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[ynotsue at bellsouth.net]

ROTARY RAMBLINGS – September 23, 2008
 
It’s always a pleasure to have a piano player serenade us prior to lunch.  Thanks Bruce Williams.  
 
Invocation was given by Gerry Meeks
 
Steve Rich led us in lively renditions of “America the Beautiful” and “Smile”.
 
Harvey Brown introduced our guests (there were no visiting Rotarians),  semi-retired State Legislator, Richard Machek and Executive Director of the Drug Abuse Foundation, Alton Taylor (who is looking to possibly join our ranks).  We had several on-line makeups from Craig Hammett and Sylvia Pecaro, and Marty Phillips made up at the Rotary Club in Palm Beach.
 
Stock report was given by Fred Bonardi – and it was on a positive note.  Dow was up 60 points, S&P was up 4 points and NASDAQ was up 10 points.  Oil was down, and the dollar is weak due to what is happening in our financial markets.
 
Fred also gave the Sargaent at Arms report. He collected $88 from various sources including $20 from our newest member, Kate Handley, as it is an honor to be a member of Delray Beach Rotary.
 
Announcements: 
10/11 – Scholastic Achievement Foundation Golf Tournament at Quail Ridge still needs players and sponsors.  Contact Leo Phillips for information.   Our club endows some of these scholarships, so it is important that we support this event.
 
As we all know Hurricane Ike did substantial damage along the Gulf Coast of Texas and in the Caribbean.  Rotary International has sent out information for Rotarians would like to help Rotarians in those areas:  
Rotary District 5910 in Texas address isChecks payable to Texas Area Fund Foundation, Inc. should be mailed to:
PDG-5910 A Hugh Summers
District 5910, Emergency Response Chairman
P.O. Box 1399
Palestine, TX  75802-1399   
 
or to help in Haiti:
Rotary District 7020
c/o Walter J. Christen
P.O. Box 9774
Nassau, N.P. Bahamas  
 
Needless to say the Haitian Rotary clubs are in desperate need of assistance as Haiti was hit very hard with this storm and prior storms.  
All funds for either District are administered by that District’s governor and are tax deductible.
 
Bill Adams reminded us that one of the only real values is charitable contributions.  Betsey Owens is still offering her matching $500 for anyone who puts up an initial $500 for a Paul Harris Fellowship.  Deadline is October 14th – the date of her visit to our club.
 
9/25 – Bob Teninga announced the Scholastic Achievement Center for Children and Families reading program is starting up again.  9am and 3pm for reading to the children.  Let him know if you are available to participate.
 
10/23 – Mark your calendars – Barbeque Party at Wright-by-the Sea.  5:30pm.   President Steve Bates is picking up the tab.  Need to sign up at Ellie’s starting next week or call Steve to let him know you will be attending.  He needs to know how much beer/wine (or yea and food to buy).  Flyers will be sent again under separate cover.
 
Candace Etzler introduced our speaker, Dr. Kirt Rusenko PhD from Gumbo Limbo Sea Turtle Program.  From 3/31-10/31 is the official sea turtle nesting season in South Florida.  Other areas of Florida start a little later because they do no have the Loggerhead Turtles.  The turtles generally continue to return to the same geographic areas to nest.  During the season every sunrise, the team checks for nests early.  The turtles leave very distinctive tracks.  50% of the time they do not drop their eggs when they come out of the water (false crawl).  The only time the eggs are moved is if they are too close to the water.  If they are not moved by 9am on the day they are laid they cannot be moved without killing the babies.  3 days after they hatch, the team excavates the nests to see if they all hatched.  It is not unusual to find hatchlings which they take back to the center until they can release them at night.  
 
The tracking of the nests and nesting patterns has become very high-tech utilizing a GPS system.   One of the greatest threats to the turtles is long-line fishing.  Statistically the Loggerhead numbers are dropping, but the Leatherback are increasing as the bait used for long-line fishing is not what the Leatherback eat (which is Jellyfish).  The Green Turtles which were formerly extinct are coming back.  The numbers show that conservation is working.  There are 2 adult turtles that are getting ready to be released back into the sea.  The farewell party is October 5th and is open to the public.  They are putting tracking devises on these turtles to see what their patterns are.  
 
Dr. Rusenko discussed a little about the issue of mercury, etc. in fish.  There are several websites you can check to see which fish are the safest to eat.  www.blueocean.org; www.mbayaq.org; www.audobon.org
 
Green hat up to $1,098, but our newest member, Kate Handley did not pull the winning card.
 
 
 
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