Meeting Recap - 11/4/08

Posted by Sheila Hodgkinson 
 
 

Pledge of Allegiance by Kim Castro

 

The THOUGHT for the day - Alicia Crank

 

SONG    Phil Armi

 

No visitors today except the speaker.

         

 

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

 

Bruce Barsi-  Cops and Gobblers annual Thanksgiving toy and food distribution needs volunteers at the Police Station on Sunday November 23 at 9 am. Sign-up sheet will be distributed next week.

 

Ken Schwaderer urged members to talk to friends and colleagues who would be interested in Rotary membership.

 

Chuck Osborn as "Club Trainer" spoke of the "Visioning Process" which the District is encouraging. This would involve members getting together for a plannng session to envisage the further development of the Club.

 

Bert Raphael asked for ideas for International Projects in which the Club would participate. Already we are involved with funding for heart operations in China.

He has a request from Palo Alto Club to join in helping with a water retention project in Bombay.

 

Bert also announced that the Club has advertised in the Gunn High School Concert

Program. Our exchange student, Rafael Brazon, is a member of the Choir which is raising funds for their season.

         

FINEMASTER

Jim Cunningham prompted Kim to announce that she will bring another member into the world in April. For this Gerry Felix paid her fine.  Judy Hannemann was fined and told of her trip to Africa.  

 

OUR SPEAKER

John Rinaldi introduced Steve Ritchie who talked about the restoration of the South Bay Salt Ponds.

 

In 2003, the State of California and the U.S. government, with substantial support from private foundations, purchased 15,100 acres of salt production ponds adjoining South San FranciscoBay from Cargill Corporation. These ponds represent an incredible opportunity for shoreline habitat restoration and public access in the San Francisco Bay Area. This is the largest habitat restoration project in the Western U.S. (http://www.southbayrestoration.org/)
and it must be accomplished without increasing flood risk to Silicon Valley while providing for public access. The restoration process is expected to take decades to complete. This presentation will describe the initial management of the ponds as they are taken out of salt production and the five-year planning process for their ultimate restoration. Adaptive management will be integral to the restoration process. Particular opportunities and challenges (both scientific and institutional) of the planning process will be described as the Project moves toward changing the South San FranciscoBay landscape.

(NOTE: This is a summary from a speech on the topic that Mr. Ritchie gave at UC Berkeley, as I could not stay for the speaker today.)