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The latest Workshops for Warriors cohort will graduate on December 15 at 1:30. The event will be at their campus at 2970 Main Street, San Diego. If you'd like to attend, email Marty Peters.
Matt Kurth
Welcome to the Rotary Club of Del Mar. I am honored to be president of our club for the Rotary Year 2023-2024. As a member of the Rotary Club of Del Mar for over 8 years, I have been incredibly fortunate to meet and make friends both here in San Diego and all over the world. Rotary is the premier service organization that takes an active, hands-on approach to solve local and international problems. Members of Rotary Club of Del Mar love to work together to improve the quality of lives in our community and spread that joy to our Rotary friends in Asia, Africa, America and Europe. Rotary projects focus on 7 areas of service:
- Peace and Conflict Prevention / Resolution.
- Disease Prevention and Treatment.
- Water and Sanitation.
- Maternal and Child Health.
- Basic Education and Literacy.
- Economic and Community Development.
- Supporting the Environment
To learn more and to make a difference in our community and the world, please join us at an upcoming meeting. We meet Thursdays at noon at Pacifica Del Mar. This video summarizes just a few of our recent projects.
Thank you and see you soon!
Matt Kurth
What’s Rotary?
Rotary is where neighbors, friends, and problem-solvers share ideas, join leaders, and take action to create lasting change.
We don't have a regular meeting December 28, so instead come find some new favorite wines at our December social, hosted by long-time Sunset Soirée supporter, Gianni Buonomo Vintners in Ocean Beach. As always, family and friends are welcome to join. We'll be there from 4-6 PM. Click HERE to visit the event page for directions and additional details.
Our annual holiday party for members of the San Dieguito Boys & Girls Club La Colonia clubhouse is Thursday December 14 from 4-6 PM. All members and their families are invited to make holiday crafts, tell their wishes to Santa, and enjoy delicious food donated by Jake's Del Mar. Klaus Gubernator is chairing the event and Kathy Reed is organizing the craft stations. Click HERE to check the event page for directions.
Circles highlight donor names (upper left). The club appears twice, and Marty and Mary Alice Peters as well as Bill and Kathy Dougherty and members of the Woolley family are also listed. The basketball court and main area are shown- games are available after homework is complete
As a pediatric orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Mark Barry developed skills to engage children. He even made some extra balloon hats on the spot so every child had one.
Wil Lopez (upper right) gave us a tour of the music center at the Polster Youth Arts Academy.
We were in Carmel Valley on November 16, 2023 to tour the Polster Clubhouse and Teen Center, part of one of our most important beneficiaries, Boys & Girls Club of San Dieguito.
Pat Caughey (left, second from left) with Kathy Faller (far left), founder of Casas de Luz, and members of the St. James Mission Circle
Members are working to build more sleeping cottages, this time at Decelles Unicorn Village For At Risk Youth in Vista. The most recent cottages will complete Phase I of the project to provide shelter for youth who are at risk and in need of transitional housing.
Our latest blood drive on November 2, 2023 was a great success. We collected 23 pints that can help 69 people. Thank you to Mary Savoy for organizing the drive. Couldn’t make this drive? Donate any time at one of the convenient San Diego Blood Bank donation centers.
Members took up two tables (left) and Pete and Jan Grossnickle enjoyed some shared plates with Jim and Karin Davies
Jake's Del Mar was next up on our social calendar to thank restaurants that served at our Sunset Soirée. Suzy and Karl Wagner made the arrangements, which included a generous table near the bar.
Lisa Johnson, President and CEO of the NTC Foundation, and Sean Murray, co-Founder and Artistic Director of Cygnet Theatre, were our speakers at the November 9, 2023 meeting to talk about the exciting partnership between the foundation and San Diego’s third-largest theater company.
