MEETING RECAP
Wild Game Dinner Upgraded
Saturday, April 30, 2022
By: Gregory J. RediskeThe Wild Game Dinner: Upgraded
THE LAKEWOOD KEY for April 29, 2022
It was November 13, 1970, and Lakewood Rotarians (all men then) decided to volunteer their fish catch, shot ducks and deer, and whatever they happened to run over to serve up a “Wild Game Dinner”. The only thing wilder than the game was the group of men being….well, wild. Booze does that sometimes. That first event raised a negative $270, as it was intended as a social event. Subsequent years raised money because they figured they should. It became the Sportsman’s Dinner in 1995 with the admission of women (and some class), subsequently becoming the Sportsman’s Dinner and Auction, and now, The Lakewood Rotary Auction.
Above: The fundraiser through the years.
As you can see from the graph, it has seen a dramatic increase in dollar production. The question before us all right now is: will this continue?!? To paraphrase Smokey the Bear, “Only YOU can make it happen!”
Above: Smokey wants you to procure!
But more on this urgent need later. With 60 people in the house or online, President Jim rose with the conviction of a man in charge, our fearless leader, and declared the meeting open at 12:28 p.m. on Friday, April 29, 2022, aka Pot Roast Day at Lakewood Rotary. He so proclaimed the meeting open early to make up for his being two minutes late last week, which puts him back to even for the year for those keeping track. Thanks went out to:
One visiting Rotarian from Clover Park, Scott Adams, and one guest, former (and hopefully future) member Jon Calder (retiring in two weeks!). Eric Warn was called upon for a Wellness Report, which was all good, but we nearly had an injury when uber-competitive Greg Horn tried to beat Mary Marlin to Eric with the mic and threw it wildly into the rapidly dispersing crowd. No serious injuries were reported to have occurred.
Announcements:
--Steve Enquist presented a check for $1000 from Community Concerns to Scott Adams of West Pierce Cares. Scott thanked us for the money and also for previous support for the AED defibrillator program (one is at Ft. Steilacoom Park now).
--Bill Potter asked for Rotarian workers to help with the project at the South Sound Wildlife Refuge on Phillips Road on Saturday, May 7. This is a great time to involve your children and grandchildren in community service!
THE AUCTION:
--Anne Enquist and Eric Quinn rallied the crowd to support the aforementioned Lakewood Rotary Auction on May 21, online only. They said PLEASE….
1. Procure!! Deadline is May 7. One week away. Checks welcome
2. Sponsor! $500 to $5000. $5000 gets you naming rights. A bargain, considering what T-Mobile paid for the Mariners’ ballpark ($87.5 million).
3. Hold an Auction Party! Ideally, this would begin with the Sip and See event. We MUST get non-Rotarians involved in the auction bidding and the Sip and See fun. Eric will be the MC for Sip and See, which costs a mere $50/person for wine and a charcuterie plate. Deadline for sign up on Sip and See is May 14. Sign up for this, and auction registration, at www.lakewoodrotary.com, “Get Involved” (at the top of the screen)
Above: Mary Marlin modeling the Diamond Designs gems
Photo: By Walt Richardson
Meanwhile, Mary Marlin was modeling a $1600 bracelet while Connie Coleman-Lacadie modeled a fancy scarf made by Rachel Mazoff (it’s a really fancy scarf….maybe they called it an ascot, like the subject guy wore in “You’re So Vain”? Good reporting is hard to find).
Remember what Smokey the Bear said, “No ones goes there anymore, it’s too crowded”. Oh wait, that was Yogi Berra. Smokey said, sort of, “Only YOU can make it happen!” We are here to serve the community, and that is done by our financial support. Please help. We take checks, cash, money orders, credit cards, bitcoin…..Just help.
--Speaking of credit cards, John Lowney took us on the long, lonely road of our online credit card woes. But fear not! John has persevered, and the system is now active. Give money to Lakewood Rotary to your heart’s content. Go to lakewoodrotary.com, “Make a Payment”.
