Send Hotline comments to Chuck Joyce at [email protected]............. Page 1 INDEX Branch 8 Website: https://www.sirbr8.com BIG SIR COLUMN Branch 8 is opening , all activities are a “GO”! Get out there, guys! Needless to say, it has been an interesting and challenging time for SIR. Thanks to you that have stayed the course. It will be great to see you soon. We will be checking with the Hilton and as a back-up, Boundary Oak about luncheon restart. Assisting in the restart are Steve Schramm, Dan Smith, Dennis Mierzwa and Dan Cassella. Special thanks to Dennis Mierzwa and Dan Weller for their work on the Covid 19 Waiver and Vaccination Certification data base. Compliance by members has been terrific. Reminder, the BBQ is on August 17. Sign up early to lock in your reservation. Details in the Hotline. If you missed our speaker Guy Bjerke talk on the Concord Naval Weapons Station redevelopment, you can access a link on the front page of the web site for a replay. Our Activity Coordinating Committee of Ken Main, Ray DeWit and Chick Lowry are working closely with the Activity Chairmen to provide help in getting things going. Thanks guys. Get going and get out. Ron Cassano, Big Sir LITTLE SIR SEZ Today, it is exceptionally hot in the East Bay. It’s summer, you say. It’s supposed to be hot. So, I’m happy that we are restarting our indoor activities (with air conditioning) as well as our outdoor activities. Get vaccinated and enjoy the reopening of our SIR activities. For now, we continue to hold our monthly Membership Meetings via Zoom. However, we are actively planning to resume our “in-person” luncheons in the Fall. Either way, we have lined up a stellar group of speakers for our upcoming meetings. On June 14, Guy Bjerke, Director of Economic Development and Base Reuse for the City of Concord shared the latest news regarding the development of the Concord Naval Weapons Station site. Currently, the city is taking bids for the Master Developer of this complex project. The development will include housing, commercial sites, parks, trails, a hybrid college campus, a Con Fire training facility, and more. Guy described these features, and the challenges of moving the project forward on schedule with community support. On July 12, we will shift to another aspect of housing. That is affordable housing in the Bay Area. Kevin Dowling of Habitat for Humanity will speak to us about his organization and its projects in our area. I look forward to seeing you at an upcoming SIR activity, and our next Membership Meeting on July 12, 2021. See you there via Zoom. In the meantime, stay cool! Steve Schramm. Little Sir I went line dancing this weekend. Okay, it was a roadside sobriety test... same thing. “MAKE NEW FRIENDS FOR LIFE” Editor: Chuck Joyce WHAT IS SIR? https://youtu.be/5j5WsiyKp5s 2021 Steve Schramm Little Sir Ron Cassano Bir Sir (SIR Bill Phelon) HOW BILL SEES IT:
Transcript
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Branch 8 Website:
https://www.sirbr8.com
BIG SIR COLUMN
Branch 8 is opening , all activities are a “GO”! Get out there, guys! Needless to say, it has been an interesting and challenging time for SIR. Thanks to you that have stayed the course. It will be great to see you soon. We will be checking with the Hilton and as
a back-up, Boundary Oak about luncheon restart. Assisting in the restart are Steve Schramm, Dan Smith, Dennis Mierzwa and Dan Cassella. Special thanks to Dennis Mierzwa and Dan Weller for their work on the Covid 19 Waiver and Vaccination Certification data base. Compliance by members has been terrific. Reminder, the BBQ is on August 17. Sign up early to lock in your reservation. Details in the Hotline. If you missed our speaker Guy Bjerke talk on the Concord Naval Weapons Station redevelopment, you can access a link on the front page of the web site for a replay. Our Activity Coordinating Committee of Ken Main, Ray DeWit and Chick Lowry are working closely with the Activity Chairmen to provide help in getting things going. Thanks guys. Get going and get out.
Ron Cassano, Big Sir
LITTLE SIR SEZ Today, it is exceptionally hot in the East Bay. It’s summer, you say. It’s supposed to be hot. So, I’m happy that we are restarting our indoor activities (with air conditioning) as well as our outdoor activities. Get vaccinated and enjoy the reopening of our SIR activities.
For now, we continue to hold our monthly
Membership Meetings via Zoom. However, we are actively planning to resume our “in-person” luncheons in the
Fall. Either way, we have lined up a stellar group of speakers for our upcoming meetings.
On June 14, Guy Bjerke, Director of Economic Development and Base Reuse for the City of Concord shared the latest news regarding the development of the Concord Naval Weapons Station site. Currently, the city is taking bids for the Master Developer of this complex project. The development will include housing, commercial sites, parks, trails, a hybrid college campus, a Con Fire training facility, and more. Guy described these features, and the challenges of moving the project forward on schedule with community support.
On July 12, we will shift to another aspect of housing. That is affordable housing in the Bay Area. Kevin Dowling of Habitat for Humanity will speak to us about his organization and its projects in our area.
I look forward to seeing you at an upcoming SIR activity, and our next Membership Meeting on July 12, 2021. See you there via Zoom. In the meantime, stay cool!
Steve Schramm. Little Sir
I went line dancing this weekend. Okay, it was a roadside sobriety test... same thing.
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Activities Calendar 5 Golf 14-15
Activities Coordinating Committee 6 Heads Up Walkers 17
Arts, Crafts & Hobbies ON HOLD 6 Hikers 17 Astronomy ON HOLD 6 Luncheon Restart 3 Ballet & Opera 7 LDL CANCELLED 6 BBQ 6 Member Relations 4 Birders ON HOLD 7 Mixer 13 Bocce Ball ON HOLD 7 Model Trains ON HOLD 15
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MONTHLY MEMBERSHIP MEETING
We are many months into this pandemic, and I have to accept the fact that it will be a while before we are able to gather again for a luncheon. What is paramount is that we all stay safe. Even after we are able to restart luncheons, attendance will probably not be a requirement.
