Carranza encourages all the Area 4 presidents to visit other clubs. On March 2, many of the Area 4 presidents attended our meeting, and on March 8, Sharon Schendel and Del Mar Solana Beach Rotary Club president Susan Hennenfent took the trolley downtown to repay the favor for San Diego Downtown Evening Rotary Club. At just over 4 years-old, this club is the newest in District 5340. In 2022 they earned the award for best small club in the district. At the meeting, Rodulfo Figueroa of the Tijuana Boys & Girls Club presented on the challenges they face after the government of Mexico stopped all funding to non-profit organizations. With that decision, BGC Tijuana lost one-third of its funding and must serve fewer children. They expressed their gratitude to our club for our support of BGC Tijuana. 
Honor Flight San Diego
Posted on Mar 05, 2023
Ruth Gunther (upper right, left) and Saundra Cima (upper right, right) presented on Honor Flight San Diego and Ruth told of her personal experience working in the Hospital Corp in World War II (photos of previous trips courtesy Honor Flight San Diego)
 
Saundra Cima and Winona Ruth Gunther visited our March 2, 2023 meeting to tell us about Honor Flight San Diego. Since 2005, Honor Flight has been escorting veterans to Washington D.C. to visit memorials that have been built in their honor. In 2010 Dave Smith, the son of a World War II veteran, founded the Honor Flight San Diego hub, which has since flown over 1,500 veterans from every branch of service to Washington. The trips are funded entirely by private donations and the staff is all-volunteer so that all funds raised go to providing veterans with their tour of honor at no cost to t hem. Each packed weekend trip features a number of stops: Arlington National Cemetery, Military Women in Service, WWII Memorial, Korea War Memorial, Vietnam War Memorial, U.S. Marine Corps War Memorial, U.S. Air Force Memorial and the U.S. Navy Yard Museum.
 
In October 2021 Ruth Gunther took her tour of honor. Ruth is now 103 and she told us about her work as a nurse during World War II.  Pearl Harbor was attacked when Ruth was 21 years old and working in a drugstore as an apprentice pharmacist.  She said she felt drawn to contribute to the war effort. Ruth wanted to train as a physician, but met pushback and instead began serving in the Hospital Corp as a member of the US Navy WAVES in 1943. At the Corona Naval Hospital in Norco California, Ruth cared for sailors and Marines who had been seriously injured in the Pacific Theater. Ruth has authored two books: ‘What Would Your Father Say’ that describes her work during the war, and “Papa Said” that tells story of growing up on a farm in north central Indiana near the Wabash river.
 
There are many ways you can help veterans like Ruth take their tour of honor. Honor Flight San Diego publishes a newsletter (or follow them on Facebook) and always welcomes donations to support upcoming charter flights. You can attend a Welcome Home at the San Diego International Airport. The next flight comes home April 30, 2023 and all are welcome to gather at the Terminal 2 baggage claim at 2 PM to be part of the return celebration.  You can also encourage family and friends (especially young people) to contribute cards and letters that are delivered during “Mail Call”.  These cards are an excellent way to provide a personal note of gratitude to the veterans.  Send Mail Call letters care of Donna Hester, 645 Front Street, San Diego, CA 92101 (donna@thehesters.com). Letters must be received by April 22. Happy Dollars at the March 9 meeting will be devoted to Honor Flight.
Pacifica Del Mar Lunch Pre-Orders and Parking
 
Posted on Mar 05, 2023
 
Thank you to everyone who’s used the Google Form for Pacifica Del Mar lunch pre-orders. Having the orders in advance truly expedites and simplifies service. Please note that Sharon Schendel (not the restaurant) manages the form and submits orders.
The earlier you submit, the happier Sharon will be, but the deadline for pre-orders is 10 AM the morning of the meeting.  Any orders arriving after 10 AM may not be submitted. Sharon has parking passes for St. Peter’s church.  If you are a regular attendee and would like a pass, please ask her for one.  Discounted parking ($4 flat rate) is also available at Del Mar Plaza. Please ask the server for a voucher and have the cost added to your bill. 
Three More Gallons for San Diego Blood Bank
 
Posted on Mar 05, 2023
Walt Strangman (second from left) with Roger, Pam Rudolph, and Marty Peters (far right) in front of the SDBB Blood Mobile
 
We arranged another visit of the San Diego Blood Bank (SDBB) Bloodmobile to the Del Mar Civic Center on March 2, 2023. Thanks to members, family and friends, we collected three gallons (24 pints) of blood. That blood can help around 72 people.  If you couldn’t make it on Thursday, click HERE to schedule a visit at a SDBB donation center near you!  Thank you to Walt Strangman for organizing the drive. Walt is looking for someone to take over Blood Drive organization. The job is fairly simple and so important.
 
