Rotary Club of Greater Van Nuys
www.greatervannuysrotary.orgService Above Self
Meeting at 94th Aero Squadron
Thursdays, 12:10 p.m.
16320 Raymer St., Van Nuys, CA 91406 /September 13, 2012
Flag Salute: Jim Tenner
Invocation: Ed Viramontes
Attending Members: Barbara Pampalone, Jim Tenner, Judy Coates, Ken Worthen, Leo O’Biecunas, Mauricio Aranda, Marie Valencia, Renée D'Auria, Pete Satuloff, Guy Mangia, Don Fetherolf, Ed Viramontes, Rich Miller, Raul Castillo, Zoraida Suarez, PDG Les Grossman, Ron Wolf, Roz Kogler, Tom Harris, Robin Kellogg; Beth Ullman
Guests: Jan Goforth; Elaine Bern; Paul Korb, a former NSFV Rotary club president, and defense attorney Ira Salzman, our speaker
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Club Friends Update
Many of you will remember fondly Edward Powell, husband of Katherine Powell, who works in Rich Miller’s office. Rich asked that we keep both of them in our prayers – Edward is in very grave condition following a lengthy surgery a few days ago. We hope he recovers soon, and that we can introduce this delightful gentleman to the members of our recently expanded club.
Paul Korb let us know that Norm Wesler died recently. There will be a memorial service to honor him in November. For more information, please contact Paul, email: .
Bingo
Rich announced a bingo planning meeting for Monday at 5:30 p.m., at his office. Among other items, electronic advertising options will be discussed – please attend if you can! He also has tickets for our October 10 game – please take a few and sell them to family and friends! Checks should be made out to Rotary Bingo Project.
LA Valley College Jazz
Raul shared with us that LA Valley College is having a free concert September 19, featuring the Steve Armour Jazz Quintet. It will be from 1:00 – 2:00 p.m. in the Music Instrumental Room (M112). For more information, visit www.lavc.edu/music/lavc-music-calendar.htm.
Can You Help?
Robin learned that the Hope of the Valley Mission is in need of clean socks, underwear and suitcases for their
homeless daily shower guests. Marie added that razors and razor blades are also needed – “they’re like gold.” If you can help provide some of these essentials, please contact Jonathan Leeper at 818-392-0020, or by email to . Items can also be delivered to the First Presbyterian Church in Northridge, 10400 Zelzah Ave. (between Devonshire and Chatsworth). Their phone number is 818-360-1831.
Space Shuttle Endeavor
Jan let us know that Diana has been busy working on bringing the Space Shuttle Endeavor to Los Angeles – and it arrives next Thursday! It will do four fly-bys of the area when it arrives around noon.
Business Sponsorship Opportunity
Rich reported we will soon see lots of horses around the Valley, harking back to our community’s origins. “The San Fernando Valley may soon dip into its equestrian past and trot out hundreds of horses across the Valley,” according to The Daily News. "’We're looking at 200 to 250 horses all over the Valley,’ said project founder Scott Sterling of the Public Art Initiative for the Museum of the San Fernando Valley. 'At every single corporate headquarters, Burbank airport (and the) Van Nuys civic center. The purpose is to bring culture and art back to the San Fernando Valley.’
“The ‘Horses Across the Valley’ promoters hope to acquire corporate sponsors and individual donors to raise between $2 million and $3 million for the museum, which is seeking a permanent home. Proceeds will also be shared with the San Fernando Valley Arts Council, Valley Arts Alliance, and local horse-based charities.
“Like ‘A Community of Angels,’ which planted angels across the city a decade ago, the museum's Public Art Initiative hopes to acquire sponsors, commission the artists, then ultimately auction off the horses. If all goes well, the horses will debut in a Spring 2013 gala, appear in a moving ‘Horses on Parade’ down Ventura Boulevard.”
The Daily News
District News and Club Activities
Jim reminded us that our new district has almost 60 clubs, and lots of activities going on every week. To stay abreast of all the events and projects, he recommends checking the weekly announcements on the district website: www.rotary5280.org. You can also join him at the October 2 District Breakfast, to be held at the Westin Hotel at LAX – at 6:00 a.m.
Reminders
We need a new club logo, both for our bulletin and our new flag. If you have a great idea of what that should look like, please bring a sketch to a meeting or give it to a board member. There may even be a prize in it for you.
The October 27 RI Foundation fundraiser is a masquerade ball, with auctions. Tickets are $125 each, but the club will contribute $25/member or $50/couple to encourage every one to attend. Let Jim know if you are going – we may end up buying a table or two. Robin has the opportunity drawing tickets – you could win $500, $1,500 or $3,000! Those tickets are just $10.
Speaker: Ira Salzman, Esq.
