Wednesday,  July 8, 2009

Kiwanis is a global organization of volunteers dedicated to changing the world, one child and one community at a time.

The Kiwanis Club of La Cañada meets every Wednesday at Noon Visitors are Welcome Van de Kamp Hall in Descanso Gardens 1418 Descanso Drive, La Cañada, CA  91011

Upcoming Events

July 9, 2009  Kiwanis Board Meeting, 7:00 PM, LCF Community Center  July 15, 2009 Barbara Swartz - Balanced Brain Body Health Wednesday Lunch Meeting @ Van de Kamp Hall, Descanso Gardens July 22, 2009 and July 29, 2009 Nick Berkuta -"All You Wanted To Know About Our Clubs Committees or How Does Our Club Do it"? JUNE 25-29  Kiwanis International Convention, Nashville Wednesday Lunch Meeting @ Van de Kamp Hall, Descanso Gardens JULY 26, 2009 SUMMER SOCIAL 5:00 PM at the home of Daryal and Mary Gant 2425 Cross Street, La Crescenta Kiwanis Board Of Directors  Meet The First Thursday Of Each Month At The La Cañada Community Center– 7:00 Pm February 5, March 5, April 2, May 7, June 4, July 2, August 6, September 3, October 1, November 5, and December 3. Click on the following button to view the long term calendar

MUSIC

Tom Burrows played the piano before lunch while Kiwanians and guests greeted one another and socialized.  Ed Moulton led the group in song, opening the meeting with America the Beautiful, greeting each other with Hi Neighbor!, and celebrating with Happy Anniversary.  Kiwanians sang Hail Kiwanis International to close the meeting.

 OPENING

Stewart Lee  led the club in honoring the nation’s flag with the Pledge of Allegiance.

Chuck Gulick  gave a  beautiful prayer for the invocation.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Rolando Morales thanked Kiwanians for their love and prayers for his oldest daughter who was hospitalized in Mexico with pneumonia.  She has recovered and is on her way home!

Wendy Smith reminded club members about signing up for The Midnight Mission Turkey Drive.  With a goal of 125 turkeys, a sign-up sheet was circulated during the meeting to rally club members.  Turkeys are $18.00 each.

Pat Anderson & Don Voss announced the upcoming July 16 Chamber Mixer hosted by the City of La Canada at Olberz Park starting at 5:30 – Wear your island fashions as it will be a Polynesian theme!

Pat Anderson also gave the club a sneek peak at future events:

August 4 – National Night Out – Verdugo Hills Hospital – emphasizing public safety 6-8 p.m.

September 9 – Chamber Business Expo – FREE event at Verdugo Hills Hospital.

September 17 – Next Chamber Mixer - Verdugo Hills Hospital

September 20 – Gourmet Food & Wine Event

September 26 – Play it Safe Emergency Expo - Verdugo Hills Hospital

Nick Berkuta announced the next Kiwanis Interclub opportunity – FIL-AM/Verdugo Hills Group - July 15 6:30 p.m. at Max’s Restaurant in Glendale.  Check your email and/or RSVP to Nick Berkuta.

Jim Reynolds shared a unique event occurring only today!  4:56 7/8/09!

Frosty Boyd gave the SLA report.

GUESTS

Emelita Bituin brought Pat L. from Citibank.

Harriet Hammons brought John Hammons, her son.

Jack Dawson brought his lover! His beautiful wife Barbara.

Wendy Smith brought friend Penny Morgan.

HAPPY & SAD BUCKS

Birthdays/Anniversaries – President Carl Christensen reminded the club of several birthdays and anniversaries…

Joan Peters gave $ for her birthday

Frosty Boyd recently celebrated his birthday

Charles Broberg celebrated his 47^th Anniversary!

Karl Johnson joined the century club for his anniversary!

John Landrum celebrated an anniversary and his wife’s birthday by using JPL calculus to calculate:

$100 (century club donation) – 58 (years of marriage) = 42 (Wife’s Age)

Emelita Bituin donated to the century club for her wedding anniversary

Al Restivo joined the elite ½ Century Club for his 46^th Anniversary!

Happy Bucks

Nick Berkuta gave happy $ for his son’s degree completion and future EMT career

Harriet Hammons gave happy $ for her Reading Program student and her son.

Wendy Smith gave happy $ for the recovery of Rolando Morales’ daughter.

Linda Magarian gave happy $ for her upcoming trip to Martha’s Vineyard.

Frosty’s Challenge

Following Frosty Boyd’s groaner, Tom Slaughter and Bill Watts rose to the challenge with Bill Watts taking best joke by way of the club’s applause-o-meter!

THE PROGRAM

Bill Watts introduced today’s guest speaker Captain Dave Silversparre of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.  Capt. Silversparre has been an area resident since 1959, becoming a Sheriff Explorer in 1973, and joining the Sheriff’s department in 1979.  In one month, Capt. Silversparre will celebrate 30 years of service!

Capt. Silversparre pondered what Kiwanians would want to hear from a Sheriff Captain…so he decided to talk about what he knows.  Law enforcement? No, the fishing and weather report! Ok…what would be something you would want to hear from a cop?  Crime reports?  No, Capt. Silversparre proceeded to hammer out a beautiful song on the piano!

After impressing the crowd, Capt. Silversparre got down to business, outlining his goals as a Sheriff Captain:

1. Minimize crime
2. Provide the best service to citizens and the community
3. Keep people safe

The L.A. County Sheriff’s Department covers over 3,000 sq. miles utilizing 10,000 deputies plus reserves, volunteers, and additional resources.  The department also runs the largest jail system in the free world.  Deputies patrol cities under contract and all unincorporated areas.

The department prides itself on its transparency to the public and its best practices in oversight.

At the Crescenta Valley Station, Captain Silversparre and his department have committed themselves to the area, providing courteous service and protection to La Canada/Flintridge/Montrose/La Cresenta.  The department has been successful in solving a number of recent cases and curbing crime and traffic accidents in the area.  Capt. Silversparre credits this to his team and the increase in technology in fighting crime.  Google and E-bay have even recently aided in the successful capture of criminal suspects.

Furthermore, the Sheriff’s Department has utilized top-of-the-line technology to protect area residents:  Amber Alert, pole cameras, and automatic license plate readers.

Captain Silversparre noted that the top two categories of crime in the area are property and financial crimes (identity theft).  His advice to residents:

1. Lock your car and do not leave valuables visible in your automobile.
2. Close/lock your residential gates and garage doors.
3. Use your residential lights.
4. Have someone pick up your newspapers/mail while you are on vacation.
5. Use your auto and home alarms.
6. Use your security cameras.
7. Work with your neighbors to watch out for each other – Start a neighborhood watch program on your street.
8. Shred any personal papers, paperwork, or materials with personal information.

Sgt. Mark Slater brought a patrol car equipped with the new automatic license plate reader for Kiwanians to view after the meeting.

OTHER STUFF

Winner of the 50/50 Drawing: Our Guest Speaker Capt. Dave Silversparre!                               Capt. Silversparre donated the winnings back to the club!

Secret Greeter: Last week: Ellie Wildermuth  This Week: Gigi Schlueter

Master of the Cash Box: Pat Flynn

This Week's Reporter:  Bryan Schwartz

This Week's Photographer: Wendy Smith

Webmaster, Newsletter Reporter/Coordinator:  Jeb Long