Round Table
Shirley Bethke Mary Carpenter Sandy McIntyre Karen Swanson Sue Logan, Editor		Income tax has made liars out of more Americans than golf.
Vol. XXII, No. 14	King's Gate Club - a 55+ community, Nokomis, Florida	April 11, 2009

CONDOLENCES:   Our deepest sympathy to Phyllis Koenig and family, following the death of her husband, Frank, on Thursday, April 9th, after a brief illness.   Phyllis and Frank are long time renters, at 34 Castle Drive.   Maureen Fitzgerald received a call from Phyllis, saying that after leaving King's Gate, in late March, they drove to West Palm Beach, to be with his son, until Frank got a little stronger for the trip home to Maine.   Frank's son's address, where Phyllis is staying for a while, is:   7237 Horizon Drive, West Palm Beach, FL  33412.   Further details are not known at this time.   Their home address is 139 Sandbar Rd., Windham, ME 044062.  

CONDOLENCES:   We extend our sympathy and prayers to the family of former KGC owner, Harry Dom, who passed away April 2.   All of his children were with him.   All cards or notes may be sent to his daughter, Deborah Dom, 1654 Castlebar Drive, Perrysburg, Ohio 43551.   Any memorials to Lincoln Elementary School, Tiffin, Ohio; Big Brothers, Tiffin, Ohio; or Shriner's Hospital for Children, may be sent to The Engle-Shook Mortuary, 135 N. Washington St., Tiffin, Ohio 44883, and the mortuary will distribute to the proper group.

THANK YOU:   Even though I am late, I want all of you wonderful friends here at KGC to know how much you have helped me so many times with your prayers, and I do appreciate it very much.   I may have this black eye for a long time, but I am getting a little lighter each week so it may be gone sometime soon. Thank you so much for everything you do for us.       Sincerely,  Betty Agricola

PHONE BOOK CORRECTIONS:   Please cross out the phone number for Charlie Fote, on page 1 of the new directory; it is incorrect.   You can reach Charlie by the number listed by his name, in the alphabetical part of the phone book.   Thank you.
      On page 2 of the new directory, please note that the phone number for Jim Purkey is also incorrect.   The Purkey's phone number is correct in the alphabetical listing.

LADIES' AFTERNOON GOLF will not meet on Wednesday, April 15.   The last golf day for this season will be on Wednesday, April 22.       -- Sue Simmons

MOVIE for Wednesday, April 15th will be Slumdog Millionaire, 2008 Academy Award winner for best picture.   Rated R.   Plot:   Jamal Malik is just one question away from winning a fortune, on India's version of "Who wants to Be a Millionaire?"   But, how has this uneducated young man from the slums, succeeded in answering the questions that have stumped scholars before him?   And, will he win it all or lose everything, including his true love?   Movie starts at 7:00.   Dean Martin before.       -- Arlene Hyde

FINAL JETTY PICNIC for the season.   Come and hear the plans for everyone heading North, and see the last "green flash ".   Thursday - 16th of April at the North Jetty ... Social at 4 PM and supper at 5 PM.   Don't forget your place setting and favorite dish to share for twelve.       -- Claire Becker

TREE TRIMMERS will be here Monday April 20, to start tree trimming.   Please sign up in the office, right away.   Please take a look at your palms; if you can see seed pods, then the palm should be trimmed.   Palms start at $15.00 & up.   Any questions, please e-mail Rich Davis @, davis@kgc.cc .

ORCHIDS to Barb Tompkins for all your hard work and dedication while chairing the KGC Library Committee.

LINE DANCING on Thursday April 16th will be at 10:30 AM after the BOD meeting.       -- June McMains

ORCHIDS to Harry Kiel, who has been in charge of the AARP Drivers' Safety Program and classes at KGC, for many years.   The Kiels will shortly move back north, and we want you to know we appreciate all you have done for us with these classes.   Thanks to Jessica Prentice who will now chair this committee.

Mary Lou Richmond, Director of Travel with her husband Don, presented a check in the amount of $3,656.30 to the Round Table last Saturday.   She thanked Don and Travel Partners Sandy and John Eade.   This money represents much hard work on Mary Lou's part and is a great benefit to the Club.   She also reminds us, when we book direct with VIP Travel, be sure to tell them you are a KGC resident, as this will benefit us. Our thanks to all of you, for the work you do to make our travel with KGC so pleasant - whether it is a day trip or a cruise!

MAGAZINES:   Please do not bring magazines dated before January 2009 to the library. When you are cleaning out for the season, take magazines, that are more than 3 months old, to the recycle container along with  your brochures, catalogs, and newspapers. We do like all Smithsonian and National Geographic magazines.   Thank you for your help.       -- Eleanor Barth

Stained Glass Group:   Please return any stained glass pattern books you may have borrowed before leaving for the summer.       -- Jessica Prentice

OHIO SUMMER GATHERING:   Final call.   Plans are set for Wed., June 17.   Information and sign-up sheet will be removed on Saturday, April 11.   Please have check made out to Robert Winchester, prior to April 11, or mail to 2345 Bristol Rd., Columbus, Ohio  43221. Phone: 614-451-9801       -- Bob W.

NEW DVDs:   The Disney movie Bolt and Marley and Me have been added to the DVD library.   THANKS to whomever donated the following DVDs to the DVD library:   The Lord of the Rings (3 DVDs); The Fellowship of the Ring; The Two Towers; The Return of the King; Nanny McPhee; Dr.Dolittle; Spiderman 1; Spiderman 2; Message In a Bottle; Faith Rewarded.

