Events

Martin will share his presidential goals and more about Rotary International 2019 - 2020 new theme "Rotary Connects the World" 

Rotary vision: Together we see a world where people unite and take action to create lasting change - across the globe, in our communities, and in ourselves. 

Criminalist Cordelia Willis has been a forensic scientist in the Bay Area for over 20 years.  She has undergraduate degrees in music theatre and math from Nebraska Wesleyan University and a master’s degree in math and statistics from Northern Arizona University.  After teaching for a few years, she received a second master's degree in forensic science from George Washington University.  She completed internships with the Tucson Police Department Crime Lab and the NCIS Cold Case Squad and has worked as a Criminalist at the Santa Clara County Crime Lab for the last 20 years.  She is a crime scene investigator as well as an expert in such diverse areas as bloodstain pattern analysis, shoeprint comparisons, and cell phone data recovery.  She also does public outreach for the crime lab, and in her spare times performs in community theatre productions. 

 

Forensic Genealogy:  A New Way to Solve Crimes

Thanks to CSI, many people are familiar with the concept that DNA from crime scene evidence can be searched in databases in order to solve crimes.  But what if the perpetrator isn’t in the database?  Until now, the only solution has been to wait.  Recently, forensic science has teamed up with genealogists to track down killers who have, until now, evaded identification.  This talk, by Criminalist Cordelia Willis, will explain the evolution of biological crime solving, from DNA testing to the new genealogy-based searching methods, so you can understand how criminals like the Golden State Killer can finally be caught.

 

DARK due to Holiday

 Los Gatos Rotary Club Lunch Meeting will be held at the Troop 2 Scout Hut (Eagle Lodge) behind Los Gatos High School, adjacent to the high school track (3 New York Avenue).  

The Scouts will be serving a BBQ lunch, and after our business meeting they will provide a speaker.  We will be selling raffle tickets to benefit Troop 2 at the door.  

Originally chartered in 1918, Troop 2 is the oldest troop in Santa Clara County.  They have been sponsored since 1924 by the Rotary Club of Los Gatos.  The Scout Hut was originally located off Wood Road, and was moved to San Jose Water Works land behind Los Gatos High School when its previous location was developed as Los Gatos Meadows.  The building has been enlarged several times with volunteer Rotarian labor."

Rotaplast International, Inc. is committed to helping children and families worldwide by eliminating the burden of cleft lip and/or palate, burn scarring, and other deformities. Working with local professionals, Rotarians, and other organizations, Rotaplast sends multidisciplinary medical teams to provide free reconstructive surgery, ancillary treatment, and training for the comprehensive care of these children. Rotaplast supports education and research towards prevention of cleft lip and/or palate. Our aim is to help local professionals build sustainable models for the care of these children, improving their lives and those of their families.

Cindy Chavez is an American politician who serves as a Santa Clara County supervisor representing close to 400,000 residents in Downtown, East, and South San Jose. She is also the Vice President of the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors. Her public service career began in the 1990s as a policy analyst for health care, public health, human services and transportation for the Board of Supervisors. She served two terms on the San Jose City Council, where she was also Vice Mayor, and also served on the board leadership of public agencies such as the San Jose Redevelopment Agency, and executive director of Working Partnerships USA and the South Bay AFL-CIO Labor Council. She is a graduate of San Jose State University, is married and has a son in high school.

Every Quarter our club provides a meal for VA Fisher House residents. The Fisher House provides housing to military families while their family member is being treated at the Palo Alto VA Hospital.

Time:
Arrive 4:30pm if you are cooking or warming something on location.
5:30pm if you are bringing something that is already warm or doesn't need warming

Location: 
3801 Miranda Ave, Palo Alto NOTE: When you arrive at the VA main entrance, take a right at the flag pole and your next right into the Fisher House parking lot. There are two houses. We will be in Fisher House I - the second house on the lot.

What to bring: Follow this link to the google doc to sign up to bring a meal item.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1cnmYtTFuWyNWoWP1azEJa1DMCwqp_mxVGeFDQdjsqkg/edit#gid=0

Alternatively, email Lisa at lncheskin@gmail.com.

“Back to School” West Valley Community Services Program needs  volunteer “chaperones” to help low income children get their school wardrobe ready.  

This annual event will be held August 3 at the Westgate Mall - Old Navy Store from 6:30 AM - 8:30 AM.  

Approximately 180 children of all school ages will be able to use $100 gift certificates to pick out new clothes. Chaperones will escort each child through the store and help with choices  and check-out.  

Los Gatos Rotary has regularly provided volunteer chaperones.  If you are interested, you must register  by
July 12, 2019:  https://www.wvcommunityservices.org/b2s

If have questions, please  contact Suzanne Boxer-Gassman or Trisha Movilla, Senior Client Services associate, at trishyam@wvcommunityservices.org.

Chris Garcia joined the Computer History Museum in 1999. As Curator, Chris provides information on artifacts, develops content for exhibits, assists in donation review, gives talks, tours and writes articles for CORE—the official publication of the Museum. He specializes in the history video games, personal computing, computer music and art, and computers and technology in literature. In his spare time, Chris is a fan of science fiction and edits a number of fanzines, including The Drink Tank (Hugo Award winner, 2011).

Andrew Gunther PhD
AN ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENTIST... WHO SPEAKS YOUR LANGUAGE
English is my native tongue, but I speak science. I picked it up over 35 years working in my field.
Being fluent in both languages allows me to guide, inspire and advise people who believe there’s a lot at stake for this planet and everyone on it.
We’ve known about the physics driving climate change since the 19th century. It’s time to have a conversation about what a 21st century response looks like.

