Rotary Club of Eureka, California

Meeting of the Rotary Club of Eureka

November 25, 2013

Steve Lafferty was called on to lead the pledge.  Bill McAuley gave the invocation.    

Guests included Dan Price’s son Mike, who is in the military and is going to Afghanistan next week.   

Mike Cunningham reminded us that the Rotary Christmas dinner is December 14^th at the Ingomar.  Festivities begin at 5pm and the cost is $75 per head.  

Kim Bauriedel then came to the podium to deliver a gift basket that had been won at the Foundation dinner and somehow left behind.  Before announcing the winner Kim had Ziggy set the delivery charge at $50.  Then he announced the “lucky” winner was Ziggy.   

Gregg Gardiner invited everyone to view the newly remodeled www.rotary1.org.  It now  includes small grants applications and features photos of former Rotary Presidents.  Oh, boy!  Gregg then segued to Toys For Tots.  A website designed by Bob Morse allows schools to securely input the name, sex and age of the needy children to take all the guesswork out of supplying the right gift.  They expect to play Santa for over 5,000 children this year.  They are in need of a 18-22ft truck with a lift gate for a few days.  Call Gregg for details.   

Will Kay was recognized for aiding and abetting Southwest Rotary in “tapping out” his wife Nancy.  Ziggy returned the favor, tapping out Will.   

Mike Martin had the Midas touch.  He found a gold George III guinea from 1775 while he was metal detecting in England.  He also found a silver Denarius from 200 BC.  He was fined $100 to muffled applause.  (see Midas reference above) 

New member Arnie Klein couldn’t find his badge so Ziggy helped him locate it in the badge box for a $50 finders’ fee. 

Ziggy said that Dean Christensen owns the Elks Club.  O.K., $150 fine.   

Raffle winners were Greg Seiler and Steve Lafferty.  

Program

Our program was Brad Mettam, deputy district director for Cal Trans.  He announced that the Willits bypass was 30% done and should be ready in two more construction seasons.  He then showed before and after pictures of the Richardson’s Grove project.  It appeared from the before photos and after artists’ renderings that only a few skinny trees would be removed. No protesters were rendered.  

Moving northward, he discussed the Eureka corridor.  They may put a signal in at Hawthorne for all those pick ups loaded with garbage waiting to make left turns.  They may synchronize all the lights on Broadway and 4^th and 5^th street with a computer that keeps track of traffic in real time.  They may tap dance on the moon.  The Arcata safety corridor was next.  He showed a mock-up of the proposed interchange at Indianola road.  It is a big dirt ramp and an overpass similar to the Roger Rodoni memorial overpass at 36 and 101.  He then briefly mentioned removing the billboards in the corridor.  Chuck Ellsworth got his dander up, whatever that means.  Finally he mentioned that on 101 near Crescent City, at a place called “last chance grade,” the highway will continue to slide into the sea.  That’s the plan unless someone wants to cut a swath through Redwood National Park.  The meeting ended pretty much on time.  Scribed by Hank Ingham