Thanksgiving with Marines

by Tim Wolin

We participated in the Marines' Thanksgiving that Rick Topping proposed. It was great. I think my family enjoyed it more than the marines. My son and I picked them up early in the morning. The marines had MREs for breakfast, so we immediately went to breakfast (again). Later my wife put out a huge Thanksgiving dinner.

We ended up on the phone with both of their families (Texas and Missouri) and all exchanged contact info.

We are excited about next year as well.

This was a cool email from one of the Marine's moms:

I love this pic! Thank you so much for sharing it with me. It's so nice to know there are families out there that are looking out for our boys when they are away from home on holidays. God will certainly bless you for that!

Thank goodness for those women that enjoy cooking! I know Justin and his friend really enjoyed a good home-cooked meal. Please thank your wife for that.

If you take any more pics today please don't hesitate sending them on to me.

I'm going to send this pic to everyone on my email list!

Be sure and look us up when you pass thru. We will always have a place for you and your family here @ our home.

Thanks and God Bless!

Sandy

OCTA

by Mody Gorsky

The Spectrum Rotary Club presented a check of $1,000 to Allison Burnigham in support of her walk for breast cancer.

Sarah Swensson and Eileen Padberg from Orange County Transit Authority (OCTA) provided some education on the upcoming Metrolink increase in 2010. The link will increase service between Fullerton and Laguna Niguel.

OCTA is working with cities where enhancements are taking place to allow for safety measures. Cities along the route, such as Irvine, which has two locations to be enhanced, are being informed of details behind the pending construction.

A surprising amount of the public (80%) is unaware of train crossing safety. As a result of the research that came up with this figure, OCTA has teamed up with Operation Life Force to put together an awareness campaign focusing on: education, engineering and enforcement.
OCTA is going to schools to educate children about crossing tracks safely, and working with community leaders to build awareness.

In addition, local law enforcement will issue citations to those not follow train safety laws, emphasizing the importance of safety laws in place. “Forty five percent [of drivers] speed up to get through gates closing; 20% stop on the tracks and 7,000 pedestrians neglect to look both ways when crossing [the tracks]” Says Sarah Swensson.

OCTA is working with communities and businesses near the tracks in order to help them understand how the changes will affect their cities and businesses. One of the strategies will be to institute “Quiet Zones.” No horns will be blown [by the trains], but instead crossing will utilize lights and bells to warn those near the track.

To find out more about the OCTA upgrade, visit the updated website

The website provides information on the new project and a toll free number to lodge concerns and complaints.

Ensenada Dental Clinic

By Pat Rodgers

Good morning, friends, from beautiful Ensenada, Mexico. Have been here since Friday evening, as part of our Rotary Club Dental Clinic and work day at a local school. The hotel is a great one, overlooking the marina and Pacific ocean and light years ahead of Motel 6.

Our Rotary Club does a Dental Clinic and work project several times a year down here and this is the first one I have attended. I must say, it was a worthwhile experience.

The Dental Care for Children van and it's group of volunteer dentists, along with students from the USC dental school, were well organized and treated over 50 kids from a local elementary school. There was over $24,000 worth of dental services delivered.

Then the rest of us, the common laborers, undertook the work project of repainting the block walls of the school buildings which were adorned with graffiti. After a quick trip to Home Depot, to pick up the paint and supplies, we embarked on the project. It took about six hours of manual labor and true to the Rodgers painting form, I got as much paint on me as I did the school. Fortunately, it was water based paint and cleaned up easily.

The parents and kids from the school were great and many pitched in and helped. I had forgotten the joys of manual labor, especially painting with rollers and brushes. At the end of the day, I remembered why I have such great respect for people who do painting for a living. Stepping back and looking at the finished project however, we did a pretty god job for amateurs.

The kids got their teeth fixed and a clean new looking school building. In viewing their basketball court, I also noted that neither of the two backboards had baskets, so while we were getting paint, I also dropped into the local Wal-Mart and picked up two baskets and two new basketballs for them. The school principal was most appreciative and the kids will enjoy their basketball court again.

