February 2017 The Big Sir Says - sirinc2.org · SIR Branch 35 Trail Tips February 2017 Page 1 of 6. To use email addresses, ... Eugene Young (Bin) ... EARS Joe MacIntosh 24 ...

February 2017 Page 1 of 6 SIR Branch 35 Trail Tips

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Branch 35 web site: www.sirinc2.org/branch35/ February 2017

3rd Wednesday, February 15, 2017

Elks Lodge, 4249 El Camino Real, Palo Alto Social Hour 11 a.m. – Lunch 11:55 a.m.

Please, IF BRINGING A GUEST OR NOT ATTENDING!

CALL 650-823-0702 or E-MAIL sir35notify(at)gmail.com

by SATURDAY, Feb. 11th (Leave name and badge #)

PROGRAM Speaker: Fredrick M. “Fritz” Trapnell Topic: The Guadalcanal Campaign, America’s first

offensive operation of World War II Fritz Trapnell is an award winning author of Harnessing the Sky, a biography of his father, Vice Admiral Frederick M. “Trap” Trapnell, which explores the legacy of the man who has been called “the godfather of current naval aviation.” Fritz has a broad interest in WWII, especially in the

Pacific. Fritz grew up in Coronado, California, spent two years on active duty in the U.S. Marine Corps as an enlisted Aviation Electronics Technician, then graduated from Caltech with a Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering. He began his fifty-year career in computer and software engineering and management with IBM and retired in 2007 from Hewlett-Packard.

The Guadalcanal Campaign was a military campaign fought between August and December 1942 on and around the island of Guadalcanal in the Pacific theater. It was America’s first offensive operation of World War II. Allied forces, predominantly United States Marines, landed on the islands of Guadalcanal, Tulagi, and Florida in the southern Solomon Islands, with the objective of denying their use by the Japanese to threaten Allied supply and communication routes between the US, Australia, and New Zealand. The Allies overwhelmed the outnumbered Japanese defenders, who had occupied the islands since May 1942, and captured an airfield that was under construction on Guadalcanal. The Guadalcanal campaign has been called a turning-point in the war against Japan. It marked the Allied transition from defensive operations to the strategic offensive initiative in the theater that eventually resulted in Japan's surrender and the end of World War II.

The Big Sir Says . . . Our January speaker, Tom Gregory, talked about a fascinating subject: “Drones, Love ‘Em or Hate ‘Em.” (We voted 80%-20% that we love ‘em.) Tom described the military origin of these aircraft--the Remotely Piloted Vehicle, or RPV. He set a new record for devices on display at the front of the room, and he hinted at a mosquito-size drone that could capture your DNA. Watch out! Despite technical difficulties (which we are working to avoid in the future), Tom told us about package delivery and other current applications. We learned that there are as yet few regulations on these devices, which is an issue. If you want to see and learn more, you can go to the Hiller Aviation Museum in San Carlos. At the January meeting of the Branch Executive Committee (BEC), we adopted four goals for the coming year. I will describe each of them below, but first a word about finances: The BEC did not set a formal goal in this area, since our finances are so straightforward. We approved a budget of $8,063 for 2017, similar to spending in recent years. Our income is expected to be over $9,000, so we expect to add to our reserves. At year-end 2016, reserves were $16,652 plus another $21,390 for golf. Non-golf reserves of twice annual spending are pretty high, but we anticipate capital spending before long, which would come from reserves. And now the goals: 1. Develop contingency options for the time when our chapter is too large to meet at Elks. It is no secret that we are outgrowing our present luncheon venue. So it is prudent to think about our options now rather than wait until crowding becomes a crisis. 2. Review our use of technology and prepare a proposal to bring it up to date. Our hardware and software are aging. We can envision lots of new things to do with more current technology. 3. Articulate a clear policy concerning saving seats before lunch. Current policy is not well understood, and some members complain about the lack of available seating. 4. Membership growth of 10, net of attrition, in 2017. Since we anticipate attrition of 30 (8%), this means we need to recruit 40 new members during 2017. That’s it for this month. See you at the February 15 luncheon! Duncan

