Rotary Spinnings
November 10, 2011
Upcoming Programs:
17-Nov Ying Ma Author: Chinese Girl in the Ghetto
24-Nov THANKSGIVING
1-Dec. Wayne Handley on Aerobatics
Peter Webb did a heartfelt invocation. T. Jack Foster led us in singing the Star
Spangled Banner (which came out more like the Star MANGLED Banner, the way we sang it…).
Prez Kitty read a touching poem in honor of our veterans and asked all of the veterans in the
club to stand and be acknowledged. Thank you all for your sacrifices and service.
Guests: Oscar Lopez-Guerra brought his friend Mahesh Khatwani, principal of MK Capital
Groups in Burlingame for his third visit. Alan Talansky introduced Corey Geiger, the new
executive director of The Edge in San Mateo.
Announcements:
Sunshine Report: Bo Whitehill reported that Laura Devencenzi, wife of the late Lou
Devincenzi of our club, has passed away.
Reminder: The memorial for Mary Jo Johnson, our own Ed Johnson's wife, will be held on
Sunday, November 20th, from 1:00 PM to 4:00PM at the Johnson home, 10 Craigmont Court,
San Mateo.
Steve Parker spoke on behalf of the Membership Committee, reminding all to check our contact
lists for quality people we know. He also reminded all to check the “food for thought” list of
possible members generated by the Membership Committee. Please keep Jeanne Elliott and/or
Anne LeClair posted on any overtures you are making re: prospective members.
Mary Shen, member of the Sunshine Rotary Club, announced that the 5000 year old show Shen
Yun will be coming to San Francisco. She said her club is going as a group, with 10% of the
ticket prices coming back to their club. She is making the same offer to our club. (Editor’s Note:
This show is supposed to be spectacular. Mary said that seeing it as the year begins is supposed
to bring one good luck for the year. Another note: Apparently, next year will be the year of the
dragon—appropriate, perhaps when a club prez is burning us with her fines?)
President Kitty congratulated newly elected San Mateo City Council Member Maureen
Freschet on her victory, fining her only $20, since Maureen has already joined the President’s
Club. Prez Calico announced that the Membership Committee will be lining up a new and longterm member periodically to do one-minute infomercials.
Sharon Cresswell was a great as the first Rotarian to do this. It turns out that Sharon joined
Rotary while with Dale Carnegie, then joined the San Mateo Area Chamber, handling Member
Development. She said she loves working with Dave Skromme and Linda Asbury on
membership. It turns out Sharon also works with IUSA, placing international exchange students
with families, and with International Au Pairs, placing them in homes and overseeing them.
Sharon happily joined the President’s Club in return for her three “plugs”.
Our three contestants for Two Truths and a Lie then reluctantly stepped forward, lying like three
rugs. Francois Sorba grew up near Antoine de St. Exupery’s mother and met all kinds of
interesting people. He and his wife were married in Corsica, where the city hall kept moving
from place to place. (His lie was complicated and related to having been sent away as a child…)
Peter Sortwell grew up in New England and was a downhill ski racer. (His lie was that he’s on
his second marriage, with elaborate explanations of having had an annulment after only a month
of marriage.) Larry Atkinson, who had to write down even his truths, once managed a circus
and once drove a truck. (He’s still driving a clown car—his own.) His lie was that his brother
saved his life, which is why he went into search and rescue…. (Too bad he didn’t know his
brother Jeff had already used the “saved my brother’s life” line.)
The Program:
Walt McCullough introduced Kimball Livingston, principal at the White Bridge Group.
Livingston’s activities include writing, editing, publishing the blueplanettimes.com, and
distributing the White Bridge-published book, Sailing the Bay. He is Editor-at-Large of SAIL
Magazine and a frequent public speaker. His blog posts may be seen on his website:
http://blueplanettimes.com/.
Livingston covered the history of the America’s Cup, the entry of an American boat at a time
when Britain ruled the waters of the world, and the various types of boats that have competed
over the years. He said the America’s Cup 34 will be “all about change”. He explained that only
a yacht club may host the America’s Cup, but said that in today’s world, no yacht club can afford
it. He said that Larry Ellison will be lucky to break even with the improvements to Piers 30/32
that will be financed in return for a long term lease, noting that those two piers have “at most six
years left in them”. He said San Francisco will benefit from the transformation of Piers 27/29
into a cruise ship terminal.
He said the 35 mile an hour speed of the competing catamarans is so fast it is the highest legal
speed allowed for high speed water ski jumping, and noted that, should a boat flip, the crew is
supposed to hang onto the wings. If they do, they’ll be flipped back up, he said. Next year, 45
foot long, identical, smaller catamarans will race over a three week period. He said they’ll be
followed by the 72 foot custom boats that will “light up” San Francisco Bay. It was an
interesting talk by a colorful guy. ###
AL for LH signing in as CC