Bonita Optimist Club

Despite the change of breakfast venue to the Bonita Community Room this week we had a great turnout and the usual great breakfast from Ruth Henricks. Pres Roger preempted others this am to announce the US Marine Corps birthday and offer the Invocation and lead the Hail to Optimism himself. Pres Roger can do it all, however, Chuck Hamilton was allowed to do the Pledge of Allegiance to our great Nation. All veterans were then invited to stand and be recognized and mention their service period. We then offered our appreciation to Al & Dana Cornell, Leo Ledbetter, Ahmad Younis, and Pres Roger himself who all came in early at 0530 before many of us actually awoke to do the setup.

Special guests this morning were Buck Martin, Director of the CV Recreation Department, Charles (Chuck) Gailband, Manager of the CV Nature Center, and a beautiful Red Shouldered Hawk. Frank Szeles and Gertrud Scott and her guest Jim Biddle were back after too long an absence. Jimmy Lydon was back from visiting in London where it actually snowed.

Al Monahan successfully bid for the Exempt Badge and used his floor time to congratulate the membership for our many activities and fellowship of the past year and into the new. For the first ever, our clever Pres Roger appointed a Secret Greeter team of the dynamic father/son team of Al & Dana Cornell. Needless-to-say, lots of fines were collected.

The 50/50 drawing was won by Don Cousino. You can’t win if you are not present!

Announcements:

- John Reid gave a recap of the just completed SDGO Optimist Golf Tournament that he co-founded when LtGov with Pt Loma’s Vernon Lee. Unfortunately, the Pt Loma club has won the perpetual trophy all 3 years. He rationalized this year’s loss was due to Pt Loma taking advantage of our team by playing with some new club members that were actually under 50 years of age. We obviously have to recruit some younger members ourselves this year or we may never bring the trophy home.

- Gov-Elect Lucille LeMieux encouraged attendance at this weekend’s 1^st Quarterly District meeting at Vista’s El Camino Country Club. VIP guest will be our regional International VP, Tommy Vaughn, with a welcome dinner Friday evening and lunch & dinner on Saturday.

- Duane Lucca received several Basketball Tournament ads at breakfast but many many more are required to make this a successful fundraiser and community service activity. Please, everyone help in this endeavor to get ads!

- Jimmy Lydon is gearing up to provide 50 Christmas dinners to needy military families so he will be collecting donations in the weeks to come. The local Ralph’s Store provides us a 20% - so shop at Ralph’s! He will need about a dozen helpers just before Christmas to sort all the food/materials into 50 boxes so please let him know that you can assist.

Our tandem speakers, Buck and Chuck of the CV Recreation Dept and Nature Center, respectively, spoke at length about their programs. Buck Martin is a past past President of Kiwanis so is well familiar with community service. He spoke about the city’s and his department’s challenge of diminishing resources and the reduction of core services during these financially difficult times. Leisure and community (kids) services naturally take the first budgetary constraint with natural ripple down effects to the “fabric of society” as our community leaders endeavor to maintain public safety and public works. Chula Vista’s budget has been reduced (so far) from $168M to $137M and his Recreation Department has had a 26% budget reduction. Also realize that 80% of the city budget is people/payroll. Charles Gailband introduced us to Chula Vista’s Nature Center where one can “Discover Nature”. Their motto is “Serving, Preserving…Naturally!” “The Center is a living museum that offers a rare view into the natural habitats of Southern California, located on the Sweetwater Marsh National Wildlife Refuge – one of the few remaining salt marsh wetlands on the Pacific coast”. At the Center the public can interact with and explore the regions habitats and indigenous specious thru exhibits and walking trails. Check out www.ChulaVistaNatureCenter.org for more info. They have opportunities for volunteers and docents as educational ambassadors as well as memberships. Chuck spoke in particular about birds of  prey that are actually good to have around – keeps the rodent population somewhat under control. His Red Shouldered Hawk seemed fairly large but Red Tailed Hawks are even larger. Also, a Coopers Hawk eats other birds and there is no such thing as “chicken” hawks. Female birds are larger than males of the species because of their reproductive organs but males are more effective hunters due to their smaller size. Most birds of prey don’t survive a year beyond the egg although they have the capability to live into their teens. Their daily feeding at the Center is 3:30pm, right after the sharks at 3pm.

Prez Roger is really getting the hang of things! Our meeting started promptlywith an Invocation by Bert LeMieux, the Pledge of Allegiance by Jerry Fulk, and the Hail to Optimism by David Krogh who is no longer with us – that is to say, he is away on vacation right after breakfast.

