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October 23, 2007 No. 4 Vol. 86
This Week’s Program: The Florida Holocaust Museum
Tour by Carolyn Bass
One of the largest
Holocaust museums in the country, the Florida Holocaust Museum is the
result of St. Petersburg businessman and philanthropist, Walter P.
Loebenberg’s remarkable journey and vision. He escaped Nazi Germany in
1939 and served in the United States Army during WWII. Together with a
group of local businessmen and community leaders, the concept of a
living memorial to those who suffered and perished was conceived.
In 1992, the Museum
rented a space on the grounds of the Jewish Community Center of Pinellas
County in Madeira Beach. With only one staff member and a small group of
dedicated volunteers, it quickly surpassed all expectations. Within the
first month, over 24,000 visitors came to see Anne Frank in the World,
the Center’s inaugural exhibit. The next five years drew more than
125,000 visitors. Thousands more participated in lectures, seminars and
commemorative events at the Center, which now reached directly into
schools in eight counties with study guides, teacher training, and
presentations by Center staff and holocaust survivors.
As the Center expanded its programs and
collections, the Board of Directors approved the purchase of a 27,000
square foot building in downtown St. Petersburg. It opened in 1998 and
drew over 65,000 visitors in its first year. In 1999, the Museum
officially changed its name to the Florida Holocaust Museum. Its mission
is “to honor the memory of millions of innocent men, women, and
children who suffered or died in the Holocaust. The Museum is dedicated
to teaching members of all races and cultures to recognize the inherent
worth and dignity of human life in order to prevent future genocides.”
Now through
December 23rd, the Museum hosts a photographic exhibition
called “Anne Frank: A History For Today” which is on loan from the Anne
Frank Center USA.
Our docent today will be Carolyn Bass. She has
been a docent for ten years and is a founding member of the Docent
Council. Carolyn has also been on the Museum’s Board of Trustees,
Executive Committee, and Education Committee, and is currently its
Director of Operations.
Last Week’s Program: Attorney Dave Abbey – PIP
(Personal Injury Protection)
David J. Abbey, a long-time fellow Kiwanian,
started Abbey, Adams, Byelick, Kiernan, Mueller, Marone & Samis, L.L.P.
in 1982. Since 1979, Dave Abbey's primary practice has been representing
insurance companies, their insureds, and other parties in civil
litigation. His expertise in this area enabled him to give our Club a
clear, informative and enjoyable presentation on a dry subject –
Personal Injury Protection. Dave was introduced by Bob Byelick, about
whom Dave was most complimentary, stating that there was no better
partner than Bob.
Many misconceptions are held by the public about
PIP. People mistakenly think that having “no fault” means they cannot be
sued. Not true! Rather, it means a required payment of up to $10,000
will be paid, allocated as follows: PIP coverage will pay up to 80% of
reasonable medical costs, 60% of “loss of use” expenses and 5% death
coverage. It has not covered property damage for about 30 years.
Dave showed statistics from the 2005 Florida
Traffic Crash Summary. In 2005 alone there were 3,533 fatalities and
233,930 injuries, proving that a lot of people are affected and expense
incurred when accidents happen.
It was in the ‘70s that Florida adopted “no fault
coverage” (Dave explained he was using no fault and PIP
interchangeably). The intention was to eliminate the need for litigation
because most economic damages would be satisfied without determining
fault. The arguable result is that fault is still an issue beyond the
$10,000 paid by PIP, and the $10,000 provided a trough for questionable
treatment and/or fraud. Fraud occurred as deliberate auto accidents to
file claims, billing for treatment that never occurred, overbilling and
the like. Adopting PIP created PIP litigation and encouraged treatment
to establish a threshold for injuries.
PIP was mandatory until the beginning of this
month, when the legislature made it optional October 1 – December 31,
2007. (In January, PIP will be reinstated with minor changes intended to
address the abuses of it.) Now the question is whether or not to
continue to carry PIP in the interim. Anyone who buys PIP uses that
coverage for themselves, other household members, their car’s occupants
and any pedestrians. Dave recommends carrying as much coverage as you
can afford of all kinds (comprehensive, collision, property damage and
so forth), including PIP.
For more in-depth information about PIP, Dave
Abbey can refer you to resources. Thanks, Dave, for making this complex
issue readily understandable.
Guests And Visitors
The 49 of us who attended Tuesday were joined by
ten visitors. The Sunshine City Club held their InterClub with us, so we
were graced with the presence of Imogene Cordova, Fred Kenfield, George
Wilsey, Jack Olson, Henry TenBrink, Ray Watson, and Sally Ragsdale. Lynn
Webb joined us from the Gulf Beaches Club. Stan Shaver brought
his daughter, Sally Rood and Dave Abbey hosted his wife, Margaret
Abbey, and John Lord from his office. Thanks for coming, all!
Directories Are Out!
The 2007-2008 Membership Rosters are available on
the sign-in table. Look up new members and old friends and use the
contact info to ask someone to lunch!
What’s Happening?
Bring Your Ghoulish Grin This Saturday To
Project Save A Smile
As in past years, Dr. Ron O’Neal and his staff
will provide free teeth cleaning and dental exams this 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 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.
Join Eddie Lee in the Fight Against Cancer
Gulf Beaches representative Lynn Webb announced
tomorrow’s Relay For Life 2008 Beaches Kick Off meeting at the City of
St. Pete Beach Community Center at 7701 Boca Ciega Drive. Organized by
Eddie Lee and Carol Reynolds of the Gulf Beaches Kiwanis Club, the
kick-off is an opportunity to learn how you can get involved with an
amazing community celebration to fight cancer by forming a team,
participating in survivor activities and honoring loved ones during a
Ceremony of Hope. The Relay For Life will be held March 28-29, 2008 at
Egan Field. For more information, call Lynn at 812-7008.
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?
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!
TODAY’S QUIZ:
- Only one foreign country has a capital city
named after American president James Monroe. What is the name of the
country and its capital?
- The first seeing-eye dog was presented to a
blind person in what year? A. 1919 B. 1945 C. 1938 D.
1956
- Over 2,500 left-handed people are killed each
year from using what?
- The name of what popular dance means “to rub
navels together?”
LAST WEEK’S QUIZ:
- After Noah Webster's death in 1843, the
rights to the dictionary were purchased by
brothers George and Charles Merriam.
The new company, Merriam-Webster, and its successors
continued the work with many subsequent revisions.
- In the United States, proof is a measure
equivalent to twice the percentage of alcohol by volume; that
is, an 80-proof liquor is 40 percent alcohol by volume.
- The flag of the Philippines is the
only flag that is flown differently during times of peace or war. A
portion of the flag is blue, while the other is red. The blue
portion is flown on top in time of peace and the red portion is
flown in wartime.
- St. Petersburg businessman and
philanthropist, Walter Loebenberg and his wife, Edie, founded the
Tampa Bay Holocaust Memorial Museum and Educational Center in
1992. In 1999 it was renamed Florida Holocaust Museum by the board
of directors.
PRAYER OF THE DAY
(Holocaust Prayer for Children)
Almighty God, full of Mercy, remember the
generation of Jewish children that were reared for slaughter. Remember
the multitudes of children, who in their short lives never experienced
joy, knowing only hunger, deprivation and fear. Almighty God, open our
hearts to the plight of the deprived and hungry children of today. By
helping them, we shall keep the
memory of the perished alive. Amen.
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