Union City Lions Club

LIONS CLUB OF UNION CITY NEWSLETTER
NO. 4 October 1 , 2005

REPORT ON BOARD MEETING OF SEPTEMBER 12, 2005

This report is courtesy of Lion Helen Kennedy. Your correspondent was on vacation and did not attend this Board meeting.

“We made our annual $250 donation to the Scout House for the Boy Scouts, and handed them a check for a little over $1000 for their share of the fireworks proceeds. All Lions are invited to attend their Fall Court of Honor dinner at Contempo Homeowner's Association center, on 9/21/05 at 6:30.
Ron Mickle and Vivian Disano told us about a wonderful event in Union City called the "Evening of Champions," on February 4. This is a benefit for the Mission Valley Track & Field organization, which hosts an annual Olympian track clinic in Union City, organized by Coach Lee Webb. Coach Webb has personally paid many of the expenses to bring world class athletes to this clinic, and this event is being held to offset those expenses, so Union City kids can continue to benefit from training under the best of the best. The event will feature stars such as Bruce Jenner, Dick Fosbury, Marilyn King, and Michael Powell. Yep. Right here in Union City. The Lions are buying two tables at the event, and members will have an opportunity to buy tickets at $50 each. We will donate 10 tickets for youth athletes to attend, and they will have an opportunity to share a meal with an Olympic athlete.
Tony is puling together the tailgate party for the A's Game on September 23. We'll meet for a tailgate party in the North parking lot, as close as possible to 66th Avenue. (Head for the power lines.) The tailgate starts at 4:00, and will continue until the game begins. An email will be sent with more details.
The Fall Arts Festival is being held on October 8, from 10:00 - 4:00 and we'll be working the wine booth. Southern Wine and Spirits has donated ten cases of wine for us to pour. Volunteers are needed to work the booth, and people can contact me for scheduling. (I'll send an email.)

Carol is encouraging all Lions to attend the CERT training that begins in October. The schedule will be posted on the Lions website: http://www.unioncitylions.com. It is very important that the Lions be trained to respond to an emergency in our community, since our mission is to serve. Members should attend the first class in the series, which will be offered twice. The rest of the sessions may be taken independently, so please attend as many as you can. They will be offered again in the spring, so we can make up any missed classes at that time.

Our September 22 meeting at noon is a field trip to the Meyer's Estate, where we will plan our Make a Difference Day project. Directions: At the intersection of Whipple and Mission Blvd, turn into the driveway for the Dry Creek apartments. Go all the way to the end of the complex. Park in the mowed field outside the gate to the estate. Wear comfortable shoes.

Make a Difference Day is October 22, and we need 50 volunteers to help restore the gardens at the historic Meyer's Estate. Lion Tony is coordinating, and each volunteer needs to complete a brief registration form. He'll have these at the meeting on September 22. We need as many Lions as possible to help with this project. The Girl Scouts will also be helping working with us.

Jim is attending the meeting at the Blind Center on Monday. Participation from the clubs has been good, and it looks like the Blind Center is back on track with good management. Bob Swartz from Union City Friends has collected 200 pairs of eyeglasses that we'll be donating.
Cathie Kelly is heading up the Recycle for Sight program, and she has placed a number of new collection boxes around town. There is now a box at Neovision and at the Senior housing complexes. She is checking with each of the schools to see if they need new boxes, and she is coordinating a public relations program with the New Haven Schools Foundation to get the word out to the parents of all the children in the district.

Linda Fernandes met with the principal of Conley Caraballo High School, the new alternative school in Union City. We have set aside $500 for this school, and left the purpose open. They requested, and the board supported, that this money would be used to establish two scholarships for graduating seniors who may be going on to junior college or vocational school.
The board voted to send $1000 to the local Lions district in Boissier City, Louisiana to be used to help victims of hurricane Katrina. An additional $100 is being sent to the district to replenish our share of the $2000 sent from the district's disaster relief fund.

There will be a new member orientation on October 17 at 7:00 PM , at the school district office board room. All members who have not previously attended an orientation are encouraged to attend. Guests are very welcome, so bring any friends who may be interested in learning more about the organization.
We're also hosting a booth at the Chamber of Commerce' annual Business Expo in October 13, in the afternoon. I could use a couple of volunteers to work the booth and spread the word about the Lions Club.”

Thanks Lion Helen for this comprehensive report.

REPORT ON CLUB MEETING OF SEPTEMBER 8, 2005

Once again your correspondent was on vacation during this meeting and this report is also courtesy of Lion Helen Kennedy.

