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December 11, 2007 No. 10 Vol. 86
This Week’s Program:
Dr. Ann Steele, Stem Cell Research
Dr. Ann Steele is a Cardiac Stem Cell Scientist at All Children’s
Hospital. She is one of the original scientists who discovered and
isolated a “cardiac stem cell.” Her research program focuses on
accessing these reparative cells within one’s own heart, irrespective of
age, and utilizing them in conjunction with novel and effective
transplantation strategies she has developed to attempt reparative
cellular engineering of damaged cardiac tissue.
Dr.
Steele’s current research efforts will provide the first systematic
evaluation of the atrial appendage as an accessible source from which to
derive cardiac stem cells using explanted, pediatric, human hearts.
Additionally, she will identify microenvironmental factors to optimize
cardiac stem cell expansion while retaining the potential for in vivo
differentiation. The successful outcome of this study will offer
proof-of-concept with implications for clinical translation for
autologous (donor and recipient are the same person) and allogeneic
(donor and recipient are two different people) reparative
transplantation strategies.
Delivery of these stem cells to the damaged heart will take place
through two novel stem cell delivery strategies developed in her
laboratory – one which makes cardiac stem cells immediately available
for use and the other which offers a sustained on-demand supply of
cardiac stem cells.
The list of Dr. Steele’s awards and recognitions is extensive, too long
to include here. Suffice it to say she’s someone who innovates, delivers
and sets her sights on realizing the dream of self-repairing organs. She
says “I undertake this work because I believe that no one should have to
live with a borrowed, burdened or broken heart!”
Welcome, Dr. Steele. We look forward to learning more about your
cutting-edge research.
Last Week’s Program:
Dave McKay – Radio Personality, WQYK
Mitch Cochran
introduced us to his good friend, Dave McKay, country DJ for the
afternoon show on 99.5 WQYK.
Dave lives just five blocks from Orange Blossom and although he walks by
our meeting place frequently, he has never before appeared at one of our
luncheons. He gave Frank Ranieri a hard time for welcoming him back
again on the front cover of the bulletin which made two references to
his return visit to us. The fault lay rather with the editor than
poor Frank for which your editor apologized to Frank and Mr. McKay.
Dave said he is most frequently asked by young people how to get into
radio and his ready answer is “don’t major in Mass Communications; radio
and TV can’t be taught in college.” Instead, lobby the station of your
choice to let you come on in any capacity to observe and learn from the
inside and be prepared to move up when opportunities present themselves.
His first job was at a station in Jamestown, NY in 1980, where he got to
fill in when DJs went on vacation or when they needed someone to run the
soundboard. Eventually, he got the morning show and did stand up comedy
on the side in Buffalo. He took a job in Buffalo and then followed his
boss to Greensboro, TN, going on to Flint, MI and Indianapolis. Dave
moved here in ’92 to Q 105, the first time he’d DJ’d for a country
station. The station changed management and call numbers over time, but
he stayed put and loves living and working in St. Pete.
Dave was taken a little off guard when asked about his former
relationship with Channel 10 anchor Sue Zelenko, but he goodnaturedly
explained that they had lived together for six years when “she threw him
out.” He was complimentary about her and said he still has a
relationship with her kids. Asked about on-air standards, he answered
that because of reactions to Stern and Bubba, the FCC has enforced rules
that require on-air personalities to be more circumspect and stations
are careful to use their seven-second delay technology to dump calls
when callers or the DJs use offensive language. The rulings empowered
the community to understand they can demand standards, but the former
freedom DJs enjoyed is a thing of the past. He said that while it’s hard
to compete with MP3s and satellite radio, what keeps them going is
keeping it local. He develops a relationship with his listeners that
keep them loyal and when a catastrophe like 9/11 takes place, they have
the flexibility to ditch their scheduled programs to bring live
coverage.
Thanks, Dave, for your first visit to us. We’ll be correct in our
welcome the next time you come around!
Guests And Visitors
Last Tuesday brought us 59 members and two guests – Eunice Harris of
the Cambria Heights, NY Club dropped by. So glad you could join us!
What’s Happening?
Christmas Angels
Project
Don’t forget to bring the gift(s) you purchased for the foster kid(s)
you chose to next week’s (Tuesday, December 18th)
meeting. Representatives from the Foster Parents' Association of South
Pinellas will be here with their huge van to pick up the gifts. For many
of these children, this may be the only gift they receive for
Christmas. 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 and she'll do the shopping and wrapping. But do it this
week; time is running out! If you have any questions, please contact Ron
Scoggins (319-5969) or Kathy Condon (823-6500).
