Volume XXII
Number 5

Tuesday
Mar. 14, 2006

WINTER BALL – ANOTHER SUCCESS!

ST. HELENA ROTARY'S SIXTEENTH ANNUAL WINTER BALL
"COME TO MOROCCO" A STUNNING SUCCESS!

The 16th annual St. Helena Rotary Winter Ball, Come to Morocco, was truly incredible! On Saturday, February 25th, 420 guests, many costumed in flamboyant Moroccan attire, entered the Sutter Home Winery Warehouse in St. Helena, walked through iron gates, and were instantly transported to an authentic Moroccan Marketplace!
 

A few of the comments heard from guests at the sold out Ball were: "I have been to innumerable events here in the Valley, New York and Las Vegas, and this event shines by comparison on every front." "The decor was exotic, authentic, supremely colorful and mesmerizing." "The feeling all evening was magical." "Absolutely the best Winter Ball ever! Over the top!"
 

Delighted guests feasted on delicious Moroccan style appetizers as they wandered the exotic market stalls and were lavishly entertained by lovely veiled dancers, real snake charmers, mysterious fortune tellers, authentic henna painters, a humorous juggler, and a truly amazing internationally-famed stiltwalker. The lavish sit-down dinner, featuring a main course of succulent Moroccan style spit roasted rack of lamb, was catered by St. Helena's own Silverado Brewing Company. And, just to cap the event off, both the evening's silent and live auctions were more successful than ever before!

"It's hard to imagine how a production of this magnitude could be pulled off by volunteers," said Bill Word, St. Helena Rotary President. "It is so worthwhile and satisfying knowing that because of this Winter Ball many youth organizations and activities in the Valley, as well as the Senior Community Center, the Rianda House, will be nicely helped along - all due to the generosity, community concern and enthusiasm of the people of St. Helena. Our Rotary Club says THANK YOU."

Awards for Boy Scouts Troop 1
By Ima Holcomb

February 28, 2006. Pledge: Chris Lynch. Invocation: Phil Toohey. Lunch was served and President Bill Word began the meeting. Special recognition was given to Polly Keegan and Kelly Crane, Co Chairs of the Winter Ball for the most successful fund raiser ever! Approximately $515,000 was raised at Saturday night's gala!

Visiting guests today was Troop 1, with 13 scouts in attendance. Troop 1 was conducting a fund raiser and selling "oranges".
 

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Steve Yost announced that a date had been set for the Giants Baseball outing! The date selected was Wednesday, April 26, 2006 for an afternoon game at PacBell Park with a cost of $20 per person. The Giants organization is going to bill Rotary and the members will be billed through their monthly statements. Everyone should meet and ferry over to San Francisco, details to follow as we get closer to the game day.

Phil Toohey reminded everyone of the District Assembly meeting on April 1, 2006.
 

FINE MASTER AND BELL RINGERS:
POLLY KEEGAN

Bell Ringers:

• Kathy Zelazny announced that a person "Can have their cake and eat it too!" She was recently made partner at her law firm and is being allowed to continue to work part-time! Congratulations Kathy!
• Joice Beatty announced that Rianda House raised $68,000 at the Winter Ball! The members of Rotary were thanked for sponsoring Rianda House as the "Fund a Need" live auction item. Congratulations Rianda House!
• Diane Bylund announced a classification change… or maybe she is now doing double duty as an Inn Keeper and now accepting DUI cases in Napa County. Either way, sounds like she is going to be one busy person!
• Carol Sobczak announced that Paul [her significant other], after 20 years as an attorney, just sat for a legal California exam and passed!!!
• Dick Rogers just took a trip to New Zealand and announced that Switzerland and New Zealand have to be the two (2) best places he has ever visited.
• Jake Scheideman, just returned from Nicaragua, announced that along with a veteran group of people, Steve Ebersole joined them and has been dubbed "El Nuevo"! He also told of a young man who has been suffering from schizophrenia his entire life and his progress with the help of a couple of doctors who also travel to Nicaragua with Jake's group. The young man, after 3 years of medication and on-going treatment, is no longer in chains… Congratulations Jake and the traveling Docs who have helped this man have a life!

Polly Keegan filled in as fine master for Margo Kennedy and quizzed everyone on the live auction items and funds raised.

PROGRAM: ST. HELENA BOY SCOUTS, TROOP 1

February 28, 2006. Stu Smith gave us an overview of the Troops Activities over the past year, and a preview of what is to come:

March 2005 – Hike to Bear Valley

April 2005 – Death Valley for three nights

May 2005 – Camporee in the Berkeley Hills with other troops in the district. Various competitive activities among the troops, Troop 1 won 1^st place.