Ira Salzman is a life-long resident of the Valley (though he got his bachelor’s degree in northern California, he returned south for his law degree) and defense attorney, who counts many in law enforcement among his clientele. He has successfully defended police officers who might have seemed certain to be convicted based upon videos taken of incidents, including Stacey Koon, one of the four accused of over-reacting and beating Rodney King.
Ira reminded us of several recent videoed incidents involving the police, such as one last month that earned the officer’s captain a reprimand and for which the officer is awaiting trial. He said people don’t often understand, unless they watch an entire trial or are on the jury, how some of the officers can be acquitted. Even then-president George H.W. Bush commented that he couldn’t understand the not-guilty verdicts in the King case. Ira shared with us how videos can be misleading.
We live in a video age – everyone seems to have a camera or phone with camera at the ready – but only the briefest of clips of what is recorded shows up on the news. Worse, those short clips are played over and over. Ira asked us to think about how we feel when seeing a movie for the first time: we are often in suspense, not certain what will come next, just as police officers are when trying to make an arrest. They don’t know if it will end peacefully, or in bloodshed. When we see a movie a second time, the suspense is gone; we know what’s going to happen. The same is true when watching a video taken of an incident, and we know what to look for. Officers on the scene have no such luxury – they can’t pause, rewind or replay action happening in real time.
Ira Salzman and Jim Tenner.
The principle defense he uses for accused officers is based on that truth. Officers don’t know the future when incidents are in progress. Another is often equally compelling: videographers literally have a different perspective than officers. They are not in the same position so they can’t have the same vantage point. Besides being farther away, their angle of view often doesn’t permit them to see much of what’s going on. In one video it appeared two officers were doing a “fist bump” after arresting a woman. Another film of the same event was much clearer, and showed what actually happened was one officer handed the other the woman’s driver’s license. A very different image.
Ira noted that lawsuits involving videos aren’t limited to the police – anyone could be the subject of someone else’s video, and legal action. He also reminded us videos lack other senses – definitely the physical feel (how hard was that blow?), smells, and sometimes even sound. Most important, usually people only start taping after they notice something happening.
Those critical seconds before a video starts can be crucial to understanding what was really going on. For example, in the Rodney King case he had been tased twice and got up even after going down the second time, before filming started, which the person filming testified to. He should have been immobile, but was on the attack when the video started and then caught officers hitting him with a billy club. That additional information is what got the officers acquitted in all three trials. Fox broadcast the entire trial and then took a poll of viewers, 70+% of whom predicted acquittals. Getting all the information makes a big difference.
Rich asked if videos are ever edited by the persons taping them. Ira said there seems to be at least one such case in evidence right now, in a trial where he’s defending the accused. At the moment tape experts disagree, but hopefully more study will show the video was taped over the first two minutes, leading to a wrong conclusion about what evidence was gathered and by whom.
Ira Salzman is a highly-rated attorney whose office is in Pasadena. He can be reached at 626-578-0043.
Opportunity Drawing
Congratulations to Zoraida, who won half of this week’s $90 pot. Correction: Last week Emanuel won half of the $80 pot, for a total of $40, not half a $40 pot.
Notable Quotables:
“The world is in greater peril from those who tolerate or encourage evil than from those who actually commit it.” Albert Einstein, physicist, Nobel laureate (1879-1955)
“The art of being wise is the art of knowing what to overlook.” William James, psychologist and philosopher (1842-1910)
Plato is quoted as saying “Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.” Author James M. Barrie, of Peter Pan fame, said “Be kinder than necessary.”
Meeting Information for Nearby Clubs
Calabasas, Tuesdays, 12:15 p.m.
Wolf Creek Restaurant
26787 Agoura Rd.
Calabasas, CA 91302
Granada Hills, Thursdays at 12:10 p.m.
Porter Valley Country Club
19216 Singing Hills Dr
Northridge, CA 91326-1716
Greater San Fernando Valley E-Club, Mondays at 12:00 p.m., Online 24/7, http://www.rotaryeclubgreatersfv.org
Northridge/Chatsworth, Tuesdays at 12:00 p.m.
The Olive Garden
19724 Nordhoff Pl.
Chatsworth, CA 91311
Studio City-Sherman Oaks, Tuesdays at 12:10 p.m.
Sportsmen’s Lodge Hotel
12825 Ventura Blvd., Vista Room
Studio City, CA 91604
Tarzana Encino, Tuesdays at 6:00 p.m.
John O’Groats
16120 Ventura Blvd.
Encino, CA 91436
West San Fernando Valley, Thursdays at 7:15 a.m.
Coco’s
21844 Victory Blvd.
Woodland Hills, CA 91367
Woodland Hills, Wednesdays at noon
Woodland Hills Country Club
21150 Dumetz Rd.
Woodland Hills, CA 91364
Beth Ullman
17426 Napa St.
Northridge, CA 91325
Just for Laughs…