Carmichael Rotary Volunteers -providing a pancake breakfast for the

Carmichael Elementary School

 

POLIO+ SOCIETY: Why not join for $100 a year and get recognized with a pin at our meeting on October 26th. Mail in your flyer to Tom Cicchini.

 

 We have an opportunity to join with others to help with Effie Yeaw's Habitat Restoration native planting

 

 

 

 

 

OCTOBER 5TH: Club Assembly - "Bring your ideas for a possible new Fundraiser"

 

 

OCTOBER 12TH: Local Birds and their Songs" - Richard Howard

 

 

OCTOBER 19TH: Membership Challenge - Bill Tobin

 

 

Tony started by telling us that he was born in 1938 in Portugal and was for a while the only first generation immigrant in the Club. At this time, there are three others, Heine and Ramouna Roikjer, and George Abraham. He spent his first years there under the dictatorship of Antonio Salazar. As a kid he saw the British sink a German submarine of the coast and saw many war planes in the sky. He went to grammar school, it was mandatory under the dictatorship which was better than before where you didn’t have to go or couldn’t afford school.

Tony came to America with his family in 1948. He went to Antioch High School and remembered that he worked many jobs, mowing lawns, working in the tomato fields, etc. He attended the College of Pacheco which was nicknamed for Diablo Valley College. In 1960 he got a job with Wells Fargo Bank and worked there for 13 years, and then went to Western American Bank for another 13 years, and then to Crocker Bank for 13 years and then it was purchased by Wells Fargo Bank before he retired - so he ended up with his old company. After a year he went to Placer Sierra where he spent the last 6 years before retirement. In all, he spent 47 years in banking and specialized in credit administration – he was in bank branches all over Northern California – taking also College courses in Accounting from Golden Gate College.

Tony said that the banks in the early days paid for membership in service clubs (they don’t now) and paid moving expenses and other perks. When you moved from one branch to another, it was a promotion and the banks were generous with their benefits. It was a great life.

President Dick Bauer added at the end of Tony’s talk that he is married to an identical twin, Jan and they live side by side with Jan’s twin Jeanne, and Bob Paulsen. Bob was a long time active member of the Carmichael Club and still is an honorary member.

We were very fortunate today to have a local treasure, Dr. John Troiano who is a local wine expert and will talk about the Climate Change’s effect on the wine industry. John grew up in Perth Amboy N.J. and earned his PhD in plant pathology from Rutgers University in 1977. He moved to California in 1984 with future wife Victoria to work for the Dept. of Pesticide Regulation researching pesticide residues in the ground water. Retired in 2019. He made his first California wine in 1987 and eventually joined Sacramento Home Winemaker’s and became president. He has been chief judge for the California State Home winemakers competition. He, and compatriots became a bonded winery, the Wreckless Blenders,  in 2007 -their special home business are allowed to sell 100 cases a year.