Winter Weekly ReaderVolume 102 , Issue 1634, February 26, 2015 The Plano Rotary Club www.PlanoRotary.com
UPCOMING BBuurrssttiinngg aatt tthhee SSeeaammss MEETINGS ainted Editor felt extremely saint- Storck, and potential member Graciela February 26 ly, having brought four guests this Katzer (Plano International Festival President). Paula Land - SS day until he realized that Myrtle Hightower was responsible for at least 32! “Silence isn’t Golden: How (For you math wizes, that’s not “32 factorial.” to Make the Most of your [2.63x1035] It only felt like it!) Hearing”
Nancy Humphrey introduced a Real March 5 Estate Mogul Mike Friedman eager to Doug Stramel - capture Place 4 on the PISD Board of Direc- “Pet Whispering: Releasing tors. Earl Simpkins welcomed wife, Bar- your Pet’s Hidden Health President Wonderful cobbled us together at bara, daughter, Alice, and (unrelated) Potential” 12:09, cognizant of way too long a program Pamela Ziegler Petty. He also welcomed that saw us released at 1:18! But, but, but he two of Myrtle’s guests: Fred and Mazzie tried, and the program was one of the best, Moses. Yoram Solomon bade us greet so Sainted Editor will treat him kindly. Ear- David Johnson, and Chris Phillips in- nest summoned Phil Dyer for the Pledge troduced D.J. Horn. FEBRUARY (minus Scary Bob…Randy filled in for him on pho- BIRTHDAYS tos, but we’ve used one from Yoram and another from wife, Pat). W.T. Greer Lynne McLean Feb 01 offered up the (Lord’s) Jason Kramer Feb 07 Prayer, a capella, as Ear- Karla Oliver Feb 13 nest noted, due to a failing Doyle Dean Feb 19 iProduct and/or end-user. Jim McGee Feb 20 W.T. belted out the hymn to a round of ap- Dennis Fuller Feb 22 plause. Chris Henry Feb 23 Karen Sheldon was thanked for Carrolyn Moebius Feb 27 Greeting (with a coterie of candidates, presuma- Kyle Walters Feb 27 bly), and Earnest called Sergeant Barbera to the enormous task of welcom- ing the horde. Nathan permitted Jim The lone Visiting Rotarian was actually McGee to “plea for sanity” another of Myrtle’s guests, Collin County and solicit “requests” for ser- Sheriff Terry Box (McKinney Sunrise). vice once he’s elected to the Chris Parr City Council. Phil Dyer re- proudly introduced quested “a couple of beers,” his guests, most of who visited to at- in the tradition of Old San Fran- tend Reeves Da- cisco politics, but he was ig- vis’ (husband of nored. Jim’s seeking to fill Pat Gal- Maribelle) funeral lagher’s Place 7 and claimed an endorse- directly after today’s meeting. There was ment therefrom to the effect, “Keep an Reggie Bryan (weight trainer), Irma Lan- Irishman here” in office. Alex Johnson dis (Plano political gadfly), wife Patricia piped up with a guest, Cal Greer.
continued on page 2 Noting “lots and lots” of Myrtle’s “distinguished” What follows is a catastrophically curtailed version of guests, Nathan asked them all to stand; half the room rose that biographical treatise. to their feet! Carl S. Richie, Jr., is considered among Texas’ top power lobby- Yoram Solomon stumped for the March 30th Golf ists. Capitol Inside recently ranked him as the 23rd top Hired Gun lob- Tournament benefitting the PISD Education Foundation. byist. [He is] ranked…fourth…as the lead lobbyist for the energy giant He sought especially sponsors. TXU Energy. Earnest introduced today’s Master He began his investigative career serving as a Fellow to a member of Ceremonies to present our Annual of the United States Congress…Carl went on to serve as a legislative Black History Month program, W.T. assistant for two state senators. He also served as Deputy Chief of Greer, a man with “a world renowned Staff to Texas Governor Ann W. Richards. While serving in the Gov- voice.” But not, apparently, world re- ernor’s Office, he led the Governor’s Ethics Task Force, which estab- nowned vision; W.T. pulled out “a new lished the creation of the Texas Ethics Commission. He later served as addition” to his wardrobe, glasses, to the agency’s Acting Director. accompany his new suit, “the biggest Carl is a skilled administrative litigator…He has participated in a I’ve ever had!” So far, he was preaching wide array of contested and negotiated proceedings before state and to the choir. federal regulatory agencies. He said that our program theme was the Legacy of Currently, Carl serves as Vice Chair of the Board of Commission- Black Heritage, but that there is “no other Culture except ers for the Housing Authority of the City of Austin. He has earned the People.” Wisely, he shied away from introducing any sig- highest awards given to public housing commissioners, including the nificant number of Myrtle’s guests, but he couldn’t resist Elizabeth B. Wells Memorial Award by the National Association of noting the presence today of Art and Betty Stranz. At Housing and Redevelopment Officials (NAHRO), the Commissioner’s Public Service Award from the Southwest Regional Council of NAHRO, and twice as Commissioner of the Year Award by the Texas Chapter of NAHRO. B.S., TAMU Commerce, M.P.A., TSU, J.D., Univ. of Houston Law Center. [He is currently] Board Member of Sendero Health Plans, Treasur- er of Austin Area Research Organization, Board President of Southwest Housing Compliance Corporation, Commissioner of Austin Affordable Housing Corp. and Housing Authority of the City of Austin, member of Commissioners Committees for NAHRO, Southwest Regional Council 90, Art is the oldest living Mayor of Plano, and he