It's hard to tell because they look so much alike but Bill Fox substituted for Demi Fox as Sergeant at Arms today. Bill had some big shoes to fill with Demi out and did so admirably. Thanks Bill!
And, yes, 2 people of different heights hung Bill's photo on the van. Maybe Leigh knows something about that?
Dorina Timbol lead the Invocation.
John Tolson, right, lead the Pledge of Allegiance.
Jesus Torres welcomed our Guests.
President Bill started out by apologizing for the lack of a cold wind this morning to accompany our outdoor meeting. Kidding aside, it was a very pleasant morning.
Today Bill touched on the subject of how Service Clubs get things done in the community. This is something that Simi Sunrise knows a thing or two about. Bill said it can all start with one person, even the newest member of the Club, having an idea and sharing it. And then it becomes about relationships and trust within the community. As an example, Bill pointed to tomorrow's (3/5) Rec and Parks BBQ. Someone had an idea to honor the the two employees who were recently attacked as well as thank the Rec and Parks for all they do for our Club. Calls are made and, before you know it, you have the Y's Men coordinating the BBQ along with help from Mission Burrito (Jose Martinez) and Our Daily Bread (Geovanny Ragsdale). This is how Simi Sunrise gets it done. And this all leads to a better community.
Bill thanked John Tolson for getting a full page advertisement for the Queen Nation concert on the back of U Cast News. The best part? It was free! Nice job John.
Bill ended by saying that the Club is growing and this is an exciting time to be a Simi Sunrise Rotarian. Well, he really ended by reminding each of us to get our two tickets to the Queen Nation concert sold.
Best picture we had of Bill this week.
Our next meeting will be March 11th, 2021. It will be IN PERSON at the JUNKYARD and NOT on Zoom.
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Please remember to bring a friend or an acquaintance to our next meeting, even if the meeting is by Zoom.
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Dorina Timbol
Bob Donnelly
Dorina Timbol gave us update on Team Ginny. She first thanked Evelyn Garfield for the example Evelyn set with her involvement in two prior kidney transplants. Both were successful.
Dorina stressed that the key to finding a successful donor for Ginny is getting the word out. To that end, she has challenged all of us to share Ginny's story with 5 people. We will all get an email about this challenge. The email will include the Team Ginny flyer that needs to be passed on to 5 others. Please keep an eye out for it. Lastly, Dorina announced that Evelyn, Tony Falato (Evelyn's husband) and Rocky Rhodes are all available to join any Zoom meetings to discuss all aspects of donating a kidney.
Bob Donnelly, Ginny's husband, said a few words of thanks to everyone for all of the help and support he's received. He said it felt like being part of a family. Bob thanked Dorina specifically for her help in leading this effort and especially her interest in genealogy. If not for that, this donor search might not be happening.
If you need to learn how to Share on social media, please reach out to Team Ginny and they will be glad to help.
Please remember that The Samaritan Center is still in need of chaperones on Wednesday nights. This effort allows those without a roof over their head to have a safe and warm place to spend the night. The hours needed on Wednesday night are from 7 PM to 7 AM the next morning on Thursday.
Please see John Tolson if you can help out.
Larry and Ryan said our timing for the concert is turning out to be pretty good. This is the first concert of the season and the Covid-19 restrictions are easing. People are ready to get out and enjoy themselves. Tickets continue selling fast. And a reminder that we each need to sell two tickets. See below for a link to ticket sales.
The date is set for April 2nd and they are looking for a lot of help. As noted previously, this type of venue will require more volunteers than the Drive-In Movie venue. So please consider helping out. An email will be going out soon regarding volunteer assignments. And a volunteer meeting is scheduled for the evening of March 16th and 30th. Look for the email.
There will be an opening act at 5:00 PM and then Queen Nation comes out at 6:00 PM. They will play until about 7:30 or 8:00 PM. A Sign Up Sheet will be coming out soon. Please keep an eye out for it and consider helping per the hours noted above.
Dr. P said the Full Moon hike last Friday was very nice. 25 people showed up for a great evening of hiking. He said the best part though was the "debriefing" at the Junkyard afterward. The next hike will be Palm Sunday up to Mt. McCoy. More details to follow.
Dr. P. still suffering from the effects of the "Debrief"
Leigh, Old Man Seaton, Seaton, gave us more details on the BBQ honoring and thanking the Rec and Parks tomorrow, Friday, March 5th. If you are a volunteer, please be at 4201 Guardian Street at 11:00 Am for set up. Lunch will start at 12:30 PM and then there will be clean up afterward. As noted above, the Y's Men will be BBQ'ing with Mission Burrito (Jose Martinez) and Our Daily Bread (Geovanny Ragsdale) providing support. Leigh said 125 people are expected.
