News Categories: Live Oak Newsletter

Mieko Hatano gave the Thought for the Day. “When we listen to music we are not listening to the past or listening to the future.  We are listening to expand the present.”

Our meeting sponsor was Kymberly Miller, Executive Director of Oakland’s Children’s Fairyland. Kymberly brought us up to date on all the new things happening at Fairyland including their two upcoming fundraisers. The 75th anniversary will be in 2025 so there are tons of infrastructure projects going on to enhance the already great Fairyland experience. Isaac Kos-Read is a big fan of Fairyland and encouraged us all to support the many programs it offers by attending the Annual Gala in the Park on May 25th. Proceeds of this event will fund the infrastructure enhancements as well as the many programs offered. 

Robert Kidd introduced our speaker, Corinna Gould, the Confederated Chair and Spokesperson for the Ohlone community.

Corinna traced the history of Native Americans in California and shared with us many facts about the terrible treatment Native Americans received here.  She emphasized this is the history that is never taught in schools.  Her presentation included information about the enslavement of Native Americans at the Missions, laws that made it legal to hunt Native Americans, and how Native Americans were stripped of their language and religion. Many cities, including, Oakland, Emeryville, Albany, Alameda and Richmond are now recognizing that our cities are built on Ohlone Territory and are publicly displaying a tribute to this heritage.

President Dudley adjourned the meeting at 1:35 pm as he reminded us to Serve to Change Lives and Don’t Keep Rotary a Secret!

Dawnn Hills reflected with appreciation on the many contributions women have made to history, culture and society and asked Rotarians to stand in awe of all the women upon whose shoulders they have stood in honor of Women’s History Month which began in Sonoma County as Women’s History Day in 1978 and was later recognized as a Month in 1987.

Past President Ces Butner thanked Leeann Alameda for her work on this year’s Oakland Rotary Endowment (ORE) Campaign. He noted that we have distributed over $1.6 million in the past 6 years locally and internationally and have sponsored many projects and contributed to the Saroni-Lena scholarship fund. Gary Flaxman presented a short film about Enterprise Institute, a camp where high school juniors learn to write a business plan, learn about entrepreneurship and career choices they may have and just one of the many projects our Club supports. Ces noted we are about $20,000 shy of our goal of $100,000. Hands began to fly, and the following Rotarians rose to the challenge and made pledges as follows: Shannon Hackley, Fred Morse, Joycie Mack, Joe Goralka, Pauline Fox, and John Malick. Their generosity brought us very close to our goal.

Ces announced there is still time to make a gift. Now is the time to donate so committees can fully resume their activities post-pandemic. To pay online go to www.oakland-rotary.org/donate . Choose Oakland Rotary Endowment for your donation. Or mail a check to the Rotary office; an envelope was sent to every Rotarian earlier in the month.

President Dudley Thompson introduced our speaker, Professor David Montejano, who graduated from the University of Texas at Austin and from Yale University with a M.A. and Ph.D. in Sociology. The professor has taught at the University of Texas at Austin, the University of California, Santa Cruz and the University of New Mexico. He is the former chair of the Center for Latino Policy Research at the University of California, Berkeley. He is the author of numerous scholarly tracts as well as three books: Angelos and Mexicans in the Making of Texas, Sanchos Journal: Exploring the Political Edge with the Brown Berets, and Mexican Merchants and Teamsters on the Texas Cotton Road 1862 to 1865. 

Professor Montejano focused on the theme of how markets supersede war and gave examples of how commerce continued during the civil war. Southern cotton was sent to New England mills during the war to make Union uniforms. This was made possible by Mexico being neutral and the somewhat dubious machinations of a businessman named Charles Stillman who sold guns to Confederates and cotton to the Union by not labeling the goods, writing very little correspondence and taking advantage of British and French ships claiming neutrality by docking ships in the Rio Grande. Some of the goods were shipped to Havana, then transferred to another ship, then on to Liverpool and from there to New York. Stillman seemed to understand the concept of realpolitik before the term was invented. Professor Montejano’s books will continue the story. 

In her inspiring thought for the day, Liz Ortega reminded us that women still face various forms of gender discrimination, which have been aggravated during the Covid pandemic. Following her remarks, Pres. Dudley led us in reciting the Club’s Mission Statement.

