HJ Bulletin-June 1, 2026 Mtg

President Jim Brubaker opened the meeting, Julie Walker led the Pledge, and Ken Clark led the Smile song. Clark and Ed Rouquette on spoons led the welcome song. Our birthday song was sung to members with June birthdays:

Richard Roth, June 2nd; Nancy Starling, 3rd; Eric Lodge, 16th; Mark Stenoien, 17th; Richard Weston, 18th; and Mary Fritz-Wilson, June 30th.

 

• Jun    6 - Bocce Ball Tourney & BBQ

• Jun  15 - Final Mtg until July

• Jun  10 - Brother Benno’s Food Svc

• Jun  18 - North County Food Bank

• Jun  26 - District Gov. Dinner

• Jun  27 - Demotion Dinner   

 

       Our final regular Monday meeting for this Rotary year will be June 15, at the Bressi Ranch Holiday Inn. Pres. Jim will send details prior to the meeting. RSVPs are requested, to keep lunch costs down. The 2026-2027 Rotary year begins in July, and meetings will continue to be the first and third Mondays at the Holiday Inn, unless otherwise noted.

 

       Bill Bondshue, sponsored by Rocco Ciesco, is CHNR’s newest member, inducted by Past Pres. Velyn Anderson. He had a long career in legislative service and selling technology and is now working with a non-profit that is dedicated to strengthening the bonds between people and pets.

 

       • Demotion Dinner: Agua Hedionda Discovery Center June 27. All members have paid for the dinner in their dues; guests, $40 each. Wendy Wiegand will send an email with signup information. RSVPs are at 35, so far.

       • One of our Interact Club members is looking for a summer internship. Anyone with ideas or opportunities for this young man is asked to contact Mary Fritz-Wilson, our Interact coordinator.

       • Pres. Jim thanked Yvonne Finocchiaro and husband Carm for hosting the recent club social at their home.

       • District Governor’s Dinner will be held June 26 at the San Diego Air & Space Museum. Anyone wishing information should contact Pres. Jim.

 

       Members and their guests are invited to the club’s Bocce Ball Tournament and BBQ, to be held Sat, June 6, at the John Simons Memorial Gazebo in Magee Park, 258 Beech Ave., from 11am to 2pm. Pres. Jim will be preparing his “famous beef brisket,” with members bringing a dish to share and their own drink.

       Pres. Jim explained this gazebo is not only historic, originally known as the Twin Inns Gazebo, but when the city was about tear it down due many, many years of neglect, Carlsbad Hi-Noon Rotary stepped up and restored it and moved it to what is now Magee Park, where it has become a very popular setting for weddings and other special events. Late CHNR member John Simons, husband of current CHNR member and Past Pres. Maureen Simons, was the sparkplug behind that project, Pres. Jim said, and the gazebo was renamed in his honor. Only the gazebo’s roof was salvageable, so club members rebuilt the rest of it, a project that took a year and cost $50,000, due to the desire to use materials that would better withstand time—and with the help of community members who bought bricks in the gazebo’s floor.

 

       JoAnn Ross and Nancy Starling presented Hi-Noon scholarships to 11 Carlsbad High students last week, and Bob Kreisberg presented scholarships to two Sage Creek students. He shared Thank You notes from some of this year’s recipients. Together, our club gave out $42,000 in grants. The Vince Ponce Scholarship for a graduate seeking a career in education is on hold because there were no education-major applicants.

    

 

       Beth Garrow provided a wrap-up of the club’s community service efforts for Rotary Year 2025-2026:

       Brother Benno’s Food service, 90 hours; Jefferson Elem. Christmas, 90 hours; Harvest Pack meal packaging, 70 persons packing 10,000 meals, 175 hours; Hospice of North Coast work project #1, 30 hours and project #2, 30 hours; SD Food Bank meal packaging, 150 hours; Hosp Grove cleanup, 30 hours; Oktoberfest volunteer hours, 600 hours, and $20,974 net profit.

 

       • What Grown-ups Do for Work: Bob Kreisberg said this program for local middle school students has just completed another successful year. He said the important messages that the program provides to students are: Believe in Yourself and Don’t Sell Yourself Short.

       • Interact Club: Mary Fritz-Wilson said our CHS Interact Club’s tutoring program for Jefferson Elementary students has also been very successful. Below is a photo of Interact members who were tutors this year. They tutored about 30 elementary students, primarily in math and English.

       

 

Contact Paul Kartzke to sign up: prkartzke@gmail.com

       • North County Food Bank, Thur., June 18, 1-4pm. Beth Garrow will send sign-up information for this monthly club service activity. Advance signup is required. Contact: Beth at 630-207-6979, bethgarrow@comcast.net

 

       Below are photos from CHNR’s May 28  club social hosted by Yvonne Finocchiaro and her husband, Carm, at their home. A beautiful evening, Yvonne’s bountiful food with a Spanish flair, delectable desserts—and great company.

 

 

 

 

 

 

District 5340’s Paver Program at Freedom Park

Don Fipps

     

 

       Don Fipps, a District 5340 past district governor, is one of those spearheading Rotary’s involvement in the Freedom Park project in downtown San Diego, near the USS Midway Museum. This project will transform the Navy pier adjacent to the Midway into the largest park on the West Coast celebrating US military veterans. The overall project is being coordinated by the USS Midway Museum and the Port of San Diego.

       Freedom Park has Coastal Commission ok, and pier reinforcement began last August, with park construction to begin once that is completed. Park opening is currently scheduled for Nov. 11, 2028.

       Rotary District 5340 has secured naming rights for a 16-foot diameter district logo to be installed in the walkway at Freedom Park’s entrance, expected to be crossed by at least two million people annually when the park opens. The logo already has been professionally designed, featuring San Diego’s iconic skyline, the USS Midway, Coronado Bridge and Rotary mottos.

       Fipps said district clubs and a limited number of individuals are being given the opportunity to purchase one of Rotary’s solid granite pavers (15 pounds each) that will surround the district logo. He said 64 club pavers are being offered and 45 individual pavers.

       Each club paver costs $1,500; individual pavers cost $1,000 (all tax-deductible) with purchasers providing the inscription on the paver: up to six lines, 16 characters (including spaces) per line. When all pavers have been sold, the cost for District 5340 Freedom Park naming rights and installation will have been covered.

       As Fipps wrapped up his presentation, our club announced that earlier that day, the CHNR board had unanimously approved the $1,500 for a CHNR paver, with funding to come from the club’s foundation.

       Anyone interested in knowing more about individual pavers, which Fipps said are going fast, can contact Fipps at

916-215-0484.

at Bressi Ranch Holiday Inn

 

Jake Viramonte

“Filmmaking for Good”

Members LeAnn and Josh Rytz

will share some of the adventures

on their recent climb to the

Base Camp on Mt. Everest