In the meantime, we have been holding our membership
meetings on Zoom. It’s not the same as being at a table and socializing or sharing a meal face-to-face. But it’s what we can do best under these circumstances. We’d like to think we have been offering programs that are of interest. We see this as an opportunity to “bring a guest”; to introduce a potential member to what we do. If you know someone who may have interest in SIR, or would like to hear what is being presented, please invite him.
We would like to know that you are attending. We identify attendees from the login screen name provided to us by
Zoom. Instructions are given at the beginning of each Zoom meeting for how to display your name.
- Dan Smith, Attendance Secretary
LUNCHEON RESTART STATUS
The Branch has enacted a protocol requiring
a liability waiver for communicable diseases and tracking membership COVID 19 vaccinations. The protocol requires the member and any guest be either fully vaccinated or have been tested negative within 72 hours of an event. Membership has been solicited for the liability waiver and vaccination status. The Membership Secretary has imputed the results into the database, including their partners where applicable. His last update was that all but 20 of our 279 members have responded. Luncheons going forward will be RSVP with the previous attendance requirement no longer applicable. We recognize that because attendance will be completely voluntary there is a lot of uncertainty at this point as to how many of our members will attend. Indications are most will, but it is likely a lower percentage of members will attend once it is voluntary than attended when it was mandatory. Once reserved, the member is expected to attend and will be responsible for its payment. Attendance will add Constant Contact emails to the existing email and telephone message contact services to facilitate making a reservation.
Reservations will be verified for vaccination status.
The deadline for making the reservation will be the Wednesday before the luncheon, similar to when cancelling a required attendance. We may have a waitlist to fill openings resulting from cancellations after the deadline. This planning is complete. Payment will be as before, pay at the luncheon. This means that the Treasurer will continue with a process as before. Badges have not been fully resolved. Resolved is we will not need to use the badge box to determine who is missing. Permanent badges will be only to identify ourselves. We will not print temporary badges at the luncheon. Not resolved is that the branch has no one who has agreed to manage this service. We are looking for a volunteer. This brings us to the “meat” of our mission. Steve Schramm’s last contact with Hilton is that they are now starting to plan for this service. My casual contacts with membership have found that there is interest in going elsewhere, such as Boundary Oaks, if food is better and less costly. We could consider buffet service, although we understand that there is more food waste with a buffet. Whatever, we know that we need to reach out to membership with a Constant Contact email survey as to what they want. We will call the committee together after BEC to develop and execute this survey. June 15th when the state opened up has come and gone. As expected, we are not totally back to normal.
- Dan Smith, Chair Luncheon Restart Committee
NEW SIR STORE APPAREL- NEW ITEMS! NEW SHIPPING CHANGES!
ALL SIR orders over $50 ship FREE!Shop
now to take advantage of this offer!
SHOP NOW
@ https://sir.go.customprintcenter.com
SHOW YOU ARE PROUD TO BE A MEMBER OF SIR
BRANCH 8, SPORT A LOGO!Be well ! Public Relations Chair: Tony de Losada
SIR Store Manager: Ron Maciak
NEW ADDRESS, PHONE NUMBER or E- mail
If you change your address, phone
number or E-Mail address, please notify Dennis Mierzwa at (925) 938-5343 or
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PUBLIC RELATIONS &
COMMUNITY OUTREACH
An important decision made by our BEC to follow a State initiated Public Service effort to: To follow SIR State's suggested direction to Contribute to and reflect the community we live in. Branch 8 launches
SIRS in the Garden. We met at The Gardens at Heather Farms a day before the Heat Wave's hottest day trimming the trees and bushes of an overgrown trail at the parking lot, picking up debris left by visitors, and planting new Pumpkin starts for the fall. Hot but much fun and camaraderie! Eight SIR members and a SIR wife, Sandy Linebaugh, Gordon's great conversationalist wife with a cheery personality. We helped with our community's needs while bolstering our SIR Brand 8 at the same time. A win/win for all. We ended with a get-together lunch at the Greenery and enjoyed being together SIR Style, once more! A great entertainment night: The popular Night Jazz Band, that sensational, enjoyable, Jazz Band of 17 versatile musicians is back swinging in unison at Dr. Sandy Hughes and his wife Joan: 125 Ready Rd. Walnut Creek conveniently, held outdoors on their beautiful lawn. The jam session is under the leadership of a good friend of SIR Br8, Rory Snyder. It was held on June 23rd, before this publication, however, It Rocked and was well attended! Look for more messages notifying you of this fantastic, unique entertainment performance for a very few (5) bucks and tips! You will not be disappointed. Bring a chair, a nibble, and a dribble! Book thru me or the members of Publicity-Public Relations! Committee Members: Alan Bailey <[email protected]>, Jamshed Gandi <[email protected]>, Stan Johnson <[email protected]>, Ron Kosich <[email protected]>, Ron Maciak MD-158 <[email protected]>, Howard Meadow <[email protected]>, Tom & Shelia Mohrman <[email protected]>, Phil Scimonelli <[email protected]
MEMBER RELATIONS COMMITTEE
The MRC continues to focus on the responsibility and role of sponsors, as well as communicating with our newest members. To that end,
MRC reached out to our members to ensure they understood the reasons the Branch requested both the Waiver and certification of vaccination. New member orientation during the Covid -19 lock down was done via ZOOM and MRC asked the Orientation Team to include sponsors in the ZOOM Orientation Meetings. The MRC wants to hear from you on all issues concerning the viability of Branch 8. With the prospect of reopening the monthly luncheons, MCR would welcome any comments from members on how to improve the lunch experieence.
SUNSHINE REPORT The Sunshine Committee has sent get-well cards to the following members during the period 5/18/2021 to 6/18/2021 : Dick Brewer, Tom Borman, Stewart Patrick, Judd Rogstad, and Harry Hubinger. No condolences were sent. Sunshine Committee:
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ACTIVITIES COORDINATING COMMITTEE
Ken Main Ray DeWit Chick Lowry
We are all looking forward to getting our activities back and up and running as the State opens up the economy. Many of the activities have either started in June or are planning on re-starting (no plans are needed this time) in July. One of our newest activities, Sirs in the Garden, had its inaugural meeting at Heather Farms on June 16th. Here’s to returning to “normal” and getting back to meeting and greeting face to face.
