UPCOMING PROGRAMS

Jan 17: Richard McPherson,

Downrange Global Solutions

Jan 24: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

retired basketball player

Jan 31: Constance L. Rice

Advancement Project LA

CALENDAR IT NOW

Feb 2: LA5 and Sheriff's YAL

host 165 kids at Disneyland

Feb 5: Associates 1st Wednesday

Feb 23: Day At the Races

organized by Denny Dynes

VISIT WWW.ROTARYLA5.ORG FOR MORE INFORMATION ON SPEAKERS & EVENTS

Rotary Club of Los Angeles

established 1909

January 17, 2014

rotaryLA5.org

More than 200 at first 2014 meeting

T he 2014 Los Angeles 5 meetings got off to an ex-

citing and exhilarating start with the Most Reverend José Gomez, the Los Angeles Archbishop, as the

first program speaker of the new year. The room was packed and the event garnered coverage from multiple

television stations.

Members raved about the all new City Club and many toured the rooms to marvel at the soaring 16-foot ceilings and spec-tacular views. Prez Ken said, “Program Chair Jose Vera and

his team presented a program that everyone will remember for a long time. I’m excited about the program with Richard

McPherson this week and Kareem will join us a week later. We’ve got great service projects starting in a few weeks. Now

is a great time to be an active LA5 member.”

President-Elect Alan Bernstein welcomes the Archbishop to the friendliest club in LA.

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Past President Ben Tunnell, just back from a cooking competition he judged in Paris, with Denise Anthony and a guest. Ben as-

sessed the City Club’s lunch “up to my standards.”

If you missed the meeting last week

Marjorie Heller, Prez Ken and Carmen Estrada-Schaye deliver a big LA5 check for the EVERYBODY WINS! one-to-one reading

program.

Past President Jay and Miyuki brought baby angel Hana to the first LA5 meeting of 2014.

Jack Dibb cracks up Past President Ed Matveld and Erica Roach with another of his legendary ribald tales.

Father Bill Muller was a hot commodity following a stirring invo-cation. LA5 Entertainment impresarios Erick Weiss and Delaney

Dragon have partnered to represent Bill on the homily circuit.

Boldly reaching out to his new television audience on Univision Channel 34, Prez Ken delivered the club announcements in flaw-

less Spanish. Archbishop Gomez chuckled at Ken’s accent.

Ben’s Lunch Advice

Past President and world-class

Gastronome Ben Tunnell flew home early from the Paris cook-

ing competition he was judging because he did not want to miss

the lunch this week.

Diners: please RSVP to guarantee your seat!

STARTER: Acorn Soup with chanterelle mushroom garnish.

ENTREE: Organic Chicken with potato mousseline and fried broccoli.

VEGETARIAN: Torcia Puttanesca Pasta. 4 El Rodeo

L A5 will host 165 kids at Disneyland on Sunday, February 2, from the Sheriff's

Youth Activity League, the Joyful Child Foundation, Stars of the North Pole and other LA County Parks and Recreation programs. Most of the kids have never been to Dis-

neyland before; if you remember your first visit you can guess how exciting this day will be. The club is looking for those willing to be an official chaperone and take the kids

around the park. If the LASD needs your help you will receive a complimentary ticket.

It’s a great opportunity to see Rotary generosity in action and, even if you are not a volunteer,

you are welcome to bring your family. You can purchase as many tickets for your children as you want but we are restricted to no more than two adult (age 23+) tickets per party. The spe-

cial tickets can be used only for Disneyland admission and cannot be used for admission to the other parks. The tickets, normally priced at $92, are available for only $66 per adult or

child.

To claim tickets, respond to the e-mail Prez Ken sent you on Tuesday at 5 p.m. and you will

receive a reply that contains the special link to the reservation site. Tickets are first come first serve and the tickets must be claimed and purchased by Friday, January 17. Disneyland re-

quires a minimum ratio between children and adult tickets, so it is possible that some adults-

only reservations cannot be taken.

Whew! Those frustrated by all the rules and restrictions can skip the process and buy their

own full-price tickets from the Disneyland website where the first offer starts at $129.

