The News of
OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE SUN CITY CENTER COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION
Sun City Center
May 2021
CA SCHEDULE
MAY 3 Board Workshop Caper Room - 9 a.m. Also, via Zoom ID: 845 5279 1692 Passcode: 572680 12 Board Meeting Rollins Theater – 9 a.m. Also, via Zoom ID: 853 8592 9561 Passcode: 835343 18 Club Leaders Meeting Florida Room - 10 a.m. Also, via Zoom ID: 864 5240 2566 Passcode: 449778 19 Town Hall Meeting Re: Long Range Plan & Financial Discussion Community Hall- 10 a.m. Also, via Zoom ID: 820 4207 4926 Passcode: 163600 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 blast.
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
Photo Club Members Impress
On March 9, club photographers submitted images to be judged by FCCC judge Kathryn DeYoung. In the Digital Color category, at the Master Level, Harold Sisken took the gold with “What Big Teeth You Have.” Tied for second place, each receiving the silver award were, Harold Sisken with “My Eyes Are On You” and Pat Jones with “Peaceful Expression.” At the Advanced Level, Ann Jacques received two gold awards for “A Water Lily In Full Bloom” and “Red Rock Country.” At the Intermediate Level, Joe Sclafani received a gold award for “Spyrogyra.” Two photographers tied for second place, each receiving a silver award, Stan Lipski with “Courtney Campbell Causeway” and Sherry Kalczynski with “Sand Piper.” In the Unassigned Category, Tom Alcumbrack received a perfect score for “Sunrise At The Bridge.” He also received the silver award for “Foggy Sunrise.” In the Monochrome Digital category, at the Master Level, Pat Jones received the silver award for “Don’t Move.” At the Advanced Level, tied for second place were, Jim Wheeler with “Hunting Little Blue,” and Barbara Klimczak with “Worried.” In the Digital Creative category, at
What Big Teeth You Have by Harold Sisken
the Advanced level, two photographers received perfect scores, Madlyn Blom with “Valentine Day Hearts,” and Jim Wheeler with “Boat People, Vietnam.” At the Intermediate Level, Sherry Kalczynski received a silver award for “I Survived Jurassic Park.” At the Unassigned Level, Valesca Lopez Brown received a silver award for “Tidal Wave.” In the Digital Documentary Category, at the Advanced Level, Jim Wheeler
received the silver award for “Arches, UT.” At the Intermediate Level, Joe Sclafani took the silver with “Still.” In the Color Print category at the Advanced Level, Gary Pate received the silver award for “Jazz.” In the Creative Print Category, at the Intermediate Level, Joe Sclafani received a gold award for “Wolf Moon.”
Valentine Day Hearts by Madlyn Blom
Sand Piper by Sherry Kalczynski
Photo continued on page 3.
Courtney Campbell Causeway by Stan Lipski
Red Rock Country by Ann Jacques A Water Lily In Bloom by Ann Jacques
Jazz by Gary Pate
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Spyrogyra by Joe Sclafani
Important Town Hall Meeting For All SCCCA Members
By Bob Sullivan, CA President May 19, 2021 at 10 a.m. at Community Hall Also via Zoom – ID: 820 4207 4926, Passcode: 163600 (Please Bring your Membership Badge for Attendance) The Board of Directors has called a Town Hall Meeting to communicate and share information that pertains to the planned construction of the new building. We will discuss the construction timelines and financial requirements required to complete the first phase of the Long-Range Plan. I ask that every member attend this meeting so that when we ask for a vote at a future date on the actions needed, you will be able to make an informed decision. We look for your support in keeping this Community updated and a value to present and future homeowners.
