JIM DE BOOM -- Community & Clubs

ROTARY LICENSE PLATES: In September, Gov. Gray Davis signed

legislation authorizing the creation of a special California Rotary

license plate.

The push is now on to have 7,500 plates ordered by June 1, according

to Rotary District Gov. Price Shapiro of the Newport Beach Sunrise Rotary

Club.

Maggie Wilhelm, a Rotarian from Northern California, proposed the idea

to Orange County Assemblyman, now State Senator, Dick Ackerman. She

wanted to create a special Rotary license plate, which, after paying for

the cost of the plate, would help raise money for educational and

outreach activities supported by Rotary International.

After several years of legislative battles and 7,500 signatures of

support, the bill was passed by the Senate and unanimously approved by

the Assembly.

“Maggie Wilhelm inspired us to keep pushing for something that would

benefit thousands of people in the state of California,” Ackerman said.

“Rotary is an organization based on the principle of service above self,

and this license plate is a perfect way to honor that idea. As a longtime

Rotary member, it was an honor for me to author this bill.”

“Now we need to have 7,500 Rotary plates ordered before the state of

California will produce the first one,” Shapiro said.

Information:o7 https://ca-rotarylicenseplates.orgf7 or (949)

660-0001.

GOOD SPEAKER: Newport Harbor High School student Shirin Oskooi won the

Student Speakers Contest at the Feb. 5 meeting of the Harbor-Mesa Lions

Club. Shirin, a senior, won $50 and will go on to compete against other

winners in the Costa Mesa area Lions clubs at the local zone competition,

March 7 at the Newport-Mesa Unified School District office. Other

contestants from Newport Harbor High were John Grams and Jennifer

Tulford. They were accompanied by their coach, Amy Caulfield.

The Lions Clubs of California and Nevada have conducted the student

speakers contests since 1937 with the purpose of providing an opportunity

for competitive public speaking among students on a subject of vital

interest to the contestants and to the American people as a whole. This

year’s topic for the contest is: “Politics - Issues or Money.” After the

zone, region, district and area contests, the final contest will be held

in Palm Desert on June 2. The final winner will receive more than

$18,000.

In 1996-97, the Harbor Mesa Lions Club sponsored the final winner,

Heather Jordon, a Newport Harbor High School student.

Information: Marianne Allen, Harbor Mesa Student Speaker Chairman,

(714) 534-3791.

GRANTS AVAILABLE: The Zonta Club of Newport Harbor has grant

applications available for the 2000-01 fiscal year. Organizations

throughout Orange County that share Zonta’s mission, “Working together to

advance the status of women,” are eligible to apply.

To date, the Newport Harbor Chapter of Zonta has contributed more that

$750,000 in grant money to Orange County organizations.

To request an application, please contact Zonta Service co-Chair Laura

Peters at (714) 379-0545. Applications are also available on the Zonta

Web site at o7 https://www.Zonta.orgf7 . Applications must be submitted

by March 1. Zonta International is a worldwide service organization with

1,100 clubs in 66 countries.

552 CLUB MIXER: The 552 Club of Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian

Church will hold a membership mixer beginning at 5:52 p.m. Thursday at

What’s Cook Bistro, 2632 San Miguel, Newport Beach. What’s Cooking Bistro

will provide complimentary hors d’oeuvres and a no-host bar. Information:

(949) 574-7208.

WORTH REPEATING: From Interfaith Council member Greg Kelly’s e-mailed

“Thought for the Day” -- “Sometimes the trouble with self-made people is

that they worship the creator.” -- Anonymous

SERVICE CLUB MEETINGS THIS WEEK: Does your New Year’s resolution

include getting more involved in your community, making new friends,

networking or giving something back to your community? Try a service

club. You are invited to attend a club meeting this week. Many clubs will

buy your first guest meal.

TUESDAY

6:30 p.m.: The Newport Beach Sunrise Rotary Club will meet at the

Newport Harbor Nautical Museum/Riverboat Restaurant to hear Marcos Nava

of the Boy Scouts, and the Costa Mesa-Newport Harbor Lions Club will meet

at the Costa Mesa Golf and Country Club.

WEDNESDAY

7:15 a.m.: The South Coast Metro Rotary Club will meet at the Center

Club.

Noon: The Newport Harbor Kiwanis Club will meet at the University

Athletic Club, and the Orange Coast Exchange Club will meet at the Bahia

Corinthian Yacht Club for a Valentine’s luncheon.

THURSDAY

7:30 a.m.: The Costa Mesa Orange Coast Breakfast Lions Club will meet

at Mimi’s Cafe for the Student Speaker Contest.

Noon: The Kiwanis Club of Costa Mesa will meet at the Holiday Inn, the

Newport Beach-Corona del Mar Kiwanis Club will meet at the Bahia

Corinthian Yacht Club, the Exchange Club of Newport Harbor will meet at

the Riverboat Restaurant to hear Ed Blackford deliver a talk titled “The

Electrical Power Crunch,” and the Newport Irvine Rotary Club will meet at

the Irvine Marriott Hotel for a Valentine’s Day luncheon to hear Dr.

Elizabeth Eckhardt deliver a talk titled “Building and Maintaining

Relationships.” For information on the Newport Irvine Rotary Club, visit

o7 https://www.nirotary.orgf7 .

* COMMUNITY & CLUBS is published every Saturday in the Daily Pilot.

Send your service club’s meeting information by fax to (949) 660-8667,

e-mail to jdeboom@aol.com or by mail to 2082 S.E. Bristol, Suite 201,

Newport Beach, CA 92660-1740.