June 2005 – Eel River Canyon for 3 nights

July 2005 – Camp Lassen – summated Mount Lassen at 10,500 feet

August 2005 – The Trans-Sierra hike that took the lives of Ryan and Stephen

September 2005 – Water skiing weekend at Clear Lake, Russian River clean-up

October 2005 – Annual tri-tip sandwich booth at the home town Harvest Festival, one of two fundraising events.

November 2005 – Big Basin Hike

December 2005 – Point Reyes Hike

January 2006 – Annual Christmas Tree pickup and ski weekend

February 2006 – Annual Snow Camp at Silverado

March, 2006 – Annual Awards Banquet:
 

• On Friday, March 3, 2006, several scouts received the GOLD HONOR MEDAL WITH CROSSED PALMS award for heroism. This is the Boy Scouts highest award given. The recipients were: Pat Holstein, Tom Smith, Owen Hale, Carl Erickson, Paul Guirguis, David Phelps, Chris Phelps, Derek Holstein and Stu Smith.
• Also on March 3, The SPIRIT OF THE EAGLE AWARD was presented to the family of RYAN COLLINS, and to the family of STEVEN McCULLAH
• On March 3, the MAJESTIC EAGLE AWARD was presented to DEREK DWYER for demonstrating the power and intensity of the Eagle.

Scout of the Year awards were given to 1^st place winner Patrick Holstein, 2^nd place winner Daniel Richardson and 3 ^rd place winner Carl Ericson.

Winter Ball Wrap-Up Meeting Today
By Stephanie Johnson

March 7, 2006
 

GUESTS:

Tim Coon here with daughter.
 

ANNOUNCEMENTS

• John Sales: Spent two days in San Jose at the PETS conference. He reminds us that the District Assembly is April 1^st . Please see John for applications.
• Steve Yost: Last call for Giants game, Wednesday, April 26^th. Group will meet at Vallejo Ferry Building at 10 am.
• Gene Armstead: More wine is needed to fulfill 100 bottle item sold at the Rotary Winter Ball. Currently, we have only 84.
• David Moreland: Coats are up front that were left at Winter Ball, please pick up if yours. Also, have left over fruits and nuts, all are welcome to.
• Carol Sobczak: Please update email address if you aren't receiving Rotary emails.
• Polly Keegan & Kelly Crane: The "Order of the Camel" was formed to acknowledge the many Rotary members who contributed so much during the Winter Ball. The tin camels that were decorations on the dining tables at the ball were given to: Paul Krsek who put together the entire live auction (which pre-empted the vacation time with his father), the slides for each lot, the program descriptions, and he had to find most of his own props! Rob & Linda Andreae who contributed auction lots and soliticed the "gold" table wine and gave much time in the warehouse including about 10-11 hours that Rob put in doing wine descriptions. Jeff Epps who was around from the beginning of WB organization to the end, always responsive to requests, contributing advice, and wine pairings, and much time, and many hours with the trucks and the inevitable cleanup till the bitter end; and Juanita Epps who was at the warehouse every day helping Toni. And several other really dedicated people who helped a lot including Phil Toohey, Charlotte Williamson, Margo Kennedy, Frank Sottile, Mike Thomas, Joice Beatty, Tony Albright, Diane Dillon, Diane Bylund, John Sales, Wendell and Inger Laidley and dear VANESSA! Please note that Chuck Meibeyer and Elaine John are this club's finest proof-readers as well as WB contributors! Polly and Kelly thanked everyone who helped make this Ball the most successful ever, most especially Toni Heydlauff who was the acknowledged vision and energy behind the creative masterpiece! Kelly announced that a Winter Ball wrap-up meeting would be today directly after the regular Rotary meeting. Final financial figures from the Ball are not yet determined, but we did gross over $500,000.

TICKET DRAWING

• Johns Sales, no black marble.
• Kathleen Patterson, fruit and nuts
• Kathy Zelazny, welcome sign
   

BELL RINGERS

• Frank: Granddaughter celebrated first birthday with an ear infection. Will give $1 for every grandparent in the room - he collected $20.
• John Sales: $25 for all of the crap he has been given
• Phil Toohey: $292 to Paul Harris, completes his 3^rd Paul Harris. He also went to PETS with John Sales. He shared with us that Rotary International is one of the few organizations that doesn't gather based on a religion or political party. This allows us to help in situations that other organizations cannot.
• Miles Metzger: Announced that he had suffered a stroke while enjoying the finer things in life. He is now on medication and doing well.
   

