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PETALUMA VALLEY ROTARY

VIEWPOINT

 

Wednesday, January 30, 2008 convened by President Sally, theme for the year ‘Rotary Shares’. 

 

Forrest F. led the pledge.

 

Thought of the Day:  The future is there for whose who show up for it. 

 

Great entertainment was provided by Shadi and her partner, Danny Daniels, previewing the show coming up at the Moose Lodge on February 16, 2008.  Contact Shadi for tickets ($20); proceeds go to Mentor Me Petaluma.

 

VISITING ROTARIANS:  Al Kaplan (underground construction, Petaluma );

 

VISITORS:  Pedro, our exchange student; Andrew Kern (guest of the absent Russell Rice); Danny Daniels (music partner of Shadi); Karen Johnson (Dave’s wife); Ed Power (businessman, Rotarian, Diane’s uncle); Linda Power (pilot, journalist); Gardner Bride (husband of Sheila); Brian (Diane’s brother, entrepreneur); John Power (Diane’s brother, entrepreneur, pilot); Stuart Bell (Hellerwork practitioner and great human being, friend of Philip). 

 

ANNOUNCEMENTS / EVENTS.

 

District Conference, May 15-17^th, 2008.  Book the Hornblower Dinner Cruise on Friday night really soon or you’ll miss out on this great event.

 

International June 14-18, 2008 in Los Angles, make your reservation soon.

 

High School Opportunity Night – mock interviews, tonight.

 

SCARC Dinner – Rancho Cotati Club hosting, too late to reserve.

 

Spirit of Uganda concert - this Saturday, 15 folks going

 

First Friday – rescheduled to February 15^th, Tres Hombres.

 

Kevin Downey – theme next month for speakers World Understanding with an incredible selection of speakers; don’t miss one meeting!

 

HAPPY DOLLARS, FINES, ETC.: 

 

Lane Morales celebrated her birthday last week with a leaky roof here at the country club and a great dinner with her husband with a fine schedule donation; Mo Jacobsen celebrated his advancement to being a Medi-Care participant and thanked everyone for their continued contribution to Medi-Care and contributed to his fine schedule; Linda P. is celebrating her birthday today with a planned dinner tonight and paid with an age generated fine amount (secrets will be kept here); Demi celebrated her husband’s birthday with multiple nights of dinner out and paid a fine; Sheila honored her daughter’s birthday (Gardner paid the $41 fine); Philip paid for his daughter Michelle’s birthday and paid a $14 fine; John Burns paid for his negligent Club anniversary and his daughter’s birthday (today) but it was a challenge for our President to find an actual fineable offense; Ron Johns paid handsomely for his 36^th wedding anniversary with Marcia; Tricia P. celebrated her daughter’s internship at the Mexican consulate; Dawn moved her son back home; Sandra C.’s son’s girlfriend passed the bar, they will be moving back to the Bay Area.

 

Monica L. was a little evasive about her vacation to their property in Tucson (warm, no rain, no flood) and paid for not standing up and for her trip; JoAnn celebrated the publication of her article in Chapter 9 in the newly published edition of Celebrating Petaluma.  All of the authors will be at the Sheraton on February 22^nd for an author signing. 

 

Rotaract:  Great attendance at the introductory last week, thanks to the Rotarians who helped. 

 

Healthy Happy Hours – Tuesday, February 6^th, on nutrition at Julie’s office. 

 

SHOWERS:    

 

Raffle:  The marble was selected by Julie.

 

PROGRAM:  Diane Zimmerman led the wonderful program on the Nut Tree and The Rotary Fly-In, held 1957-1982. 

 

History – The Nut Tree was founded by Diane’s grandparents.  Diane shared the family story Ernie Smith’s Forced Landing in 1929 with family pictures showing her uncle, as a young boy, standing in front of the plane.  Ernie Smith went on to become famous for being one of two pilots first to fly from Oakland to Hawaii .  A dream in 1929, the project started as a Fruit Stand in 1921.  Soon after opening the fruit stand, they started selling fruit juices, then on to sandwiches for the traveling public – not much more to becoming a restaurant.  In the 1950’s, after war-time experiences, the business was handed over to the two sons (Diane’s father and uncle).  The decision was made to reinvent the business.  On June 20, 1955 they received a permit to open an airport (in the same vicinity of the 1929 landing).  Ed Power shared the history of creating the field.  By the 1960’s the Nut Tree became famous for their fresh fruit servings.  A cute little train was created for moving the customers from the air strip to the restaurant.  Historic pictures of The Nut Tree were shared.  The airport grew from a small family run strip to a County airport (great picture of the airfields and the Goodyear blimp). 

 

The Rotary Fly-In: Aviation History.  Bob Power developed the idea.  Diane’s brother, Ed, shared the history of the family and their love of aviation with a sincere thank you to his Uncle for instilling this love in him.  Ed gave some history of Who’s Who is the history of aviation with a picture of the Piper creator, Cessna history; an old 1960 fly-in flyer of the Vacaville Fly-In advertising Earl Sams as the speaker.  Within 5 years, 277 were coming to lunch for the fly-in including some from Tennessee .  In 1966 Max Conrad was the speaker, “Flying Grandfather”, 44,000 hours of air time.  Ed Power shared some stories about Max and his flights.  1968 – Stanley Hiller, father of one of the early helicopter pilots.  1969 Mira Slovak, racing, acrobatic, and airline pilot.  Ed went threw a number of famous aircraft greats who were speakers at the Fly-In including Tony Levier, a Lockheed test pilot.  In 1972 the first jet to land at the Nut Tree field, a Citation with the president of Cessna.  1975 the Goodyear blimp; and 1977 Chuck E. Yeager, Brig. General of the US Air Force (retired).  Ernie Gann, aviator and author was speaker in 1978.  1980 involved an acrobatic flight show, narrated by Chuck Yeager. 

 

Jimmy Doolittle was speaker in 1981, at the age of 85 years – no speech but great questions from the audience.  Jimmy’s models are on exhibit at the San Francisco Airport , International Air Terminal Museum.  Last fly-in included Neil Armstrong as speaker, the pinnacle of pilots. 

 

Great program on Diane’s history and the wonder of aviation in Vacaville . 

 

 

Your hapless Editor,

pt

More pictures can be seen by clicking here.