Weekly eBulletin - October 2, 2013
Posted by David Whitehead
on Oct 07, 2013
eBulletin by Bill Paul
Photos By Rick Mendoza
The Inspirational Message (formerly the Invocation) was delivered by Eleanor Manzano and the flag salute led by Marna Smeltzer.
Visiting Rotarians: honorary member Mike Stark, and Walter Christmas from the PV Sunset club. Also, David Clubb from the Redondo Union High School Interact Club. David is the V.P. of the Interact Club, so although technically not a Rotarian he is a Rotarian-in-the-making. In fact, he spoke for a few minutes about a fund raising project he is involved in in Nicaragua raising money to help educate students in that country.
Guests: Craig Kovar was a special guest of Jim Sharvin, Lucos Do Lirramento was a guest of Marcelo Gonsalves, and Joann Gallin and Greg Chord were guests of Jeff Melodia.
Announcements: Our club was awarded the Les Guthrie Award in appreciation for exemplary leadership and support of the Redondo Beach Police Reserve Corp. We have sponsored this event for 19 years!
Laura Fields reminded members about the upcoming Vision to Learn project at the Washington Elementary School. We will assist in providing vision screening to 600 Title 1 children on October 10th. The Westchester and Playa Sunrise Rotary Clubs will assist us in this project.
Terry Bichlmeier noted a change in the schedule for the La Paz Trip. Rotarians will leave LAX on October 31 at 10 a.m. returning to LAX on November 3rd at 5:17 p.m. See Terry if you are interesting in going.
Mike Grady, a local band impresario (he works at Jim Chen’s automotive shop) will discuss what it takes to launch a musical group at the November 6th evening meeting. Come prepared for some great entertainment.
October is Vocational Service Month in the world of Rotary. A display table is available to display company brochures and brag about your company.
Public Relations Team: Jeff Weigel and Scott Young are heading this effort. So far, eight members have expressed interest. Contact Jeff or Scott for more information.
The John Parsons Scholarship Fund: Karen announced that $6,324 has been donated so far. Make checks out to Redondo Beach Rotary Club.
Past-president, Redondo Beach Mayor, man-about-town, and stand-up commedian extraordinaire Steve Aspel entertained us about his year as president of the club. He is one of 26 past-presidents currently active in our club. “I was never elected, I was appointed,” he said. Aspel was the first president of the combined Redondo Beach Rotary Club and North Redondo Beach Rotary Club way back in the 1998-1999 Rotary Year. Having been appointed rather than elected, as he noted, Steve admitted he attended “PETS but I ditched the meetings. Instead some of us went out for dinner.” When it came time for the annual Governor’s Visit— Carol Wylie was the District Governor that year and her official visit to our club under Steve’s tutelage was her first official governor’s meeting—“I was more nervous then a whore in church,” he said. One can only imagine that Carol was nervous too having Aspel, a non-elected rookie, hosting her first official duty! Evidently, both survived, though Carol has moved out of the area. Hmmm! In any event, Steve said during his year he coined the phrase “huggies and handshakes” that we continue to utilize to this day. He also confessed that he and Vicki Radel, a then-future district governor, ensured the Redondo Beach Rotary Club “won every award” at district conference during his year.
Craft Talks
Michael Payton regaled us with a property-by-property travelogue of his 40 years in hotel management. Starting fresh out of UCLA with a job in Hawaii (the Hilton Head Inn – tough duty!), in ensuing years he made his was to Florida, Cairo, Egypt, back to LAX, and eventually to the Crowne Plaza in Redondo Beach where is he now the general manager. Michael illustrated his many postings with cleaver hats he picked up along the way. Sounds like it was a fun-filled career. “It was like the army but the food was better,” he said.
Starting as a gopher in a theater while in junior high, Jeff Melodia parlayed that humble beginning to a career in special effects career in filmmaking and television. “I created props for the Tonight Show and Johnny Carson, the Wheel of Fortune, Pee Wee Herman and the Academy Awards,” he said. Aside from the glamorous life, Jeff was on the Board of Directors of the YMCA, now sits on the Redondo Beach Chamber of Commerce, and owns Compass Real Estate Group, a real estate development firm.
Raffle: Scott Fellows gave it a try after his number was pulled, but when tried for the green marble no luck. $10 to you, Scott.
Laura Fields reminded members about the upcoming Vision to Learn project at the Washington Elementary School. We will assist in providing vision screening to 600 Title 1 children on October 10th. The Westchester and Playa Sunrise Rotary Clubs will assist us in this project.
Terry Bichlmeier noted a change in the schedule for the La Paz Trip. Rotarians will leave LAX on October 31 at 10 a.m. returning to LAX on November 3rd at 5:17 p.m. See Terry if you are interesting in going.
Mike Grady, a local band impresario (he works at Jim Chen’s automotive shop) will discuss what it takes to launch a musical group at the November 6th evening meeting. Come prepared for some great entertainment.
October is Vocational Service Month in the world of Rotary. A display table is available to display company brochures and brag about your company.
Public Relations Team: Jeff Weigel and Scott Young are heading this effort. So far, eight members have expressed interest. Contact Jeff or Scott for more information.
The John Parsons Scholarship Fund: Karen announced that $6,324 has been donated so far. Make checks out to Redondo Beach Rotary Club.
Past-president, Redondo Beach Mayor, man-about-town, and stand-up commedian extraordinaire Steve Aspel entertained us about his year as president of the club. He is one of 26 past-presidents currently active in our club. “I was never elected, I was appointed,” he said. Aspel was the first president of the combined Redondo Beach Rotary Club and North Redondo Beach Rotary Club way back in the 1998-1999 Rotary Year. Having been appointed rather than elected, as he noted, Steve admitted he attended “PETS but I ditched the meetings. Instead some of us went out for dinner.” When it came time for the annual Governor’s Visit— Carol Wylie was the District Governor that year and her official visit to our club under Steve’s tutelage was her first official governor’s meeting—“I was more nervous then a whore in church,” he said. One can only imagine that Carol was nervous too having Aspel, a non-elected rookie, hosting her first official duty! Evidently, both survived, though Carol has moved out of the area. Hmmm! In any event, Steve said during his year he coined the phrase “huggies and handshakes” that we continue to utilize to this day. He also confessed that he and Vicki Radel, a then-future district governor, ensured the Redondo Beach Rotary Club “won every award” at district conference during his year.
Craft Talks
Michael Payton regaled us with a property-by-property travelogue of his 40 years in hotel management. Starting fresh out of UCLA with a job in Hawaii (the Hilton Head Inn – tough duty!), in ensuing years he made his was to Florida, Cairo, Egypt, back to LAX, and eventually to the Crowne Plaza in Redondo Beach where is he now the general manager. Michael illustrated his many postings with cleaver hats he picked up along the way. Sounds like it was a fun-filled career. “It was like the army but the food was better,” he said.
Starting as a gopher in a theater while in junior high, Jeff Melodia parlayed that humble beginning to a career in special effects career in filmmaking and television. “I created props for the Tonight Show and Johnny Carson, the Wheel of Fortune, Pee Wee Herman and the Academy Awards,” he said. Aside from the glamorous life, Jeff was on the Board of Directors of the YMCA, now sits on the Redondo Beach Chamber of Commerce, and owns Compass Real Estate Group, a real estate development firm.
Raffle: Scott Fellows gave it a try after his number was pulled, but when tried for the green marble no luck. $10 to you, Scott.