All in all it was a successful trip. The folks I am riding with have to leave early this morning to get to a funeral back home this afternoon. Hopefully, there will not be a long line at the border, since we are leaving early. Hope that each of you has an enjoyable Sunday and my best wishes to all.

Jewish Family Services of OC

Dr. Alan Zamosky, CEO of Jewish Family Service (JFS) of Orange County spoke to the Spectrum Rotary Club about the non-partisan organization. Jewish Family Service, serves approximately 7,200 people of all races, ethnicities and religions per year in all of its programs.

Though the Orange County JFS is one of the smallest in the nation it has been around since 1965. JFSOC is currently housed at the Samueli Campus in Irvine and, as stated above, serves tens of thousands of individuals throughout Orange County. Dr. Zamosky highlighted four service areas:

Older Adults

• Counseling
  
• Information, consultation and referral services
  
• Care management working with older adults and families
  
• Care management and health education to Woodbridge Manor retirement homes
  
• Bereavement and caregiver support
  
• Holocaust survivor group to help care for aging Holocaust survivors; social functions for Holocaust survivors (this is the ONLY service specific to Jewish community)
  
• Silver Streak: a transportation service (currently looking for volunteer drivers), which is creating mobility sites throughout Orange County utilizing volunteer drivers
  

Counseling Support Groups

• Individual, couple and family therapy (sliding scale) with licensed Marriage Family Therapists (MFT) and Clinical
• Social Workers (LCSW)
  
• Support groups
  
• Bereavement groups
  
• Counseling for anxiety and depression
  

Financial Empowerment

• Emergency assistance providing a hand up, not just a hand out
  

Vocational services

• Employment skills counseling
• Job search skills
• "Women Forward" a program for middle aged women who are in a crisis transition served by women peer mentors
  

Community Outreach

• Provides resources through JFSOC and other services in Orange County
• Rabbi services to hospitals, hospices, prisons and jails
• "Adopt a Family" providing families in need with holiday food and items (currently serves 90 to 100 families in OC)
  

JFSOC provides volunteer opportunities through its Big Friend / Little Friend program; Special Needs Commission (led by Dr. Jan Weiner), which provides support to families with members who have special needs and promotes inclusion for those with special needs.

The Special Needs Commission provides services to all individuals with special needs, and has a "No Denial" policy, from birth to death. The Commission also provides a lot of interfacing with other existing programs and has empirical evidence to support the success of the program.

Jewish Family Service of Orange County aspires for a community where no one is alone and without hope. They strive to ensure that everyone in the community has access to a lifeline of support. Their programs are open to all who ask for help.

When the going gets tough, the tough eat cake!

By Richard Milo

Due to a foot injury, and for the second year in a row, Joanne Milo has been unable to lead her team of walkers to raise contributions for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF). Following her motto, “If you can’t walk, protest!”, the 2009 Shooting Stars Sit In Protest to benefit JDRF was held at the home of Joanne and Richard Milo on Sunday, Oct 25 at 9 AM. Complementary pastries were catered by Elyssa Fournier and Alexis Milo.

The Irvine Spectrum Rotary Club continued its co-sponsorship of the Shooting Stars family team to raise money for JDRF. 2009 marks the 9th year of the Club’s participation in the event. This year, the Club’s contributions accounted for nearly 50% of the $6,000 raised in 2009 by the Shooting Stars.

The Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation was founded in 1962 by the parents of children with diabetes to specifically raise money to fund research to find a cure (not treatments) for diabetes. Joanne Milo, the Shooting Stars team captain, has had Type 1 (Juvenile) Diabetes for 44 years.

Friends and supporters rallied around the coffee pot and debated the politics for a cure between bites of scones, bagels and muffins while Joanne demonstrated the fine art of crystal embellishment of her blue “snakeskin” walking boot (center front of the team photo).