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December 4, 2007 No. 9 Vol. 86
This Week’s Program: Dave McKay – Radio
Personality
Dave McKay has spent over 22 years
in radio broadcasting from the Midwest, the Northeast and Southeast,
finally landing at WQYK. A friend and former colleague of
Kiwanian-of-the-Day Frank Ranieri, Dave has spoken at our Club in
the past entertaining us with his humor and award show anecdotes and
impressing us with his dedication to community involvement. His career
highlights include his always engaging interviews with country music
stars during broadcasts for Fan Fair, the CMA Awards and the ACM Awards.
One of his most memorable charitable events is the Harley bike ride he
helped put together to raise funds for September 11th
charities. Since its inception in 2001 it has raised over $120,000 for
local firefighters and law enforcement charities.
Dave answers a few of life’s big
questions on his profile page on the WQYK website:
Favorite Pizza Place:
Café Cibo – 4th Street N. in St Pete & Dale Mabry @ Van Dyke….yes, they
do have pizza on their menu
Favorite place to hang out when you are not
working: At home in Downtown St. Pete.
Dirty little secret:
I really didn’t graduate from the Connecticut School of Broadcasting
First concert: Cheap
Trick – Erie, PA 1978
Personal Hero(s):
Wade & Debbie Boggs…white trash with money…I love that about them.
Best meal that you make:
Steak & eggs after a night at Ruth’s Chris
Favorite Tampa Bay restaurant:
Ruth’s Chris
If I weren’t in radio I’d be:
A cab driver or some form of blue collar work…that’s all I ever did
before radio … washed dishes, forestry work, stocked store shelves
Cities where I have hosted radio shows:
Jamestown, NY, Buffalo, NY, Greensboro, NC, Flint, MI, Indianapolis, IN,
Tampa, FL
Welcome back, Dave! We always enjoy your
company.
Last Week’s Program: Sam Rosenwasser,
President and General Manager, WTSP-TV & tampabays10.com
Kiwanian-of-the-Day Frank Ranieri
introduced us to Sam Rosenwasser, President and General Manager of
Channel 10. Sam has held that post at WTSP and tampabays10.com in
Tampa/St. Petersburg, Florida since August 2001. Sam spoke to us about
the big, upcoming changes to television that will happen nation-wide on
February 17, 2009, affecting everyone with a TV. As of that date,
broadcast stations across will stop using analog signals and begin using
digital technology exclusively. He called the switch from analog to
digital the most significant change to TV since color programming
replaced black and white. Sam feels it is important that he speak before
civic and professional groups and anywhere else where people have
exhibited interest, as a recent survey found that 66% of Americans are
unaware of the upcoming changes. Congress mandated this changeover for
every broadcast network. The rationale that Congress has used to drum up
support for this change is that televisions will project better pictures
and sound and allows stations to “multicast,” a term that means that any
station can broadcast several programs at once , giving consumers more
programs to choose from. For instance, Sam explained that this kind of
“splitting” means that the consumer could chose to watch a high school
football game, CBS programming or the weather station all in the same
time slot, on, for instance, Channel 10, 10.1, 10.2, etc. Another reason
is that the change to digital broadcasting is only really new to
Americans. Europe, Canada and other parts of the world are already on
digital programming and the government wants the States to catch up. At
heart, though, the change was mandated because the government wants the
bandwidth to sell to other people and must make up a deficit (see
Deficit Budget Act of 2005).
Before the February 2009 changeover
occurs, consumers have three choices to avoid being stuck with nothing
but static on their TVs.
1) Get paid cable or satellite TV, Dish
Network or telephone/TV service like FIOS.
2) Purchase an HDTV or any TV that has a
digital built in tuner.
3) Purchase a digital converter box, an
option that will probably cost between $50-$75.
The government has put aside millions of
dollars to offer a voucher program to help minimize the cost of the last
option. Each household can apply for and receive a maximum of two
vouchers worth $40 each toward the cost of the converter boxes.
Sam said it is crucial that we all help
spread the word about February 17, 2009 so that no one will be taken by
surprise. For more information, go to
www.DTVanswers.com. And bear in mind, we are only 441 days from the
big changeover! Best Buy and Circuit City, here we come!
Guests And Visitors
We enjoyed the company of 66 members and
four visitors last week. Louis Murphy brought guest Dr. Al
Geiger. Frank Ranieri introduced us to Melissa Thompson and
Wayne McKay brought his wife, the lovely Sharon McKay. Please come
back again. We love guests - we get tired of just the same old faces!
What’s Happening?
Christmas Angels Project
Ron Scoggins says: “It's that time
of year again, time to wade into the crowds, pick something for a
special angel, and hone your wrapping skills. Before and after each
meeting we will have cards with the names of some very needy foster
children, boys and girls age 12 months up to 16 years. All you need to
do is pick a child (or two or three or four), purchase and wrap an
appropriate gift for them, then bring the gift to our Tuesday, December
18th club meeting (please do not bring them earlier - we don't have
space to store them). Representatives from the Foster Parents'
Association of South Pinellas will be there with their huge van to pick
up the gifts.
For many of these children this may be
the only gift they receive for Christmas. It's a fun and rewarding
project. If you (or your significant other) don't feel like fighting
the crowds and fumbling with wrapping, Kathy Condon is offering
her shopping/wrapping services again this year. You provide the gender,
age, and dough, she'll do the shopping and wrapping.”
