In the Beginning…
With the Taste of Ojai event in the rearview mirror, we recongregated at the Center with new vigor. President Kay rang the room to order welcoming the “Hardest working Club I know!—The Rotary Club of Ojai”.
Thanks to…
Suzanne Scar ably led the Pledge of Allegiance while a truly inspirational moment was offered up by Christine Golden:
As we gather here today as members of Rotary, we are ever mindful of opportunities to render our service to fellow citizens and to our community. We keep in mind the enduring values of life, exerting our efforts in those areas and on those things upon which future generations can build with confidence. Let us continue to strive to make a better world.
We are thankful for this day, for its blessings, its opportunities, its challenges.
Thanks to the earth for the soil.
Thanks to the sky for the rains.
Thanks to the farmers for the harvest.
Thanks to our friends for the love.
Special thanks to every club member who made the 2023 Taste of Ojai a time of fellowship and fun. For our friends, for our families, for our meal, we are thankful! Let's eat!
Our greeter was the ever-welcoming Deirdre Daly. Dave Brubaker anchored the welcome desk and collected the ducats. Our room was setup by Herr Doctor Jerry Maryniuk. We then led our guests to the lunch line for a sumptuous repast of Chicken Cacciatore. The roving mic was handled by “the other Bret”—Bret Nighman.
Thanks to all of you for making our meetings so special.
Visiting Rotarians and Guests
Sean McDermott, wired in by Zoom from his family sod in Ireland.
We welcomed several guests, Rotarians and visitors.
Announcements
Our TOOT (Taste of Ojai Treasurer), Fern Barishman, reviewed the numbers from our event. We did very well. There was a last-minute surge in Sponsors, ticket sales. 379 tickets were sold. With a few outstanding figures, we netted $56,857. Good job, everyone.
Thanks to Club members, Friends of Rotary, Boy Scouts, Vendors, guests, and a cast of thousands for making this a very successful event. This money will be invested in our Community, its students, and a host of charitable causes. A special thanks goes to Cindy Frings, Suzanne Scar, and Sean McDermott for leading this event with so many moving parts.
Cheree Edwards reported on the 75th Anniversary of the Ojai Rotary. The event will take place at the Boccali ranch. The main event will be in his barn, with alfresco dining, a commemorative video, live music, and much more. Many thanks to Tony Thacher for his work on producing a souvenir publication detailing the history of the Ojai Rotary Club and support. Thanks to Tara Saylor and her crew for putting together a video about our Club.
Remember, this coming Friday, April 28th will be in celebration of Arbor Day with tree planting and a tour of the new campus at Ojai Valley School, Upper Campus at 10820 Reeves Road.
Like a true Phoenix, the school rose from the ashes of the Thomas Fire. Leave a little early since it takes time to get up there. Consider car pooling.
On May 5th we will have Doug Parker, lawyer, author, blogger and consultant. Mr. Parker has a very active and enteraining blog at RINOcracy.com. He will speak about his law associate, Richard Nixon, during the dark days of Watergate. He negotiated the release of Danny Ainge from the NBA Toronto Blue Jays to the Boston Celtics and wrote the only authorized biography of Ogden Nash.
This May 19th will be the Rotary Club of Ojai Educational Foundation scholarship presentations. It will take place at Boccali’s Restaurant lawn area. Don’t miss this one. 28 senior students from our local schools will receive over $150,00 in awards. It will leave you with “a warm heart”.
Paul Harris Awards Presented to Fern Barishman and Ren Adam-for their work, support, and adherence to the ideals of Rotary. Congratulations!!
Rotary Poster Contest winners were announced at the Ojai Valley Museum by Wendy Barker.
They were:
Winner - 9 to 12 grades, Adrienne Kearney, 12th grade, Legacy high school
Runners up - Serena Cornell, 12th grade, Nordhoff and Ivan Pineda, 11th grade, Nordhoff
Winner- 6 - 8th grade, Peyton Kennedy, 7th grade, Matijila Middle School
Runners up - Max Mayers, 7th grade, Matilija and Niamh Walsh, 8th grade, Matilija
Winner - K to 5th grade, Hunter Rogers, 5th grade, Meiners Oaks Elementary School
Runners up - Jaxton O'Gorman, 4th grade, Topa Topa Elementary, and Camila Krankl, 2nd grade, Mira Monte Elementary
Confessions and Fining: Ren Adam
Senor Adam took the podium with a take no prisoners posture and declared, “The RenDog is coming for you.” Kathy Yee and Gerry Maryniuk confessed and felt better. The fining was based on Ren’s recent Shingles Vaccinations and number of members who have had shingles. If you are 50 or older or older than 19 with a suppressed immune system, you need to get a two dose series. Patricia Anderson, Jack Jacobs, Sue Gilbreth, Brian Schlaak, and Jerry Maryniuk were among the members divested of their lucre.
Program: Craig Walker
Bret Bradigan introduced Craig Walker.
Craig Walker, a retired Nordhoff High School history teacher, brings a lifetime of local historical knowledge to his Ojai history projects. He is one of three co-authors of Ojai (A Postcard History) and a contributing author for the 3rd Edition of The Ojai Valley: An Illustrated History.
He currently serves as a part-time administrator at Valley Oak Charter School in Ojai. He has served as a volunteer historian for the Ojai Valley Museum since 2007. He curated the museum’s 2014 exhibit, “Ethel Percy Andrus: How One Ojai Woman Changed America” and served as researcher for an exhibit about Edward Libbey's transformation of Ojai called “Inventing Ojai.” Craig served on the City of Ojai’s Historic Preservation Commission, helped with the Ojai Pergola and Arcade restoration projects, and revived the community’s Ojai Day Celebration in 1991. Craig is currently working on a book for the Ojai Arts Commission on Ojai architecture.
Craig presented his research and documentation of Dr. Ethel Percy Andrus-One woman who changed America.
After finding an older woman living in a chicken coop because she couldn’t afford decent housing or health care, a retired educator named Ethel Percy-Andrus got angry, then got organized. And in doing so, she radically changed the landscape of America.
This beautifully illustrated book is the first comprehensive biography of Dr. Andrus, the founder of AARP, now the nation’s largest nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to empowering Americans 50 and older to choose how they live as they age.
A social innovator, visionary, and disruptor, Andrus pioneered marketplace solutions to help older Americans stretch their dollars and improve the quality of their lives, such as affordable group health insurance, a discount drug-buying plan, and a travel service. She worked hard to create affordable, accessible housing for people as they age and unite the generations through volunteerism. She fought fraud and helped establish a new image of aging in the workplace and beyond. And as an educator, she served as a teacher and principal, launched a school for adults, and later founded the Institute of Lifetime Learning.
“I am constantly reminded of how much better people are living and aging today because of the innovations that Dr. Andrus pioneered and the changes she fought for.” —Jo Ann Jenkins Chief Executive Officer, AARP
Thank-You, Craig for another great historical perspective on a truly heroic woman who changed millions of lives for the better. A social pioneer.
Final Thoughts: Life Hack
Kay offered the following observation:
“If you repeated what you did today 365 more times will you be where you want to be next year
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