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We will NOT have a meeting Thanksgiving, November 24. Best wishes for an enjoyable holiday!
Sharon Schendel
I'm honored to serve as President of the Rotary Club of Del Mar. For most of my life, I was content to be in the background, taking direction from others. The people of the Rotary Club of Del Mar and the projects they spearhead inspired me to take a leadership role. This is a special year for Rotarians: Jennifer Jones is the first woman to be President of Rotary International. She chose "Imagine Rotary" as her theme and challenged members to dream big and work together to make dreams into reality. Every day, members of Rotary Club of Del Mar imagine how they might make the world a better place. Please take a moment to watch this video to see how our club's projects are helping enhance our own community, and communities around the world.
Come join us!
What’s Rotary?
Rotary is where neighbors, friends, and problem-solvers share ideas, join leaders, and take action to create lasting change.
Sharon Schendel, Klaus Gubernator, Kathy Reed and Janice Kurth on the inaugural meeting of the Happy Trails Walking Club
Join the Happy Tails Walking Club Saturday November 26 at 9 AM. We’ll return to Gonzalez Canyon, but will turn left to explore the Torrey Pines Nature Loop. Family, friends, and, of course, dogs, are welcome to join this ~2.5 mile hike. Park at the Sword Road trailhead. Questions? Email Sharon Schendel.
Fun from the 2021 party at Viewpoint
December is rapidly approaching, so that means holiday parties! A sign-up sheet will be available at the December 1 meeting, or, better still click HERE to fill out the RSVP form.
Suzy Wagner and Dee House are heading up the planning committee this year. Cocktails and appetizers start at 5 PM and a buffet dinner will be served at 6:30 PM (plated vegetarian meals are available). The cost is $55 per person (not including drinks). We’ll have a cookie exchange as usual, and also a “Dirty Santa” gift exchange.
Our annual Christmas Party for members of the La Colonia Clubhouse (715 Valley Avenue Solana Beach) of Boys & Girls Club San Dieguito is set for Thursday December 15. The party will run from 4PM to 7 PM. Klaus Gubernator is organizing this year. He says that we still need one more craft table and volunteers to help serve food. Please stop by and lend a hand if needed. This party is always a wonderful time! Email Klaus with any questions or to volunteer.
In 1899, Charles “Mile-a-Minute” Murphy, was the first to set a paced bicycle land speed record when he pedaled 60 mph behind a train in Long Island. In 2018, Denise Mueller set the current record of 183.9 mph on the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah. She visited our club on November 17, 2022 to tell how she did it. Denise has always been fast on a bike. In the late 1980s, then teenage Denise was on a ride between San Francisco and San Diego. As she pedaled through Camp Pendleton, she drafted another cyclist for 8 miles. That cyclist happened to be John Howard, a 3-time Olympian, co-founder or the Race Across America and member of the U.S. Bicycling Hall of Fame. In 1985 John himself set the land speed record of 152.2, so he recognized her talent. John helped get Denise into competitive cycling and was her coach. She enjoyed success until, as she put it, she needed to start “adulting” and put aside cycling to focus on her career and family. Her career included running the family business Rancho Santa Fe Security, a company that was founded by her father.
Denise approached John Howard when her son was training to run all 19 Rock n’ Roll Marathons. John asked her whether she might return to cycling, and in particular, pursue a land speed record, which no woman had ever attempted. In 2012 she began training and in 2016 set the women’s record of 147.7 mph at the Bonneville Salt Flats. Denise was further encouraged by Dutch cyclist Fred Rompelberg, who had held the record of 166.9 mph since 1995. Rompelberg even gave her use of the pace car he used in 1995 that looks a bit like a drag racer with a large hood at the back that serves as a wind shield. Having the car was one thing, but finding a driver in whom she had complete confidence was another.
Denise found Shea Holbrook to be that driver. In their attempts, Denise followed behind the pace car riding a customized bike with an extremely high gear. She explained that with one turn of the crank on this bike she could travel 131 feet (compare to a traditional ten-speed where one crank turn allows the rider to travel 31 feet). Even to turn the crank she had to reach a speed of around 100 miles an hour. Shea had to get to around 130 mph within one mile, and when Denise cast off the tow rope in the final mile, around mile marker 4, she reached nearly 184 mph, far faster than she expected.
