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________________________________________________________________________________________________________MOAA 4-Star Chapter 2003 & 2008; MOAA 5 Star Chapter 2004-2007 & 2009-2016

Best Newsletter 2007 & 2010; Runner Up 2008, 2009, 2012 - 2014; 5 Star Newsletter 2015 February 2017 Vol. XXVIII No. 2

JANUARY PROGRAM: SARASOTA OPERA SINGERSby Perry Korszen

Our Sarasota MOAA chapter could not have asked for a better way to start the New Year. The Sarasota Opera sent four amazing performers to sing pieces from the upcoming season. Richard Russell, executive director of the Sarasota Opera, thanked the membership for their continued support of the Opera and got everyone excited for the upcoming season.

The singers, who participate in the Sarasota Opera’s Studio Artists Program, were accompanied on the piano by the program’s director, Kevin Miller. Tenor Xavier Prado Caceres sang No Puede Ser from the zarzuela La Tabernera del Puerto (Sorozabal), followed by baritone Alexander Charles Boyd performing Avant de quitter ces lieux from Faust (Gounod). Soprano Jessica E. Jones and Xavier Prado Caceres sang O soave fancuilla from La Boheme (Puccini), and then she joined mezzo-soprano Stephanie Sanchez to sing the Flower Duet from Lakme (Delibes). Closing the performance, Xavier Prado Caceres and Alexander Charles Boyd sang Au fond du temple saint from The Pearl Fishers (Bizet).

MOAS President Brian McCarthy presented George Tracy with a plaque from the Board for his outstanding performance as chapter President during the past two years; a Certificate of Appreciation to Bettye & Jack Sarjeant for their support of the chapter’s monthly luncheons; and the MOAA President’s Award to Tom Piazze for his US Flag Protocol initiative, which has been implemented by the Sarasota County School system and has been replicated in other areas around Florida and the US.

The Sarasota Opera’s 2017 schedule runs from February 11th to March 26th, starting with Puccini’s Madame Butterfly, one of most performed and best loved operas of all times, and followed by Rossini’s The Italian Girl in Algiers, Poulenc’s Dialogues of the Carmelites, and Montemezzi’s The Love of Three Kings. The season closes on March 26th with the Spring Opera Spectacular under the direction of Maestro DeRenzi.

More information and tickets for all events may be obtained from the Opera Box Office @ (941-328-1300) or online at www.sarasotaopera.org

FEBRUARY PROGRAM: John E. Jackson, Professor at the Naval War College.by Perry Korszen

This February, John Jackson, a Professor at the U.S. Naval War College, will be sharing his expertise in drones and autonomous vehicles at our monthly luncheon. This area is especially relevant in our nation’s current conflicts, and he is uniquely qualified to inform our membership about this topic.

John Jackson is a professor in the Naval War College’s College of Distance Education. He teaches in the area of Theater Security Decision Making, and manages the Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) Professional Reading Program. Since November 2009 he has taught a highly regarded elective course entitled “Unmanned Systems and Conflict in the 21st Century.”

Retiring as a Navy Captain in 1998 after 27 years of service in the field of logistical support, he holds a Bachelor’s degree in Speech and Communications from the University of New Mexico, a Master’s degree in Education from Providence College, and a Master’s degree in Management from Salve Regina University. Professor Jackson is also a graduate of the Management Development Program at Harvard University, and is currently a doctoral candidate at Salve Regina University.

In March 2010, he was called to testify before the House of Representatives Subcommittee on National Security regarding his experiences while teaching his unmanned systems course. He is a member of the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI); the European-based UVS International; and the Consortium for Robotics and Unmanned Systems Education and Research (CRUSER). Please note the new luncheon coordinator name and address when making your reservation.

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Sarasota Breeze February 2017


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This Fall I had the opportunity to return to the Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island, to tour the facility and to renew old acquaintances. The War College was established in 1884 and has been an integral component of senior officer education in the navy. Many famous admirals have commented on their training there. The most notable may be Fleet Admiral Nimitz;The war with Japan had been enacted in the game rooms at the War College by so many people and in so many ways that nothing that happened during the war was a surprise—absolutely nothing except the kamikaze tactics toward the end of the war. We had not visualized these.

Nimitz writing the US Naval War College President shortly after World War II

You have a unique opportunity to hear Professor John Jackson at the February luncheon. He teaches Theater Security Decision Making and the highly regarded course entitled “Unmanned Systems and Conflict in the 21st Century.” Professor Jackson will be speaking on the very contemporary topic of drones; aerial, surface and subsurface autonomous vehicles. Don’t miss this February luncheon.

I want to encourage all those members who have not renewed to please do so this month. If you need a renewal form either go to our web site www.sarasotamoaa.com and download the form, or email me and I will be pleased to send you one [[email protected]].

The board is most appreciative of the incredible work of the Scholarship Committee, under Claire Power’s chairmanship. Her Scholarship article on Page 9 describes the current status of the fund and the planned scholarships to be awarded this year.