Sandy Abalos and Alan Havir gave a musical version of the 4-Way Test and members are at the ready to practice some rhythms with their new drumsticks
Conductors lead orchestras, but for rock bands the drummer is the lead and timekeeper. Past District Governor Alan Havir (he served District 5510, which in 2017 merged with District 5490 to form District 5495, covering Arizona) visited our club with his wife, Sandy Abalos, to talk about the history of Rock and Roll drumming. Alan has been a professional drummer himself for over 60 years. He demonstrated some major rhythms used by famous bands and how they evolved from ¾ time and the shuffle (e.g., Bill Haley) to more complex rhythms like Brubeck’s Take Five (5/4 time) and Led Zeppelin’s 12/8 and 17/8 time. Alan brought presents: a set of drumsticks for everyone to drum their own rhythm on the tables.
Bill Rawlings (top), District Governor Don Fipps (lower left) and Past District Governor and Event Chair Janice Kurth present at the 2023 District 5340 Foundation Seminar
The brand new Sharp Prebys Innovation and Education Center in Kearney Mesa provided a beautiful venue for the 50th annual District 5340 Foundation Seminar, which was chaired by Janice Kurth. The seminar showcases club projects from all over the district.
Our club membership grew by 4 members! On October 19, 2023 Membership Chair Dee House inducted Sean Barrett, Dawn Cox, Susan Maronde, and Ina von Ber as our newest members.
Kathy Reed and Klaus Gubernator gave an update on the community room at the San Diego peace village. They, along with several members of the club, transformed the largely unused room into a bright gathering place with a new floor and a new kitchen.
We had our October social at Monarch Ocean View Pub. Monarch is a dedicated supporter of our Sunset Soirée. They not only provide tastes from their menu, but also allow us use of their space on the Ocean View Deck and wash the wine glasses before and after the event. Their Happy Hour menu is excellent and very reasonably priced.
The Rotary Foundation is OUR foundation, and in that respect, unique among service organizations. Rotarians have a large say over how the money raised for the Foundation is used. At our October 26, 2023 meeting, Past District Governor Janice Kurth gave a refresher on how the Rotary Foundation supports the activities of Rotarians. Janice holds extensive knowledge about the Foundation, and also spearheaded one of the largest district fundraising campaigns that provided $32 million for The Rotary Foundation during her DG year. Janice outlined how funds contributed to the Foundation come back to clubs to finance both District and Global Grants. A dollar given to the Foundation’s Share fund today will be invested, and then, three years later, half will come back to the district as District Dedicated funds (DDFs) that can be used in small, agile District Grants. The other half supports the World Fund that is administered by Foundation trustees and goes to match funds raised for larger projects like Global Grants. In the coming months Philippe Lamoise will host a Zoom call for members who are interested in the mechanics of the grants, particularly use of the matchinggrants.org website.
Every member of the club is strongly encouraged to contribute at least $100 annually to the Foundation. Clubs that have 100% of members donate are given special recognition at the end of the Rotary Year. There are multiple ways to support the Rotary Foundation. Checks may be given to the Foundation Chair (that’s Janice), mailed to Rotary, or, the simplest way, set up recurring donations through Rotary Direct.
The ability to hear the environment around us is critical factor for staying engaged. Dr. Lucia Kearney , Au.D., CCC/A, FAAA, a Doctor of Audiology who practices at the ChEARS Hearing Center, spoke to our club about ways to maintain hearing throughout a lifetime. Dr. Kearney referenced the Aging and Cognitive Health Evaluation in Elders (ACHIEVE), a large randomized controlled trial that studied how hearing loss affects cognitive abilities. A main finding was that hearing intervention for older adults at increased risk for cognitive decline could slow the loss of thinking and memory abilities by nearly 50% over a three-year span. Dr. Kearney dedicates her practice to providing her patients effective hearing interventions. She discussed a range hearing aid options and when cochlear implants are appropriate. Dr. Kearney emphasized that the performance of any hearing aid depends heavily on the clinician who selects the settings, which must be tuned to the individual. Most importantly, the client must be willing to wear the hearing aids daily, for most waking hours, so that the brain learns to process signals the hearing aids produce. Click HERE to learn more about the services ChEARS offers. If you have Air Pods or other headphones and would like to learn to pair them with your iPhone, click HERE.