February 2017 Page 2 of 6 SIR Branch 35 Trail Tips

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ROSTER CHANGES

Active Members: 371 Net Monthly Change: +2

NEW MEMBERS Chuck Green (Shirley 650-224-1777 278 Woodside Drive xr250chuck(at)comcast.net Woodside, CA 94062 Self-employed Real Estate Investor

Golf, Travel, Hiking, Music, Old Cars Peter Wong (Ellie) 408-921-4884 740 Londondery Drive pebwong(at)gmail.com Sunnyvale, CA 94087 Lockheed Martin

Golf, Teaching Assistant for Tai Chi Eugene Young (Bin) 408-828-0691 875 Lily Avenue eugeneyoung(at)hotmail.com Cupertino, CA 95014 NeuroSky

Golf, Travel, Tennis Marvin Schwartz (Ellen) 650-960-3541 1220 Eureka Court marv11111(at)aol.com Los Altos, CA 94024 Self-employed Physician

Computers, Travel, Music, Photography, Stamp Collecting, History Gregory “Van” Van Hauser 650-851-1138 1091 Los Trancos Road gvanhauser(at)comcast.net Portola Valley, CA 94028 Sequoia Union High School

Travel, Bicycling

FEBRUARY ANNIVERSARIES: 10+ YEARS Joe MacIntosh 24 Guy Thompson 13 Roy Presley 19 Dick Wilson 13 Ken Clifford 16 Don Gladstone 12 Del Fillmore 16 Neal Didriksen 11 Don Peglow 15 Cal Morris 11 Hardin Smith 15 Dick Morris 11 Bob McNamara 14 John Lehner 10 Bill Nugteren 13 Dell Smith 10

FEBRUARY BIRTHDAYS

During the social hour before every luncheon, 11:00 a.m. Bring a few and take a few – FREE! After the meeting, residuals go to Friends of the Library of Los Altos. February is SCI-FI month. Share some great books that you don't think you will read again.

Rehearsal: 2nd Wednesday, February 8, 10:00 a.m. in the Choir Room, Los Altos Methodist Church. Pre-Meeting Rehearsal: February 15, 11:00 a.m., Elks Lodge. Parody Writers: Bob Simon, David Skurnick Accompanist: Don Cameron Bob Simon will write the parody for the February meeting. All are welcome to join our singing.

..TENNIS BILL SCHICK 650-948-8768 billschick(at)att.net

Every Monday and Thursday, starting at 8:00 a.m. at the Rinconada Park Courts – Located on Hopkins Avenue, off Newell near Embarcadero Road, Palo Alto. We play a relaxed doubles spin in open format. Sirs and non-Sirs alike are welcome.

Fourth Friday, February 24, 2016. Meet at 10:00 a.m. Wives & Guests are welcome. Location: Sawyer Camp Trail, Crystal Springs Driving Directions: Driving access is by taking I-280 north past Hwy. 92 and exiting at Black Mountain Road. Cross under I-280 and turn left to head south along Crystal Springs Road for about one mile to the trailhead. Park along the roadway shoulder. Restrooms are available at three locations along the trail. Hike Details: We will meet at the trail head north of the Crystal Springs Dam. The hike will be about 3.5 miles to the Jepson Laurel, have lunch, and then head back on the same path. Hike is on a paved pathway along the east side of Crystal Springs Reservoir with very little elevation gain. We may get some good spring wildflower viewing and a possible sighting of the resident Bald Eagles. Contact me by phone or email if you plan to attend this hike. This will let us know who to expect and we can provide additional driving directions and hike venue details. We can coordinate car pools if desired. I send out an email reminder about a week before each hike. If you are not receiving the email and would like to be included, let me know and I will add you to the list.

