President of John Muir Health Foundation to speak to Community Club in November

Milton J. Smith, president of the John Muir Health Foundation, will be the Community Club's guest speaker on Tuesday, Nov. 13, at 4 p.m. in Peacock Hall at Gateway. Note the starting time is 4 p.m. Following the meeting, there will be a social hour in the Fireside Room.

The John Muir Medical Center is undertaking extensive expansion and improvement of its Walnut Creek campus. Among the developments will be a 321-bed acute care facility. A vast number of Rossmoor residents already make use of the medical center's areas of specialty, which include trauma, high-and low-risk obstetrics, cardiac care and cancer care.

The Community Club decided that the changes planned by the medical center would be of interest to its membership.

Smith is a well-known speaker in the business community. He is a member of the international board of directors of Healthcare Philanthropy and has accreditation as a fellow. His bachelor's degree is from Boise State and he has a master's degree from Goddard College.

Smith has 31 years of senior level management experience in hospitals, 25 years of fund-raising experience and has served as John Muir Health Foundation president since 1995. Prior to his Muir position, he was executive vice president of the Mercy Foundation in Sacramento.

Rossmoor Rounders

The Rossmoor Rounders, the club's latest activity, has grown in popularity and will meet on Tuesday, Oct. 30, in the Fireside Room at 3 p.m.

Rounders are divided into groups of five to seven discussants, and each group discusses the same topic for about a half-hour. Following the group discussions, there is a general discussion on the conclusions of each group. The November topic is “How Do We Solve the Iraq Problem?”

The Community Club has over 550 members, many of whom are active in other organizations and who enjoy contact with other residents. Application forms are available at Gateway in the Community Club slot. Dues are $15 a manor. Meetings are scheduled monthly except for July and August. There is a holiday brunch in December that is both festive and popular.

Sixty-five vendors will sell handcrafted items at the Fall Bazaar Saturday

Lynn Guy's business card says it all: “I paint just about anything.”

Fall Bazaar vendors

Fall Bazaar 2007 vendors include:

Desserts and more at Friends of Animals booth at Fall Bazaar

Have a sweet tooth? Planning on company over the weekend?

Wood Shop has many new items on sale this year

The Wood Shop at Gateway is the place to begin holiday shopping. New inventory this year includes children's toys, hardwood salt and pepper shakers made on the lathe, hardwood scrapbooks with bolts that can adjust the size and offer several surprises.

Ceramics Club plans silent auction and raffle at Fall Bazaar

In addition to its big fund-raiser sale, the Ceramics Arts Club plans some special activities during the Fall Bazaar on Saturday, Nov. 3, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Sewing Studio will be open during bazaar

Be sure to visit the Sewing Studio at Gateway during the Fall Bazaar on Saturday, Nov. 3. The studio will be open from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.

“Aging in Place” program comes to Rossmoor

Figuring out how to age in and stay at home has become more important than ever for seniors, so B'nai B'rith International (BBI) will bring its national program, “Solving the Aging in Place Puzzle: Innovative Ideas for Independent Living” to Rossmoor on Sunday, Nov. 11.

Board Actions

October GRF Board actions

Candidates sought for Mutual 61 (Heritage Oaks) board

The Ninth-Annual Membership Meeting and Social of Walnut Creek Mutual 61 (Heritage Oaks) will be held on Tuesday, Dec. 18, at 4:30 p.m. in the Vista Room at Hillside Clubhouse.

Centenarian citizen ages to perfection

With a century of wisdom, Edward Baptiste, age 100, gives residents the following tips on successful aging:

Donate to Scholarship Foundation and get a tax break

The Rossmoor Scholarship Foundation has announced its annual fund drive to provide 30 scholarships of $3,000 each to qualified deserving students in this area (see main story on this page). The total foundation budget for scholarships in 2008 is $90,000.

Emergency Preparedness Organization meets Nov. 5 to discuss how to prepare for major disaster

The Rossmoor Resident Emergency Preparedness Organization (RREPO) will meet Monday, Nov. 5, at 9:30 a.m. in the Fireside Room at Gateway.

Fall back

It's time to fall back. Daylight-saving time ends on Sunday, Nov. 4. Before going to bed on Saturday night, set the clocks back one hour.

GRF Board meeting: Board votes for scaled-down version of corporation yard plans

The Golden Rain Board wants to see a revision on the corporation yard master plan that could mean a savings of $1.2 million from the original plan presented in the spring.

