PROMISE YOURSELF Jim Alley, President

Optimist Club of Coronado Pres.08-09 Leslie Crawford

Post Office Box 180251 President Elect John Bowen
VPs-Irish Flynn & John Bowen
Coronado, CA 92178-0251 Stu Powell, Secretary
May 22, 2008 John Freeman, Treas.
USNA ’45 Publishers
Everyone is normal, until you get to know them. A group that’s too noble for fear
www.sportsfiesta.net
Meetings at 7AM on Thurs at Coronado Yacht Club
Special Announcement—the first Sports Fiesta Ad was sold by Dave Martel. Congratulations, Dave. We
know that you enjoyed your free breakfast.
Golden and McCrary took our money this morning. Leslie Crawford was in charge of the proceedings,
and we had a couple of friendly faces with us who have been missing. Tom Dawson returned from the Great
Southwest Desert, and KK Keitzer dropped in from her bank.
Leslie’s thought for the day. Don’t spit into the wind. You’ll just get spittle on your face.
Bob Harshberger congratulated Bill Stark as a shipmate on the good ship KITTY HAWK. This summer
the Witty Kitty will be returning to San Diego to give all the former crewmembers a last look before heading off
to that place in our memories where all our old ships and shipmates live in perpetual youth.

Dick Madouse thanked those who already sold their ads. He said the initial response was pretty good.
Now for the rest of you…. And Dick asked us not to mark up original art work. For example if you need to
revise an address on a business card, give him the clean original with a copy showing the change.

Jim Cartwright thanked Doug Leland for the talk and book sale last week which raised $90 for the Youth
Fund. Tom Meadows gave a favorable review of Doug’s “Tales of the Alagash” and offered his copy at half
price.
We passed around a sign up sheet for those who want to help Carla Fargo with the Chili Cook Off
Saturday, May 31, at the landing. Call Carla if you can help (435-6176).

Ding time—Linda Stanton blew Jack Couture’s cover as somebody who has his name in lights regularly
in the “Cougar Couture” a publication of Washington State University. This is very timely as Jack’s grandson is
heading up to WSU with the USC baseball team. Jack paid for Linda’s minor league skullduggery. Charlie and
Susan were photographed having a great time at the ArtzBall, and Linda was at the same event but hidden
behind a mask. Ann Boyd, Jack Chilton, and Jim Cartwright paid for some offence or other. Diana Drummey
will walk up to get a masters degree next week so she paid in advance. Tom Dudley paid a buck for perfect
attendance in the desert. Harshberger got mentioned in Leslie’s letter of thanks for the Flower Show. Steve
Slack has an 11th great grand child. Dick Beh has two grand children in a week. Leslie has a new Ensign in the
house. Couture’s grandkids are costing him more and more money.

Now before we report on the week’s fine program here are a few of the upcoming events for you to put
on your Blackberry. Next week Floyd Ross will tell us about the Relay for Life. On June 5 Don Crawford will
present our Essay Contest Winners. On June 12 our Dynamic Duo of Couture and McKechnie will bring in a
Polar Bear Rug as a part of their presentation on Global Cooling, or “How I learned to love the higher
temperatures and new water levels in Spreckels Park”. On June 19 Jim Alley will lead a discussion of Optimist
Strategic Initiatives. And finally on June 26 Jim Cooper has arranged for a Green Hybrid Bus to visit us with
Ron Schupp, Direction of the Metropolitan Transit System. So bring a friend to a program.

And today Chris McClung came to us to tell us all about the Coronado School of the Arts (COSA). Chris
brought dancer Angie Bevevino and Angie’s mom. Angie is a very accomplished example of the talented young
people who are educated at Coronado’s own conservatory. She performed a whimsical modern dance to Nat
“King” Cole’s music—all about losing your heart. Angie and the COSA Dance Company will be performing
tonight and Friday night at the Performing Arts Center at 7 PM.

Chris told us all about COSA. She has five different programs including a new Digital Media program
established this year. The other tracks are the dance academy, instrumental music program, drama, technical
theater, and visual arts. COSA partners with other schools in the area and they send promising students to
Coronado to polish very high levels of talent. Chris told us of one student from Bell High School in San Diego
who graduated from the instrumental music program with enough AP credits to be admitted to DePaul
University as a junior in their school of music.

In the past we Coronado taxpayers were heard to whine over inter-district transfers. Why should we
pay to educate San Diego’s kids was the refrain. Chris presented the case that with Coronado’s declining
number of school age children we need these students from across the bay to make our schools work. They
bring dollars with their enrollment. There are about 240 inter-district transfers in our high school. They are
motivated and high performing. Ninety are in COSA.

COSA has a longer school day than the rest of the high school. The kids take a regular academic load
in the morning and then use the afternoon to hone their skills. Chris has a great rapport with these young
artists, in the past twenty years with the Coronado High School she has placed many of her charges in the
entertainment industry. This is a program that works run by a woman who knows how to help young people be
what they can be.