St. Patrick's Day Service Project

Interact Celebrates World Rotary Day

Coral Gables High School Interact Faculty Adviser Margarite DePaolo told us at the beginning of the school year that the club wanted to focus some of their efforts on Rotary's END POLIO NOW campaign.  She said they would be donating a portion of their profits from working at the Caroling Competition to Rotary International in support of the Gates Challenge to End Polio.

Also on the Club's wish list was to raise enough money to project  END POLIO NOW on the High School to celebrate Rotary, Interact and the fact that we are "this close" to ending Polio forever.

World Rotary Day was a great time to do it!

 With the help of Governor Todd Dayton (District 6990)  and our Club, Interact was able to get the money to purchase the projection unit  they needed to accomplish their dream.

They lit the building early, at 6:00 p.m. with lots of District dignitaries and several of our members in attendance. 

But the full impact of the sign wasn't evident until it was completely dark ...

Here is the Club's President Eddie Alsino with Ms. DePaolo in front of the projection which magically appeared on the north face of Coral Gables High School facing the corner of LeJeune & Bird Roads. 

Congratulations to Coral Gables High School Interact Club for pulling this off!  It's the first building in South Florida to display this sign but you can be sure that since the Club now has the capability of projecting it - it's going to show up on all kinds of interesting buildings all over town.

Rotary Rocks!  

Interact is Cool!

Vol. 66 No. 35 Notes from the Podium

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President's Time

It is WORLD ROTARY DAY.  Rotary celebrates 107 years of service today, and clubs are being asked to recognize and celebrate this event.

Coral Gables has a couple of celebrations going on today.  First is a huge birthday cake for all to share.  But the most significant celebration is happening tonight thanks to the diligent efforts of Coral Gables Interact and District Governor Todd Dayton.   At 6:00 p.m. tonight, Coral Gables High School will be lit with huge white letters that say END POLIO NOW and sports both the Rotary and Interact logos.  Be sure to come by Gables High after dark tonight and see it. 

We are counting down to March 9th and our upcoming fund raiser, A Night on the Red Carpet.  Don Trombly is selling tickets or you can purchase yours at registration.  $150 gets you an evening of dining, dancing, drinking and a really great silent auction.  The Master of Ceremonies for the evening will be our Honorary Member, Ron Magill from Zoo Miami.  It's going to be a great night and lots of fun. Remember, proceeds from the evening will be shared 50/50 between our Foundation and Citizen for a Better South Florida.

We also still have raffle tickets for sale for the Winner's Choice Raffle.  Two more tickets were drawn today for the preliminary raffle prizes (the tickets will go back into the pot for the main drawing).  Arsenio Millian and Margarita Tonkinson won tickets the hear the Cleveland Orchestra.  AND President Debbie announced that if you purchase either a raffle ticket or a gala ticket today you will get a free ticket to the upcoming GET MOTIVATED seminar.  Such a deal!

Mark your calendar for President Debbie's final 5th Friday party on Friday (of course!) March 29.  The evening is being hosted by Deena Bell-Llewellyn at the new offices of Bell-Aqui  from 6 until 8 p.m.  Cost is $10 per person.  Wine and hors d' oeuvres by Lovables.  Don't miss this terrific fellowship event.  It only comes around four times a year.

Update on Scholarships

Terry Long, Committee Chair

Terry wanted to share the importance of these scholarships with us today.  The Committee is so impressed with the caliber of students that are applying for these funds.  They received 16 applications this year.  She read us a portion of one student's essay that most touched her to emphasize the importance of these small scholarships to the students.  Remember to be happy because that's how we get Scholarship fund to Groh.

Foundation Minute

Foundation Chair Abe Horowitz presented Luis Boue with his first sapphire pin for two Paul Harris Fellowships.

Ahhh the fishes!  Our Pisces Club (celebrating it's 66th birthday on March 4th) has lots and lots of  Pisces members.  Natives are sensitive, kind selfless people who are a bit idealistic.  In other words, PERFECT ROTARIANS!  Say Happy Birthday this week to Hank Langston and Ron Shuffield today, Deena Bell-Llewellyn and Hank Collins on the 25th, Luis Boue on the 26th and Yoli Woodbridge on the 28th.  Best wishes to you all! 

Happy Rotary Anniversary this week to Randy Groh celebrating 9 years on February 27th and toAaron Glasser celebrating two years on the 28th.  Thanks to you both for all your service.

