casserole and chocolate cake for

ROTARY dessert.

NEWSLETTER ~Announcements~
Co-Pres, Evie Michon told us Carol
Irwin will soon be transported home
October 15, 2019 from Nairobi. You will recall that Carol
was on a photo safari in Africa when she
Next Celebration: October 22, 2019 fell and fractured two vertebrae. Gary is
with her at the hospital in Nairobi and he
Noon: Moraga Country Club
reports as follows:
Program: Dr. Cynthia Mahoney, “Hi all:
Climate Action The plan for our return to CA is we
will depart from Nairobi on Friday
Greeter/Invocation – Dave Kruegel at 1900, arriving OAK on Saturday
Upcoming Programs: about 1600, thence to John Muir
Oct 29 – Brian South Med Center. Carol is in good
Nov 5 – Gary Irwin: Historical event spirits and is in good shape for a
*Nov 12 – Russ Aubrey: Oakland Fire
successful recovery. The Hawker
Nov 19 – Linda Campbell Quilt Project
Nov 26 – Susan Sperry; Moraga Historical Soc. 800 jet will take us to fuel stops in
* Dinner Meeting at 6PM Cameroon, Algeria, Azores,
Halifax, and S. Dakota, so it will be
It must be the crisp Fall air - the Moraga about 25 flying hours plus stops.”
Rotary Bell sounded particularly loud Carol and Gary, have a safe trip home.
when Co-President Evie Michon
opened the meeting today. Just think, When asked how members fared during
we’re halfway through October already! the recent earthquake Debbie Roessler
It is definitely time to get those reported that the jolt was the strongest
Halloween decorations up! Today’s she has ever felt. Her home in Martinez
invocator was Roger Gregory with a danced a bit but she only lost one
poem from Edgar Guest followed by the teacup and saucer. The new deck came
Pledge of Allegiance. thru fine. Angelo Costanza was
watching sports on TV when the quake
Meeting attendees numbered 23 with occurred. He said, “There is a big
one guest, our speaker Dr. Yenjean bookcase in the family room chock full
Hwang M.D. an Orinda Rotarian and of books galore and some trophies”
Chair of the International Vision (imagine all Angelo’s bocce and golf
Volunteers organization. trophies…) The bookcase leaned and
everything cascaded slowly to the floor.
Lunch was substantial and good. Beef No one was hurt and no real damage
stew, pork cutlets, roast potato/onion was done.” Alka Mulakaluri said this is
a wake-up call for all of us to get our
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houses in order and fasten furniture to says no two are alike. They are made
the wall. from beads around the world. (See the
attached for ordering details.)
C-P Evie told us about an event for the
Putnam Clubhouse in Concord. It’s ~ Happy Bucks & Recognitions~
called “Reach for the Stars! – So You C-P Evie Michon had four High Fives
Think You Can Dance!” One of our Fab (that’s got to be a record. What would
Five Rotary friends – Tom Guyette of we call that? A “Grand Five” A
Lamorinda Sunrise Rotary is going to be “Magnificent Five” ???
dancing for a chance at stardom!. The • One for the PG&E power outage
event is on Sunday, November 10th 4 to and the earthquake – what a
8:30 pm at the San Ramon Marriott, week!
2600 Bishop Drive, San Ramon. Tom is • One for “Paul Revere” Rich
hosting two tables and for $125 you can Render who was recognized in the
sit at one of the tables (dubbed the local e-news Nextdoor for
Freddie Mercury tables). Oh, and you pounding on doors to wake his
can vote online for your favorite neighbors and alert them to the
dancers. Hint, Tom & Monica at fire in Saunders Ranch.
www.putnamclubhousestars.org. It’s
• One for Jennifer Brophy and her
$10 per vote. (This sounds like a lot of
niece reactivating the Rotoract
fun and you can find more info attached
Club at Saint Mary’s College.
at the end of the newsletter.)
• One for Jennifer Brophy
volunteering to be the Moraga
Don’t forget our Thursday, October 24th
Rotary Secretary
event at the new Canyon Club
Brewery. We’ll all be there between 5
Dave Kruegel told us he had a trip to
and 7 pm to welcome prospective new
Phoenix and spun the Wheel of
Moraga Rotary members and celebrate
Misfortune for a fine of $8.
World Polio Day. If it’s not raining Cliff
Igor Kipnis spun the wheel because of
Dochterman plans to be there too!
a trip a few weeks ago to Boston. His
fine was $5.
Brian South told us about the Moraga
Alka Mulakaluri has been travelling too
Police Town Hall on Thursday, October
and when she spun the wheel it gave
17th - 7 pm at the Joaquin Moraga
her a fine of $35! Wow, who knew the
Middle School, Multi-Purpose Room.
wheel went that high.
This is the first such town meeting.
Oh, and Roger Gregory had a Warriors
C-P Evie found some great looking
basketball team hat for the Fine Free
necklaces produced by Mary Gadeken
Hat – and reminded us that the season
who was one of the special guests at
starts next Thursday, October 24 at 7:30
the June event for Cliff Dochterman.
when the Warriors take on the LA
These are called “International Peace
and Friendship Necklaces” and Mary
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Clippers. He pulled out a very rumpled
$1 Happy Buck.

