August 24, 2010
Today’s Program: Amendment 4- Pro & Con
Today’s Speaker: Kathleen Peters
Kathleen moved to Pinellas County in 1985 when she and her husband purchased a retail business in St. Pete Beach. She received her BA degree from Eckerd College majoring in Human Development. She currently holds the position of VP Public Affairs at the Clearwater Regional Chamber of Commerce monitoring all local, state and federal legislation as well as military affairs.
Kathleen served on the City of South Pasadena’s Planning and Zoning Board for two years and then was elected to the City Commission in 2008 for a three-year term. In June 2009, she was elected by the Commission to serve as Mayor for the remainder of the retiring Mayor's term. She was re-elected Mayor in March 2010 for another three-year term. She currently serves on the Florida League of Cities Intergovernmental Relations Committee, the League of Mayors, and the Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council.
Kathleen is here to discuss Amendment 4, ballot titled: Referenda required for adoption and amendment of local government comprehensive land use plans. |
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What’s Happening
Update for The “Bernie”
Please send in updated information to Al for the 2010-2011 Kiwanis Directory.
Affirmation
By a unanimous show of hands, Ron Braun is now the President Elect for the remainder of the 2009-2010 term, replacing Tom Nelson, who will serve as President Elect for the 2010-2011 term. Congratulations to both of you!
Exit, Mr. Piplitz
You won’t want to miss Bob’s last luncheon meeting as President on Tuesday, September 28.
Enter, Mr. Braun
The Installation Banquet is scheduled for Tuesday evening, October 5, at the St. Petersburg Yacht Club. See Ron Braun sworn in as our new President.
Keep on Smiling
Mark your calendars for Saturday, October 30 as the Kiwanis Club and Dr. Ron O’Neal host the annual Project-Save-A-Smile. Please contact Kathy Condon or Ron Scoggins to volunteer for this most worthy project.
Salvation Army Donation
The Salvation Army received a $1,500.00 check presented by Lorin Bridge of the Boys and Girls Committee. Captain Timothy Gillian, Area Commander, pledged the money to the Sallie House.
A Member Profile
Bob Byelick, Past President for the 1987-88 Kiwanis year, recently achieved two milestones. First, on Sunday, August 15, Bob entered his sixth decade. Well wishers honored Bob at his beloved golf course, the St. Petersburg Country Club, with a birthday party recently. Earlier this year, Bob received his thirty year Kiwanis pin for continuous service with our club.
But, what about Bob? Well, now you will know part of the rest of the story. Behind every good man is a better woman. He and wife Barbara have been married and I quote her “seems like forever”. Well, not exactly – how about thirty-one years. She is very proud of Bob for all he has done professionally, personally, and in his civic duties.
Besides his passion for golf, Bob has pitched and managed for the Crows softball team for over nineteen years. Sources tell me the Kids and Kubs are already scouting him.
Asked about his favorite vacation, Barbara said it had to be in Ireland – for what else, a golf junket.
Bob also enjoys spending time with grandchildren, eleven years old Jack, a future tennis star, and Baylie, seven, an artist in the making.
Along with member David Abbey, Bob practices law as a senior partner with Abbey, Adams, Byelick, Kiernan, Mueller, Marone, and Samis. Bob, congratulations on your service to Kiwanis and here’s a toast for many more years of membership.
Last Week at Kiwanis
Kiwanian of the Day, Doug Lampe, introduced Susan Aungst, a volunteer with the Save the Manatee Club (SMC) since 1997.
The SMC was founded in the mid 80’s in a joint effort by Governor Reuben Askew, Congressman Helen Spivey of Crystal River, and the legendary songwriter and entertainer, Jimmy Buffet. Besides Buffet, the Tampa Bay Parrot Head Club donates the most money to the SMC.
Susan, along with another SMC volunteer, Leslie Masitis, presented an entertaining Power Point show about the biology, history, and habitat of the manatee. The Florida species is the West Indian Manatee, and in the warmer months will range as far as Massachusetts.
Manatees are mammals and the closest land mammal is the elephant. Traced back over forty-five million years by archeologists, manatees are also found in Africa and in the Caribbean Sea.
Susan explained to us that this year’s winter took its toll on manatees as they cannot live in water below 68 degrees as many died as the result of the abnormal cold. Typically, the manatee lives in salt or brackish water bays, but will venture into the headwaters of spring fed rivers during the winter. Crystal River is a popular tourist spot to swim with the manatees. Manatees also frequent power plants where they like to hang out by the warm water discharge. The Big Bend power plant in Hillsborough County has hundreds of manatees that congregate on cold days.
The average adult manatee is almost ten feet long and comes in a svelte twelve hundred pounds. To get this large, the manatee had to constantly eat water plants. It is against the law to feed, touch or water a manatee.
While manatees have no known natural predators, man lays waste to them by boat collisions that cause blunt trauma. While boat propellers can injure a manatee, seldom does that prove to be a mortal injury. The average life span of a manatee was sixty to sixty-five years, now with their encounters with humans; it is more like thirty to thirty-five years.
To prevent man versus manatee incidents, the SMC and the Florida Wildlife Commission (FWC) work together to inform boaters of manatee zones. Also, tracking devices are in the developmental stage to implant into the manatee to monitor their exact location. The SMC gives away manatee warning signs just for the asking.
Currently, approximately three thousand manatees enjoy the waters of Florida. Susan and her fellow SMC members are working hard to keep that number or even better, increase it. Thanks, Susan and Leslie, for a most entertaining, informative program.
Attendance Last Week
We had 55 members and 6 guests.
Julie Cunningham, guest of Steve Cunningham
Ryan, Paige, and Pamela Van Middlesworth, wife and children and guests of Guy Van Middlesworth
This Week’s Quiz
- Melissa Hongo’s second child is a: a) boy; b) girl; c) unknown
- What is a catcher’s balk?
- How many teeth are in an adult’s mouth?
- The musical group “Creedence Clearwater Revival” hails from what state?
- Ireland declared their independence from what country?
Last Week’s Quiz
- Bob Byelick met his wife Barbara at the Club 28 bar after a softball game.
- Mitch Cochran was born in Maine.
- Paul Misewicz’s father and uncle opened World Liquors in 1961 at its current location, 16th Street and Central Avenue.
- Michael Brown resides in Redington Beach.
- As a senior Tom Nelson played on the Sarasota’s High School football team as a linebacker.
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