eBulletin for week of September 25, 2013

Karen reminded members about the Vision-to-Learn project. On October 10th we will launch the program at Washington Elementary, a Title 1 school with 600 students. Students that do not pass the eye chart test will be referred to Vision to Learn for a full eye exam. The screening will be scheduled when all  parent consent forms have been returned.  We will need 12 to 14 volunteers from 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

October is Vocational Service Month and Paul Hayashi is our Vocational Service Chair. A table will be set up for members to bring their business cards and display their company brochures, “October is sharing your business,”  Karen said.

Members still have the opportunity to fill out the Satisfaction Questionnaire and Pledge Form. 

The District Picnic will be held at the Seaside Lagoon on Sunday Oct. 6 – 11 to 4.  It will have a Red, White and Blue theme to honor America’s veterans.  Colette reported to Wendy Clifford, who is chairing the event, that we have 23 members and 6 children signed up to attend from our club.  Scott Fellows will represent us at the Great Chili Cook-off.  Chili chefs are only required to prepare enough chili for 25, so if you want to taste Scott’s concoction get there early.  Colette and Bill will staff our Redondo Beach canopy for ice cream sundaes.  We still need some help so let Bill or Colette know.  Oh, and yes, ice cream runs out too.  Laura Fields and President Karen team will team up to row our entry, the Redondo Beach Cougars, in the Great Cardboard Boat Race.  This is one activity you should not miss!

Do not forget the John Parsons Scholarship Fund.  It contained $5,588 at the start of the meeting, but Jeff Melodia presented a check in the amount of $500 from the Rivera Village Business Association, while Gayle Albin-Bailey received additional checks totaling $150.  So that means the fund already has $6,238 collected.  Make checks payable to the Redondo Beach Rotary Club.

Jeff Melodia announced the Rookie Event would be held November 16th, confirming the date first disclosed last week.  Details to follow.

Karen announced a new Public Relations Team.  Members are Jeff Weigel and Scott Young. The duo asked each member to answer “What is Rotary”.  Members Pat Cashin, Steve Scerra, Terry Bichlmeirer, and James Jackman provided their answers as examples.  Request was made for additional members to join the PR team. 

We also had a visit from two Redondo Union High School Interactors.  Club President Brittany Weller and club V.P. David Clubb.  Brittany and David met at RYLA last year, they told us.  David said he has been involved in a fundraiser for Nicaragua. President Karen encouraged the Interactors to keep the club up-to-date about their activities, and to come back often.

UCLA/USC Tailgate Luncheon – Joint meeting with 4 Torrance Clubs, Tuesday Nov. 26, 12:00 $30, our club is responsible for 60 tickets, expected attendance 370, two $500 sponsorships are still available, Speakers – USC J. K McKay, UCLA Kevin Jordan  - See Scott Fellows for updates and to purchase tickets in the football raffle.  Cost: $10. 

LUNCHEON SPEAKER Clarissa Cordova gave a presentation about the AES Redondo Beach Energy Project.  “We currently occupy 52 acres,” she said.  ”Our proposed plant will occupy only 12 acres - freeing up 38 acres of waterfront for other reuse. This will be a $500 million private investment to remove the existing infrastructure and replace it with a smaller, cleaner power plant.  Our project will contribute more than $3 million a year to Redondo’s economy, generate more tax revenue to help pay for local services, and create 1.6 million hours of construction-related work. The current facility is a dinosaur and an eyesore,” she said. When completed the new plant will produce 463 MW of power.

Artist's rendition of proposed AES plant after  rennovation. The site will occupy 12 acres with   38 acres available for waterfront development.

California regulations also require that all coastal power plants significantly reduce the use of ocean water for cooling.  The new plant will stop the use of ocean-water for cooling and move air to cool the turbine exhaust steam or an  air-cooled condenser – it functions similarly to the radiator in your car.   She said the plant will continue to burn natural gas because it is efficient and clean burning.  “Our new plant will use less natural gas to produce the same amount of energy we produce today, thus producing less emissions.”   She said with the recent retirement of SONGS, State energy officials presented a document to a State Senate committee, clearly showing that by 2022, the western LA Basin needs approximately 4,600 MW of new electricity, yet California only has about 1,800 MW of authorized procurement.

Lou Bronsard, Site Leader of Redondo Beach  explained that new, state-of-the-art air technology would replace the current steam turbine technology.  “It can take anywhere from 10 to 36 hours to fire up the steam turbines,” he said.  “The new technology will take minutes at the touch of a button.”