The Way I See ItBy cj pollickIsland Estates Yacht Club Annual Lighted Boat Parade - The much anticipated Island Estates Yacht Club Annual Boat Parade begins at 6 p.m. Saturday evening. Belleair Beach Bridge - If you travel across the Belleair Beach bridge then you know work crews are diligently working to complete the bridge roadway before Christmas. The new Belleair Beach bridge is truly a magnificent project that showcases all of the "Belleairs." Kudos to everyone involved in this worthy project - and what a view from the top of the bridge! Sand Key Civic Association Votes - Sand Key Civic Association members voted for new officers last week. Those elected include Peggy Dagostino, Dick Jackson, and Cynthia Remley. Arlene Musselwhite was elected to serve out the remaining two years term of office to replace Al DiPolo, who was unable to continue in office. Following the election, the board elected Jerry Koenig to continue as president of the Association, Gene Gillespie as vice president. Arlene Musselwhite is treasurer and Peggy Dagostino is secretary for 2010. One of the issues SKCA members considered in the election was whether to support a move to consider seceding from the City of Clearwater. SKCA voters supported a slate of officers that indeed support seceding from Clearwater. In fact, Sand Key raised about $33,000 to further research the incorporation of a new city. The next city election, on the other hand, could become interesting considering how each candidate for office responds to the question of supporting (or not) a move by Sand Key to secede from the City of Clearwater. Hanukkah "To Dedicate" - Hanukkah is an eight-day Jewish holiday also known as the Festival of Lights. Hanukkah will begin on Friday the 11th of December at sundown. This important Jewish holiday commemorates the rededication of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem at the time of the Maccabean Revolt in the second century BCE. Typically there is a lighting of eight candles, one for each night, by Jewish families as a part of this celebration. Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day - Monday was Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day, December 7th (1941.) Many of the men and women who served during WWII are now about 80 years old and remember the surprise attack by the Japanese at Pearl Harbor. It was a shocking event in 1941 because the Japanese, a proud people, were disgraced due to their lack of notifying the US of their intent to wage war against America prior to the attack in Hawaii. Interestingly, America was just coming out of the Great Depression when the Japanese attacked America at Pearl Harbor on December 7th. Young Americans quickly joined the US military to fight against Germany and Japan and the industrial might of America was altered to produce military weapons and supplies. The "sleeping lion" rose to fight its enemy and history has rightfully referred to that era as the "greatest generation" in American history. Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day -- we remember their sacrifice for our freedom. Another Case Of Potential Fraud - Because of new e-mails showing the data behind the hockey stick graph was manipulated, two members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences are demanding Al Gore give back his Academy Award for his movie "An Inconvenient Truth." According To The Washington Post - The federal government spends one out of every four dollars on health care. With Medicare in a financial dilemma, it makes many Americans wonder who would pay for any financial losses. In 2007 Medicare was forced to take $179 billion from the general revenues of the U.S. Treasury. The latest Medicare trustees report projects a $36 trillion long-term budget shortfall. In 2011 when the first wave of baby boomers retire, Medicare's drain on limited resources will increase dramatically. The proposed new Senate plan would worsen the problem by expanding Medicare eligibility to people without insurance between the ages of 55 and 64. Holiday Football Bowl Games - Sixty-eight college football teams will play in holiday bowl games beginning on December 19th and concluding with the BCS Championship Game on January 7th. (An amazing amount of bowl games to celebrate, in some instances, mediocre football seasons.) Of course, there are the BCS "big" games such as the Championship Games between Alabama and Texas and the following list of bowl games:
Had enough of college football? If not, you will by January 7th. According To A New Quinnipac Poll - only 26% of U.S. voters say President Obama deserves his Nobel Peace Prize. "Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn't pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same." - President Ronald Reagan |