MAY 2009 www.sirinc.org Branch 175 Vol. 15, Issue 5

As the suspense was building for his name to be called, each April barnyard birthday attendee was attentive and giving his full attention to hear his name should it be drawn. A very happy Sir Terry Cooney heard his name called and thus became the winner of the free birthday lunch ticket. Our April speaker, Ms Becky Mello, certainly held every-one’s attention with her presentation on identity theft. Yes, it can happen to anyone. Becky was appreciative to be our speaker, as I received a telephone call from her soon after arriving home, thanking SIR for inviting her to speak. A few days later, I received a thank you card. Pat and I are already on our second paper shredder, while preparing for our move later this summer. Why do we keep so much STUFF (Some Things Under Foot Forever)? Our May lunch speaker will be Mr. William Dietzel (Retired Chief Master Sgt., United States Air Force, and Veterans Magazine Publisher/Editor). Mr. Dietzel has a dynamic and most colorful presentation for us. (see story on page 4) It’s already time to be looking forward to next year’s officers and directors for our SIR Sierra Branch #175. It does take many players behind the scenes to keep everything running smoothly. Your cooperation is appreciated.

2009 MEMBERSHIP ROSTERS not picked up after the May

lunch may “go away”

11:45 AM Menu: Beef or Fish 10:30 BOARD MEETING

Wow, 98 degrees in April! What’s in store for this summer? We have lived with the good ole hot sum-mer all our lives. Some love it and others….just live it. The up side is the abundance of fresh fruits and veggies and the availability of a ton of nature’s play-grounds. Nothing can take the place of a cool spot on a river or lake and some BBQ chicken and a cool brew..eh? I’ll take Fresno every time. Don’t forget to flush your car radiator and add water to your wind-shield washer before starting on a trip...water has a way of evaporating in the heat. Can you believe we are only four months away from the start of football in late August? May brings out the big red sweet onions (love’m). Try this for a great salad: slice a red sweet onion (big enough to pick up slices with a fork), slice a large tomato (or two), add dried oregano and basil, mix generously with olive oil and wine vinegar, add garlic salt, and eat. Hang on to your taste buds. Don’t forget to buy a paper shredder! Becky Mello (Ladies’ Day Guest Speaker) did a great job of alerting us to the dangers that are causing us much heartache. Another great job by our Little Sir. Our May lunch promises to be just as entertaining. Don’t miss it.

MAY EDITION of SIR HAPPENINGS is now available on the SIR Website: http://sirinc.org/sirhappenings/index.htm

Sierra SIR Echo Pg 2

We love our ladies. It was wonderful having you with us.

Wonderful Company

Great Food

Fun Conversation

Sierra SIR Echo Pg 3

Membership Chairman, Sir Dean Clark, welcomes SIR Branch 175’s newest members at the April Lunch: (from left to right) Sir Russell Lowry (sponsored by Sir Bill Almeida), Sir Dean Clark, and Sir William Weber (sponsored by Sir Gene Pawlick). Russ was the owner of Freedom Ford and wants to travel. William (Bill) is a retired Optometrist and wants to play golf. Welcome aboard……..and cock-a-doddle-do!

MEMBERSHIP Sir Dean Clark

It’s Proud to be a SIR day, again. That means, if you wear all your SIR symbols you have a better chance to win a free lunch! Everyone, please join in because I love to hand out those FREE tickets!! John Broske will be saying cock-a-doddle-do from now on as he joins our barnyard this month. John was the program director for KMJ Radio. Sir Andy Provost is his sponsor. John is looking forward to playing golf, traveling, and more reading. All you SIR out there need to talk up all the plusses we offer to your friends so we can keep growing and growing. My wife has the answer for controlling the safety of my wallet from identity theft—she is not going to let me carry one. She says since I don’t carry a phone, why have a wallet. Life is simple. ____________________________________________

Ms Becky Mello, Guest Speaker at the April Ladies’ Day Lunch being presented SIR Award of Appreciation by Little Sir Wayne Locher. Becky, Certified Identity Theft Risk Management Specialist, opened our eyes with her presentation on identity theft and ways to protect ourselves as best as possible: get a shredder and use it, don’t leave mail in the mail box any longer than necessary, to name just a few ways to protect ourselves.

