Coral Gables RotaryGram: Vol. 65 No. 29 Notes from the Podium

Presidents' Time

A sheep farmer in Washington State is renting out her flock of 200 sheep for $15 an hour to owners of bored sheepdogs. She gets more than 18 people a day who need to get their dogs a job.

A team of gun-weilding Canadian policemen busted a man for the smell coming from under his house. They thought it was marijuana. It was really a skunk.

If you think puce snails are bad, there's Heidi the cross-eyed opossum, now an international celebrity with 70,000 fans on Facebook and a new song on YouTube.

FEBRUARY 24 CANDIDATES FORUM Our meeting that day will be devoted to hearing more from the three men running for Mayor. Please submit your questions to Gene Witherspoon by February 17th. Plan now to attend that day. Invite your neighbors too.

A social butterfly who likes to be alone, Aquarius is detached and emotional. Say happy birthday this week to Janette Diaz on the 22nd and Joan Reitsma on the 23rd.

Membership Minute

Ana Fournaris questioned Membership Chair Yolanda Woodbridge as to why she became a Rotarian. Yoli's answer, "Because there are so many good looking guys in Rotary!" And besides that she wanted to help in our community and in the world. President Elect-Elect Walter Alvarez said actually Yoli offered him $50 to join .... (LOL) but really he became a Rotarian because he was new in town and wanted to become involved with the business community. Ana said that she became a Rotarian because everyone is like her family here. They're supportive and they all abide and live by the Four-Way Test in everything they think, say and do! Do you know anyone who would like to belong to a club like ours? INVITE THEM TO A MEETING.

Diva Does $$ Today

Jim Hirschman was happy that he was able to return to the country with just a photocopy of his passport. He can't find the real thing but he looked so honest they let him in anyway. Dr. Phil was happy to announce that three of our Interactors at Coral Gables High has been nominated for Silver Knight Awards. ALSO, they need help with their upcoming school service project, redoing the patio ... they need somebody who's handy with tools to assemble their new benches. It's Saturday the 26th if you can help. Bill Quesenberry is happy that it's Regatta season again. He's been participating with the disabled sailors from around the world and is amazed at the custom designed seats they all have to make their sailing possible. There were 34 different seats in 20-odd boats and nobody can tell. Dick Golden spent last week in Orlando and he's going away again so he wanted to get off one good joke. So he told one about a fellow suspected of growing illegal weed and when the sheriff went to inspect he was asked not to go to a certain field. He did, was attacked by a bull and told to "show him your badge" ... this may well have been the best joke he's ever told! Yolanda Woodbridge was happy to see Carlos Ruiz at our club today. He was President of the Miami Club the same year that she was President of Coral Gables. Happiness pays so keep on smiling.

Working Rotarians - January 20, 2011

Greeter - Rodney Langer

Registration - Aaron Glasser

Collections - Abe Horowitz

Head Table - John Wallace

Special Needs - Frank Sexton, Hadley Williams & Yoli Woodbridge

Invocation - Greg Martini

Pledge - Yoli Woodbridge

Singers - Bill Quesenberry & Dan Scipione

Pin Drawing Gift - Dan Scipione

Pin Drawing Winner - Tom Dixon

50/50 Raffle - Gloria Burns

50/50 Winner - Eddie Snow

5-Way Test - Dan Scipione

Today's Program

Marli Lutz, Executive Director
CoralGables@Home
"Why Retiring in the City Isn’t Always So Beautiful"

CG@Home is a not-for-profit membership organization formed 2 years ago through a grant from former Rotarian Kirk Landon. Today they have over 100 members. It is one of 52 “villages” nationwide, and the only one in the State of Florida.

Members benefits include transportation to the grocery store, doctors and to the airport. They receive a list of service providers to perform home services who have all been screened and checked in advance. CG@Home also provides members vacation services (plant-watering), and a help line with a daily check-in phone call. Members know that “they are not alone”. This service allows members to “age in place”, without relying on the generosity of friends and family. Most members have lived in their home for over 40 years, and many rely on fixed incomes that only cover basic costs. Only 60% of CG@Home’s costs are covered by membership fees – the rest is through fund-raising.

Helen Greer, Retired Teacher and Librarian,

CoralGables@Home member

Ms. Greer described what is certainly not uncommon among the members. She suffers from blindness, which makes her dependent on assistance. Although she has friends and family that can help her, she found that this was putting too great a burden on them. She is able to rely on CG@Home for trips to Publix, check-in calls, and social activities, and recommendations for service providers that she can trust.

CoralGables@Home is the beneficiary of our Club’s upcoming “Chance and Dance” Speakeasy birthday party on March 4, 2011. These proceeds will allow CG@Home to subsidize memberships for seniors who cannot afford the services. For more information, go to http://www.coralgablesathome.org.

NEXT WEEK'S PROGRAM: "How Not to Drop Dead!" Eduardo Chapunoff, M.D., Chief of Cardiology, Doctor's Medical Center.