Rotary Club of Altadena

OFF THE ROTARY WHEEL January 10, 2019 AN AWARD-WINNING NEWSLETTER

ThisThis WeekWeek January brings Optimism “As January sunshine ushers in longer boundaries, InIn Thomas J. days, the prospect of the New Year brings openness to by Sarah McNulty, Jr. optimism, and more than any other thing, opportuni- TuneTune O’Brien, optimism depends on openness!” ty. Inventors Tune President Program Host: Quincy Whitney look past what they think they know and re- Ruben Alvardo his week I shall be commuting back fuse to cling to fi xed perceptions and ideas. T o m and forth to Encinitas and Laguna Rufus Porter (1792-1884) was an Ameri- M c N u l t y TTBeach to perform with the Hutchins can dance master, artist, inventor and found- h o l d s Consort — the only ensemble in the world to er of the Scientifi c American magazine. his BS in play the scaled family of instruments When he was not perfecting a scientifi c Pharmacy created by Carleen Hutchins. Mine is the method to paint his murals more effi ciently from Phil- alto violin which resembles a on a or teaching his craft to other artists, he was a d e l p h i a stick and is a beast to play! Hutchins’ story inventing all sorts of things: turbine water College of of challenges and perseverance — alongside wheels, windmills, and rotary engines. He Pharmacy the experience of others — was featured in built a camera obscura, a washing machine, and Sci- a recent article by Quincy Whitney in The a fi re-alarm, a rope-making machine, railway ence and his Doctorate in Pharmaceu- Telegraph, dated Jan 10 2019. I thought it signals, a distance measuring appliance, a tical Science from the University of the might be of interest. horsepower mechanism, a life-preserver, a Pacifi c School of Pharmacy. He was a <> <> <> cheese press, a revolving rifl e, and a heart founding partner of Health Integration “The Wright brothers fl ew right through pump. In 1849, Porter even designed an Strategies, a health data management and the smoke screen of impossibility.” – Charles 800-foot steam-powered airship to transport consulting company. He was cofounder Kettering a hundred miners to the California Gold and Chief Clinical Offi cer of Ancillary “We need open minds. Disaster news Rush, but his 240-foot-long aeroport pro- Care Management, Inc. tends to make people afraid about the fu- totype was destroyed by a tornado, while In January of 2015, McNulty stepped ture. Fear closes minds. One thing we know two other attempts never came to fruition. in as CEO of The Gooden Center, a is that humanity is the greatest problem-solv- Porter brought art and science together 56-year-old rehabilitation facility in Pas- ing machine that ever existed, and we have in two publications: A Select Collection adena, which provides both subacute the responsibility to keep dreaming the of Valuable and Curious Arts and Inter- mental illness treatment for men and impossible dream because the people who Please turn to In Tune p. 4 women and substance abuse treatment came before us were the ones who changed for men. McNulty, a former TGC Board our lives.” “Solutions Thinking and Climate GreeterGreeter ofof thethe WeekWeek Change,” Optimist Daily, Editor-in-Chief, January 17 chair and a senior healthcare executive, Julius Johnson brought with him 38 years of experience Jurriaan Kamp January 24 in a variety of healthcare practice settings. Invention depends on openness, open- Steve Kerekes ness to see a problem from a new angle, Please turn to This Week p. 3 January 31 openness that invites us to think across Sterling Louviere ProgramProgram ReviewReview

