LIONS CLUB OF UNION CITY NEWSLETTER
NO. 12  June 4, 2005  

This is the last newsletter being written during Lion Rick Sealana’s year as our President.  Thank you Lion Rick For being a very good President.  Thanks for a good year in service. 

REPORT ON BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING OF MAY 9, 2005

• Justin Hinojoza, a senior at James Logan HS and one of our student speakers, told the Board about the active year for the forensics program.  James Logan HS again is California State Champion in forensics.  The team is now competing for national honors.  The Board voted to give the program $500.00 to assist them in their quest for national honors.
• Lion Ida Gueco and Johny Tahirkheli reported on the Luau which they chaired.  The event was a great success.  The event took in about $9,500.00 gross income. We donated $300.00 to Our Lady of the Rosary with our thanks for letting us use their hall. We donated $150.00 to the Leos for their help.  The profit from this event is expected to be about $7,000.00.  From this amount a check in the amount of $5,000.00 was written to the Oakland Blind Center and Lion Don Watson was asked to present this check to them at their May advisory Board Meeting.  The leaders in ticket sales were Lion Bill Fournell with 36, Lion Fely Fernandez-Kwan with 33, Lion Tom Kitayama with 25, Gabriella Gutierrez and Angelica Rojas with 18, and Lion Joe Kimura with 14.  Thanks to these Lions and to ALL lions who helped make this a very successful fund raiser for the Blind Center.
• Lion Rick Sealana reported that our Club will jointly sponsor a wine, food and art festival on October 8, 2005.  Our partners will be the Union City Arts Association and the Union City Chamber of Commerce.  It will be held at Old Alvarado Park.  Musicians will play to make it a festive day.  Artists will display their work.  The Lions will handle the wine.  We will be asking Alameda County wineries in Livermore to provide some of the wines.
• Our dues for 2005-2006 will be $89.00 per member.
• Our installation dinner will be held at the Crown Plaza Hotel on June 11, 2005.
• Lion Gary Wong was elected to serve as our Vice District Governor.
• Lion Bill Fournell reported that all paperwork has been filed for the fireworks booth.

REPORT ON CLUB MEETING OF MAY 12, 2005

• Attending were Lions Rick Sealana, Kathy Sealana, Ken Buffum, Joe Kimura, Carol Dutra Vernaci, Linda Fernandes, Jim Navarro, Don Watson, Gloria Watson, Richard Valle, Tony Acosta, Helen Kennedy, Bruce Davis, Mac Sandhu, Regis Amann, Kathy Kelly, and Ed Xavier.  Our guest speakers were Lion Richard Valle and David Langer.
• Lion Richard told us about the history of Tri-Ced. It was incorporated on January 1, 1980.  Its first grant was $750.00 from Our Lady of the Rosary.  It now owns its 4 ½ acre site on Western Avenue.  Lion Richard told us about “Single Stream Recycling”, or recycling made easier.  All we have to do now is put all out recycling into one container.  We no longer have to sort our recycling.  Tri-Ced will do the sorting at their new and improved facility.  Tri-Ced has been designated as the regional facility for electronic recycling per Senate Bill 20.  Waste management is such a large subject that David Langer of BFI/Allied Waste will come to our June 23 meeting to tell us about his company’s role in keeping our city clean.

REPORT ON CLUB MEETING OF MAY 26, 2005

• Lions attending were Don Watson, Gloria Watson, Larry Cheeves, Greg Stewart, Laura Stewart, Ken Buffum, Joe Kimura, Mark Tayo, Helen Kennedy, Mac Sandhu, Rick Sealana, and Ed Xavier.  Lioness Heidi Kitayama dropped by to say hello and to drop off a written report on Lion Tom Kitayama’s condition.  We had as our guests potential Lions Margie Tang and Lydia Hertzler, both with Alma Via of Union City.
•  It was reported that Mike Joshi, our Club’s student speaker candidate competed at the MD4 level (California and Nevada level).  He did not win but was an exceptional representative for our city.  This is the furthest that any speaker from union City has progressed.  Mike Joshi did win $4,250.00 in scholarships in his journey up the ladder.  He will be a guest of our Club at one of our July meetings and will give his winning speech. If you have not yet heard his speech, you should make an effort to come and hear it.
• Lions Don Watson and Gloria Watson reported on their attendance at the Advisory Board meeting for the Oakland Blind Center.  They presented the Center our check for $5,000.00 from the Luau, a check for $200.00 donated by Lion Joe Kimura, and a check for $1,000.00 from our Club’s general activities fund.  Other clubs in our district brought in another $7,000.00.  Lions are showing up and are supporting their, our, blind center.  The center will remain open for the foreseeable future.
• Our program was a DVD of a show aired on California Gold.  It told the story of Lions in Sight by following the trail of used eye glasses from collection, cleaning and sorting, and then to the trips where they are delivered by volunteer Lions directly to those in need. The mission of Lions in Sight is to bring the gift of sight to those in need, going from darkness to light.  Last year Lions gave over 600,000 pairs of glasses to people in need in Mexico.  For more information go to www.lionsinsight.org.
• Lion Mark Tayo reported that his son, Gunnery Sergeant Marcos Tayo III, USMC, is being deployed to Iraq. 

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

• June 9, 2005:  Evening meeting cancelled in favor of June 11 installation.
• June 11, 2005:  Installation of Officers and directors at Crown Plaza Hotel, Union City. 
  Time to be announced.
• June 13, 2005:  Joint Board of Directors meeting at City Hall at 7:00 pm. 
  Members of outgoing and incoming Boards are requested to attend.
• June 23, 2005:  Lunch meeting at noon at eMocha. 
  BFI/Allied Waste will make a  presentation on their new service offerings as they replace Waste Management as Union City’s exclusive waste hauler.  Lion Richard Valle and David Langer of Allied Waste will be presenting.

MEMBERSHIP

Remember that the club will treat a prospective new member to their first lunch or dinner as our guest.  This gives people an opportunity to visit us and see if they have an interest in our club without incurring any financial obligation.  You also get to invite a friend to lunch or dinner and have that lunch or dinner paid for by the club.  Such a deal. 

SUNSHINE REPORT

Lion Tom Kitayama suffered a stroke at the tip of his vertebrae which has affected his ability to swallow.  He was at Washington Hospital and is now at a convalescent home.  Lion Tom was a charter member of our Club in 1963, was the first Mayor of Union City, served our community for many years in many capacities, and in my opinion is Mr. Union City.  Excuse my bias as I was Lion Tom’s campaign manager for over ten years, but that is my true feeling about Lion Tom.  God bless Lion Tom, Lioness Heidi and the Kitayama family in these difficult times.