11/25/08

Today's Program: Rev. Louis M. Murphy, Sr. Senior Pastor Mount Zion Progressive Missionary Baptist Church

Rev. Louis M. Murphy has dedicated his pastoral career to kingdom building, inside and outside the walls of Mt Zion Progressive Missionary Baptist, where he was installed as Pastor in May 1999. Louis Murphy entered the ministry with a life-long track record in secular leadership. A one-time Drum Major for the world famous Florida A&M Marching 100, previous Student Government representative, former non-commissioned Marine Corps officer and 4-year District Executive for the West Central Florida Council of Boy Scouts of America, Rev. Murphy brought his passion for community service to Mt Zion.

Rev. Murphy’s unwavering focus on effective community change has positioned Mt Zion on the leading edge of economic and spiritual renewal in the City’s poorest areas. He became a founding Board Member of Urban Development Solutions in 2001, when he and four others seeded a $100,000 loan for the development of Tangerine Plaza, a 47,000 square foot shopping center that opened in 2005 as the first private investment in Midtown in 30 years. In 2004, he Co-Chaired the Power On! Campaign which was credited with helping to produce a record black voter turnout in South St. Petersburg. In 2006, he joined other faith leaders in the Calling the Men Home initiative which has since assembled 4,000 men in an effort to galvanize renewed leadership of their families, churches and communities. That same year, he led a 1,000-person rally calling for collective action against the violence that claimed the lives of 80 youth since 2005 on the streets of South St. Petersburg.

Rev. Murphy is an Executive Board Member with Boy Scouts of America West Central Florida, a Board Member with the Pinellas County Urban League, YMCA of Greater St. Petersburg, former Vice President of the St. Petersburg Kiwanis Club, and a 2001 graduate of Leadership St. Petersburg. His work has been honored with the Distinguished Citizen of the Year Award by the Boy Scouts, the NAACP President’s Award, the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Citizen of the Year Award, the St. Petersburg Bar Association Liberty Bell Award, and the WTBN Radio Ministry Recognition Award. He is a featured columnist with the St. Petersburg Times, a weekly guest on WRXB AM 1590 Gospel, has appeared on TV and radio talk shows including, WMNF’s Radio Activity, WTMP’s Jettie Wild Show, and Fox 13 News, and was featured on the cover of The Power Broker magazine in 2006.

Rev. Murphy is a native of Florida educated in the school system of DeLand, Florida. He continued his studies at Florida A & M University, University of Central Florida and Chaminade University, receiving a BS in Business

Administration while serving in the United States Marine Corps and stationed in Hawaii. Rev. Murphy has two children, Chiriga, a 2006 graduate of the University of Central Florida, and Louis, Jr. now a Senior at the University of Florida, where he played wide receiver for the 2007 BCS National Champion Team; and one grandson, Jair.

Project Save-A-Smile
By Cyndi Mulligan

On November 15th, for the fourth year in a row, Dr. Ron O’Neal hosted the annual Project Save-A-Smile at his St. Petersburg office. Dr. O’Neal and his entire team provided digital x-rays, oral exams, sealants, cleaning and the placing of dental restorations. Sullivan Schein’s Kirk Yauger supplied the dental products for the event, which provides dental treatment to 25 children that have been identified as needy by several community foster children’s organizations.

While waiting for their treatment, the children had an opportunity to play with clowns, get their faces painted and jump around on an inflatable bouncy slide and moonwalk provided by A Funny Business and Sweet Pea the Clown. B.A.C.A (Bikers Against Child Abuse) were on hand with their motorcycles and give temporary tattoos. The Florida Aquarium provided a hands-on experience with critters and creatures. Breakfast and lunch was provided for all of the children, parents and volunteers by Chick-fil-A, Publix, GFS, Al’s Mobile Welding, and Butler’s Barbecue. Each child, parent and volunteer received a 2008 Project Save a Smile t-shirt designed and produced by Big Fish Co. Signs & Designs. Venturi Productions Ed and Cher Stillo kept the fun going with their great selection of tunes for everyone to line dance. Haircuts were offered by Elaine Fitzgerald of Practically Frivolous. The St. Petersburg Police Department Canine Unit provided an entertaining and interesting demonstration.

Other contributors included Wallace Welch & Willingham, Frame Factory, ACME Air Conditioning, St. Pete Moving & Storage, Orange Blossom Catering, Southern Exteriors Landscaping and Cornerstone Community Bank. Additional volunteer help was provided by the Saint Petersburg Kiwanis, USF St Pete CKI Club, St. Pete High Key Club and Shorecrest Prep Key Club.

The following Kiwanians (and their family) very graciously provided support to this year's Project Save-A-Smile for a total of approximately 250 service hours:

Harry Eisnaugle, Bob Piplitz (and son, Joey), Biff Baker, Jane Baldwin (and daughter), Mark Shames, Lorin Bridge (and wife Patty), Al Karnavicius, Hunter Booth, Steve Cunningham, Doug Lampe, Pat Biscotti, Craig Shore, Jim Turner, Candice Nyarkoh, Ron Braun, Markus Mittermayer, Ron O'Neal (and wife Blair, daughter Sterling, son Khalid, sister-in-law Whitney, mother-in-law Jan), Kathy Condon, Cynthia Mulligan (and daughter Reilly), Maryann Lynch.

