Rotary District 6960 - In The News

Laughs at the “greedy” hands of Dorian Popescu and an informative presentation — those are nothing new at the weekly Rotary meeting.

“This is going to be a very special day for a few people and a special day for the Rotarians of this club,” Dick Elsbury said as he prepared to surprise Carolyn Eagen and others Tuesday (Jan. 26) at the weekly meeting of the Englewood Rotary Club. “It’s the first time in 27 years that I have seen this happen locally.”

It costs $1,000 to make someone a Paul Harris Fellow. Named for the founder of Rotary International, Paul Harris Fellowships are primarily a fundraising tool for the Rotary Foundation, which does humanitarian work, particularly in fighting the spread of polio. The local club also uses them to recognize people who have given to the community.

“The club has points that we earn as we give contributions to the Paul Harris Fellowship,” said club President Jack Gray, “and these were points that we accumulated that we can offer either existing members in the club or people who have helped the community, people we feel are important to the community.”

Eagen, Bobbi Austin, Virginia Kasanovich, James Gilmartin, John Halpin and Bob Wagner were each named Paul Harris Fellows at the meeting. Most were spouses of members.

Gray said that Rotarians are quite busy with their club activities, and the honors were a way of recognizing the sacrifices made by significant others, to recognize their contributions and make them part of the fellowship.

Tad Kasanovich accepted on behalf of his wife. Other honorees went through a pleasant little ritual of being pinned and having a medallion put around their necks. They were also given certificates and told to wear their new adornments whenever they go to a Rotary function.

“These six individuals have been given by either the club, a friend, a spouse, the amount of $1,000 to become a Paul Harris Fellow,” Elsbury said. “They are one of a little more than a million people in the world who have received a Paul Harris Fellowship. I hope you understand how proud they are to receive this.”

Then it was back to business as usual at the meeting, as Popescu, the sergeant-at-arms, presented his News of the Weird for the week and began quizzing members about historical trivia. This is where he go to become “greedy” — but for a good cause.

Losers in the game paid a dollar for their misfortune, whether they were a person who was questioned and failed to know the answer, or the questioner who failed to stump a participant.

What year was the United Mine Workers founded? What state? How old was Al Capone when he died?

“Pay a dollar for this information,” said Popescu at one point. “I mean, I’m spending my time educating you.”

Then Eagen gave a slide show about Mental Health Community Centers, of which she is executive director.

: Tad Kasonovich displays his wife Virginia’s Paul Harris Fellowship as Dale Austin helps Bobbi Austin get her new medallion out of its box.

: Ed Eagen pays Norm Caldwell $1, a fine for flunking one of Dorian Popescu’s quiz questions.

: Paul Cearlock draws a card from club President Jack Gray in the weekly 50/50.

: Jack Gray congratulates Bobbi Austin after she was given a Paul Harris Fellowship Tuesday during the weekly meeting of The Rotary Club of Englewood in the Suncoast Auditorium. Also shown (from left) are Barbara Arbour, Tad Kasonovich and Dale Austin.

: Hugh Outterson pays $1, a fine he imposed on himself for arriving late to the Rotary Club of Englewood’s weekly meeting.

: From left, Jack Halpin, James Gilmartin, Barbara Arbour and Tad Kasonovich.

: Dale Austin puts a Paul Harris Fellowship pin on his wife, Bobbi Austin, at Tuesday’s meeting of The Rotary Club of Englewood.

: Dorian Popescu relates “News of the Weird.” Because it concerned something in Romania, Popescu fined himself $3.

: Rotary club president Jack Gray pins Jack Halpin a Paul Harris Fellow Tuesday during the weekly meeting of The Rotary Club of Englewood in the Suncoast Auditorium.

: Dick Elsbury congratulates new Paul Harris Fellow James Gilmartin. Also shown (from left) are Bob Wagner, Valerie Wagner and Jack Halpin.

: Dick Elsbury congratulates Tad Kasonovich, in honor of Virginia Kasonovich’s award. From left are Bob Wagner, Valerie Wagner, Jack Halpin and James Gilmartin.

: Valerie Wagner relates a bonus of Monday’s meeting: her husband, Bob Wagner, finally got to see “how weird” Dorian Popescu is. “Seeing is believing,” she said.

: Carolyn Eagen gets pinned at Tuesday’s meeting of The Rotary Club of Englewood.

Rotary Clubs add to playground

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The crowd dedicated the school's latest donation from six area Rotary Clubs' efforts -- playground equipment including a much-cherished sunshade canopy erected over the Americans with Disabilities Act-accessible play area.