Mid-Year Club Assembly 2019

resident Sarah and Steve Kerekes volunteer John Frykenberg highlight- presided over with the Interact Club at Muir. ed the PCC Vocational awards PPthe proclama- The club meets once a month luncheon which is being over- tion of and has around 25 students. seen by Dennis Mehringer in pertinent plans from the people Altadena Ro- April, and the Dewey Merrill Business Plan of power at our club assembly tary recently Competition (date to be announced). There on Thursday, January 10. helped the is an effort underway to create some kind of The fi rst person at the podium was Tony Interact Club an entrepreneurship program in the District Hill. Hill spoke about Interact and RYLA at get a new banner. This year we plan to send to honor the late Ray Carlson. John Muir High School. Kimmit Haggins eight students (4 girls & 4 boys) to the Rotary Frank Cunningham reported Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA) program that we have six new members Sparks is published 48 weeks a year and is the which will take place at Camp Cedar Crest. (Dawn Digrius, Dorothy Brooks, offi cial publication of the Rotary Club of Altadena. The deadline for submission of articles is Friday at Rotarians who want to act as facilitators at Jennifer Hall Lee, Nick Santan- 6p to current editor email, fax, or delivery. RYLA should reach out to Tony. gelo, Rene Amy, and Sylvia Vega). He en- Rotary Club of Altadena - #7183 Chartered: February 14, 1949 Mike Zoeller detailed our efforts with couraged the club to invite people to lunch P.O. Box 414, Altadena, CA 91003 Youth Awards. These include and to participate in our projects. www.altadenarotary.com Meets: Thursday, 12:10p the 4-way Speech Contest be- Craig Cox reviewed the Altadena Town & Country Club ing assisted by Mark Mariscal, structure of the Summer Con- 2290 Country Club Drive • Altadena, CA 626-794-7163 Jennifer Hall Lee and Sylvia certs Project. Our efforts are Rotary Int. Pres...... Ian H.S. Riseley Vega; the Dan Stover Music Awards with split among 5 sub-committees : Dist 5300 Gov...... John Chase Offi cers President Sarah’s help; the Junior ROTC Fundraising (Doug Collifl ower); Sarah O’Brien, Pres...... Bus. 626-796-5000 Awards at Blair High School, Production (Mike Zoeller); Publicity/Promo- Mark Mariscal, Pres. Elec...... Bus. 310-902-6547 Steve Kerekes, V. Pres...... Bus. 626-351-8815 which is being managed by Tom tion; Permits/Facilities and Concessions. Jim Gorton, Sec...... Bus. 323-816-6713 McCurry; and the PCC Veterans’ Fundraising and Production are up and Mike Noll, Trea...... Bus. 626-683-0515 Directors Scholarships with Craig Cox. running now! Let Craig know if you are Mark Mariscal • Ed Jasnow Ed Jasnow and Mendel Hill interested in participating. John Frykenberg • Dennis Mehringer David Campbell • Sarah O’Brien • Mike Zoeller have just fi nished giving out Dennis Mehringer reviewed club fi nanc- Chairmen Teacher’s Mini-Grants at fi ve es. We currently have $87,000 in assets and Mark Mariscal ...... Administration David Smith ...... Foundation schools with two more to go. $7,000 in liabilities so the club is in good Charlie Wilson ...... Asst. Foundation (This year we awarded 22, $400-grants). Please turn to Program, p. 3 Frank Cunningham ...... Membership Jacque Foreman ...... Public Awareness On May 2, the teachers will present what Congratulations Jacque Foreman ...... Acting Publicity they did with their Mini-Grants to the club. Jacque Foreman ...... Sparks/Website Birthdays Mike Zoeller ...... Club Projects Doug Collifl ower ...... Community January 7 - Helen Zivkoviche (M. Hill) David Smith ...... International Vocational Service 16 - Sarah O’Brien To be Announced ...... Asst. International Program Chair: Ruben Alvarado 27 - Ann Rider Hill Tony Hill ...... Youth Contests/Awards 17 - Thomas (Tom) McNulty, CEO, the Mike Zoeller ...... Youth Projects Anniversaries John Frykenberg ...... Vocational Gooden Center 03 - Jim & Karen Gorton Editor, Design & Typesetting ...... Foreman Graphics 24 - Rabbi Joshua Levine Grater, Friends 04 - Mike & Carol Zoeller Photography ...... Jacque Foreman In-Deed 22 - John & Joan Frykenberg

2 Sparks - Altadena Rotary Club Newsletter Program hairmen’shairmen’s CCornerorner by Frank Cunningham, Membership Chair Enhancing the Club Experience

