This Friday, the 13th of December, will be devoted to celebrating the life and times of our beloved chair, the late Jon Rubin. Sac Sem board member Dennis Wheatley will be at the gavel.
Here’s the story of Jon’ public life courtesy of the Metropolitan Transportation Commission. It’s full of details unknown to many Seminarians.
“MTC mourns passing, toasts life of former Chairman Jon Rubin" The Bay Link
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LAST CALL: HOLIDAY GRATUITY FOR STAFF AT PERRY’S. It’s a Sac Sem tradition that members donate a small amount that’s presented to our valued lunch serving staff just before Christmas. The suggested donation this year is $100 per member. A sum a little more or a little less is also appropriate. Mail your check, payable to Sac Sem, to Dennis Wheatley (details below).
2025 Sac Sem Dues: It’s now time to mail in your $200.00 check payable to Sacramento Seminar, Inc. for your annual dues for 2025. Please mail the check to Dennis Wheatley, 72 Heritage Drive, San Rafael, CA 94901. If members have questions, Dennis’ e-mail address is dennis@triticum.com
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NEW SAC SEM CHAIR? Your board of directors will be mulling over suggested possible new chairs until at least the January`10th meeting. Suggestions for our El Supremo are invited. Until then, Chair emeritus Dick Spotswood will serve as acting chair,
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UPCOMING SEMINARS:
Sac Sem’s annual Holiday/Christmas/Hanukkah Lunch is at Noon on Friday, December 20 at Perry’s. Book your spot today by emailing Dennis Wheatley to indicate if you and a guest will attend at dennis@triticum.com . Your editor will have the honor to preside at the festivities in his very temporary role as acting chair.
Sacramento Seminar will be dark, e.g. no meetings, between Friday, December 20 and Friday, January 10.
Mark Sunday, January 5 on your calendar. At 3:00 p.m. at the University Club (Powell & California Streets) for a Memorial/Celebration of Life for our late chair Jon Rubin. It’s not too early to RSVP to Dennis Wheatley at dennis@triticum.com
Bob Powers, the General Manager of BART, will be our speaker on Friday, January 10th. Bob will be introduced by Seminarian Steve Heminger. Bob’s extensive history in the public transit industry is detailed at https://www.bart.gov/about/gm
John W. Busterud will be our speaker on Friday, January 17. John will discuss his time as the Regional Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency during the Trump administration. He was appointed to the Trump administration in 2020. He’s a retired Senior Director and Managing Counsel, Environment and Real Estate, Law Department, Pacific Gas and Electric Company. Mr. Busterud is a retired U.S. Army Colonel with multiple Combined, Joint and Interagency assignments, including active-duty deployments in support of Operations Iraqi Freedom, Enduring Freedom and Combined Forces Command Korea.
Veteran Seminarians will recall that John's father, John A. Busterud, was the last Republican to represent the Haight Ashbury in the California Assembly, served as President of the Commonwealth Club of California and was President of the Committee to Save The Marin Headlands. In 1971, President Nixon appointed John A. Busterud to be the first Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Environmental Quality, and he subsequently served as the Chairman of the President's Council on Environmental Quality under President Jerry Ford. Sac Sem speakers chair Mike Fitzgerald will have the introductory honors.
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FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION: Seminarian Clay Jacksons send from The Atlantic “The End of Democratic Delusions” by George Packer, available from this link at no charge:
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OTHER THOUGTHS: “What the people want is simple. They want an America as good as its promise.” Barbara Jordan
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