Rotarians and potential members will enjoy a beautiful night talking, eating, drinking, riding the train & carousel at Oak Meadow Park in Los Gatos.

For years Rotary has invested in this very park from installing cement tables, to helping laying foundation of railroad, to designing and building the outdoor BBQ, revitalizing the carousel, to even buying a laptop for a homeless person that called this park home. Rotarians take pride investing in their local community so events like this have even more meaning.

Caroline Cocciardi  writer and filmmaker began an independent study on Leonardo da Vinci, while living in Rome. Her 20 year research lead to a da Vinci discovery. 

Overlooked for centuries yet visible to the naked eye Cocciardi detected that the minute interlocking embroidered knot pattern on Mona Lisa’s dress deviated from the decorative embroidery of the day.  The Mona Lisa Knot was a mathematical pattern based on its angular crossing patterns.

In the process of looking in Leonardo’s codices for his preliminary sketches of The Mona Lisa Knot, she discovered he had dedicated a lifetime to his knot art works. Her newly released art book, “Leonardo’s Knots” will introduce you to a facet of the Renaissance painter that was overlooked for centuries yet was present in his artworks: his passion for intertwining knots. She has lectured for many institutions and museums about Leonardo da Vinci’s knot art.

In 2009, Cocciardi’s documentary, “Mona Lisa Revealed” was featured at the Carmel Film Festival documenting engineer Pascal Cotte, inventor of the multi-spectral camera that uncovered five centuries of secrets within Leonardo’s iconic Mona Lisa. Cocciardi represented Cotte’s Mona Lisa photographs in a worldwide Leonardo exhibition. 

Although the field of genetic counseling has been around for over 30 years, many people are unfamiliar with the role of genetic counselors in medicine. Genetic counselors are health professionals with specialized graduate degrees and experience in the areas of medical genetics and counseling. We work as members of a health care team, providing support and information about genetic conditions. 

Genetic counselors identify families at risk for birth defects or genetic disease, investigate the problem present in the family, interpret information about the disorder, analyze inheritance patterns and risks of recurrence, and review available options with the family. Genetic counselors also provide supportive counseling to families, serve as patient advocates and refer individuals and families to community or state support services.

Prior to coming to Kaiser Permanente, I completed my Bachelor of Science in Biology at Mesa State College of Colorado and my Master of Science in Genetic Counseling at the University of Wisconsin,  Madison.  In both Colorado and Wisconsin, I volunteered for various organizations including a local domestic violence shelter and a rape crisis line.

Within the Kaiser Permanente Genetics Department, I see patients for a variety of adult and pediatric genetic concerns; however, my primary specialties include prenatal genetics, cardiovascular genetics, and Huntington's disease predictive testing.  As a genetic counselor, my goal is to help my patients understand complex genetic information and provide support in decision-making. 

Paul Johnson, was named superintendent of Los Gatos Union School District in May 2018.  He was previously superintendent of the Mill Valley School District in Marin County for seven years. He was also superintendent of the Loomis School District near Sacramento.  He started his education career in 1987 as a teacher in Riverside and also worked as an assistant principal, principal and assistant superintendent.   He and his wife Debbie made the move to the Bay area.  

In 1973, I settled in Los Gatos with my husband, Ira, and quickly became involved in community issues. I was a member of the Los Gatos Planning Commission between 1980 and 1988, often serving as either Chair or Vice-Chair. During my tenure, the Commission developed new zoning ordinances, the Hillside Plan, the Downtown Specific Plan, and a revised General Plan to protect our hillsides, historic homes, neighborhoods and local businesses.

I am a native of Northern California and grew up on a farm in Stockton where I went to the same one-room school house that my father had attended. I moved to the Bay Area and obtained the following degrees and credentials:
 B.A., English, University of California at Berkeley 1966
 Secondary and Community College Teaching Credentials, San Jose State University 1968 &
1974
 M.A., Political Science, San Jose State University 1974
 J.D., magna cum laude, University of Santa Clara School of Law 1978
 Harvard Law School, Mediator Certification 1994
 Harvard Law School, Negotiation Certification 1995

Formerly a high school English teacher, I have been an attorney since 1978. I serve as Special Counsel to the law firm of Hoge, Fenton, Jones & Appel where, in addition to my civil litigation and mediation practice, I am regularly appointed by state and federal courts to resolve disputes without trial as a judge pro tem, a special master, a judicial arbitrator and a mediator. For three years, I have been selected by my Northern California colleagues as a "Super Lawyer," and, in 2003, my volunteer services to the legal profession and the community earned me the Bar Association's highest honor, the Bryl Salsman Award.

In 2007/08 and in 2012/13, I served as Mayor of Los Gatos and during my tenure on our town council, I have represented Los Gatos on regional bodies including the Association of Bay Area Government (ABAG) General Assembly, the Guadalupe West Valley Water Shed Advisory Committee, the Santa Clara Valley Water District Commission, the Housing and Community Development Advisory Committee, and the Santa Clara County Cities Association City Selection Committee.

Additionally, I have served on the Town Council’s Policy, General Plan, Finance, Conceptual Development and North 40 Advisory committees, and Highway 9 projects.
All that I do for our Town is a product of the passion I have always had for our community as reflected in the following Sunset magazine passage written in 1915:

"To see Los Gatos is to love the town. To enjoy the privilege of a few days' or weeks' stay within the gates of that beautiful city of 3,500 souls is to wish to come again. And to become a permanent resident there is to lie in paradise, if such there be on this earth.”