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Click here to go to our website Call to Order – Past President Charlie Osborne called the meeting to order and led in the Pledge of Allegiance.

Invocation – David Hunter: Lord, God of all, we thank Thee for this food and for our secretaries. Bless the ladies who answer our phone, send our messages, file our papers, find what we've lost, bring our coffee and remain our faithful friends. We honor them this day. Amen. Vittles – Salad & Toppings, Chicken Fried Chicken, Mac and Cheese, Mixed Vegetables, Rolls and Butter, Chocolate Cream Puffs, Tea and

Announcements –. President Sam Mc. Grew who missed the past two meetings thanked Past President Charlie Osborne for filling in for him.

Sam reminded Board Members that next Tuesday, May 5, is our Board Meeting. Lions who wish to attend are invited as well but should let him know so he can order lunches. Wednesday, May 6 is our Business Meeting.

Attendance – 20 members. Guests – Lenny Gray’s guest, his friend Mike Angel, A Marine Veteran.

President Sam Mc. Grew presented a fine Lion pen as a welcoming gift to our guest

Lion Fred Greffe from Mahomet also visited us today. Birthdays – Lion Bob Tuchel’s birthday is May 1. Bob was not with us today. Happy Birthday anyway,

Lions Report – Pat Bryan reported that Bob Ayers’ wife was in the hospital and is home now recovering. If you are ill or know a fellow Lion that is under the weather, please call Pat Bryan at 586 -4535.

A hush falls over the house as our guest speaker, Stevie Jay, draws what will be the winning lottery ticket…

Gordie Gordon announces the winning number; it’s 437 and David Hunter has it for $11. 00

Rich King brought the Marathon T-shirts and back packs for this coming Saturday for those who plan to work at the Lions’ Water Station. He has recruited a few members of the Young Professionals and several members of the Byron Balbach family to help. Volunteers should arrive between 7: 30 and 8 am at Eisner Park on West Church Street across from Huber’s, 1312 West Church, Champaign.

Ted Gonsiorowski checks out the T-shirts.

Jay Hoeflinger, chair of the Sight & Sound Sweepstakes for our club had 4 books of tickets left. He was able to sell those to members today. Payments are due to be turned in tomorrow. Checks can be made payable to Champaign Lions Charities and the club will then pay for all our tickets to the LIF. ($4 per ticket or $10 per 3 ticket book). The club gets 40% of our sales for our charities fund. Lions Ayers, Hess, Paulsen, and Yaxley still have books out.

Jay, also chair for Tootsie Pop days, re-circulated the signup sheet for Friday and Saturday, May 6 and 7, and a few slots on Sunday May 8. Four locations have been scheduled, Sam’s Club, Wal-Mart in Savoy, and the County Markets on Kirby and State and Kirby and Duncan. Tootsie Pop day is one of our major fundraisers.

Program – Lion Rich Suchomski introduced Stevie Jay. Stevie has been a top radio personality in Champaign-Urbana since 1979. His first on-air job was as the first afternoon DJ on WLRW. He was hired by Jim Turpin in 1984 to do an afternoon talk show on WDWS. He moved to the morning time slot in 1990, and was named General Manager of WDWS in 1998. In 2010 Stevie and his partners purchased Stevie Jay Broadcasting, which now operates several stations, including ESPN Radio 93. 5 (home of the Cardinals), Sunny 95. 3 (home of the Cubs), Q 96, and US 105. 9 Country. Among his regular onair guests are Hall of Fame player and coach Mike Ditka (on Mondays and Fridays), and numerous nationally known experts on a wide variety of topics. Stevie and his wife, Janet, live in Champaign and are blessed with four children, Nathaniel and triplets, Christian, Benjamin and

Stevie told us of his career from the beginning. He was “a weight lifting wanna be chick magnet” making $6/hour as a DJ when he met a pretty girl who was the reigning Champaign County Fair Queen and fell in love. He wondered how he was going to get her attention when Jim Turpin called and asked him if he’d like to work at WDWS, not as a DJ but interviewing people. He took the job, a 5 am program.