Clive Worsley thanked us for the warm reception he has received since joining the Club in January. Clive informed us that he is the new Executive Director of the Junior Center of Art and Science; that he is a native of Glasgow, Scotland; that after emigrating to the U.S with the rest of his family, Clive’s father designed the audio public address systems used by BART, Fantasy Records in Berkeley, The Grateful Dead, and other major organizations and artists; that Clive himself enjoyed careers in Rock N’ Roll and on the stage as an actor and as the Artistic Director of the Townhall Theater in Lafayette and the Director of Artistic Learning at Cal Shakes; that he was the acting coach for the prominent actor Zendaya Marie Stoermer Coleman who is up for a Golden Globe award; that his passion for acting was united with a passion for helping youth, which motivated his move to the Junior Center; and that with the help of member Isaac Kos-Read, he is in the process of leading the Junior Center to a full recovery from its recent tragic fires. Pres. Dudley presented Clive with his blue badge and other new member materials whereupon all present gave Clive a standing ovation.

Oakland Marathon and Running Festival. Pres. Dudley announced we need five to ten more volunteers for the Club’s hands-on project of staffing water stations for this coming Sunday’s Oakland Marathon. If you can help, just email Pres. Dudley.

Business Development Margarita Mixer. Jesse Schmidt invited everyone to attend the Business Development Committee’s Margarita Mixer from 5:30 to 7:30 pm on March 23 at Nido’s Backyard. Appetizers are gratis courtesy of Jain Williams of State Farm who is sponsoring the event. There will be a cash bar. Bring a friend!  Pre-register on the Club’s calendar website.

Pres. Dudley announced next month there will be more opportunities to volunteer at Club hands-on projects:

Lake Merritt garden clean-up on April 16,

KinderPrep book packaging on April 23,

Enterprise Institute Leadership Academy training for camp counselors on April 23 as well,

KinderPrep field trip to the Oakland Zoo on April 26. 

Pres. Dudley strongly encouraged everyone to attend the Rotary District 5170 Convention on April 22-24 in San Ramon. 

Last, but not least, is the Club’s Gala scheduled for April 28 at the Sequoyah Country Club.

C J Hirshfield, a confessed film noir addict, introduced our keynote speaker, Eddie Muller, film director, author, and the host of Turner Classic Movies’ popular weekly “Noir Alley” TV show. This month, he is also moving his annual Film Noir Festival from San Francisco to Oakland’s Grand Lake Theater.

Here are the highlights of Eddie’s talk:

– He wrote the book on film noir titled Dark City, The Lost World of Film Noir, which led to his being asked to head film festivals at Los Angeles’ Egyptian Theatre and the Castro Theater in San Francisco. This experience introduced him to some of the original film noir producers and screen writers. He now does eight festivals around the country and constantly receives requests from other cities.

– “Film noir” refers to a U.S. film movement that spanned the 1940's and 1950's. This was America’s only organic artistic movement, that Eddie calls the “anti-myth of American life”. The films portray the hard knocks reality of life and its unexpected turns versus the “live happily ever” myth of traditional American culture. The films were written and produced by artists, and not the money driven Hollywood studios. Many of these artists were emigres from war torn Europe. The scripts are especially attuned to the American vernacular. (C J recited one: “I’ve met a lot of hard-boiled eggs in my life, but you’re a full 20 minutes!”) Having experienced the horrors of the war era, the emigres were pessimists about life in general. The films tried to warn us about racial injustice, police brutality, sexual assault, and immoral politicians running amok. A striking irony is that nowadays some people watch noir films as comfort food because they remind them of a better time.

– Eddie has lived in Oakland for 30 years. He decided to move his Bay Area Film Noir Festival to Oakland when the pandemic prevented continued filming in Atlanta. The new Oakland festival begins next Tuesday at the Grand Lake Theater, which Eddie’s neighbor, owner of the Grand Lake, offered to him. Eddie is happy he moved the festival to Oakland. He thought it was about time that a popular institution go in the reverse direction taken by the Warriors. He has found Oakland to be very welcoming, more so than San Francisco.

– If you want to learn more, attend the Festival. You can also read the new edition of Eddie’s book which has a lot of new material.

