What’s Happening…
Issue2
July 27, 2005
RotaryWise
Newsletter for The Rotary Club of Marathon, Florida
Roland Fisch Talks
City Plan Update
Wednesday Noon, 7/13/05
Wednesday Noon, 7/20/05
In a presentation that might also have been entitled Feng Shui for the great outdoors, Marathon Rotarian
Roland Fisch entertained the club on July 13th with a talk
about how nature can enhance the way we live. The theme
of Roland’s interesting speech was the use of native plants
for water gardens in the Florida Keys.
City Planner and former Rotarian Gail Kenson made a
presentation to the club that included information on
moves to simplify the paperwork required for plan approvals, a glimpse at the staffing of her department and some
unfilled vacancies, and comments on the impact for the
Keys if the proposed 6,000 home building program is allowed to proceed on environmentally-sensitive land near
Florida City.
We heard about emergents, floating plants and
wildflowers that grow in wet soils.
Emergent plants, we were told, root in permanent standing water and can provide a vertical and opaque
backdrop for ponds. They block lines of sight to ponds
and provide comforting shelter for wildlife. These plants,
Roland says, help to define a water garden.
With names like Bulltongue Arrowhead, White
Arrow Arum, Alligator Flag and Bandana-of-theEverglades, emergents shelter and feed wildlife; while
many of them are edible and tasty to humans.
Roland named Water Shield, White Water Lily,
Lotus and Spatterdock Lily as examples of floating plants,
which oftentimes become the focal element in any water
garden.
Some of the wildflowers named in the talk are
Sixangle Foldwing, Cuban Jute, Salt Marsh False Foxglove, Herb of Grace, Wireweed and Bluehearts. Roland
observed how native species of local flora can create a
visual outdoor landscape treat far more attractive than
grass or some of the gravel and stone treatments commonly seen in the Keys.
Gail began by describing the large numbers and types
of demands being asked of her department within city
government. The recent run up in land prices, earlier delays in permitting, the whole ROGO process, and the need
for the city to have its comprehensive plan approved have
all been a factor in creating bottlenecks since Marathon
became a city. She reported widespread progress as these
items have been addressed.
Marathon is sensitive to the needs of applicants requiring permits and plan approvals, according to Gail.
In response to a question from a Rotarian, Gail admitted that staffing problems have thwarted some of the
changes the city would like to make to ease the effort ands
time required of citizens in dealing with the city on property plan issues. At least one job has been vacant a year,
with affordable housing being only one factor in why it is
unfilled despite having been advertised widely.
Gail made a point that the lands on which it has been
proposed to build 6,000 residential units in Florida City
hold the same environmentally-sensitive designation that
has is used to control the rate of development in the Keys.
District Conference Just Around the Corner
The District 6990 annual conference is upcoming at Orlando’s Walt Disney World Hilton Resort September 8-11th,
and Marathon Rotarians are encouraged to attend. Barbara Lowd at Traveleaders in Coral Gables is the contact person
for making reservations and registration. Her telephone number is 305-648-550. Accommodation is $299 for 3days/2
nights and $399 for 4 days/3 nights, with payment due by 8/8/2005. Packages include continental breakfasts each day, a
Friday cocktail party and the Saturday evening banquet. An admittance package to Disney World attractions is also
available. For more information see the district web site. www.rotary6990.org
Tom Sawyer Honored in Key West
We recently received word that Tom Sawyer, a charter
Key West club member and past president of that club,
has what is considered inoperable cancer. Rotarians in
Key West are putting together a book of memories for
Tom’s family and friends. Anyone who has a story
about meeting Tom or working with him as a Rotarian
and friend is asked to write down their recollections for
this memorial book, intended to be a written “roast” of
Tom. AG Bob Hyde is the contact person and can be
reached by e-mail at BobHyde@clearchannel.com.
