West Jax Rotary

Richard Nunn
Meteorologist, WJXT Channel 4

This is an excerpt from a recent interview with Richard W. Nunn by Rain N. Snow, a reporter with The Sunshine Daily. The interview took place at Waffle House.

Rain N. Snow: Richard, thanks so much for joining me today.
Richard W. Nunn: No. I should be thanking you for buying me lunch.
Sally Smyth (waitress): Would all ya’ll like some coffee or sweet tea?
RS: I’m buying you lunch?
RN: Well, if you insist.
RS: None for me, just water.
RN: I’d like water also, with lemon please.
SS: We have lemon packets, is that ok?
RN: Are the packets fresh?
SS: I think so.
RN: Sure that sounds great.
RS: So how are you liking Florida.
RN: Why, what are you doing writing a book?
RS: Well I…
RN: (Interrupting) Just Joking Snow, Yes I am glad to be back.
RS: So you’ve been here before.
RN: Yeah, just once from 1969 to 1993.
RS: That’s a long time. What were you doing.
RN: Growing up.
RS: You grew up here?
RN: Well not here, Snow this a Waffle House. It’s a great place to eat, but let’s face it a little to crowded to live in.
RS: I meant Jacksonville.
RN: No actually I grew up in South Florida. At the age of 18 I moved to Central Florida. Spent a couple of years there and then eventually went to Gainesville to broaden my horizons and become the most lovable of all reptiles — a gator.
RS:Gators are loveable?
SS:Here’s ya’lls waters and your lemon packets.
RN:Sally, are gators lovable?
SS:They taste good fried.
RN:See Snow, not only loveable, but they taste good too.
SS:Are you gonna order now?
RN:Yes, Sally I would like the hash browns, double–all the way.
RS:Burger with fries, please.
SS:Alright, it will just be a few minutes.
RS:So where to after Gainesville?
RN:Mississippi, the Magnolia State — Mississippi State University. I was in Starkville for two years working on my master’s degree in meteorology and I owned a window-tinting and automotive accessory business. From there I went to Washington State, Kennewick, for my first weather job. After two years there I moved to Portland, Ore., and worked there for 5 years. During both college and career I also worked at various radio stations.
RS:Portland, wow it rains a lot there.
RN: You stick to reporting and I’ll do the weather thank you.
SS: Here’s your food boys.
RN:OOOh Sally this looks great! Thank you.
RS:How about family?
RN:Love them dearly. That’s why we are back.
RS:We?
RN:Yeah, my wife and I.
RS:You’re married?
RN:You are a quick one. I can see why you are on this assignment. Hey is this going to be one of those “think” pieces?
RS:No, it’s an interview.
RN:And your doing a fine job of it too. What else do you want to know?
RS:Hobbies?
RN:Anything outside. Running, biking, hiking, camping and all water sports. I have run a couple of marathons and did some distance bicycling for charity.
RS:Which ones?
RN:Which events or which charities?
RS: Both…
RN:Marathons were in Rome, Italy for the American Diabetes Association and biking was for Multiple Sclerosis in Oregon.
RS:Why those charities and events.
RN:Charities for personal reasons, family related and the events — to test my own abilities.
RS:So how did you do?
RN:I’m proud to say I finished each event I committed myself to.
RS:Any upcoming events?
RN:I am training for a triathlon. I don’t know which one yet, I am going to base it on my fitness level and which events are happening at the time.
RS:Richard all that activity, yet here you are with a double order of hash browns.
RN:Don’t even get me started on those low carb diets!
RS:Speaking of diets, I heard you like to cook.
RN: I love to cook. While in Oregon I went to a Le Cordon Bleu culinary institute.
RS:Disc-jockey, business owner, meteorologist, a chef and an athlete. What’s next?
RN:I don’t know maybe I’ll combine all of them and train disc jockeys to cook for meteorologist on the run. Speaking of on the run, thanks for hash browns. I need to scoot along and put together my forecast.

Notes
Vince McCormack spoke about the charity grant awards and made the first 2 presentations.

• Karen Broome Mathis accepted a grant award on behalf of “Dreams Come True”. This organization assists children who have been diagnosed with life threatening conditions.
• Emily Liska accepted a grant award on behalf of The Jacksonville Historical Society. This grant money will be used to capture first hand accounts of Jacksonville’s home front during WWII.

Stewart Green received a thank you note to the club from The Salvation Army in appreciate of the club’s bell ringing efforts

President Mike announced that Wright Hollingsworth’s Bronze Star Ceremony and the Field of Dreams were both mentioned in this month’s Rotarian.

Don Wilkerson received his club badge.

Marshall Butler introduced Mike Green.  Mike is the Logistics Chair for “Relay for Life Westside 2009”

This event raised $40K this year. In 2008 the same event raised $14K.

Mike shared the history and scope of the ‘Relay for Life” programs. Nationally these events occurred in 5,000 communities with over 300,000 team members. $410 million dollars were raised.

The First Coast had 29 events with 12,000 team members.

Funds go to cancer research, educations, advocacy, and patient services.

Marshall Butler closed the meeting with the 4 Way Test.

Visiting Rotarians:
Charles Hyatt - South Jax
Marcus Drewa - South Jax
Dick Mueller - Downtown

Rotary Guests:
Josh Harrison — Guest of Phil Murphy
Emily Lisska, Jacksonville Historical Society - Guest of club
Karen Brune Mathis, Dreams Come True - Guest of club

Birthdays
Nandlal Paryani — May 28
Jim Howard — June 3

Next Meeting - June 10, 2009
Speaker — Dr. Quinton White, Professor of Marine Biology, Jacksonville University
Greeters — Vince McCormack, Phil Voss
Invocation — Stew Green
Pledge — Craig Hartwig
Four-Way Test — Bob Goodwin