The attempt was not without danger. Denise brought with her a broken wheel hub. The hub cracked soon after the attempt, but fortunately held true as she set the record. One other great thing about Denise: she is a long-time member of the Rotary Club of Rancho Santa Fe!
Click HERE to watch a video of Denise setting the record.
Olga speaks to the club (left) and Klaus Gubernator is hosting a family from Ukraine (right)
Thanksgiving Day marks nine months since Russia attacked Ukraine. On the day of the attack, Olga and her son began her journey to safety. Within one week of her departure, Vyshneve, where Olga lived with her three year-old son, was bombed. Olga had friends in Oceanside who advised her to get to a place that had planes leaving Europe. If she could find a plane, they would fund her tickets. Olga showed a video of her car ride to Rădăuți-Prut in Romania. Cars were lined up for miles and Olga and her son ended up sharing a car with a woman who drove them to Debrecen, Hungary. In Hungary, Olga and her son boarded a plane to start the trip to San Diego, where they’ve lived since early March.
Olga grew up in a family of doctors, but she followed a different path to become fluent in several languages, including English and Japanese. She worked for five years in the Embassy of Japan in Kyiv. Using these excellent communication skills, she has told her story and acted as a liaison for other Ukrainians in the San Diego area.
Olga and James Morrison, a member of Rotary Club of Point Loma who serves as District 5340 Treasurer and Paul Harris Society Coordinator, spoke to our club on November 10, 2022. James has helped organize District efforts to help Ukrainian refugees. In total, Rotary International has raised $15 million for Ukraine and these funds have been distributed through nearly 300 disaster response grants. Our own John Baranowski and Candace Bahr helped Olga and her son when they drove her from Oceanside to Mission Valley to participate in the services fair hosted by the Amna Sanctuary.
James said that housing is the number one need of Ukrainian refugees. Klaus Gubernator has offered rooms in his home to house a Ukrainian mother and her daughters. If you are able to help in any way, please email James.
Don and Donna Fipps were out with Omeeka (who’s now at Oceanside in the next phase of training) last month for the Del Mar Village Association (DMVA) Community Cleanup. A total of 50 people participated to collect nearly 180 pounds of trash. With their 7 pounds, Don and Donna did well above average! Sharon, Suzy and Toni will have a post-Thanksgiving meeting with DMVA leaders to talk about more collaborative projects.
Humble Design Advisory Board member Sue Liesegang (lower center) and some rooms that Humble Design has recently decorated for clients
Imagine finding an affordable place for your family to live, but then end up sleeping on the floor because you had little money left over for furnishings. In 2009, Humble Design was founded by Treger and Rob Strasberg to outfit the houses of families who had recently experienced homelessness. Humble Design goes far beyond simply providing basic furnishings. They work with clients to discover their style and preferences to transform houses and apartments into homes. Sue Liesegang, Humble Design Advisory Board member, spoke at our November 2, 2022 meeting about the mission of Humble Design and ways for organizations to get involved. She began by showing a video (click HERE to watch) that told the story of Humble Design’s founding and of some of their clients.
Since its founding, Humble Design, which works with families in San Diego as well as Chicago, Cleveland, Detroit and Seattle, has helped over 2,000 families make a personalized space. This personalization helps contribute to stability in the new home. On average, around 50% of families who had experienced homeless and found housing had lost their homes within one year. In contrast, between 90% and 99% of Humble Design’s clients remain in their homes after one year. Humble Design San Diego was founded in 2018 and has served 240 households. Last year they scaled up their work to help two clients every week using household goods and furniture donated by the community. Ms. Liesegang outlined ways that organizations can help. For a $5,000 investment, organizations can participate in a Day of Service and help furnish the home of a client. They also welcome volunteers at their warehouses on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Community Drives can help secure most-needed items such as twin mattresses, microwaves, coffee makers, televisions with stands and remotes, and curtain rods with hardware. Donated goods should be items that are excellent condition and that would make valuable additions to new homes.
The Happy Trails Walking Group will meet for a kick-off walk Wednesday November 9 at 8 AM. Meet at the Sword Trail Head for Gonzalez Canyon off Sword Way in Carmel Valley. Dogs are welcome! Click HERE for Gonzalez Canyon Trail Map and click HERE for Google Map link (the trail head is between Sword and Way at the bottom of the “U” of Sword Way).