Photos for Use In the Club Directory
The 2005-2006 Marathon Rotary Club Directory is
ready to go to press for distribution in August. During
the first two weeks of the month, Rotarians who attend
noon luncheon meetings on Wednesday are encouraged
to have their photographs taken for inclusion in the directory. It is so much easier for new Rotarians to get to
know veteran club members if they have a photo to look
at, so please let’s all cooperate to make sure we get as
many photos as possible.
Rotarians out of town or unable to make these meetings will not have their photograph included in this directory, but will be added at the first update.
Do You Have A Newsletter Contribution?
RotaryWise is the reintroduction of a regular club
newsletter to keep our members informed about happenings in the club. It will also list important events and
describe future activities for the benefit of Rotarians who
may have missed an announcement at the weekly meetings of the club.
Another feature of this newsletter will be to tell us a
little bit more about both newcomers joining our club as
members and to recount details of veteran members as
they continue their service in Rotary.
You can refer to your newsletter to get information
on visitors, Rotarians from other clubs attending our
luncheons, make-ups by our members, weekly meeting
attendance, things happening with District 6990, various
fellowship opportunities, etc. We also welcome your
input and any articles you may wish to contribute.
Monthly Board Meeting August 2nd
The club board will meet at First State Bank this
Tuesday at 5:15 p.m. The meeting is open to anyone
from the club to attend and counts as a make-up if
you have a recently missed one of our regular weekly
luncheons.
Proposals for new members to the club should be
presented to the board prior to this meeting for them
to be considered this month. The board also welcomes ideas for new projects or future activities, as
well as comments on the clubs operations generally.
Recreational Fellowship Corner
International Fellowship of
Rotarian Scuba Divers
www.ifrsd.org
The IFRSD Invites Rotarians with an interest in
underwater exploration on trips to exotic locations, around the world. During the past twelve
months, destinations have included St. Kitts,
Grand Turk and Bali, while the next adventure is
scheduled to depart for Roatan in February 1118, 2006. You can be sure it will offer fantastic
diving and great fellowship.
Outing participants range from first time divers
to experienced underwater adventurers.
The President of IFRSD is Dan Lockwood of
St. Claire, Michigan. His telephone contact
number is 810-329-4003. Dan can be reached by
e-mail at danlockwood@comcast.net.
Reception for Sonja Rosenberg
The Rotary Club of Marathon is about to sponsor
Sonja Rosenberg’s year as a Rotary exchange student
from Germany. Sonja arrives on August 2nd and will
begin her stay at the home of Chris and Cindy Bull.
Riley, Regan and baby Lindsay are looking forward to a
new “sister” for the coming few months. Meanwhile,
Suzi Greenman from here in Marathon is abroad studying as an exchange student in Germany.
The Bull family is holding a reception for Sonja on
August 2nd in their home from 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. All club
members and spouses are welcome. The address is 150
Calle Ensueno. Call 305-289-8080 for more information
Comings and Goings…
It is with great regret that we announce the loss of
several Rotarians from our club roster.
Skip Bowen, who so ably led our 4th of July parade
effort, has resigned in anticipation of his forthcoming
transfer to another U.S. Coast Guard assignment.
Tracy Holder will be especially missed. Few of us
will forget the ambition, initiative and strength of will
that Tracy displayed time and again to get things moving
and keep events happening. We are indebted to him as a
club and wish him well.
Linda Hartley-Mixon has also again and again put
herself out for the club and the Marathon community. A
new work assignment that requires her to work throughout the Keys prevents her from continuing as a club
member. Thanks, Linda, for all you have done.
Leslie Messier joined our club only a year or so ago
and will also be missed. She has taken on new duties at
the Monroe County School District offices that prevent
her from attending meetings in Marathon.
Bob Welch has been proposed as a new member by
Tracy Holder. Anyone wishing information on Bob or
wishing to comment on his proposed membership is
asked to contact the Club Secretary, Charlotte Quinn,
prior to the August 2nd board meeting.
Tracy Overton, currently a Rotarian in Iowa City,
IA, has been proposed as a new member. Again, please
direct any comments to Charlotte Quinn.
Marlene Morato, currently a member of the Big
Pine Rotary Club, has been proposed as a new member.