he power of about member satisfaction or handing out • Take action by talking to members and our club lies or emailing a survey to them to allow them involving as many of them as possible in TTin its members. more time to complete it. the process so that they are invested in By asking them for Step-by-step this is how it might work: the enhancing the club experience! feedback regularly, • Introduce the survey, discussing the we are demonstrat- importance of feedback from members. This Week ing our openness to change and empower- • Distribute the survey, explaining that Continued from p. 1 ing them to craft an ideal club experience. responses are confi dential and will be This knowledge enables him to lead his staff We might want to survey club members and used to enhance the club experience. of 86 in the understanding of effective treat- ask for feedback from the club. It’s a healthy • With a dedicated group of club offi cers, ment for clients in a culture that is growing thing to do, and it will ensure that all mem- analyze the data, respecting all view- and changing. He has extensive experience bers are enjoying their club experience. points. with licensure, corporate compliance, ac- We would need a dedicated group of • Present the results to the club and allow creditation, call center operations, and data members to conduct a member satisfac- members time to ask questions. management. tion survey. It could be our membership • Make an action plan addressing the McNulty is the father of two children: committee or the incoming slate of offi cers survey fi ndings and setting a time frame Lisa will graduate in May from Peabody who could survey the group. We can either for implementing any changes deemed Conservatory at Johns Hopkins where she devote time during a club meeting to talking necessary. is majoring in Vocal Music. Son Tommy is a freshman at Oregon State, leaning toward Program a major in Business and Finance. Continued from p. 2 McNulty is an avid sailor, cyclist and skier. shape. David Smith reviewed a de-mining project in Cambodia, Dream He attends Holy Family Catholic Church in Altadena Rotary Charities and Team dam buiding/polio vaccination effort South Pasadena and is a member of the how it funds our charitable in India, and Rotoplast which will occur in Twilight Club in Pasadena. projects. The investment base June 2019. continues to grow. Mark Mariscal reminded ev- David Smith walked people eryone of the speaker chairs for through supporting the Rotary the rest of the year: January/ Foundation and reminded our Ruben Alvardo, February/Mark new members that one of our Mariscal, March/Tom McCurry, April/David members starts a Paul Harris account with Smith, May/Ed Jasnow, June/Mike Zoeller Rotary International on their behalf for Steve Kerekes presented $100. He encouraged everyone to send the slate of new Directors for their Rotary Foundation contributions the Board. They are: Maria Pe- through Altadena Rotary Charities. He also rez-Arton, Doug Collifl ower and Mendel Hill (l) and Ed Jasnow (r) highlighted our four international projects: David Smith. They were approved through a present a Mini-Grant check for $400 A school house project in Nepal in a joint voice vote of the members attending. to Ms. Ossana Yousefi an at Webster project with the Nottingham, England Club; Craig Cox Elementary School Sparks - Altadena Rotary Club Newsletter 3 In Tune Continued from p. 1 esting Experiments , and later New York But, unlike Porter Mechanic . In 1845 Porter founded and and the Wright broth- published Scientifi c American , but sold it ers, Hutchins struggled 10 months later. Porter defi ed conventional mightily. She discovered boundaries because he remained open to she had inadvertently new ideas and was not afraid of what he created a fi restorm in did not know. (The Rufus Porter Museum the violin world that had currently exists in Bridgeton, Maine). remained unchanged The Wright brothers, self-taught entre- for four centuries, ever preneurs who never graduated high school, since the first known built their own bicycle business while pursu- violin made by Andreas ing their dream – to build a fl ying machine. Amati in 1555. In 1903, Orville and Wilbur Wright suc- Close-minded luth- cessfully tested a fl ying machine that took iers hated Hutchins for off on its own power, fl ew at even speeds bringing science into the and landed safely without damage – and workshop — why bother started the era of human fl ight. While the with acoustics? String competition focused on vertical lift, balloons players saw a new violin and airships, the Wright brothers saw the family as problematic. problem differently – in terms of balance Why improve the violin? Wasn’t the quartet ineffective because players could not get and driving the wind, like riding a bicycle. already perfect? What violist wants to play past their own assumptions. The Hutchins <> <> <> a ? Consort, of San Diego, CA, is the only Violin-maker Carleen Hutchins, a Cornell Teachers hated the because it professional ensemble in the world that biologist, teacher and pregnant housewife might require them to learn new pedagogy. performs on a Hutchins violin octet. In carved her fi rst viola as a hobby, just to see (Hutchins was invited to speak at Juilliard 1999, Joe McNalley, propelled by his own if she could do it. The same year she ap- three times but was uninvited before she contagious enthusiasm, found musicians prenticed to a master violin-maker, she met got there). Dealers hated Hutchins most of driven by openness and curiosity rather retired Harvard physicist Frederick Saunders all. By improving the acoustics of mediocre than prejudice. Today the Hutchins Consort and offered to made to be used in , and inventing a new more resonant performs a wide repertoire from medieval experiments. Eventually, Hutchins merged violin, she was fooling with centuries-old and Renaissance to classical and jazz. acoustical physics with violin-making, made mythology about old fi ddles being better <> <> <> a more resonant violin and invented the than new ones and tipping the balance of What do Rufus Porter, the Wright Broth- violin octet – eight hand-carved violins of the elitist, high-priced violin market. ers, Carleen Hutchins, and Joe McNalley graduated sizes and tunings, spanning the To add fuel to the fi re, Hutchins was a have in common? They built bridges instead range of a piano, from an 11-inch treble female in three male-dominated fi elds: vio- of walls and understood that openness violin to a 7-foot contrabass. Hutchins wrote lin-making, acoustical physics, and classical breeds opportunity. They persevered fear- 100 technical papers about music. Though she contributed more to lessly, overcame self-doubt, obstacles and and made nearly 500 stringed instruments. her fi eld than any since Stradivari, prejudice to realize dreams and create a A player and biologist, Hutchins Hutchins was blackballed by many of her legacy. left behind what she knew to enter two peers. <> <> <> worlds she knew nothing about, teaching Nevertheless, some open-minded musi- Scientists, artists and innovators in many herself acoustical physics by carving fi ddles cians, conductors and physicists all worked fi elds comprise our club.. How exciting! Our in her kitchen. Like Porter and the Wright to promote the violin octet in England, Rotary motto for the rest of the Rotary Year brothers, Hutchins was fearless about what Wales, Scotland, Sweden, Russia, and couldn’t be more compelling: she did not know. Iceland — but all of these efforts proved BE THE INSPIRATION! 4 Sparks - Altadena Rotary Club Newsletter REAL Smart Moves to take ESTATE Before Buying Your First Home Mattersby Doug Collifl ower

