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 National television personality & crime victim advocate, Andy Kahan, described for Rotarians how he stopped eBay from selling 'murderabilia' & got laws enacted prohibiting 'Notoriety for Profit' by criminals at a January meeting. Kahan has directed the Houston Mayor's Crime Victims Office since 1992 and has appeared on CNN, CBS's 48 Hours, Court TV, America's Most Wanted, The Oprah Winfrey Show, The John Walsh Show, The Nancy Grace Show, the A&E Network, ABC's 20/20 Prime Time, The Today Show, Good Morning America, 60 Minutes, and Justice Interrupted, as well as being regularly featured in local media. His office advocates legislative policy changes such as, for example, abolishing mandatory release of convicted felons and including deported sex offenders in the DPS public database, and he also represents victims at Parole Board meetings. Kahan's many awards include the 2006 Ronald Wilson Reagan Public Policy Award from the U.S. Department of Justice (photo, left, with Atty Gen Alberto Gonzales) and the City of Houston's highest recognition, the Bravo Award (photo, right, from COH website). Thanks to Dana Barkley for this outstanding Keynote Program!
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   Our own Surpris Cherazard and those from the Rotary Club of Houston (Michelle Bohreer, Vern Swisher, Vicki Brentin, Genelle Edwards, and Suzanne Edwards) landed safely in Houston late Friday night after a charter rescue flight picked them up on the Dominican Republic side of the island earlier in the day. Channel 11 News featured the stranded Rotarians in its Thursday and Friday night newscasts, together with a prayer vigil held at Restoration Global Fellowship church, where Surpris Cherazard is the Director of Haitian Missions. Click Bellaire Examiner prayer vigil photo (above right) for story and photos. South Texas Rotary District 5890 extends special thanks to Congressman Ted Poe, Congressman John Culberson, and Congresswomen Sheila Jackson-Lee for support and assistance in the return of our volunteers.
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 Bellaire Southwest Rotarian Surpris Cherazard landed in Haiti about 45 minutes before the devastating earthquakes of January 12 struck the island. We are thankful that at the time of the disaster Surpris and the other members of the six-person Houston Rotary team were reportedly in transit to a project site, not in any of the buildings that collapsed, and that all are safe. Surpris' wife, Marlene, has a sister and other family in the disaster zone who have not yet been heard from. Click for Report from Cleveland Advocate. Click for More Information on the earthquake. Surpris is pictured during his July 2009 trip to the island with Haitian orphans to be benefited by our club's joint water well project.
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 The South Texas Rotary District 5890 Disaster Response Team is in the process of evaluating joining other Rotary districts around the world to fund delivery of Shelterboxes to Haiti as the most appropriate aid for the hurt and homeless there. The BSWH Rotary Board of Directors will consider at its January Board Meeting what particular action Bellaire/Southwest Rotary will take in response to the disaster. Click ROTARY SHELTERBOX for an informational video regarding Shelterbox deliveries for Haiti. Each ShelterBox costs $1000 and contains 10 thermal blankets, a rugged 10 person dome tent, tools and other survival equipment to provide dry shelter, a warm bed, light and heat, clean water, and cooking aids for up to 10 people: all supplied in a single ShelterBox.
Those desiring to make additional personal donations to help sponsor Shelterboxes for Haiti may do so online at https://app.etapestry.com/hosted/ShelterBoxUSAInc/OnlineGiving.html.
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The Rotary Foundation has established a Haiti earthquake fund, and RI President John Kenny and Rotary Foundation Trustee Chair Glenn E. Estess Sr. have sent a joint letter conveying Rotary's condolences to victims of the quake. Current recommendations of 'How to Help' from RI include: (i)Download a PDF about the Haiti Earthquake Relief Fund; (ii) Visit the District 7020 website for more information; and (iii) Learn about other disaster relief organizations to which you can contribute. Click for FULL STORY from Rotary International.
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Congratulations to BSWH Rotarian Donna Alley of Community National Bank on being named Community Volunteer of the Year by the Greater Southwest Houston Chamber of Commerce. Donna completed her blue badge requirements and chaired our club's joint Veteran's Day Blood Drive this Fall. We LOVE to see our new members contributing in such a positive way - - well done!
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 Rotary fellowship and warmth of the season abounded at our 2009 holiday party, held December 17 at the Junior League of Houston. BSWH Rotarian Dana Barkley's daughters provided beautiful music, and we were delighted that DGE Sunny Sharma and Rashmi were able to join us - - a great time was had by all. Thanks to Past President Max Esses for the photos!
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 BSWH Rotarians enjoyed sounds of the season from the talented Westbury Christian School Band as a December keynote program. The delightful performance started our club's holiday season off on the right foot, and we express sincere thanks to WCS Executive Director Greg Glenn and the band members for making it possible!
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 BSWH Rotarians and friends gathered on the Monday before Thanksgiving at Bellaire City Hall to load food baskets donated by our club for this year's SHARE project. Our baskets are delivered prior to the holiday at schools for pickup by designated needy local families. Project participants pictured with some of the baskets are, L to R: Judy Harwell, Dana Barkley, Beverly Ginsburg, Julian Fisher, and Bernie Satterwhite.
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 Rotarians Byron and Linda Holloway and Paul Sidello were spotted just before Thanksgiving at the 26th annual French-American Wine and Food Festival and appeared in the Thanksgiving Edition of Kathy Ballanfant's Village News / Southwest News. Photos from Village/SW News, L to R: Ben Ballanfant, Kurt Sisco, and BSWH Rotarian Sidello; BSWH Rotary President Byron and First Lady Linda Holloway with Jeffrey Mills.
