Meeting called to order by President Doug Brent at 12:30pm.
 
 
Judy Rodriguez led the pledge of allegiance.

 
Suzanne Boxer-Gassman gave our inspirational message:
If You’re Afraid of the Dark, Remember the Night Rainbow, by Cooper Edens
"If you have butterflies in your stomach...ask them into your heart”.
“If you lose your key, throw away your house”.
The book offers unconventional solutions to life’s problems. It reveals unexpected silver linings in the words and pictures of fear, doubt, joy, and loss; and proves it’s possible to face obstacles with a positive attitude and a little help from the power of imagination. There’s always a way.
 

Visitors:

  • Naz Tooyserkani, visiting from Saratoga Rotary
  • Nathan Pendleton, founder of Nox Cookie Bar; now looking for what’s next, guest of David Wells
  • Will Whitney, Billy Jones Wildcat Railroad GM and board member Sharon Childs, guests of Lissa Kreisler
  • Mary Beth and Dennis Welzenbach, Mom and Dad of Nicholas Welzenbach
 

Decorated eggs St. Lukes Pantry:

it’s almost Halloween

 

Announcements:

First Tuesday, October 1st; thank you Henry and Mary Jane Vitkovich.
 
 

Rotary Foundation update by Dan Snyder:

  • Donor will match 0.50 cents for every one dollar over last year’s total of $47,498.

  • If this year’s total reaches $100,000, an additional $25,000 will be contributed by our Anonymous Donor.

  • sign-up sheets are circulating; please support a great cause.
 
Jean-Marc Blanchard gave us an update on the Rotary 24 Fall Fundraiser Movie:
  • November 9th, around 5:00pm at the Cinelux Campbell theater on Winchester. Holiday theme movie.
  • Jeff Blum is still looking for 2 volunteers on October 21 and 2 volunteers on October 28 for Hunger at Home.
  • Patti van der Burg is looking for sponsors for the CRABFEST.
  • Andrea Lee spoke about RotaCare San Jose Free Medical Clinic which offers appointments free of charge for all community members over 18, who are uninsured and have limited finances.
  • Doug Brent reminded us of the President’s brunch, Cinnabar Hills Golf Club, December 1st.
 
Our Rotary Family Picture: Lydia Norcia and her family stopping at the NASA Space Center while on a cruise.
 

30 For 30:

Randy Cobb—as a volunteer for Los Gatos Schools, Randy is endorsing a measure on the ballot to upgrade facilities and improve safety. He enticed Tina Orsi-Hartigan and Tom Boyce to join him because their pictures are on the measure brochure with their support.
Dan Synder--$50.00
Greg Butterfield—In support of the Billy Jones Wildcat Railroad visitors
 

Guest Speaker: Ken Middlebrook, Historian

Ken Middlebrook is the Curator of Collections at History San Jose, a museum that manages one of the largest collections of regional artifacts in California. Ken is also the Locomotive Engineer for the Billy Jones Wildcat Railroad in Los Gatos Oak Meadow Park.
 
Billy Jones was born in Ben Lomond and began his railroad career with the South Pacific Coast Railroad at age 13. He would eventually work for the Southern Pacific Railroad running locomotives from San Francisco to San Luis Obispo. 
 
While in San Francisco in 1939, he discovered a narrow- gauge steam locomotive designed to run on the Venice Miniature Railway in Venice Beach, that was intended to be shipped for scrap metal…he bought it for $100.00.
 
Billy and his railroad buddies constructed it on his 10-acre ranch on the corner of Daves and Winchester, where he operated his “Wildcat Railroad”. The railroad attracted people from all over, including Walt Disney, who visited Billy at his ranch. The two became friends and Billy Jones was invited to be the engineer behind Disney’s narrow- gauge locomotive on the opening weekend at Disneyland in 1955.
 
Billy Jones died in 1968 and his “Wildcat Railroad” was purchased by local residents to relocate and operate it at Oak Meadow Park in Los Gatos. The railroad opened for operation in 1970. In 1972, an extension was built following complaints that the ride was too short.
 
All proceeds and donations go to preserving and maintaining the railroad. 
 
And who is the engineer of the “Wildcat Railroad”? Ken Middlebrook, of course! Thank you, Ken, for bringing us along for the “ride” through history.