Scammers have grown very sophisticated. Unfortunately, several of our chapter members have received phone calls claiming a veteran needed funds to handle a personal emergency. These were scams, but appear very authentic on the surface.. The Israeli firm Cellebrite, which provides digital forensics tools to help law enforcement access mobile phones in investigations, has had 900 GB of its data stolen by an unknown hacker. If the most sophisticated have trouble dealing with hackers – we need be more careful. We have therefore decided to remove all phone numbers and emails from the newsletters on the public web site to protect your personal and private information. You may access our member directory by logging into www.sarasotamoaa.com. There you will find the most current contact information on our members. If you have never logged on to our chapter web site and need help please contact George Tracy or myself for help.

MOAA Call to Action!! I continue to encourage you to use your MOAA legislative network to highlight your concerns to your Federal lawmakers. Veteran support legislation depends heavily on your grassroots support. Your letter awaits your signature!! This simple, free, quick and effective action is open to all. Just Do It!! Go to http://capwiz.com/moaa/home/. A special thanks to the leadership team for jumping right into the fray early in January. We are all looking forward to 2017.

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGEBrian McCarthy

Chapter Officers, Directors and CommitteesBoard of DirectorsPresident Brian McCarthy [email protected] Vice President Ron Wozniak [email protected] Vice President Perry Korszen [email protected] Christa Friedlander [email protected] Peter Dering [email protected] (Scholarships) Claire M. Power [email protected] (Publicity) Alan Forrester [email protected] (Legislative) Mario Fajardo [email protected] Past President George Tracy [email protected]

Board StaffProgram Planning Perry Korszen [email protected] Charles Caudill [email protected] Affairs Mario Fajardo [email protected] Tony Mowry [email protected] Veterans Commission Dan Willison [email protected] Task Force Tom Piazze [email protected] George Tracy [email protected] Board Jonathan Gordon [email protected]

Membership CommitteeChairperson George Tracy [email protected] & Retention Troy Scott Recruiting & Retention Ron Wozniak Recruiting & Retention Perry Korszen

Scholarship CommitteeChairperson Claire M. Power [email protected] Kay Tracy Member Mike Staley Member Jean Southworth Member Len Friedlander JROTC Liaison Tony Mowry t

Scheduled Events CommitteeChair/Reservations Valerie McCarthy [email protected] John & Carol O’Brien Reception Manager Pat McLain Asst. Reception Manager June Moore 50-50 Managers Kay Tracy Christa Friedlander

Special ProgramsFlag Programs & Celebrations Tom Piazze [email protected]

Personal Affairs CommitteeChairperson Charles Caudill [email protected] Auxiliary/Surviving SpousesChairperson Peggy Mock [email protected]

Social Club YAHOO (Young At Heart Officers Org)Coordinator George Tracy [email protected] Ron Wozniak [email protected] Support Our Troops ProgramCoordinator Christopher White [email protected]

Newsletter Operations, Sarasota BreezeManaging Editor Len Friedlander [email protected] Photographer Craig Hullinger [email protected] Photo Recorder Pat McLain [email protected]

Editorial Policy: “The Breeze” newsletter is published by the Military Officers Association of Sarasota, Inc., an affiliate of the Military Officers Association of America (MOAA) and the Florida Council of Chapters (FCOC). MOAA and its affiliated chapters and councils are non-partisan.”

Military Officers Association of Sarasota (MOAS) MissionMOAS, a non-profit 501c(19) organization, exists to improve the awareness, life style, and overall environment of its members; support and serve the citizens of the Sarasota area; influence the political process in matters pertaining to active duty, retired and former military personnel; and enhance the image of America’s uniformed services in our local community.

February 2017 Sarasota Breeze


President Brian McCarthy called the meeting to order at 4:02 PM on Monday Jan. 3, 2017 at the Meadows Community Center. ATTENDANCE: Board Members Present: Brian McCarthy (Pres) Ron Wozniak (1VP); Peter Dering (Sec’y); Christa Friedlander (Treas); Claire Power (Dir); Alan Forrester (Dir); Mario Fajardo (Dir); & George Tracy (IPP). Board Members Absent: Perry Korszen (2VP) Committee Chairs & Visitors Present: Valerie McCarthy, Len Friedlander, Tom Piazze, Peggy Mock, Chris White, Dan Willison.