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May 2021
The News of Sun City Center
President’s Report
By Bob Sullivan, CA President The time is flying by as we enter into May. The next step of opening our community will occur on May 3. The Board of Directors will allow the return of guests and visitors to the Community Campus. Guest Cards will be available for the use of the Fitness Center and the pools only. These can be purchased at the CA Office during open office hours 8 a.m. – 3 p.m., Monday through Friday and when the office is closed, at the Fitness Center. We have prospective homebuyers that come into our Community and persons who visit some of the Club Shops, and they would be considered to be visitors. During the COVID-19 shutdown, many of our Clubs have not been able to use trainers and the outside vendors that support some of the Club’s activities. These will also be allowed as of May 3. Our bingo and entertainment activities will still be under seating restrictions pending soft openings. The complete opening will depend on event attendance and interest in the shows. Social distancing along with CDC guidelines will continue to be required. The Board hopes that this next step in getting back to somewhat of a norm is an exciting step forward. The FDOT project is coming to a close and we need to understand that the sidewalk down the north side of the road is for pedestrian and bicycle traffic and not for motor vehicles. This could result in injury as the sidewalk is not designed for vehicles (golf carts).
Trail Blazing By John Lampkin
A jumping plant louse on the Sun City Center Nature Trails can somersault in midair 20 times faster than an Olympic gymnast! For example, Simone Biles when executing her epic triple-double rotated at approximately two rotations per second while the SCC jumper executes an initial rate of 39 per second, making it the fastest forward-rotating species on the planet! How do we know? Dr. Adrian Smith at North Carolina State filmed them at 14,000 frames per second, slowed the film down, counted and did the math. You can watch his stunning and entertaining video on YouTube. Our jumper is the Red Bay Psyllid, Trioza magnoliae, which spends its entire youth as a wax-coated larva in a leaf gall. The distinctive galls are easy to spot and since jumping plant lice are species-specific, the galls are an easy way of identifying Red Bay trees. The galls cause only cosmetic damage, doing no lasting harm to the plant. Red Bays though do succumb to laurel wilt disease, caused by a fungus farmed by a tiny ambrosia beetle. But that is a topic for another column. The larvae are easy to find, just slice open a gall. Come join me for a monthly walk and I will show you how it is done! Finding the adults is harder and despite years of searching, I’ve managed to photograph only one, shown above. Why? They are only 2 to 3 mm long and their flips make them vanish as if by magic. The Nature Trails is an ongoing project of the SCC Audubon Club in cooperation with the SCC CA. The trailhead is located opposite North Lake on Del Webb West between Vincennes and Seton Hall. Join us for interpretive walks and discoveries large and small on the first Tuesday of the month at 9 a.m. For more info, email me at “JohnLampkin@JohnLampkin.com”.
Sun City Center Community Association Bingo Resumes
Sun City Center Community Association Bingo will resume play on Monday, May 3, 2021. Due to the Coronavirus CDC Guidelines and the Sun City Center Community Association Guidelines, we must follow some strict protocols as we reopen in order to protect you and the volunteers who make Sun City Center Bingo possible. Masks must be worn, and social distancing of at least three feet must be maintained. Doors will be open at 6:30 p.m. for card purchase. Play will begin at 7:15 p.m. Only Sun City Center residents with a current CA card are allowed at Bingo. At this time, no guests or Kings Point residents are allowed. We cannot accept coins. We cannot accept bills larger than $10 (NO $20s)
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
CLUB/ORGANIZATION AMOUNT APPLIED TO
Dog Owners Group $2,000 Annual maintenance of the dog park Pickleball Club $1,200 Annual maintenance of the pickleball courts Softball Club $2,500 Annual maintenance of the softball field Tennis Association $10,000 Annual maintenance of the tennis courts Men’s Club $5,000 Donation for AED’s SCC Travel Club (Mini Bus) $5,000 Donation for AED’s Community Foundation of Tampa Bay - Grant from the $7,742 SCCCA Library Durward & Janet Siville Fund Trustco Bank $400 Lawn Bowling Tournament
Newcomers
List prepared from CA staff data. Report corrections, additions to CA at 633-3500.