Introduction of Visitors & Guests

Dick Bullman

Lots of Rotarians visiting us today from far away including Dick Brutlag from Parker, Colorado; Bob Reeve from Miramar, Tom Maxwell from Ontario, Canada.  We also said hello to Past District Governor Marcy Ullom from Rotary Club of Miami.  

 2012-2013 Board of Directors

President-Elect Walter Alvarez announced the appointed directors that have been selected to complete next year's Board of Directors...

Civic & Charity   Bob Schreiber

Foundation Chair  Andrea Fusero

International Chair  Noelle Galperin

Program Chair  Mead McCabe

Public Relations  Gloria Burns

Rotarygram  Ray Dehbozorgi

Vocational  George Reeves

Those along with the Officers and Elected Directors  that follow will take    the reigns of the Club officially on July 1;

Donald Trombly  President Elect

Debbie Swain  Past President

Greg Martini  Vice President

Rodney Langer  Secretary

Bill Quesenberry   Treasurer

Jack Witty  Sargent at Arms

Deena Bell-Llewellyn  Community Service

Steven Spann  Club Meeting Service

Pat Morris  New Generations

Fred Baddour  Development

Bill Martinez  Membership Chair

Dan Scipione  Member at Large

We're all waiting for details on President Walter's Installation Party, so stay tuned!!

Happy $$$

Chris Morrison got charged extra today because he was delivering a commercial announcement in his professional voice about the new federal regulations that begin on March 1st for HARP.  Ana Fournaris was happy to have had the opportunity to go to Tallahassee on behalf of residential property taxes. Kelly Sastre is happy that her daughter-in-law will be able to get her Ph.D. at University of North Carolina as a Dietitian AND she's going to have grand baby number five in August.  Judy Pantoja was happy to see her good friend Marc Buonocotti  at the Club today.  Donald Trombly is selling $10 off tickets for the Cub Scouts (he's always selling something!).  Dick Golden hit an all-time bottom with today's joke ... something about kids who can walk on water because they're born in January.  Terry Long was happy to offer free parking tickets ($5) to everyone for Taste of the Bay being held in Palmetto Bay over the weekend.  Finally Randy is still looking for folks who want to Safari with him in the fall.  Happiness pays, keep on smiling. 

Working Rotarians - February 23, 2012

Greeter - Steven Spann
Registration - Aaron Glasser
Collections - Lorraine Sheldon & John Porro
Head Table - Rodney Langer
Special Needs - Lan Nghiem-Phu
Open Meeting - Jack Witty
Invocation - Abe  Horowitz
Pledge - Chris Tyson
Singers - Dan Scipione soloist
DeWitt Law Silver Dollars - Lan Nghiem-Phu
Given to - Chris Tyson & Marc Buoniconti
Pin Drawing Gift - Rodney Langer
Given to - Bob Reeve, Miramar
50/50 Raffle - Gloria Burns & Don Trombly
50/50 Winner - Sally B.
4-Way Test - Jim Skinner

Today's Program

Marc Buoniconti, President of the Miami Project to Cure Paralysis was to speak to us regarding the now-controversial Matheson Hammock Boat Storage facility that he and his father are planning.

But Marc, an Honorary Rotarian and former member of our Club, realized that he's missed everyone in our Club and almost like he's been skipping school since he stopped coming to our Thursday meetings.  He also decided that he didn't want to dodge tomatoes and so instead, he brought us up to speed on what's going on with spinal cord injury research.  It's amazing!

Miami Project now has 250 full time people, with 28 principal researchers that spend all their time developing clinical programs and working towards a cure.  It costs $250 million a year just to keep the doors open..  But all the hard work pays off because they have been able to improve the quality of life for people in wheel chairs and to keep them in the best health possible.  

Hypothermal Therapy is the new emergency treatment of choice when there is a spinal cord injury.  He cited the case of Kevin Everett who had the same injury as Marc,  a double dislocation of C3 and C4 with damage to the cord, a life threatening injury.  However, by packing Kevin in an ice pack bath and giving him a systemic IV of ice water, they were able to lower the core temperature by 3-4 degrees with a dramatic effect on the outcome.  Hypothermal Therapy works on the inflammatory process.  There's a five hour window for success. 

Cell transplantation has also yielded some outstanding results.  There's a specific type of cell that we each have in our leg, that causes injured spinal cord cells to regenerate and secretes a growth factor.  The Miami Project is conducting the clinical trials and is submitting to the FDA what will be the first trial of cell transplantation in ten people.  Miami Project pioneered this transplantation and paralyzed rats made up to a 70% recovery. 

