August 03, 2021
Scribe: Tom Boylan Editor: Natalie Lim Introduced by: JB Leep
We then got into the chow line and had a couple minutes to assuage our hunger.
Diane Brabetz was asked to share a Rotary moment with us. She said that over the years she has had several very moving moments related to Rotary, but the one most prominent was one time when they were at their home in Playa del Carmen.
Her husband, Les, said that he wasn’t feeling especially well and decided to sit down on the sofa. When Diane came to check on Les, he was sweating profusely. Being a nurse, Diane related that Les wasn’t taking any medications at the time. She didn’t speak enough Spanish to be comfortable calling the local services for help, so she called their friend, Igor, 3 hours away.
In 20 minutes there were people to take them to the hospital where 8 doctors were at the door waiting for them and local Rotarians in the waiting room. Les had indeed had a heart attack and spent several days in the hospital all the while the Rotarians and their families were at hand 24/7 to help Diane and Les. Igor came to Playa also.
Visitors today:
- Tonya Bruno
- Sarah Law
- Terry Andreacchi, from Forestville in the classification of education
- Scott Bonin, dentist who has taken over Kurt Mitchler’s practice
- Rodrigo Perez, Maverick Handyman services
- Edwin Perez, Rodrigo’s father from El Salvador
- James Gore, our speaker
- Jenny Chamberlain, assistant to James Gore
President Pam then announced the Rotarian of the Month for the month of August
wine lover, basket queen, photographer, gardener, etc. etc., Sandie Krutz
Announcements:
- JB
- Waste Less Windsor is looking for volunteers to assist with recycling at the summer concerts.
- Renee
- concerts begin at the end of August and will be looking for workers at the bar
- Pegi
- Our club has completed and been accepted to receive Youth Exchange students in 2022
- Diane
- mask mandate in Sonoma County went back into effect at 12:01 AM today
- Michael Juric
- looking for people to power the world, i.e. assist with the Zooming of our hybrid meetings
- Joan
- SCARC (Sonoma County Area Rotary Clubs) Windsor is in charge of the August meeting. It will be held at Tu Molé Madre, behind El Gallo Negro restaurant. Jennifer Strong will be the facilitator for a panel on the topic of Climate
Secret Greeter for today was Pegi. She said she forgot to say hello to the people Zooming into the meeting and would pay $5.
President Pam began the program segment of today’s meeting describing her and Sue Nelson’s project of photographing the homeless around Healdsburg a few years ago. And subsequent to their taking photographs, they gave the homeless cameras to capture how their personal day goes.
JB began to introduce our speaker, James Gore, in Italian because he learned that James also speaks Italian. And James thanked JB for the introduction in Italian!
James began by stating that there have been 15 disasters here in 7 years. And while he and his team continue to strive for progress, the process isn’t perfect but they are doing the best that they can.
He gave recognition to Rotarians for all they do in so many arenas including Covid and Polio.
We are going to have about 6 months of continued emphasis on getting vaccinated or getting regular testing. We can’t discriminate against the non-vaccinated . Also if not vaccinated there will be no work travel.
He believes that there won’t be another economic shut-down.
The drought is SERIOUS, especially if we don’t get rain again this season. Lake Sonoma is 100,000 Acre Feet below normal and Lake Pillsbury is 7,000 Acre Feet down.
What’s most important is what each of us does to reduce our consumption.
Homelessness is down in the last 2-3 years and will continue.
There are no plans, at least to the end of the year, to purchase the Windsor Holiday Inn for homeless transitioning despite the fact that the state is offering a 75% match. Currently there are 31 people at the Holiday Inn; 5 are now employed, 10 are moving into housing and 75% are over 65 years old.
85% of the homeless have been homeless for over 10 years. Outreach is needed. Services need to offer options and security
Current programs requires placement of the person before leaving the sheltering hotel.
And homeless encampments cannot be cleared without options in place first.
They are trying to deal with items as they arise.
The Safe Parking Program is a program to provide a safe and secure place that those with campers have a place they know they can park for a 1 month period.
And indoor/outdoor shelters at Los Guilicos need management.
In 2013 we were in the top 3 areas of homeless per capita
And to leave with another happy thought: We have a lack of affordable housing. Our teachers cannot afford to live where they teach.
Until next week, think good thoughts!
COVID UPDATE
NEWS FLASH!!!! Sonoma County mandates mask rules again as do other Bay Area Counties……… Effective today, Tuesday August 3rd, everyone in Sonoma County is to wear a mask indoors, regardless of our vaccination status.
Total Cases: 32,880 (last week 32,325) Recovered: 31,100 (last week 30,827) Active Cases: 1450 (last week 1169) – this is 281 more than previous week a trend that we are seeing that is frightening!
New Cases: We are seeing an increase in new cases and breakthrough in the vaccinated. Breakthrough infections has doubled each month since April. The Delta variant is prevalent and as long as we do not stop this virus we give it a chance to mutate and replicate. Masking is the only way to stop the spread – this will stop transmission. We owe it to our young to spare them by getting vaccinations, avoid super spreader events and by wearing your mask.
Hospitalized: 59 confirmed and 3 suspected (last week 42 confirmed and 3 suspected) This alarming increase in hospitalizations means we are taxing our hospitals, our ER’s and putting a strain on medical services that are needed by others not fighting COVID. We have a labor shortage even in health care and we are seeing it in are health care settings with positions open, people not applying and those working on overwhelm. Wait times in ER’s have increased dramatically due to COVID.
Vaccination information…. As of August 2nd, 626,035 residents in Sonoma County have received the vaccine (last week 619,721). 70% of our populations 12 and older are fully vaccinated and approximately 78% have received at least 1 dose. Because of the hold out among groups and parts of our County that will not consider vaccinations, we are beginning to see employers notify them of deadlines to become vaccinated. The Governor has issued a mandate for all state government employees and all public and private sectors in health care to become vaccinated beginning August 2nd and implemented by August 23rd
Please be aware that effective Tuesday, August 3rd, the State Public Health Officer did issue a directive to wear masks indoors regardless of your vaccination status. Sonoma County and most Bay Area counties have adopted this and have made this mandatory. Vaccinated people are protected against severe illness, hospitalization and death from COVID but they can be carriers especially of the Delta Variant. A layer of protection such as a mask on everybody in public settings is very important. We need to continue to be cautious while you are enjoying our new freedoms of getting out, socializing and feeling like we can live again. Vaccination is still a personal choice but if you do not do it for you, do it for others! We have children, frail elders and immunocompromised individuals who could be spared if we could just get everyone vaccinated. Think about it and act!!!!!!!!!!!
Thanks
Di