Sarasota's Oak Park School serves exceptional students, some with hearing or visual impairments. Special playground equipment allows students to use wheelchairs or other heavy equipment so they can feel the freedom of swinging with wind in their faces or the thrill of descending the curved slide.

The playground was initially dedicated on Feb. 12, 2005. Donated as Area 7 District 6960 Rotary's Centennial Project, the 7,600-square-foot playground commemorates the Rotary's 100 years of service and a commitment to a new century of success.

The value of the improvement is $15,000, with material and labor donated.

Gail Maynard welcomed the group and introduced Rotary officials Margaret Cypher, District Governor; Tom Zahn, Assistant Governor for The Rotary Foundation and Marvin Hendon, Assistant Governor for Effective Service.

Oak Park Assistant Principal Phyllis Frederic thanked participants on behalf of the school.

Club presidents/representatives Dave Mills, George Babigian, Bill Buckley, Bob Cunningham and Dick Pickett were acknowledged before Joe Formella and Keith Millard officially cut the ribbon.

Zahn's closing remarks reminded people that more work is needed to canopy the entire playground area.

All the while, students were next to the group, swinging happily under their new canopy.

"The temperatures can rise very high out here in the summer and students use the playground all day long to increase sensory skills or practice Braille," Frederic said.

"The playground is an integral part of our curriculum.

"Having the canopy out here is wonderful."

But the newest passion of this muffin-baking grandma has made her the unlikely champion of the town's adolescent minority: Berlin wants to bring a nearly $900,000 state-of-the-art skate park to Englewood.

She has helped pay for this dream with a $200,000 donation from her retirement fund, making her by far the largest donor to the J.M. Berlin/Rotary skate park, which will be built in the soon-to-be Oyster Creek Regional Park.

"We're going to have this skate park come hell or high water," said Berlin, whose 15-year-old grandson is avid about the sport and whose children used to skate.

Berlin's donation and drive have made her a bit of a rock star among the young skaters, who gave her a standing ovation at a recent park design meeting.

Berlin, an unassuming, barely 5-foot benefactor, has become a fixture at park meetings and fundraisers for the park, which is scheduled to open early this summer.

Her active role in the project has paired two seemingly opposite worlds: the culture of teenage skaters and that of an Englewood granny.

At a recent skateboarding contest, Berlin served as a judge, even though she has been slow to learn the complex vocabulary of skateboarding tricks. "It didn't make any difference; they didn't land on their feet anyhow."

At the same contest, Berlin stopped the action because one participant used the "F-word" and tossed his board in frustration.

She gathered the skaters and told them, "We weren't going to tolerate that kind of behavior."

She instructed them that a sport is just a game and should be taken with a grain of salt. "I was on a bowling team; I was called the 'gutter cleaner.'"

For years, Berlin and her late husband, John, the longtime owner of Berlin Sign Co. of Venice, talked about building Englewood a skate park.

"We have needed something in Englewood for the kids for so long. Can you name me one thing that kids have to do here in town?" Berlin said.

The couple's desire was fueled when Pelican Pete's, a mini-golf and go-kart park popular among Englewood teens, closed in the fall of 2005. But John Berlin became ill, and "everything in our life got put on hold."

Several months ago, Berlin learned that Charlotte County was building a skate park on San Casa Drive at Oyster Creek park.

She also discovered that Englewood's three Rotary clubs -- Englewood, Placida and Lemon Bay Sunrise -- had joined to make the skate park their annual fundraising project.

The county was contributing $135,000 toward the park, but about $700,000 more would be needed to make it an elaborate concrete park that would attract skaters from around the region.

"Oh, I'm going to jump right on it," Berlin recalled was her reaction. "This was my husband's dream."

On Saturday, Berlin could be found working toward that dream, stationed behind the concession and prize table at the North Port Skate Park, where the Englewood Rotary clubs held a fundraiser for the Englewood park.

Berlin busied herself by dusting off the gleaming new skateboards, restocking coolers and handing chips to skaters of varying ages but identical outfits: stylishly battered jeans and bulky skater sneakers.

During the contest, Berlin took a few moments to step from behind her table and watch the skaters: They would disappear in the bottoms of the ramps then reappear, bodies twisting and boards flipping through the air.

Her hands folded, Berlin watched, wearing a light jacket over her shoulders and a pleased smile.

"That was super, wasn't it?" she said after the contest. "It is a joy to watch these kids."

Berlin doesn't skate, a question she answered with utmost seriousness. "I can't skateboard because my back won't let me do it. If my doctor ever found out I went on a skateboard, she'd have a fit."