And just to address briefly the Matheson Hammock project, he just wanted us to know that the RFP was issued in 2008.  This is not a new or a rushed project.  They have made a thorough analysis of the park and its surrounds ... they've been working with the City so that every issue will be addressed.  They feel the project will have a positive impact for the boating community.  And honestly - there is no place else to build boat storage.  Miami Dade County is out of space.  He hopes that he will be invited to return and discuss this issue at a future date.  He also promised that he will not be such a stranger to our Club.

NEXT WEEK'S PROGRAM:  Judge Steve Leifman, Miami Dade County Court.

Thought of the Week

by Frank Sexton

For World Rotary Day ...

"The thought came to me why not in big Chicago have a fellowship composed of just one person from each of many different occupations, without restrictions as to their politics or religion, with broad tolerance of each other's opinions?  In such a fellowship could there not be mutual helpfulness? ... Eventually, in February 1905 I called three young business men to meet with me and I laid before them a very simple plan of mutual co-operation and informal  friendship such as all of us had once known in our villages.  They agreed to my plan."

"We grew in numbers, in fellowship, in the spirit of helpfulness to each other and to our city.  The banker and the baker, the parson and the plumber, the lawyer and the laundryman discovered the similarity of each other's ambitions, problems, successes and failures.  We learned how much we had in common.  We found joy in being of service to one another..." 

                                                                                    Paul Harris, "My Road to Rotary"

Scene Scenes

Great vantage point to hear and see the speaker

Mead McCabe
&
Greg Martini

PDG Marcy Ullom with Yoli Woodbridge

Kelly Sastre, Carlos Ruiz and
Deena Bell-Llewellyn

Hank Collins is back!  Had some health issues recently so we haven't seen his face for awhile.  He's talking about North Carolina
with Keith Phillips.

The crowd upstairs!

Two members of the 2012-2013
Board of Directors,
Greg Martini, VP- Elect
Fred Baddour, Membership Development-Elect

                                                                          Fred, the Birthday Boy!

 

              Chris Tyson   

See you Next Week,

Same time, same place,

Same great bunch of Rotarians!

                                       

Vol. 66 No. 34 Notes from the Podium

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President's Time

With a packed agenda, President Debbie had to speed through her usual list of announcements but there were a few of them that were REALLY important.

February 23 is World Rotary Day.  It's our birthday.  Rotary is 107 years old. There's a lot of things happening around town to honor this occasion ...

To start with we're going to have Birthday Cake at next week's meeting... then ...
Coral Gables High School Interact Club is going to light the High School on the LeJeune Road face with the END POLIO NOW logo on Thursday at 6 p.m., and ...Gulliver Senior High School Interact is having their annual fund raiser benefiting Chapman Partnership for the Homeless.  It's a fashion show being held at hte School and it's only $10.  So mark your calendar for next Thursday and plan to celebrate all things Rotary.

TICKETS ON SALE NOW for our upcoming annual fund raiser - "A Night on the Red Carpet".  Dinner, dancing, drinking and a silent auction on March 9 will jointly benefit our Club Foundation and Citizens for a Better South Florida.  It's $150 per person. Black tie is optional - we'd rather you come dressed as your favorite celebrity.  There will be prizes for the best "dressed".  You can purchase your tickets at Registration or on-line on the Club Home Page by clicking on the PayPal button. 

Here come the cusp babies again!  People born between February 19 the February 23 reflect the characteristics of both Aquarius and Pisces.  That means that they are friendly, loyal, sensitive, sympathetic, unpredictable and idealistic.  Say Happy Birthday this week to Bill Quesenberry on the 18th, Rob Hatfield on the 19th, Fred Baddour and Greg Martini on the 21st and Carlos Ruiz on February 22nd.  And just wait until next week - this club is a Pisces Club and we have more Pisces members than any other sign in our Club ... isn't astrology interesting!

                             Congratulations to Evelyn Mayo-Paz

City of Coral Gables 

Employee of the Month for February

Mayor Jim Cason introduced us to his Executive Assistant.  Evelyn has been with the City for 23 years.  Mayor Cason said that he was very glad he took the advice of his predecessor and kept Evelyn in his office because seh is the most efficient, service oriented, friendly employee he could ask for.  She is respected and loved by everyone at the City and it is a privilege and a joy to work with her.  WOW, with that kind of recommendation you know that she is a really special person!  Congratulations Evelyn.  Keep up the great work!