The 18-hole out-of-town two-day tournament is progressing well, but there were (at this writing) still available spaces, so contact Bill Koski for details.
The 33rd (yes you heard that correctly) annual Don Atwater Invitational 9-hole golf tournament is planned for July 22nd at the Diablo Hills Golf Course; a banquet dinner and awards ceremony will follow the golf tournament at the course.
The annual BBQ is also progressing well and is planned for August 17th at Cowell Park. Check with Dan Crowley for details and sign up for a fun time in the August sun.
Due to a lack of interest, the Genealogy activity has ceased to exist effective in June. Thanks to Dan Smith for attempting to make this work.
A special committee, headed by Ed Benson, is still working with the Rossmoor Sir Branch 81 in an attempt to re-start their monthly luncheons as a Branch 8 activity. Interest within Branch 81 appears to be waning however, as approximately 20 members have shown interest in continuing. The committee will be meeting with the former Big Sir of Branch 81 in June to discuss options.
With the loss of Genealogy, Branch 8 has 59 activities (including 3 events), of which 38 are co-ed (39 if Sirs Giving Back becomes co-ed).
Your ACC members: Ray deWit, Ken Main & Chick Lowry
Tickets are selling fast for our first in person SIR event August 17th at Cowell Park! “Sausages Around the World” for appetizers are followed by Santa Maria Tri-tip for the main course. We will also be serving grilled chicken, beans and salads. Vegetarian will be offered offerings for the first time. Beer, wine and all beverages are included.
Please, send your check for $30 per person to Roger Lamm, 1440 Whitecliff Way, Walnut
Creek, CA 94596. We are also asking for volunteers for various assignments. We
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desperately need five guys with pickup trucks to pick up tables and chairs from the rental company and return them after the event.
Please respond to [email protected] (Don’t forget the “t” in my Email). Specify the name of your wife or guest for name tags. Also, let us know if you request vegetarian fare.
I just talked with the manager of the Walnut Creek Century 14 theater. Summer Bolshoi Ballet is back - even though they are "encore" performances. On Sunday, July 11, they will be screening the beautiful ballet Coppelia and on August 1 it will be The Sleeping Beauty, which got a rare 100% rating from Rotten Tomatoes. You can find quick sketches of both online. Century Pleasant Hill is showing
them as well. Just like pre-pandemic! They will be screened at 3:00pm. And what's more, the summer opera encores are returning to the same theaters, starting with Porgy and Bess on July 14, Bizet's Carmen on July 28, and finally Puccini's Tosca on August 4. The operas show on Wednesdays at 1:00 pm and 6:30pm. It appears that the regular live in HD opera season will be transmitted to these local theaters, starting with Mussorgsky's Boris Gudunov on October 9. Welcome Back!
League play began on Tuesday June 7th. All details for the 2021 schedule will be provided to Team players as soon as the League provides those details. All team members enjoyed the Bocce team play during the season and are looking forward to another.
The SIR Bocce team for Branch 8 has 7 (max 10) players for the 2021 season
The Concord Bocce Federation decided to have a 2021 season. As a result, the courts will be groomed, and we will be able to play on the courts. Our play time is governed by the schedule that the City of Concord has posted at the Newhall courts.
Chairman Bob Barnes and Assistant Martin Hawco organized the competition at Newhall Park BB Courts in Concord.
This weekly activity is on Fridays from 8:30 – 10:30 a.m. in Newhall Park, and usually attracts 10-15 members. Any SIR member is welcome to attend and participate.
Open play will begin Friday, June 25th. We begin play after the Concord Bocce Federation readies the courts for League play. I will be at the Newhall courts around 8:30 am. At that time, we will determine if we start at 8:30 am or 9:00 remain the same.
BOOK GROUP Thirteen of us gathered to discuss White Fragility by Robin DiAngelo. This New York Times bestselling nonfiction book discusses the persistence of racism in the United States and why it is so hard for White people to talk about racism. Published in 2018, White Fragility was a New York Times bestseller, despite mixed reviews. It received considerable
attention in 2020, following the murder of George Floyd. Perspectives on the book and the validity of its message varied considerably. Some participants opined that the book was profound and important, while others were in complete disagreement with the author’s premise, particularly the author’s view on individual racism (as opposed to structural racism). Others commented that the style felt too much like that of a sociology textbook. The range of opinions was reflected in our five-star ranking method. Garnering both multiple one star and multiple five star rankings, White Fragility landed on a 3.4 star average ranking. It is a compliment to the spirit of SIR that what could have been a divisive meeting was conducted at the highest level of civility and mutual respect, with each of us listening carefully to all opinions.
The Book Group meets monthly at 10:30 am on the first Tuesday. All members of Branch 8 are welcome to join us. As Covid-related restrictions on in-person gatherings lift, we may meet in person in July. Please contact our Book Group chairman, Ron Rizzo, to sign up and to learn the location of our July 6 meeting. Ron can be reached at [email protected].
On July 6 we will gather to discuss a novel, Body of Lies, by David Ignatius. Ignatius is an American journalist and the author of 11 novels. This is a story of a CIA agent struggling to combat terrorism in the Middle East.
BOWLING
Bowling League
GOOD NEWS: the bowling league started up again Wednesday, April 7th. There are a few openings in the league. We meet every Wednesday at 10 AM at Clayton Valley Bowl. We have ten four-person teams. Spouses are welcome.
Please contact Dan Weller if you are interested in league and / or tournament bowling.
SIR State-Wide Tournament Schedules, Applications, and Results Are On-Line:
To access the SIR State bowling information, open the state bowling web site at http://www.sirinc3.org/sirBowling/ . You can find tournament schedules, applications and results on the site.