~Program~
Co-President Debbie Koo introduced
today’s speaker and Orinda Rotarian,
Dr. Yenjean Hwang, M.D. What an
impressive organization she leads.
International Vision Volunteers (IVV) is
dedicated to improving vision services at
the Zimba Eye Clinic in Zambia, Africa.
Several times a year IVV volunteers
bring their expertise and medical
supplies to a small clinic on the campus
of the Wesleyan Church in rural Zambia.

The cost of a single trip to Zambia for

each volunteer ranges from $1,500 to
$2,500 for air fare. Total cost per trip,
about $3,000. Travel is difficult in
country. There is a single good two-lane
paved road running North/South in
Zambia from the capital. In the rural
country the roads are dirt and filled with
huge potholes. It can take hours to
make a 5 mile trip. The volunteers bring
all the medicines they can carry aboard
the planes. Very few medicines are
available locally.

Because of the high rate of eye

infections, children are susceptible to
what we consider adult eye diseases
Zambia – the pink purple sandwiched between like glaucoma and cataracts. Because of
Congo and Zimbabwe. The clinic is near Choma if a lack of eye care most individuals who
you look Zambia up on Google Earth
show up at the clinic are already blind
from these disorders which are treatable
in the U.S. In Zambia, a nation of 19
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million people there are only 30 activities as well as a copy of a recent
opthamologists. IVV Newsletter.)

People hike for days, camp outside the

clinic and line up in the hundreds
seeking treatment. They might wait a
week or more to be seen. The volunteer
doctors will see 300 to 600 patients and
operate on about 60 to 80. Many must
be told to come back next time. The IVV
doctors bring with them 9 corneas and
will transplant them all to patients there
at the clinic.

Because of the impact of global

warming electrical power is limited to the
hospital. The power is all hydroelectric
and there has been an extensive
drought over the last several years.
Power which used to be out about four
hours a day is now out ten hours a day.
The IVV team and Orinda Rotary
supported by the other Fab Five clubs
Dr. Yenjean Hwang and Co-President Dennie Koo
are applying for a Global Rotary Grant
to secure $140,000 funding for
installation of solar panels at the
hospital. There is a too heavily used
back-up, diesel generator which needs
repair and requires $8,000 worth of
diesel fuel per year. With the solar
power and back-up batteries the clinic
will be able to operate continuously.

The IVV Team also collects old glasses

here in the Bay Area. If you have old
unused eye glasses you can drop them
at Dr. Yenjean Hwang’s office in Orinda:
1 Country Club Plaza
Orinda, CA 94563

For more info about IVV you will find a

page attached summarizing their

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 ~ Greeter/Invocator Schedule List ~
10/22 – Dave Kruegel
10/29 – Barb Bruner
11/05 – Lad Lynch
11/12 – Debbie Roessler
11/19 – Jennifer Brophy
11/26 – Angelo Costanza
12/03 – John Erickson
12/10 – Frank May
12/17 – Fran Rathjen

~Upcoming Events~
October 17, Thursday: 7:30 pm Moraga
Police Town Hall @ Joaquin
Moraga School
October 19th, Saturday: The Moraga
Library Booksale
October 24, Thursday: Canyon Club
Brewery - Moraga Rotary
~ Raffle ~ Membership event and celebration
The winning ticket worth $10 was held of World Polio Day - 5 to 7pm
by Igor Kipnis, who could not find the
green marble worth $48. November 10, Sunday: 4-8:30 pm,
Putnam Clubhouse “So You Think
You Can Dance Event” San
Ramon Marriott
December 10, Tuesday: Moraga Rotary
Holiday Party & Dinner meeting at
MCC.
March 7, Saturday: “A Nite at the
Races”, at the Serbian Church

Page 5 of 12
MORAGA ROTARY DIRECTORS 2019-2022

Co-Presidents Evie Michon & Debbie Koo

President Elect Brian South
Past President Ron Mucovich
Secretary Kevin Reneau
Treasurer Rich Render
Club Administrator Debbie Roessler
Foundation Chair John Erickson
Youth & Community Service Chair Tony Schoemehl
Public Relations Chair Gary Irwin
Fundraising Chair Frank May
International Service Chair Dianne Wilson
Membership Chair Brian South
Director at Large Mary Sue Erickson
Director at Large Linda May
Advisor to the Board John Erickson
Advisor to the Board Jim Campbell
Advisor to the Board Cliff Dochterman

District Governor 5160 Tina Akins

President, Rotary International Mark Maloney

Newsletter Editor for September – Gary Irwin

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