January 19, 2010
Today’s Program: St. Petersburg Times Columnist Ernest Hooper
Ernest Hooper brings a blend of experiences to his role as metro columnist for the Times.
He was born and raised in Tallahassee. The proud son of Gerald and Ann Hooper, two longtime Florida A&M professors, he grew up less than a mile from the Florida State campus.
But he graduated from the University of Florida. Yes, he's that rare breed known as a Tallahassee Gator.
Ernest is a general news columnist, but spent the first 15 years of his career as a sports writer, including a four-year stint as the paper's NFL writer.
Ernest's work has earned national and regional awards (a long time ago), but humility drives him to improve.
Now in his 22nd year as a journalist, and his seventh as a columnist, he files three pieces a week for the Times' Tampa and State edition and a fourth for the Times' South Shore and Brandon edition. Ernest relies on a broad canvas of topics that range from politics and nightlife to stories of perseverance and amusing anecdotes about his wife, Florence, and three kids, Matthew, Ethan, and Madelyn.
But he's not afraid to occasionally challenge readers with a sharply-written opinion.
In 2007, Tampa Bay Illustrated magazine named Ernest to its Perfect 10 list as one of the area's most fashionable and charitable men. Fashionable? Maybe the magazine has a problem with fact checking.
But the charitable designation speaks to his efforts to shine a spotlight on Tampa Bay's most deserving nonprofit efforts, and his willingness to serve as an emcee or keynote speaker at various charitable events. His outreach efforts this year include serving as the honorary chairman of Cystic Fibrosis' Great Strides walkathon, and being a member of the SERVE Volunteers in Education speakers bureau.
Most of all, he strives to be a voice of the community by connecting with readers on a regular basis.
What’s Happening
Get Well Soon
To Kiwanians Bud Risser and Grant Wallin, a speedy recovery from your ailments.
Scholarship Letters
Bob Byelick read the following letter from Breanna B., a ninth grader at St. Petersburg High:
Dear Mr. Byelick,
My name is Breanna Broughton, and I attend St. Petersburg High School. I’m happy and proud to say I am now officially a Green Devil! My favorite subject in school would definitely have to be Biology. Biology is my favorite subject because I love learning how our bodies work and what they are made up of. Outside of school I enjoy spending every minute I can with my friends and family. Weekends are best when I am able to go to one of St. Petersburg High football games, and then spend eight hours at the mall the next day! I am also known for taking thousands of pictures. Photography is a passion of mine that I’ve loved for some time now. Life isn’t about having just having fun with your friends, so this year I’m going to start volunteering at the local recreation center to help out. Since I’m only a freshman this year I’m focusing on my studies in anticipation for what I’ll be able to do next year. I’m currently in the Drama Club, in hopes of being a future thespian; I’m going to also play flag football. I love football because it gets your adrenaline rushing and the success you feel from scoring a touchdown. My favorite college team is the Florida Gators! Although the Florida Gators are my favorite football team, the University of Florida isn’t my first choice when it comes to college. One of my biggest goals in life is being able to attend Columbia University! I want to attend Columbia University because they have an incredible Biology program and it’s located in a beautiful state that was made for shopping!
If everything goes as planned, which I know it will if I set my mind to it, I will graduate from St. Petersburg High School in the International Baccalaureate program and the following fall begin a new chapter in my life at Columbia University. After that I will get my Ph. D. in Biology in from their amazing Biology program. Then I will become a Neuroethologist and help animals and humans around the world!
I realize that this is a once in a lifetime opportunity and I’m very very grateful for it! Receiving this scholarship is going to help me so much in the future. Every year I become more and more aware of how great this opportunity is and I thank you so much for it!
Sincerely, Breanna B.
New Meeting Place for Gulf Beaches Kiwanis Club
The Gulf Beaches Kiwanis has a new meeting place at 400 Treasure Island Causeway, Treasure Island, Fl 33706 (Treasure Island Yacht & Tennis Club), They meet on Mondays at 6:30pm.
The next Division Council Meeting (DCM) is going to take place there on Monday, January 25, 2010, and all are invited.
Last Week at Kiwanis
Kiwanian of the Day, Nick Gizzarelli, introduced Bill Murphy, Senior Homeland Security Specialist of Ahura Scientific, a security company employing 3,000 people headquartered in Boston.
The United States government is their chief client as Ahura provides security investigation on a global basis. The threat of terrorism is constant and is most prevalent in the Middle East.
Ahura developed a spectroscopy instrument called the First Defender that tests for explosive materials. Bill explained to us that many homemade explosives devices are manufactured from goods obtained from stores like Lowes or Home Depot. For instance, hydrogen peroxide, nitric oxide, and acetone mixed together can make for a powerful bomb. Further aiding the terrorist is that instructions for making bombs are easily found on the internet.
Bill explained to us that at an airport if security officers are suspicious of a passenger that might have a bomb, a Bomb Appraiser Officer is summoned to examine the passenger using the First Defender from Ahura to detect materials.
According to Bill, each chemical has a “fingerprint” unique to that material. And it does not take much to create problems. For instance, the most recent plane scare in Detroit which involved in only 80 grams of bomb making chemicals, if a certain set of circumstances had occurred, that was enough to have knocked the plane out of the sky.
Bill, an interesting look at another aspect of “Big Brother” watching us, but in this case, it is a good thing.
YWCA Painting
Good job by Pat Biscotti and Melissa Hongo rounding up the Key Club and sixteen members from our club to paint the YWCA shelter. Seven rooms were painted by the crew and were completed in just a few hours. We had a great turn out from the Key Clubs with forty-one from St. Petersburg High, fifteen from Shorecrest, and two from St. Pete Catholic. The club members who helped were: Bret and MacKenzie Jahn, Carl Miller, Marvin Gay, Bill Holloway, Pat Biscotti, Melissa Kelley, Jerry Little, Pat Kraujalis, George Gower, Doug Lampe, Biff Baker, Frank and Melinda Raneri, and Bob Byelick. Also helping was Amy Burnett of Dr. Ron O’Neal’s office. Thanks to Todd Duquette from Home Depot who helped organized and instruct the painting crew. Other sponsors to thank are: Atlanta Bread, Duncan Donuts, Publix, Chick-Fil-A 49th Street, Quizno’s, and Little Caesars.
This Week’s Quiz
- When Howard Cosell exclaimed “Down goes Frazier, Down goes Frazier”, who knocked Frazier down?
- In a movie who said, “Every time you think, you weaken the nation”?
- What philosopher said, “The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step”?
- Which American President had the shortest inauguration speech? The longest speech?
- What movie actor said “What we have here is a failure to communicate.”? What movie?
Last Week’s Quiz
- The only President of the United States elected as a bachelor was James Buchanan who remained a bachelor all of his life.
- Caramel candy and caramel syrup is made with sugar, butter, cream or milk, and flavoring.
- Ruth Wakefield invented chocolate chip cookies in 1930 at the Toll House Inn she and her husband Kenneth ran near Whitman, Massachusetts.
- The states the Mississippi River flows through or that border the river are: From north to south: Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Mississippi and Louisiana.
- Larry Doby, a native of Camden, South Carolina, was the second black player to play in the modern major leagues and the first to do so in the American League.
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