Buying a home is one of the most expen- without a pre-approval letter included with from the median of six in 1985, according sive purchases you will ever make, and there your offer. to a 2017 survey from the National Associ- are some things you can do before buying Pre-approval requires going through the ation of Realtors. a home that can save you money, time, and mortgage application process and getting That means having open discussions with relieve much of the stress. approved for a loan amount. Pre-qualifi ca- your partner (or refl ecting on your own) 1. Crunch the numbers tion is more of a rough estimate on how about how you like to live today and how to make sure buying much loan you could be approved for based you want to live in the future. makes sense on fi nancial information you volunteer. For instance, say you had always rented Many millennials are fi ne with being Guess which is stronger in the eyes of the two-bedroom apartments and thought that lifelong renters if it makes fi nancial sense. seller and their agent? you would do the same for your new home, But does it? In order to fi nd out, I suggest Having your pre-approval in place but soon realized you wanted a third bed- that you plug all your relevant numbers demonstrates to the seller that you’re serious room for the future. And while you liked into a Rent vs. Buy calculator (easily found and able to make the mortgage commit- your proximity to restaurants and bars as online). The results should be very helpful ment. I also recommend cross-qualifying renters, often you ended up driving or in making your decision. If the decision with a second lender, giving you added taking transit to meet friends across town. is to buy, then the next steps are in order. assurance of success. Things you once thought were important 2. Hire a buyer’s agent 4. Calculate exactly aren’t as important as you once thought A buyer’s agent is a realtor who acts on how much you and realizing that helps you focus on home behalf of the person buying a home. Your want to spend — features most important to you. agent will help you fi nd your home, nego- and stick to it 6. Research target areas tiate with the seller, choose from a list of The pre-approval process will help in aggressively trusted inspectors, guide you through all the determining your maximum budget by “Location, location, location” goes the paper work and advocate on your behalf. determining the maximum loan amount old truism, and it still holds up. Beyond your There are many issues that surface you qualify for. However, it is critical that personal preferences, you still must consider during the buying process, and there is no- you and your partner determine and agree what direction housing prices were trend- body better to have on your team than an how much you can comfortably spend each ing historically and what the comparable expert — especially on the fi rst go-around. month for your mortgage, homeowner’s sales were for the houses of similar square So, hire a buyer’s agent. By the way, in most insurance, taxes, and utilities payments for footage, age, and features like what you are cases, the seller pays your agent. your new home. wanting to buy. 3. Get pre-approved 5. Have a frank discussion 7. Consider (not pre-qualifi ed) about your desired multiple inspections for your Mortgage lifestyle Inspections are an important step in the There are many lending options in the Discuss location, proximity to restaurants purchase process. Buying your fi rst home market place today and good real estate and transportation, and where you see is likely to be the biggest purchase you’ve agents have good referrals if you don’t have yourself in 10 years. ever made, and likely the most debt you’ve a favorite. Your fi rst home is not likely to be your ever incurred at one time. That can make Getting pre-approved is critical, and most last home, but people are staying in their you feel green in the gills as the additional sellers will not accept or consider an offer homes longer — a median of ten years, up Please turn to Real Estate, p. 6 Sparks - Altadena Rotary Club Newsletter 5 Real Estate A Final Toast to Continued from p. 4 expenses add up, including the cost of These inspections might hurt the wallet Yvonne Rich: A inspections of a house you might decide upfront, but knowing the condition of the to walk away from. But to not get all the house you are considering is critical. Should former Member of inspections you might need is a penny-wise you discover major issues, you can negotiate Altadena Rotary and pound-foolish proposition. for repairs and/or credits while you are in December In addition to your standard home in- escrow. After escrow closes and you move 8, 2018. Yvonne spection and what that inspection reveals, it in, you deal with the surprises on your own. Rich, the wine may be wise to also consider: a video pipe Should you have any questions, I am lady of Pasadena inspection, roof inspection, and foundation happy to help, and may be reached at [and Altadena], and termite inspections. 626.524.4158. died peacefully at home on De- It Happened on December 13 cember 8. She was 98. A rich life indeed … mother, model, mountain climber, wine educator … to name only a few of her many talents, occupations and passions. Yvonne led a long and healthy life and will be lovingly remembered by her daughters, Pamela and Deborah, son-in-law Bill Toone and an astounding number of friends. In lieu of fl owers, please contribute to the Ecolife Conservation (www.ecolife- conservation.org). A celebration of Yvonne’s life will be Dorothy Brooks (2nd from left) introduces our newest member (l), Sylvia Vega, whom held in March. For those of you who remem- she sponsored, as Frank Cunningham, Membership Chair looks on and President Sarah ber her voice mail message, the machine is distracted by her daughter Isabel. is on if you wish to capture her long time, sweet and inspiring message. A Thank You to Dennis Mehringer for bringing this to our attention.

