SPY’s Community Newsletter #237
(1/8/23)
SPY Officer Line-Up For 2023
Here is the 2023 leadership team for the Sunfield Area Sponsors of Programs for Youth (the SPY’s):
President Jeff Gibbs
Vice President Justin “Sam” Coan
Secretary Renee Strimback
Treasurer Shana Cappon
Promotions Director Pete Weller
Membership Director John Fisher
Sgt.-At-Arms Zeke Cappon
Director-At-Large Steve Grosshans
Dorothy Smith Passes
On a rather somber note, we pass along the news that a fine lady, Dorothy Smith, a longtime Sunfield area resident has died. She was 98 years old. There are no visitation or services planned at this time. We understand that there will be a “Celebration of Life” for her sometime in the summer.
Mark Your Calendars
· On Saturday March 18th, 2023, the SPY's will again be hosting a special Bowling Tournament / fund-raiser to benefit the SPY's various youth and community programs. It will be held at the Buddy’s On The Beach Bowling Alley in Lake Odessa. Keep watching for details.
· The next Texas Hold ‘Em Poker Tournament we are scheduled to work will take place Wednesday, March 22nd thru Saturday, March 25th. Stay tuned for details. We will soon be signing up volunteers to sell chips to the players.
Contributions
· Sarah Jones made a contribution.
· Mark Davis renewed his Platinum Sponsorship status for 2023 and 2024.
· Ron & Marlene McDiarmid also renewed their Platinum Sponsor status for 2023.
· John & Sandra Fisher made donations in memory of Dorothy Smith and Dale Hanson.
Lakewood Lions Pancake Supper
Coming Saturday, January 21st.
Please check out the flyer at the bottom of this Newsletter for information about the Lakewood Lions Annual Pancake Supper coming up on Saturday, January 21st.
Parting Comments
• Deep Thought of the Week: There is a great difference between worry and concern. A worried person sees a problem, and a concerned person solves a problem.
Notable Quote: “Success lies upstream---you can’t drift there.”
• That’s Puny Department: Did you hear about the cell phones that got married? The wedding was terrible, but the reception was terrific.
• Did You Know Section: This week we will give you the story behind why the elephant and donkey represent the Republican and Democrat parties. Neither creature is particularly regal or distinguished. How did they come to be the symbols of our national parties? One person is primarily responsible. A man named Thomas Nast was the most influential political cartoonist in U. S. history. He was the nineteenth-century version of Gary Trudeau, and worked for Harpers Weekly magazine as a political cartoonist.
Another political cartoonist first used the donkey to represent the Democrat party in 1837, when a cartoon appeared depicting President Andrew Jackson riding the beast. However, Nast is credited with popularizing this symbol. In 1870, he drew a donkey labeled “the Copperhead Press,” to mock the Democrat newspapers who sympathized with the South.
Nast first used the elephant to represent the Republican party in a satirical cartoon. In 1874, the New York Herald reported that President Ulysses S. Grant intended to run for an unprecedented third term in 1876, and accused him of “Caesarism”, referring to the famous Roman emperors. Several weeks later, the paper erroneously reported that animals from the New York City Zoo had escaped and were roaming around Central Park. On November 7, just before midterm elections, a Nast cartoon ran in Harpers Weekly depicting a donkey disguised as a lion and marked “Caesarism.” The lion was scaring all the other animals that were loose in the park, including the huge elephant labeled “the Republican Vote”. Nast’s depiction of the two parties using these animals was not complimentary, but it stuck, and they now proudly represent their respective parties.
Incidentally, Nast is also famous for drawing the first modern-looking Santa Claus. Before Nast, Santa didn’t even have a beard.
Notices
1. If there is any organization or business out there that has something they would like to advertise or promote, please feel free to submit it to this Newsletter and we will help publicize it. There is no charge. We are glad to provide this means as a public service to help keep the community informed.
2. If you are looking for further information about the SPY’s events---Corporate or Platinum Sponsorship information---scholarship forms---youth sports reimbursement forms---past SPY newsletters---etc.---just go to the SPY website at www.sunfieldareaspys.com.
3. NOTE: If you know of anyone who would like to receive these SPY’s Community Newsletters, just send me an email at john.sandrafisher@gmail.com with their email address and we will add them to the distribution list.
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