Sharon Schendel was in Lausanne Switzerland last week to speak at the International Society of Vaccines annual congress about her SARS-CoV-2 research. Another speaker was Dr. Ilse De Coster (University of Antwerp) who presented her study of safety of novel oral poliovirus vaccines that are designed to replace older vaccines that can regain virulence and transmit in populations with low vaccine coverage. She acknowledged the critical role of Rotary in vaccine campaigns to eradicate polio. The Congress dinner was held at The Swiss Chalet, where the Rotary Club Lausanne-Ouest meets.
Dr. Ezra Cohen, Co-Director of the Center for Precision Immunotherapy at UCSD, visited our club on October 12, 2023 to speak about his work to develop novel immunotherapeutics to treat a variety of different cancers. The idea of leveraging the immune system to treat cancer is not new. In ancient Egypt there were reports of spontaneous resolution of tumors, and in the 19th century some patients with cancer who contracted bacterial infections saw tumor shrinkage (Dobosz and Dzieciątkowski, 2019; Zhang and Zhang, 2020). Now, immunotherapy is an important component of treatments for a range of cancers, and in 2018 the scientists who provided the foundation for development of checkpoint inhibitors (e.g., Keytruda, Opdivo) were awarded the Nobel Prize. Dr. Cohen is working with Dr. Stephen Schoenberger and Dr. Bjoern Peters at La Jolla Institute for Immunology to develop tumor vaccines based on “neoantigens” that signal to two types of T cells, Helper and Cytotoxic (CD4 and CD8). In this therapeutic approach T cells work together to destroy cancer cells. Dr. Cohen outlined the promise and the progress of immunotherapies and the potential to tailor bespoke treatments that target the vulnerabilities of individual cancers.
Thrift Shop manager Valerie Rieger outside the thrift shop
Mark Barry, Donna Fipps, and Garrie Rhodes checked out the Thrift Shop inventory right after the meeting
For over 50 years the St. Peter’s Thrift Shop in Del Mar has been raising funds that go to support the ministries of St. Peter’s and the Episcopal Diocese of San Diego. Valerie Rieger, the Thrift Shop manager (and St. Peter’s parishioner), came to speak to our club on September 21, 2023. As manager, Valerie draws on her extensive experience in retail, including 15 years at Nordstrom. Every month the thrift shop highlights a different organization. The Giving Jar on the checkout counter collects donations that go the organization of the month. This month the beneficiary is Beacons North County. Many of our members, but particularly Dee House and Steven McDowell, frequently check out what’s on offer at the shop. Shoppers must be decisive. Items sell quickly, thus the mantra: Buy it today or cry tomorrow. During hours (11AM-4PM Mon-Sat) the shop accepts new and gently used items that are clean and in good condition. You can also bring non-perishable food, which is transferred to the local food pantry. Click HERE to hear Valerie’s talk or follow them on Facebook and Instagram.
Early in the Soirée planning, Matt Kurth promised prizes to baskets contributed by members that were judged to have a little something extra, as judged by basket-maker extraordinaire Val Myers. The “Most Beautiful” basket prize was shared by Mary Savoy (It’s Cupcake O’Clock) and Dee House (Day of Brunch and Shopping). “Most Profitable” basket was Karin and Jim Davies’ Death by Dark Chocolate, which earned 116% of its estimated value (special mention to the Fipps’ Crate O’ Scotch, and Mary Savoy’s Livin’ in Margaritaville, which both earned 100% of estimated value). Richa Mohan’s Nothin’ But Blue Skies fitness basket won for best Red Badger basket (and also praise for including the Soirée logo). Dugan and Philippe Lamoise contributed six baskets that together brought in around 10% of gross profits, and Val Myers, Sharon Schendel, and Suzy and Karl Wagner each contributed four baskets.
