Grandiose Utterings of Monaco South (GUMS) August 2, 2019 – Vol. 43, Issue 44 Optimist Club of Monaco South Founded in 1976 at Denver, Colorado Serving Youth and the Community for 43 Years National Philanthropy Day Colorado, Outstanding Service Organization, 2012 www.monacosouth.org Editor for this Issue—Robert Wardlaw Good Morning Optimists each interaction, help us to look positively on our own It was a beautiful morning today this first Friday of outlook and the bright nature we can provide.” Eldon August. Our Greeters this morning were Karl Geil and then leads us in the Pledge of Allegiance. Tom Glazier. Announcements Dime-A-Day: Perry Allen encourages members to donate to the Dime A Day Program. One dime a day comes out to $36.50 and your check sup- ports Childhood Cancer research, and other programs that OI has directed. Per- ry tells us we are short of the annual goal for this program. Do not forget, for each member making ten donations this year ($365.00), Perry will make a matching $36.50 donation for up to ten members. He has committed to a $365.00 donation himself if ten other members make the same Tom Glazier & Karl Geil share the greeter duties this morning; level of donations. however, Heather Mulqueen could not resist the ballerina pose for the photographers moment. Principals to Breakfast: Robert Wardlaw updates Photo Noel Hasselgren. members that Principals to Breakfast will be Friday, Au- On this day in history: gust 16th. The new school year is fast approaching and In 216BC, Hannibal Barca of Carthage having marched a our club seeks Principals, Vice Principals, or school great army, complete with war-elephants, over the Alps for representatives for the 8 elementary and middle a land invasion of Italy two years before, the Carthaginian schools we work with for the Super Citizen program. commander routs the Romans at the Battle of Cannae, an Super Citizen school coordinators need to contact their engagement that historians will claim “set the lines of mili- respective school and extend an invitation. They are: tary tactics for 2,000 years.” In 1964, the Pentagon reports that North Vietnamese tor- • Bradley, Jon Wachter • McMeen, Don Thomson pedo boats fired on the USS Maddox as it patrolled off the • Hamilton, Tom Mauro • MPB, Gary Miller north coast of Vietnam in the Gulf of Tonkin. The incident • Holm, Donlie Smith • Samuels, Kent Gloor will result in a rapid escalation of the Vietnam War but • Lowry, Paul Stratton • Slavens, Tom Hoch questions about the Pentagon’s report will linger. See US Navel Institute @ https://www.usni.org/magazines/naval-history-magazine/2008/february/truth-about- tonkin Brent’s Place Pancake Breakfast: Paul Bernard First Bell recaps the recent Pancake Breakfast volunteers who President Everett Gardner, having returned from his helped with the Brent’s Place Pancake Breakfast. travels, is back and rings the bell promptly at 7 a.m. Brent’s Place is a long-term home away from home for Invocation & Pledge children and families with cancer or other life- Eldon Strong reads the invocation today. “Merciful threatening illnesses while they receive treatment at God help us to spread the word of local hospitals. In 1987, Brent Eley, age 13, was diag- Optimism. As life presents us with nosed with a fast-growing malignant cancer. Donn and challenges, it is up to us to spread Linda Eley had to travels to Iowa City for Brent to re- the good intentions that our Opti- ceive a bone marrow transplant - the treatment that of- mism implores us to have. For fered the most hope for a cure. Sadly, after 162 days the Eley’s return home without Brent. Meeting Place Continued next page American Legion Hall Post 1 5400 East Yale Avenue (Yale & I-25), Denver, Colorado Every Friday Morning, 7:00 – 8:00 am GUMS >> 1 ****INVITE A FRIEND TO JOIN**** Announcements Continued ing in the last of the three phases of the event in Florida. In 1988, the first Kids Cure for Cancer event was Johnson hit a drive of 272 yards to win the boys 16-18 long held in Brent’s honor. In 1997, Brent’s parents estab- drive. Oh, and by the way, the runner-up was also from Col- lish the Brent Eley foun- orado, Christopher Kennedy of Aurora (268 yards). Joining Johnson as Optimist International long-drive dation. In 1988, the first champions from Colorado were the previously-reported Brent’s Place facility Gage Messingham of Arvada (298 yards in boys 14-15) and opened with five apart- Gavin Amella of Castle Rock (242 yards in boys 10-11). ments to fill the needs in Meanwhile, here are how the Coloradans from the oldest the Denver area for safe age groups fared this week in the