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Next up:
7/11    Sally Johnson    Club Assembly   
7/18    DG    District Governor Visit   
7/25    Kiersten Israel-Ballard    Infant Survival in Sub-Saharan Africa   

July 27, 2007....

Well…President Russell’s last official meeting has come ( and gone) and he has been debunked as well. The Fourth of July Weekend (week!) has intervened and here is the last Viewpoint of the Rice Reign.

Guests at the final meeting were many:
Chris Parr Feldman…Santa Rosa West
Warren Hernand, Janet Rosselle (with Jennifer)..Rohnert Park (new Club!)
Bill Wolfe…Petaluma Sunrise
Damon Doss…Petaluma Sunrise
Ruth Lincoln..Santa Rosa West
Michelle Neilsen
Gordon Wong’s youngest…!
                  And…from Uganda by way of the Rotary International Convention:
                                                               Peter Kalibata, John Kirkwood, Jack Ochona

Thought for the Day…from Linda Postenrieder…via Bill Gates…
To paraphrase... "If any group can bring about World Peace, Rotary can! The World listens to Rotary."

Pres. Russell jumped right in and awarded the last Paul Harris of his reign to Jennifer Keesling..via her generous Mom, Janet Rosselle. Congratulations, Jennifer!

Then came the thank youse to all and sundry for helping Russell get through his year. He went down the list trying not to miss anyone…don’t think he did! To Sally Johnson…however…a special thank you for saving his sanity. (Coulda fooled this reporter..thought he lost it there a couple of times!!)

In a fit of astounding prescience, our dear Pres. held up a plastic bag with the logo from the Target store in front of himself and decried what he was afraid might happen to him at the Debunking. It did.

Our visitors from Uganda addressed us regarding  their Rotary projects at home, which included their own Adopt-A-Village. Children in Uganda must pay to go to school, which makes it impossible for some. Peter, John and Jack work to help fund students to local school, which cost about $400 a year. Help in this effort is always gratefully received.

Final Fines…some of which were only form…no funds.
Dave Johnson…65th B-day…hurray! He added to his Paul Harris (P.H.)
Ron Johns…B-day for wife Marsha…he P.H.ed and H.A.ed (Harold Alexander)
Jim O’Grady..his wife’s B-day was celebrated at the Sunrise Senior Center where they were singing to the seniors…cake and everything!
Monica Lukes..kid’s B-day, graduation and moving out! She P.H.ed!
Mary Celestri…finished her fines, just because she could!
Linda Postenrieder…her cat had a B-day and she had an anniversary…so..both P.H. and H.A.
Trisha Perkey…got a parking ticket (a fine for a fine?!!) she was paid up..so dropped $$ to the Adopt- a-Village fund! Yeah!
Tabitha Ratto-Harkin…was paid up, so passed on her fine to someone …but she stood still graciously!
Russell Rice…fined him self for Helene’s B-day..they went to a fancy restaurant in Healdsburg … how fancy?…they serve Cobb wine there!
And…at last, very last, dear Moe Jacobson who has now been married to Bev for 2 years! H.A.
So endth the fines of the Rice. Let the games begin!

Jennifer Carter reminded us to get in our forms for being billed monthly for lunches…you need to submit them even if you decline to be billed and wish to pay at each meeting.

Sunshine…Chuck Hartley has gone to ReHab and is doing so well that he will be home again sooner than expected. Loretta says he will walking better than before! A very determined man, our Chuck.
The Raffle ended with Bob Hill not finding the blue marble…so endth the raffle.


ROTARY SPEAKER, JUNE 27, 2007..written by Bob Hill

The speaker for June 27th was Rita Scardaci, Director, County of Sonoma Department of Health Services.  (Rita is also a former Rotary Member, and plans to return as soon as her job allows time).

As Director of the Department of Health Services, Rita oversees and coordinates a number of wide-ranging health programs, including environmental monitoring, mental health, AIDS testing, disease control and drug programs.  Rita spoke briefly about the number of staff and annual budget. There are 850 employees, including full and part time, and a budget of $220 million.

The discussion then went to the proposed closing of the Sutter facility in Santa Rosa and the movement of patients to Memorial Hospital.  Rita discussed the County Health Care Access Agreement with Sutter, signed in 1996, that requires Sutter to provide publicly funded and other health care services including indigent care, medical services to jail inmates and reproductive services for women including abortion.  The proposed closure and transfer of services to Memorial, although possible under terms of the Access Agreement, would need approval from the County Board of Supervisors. Rita indicated that they are concerned and will continue to look very carefully at the proposed Sutter closure.  Consultants hired to analyze the proposal reported to Rita that there were multiple potential problems with the closure, especially emergency room access and services regarding reproductive services as Memorial, as a Catholic hospital, will not offer abortions. 

An additional component of this discussion is that the Board of Supervisors not too long ago approved a Sutter business plan that included Sutter’s intention to build a new hospital near the Wells Fargo Center for the Arts.  There is some consideration being given to hold Sutter to that approval.

Rita indicated that there are still a great number of issues and questions regarding a possible Sutter closure and Memorial provision of services under what would then be a County/Memorial Health Care Access Agreement.

If you have concerns, keep in touch with your County Supervisor and Rita’s Department of Health Services. 

So endith the last meeting of the Russell Rice Reign....now to the Debunking!

More pictures can be seen by clicking here.