Coral Gables RotaryGram: Vol. 65 No. 22 Notes from the Podium

President's Time
This Week in America, a Connecticut man convicted of killing a 14-year old boy on a bicycle is suing the boy's parents because the boy wasn't wearing a helmet. Although he's serving 10 years for running down the boy while driving 80 mph, he accuses the parents of "contributory negligence" and says his conviction has cuased him "great mental and emotional pain and suffering."

Oklahoma City has refused to host a franchise of the Lingerie Football League. The LFL fields teams of lingerie-clad models who play football before a largely male audience, a concept that the Mayor opposes for "too many reasons to list." LFL officials siad they thought they had applied to play in Oklahoma City, "not North Korea."

TOY DRIVE FOR THE LODGE
Bill Quesenberry reminded us to practice playing Santa Claus for the needy children being housed by The Lodge, a non-profit organization that provides safe haven for victims of domestic violence. These are children who for many reasons, have been pulled from their homes and are being housed at a private facility where they can be protected from whatever harm is threatening them. They're young and lost and scared. Please bring unwrapped toys to the meetings on December 9 and December 16 so that we can help to make their Christmas merrier.

Foundation Minute by Rick Tonkinson

This week Rick Tonkinson recognized Sally B. with a four sapphire Paul Harris Pin. That means that collectively she has become a Paul Harris Fellow five times! The goal she says "Diamonds!" Give to The Rotary Foundation - $100 a year, every year. In no time you've got sapphires. $2.00 a week really mounts up fast.

Watch out for all those Sagittarius natives who celebrate birthdays this week. They are jovial, good humored, freedom loving souls who tend to be a little irresponsible and superficial. But they're a ton of fun! Say HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Ron Robison tomorrow, Brad Forte, Diva Guttman and Trish Hoffman on December 6 and Pastor Perry on Pearl Harbor Day. Celebrate responsibly and party hearty!

While on the subject of Celebrations - Happy Rotary Anniversary to Terry Biddulph, 20 years, Paolo Possenti, 15 years, Chief Jim Skinner, 13 years and newbie fashion model Zoltan Pinter for his first year of Service.

HAPPY $$$$

Back at last, the good Doc showed up today in his Merry Christmas Hawaiian shirt with plenty of impetus to Groh scholarships ... he's be away for awhile. In typical Randy fashion he calculated that the Diva - celebrating her birthday on December 6th, must have been conceived during spring break. That explains a lot! Chris Morrison was blowing the Stanford horn again because they're ranked #4 in the country and it looks like they're going to the Fiesta Bowl. (Maybe they'll play the `Noles). Luis Boue was two times happy. First because he's 30 years married and she deserves something for all these years and second because his daughter, a PROUD FSU graduate, GOT A JOB!! Deena Bell is celebrating because today marks the her firm's second birthday and they're having a party at Citizen's Historic Bungalow next week. Y'all come. Joan Reitsma has been waiting for Randy's return so that she could present him with two checks for our scholarship fund. One from her store, The Giving Tree, for $200 which represents our portion of what was sold during her opening week. The second was from an organization that funds education, Thrivent, was for $500. She is also deeply grateful for Bonnie, Gloria and all of the people that have helped her since the great flood of 2009. Rosendo Castillo spent Thanksgiving in sunny, cold California (34 at night - brrrr) where he celebrated his 40th Wedding Anniversary and the upcoming birth of his third grandchild. Dick Golden finally got his "say" .... AWFUL ... truly awful joke. It was decided there will be a new fine levied in our Club for BAD JOKES - $20. And he loves the bad jokes so much he paid it! Chris Tyson was watching national sports and came across the Harvard/Yale football game. Yale placed second. It's a league with absolutely no paid athletes. Dan Scipione is happy that the Randy Shannon era is over! Dick Golden returned to pay his $20. Keep on laughing. Happiness PAYS!

Working Rotarians - December 2, 2010

Greeter - Rodney Langer

Registration - Aaron Glasser

Collections - Abe Horowitz & Carlos Bolado

Head Table Assignments - John Wallace

Special Needs - Frank Sexton

Invocation - Jim Hirschmann

Pledge - Hank Langston

Singers - Bill Quesenberry & Dan Scipione

DeWitt Law Silver Dollars - Bill Quesenberry

Given to - George Reeves & Aaron Glasser

Pin Drawing Gift - Abe Horowitz

Pin Drawing Winner - Jim Hirschmann

50/50 Raffle - Gloria Burns
Five Way Test - George Reeves

50/50 WINNER - BRUCE KERESTES

HE PULLED THE QUEEN OF HEARTS

FOR A TOTAL JACKPOT OF $490 TODAY!


"I GOT IT!!"

Today's Speaker

Javier Betancourt,
Deputy Director Miami Downtown Development Authority
"Downtown Miami - the Epicenter of the Americas"

Downtown Miami serves as the business and cultural center of Miami-Dade County. $13 billion of improvements have been made in just the past 3 years, and downtown condominiums are 85% occupied. The DDA was formed in 1965 as a quasi-independent agency with a 15 member board, funded by a ½ mill property tax assessment now generating approximately $5 million per year. The money is primarily spent on marketing and events.

Since good planning is the key to good development, a downtown master plan has been prepared, with a vision of making downtown Miami the epicenter of the Americas by 2025. The goals detailed in the master plan include enhancing our position as business and cultural epicenter, leveraging the waterfront, elevating the prominence of the “Grand Boulevards” (Brickell Avenue and Biscayne Boulevard), and creating great streets and community spaces. The next steps to implementation will include public participation.

More information is available at www.miamidda.com.

NEXT WEEK'S PROGRAM: Bill Talbert, President & CEO of the Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau with an update on Travel & Tourism and the outlook for the coming tourist season.