 
Area 4 Presidents in Attendance

 
Posted on Mar 05, 2023
Area 4 presidents (left to right):  Paulette Britton (not shown, President, RC Rancho Santa Fe), Roshanak Clune (President-Elect RC Rancho Santa Fe), Susan Hennenfent (President, RC Del Mar Solana Beach), Julie Morisot (President, RC Solana Beach Eco), Maryzella Jimenez (President, RC San Diego Downtown Evening), Luis Carranza, Kent Pollock (President-Elect, RC Encinitas), Sharon Schendel
 
Assistant District Governor (and District Governor Nominee Designate for Rotary Year 2025-2026) oversees clubs in Area 4 of District 5340. Every month Area 4 presidents get together to talk about their club’s progress. Luis also encourages the presidents to join him when he visits Area 4 clubs. Luis was at our March 2, 2023 meeting and it was great to have almost all of the Area 4 presidents attend.
 
Training the Trainers in Pediatric Orthopedics
 
In many regions in Africa, children affected by orthopedic issues, be they present or birth or caused by disease, have shortened lifespans or are denied economic opportunities. One of our newest members, Dr. Mark Barry, spoke at our February 16, 2023 meeting about the efforts of the non-profit he founded in 2014, Children’s Orthopedics Education for Developing Nations (COEDN).
 
Dr. Barry said that typical approaches to addressing the orthopedic surgery needs of low-income countries would involve: (i) Large teams of surgeons that provide service in the country for 1-2 sessions/year; (ii) Sending the country's best clinicians to train in other countries, where they often remain; and (iii) MDs from high-income countries practice in the low-income country for several years.  The mission of COEDN is different. It seeks to implement “train the trainers” programs in developing nations in Africa so that they themselves can train and maintain sufficient numbers of orthopedic surgeons.
Read more...
Peace Village Community Room Comes Along
Posted on Feb 19, 2023
Peace Village Community Room flooring installation (l to r): Dee House, Klaus Gubernator, Betsy Winsett, Bob Muller, David R., and Kathy Reed
 
Klaus Gubernator and Kathy Reed have been spearheading the refurbishment of the community room at the San Diego Peace Village. Dee House joined in, bringing Bob Muller who spread quite a bit of thin-set mortar for the new floor, which is almost done (the ceiling is done). Kathy brought friend Betsy Winsett, who brought her husband David.  We always welcome the helping hands of family and friends!
 
 
Welcome to Rosebud
Posted on Feb 19, 2023
Donna and Don Fipps brought their latest Canine Companions puppy-in-training, a 14 week-old yellow lab named Rosebud. Our meetings offer great socialization opportunities for these puppies.
New Member Induction: Beth Davidson
Posted on Feb 11, 2023
New member Beth Davidson (left) with Membership Chair Dee House (right)
 
Membership Chair Dee House inducted Beth Davidson as our newest member at our February 9, 2023 meeting. Beth is a real estate professional working with Barry Estates as a member of their Luxury Coast Group. She has a meeting commute to envy: her office on Camino Del Mar is only about 500 feet from Pacifica Del Mar.  Beth is good friends with Mary Savoy, who will act as her mentor.
 
The Courage to Teach and the Power to Learn
 
Posted by Sharon Schendel on Feb 11, 2023
Amarok Society co-founder Gem Munro speaking about the efforts to train mothers to teach their own children, and children in their communities in Dhaka, Bangladesh (photo credits: Amarok Society)
 
Bangladesh is one of the poorest countries in the world and has one of the most deficient education systems.  Our speaker for our February 9, 2023 meeting, Gem Munro, along with his wife, Dr. Tanyss Munro, founded the Amarok Society in 2006 to change those statistics. The challenge was great. Gem quoted the Canadian Ambassador to Turkey who said: “of all the countries in the world, only Bangladesh made me cry”.  Improving education in Bangladesh couldn’t be done using normal methods like building schools and hiring teachers. Tanyss and Gem had a simpler idea: Teach mothers in the slums of Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh, to become teachers.  Agencies they approached declined to help on the grounds that: 1) The slums are impenetrable due to slum lords and corrupt police; 2) Even if penetrated, the poorest Muslim women living in slums are essentially controlled by their husbands and hard to reach; and 3) Even if reached, the women couldn’t learn.
 