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CAR ENTHUSIASTS
Well... Car enthusiasts, we have restarted and had our first outing in over a year with a visit to the Cobra Experience Car Show in Martinez on June 5th. It was the venue's first effort also and there were many beautiful cars on display. Mostly Ford's and especially Cobras of every year and color. One in particular, a million dollar version, had polished bronze body panels that were spectacular. There were 15 CE members participating. We had to bag the breakfast part of the outing due to logistical problems at the proposed restaurant, but the group had a great time anyway.
Our other planned outing for June was cancelled due to extreme heat, 109 degrees on Friday June 18th, as the museum in Woodland was cook 'in. We will reschedule the outing when the temperature drops back down into senior range. Probably look to go in July sometime. We'll select a new date at our next meeting.
We have maintained the same Day and Time for our monthly meetings, but the location has changed. The new location is our original meeting place in Concord. The remodeled Round Table Clubhouse Pizza establishment at 2690 Treat Blvd. We have returned to where we started the CE Activity.
The next CE meeting will be Tuesday, July 6th, at 1 PM. We will meet at Round Table Clubhouse Pizza, 2960 Treat Blvd. Concord, CA (corner of Treat and Oak Grove). Come a little earl to get your food and drink ordered prior to the meeting. Meetings last about an hour. Come join us and see what Car Enthusiasts is all about.
If interested in joining the Car Enthusiasts Activity, please contact any of the folks listed below.
The June Computers & Technology topic was "Surfing the Net More Safely" presented by Tom Farr from Branch 174. Tom went over how using VPN Services can protect you when surfing the Web. He also discussed managing your passwords, being aware of “phishing”
attacks and also covered malware. Tom also presented a very interesting YouTube video illustrating just how the phone scammers work. It is highly recommended that everyone view it: https://youtu.be/VrKW58MS12g You can also view Tom’s slide show notes again at the CAT web page: https://sirinc2.org/a16cat
As we went to press, there were no further programs scheduled. If you know of someone who might have a subject to discuss, please let us know. One need not be an expert on a subject to be a presenter. They just have to do some research and report their findings to the group. If you have an interest in something “techie” and are willing to volunteer, please email us at: [email protected]
NOTE: To attend our Zoom meetings, you will need to be on the CAT mailing list. A few days before each meeting, a
Zoom web link is sent to the members on our list. If you're not already on our email list, please send an email request to: [email protected]
We normally meet on the first Thursday of the month. The game will start at 9:15 AM at Round Table Pizza, 1938 Oak Park Blvd., Pleasant Hill. Rubber Bridge was cancelled this month because of the
pandemic. Please answer Al Welch's reminder email early so that we can try to fill the tables. Bring your own coffee.
The Duplicate Bridge Group I continues their bridge playing on an on-line site called Trickster. The format consists of an eight team round robin tournament, with each team playing once a week. “Chicago” scoring is used with no credit for honors. The Trickster site offers a video connection and most players are using it. It is proving to be a great way to stay in touch. The group has completed 3 tournaments
since the pandemic has forced play to be online. Tournament four started the week of March 1 If any SIR is interested in learning more about playing bridge on-line or joining in on our tournaments, please contact the chairman below.
Asst Chairman: Dick Long 925 274-1786 Asst Chairman: Jim Regan 925 418-4106
Stan Johnson won the June Cribbage Tournament! The tournament players were: Stan Johnson, Ray De Wit, Dennis Mierzwa, Ron Draper, Dan Weller and Don Atwater. Lots of fun! We need more players. Contact Don Atwater or Ron Draper if you would like to play online. As of right now Round Table has no plans on opening soon.
GOOD NEWS! Pinochle will restart with in-person play Wednesday, June 23! We will begin with a training session for those who haven’t played in a year and a half. Even those who played on-line this past year will need to be reacquainted as the computer did all the counting for us. This Pinochle group is a multi-branch activity open to women. We meet twice
a month at Rocco’s Pizza, 2909 Ygnacio Valley Rd., Walnut Creek (in the Encina Grande shopping center near Whole Foods) to play 3, 4, 5, or 6-handed pinochle. We play starting at 1:00 for two hours on the second and fourth Wednesdays. Lunch starts at 12:00 noon for those that are interested. Beginners are welcome as are partners of members. We provide instruction as requested, and most beginners learn within the first session. Before the pandemic, we were getting
10 to 16 participants. We have plenty of room for new people. Please contact Chairman Stan Johnson if you will be attending so we can get adequate space from Rocco’s. We plan to have our own private room. Of course, everyone must be fully vaccinated and sign the waiver form. Stan Johnson, Chairman, 925-938-7016, [email protected]
POKER
PLAYERS WANTED, COME JOIN US FOR
POKER!
It’s Poker Time! A few of the Poker groups are starting to play. Everyone had a smile under their mask. We do have a few openings. Please contact
Ron Draper or Dan Franklin if you would like to join us. Ron Draper 939-5740 [email protected] Asst. Chair: Dan Franklin 310-4900 [email protected]
DANSIRs
No new report for July. 925 787-7726 [email protected] Ass’t: Russ Anderson 925 783-4630
The assignment for the June 18th meeting’s was a follow up on “The Meng Factor;" the subject being “Photo Editing and Creation.” The difficulty of the assignment was reflected in the limited number who attempted to emulate Meng’s skill at photo editing. Dick Hixson and Bill Espey provided some very good examples of our member’s photo editing talents, with Bill
duplicating Meng’s creations of multiple inserts of the same model in one photo. In July, we are to present photos of “Day-Trips To Picturesque Locations. With our June 15th release from state mandated
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Covid prison, we expect that some of the group will be out taking new photos of picturesque locations, while others will return to their libraries for them. Dave Davis will be providing
us with some picturesque guidance for the assignment Just a reminder that during this "social
distancing" era, the Digital Photo group
continues holding only "virtual" meetings using Zoom.It does appear, however, that we may be allowed to have “in person” meetings as early as August or September. But meanwhile . . . . Regardless of where, meetings are held on the third Friday of the month beginning at 10:00 AM (again, next meeting is the
16th of July). Photo group members will be sent a Zoom link (maybe even the day before the meeting!). Any SIR Branch 8 members interested in digital photography should email the chairman to be placed on our emailing list. Bill Phelon, Chair Dave Davis, Vice Chair [email protected][email protected] 254-8338 (lv msg) 838-1753
Mexican Train Dominos is experimenting with an on-line Mexican Train which allows you to pick the players you want. Currently Bill Peterson, Larry Mersmann, Don Atwater and myself have played games on Friday afternoon starting at 1:00pm. Easy to figure out, but a little different in the rules we played under. MORE TO COME….