There were several guests at breakfast but unfortunately not all were recorded for these hilites. However, it was good to welcome back members Mike Bartels and Kurt Spangler after periods of medical recovery – both looked great! Last week’s guest speaker, Diane Hunter, also rejoined us as a prospective new member. This morning’s program speaker was Richard Preuss of the CVPD Community Relations Unit.

In very compelling bidding, Dave Krogh was the high bidder for the Exempt Badge and used his floor time to read two letters from Christian Sanchez, an extremely talentedyoung musician who has entertained us in the past (Letter 1, Letter 2). Chuck Hamilton had a very nice photo and write-up in the Star-News by Richard Pena but nevertheless was appropriately fined for failing to mention his Bonita Optimist affiliation. The 50/50 drawing saw Lucille LeMieux pull the winning number for Don Hamilton.

CVPD Community Relations Specialist Richard Preuss’ presentation was crafted from 23 years of crime experience. Today’s topic concerned holiday safety and how not to be a victim. He stated 2 key facts about crooks – they are basically lazy people who don’t like to go to jail! The absolute best evidence is fingerprints followed by DNA. Although eyewitness testimony is somewhere lower on the evidence list, juries are prone to give it higher significance an downplay scientific evidence. When dealing with potential crooks, be observant and make eye contact without staring. This sends a message to the crook to be fearful (of ID) and they may venture elsewhere to someone else wearing a “victim” sign. Holidays are the “Season to be Stealing” so be especially more protective and aware than normal to outsmart the crook:

• Auto theft is ½ of Chula Vista crime - don’t leave exposed/visible stuff.

• Don’t show all in your Christmas tree decorated window – closewindows and/or delay placing gifts under the tree; likewise, post-Christmas trash advertises what you have – cutup/breakup boxes.
• When shopping, crooks are watching your arrival and return with packages. After placing them in the trunk and before venturing back for more shopping, move your car to another part of the parking complex and arrive again (with nothing visible).
• Home security entails the exclusive use of deadbolts – doorknob locks only keep us out, not the crooks. Further, strike plates are the strength of the door but only when the ½ inch screws are replaced with 3 inch screws into solid wood. Windows should be kept shut & locked. The most frequent crook access to our homes is thru open garage doors, followed by side doors and side windows. Screen all calls with an answering machine. Similarly, have/use a front door peep hole and talk thru the door without opening it to strangers. This is being SAFE, NOT RUDE!

Announcements:

• Breakfast NEXT Thursday morning will be at the Bonita Community Room next to the library.
• Gary Sauer recapped the Naval Station fleet homing of several ships this past rainy day wherein the Eastlake Club and ours provided hot dogs and Fluffy the Clown entertainment to families awaiting the return of their loved ones. John Reid, Harley Perry, Elaine Lucca, Fluffy, and Gary Sauer represented us along with contingents from the Pearl Harbors Survivors and the Navy League.
• Bert LeMieux gave a brief recap of the Basketball Tournament preparations. We still need lots of advertisements for the program by each of us. Please use this Ad Form.
• Elaine Lucca recapped the successful pie/ice cream fundraiser by the BVHS Octagon Club. Further, this Saturday will be the CALSO JOOI Fall “quarterly” meeting in Mission Bay. Approximately, 35 JOOI members are expected to participate in leadership training and community service at the park site.
• Last weekends edition of the Star-News had a great write-up about “Optimist Clubs Making a Difference”. KGTV Channel 10 honored Eastlake Club members (former governor) Bob & Georgia Langhorst with a community award for spearheading the Rainforest Project at Kaiser-Zion Hospital pediatric oncology ward in Allied Gardens. In a sidebar to that article, the Bonita and Eastlake Clubs were hilited for donating $1058 and $1020, respectively, to the Rady Children’s Hospital Auxiliary from the annual Kids News Day paper sales.
• • Fran Cornell announced the 4 December Independence City Project for developmentally disabled kids at the Otay Mesa Recreation Center. This annual program helps to mainstream 150-200 youth to live independently.
• Diane Hunter, the San Diego County Intergenerational Coordinator of Aging & Independent Services, once again reminded us of the fast approaching South County Intergenerational Games to be held on Wednesday 19 November at the U.S. Olympic training Center in Chula Vista. The South Bay games are the largest throughout the county, hosting 120 3^rd grade students and 120 adults. Some of the students will be coming from Valley Vista Elementary School where club member Gloria Mckearney is the principal. They really, really need adult participants. Please see the attachedFact Sheetand Participant Enrollment Form.

