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Newsletter for July 25,
2007 |
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coming soon: President Sally opens meeting with her found gavel.(but is it the real gavel? Inquiring minds want to know!)  Forrest leads the flag pledge. Thought for the Day: Trisha: “True faith and courage are like a kite- an opposing wind raises it higher.” PVR guests: Frank and Kathleen Mayhew, Sebastopol Rotary Club  Moreya Wincon Torres Janice and Jack Williams Lisa Ludason Jim Becker, Petaluma Rotary Club Steve Powell, Petaluma Rotary Club Will Johnson Official Greeter: our own Derek. Announcements: July 26, SCARC BBQ at the Dutton Ranch put on by Sebastopol Sunrise Club. Aug 3, First Friday at Sally’s House at 1707 Pauline Way, around 6pm, signups. Aug 4 Rotary Foundation Seminar, South Cotati Police station. Frank and Kathleen Mayhew introduced Moreya Wincon Torres, a recipient of Rotary sponsorship in Mexico, and who is now pursuing a career as an attorney. Moreya graciously thanked the club and Rotary for their support to make her dreams possible.  Bravo Moreya, bravo Rotarians! A n Living History of Petaluma during the 1940s Joann Rikko Pozzi After the 1929 Great Depression, the world economic downturn continued until 1941-1945 when World War Two was fought. During the war, the country was on a war footing and the economy boomed as the country produced war related materials. Masses of men earned income in the armed services as well as women became employed, many for the first time, in producing tanks, ships, munitions, supplies, and aircraft (Rosie the Riveter is still alive today). During this time (a show of hands found many war babies in PVR), it was the life of ration cards, 2 cent postage, and high income taxes (like $500 out of $3500 earned, ouch!). Joann showed us photos and examples from her family collection for that period. Strategic materials were rationed: food, gas, rubber, metal, etc. Food allotments, such as the sugar ration, required you fill out a written statement how the use you were going to use the sugar for! 
Joann also had copies of receipts for that period such as from the
Sanderson Motor Co. where her dad purchased a 1935 Ford sedan car in
1939 for $20 down and $6 per month! Joann also spoke upon a old
Lerer and Sons auto parts store that used to be across from Golden
Eagle Shopping Center (yea!) on East Washington and a receipt from
there for a pump kit costing $1.28. She also had a vintage manual
wash board, reflecting a time when electricity was less
available. She also reflected on a 1950 Argus Courier, the old
California Theater (now the Phoenix Theater), the former USO next to
Rex Hardware, and the old Woody station wagons which required periodic
sanding to keep their good looks. Thanks for another great
history lesson Missy J! The Osokuru Benefit at the Pelican Art Gallery went off last Thursday raising a rumored $1800. Sally recognized all the volunteers who helped at the event as well as to Pamela and Linda to organized it. Great job gals. Fines Rickie R celebrates her birthday which was a quiet one with her pug puppy (whose twin brother is Jim O’Grady for you geneology fans) . Sheila Bride celebrates Gardner’s birthday by herself since he flew off to the Oshkosh, Ohio airshow again. Don’t be sad Sheila, Oshkosh is Mecca to pilots. Libby celebrates Jon Fitz’s birthday, kidnapping him to Timbercove Inn and Albion River kayaking. Shadi celebrates her second club anniversary. Today was Show and Tell! Who are thes women and what do they want!?  The PVR newsletter: the Viewpoint. Jerrie Patterson Most members (except Forrest who doesn’t have a computer) get the Viewpoint via email. That email has links to the district newsletter, Rotary International, and the PVR website. From there you can see archived newletters, your donation status, minutes of meetings, etc. The scribes (Jim O’Grady, Pam, Jerrie, and Gordon) take the minutes while Todd Cary takes and adds photos and then sends out newletters to the members. If you want to put in an announcement in the Viewpoint, talk to Walt beforehand so we can include it. Sally: some beautiful African prints are available before sending back to Africa Raffle: Bob draws for $221 but alas no luck. Speaker: Dr. Kiersten Israel-Ballard Education: Molecular Biology, UC Santa Cruz/Master Public Health, UC Berkeley Ph.D UC Berkeley/ Scientific Coordinator: HIV and Breast Milk Study Topic: Infant Survival in Sub-Saharan Africa Kiersten showed a slide presentation of Africa: the popular concept (lion on the plains), more real Masai women, and too real, a orphan and a HIV positive child who is 6 years old but looks like 3 years old with stunted growth. There are 39.5 million people with HIV in the world, most are in Africa, most are women of child-bearing age. Women are more affected with great risk factors being married, prostitution, and cultural gender 
disempowerment. Last year, 2.1 million people died in
Africa despite availability of modern anti-viral medications- it’s not
getting through to Africa where only 20 percent have such access.
Some drug companies providing drugs for free or at lower cost due to
increasing political pressure. HIV causes 4 percent of
children death in world with 300,000 children per year get infected
from breastfeeding, eventually dying from diarrhea or respiratory
failure.A World Health Organization HIV intervention program in Botswana tried to substitute powdered formula milk for breastfeeding but resulted in disaster. The formula intervention program caused a sharp increase in child mortality, rising from 8,000 before intervention to over 35,000 with. The cause: no close safe water sources to mix and make the powdered formula milk. Bad water causes more infant mortality than HIV traditionally. A new compromise protocol- allow six months of breast-feeding incurring maximum immunity from mother, then switch to alternative solid foods. How can we make breast milk safe for those six months? Heat pasteurize it. 
One problem unfortunately in Africa, WHO Minister of Health provides
counselors and midwives that see the mothers- most don’t give all the
options, only a judgement as what a mom should do. Also there are
no breast pumps, moms must manually express. Moms actually
liked better because it was cheaper and they were already doing that
part of process. To keep the breastmilk safe, a flash heat system
was devised: water in pan with jar containing milk, put
over paraffin stove or other flame to boil, kills HIV.
Antibodies and nutritional proteins were still viable and
immunoprotective. Another way to use (especially if no wood
round) was solar heating (a kit was shown from Solar Cookers
International, Sacramento). In fact a group of women in Kenya
making them as a micro-business.Lastly, Kiersten showed a short clip of a HIV prevention meeting where the people were laughing, clapping, dancing, and having a good time- the message was clear: don’t write off us in Africa, we are still trying beat this disease. With some help, there is more than hope. Q: Why not use goat milk? Goats are abundant in Africa, a symbol of wealth, and is used as a substitute, but goat milk doesn’t have all the nutrients that human babies need. Meeting Adjourned |