PRESIDENTS REPORT: Brian opened the meeting with a hearty welcome to our new, 2017 MOAS board members and program chairs and visitors. Brian began by posing the question, “What are we looking for as an organization? What are our priorities?” He stated that he sees the following items to be of prime attention: membership retention, scholarships, luncheon attendance and committee goals and objectives. Brian expressed concern over the cost of luncheons. Valerie will meet with Michael’s to discuss the issue. Alternating between Michael’s and the Yacht Club was mentioned. The quality of the speakers and programs offered at the luncheons is extremely important. An email blast will go out to members one week before each event as a reminder.SECRETARY’S REPORT: The December 5, 2016 Board meeting minutes were approved by unanimous consent. TREASURER’S REPORT: The Treasurer reported balances as of December 31, 2016 was approved unanimously.MOAS Operating Account $34,676.44

Operating Fund $ 32,184.17LoV Flag initiative $ 2,492.27

Scholarship Fund Account $40,973.92 CD: $ 5,000 (exp. 3/2017) Checking Acc’t $35,973.92 Undesignated Scholarship Fund $29,543.24 Veterans Scholarships $ 1,000.00 JROTC Support $ 500.00 SOT Fund $ 4,930.68 Newsletter mailings continue to be a costly expense. Christa suggested a note be included in the next mailing asking recipients who have not paid if they wish to continue the paper by mail and, if so, pay the annual fee of $12.00 to cover some of the mailing costs. Until this issue is resolved, the mailings will continue to go to those recipients. Christa presented an end of year report for 2016 MOAS and SMOSF accounts which stayed within the projected budgets. She then asked for comments on the budget projections for 2017. Travel funds for the President were reduced to $500 from $1000 at Brian’s request, no other changes were recommended.OLD BUSINESS:COMMITTEE REPORTS:Newsletter: (Len Friedlander): The December Breeze was emailed to 349 recipients; 105 copies were printed and 100

SECRETARY’S CORNERPeter Dering

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mailed to MOAS members - cost of $92.61($50 coupon). Envelopes (500) (for 5 months) for Breeze mailings purchased for $31.58. ($35 coupon reduced cost.) Military Gala programs were prepared and printed at a cost of $102. Table place cards purchased for luncheons/gala (525 for $155). The full page MOAS ad for the 2017 FCOC Convention at Sea (cost of $250) was sent to Cape Canaveral Chapter. Scholarships: (Claire Power): A grant from the William Schmidt Foundation along with what we garnered from the Giving Challenge and from membership donations enables us to offer $24,000 in scholarships in 2017. Overall we will award four (4) JROTC Scholarships and six (6) Merit Scholarships this year; each scholarship will be $2,000. Additionally, $4,000 in scholarships will be awarded as part of our Veterans program.The Board unanimously approved the awarding of these monies and requested that $2,000 of the Veterans monies be awarded to the State College of Florida Veterans Program.Publicity & Marketing: (Alan Forrester): Last month's press release was sent to our normal channels. The distribution of the release was delayed slightly to give people time to return to normal activities and not conflict with Christmas. Our distribution list covers about 200 people and groups including MOAA national. Some of you were concerned that our notices of up coming luncheons were not in the paper. The notices have been sent based upon new instructions from the Herald Tribune. Here is what Evie says about our "Event:" "Thank you for submitting an event on Herald-Tribune. Your event is viewable at this URL and will appear in the event listings shortly:http://heraldtribune.eviesays.com/event/5567091/military-officer-luncheon?tid=39425999 Please visit the link to see the listing. It appears that the events are published only online if they are not in print.Programs: (Perry Korszen): We are booked up though April 2017; the Sarasota Opera for January, The Navy War College (Drones) for February and Cardiologist Dr. Dave Zonies for March. April will feature a presentation on the 12th Circuit Veterans Court Service,.

Membership (George Tracy): MOAS Active Membership as of 12/31/2016 - 339 MOAS 2017 Renewal Campaign as of 1/1/2017 - 326 renewal requests sent via postal mail (255 dues paying + 71 exempt):Dues Paying to-date: 174 responses (172 payments; 2 resignations); 81 outstanding for follow-up via mail and/or phone.Exempt to-date: 29 responses (24 active, 1 resignation, 4 deceased)42 outstanding for follow-up via mail and/or phone.

Support Our Troops (SOT): Chris White will be coordinating SOT activities for the near future.

Secretary’s Corner Continued on Page 9

MONTH BOARD LUNCHEON

FEBRUARY 6 17

MARCH 6 17

APRIL 3 21

BOARD MEETINGS AND LUNCHEONS

LUNCHEON PROGRAMSJANUARY Sarasota Opera Singers

FEBRUARY Navy War College (Drones)

MARCH Dr Zonies - Cardiologist

MOAS 1/1/2016 12/31/2016

REGULAR 278 264

SURVIVING SPOUSES 74 71

ALLIED 4 4

TOTAL 356 339



MOAA’s Top 10 Goals for 2017- Remove the sequester- End disabled/survivor financial offsets and penalties- Ensure TRICARE reform: sustained access; top-quality performance- Prevent disproportional TRICARE fee hikes- Restore military pay comparability; end pay-raise caps- Prevent erosion of earned compensation and commissary benefits- Sustain wounded warrior programs- Retirement credit for guard/reserve troops- Improve family /spouse support

Assure timely access to VA care

Current Action AlertsPresident-elect Donald Trump announced today his intent to nominate Dr. David Shulkin as the next secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs. “MOAA is very pleased to see Dr. David J. Shulkin's name put forward as President-elect Donald Trump's nominee to be the next secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA),” said retired Air Force Lt. Gen. Dana T. Atkins, MOAA's president and CEO. “MOAA has worked closely with Dr. Shulkin,” Atkins said, “and we have seen great progress in reforming VA health care under his leadership.