Clockwise from upper left: Four cottages are nearing completion; Working on the front porch; Member of Troop 713 paint side panels; Cottage interior
Clockwise from left: Bob Muller trims out a side window; Members of Troop 713 took on all tasks; Painting trim work; Jan Grossnickle guides Scouts in painting panels; Klaus Gubernator works to install a front window
Clockwise from upper left: Caulking window trim; Dee House customizes some window trim supervised by Flash and Mira; Roof and window work; Kathy Reed with Pete and Jan Grossnickle; Steven McDowell cutting trim; Marty Peters helps a gal wield a mean reciprocating saw
Four cottages are now nearly complete and a fifth will soon be built to complete the first phase of the San Diego Peace Village. Klaus Gubernator and Kathy Reed (along with Mira and Flash) put in a full day at the build site and were joined by Jan and Pete Grossnickle, Dee House, Steven McDowell, Bob Muller, Marty Peters, and Sharon Schendel. We’re grateful to members of Scout Troop 713 led by Scout Xander Schroeder, who reached out to us to offer help on our work projects. Members of the St. James Mission Circle rounded out the crew and Project Organizer Kathy Faller kept everyone busy and on track.
The San Diego Blood Bank Bloodmobile was back at the Del Mar Civic Center on Thursday November 3. We collected 25 pints, which can help 75 people in the San Diego community. Thank you to members Bob Fuchs, Dugan Lamoise, Kit Leeger, Steven McDowell, Joe McLoed, Marty Peters, Kathy Reed, Bob Sonnhalter, and Karl Wagner. Rotarians from Pauline Lim from Downtown Breakfast Rotary (also Model UN co-chair), Robin Chappelow from Rotary Club of Rancho Santa Fe also donated, as did Suzy Wagner’s daughter Pam Rudolph and KC Vafiadis. I was too close to my return from Brussels, so I’ll be visiting the donation site in Carmel Valley in the coming days.
Our club sponsored a table at the 50th Anniversary celebration for the Mexican American Educational Guidance Association (MAEGA). Our charter member Don Lapham was a co-founder of MAEGA and charter member Dr. Dick Wheelock was also devoted to MAEGA. Since its founding in 1970, MAEGA has awarded over 2.5 million in scholarship support to ensure that promising Mexican-American students can pursue higher education. Meteorologist and entrepreneur Jodi Kodesh led the evening, which featured Superintendent/President of Mira Costa College Dr. Sunita “Sunny” Cooke, and Dr. Francisco Rodriguez, Chancellor of the Los Angeles Community College District. Distinguished alumni provided video statements of how MAEGA helped launch their academic and eventually professional careers, and veterinarian and current Advisory Board member Dr. Nicole Zuniga thanked Rotary Club of Del Mar specifically for our support. Thank you to Greg Harris, Candace Bahr, John Baranowski, and Sharon Schendel for attending.
District Governor Elect Don Fipps presented immediate past co-Presidents Suzy and Karl Wagner with a citation for meeting all the club goals they set for their term as well as recognition for contributions to the End Polio Now campaign. The club also had the third-highest per capita donations ($600) to the Rotary International Annual Fund that returns funds back to clubs in the form of District Dedicated Funds and supports Global Grants.
Fisher House Southern California Executive Director Linda Rahn, left, speaks to the club; The Naval Medical Center in San Diego has two Fisher Houses (left)
Imagine having a family member in the military, or who is a veteran, and they need medical treatment somewhere far from home. Also imagine that money is tight. How will you get to where they’re being treated? Where will you stay so you can support them during their recovery?
The Fisher House provides a home away from home where families of active military members and veterans can stay, free of charge, while their loved one is undergoing treatment. Executive Director of Fisher House, Southern California, Linda Rahn, was our speaker at the October 20, 2022 meeting. She explained that Fisher Houses provide lodging at spacious homes near military VA medical centers. The houses have between 8 and 21 guest suites, each with a private bathroom. Guests share a kitchen, dining room, laundry, and common living spaces. In essence, Fisher Houses are similar to Ronald McDonald houses where families can stay while children are receiving treatment for life-threatening illnesses.
