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January 29, 2008 No. 15
Vol. 86
This Week’s Program:
Goliath J. Davis, III
Deputy Mayor, City of St. Petersburg, Midtown Development
Goliath J. Davis, III joined the city in
1973. After a career in public safety that included his tenure as police
chief from 1997 to 2001, he currently serves as the deputy mayor,
Midtown economic development, overseeing the city's and community's
efforts to revitalize a 5.5 mile area of central and south St.
Petersburg.
Davis holds a bachelor's degree in
behavioral science from Rollins College, a master's degree in criminal
justice from the University of South Florida, and a Ph.D. in criminology
from Florida State University. He is a graduate of Harvard University's
John F. Kennedy School of Government, and is also an adjunct professor
of criminology at USF. He is the recipient of the Tampa Bay Ethics Award
from the University of Tampa Center for Ethics, Rollins College Alumni
Achievement Award in Law Enforcement, the USF Pinellas County
Distinguished Alumni Award and the Boy Scouts of America Distinguished
Citizen Award.
Deputy Mayor Davis knows how to get things
done. Maybe that’s why they call him “Go!” Welcome back to our Club –
we look forward to hearing what’s changing in St. Pete (for good or bad)
from your perspective.
Last Week’s
Program: Pamela Borres, Founder of SPOT USA, Inc.
Pamela Borres, a flight
attendant for Continental Airlines and the founder of SPOT – Stop Pet
Overpopulation Together, spoke to us last Tuesday about the reality of
pet overpopulation and the resulting tragedy of euthanasia in animal
shelters. She presented convincing arguments for reducing the costs of
local shelters by spending less to fund neuter and spay clinics.
Pam told us that 80,000
animals are surrendered to shelters in Tampa Bay every year, many by
well-meaning people who think that their animals will be adopted.
Tragically, only one in four of them are adopted into new homes; the
remaining 60,000 are euthanized, no matter how young, cute, healthy and
well-behaved they are. With 45 cats and 15 dogs available for every
person born, there will never be enough homes for all if we don’t stop
the breeding cycle. Pam explained that neuter and spay clinics are less
expensive to run (about $150,000) than shelters (which cost $20 million
to operate) and that they can stem the tide of overpopulation that leads
to deaths on such a massive scale. SPOT is raising money to open a
neuter and spay clinic in Pinellas County which Pam says could solve the
problem here in five years. She works with a number of vets who donate
or discount their services to make neuter and spay operations accessible
to moderate and low-income families, although Pam says no financial
questions are asked. She wants the clinic’s services to be available to
all and the focus to be on the animals. Click Slocum offered his
services which drew a round of applause.
Things to remember
include: always neuter and spay your pets. Several health problems can
be avoided by in males and females if fixed at a young age.
Neutered/spayed animals live an average of six years longer and exhibit
fewer behavior problems, which also results in fewer animals given away
to shelters. Explore alternatives to surrender by getting
obedience/behavior training for your dog(s) and consider fostering the
kind of dog you think you want for an animal rescue group (no-kill
alternatives to shelters) to see if you really are prepared for the
commitment a family pet requires. Adopt from shelters, rescues and
private owners. Never buy from pet stores and refrain if possible from
buying from breeders. Finally, if you must surrender an animal, search
for rescue groups (Pam’s website lists some; others can be found on
www.petfinder.com) or list your pet on
www.tampa.craigslist.org and take the time to screen potential
adopters. The animals for whom you make a home depend on you to secure
their futures. Help SPOT open a neuter/spay clinic by donating or
volunteering. For more information, to volunteer or to make a donation,
visit
www.SPOTusa.org or contact Pamela at 727-545-3463 or by email at
SPOTusa2006@msn.com.
Guests and Visitors
We were pleased to meet
Jeff Francis’ father Earl Francis. 47 members were present
Tuesday. We are always happy to meet your family members, co-workers and
business contacts, so please invite someone to an upcoming meeting soon.
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: Mark Shames
Company and Title:
State of Florida, Circuit Judge
Joined Kiwanis
because? I promised my old friend, Jim Fischer, I would.
Your single favorite
Kiwanis experience/event? The Jim Fischer Birthday Bash
Perfect day away from
work? Fishing in Tampa Bay
Best vacation ever?
Italy
Favorite movie? The
Godfather
Sports or art walks?
Sports
Beach or mountains? Six
months each!
One thing most people
don’t know about you? My college degree is in Religion
Quote to live by?
“Life’s uncertain, eat dessert first”
If you were on Kiwanis
Survivor, who would you vote off the island?
(Judge Shames didn’t
answer this question, we assume because he thought voting anyone off the
Kiwanis island would be cruel and unusual punishment.)
What’s Happening?
Correction to
Special Olympics Call For Kiwanis Volunteers
In last week’s issue of
the Kiwanian, the call for volunteers for the Special Olympics event at
Lakewood High School listed the date as Saturday, March 7. Pat
Biscotti informed us that the date we published is incorrect. The
correct date is Saturday, March 1st from 8:30 to 3:30.
Please sign up to help out and confirm the date and time with Cynthia
Mulligan or Pat Biscotti.
The REEL Story
Behind The Making Of Gone With The Wind
The Social Committee is
organizing a Valentine’s Day Social dinner and drinks, followed by
Moonlight & Magnolias at American Stage. Come see David O.
Selznick’s peanuts-and-bananas plan to get a script and a director to
save the biggest movie of all time! It’s full of laughs and a hysterical
(or is that historical?) re-enactment by three men of the scenes that
made us love Scarlet and Rhett. A sign-up sheet will circulate at
today’s meeting. Normally $30 per ticket, Todd Olson will
discount American Stage tickets by 20% for the February 14th
performance if we can get at least 12 couples to attend. Cynthia
McGowan promises Valentine treats and coffee at intermission.
InterClub
Opportunity
Susan Doll is
organizing an InterClub meeting at Midtown Kiwanis (SPYC) on
Wednesday, January 30th at 7:30 am. Kiwanians are
encouraged to attend at least one InterClub meeting during the fiscal
year. Meet new friends and experience Kiwanis through another Club’s
programs. You’ll get a sticker for your Kiwanis badge and maybe some
great new friends! Please note the time change.
TODAY’S QUIZ:
1. Oprah Winfrey
was born on this day in what year? A. 1954 B. 1958 C. 1965 D. 1949
2. Who named the city
of St. Petersburg and what was the inspiration for the name?
3. What is the largest
island in the world?
4. Today is National
Puzzle Day. What newspaper was the first to run a crossword puzzle?
Bonus question: What company made the first jigsaw puzzles for adults
around 1900?
LAST WEEK’S
QUIZ:
1. Morris the Cat
was discovered in an animal shelter in New England.
2.
Only 55% of all Americans know that the sun
is a star.
3. The average
person's hair will grow approximately 590 inches in a lifetime.
4. It is true
that Martin Luther King, Jr. visited India to study Mohandas
Gandhi's philosophy of nonviolence.
PRAYER OF THE DAY
Dear God, thank you for
my life on this earth, however challenging or not.
Thank you for giving me free will to love and be loved, to make my own
decisions, to learn from my mistakes, to laugh when I am happy, to cry
when I am sad.
Thank you for my family, my friends, my pets, my colleagues, and for
every other living creature I meet along my journey.
Thank you for giving me strength to overcome adversity, to do what's
right for the benefit of the greater good, to rise above negativity.
Thank you for giving me hope for an end to world suffering, pain, and
war, for a beginning of a world filled with light and everlasting love.
Amen.
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