Please direct any comments for the board to Charlotte.
Youth Ethics and Interact Underway
The new high school year begins on August 4th,
and already our Marathon Rotarians are involved with
students in a number of activities.
This year, Big Pine Rotarian and school board
member Duncan Mathewson, III is joining our own
Judy Greenman and Kayak Dave Kaplan as Interact
advisors at Marathon High School. Theo Derleth’s
son, Theo, is the incoming Interact president, and the
club has student members from Freshmen to Seniors.
If you are aware of any high school age young people
who could be Interact members, contact Kayak Dave.

By the way…

It was nice to see Rotarians Bill and Jane Daniels back
in town for a couple weeks from their summer retreat to
North Carolina. Jane is Chair of the Elders Program,
and both of the Daniels have a longstanding history of
service to the Marathon community. They are valued
members of our club.
Volunteers Needed For Challenge Day
One of the most interesting activities we sponsor each
year as a club is Challenge Day. We need as many Rotarian volunteers as we can muster on August 31st to get
the 45 adult volunteers needed to make this program
work. The date is a Wednesday, and participation will
be counted as a Rotary make-up since this event is cosponsored by our club.
This is a full day activity at the high school that is participated in by almost all of the incoming freshmen class
members. The Challenge Day program has had a huge
impact since its inception five years ago through the initiative of Rotarian Judy Greenman and a core of adults
who work year round on follow up activities having to
do with safety and student leadership at the high school.
During the Challenge Day event, young people become more aware of how cliques, gossip and other behaviors prevent good communications and lead to problems of misunderstanding and non-acceptance.
Meeting alternatively as an active group and then in
small sub-groups with a handful of students and an adult,
students get an opportunity to tell others what it is like to
be them and to reveal in a safe space the problems they
must deal with at home and at school. During the interaction of the day, everyone gains a sense of how similar
we all are and gets the security of knowing that they are
not alone.
Adult volunteers participating in Challenge Day will
be surprised by what they learn and moved by the honesty of these young people willing to let go of their fears
and resentments toward others.
One of the outcomes of Challenge Day is that kids are
asked themselves to Be The Change – to make decisions
and choose behaviors resulting in the kind of school that
they want to see for themselves. A natural outgrowth of
this decision process is that more students become interested in playing an affirmative leadership role. It is oftentimes this smaller group of self-selected students who
provide the leadership cadre for the entire high school as
they go on to become upper classmen in subsequent
years.
Challenge Day is but the start of a whole series of programs that raise the level of participation and leadership
at Marathon High School, so please contact Judy
Greenman or Kayak Dave to be part of this event.
Upcoming Dates
8/31/05 District Governor’s Visit
8/31/05 Challenge Day for students and
adults at Marathon High School
9/08/05 District Conference, Walt Disney
Hilton Hotel, Orlando, FL (3 days)
Weeks of 7/20/05 and 7/27/05:
Club Attendance:
Rotary Club of Marathon
7/20
7/27
Total members
Members present
57
57
Attendance percentage
54%
50%
Guests:
Visiting Rotarians:
Bob Welch
Theo Derleth, the younger
Lindsay DeGinder
Jason Kaplan
Gail Kenson
Maria Luther
John Pertner
Randy Acevedo
Tracy Overton
Marlene Morato
Make-ups:
Health Challenges:
Rotary Club of Marathon
P.O. Box 522666
Marathon Shores, FL 33052
(Chartered in 1961)
Allen Sells, President
Charlotte Quinn, Secretary
Lisa Knetge, Treasurer
Borden Makepeace, Vice President
Patrick McCullah, Sergeant-at-Arms
Theo Derleth
Hal Schuhmacher
Judy Greenman
Dave Kaplan
Sheila Cantler
Marcy Tangen
Tom Operchal, Family of Rotary Chair
Jane Daniels, Elder Program Chair
John Jones, Rotary Foundation Chair
WEEKLY MEETING
12:10 p.m.
Sombrero Country Club
4000 Sombrero Boulevard
Marathon, Florida