But Amarok Society tried anyway.  Munro showed a video that featured a mother enrolled in an Amarok Society school reciting a nursery rhyme. When that mother began the program six months earlier, she had had essentially no education at all.  
Read more...
Socializing at Sbicca
Posted on Feb 11, 2023
 
We had a fantastic turnout for our social at Sbicca Del Mar on Tuesday February 7, 2023. Organizer Suzy Wagner said she counted 27 members and guests gathered around the large table. It was great to see members bring along friends, who are always welcome and encouraged to attend.  Donna Fipps’ newest Canine Companions puppy-in-training, Rosebud, was also there enjoying all the opportunities for socialization.
St. Leo’s Dental Clinic: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow
 
Posted on Feb 05, 2023
It’s hard to function when your teeth hurt. The St. Leo’s Dental Clinic in Solana Beach began in 1991 as part of the St. Leo’s Medical Clinic that was founded by one of our charter members, Dr. Dick Wheelock.  Our club has long been instrumental to the success of St. Leo’s Dental Clinic. We’ve provided funds and labor to outfit the clinic, which in 2016 received upgraded flooring and updated dental chairs.  The clinic was running at full capacity when the COVID-19 pandemic hit.
 
Paul McEneany of St. Leo’s came to speak to our club about St. Leo’s post-pandemic activities. After re-opening on June 8, 2022, the clinic began treating patients on Wednesday evenings and Saturday mornings. The focus is on serving low-income adults and prioritizes patients who are in pain. There is no cost to patients, but they are asked to make a donation, if they are able, to offset the operation expenses. Paul said that 85% of patients agree to make a donation, and of those who pledge to donate, 100% fulfill their pledge. As a free clinic, the dental professionals who volunteer their time are covered with unlimited liability insurance under a federal program. However, dentistry is equipment-intensive. St. Leo’s is in particular need of updated compressor and vacuum systems that are critical for proper function of dental tools as well as new X-ray equipment for rapid diagnosis and the latest software to track patient progress. 
 
The need for care is great: The CDC’s Disparities in Oral Health report indicates that 40% of low-income adults have untreated tooth decay that is associated with loss of millions of hours of school and work hours. Up to one-fifth of adults reported that the appearance of their teeth affected their confidence in interviewing for jobs. To assist with re-opening expenses and to help the clinic serve more people, our members raised $1140 in one Happy Dollars session in December, and an anonymous donor provided another $1000. We presented these funds to Paul at our meeting. Our club will continue to partner with the clinic to ensure that our neighbors have access to excellent dental care.  
Induction of New Members: Clint McCalla and Jen Segura
Posted on Feb 05, 2023
Membership chair Dee House (far right) inducted Clint McCalla (second from left) and Jen Segura (second from right), who are with their mentors Linda Saville (far left) and Suzy Wagner (center), respectively
 
We are happy to induct two new members of our club: Clint McCalla and Jen Segura.  Clint is a CFP and Lead Advisor with LourdMurray Delphi in Carmel Valley. He is married to Sarah, and they have two children, Eunan and Annemarie. Clint is a native of Texas and a Texas Tech graduate. His father was a Rotarian.
Jen is a professional family mediator and has her own practice, West Coast Family Mediation Center, in Del Mar. She is married to Juan (Johnny) Segura and they are parents to Marley and Cedella. Jen was a member of Rotary Club of San Diego Downtown Breakfast.  Thank you to Suzy Wagner, who will mentor Jen, and Linda Saville, who will mentor Clint.
 
 
Sea World Hubbs Research Institute: Seeking Sustainable Solutions
 
Posted on Jan 29, 2023
For 60 years the Hubbs-SeaWorld Research Institute (HSWRI) has been fulfilling its mission of “To return to the sea some measure of the benefits derived from it”. HSWRI President & CEO (and member of San Diego Rotary) Don Kent spoke at our January 26, 2023 meeting about the Institute’s research areas and efforts toward sustainable solutions.
 
HSWRI is studying how marine animals respond to changing environments brought about by rising sea temperatures and how military activity or planned wind farms could affect animals that rely on sensory signals to communicate and navigate. They are also working to enhance science literacy of students ranging from kindergarten to college age.
 