Four of our newest members (l to r) Jen- nifer Hall Lee, Dawn Digrius, Rene Amy, and Sylvia Vega gath- er for a New-Mem- ber Orientation with Bare-foot Contessa, and future member, Membership Chair Isabel O’brien, visited our December 13 Frank Cunningham meeting. (not shown). 6 Sparks - Altadena Rotary Club Newsletter Sparks - Altadena Rotary Club Newsletter 7 Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Reserve Deputy Program

Back in the 1800s, the Sheriff would look to the community to form a posse and deputize citizens to assist him in the apprehension of horse thieves, murderers, or other criminals. Thankfully, we have thousands of full-time deputies to perform those duties today, but, in 2018, just like the 1800s, the Sheriff is looking to the community to fi nd citizens to volunteer and help by becoming reserve deputy sheriffs. Reserve deputies undergo the same training and background checks that full-time deputies receive. It’s a year-long process, but, after graduation, reserve deputies can perform a wide array of duties and service to the community. The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Reserve Program is one of the largest in the country, with over 600 all-volunteer sworn reserve deputy sheriffs. Last year they worked 182,000 hours keeping the citizens of Los Angeles County safe. Those 182,000 hours represent millions of dollars in savings to taxpayers. Patrolling our communities is only one of many functions performed by reserve deputies. Lifesaving search and rescue missions are performed every week by reserves as part of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department’s Search and Rescue Program. Last year reserve deputy sheriffs performed 684 missions throughout the county, saving countless lives. Another opportunity for reserve deputy sheriffs to serve is by becoming a member of the Sheriff’s Department’s Posse. Posse members work patrolling trails and various community events on horseback. Reserve deputies also help solve crimes by working in many of the Sheriff’s Department’s detective units, such as Homicide Bureau, Narcotics Bureau, Fraud and Cyber Crime Bureau, and Special Victims Bureau. We also have reserves who ride street and off-road motorcycles for the Department. Reserve deputies come from all walks of life and from a wide variety of professions. The common thread of all is a burning desire to give back to their community and assist their fellow citizens. If you are interested in signing up — just like citizens did over a 150 years ago — there is a reserve deputy academy scheduled to start in February 2019. Please contact the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Reserve Forces Detail at 323-526-5100 and ask for Assistant Director Mike Leum to get started.

8 Sparks - Altadena Rotary Club Newsletter