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APRIL 2019 941.349.0194|ISLAND VISITOR PUBLISHING, LLC
HAPPY HOUR Fun to be had at LRC Monthly Happy Hours
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SAVE THE MANATEE
Landings resident, Teagan Bower pens a letter to save the manatees page
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KID’S CORNER
www.THELANDINGSOFSARASOTA.com
A True Story… as told by Sandy Kelley, Landings resident Submitted by Dee Ricapito It was 1967 and those were the days Then one day (this is the part that gives when it was very likely you would me goosebumps) John was walking off the be drafted as the U.S. became more court at The Landings after playing tennis. involved in the Vietnam War. He saw Bonnie Cummings watching her John Kelley was from Binghamton, grandson, Jeffrey, play and went over to New York. Tom Giardina was from say hi. Bonnie and John talked for a few Lexington, Kentucky. Both wanted to minutes then she introduced him to an fly airplanes and enlisted in the navy. old friend of hers who she and Andre They met at flight training school worked with at the Navy Department in in Pensacola, Florida. They were Washington DC. His name was Tom… It’s a small world. After 25 years, friends roommates and became very good After a few seconds Tom jumped out of Tom Giardina (l) and John Kelly (r) are reunited friends. They trained hard and partied his chair ran over to John threw his arms hard which resulted in a great friendship. around him and shouted – “It’s John Kelley!” (A few expletives have John was trained on prop planes and Tom trained on jet planes. been omitted since this is a family newsletter). Eventually Tom would go on to be stationed in the Mediterranean It took several seconds for John to comprehend that this was his flying fighter planes off aircraft carriers. John left pilot training and old buddy from the navy who he hadn’t seen for over 25 years. was sent to Vietnam to manage an officer’s club. Tom became a Needless to say they spent time together over the next few days career naval officer and John returned to civilian life. They kept in reminiscing about the good old days and catching up on their lives touch. Both developed a passion for sailing and Tom joined John since they were last together. on sailing trips in the Caribbean and Lake Ontario. Tom and his wife Dana had visited Bonnie and Andre a few years But as it happens in life, the years went by and eventually they before at The Landings unknown to either John or Tom that they lost touch. John moved several times and ended up in Florida at were that close to reuniting. Tom lives near Jacksonville, Florida The Landings. Tom retired from the navy and cruised for three now and so does John’s grandson. Hopefully they will be able to years on his sailboat. They both tried to find each other without connect again in the future. success. Tom even searched the obituaries for his long lost friend. So miracles do happen. What are the odds? This one had a happy John always wondered what became of his old friend. ending.
Siesta Key is a Spring Break Destination Meet Ella Pedler, 12, 6th grader at Sarasota School of Arts and Sciences
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VOLUNTEER
Landings residents volunteer at Sarasota Memorial Hospital
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Spring break vacations for college students have become an American tradition that is valued at least as much as summer vacations. Occurring from late February to mid-April, the spring break developed because U.S. schools at all levels have designated a week, or even two weeks, for suspending classes. Other countries also have spring breaks but Americans use it uniquely as a welcome opportunity for a beach vacation that features social diversions and relaxation, particularly somewhere with a warm climate. For students, the main goal of spring break is non-stop partying— ideally on Florida’s Atlantic or Gulf coast beaches. Not surprisingly, among Florida sites, Siesta Key with “America’s Best Beach” has become very popular. Origin of Spring Break Vacations in Florida Fort Lauderdale is the origin of the spring
break vacation, dating to the 1930s when Colgate University men’s swim team traveled there to practice for spring competitions in a much publicized trip during Christmas week of 1934. After a lull period during the Great Depression and World War II, college students rediscovered Fort Lauderdale in the 1950s. A gathering of about 20,000 students visited annually throughout that quiet decade. Although not low profile, they were relatively well behaved on the beach and in the city, particularly in comparison to what was on the horizon. Evolution after “Where the Boys Are” The game changer was the combination of a clever novel, record-breaking movie, and hit song— all entitled “Where the Boys Are.” Continued on page 21
The game-changer for spring break vacations was the movie “Where the Boys Are”