Most importantly, HSWRI is working to provide novel approaches to aquaculture to meet the protein demands of a growing global population. For nearly 40 years, HSWRI has been developing aquaculture technology to secure and track populations of white sea bass. Some of the released fish are tagged and these tags can be recovered during fish processing to understand the migratory habits of these fish. HSWRI is applying knowledge gained from their sea bass project to other fish species to ensure that the world has access to sustainable seafood.
Pacifica Del Mar Private Reserve Room Directions
Posted on Jan 29, 2023
After a few weeks of musical venues, we will be happily ensconced in Pacifica Del Mar’s Private Reserve. This private dining room is just past the main restaurant.  Just walk past the main entrance, turn right and follow the arcade (star) to the end- the room is on the right.  If you’re coming from the St. Peter’s parking lot, just cross 15th Street and take the stairs by the fire hydrant (star). The Private Reserve room will be immediately to your left.
New Member Induction:  Dr. Mark Barry and Rex Mize
Posted on Jan 22, 2023
Mark Barry (center left) and Rex Mize (center right) are our newest members! They're pictured with their mentors Jim and Karin Davies (left) and Kathy Reed (right) along with Membership Chair Dee House
 
We are delighted to welcome as our newest members Dr. Mark Barry and Rex Mize, who were both inducted by Membership Chair Dee House at our January 19, 2023 meeting.  Mark will be mentored by Jim and Karin Davies and Kathy Reed is mentor to Rex.  Congratulations!
Remembering Jim King
Posted on Jan 22, 2023
Jim and Janie King cut the cake at their wedding reception at the Old Del Mar hotel in 1951. 
Some of the many members who attended the Celebration of Life (l to r): Jan Fuchs, John Baranowski, Dee House, Bob Fuchs
 
Many members attended the Celebration of Life for Jim King on January 21, 2023 at the Solana Beach Presbyterian Church in Solana Beach. Jim’s children Jim, Teri and Nancy, as well as his grandson Justin and many friends shared memories of Jim at the service. They all spoke of Jim’s love for nature. Jim told of how his dad learned to waterski in a rather non-traditional way:  in the ocean towed behind a car rather than a boat. Jim was also an excellent bodysurfer and taught his children and grandchildren how to ride the waves without a board. Throughout the service, the love Jim had for his family, and especially Janie, was evident. We all enjoyed the slide presentation with pictures of Jim and his family; he and Janie were such a beautiful couple who raised a special family.  Donations may be made in Jim’s name to MAEGA or the Community Resource Center, and, of course, follow Jim’s example and become a regular blood donor. Click HERE to read Jim's obituary, HERE to read Janie's obituary and HERE to read a story about Jim and Janie. 
 
District 5340 Model United Nations
Posted on Jan 22, 2023
Scenes from the Model UN Training Symposium. Clockwise from upper left: Kathy Reed with Army Navy Academy students; Chair Ann-Marie Bryan (San Diego Downtown Breakfast club) starts the session; District Governor Chuck Pretto with Sharon Schendel, Pat Caughey, Beth Westburg and Kathy Reed who all helped with registration; Kathy Reed arranged a hearty breakfast
 
Klaus Gubernator and Kathy Reed were up early on Saturday January 21, 2023 for the Model United Nations (MUN) training session. Kathy organized the breakfast and the registration desk while Klaus made sure that all the audio-visual was ready to go. He also secured the Del Mar Civic Center for the symposium venue. District Governor Chuck Pretto welcomed the delegates to the training. Thank you to Pat Caughey, Sharon Schendel and Beth Westburg, who enlisted friend Shelly Carder, to help with the check-in table. Mark your calendars for MUN:  April 1 and April 2.  Everyone is welcome to attend! Click HERE for more information.
 
 
New Shelving for New Entra Casa
Posted on Jan 22, 2023
Dee House, Jim Davies, Linda Groom, Bill Rawlings and Executive Director Julie Brunetto after finishing some new shelves
 
Bill Rawlings supervised the installation of new storage shelving at New Entra Casa, a safe place for women who are transitioning back into the community. The shelves provide a much-needed space for storage of needed supplies and items for the facility. Thank you to Dee House, Jim Davies, and especially Linda Groom for making us aware of this project.  We are also so grateful to Pat Dougherty, who generously donated the supplies for the project. 
Casey Robison is Our Newest Blue Badger
Posted on Jan 15, 2023
Casey Robison (center) with her mentor, Dugan Lamoise (left) and Membership Chair Dee House (right)
 
Congratulations to Casey Robison for receiving her “blue” badge at our January 12, 2023 meeting. All new members have a circular, red badge until they complete a list of activities that are designed to help them learn more about both the club and Rotary International and to get to know current members. Once they’ve accomplished all the activities, we exchange their red badge for a regular badge with our club logo. Red Badgers have a mentor in the club who is always ready to help.
 