Optimist International Jun- -clean accommodations ior Golf Championship, see https://www.coloradogolf.org/tee suitable for patients fol- -it-high-let-it-fly/ lowing bone marrow transplants. In 2009, Brent’s Summiting Mt Bierstadt Place opens its new state of the art 18-unit facility in In another email, Tom Kramis writes, “While sum- Aurora, just blocks away from the new Children’s Hos- miting Mt Bierstadt with my son Cooper and his South pital Colorado and Anschutz Medical Campus. In High Scholl tennis 2017, Brent’s Place opened a second building on the team at 9:15 a.m. Aurora campus. Within ten days, the new building was this Friday morn- filled with families desperately seeking support. ing, I ran into a Monaco South and Tamarac Optimist have been familiar happy volunteering to support this MSOC Optimist, pancake breakfast funding John Scar- event. Brent’s Place as of borough! No won- today have raised $72,000 der why he missed Photos Tom Kramis dollars with most donations meeting this morn- coming from individuals and ing. I guess that’s why I did too. corporations, their goal was Photos Nancy DeNiro John Scarborough was raising money for Denver $80,000. Kids in need of food. They South Monaco Optimist club members who volun- raised 65K yesterday! I forgot teered include Mike White, George Buzick, Ed Col- name of charity but was lins, Jim Easton, Keith Galloway, Phil Perington, proud to hear his climb was Don Roth, Bryce Slaby, Tracy Sorensen, Eldon for needy kids. The trail was Strong, Gary Strowbridge, Don Thomson, and Alan packed with these gracious Pierce. souls.” Don StJohn Update: John Oss reports that he re- Friday Baseball Quote cently visited with Don StJohn and has “I don’t want this to be all about me; it must’ve been been inspired by his continuing attitude and scary for the 7-year-olds, seeing their parents on the positive outlook, despite his health issues. field. I don’t want them to have the idea that baseball Char StJohn is also supporting Don along is like that. I want them to have the idea that baseball with the whole family. Don StJohn is a great game, to love the game.” - Josh Cordova, 13 Junior Golf Update Editor’s Notes: If you haven’t seen the vid yet of the Via email Bob Meyer provided an update by Gary parents Baines on the final results of the Optimist International fighting at the Junior Golf Championship. Gary writes: 7-year old “Colorado junior golfers apparently can hit the ball a long baseball ways — and not only at altitude. game ... it’s That’s one lesson that comes out of the just-completed disgusting. But Optimist Interna- this 13-year tional Junior old ump was Golf Champion- the class of ship, held at the place. A mature young lad, who loves and respects Trump National Doral in Miami. this great game. In addition to the Denver Post: After Sunday morning’s thrill of meet- event featuring ing Major League umpires, such as Chris Guccione, traditional com- petitions held for Weekly Greeters boys and girls in Sign-Up with Jon Wachter to be a greeter, it is a good various age groups, there are long-drive contests. And out way to meet members. of the seven gender/age divisions, an eye-opening three 8/9/19 Jim VanderKamp & Bob Avery were won by Coloradans. And Coloradans went three-for- four in the long-drive contests on the boys side. 8/16/19 Ed Collins & Phil Perington Rhett Johnson of Littleton was the latest champion, com- 8/23/19 ? GUMS >> 2 Baseball Quote Continued “This is where I’m from, this is where I was raised. I grew who are his role models—and receiving a much-needed up in a small town, Salida, Colo., playing baseball and ump- new chest protector—Josh Cordova, 13, wanted to hear the ing on the side, just like Josh is doing,” Guccione said. stories. “When I saw the story, I was shocked and I was saddened “I asked them a couple questions … just like, ‘How many and I wanted to reach out. people have you thrown out?’” Cordova said prior to Sun- “It just so happened that I got to day’s Dodgers-Rockies game at Coors Field. come back to Colorado. This is not my Of course, Cordova’s story, as frightening as it was, regular schedule. I switched crews, just beats them all. luckily, and I thought it was the perfect Cordova—who umpires when not playing youth ball as a opportunity to reach out to Josh, not catcher, pitcher and shortstop—was working a game involv- only to him but his family, to say, ‘Hey, I’m proud of you, I’m rooting for you and ing 7-year-olds in the Bear Creek Junior Sports Association Umpire Chris Guccione a few weeks ago when a brawl broke out among adults, ag- what you did was the right thing.’” es 24-55.