| October 9, 2007
No. 2 Vol. 86
This Week’s Program: Kelsi
Oswald Solid Waste to Energy Program
Our speaker today, Kelsi Oswald,
was born in Great Falls, Montana, but grew up in
Wheaton, Maryland, just outside of Washington, D.C. She
graduated from Centre College of Kentucky with a degree
in English. Ms. Oswald began working in the
environmental field as a technical editor for a
consulting firm in 1981, where she was cross-trained
into field work, marketing and regulatory compliance
assessments and reporting.
After moving to Florida in 1986,
she began working for Pinellas County Utilities in the
Industrial Wastewater Pretreatment Program. She
transferred to the Solid Waste Department in 1998.
Ms. Oswald will speak today on
environmental efforts on the part of Pinellas County
Utilities to dispose of solid waste. The mission of PCU
Solid Waste Operations is to provide safe, competitive
and environmentally sound integrated solid waste
services to all citizens of Pinellas County. The
program’s integrated system includes recycling drop-off
centers, yard waste recycling, a household electronics
and chemical collection program, used motor oil
recycling, business recycling programs, a reef
construction program, public outreach programs, a
Waste-to-Energy facility and a sanitary landfill.
Married with two children (12 and
14), Ms. Oswald lives in Trinity. About her job she has
said “I have found garbage to be fascinating, and there
is something new to discover every day.”
Besides her love of and interest
in the environment, she also enjoys amusement parks,
horseback riding, reading and spending time with friends
and family at the beach or by the pool.
Welcome, Ms. Oswald! We appreciate
your keeping Pinellas County safe and beautiful and
that’s not a lot of garbage!
Last Week’s Program: Tom
Woodward, PhD Intelligent Design vs. Evolution
Dr. Tom Woodward spoke to a large
assembly of Kiwanians and their guests about the
controversy surrounding Intelligent Design and the
Theory of Evolution and summarized evidence he says
debunks the latter. Kiwanian business eroded time that
was to have been allocated to our speaker and so he had
to go through a lot of information very quickly. This
and some of the highly scientific examples made
refutation difficult and as only three questions could
be entertained at the conclusion, no debate could take
place. Nevertheless, Dr. Woodward’s knowledge of more
broadly accepted evolutionary theory and the arguments
against it was extensive.
He began with a definition of
Intelligent Design that distinguished it from
Creationism. Creationism, he explained, attempts to fit,
or skew, the facts of science to fit the story found in
Genesis in the Bible. Intelligent Design, he said, does
not take the Bible as its starting assumption, but
reasons that the complexity of DNA and mutations cannot
be attributed to random adaptations to the environment,
but would require an “Intelligent Designer,” i.e. a
deity of some kind to have begun and ‘evolved’ life to
this point. Dr. Woodward pointed to longstanding
examples of proof of evolution like the color changes of
the pepper moth and stated that subsequent testing
showed that the results could not be duplicated. He
pointed to gaps in the fossil record, and in answer to a
question about a theory that typically explains that
“punctuated equilibrium” stated that it had been
debunked by ID scientists.
Dr. Woodward presented a timeline
of scientific theory and books written over the last
100+ years to illustrate the growing numbers of
adherents to ID, but lack of time cut short any
questions. Nevertheless, ID and creationist scientists
remain in the minority, although Dr. Woodward
demonstrated that their numbers are growing.
All in all, the speaker and his
presentation were interesting and provocative, but a
longer discussion or a panel of experts would have made
a better case for his and the more generally accepted
traditional theory of change and have allowed for more
participation by the members and guests present. Because
there are so many arguments on both sides, it is
difficult for the layperson to confirm or dispute the
evidence as set forth.
For more information, a search of
the Web will turn up many proofs of both kinds and a
plethora of books one can read to learn more. A search
on our speaker will lead one to his books, research and
radio show.
Guests And Visitors
A large number of members (61) and
friends (11) attended our luncheon Tuesday to hear the
presentation on Intelligent Design. Our speaker brought
with him colleague Allen Thompson, Bret Jahn
brought Natalie Fernandez, and Kevin Kelso had
two guests, Lauren Puffer and Ann Puffer. Harry Benjamin
visited us from Alabama and Ron Scoggins brought
the Reverend Bobby Musengwa. We hope to see our guests
again!