Sir George Weber (left) the big winner of what is affectionately known as the 50/50 drawing, during Ladies’ Day Lunch in April. George won $50. Also in the picture, Sir Bob Bakman (center) and Big Sir Bill Almeida. Congratulations George.

Sir Bob Edwards (left) winner of the Free Lunch drawing during the April Ladies’ Day Lunch. Also pictured is Sir Bob Bakman (center) and Sir Bill Almeida, Big Sir. Enjoy your free lunch, Bob.

Sierra SIR Echo Pg 4

BOWLING Sir Merle Knapp

SIR WINNERS FOR APRIL April 3 SIR Branch Hi Series Bob Jones (630) #179 Hi Game LeRoy Foote (261) #159 April 10 Hi Series LeRoy Foote (641) #159 Hi Game Jim Whitmer (240) #159 April 17 Hi Series LeRoy Foote (683) #159 Hi Game Allen Barton (238) #159 April 24 Hi Series Allen Barton (683) #159 Hi Game James Noriega (223) #159 ___________________________________________

April’s Party Bridge was canceled. Sir Bud and Doris Rayburn will host the next Party Bridge on May 13. SIR Branch #175 Couples Marathon Bridge is continuing. Be sure to send your scores to Sir Frank and Jean Hunting. An ALL SIR MEN’S BRIDGE GROUP plays at the Sierra Bowling Alley every first, third and fifth Friday of the month. Come join us…..no reservations required! ______________________________________________

SUNSHINE Sir Don Luft

Sir Howard Buckenberger - has been ill Sir Bob Edwards - has been ill Sir Jack Brase - has been ill (wife:Rosalie, also been ill) Sir Walt Varellas - been having foot problems Sir Ron Sittner - has been ill (wife:Marge broke her ankle

BOOKCLUB (Sir Tim Finley, Chairman/Leader) The Bookclub did not meet in April, but will resume at it’s usual time (9:30AM) and place (Planet Java) May 28. ______________________________________________

William E. Dietzel Veterans Magazine Publisher/Editor Chief MSGT, USAF, Ret.

You won’t want to miss Mr. William (Bill) Dietzel’s presentation at our May Lunch. He’s an outstanding speaker. You may remember Bill from several years ago when he spoke to us about moving a B-29 “Flying For-tress” from China Lake to the Central Valley…..fascinating story! At our May lunch, Bill will discuss a couple of subjects currently near and dear to his heart: Honor Flight and the new Veteran’s T.V. Network. Honor Flight is a program to fly, “free,” as many Veterans as possible to D.C. to see their W.W.II Memorial (we’re losing approximately 1,000 of these heroes daily). Veteran’s T.V. Network is the first Veteran’s T.V. channel on the West Coast to be broadcast-ing from Fresno (Bill created the program and will con-tinue to write and produce it). How appropriate could our guest speaker be consider-ing Memorial Day coming up?

BRIDGE Sir Frank Hunting

GOLF Sir Ron McClain

Sierra SIR Echo Pg 5

TRAVEL Sir Richard Beers

Bill Barbis Tony Ducas Ed Gabb Frank Hunting Merle Knapp Al Mar Jerry Stoltenberg Walt Varellas Bud Pope Hardy Wagner Gerry Young

Some of us know Sir Jerry as our “what are ya gonna have for lunch” caller. Some know Jerry as the one who brought Sir Charlie Pepper and Sir Stan Nappe into SIR. Some remember January 2006 when Jerry become a proud new SIR, sponsored by Sir Richard Beers. Jerry grew up on a farm east of Fresno as an only child and later, after graduating from Clovis High, he and his wife Shirley made farming a career for 38 years on the West Side. They have 4 grown children and 8 grandchil-dren. Later, for 10 years, he worked for a farm equipment rental company covering a territory from Fresno to Chico. Jerry and Shirley enjoy playing tennis and snow skiing. They spend as much time as possible enjoying their cabin at Shaver Lake. He loves to read. “Something most people don’t know about me is that I’m currently restoring a 1933 Ford 1/2 Ton Pick-up truck which I picked up several years ago in horrible condition for 60 bucks.” He first became interested in it when he saw a picture in a 1956 edition of Hot Rod Magazine. _______________________________________________

