Newsletter - Archive  Apr 1, 2010

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 Rotary Club of Villa Park Newsletter

Happy Passover & Easter

Contracts 101 by our own Lisa Stepanski

Happy Holidays and here's hoping your family is having a happy and healthy Passover and Easter Sunday celebration.    Today's meeting opened with an invocation by Jay Applebaum, Pledge of Allegiance by Millie Alexander and Teri Brooks led us in "God Bless America".    Eric Sense filled in for Greg Mills, who is off skiing, in leading us in the Rotary Four Way Test.

Guests:

Marion Spainhower- Bob Bell's Sister

Pat Buttress -from the Orange Club

Bobby Stepanski- helping his mom with AV duties

Gus Asaad- 2nd visit from Cedar's Restaurant

Announcements:

Bob Meyer heard that our overseas troops have no detergent to wash their clothes. He has purchased 40 cases of detergent from Ralph's and estimates the cost of purchase and shipping will be $1500.  He has raised $750 from other rotary clubs and is still $750 short. Our club members responded by donating $620 at this morning's meeting.  Bob will need 5 members to help him at Ralph's at 9AM on Friday  morning.

Linda Bartrom-Olsen announced a meeting of the Vocational Committee that will occur sometimes next week.  She will email her committee members with time and place.

John Broussard read a thank you letter to our club from the Ronald McDonald House thanking our club for providing dinners for the families staying at that facility.

Bob Bell, Pam Dunn and several other members will be selling tickets to our Harlem Ambassador'

Basketball Game this Saturday Morning at Ralph's Market beginning at 8AM.

Bob Bell announced that Ken Cottle's son had been killed by an IED while serving with the Marines in Afghanistan.  He has been on the LAPD SWAT TEAM and serving with the Marines for 20+ years.  He was recently married, his wife is currently serving in the US Navy and the couple has a nine month old daughter.  No date has been set for the memorial service as yet.  Both Pam Dunn and Bob have visited with Ken. Our club is sending flowers along with our sincere  condolences

Paul Hudson needs some help caring for the trees at our tree nursery.  Contact Paul if you can help.

Anniversary:

Steven & Lorretta Pollack - will celebrate with dinner at Ambrosia

Fine:  Jim Brodsky received a fine from Eric Sense for being on time to today's meeting and upsetting the space time continuum.

Happy Bucks:

Millie Alexander - noted that this month's Rotarian Magazine mentioned Bob Meyer and his Operation A Bit of Home Progam.

Bill Baker- noted the our visitor Pat Buttresswas named to  the Orange County Boy Scout's Board of Directors and joins him and Greg Mills on that Board.

Milt Stamos's granddaughter celebrated her 5th birthday.

Jim Brodsky had a hot rock massage by the masseuse at his office and feels relaxed

Bob Belland his sister Marian attended Spring Training and saw some great baseball games between the Angels, White Sox and Giants.

Raffle- George Poulos drew a Queen- total in pool $509

Speaker: Lisa Stepanski Attorney

Lisa was assisted by her son Bobby who helped her with the Powerpoint Presentation.

     Lisa  we learned has lived in Villa Park for 10 years.  She grew up in a small town Martinsville, Indiana,  which she described as a white middle-class republican community where most people graduated high school and got a job or joined the military.  Her mom and dad were the first in their families to go to college and supported each other in those efforts.  Her mom worked as a teacher and part-time cashier, her dad began Dental School when Lisa was 12 and finished when she was 16. While assisting him with a dental surgery Lisa passed out and her dad suggested she forget about medicine and go into law.  She credits her parents with instilling her with a strong work ethic .

She went on to attend college at Pepperdine University in Malibu and then law school at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C.  She learned to love the diversity she encountered while at Georgetown.  After graduating Law school Lisa returned to California to work for a large law firm and practiced Civil Law. She left the firm 71/2  years ago to open her own office with 2 other lawyers and loves the flexibility it gives her. Her office is located in Santa Ana and her specialty is Real Estate, Construction and Business Litigation.

     Her talk today was about the process of litigation.  She discussed the importance of reading your contracts.  Topics included: Indemnity Agreements, Mediation Agreements, Arbitration Agreements, Integration Clauses and Attorney's Fees Provisions. This is some tricky stuff to navigate without a legal expert and can wind up costing you big bucks.  Take Home Message: make sure you read your contracts thoroughly or have them reviewed by someone with legal expertise before signing them!!!