Special thanks also to Matt Kurth for serving as event chair, the Wagners for all their work in getting a fantastic lineup of restaurants to serve, Mark Matthess for lining up the wineries, Philippe and Dugan Lamoise for managing the event website and implementing the very successful online bidding, Janice Kurth for overseeing rentals and event furniture layout, Philippe Lamoise for suggesting the new auction layout that gave everyone more room to move, Marlene Gotz for donating the Yeti cooler and several wine baskets, in addition to securing hard-working helpers for the event; Boys & Girls Club San Dieguito's SuLynn Daugherty and Joe McLeod for coordinating BGC checkin volunteers; Toni Mecaro for overseeing club volunteers; Pat Caughey for early morning setup; Mark Barry for transporting glassware and other day-of items; Lorelei Nielsen for serving as table captain and donating several special baskets; Sharon Schendel for housing, photographing and writing descriptions of the auction items; Dee House, Linda Groom, and Patti Beck for helping get auction items to the Plaza (Dee drove the van!), Tony Villasenor and his band for the music, Clay and Esther Sheffrey and Beth Westburg for staffing the raffle table; Patti Kurtz for donating a basket and helping people navigate online bidding; the Grossnickles for donating a wine basket; Rose Mary Pellegrino for donating the Midway and Aerospace basket; Kathy Reed for making sure vendors were paid and for donating a basket; Casey Robison for donating auction items and service delicious desserts at teh event; Chris Stewart for being Santa; KC Vafiadis for the sheaf of Stratford Square certificates; Brett Mattei for organizing the Del Mar Lifeguards, who provided several volunteers, Kathy Quillan for making all the baskets so beautiful, event sponsors Pat Dougherty (who also donated the Vail condo stay), Eric Nelte, and Marty Peters, and Dan Smargon; Walt and Linda Strangman for securing the Paso Robles trip, Val Myers and her staff, Briana Leyba and Sara Hernandez (who both were also runners who got food to the vendors) for providing the "convenient post-event location" for basket pickup (all but one have been delivered!). Thanks as well to ALL our members who contributed to the auction and attended the event. It was one of the best ever.
We got started thanking our Sunset Soirée servers at WestBrew, just across the street from the Plaza. We enjoyed their beautiful new outdoor space at the corner of Camino Del Mar and 15th street. The colors are beachy, and if the weather is cooler, there are soft blankets scattered around to cut the chill. For Happy Hour some of us had selections off the lunch menu, and others held out for the dinner menu. WestBrew has a wide range of their own brews to sample. If you find yourself in Vista (their flagship) or in the Gaslamp, WestBrew has locations there, too.
The 19th Annual Sunset Soirée was our most successful yet. We grossed more funds than in any previous year, and all the money raised will fuel our projects over the next year. We also had one of the highest number of vendors, with 13 restaurants serving and a total of 13 wineries, breweries and tequilerias pouring. Thank you to everyone who contributed to the success of the event. Click HERE to visit a Google Photo album for pictures from the Soirée.
Brett Mattei, Steven McDowell, Matt Kurth and Toni Mecaro present a new rescue board to Lifeguard Aidan Goodman, who is vice-president of the Del Mar Lifeguard Association
President Matt Kurth, Community Service Chair Steven McDowell, Vocational Service Chair (and former lifeguard himself) Brett Mattei, and President-elect Toni Mecaro were down at the beach to present the Del Mar Lifeguards with another rescue board. Aidan Goodman, a Del Mar Lifeguard and current Vice President of the Del Mar Lifeguard Association accepted the board. These rescue boards have immediate life-saving impact. Aidan said that they use these boards in around 80% of their rescues. We’re proud to help make the Del Mar beaches some of the safest in San Diego County.
It is with great sadness that we report the unexpected death of our newest member, Stan Tomer. Bill Rawlings introduced Stan to the club and we were delighted to induct him into the club just in August. Click HERE to read his obituary.
We also learned of the death of long time member Ed Eginton earlier this month. Ed was a member from 1975 until 2000. Even after he left the club, he was still a supporter and often provided ceramics he produced as Soirée auction items. Ed was an architect in Solana Beach. No obituary is available at this time.
Val Myers hosted a tasting for Castelli & Pizzarro Family Winery, which also served at our Sunset Soirée. We enjoyed a selection of Pinot Noir, Syrah, Sangiovese, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon produced by this Ramona winery.