Casey has a long connection to Rotary: She was a Youth Exchange student and spent a year in England. A chance spotting of Marty Peter’s pin in the bakery she and her husband co-own, Darshan Bakery, led Casey back to Rotary and membership in the club. Thank you to Marty for sponsoring Casey for membership and to Dugan Lamoise for being Casey’s mentor.
International Assembly for Rotary International
Posted on Jan 15, 2023
 
Donna and Don Fipps (left) with Rotary International President-Elect Gordon R. McInally and Heather McInally
 
Every January Rotary International hosts the International Assembly that provides training and programming for District Governor Elects (DGEs).  The Assembly returned this year as an in-person event in Orlando, after being held for many years in San Diego. This year, Rotary International President-Elect (PE) R. Gordon R. McInally (member of the Rotary Club of South Queensferry, west of Edinburgh), revealed his presidential theme for Rotary Year 2023-2024: Create Hope in the World. The theme calls on Rotarians to inspire or restore hope through the projects they champion. PE McInally also recognized the importance of emphasizing peace, which provides the true foundation for hope. Click HERE to watch his announcement of the theme.
 
Our own Don Fipps is DGE for District 5340 and both he and Donna Fipps were in Orlando last week. Don’s bobblehead (with a bobbling Canine Companions dog) joined those of several other DGEs (click HERE to see Don’s and others). Follow the adventures of Don’s bobbling doppelgänger on Instagram at @bobbleheaddgdon.   
First Club Social of 2023 at Pacifica Del Mar
 
Posted on Jan 15, 2023
Enjoying the food and drink at Pacifica Del Mar (l to r): Matt Kurth, Philippe Lamoise, Toni Mecaro, Dugan Lamoise, Klaus Gubernator
 
We gathered at Pacifica Del Mar on a somewhat soggy Tuesday night for our first social of 2023 (we didn’t know that we’d be right back at Pacifica Del Mar in less than 48 hours). We were pleased to welcome DaVina Hoyt and her son, Caleb Berry. DaVina had been a Rotarian in Pullman, Washington. Thank you to Suzy and Karl Wagner for organizing the event. Our next social will be February 7 at Sbicca Del Mar. These socials are a fun way to express our gratitude to local restaurants that offered tastes at our Sunset Soirée. 
Hosting Ukrainian Families
 
Posted on Jan 15, 2023
Ivan with Flash
 
In December 2022 the House of Ukraine in San Diego was looking for a host family for Ivan, a 16-year old Ukrainian who was injured by a Russian tank while he and his family were on their way home from the grocery store. Unfortunately, his stepfather was killed by the tank and Ivan lost a leg. Ivan is in the United States through the support of a collaboration between a foundation established by the First Lady of Ukraine, Olena Zelenska, and the US-based Right to Walk foundation.  
 
Ivan arrived in San Diego in September 2022 with Olena, a social worker who was empowered by Ivan’s mother and the Ukrainian Embassy to act as Ivan’s chaperone. Olena has also worked as a journalist and is studying psychology to help those coping with trauma associated with the war. Ivan is receiving physical therapy and will soon undergo another surgery on his leg. He is enrolled in the San Diego Union High School District adaptive education program and is working hard to master English.  
 
Kathy Reed generously opened her home to both Ivan and Olena. Her Bernese mountain dog Flash is particularly fond of having Ivan share his home.
SONGS Sunset: Decommissioning Progress Update
 
Posted on Jan 15, 2023
Al Bates (left) speaks about San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (SONGS) decommissioning, which is governed by principles of Safety, Stewardship and Engagement. Work to dismantle the turbine buildings (center) is going on right now
 
San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (SONGS) is a familiar site near the northern border of San Diego county. The plant came online in 1968 and was shut down in 2013 after one of the steam generators failed and was too costly to repair. In 2014, the decommissioning of SONGS began.
 