Local Address 1520 Allegeny Drive 1744 Atrium Drive 306 Brockfield Drive 403 Brockfield Drive S. 1512 Bunker Hill Drive 1215 Caloosa Creek Court 344 Caloosa Palms Court 1101 Cherry Hills Drive 632 Chipper Drive 670 Chipper Drive 710 Chipper Drive 715 Chipper Drive 1586 Council Drive 1616 Council Drive 2036 Del Webb Blvd., E. 2111 Del Webb Blvd., E. 1217 Del Webb Blvd., W. 1220 Del Webb Blvd., W. 1104 Desert Hills Drive 1510 Dickman Circle 1602 Dover Way 1612 El Rancho Drive 1144 Emerald Dunes Drive 2429 Emerald Lake Dr., Apt. 208 702 Fairway Ridge Court 1223 Fordham Drive 687 Fort Duquesna Drive 1202 Hacienda Drive 207 Islip Way 305 La Jolla Avenue 909 La Jolla Avenue 2203 Myrtle Vista Court 1824 New Bedford Drive 1930 New Bedford Drive 2029 New Bedford Drive 706 Ojai Avenue 710 Ojai Avenue 1709 Orchid Court 1716 Pacific Dunes Drive 1720 Pacific Dunes Drive 1837 Pacific Dunes Drive 1216 Pebble Beach Blvd., N. 1818 Pebble Beach Blvd., N. 1730 Pebble Beach Blvd., S. 1202 Peridot Lane 2033 Prestancia Lane 1035 Regal Manor Way 1042 Regal Manor Way 343Siena Vista Place 1932 Sterling Glen Court 1012 Warwick Court 2012 Wedge Court 1805 Wolf Laurel Drive 733 Winterbrooke Way 622 Winterbrooke Way
Name Hometown Alexander & Margaret Goula Cranston Edward Smith Arcadia Mary Dickson Kent Charles & Edith Herrmann Herkimer Shawn & Lori White Albany Jo Callaghan Westerly Rose Torrey Westerly Denver & Jeanne Guinn Warrensburg Laura Garcia Augusta Judith McLellan Sunset Beach Thomas & Denise Jones Kansas City Carey & Susan Jenkins Sarasota Robert & Carol Hallman Brooklyn Park Carmen Creasman Arden Susan Schultz Austin Charles & Virginia Davis Tampa Allan & Dorothea Wise Valparaiso Ron Kaplan Flushing Paula Sweeney Crawfordsville Hazen & Kathryn Emery Collins Debora Wilkinson Brooklyn James Taze Baltimore Nellie Taze Pulaski Wayne & Bernadette Edison Philadelphia Javier & Gloria Dorronsoro Michael Conway Philadelphia Merial Graff Philadelphia Darlene Nicolay Pittsburgh James & Rebecca Dorsey Wibraham Brenda Roggenbuck Bad Axe Peter & Susanne Shields Cincinnati Rick & Helen Cofer Florence Axel Soto Rivera Ponce Scot & Kathleen Krause Omro John Collins Ada Walt & Lori Herrmann West Creek Marvin & Benvinda Belbin Delean Greg & Viviane Gilbert Atlanta Laurence Kelly Brooklyn Judith Kelly Waynesboro Pamela Brooks St. Clair Shores Julia Kaylor Duck Town Barry & Janice Woodland Cumberland Gary Smith Bellmore Linda Mulcahy Bellmore Dean & Ginger Ramsay Detroit Robert Dickson Chicago Daisy Dickson Cayey Ronald & Rebecca Ruegg Waynesburg Ronald Cranmer Clayton Elizabeth Bastion Clayton James & Mary Bishop Woodridge Jack, Jr. & Ginny Kessler Hilton Head Cathy Cummins Chicago James & Carolyn Burton Stanford Raymond Lobo Pivijay Ruby Nieto Barranquilla Larry Yeager Bay City Kenneth & Antoinette Myers Victor Angel & Zayda Reyes Baymon B. Kimball Cleveland Boston Linda Marshall Norwood James Vliet Freeport Warner Wamsley White Hall Karyn Decker Haines City Howard & Ramona Laucks St. Petersburg