Pat Caughey presented on his firm's design for Freedom Park on Navy Pier near the USS Midway Museum
The USS Midway Museum has been a fixture alongside Navy Pier since it opened in 2004. To mitigate loss of view, the California Coastal Commission mandated that a park be constructed. Freedom Park recently received unanimous approval of a development permit from the CCC. Pat Caughey’s firm landscape architecture firm Wimmer Yamada and Caughey is designing Freedom Park, which will connect with park areas adjacent to the Midway. The Park will include areas along the promenade and extend into the G Street Mall to the Bob Hope Memorial. Upon completion, Freedom Park will be the largest veterans’ park on the West Coast. Click HERE to see the video previewing the park that Pat showed in his talk, and HERE to read releases from the San Diego Port Authority about what the park will encompass.
We are delighted to induct our newest member, Rose Mary Pellegrino. After a career in finance, Rose Mary has long been engaged in community service by serving as a member of the Board of Directors for The Country Friends and Boys & Girls Club of San Dieguito. She was also the president of the Cardiff Chamber of Commerce and was a torch runner for the 1996 Summer Olympics. Eric Nelte sponsored Rose Mary for membership.
Linda Strangman with Lorelei Nielsen and Karl Wagner
Even from a distance Monty Woolley knows when the camera is on him, and poses appropriately
Rotary Club of Del Mar members were back at the track on August 17, 2023 and the Del Mar Rotary race was the first on the card. The favorite, Kissed by Fire, a 3 year-old filly ridden by Mike Smith, took the win. Catch a glimpse of President Matt Kurth and District Governor Don Fipps in the winner's circle after the race. Click HERE to see more photos from the day.
Honorary member and Del Mar Thoroughbred Club (DMTC) CEO Joe Harper made his annual club visit on August 10, 2023. The handle at the track continues to increase with 90% of bets placed off-track. Safety remains Joe’s top concern and for several years running Del Mar has been the safest track in the country. Currently 1,900 horses are stabled at Del Mar. Now, invitations to trainers are based not only on race times, but also where and how often their horses race. In addition, DMTC now stations veterinarians at different points around the track to watch morning workouts. The vets are looking for any hints that a horse isn’t sound and they are empowered to pull horses off the track to prevent injury. The DMTC is working to change the culture of the entire horse racing industry to ensure that the safety of horse and rider always comes first. Joe and his team were instrumental in helping craft the Horse Racing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA) that seeks to duplicate Del Mar’s safety efforts at other tracks around the United States.
DMTC looks forward to the return of the Breeder’s Cup in 2024 after hosting two highly successful Breeder’s Cup races in 2017 (the first time for Del Mar) and 2021. Don’t forget that our own Day at the Races is Thursday August 17.
Fireside chat attendees: Row 1 (l to R) Mark Barry, Richa Mohan, Marty Peters, Donna Fipps, Jim Davies; Row 2 (l to r) Linda Groom, Steven McDowell, Sharon Schendel Row 3 (l to r) Don Fipps, Jen Segura, Karin Davies, Dee House, Toni Mecaro; Row 4: Greg Harris, Jennifer Caughey; Row 6: Pat Caughey, Jan and Pete Grossnickle, Stan Tomer, Brett Mattei
The Fireside Chat returned to the Solana Beach & Tennis Club on Tuesday August 8. These chats are an informal opportunity for newer members to meet club leadership, learn about the club organization, and hear updates on ongoing projects. All attendees shared what brought them to Rotary and what they hope to gain from club membership. No green flash, but the sunset was still spectacular! Thank you to Marty Peters for providing the venue and Pat Dougherty for the delicious food from Pizza Nova.
When Jarvis Leverson was in his early 30s, he was coasting through life, until he found himself without a job and without his longtime girlfriend. This was an awakening for Jarvis, who saw the need to do something different. He read multiple books about the habits of successful people and took away two main things that they did: (1) They got up early in the morning; and (2) They didn’t waste time.
From that revelation, Jarvis crafted his “Morning Hero” approach to a productive life that has three key components: (1) The Power Hour, (2) The Zero Calendar, and (3) 30 Day Commitment. The Power Hour involves getting up one hour earlier and devoting that hour to yourself. The Zero Calendar maximizes the hours in a day by scheduling, everything, not just work, but meals, naps, and hobbies, so your calendar has no blank spaces. For the 30-day Commitment, Jarvis gave the familiar example of a doubling a penny every day for one month. Starting with one penny and doubling every day for 30 days, yields ~$5.38 million, but doubling every other day yields only $327. Many people don’t commit and give up on their goals too soon.