Let’s get together and enjoy a nice walk with fellow club members. The Happy Trails Walking Group will meet Wednesday mornings at 8 AM, beginning November 2. Watch for an upcoming email with the meeting site. The low- to moderate intensity walks will be 2-3 miles. Dogs are welcome!
We’ll order T-shirts to help publicize the club. T-shirt orders will go in next week. Please email Sharon to request a shirt (sizes, S, M, L, XL, 2XL, 3XL) based on men’s sizing). Cost per shirt will be between $18-20, depending on the numbered ordered.
Challenge accepted! Lions Clubs of San Diego and Imperial County made a friendly challenge to District 5340 Rotary Clubs to see which group could donate the most food (by weight) to local food banks during the month of October. Given our pallet of peanut butter donation, of course we have a lot of peanut butter, but we also have plenty of other healthy staples. All of this food will go the Miramar warehouse of the San Diego Food Bank, Monday morning (October 24), but there’s still a week left in case you’d like to make a separate donation (click HERE to see the items the bank needs most). Just make sure to note the weight of the food you donate!
Clockwise from top left: Teams and Tents on the beach; Matt Kurth and Don Fipps keep track of their progress; Donna Fipps concentrates on getting the perfect trajectory; photobomb by Joe McLeod, club member and COO of BGC San Dieguito
Our club fielded a team in the Boys & Girls Club San Dieguito 8th Annual Cornhole Tournament on the beach at Del Mar. The sold-out event included 105 teams and was supported by community sponsorships from over 40 San Diego businesses and individuals. They netted over $40,000 that will go to support dozens of great activities. Visit the BGC San Dieguito Facebook page to see more photos from the day.
Don Fipps put on his End Polio Now socks and Converse shoes for the Rotary District 5340 Walk to End Polio hosted by Mission Valley Evening Rotary Club and the City Heights Rotaract Club. District Governor Chuck Pretto was also there, as was Elana Levens-Craig, best selfie-taker ever. They covered 5 of the 7 bridges and then enjoyed breakfast burritos and mimosas after. Visit the Mission Valley Evening Rotary Facebook page to see more pictures from the walk.
Remember that October 24 is World Polio Day.
Our club is a major sponsor of the Torrey Pines High School Millennium Falcons Robotics club and member Klaus Gubernator is one of the club mentors. On Saturday October 15 the Falcons were one of over 30 local teams that competed in the off-season 
Battle of the Border competition at Cathedral Catholic High School. The competition provides an opportunities for teams to have more time with their robots and give newer members a taste of what a competition is like.
Battle of the Border competition at Cathedral Catholic High School. The competition provides an opportunities for teams to have more time with their robots and give newer members a taste of what a competition is like. 
Melanie Stanek, San Diego Site Director for Hands of Peace
Hands of Peace (HOP) seeks to empower young people to find and raise their voice as agents of change. San Diego Site Director Melanie Stanek, our speaker at the September 22, 2022 meeting, explained how HOP brings together Palestinian, Israeli and American teenagers between 15 and 17 years-old for intensive summer programs held in San Diego and Chicago. During the summer program, the participants engage in daily dialogue sessions about the Palestinian-Israeli conflict that are moderated by professional facilitators, take part in team building and leadership exercises, as well as educational and cultural activities. They also have free time with members of the group and the HOP community. HOP youth who do not live in the San Diego area are hosted by volunteer host families. The program also involves around 200 volunteers during the program and throughout the year.
HOP has a strong connection to Rotary. Multiple clubs in District 5340 have worked with HOP, which has received District Grant funding in recent years. There are multiple ways to get involved in HOP, including being a host family, encouraging local youth to apply to participate, volunteering time, and donating funds. On September 28, 5:30-7PM, HOP will hold a Community Circle featuring alumni of the HOP program at the Encinitas Community Center. Visit https://handsofpeace.org/events to register.