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Phone 239-223-4705 813-652-7098 540-360-8006 315-717-3101 518-368-1007 401-556-9470 401-556-9470 660-909-2585 407-701-1810 910-512-2448 816-835-4375 941-232-9749 941-900-6808 828-747-6197 763-442-8117 813-695-3267 260-449-5622 813-545-1464 630-235-4246 716-480-7576 863-899-4346 813-760-5612 813-760-5612 267-357-3036 754-214-8357 941-402-0287 941-402-0287 813-624-2848 508-450-0524 989-573-2669 941-981-3424 859-462-4292 787-214-5546 920-420-3521 941-527-7852 215-919-2699 941-799-0475 404-483-8134 321-442-3706 321-442-3706 586-943-1496 813-843-9256 401-742-9356 516-462-6951 516-462-6951 734-260-1202 813-419-4740 813-419-4740 330-808-0906 302-668-9679 302-668-9679 414-688-2173 813-428-1109 503-349-7001 812-972-6016 917-750-8789 917-750-8789 770-549-0460 585-233-8665 787-917-9604 508-326-3830 781-710-6273 516-784-7702 410-375-2566 813-833-5426 727-709-3125
May 2021
CA - 3
The News of Sun City Center
Important Announcement For SCCCA Members Only
If you want to be sure not to miss any important announcements, sign up for the “What’s New with the CA” news blast via email. Two Ways to Sign up: (1) Go to the CA office, 1009 N. Pebble Beach Blvd., ask the Receptionist to put you on the list. (2) Email “sccboard@suncitycenter.org” with the subject line “PLEASE ADD ME TO CA NEWS BLAST.” Be sure to include your name, address, CA badge number, and email address.
Veterans Photo Shoot For SCCCA Members
The next photo shoot for the Veterans Wall of Honor in the Atrium will be held on Saturday, May 22, 2021 from 10 to noon in the Photo Lab located in the multipurpose building at the corner of North Course Lane and N. Pebble Beach Blvd. This is available for all Community Association members who served honorably in any Branch of the U.S. Military. Please call Carol Donner in the CA office (813-633-3500) to register. Be sure to have your CA membership number. Call by 1 p.m. on Thursday, May 20, and you will be assigned a specific time.
Clubs Donate $10,000 Worth of Lifesaving Equipment
By Diane M. Loeffler The Travel Club and the Men’s Club each donated $5,000 for the purchase of AED units for the Community Association. AED stands for automated external defibrillator. If a person experiences sudden cardiac arrest, these devices analyze the hearts rhythm and, if necessary, deliver an electrical shock (defibrillation) to restore an effective rhythm. The Men’s Club report says “the average response time for first responders once 911 is called is 8-12 minutes….for each minute defibrillation is delayed, the odds of survival are reduced by approximately 10%.” Having access to these units in the CA facilities can truly be a life-saver.
Clara Rafinski from The SCC Travel Club hands CA Director Larry Smith a $5,000 check for AED’s.
A special thanks to The Travel Club and Men’s Club for providing these valuable tools.
Community Association President Bob Sullivan accepts a check for $5,000 from the SCC Men’s Club. Sullivan holds one of the AED’s being purchased with these funds.
Photo continued from page 1. In the Monochrome Print Category, at the Master Level, Pat Jones received three silver awards. They were, “Enchanted Eyes,” Hello,” and “Kentucky Derby Style.” At the Advanced Level, Gary Pate received the silver award for “Saddle
Maker.” In the Intermediate Level, Sherry Kalczynski received a silver award for “Mating Pelicans.” Congratulations to all of our club winners! For more information about our club, visit www.photoclubscc.com.
The Board met in Community Hall on April 14. Present were (left to right) front row: Treasurer Dave Birkett, President Bob Sullivan and Vice President Doug Seipelt. Back row Directors Larry Smith, Ken Bauer, Eric Porr, Gary Bratt and Kim Roush. Secretary Ron Matelski was not present on April 14.