If you have any questions please contact
Ron Scoggins (319-5969) or Kathy Condon (823-6500).
Help-A-Child Gift Wrap & Assembly
And also from Ron: “Do you enjoy cutting
and taping paper and ribbon? Do you get a thrill out of putting things
together? Do the words "Some Assembly Required" cause you no
anxiety? Yes, it's time again for our annual gift wrap and assembly for
Help-A-Child, the organization for foster parents of children with
special medical needs. We've made a nice donation to help them purchase
the gifts, so now we have to help wrap and assemble them.
Be there at the Fellowship Hall of First
United Methodist Church (you know, the big red brick and white capstone
church next to where we park for our noon meetings) on Friday, December
14, 2007. Drop by anytime between 9:00 a.m. and 12:00 noon. Recognition
will be given to the person who has the most left over parts, but the
gizmo stays in one piece and still works; for the person with the most
paper cuts; and for whomever can assemble a trike and not look
ridiculous riding it.
If you have any questions please contact
Ron Scoggins (319-5969) or Kathy Condon (823-6500). Our sign up
sheet is making its rounds - sign up now and mark your calendar for some
good old fashioned Christmas fun!”
Have Yourselves A Merry Little
Progressive Dinner
Lorin Bridge announced last week
that there are only twelve more spots available for the annual Kiwanis
Holiday Party Progressive Dinner taking place on Sunday, December 16th
at 5:00 p.m. at Harbor Isle. A sign-up sheet is circulating, so don’t
miss out on this great Kiwanis holiday tradition.
I Think That I Shall Never See A Poem
As Lovely As A Tree
Charles Stuart told us that he
just returned from purchasing his Christmas tree from the Sunshine City
Kiwanis Club. “They always have great trees. I have bought mine from
them for at least 10 years.” So other members might support a sister
Club, Charles would like to spread the word about the great Fraser Firs
and Scotch Pines available at 7820 38th Ave North (Just east of the
Anderson-McQueen Funeral Home). The lot is open Mon-Fri 4:30pm to
8:30pm and Sat -Sun 9:00am to 8:30pm. Check it out!
Division 13 Council Meeting
This meeting will take place on December
6th at 6:00 pm at the Seminole Club. Harvey Ford will
let us know today whether this can be counted as an InterClub
opportunity.
Kiwanian of The Week
We’re including a new feature to help
members new and old get to know each other better. A short biographical
“portrait” and a picture of a fellow Kiwanian will appear in each issue
as we receive them.
Name: Grant Wallin
Company and Title: Retired Scout
Executive
Joined Kiwanis because? T. Bruce
McKelvey was one of my Boy Scout Board members and invited me to join.
Your single favorite Kiwanis
experience/event? Working at Camp Soule on a Kiwanis word day.
Tell us about your family, including
pets. My wife Pat is my only pet. I have two sons and two grandsons
who are both in college, one at USF Sarasota and the other at Manatee
Community College.
Perfect day away from work? Every day.
Best vacation ever? A month-long motor
trip going out the northern route to Victoria British Columbia and
coming back the southerly route.
Last book you read or favorite movie?
The Autobiography of Lord Baden-Powell.
Sports or art walks? Spectator sports.
Love college football.
Beach or mountains? No contest it’s the
North Carolina Mountains.
One thing most people don’t know about
you? I have a great interest in genealogy.
Quote to live by? An old man, many years
ago, told me his secret of long-life and it was simply – “Keep
breathing.”
If you were on Kiwanis Survivor, who
would you vote off the island? Click Slocumb.
TODAY’S QUIZ:
1. What are WQYK’s call numbers and what
kind of music does the station specialize in?
2. The elephant, as a symbol of the US
Republican Party, was originated by whom in 1874?
3. Which of the following is the deepest
lake in the United States: Lake Michigan, Lake Superior, Lake
Ponchartrain or Crater Lake?
4. Why do the bubbles in a pint of
Guiness beer sink to the bottom instead of rising to the top like in
other beers?
LAST WEEK’S QUIZ:
1. WTSP was known for many
technological and news firsts in the market, and in some cases, the
nation. In October of 1979, the station acquired "Sky
10," Tampa Bay's first television news helicopter. This stunned the
local news community and showed that Channel 10 was serious about local
news coverage. It was the only local news helicopter to broadcast the
infamous Skyway Bridge disaster on live television in May 1980.
2. President Johnson signed a
bill requiring cigarette makers to print health warnings on all
cigarette packages about the effects of smoking in 1965.
3.
Stalagmites grow upward in caves. One way to remember?
Stalagmites might grow up to touch the stalactites which hold on
tight to the cave ceiling as they grow down to meet the
stalagmites.
4.
The rock music video channel MTV made its debut on August 1, 1981.
PRAYER OF THE DAY
This is another day, O Lord. I know not
what it will bring forth, but make me ready, Lord, for whatever it may
be. If I am to stand up, help me to stand bravely. If I am to sit still,
help me to sit quietly. If I am to lie low, help me to do it patiently.
And, if I am to do nothing, let me do it gallantly. Make these words
more than words, and my spirit unbroken. Amen.
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