Say Hello to our Newest Member

Ron Gerstl

George Reeves is the proud sponsor of our newest member, Ron Gerstl.  Although not a new Rotarian (Ron has been a member of the Downtown Miami Rotary Club for the past 13 years), he is a welcome new addition to our Club.

Ron spent his childhood in Curacao and so speaks Dutch, English and Papiamentu proficiently.  When he was 13 his family moved to Venezuela and he went off to the Taft School in Connecticut.  He then attended Harvard and got his MBA from Columbia.  He worked in Caracas as a marketing executive for P&G and later went on to found the first executive search firm in the country.  Because of the business from this area he moved to Miami in 1983 to conduct searches for multinational companies for many of the headquarters firms located in South Florida and especially right here in Coral Gables.  Now retired he keeps busy as an investor, playing tennis and golf and is actively involved in many organizations,  He is currently the President of the Harvard Club of Miami.

Ron is married to Suzanne Lesh of Indianapolis.  They have two daughters and three grandsons who live in Parkland and Palm Beach Gardens.  WELCOME TO ROTARY CLUB OF CORAL GABLES!

Graham Miller Made Honorary Rotarian

Celebrates 67 Years of Rotary Service

Bruce Kerestes has been a member of our Club since 1984.  He was sponsored by his Father-in-Law Graham Miller.  Graham joined our Club in 1983 after being in the downtown Miami Club for many years.  He was President of that Club in 1967.  But when he retired, it was more convenient for him to join the Coral Gables Rotary Club.  And is certainly worked out great for Bruce who grew up here in the Gables.

Rotary sort of runs in Graham's family.  His father, Francis Graham was a Rotarian, and he was accompanied today by his daughter, Marty who is a Rotarian in the Norfolk Club.  Is it any wonder he coerced Bruce to join too? 

Graham is a native of Deland, Florida.  He attended Duke University and graduated from University of Miami Law School in 1944.  He's retired now and isn't able to make the meetings regularly since at 92 he no longer drives and is dependent on others to get him to the meetings.  But after 67 years of Service Above Self, we just figured that Graham Miller has earned the title and the right to be an HONORARY ROTARIAN in the Rotary Club of Coral Gables.  Congratulations and thank you Graham!

Introduction of Guests & Visitors

by Dick Bullman

Not too many people visiting today... Bruce Kerestes introduced us to his wife Janie and his sister-in-law Marty both of whom accompanied Graham Wilson for today's special presentaiton.  Chuck Whitcomb introduced us to his daughter Debra from Montana.  Joe Lancaster brought a former member of the Club as a guest today, Ramon Irigoya.  President Debbie brought her business partner, Alberto Milian, and Alberto Herrera from Citizens for a Better South Florida.

Happy $$$

Dr. Randy returned today to Groh scholarships.  Time is growing short now.  We need a lot of happiness because we have a lot of very worthy scholarship winners in the running this year and the awards will be made in April.  Bill Quesenberry was happy today after his trip to Peru.  He got to see a big Rotary Monument and was fortunate to see the villagers use the biosand water filters such as our club has provided for needy communities elsewhere.  He's also getting funding for an international matching grant with a club in Ecuador to retrofit a boat that is a village's sole means of transport.  Elizabeth "Lovables" wanted to say "Thanks" to all the Rotarians who have either hired or recommended her for work of late.  She just catered a party at which Don Slesnick was honored by South Com.  Pat Morris called her to prepare the food for the reception for Mrs. Obama after her recent talk in Homestead.  Pat Morris was happy because when he received the call from YUSA that Mrs. Obama was coming to the Homestead Y to talk about childhood obesity he knew to call Elizabeth "Lovables" for a really outstanding event.  He definitely made the right choice.  Bill Forshee is happy to have a new Gator in his house.  His daughter is going to University of Florida.  Dr. Phil Boswell was ecstatic that his oldest daughter, Becka who since graduation from college has been doing active brain research was yesterday offered a PhD from Yale to study the Psychology of Obesity in Public Health.  Steve Magenheimer had some unhappy dollars today because his heart surgery was rescheduled until the 27th of February.  He also wanted to thank everyone for their good wishes and the Club for the beautiful orchid!  Yolanda Woodbridge was happy that Evelyn Paz was finally recognized for her excellent work as Employee of the Month.  And finally, Dr. Randy once again invited anyone interested to sign up for this year's photo safari to Africa.  He's planning on sometime between the end of September and Thanksgiving.  If you're interested, give him a call.  If you want to know what it's like you can ask Terry Long or Luis Boue who have accompanied him before.  Keep on smiling. Happiness pays!