He didn’t believe anyone was out there listening! So he asked people to call him if they were out there. They formed the 5 alarm club and it grew to 2, 078 members! He interviewed all kinds of people, Mohammed Ali, Howard Cosell, Charlton Heston. He recalled asking Ali what he thought about Howard Cosell with whom he’d had many publicized verbal fights. His answer was, “Let me tell you about Howard Cosell. If I were a dog, he’d be the tree. ”

In 1993, his son Nathaniel was born. He and Janet wanted two children but that was not happening so they went through fertility programs. Finally they were thinking of adoption when, with a final attempt in 1997, they were blessed with triplets!

They were healthy enough to come home right away, then began 27 months of his wife getting only 2 hours sleep at a time. At first he would tell people, don’t come over if you have a cold or anything because he was afraid of the babies getting sick. After about 6 months, anyone could come, especially if they were there to help. His kids are grown up now. The triplets are in college. He said his wife, Janet, is unbelievable!

He said he didn’t plan on a radio career, it just happened. Now on 93. 5 and 95. 3 in the mornings they discuss everything from politics (especially now), Cardinals, Cubs and Illini.

Stevie’s dad came to the US in 1945 and didn’t speak English. He enrolled in college and got his bachelors, masters and Ph. D. His dad met Stevie’s mother here, they lived in Philo, the “Center of the universe. ”

Stevie is the youngest of 4. When he was 10, they lived in India for a while. He saw much poverty there and from that he learned what is important.

Currently he is working on the following: August 25 there will be a law enforcement appreciation banquet at the I-Hotel. He said police have been mischaracterized. They do a tough job. They are not perfect but most are doing a great job.

Sugar Busters Club: The worst thing you can do is eat processed sugar! Sugar Busters Club members limit their sugar to 30 grams or less a day of processed sugar. He said Stevia is the best substitute for sugar followed by Splenda. They have 79 card carrying members. Since he began limiting processed sugar he has lost weight, has more energy and even his thinking is better.

Listen to Stevie on 97. 5 at 7 am to 9 am. Local radio tries to be a force for good. If a group like Lions has an announcement, they will put it on the air.

He was asked how the internet is affecting radio.

He said it gives more options. Beginning next week you can watch him through the internet speaking on the radio.

President Sam thanked Stevie for his presentation and gave him a fine Lion pen.

Tail Twister – Ted Gonsiorowski was Tail Twister today.

He asked Frank Duff to carry the bucket. He fined Sam Mc. Grew for some remark. Dave Hunter was fined for having won the lottery, but it wasn’t his fault.

Back home the next day, Dave is still enjoying his good fortune.

Omer Benn was fined for not knowing the age of his daughter.

Rich Suchomski was fined for something,

and everyone who is NOT planning to volunteer for the Water Station Saturday was also fined.

Braggers paid to brag; including Pat Bryan, who bragged that her 9 year old great grandson is pitching on a traveling baseball team and doing very well.

Kathy Struck bragged that her nephew, Jacob Nelson, was nominated for the 2016 class of Milwaukee’s Finest for spreading awareness and raising $2, 500 for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.

Lord only knows what’s going on here. Maybe Frank lost a bet…

Coming up May 4 - Business Meeting Greeter: Bob Ayers May 11 - Professor May Berenbaum, U of I Entomology May 18 - Kip Pope - Trip to Antarctica Click here rsuchomski@yahoo. com to email Rich Suchomski and let him know what you would like to see in a Lions Club program some time.

Thank you for watching Editor Publisher Jay Hoeflinger David Hunter To email Dave with your comments, click here → hunter 4000@comcast. net To go to our website, click here → http: //www. champaignlions. org/

The Champaign Lions Club Chatter Brought to you by Publisher – David P. Hunter Editor – Rex Hess Associate Editor –Fonda Bowden Photography – David Hunter