And Another
Reminder…Help-A-Child Gift Wrap & Assembly
Our annual gift wrap and toy assembly for Help-A-Child, the organization
for foster parents of children with special medical needs, is nigh. We
made a nice donation to help them purchase gifts, now let’s help wrap
and assemble them this Friday, the 14th at the Fellowship Hall of
First United Methodist Church across the street and through the parking
lot from Orange Blossom. Drop by anytime between 9:00 a.m. and 12:00 noon. Recognition will be given to the person who has
the most leftover 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. Questions? Call
Ron Scoggins (319-5969) or Kathy Condon (823-6500). The
sign-up sheet is making the 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 a few 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.
Oh Tannenbaum!
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.
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:
J. C. Russell
Company and Title:
All American Mortgage Company, President/Owner
Joined Kiwanis because:
I was looking for a community service outlet, having moved to the area
in late 1988.
Your single favorite Kiwanis experience/event:
Thoroughly enjoy awarding college scholarships through the Vocational
Guidance Committee to incredibly deserving high school seniors.
Tell us about your family, including pets.
Married to Carol for 27 years as of December 27th. Daughter,
Rachael, is a junior at Southern Methodist University in
Dallas,
Texas.
Perfect day away from work.
Hanging out with Rachael and Carol.
Best vacation ever.
Trip to
Los Angeles
that included watching
Miami
destroy
Nebraska
in the 2002 Rose Bowl for the National Championship.
Last book read or favorite movie.
Currently reading Jimmy Buffet’s latest novel. Favorite movie is Animal
House.
Sports or art walks.
SPORTS!
Beach or Mountains.
North
Redington
Beach
on a padded chaise lounge under an umbrella. Remember the old Bath
Club?
One thing most people don’t know about you.
I graduated from
Stetson
University
in
Deland,
FL,
not the
University of
Miami.
Quote to live by.
“All things work together for good, to them that love God and are
called, according to His purpose.”
If you were on Kiwanis Survivor, who would you vote off the
island. Tom
Nelson. Have you ever seen just how much he eats?
TODAY’S QUIZ:
1.
Most stem cell research to date has taken place on which of the
following? A. chimpanzee cells B. human embryonic cells C. mouse cells
D. sheep cells.
2.
Did Jesus celebrate Hanukkah?
3.
Another name for Advent is Winter Lent – true or false?
4.
The Ohio River forms at the confluence of which to rivers?
5.
(bonus question) McDonalds and Burger King do what to their fries to
make them turn golden brown?
LAST WEEK’S QUIZ:
1.
WQYK’s call numbers are 99.5. They play country music, one
of the most popular genres of music in the United States.
2.
The elephant,
as a symbol of the US Republican Party,
was born in the
imagination of cartoonist Thomas Nast and first appeared in
Harper's Weekly on November 7, 1874.
3. Crater Lake
is the deepest lake in the United States.
4.
The bubbles in a pint of Guinness beer sink downward because at the
center of the glass, free from the effects of the wall, the bubbles move
upward most quickly and drag liquid with them. But the liquid moving
up in the center of the glass, having nowhere else to go, must
eventually turn towards the walls and start to move downward. The liquid
moving downward near the walls tries to drag down bubbles with it.
Larger bubbles have sufficient buoyancy to resist but smaller bubbles
(less than 0.05 mm) are continuously dragged to the bottom of the glass.
PRAYERS OF THE DAY
Hanukkah Candle-Lighting Prayers
(Traditional Jewish
prayers)
Blessed are you,
Lord our God, King of the Universe, Who sanctified us by his
commandments, and has commanded us to kindle the lights of Hanukkah.
Baruch ata Adonai, Elohenu melech ha-olam asher kideshanu be-mitzvotav,
ve-tzivanu le-hadlik ner shel Hanukah.
Blessed are you, Lord our God, King of the Universe, Who wrought
miracles for our fathers in days of old, at this season.
Baruch ata Adonai, Elohenu melech ha-olam she-asa nisim la-avotenu
ba-yamim ha-hem ba-zeman ha-zeh.
Prayer for Advent
(Traditional Catholic Advent Prayer)
Oh, come, Oh, come,
Emmanuel,
And ransom captive Israel
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appear.
Rejoice! Rejoice!
Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel
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