Lions attending were Carol Dutra Vernaci, Bruce Davis, Ken Buffum, Atul Mitra, Linda Fernandes, Roy Panlilio, Jim Navarro, Gloria Watson, Don Watson, Larry Cheeves, Joe Kimura, Fely Fernandez-Kwan, Helen Kennedy, Tony Acosta, Cathie Kelly, Conrad Preciado, and Pam Navarro.

Lion President Carol paid her debt to the club after the club brought in five new members this year. She did her stand up comedy routine peppered with hilarious stories of her calamitous days in the Logan band. Lion Carol dusted off her saxophone and in honor of the people of New Orleans, played songs like “Won’t you come home Bill Bailey,” “You’re a Grand Old Flag,” and “Yankee Doodle Dandy.” Finally she led the Lions in parade through eMocha as she played “When the Saints Go Marching In.”. A good time was had by all.

Our speaker was our own Lion Gloria Watson. Lion Glo and Barbara from Lions Project for Canine Companions for Independence (LPCCI) and Tacoma, a facility dog who works with Barbara in the physical therapy department of Laurel Grove Hospital in Castro Valley. What a great program. Tacoma actually works paws-on with patients, many of whom left loving testimonials in Tacoma’s journal. A slide show was presented showing Tacoma on the job and the happy faces of many patients. Our club made a donation to support this program.

Lion Glo put on her other hat - that of Leo Advisor - and informed us that the Leos held their installation at Don Watson’s home on August 28. Lions in attendance were Don and Glo, Ken Buffum, Carol Dutra-Vernaci, and Johny Tahirkheli.

Our tail twister raised a lot of money for our admin fund at this meeting. Fines were paid for birthdays (Lions Carol DV, Helen Kennedy, Fely Fernandez-Kwan, and Larry Cheeves) and for anniversaries (Lions Jim and Pam Navarro, Larry Cheeves, Carol DV, and Linda Fernandes). Lion Roy Panlilio sang Happy Birthday and a special anniversary song, “Oh, how we danced ... on the night.... we were wed...”

Paddy Iyer from the Union City coffee house (Smith Street) asked the Lions to support two fundraisers he is hosting at his Union City coffee house to benefit Hurricane Katrina victims. These events have already taken place as I write this newsletter (September 14 and 17). We hope that they were very successful.

REPORT ON CLUB MEETING OF SEPTEMBER 22, 2005

Lions attending this meeting were Greg Stewart, Laura Stewart, Phyllis Gray, Conrad Preciado, Ed Xavier, Larry Cheeves, Tony Acosta, Helen Kennedy, Rick Sealana, Joe Kimura, Atul Mitra, and Diane La Mountaine. Guests were Gloria Pacheco and Marjorie Xavier.

This meeting was a special treat for this correspondent. I have been active in this are for over thirty years, yet this was the first occasion that I have been on the grounds of the Meyer estate. These grounds have always been closed and mysterious. What a treat! It was an Alice in Wonderland experience. The gardens are enchanting. It is a gem right here in Union City.

Susan of the East Bay Regional Parks District told us of the history of the estate and after, we were given free rein to roam the grounds.

The gardens cover about four acres. The hill lands behind the gardens cover about 1200 acres. The property originally was part of the land grant made to Jose Vallejo. Raising cattle for their hides was the main use of this land until the mid 1800s. During the gold rush era, August May purchased the land later to be known as the Meyer estate. The Meyers sisters are his grand daughters.

August May permitted the land to be used as a picnic area for the township. The creek was named “Dry Creek” because Mr. May did not permit the consumption of alcohol on his lands, thus the property was “dry”.

The property was used as a summer home but the family and a country estate on which to entertain family and friends. They grounds were open to the public to use and enjoy.

The sisters never married and in 1974, the property was deeded to the East bay park District.

The cottage on the property was built in about 1900.

Jeannette Meyer was one of the Meyers’ sisters. She was a gardener. The layout of the gardens is mainly her work. The area was created by the Meyers family. In its natural state it is barren rolling hills as can be seen in the hills on either side of the garden. Nonnative trees were planted to provide a high forest canopy. Oaks and Sycamores tower to about 100 feet and provide a shaded area below. Gardens were planted with plants that would thrive in shaded areas.

Recently one large Sycamore fell. Its fall left a hole in the canopy leaving an area that is no longer in shade and now is exposed to direct sunlight. Our club is going to adopt this area and work with the Park District to turn this area into a rose garden. Our project during Make a Difference day is to clear this area and mix in some compost to ready the area for planting of rose bushes. We may even have a few rose bushes to plant. This spot is near the entrance to the gardens and our work will create a beautiful rose garden that every person entering the gardens will walk past.