Cindy Mulligan is coordinating a group effort of Kiwanis volunteers and the USF CKI club to build a playground at Child’s Park, St. Petersburg. Mark your calendars for Saturday, December 6^th, and watch for the signup sheet at your table.

On Friday December 12, 2008 Kiwanis volunteers will wrap and assemble Christmas presents for the Help a Child Christmas Party scheduled Saturday December 13, 2008. Bring your own tools or wrapping paper, ribbon, scissors and tape. We will be working in the First United Methodist Fellowship Hall from 9AM until the last present is assembled or wrapped. Bobbi Gilgosh has extended a personal invitation to all to come to the Christmas party and watch the children open their presents Saturday morning starting at 9AM. A sign up sheet will be coming around soon so spend a few hours on Friday with us and spread the joy of the season to some medically challenged foster kids.

Thank you, Kathy Condon & Ron Scoggins, and for your yearly promotion of this endeavor.

The Kiwanis Club of St. Pete has committed to buy Christmas gifts for 100 foster children for the Pinellas County Foster Parents Assn. Many of these children will not receive any gifts if we don’t help. Please pick up several Christmas Angels starting Tuesday November 25, 2008 and your wrapped presents should be returned to the Orange Blossom on Tuesday December 16, 2008. Several Elves in the Club have agreed to provide a personal shopper service for those of who do not like to shop but still want to help. If you pick out a child’s name and finance the trip we will purchase and wrap your gift. The personal shopper service offer expires on December 9, 2008, so pick up your names early.

Thank you, Kathy Condon and Ron Scoggins, for your coordination with this project

Do you feel you have an incessant ringing in your head during Christmas shopping trips? Now is your chance to ring your own bell and volunteer for the Salvation Army Kettle Drive at the Publix in Northeast Shopping Center, 4^th Street and 38^th Avenue North on Saturday December 18^th. JC Russell is in charge of volunteers so please help him and sign up for this worthwhile cause. Also, donations can be made directly to JC or Steve Cunningham.

Kiwanian of the day, Bob Byelick, introduced Brian Lawton, general manager (GM) of the Tampa Bay Lightning.

By sheer coincidence, Brian entertained us following the most tumultuous week of his Lightning tenure. Last Friday, Brian dismissed Barry Melrose, coach of the Lightning and a fixture in the National Hockey League (NHL). Frustrated by a lack of offense (last in the NHL in goals scored) and doubts that the team was headed the right direction, Brian made the controversial move to fire Melrose. He hopes the team responds and is more aggressive. Assistant Coach Rick Tocchet stepped in as interim coach for the duration of the season.

The Lightning, for sale for several months, finally sold to the new ownership group on July 4. Later, Brian was hired to return the team to the playoffs. Brian has blended his experience as a ten-year player and an agent for seven years to now work in management for the first time. He approached the new owners after he had heard they had been unsuccessful in finding a GM. Brian’s duties include negotiating player’s contracts and play acquisition, with scouts scattered as far as Finland, Russia, Sweden and the Czech Republic.

Personally, Brian’s career saw him survive nine surgeries from battered knees to a broken nose, and parts in between. He said he felt “lucky” as the surgeries were so-called “minor”. Ouch!. . . . .. . When asked about injuries to today’s players, he responded that there are more injuries due to bigger, stronger, and faster players as well as the advances in lighter equipment.

Brian is impressed with the Lightning’s charitable foundation that annually raises nearly two million dollars and is proud that each player contributes. This does not surprise him as he feels that the Lightning players feel “blessed” to play in the NHL and a sense of entitlement is not expected.

Brian is pleased to live and work in the Tampa Bay, for as a player he never had the opportunity to explore our area. Traded numerous times while playing, he finally feels comfortable to hopefully stay here for a long time.

George Wilson, Davis Morris, Ed Lillich, Chris Lillich, Ed Morris, and Henry TenBrisk Interclub guests from Sunshine City Kiwanis Club

2. Where was the turkey first domesticated?
Canada
Mexico and Central America
New Zealand
India

3. Which state produces the most turkeys annually?
Kansas
Ohio
Arkansas
Minnesota

4. What Native American tribe celebrated the first Thanksgiving with the colonists?
the Wampanoag tribe
the Sioux tribe
the Choctaw tribe
the Arapaho tribe

3. The Lightning’s new coach, Barry Melrose, coached previously to his work with ESPN for the Los Angeles Kings.

4. The NHL debuted on November 22, 1917. Six teams comprised the league, and they were: Boston Bruins, New York Rangers, Detroit Red Wings, Montreal Canadians, Toronto Maple Leafs and the Chicago Blackhawks.