2Nd Thursday— February 9, 2016 11:00 AM Wives ands guests welcome Rain cancels; Helmet required Coyote Creek Trail (South San Jose) The Ride: We will ride the Coyote Creek Trail starting from the Wyndham Garden at 399 Silicon Valley Rd, San Jose. The ride will be about 6 miles to the Coyote Creek Golf Course. We will go past the golf course another 3 miles to a model airplane launching site, then double back to the golf course club house for lunch. After lunch we will ride back to the hotel parking lot for a total of 18 flat miles, round trip. For those who want a shorter ride, they may omit the ride to the airplane site saving 6 miles. Directions: Wyndham Garden Hotel is located south of San Jose, one block east of Highway 101 and just north of the Highway 101/85 interchange. The directions are the same whether coming on highway 101 or 85: Take the Bernal Rd. exit. Turn left on Bernal Rd., which becomes Silicon Valley Blvd. after crossing under 101. Turn left on Rue Ferrari Rd., the service road next to the hotel, and park in the hotel parking lot behind the furthest hotel building on the right. If you plan to ride or have questions please contact Jim Lunt as above or Gordon Tong at 408-242-0557 or gordy6850(at)gmail.com.

Peter Barba Mike Forster Don Peterson Jerry Belden Terry Hayes Jim Press Al Cardona Syd Jacobsen Ron Reis Leland Chan Chuck Little Arnie Satterlee Frank Crossman Duncan MacVicar Jim Schlatter Jim DeLong John McGowan Ron Schoengold Chuck Dunker George Mednick Jerry Schoening Gary Edwards George O’Brien Bob Strohecker Doug Ericsson Don Peglow Larry Yelowitz

BOOK SWAP JOHN GERICH 650-969-6679 jgerich(at)juno.com

TRAIL BIRDS DAVID SKURNICK 650-650-473-9263 daveskur(at)comcast.net

HIKING DELL SMITH 650-968-5006 dellnmolly(at)sbcglobal.net

BIKING JIM LUNT 408-252-6804 jamesdlunt(at)yahoo.com

In Memoriam Roy Robinson

February 2017 Page 3 of 6 SIR Branch 35 Trail Tips

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Member Profile P RON NAKAMOTO 408-440-2330 ron.nakamoto(at)yahoo.com

This monthly article highlights one of our branch members. We hope that you enjoy knowing a little more about your fellow members and the interesting life they have had. If you have someone you would like to nominate or if you would like to help author an article, please email ron.nakamoto(at)yahoo.com.

The article this month takes a slight detour to highlight a few of our members’ best buddies. Pets often become part of the family household during and after the kids are gone. They offer companionship and pure love without pre-conditions. We hope that you appreciate the article and will give your buddy a little more love today.

CHANEL by Ron Nakamoto

When the kids are gone and the house is empty you somehow become open to bringing a pet home. Chanel was a neglected mini-Yorkie. Her previous master was going through a divorce and she was often left inside the house with no one there. She laid in the dark, lonely and hoping for someone to come and care for her. My wife’s daughter rescued this young, lonely and scared dog and introduced her to her mother. Her hair was matted and clumped and she was in need of a bath and a lot of grooming. She was cleaned up by a local groomer, after which my wife, who has never had a pet in her life, brought her home. Of course, I didn’t want a pet because of the commitment we would have to train her and care for her and my extensive travel schedule. And of course, I was overruled. She has been part of our family for eleven wonderful years.

I recall she always waited all day for you to come home. When she heard the car pull in and the clatter of steps to the front door, she would go wild, with delight waiting for you to open the door. Chanel would run in circles and bark wildly for our attention. She displayed unconditional love to see her parents. Thess are some of the memories I can hold onto now that she is gone. When your pet loves you unconditionally, you cannot help but love her back, day in and day out. Over the years, you expect her to bark and stare at you every day, with her big expressive eyes, waiting patiently for some of your dinner. A few years later we acquired another dog so they could keep each other company. They would play together, then ignore each other and wait for their mother to relax on the couch. The moment she did, one of the dogs would pounce on to the couch and lie next to her, waiting to be petted. If it were Miley, the Maltese you would soon see Chanel jump up and start backing into Miley, slowly but surely, until the Maltese had no room and had to jump off the couch. These memories, remembered fondly when she was alive and now somewhat remorsefully now that she is gone, is all that we have left of her presence with us. We are sad, every day when she is not on the bed with us; when we can no longer take her out in the mornings; when we sit down to dinner and no longer see her sitting patiently with her bright eyes. Pets are family and we lost one of our family members. (Epilogue: A month ago, our daughter found a good Yorkie breeder in San Francisco and now we have a new addition to the family, Malea.)

