Happiness is getting your stories published.

Yes, I'm at it again. This story just went out to the press.

Also had a big success today, meeting with the publishers of two area newspapers, both of whom will be making extra efforts to carry our stories in the future. One of them will be attending tomorrow's meeting, and including our women in a special photo for an issue next month.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE “WELCOME TO RB SUNRISE ROTARY. BEEP.” Life is never dull at the Rancho Bernardo Sunrise Rotary club, and members have had a chance to interact with service dogs, bell choirs, fire fighters, and police detectives. And that’s just some of the recent guests. Still, perhaps one of the more interesting visitors was a robot who attended breakfast last week when the Poway High School Robotics Club appeared with Team Spyder #1622. Team Spyder is affiliated with First Robotics, which coordinates all such student programs around the world. Three students were also there demonstrating how some smart kids can take an idea and what some might consider a bunch of spare parts, and turn it all into something from a science fiction novel. “The idea is to take the robot, use it to pick up this inflated pool toy, and drop it on the pylon over there.” explained team member Zack McClure. Teacher Roger Dohm told the club’s story: “Our mission is to inspire young people to be science and technology leaders. We seek to engage them in exciting mentor-based programs that build science, engineering and technology skills, that encourage innovation, and that foster well-rounded life capabilities including self-confidence, communication and leadership.” McClure further explained how the team acquires corporate sponsorships (Spyder wears corporate logos, much as on a NASCAR driver’s uniform). Various schools compete for prizes and bragging rights over what their robot can do. Club president Steve Sayler turned that all into English by observing; “They let high school kids build robots. COOL!” Team Spyder can be reached at rdohm@powayusd.com. More in-depth information about First Robotics is available online at www.usfirst.org. The Rancho Bernardo Sunrise Rotary club can be found online at www.rbsunrise.org. The internet can be reached by using the robot on your desk called a computer.

From left to right – Spyder, Zack McClure, Julie Gattenio and David Peabody prove to the members of the RB Sunrise Rotary that they’re never too old to learn something new.