PROMISE YOURSELF Jim Alley, President

Optimist Club of Coronado Pres.08-09 Leslie Crawford

Post Office Box 180251 VPs-Irish Flynn & John Bowen
Stu Powell, Secretary
Coronado, CA 92178-0251 John Freeman, Treas.
February 7, 2008 USNA ’45 Publishers
Calamities are of two kinds: misfortunes to ourselves, and
good fortune to others. Ambrose Bierce (non-optimist) A group that’s too noble for fear
www.sportsfiesta.net
Meetings at 7AM on Thurs at Coronado Yacht Club

Super Tuesday cleared things up for us didn’t it? The longer that I live the more I lean toward a monarchy. That
is more likely than is clearing the country of those who don’t vote like me. Don’t forget to check off that $3
donation on your IRS Form 1040 to give the Presidential class a bit more of your money to flush.

But what a wonderful day to start with lox and bagels, capers, cream cheese, and a touch of onion. All this
bounty was courtesy of Helen and Jerry Thummel. Jerry had also brought a great big fish, a model of a weir,
and a pre-emergent fry counting device. Feed me lox and you can bring anything and talk about anything that
you want at a meeting.

Jerry was our speaker this morning and he was speaking about the ways of salmon and those who look for
them. But more about that later. Jim Cartwright was back from the South Seas and he had a capable team of
Jim Rodgers and Jack Davis tending the gillnets at our weir. We had 47 eaters. As noted the food was great,
but you had to get in line early if you wanted a fork.

Dick Rasmussen was the guest of Bill McClure and he has filled out an application. Recruitment goes on.

Judy Kissell sent a thank you note for our donation to the Everyone a Reader Program. Leslie Crawford, who
does many good deeds, said that Judy’s program could use a few Optimist readers. I am sure that Leslie could
get you in touch with Judy. More thanks came from Christian Esquevin and the Public Library. We donated
funds to subscribe to every magazine that a teen ager could want—no, I guess we didn’t get “Playboy”—but
just about every other one. Joe Petrucci had the lead on this, so if you want to read “Mad Magazine” you can
find it in the teen stacks at the Coronado Public Library and thank Joe.

Have you noticed those little signs around town that announce “A Rotarian Works Here”? How about an
Optimist version—“An Optimist Slept Here, Sat Here, Golfed Here, Shopped Here, etc.” Give me some
suggestions.

Your board of directors sponsored Jeff Couture’s golf tournament to benefit the Girls’ Soccer Team. They will
meet this week on February 12 at the Presidential Cottage. More money to give away.

We sang Happy Birthday twice this morning. It was one of those “can’t keep from singing” mornings. John
Freeman and Joan Gillem were the honorees. And we took special note of Jack Chilton’s thirty-second
anniversary as an Optimist. Harrison Chilton is the only member of our club to run for Congress as far as I
know. The people didn’t choose him, but we did as our president in 1991-92 when he achieved HONOR status.
Of course most remember him as the President who raised the dues to $65. Jack was also the only Optimist to
be run over by 500 bicyclists during the Sports Fiesta. He was trying to get a special action shot with his
Brownie Hawkeye. Thirty-two years! Thank you, Jack, and thanks to Wynn Foster, his sponsor.

Jim Alley told us that the Junior Optimists who met last Saturday at Graham Memorial came from all over San
Diego. Carla Fargo shepherded them all through the meetings, and everyone had a great time. Thanks, Carla.

Jack Couture’s grandkids are his toast of the town. Boys and girls—baseball, lacrosse, soccer, and now water
polo. They do it all. Jack is going to go broke singing their praises. Lance Massey’s daughter is a co-owner of
Tartine Bistro on First Street. Lance says that the restaurant rating service Zaget has given Tartine high praise,
so go on down and eat up.

Jerry Thummel has long roots in Alaska starting with ASW aircraft in the Aleutians. He commanded the NAS as
Adak, and left children to prosper in the fiftieth state. This morning he gave us a fascinating and thorough look
at the salmon fishing industry. If you have ever been on a cruise to Alaska the guides told you all about all the
kinds of salmon—Red or sockeye, Pink or hunky, Dog or Chum, Silver or Coho, and King or Chinook. Jerry
told us all about the life cycle of those tasty fish starting with the eggs and sperm deposited in the gravel. The
story is quite marvelous as the little eggs and fry stay underground or under gravel for 8 months, then hang out
1-2 years at home and then it’s off to sea for 2 to 4 years. Then they go back home to repopulate and die.

The management of this resource is crucial. A key was the declaration in 1976 of a economic resource zone of
two hundred miles off our shores where other folks can transit but not do any economic activity like fish or drill
for oil. The state of Alaska and the local fishing industry takes the management very seriously. As a result the
economy booms and the fish flourish. Two hundred thirty million fish were taken last year. That is 1.6 billion
pounds of fish. Make mine smoked.

Thank you, Jerry, for a great talk and for a great breakfast.

Next week we meet on Valentines Day. Special program and so bring your honey. No need to alert anyone that
you are bringing a friend or partner. The management has made all preps.