BW by Creed Morgan

Her name was BW (Black and White were her colors). She first showed up in our back yard where we kept a tray of food for the various animals that would visit (cats, raccoons and skunks were the normal visitors). This stray cat was 2-3 years old and soon became a regular visitor. She became comfortable in the area lounging around the table and chairs for an extended period of time as cats often do. Three months went by with her daily visits until one day we noticed when she arrived she was acting very sick. My wife, Patty said we needed to catch her to take her to our Veterinarian. Of course, I knew that “we” meant me, so I caught her in a trap and off we went to our Vet. After, examining her he said she needed surgery immediately to repair her from a bad pregnancy. We bundled her up and started to drive to the animal hospital. As we started to the hospital, I turned to ask Patty if we should try to save this stray kitty or put her to sleep. Without hesitation, she said “…we should do what we can to give this cat a chance at life…” and so began our eight plus year journey with BW, the little cat that changed our lives forever. Her first surgery was a success to clean up the initial mess. Her veterinary visits and treatments continued on a regular basis but she was never unpleasant or mean. I think she understood that she needed to endure the prodding and handling to get better. In between the various surgeries we had to administer some eleven different medications, daily. During her second surgery to further clean up her uterus, the nerve controlling her ability to start urination was accidentally severed. From that day, BW could no longer urinate by herself. We continued to dedicate ourselves to help her. We developed a new daily regiment to take her at 7:30 am to the Veterinarian to have her bladder expressed and again at 5:30pm every night. This continued every day, 365 days a year for the next eight years. In that period we only missed four days to attend our grandson’s wedding in Maine. We have had her at UC Davis School of Veterinarian Medicine for diagnostics to attempt to locate and “re-attach” her nerve; spent two years administering acupuncture treatments, and one year of cold laser treatments all to no avail. She eventually died from throat cancer in July 2014. We did everything we could to give her a chance to live a normal kitty life. And, she rewarded us with her love and companionship. As a member of our family, she shared every event in our lives with us. Without a doubt she was the sweetest little animal we have ever known. I do believe we will see her again at the Rainbow Bridge. (Editor’s note: You can read about “the Rainbow Bridge” at www.rainbowbridge.com.) Since that time, we have continued to feed the strays and small wildlife in our area and to date have serviced 11 skunks, 3 possums, 4 raccoons and 11 cats which we have had neutered.

MOLLY by Bob Garten “Dad, would you like a dog” my son said as he walked in the door holding a scared, dirty and wormy puppy in his arms. The puppy had been found under a bush on a cold, rainy evening in January 1998. Our family had never had a dog and was not looking for one. I decided to take Molly upstairs and give her a bath. She looked at me with those pitiful but pleading brown eyes the entire time and it didn’t take long for me to say, “You’re not going anywhere.” Several hundred dollars later for vet services

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we had a dog that added so much joy to our immediate family, my sister and my mother. Molly would allow us to dress her in most any outfit. Sometimes, when we had guests she would put on a “fashion” show, allowing us to dress her in various outfits and then parade in front of the guests. She delighted in

the attention. She loved to visit the former Five Paws Bakery in Los Altos because a treat would be forthcoming. The owners featured Molly in an ad in the Town Cryer with her sitting at the piano (picture) and the caption “Molly never cries the blues when she has Five Paw treats.” Molly was a “joint custody” dog as we used to joke. She spent weekends with my sister who picked her up every Friday after school. Molly could tell time because every Friday at about 2:30 PM she would perch on the steps by the front door waiting for my sister. Molly got “spa”

treatment at my sister’s and visited all the shopkeepers in Los Altos for treats so she looked forward to being spoiled every weekend. Christmas season was special when my Mother always visited and we dressed Molly in her bells and antlers (picture). We would stroll around Stanford Shopping Center always visiting Nordstrom’s where employees greeted and treated her. When my Mother was injured and in rehab near Stanford, we were allowed to take Molly to visit her. Molly knew how to navigate the halls and find my Mother’s room. Molly would jump on the bed and lay down for a belly rub, which my Mother delighted in providing. Molly gave so much joy and comfort during those difficult times. Molly was my daily walking companion, playing ball, visiting with friends and stopping at the local coffee shop where everyone greeted her. She always had a tail wag and some tricks to perform for the children. She could do addition and subtraction from hand signals and the children were always amazed asking, “How does she know that?” I miss Molly each day when I take my walk. She was one of a kind and so special to our family. I often recall the line, “All dogs go to heaven.” It would be very sad if there were no dogs in heaven. Perhaps there are only dogs in heaven because their inherent nature is unconditional love, joy and faithfulness.