Chartered June 25, 1909

Club Leadership 2013-14

Ken Chong, President Alan Bernstein, President-Elect Jose Vera, Vice-President Elizabeth Wheeler, Secretary Don Robinson, Treasurer Jay Richardson, Past President

Club Service Arthur Kassel Paul Richey

Community Service Margaret Karren Jim Hoyt

Funding Todd Johnson Al Shonk

International Service Laine Wagenseller Rick Sarmiento

Membership and Retention Charisse Older Erick Weiss

Vocational Service John Miller John Jaacks

Youth Service Anthony Calloway Paul Jacques

Sergeant-at-Arms Paul Ekstrand Barry Hytowitz Steve Sommers

Executive Director Jon Gibby JON@ROTARYLA5.ORG

Rotary Club of Los Angeles 523 West Sixth Street, Suite 718 Los Angeles, CA 90014 Telephone 213.624.8601 Facsimile 213.624.2694 WWW.ROTARYLA5.ORG

District 5280 Governor Doug Baker

El Rodeo Marc Leeka, Editor Peter Weinberger, Sr. Reporter Tony Medley, Photographer

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Rotarians You Want to Know:

Paul Richey

P aul Richey is the Regional Managing

Director, West for FOCUS Investment Banking LLC. His firm assists middle

market businesses owners sell, ac-quire or refinance their businesses. Paul was a member of The Rotary Club of San Diego

(the second largest club on the West Coast) for 25 years before he transferred to LA5 (the fourth largest club on the West Coast) in

2007.

Paul says he left many great friends in San Diego but meeting

and getting to know the fine people associated with LA5 has been more than com-

pensation. “I appreciate the principals of Rotary,” he de-

clared. “This organization makes a huge difference in the world because its mem-

bers are well schooled in

the reasons for caring.”

“I never want to miss a Fri-

day lunch,” he continued. “I love my job as the club's

Club Service Director be-cause I work with the every-day activities that make the

wheels turn and the Club

move forward.”

“I have met and worked

with a lot of famous and in-famous people over my life-

time and have a lot of sto-ries. Sit with me at lunch and I’ll share some of the

interesting ones with you.”

If you haven’t met Paul yet,

then please introduce your-

self at the next meeting.

Paul’s Favorites

The best city I have ever visited is

New York City.

If I had one last restaurant meal in LA, it would be either Lawry's

Beverly Hills or Patina.

I am currently reading Sycamore Row, John Grisham’s most recent

legal thriller. The last book I read was Mathaphobia by LA5’s own

Olympia LePoint.

I know it is junk food but my

guilty pleasure are hot dogs.

Three albums I would take to a

desert island: the first Frank Si-natra Duets album, Willie Nel-

son’s Stardust and Jimmy Buf-fett’s Changes in Latitudes,

Changes in Attitudes.

I graduated from high school in St. Louis. When I hear "Meet Me

in St. Louie, Louie," a song writ-ten for the 1904 St. Louis World’s Fair, it takes me back again.

Judy Garland recorded the song

in 1944.

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Parking entrance is easy to miss

How to find the

City Club

Meeting Place

T he January meetings will be held at

the newly renovated City Club on the top floor of the City National Bank. It is

across the street from the California Club but the parking entrance is poorly marked

and confusing. Please follow these directions.

1. Travel south on Flower Street about 50 feet past Fifth Street and stay in the right lane. Look for the RED VALET PARKING sign mark-

ing the entrance to the City National Plaza un-der ground parking. The picture at right

shows the sign below the giant arrow.

2. Take a ticket from the automated entry gate.

3. Drive forward about 75 feet to the valet park-

ing reception.

4. Leave your car with the valet. Turn left and

walk to the 555 South Flower building.

5. Take the escalator up one floor to the lobby, then take an elevator to the City Club pent-

house on the 51st floor.

Get a validation when you check in at the LA5 table to reduce the parking cost to only $8 for up

to three hours.

India Polio Free for 3 Years

T he Global Polio Eradication Initia-tive, spearheaded by Rotary Interna-

tional, the World Health Organiza-tion, UNICEF, the CDC and other

partners such as the Bill & Melinda Gates

Foundation, has immunized 2.5 billion chil-dren since its inception. The world has seen a

99% reduction in polio cases

during the last 25 years, from nearly

350,000 cases in 1988 to only 372 last year.

Today, polio is endemic to only three coun-tries: Nigeria, Pakistan and Afghanistan. The

World Health Organization said on Monday that India has gone exactly three years since recording its last polio case, one of the biggest

public-health achievements of recent times.

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