Push for Full Concurrent Receipt is Renewed in the 115th Congress

Concurrent receipt means to receive both service-earned military retired pay and VA disability compensation. MOAA continues to lead the effort to end the disability offset to retired pay and strongly supports a plan to phase out the disability offset for all disabled retired service members. This issue has been and remains one of MOAA's top legislative priorities.

Health Care Reform- New Services covered by TRICARE

These revisions bring TRICARE into compliance with the m o s t r e c e n t n a t i o n a l t a s k f o r c e c o m m i t t e e recommendations for preventative care.- For children and families, TRICARE's benefit coverage will now be in alignment with the American Academy of Pediatrics' standards for care of well children over age 6. Beneficiaries using TRICARE Standard will no longer pay cost shares for well-child screening and preventative visits. -TRICARE will cover Cologuard, a new effective and non-invasive colorectal cancer-screening exam. Given the devastating mortality rate of late-stage colorectal cancer, providing this U.S. Preventative Task Force-approved test as an option is a crucial milestone in addressing the second-leading cause of cancer deaths. “Cologuard

coverage should encourage more people to get screened for colorectal cancer. “MOAA is thankful this cost-effective and safe test will be available to beneficiaries.” -In the realm of women's health, new genetic counseling and genetic testing will be covered for women identified by their primary care provider as being at high risk for breast cancer. BRCA 1 or BRCA 2 gene testing will be covered for women who meet these clinical guidelines.

Medicare Announces 2017 Part B premiumsSeventy percent of Medicare beneficiaries won't see much of a Medicare Part B premium increase next year. The majority of beneficiaries won't see a large fee hike because of a “hold-harmless” law that caps most people's Part B premium increase at the dollar amount of the Social Security check cost-of-living adjustment (COLA).

Pharmacy- Win-Win for Patients & Government The DOD pharmacy program plans to slice $1.3 billion off projected drug costs, thanks to higher beneficiary copays, tighter point-of-service rules, and recent streamlining of prescription drug processes.

CVS Leaves TRICARE Pharmacy NetworkTRICARE pharmacy contractor Express Scripts, Inc., announced that CVS pharmacies, including those in Target stores, no longer processes prescriptions for TRICARE. The good news is that Walgreens pharmacies returned to the TRICARE network on Dec. 1. After experiencing drops in store revenue, Walgreens had a change of heart and has agreed to accept TRICARE payments.

New Medical Payment SystemCongress recently passed the Medicare Access and CHIP reauthorization Act, which will pay medical providers for the value of the care they deliver, instead of the fee-for-service model that pays a flat fee for each appointment or service. The intent of value-based care is to move toward linking payments to a patient’s health outcomes and quality of care

Other Issues

Veterans will get military exchange discountAfter two years of study and debate, DoD will allow all honorably discharged veterans, not just retirees, to shop online for discounted military exchange products, effective Nov. 11, 2017

Are Vets Healthier than Non-Vets? Veterans are more likely to report being in very good or excellent health compared with civilians. However, men and women vets report higher rates of several chronic diseases and unhealthy behaviors compared with their civilian counterparts.

Vet Toxic Exposure | Camp Lejeune After years of waiting, veterans who were exposed to contaminated drinking water while assigned to Camp Lejeune in North Carolina may now be able to receive a portion of government disability benefits totaling more than $2 billion. The Department of Veterans Affairs described the new benefit 6 JAN as "historic."

LEGISLATIVE UPDATEMario Fajardo



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Friendship Recently I saw an ad featuring a chubby, young boy with joy on his face hugging a dog. The boy says, “I’ve never had a friend before.” That haunted me, since friendships have often kept me going when life situations have tried to take me under. Last week I lost my best male friend who was like my older brother. He had been very physically limited for years having complications with his heart, losing his eyesight and mobility, but his mind never wavered. For the last ten years he sat in “his” chair, never giving up, spending hours with me sharing dreams and solving the problems of the world. I just returned home from having his funeral. He was already in a coma when I arrived at his beside. When I held his hand and started talking to him he squeezed my hand, barely opened his eyes and tried to give me a smile. Then he slipped back into unconsciousness. That night he died. He is now only in my heart and mind and shall always be with me. Kahlil Gibran writing about “Friendship” in The Prophet said it best:

“And when he is silent your heart ceases not to listen to his heart; For without words, in friendship, all thoughts, all desires, all expectations are born and shared, with joy that is unacclaimed. When you part from your friend, you grieve not; For that which you love most in him may be clearer in his absence, as the mountain to the climber is clearer from the plain.”