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DINE IN #4
Dine-in #4 has been getting together for cocktails every other Friday afternoon
(via Zoom). All the guys seem to enjoy it
because everyone has been there every time. It’s a good way to keep in touch, and we compare notes on where we have been, where we are, and where we’re going. Of course, we look forward to getting together in person.
Mr. Lucky’s restaurant has been a favorite for many years and dining outside next to the brook adds a lot to the ambience. If you are single at dinner time and wish to
join the guys for dinner on the first Tuesday of the month, let Chairman Glenn know and a seat will be saved for you. Separate checks ensure each pay for his own meal.
It is good to know that our membership (Dine Out Single Sirs) is 100% vaccinated for COVID19 and have completed the SIR the waiver. So guys, let’s pay attention to the guidelines the county and the restaurant has in effect at the time we dine. Last month eight of us dined as friends outside at LaVeranda in Clayton thanks to our host Bill Barber.
The Mixers group is alive and well and looking forward to getting back to meeting, having a libation, and discussing the world’s problems (or topics a little less dramatic). We’re planning on our first face-to-face get together at Sauced in Walnut Creek (formally the
Pyramid Alehouse) in July. All are welcome, so watch for subsequent information on the time and date.
SIRS IN THE
KITCHEN
By now you've likely heard Executive Chef Ed has been diagnosed with cancer and is receiving chemo treatment. As this is written, he's had three sessions, and things seem to go well.
Given EC Ed's health, an in-person SitK meeting is not currently scheduled. We are still aiming for something simple in August, provided Ed's health cooperates. So, stay tuned, and we'll let you know in late July or early August.
Remember, Sirs in the Kitchen has 100's of recipes of all types. Get one or a dozen asking EC Ed at his email, [email protected]. Summer is here, so spruce up that weekly menu.
Ed Benson, Executive Chef
FISHING - AREA 16 All SIR members and guests are welcome, and indeed encouraged, to participate in fishing trips as well as attend the monthly meetings. Contacts are Ron Lew 925-550-4166 and Carl Moyer 925-685-5243. Next meeting will be at the Legends restaurant at the Diablo Creek golf course
on Port Chicago Highway and Highway 4 on Thursday, July 22nd, at 8:30am.
Our local trout season has ended. As the water in our local lakes warms, catfish are planted instead of trout, and so we
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must venture into the piney woods for trout now. But, Gordon Linebaugh, Brion Beetz, Phil Scimonelli, and Carl Moyer managed to catch a few from San Pablo Reservoir. Pete Gates organized a venture to Don Pedro lake where he, Phil Scimonelli, Paul Dubow, Gordon Linebaugh, Jack Wadell, and Karl Droesse caught trout, kokanee, and king salmon. Brion
Beetz went to Colorado to catch a Splake trout, part lake, part speckled (brook) trout from shore.
Tom Kostik went to Pinecrest lake and caught many trout and bass. Ben LaSala caught trout from Lake Berryessa and Comanche. Ken Bellinder caught smallmouth bass from Berryessa. Carl Moyer and Brion Beetz captured rockfish on the big water. Bob Stein, Brion, Carl, Gordon Linebaugh, Stan Wong, and Lee Clark got halibut and stripers from the bay on party boats. Stan Wong and Brion Beetz went to Tomales Bay to dig up limits of delicious cherrystone clams. Tom Kostik, Ken Bellinder, Terry Miller, Dick Thomson, caught stripers and sturgeon in the delta. Pedro Contreras flew to Hawaii for some delectable ono (wahoo.)
We will be holding our annual auction in July. Lots of bargains. Bring your unused rods, reels, and gear. Because our activity happens outdoors, we have been able to pursue our passion, observing all the COVID limitations. But we had our last meeting at Legends restaurant in Bay Point, and will be able to resume meeting there in the future.
The 9-hole golf group is in full “swing !! Diablo Hills Golf Course’s fairways and greens are in great shape. The following is a summary of play for the past few rounds:
June 2nd, 2021 16 golfers teed off today starting at 9:00 AM at Diablo Hills Golf Course on a breezy, brisk morning. Today’s contest as set by starter Frank Kilarr was “closest to the pin on the 4th hole”. Russ Anderson (making his inaugural appearance of the year) won the event with a reasonably close shot of 17’ 1”. Ray deWit had the low round with “42”, nudging out Frank Kilarr and Mike Frey who both carded “43”. The group recorded 17 pars and 2 birdies (one each by John Hayes and Ray deWit). June 9th, 2021 13 golfers teed off today starting at 9:00 AM at Diablo Hills Golf Course on a beautiful morning. Today’s contest as set by starter Frank Kilarr was “closest to the pin on the 3rd hole”. Stan Johnson won the event with a “not so close” shot of 36’ which he did two putt for his par. Stan also went on to register the sole Birdie of the day on the 6th hole. Mike Frey had the low round with “41”. The group recorded 10 pars and the 1 birdie by Stan. Check out the 9 Hole Golf section on the branch website, enter your name in an open time slot in the “Weekly Signup” sub-section and join us for a round golf on Weds’., at 9:00 AM. See you on Weds. !!! Call or email me with any questions. Call or email me with any questions.