GUIDE DOGS:   Thank you Lorraine Erickson and Leigh Anne Novak for your dedication as "Puppy Raisers", for Southeastern Guide Dogs. KGC is proud to be sponsors of Baron and Duchess. In the near future, Baron will make a wonderful Guide Dog for some fortunate person. We will see Duchess, and hopefully Princess, in the fall.       -- Nip Barker

TRAVEL:   Bermuda Cruise Information: Each room has a hair dryer, safe and refrigerator.   If you want to leave a number with anyone at home, there is a satellite number. It's very expensive, so it would be for extreme emergencies only.   The number is  # 101100870761120770
      Sept 2009 Cruise: Best of the Baltic with Princess Cruises; 2 nights in Denmark, including Scandinavia, Russia and Oslo, Norway.   All details are on the web page, and the travel board in the clubhouse.   We have 30 scheduled to travel with us, and we would love for you to join us.
      Feb.20-27, 2010:  Oasis of the Sea, one of the newest and largest ships; it will be a real experience on this Royal Caribbean ship.   Information is on the travel board and the web page - www.kgc.cc - click on the ship.   Our ports are St. Thomas, St. Maarten and Nassau, Bahamas, but on this cruise, you can enjoy the ship, and you don't have to leave it at all.
      Call VIP World Travel, 377-0017 or 1-800-323 -7448 nationwide; let them know you are from King's Gate Club, what trip you are interested in, and they will get you booked.   Sue and Allan are out of the office until April 21st, but the staff can take care of you.  Any other questions feel free to call me at home.
            -- Don and Mary Lou Richmond, Travel Coordinators, 484-6807; John and Sandy Eade, Travel Partners, 484-4440.

GEORGE BECKER had his own Craft Booth at the KGC Fair.   He has donated $100 to the Round Table and $100 to the Woodshop.   Thanks, George, for your generosity.

SPRING DANCE:   Thanks to the Spring Dance Committee who helped with all the hearts, flowers, setup, cleanup, food, and also to the Valaseks who kept us dancing nonstop.   Our committee included Jan and Chuck Collins, Connie and Joel Wall, Dot and Art Grams, and Jim Walker, with tickets and posters by Charlie Fote.   We also appreciate the 235 items collected for the Food Pantry.       -- Cranes and McMains
      (And our THANKS to Lois and Neil Crane and June and Wren McMains for chairing this delightful party last Saturday evening).

FOOD PANTRY:   Last Saturday our residents donated 185 food items and $375 in cash to the Food Pantry.   Another example of our residents helping out when needed!

RENTERS:   Welcome to Roger and Mary Martin, who are renting at 32 Castle Drive for the month of April.   They are from Gardner, Mass.   We hope you enjoy your stay at KGC.

COMMUNITY OUTREACH - HANK BAXTER:   As you know, we are focusing on some of the volunteer work our residents do for this area.   Hank retired from IBM in Owego, NY, in 1984.   His wife Pat suggested that they move to Florida and that she would open up a children's clothing store.   After several months of searching for a good store location from Tampa/Clearwater to Sarasota/Venice, they ended up in May, 1985, buying a store on Venice Ave., named Young Vogue.   It required considerable renovating and repair, a serious upgrading of merchandise and a name change to NANA'S - A Children's Shop.   Hank also helped with computer programs for inventory control and programs to handle all facets of profit and expenditure control.   He stayed away from the store during business hours, but went in to help cash out and make deposit slips to deposit at the bank on their way home.
      Hank said, to occupy his time, he took some courses at H&R Block and became a tax preparer for them, during the tax season.   An ad in the local paper indicated the need for drivers for the Venice "Meals on Wheels" program.   He signed up in June 1988, and is still a driver 21 years later.   A year after starting, he also agreed to be a Route Director.   There are 14 different delivery routes, and the Route Director must make sure there is a driver for all six days that they deliver.   If a driver can't make it on his day, he notifies his Director and the Director has to get a substitute or do it him/her self.   Over the 19 years he was Director, he drove as many as three times in the week for lack of subs, especially during the summer.
      The Southwest Retirement Center, known now as Village On The Isle, provides office space, space for the drivers to meet and pick up the meals.   The meals are also made in their kitchen.  More than 100 volunteers deliver 140, or more, meals a day on 14 routes six days a week, including holidays, 52 weeks a year.   The Venice area runs from the Blackburn Point Road on the north, south to Manasota Key Road and east to I-75 and the Myakka River.   Meal recipients can have two meals delivered on Saturday, if they can't provide their own Sunday meal.   Meals consist of an entree/two vegetables, dessert and salad.   Recipients provide their own beverage and bread.   The meals are ready to be picked up around 10:30AM.   Hank says he leaves home about10 AM and is back home by 12:15 PM.
      By the way, the Baxters sold the store in 1990 and moved to King's Gate Club in 1991.   Hank quit at H&R Block, but still does some income tax returns.   In Venice in 1988, Hank was one of the founders of an investment group.   They formed the Venice Investment Partners, with their meetings at AG Edwards.   At their first meeting, he volunteered to be the Club Treasurer and 21 years later is still Treasurer.   He collects the monies, and buys and sells all the stock.
      Sadly Pat passed away several years ago, but she had been very active in the activities at KGC.   Hank, we're happy that you continue to live at KGC, and we think your community involvement is great!       -- SJB

THOUGHTS:   As I said last Saturday morning, I have now lived at the Club for 22 years.   The years have gone by too fast, but are some of the happiest years of my life.   Fred has been here over 18 years and he, too, enjoys the KGC lifestyle.   I can never say enough about the wonderful people who live here.   Suffice it to say, I am happy to wake up each morning as a resident on Princess Ave.       -- SJB

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