Al Bates, the Principal Manager and Nuclear Regulatory Affairs and Technical Advisor to Southern California Edison CNO, visited our club on January 12, 2023 to provide an update on the SONGS decommissioning. All aspects of the decommissioning process are governed by three principles: Safety, Stewardship and Engagement. Safety is the top priority and encompasses nuclear, radiological, industrial and environmental safety. Stewardship has both financial and environmental aspects to ensure that public funds are used responsibly and efficiently and that the activities minimize environmental impacts so that the site is left in the same condition as before the plant was built. Engagement assures transparency and that the public is kept abreast of progress at the site.
 
Ten years into the 60-year decommissioning period, many of the support buildings have been demolished and work on dismantling the turbine building structures is underway. Much of the debris in these buildings is recyclable steel and nonferrous materials that will be transported away from the site using the on-site railyard that substantially reduces truck traffic on nearby I-5.
 
Eventually the iconic dome-shaped containment units will be dismantled using a bottom-up approach. Driving by the site, you might think that the domes are sinking, but really they’re effectively “sunsetting” as the deconstruction reduces the dome height by removing material from the bottom of the domes. 
 
All spent fuel will be stored onsite in sealed, stainless steel canisters that are passively cooled in dry cask storage systems. The storage units are seismically rated, resistant to corrosion and rated for more than 100 years. Currently there is no national storage facility, but the canisters can be transported when a site is built.
 
Bates encouraged community members to keep up to date on the decommissioning process and to be active in efforts to address the storage of spent fuels. You can sign up by visiting www.spentfuelsolutionsnow.com You can also learn more about SONGS decommissioning by visiting their website.
In memory of Jim King
Posted on Dec 29, 2022
 
We were so sorry to learn of the passing of Jim King, who had been a member for over 30 years. Jim was a devoted husband to his wife Janie; they celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary in 2021. Jim was a generous supporter of the club and the community. The first picture in the video was taken just after he'd made one of many blood donations along his way to being a 10 gallon donor for the San Diego Blood Bank.  Many club presidents arrived at their demotion party in Jim's butter yellow Model A Ford. We extended our deepest sympathies to Jim's family. He will be missed.  
 
If you wish to make a donation in Jim's memory, the family suggests the San Diego Blood Bank. 
 
A Little Holiday Cheer at Viewpoint Brewing Company
Posted on Dec 18, 2022
Clockwise from top left: Harold and Casey Robison with Don and Donna Fipps (who's holding Tube Man); Rob Vaughn wondering what he might do with hugging stuffed mice, which Jennifer McDowell, Garrie Rhodes and Kathy Reed find amusing; Karin and Jim Davies admire Tube Man, which they would possess only briefly; Donna Fipps brought melting snowmen cookies
Clockwise from top left: Mark Berry helps Jennifer McDowell extract a box from a snug-fitting bag; Matt Kurth holds the stuffed mice he stole from Rob Vaughn (mainly to get the Lindt chocolates that came with them) while Klaus Gubernator covets the gift; Kathy Reed displays her moose head punch set (which was never stolen) and Jeff Matthews and Val Myers with Suzy Wagner; RoseMary Pellegrino thinks of all the fun she can have with the game "Senior Moments" and Eric Nelte hopes he can play too
Clockwise from top left: Dee House and Suzy Wagner try to figure out the dice game Suzy won while Rob Muller and Casey Robison look on; Candace Bahr with Steven McDowell and Walt and Linda Strangman; Toni Mecaro with Pat Caughey and Steven McDowell; Matt Kurth admires the tequila that replaced the Lindt chocolate balls stolen by Klaus; Garrie Rhodes and Rob Vaughn; Don Fipps guards the cookie table
 
Everyone dressed warmly on Tuesday December 13, 2022 for an outdoor holiday party at one of our favorite venues, Viewpoint Brewing Company. There were plenty of appetizers and food at the buffet. Dinner was capped with offerings from the cookie exchange participants. We did a “Dirty Santa” gift exchange this year and lots of fun gifts found new homes, many after changing hands a few times. Sharon Schendel has been enjoying her burrito blanket brought by Val Myers every night since the party. Kathy Reed was happy to have a moose head punch set, and the Lindt chocolate balls passed through a few hands, including those of Matt Kurth, who ended up with a bottle of tequila instead. Jim and Karin Davies were certain that they might get to keep “Tube Man”, until Donna Fipps stole him away. Thank you to all who attended, and special thanks to Suzy Wagner for securing the venue, Kathy Reed for the lovely centerpieces, and Dee House for making the nametags. We’re also grateful to all the bakers and to those who provided gifts for the exchange.  
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