The members were full of energy as Pres Roz clanged the meeting to order and gleefully announced that this was her last meeting as president. Ron Foster gave the invocation, Walt Kraker led the Pledge, and Roy Hammond led the “Hail”, in tune for once. Pres Roz enthusiasically read an appropriate George Carlin item on aging and then introduced three guests, Diane Sackos, Courtney Arciaga, and our program speaker from the Alzheimer’s Association, Melissa Chaty. Ronny Perry was back after an absence of several weeks. The guests led us to breakfast amid a noisy, sell out crowd. Ruth Hendricks, one of our members, provided the breakfast of corned beef hash and poached eggs, with waffles, fruit and coffee cake. It put everyone in a good mood.

Courtney Arciaga was the high bidder for the Exempt Badge to announce that she is job hunting. Birthday people were honored with an “in tune” song, again by Roy Hammond. Ron Seipel (26^th) was told that he shares his birthday with Jack LaLaine, the body builder, and Luz Aguirre and Dana Cornell both share the 27^th as their birthday.

Leo Ledbetter announced the Bonitafest Melodrama would be showcased nightly at 7:30pm Wednesday – Saturday and Elaine Lucca and the JOOI kids would be fundraising there by selling refreshments.

Members should attend Bonitafest this Saturday, September 27^th, and help with tearing down the booth after 3 PM. Pres Roz and Elaine Lucca need help with the Junior Optimists that day.

Kids Newsday was announced by Chris Campion who just “popped in” for the announcement. He is taking over the project for Kurt Spangler who recently had open heart surgery. All members are encouraged to come out Tuesday, October 7^th, at the corner of Bonita Road and Willow Road at 6 AM and help us “sell” 800 newspapers for donations from our neighbors on their way to work.

The Eastlake Optimist Club will be hosting a Rummage Sale at the Manor House on Saturday/Sunday 4-5 October and a Red Cross Blood Drive at the Eastlake Von’s market on Tuesday 14 October. Come out and help, either as a volunteer, with your cash purchases, or to donate blood and save a life.

Linda Meyer announced the upcoming Fall Craft Fair on Saturday 18 October. This is a significant fundraiser for the club and all we have to do is help the vendors setup and teardown – and run the cash register sales.

Ahmad Younis is assisting Marty Paetzold with Football Fun, and oh by the way, Pres Roz was the winner last week.

Lined, club jackets are available from Ronny Perry. She will be in the clubhouse to embroider jackets with your name at the Thursday morning meeting on October 9^th .

The INSTALLATION DINNER is next week, October 2^nd, Thursday Night, at the South Bay Grill at the “J” Street Marina. Cost is $30.00 per person with live entertainment!

Movie night this month, will be on Sunday, Sept. 28^th at 6 PM at the Bonita Community Center next to the county library on Bonita Road. The movie feature will be the last “Henry Aldridge” starring our own member, Jim Lydon. His movie star name was Henry Aldridge. The movie title for Sunday is “ Henry Aldridge, Boy Scout”.

Our speaker was last year’s “Miss California”, Melissa Chaty, and she spoke about Alzheimer’s Disease, passing out brochures and giving us tips on maintaining our brain – see brochure . A Memory Walk will take place Saturday, October 25^th at 8 AM at Balboa Park. The Allied Gardens Club has already registered a team – see brochure . Also review the brochure – 10 Warning Signs . She mentioned that dementia has different symptoms and that Alzheimer’s Disease is a form of dementia representing 60% of cases. It is a progressive, degenerative, terminal disease that kills or atrophies brain cells. There are 90,000 affected people in SDGO & Imperial Counties and everyone of those impacts 3-4 additional people/family members. Further, someone is diagnosed every 71 seconds, 5 million are now affected but 12-13 million by 2030, 1 in 8 baby boomers, 1 in 10 65 years old have it, and 50% of 85 year old’s have it. The greatest risk factor is age but family history can play some part. The effects are major changes in personality & mood, and varies from person to person. 10% of cases are early onset before age 65. A 95% sure diagnosis takes several multi-day tests to eliminate other problems. Melissa recommends three things we can do: donate $ or volunteer time, become an advocate, and participate like Allied Gardens in the memory Walk Fundraiser for research. Mary Carter ended the meeting by sharing a nutritional tip about the prevention of Alzheimer’s – Indians don’t get Alzheimer’s because of a component of Curry – so eat tumeric.

Angie Hawkins won the 50/50 drawing!

Note : If anyone has any amusing information concerning any of our Optimist members or the activities over the past year, please contact Angie Hawkins in the next couple of days at 253-2168 or by email @ DrHawk@cox.net , AngieaThom@aol.com , Angela.Hawkins@natuniv.edu . We will need a projector for the Power Point presentation. Please let Angie know if you have one.