GOLF 18 18 Hole Golf is finally up to speed, masks are off and after golf is being enjoyed by our players. Dave Platter once again shot his age at Blue Rock West on June. Seems normal for Dave. June 21 was another “Tournament” called a “Shamble” ( a departure from a “Scramble”). We had 24 players. Results will be posted when made
available. What’s in store for July? Another Scramble? August
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is our Club Championship best two out of three rounds will be used for scoring. The dates for that is August 16, 23 and 30. Sign up sheets for the Championship, as well our Branch 8 Golf Outing, will be available in early July. All 18 hole members are eligible. So sign up play. As for the outing there is room for 28 players. There are a few former Branch 8 members that want to join the fun so don’t get left out. Bill Koski [email protected] 925 672 7650 Buddy May [email protected], 925 833-6098
9 HOLE MIXED LEAGUE GOLF
The 9 Hole Mixed League Golf Group held their first tournament of 2021. Three teams participated in the Scramble Event and amazingly all finished within 2 strokes of each other. A tribute to the close matching of the teams. There was a winner of course and that was the team of Dan Crowley, Paul Derby, Mardi Lockwara and Bob Olson. Second place finish was the team of Gordon Batesole,
Stan Johnson, Joe Dell’Orfano and Daphne Olson. And, bringing up third place, was Frank Kilarr, Roger Lockwara, Marilyn Steichen and Margaret Batesole.
We finished the tournament with a fine lunch at the Greenery restaurant at the Diablo Hills Golf Course. Our next tournament will be a 4 person, 2 best ball event held later in the year. Our next regular play event will be on July 8, at Diablo Hills Golf Course at 9:30 am. Hope you will join us using our on-line sign up.
The new SIR 9-Hole Mixed League Golf is open to all SIR members, spouses/partners and their guests. We encourage all interested members to contact our chairperson for any additional information you might need. It is not necessary to have a handicap to play with our group. We play for FUN.
Our games are of the 9-hole variety and played on the 2nd Thursday of each month, usually at Diablo Hills Golf Course at 9:00 or 10:00 am depending on time of year. We also try to have at least one event during the year where we travel to an area away from our home base staying overnight and playing one round of golf on arrival and one more round the next day. This fun filled venue usually includes an arrival party, informal dinner and lunch the next day before heading home.
Towards the end of the year, we typically have a “celebration” dinner at a local venue.
The usual golf format is individual play; however, we vary the format occasionally with games such as Scrambles and Best Ball.
You may sign up to play using our online sign-up page: The link is: www.sirbr8.com/sign-up-to-play/
Our objective is to have fun, meet with old and new friends and enjoy a meal together usually at the Greenery Restaurant at the Diablo Hills Golf Course. You may contact any participating member if you have questions or concerns or need additional information. We look forward to welcoming new members, and
no matter what the score– we surely do have fun!! A nicer group of golfers could not be found!!
To join our Mixed League group please send your names and email address to Chairman Gordon Batesole (Email address below). You will receive all announcements and sign-up information by email. Chairman: Gordon Batesole: [email protected] 925-946 1989 Asst.Chair¬man: Bob Olson [email protected] : 925-451-0234
MODEL TRAINS
The Model Railroad activity is still alive – it is just on hiatus due to the pandemic. We will not build stuff together until after the pandemic is officially declared over. Meanwhile we can share via email if we want. Let me know of anything you want to share with the Model Railroad Group and I will send it
We have been having lots of SIRs and guests turning out for Pickleball recently, and the fun has increased now that we are back to playing doubles. We seem to get new faces each time we meet. Pickleball is keeping us young and fit. And it provides fun and laughter! Join us!
We meet on the 2nd and 4th Thursdays of the month. From now
on we will be starting at 8:30 a.m. Location is Willow Pass Community Park in Concord. New to the game? You will pick it up in no time!
The Podcast activity gives participants the opportunity to discuss podcasts with their fellow members, much like a book club. The difference will be that the topic of discussion will be a podcast rather than a book. Think of it as a
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book club for those with short attention spans! The current plan is to meet twice monthly on the 2nd and 4th Tuesdays. In general, the meeting agenda will be to discuss the agreed upon podcast selected at the prior meeting and then agree upon a podcast for the next meeting. The activity will take
place as a Zoom meeting. See the write-up on the Branch 8 website for Podcasts to see both the next podcasts to be discussed and past podcasts. Contact Rich Knowles for
information about meeting time and date (Zoom links). Rich Knowles (925) 370-6239 [email protected].
SIG, follows Branch 8 Community Outreach 2021 effort now underway to demonstrate that SIR can be a good community sharing partner. We will meet at The Gardens at Heather Farms with the Garden Manager, Jere Peck, who will offer various tasks which we will help with. We will encourage all volunteers to wear SIR Logo Apparel: a Hat, Shirt, Jacket, or a SIR logo Cov-19 Mask. Meetings for Garden assignments will be held on Wednesdays to start. Time of volunteering: 9:30 am to 11:30 am. Afterward, those of us who want to meet for lunch can gather at The Greenery, across the street from the garden. Wives & Partners are welcome to join in and attend and learn
together with you.