Leigh also mentioned that there is an upcoming Blood Drive on April 15th. Stay tuned.....
Leigh (yes, I know) also mentioned that John Tolson became aware of an elderly lady in our community who is in need of help. Leigh is organizing an effort to clean up her yard on Saturday, March 27th. Work will start at 8:00 AM and Leigh is estimating 3-4 hours of work. Please let Leigh know if you can help. Also, there's a rumor going around that Josh will be there with some Chic-fil-A goodies.
Leigh.....
Leigh.....
and Leigh.....
Leigh, you're an amazing fellow.....
REMINDER
FM Radio Drive-In Capability
Just a reminder that you can sit safely in your car and listen to next week's meeting at the Junkyard by tuning in to 88.9 on your FM dial.
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Ryan Valencia announced that a Simi Valley Veterans Foundation is being established. He said to let him or Simi Valley City Councilperson Dee Dee Cavanaugh know if you are interested in getting involved.
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We had the following Guests this week:
Linus Kojelis(Prospective Member)
Thomas Herdering
Dr. Jason Peplinski (Guest Speaker)
Officer Chris Martin SMPD (Guest Speaker)
Mr. Linus Kojelis
Mr. Thomas Herdering
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We had two Guest Speakers with us this morning. First, we heard from Dr. Jason Peplinski, Simi Valley Unified School District Superintendent along with our own Jake Finch. Jake is the Public Relations and Public Information Officer for the District. We then heard from Officer Chris Martin and his new K-9 partner, Clark.
Ms. Jake Finch and Dr. Jason Peplinski
Jake and Dr. Peplinski shared with us an event that took place this past weekend. A vaccine clinic was held over two days in the District office. It was set up for local educators and, over the course of the weekend, 2400 vaccinations were administered. The logistics for this were quite difficult, made even more so with poor communication from the state. All of this was made possible with the help of Simi Valley Adventist Hospital. 17 staff members from the hospital were on hand to distribute the vaccine and all on their own dime. Dr. Peplinski said that, without the Hospital's help, this couldn't have happened.
In addition, Dr. Peplinski also let us know that it looks like the County will be moving into the Red Tier in the state's color coded re-opening plan. This means that, among other things, Simi Valley's secondary schools can get back to in-person learning as soon as within a couple of weeks. And, Dr. Levin, the County's Public Health Officer, has agreed to shorten the distance between students in class from 6 feet to 4 feet. Dr. Peplinski wanted to emphasize that no one was more happy to get this news than he. He said that he anticipates that about 50% of students will opt to stay online for the remainder of the year.
Officer Chris Martin and Clark
Officer Chris Martin and his new partner Clark visited with us today. Chris has been a police officer for 26 years, 21 of them with the Simi Valley Police Department. He's been a K-9 handler since 2003. Chris' better half Clark is about 1 1/2 years old and been with Chris for 4 days now. Clark is named in honor of fallen Simi Valley Police Officer Michael Clark. Clark's training starts tomorrow and, when fully trained, will replace Chris' current partner, Ace. Ace is 9 1/2 years old and has been on the streets for 8 years now. Once retired, Ace will live out his years with Chris and his family. I'm not too sure who is luckier - Chris or Ace.
Simi Valley PD has three K-9 Units with all dogs being purchased by the Police Foundation at a cost of $18,000 per dog. If you add in the cost of the training that goes into each dog, it becomes clear that this is a serious investment. Simi Valley PD buys their dogs from Gold Coast Canine in Moorpark. Chris says he's looking for a dog that is social, has drive, is environmentally sound and can hunt. He defined environmentally sound as not being afraid of the dark, slippery surfaces, stairs, etc. Basically, pretty much not afraid of anything.
Chris said that a K-9 Unit in the Simi Valley PD is trained to locate bad guys, drugs and explosives. He described his dog as a locating tool and not as a means of attack. In order to deploy his dog, Chris said he has to consider three criteria:
1. The seriousness of the offense.
2. Does the bad person pose a risk to the community.
3. Is the bad person actively resisting.
Chris ended with a quick story relating to the recent escape of a handcuffed suspect from the Sheriff's Station on Madera. More than 50 law enforcement personnel were involved in the search with no success. This included a Ventura County Sheriff's K-9 Unit. Chris was called in and was able to find the guy within 15 minutes in an area previously searched by the Sheriff's K-9 Unit. Most impressive though was that Chris showed no signs of boasting.
All in all, it looks like the citizens of Simi Valley will be safe under the watchful eye of Clark.
Happy Birthday Josh!
Happy Birthday Eric!
Happy Club Anniversary John! 13 years!
Clark ready for action
Hmm...drug sniffing dog and Chas leaving in a hurry?
John Tolson's Queen Nation ad
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