Working Rotarians - February 16, 2012

Greeters - Rolf Frankfurther & Steven Spann

Registration - Aaron Glasser

Collections - John Porro & Lorraine Sheldon

Head Table - Rodney Langer

Special Needs - Lan Nghiem-Phu

Open the Meeting - Jack Witty

Invocation - Abe Horowitz

Pledge - Bill Quesenberry

Singers - Dan Scipione & Bill Quesenberry

DeWitt Law Silver Dollars - Steve Magenheimer

Given to - Dan Scipione &Chuck Whitcomb

Pin Drawing Gift - Yoli Woodbridge

Pin Drawing Winner - Jim Roen

50/50 Raffle - Don Trombly

50/50 Winner - John Wallace

4-Way Test - Don Trombly

Today's Program

Dr. John Parker, Environmental Science, Florida International University; "Sustainable Energy for a Warming Planet."

The U.S. National Academy of Sciences confirms that there is strong, credible body of scientific evidence that Climate Change is occurring and that it is the result largely of human activity.  It poses a significant risk for a broad range of human and natural systems.  90% of research climate scientists surveyed said that HUMANS ARE CAUSING GLOBAL WARMING.

The current CO2 levels in the atmosphere are 38% more than historical values 200 years ago.  The levels are the highest measured in 800,000 years.  The State Department addresses greenhouse gases and recommends that we reduce the amount of methane by 1/3 globally.  This means we must stop throwing garbage in landfills, reduce deforestation and reduce the amount of soot in the air.  Soot is the single largest problem that faces the world today.  20 years ago cyclical solar radiation, aerosol cooling and coal production in order to reduce the sulfate particles to counteract the problem helped somewhat.  10 years ago we included greenhouse gases, aerosols and solar and science finally began to understand the basic idea.  The impacts will be major during this century.  There is 4% more water vapor in the atmosphere.  And so in winter we see huge snowfalls.  There's been a 1.6 degree temperature rise in the last 50 years.  This last decade has been the warmest in more than 1,000 years.  The planet is rapidly warming and it's worse than we thought.  In a recent study of Arctic sea ice, there is a rapid degeneration of the ice cap in western Antarctica.

The extreme weather events impact on our eco-system.  Florida is looking at a 3 to 5 foot rise in water by the end of this century.  We have 10 years to focus on this.  There is a 2% solution to this problem IF and only IF we can improve the air quality by 2% every year for the next 100 years.  We need to stop burning coal.  We need to teach people how to take advantage of carbon offsets by making more use of solar electricity and other forms of power such as wind.

Dr. Parker closed by saying, "Global warming is a breathtaking opportunity disguised as an insolvable problem," and it is NOT insolvable.

NEXT WEEK'S PROGRAM:  Mark Buoniconti discussing the proposed Boat Storage facility at Matheson Hammock Marina.

Thought of the Week

by Frank Sexton

Frank said that while sitting in court he was mulling over the concept of "fear".  This took him back to the time when he was an insecure 8 year old but he pursed the topic.  Martin Luther King said, "There is normal fear and abnormal fear.  Normal fear protects us, abnormal fear paralyses us.  Normal fear motivates us to improrve our individual and collective welfare, abnormal fear constantly poisons and distorts our inner lives.  Our problem is not to be rid of fear but, rather to harness and master it."  President Franklin D. Roosevelt said, in his first inaugural address, "This great Nation will endure as it has endured, will revive and will prosper.  So, first of all, let me assert my firm belief that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself -- nameless, unreasoning, unjustified, terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance."  And finally, Terry McMillian, author said, "My mama taught me that anything worth doing in life should be a little scary."

Scene Scenes

Mayor Jim Cason chats with Richard DeWitt

Keith Phillips off his diet

Fellowship abounds 

New-old member Joe Lancaster brought another former member today, Ramon Irigoyen to visit.

Felix Pardo chats with Chuck 
Whitcomb's visiting daughter, Debra

Chuck Whitcomb introducing 
everyone to his daughter Debra 
visiting from Montana

Two happy fathers?

President Debbie with Mayor Cason with the Employee of the Month Evelyn Paz

Welcome to Ron Gerstle, our newest Member, seen here with President Debbie, his sponsor George Reeves and Membership Chair, Greg Martini.

Congratulations to Graham Miller for his new status as Honorary Member after 67 years of Rotary Service.  Graham is seen here with his daughters Janie and Marty and his son-in-law Bruce Kerestes and President Debbie.

See you again next week.

Same time, same place.

Same great bunch of Rotarians!