The View – 10/30/14

Next week: Be sure to attend for the most exciting meeting we’ve ever had!

President-elect Jody Stickels opened the meeting with the Pledge of Allegiance.

Thought for the Day: a Horace Lorimer quote: ” You got to get up every morning with determination if you’re going to go to bed with satisfaction.”

Guests: Bob Bushansky, our speaker today (more about Bob below!).  LaDonna is visiting, but she is NOT a guest, she is still one of us! 😉

Prez-elect Jody presides.

Secretary’s report/fines: Joe has a birthday coming up — 88! Guenter’s wife’s birthday is tomorrow. Gary’s 14th wedding anniversary is coming up.

Happy Dollars:
LaDonna: happy that Rick’s in Hawaii and she’s here!
Ray: happy that the Giants won.  Yahoo!
Joe: just happy… he didn’t know he’d make it this far.
Harold: also happy for the Giants’ win.
Jody:  happy that three people showed up in costume today – for which he owes $15 ($5 each!).
John Innes: issued a happy dollar challenge: if you come a week from this Saturday (Nov. 8, 12:00 noon – 4:00 p.m. at St. Anthony’s) to the Wine and Mushroom Fest, he’ll put $5 happy dollars in the pot for everyone who brings back an auction paddle from the event.

  Happy Halloween, Matt!

  Road warrior John P.

Captain (?) Jerry.

Sunshine Report

• Jimmy O’Brien – a former president of our club – passed away. Services will be Nov 5 at 2pm, with full military honors.
• LaDonna reports that Wilma is getting a little better day by day; she passes her greetings onto all club members.  We look forward to your return, Wilma!

Announcements

The giant bottle of wine donated by Joe, for the Casino Night raffle!

• The Club’s next Board meeting is Nov. 10, Menodcino Hotel, noon. Main topic: budget development.
• Joe Sparks donated a huge bottle of Italian wine for our Casino Night auction.  Thank you, Joe!
• Matt’s email today was brought up for discussion: Kelly Grimes has offered her architectural services to draw up a plan for Rotary Park. Perhaps we should put together a committee to do outreach to the Historical Review Board (which is short of Board members right now).  Further discussion of the Park’s future will take place in future meetings.
• The Noyo Food Forest Late Harvest Dinner is on Tuesday, Nov. 18 at 6:00 p.m. — visit www.noyofoodforest.com for more information.

Brandt introduces our speaker.

Today’s Program
Brandt introduced today’s speaker, Bob Buchansky, VP of the Senior Center in Fort Bragg. Bob is a 20-year resident of Fort Bragg; he used to own Good Taste, a wine and cheese shop, in Fort Bragg. He serves on Board for MCRPD, and is on the advisory committee for KZYX.  Bob’s presentation addressed the Senior Center and its funding and activities.  Some highlights of his talk follow:

The Redwood Coast Senior Center is a community center, a transportation organization (1000 rides/month), eat-in restaurant (serving 1200 meals/week), and home meal delivery service, as well as a day center for seniors in need for respite care for caregivers. It is also a health center — providing blood pressure checks every Wednesday, and free flu shots. It also has a computer center, thrift store, and a counseling center.

Bob Bushansky, VP of the Redwood Coast Senior Center Board of Directors.

State and federal funding for the Senior Center has declined by about $150K over the last 6 years. During this time, they’ve increased their services! Over 70 volunteers per week help make this possible. Government funding is now 42% of funding (as opposed to 70% in the past).

Mendocino County has CA’s highest percent of elderly poor. Over half of the seniors who come to the Center are living on social security alone — averaging about $1200/month.

Last year, 6 of 9 Senior Center Board members resigned. They have since rebuilt the Board.

They are celebrating the 40th anniversary of the Center this year, and will be buying new ovens and a range this year with grant funding.

In the last issue of Real Estate Magazine, there is an article about the Senior Center and the Mendocino Children’s Fund – Youngsters and Oldsters. The article was passed around to all tables.

During the Q&A portion of the program, concern was expressed that several people take advantage of the lunch service, eating for free when they could afford to pay the requested donation of $5/meal, or $8/meal if you’re under 65 years of age. Some ideas were discussed about how to deal with this.

Evening meals at the Senior Center are inexpensive, and incredibly good! The next evening meal fundraising event is Nov.15 — have dinner there before attending the symphony concert next door at Cotton Auditorium!

Wild boar, venison and salmon will be donated by Fish and Game for this year’s Wild dinner.  Check out the Senior Center’s website (http://rcscenter.org/) for more information on their programs and services.

Bob shares the latest issue of the Real Estate Magazine, featuring the Senior Center.

Raffle winners: Travis, and (pirate?) Jerry. Neither drew the joker, so the pot keeps growing.