All will receive good garden guidance from a first-rate, well-educated Horticultural, hands-on Gardening professional. You will learn: Pruning, Planting, Composting, Hybrid, and Bare Root Rose trimming, plenty of "How to maintenance," about Hemerocallis Daylillies, Succulents, Ground Covers, Watering and Fertilizing benefits, and more! You can participate in the trendy and well-attended Plant Sales event even Pick up bargains for your own gardens! Get out into the Sun and the Fresh air in a beautiful garden setting admired and visited by thousands of Contra Costa residents throughout the year. Contact: Chair Tom Mohrman: [email protected] OR Co-Chair: Tony de Losada: [email protected]
Tony De Losada Tom Mohrman Co-Chairmen
Leo Dominquez, Tony de Losada, Ron Cassano & Alan Curtis
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HEADS-UP WALKERS
We walk every Thursday morning at 9:30 AM. We walk for one hour and then go for coffee and snacks. 6/24/2021: Orinda: Tilden Regional Park, Inspiration Point. Exit Hwy 24 at Orinda, north on Camino Pablo (~2 mi.), left on Wildcat Canyon Rd., (~2 mi.) to Inspiration Point parking lot on the right. Cafe:
Geppetto's Cafe. Leader: Dan Kohlman
7/1/2021: Concord: Newhall Community Park. Meet at parking lot on Turtle Creek Rd. off Ayers Rd. Some elevation changes to the Viet Nam Memorial. Cafe: Whole Foods - YVR. Leader: Dan Smith
7/8/2021: Walnut Creek: Countrywood C.C. Canal. Meet at the flagpole near Safeway in the Countrywood Shopping Center , corner of Treat & Bancroft. Cafe: Noah's New York Bagels. Leader: Dave Allan
7/15/2021: Pleasant Hill: C.C. Canal. Meet in the shopping center parking lot at the corner of Taylor & Morello, (North of the service station). Cafe: Panera Bread Cafe. Leader: Dan Weller
7/22/2021: Alamo: Stone Valley Rd. Iron Horse. Exit I-680 on Stone Valley Rd. across Danville Blvd. Meet at the south end of the Alamo Plaza Parking lot north of Stone Valley Road. NOTE, the first few rows of parking are now reserved. BUT, there is parking to the west of the reserved area and to the north of the area, across from the yogurt shop and Safeway. Cafe: Cherubini's Coffee House. Leader: Dave Light
7/29/2021: Clayton: Clayton Library. Meet at the library parking lot, 6125 Clayton Road. Cafe: Sweet Bakery. Leader: Dave Morse
8/5/2021: Willows Shopping Center, meet at the south corner near the new Lazy Dog Restaurant. Cafe: Panera Bread Cafe. Leader: Jan Persson
SIR HIKERS There are two hikes in July. More information for interested hikers will appear on the hiker’s webpage at https://www.sirbr8.com/hikers/. Per June 1st State SIR policy, all participants must have a signed vaccine certification and waiver form on file (or forms available at the hike). Easy Hike, July 13, 2021: Alhambra Creek Staging Area in Briones Regional
Park Martinez. The hike will start at 10:00 a.m. We hike up the Alhambra Creek for just under a mile, ascending approximately 600’. We turn onto the Diablo View Trail leaving the tree cover but with good panoramic views of Mt. Diablo. We hike just over a mile gradually downhill to intersect with Hidden Pond Trail (the Hidden Pond trail is an optional relatively steep but short down and back up). From the Hidden Pond trail junction we continue to the parking lot. The hike is 3 miles total. Bring: Water, sun protection. Trekking poles are recommended, if you use them, as there are some fairly steep, although short, uphill and downhill stretches on the route. Hike Leader: Manuel Dominguez (925) 938-5380 [email protected] Hard Hike July 27, 2021: Springhill Sunrise Loop – Southeast Corner of Briones Park in
Lafayette. Zoom The hike will start at 9:30 a.m. (half hour early) to beat the heat. This hike is 4.3 miles long and quite hilly with 1100+ feet of accumulated elevation gain. The hike features views of Mt. Diablo and overlooks of Lafayette and Walnut Creek. The lower elevations pass through oak forests while the upper reaches of the hike are open grazing land. The hike is a counter clock-wise loop. We start heading west briefly on Buckeye Ranch trail to cross a creek bed and then make a sharp right to join the Sunrise Trail. We stay on the Sunrise trail for a little over two miles and accomplish a substantial portion of the total elevation gain by the time we reach the Briones Crest trail, where we turn left and hike for about ¾ miles until we come upon the Lafayette Ridge trail. We stay on the Lafayette Ridge trail for about .65 miles. When we come to the Springhill trail we turn left and hike and head downhill for .7 miles and return to the trailhead. Bring: Water. There is no potable water at the trailhead or on the route. There is an outhouse at the trail head. Trekking poles are recommended, as there are some fairly steep, although short, downhill descents on the route. Hike Leader: Carl Ludwig 415-350-7372 [email protected] Hike Coordinator: Carl Ludwig,(415) 250-7372,[email protected] Hike Chairman: Martin Simmons,(925) 586-2704,[email protected]
A trip is being planned for Branch 8 Sirs and their families: Bourbon, Bridles & Bluegrass. Trip includes roundtrip airfare to Louisville returning from Nashville, 8-day guided tour with a tour Manager from
arrival in Louisville to departure from Nashville, tour of Churchill Downs, UNESCO world Heritage site, tour of Great Smokey Mountains National, The trip features nine nights of first class accommodations, including: breakfast daily, two lunches and two dinners. All gratuities are included. The Trip dates are: September 16 to-24, 2021. Call Larry Yarberry for more info. [email protected] (925) 890-9245
BARGAIN WINES Restrictions are easing; however, some limitations remain. Two of our planned events that were cancelled in 2020 remain uncertain at this time. Both the El Tapitio and the Vezer Family Winery tours will be opening up for us, but with capacity limits that don’t fit with what we require. It would appear that June 2021 will offer a
better outlook for Bargain Wines. Once we have something more concrete, an announcement will be sent to the membership. Jim Warner Chairman, 457-9979 Assistant: Dennis Mierzwa, 938-5343
WINE CELLAR FILLERS
CFWA is open to members, applicants, and guests and is a great way to introduce a guest to SIR. It is the only SIR wine activity that is not co-ed. We meet for a simple lunch of sandwiches and fixin's, then taste 5 whites and 5 reds or an occasional blush wine. Our price point is $7.00-ish, and the cost of the event is around $10.00, depending on the wines selected and how many attend. A report listing the wines, their rankings,
