The Pitch, June 6, 2012

We finished the San Diego International Wine Competition leftovers. These included an 2010 Echelon California Chardonnay; a 2008 Cumbre Santa Cruz Mountains Pinot Noir (which I liked, in an odd sort of way); a 2009 Barryessa Gap Volo County Malbec (which no one liked); a 2010 Cameron Hughes Russian River Pinot Noir; a non-vintage Stephen & Walker “Patrona” white blend from the Alexander Valley; and 2010 Bel Arbor California Cabernet Sauvignon. That worked out to about half a bottle per person. I hope everyone made it home alright.

Eight or nine members attended the celebration of Jim Roche’s life, where Don Yeckel spoke about what Jim meant to us. Thanks Don. Jim, we miss you.

Bill Irwin reports that he fronted $100 in happy dollars for Rob and Ann Shirley for some unmentioned act of debauchery during their rowdy visit to France. He said that the Goodells will pay him back when they return to Vancouver. The fly in the ointment, however, is that Rob is slated to be kick out of Rotary for abusing his Club Runner privileges, so it remains to be seen whether Bill will ever get his money back.

Returning to business, Jan Coggan, who will be inducted into Rotary next week. Jay spoke about Neurolinx, a non-profit research institute he founded in order to “conduct theoretical, laboratory and clinical neuroscience research within a new framework of open scientific collaboration that will facilitate the development of treatments for neurological diseases.” Jay described Neurolinx in a way that even boneheads like us could understand what he was talking about.