St. James Park: The social and economic conditions surrounding the 1933 Brooke Hart kidnapping

Talk Description:  The Brooke Hart kidnapping occurred against a backdrop of both the Great Depression and the end of Prohibition. The economic desperation, especially in the cannery industry, led to unionization struggles and illegal bootlegging fostered a cultural of defiance and violence leading to erosion of public trust in the legal system. The kidnapping fueled a mob mentality that led to the lynching and subsequent denial of prosecution. Still questions remain. 

Bio:  John Doll is a third-generation San Josean who earned economics degrees from UC Santa Cruz (B.A.) and UW Madison (M.S). He worked in downtown redevelopment in San Jose, military base conversion in Alameda, and waterfront development in San Francisco before writing St. James Park. The novel earned praise from Kirkus Reviews for its cinematic style and won the 2026 IPPY Gold Medal Award for West-Pacific Fiction.

Want to prepay your lunch and not have to remember to place your order for the rest of the year?

Well friends, for $900 you'll have that benefit. Please note that you will not receive credit for any missed meals, but, as long as you opt in before the end of September, you'll be getting a discount over the weekly rate. 

This offer only applies to the regular Wednesday lunches; funds cannot be used for the BBQ, Holiday Lunch, etc. 

If interested, email Bookkeeper Lisa Reigel - Lisar@sjrotary.org 

Follow the Penguin: Help Build Peace
Rotarians Bill Baron, Kimberly and Michael Mulcahy, and Ron Zraick joined philanthropist Diane Brandenburg on August 19th to launch the public campaign to raise the final $200,000 needed for the $1.5M project.

A penguin represents Antarctica in the 18' monument but is an NHL rival of our Sharks, so Sharkie stopped by for a bit of hazing.

The penguin will be visiting various venues in San Jose, including the Gordon House (now) and the 9/19 Rotary Collaborative Impact Summit at the McEnery Convention Center, to raise awareness of this peace-promoting project. 

Click here to contribute to the campaign to build peace.

Marie will be moving from 30 hours/week to 40 on September 1, while continuing to work from home on Fridays. Her schedule will be 7:30 am to 4:00 pm Mon-Th, and 7 am to 1 pm on Fridays.

Leslee will be shifting to a Monday–Thursday schedule on Sept. 1, and the Gordon House will be closed on Fridays. 

Lisa will continue to work from 1:00–3:30 pm on Mondays and 9 am to 3 pm Tuesday–Thursday.

President Tim Gill called the 5,536^th meeting of the club to order at 12:14. This was after the International Service Committee handled greeting line duties and after the monthly wine reception. A statue of a Peace Penguin, related to the Seeds of Peace Project, greeted members in the lobby.

Sponsored by David Cohen

Nichole Edraos is a San José-based insurance professional and community builder. A licensed insurance producer, she is with Barnard & Associates, an established, second-generation Independent & Farmers Insurance brokerage on Stokes & Bascom, where she works with local business owners — from multifamily property owners to contractors, HOAs, and mortgage and real estate professionals — to navigate complex insurance decisions with clarity and care. She brings a relationship-first approach honed through years of marketing and operations, and prior work as Deputy Chief of Staff for San José City Councilmember Dev Davis.
While we can't predict the future, we can still protect it — and that belief drives two service ventures Nichole pursues in concert with her insurance work. “Love, Secured” provides life insurance so your care for the people and causes you love never has to stop. Her second venture, “Love, Secured: The Care Table” is a business networking group that convenes and vets trusted elder-care professionals and connects families through referrals, safeguarding your elder's future so you're freed to be a son, a daughter, or a spouse again — not a case manager. Both endeavors grew out of her own experience of caregiving for her husband, Jim Augustus, while managing a demanding career, and her belief that families need and deserve trusted eldercare guides to secure what matters most. 
A graduate of Vassar College with a degree in Science, Technology & Society, Nichole is an active member and founder of her neighborhood association, and serves on the Membership Committee of the San José Chamber of Commerce. She's recently rediscovered the joy of swimming. Nichole is thrilled to be part of the Rotary Club of San José and looks forward to getting to know fellow members.
 

Sponsored by Mark Lazzarini

Dan Lazzarini is a San Jose native and grew up in a 19th century Victorian home near Japantown that his parents Mark and Jeanne Lazzarini completely renovated.  Mark is a long time rotary member and contributor and Jeanne is a fellow red-badger! Dan is very excited to share many new Rotary experiences with his mom and dad.
 
Dan graduated high school in 2004 from Bellarmine College Prep (Go bells!) and completed a Bachelor's and Masters of Architectural Engineering at Cal Poly SLO in 2009.  Dan is currently an Associate at Biggs Cardosa, a local structural engineering design firm with a rich history of projects in San Jose.  Dan leads a building design team as engineer of record for the successful completion of many local projects including high density housing, tech, education, and civil projects.  Seeing projects through to completion is of course rewarding but Dan thrives most on building strong relationships with clients and fellow design consultants in this community.  His kids are surely tired of him pointing out his various projects on all their drives around town.
 
Dan is married to his wife Jennifer and they recently celebrated their 16 year wedding anniversary.  Dan and Jenn have two children, Claire (13) and Connor (12) who keep them active with club volleyball, club soccer, Scouting America, and numerous other hobbies!
 
When he is not attending his kids' sporting events or campouts, Dan loves to play golf and pursue rainbow trout with a fly rod.
 
Dan is thrilled to be a part of this wonderful organization built on service and community.