--Steve Saalfeld announced that 828 Consulting is looking for volunteers to help Clover Park school students with career counseling (using your field of endeavor). Also, he is riding The Courage, and needs our financial support. And here is the link if you want to support Steve’s ride: https://support.multicare.org/site/TR/Courage/General?px=1153134&pg=personal&fr_id=1290
(Hopefullly, that will work.)
--Barb Spriggs is offering a Poker Run for the Auction, on American Lake on August 13. $50 buy-in with a new kayak as first prize, a life vest for second, and a $50 gift card for third.
Generous Giving:
Joe Quinn won ANOTHER gold medal, and he showed it off hanging over his singlet (“put the jacket back on!” was the cry….) $50
Above: Eric Quinn: “You are so embarrassing.”
Jim Weinand bought a new car, perhaps in honor of his upcoming 45th wedding anniversary. Or maybe because it is now after April 15. He gave a bunch, but unknown to the writer.
David Swindale was only standing to go work on the speaker’s Powerpoint, but he was instead forced into a fine, so he came up with a camping trip near Pt. Townsend, $20. The lesson: be careful when you stand up.
Program:
Former mayor Don Anderson introduced our own Lakewood Rotarian, Police Chief Mike Zaro. (Did you know that Mike was terribly disappointed to not be at the end of our roster, as he normally is for such lists? Yes, Bob Zawilski beat him by one “w”). Mike is a graduate of WSU, where like most Cougars he developed some expertise on the mixing of hops and barley. He joined the Pierce County Sheriffs in 1994, moving to Lakewood with Larry Saunders in 2004. He went from detective to Sgt to Police Chief (2015). He has attended the FBI academy as well as receiving his Master of Administrative Leadership. He has two daughters, the last of whom is graduating from WSU shortly, prompting a $100 self-imposed fine in honor of no more tuition payments. Mike noted that crime in Lakewood has been on a more-or-less steep and steady decline since becoming a city but has increased during the pandemic. Part of this has to do with the new restrictions on police procedure imposed by the State Legislature. Some of the overreach (mostly mental health procedures) was fixed in this last session, but much more needs to be accomplished. Property crimes have been the driver (as usual) for the increases in the last couple of years, though last quarter showed a significant drop. Vehicle theft has been way up as well, with Ford trucks joining the perennial favorite, Honda sedans. He said the property crime and car theft increases are seen statewide. After the legislative changes, a flood of retirements and resignations occurred, 20 in all between June and December of 2021, out of a total force of 90. It takes about a year to get a new hire trained and ready for work, but they have a great new class coming on board. The new recruits have energized the department in many ways. Despite the recent crime increases, Mike said that Lakewood remains “a safe community.” In the question period he noted that being homeless is not a crime. There are some restrictions on public camping, but private property camping becomes a police matter only when the property owner complains. Our homeless problem is dwarfed by Parkland and Tacoma in this area. The law changes, including the high threshold for “probable cause”, came about because legislators didn’t consult with law enforcement before enacting these laws. They are listening more now. The pursuit restrictions are the biggest source of frustration for his officers. After the presentation, he noted that they are in the middle of a 90-day test of body cameras (they have about 15 being tested now, so far so good. They have cameras on all the cars as well). Great presentation!
Above: Chief Mike Zaro
Drawing: Hank Kerns had #7315, which sadly returned a mere $5 with the white chip selection.
From the Ole Archives, with slight changes:
What is a party game played by two Swedes? One Swede goes into a box and the other tries to guess which Swede it is.
And: What does it say on the bottom of a Swedish beer bottle? Open at other end.
Upcoming LR events:
5/13-14 District Conference in beautiful and historic Victoria, B.C.
5/21 Lakewood Rotary Auction (Get Busy and Procure!)