CHAPLAIN’S CORNERCharles Caudill

I call on too many people in their golden years who tell me they are alone since losing their mates. We must seek out our friends, who may also need someone to show them we care. Webster gives us this definition of a friend: “a person whom one knows well and is fond of; intimate associate; close acquaintance.” I always ask every couple that I marry if they are each other’s best friend. They usually reply that they love each other. But that doesn’t mean they understand what it means to be a friend. A friend is one who stands by you when you don’t agree, brings you sunlight in the rain, weeps with you when you cry and can’t wait to give you a

hug just to say “I love you.” There has always been too much emphasis over finances and physical needs. I told my students in “Marriage and the Family” that it should take a year after meeting a person before you know enough about them to marry. A true friend is the person who will love you if you are stupid, if you slip and fall on your face, if you do the wrong thing, or if you make mistakes. They will be there to love you and help you under any circumstance.

The first friend you should have is yourself. Be a person with a character that comes from God. I suggest you read this scripture often: Psalms 51:10-12 “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me. Cast me not away from thy presence, and take not the Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of thy salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit.” At every wedding I perform, I read the following scripture which exemplifies who we should be in all areas of our life including friendship: Philippians 4:8-9 “Finally, brethren, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, do; and the God of peace will be with you.” Let your friends know how much they mean to you today!

SUPPORT OUR TROOPS

Christopher White

Chris White – the new MOAS SOT Coordinator –contacted one of the units we support in Afghanistan, and received the following reply from CSM Quichocho.

Sir, I wanted personally thank you and all that have provided support to our team forward. It makes a huge difference in the lives of so many Soldiers here in theater. The packages that you and your team of volunteers have provided have been distributed our Soldiers throughout all of Afghanistan. Our replacements will be here in the spring and I will ensure that contact information is provided.Thank you again, from all of us in Task Force Victory.

Roque R. Quichocho Jr.CSM, 1ID CAB & TF VictoryBagram, Afghanistan



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January Luncheon Photos

Brian McCarthy presents plaque to outgoing President George Tracy

Brian McCarthy presents MOAA President’s Award to Tom Piazze

New members George Francis & Rachel Taylor with sponsor Nancy Reiling (R)

Glenn Swindler

William & Carol ScarbroughKathy Strauss & Paul Kaufman

(l-r) Ben Knisely, Jim Hesson & Russ WiltshireBrian McCarthy with Peggy O’Connell

& her daughter Mollie January Birthday Celebrants



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SARASOTA OPERA STUDIO ARTISTS PROGRAMAlexander Charles BoydXavier Prado Caceres Kevin Miller

Program DirectorStephanie Sanchez Jessica E. JonesRichard Russell

Exec. Dir. Sarasota Opera

Sarasota Military Academy Cadets with (L) Jessica Borroso and Perry Korszen (MOAS 2nd VP) and (R) George Tracy (MOAS Immediate Past President).

(l-r) Tom & Donna Piazze and Dan Willison Peggy Mock (R) and guest Jackie Schafer

Mario & Lynn Fajardo

(l-r) Jere & Carole Berkey, James & Deborah Smith, and Art Hillman



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Local Veteran Scam we fell for…..By Christopher White

A number of our board members got this call. Board member contact phone numbers are posted in the Breeze and on the MOAA web site. Easily obtained by anyone. I’ve summarized their stories below. The call sounded genuine according to Immediate Past President, George Tracy. He received a call from a "Don Jameson" saying that Carmen Ramsey had referred him to the Military Officers Association regarding his situation. George took the call (and, perhaps, the bait) and reviewed the "situation;" that he (Jameson), a Sarasota Memorial Hospital Case Manager for renal failure patient Timothy Coats, a Navy Veteran, released and recently sent home via cab, has medical equipment being sent to his home and will need $20 to pay for the courier delivering the equipment. Mr. Jameson could not reach his patient to alert him that the equipment is coming and he needs to cover the $20 courier fee as soon as possible. Though a bit skeptical, but having no ready alternative, George decided to check it out himself, so he got an address and went to the house at 521 23rd Street East in Bradenton, where "Mary Ann" came to the door and he let her know that Tim's medical equipment was en-route via courier and that Tim would need to pay the courier $20. She said that the Navy Vet patient, Timothy Coats, was asleep and that she, his former girlfriend, was taking care of him, since the hospital did not want him to be alone. She showed George his Veterans ID and said that she was concerned that neither Tim nor she has the $20 to cover the courier fee. So, of course, George gave her $20! What a guy!! Though, as George said - it was worth it just for the adventure.

