April 6, 2010
This Week’s Program Mayor of St. Petersburg Bill Foster
Bill Foster, newly elected mayor of St. Petersburg. An attorney since 1988, his practice, Foster and Foster specializes in probate, estates and trusts, real estate and commercial law.
A graduate of Cumberland School of Law of Samford University (1988, Juris Doctorate), Samford University (1985, Bachelor of Science in Public Administration) and Northeast Senior High School (1981).
Mr. Foster is Fourth generation St. Petersburg resident. Married to Wendy Holt Foster, together they have two teenage children, Christine and Will. They are members of Starkey Road Baptist Church.
What’s Happening
Haiti Relief Effort
Dr. Ron O’Neal and members of his church have devoted themselves to visit Haiti and help the natives devastated by the earthquake earlier this year. Ron is to work on the dental needs of children there. Many Kiwanians have sent checks to support Ron’s efforts. As of last week’s meeting, nearly $5,000.00 has been collected. Thanks to all of the contributors and to Ron, thanks for the biggest contribution of all.
And this note from President Bob:
Thanks for your overwhelming support for Ron’s International Save-a-Smile trip to Haiti. If you want your donation to be tax free please make out check to Youth Investment Shares, Inc.
Best Regards,
Bob Piplitz
Out with the Old, In with the New
Make sure your current president only serves one term and vote on May 4. Send in your nominations now for officers and Board of Directors. Remember, we want you ….. to serve.
All Children’s Hospital Field Trip
Next week, don’t be a slacker and show up at Orange Blossom Catering with a vacant look on your face. Instead, we’ll be meeting at the Education and Conference Center (ECC) on All Children’s Hospital campus at 701 – 4th Street South at NOON. Park and enter on the west side of the building. A box lunch is to be provided by Orange Blossom Catering. We will be walking quite a bit so wear comfortable shoes. The tour will end at approximately 1:30 p.m. All tour participants must stay the length of the tour. No Exceptions!!
We have the distinct honor to be granted the first official tour to the public. So behave! And that means you too, Jim Beach.
Items Needed for Fischer/Carr Scholarship Fund Raiser
Reminder from Al Karnavicius and Jim Beach that the auction items deadline for delivery is April 30. The banquet is on May 15 at St. Petersburg Country Club. As always, 100% of the value from donated items goes to the scholarship fund.
Interclub
Well, the good news is there was an interclub meeting last week at Piccadilly ….. No further comments as I plead the Fifth.
Blues Fest
All Kiwanis volunteers do not forget this weekend, April 9-11, is the annual Blues Fest. Call Pat Biscotti for details.
Last Week at Kiwanis
Kiwanian of the Day, Steve Cunningham, introduced Dr. Gil Smith, director of the Celebrate Recovery program at First United Methodist Church in St. Petersburg. A most colorful speaker with a checkered past, Dr. Smith regaled us with stories that made even Ron Holehouse blush. Accordingly, Dr. Smith praised us as the most “fun” group he has spoken to all year. If that was meant to be a compliment, we’ll take it.
Dr. Smith explained that the origin of Easter and Passover is from the same root that is, the “Celebration of Hope”. And, in Gil’s case, as we learned, things will get better.
Dr. Smith’s long and winding road got off track as at age 15, he was introduced to alcohol by friends.
Seven years later, realizing the demons of alcohol had broken him, he went to a church as the only place for hope. While there might have been help there, he did not seize it as he descended further.
Obtaining a doctorate degree from Emory University, he became an ordained minister in the Methodist Church, only to be tossed out after twenty-five years of service.
Finally, after hitting rock bottom, Dr. Smith entered a treatment center in Atlanta to help him deal with his addiction. To quote Dr. Smith, “I went in to save my butt and found my heart was attached.”
Moving from the treatment center to a halfway house, he found a job at a Cracker Barrel, only to be fired after a run-in with management. After that, he worked at a Waffle House. Growing restless, he turned his oratory skills to selling cars in Tennessee.
Righting himself finally, Dr. Smith’s love for the church environment and his life experience positioned him to be recruited to start the Celebrate Recovery chapter in a church in Knoxville. “Celebrate Recovery” is a blending of AA and church disciplines.
First United Methodist found out about this program that began fourteen years ago at Saddleback Church in California, and lured Dr. Smith to St. Petersburg to establish their own chapter. Today, he has over two hundred participants in this chapter helping those with drug, alcohol, gambling, pornography, overeating and other addictive issues. There is also a pre-covery program designed for children to recognize and deter involvement in addictions. Dr. Smith has found there is celebration in forgiveness and to quote Dr. Smith “God loves us no matter what”.
Dr. Smith, with a measured dose of reality, said that in his office you will see his Waffle House shirt and his ordained minister’s robe – neither of which he will wear again. Good recovery, Dr. Smith, and to all of those you help in the community, thank you.
More Scholarship Letters
We received the following letter from Alane E. who is a Ninth Grader at Palm Harbor University High.
Dear Mr. Byelick,
This letter, yet again, is to thank you for sponsoring for the Doorways Scholarship. I am greatly appreciative of this and can’t wait to use it to uphold my future goals once I’m done with high school.
Right now I am also trying to reach the goal of getting another scholarship, the Bright Futures scholarship. Since the Doorways pays for the actual schooling, Bright Futures will pay for my books and dormitory. If I do in fact receive Bright Futures Scholarship, along with the Doorways Scholarship, it will help me achieve my goals of becoming a surgeon.
Right now I’m going to Palm Harbor University High School, and I am one of the 150 students who were accepted to be in the Medical Magnet program out of 500 plus students who could have been in the program. I have all honors classes, well the ones that are possible of being an honors class. My schedule is 1st period – Art 3-D, 2nd period – American Government Honors, 3rd period – Spanish, 4th period – Biology Honors, 5th – Geometry Honors, 6th period – Health, and 7th period – English Honors. My classes are all really easy except for American Government honors, but I’ll try to do my best and if I can’t keep my grade up in that then I will probably switch to normal American Government. It will make things a little less stressful, and I would be able to have time to put in my 200 volunteering hours, since I won’t have to do an essay every weekend for that class.
But enough with my rambling on about school; I hope you are doing well, and I thank you greatly for the wonderful scholarship you have blessed me.
Sincerely,
Alane E.
This Week’s Quiz
- What is the most northern city in the world with a population over one million?
- What is the median age of St. Petersburg? A) 45 B) 39 C) 48 D) 42
- According to the 1890 census, St. Petersburg had how many inhabitants? A) 2,155 B) 3,046 C) 279 D) 990
- Who was Antonio Maximo? A) He holds the record for the largest tarpon caught in Florida B) The first known settler of St. Petersburg C) A developer of land in south St. Petersburg D) St. Petersburg’s first Golden Glove boxer.
- When was the first St. Petersburg pier completed at its current site?
Last Week’s Quiz
- The four coaches in this year’s men’s Final Four are: Michigan State - Tom Izzo; Butler -Brad Stevens; West Virginia – Bob Huggins; Duke - Mike Krzyzewski.
- Name the four teams in this year’s women’s Final Four: Stanford, Oklahoma, Connecticut, and Baylor.
- The lowest seeded team to win the Men’s Division 1 NCAA basketball championship was Villanova in 1985 defeating Georgetown, 66-64.
- College hockey’s version of the Final Four is called the “Frozen Four”.
- The team who has not won a NCAA basketball championship is Tennessee.
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