UPCOMING FIXTURES
Tue, Nov 3 - Captain David Kim, Salvation Army
Tue, Nov 10 - Melissa Schuster, Burnt Barn Distillery
Sat, Nov 14 - Surf & Turf Dinner (Club Work Day)
Tue, Nov 17 - DARK - No Tuesday meeting
Sat, Nov 24 - DARK - No Tuesday meeting
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TEAM LEADERSHIP 2026-27
THE STARTING LINEUP
- Team in Charge: Trinidad & Tobago Calypso Warriors!
- Reporter: Debbie LaPlante
- Microphones: Linda Zorn & Nick Sinclair
- Thought of the Day: Linda Zorn…"The soul becomes dyed with the color of its thoughts." Marcus Aurelius
TEAM REPORT
Co-captain Nick Magers reported for the Trinidad & Tobago Calypso Warriors, who have been busy since their last report—sharing good times, strengthening friendships and putting Service Above Self into action!
Recent highlights include:
- A festive dinner at the DeWitts’ celebrating Oktoberfest AND Dan’s retirement!
- A joint social with the Germany Black Eagles at Roney Wines.
- A fascinating tour of M&T Ranch’s walnut hulling and processing plant, led by Lee and Les Heringer - with everyone treated to a generous bag of fresh walnuts!
- A lively SCRUM at Farmers Brewing and a team meeting at Beatniks.
The team has also been active in community service, supporting the Chico Food Project’s Blue Bags, CASA, Chico Community Food Locker, Boys & Girls Club’s Pasta in the Plaza, and the Salvation Army shopping spree.
Coming up: a Cioppino feed at the Dodds’, Treat Street, and a joint social with the Australia Wallabies & Wallaroos.
President Beau's rugby note this week was a short one: Trinidad & Tobago fields both a men's and a women's national squad.
VISITING SIDES
- Rex Moseley, Oroville Rotary
IN THE GRANDSTAND
- Tim Hawkins, guest of Kate Stefan
- Chandler Conway, guest of Mike Donnelly
- Amanda Lightfoot and Nicole Eller, daughters and guests of Robb & Karin Lightfoot
- Peggy Rowberg, guest speaker and wife of Phil Rowberg
- And Sean McCreary (for the last time!), with Pat Conroy
FROM THE SIDELINE
Coaching staff.
Heidi Musick filled in for Assistant Coach & Secretary Leah Wills.
Treat Street.
Dane Bracewell confirmed Friday, October 30.
About 32 volunteers are signed up and the event needs roughly 8 more, including people to help kids cross the street safely.
Parking details are expected next week.
Surf & Turf.
Kevin Moretti said the event is sold out and sign-ups for jobs are open until the last minute; members can take more than one.
A new one: three golf-cart drivers to carry guests with mobility issues, at the start of the event and again later. A clean DMV record is required.
Polio Plus Society.
Karin Lightfoot called up the members who recently joined, or joined earlier and had not yet received their certificate, pin, and commemorative coin: Tovey Giezentanner, Charlotte Hall, Charlie Snyder, Samia Yaqub, Linda Zorn, Joe Wilson, Megan Page, Karli Olsen, Cain Medina, Luke Milliron, Michael Lawrence, Pat Macias, Ken Dickson, Jolene Church, Robert Delgardo, Dane Bracewell, Tara Campbell, Melanie Bassett, Kareem Abouzeid, Mary Sakuma, Trish Dunlap, and Leanne Chrisman.
Members commit to at least $100 a year to Polio Plus, and Karin stressed the society is inclusive: anyone who wants in can let her know.
NEW MEMBER!
Welcome, Sean McCreary.
Pat Conroy introduced Sean McCreary, who left home at 13 and has been on his own ever since. He once captained a 124-foot crab boat out of Dutch Harbor, Alaska.
He now owns Urban Design Solar in Paradise, specializing in solar and generator construction, sits on the Butte County Planning Commission, and coaches the North State Composite Mountain Bike Team.
He has four children, ages 12 to 21, and shares a kiteboarding habit with Pat.
Sean thanked Pat for sponsoring him and said he already sees Rotary as "much more than a lunch club."
RUGBY KIT BAG
In honor of National Chicken and Waffles Day, this week's prize was a gift certificate to Mom's.
Cynthia Perrine had the “Lucky Ticket”, claimed her prize from Beau’s “Grab Bag” and was also decked in
Rotary swag.
Rotary will make a $40 contribution to the non-profit of Cynthia’s choice – beneficiary TBA.
TRIBUTES
Kevin Ahlswede took the stand after his company, Allevity Employer Solutions, and its leadership team were featured in the association magazine PEO Insider. The firm has been in California employment for 54 years, and, as Kevin put it, a couple of rules have changed since then.
President Beau's slides did the rest. One showed Kevin at the barbecue for a long-ago barn dance at Patrick Ranch, cooking a mountain of tri-tip with 80 chickens on the other side of the grill (and, Kevin was pretty sure, Charlie Snyder with hair beside him).
Another had Kevin and Alicia in full hippie costume for a Halloween party, Kevin in a Sierra Nevada tie-dye. Then the Kiwanis Golf Tournament a couple of weeks ago with his son, and a sunset at the cabin.
President Beau thanked him and noted he'll be a busy man at Surf & Turf in a few weeks. Kevin was recognized with five bells.
MATCH OF THE DAY
Today, we heard from one of our very own, Dr. Karin Lightfoot, whose passion for public health goes hand in hand with Rotary’s mission to END POLIO NOW!
From her early days as an obstetrics and public health nurse to her leadership as Director of Chico State’s School of Nursing, Karin has dedicated her career to caring for others. Now a Professor Emeritus, she continues that commitment as Rotary District 5160’s End Polio Chair.
The program took on a deeply personal meaning when Peggy Rowberg, wife of fellow Rotarian Phil Rowberg, shared her firsthand experience of surviving polio and living with its effects.
Fellow Rotarian Michelle Shover also reflected on a serious childhood illness with polio-like symptoms and the lasting impact it had on her life.
Their stories were moving reminders that behind every disease statistic is a person, a family, and a life forever changed.
With World Polio Day this Saturday, October 24, the program offered a timely reminder of why Rotary’s work matters - and why our commitment must continue until polio is a thing of the past.
Photographer: Tyler Smith (Tyler Smith Photography)