Ron Wozniak had a similar experience. His call from a Mr. Don Jamison came Tuesday (20 Dec) and it was pretty much was the same story. He went to the address given to him, 521 23rd Street East, Bradenton, and gave Mary Ann Lawson the money when she said neither Timothy Coats, nor she had the $20 to pay the courier. She did show Coats' VA ID card and he could verify Coats’ was 30% service connected disabled. She also said they were in need of food, and she did not have a car. He called Mr. Jamison at 941-708-1308, and informed him he gave Mary Ann $20. Ron then went to the DAV Post in Bradenton and asked if they were aware of Coats' situation. The Treasurer, John (past post commander) said Coats and a woman had been to the post at least 8 times looking for help. The DAV was willing to go grocery shopping for the vet, but they would have to come in the next day between 1100 and 1400 to see the post commander Walter. Ron called Mary Ann at the number she provided (941-544-5003) and left a message on her answering machine, informing her what the DAV was willing to do. That was the last time he had any contact with them. Many others were called by this couple and their scam - Jim Hesson, Charles Caudill, Anthony Mowry and others. In fact, they recently called Ron Wozniak again, looking for transportation (or funds to pay for it) to the VA Hospital in Tampa. It certainly sounds believable and they have figured out how to get you to bring cash to them. I guess we all have to be a little more skeptical. As a result, MOAS Board Member phone numbers have been removed from the Breeze and the public web site. They are still available through Club Essentials and the MOAS member directory. We included the names, numbers and address, in case you get that call with a different spin. This scam has been reported to the Bradenton Police, and there is an active investigation. (See Page 12 for an update)

VISUAL & PERFORMING ARTS@ Booker Pat McLain

Feb 3-4 7PM Death By Chocolate (BHS Café)Feb 4 3PM (Matinee)Feb 9-11 7PM Almost, Maine (Comedy)

Mar 24-25 7PM Student Spotlight (Music Concert)Mar 30-Apr 1 7PM Spring Dance PerformanceMar 31 6PM Spring Print Party/Art Show

Apr 20-22 7PM Fiddler on The Roof (Musical)Apr 22 2PM (Matinee)

May 1 7PM Music Senior RecitalMay 5 6PM Film/Digital Design ShowcaseMay 11-12 7PM Songwriters ShowcaseMay 19 6PM Senior Art Show 7PM Dance Senior RecitalMay 25 7PM Theater Senior Recital

Theater, Music & Dance Performances$15 Adults; $10 Seniors; $5 Students

YAHOOYoung at Heart Officers Organization

Ron Wozniak

Offshore Fishing Outing - Marina Jack SarasotaTuesday Feb 21, 8:00am - 8:00pm

12 Boat spaces available 1st COME BASIS - Only cost is fuel

BYO saltwater tackle, bait, food & drinksFL saltwater fishing license (unless 65+ & FL resident)

Contact Ron Wozniak at (941-779-5448) or [email protected]

Friday March 17th St Patrick’s Day @ The GordonsSave the Date!!!! More Information in next issue.

Kayaking - Robinson Preserve - BradentonSaturday May 6, 2017

BYO Kayak & lifejackets or cost is $29 per person for a two-person kayak

Pack your cooler for a picnic afterwards on Palma Sola Bay, off Rt 64 (Manatee Ave), Bradenton

Contact Ron Wozniak at (941-779-5448) or [email protected]



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ticket sales. Cost factors, as well as duplication of effort and similar programs, require that the frequency of events, types of events, and cost be evaluated to determine the best programs we can offer to our veterans, active duty personnel and the public at large.Web Site (Brian McCarthy): Phone numbers and email addresses will be removed from the MOAS public website and the public access to the Breeze newsletter. Scammers appear to be using this information to implement their illegal schemes. This information will be maintained on the private MOAS member website for the convenience of our members.

• It is possible to allow members to make reservations for MOAS events using the website. Seating arrangements will also be possible.

• We are not expecting a website cost increase.• MOAS bylaws can be made public.

New Business:• The board approved Associate membership for Peggy

Mock’s daughter.• George Tracy will investigate privacy policy concerns/

requirements.• MOAS should have disclaimer and privacy statements.• Future of Academic Olympics

Continuing to move forward:• Recruit! Recruit! Recruit!!• Encourage MOAS 2017 Staff/Committee service!• Continue MOAS Stars & Stripes donor development &

Event Planning!• Distribute flyers & brochures – libraries, luncheons &

events• Promote national MOAA “Take Action” – http://

www.moaa.org/takeaction/• Promote Florida state-level MOAA “Take Action” with

Senate and House Veteran

NEXT MEETING: Meeting adjourned at 5:54 PM. The next Board Meeting is scheduled for 4:00PM on Monday February 6, 2017 at the Meadows Community Center.