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At our Nov. 17 meeting, President Byron Holloway presented Dr. John Freeman, Jacqueline Beauchamps, and Rotarian Surpris Cherazard with a $6,000 check for Christ Church Presbyterian's water mission to drill a new water well in Haiti. Freeman, who accompanied Cherazard and former BSWH Rotarian Ashley Broadhurst on a water-mission to Haiti last summer, showed slides describing how our dollars are helping provide clean water to the Haitian children using solar power. See RELATED STORY. The BSWH Rotary grant will dig the well, but an additional $14,000 is needed to have the water source fully operational. Please contact Surpris if you are a member of another group that might want to contribute the balance.
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Judy Harwell (far left) is shown gifting our club's Rotary Youth Exchange student from Germany, Nina Dworschak, during a recent luncheon visit to a BSWH meeting. Nina attends Bellaire High School and will be part of the club's December 10 Christmas Round the World program. District 5890's candidates for OUTBOUND exchange students next year will be interviewed from 9am til 4pm the Saturday after Thanksgiving, December 5, at San Jacinto College South, 13735 Beamer Rd, Houston 77089. Our RYE Coordinator Ted Turk (far right) needs volunteers to help with the interviews and evaluations. Please let Ted know if he can count on your assistance (713-957-9888) with this worthwhile Rotary program.
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 It is a pleasure to welcome to our BSWH Rotary fellowship Julian Fisher, College Operations Officer for Houston Community College! She is a former Harrisburg Rotarian and moved her membership to our club in order to be closer to her new office on Gulfton. DO go out of your way to visit with Julian at our next meeting and make her feel welcome!
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 Congratulations times TWO to BSWH Rotarian Donna Alley of Community National Bank, who has completed all tasks to earn her Rotary Blue Badge and also chaired the club's Veterans Day Blood Drive this year! Donna is shown with Rotary mentor and club secretary, Gail Burleson (Left), receiving her permanent blue badge.
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 Congratulations to the Westbury Christian Girls Basketball team on winning the 21st Annual Robert G. Fitts Memorial All Girls Basketball Classic, held Nov. 19 - 21 and sponsored by Sharpstown Rotary Club. Westbury Christian Executive Director Greg Glenn is a BSWH Rotary Board Member and rightfully proud of the school's robust sports program! The Westbury ladies shut down seven other teams in the tourney. Photo from Sharpstown Rotary Club Newsletter week of 11-17-09.
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Top Row, L to R: Board Member Greg Glenn (Westbury Christian School), Attorney Chuck Stephenson, Community National Bank's Donna Alley, Dr. Sathya Kalangi, Past President Nan Wagoner with 'Buzz Lady' Roseanne Rogers from Channel 55, past presidents Keith Lovelace and Ted Turk with (foreground) Gideon Nyan. Bottom Row, L to R: Roseanne Rogers, Sergeant-at-Arms Surpris Cherazard, Dr. Kalangi, past presidents Bernie Satterwhite and Ed Burdzinski; President Byron Holloway and Kalangi.
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 At our Nov. 12 meeting, venture capitalist and former Entrepreneur of the Year, Scott Crist, gave us his take on where the economy is headed. Named Entrepreneur of the Year by CNN/ NASDAQ/ Ernst & Young, Crist teaches entrepreneurship at Rice University's Jones School, sits on the Alumni Advisory board for the Kellogg Graduate School at Northwestern and has been in the middle of the capco fray, being featured in a Houston Business Journal article on the subject.
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 At a late October meeting, internationally respected economic researcher and author, Dr. Bill Gilmer of the FED, gave BSWH Rotarians a better understanding of the current economic crisis. Vice president in charge of the El Paso Branch of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, Gilmer's pending publications focus on the Economics of the Texas Triangle and city-pairs on the Texas-Mexico Border, and his articles have appeared in the International Business and Economics Research Journal, Public Finance Quarterly, and Energy Economics. He oversees economic research and public affairs for the Houston Branch of the FED, as well as information technology and payment system risk, serving as editor of two of the FED's regional publications.
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 HBU President, Dr. Robert Sloan, updated Rotarians on changes and plans since he took over the helm of the neighboring university in 2006. Sloan came to Houston Baptist following his service as Chancellor and President of Baylor University, where he held the distinction of being Baylor's first holder of the George W. Truett Chair in Evangelism and was founding dean of George W. Truett Theological Seminary. Sloan is pictured, center, receiving a token of appreciation from President Byron, and right with October Program Coordinator Ralph Rieger.
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 Click to check out District 5890's new YOUTUBE page, which features our own DG ED CHARLESWORTH in a short video from the Leipzig Rotary Peace Convention. Ed says: We don't represent anything other than service to humanity. And when I see the 100,000 people marching through the streets, carrying a candle for peace, and protecting the flame with their other hand, that to me IS Rotary because it represents something that you have to have both hands on the task of serving humanity.
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 DR. SATHYA KALANGI (named by H Texas Magazine as one of Houston's Top Docs for three years running) inspired and informed our Nov 5 luncheon on the importance of recognizing and helping prevent suicides, particularly during the coming holiday season. Did you know suicide is the 13th biggest cause of death among all age groups in the U.S.? Isolation, serious illness, and severe economic stress can produce hopelessness that may trigger a life-ending response - particularly where family, friends, and church are not part of the personal support system.
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