price and source will be sent to the CFWA members, and posted on the Branch 8 website. We also have an informal purchasing committee that buys the wine, usually on Wednesday before the usual Friday of the tastings. The chair and assistant chair, aided by anyone desiring to be involved, buy the wine. [email protected], (925) 939-4670 or (925) 457-7746 cel Scott Graff, Ass't Chair, [email protected], (925) 552-6097
WINE FINDERS 1
REOPENED Yes, that's true. Wine Finders 1 did REOPEN, and what a joyous celebration we had. On Thursday, June 10, fourteen Wine Finders 1,(including spouses) met as a
group and officially celebrated the beginning of better times. All of our members/spouses/significant others had been vaccinated earlier in the year and had signed and returned the waiver form to SIR Br8 and were ready to go. A few showed up in masks but soon removed them. We could breathe again. In consideration of our first gathering after our Covid shots, we changed the start time to 4PM from the usual 6PM to allow more time to be outside. The weather cooperated and it was warm enough to wander outdoors and enjoy Judy and Ron Smith's lovely back yard. There were plenty of hugs all around, conversations catching up on families, trips(not), health, and Covid adventures. It had been a long time since February 2020 and everyone was ready to unload. And of course there were seven nice Rose' wines to taste. The entries came from Portugal, France, Italy, Martinez and elsewhere in California. The winner was a 2019 "Arca Nova Rose" $7.99 at Costco (good value) followed closely by the 2020 "The Palm Whispering Angel" $12 at Safeway. And there
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was the usual array of wonderful appetizers to accompany the Rose' wines. Our next tasting is scheduled for August 12. Place and varietal not yet decided. If you don't belong to Wine Finders 1, 2 or 3, you can still join us in time for the next live tasting which is scheduled for Thursday, August 12 at 4PM. Just drop Ron Smith or Tony de Losada, Larry McEwen or Ron Cassano an email and one of us will get back to you. Ron Smith, Chair [email protected] 925-314-3066
WINE FINDERS 2 We are back! Had our first tasting since February 2020. Kargs hosted. We sampled Calif Zins. The wines ranked very close and the winner was The Federalist Zin brought by Stephen Deness, Second place was our Joe Karg, 2016 Campus Oaks Old Vine Zin. We enjoyed great food and conversation. The Meier's had us in hysterics telling us about their experience in trying to visit their son in the UK. They thought
they had the Covid test done correctly. However, the bureaucrats at Heathrow thought otherwise. They were quarantined for 10 days and paid a fine of $850 each. They had to retest to be released. That was a further disaster. Suggestion, do not travel to the UK. We enjoyed gathering again and seeing old friends was great. Next gathering is August 12. Ron Cassano, Head Wino [email protected] (925) 944-1238
WINE FINDERS 3
After over a year's hiatus, Winefinders III finally reconvened at Kathy & Larry McEwen's home on June 17 to sample Sauvignon Blancs. Driven inside by 90 degree temperatures, 11 members and guests were treated by the hosts to a selection of pallet cleansers of 9.5% alcohol Vinho Verdes from Portugal while the hosts got things organized. New SIRS member Jeffrey Peckham and his wife, Margo joined us for this event. The winning wine was a $6.99 Kirkland
Marlboro Sauvignon Blanc from Costco brought by Ed and Vicky Kirschner. Second Place was awarded to Leo and Gayle Dominguez's $4.99 Bay Moon from Trader Joe's. Plenty of goodies accompanied the tasting; particularly scrumptious were Vicky Kirschner's artichoke dip and Jim Sowell's camprese salad. Dessert consisted of chocolate cake topped with vanilla ice cream and hot fudge. Our next meeting will occur in August at a yet-to-be-decided place. provision. [email protected]
WOODPECKERS
On May 28, the BEC voted to allow ‘indoor” Activities to resume in-person meetings as long as the members attending the meetings were fully vaccinated. Woodpeckers resumed their in-person meeting on Saturday, May 29, but not in their normal meeting location Thom Watkins’ workshop, but in Thom’s
backyard. The group consisted of the “Core members”: Bob Wheaton, Dennis Reschke, Jackie Kaneshiro, and Thom Watkins. The goal for the day was to put up the structure for a gazebo; a kit for which was purchased at Costco. We started at 10:00am and finished around 2:30 that afternoon. We decided to meet again on the Woodpeckers’ regular meeting day, the first Saturday in June (12th). The goal for the day was to attach the roof and finish the details.
The finishing touch was provided by Jackie as he attached the Registration Plaque. The day
ended around 5:00pm with grilled hot dogs, macaroni salad, and beverages-of-choice. Whew! To celebrate the “Gazebo Raising,” and as a Thank You to the crew, Thom and Paula (Mrs. Woodpecker) hosted the guys and
their spouses to a BBQ dinner: appetizers – Margaritas and Jalapeno-Artichoke Dip; Main Course – of smoked beef ribs, coleslaw, and roasted corn-on-the-cob; Dessert – Homemade Mint Chocolate-chip ice cream. Thom Watkins Chair, 925.330.3780 [email protected]
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WRITING YOUR LIFE STORY. WYLS (Writing Your Life Stories): SHARE YOUR STORIES WITH FRIENDS WHO ARE INTERESTED: Once a month, One Page Memories from your past, Triggers for more stories.
WYLS has evolved from creating a book to sharing short one-page stories from our past with friends. Since March we have
continued our monthly meetings using Zoom. A few days before our monthly meeting, each member writes a short one-page story about an event from their past. It can be from a suggested topic or about anything they find interesting. The meetings start with a few minutes of catching up with what everyone has been up to, then each person reads the story they have written. This always generates memory triggers for the rest of us and there is often a few short comments after each reading. After everyone has read, we spend 15 minutes writing another story about some new memory that has just come to mind. Then each of us share that story. and current activities with friends that are interested. And at the same time document what went on in your life for your kids and grandkids who, someday, may wonder who you were and what your life was like. Please email Tom Hodgson [email protected] or call 925-818-1533 for more information or to join the group. 925-818-1533.
Send your articles and photos BEFORE the 20th of the month. Include meeting information & dates for the following month, to keep your group informed about meetings, deadlines and upcoming events. Late reports may not be included in the Hotline.
Got up at 5am; 8k run completed; prepared a Smoothie
for breakfast…. but don’t remember the rest of the dream.