GUEST SPEAKER:
BILL TAUTAN, HERITAGE FUND

BILL TAUTAN Heritage Fund

The Heritage Fund prime objective is to promote and preserve the cultural heritage of the valley. They want to help groups that can't find funding elsewhere. It is a 10-member group that meets once a month. Their funding comes from one fund drive a year. Their next fundraiser is scheduled for March 16, 2007. It will be a choral festival where they will invite choral professionals to work with school chorals here in the valley. In the past, the Heritage Fund has donated to the arts, the library, various workshops, chamber singers, and more.

"PAWS for HEALING" Program
at Queen of the Valley Hospital
By Jim Haslip

PROGRAM: PAWS FOR HEALING

February 21, 2006. The club was introduced to the canine version of "Service Above Self". Joanne Yates introduced the program, "Paws for Healing". Volunteers bring their dogs to the Queen of the Valley Hospital to provide comfort to patients who need some special attention. "Dog therapy" may help a recovering individual break through sadness or anger that may result from serious illnesses or injuries. "The dog jumped up on the bed and gave me a hug," reported one grateful recipient. Petting or brushing a pup has proven so beneficial that some doctors are writing prescriptions for this service. Tossing a ball has been beneficial for those recovering the use of their hands or arms. Diane Phelps, who lost her guide dog and was hospitalized when struck by an automobile, conceived the program when she received a dog visitor. That was 1999. Now the recipients include the Veteran's Home, Travis Air Force Base, and Special Education students at the high school and the junior high. One teacher observed, "My students' whole personalities change. Their eyes light up. They learn responsibility, independence, and thinking about the needs of another." Over 90% of long-term care facility patients receive no visitors at all. More volunteers are needed for St. Helena Hospital and local elderly or handicapped persons who just need a little kindness. If you have a gentle dog that loves people, contact the program at 1370 Trancas St., PMB 127, Napa 94558.
 

WINTER BALL PREPARATION

By the time you read this, the Winter Ball will have been a huge success. The event is already sold out and the last details in the preparation were reviewed. Toni Heydlauff recruited Humphrey Bogart impersonators. Rob Andreae and Jeff Epps singing? I hope you didn't miss it!
 

STEVE YOST

A DAY WITH THE GIANTS

Steve "Steel Mill Products" Yost has narrowed the dates for the game to April 26 or May 2. We will take the ferry from Vallejo and walk to the park. The upper stands seats will cost $20 each.

CIVIC IMPROVEMENT AWARD

Rob Andreae and Jeff Epps received this recognition on behalf of the club. Congressional recognition was initiated by Mike Thompson. Centennial Park is one of the most ambitious and successful service projects in the state.

ROB ANDREAE JEFF EPPS

President Bill thanked John Sales and Bob Graham for a "spectacular" Valentine's Day luncheon.

Lisa Marie is recovering from back surgery. Your thoughts and prayers are appreciated.

Wanted: Marlowe and Company seeks sales person/assistant to work Saturdays and possibly Sundays year around. Additional days may be available during Christmas season. Call Lydia Wilson at 963-9656

Wanted: A small space to use as office space.  Needs only a phone and DSL connection. A short-term lease is workable if someone has extra space. Contact Wendell Laidley at 254-3500.

Coming Programs Every Tuesday Mar 14 Mike Parsons Computer Fraud Mar 21 Barbara Nemko Reading Program Mar 28 Dorothy Lind Salmon and Beth Carmichael CVB (County Visitors Bureau) Coming Events April 1, '06 District Assembly College of the Redwoods Fortuna, CA May 19-21, '06 District Conference Konocti Harbor Resort & Spa Kelseyville, CA Birthdays Mar 10 Al Albright Mar 10 Steve Yost Mar 12 Bill Word Mar 18 Jim Haslip Mar 19 Charles Bell Mar 19 Dick Osborn Mar 23 Kathy Zelazny Mar 24 David Rice Mar 25 Robert Herrick Wedding Anniversaries Mar 10 Steve Ebersole (Sharon) Mar 12 Norm Alumbaugh (Gwen) Mar 15 Tim Coon (Teresa) Mar 22 Richard Shurtz (Barbara) Mar 30 Beverly & Servaas Mes Mar 30 Bob Trinchero (Evalyn) Club Anniversaries Mar 1, 1991 Elaine John Mar 1, 1960 James Lider Mar 1, 2005 Erick Risch Mar 30, 2004 Steve Ebersole

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