We basked in glorious sunshine as we assembled for Meeting 2,756 of Rotary Club of Burlingame. Short-timer President Stan called the meeting to order on this Flag Day, 2017.
President Stan invited Joe Galligan to lead the Pledge of Allegiance. President Stan read an invocation that’s a keeper. From Mother Theresa: People are often unreasonable and self-centered. Forgive them anyway. If you are kind, people may accuse you of ulterior motives. Be kind anyway. If you are honest, people may cheat you. Be honest anyway. If you find happiness, people may be jealous. Be happy anyway. The good you do today may be forgotten tomorrow. Do good anyway. Give the world the best you have and it may never be enough. Give your best anyway. For, you see, in the end it is between you and your own conscience. It was never between you and them anyway.
Guests and Visiting Rotarians
No visiting Rotarians today. Guest of Lisa Goldman was our speaker for the day Mark Simon, Chief of Staff, San Mateo County Transit District. Doug Person was with us for another visit; he will be applying for membership. Yes! Doug is the Donor Relations Director for The Salvation Army, Golden State Division. Basically he raises funds for Salvation Army Operations. We can expect interesting anecdotes from Doug.
Rotary Fun
Funmeister Fritz fascinated telling of Flag Day having been established during the Second Continental Congress. There were 13 stars on the flag, representing what? Yes, the first thirteen colonies.
Somehow talk turned to the Beetles; it’s a Baby Boomer Thing. Mary Murphy, of the British persuasion, shared that early the last century, she had seen the Beetles live in London. On another occasion she was in a shop when Yoko Ono appeared. For these 18 degrees of separation, Mary was awarded a really cool yellow submarine lunch bucket! There were War Babies before Baby Boomers, lest you forget.! That wild and crazy
Annoucements
Cheryl Fama delivered a topical and timely newscast. Too precious to keep to ourselves, so the Powerpoint is attached hereto probably, maybe, most likely, will try. Mary will fix it. Great presentation, Cheryl. Our dear friend and Rotarian Jay Plank passed away peacefully on May 16 at the age of 96. He is remembered as a kind, caring, generous man who contributed quietly to many causes and helped many people, Jay’s memorial service will be held Tuesday, June 27, 2:00 P.M., First Presbyterian Church of Burlingame, 1500 Easton Drive at El Camino. For a nice history of Jay’s life, see http:///www.legacy.com/obituaries/sfgate/obituary.aspx?n=william-jay-plank&pid=185656471.
Program
City Manager Lisa Goldman introduced our speaker, Mark Simon, Chief of Staff at San Mateo County Transit District, advising Director Jim Hartnett. Mark is a fourth-generation San Franciscan with a degree in Journalism from San Jose State University. Mark is a popular television personality who appears on television and radio regularly and, utilizing his journalism training, has been a reporter in his past with an emphasis on political reporting. As such, we were looking forward to his sharing his thoughts on the situation in which we find ourselves.
The San Mateo County Transit District is the administrative body for the principal public transit and transportation programs in San Mateo County. SamTrans bus service, including Redi-Wheels paratransit service, Caltrain commuter rail and the San Mateo County Transportation Authority. Caltrain and the TA have contracted with the District to serve as their managing agency, under the direction of their boards of directors. The citizens and the Transit District are dealing with economic dislocators: coal mining is not coming back; manufacturing at anywhere near previous levels is not coming back. Fastest-growing demographic is seniors. Companies are growing in place. Facebook plans to hire 5,000 new employees and wants all hands on deck in Menlo Park. They are a concept company–don’t manufacture anything. They need all their employees to think up ideas, share ideas, with easy access to each other at all times.
Genentech is looking to fill 6,000 new jobs. Again, they want employees to think together, work together, create together; manufacturing can be done elsewhere. South City is “The Industrial City” no more.
The expectation is that the Transit District will keep folks moving. The traditional route to work in San Francisco is over; half are now traveling to the City from the mid-Peninsula and the balance traveling south to Silicon Valley. This presents the challenge of creating a new transit infrastructure. Shocking: millennials don’t care about having drivers’ licenses or cars. The teenage lust we had at 15.5 for that driver’s license is no more. There is a crisis of expectations. We have never had companies that grow in place. We never had kids not wanting to drive. Everyone, especially seniors, wants convenient public transportation – NOW!
SAMTRANS is tasked with serving a population that doesn’t want to drive. We will look to partner with driverless vehicles. The public also resists the cost to support enhanced services and modifications to existing infrastructure.
CALTRAIN express trains came on line in 2004, ridership doubled in 2005, and has increased another 185% since. There is no tax base for CalTrain. BART debt service is $20 million paid by VTA(Valley Transit Authority), SAMTRANS, San Francisco. Auxiliary lanes being designed.We had to ask? What does Mark think of the goings on in Washington? Nancy Pelosi and Paul Ryan are not a matched pair. What about Governor’s race? Gavin Newsom is committed, high profile; but high profile candidates often become early targets, bloom too soon. John Chung a possible. Immigrants, especially Asian, want a voice and have the numbers. The City of Millbrae is 67% Chinese or Chinese descent. Thanks for the update, Mark. We hope to see you back soon and regularly. A book to our Burlingame Children’s Library is being donated in your name.
.jpeg)
.JPG)
June 21 Linda Shively, Happiness Expert