Secretary’s Corner Continued from Page 3YAHOO (Ron Wozniak) Ron’s questions: Suggested events? How often? Quarterly to start? St Patricks Day, Suggestions: Meet & Greet, kayaking, fishing outing, Navy League golf outing, scallop count, Marina Jack dinner cruise. Submit any ideas.Outreach/Auxiliary/Surviving Spouse: (Peggy Mock): Peggy requested an updated surviving spouse file, reporting some issues with contact information. She informed the Board that she is setting up a monthly coffee get together for surviving spouses to get to know each other and discuss mutual issues. She also stated that she moves to different tables each luncheon to get to know more members. Peggy will do a quality assurance audit of surviving spouses in the current directory/roster. She also reported that she recently discovered and remedied unethical “churning” rate practices by her internet service provider that result in excessive charges to which surviving spouses may fall victim. She will share the information with the membership in a related Breeze article.Veterans Commission: (Dan Willison) Nothing to report. A meeting is scheduled for later this month.Flag Initiative & Stars & Stripes Events: (Tom Piazze)Flag protocol initiatives are currently being presented in Sarasota County Schools, and Manatee County Schools will participate this spring.The annual Flag Day initiative and flag retirement event is expected to change. Tom’s request that a formal Flag Retirement be included as part of the 2017 Memorial Day Ceremony held at Patriot Plaza is currently being considered by the Sarasota National Cemetery Advisory Committee. The 2017 Flag Day event is under evaluation to determine if we should continue this program. While very successful, the effort and cost to organize and produce this program at NO COST to the community is substantial.. A Tribute to America's Veterans" held on 13 and 14 November 2016 was well received by the attending audience. Not only was it a high quality public performance, it increased public awareness of the mission and community service programs conducted by the MOAS, The POPS Orchestra for Bradenton and Sarasota and The Stars and Stripes Foundation. Unfortunately, the Veterans’ Day event barely broke even financially. One performance of three had to be cancelled due to insufficient

I am very happy to announce that we have received a $10,000 grant from the William Schmidt Foundation, which, together with the funds we received from the Sarasota Community Foundation’s Giving Challenge and from membership donations will enable us to offer a total of $24,000 in scholarships in 2017. Mike Small, Secretary of the Schmidt Foundation will be present at our May luncheon to present the William Schmidt Foundation High School awards.

We will be awarding four (4) JROTC Scholarships and six (6) Merit Scholarships of $2,000 each to graduating High School seniors this year. Additionally, we have allocated $4,000 to our Veterans Scholarship Program, and have already awarded $2,000 of these funds to the State College of Florida for distribution through their Veterans Program. I will provide information about the recipients when I receive it from the College.

Thank you so much for your continued support of this worthy program.

Scholarship Program Update

Claire Power

We recently received a note from one of our 2016 scholarship awardees, Dakota Stroble, and I would like to share it with the membership.

Good afternoon Ms. Claire Power,I hope you had a wonderful holiday season.

My name is Dakota Stroble, a recipient of the Sarasota Officers Association Merit Scholarships for 2016.

I wanted to thank you for the scholarship after my first semester at Palm Beach Atlantic University. I cannot express how much it has helped my family with financial aid and the extensive School of Music and Fine Arts fees. I have been able to take the classes necessary and apply for helpful lessons with the help of the scholarship, and even with just one semester, I have learned so much.

I would not have been able to afford this curriculum for the year without the assistance of the scholarship. Thank you so much,Dakota Stroble



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MEMBERSHIP ACTIONS

George Tracy

Dear MOAS Members; As we enter the second month of 2017, we do so with a renewed sense of responsibility, as a local MOAA chapter, committed to enhancing our outreach to those veteran officers in our community, who have NOT yet joined us. Having successfully established ourselves in the Sarasota community as a visible, active leader of ongoing, local charitable and volunteer initiatives in support of military veterans, our importance to the continued success of the MOAA mission here in Florida, and in Washington, is paramount. So much so, that MOAA National has, once again, refocused its efforts in 2017 on better assisting and rewarding local chapter (MOAS) membership retention and growth. We are intent on taking maximum advantage, with your help as our principal recruiting resource, of MOAA’s increased support. So, Thank You for assisting us in our 2017 MOAS Chapter Recruiting Program. Your MOAS membership is vital to our all-volunteer, outreach activities, including luncheon programs, newsletters, troop care packages, scholarships, JROTC awards, Academic Olympics, American Flag initiatives and patriotic events, that capture local attention and inspire appreciation of Veterans’ service and circumstances. Your volunteer activities serve our broader grassroots and national mission of Veteran Advocacy - motivating Veterans and the non-veteran community, through outreach, service and education, to actively work with legislators to resolve issues that threaten the rights and benefits of military Veterans and their families - the very heart of our All Volunteer Force and our National Defense!! Already your recruiting efforts are showing results with eleven new members having joined in the past three months and additional prospects in process! Even so, our 2017 Renewal Campaign for retention of active members still has a way to go!! This critical effort to retain your support has now produced nearly 82% of our MOAS 2017 dues-target with over 24.8% of MOAS active membership contributing scholarship support. Thank You for your continued support toward our goal of 100% membership retention. So, please, if you have not already responded, do so at your earliest opportunity! We are in the process of finalizing our 2017 budget to support operations and services and confirming the contents of our 2017 MOAS Membership Roster. If we do not hear from you, we will be contacting you via email and/or phone to ensure that we honor your wishes!! On January 11th we successfully launched our 2017 monthly MOAS Happy Hour “Meet & Greet” series, with a great turnout. Now, we will continue to

