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The La Cawañian La Cañada, CA – August 1, 2001 Shirley DeGrey spun a little magic and created a romantic mood with "Tara's Theme," from "Gone With the Wind," as warm-up music. Pat Anderson called the meeting to order and Songmaster Ed Moulton directed members in God Bless America. Nancy Avila led the flag salute and Chuck Gulick offered the invocation. Announcements: Frosty Boyd announced that prayers for Bob Slattery's quick and successful recovery have been answered. Slattery, just weeks out of the hospital following serious brain surgery, flew to Denver to attend a family reunion this week. Bill Scherkey: Asked committee chairs to turn in their reports on time. Daryal Gant: Announced he had attended the National Soap Box Derby championships in Akron, Ohio. More than 380 cars had been entered from throughout the country, including also Canada and the Philippines. He found the competition organized and professional, with three cars at a time racing down a hill similar to our own Michigan Avenue. Competition started at 11 a.m. and was completed later in the afternoon. None of the La Cañada's winning entries placed. Cars that didn't win in the threesomes were out. Akron has a museum with all winning derby cars since the 30s. Noting the club is several hundred dollars short on contributions to Children's Hospital, Howard Backer asked for contributions. Pat Anderson introduced Sandy Senstrom, the club's new club secretary, taking note of her excellent leadership skills and adding that we will be hearing more about her soon. Happy Bucks: Sandy Senstrom gave one for Ed Moulton, for his positive attitude and friendliness and for "making me feel so comfortable." Ed Moulton joined the Mutual Admiration Society, offering one for Sandy's appointment as secretary. Jack Dawson, who will soon be touring Europe in his Model A car, gave a buck because his wife, Barbara, told him she did not want a car for her birthday which falls this month. "You've already got four or five, what would you do with a new one?" jibed Dick DeGrey. Dawson fired back: "You've got four or five yourself…" DeGrey offered one for the city's Community Band, which conducted an old-fashioned concert in the park last Sunday. Co-sponsored by Noon Kiwanis, the club will offer another concert at 5 p.m., Sunday, August 12. Harold Arman, kicked in another buck on behalf of an enormous rebate ($2.38) he had received from the U.S. Social Security Administration, which sent the funds to compensate for an error made on his account. Daryal Gant put $1 in the pot for Midwestern weather he encountered, not only in Akron, but also in Pittsburgh, where he visited following the Akron event. Howard Backer joined the Century Club to celebrate his and wife Rhoda's anniversary. Elizabeth Georgeon contributed as a thank-you for a backpacking trip her son arranged for the family. Program: Pat Anderson introduced Rich Roche; a community relations speaker from Pacific Bell, which, after a 10-year lobbying effort to provide service for long distance, he says, will be able to do so beginning next year, qualifying the company to enter the $12 billion industry. Roche traced Pac Bell's history since the 1986 FCC break-up of the AT&T system, detailing what he called "dramatic" ways in which he said telephone communications have changed as a result of deregulation. New components of the telephone business include DSL, Cable, and modem service. Local phone service is a $60 billion a year industry, he said, noting that Pac Bell's share of the state market was reduced from a virtual monopoly to having 23 percent of the business. Today, in California 300 local phone companies vie for business, though he says that by virtue of Pac Bell's history, FCC constraints - such as forced service to all residents who request it -- apply to his company but not to competitors. Working in the growing industry are 63,000 employees. Last year Pac Bell made $600,000 worth of contributions to various charities as well as civic and community causes. Winner of the 50-50: Bill Wiederkehr, who will serve as next week's sergeant at arms. Next week's program: Rich Wells, City of Glendale's public information officer, speaking on "Government Access Channels." Next week's invocation: Howard Backer. Next week's flag salute: Jim Reynolds.
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