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January 6, 2009
Today’s Program: State of the City by Mayor Rick Baker
From the earliest days of his first
campaign to middle of his second four-year term, Mayor Rick Baker has
carefully steered Florida’s fourth largest city on a path to “Make St.
Petersburg Best.”
Five cornerstones of his administration, known as “The Baker
Plan”, (supporting schools, encouraging economic development
particularly in the urban core, improving the city’s neighborhoods,
ensuring public safety, and enhancing the overall efficiency of city
government) have all contributed to what the Tampa Tribune termed
a “thunderstorm of revitalization.” Many of Mayor Baker’s initiatives
have become national models. And despite downturns in the economy, new
programs were successfully implemented while the mayor continued to
lower tax rates. In the past few years, St. Petersburg was one of only
two Florida cities to be named “America’s Most Livable Community” and
the city once noted as a retirement destination was honored as “One of
the America’s Best Communities for Young People,” by Colin Powell’s
America Promise.
Realizing that the quality of the education of our youth is
linked to building a quality community, Mayor Baker has been personally
involved in motivating corporate leaders and city staff alike to partner
and participate in making St. Petersburg’s schools the best. He has
recruited corporate partners for each of St. Petersburg’s 44 public
schools. He has raised funds to pay for more than 1,000 Doorways college
scholarships for at-risk middle school students and more scholarships
for technical training. Underscoring his commitment to youth, Mayor
Baker has also launched “Playing Close to Home,” a program that is close
to its goal of providing a playground within a half mile walk of every
child in the city.
The same energy Mayor Baker has devoted to youth and
education can be seen in his progress in revitalizing the city’s urban
core, both Downtown and Midtown, the city’s area in the most need of
economic development. Mayor Rick Baker is committed to creating a
seamless city where all neighborhoods enjoy a high quality of life with
basic services, sound infrastructure, safe streets and opportunities to
succeed.
First elected in 2001, Mayor Rick Baker was re-elected by an
unprecedented 70 percent margin in 2005, carrying every precinct in the
city. He serves on the board of Tampa Bay Water, has chaired Florida
Governor Jeb Bush’s Mentoring Initiative, and is chair of the state’s
Century Commission for a Sustainable Florida.
Mayor Rick Baker is author of “Mangroves to Major Leagues,”
a historical account of St. Petersburg from 23,000 B.C. to the start of
the millennium. Before his role as mayor, he practiced corporate and
business law for 20 years, serving as president of Fisher and Sauls,
P.A., a law firm in St. Petersburg founded in 1936. He holds his
bachelor’s, M.B.A. and Juris Doctor degrees with honors from Florida
State University and studied comparative law of Oxford University. He
also served as a law intern with Florida Supreme Court Justice Ben
Overton. He is married and has two children.
Attending
We had 35 members attending and 22
visitors on December 23.
Charlene Koch and Jeremy Koch, guests
of Steve Koch
Sally Rood, guest of Stan Shaver
Julie Cunningham, guest of Steve
Cunningham
De Winskill and Dale Koch, guests of
Dick Koch
Sharon McKay, guest of Wayne McKay
Ron Hallis, guest of Tom Hallis
Roger Stever, guest of Francis
We had 35 members and 1 visitor on
December 30.
Taylor Ann Nelson, guest of Tom Nelson
What’s
Happening
Board Meeting
There will be a Board meeting at Bob
Piplitz’s office on Tuesday, January 6, 2009, at 5:15 p.m.
Holiday Party
We had 35-40 Kiwanians and guests at the holiday party on
Thursday, December 19th. Thanks, Ron Holehouse, for the use
of your comfortable party place.
Bellringers
J.C. Russell thanked all of the bellringers for the
Salvation Army holiday fundraiser. J.C., thank you, for organizing the
troops.
Kiwanis Shirts
Kiwanis shirts are for sale for $33.00. See Charles Stuart
to buy one to show your Kiwanis support and spirit. See the picture in
last week’s bulletin.
Last Week at
Kiwanis
Kiwanian of the Day, Steve Koch, introduced Mr. Davis
Lawhead, choir director of St. Petersburg High School (SPHS). Mr.
Lawhead, in turn, introduced eleven students from SPHS who are members
of the musical ensemble “The Pitchforks”. These talented young men (4)
and women (7) performed Christmas/New Year’s songs with a wide variety
of tones and pitches as there are altos, sopranos, tenors and a bassist.
Recognizing a good cause when we see one, our club donated
$370.00 to help defray expenses for a trip to New York City later this
year where they will sing at the Riverside church. After a twenty-year
hiatus, SPHS and all those that hear “The Pitchforks” are lucky to have
the group back.
New Year’s
Resolutions anchored by the always
entertaining duo of Piplitz and Karnavicius, just back from a gig in
Wimauma.
Resolutions for 2009
To: Ron Braun
Ron resolves for 2009 to wear a checkered shirt
every day of the week.
From: President, Biff
To: All
I, Biff Baker, resolve for 2009 to run all Kiwanis
lunch meetings with the same Bavarian efficiency as Past President
Markus.
To: Mark Shames
My husband is wonderful in all things especially
the “pillow arts”, please take him fishing.