TapsOur heartfelt sympathy is extended to

the families & friends of

Frank S. Laudano, Jr, BG, USAGertrude E. KellyBetty McGinnis

David E. Cummins, CAPT, USN

hold this fun gathering on the “new” weekday” at the “new” location, the 2nd Wednesday of each month, 5-7PM, at Gecko’s, 351 North Cattlemen Road, Sarasota. No cost except for what you eat or drink; No Reservations; convenient parking. So, for the next one on February 8th, please invite anyone who might enjoy a return to Officers Club camaraderie, and perhaps find MOAS membership worth considering. If you are happy with our social programs and our community involvement, please continue to spread the word and inspire other retired and/or former military officers to join us. To prepare, please take a moment to read Seven Good Reasons To Join Your Local Chapter at http://www.moaa.org/main_article.aspx?id=10974. And if you feel there are other MOAS social and/or community services that we should participate in, or would attract new members, please feel free to share your recommendations with me or any other member of our Board listed on Page 2 of this Breeze. We are committed to working with you to accomplish our mission to enhance the lives of MOAS members; to support the troops, to serve the citizens of the Sarasota area; to aggressively pursue political action advocacy for Veterans rights and to enhance the image of America’s uniformed services in our local community. That said, I trust that your New Year has gotten off to a very positive start and that it will continue to bring you the best of good health and prosperity throughout!

Thanks for your support of MOAS!!



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MENUSERVED LUNCHEON

Composed Salad of Ruby & Golden Beet Carpaccio, Baby Arugula, toasted Pistachios,

Goat Cheese with sliced figs drizzled with a fresh fig vinaigrette

Signature Bread Basket

ENTREEMoroccan BBQ Glazed Pork Tenderloin Medallions with Apple-Raisin Chutney,

Gruyere Scalloped Potatoes,Green Beans Sauteed with Cashews

SERVED DESSERTApple Strudel: Classic Strudel of Apples,

Raisins & Spices rolled into a delicate crust

served with vanilla ice cream

Served Coffee, Decaf & Tea

MOAS LuncheonFriday, February 17, 2017

Michael’s On East

MOAS LUNCHEON RESERVATIONFor 2/17/2017 at 11:30 AM

Michael’s On EastDRESS: Coat (Tie Optional)

Please reserve ___ seats for the luncheon on the date above.Cost $28/person (Tax & Gratuity Included)

Enclosed is a check for $ _______

MEMBER INFORMATIONNAME, RANK, SERVICE & PHONE #

__________________________________________________ New member or first luncheon attendance: NEW FIRST Is this your Birthday month? YES Is this your spouse’s Birthday month YES

GUEST INFORMATION (Use extra sheet if needed)

NAME:___________________________________NAME:___________________________________NAME:___________________________________NAME:___________________________________Please return reservation form and check made out to:

MOAS Mail to: Valerie McCarthy

7429 Starfish Drive Sarasota, FL 34231

QUESTIONS? 440-391-1974 or [email protected]

Requests for menu changes due to dietary restrictions should be provided at the time of reservation. Please do not contact Michael’s on East directly. We must provide the restaurant with an exact number of reservations at least 48 hours in advance of event. No additional requests or refunds will be honored after that time.

2017 Florida Council of Chapters Convention at Sea

April 23–30 2017

7 Night Western Caribbean CruiseRoundtrip Port Canaveral

MEET & GREETSarasota MOAA

Happy Hour/Meet & Greet/Officer’s Call Wednesday, Feb 8th 5:00 - 7:00 pmOur Happy Hour re-creates the camaraderie we enjoyed at the O’ Club back when we were on active duty. We’ll have a few drinks and swap some stories. Members and prospective members can get to know each other in an informal setting.

We hope you can make the next Meet & Greet@ Gecko’s Grill & Pub

351 N. Cattleman Road Sarasotacorner of Fruitville Rd - just west of I-75

http://geckosgrill.com/

NEW LOCATION



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DATE EVENT TIME

Feb 6 , Monday MOAS Board Meeting - Meadows Community Center 4:00 p.m.

Feb 8, Wednesday Meet & Greet - Geckos Grill & Pub - Details on Page 11 5:00 p.m.

Feb 17, Friday Luncheon - Michaels On East - Navy War College - Drones 11:30 a.m.

Feb 21, Tuesday YAHOO: Offshore Fishing Outing - Details on Page 8 8:00 a.m.

Mar 6 , Monday MOAS Board Meeting - Meadows Community Center 4:00 p.m.

Mar 8, Wednesday Meet & Greet - Geckos Grill & Pub - Details on Page 11 5:00 p.m.

Mar 17, Friday Luncheon - Michaels On East - Dr. Zonies, Cardiologist 11:30 a.m.

Mar 17, Friday YAHOO: St Paddy’s Day Party - Details on Page 8 6:30 p.m.

Calendar

February - March 2017

The following news story related to the article Local Veteran Scam we fell for..., on page 8 of this newsletter appeared in the Sarasota Herald Tribune on Saturday, January 21, 2017.

JANUARY PROGRAM: SARASOTA OPERA SINGERS 2017 Sarasota Breeze.pdf · Receive the Breeze in color via...

Documents

Transcript of JANUARY PROGRAM: SARASOTA OPERA SINGERS 2017 Sarasota Breeze.pdf · Receive the Breeze in color via...