Sharing what she knows with everyone -- free of charge

MOTI president and Kiwanian Hartshorne teaching painting classes

By PAULETTE LeBLANC pleblanc@breezenewspapers com

Pine Island Kiwanian Karen Hartshorne believes it is important to share everything she has In addition to serving Pine Island through the Kiwanis Club, she also volunteers and is the president of the Museum of the Islands (MOTI) In fact, she teaches children free painting classes right inside the museum and encourages them to sell their work for a fair price

At one point, Hartshorne even invited pro-baseball player Bill Lee to come and paint right along with the children

“I went to Louisiana State University and I took Drawing I and they moved me into the graduate pro- gram because I told them I did not want to get a degree they let you do that at LSU So I went straight into the graduate program to painting and drawing, had an overall 4 0 in everything I took and that’s my education,” Hartshorne said

While living in Hawaii, Hartshorne taught painting to the nuns and patients at the Hanson’s Disease Colony of Kalaupa’a in Molokai She said she always teaches free of charge because she never wants the cost of doing something to get in the way of people reaching their goals and potential, and because that’s what she was taught when she was young

See SHARING, page 7 but when she learned the plaza would be requesting a variance for retail stores, she quickly got on board

“It was almost a no-brainer, because someone was going to go in there, and if it wasn’t me, it was going to be someone else,” Durling said

It was at that point she said she called the developer, told them who she was and threw her hat in the ring If anyone was going to open there, it should be them, she said, since they have been on the island for so many years What Durling describes as a very slow process,

See DR. WATSON’S SPIRITS, page 10

Elks Lodge #2781 to host Flag Day

Ceremony June 14

O

Protective Order of Elks Lodge #2781 will hold its annual Flag Day Ceremony The Elks have celebrated the holiday since the early days of its organization In 1907, the BPOE Grand Lodge designated June 14 as Flag Day

T h e e v e n t w i l l b e g i n w i t h t h e “ P r e s e n t a t i o n o f Colors” and opening remarks by Exalted Ruler Judy Hopkins of Greater Pine Island Elks 2781 This event is open to the public and will begin at 11 a m , at the VFW Post 4353, 8150 Stringfellow Road, St James City

Many people may not know that Flag Day has been an important part of the Elks’ culture even before it was adopted as a day of national observance. Flag Day is an Elks patriotic tradition, and allegiance to the flag of the country is a requirement of every Elks member The Pledge of Allegiance is cited at the beginning of every Elks Lodge meeting

In 1907, the B P O Elks Grand Lodge designated by resolution June 14 as Flag Day The Grand Lodge of the Elks Order adopted mandatory observance of the occasion by every Elks Lodge in 1911, as it is still honored today

The Elks prompted President Woodrow Wilson to

See FLAG DAY, page 10