From: Angela Piplitz
To: Lorin Bridge
If I haven’t mentioned how awesome my husband is
let me say… he is! You have a boat, don’t be cheap, take him fishing.
From: Angela Piplitz
To: David Abbey
Stop calling NASCAR “Taxi cabs”.
From: Richard Petty
To: All
From: Pat Kraujalis – To be less selfish
To: All
My resolution for 2009 is to live one year longer.
From: Someone who loves you
To: Ron Holehouse
“Talk more during the weekly speaker!”
From: President Biff
To: Al K
“I acquire a last name even Charles can pronounce.”
From: Illinois Governor, Rob Blagojevich
To: Dr. Ron O’Neal
That he remembers to brush teeth with the bristly
end of the toothbrush
From: Kathy Condon
To: Ron Scoggins
Starts buying lottery tickets at a luckier store
From: Kathy Condon
To: Bob Huber
To communicate the importance of his family in his
behavior and communication skills. Listen more!!
From: Lisa, the wife who accepts behavior
unconditionally
To: Ron Holehouse
To travel to North Carolina more often and don’t
forget your neighbors – Lisa Huber and Bob Huber
From: Lisa
To: Bob Piplitz
I resolve not to have Bob as my diet buddy. I had
hoped that he would be a good influence since I was ready to start a
diet too. But, I knew I was in trouble
when I said if I feel the urge to drive out and get a burger and fries,
I'll call you first." His reply was "Great!" "I'll ride with you."
From: Kathy Condon
To: Harvey Ford – AKA
Karnack
I will prognosticate that I will probably
procrastinate engaging in all the objectives I have premeditated for
this approaching twelvemonth period.
From: Kathy Condon
To: All
For all the club members who resolved to start a
diet in 2009 - There are more overweight people in
America than average-weight people now. So overweight people are now
average… which means, you have met your New Year's resolution.
From Kathy Condon
To: All
Wishing all Kiwanians a Happy New Year –
12 month or happiness, 52 weeks of fun
365 days of Laughter, 8760 hours of good luck
525,600 minutes of joy, 31,536,000 second of
success
From: Kathy Condon
To: All members who are weight challenged
Lose 25-30 pounds
From: Harry Eisnogle
To: Kim Kelso
That Kevin Kelso might find some place to keep his
boat other than his front yard.
From: Lorin Bridge
To: David Feaster
That David Feaster might find a job for the New
Year.
From: Lorin Bridge
To: Tom Nelson
That Tom Nelson might clean up and pull some weeds
in his back yard.
From: Lorin Bridge
To: Click Solcum
I, Click Solcum, do resolve that in the year 2009,
I will no longer skim money from the offering plates at church. I will
simply raise my fees to support my extensive travel habits and Georgia
Bulldog booster obligations.
From: All churches
To: Frank Ranieri
Frank should resolve to improve to complete 50% of
meeting the weekly printer’s deadline for printing the Kiwanis Bulletin.
From: Anonymous
To: All Florida State Fans
To tell Urban Meyer not to win by more than 30
points over FSU
From: All Gators
To: Georgia Fans
To tell Urban Meyer not to win by more than 30
points over FSU
From: All Gators
To: Tennessee Fans
To tell Urban Meyer not to win by more than 30
points over FSU
From: All Gators
To: Louis Murphy
To tell Urban Meyer to throw it to LJ more … even
if it is for only one more game
From: Doug Lampe
To: Mitch Cochran
To give him the next rat that one of my Maine Coon
cats kills to mount on his wall
From: Doug Lampe
To: Guy VanMiddlesworth
I will tie smaller knots in my tie.
From: My fellow CPA brother, Cal Foelgner
To: Pat Biscotti
I will not hit on married women in doctor’s office
waiting rooms.
From: Dr. Ron O’Neal
To: Ron Braun
Stop being so nice and be more of a jerk like
Piplitz.
From: Scott Boyle
Today’s Quiz
- What year did St. Petersburg incorporate, and
who named it?
- Name the major league baseball teams that
trained in St. Petersburg?
- Name the first hotel in St. Petersburg, and
who named it?
- What was the first building air-conditioned in
St. Petersburg and what year?
Last Weeks Quiz
1.
Mitch Cochran has 11 mounted
heads of poor, innocent animals on his wall at home. He also has 2 on
the floor – a gator and a zebra.
2.
Markus Mittermayer owns 14 modes
of transportation.
3.
David Abbey has attended 44 Indy
500’s.
4.
Depends on which beach how many
bars are on a typical beach crawl by Jim Beach.
5.
Jeff Francis wears a hat in
their Kiwanis membership roster photo.
6.
Tom Nelson donated $75 for
Alabama wins this year.
7.
Kim Horstman attended 6 Gator
games plus the SEC championship this year.
8.
Every time Mitch Cochran had a
party, Scott & Terri Boyle told Mitch to tone it down at his own house.
9.
Kathy Condon made 144 cookies
for December’s program committee meeting.
10.
Bernie Lodge became a Kiwanian in 1939.
11.
Biff Baker’s wife, Ann, has broken 5
bones.
12.
Each day of the month Bob Piplitz
called himself handsome, suave, and debonair. |
