Lynwood Rotary Meeting Update 02.02.2017
At the February 2, 2017 meeting, members and guests met to meet and listen to the speaker, Ms. Courtney Habegger, contract employee for the sign board company, Bulletin Displays, LLC.
Rotary Events:
Before the speaker's presentation, President Ramon mentioned again that the next District 5280 Breakfast will be Tuesday, February 28, at the usual location, which is the Westin Hotel on Century Blvd. near LAX. The event begins at 7:30 am and ends at 8:45 am. The speaker will be Angela Peres Paraja, who was Ms. America for 2001. Ramon noted that he and Daniel are going for sure, and Club Secretary, Maria Quinonez, may also RSVP. Next week Ramon noted that we need a firm commitment from members to attend. With Advance RSVP, the cost to the club is less per attendee. A carpool will be organized and leave from Lynwood City Hall at 6:30 am.
Daniel and Ramon discussed whether the Lynwood Rotary Club should have a table at the Saturday, March 4 event from 10am to 3pm, at the historic Lynwood Depot, which will house The Lynwood Union Gallery and office. It was decided that the club will have a table. Daniel and Barbara Battle will staff the table, and Ramon said he will be able to come for two hours around noon. Daniel encouraged more club members to volunteer, since additional club members at the table makes a good impression for all the participants in this community event.
Speaker Presentation: Courtney Habegger.
Club member Daniel, in his introduction of Ms. Courtney, explained that one of his volunteer activities for LA Metro is to inspect several times a month the Long Beach Blvd. Green Line Station and submit a report to Metro management, as to station cleanliness, graffiti, etc. Several months ago, he observed Ms. Courtney unload equipment from her truck and then install a ladder and then climb up to do repairs on the sign board located on the south side of the Long Beach Blvd. Park-ride lot. He took photos of this and mounted them on a collage that was framed. He presented this to Courtney, with extra copies for Courtney.
Courtney explained that she met a gentleman in the last year who worked for a company that services sign boards. After she expressed an interest in the work, he started to show her the procedures, including all the safety equipment that is required. So she accompanied him step by step as to the work procedures, to include, following him up the ladder(s) to the platform of the signs. She described the equipment that includes a safety harness, so that should the worker slip and fall, the safety harness would catch and person, thus avoiding any injury.
Although her parents were divorced, with her father and an uncle, she gained a lot of experience in doing manual labor. This included equipment repairs, since her family operates a construction company. Her experience includes doing repairs for cars and motorcycles. She attended Cal Poly Pomona majoring in engineering, but then switched to agronomy and graduated in 2012. She was involved in the management of a 20 acre farm, to help with family finances.
In answer to questions from Daniel, Courtney mentioned that she lives in Long Beach and also volunteers for Faith Orthodox Presbyterian Church in Long Beach. Daniel also asked if anyone ever comments that in her sign board work it is unusual to see a women doing this work. Courtney replied no. Rotary member Victor Gomez, an employee of Call Bulletin sign company, and the person from whom she receives her assignments, replied that now it is a “new world” and people are accustomed to seeing women do work that used to be done only by men.
Daniel Miller / Omar Franco / Rowland Becerra –
Public Relations and Community Outreach for the Lynwood Rotary Club