Kiwanis Club of Historic St. Augustine

Newsletter – 27 April 2006

President’s Message:

Your Scholarship Committee met and finished the screening process. Tom Pace, who is the chair, reported the names of the winners. The committee received 14 apps from the three schools we targeted. He gave us the names and schools of each of the three winners, but in order to keep this secret to the community the names will not be printed in the newsletter. (This does get on the Internet, you know.) I will say that one was from St. Joe and two were from Pedro.

                Lou Nester is chairing the Nominating Committee. We need to fill the VP spot and three Board members. If you have a desire to serve, please let Lou know and you will be advised as to the functions of the office. We have some new members and now is the time to get started learning about Kiwanis. The Board meets once a month, unless a special meeting is called.

                We have had a good run on getting new members, but we always want more. In that spirit, we have designated 11 May as Bring-a-Guest Day, our own little membership drive. You have some time, so think about a good candidate, and invite them to come. Oh, by the way, we can induct women into this club now.

 

Coming Events: [Advise the editor of events of interest at 797-4332]

28 April 2006: Salvation Army is having an affair from 9-12 in the morning to thank the folks like us who rang the bell at Xmas. See Nick for directions.

1 May 2006: Regular monthly board meeting to be held at The Allegro. The meeting will start at 1700 hours. There is much to discuss, so be prompt and be prepared to share some ideas.

5 May 2006: First Friday Art Walk, check out the local galleries and taste the food and wine.

5 & 6 May 2006: From 5pm until noon on the 6th our Key Club will be involved in Relay for Life. This will be held at the school track. We are providing tents and food (lobster and filet mignon) so stop by on your way home from the Art Walk.

11 May 2006: Bring-a-Guest Day – Art Runk’s idea (I have been advised that this is Bob Braden’s idea) to help stimulate membership. Bring a prospective member so that more people in the community will know what Kiwanis is all about—and possibly join our curious crue.

12 May 2006: Dave Thompson announced that the Navy League would be celebrating Navy Day with a tour of ships at Mayport. Dave has graciously offered to give any of our members a personal tour and introduce you to all the men and women you meet there.

 

Guests: Chief Hedges’ brother-in-law, Doug Neyhart, from Pennsylvania

 

Programs: (Check the website for your speaker assignment date.)

LAST WEEK: Jake’s son, Todd Thompson, a major in the SJCSO told us about cold cases, and how CSI’s were so helpful in solving them. He indicated that there was a perceived need for our own lab and CSI team, and that the SO was in the process of funding one. He brought along a real CSI, Angela Hosford, and she was better looking that either one of the females on the Thursday TV show. Thanks to Chief Hedges for getting them here.

                In addition, we honored our Student of the Month, Andrea Herbin, from Nease HS. She was introduced by the NJROTC Chief and her father was also present. Another super student.

THIS WEEK: Wayne “On the Waterfront” Howell will enthrall us with his motorcycle exploits or not. He may just decide to introduce a speaker. (Perhaps one from The Hell’s Angels)?

NEXT WEEK: Our own Dennis Hollingsworth has the program. Come see what he has up his sleeve.

 

⅓-⅓-⅓ DRAWING WINNERS: Mark Shelley and Dave Thompson were the winners. Congrats and mix those tickets up better next time. Buy your tickets early and often.

 

Late Breaking News:

This week’s topic – the price of gasoline. Hey everyone, in case you hadn’t noticed, it’s high. Cost me $45 to fill my little car this week. I love to see the politicians come out of the woodwork blaming the other guy, or that perennial favorite, “Big Oil.” So we are going to have still another investigation of the oil companies, which will find that they haven’t conspired this time either. That will give the folks in Congress something to take the microscope off them until the price recedes and they can go back to doing what they always do, very little.

                Chuck Schumer and most of the other Democrats stand there and blame George Bush. (Boy, for a guy that is supposed to be so stupid he manages to get past them on many important things.) And Chucky boy, with his smug countenance looking over his glasses, talks as if this problem only began when Bush came to town. Congress has done nothing for a long, long time.

                The Democrats and other environmentalists have kept anything constructive from being done for years. We can’t drill in Anwar, nor any other place close to our back door, yet the Mexicans are drilling in the Gulf of Mexico and producing oil, and Castro will soon be drilling for oil within 45 miles of Key West. Don’t hear the hue and cry from the Left about that. We haven’t been able to build a new refinery in this country for close to 30 years. We haven’t put a nuclear plant on line since Three Mile Island.

                To hell with ethanol from corn, switch grass, or any thing else. I read that it costs more to produce ethanol than it would save as a fuel. I wonder why it hasn’t been exploited by the free enterprise system. It only comes back up when the Feds dump huge subsidies on the research and then everybody wants a piece of that pie.

                Let’s all work to get term limits imposed on the Congress, and then we elect people who will make the hard decisions and get something done with some substance. Elect someone who will actually work on an energy plan that will see beyond the next price increase.

Quote(s) of the Week:
In the upcoming midterm elections, all 435 seats in the House and 33 of those in the Senate will be subjected to the rigors of the democratic process. Truth be told, however, only about 40 House seats and 10 Senate seats will face competitive challenges. Ronald Reagan was fond of noting, correctly, that during his tenure more seats changed hands in the Soviet Union's communist-controlled Duma than in the U.S. Congress. The Soviet Duma is long gone, of course, but turnover in our Congress remains low.