– In response to Robert Kidd’s question: The conventional characterization of film noir as a genre that depicts victimized, ruined women is inaccurate and the result of poor scholarship. In fact, more women were involved in the films than early film noir critics realized. All the films have a good woman who is the right answer to men’s problems; but the men go for the bad femme fatale; e.g., the movie Angel Face where the ambulance driver who is better off staying with his nurse girlfriend, instead falls for a demented heiress. Also, many women wrote the books on which the films were based: e.g., Patricia Highsmith and Dorothy B. Hughes. But more attention has been given male writers such as Dashiell Hammett and Raymond Chandler. In addition, there were excellent female film producers such as Joan Harrison, Hitchcock’s protégé.

– In response to Bob Barth’s question: Eddie’s favorite boxing subgenre film is The Setup.

– In response to Stephanie Casenza who asked how Eddie compared the remake of Nightmare Alley with the original, Eddie answered they’re both good. The main difference is that the new version is more faithful to the novel by keeping its “bleak” ending.

– In response to Allison Bliss’s question: Yes, the German film school known as “expressionism” had a big influence on film noir. The German movement is based on the idea that what you see in a film is a reflection of the actor’s inner emotions). It occurred during the “silent film” era of the 1920's when Berlin was the center of film making. The German films often disregarded realism and had realistic but distorted and stark black and white scenes that accentuated the war-related pessimism of that era. See, e.g., the film called The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari.

– In response to Steve Lowe’s question: Yes, Eddie has been slipped a mickey but not at waterfront dive; It happened at a bar in Salzburg, Austria at the hands of locals who didn’t like Eddie’s loud-mouthed American companion.

President Dudley adjourned the meeting at 1:33 pm as he reminded us to Serve to Change Lives and Don’t Keep Rotary a Secret!

Clive Worsley presented a thought from Frank Herbert: “I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliterations. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path. When the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I remain.

President Dudley led the group in the recitation of the Rotary Vision Statement.

Evolutionary Blues. President Dudley reported over 300 people attended this amazing event. He thanked everyone for participating, and gave special recognition to Allison Bliss for suggesting the event, and Georgia Richardson and Nancy Williams for their dedicated leadership in making it happen.

In Person Meetings. President Dudley announced that in-person meetings in the California Ballroom will restart on March 10th (along with Zoom broadcasts). Noting that it comes almost on the two-year anniversary of the pandemic shut-down, he reminded everyone that proof of vaccination will be required (no booster necessary) and N-95 or KN-95 masks are strongly encouraged.

Blood Donation. Blood donations continue to be critically needed. Sign up at the Red Cross website. Please let Jesse Bowdle know if you have donated blood.

Ukraine Assistance. Pres. Dudley reported that several initiatives are underway to provide assistance and supplies to the people of Ukraine. At this time District 5170 has set up a fund in conjunction with American Red Cross to provide much-needed supplies. Donations can be made at this website: https://www.redcross.org/donate/cm/rotarydistrict5170-pub.html/. Other partners with Rotary will be forthcoming as information becomes available.

Oakland Marathon and Running Festival. On Sunday, March 20th, the club will work at two of the water stops. Register on the Club calendar website. Note the two water station locations available and make sure to include the Password for the one you want.

Attendees were treated to a special twist on the popular television series “Shark Tank” featuring six Rotarians who pitched why their business or organization should be chosen. David Kersten and Jesse Schmidt presented the contenders – three with for-profit businesses and three with non-profit organizations. Each was asked to describe how they can contribute to the “Success of Oakland’s Youth”.

Riza Hernandez, founder and owner of EntreFolio, Sandeep Rajbhandari, founder and CEO of Local Foodz Cali Inc., and Derreck Johnson, founder and owner of Home of Chicken and Waffles, each described their businesses and their personal passions for serving the community.

Julayne Virgil, CEO of Girls Inc., Jack McAboy, Chairman at Sylvan Learning Center, and Kimberly Miller, Executive Director of Children’s Fairyland, outlined the opportunities their businesses provide and why they are so committed to the work they do.

President Dudley adjourned the meeting at 1:30 pm as he reminded us to Serve to Change Lives and Don’t Keep Rotary a Secret!