6/25 Rotary Installation Banquet
8/20-21 The Courage
9/11-13 Reeder Rotary Roadster Romp to Sun Mountain
12/16 Tom and Jerry Party and President’s Roast
As you can see from the graph, it has seen a dramatic increase in dollar production. The question before us all right now is: will this continue?!? To paraphrase Smokey the Bear, “Only YOU can make it happen!”
Above: Smokey wants you to procure!
But more on this urgent need later. With 60 people in the house or online, President Jim rose with the conviction of a man in charge, our fearless leader, and declared the meeting open at 12:28 p.m. on Friday, April 29, 2022, aka Pot Roast Day at Lakewood Rotary. He so proclaimed the meeting open early to make up for his being two minutes late last week, which puts him back to even for the year for those keeping track. Thanks went out to:
- Auction workers and pantry food takers: Rose Stevens, Connie Coleman-Lacadie and Veronica Bronkema
- Paul Harris table: Jim Weinand
- Sgt At Arms and ticket seller: Barlow Buescher (with assistance from Greg Horn and Mary Marlin on the microphones)
- Photographer: Walt Richardson
- Puffins: James Osundwa, Connie Coleman-Lacadie, Veronica Bronkema, Hank Kerns, Dwight Williams
- Set up: Rob Erb, David Swindale, Terry Roarke, James Osundwa, Mary Marlin, Greg Horn
- Invocation: Bob Peterson and The Pledge: Mark Blanchard
One visiting Rotarian from Clover Park, Scott Adams, and one guest, former (and hopefully future) member Jon Calder (retiring in two weeks!). Eric Warn was called upon for a Wellness Report, which was all good, but we nearly had an injury when uber-competitive Greg Horn tried to beat Mary Marlin to Eric with the mic and threw it wildly into the rapidly dispersing crowd. No serious injuries were reported to have occurred.
Announcements:
--Steve Enquist presented a check for $1000 from Community Concerns to Scott Adams of West Pierce Cares. Scott thanked us for the money and also for previous support for the AED defibrillator program (one is at Ft. Steilacoom Park now).
--Bill Potter asked for Rotarian workers to help with the project at the South Sound Wildlife Refuge on Phillips Road on Saturday, May 7. This is a great time to involve your children and grandchildren in community service!
THE AUCTION:
--Anne Enquist and Eric Quinn rallied the crowd to support the aforementioned Lakewood Rotary Auction on May 21, online only. They said PLEASE….
1. Procure!! Deadline is May 7. One week away. Checks welcome
2. Sponsor! $500 to $5000. $5000 gets you naming rights. A bargain, considering what T-Mobile paid for the Mariners’ ballpark ($87.5 million).
3. Hold an Auction Party! Ideally, this would begin with the Sip and See event. We MUST get non-Rotarians involved in the auction bidding and the Sip and See fun. Eric will be the MC for Sip and See, which costs a mere $50/person for wine and a charcuterie plate. Deadline for sign up on Sip and See is May 14. Sign up for this, and auction registration, at www.lakewoodrotary.com, “Get Involved” (at the top of the screen)
Above: Mary Marlin modeling the Diamond Designs gems
Photo: By Walt Richardson
Meanwhile, Mary Marlin was modeling a $1600 bracelet while Connie Coleman-Lacadie modeled a fancy scarf made by Rachel Mazoff (it’s a really fancy scarf….maybe they called it an ascot, like the subject guy wore in “You’re So Vain”? Good reporting is hard to find).
Remember what Smokey the Bear said, “No ones goes there anymore, it’s too crowded”. Oh wait, that was Yogi Berra. Smokey said, sort of, “Only YOU can make it happen!” We are here to serve the community, and that is done by our financial support. Please help. We take checks, cash, money orders, credit cards, bitcoin…..Just help.
--Speaking of credit cards, John Lowney took us on the long, lonely road of our online credit card woes. But fear not! John has persevered, and the system is now active. Give money to Lakewood Rotary to your heart’s content. Go to lakewoodrotary.com, “Make a Payment”.
