The News of
OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE SUN CITY CENTER COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION
Sun City Center
March 2022
CA SCHEDULE
FEBRUARY 28 Board Workshop Rollins Theater - 9 a.m. Zoom ID: 832 8385 3109 Passcode: 731773 MARCH 9 Board Meeting Rollins Theater – 9 a.m. Zoom ID: 833 8819 8602 Passcode: 828665 15 Club Leaders Meeting Florida Room – 10 a.m. Zoom ID: 852 8346 6778 Passcode: 144759 17 Co-AP Meeting Caper Room – 2 p.m. w/Attorney Steve Mezer 23 Membership Meeting Community Hall – 3 p.m. Zoom ID: 895 0208 8262 Passcode: 801064
Security Patrol Awards and Luncheon
By Diane M. Loeffler On January 25, the SCC Security Patrol held a Member Appreciation Luncheon to celebrate its 40th anniversary of service to our community. Approximately 260 members and guests attended the event which included a buffet lunch and desserts. Dana Schroeder compiled articles and photos from the beginning of the Patrol’s history through the present day. This slide show was visible on the Community Hall screens throughout the afternoon.
Agendas for the monthly Board Meetings will be posted on Official Bulletin Board in the Atrium the Friday before and on the CA website (www.suncitycenter.org – under “Residents” – Upcoming Meeting Agendas). They will also be sent via “What’s New in the CA” email.
John Weaver was presented with the Captain of the Year Award by Chief of Patrol Tim Broad.
CA Contact Information Administration Office 1009 N. Pebble Beach Blvd, SCC Phone: 813.633.3500 Hours – 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., M-F sccboard@suncitycenter.org Website: suncitycenter.org Information Center: 813.633.4670
Brian Martin was awarded Dispatcher of the Year for the second year in a row.
Chief of Patrol Tim Broad was the emcee for the event. He introduced guests and handed out awards. The Meixner family was recognized for their outstanding service throughout the years. Dave and Gretchen Meixner were members of the patrol in its early years. They are currently in their nineties and no longer volunteer. Debbie Riley was chosen as Driver of the Year. Brian Martin was Dispatcher
of the Year for the second year in a row. Both Riley and Martin were thanked for all the time they contributed to the Patrol. John Weaver was awarded Captain of the Year. Chief of Patrol Tim Broad says, “We are blessed to have so many great captains.” Tim Broad says “All three awards were made on the basis that they would do that bit more to help the board. They
Security continued on page CA-3.
A Hoot of a Story Mama brooding high in the claimed nest keeping the owlets safe.
Owlets in the original nest.
By Marcia K. Wilson Tuesday morning, February 1, 2022, the Great Horned Owl nest in my Live Oak tree, which was home to two adult owls and two young owlets, collapsed! The ground was strewn with old branches. Wise owls? Hmmm, not so much when they claim (as they always do) an old nest! They neglected to check its structural integrity. The nest was very high in the V of two slender tree limbs that face our pond. While it gave them a great deal of privacy, it was vulnerable to the high winds coming across the pond from the southwest. The nest may have been an old, abandoned squirrel nest.
were not injured and were very healthy, they could be returned to their natural habitat. A raptor team arrived mid-day on Wednesday to install a platform nest in my oak tree. The raptor expert repelled the tree and inspected it for a suitable location. Next, he hoisted the platform, secured it in place, arranged the nesting materials, hoisted our owlets into the nest, and fed them a tasty meal of mice! This was close to a 3-hour mission. However, just a few hours after the raptor expert left the owlets with instructions to “stay lying down,” the male owlet was out of the nest. We don’t think the escape was exactly planned, as my neighbors witnessed him flapping his wings furiously. He found himself in a tricky situation. However, he got himself stabilized on the tree trunk four feet below the nest. He remained perched there overnight. The female owlet’s Thursday morning screeches attracted the parents. Both adult owls came and had no issue claiming their new platform nest. The female owlet was being fed. However, we were not sure that our little tree climber
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After the collapse, the first owlet trotted across the neighbor’s walkway in front of their lanai. Her clicking noises indicated her stress. Who wouldn’t be stressed after a fall out of a tree? She scrunched herself into a fluffy ball under a bush to calm herself and feel safer. My neighbor, Maribeth, watched over our owlet, as she would have been vulnerable to prey. I ran inside to call Florida Fish and Wildlife who immediately connected me with The Raptor Center of Tampa Bay, a nonprofit team of volunteers devoted to rescue and rehabilitation. As we waited for the rescue, Maribeth, spotted another pair of eyes. We found the second owlet huddled in a wide bend in her oak tree trunk. Climbing like a parrot with his beak and claws, he had climbed the old, slanted trunk to find a resting place offering safety. My neighbors and I became protective surrogate parents. The owlets were rescued by a raptor handler, placed in a ventilated box, and then carried to the Raptor Center for a wellness check. Because the owlets
Lonely male owlet below the platform nest; Mama and sister were resting above.
stranded below was being given the same attention. After 2 days alone going back and forth on two limbs under the nest, the third rescue on Friday afternoon was coordinated to get this little owlet back in the platform nest with his sister. Thanks to the quick capture and boost up into the nest from another raptor team member, the pair were reunited. Both parents are actively feeding their young, loving the large platform built especially for them, and the owlets are staying in the nest. The Raptor Center of Tampa Bay has been instrumental in their safe recovery. These dedicated volunteers have given the owlets the chance to thrive in the wild and grow to maturity. For more information about the Raptor Center, visit www.RaptorCenterofTampa. org. Education, awareness, and survival of our wildlife is their mission. Without this team of experts, our owlets surely would have had a different outcome.