received of NAHRO, and Texas Chapter of NAHRO. an ovation, the loudest from Harry LaRosiliere, Phil Carl said that he was “delighted Dyer, Pat Evans, and Florence Shapiro, all of whom with Rotary’s mission,” because it know first-hand the rigors of the office! W.T. said that he means we share with him a life of com- has been “in the Green Room” with “a lot of politicians,” munity service. He is proud of our ele- and these were “real people.” mentary school mentoring as well as RI’s work in the eradication of Polio. He recognized Fred and Florence, praising the latter for her work as for- mer mayor, public school teacher, and Texas State senator. And for “giving me a hall pass” for missing a 3 pm meet- ing. And he is proud of himself for having “aligned my business with my civic” activities without a conflict of in- W.T. then introduced Derrick terest. He adopts our Service Above Self motto. Brookins, the Director of the Plano Two days after Mayor Kirk Watson was voted into Senior Choir. He invited the Choir to office in Austin, he made his first appointment. It was assemble and us to enjoy the ensem- Carl, who was set to go on a well-deserved vacation at 5 ble. pm, but got the call earlier in the day. It was to a stum- Derrick provided drum accompa- bling Housing Authority, and, over his 14-year tenure, Carl niment to the Choir’s rendition of an has turned it into “the best agency in the country.” But African-American spiritual, “Keep Your when he was appointed, he asked his wife, “Why me?” She told him, “Your whole life has prepared you for this call to service.” She reminded him that he grew up in public housing. His academic thesis had been on Urban Home- steading. It involved the creation of a public agency, the Lamp” (trimmed and burning; the time is drawing nigh). Their Houston Housing Authority, which has become a model. professional delivery earned the group heart-felt applause. He had worked with Senator Barney Frank on agen- For their second and final spiritual, the Choir wowed cies and commissions that had oversight on HUD. When the audience with “Daniel, Daniel, Servant to the Lord.” he staffed a campaign for the Houston City Council he had Apologizing implicitly, W.T. drew out a 4-page intro. worked for public housing. These were each reason enough for an appointment let alone all of them together. Austin’s Housing Au- sung in the cotton fields that didn’t trouble the thority is “the Gold Standard masters. But the drums at night were pre- Plano Rotary Club for public housing, an sumed to be inter-slave communication chan- Board of Directors award-winning program.” nels, so they were taken away. 2013-2014 It offers job training and Slaves had been indoctrinated with the President scholarships, funneling 325 religion of their masters, including stories kids through college on about Moses “who is here today.” They knew Earnest Burke $825K in scholarships. It about Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego President Elect has developed Dropout Pre- from the Book of Daniel. Doc claimed he’d Kelly Palmer vention programs where staffers call in at the heard it as “Shadrach, Meshack and Secretary homes of truants. This has resulted in the Abadnegro.” But the tales of Life in the Here- David McWhorter “lowest dropout rate” of any such program. after were interpreted as emancipation from Treasurer And the after-school tutoring has raised GPAs. slavery, so the spirituals became guidebooks Pam Little In a marvelously innovative move, the au- for escape. Like “Steal Away Home, I ain’t got Past President thority purchased a shopping center, cutting long to stay here.” And, in reference to car- Kirk Bell the rent of client stores who hire project resi- riages carrying slaves to freedom on the Un- S e r gea n t at Arms dents. The shops also offer deep discounts to derground Railroad, “Swing low, Sweet Char- low-income kids. Google Fiber has wired all iot, coming for to carry me home.” Harriet Nathan Barbera 18 public housing developments, offering free Tubman cautioned to foil bloodhounds via Membership Chair wi-fi for three years. Ford Foundation grants “Wade in the Water; God’s gonna trouble the Randy Wright and other fundraising have ensured that Aus- water.” And her mission to thwart slavery was Membership Vice Chair tin is “transforming public housing.” sung as “Let My People Go,” which refrain we Yoram Solomon Graduates from the projects are entering were invited to chant. Service Chair the workplace and public service. The Chief of Doc claimed he’d made us all “honorary Bob Pikna Black people” with the Call and Response. Staff for Austin’s Metro was one such. Service Vice Chair All of this is done under the philosophy Then, honoring Myrtle’s insistence that he that “if you focus on others, you will receive heat up the house, he launched into “Tell Me David Bowman more in return.” He cited Rotary as an exem- What I Say,” “Well I Feel All Right Now,” and, Public Relationship Chair plar. “I commend you and all that you do.” recommending that Myrtle rock in her seat, Mary Jo Dean Then the program was “dancing cheek to cheek,” he concluded with Public Relationship Vice Chair turned over to Doc Gibbs, “Down Home Blues” and “What a Wonderful Camille Ussery who synopsized his own World” in proper Satchmo fashion. It earned Club Admin Chair personal history. “Twenty him a standing ovation. David McWhorter
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