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Shriners Hit By Economic Meltdown
Lone Star Times ^

Posted on 01/21/2009 7:46:35 PM PST by mnehring

Out of all of the financial woes stemming from the current economic slump, this one hits me the hardest:

Shriners Hospital for Children-Galveston will suspend operations to cope with a $3 billion shortfall in the Shriners International endowment fund, the organization’s president said Tuesday.

In 2008, the Galveston hospital had a $33 million operating budget, according to information provided by the hospital. The hospital, which specializes in treating burned children, has been closed since Hurricane Ike struck Galveston Island Sept. 13.

The hospital treats about 250 acutely burned children each year and keeps treating them until they are 18. In 2007, the hospital admitted 1,575 patients, including 548 acute burn cases, according to hospital statistics.

Semb said the hospital will continue to follow up on the children initially treated for burns in Galveston, flying them to other Shriners hospitals if need be.

Shriners is a wonderful organization. I wish them well.


TOPICS: Business/Economy; US: Texas
KEYWORDS: economy; philanthropy; shriner; shrinershospital
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1 posted on 01/21/2009 7:46:36 PM PST by mnehring
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To: uglybiker

ping


2 posted on 01/21/2009 7:47:39 PM PST by mnehring
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To: mnehrling

Once Zero’s crowd ushers in universal health care, we won’t need any private specialized hospitals.


3 posted on 01/21/2009 7:50:48 PM PST by Sgt_Schultze
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To: mnehrling

wow, that’s sad to hear


4 posted on 01/21/2009 7:52:15 PM PST by nuconvert ( Khomeini promised change too // Hail, Chairman O)
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To: oldtimer

ping


5 posted on 01/21/2009 8:00:30 PM PST by Barnacle (God help us.)
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To: Sgt_Schultze
"Once Zero’s crowd ushers in universal health care, we won’t need any private specialized hospitals."

Exactly - we can just quietly put them to sleep....

6 posted on 01/21/2009 8:52:42 PM PST by Uhaul (Time to water the tree of liberty...)
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To: mnehrling

The Christian church needs to step in and buy the place cheaply and fund it to operate as part of a mission fund.


7 posted on 01/21/2009 8:53:37 PM PST by LuxMaker (The Constitution is a mere thing of wax in the hands of the judiciary, Thomas J 1819)
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To: Chode; TheLion; AxelPaulsenJr; jimt; Eric in the Ozarks; oldtimer; pt17; MeanWestTexan; hershey; ...

MASONIC

LIST





Send uglybiker a FReepmail if you would like on/off The Masonic PING List
The List of Ping Lists


8 posted on 01/21/2009 9:13:51 PM PST by uglybiker (1f u c4n r34d th1s u r34lly n33d 2 g3t l41d)
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To: LuxMaker

mega ping


9 posted on 01/21/2009 9:14:01 PM PST by LinnKeyes2000 (Palin/Jindal2012)
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To: uglybiker

Tragic.


10 posted on 01/21/2009 9:18:26 PM PST by patton (SPQA)
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To: mnehrling

My uncle was an anesthesiologist at the Galveston Burn Institute.


11 posted on 01/21/2009 9:21:21 PM PST by lonestar
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To: mnehrling; uglybiker

And y’all know the big old Arabia Shrine Temple here in Houston, over on North Braeswood, is slated for demolition, yes?

Townhomes to be built on its site. Ugh.


12 posted on 01/22/2009 5:54:25 AM PST by Xenalyte (Anything is possible when you don't understand how anything happens.)
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To: Xenalyte; uglybiker
WOW.. I didn't know that. Very sad, it was a beautiful and historical building.

There was an old lodge in Little Rock (not the big Grand Lodge on Scott st.)I saw was for sale about a year ago, it was in an old neighborhood where a lot of high end homes where being built. I was tempted if I ever transferred there to buy it and restore it into a home, but keep its history. I'll see if I can find an image later. I am afraid when I go back to check on it that it may have been torn down.

13 posted on 01/22/2009 6:32:40 AM PST by mnehring
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To: mnehrling

That’s sad.

My son, who was born with part of his arm missing, went to the Shriners Hospital in Chicago for a number of years for treatment and prosthetics. They were wonderful people, and the Shriners never bothered us for money or donations.

I hate to see anything adverse happen to them.


14 posted on 01/22/2009 6:36:50 AM PST by reagan_fanatic ("You followin' me, camera guy?")
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To: Xenalyte; uglybiker

Found an article, looks like someone bought it and is turning it into a pizza place..

http://www.arktimes.com/Articles/print.aspx?ArticleID=ec3f35b0-f755-4f79-9eee-7272430892ac

Mystic pizza

Judy Waller will turn the ground floor of the historic Pulaski Heights Masonic Lodge 673 in Hillcrest into a new location for her U.S. Pizza chain of restaurants.

Waller is closing on a deal to buy the lodge this week, reportedly for $675,000. The building has been on the market for more than a year; the Masons are selling because of declining membership.

Waller will also use the 6,100-square-foot building, which includes a large hall and stage for Masonic rituals on its second floor, for her business offices. The lodge is on the north side of Kavanaugh between Ash and Beechwood.

Down the street at 2814 Kavanaugh, Waller will expand Hillcrest Liquor into the space currently occupied by her pizza restaurant to create a more upscale liquor store.


15 posted on 01/22/2009 6:38:00 AM PST by mnehring
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To: mnehrling

oops, never mind on 15, this is a different lodge in the same side of town (sad this is happening to multiple ones).


16 posted on 01/22/2009 6:39:31 AM PST by mnehring
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To: mnehrling

“I am afraid when I go back to check on it that it may have been torn down.”

They are generally built to last. I saw one in Midland that they attempted to blow up for a railroad right of way.

Attempted.

They ended up knocking off the top floor and filling it in. It’s the only hill in Midland.


17 posted on 01/22/2009 7:41:42 AM PST by MeanWestTexan (Beware Obama's Reichstag fire.)
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To: MeanWestTexan; Xenalyte; uglybiker

This one didn’t look like your typical brick and mortar lodge, it was a wood frame structure that appears to be almost an old schoolhouse.

I just decided to check and I found it on Street View on Google Maps. (you may have to spin around on the map)

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=1+Allied+Drive,+Little+Rock&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=30.130288,64.072266&ie=UTF8&ll=34.768105,-92.337111&spn=0.001904,0.003911&t=h&z=18&layer=c&cbll=34.768284,-92.338287&panoid=HHHIXBa2NZ1NTeP-_WxW9w&cbp=12,145.20039071820025,,0,-5.500691800101443


18 posted on 01/22/2009 7:50:55 AM PST by mnehring
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To: mnehrling

All Shriner’s Hospitals are getting hit as most of our funds are tied to trusts ans endowments which have been hit by the markets. The days of never asking for insurance help with the bills may be coming to an end much as I hate to say it, however the quality of care the kids get will never go down we will continue somehow.


19 posted on 01/22/2009 8:24:41 AM PST by snowman1
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To: snowman1

I agree, the Shriner’s, Knight Templar Eye Foundation, and other similar hospitals are blessed with Doctors who volunteer their time, not just donations, so if the latter slacks off, you still have the former.


20 posted on 01/22/2009 8:26:52 AM PST by mnehring
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