TODAY
GEORGE HANSEN, General Manager of the Bear Valley Mutual Water Company will speak to us. He earned his Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from UC Irvine and his Master’s of Science from Cal State University, Long Beach. Before being General Manager of the Bear Valley Mutual Water Company, he worked for 7 years for the City of Riverside as an Engineering Manager and as an Assistant General manager for Energy Delivery.
He has been in his present position since July of 2021.
HOW TO JOIN MEETINGS ON ZOOM:
We would love to see everyone in person at Rotary Club of Redlands, but if that is not possible, the following Zoom option is available by going to:
https://www.redlandsrotary.org/meetings-online/
LAST WEEK
MONTE STUCK reported on the architectural excellence of former club member LEON ARMANTROUT who left an outstanding legacy from his work which spanned over 50 years in our community. He was most recognized for his design of the 1st United Methodist Church and the ESRI Cafeteria. When the Santa Fe Train Station in downtown Redlands was scheduled for demolition, LEON and four friends bought it and made it into the beautiful station it is now, housing our local Metrolink train. When LEON retired, JACK DANGERMAN who LEON had worked with on several projects said, “LEON is a very special person for the City of Redlands. He is dedicated to the task of being a kind of architectural conscience for our town. He is active in the program of street trees, historical beauty, and in the program of advocating intimate urban spaces…. In my interactions with him, he’s always looked at the good aspects of people, and in working closely with
him, brings these characteristics out. His designs are excellent. LEON is extraordinary in the sense that he is always looking to make decisions that are truly valuable for everyone involved – to do the right thing – to not take a shortcut; not compromise integrity and, for this, I am forever thankful that I’ve had the opportunity to work with him over the years.”
NEXT WEEK
University of Redlands Head Men’s Basketball Coach ERIC BRIDGELAND, who arrived at the University of Redlands in the spring of 2020 as an esteemed NCAA Division III coach with 20 years of head coaching experience.
ORIGINS OF OUR ROTARY SCHOLARSHIPS
Named Scholarship: The Fisher $4000. EDGAR FISHER was born in Westbury-on-Trym, Bristol, England in 1887. He immigrated to the United States in 1906, first residing in Pomona. He arrived in Redlands as a repairman, then became Redlands District Manager for 35 years for the Telephone Company. In 1929, he joined Rotary and served as club president in 1932-33. During his life of service he served as scoutmaster for 10 years, park commissioner and two time President of the Y Board. He was Spoke Editor for five years, writing every edition himself. He celebrated his 100th birthday in 1987. RALPH HONE, The Rotary Club of Redlands, California 1920-1988.
NEW MEMBER BIO
BRIAN AHLERS was born and raised in the city of Redlands, California. He is the second of seven siblings. Growing up in a big family, BRIAN learned the value of hard work and dedication from an early age. He also learned to appreciate the importance of community and the impact of service on others.
BRIAN has always had a passion for the art and science of creating beautiful jewelry. He became a gemologist in 2000, then eventually the owner of Redlands Jewelers in 2020. BRIAN also studied law enforcement and graduated from the Riverside Sheriff’s Academy. In his free time, BRIAN enjoys exploring the outdoors. A past avid skydiver, he now spends his time flying a small plane, jeep driving in the desert, and boating on the river. BRIAN joined the Rotary Club of Redlands in 2003-04 Rotary Year, when he was 24 years old and continued his membership through 2015-16. Over the years, he served as chairman for RYLA (yes, he was there last weekend!) and PRYDE, helping to empower young people and encourage them to make a positive impact in their communities.We couldn’t be happier to see him back at club.
RON JEFFRIES WINE MAKER DINNER COMMITTEE ROCKS!
Congratulations to the RON JEFFRIES Wine Maker Dinner Committee. They had an ambitious goal of $15,000 to raise for scholarships and surpassed it for a total of $17,000. Well done!!
SERVICE CLUB FOOD DRIVE
Don’t forget the Service Club Food Challenge! Donations can be dropped off at Hatfield Buick GMC through May 4. The final winner will be announced on May 5. KYRA STEWART, the Executive Director of Family Service is a member of our club. She expects the best service club in our community to come through for her. So, grab a grocery bag and fill it with heavy food and head over to Hatfield Buick!
RED, WINE AND BREWS
CHRIS ALVAREZ is looking for volunteers to visit local Rotary Clubs during the month of April to invite them to our Red, Wine and Brews fundraiser. If you have not done makeup at a Rotary Club in a while, here is your chance.
TOUCH A TRUCK
Don’t Forget!!! June 10, 2023 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. (Quiet Hour, 9 – 10 a.m. for kids that react poorly to loud sounds). What an opportunity to serve parents and kids. Ted Runner Stadium Parking Lot. Don’t miss these kids smiling out loud!!
PRESIDENT’S COLUMN
Thank you to those of you who have signed up for this coming weekend’s Earth Day project on Saturday, April 22.! We are still in need of a few volunteers. We will be at the community garden on Saturday, helping our Grove Interact Club. Please contact ROB CLIZBE for sign-up and location info.
Editor – Christopher Walker – Edition No. 40, April 20, 2023