NEW LIONS ORIENTATION MEETING

An orientation meeting for new Lions will take place on October 17, 2005, at 7:00 pm in the Board Room of the New Haven Unified School District. All new lions are requested to attend this session. Old Lions are also welcome. This orientation is intended to tell new lions about Lionism and the union City Lions Club.

LIONS NIGHT AT THE A's

On September 23, 2005, the Union City Lions had a fun time at the Coliseum. We had a tail gate party, watched a game, and the enjoyed a spectacular fire works show. We had at least 80 people attend who were either Union City Lions or their guests. Conrad Preciado had twenty of his family and friends there. A surprise guest appearance at the tail gate party was made by Oakland A’s starting center fielder Mark Kotsay. He came to visit one of Conrad’s grand sons who was in a leg cast. Mr. Kotsay signed the cast and promised to hit a home run for the young man. At his first at bat, Mr. Kotsay hit the promised home run. Fox Sports covered the visit to the tail gate party. The only thing missing from this Ruthian moment was the omission by Mr. Kotsay to point to young Preciado in the stands, then point to the spot where he would hit the home run before hitting the home run.

LION AL RODERIGUES SENIOR CITIZENS THANKSGIVING DINNER

Lion Chair Richard Valle reports that he has reserved the Ralph Rugierri Senior Center for November 18, 2005, for this event. Please mark this evening off in your calendar. This is an “All Hands” event. It takes every Lion member to carry off this event.

Tri Ced donates 22 fresh turkeys for this event. He is making arrangements to have the Turkeys cooked. This beats the old days when we had to cook the turkeys at home. Lion Richard will arrange for a band to provide music for the occasion. Lion Richard and Tri Ced pays for the band. Our Club pays for all the other food and drink used at the event. Our Club also pays for the use of the Rugierri Senior Center.

MEETING AT MASONIC HOME SET FOR JANUARY 12, 2006:

Lion President Carol made arrangements with the Masonic Home to hold our dinner meeting of January 12, 2006, there. Dinner will be $10.00 per person and will be prepared by the staff at the Masonic Home. The program will be a tour of the facility. RSVPs are a must for this meeting so that the proper amount of food can be prepared. Members are encouraged to bring guests to this meeting, but you cannot leave any of your guests there. You must bring home with you all guests that you bring.

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

October 8, 2005: Fall Arts Festival.
October 10, 2005: BOD meeting at City Hall at 7:00 pm.
October 13, 2005: Dinner meeting at eMocha at 7:00 pm.
October 17, 2005: NHUSD Board Room at 7:00 pm
October 22, 2005: Make a Difference Day
October 27, 2005: Lunch meeting at eMocha at noon. District Governor visitation.
November 10, 2005: Dinner meeting at eMocha at 7:00 pm.
November 14, 2005: BOD meeting at City Hall at 7:00 pm.
November 18, 2005: Al Roderigues Senior Citizen’s Thanksgiving Dinner at Ruggieri Center.
December 8, 2005: Christmas Party.
January 16, 2006: Serve dinner at Oakland Advisory Board meeting in Oakland.

VISIT OUT WEB SITE

Did you know that our club maintains a web site? Lion Bruce Davis is our webmaster. Visit our website at www.unioncitylions.com. Lion Bruce does a superb job with our web site. See, you have a web site and lion Bruce does all the work. Thanks Lion Bruce.

FALL FESTIVAL OF THE ARTS

The Union City Lions will participate in Union City’s Fall Festival of the Arts. This years event will take place on October 8. Lion Diane La Montaine is a member of Union City’s Arts Commission and is very involved with staging this year’s festival. Lions Helen Kennedy and Tony Acosta are active setting up our wine booth and getting Lions to fill the slots needed to serve the booth. It should be a day of fun and libation as well as good exposure for our club. All that said, Antoinette Acosta should stay at home that day. We don’t need that kind of exposure. Lion Tony Acosta is more than welcome.

MEMBERSHIP DRIVE

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 and have that lunch paid for by the club. Such a deal.

SUNSHINE REPORT

Lioness Lu Goni’s brother, Joe Caruso Sr., passed away. Our condolences are extended to Lioness Lu as well as to the family of Joe Caruso Sr. Services will take place on Sunday, October 2, 2005, at the clubhouse at the Tropics Mobile Home Park. See you soon.

Lion Ed Xavier