GRF in favorable financial condition with revenues higher

The Golden Rain Foundation Statement of Operations for the month of September 2007 shows a favorable variance to budget of $2,000, before depreciation. Revenues were $21,000 higher than budgeted; expenses were over budget by $19,000. All amounts are rounded to the nearest thousand for this report.

Hospice Tree of Lights to be lit in Rossmoor

Hospice of the East Bay invites the community to participate in its 21st annual Tree of Lights ceremonies to be held in 16 cities throughout Contra Costa in November and December.

It's time to grocery shop for Rossmoor Food Drive

Now is the time to do the grocery shopping for Rossmoor's annual Food Drive for the benefit of the Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano. The Food Drive, sponsored by the Rossmoor Interfaith Council, will be held just before Thanksgiving on Monday, Nov. 19, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at several Rossmoor locations.

Kiwanis Club and Interfaith Council offer assistance for financial emergencies

The Kiwanis Club and the Interfaith Council can help in times of financial hardship. The Kiwanis' Challenges of Aging Fund awards monetary grants to Rossmoor residents experiencing financial difficulty. This assistance is provided on a one-time basis, in strict confidence, with no strings attached and no need to repay.

Learn the truth about emergency preparedness at special meeting

Residents may think they know everything about emergency preparedness, but there is more to it than having bottles of water stashed away. An emergency preparedness plan is necessary.

Lifetime Pet Stories

To promote the 2008 Rossmoor Seniors and Pets Lifestyle Celebration Event on Feb. 23, sponsored by the Diabetes Support Group and the Office of Counseling Services, the News will print bi-weekly “Lifetime Pet Stories.” Residents are invited to submit stories about their favorite pets along with a photo.

Meeting Dates

BOARD, MUTUAL AND COMMITTEE

Meet other newcomers at Newcomers meeting

The next Newcomers meeting will be Monday, Nov. 5, at 1:30 p.m. at Dollar Clubhouse.

Monthly Report

Monthly sales report

Mutual 29 Emergency Committee conducts successful emergency drill

Mutual 29 Emergency Committee co-chairs Liz Johnston, Beth Gannon, and Ron Ondrejka organized an emergency drill on Oct. 6 to test CB communications, walkie-talkie sets, first-aid medical responses and a check of Mutual 29 residents' safety.

Mutual 59, Pinnacle Ridge, to hold annual meeting

The board of directors of Walnut Creek Mutual 59 (Pinnacle Ridge) will hold its annual meeting of members on Monday, Nov. 5, at 9:30 a.m. in the Vista Room at Hillside Clubhouse, 3400 Golden Rain Road.

News has an early deadline due to Veterans Day

Due to the Veterans Day holiday on Monday, Nov. 12, the News will have an early deadline for the Nov. 14 issue.

President of John Muir Health Foundation to speak to Community Club in November

Milton J. Smith, president of the John Muir Health Foundation, will be the Community Club's guest speaker on Tuesday, Nov. 13, at 4 p.m. in Peacock Hall at Gateway. Note the starting time is 4 p.m. Following the meeting, there will be a social hour in the Fireside Room.

President's Corner

It looks like Comcast came through

Recycle Column

Results from waste audit: Too many plastic bags in recycle bins

Republican Club to hear from state's GOP vice chairman

After several fruitless efforts, Republican Club President Tom Fryer recently succeeded in extracting a promise from the busy Tom Del Beccaro, vice chairman of the California Republican Party, to appear as the featured speaker at the Wednesday, Nov. 14, dinner meeting in the Fireside Room.

Scholarship Foundation begins annual fund drive

Colorful November marks the month for Rossmoor's unique, super scholarship program to take off running, pursuing the purpose of raising funds to provide 30 scholarships of $3,000 each to deserving local students.

Security Report

The following incidents were reported to Securitas, Rossmoor's security service provider. They appear here as they were initially reported to Securitas. After investigation, details of a case may indicate a lesser or different incident description.

Thanksgiving dinner tickets are available now at the Administration Office at Gateway

Tickets are now available at the Administration Desk at Gateway for the Thanksgiving dinner to be held in the Fireside Room at Gateway on Thursday, Nov. 22, at noon.

Women's Conference focuses on “Aging Artfully”

This year's Women's Conference, sponsored by Counseling Services, focuses on “Aging Artfully” and how senior women can continue to thrive and live fully through art and creativity.