New President Markus Mittermayr
Oversees First Meeting
President Markus, who did
not begin with a joke, convened his first meeting as
President of our Club. He spoke briefly about his goals
for our Club for the year – to have fun and to increase
membership – and introduced our new Board of Directors
and Committee Chairs (see pages 2 and 11 for complete
list).
He told us about Governor Taylor’s
Midnight Madness Membership Drive to bring in as many
new members as possible by the first day of our new year
(read about our newest member, Ramona Hunter, elsewhere
in this issue). President Markus also said that our
“Project Save A Smile” program and the Jim Fischer
Scholarship Fund should be what our Club is known for as
they are both unique to our Club and help children and
youth in such meaningful ways. He then turned the
meeting over to those with announcements.
Project Save-A-Smile Takes A
Ghoulish Turn
Kathy Condon announced
that, as in past years, Dr. Ron O’Neal and his staff
will provide free teeth cleaning and dental exams on
Saturday, October 27th for the children from
Help A Child and the Salvation Army Sally House.
Children must pre-register and complete medical forms
prior to the event. This year’s event theme is Halloween
and children are encouraged to come in costume. St. Pete
High’s Key Club will provide activities and crafts,
Chick-Fil-A will provide breakfast and lunch and there
will be prizes and give aways during the event. A DJ,
clowns, a bounce house, face painting, a Bucs player and
a K-9 dog will keep children entertained, but your help
is needed. Please come help children with activities and
crafts and to soothe those who become frightened by the
dentist or the costumes! Adults are needed in many
capacities, so call Kathy at 823-6500, ext. 306 or speak
to her at today’s meeting.
Committee Chairs Report and
Recruit
Frank Ranieri informed us
that he will be setting up a master calendar of events
on the website at
www.SPKiwanis.org, so send your Kiwanis-related
event info to him.
Jane Baldwin reported that
over 200 children took part in the Literacy Project
where over 1,000 books were given out. Our Club alone
donated 250 of those. In the past, children were only
able to take home one book each; this year children were
able to enjoy four or five. Let’s continue building on
that success and make sure that every child this year
takes home their own little library of encouragement to
read.
Harvey Ford encouraged all
members to attend at least one InterClub this year. His
12 committee members will each take a month in the
current year and be responsible for informing us of
InterClub opportunities and following up with swift
punishment if we don’t. Just kidding. We will, however,
get a USF sticker to put on our name tags if we’re good
and go to one, like the October 19th Sunshine
City Club meeting at Piccadilly. Gulf Beaches Kiwanis
will host the InterClub meeting in November and the
Pinellas Park Club will host in December. More details
to come.
What’s Happening?
First Member of the Year
Our first member of the new
Kiwanis year, Ramona Hunter, was briefly
introduced at Tuesday’s luncheon. She is our Club’s
one-day-old member, and was sixth newest overall in
District 13. She is looking for your help in filling up
her apron with signatures. Please introduce yourself and
give her your John Henry.
October is Adopt a Shelter Dog
Month
We as Kiwanians do so much to help
children in the world, especially those who have family,
health or educational obstacles to a brighter future.
October reminds us not to forget our faithful companions
who have also found themselves in unhappy circumstances
and cannot give voice to their pain or loneliness,
shelter dogs (and cats, birds, rabbits, hamsters, etc.).
If you’re considering getting a pet, please check out
your local shelters and rescues before going to a
breeder (and never buy dogs from pet stores). A place to
start?
www.Petfinder.com lists thousands of dogs by breed,
size, age and location. Shelter dogs cost less, even for
purebreds and depend on human intervention to prevent
their untimely deaths. Raising children and dogs
together teaches children empathy and responsibility and
prevents later allergies in kids – a proven fact!
Al Muter Scholarship Recipient
Update
Louisa Powell, our 2004 Al Muter
Scholarship Award Winner, wrote our Club’s Vocational
Guidance Committee to update us on her continuing
achievements.
