Weekly eBulletin, February 16-22, 2014

Redondo Beach State of the City by Rotarian and Mayor Steve Aspel, Friday, February 21 from 7 am to 9 am at the Crowne Plaza Hotel.  Steve was hoping for a table of 10 club members, probably for suport in case he said something outrageous!  So far 13 members of the club are planning to attend: Ernie O'Dell, Nancy and Chat Campbell, Galina Gilman, Mark Smith, Scott Young, Rolando Andrade, Gayle Bailey, David and wife Whitehead, Terry Bichlmeier, Nicholas Sandoval and Karen Weigel.

April 12 has been designed as a district-wide Community Service Day. Galina Gilman is heading this hands-on-community activity. "There are two possibilities," said President Karen.  "First, a Tri-Rotary Blood Drive with our club, the Manhattan Beach Rotary Club and the Hermosa Beach Rotary Club.  The second activity will involve greenbelt planting at 190th and Rindge Lane. This activity will run between 8 am and 3 pm. Remember to bring your gloves, spades and boots, and don't forget to volunteer."
 
Casino Night is closing in on us," she said. "As you all know it is scheduled for March 1st at the Toyota Automotive Museum. "So far we have pledges estimated at more than $57,000," said PDG Chuck Anderson. Meanwhile Jeff Weigel said, "Today is the last day for Wall of Wine donations."  Send auction forms to  laura.fields.2007@anderson.ucla.edu 

Karen announced the 90th anniversary of the club will occur on Nov. 7, 2014. "I'm sure we'll plan a celebration.  I just don't know what at the moment," she said.

With Steve Aspel busy as mayor of Redondo Beach, Karen recruited Dave Whitehead to fill in the remainder of the year. Characteristically, Dave didn't waste any time.  He recognized three members birthdays: Mike Gin, Michael Payton, and of course, Steve Aspel  We sang Happy Birthday to all three and Dave fined them $20 each.  Then he asked Galina Gilman to come to the podium.  Turns out when she and her husband Michael visited Karen and Jeff in faraway Fiji last year, she became lost one evening when the group was returning from a hike to some waterfalls.  The story of her rescue is now part of club lore.  As dark descended and still no Galina, a search party of several Fijians was sent out to look for her.  Fortunately they found her, somewhere in the dark jungle of Taveuni.  Then, one of the Fijian rescuers carried Galina on his back out to safety.  Dave then told us "the rest of the story" as Paul Harvey used to say.  He told us the Fijian rescuer to this day is trying to contact Galina, as a tradition in Fiji is that if a man carries a woman 100 steps or more she belongs to him. Whereupon, learning of this ancient tradition, Galina quipped, "Maybe I'll go back to Russia."

Our luncheon speaker was Bill Bloomfield, our club's assistant governor.  "I'm not going to talk about Rotary," he said. "Instead I want to tell you about my 2012 race for Congress. I'm very interested in  redistricting and open primaries."  So he challenged Rep. Henry Waxman (D), a 19-term congressman from the west side of LA, and at the time one of the most powerful Democrats in Congress.  Turns out, however, that Waxman hasn't lived in District 33 for years.  Instead he maintains a residence in Maryland.

"My pollsters started by researching me, said Bloomfield. "When I asked why, they said 'your opponents are going to research you so you need to be ready."

Bill described the thought process leading to his decision to run, and explained the importance of research.  "Not just opponent research, but research on me," he said.  "My pollsters told me the opposition will learn everything about me so I better get ready. Of course we also conducted research on Rep. Waxman."

Starting from a five percent name recognition, the Bloomfield campaign closed to with eight percent by the time of the General Election. When the votes were counted Waxman garnered 54% of the votes (171,860) to 46% (146,600) for Bloomfield.