--Steve Saalfeld announced that 828 Consulting is looking for volunteers to help Clover Park school students with career counseling (using your field of endeavor). Also, he is riding The Courage, and needs our financial support. And here is the link if you want to support Steve’s ride: https://support.multicare.org/site/TR/Courage/General?px=1153134&pg=personal&fr_id=1290
(Hopefullly, that will work.)
--Barb Spriggs is offering a Poker Run for the Auction, on American Lake on August 13. $50 buy-in with a new kayak as first prize, a life vest for second, and a $50 gift card for third.
Generous Giving:
Joe Quinn won ANOTHER gold medal, and he showed it off hanging over his singlet (“put the jacket back on!” was the cry….) $50
Above: Eric Quinn: “You are so embarrassing.”
Jim Weinand bought a new car, perhaps in honor of his upcoming 45th wedding anniversary. Or maybe because it is now after April 15. He gave a bunch, but unknown to the writer.
David Swindale was only standing to go work on the speaker’s Powerpoint, but he was instead forced into a fine, so he came up with a camping trip near Pt. Townsend, $20. The lesson: be careful when you stand up.
Program:
Former mayor Don Anderson introduced our own Lakewood Rotarian, Police Chief Mike Zaro. (Did you know that Mike was terribly disappointed to not be at the end of our roster, as he normally is for such lists? Yes, Bob Zawilski beat him by one “w”). Mike is a graduate of WSU, where like most Cougars he developed some expertise on the mixing of hops and barley. He joined the Pierce County Sheriffs in 1994, moving to Lakewood with Larry Saunders in 2004. He went from detective to Sgt to Police Chief (2015). He has attended the FBI academy as well as receiving his Master of Administrative Leadership. He has two daughters, the last of whom is graduating from WSU shortly, prompting a $100 self-imposed fine in honor of no more tuition payments. Mike noted that crime in Lakewood has been on a more-or-less steep and steady decline since becoming a city but has increased during the pandemic. Part of this has to do with the new restrictions on police procedure imposed by the State Legislature. Some of the overreach (mostly mental health procedures) was fixed in this last session, but much more needs to be accomplished. Property crimes have been the driver (as usual) for the increases in the last couple of years, though last quarter showed a significant drop. Vehicle theft has been way up as well, with Ford trucks joining the perennial favorite, Honda sedans. He said the property crime and car theft increases are seen statewide. After the legislative changes, a flood of retirements and resignations occurred, 20 in all between June and December of 2021, out of a total force of 90. It takes about a year to get a new hire trained and ready for work, but they have a great new class coming on board. The new recruits have energized the department in many ways. Despite the recent crime increases, Mike said that Lakewood remains “a safe community.” In the question period he noted that being homeless is not a crime. There are some restrictions on public camping, but private property camping becomes a police matter only when the property owner complains. Our homeless problem is dwarfed by Parkland and Tacoma in this area. The law changes, including the high threshold for “probable cause”, came about because legislators didn’t consult with law enforcement before enacting these laws. They are listening more now. The pursuit restrictions are the biggest source of frustration for his officers. After the presentation, he noted that they are in the middle of a 90-day test of body cameras (they have about 15 being tested now, so far so good. They have cameras on all the cars as well). Great presentation!
Above: Chief Mike Zaro
Drawing: Hank Kerns had #7315, which sadly returned a mere $5 with the white chip selection.
From the Ole Archives, with slight changes:
What is a party game played by two Swedes? One Swede goes into a box and the other tries to guess which Swede it is.
And: What does it say on the bottom of a Swedish beer bottle? Open at other end.
Upcoming LR events:
5/13-14 District Conference in beautiful and historic Victoria, B.C.
5/21 Lakewood Rotary Auction (Get Busy and Procure!)
6/25 Rotary Installation Banquet
8/20-21 The Courage
9/11-13 Reeder Rotary Roadster Romp to Sun Mountain
12/16 Tom and Jerry Party and President’s Roast
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