Labor Day lunches and CPR training manikins. From left to right: City of Del Mar Deputy Chief of Lifeguards Mark Rathsam, Sharon Schendel, Don and Donna Fipps, City of Del Mar Chief of Lifeguards Jon Edelbrock, Ranch 45 Chef Aron Schwartz and Ranch 45 General Manager Pam Schwartz
The Del Mar Lifeguards wound down the summer season on a very warm and busy Labor Day. To help keep them going, we donated 50 lunches from Ranch 45. Chef Aron Schwartz and Manager Pam Schwartz delivered them. We also had the opportunity to see the set of CPR training manikins that the club donated with funds from the Community Service Committee. These manikins have lights that give immediate visual feedback to let the user know whether they’re using appropriate hand placement and pressure, as well as the right cadence. The training kit can also help users learn the placement and function of automated external defibrillators (AEDs). Deputy Chief of Lifeguards Mark Rathsam said that the visual cues help users acquire skills much faster and also gives them confidence to use these skills in an actual emergency. The lifeguards use the training manikin set both to maintain the skills of their lifeguards and also to train members of the community in life-saving skills. Thank you to Brett Mattei for coordinating the lunch delivery.
Every year the Youth Services Committee uses part of their annual budget to fund a scholarship for the Mexican American Educational Guidance Association (MAEGA). The club has a long history with MAEGA. Charter Members Don Lapham and Dr. Dick Wheelock were both committed to MAEGA; Don was a co-founder and Dick served on the Board of Directors for two decades. Daniella Hernandez is a MAEGA scholarship recipient this year and will use the funds to pursue a degree at SDSU.
We always encourage members to find new projects that have needs the club can help fulfill. Community Services Committee member Linda Groom learned of a need of New Entra Casa, which has been serving women and their families in the San Diego area for around 50 years.
New Entra Casa is a 6-bed facility for women who are involved with Child Welfare Services (CWS) or who have limited visitation with their children. As residents, these women receive education and support to reach their goal of reunifying with their children. Moreover, New Entra Casa is committed to helping individuals recover from substance abuse and co-occurring mental health disorders through counseling, small groups, and 12-Step and holistic therapy models that address the underlying causes of addiction and trauma.
The club provided funds for New Entra Casa to purchase a new refrigerator that can be used by the counseling staff. Linda said that the staff members are happy to have dedicated space to store their lunches and other items.
We had perfect weather for our 18th annual Sunset Soiree on Tuesday September 13, 2022. After a streak of hot weather, we were fortunate to have a pleasantly warm night with little breeze. Many of the restaurants returned this year and we were pleased to have Cevasco’s and Beeside Balcony as our two newest restaurants. On the beverage side, Koi Zen and Solterra were first-timers. Ruth Grayson was our auctioneer, assisted by her partner Michael Lewis. They kept the enthusiasm up during the live auction, but they also kept a close watch over the silent auction. The robust 70% average return on fair market value of all the auction items reflected their efforts. Meanwhile, the gift card tree was so big that we could split off two “saplings” that both offered a great selection of cards.
Click HERE to access a Google Photo album with full-size pictures available for download and click “Read More” for important thank yous!
We had a fantastic crowd to hear District Governor Chuck Pretto speak on September 8, 2022. During his term, Chuck is focusing on two main, youth-oriented projects: i) expanding mental health resources for young people in San Diego; and ii) installing peace poles on the campuses of local schools.
Rotary’s youth activities have long been of special importance to Chuck. At a time he was thinking of leaving Rotary, a fellow Rotarian in Club 33 asked Chuck if he might consider hosting a Youth Exchange student. Chuck thought: Great. I’ll ask my wife, Kim, if we can do this, she’ll say no (particularly since his three children weren’t yet teenagers), and he can leave Rotary. But Kim surprised him by saying “yes”. Eventually, he and Kim went on to host seven exchange students. The final student arrived when their children were out of the house. Kim allowed the hosting provided that Chuck was responsible for getting her to and from school, and any activities. Chuck said that because of this condition, he was perhaps closer to this student than he was to the others.
Chuck also talked about the importance of wearing a Rotary pin, and how the master brand is more easily seen than the classic small wheel. He talked of one instance in the grocery store. The young man bagging groceries saw Chuck’s pin and said: “Rotary changed my sister’s life.” A Rotary club had made it possible for this young woman to have orthodontic work that increased her confidence and enhanced her life outlook. Wearing a pin fosters these conversations, or provides a starting point to say what Rotary is and why you’re a member of Rotary. Chuck brought a magnetic master brand pin for every member in attendance. Please wear your new pin- especially at the Sunset Soirée, since the program encourages guests to talk with club members about membership.
The Rotary Club of Del Mar is a registered 501c4 non-profit organization.
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