|
by Tom Port Chris Gallagher, pinch-hitting for Terry, who is taking “Tequila Time” in Cabo, called us to order with the standard “Shekar Meheta is R. I President. This year’s theme is: “Serve to Change Lives”. Our San Ramon Club’s theme is: “Reconnecting – Back Together Again”. Greeter: Ray Giles led us in the flag salute and Pledge. Ray’s “Thought for the Day” was a quote from the late Colin Powel which could be paraphrased as: “Don’t let your ego get so attached to your position you have to leave it behind”. Ray was born in Colorado, but attended high school in California followed by the U. of California. He married his college sweetheart and has been a San Ramon resident for 50 years. Welcome song: “Aloha”.  ' Announcements: The 6- Club meeting was a success, especially the talk on Polio Plus. There are only two cases of polio remaining, one in Afghanistan and one in Pakistan. The Dictionary project is ongoing. Patti Hennigan reported on her visit to Neil Armstrong school. The kids were great. Auction: Norbert says we are expecting about 120 items this year and they have been trickling in. He anticipates we will get close to last year’s approximate $60,000 total. Winter Clothes: Karen McNamara says we need coats, sweaters, hats, etc. Bring them to our Nov. 4 meeting. Paul Harris Fellows: Glen Weber is leading the Foundation fundraising for this year. He and Ginny are kicking it off with a personal contribution of $5000d paying it forward. They believe the Foundation “…is one of the best vehicles available to us for making a difference in the lives of peoples of the world needing assistance and in fostering world understanding and peace”. If you have not made a contribution this Rotary year, July 1, 2021, to July 30, 2022, you are encouraged to make it now. Please make checks payable to The Rotary Foundation, not Rotary International. You can give the check to Glen or Goeff Disch, or mail it to 706 St. George Road, Danville, CA 94526. Or, you can mail it directly to TRF. Julie McKinney was awarded her Paul Harris Fellow certificate and pin for “… her excellent and unselfish service to our Rotary Club and as a token of our appreciation. Julie also earned the title of “Rotarian of the Year,2020-2021”. Birthdays and Recognitions: Chris skipped over these items in favor of more time for our speaker. SPEAKER: Contra Costa County Supervisor, Candace Anderson, presented a detailed survey of all the various aspects of our county government and the many important issues they are addressing. Ms. Anderson will lead a workshop to address redistricting of the five districts of the county on October 23 at the San Ramon City Hall. A final decision will be made by December 15. Issues to be considered are contiguousness, geographic integrity, identifiability of boundaries, compactness, etc. Maps illustrating the various proposals are on the County’s website. She noted her District, #2, has one of the largest Asian populations per the census. District #3 grew a lot due to development in Brentwood. In further news, the County has a new Administration building in Martinez and will be demolishing the old building as well as the old jail. The County is involved in numerous activities: Animal Services, The Sheriff’s Dept. Health and Human Services, school buses, libraries, etc. Of the total budget of 4.06 billion, 2.8 billion goes for Health and Human Services. There has been a 3.44 % increase in property tax revenue mostly due to growth in homes values in San Ramon and Oakley. A recent bond issue, Measure X passed which allows for a one-half percent increase in sales taxes. This is expected to yield about 100 million dollars per year. A Citizen’s Advisory Committee is considering how these funds should be allocated. The SB-9 housing question is quite controversial. Should single-family lots of sufficient size be divisible into two lots? Interested residents can sign up for Candace Anderson’s weekly “e-Blasts” to keep abreast of important developments. |
