Wednesday, December 23, 2009

Judge David O. Carter

By Lisa Grajewski

U.S. Federal judge David O. Carter spoke to the Irvine Spectrum Rotary on Wednesday, December 23. Judge Carter, who has been involved in an Orange County case questioning President Obama’s citizenship, explained that the power to remove a sitting president from office resides with Congress, not the judiciary.

Judge Carter then spoke about his recent visits to Afghanistan and the state of the US military in that region. He stated the Taliban has created a rift with the communities of the region by using the area as shelter. Judge Carter also discussed the precarious situation with the intelligence agency of Pakistan, vis-à-vis possible breaches in security for the U.S. Due to a pending trial, Judge Carter had to make his talk brief, but offered to return and speak about other topics of interest.

Judge Carter received both his bachelor's degree and his law degree from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). After graduating from college, Carter accepted a commission in the United States Marine Corps and was promptly ordered to Vietnam where he received, among other awards, a Bronze Star and Purple Heart for his valiant service in Vietnam. In addition to the Obama case, Judge Carter has been involved with other interesting cases such as the Mexican Mafia trials (United States v. Fernandez, et al), Anna Nicole Smith (In re Marshall), Aryan Brotherhood Trials (United States v. Mills, et al) and Gay-Straight Alliance (Colin ex rel. Colin v. Orange Unified School District).

Irvine Spectrum Rotary welcomes three new members



Membership Chair Toni Thomas welcomes three new members to the The Irvine Spectrum Rotary club. From left above, Diane Parriott, Lisa Grajewski, Toni Thomas, and Randy Woods.

Tuesday, December 15, 2009

Run for the Wall - Bob Yaap

Bob Yaap gave his craft talk to the Irvine Spectrum Rotary club last Wednesday. Bob, who was one of the founding members, had the distinction of giving the inaugural craft talk when the club began. An entrepreneur, Bob has owned several businesses, from Burger King franchises to Great Pacific Securities, which he started in 1990.

A graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point, Bob flew helicopters in Vietnam, loosing 19 of his classmates. He has since gone on to support U.S. veterans by getting involved in Run for the Wall, a motorcycle ride from California to the Vietnam Memorial in Washington, DC.

According to the website, “Run For The Wall recognizes the sacrifices and contributions made by all veterans who have served our nation. Veterans of recent conflicts and those currently on active duty are especially welcome to join us as we ride for those who cannot.”

Bob shared pictures and stories of the cross country ride that he took with his good friend, a Vietnam veteran, who lost his leg in the war, and 800 hundred other veterans, friends, family members and supporters of service members involved in past and current conflicts.

Monday, December 14, 2009

What Matters Now

Click below for some thoughts about the coming year.