Santa Monica Mirror
August 28, 2001
Santa Monica’s Week in Business – Michael Rosenthal
I’ve joined the Rotary Club of Santa Monica. My first meeting was the weekly lunch last Friday. These people are so cool they had me singing “Down by the Old Mill Stream” and “God Bless America” (which always brings a tear to my eye, especially when thinking of the final scene in “The Deer Hunter”). I also pledge allegiance to the flag of the U.S., something I haven’t done in a while and which made me think about what it meant.
When a Santa Monica super citizen like Ed Moosbrugger invites you to a gathering of service-minded locals you go check it out. First of all, they hold their weekly lunches at the Riviera Country Club in the Pacific Palisades, one of the most beautiful golf clubs in the country. After hearing about their membership fees and dues, I felt relatively certain this was going to be my only way to enjoy the locale. Esther Johnson, the first woman Rotarian, was playing the piano when I arrived and the Reverend Clarence J. Davis, Jr. led us in prayer. I sat next to John Lehne, a painting contractor in Santa Monica for much of the 20th century (his son Steve now runs the business, check them out on page 660 of the SM Yellow Pages). One of the speakers was Jack Segal, the founder of K-Surf, who still has his incredible radio voice. Former Santa Monica mayor Nat Trives was there, as was Vince Muselli who seems to be the commercial real estate king of Santa Monica, since his signs are EVERYWHERE. Bob Klein of St. John’s Hospital, Dick Lawrence of Encino Bank and our new Superintendent of Schools, John Deasy, were all there.
I’m already looking forward to the next luncheon.