Jarvis now leads a community of Morning Heroes that he inspires every day on his Instagram feed, the.morninghero. Click HERE to visit Jarvis’ website and click HERE to download his Morning Hero journal, or click HERE to purchase a bound version.
District Governor Don Fipps with President Matt Kurth
Don Fipps began his tour of District 5340 clubs at our July 20, 2023 meeting (click HERE to watch the recording). Don began by talking about his and Donna Fipps’ passion: raising puppies for Canine Companions, and he urged members to find support for their passion through Rotary. A life-long Californian, Don’s own journey with Rotary began at a high school convocation when he unexpectedly heard his name announced as winner of a scholarship from the Rotary Club of Delano, which helped fund his education in biochemistry at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, where he had a “meet cute” with Donna while they both were working on a Rose Parade float. This blog post tells Don’s backstory before he joined our club in 2012. Don was club president in Rotary Year 2018-2019 and had an accelerated trip to the governorship after being nominated to serve in October 2021. As a veteran himself, veteran’s affairs are a cornerstone of Don’s term, and reflect the large role the military and veterans play in the San Diego community. Don launched the District 5340 Military Coordinating Committee to leverage the power of district Rotary clubs to help active duty military and veterans in San Diego. If you’d like to get involved, contact committee chairs Mike Fuqua (mfuqua.rbrotary@gmail.com; RC Rancho Bernardo) and Jim Mendelson (jsmclmax@aol.com; RC Fallbrook).
Last, Don encouraged members to register for the District 5340 Conference, which will be a cruise organized by our own Val Myers and Toni Mecaro! Attendees will board the Royal Caribbean Navigator of the Seas that leaves Los Angeles April 26 and returns Monday April 29. Click HERE to check out the video made by Philippe Lamoise and email d5340conference
George Lewis, Rotarian with the Rotary Club of Venice-Nokomis, paints pet portraits and floral studies. For each portrait, he makes a donation to support his club's Global Grant that provides cleft palate surgeries for children in Latin America
Beth Davidson brought co-workers Vinay Agarwal and Allison Naui and friend Susan Maronde to the July 27, 2023 meeting. Susan’s father, George Lewis, is a Rotarian in the Rotary Club of Venice-Nokomis in Florida. George paints pet portraits (14” x 11” oil on canvas) that can be purchased for $150 (he’s done nearly 600 portraits and does florals, too!). For each portrait, George donates $100 to support their club’s Global Grant that partners with AdventHealth and Sharing Smiles, which offers corrective surgery for children in Latin America born with cleft palates. Click HERE to watch a short video or email George (waterman6960@yahoo.com) to commission a portrait.
Beth Davidson (far right) with Vinay Agarwal (far left) and Allison Naui (center left) of Barry Estates and friend Susan Maronde (center right)
Beth Davidson gave her “Who Am I” presentation at the July 27, 2023 meeting. Beth grew up in New Jersey and attended Villanova University, as her did her father. After graduating, she lived and worked in New York City. Beth has three children, Tripp, an Arizona State University student, Charlotte, who also graduated from Villanova, and Ben, who graduated from Canyon Crest Academy. She has worked with Barry Estates for six years and is a member of the Luxury Coast Group in Del Mar (giving her a very short commute to our meetings). In addition to being a Rotarian, Beth serves as a board member for A Bridge for Kids that matches talented youth with sponsors who can help level the playing field, not only financially but strategically with help navigating college prep tests and applications. Beth is also a member of the Del Mar Women’s Giving Collective, which provides grants to non-profits in the San Diego community.
Take a look back at all the fun we had in Rotary Year 2022-2023. Lots of new members, service projects, and social events made for a wonderful year. There is more to come in the next Rotary Year! We are especially proud to be the home club of incoming District Governor Don Fipps.
Engaging and interesting programs are the cornerstone of great meetings. Have a look back on all the speakers we had for Rotary Year 2022-2023. Special thanks to Program Chair Beth Westburg for such an amazing lineup!
The Rotary Club of Del Mar is a registered 501c4 non-profit organization.
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