She writes that, at UF, where she
majors in English and has a double minor in Family,
Youth and Communities and in Non-Profit Organizations,
her UF upper division GPA of 3.58 entitled her to
participate in writing for the English Honors Thesis
Program. Upon successful completion of her Honors
Thesis, she will be eligible to graduate in Spring
2008.
Louisa went on to say:
”Upon finishing the 2007 spring semester, I accepted an
offer to work part-time for the Stephen K. Miller Law
Office as a legal assistant. Monday through Friday, I
work morning shifts for the law office and in the
afternoons I work as a volunteer intern for the
Gainesville Child Advocacy Center. In early May, I
enrolled in a UF internship class for course credit
towards my double minors. My double minors in Family,
Youth and Communities and Non-Profit Organizations
require me to participate in a one-semester internship
with a 501c3 Non-Profit Organization. As an intern with
the Child Advocacy Center in Gainesville, I assist in
meeting the needs of abused and neglected children in
our community. I assist in addressing these needs by
working with a community-based, child-focused center
that facilitates a compassionate, multidisciplinary
approach to prevention, identification, investigation,
prosecution and treatment of child abuse.”
“As an aspiring attorney,” Louisa
writes, “I am independently studying for the LSAT exam.
I plan to take the LSAT exam and apply to Law schools
during my 2007 fall semester. During the 2008 spring
semester, I plan to have successfully completed my
English Honors Thesis. I intend to graduate in May of
2008 with the completion of my English major and my
double minors. After finishing law school, I would like
to pursue a career in family and juvenile law. Once I am
established as an attorney, I intend to do legal work
for a Non-Profit Adoption Agency and/or work with my
local Child Advocacy Center. I hope to make a difference
within the legal and foster care system for children
that have been abused and neglected. My own adoption
back in April of 1996 has been my impetus for pursuing a
career in law.”
“Thank You! For your continued
encouragement and financial support. I couldn’t have
made it this far without your prayers and support. I
feel as if it was just yesterday that I entered college
as a freshman and now I am entering my senior year at
the University of Florida for the completion of my BA. I
pray each day that God continues to guide me along this
long and winding path. Within the next year, I have many
important decisions to make about my future, so please
continue to keep me in your prayers. God Bless You
Sponsors!!!”
Sincerely, Louisa
D. Powell
Lest we lose sight of the value of
our work on behalf of scholarships for kids, Louisa’s
letter reminds us that we’re not just funding classes,
we’re changing lives.
TODAY’S QUIZ:
-
Pinellas County residents and businesses discard how
many tons of solid waste each year: a) one million
tons b) 175,000 tons c) 200 tons d) 450 tons?
-
Who was the first American to be awarded the Nobel
Peace Prize? Clue: It was for helping mediate an end
the Russo-Japanese War.
- Do
both male and female elephants have tusks?
-
What is a cluster of bananas called?
LAST WEEK’S QUIZ:
1. Super Bowl Sunday is the
second-largest U.S. food consumption day, following
Thanksgiving.
2. The Establishment Clause of the
First Amendment refers to the first of several
pronouncements in the First Amendment to the United
States Constitution stating that Congress shall make
no law respecting an establishment of religion.
Together with the Free Exercise Clause (“…or prohibiting
the free exercise thereof”), these two
clauses make up what are commonly known as the "religion
clauses" of the First Amendment. The establishment
clause has generally been interpreted to prohibit 1) the
establishment of a national religion by Congress, and 2)
the preference of one religion over another or the
support of a religious idea with no identifiable secular
purpose.
3. According to the
National Association of Homebuilders, the average size
of the American home is now 2200 square feet.
4. Dinosaur remains have been
found on every continent (but none with human
remains riding on the backs of them.)
PRAYER OF THE DAY (prayer for
freedom from suffering)
May all beings
everywhere plagued with sufferings of body and mind
quickly be freed from their illnesses.
May those frightened cease to be afraid,
and may those bound be free.
May the powerless find power,
and may people think of befriending one another.
May those who find themselves in trackless, fearful
wilderness--
the children, the aged, the unprotected – be guarded by
beneficent celestials, and may they swiftly attain
Buddhahood.
For the Buddhist monks,
nuns and all citizens of Myanmar. |
