OCTOBER 18th, 2016

Next Meeting: Tues, Oct. 25

Program: Renata Sos:
Moraga Community Foundation
Noon Meeting Soda Center
St. Marys College
Greeter/Invocator Dianne Wilson
~~FUTURE CLUB MEETINGS~
*Nov. 1 Lori Fogarty Whats New at the Oakland
Museum
*Nov. 8To be announced
^Nov. 15 Official Visit of District Governor Fred
Collignon
*Regular Noon Meeting

** Dinner meeting

in the Smithsonian Magazine . . . . Brian

Snow for a magical trip to Universal
Studios where Harry Potter stuff was
featured.
Two HBs: John Erickson because all
four candidates for Moraga Town Council
were in favor of the All Access Playground,
and the 200 +/- people in the audience at
Candidates Night got to hear about it. . . .
Larry Tessler for Kathe Nelsons fine
work with the Moraga Chamber of
Commerce.
Lt. Brian Snow celebrated his birthday by
working, with dinner and cake prepared by
his kids.
Herb Wehmeyer and Mary
Caburi celebrated his birthday in Las
Vegas. No report on how much they won.

~BUSINESS MEETING~
Todays meeting in Dryden Hall was
opened by President Kevin and followed
by David Kruegel with a reading of a
letter from her father to Katherine
Hepburn on her 21st birthday, and led the
Pledge of Allegiance. Guests were: Larry
Tessler, of the Employee of the Month
committee, and Kathe Nelson, our
speaker today.
~RECOGNITIONS AND HAPPY BUCKS~

President Kevin and Kathe Nelson

Happy Bucks: Frank May for Brian

Snows recent promotion to Lieutenant . .
. Al Simonsen for the Center Rep
production of 1776 . . . Gary Irwin for his
sons biological research getting an article

~ALL ACCESS PLAYGROUND~

President Kevin reported that we have
received a check $25,000, fulfilling a
pledge made at the Kickoff party, and a

check for $1000 from former Rotarian Ron

Julian. Cash and pledges to date total
about $55,000.

France.
The first one in this
hemisphere dates from the 1700s in
New Jersey.

He asked all members to identify people,

organizations, foundations, charities, and
other groups which we could solicit
support, and coordinate their effort with
the committee. Evie Michon passed out
brochures to several interested citizens at
the SiSi Caf, and thought we would have
wide support from area residents.

Moraga C of C is non-political, and

tries to network with all citizen groups
and to work with the Town Council and
administration, believing that these
interests are largely congruent. It is
different from a Better Business
Bureau, which sets and enforces
standards of business ethics and
practices. Moraga C of C has 175
members, while Orindas has about
190 and Lafayettes about 750. Dues
are set by the financial size of the
member business.

President Kevin received a letter of

strong support for the Playground from an
Orindan who has a special needs child.
She has consented to our publishing it, so
please check out the supplement to this
newsletter (as the editor cant figure out
how to integrate it).
The lucky raffle ticket worth $10 was held
by guest Larry Tessler, but the magic
green marble worth $252 eluded him.
There are only five orange and one green
marbles and one left, so statisticians
please take note.

Moraga
has
a
vibrant,
active
community, and its business economy
has many small businesses (including
home
businesses)
plus
several
destination stores.
Our Farmers
Market has been voted the best in the
East Bay. The C of C distributes a
brochure about how the permitting
process in Moraga works and how new
businesses can be expedited.

~PROGRAM~
Our speaker today was Kathe Nelson,
the Excecutive Director of the Moraga
Chambef of Commerce. Her husband
is Walt Nelson, former Moraga
Rotarian and now President-Elect of
Lamorinda Sunrise Rotary.

Much of the Rheem Center is now

owned by a responsive landlord who is
very willing to work with the community,
and to bring in viable businesses. The
Chamber now has an office, courtesy
of the landlord, at 370 Park St. #7B in
Rheem.

After giving bottles of wine as prizes for

winning the Moraga history trivia
contest, Kathe remarked that a civic
group to advance business interests is
an idea dating from 1599 in Marseilles,

The Chamber publishes a brochure

advertising all the restaurants in
Moraga, in hopes of generating more
business. Most restaurants are small,
operate on tight margins, and have

trouble attracting employees to travel

all the way to Moraga where public bus
service is spotty. An on-line survey of
1100 people showed that 79% dined
out 4 times per month, and 23% dined
out 10 times per month. However,
much of that dining is done outside
Moraga.
The amount of sales tax returned to the
Town has been steadily increasing over
the years, and the Chambers efforts
have probably paid a part in that.

MORAGA ROTARY BOARD OF DIRECTORS

PresidentKevin Reneau
President-elect Dianne Wilson
Past President.....Roger Gregory
Secretary .Vickie Devlin
Treasurer..Lad Lynch
Community Service ChairBarbara Bruner
Youth Service Chair....Rich Render
International Service Chair..Tony Schoemehl
Public Relations..Gary Irwin
Membership Frank May
Director at Large ....John Erickson
Director at Large ...Marv Ellenberg
Director at Large ....Cliff Dochterman
Director at Large .Debbie Roessler
Director at Large ....Linda May
Director at Large ..Mike McCluer

~~~
President, Rotary International .John Germ
District Governor ...Fred Collignon
October Newsletter Editor Gary Irwin

CALENDAR OF FUTURE EVENTS

Nov 19 Rotary at Golden Gate Fields
Dec 13 Moraga Rotary Christmas party
Mar 11, 2017 A Nite at the Races dinner/auction
Mar 24-26, 2017 District Conference in Berkeley
June 10 -14, 2017 Rotary International Convention,
Atlanta, GA

Greeter Schedule
11/01 = Marv Ellenberg
11/08 = Tony Schoemehl
11/22 = Bob Fritzky
11/29 = Mike McCluer
12/06 = Evie Michon