An Aussie arrival in Costa Mesa

JIM DE BOOM

A big welcome to the sixth delegation of Aussie educators from Costa

Mesa’s sister city down under -- Wyndham!

Sarah Serong and Janine Sutton from Werribee Secondary College

(grades 7-12) in Wyndham, Victoria, Australia, arrived on Monday and

will be hosted in the homes of Estancia High School staff members.

The Costa Mesa Sister City Assn. also welcomed its first student

delegates! Rhiannon Gudde and Joel Anderson arrived on Tuesday, also

from Werribee Secondary College and will be hosted during their

three-week stay by Estancia students and their families.

According to Sue Smith, Sister City co-chairperson, each group

will follow a separate schedule until its departure on Jan. 25, but

the groups did come together on Thursday for a potluck dinner to meet

past delegates from Costa Mesa, Sister City supporters and school

district and city officials. In the coming weeks, the Aussie

delegates will attend city council and school board meetings, where

they will be welcomed and introduced.

This program, which expands the educational component of the

sister city agreement, is supported by a joint proclamation between

the City of Costa Mesa and the Newport-Mesa Unified School District.

The Costa Mesa Sister City committee is organizing a trip to visit

Wyndham in July. Students, teachers and parents who would like to

meet this year’s delegation from Australia or learn more about the

Sister City trip should call Sue Smith at (714) 349-9555, or Dave

Brees at (714) 865-5809.

TSUNAMI RELIEF

Newport Beach Sunrise Rotary Club President Fay Bosler announced

at Tuesday’s meeting that member Chuck Hirsch has a Rotarian contact,

Gamni Zoyas of Mount Lavinia, with whom he has been communicating by

e-mail to find out how our club, and perhaps our district, might be

of help through a Rotary Club in Sri Lanka.

Bosler noted that the Rotary was mentioned by the Sri Lanka Daily

News on Jan. 2. The story said, “Sri Lanka suffered its darkest hour

yet, when it was struck by the tsunami, which wrecked havoc right

across the country leaving a trail of devastation, destruction and

despair in its wake. Rotary is deeply committed to do its utmost to

assist all those who were affected by this horrendous tragedy. The

Rotary Disaster Task Force is working closely with Rotary Clubs

throughout the country and other agencies to ensure that a cohesive

and comprehensive program of relief is provide to ALL affected areas.

As we herald the dawn of a New Year we pray that this will also be

the dawn of New Hope for all those affected by this tragedy. Rotary

fervently appeals to all citizens of Sri Lanka to rally round in true

Sri Lankan spirit and help to rebuild our beloved country and put

back the smiles on the faces of our genteel people. Your help in any

form will be greatly accepted.”

The Rotary task force is coordinating the relief work with

Rotarians there. Every three days, they meet and update the data. At

present they are creating new refugee camps by vacating the school

buildings so that schools can reopen. They then distribute a “utility

pack,” providing the basic living supplies as most of the families

leave the refugee camps. They are creating safe drinking water

facilities by providing “aqua boxes,” which they received from

Australia.

Long term, they want to get involved in “building committees,”

counseling and re-building damaged schools. They definitely need

funds.

A discussion was held at Tuesday’s meeting on how the Sunrise

Rotary, as a club, could help. Club member Roy Woolsey borrowed a pen

and wrote a check right them. More than $600 was collected from club

members for tsunami relief at the meeting, Bosler reported.

BE GREAT TODAY

In November, I spent a couple of weeks in Minnesota, visiting my

brother LeRoy, who first was in the hospital and then moved to a

residential assisted living center. Driving between his home and

either of the two facilities, I listened to a number of local

Minneapolis radio stations, including one talk show where the radio

personality would say goodbye to the callers by telling them, “be

great today.”

At first that seemed odd, but as I thought about it, the more I

liked: “Be great today.” Don’t just be average or have a good day.

Have a great day by being great today with your family, at work,

school, house of worship and in the community. It is a matter of

attitude.

WORTH REPEATING

From the Thought for Today, provided by Greg Kelley of the Newport

Mesa Irvine Interfaith Council: “Whatever you are, be a good one.”

--

ABRAHAM LINCOLN

SERVICE CLUB MEETINGS THIS WEEK

TUESDAY

7:30 a.m.: The 48-member Newport Beach Sunrise Rotary Club will

meet at the Sea Scout Base on PCH to hear Lane Calvert and Maria

McGee discuss “The Workability Program.” (www.newportbeach

sunriserotary.org).

6 p.m.: The Costa Mesa Newport Harbor Lions Club will meets at the

Costa Mesa Golf and Country Club. (www.cmnhlions.com/)

WEDNESDAY

7:30 a.m.: The Newport Harbor Kiwanis Club will meet at the

University Athletic Club.

Noon the Exchange Club of the Orange Coast will meet at the Bahia

Corinthian Yacht Club to hear Mike Sherman speak on the topic of “You

are what you eat.”

6 p.m.: The 50-member Rotary Club of Newport-Balboa will meet at

the Bahia Corinthian Yacht Club for an update on Rotary Relief

efforts for tsunami refugees. (www.newportbalboa.org)

THURSDAY

7 a.m.: The 20-plus member Costa Mesa-Orange Coast Breakfast Lions

Club will meet at Mimi’s Cafe. (www.cmoclions.org)

Noon: The 50-member Costa Mesa Kiwanis Club will meet at the

Holiday Inn. (www.kiwanis.org/

club/costamesa); The 100-member Rotary Club of Newport Irvine

meets at the Radisson Hotel for a program by Dr. Carl Catman.

(www.nirotary.org); The 85-member Exchange Club of Newport Harbor

meets at the Nautical Museum (www.nhexchangeclub.com).

* COMMUNITY & CLUBS is published Saturdays in the Daily Pilot.

Send your service club’s meeting information by fax to (714) 921-8655

or by e-mail to jdeboom@aol.com.