CONCLUSION Research studies have found that people who have a pet have healthier hearts, stay home sick less often, make fewer visits to the doctor, get more exercise, and are less depressed. Pets may also have a significant impact on allergies, asthma, social support, and social interactions with other people. Older individuals in a care-taker role enjoy a sense of responsibility and purpose that contributes to their overall well-being. *******************************************

Assistant: Walter Weber 408-371-8925, walterweber08(at)comcast.net New Year Adventures. You missed a "Really good trip". There were 33 paid SIR travelers from other branches plus 14 others who started the New Year with the Mexican Rivera SF to SF trip which was reported to be a great trip. Don't let that happed to you again. Here are a couple of the many opportunities available for this year. June 17-25, 2017 Colorado Rockies. A nine-day escorted tour which highlights Denver, Rocky Mountain National Park, Grand Junction, Arches National Park, Canyonlands National Park, Colorado National Monument,

Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad, Mesa Verde National Park, Pikes Peak Cog Railway, Garden of the Gods. with an optional excursion rafting on the Colorado River with Lunch. Cost $3159 pp dbl occupancy includes air taxes & fees/surcharges, hotel transfers, gratuities & RT air fare from San Jose & transportation to/from the airport. Contact Escort, Bill Rodman (408) 274-4521. or Co-escort Alan Patmore (408) 867-4197 July 3-16, 2017 Alaska Land & Cruise . A seven-night land tour of upper Alaska and the Yukon Territory, followed by a four-night cruise through the Inside Passage on the Holland America M/S Nieuw Amsterdam. Tour features include: Anchorage, Domed Rail Cars (McKinley Explorer to Denali), Tundra Tour in Denali, Fairbanks, Klondike Spirit Paddle-wheeler Cruise, a one hour flight to Dawson City, Yukon, Pan for Gold and strike it rich at the Dawson Historic Gold Dredge. Then visit Whitehorse to board the White Pass Train to Skagway, overnight in Skagway and board the Cruise Ship for 4 nights with ports of call at: Glacier Bay, Ketchikan, and ending in Vancouver. Cost ranges from $5150 pp dbl/occupancy to $5895 with a ship board credit of $160 - $240 depending on cabin selected. Contact Escort Mike Console (408) 246-1080, or Co-escort John Pletsch (408) 274-2992 Tell us about your travel interests. In the next months we will have an opportunity to influence the next cycle of SIR sponsored trips. Please let Ed Pausa or Walter Weber know by email of your travel interests, preferences or disqualifications so that we may better meet your needs. Our Challenge remains to demonstrate that Branch 35, the largest Branch in SIR can exceed last year's SIR statewide average of 15% travelers!. Tell us about your last or best trip of this year so that we can share your experiences with all our members.

Every Friday, 10:00 a.m. to noon. Wives and guests are welcome. Location: Bocce Ball Courts (between second and last wing), Los Altos Senior Center, 97 Hillview Ave. (just off San Antonio Rd.) Parking near baseball fields. Our playing has been interrupted due to the past few weeks of wetness. So this is a good time to take an introductory look at the early history of Bocce Ball. “Bocce Ball was first documented in a 5200 BC painting of two boys playing with rounded rocks, which was discovered by an English scientist, Sir Francis Petrial, in an Egyptian tomb. Bocce spread throughout Palestine and into Asia Minor. In 600 BC it was picked up by the Greeks and then passed to the Romans by Greek colonists. In 1896 the first Bocce Olympiad was held in Athens, Greece and has been a part of international sports ever since. The popularity of Bocce in America has been on the rise since it swept California in 1989. “There are more than 25 million Bocce enthusiasts that have heard of the sport, play recreationally, or play on structural courts in the U.S. today.” [excerpted from http://www.worldbocce.org/]