What a great day we had at Madera Golf Course on April 28th. We had fifty (50) golfers play a four man scramble on a gorgeous day. There was only a six stroke difference between first and last place. The partial results are as follows: Net Score Players (Br.#175 Players in bold) 40 P. Baker, B. Dickson, F. Fowler, F. Bruening 41 R. Grigsby, G. Young, R. Pistaccio, J. Taylor 41 H. Householder, G. Smith, T. Costa, H. Yick 42 D. Ensminger, S. Nappe, M. Nishida, T.Boosalis 43 T. Fox, A. Provost, D. Adams, J Howell 43 G. Rodriguez, C. Pepper, J Doherty, F. Ketcham Our most recent outing was a 9 AM shotgun start at River Creek in Oakhurst on May 12 (results not available at press time) Sir Ray Born, chairman. We play next at Riverside, May 28, with an 8 AM shotgun. Call Sir Charlie Pepper (433-0646). Come on out and have some fun with us. __________________________________________

BIRTHDAYS Sir Richard Scheidt

Sir Jerry Stoltenberg

Trains Across New England. September 26-October 3 Cost: $2,720 double occu-pancy, $3,330 single. Deposit $400. Final payment due July 9. Contact: SIR 175’s Richard Beers, 431-3728 Washington D.C. October 7-13 Cost: $2,495 double occupancy, $3,175 single. Deposit 250. Final payment due July 24. Contact: SIR 179’s Doug Hansen, 222-0497

Sir Terry Cooney won the April Birthday drawing for a free lunch.

SIR Branch #175 Jerry Long, Editor 9260 N. Green Meadows Lane Fresno, CA 93720

SIR BRANCH # 175 2009 OFFICERS Big SIR William Almeida 226-4485 Little SIR Wayne Locher 434-1991 Treasurer Andre Provost 439-3295 Asst. Teas Harry Karle 439-4235 Secretary Merle Knapp 439-3658 Asst. Scty Don Livingstone 713- 1655 2008 DIRECTORS Grant Radford 2009 436-1947 Les Saywell 2009 434-4580 Robert Cleveland 2010 435-5773 Jerry Long 2010 287-4023 Tim Finley 2011 299-5210 Richard Grigsby 2011 439-8540 ACTIVITIES Book Club Tim Finley 299-5210 Bowling Merle Knapp 439-3658 Bridge Frank Hunting 435-5164 Golf Ron McClain 292-1919 Travel Richard Beers 431-3728 BARN-YARD ACTIVITIES Attendance Dean Clark 439-8455 Bulletin Editor Jerry Long 287-4023 Chaplain Database Ed Richard Scheidt 435-2536 Hardware Historian Merle Knapp 439-3658 Librarian J.L. Morrison 226-4673 Membership Dean Clark 439-8455 Photographer Tim Finley 299-5210 Program Wayne Locher 434-1991 Ray Born 438-5804 Howard Jones 299-5410 Gerry Young 447-1136 Special Events Ray Born 438-5804 Sunshine Don Luft 323-7989 Telephone Ray Born 438-5804

SONS IN RETIREMENT STATE OFFICERS

President David Reiser (408) 268-2148 Vice President Floyd Kendrick (650) 948-7470 Secretary Gary Gruber (530) 541-858) Treasurer Robert Mannell (408) 264-7121 Director, Region 8 David Reynolds (559) 323-5868 Governor, Area 29 John Levis (559) 433-1740

Non-Responsibility Declaration All travel events and other activities sponsored by Sons in Retirement, Incorporated, or its Branches are for the convenience and pleasure of the members and their guests who desire to participate. Sons in Retirement, Incorporated, and its Branches, do not assume any re-sponsibility for the well being or safety of the participants or passengers, or their property or any damages whatso-ever, in any manner pertaining to said travel activities. Where the travel literature is prepared by a travel agency, the following words shall be added to the above wording: “Any other ‘disclosures’ or non-responsibility provisions contained herein shall not in any way incur any liability attaching to Sons in Retirement, Incorporated, or any Branch thereof.”

“Sir Happenings” is the State Bulletin: www.sirinc.org