Villa Park Rotary Newsletter January 14, 2010

The January 14, 2010 Newsletter has been published to the Villa Park Rotary website. A copy has been included below.

You may also read it on-line by visiting
http://www.RotaryClubofVillaPark.org/Newsletter.cfm

 Rotary Club of Villa Park Newsletter

New Year's/ New Decade Party

Meet the New Villa Park City Manager

Last night we celebrated our club's Holiday/New Year's/ New Decade Party at PJ' s Abbey.

Club members enjoyed a delicious meal of either Salmon or Steak and got to mingle beforehand while sipping wines, cocktails or soft drinks and munching on appetizers.  Special thanks to Millie Alexander and to Jim Glenn who helped arrange the evening.  We also collected about 50 DVDs that will be sent to our overseas troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.  One special highlight of the evening was the announcement of the engagement of Eddie Nash and Lorie. No date has been set for the wedding as yet.   Photos of the event can be seen on the Photo Album Section of the website.

*    *    *

This mornings meeting began with an Invocation by Millie Alexander, who asked us to think about the victims of the earthquake in Haiti, our troops overseas and our national leaders.  Joe Brand led us in the pledge and Teri Brooks led us in the singing of God Bless America.  Greg Mills continued our new weekly ceremonial recitation of the Rotary Four Way Test..

Guests: Introduced by Greeter Diane Rothi

Robbie Pitts

Lainey Stern

Wayne Silzel- 2nd meeting

Jim Rheins

Jan Poleno

Jack Cleary

Bill MacElony- Mayor of Villa Park

Lori Sassoon- New City Manager

Secret Greeter:  George Poulos

Birthdays:

Clarinel Stamos-  Husband Milt went on a rant about how the Sterns traveled all the way to San Diego for Dinner.-- however, as you'll see next the Stern's stayed closer to home this year.

Lainey Stern- celebrated with a surprise party at the home of Robbie Pitts and Elizabeth Usher;

                   and a dinner at one of the restaurants at South Coast Plaza

Happy Birthday Ladies.

Special Recognition:

Bob Meyer celebrated 25 years as a Rotarian and 25 years of perfect attendance. 

Announcements:

District Conference will be in March at the Knott's Berry Farm Hotel.

Details to follow.

Haiti Earthquake Relief- Nagy Ibrahim and Jane McDonaldbrought this up wondering if Rotary had a program to help sent relief.  Nagy suggested we find a Rotary Club in Haiti to send funds to, Bob Meyer says he received an email from Rotary District 5320 encouraging clubs to make donations to the Red Cross or Shelter Box Organization. 

Pam Dunn reported that the Villa Park Clock Bench repairs are underway, thanks to those members who donated monies and to Matt Huarte, who donated the marble for the repair.  Precautions will be taken to make sure that local skate boarders don't damage the bench. Pam thanked those members who donated to the cause.

She also received a letter from one of the marines who shared Thanksgiving with the Dunn Family.

Eric Sense- announced that there are opportunities to advertise in the upcoming Orange Lutheran Baseball Program- his son is going out for the team and hit a home run during one of the preliminary games.  Contact Eric if you have an interest placing an ad in the program.

Warm Clothes Donation:  Thank you to Ron Accornero and Jim and Lorraine Glenn who made generous donations- the clothes will be distributed by Mercy House at the armory.  Jane McDonald encourages continued donations during the colder winter months.  Bring the clothes to upcoming meetings.

Blanket Donation for the Animal Shelter:  Bob Meyer will bring warm blankets to  the animal shelter.

Happy Bucks:

Lesslie Giacobbi-  was happy to have served up the Italian Dinner to Dee Monson and her family to celebrate the return of their daughter Lacey from Indonesia.  Lesslie schlepped a whole bunch of stuff over to the Monson home and had some help from Bill Baker.  Lesslie and Bill offered this dinner as an auction item at this year's Oktoberfest.

Bob Bell was happy to see 4 former mayors and our new city manager at today's meeting.

Teri Brooksalso received a thank you note from one the marines who attended her home for Thanksgiving.  He praised the food and the conversation with son Foster, who had served in the Army.

Joe Brand thanked Lesslie Giacobbi for complimenting his wife Pam on her clothes and youthful appearance at last night's dinner. 

Speaker:  City Manager Lori Sassoon

Lori began her duties as Villa Park City Manager on June 1st 2009.  Her previous jobs in city government were in San Bernadino, Glendale and Walnut.  She loves working in local city government and enjoys the diversity of the job.

Villa Park Factoids:

** incorporated 1962- population 6,276- 2023 homes- 2.1 square miles- median age 43.6 yrs

**The city is under California General Law and has a council- manager form of government, where the elected members of the city council hires a city manager. The system was designed to provide checks and balances and prevent cronyism.  The city manager hires the city staff.

Villa Park currently employs 5 full time employees.

** Annual Budget is $4.6 million; city employee salaries = 12 % of budget( $395,638 salaries and

$163,997 in employee benefits).  The city is fiscally sound and maintains a reserve of $1.7 million.

** Capital Projects Federal Year 2009/10

   - Cannon wall rebuilt

   - Santiago/ Lemon repaving

   -  Town Centre entrance reconstruction

   - Pavement Rehab- various streets 

   -  Sewer rehabilitation - year 5 of 7 year plan

   -  Safe routes to schools plan

   -  Taft medians and landscaping- west of Cannon

   -  Lemon St- recreational trail, median and landscaping

other current projects:

   - VP TV restructuring-  the city government will take management responsibility, but continue involvement with volunteers and high school students

         - Ms. Sassoon noted there have been technical concerns, and needed camera equipment

             upgrades

         - Discussion ensued:

             Key points:

              The VP TV corporation will be dissolved and the assets will come to the city

               Bill MacElony- Mayor- announced that meetings are now streaming on the City's

                            website ---VillaPark.Org- since Dec 15th City Council Meeting

                            He requested we watch the meeting and provide feedback.

                Why dissolve the Cable TV Corporation??  John Broussard asked

                       Bill MacElony responded.

                     - the city appoints the board of directors and deterioration of the service has

                          been noted- the city feels it needs new board members who can assess

                          the equipment upgrade needs and address some of the technical problems

                          that have been noted.

                       - the reality is very few people actually get the cable channel and membership

                           continues to decline; streaming video on the website will increase potential

                           viewership.

                      Volunteers and High School student involvement will continue, however

                         the overall running of the cable station will be done by outside consultants.

                         The last meeting showed that the students and the new consultants have a

                          good positive working relationship.

Lori's last point was that crime in Villa Park continues to be low.  She warned against keeping valuables, i.e. laptop computers or other expensive equipment in your car.

Lori will come back and update the club from time to time.

                   Jim Brodsy confers with City Manager Lori Sassoon