TRAVEL ED PAUSA 650-324-0322 clements.e.pausa(at)us.pwc.com

BOCCE BALL NORM PASS – SCHEDULE/ CANCELLATIONS 408-737-7639; normpass(at)sbcglobal.net

FRED SCHWALBACH – PLAYER DEVELOPMENT 408-257-9713; fpschwalbach(at)aol.com JOHN RICHARDSON - SUPPORT 650-996-7787; jlr(at)rcgc.com

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Every Tuesday,1:00 p.m., at Homestead Lanes, Homestead & Stelling, in Cupertino. After four months of bowling, the team of Ken Jones, Joe Enos and Doug Anderson eked out a one-game victory. If you have been thinking about joining the Bowling activity, the next session will be the perfect time. The cost is only $15 per week.

AUTUMN-WINTER SESSION - FINAL 1ST PLACE – Ken Jones, Joe Enos, Doug Anderson 2ND PLACE – Les Fisher, Fred Schwalbach, Doug Ericsson 3RD PLACE – Ruch Ososkie, Jerry Ososkie, Patrick Wong 4TH PLACE – Ranney Thayer, Carl Moyer, Ron Nakamoto 5TH PLACE – Jim Dinkey, Nancy Jones, chuck Huff, John Fawcett 6TH PLACE – Al Delfino, Harold Kaye, Darryl Walker 7TH PLACE – Rick McColloch, Fred Emmenegger, Bob Taggart 8TH PLACE – Bill Webster, Arnie Satterlee, Candy Eastham, Tim Eastham 9TH PLACE – Roy Robinson, Jim Holman, Jay Jonekait 10TH PLACE –Hutch Hutchinson, Alan Gaudie, Phil Vanderwerf

HERE ARE THE WINNERS – FINAL HIGH SERIES - SCRATCH 1st – Doug Ericsson: 602 2nd – Joe Enos: 570 3rd – John Fawcett: 569

HIGH GAME - SCRATCH 1st – Tim Eastham: 251 2nd – Ron Nakamoto: 214 3rd – Bob Taggart: 205

HIGH HANDICAP SERIES 1st – Les Fisher: 683 2nd –Harold Kaye: 678 3rd – Jim Holman: 675

HIGH HANDICAP GAME 1st – Jay Jonekait: 265 2nd – Doug Anderson: 258 3rd – Arnie Satterlee: 247

GOLF BOB GARTEN, GOLF CHAIRMAN 408-253-5860, xonon1(at)comcast.net

(Golf Committee members are listed on page 7 of the Membership Roster.) SIGN-UP for the following by February 11 with John Gerich, 650-969-6679, jgerich(at)juno.com

Schlatter Wins Golfer of the Year and Club Championship

Jim Schlatter won the coveted Golfer of the Year award at the annual golf banquet held Jan. 27. The GOTY is determined by the player’s net scores relative to par over the year and requires the winner to have participated in at least 25 tournaments. Jim also won the Club Championship, which has been named the George Cooke Award in honor of our recently departed fellow SIR. The Iron Man Award for playing in the most tournaments went to Ben Gikis, who played in 77 of the 86 tournaments the Branch ran. Though Ben may be made of iron, his trophy was not. It fell off the table and broke in two before it could be presented to him. Phil Vanderwerf won the Most Improved Golfer award for lowering his handicap index by the

greatest amount. He shaved four strokes off his index, ending the year at 11.3. (If the award had been based on percentage improvement he also would have won for having achieved a 26% reduction.) Our Match Play Champion was Alex Bush (sorry, no photo).

The team of Jim Davis and Terry Barnhart was recognized for winning the 4-Ball Match Play Championship, and Terry also won the club’s Net Championship. Finally, Branch 35 golfers all owe a tip of the golf cap to Joe Cioni who organized the banquet and emceed it like a pro.

GOLF RESULTS

BOWLING BOB TAGGART 650-321-2654 cbtaggart(at)earthlink.net DOUG ANDERSON 415-407-4000 marktinti(at)aol.com Prizes: Alan Gaudie

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