Charlotte County is pleased to announce the opening of the J.M. Berlin/Rotary Skate Park as part of our new Oyster Creek Regional Park. This highly anticipated 18,000 sq. ft. skate park was designed and built by Team Pain, world famous Florida-based skate park designers. It features China banks, concrete bowls, beginner, street and transition elements. The skate park was funded by Charlotte County Government, a donation of $200,000 from the Berlin Family and funds raised by the Englewood Rotary. Hours of operation are Friday, Saturday and Sunday 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Wednesdays and Thursdays 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. The park is located off of San Casa Road in Englewood. For more information, please contact the Charlotte County Parks, Recreation & Cultural Resources Department at 941.625.7529.

Grand Openings and Ground Breakings - The following events are being planned:

Quite a few of you go to the YMCA here in town and do your workouts, aerobics and go for a dip in their new pool. I wonder how many take a drive or walk by the back of the facility, where the soccer fields are? I invite all to take a little trip back there and see what has transpired.

You might notice something a little different if you go back there now. One of the sweetest gym sets and playground equipment you will ever see is now sitting on the left side of the field. You can't miss it. It is bright yellow and navy blue with everything a little child would need to have fun with for hours.

When you go by the gym, I also want you to look at the sign that is there. It is a dedication from the three Rotary Clubs to the YMCA as a place where all children can play and have fun whether they or their parents are members of the "Y" or not. By the way, the coloring on the gym set is also Rotary's colors. The area will be called "Tomorrow's Leaders' Park."

Dave Dignam and Tom Hinck, both very involved with the YMCA and Rotary, came up with the idea. Why not have the "Y" joint-venture with the three Rotary Clubs of Englewood and do this project together? They went to the three Rotary Clubs and made a pitch to the presidents of each club. The Noon Rotary Club's President Dorian Popescu, the Placida's Rotary President Ken Baumhardt and myself, with Lemon Bay Sunrise Rotary, all jumped on board instantly to do our part.

The task was simple: Each club would pitch in $10,000, with the "Y" also contributing $10,000. The playground was $30,000 and it cost about $10,000 for assembly costs, mulch and various other items to get the job done. It was a little unfair, though. The "Y" raised its share in about 10 minutes at the auction on "Tropical Nights." The announcer explained what they needed the money for, and the bidders were falling all over themselves to give their money for this project. I think it took the three clubs a little longer to chip in. Our money was raised by a little more "sweat equity" from projects in the community.

The idea took off, the set was bought and the deal was done. I saw the equipment when it was delivered. About 10,000 pieces were lying all over the place. I never thought it would be built. It took a crew a little more than a week to get it up and running. The dedication for the playground was done shortly after that. After all the ceremonies, the children took over and started having fun. That's what it's all about, right?

Personally, every time I drive by the back of the "Y" when I am looking for a place to park, I feel a little twinge of gratitude. This project started with just an idea and the two groups worked together to make it happen. I, too, spend a lot of time at the "Y," and have been a member for some 31 years, starting in Venice, and have been a Rotary member for 16 years. So I think I know a little about both. To be part of bringing these two entities together for something so worthwhile makes me very proud. All of Englewood should be proud of what the service clubs and the "Y" do for all of us.

Have a happy and safe Fourth of July!

Lang Capasso is the general manager of the Englewood Sun.

December 10, 2005

Rotary gives dictionaries to students

ENGLEWOOD -- Ten-year-old Austin Kunkle's favorite word is supercalafragilisticexpealadocious.

Lucky for Kunkle, the Rotary Club of Englewood left students spellbound Friday when members distributed more than 80 dictionaries to fourth-graders at Englewood Elementary School.

Rotary member Tad Kosanovich said the district-wide dictionary project has kept kids looking up words for the past four years.

"Rotary has always been very strong for pushing literacy," Kosanovich said. "It's the beginning of their personal libraries for the rest of their educational careers."

Kosanovich encouraged the kids to keep their dictionaries close by, "and don't let your brother or sister take it," he said.

Fourth-grade teacher Donna Yarid said her students couldn't wait to get their hands on the new books.

"Now every word in your papers to me has to be spelled correctly," Yarid told her class.

Fourth-grader Katilyn Barfield said she loves her new dictionary, though she's already fairly confident in her spelling skills.

"I can spell better than my sister, and she's in the tenth grade," Barfield said.

Principal Pamela Buchanan called the Rotary's donation "a true gift," adding that dictionaries are pricey expenditures for most schools.

Six receive special honor from Englewood Rotary

Rotary Clubs add to playground

December 10, 2005

Rotary gives dictionaries to students