CA Board & Community Updates
By Diane M. Loeffler The Community Association (CA) activities are beginning to resume. Now you can attend board meetings in person or virtually via Zoom, whichever is more convenient for you. Most clubs have put plans in place and have begun to meet on campus again. Please remember to have your Community Association ID with you at all times. CA Employees and Directors have been told to check for IDs. You may have noticed the new sidewalks along SR-674 and US-301. The state requires installing sidewalks when major road work is done. Although many of us would have preferred a golf cart accessible path, that was not an option. These sidewalks are for bicyclists and pedestrians. Golf carts may not use these sidewalks at any time for reasons of safety and the law. You could receive a $168 fine for driving your golf cart on these or any other sidewalks. As of April 14, the capital fund was $2,623,608. The $2,100 from each home sale is deposited to this fund. The monies in the capital fund are strictly for new projects. Sixty-one homes were sold in March. Home sales are ahead of where they stood last year. So far this year, an average of fifty homes changed hands each month. In February, 43 homes were sold. During the first 14 days in March, an additional 55 were sold. The
Capital Improvement Fund budget is based on having 35 home transfers a month. During 2020, an average of 42 homes were sold a month. So far, the CA is averaging 48 homes sold per month for 2021. CA President Bob Sullivan thanked the Men’s Club for continuing their Lifeline services and for donating $5,000 for AEDs, Automated External Defibrillators. The condition of our roads and sidewalks is a concern. Recently, CA Director Gary Bratt and CA President Bob Sullivan spent four hours touring our community with Hillsborough County representatives in an effort to make them aware of our needs. Mark Your Calendar for These Upcoming Events In addition to the monthly bandstand concerts, many activities will be taking place in 2021. On July 4 there will be outdoor concerts, free while-they-last ice cream sandwiches, food trucks and other activities. On October 15, “Hi, Neighbor!” and FunFest will be combined into a FallFest celebration. On November 7, an Ice Cream Social will be held to celebrate Sun City Center’s 60th Anniversary. On December 4, we will once again hold our Holiday Golf Cart Parade.
Wolf Moon by Joe Sclafani
Boat People, Vietnam by Jim Wheeler
Statement of Purpose
The Sun City Center Community Association serves the residents of Sun City Center by providing assistance for the elderly, assistance and essential services to tax exempt entities, and operates in lieu of a municipal government, thereby lessening the burdens of government (Hillsborough County, Florida).
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CLUBS The News of Sun City Center
May 2021
NOTICE: Each community and club in Sun City Center has specific rules about membership and attendance. Unless specifically stated or posted, most venues, meetings and events hosted on the Community Association campus require attendees to bring their SCC CA ID or KP Gold Card. When in doubt, contact the club in question prior to arrival. Thanks.
Arriving In Your Mail
Sun City Center Security Patrol is having a fundraiser. Watch for it in your mail. You can also view and donate via our website at “sccpatrol.org” under the Donate tab. SCC Patrol Volunteers love serving our Community!
Community Association Facilities Update
Starting Monday, May 3, it is the opinion of the Board of Directors that the facilities may return to normal operating procedures with regards to guest usage with the purchase of a guest pass and food events allowable for the clubs and organizations. Guest passes are for the use of the Fitness Center and Pools only. Guest passes may be purchased at the Community Association Office during normal business hours of 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. and at the Fitness Center when the Community Association Office is closed. The guest passes are $2 per person, per day and are date specific and can be purchased in advance. There are no refunds given if specific dates are not used. We ask that everyone continue to follow the CDC guidelines and govern themselves according. Please make sure you have your membership badge and/or guest pass when accessing the facilities.
Swim Dancers Are Accepting New Members
Have you always wanted to try synchronized swimming? It’s a great sport if you love being in the water and performing to music. The Swim Dancers practice on Monday and Wednesday evenings from 7 to 8:30 and on Friday mornings from 7:30 to 9 a.m. Put on your suit, bring a towel, and come jump in the water. If you are comfortable swimming a lap of the pool, they will teach you the rest. There are different levels of figures from easy to difficult, so there is something for everyone. Membership is open to SCCCA members and Kings Point members with the gold card. Questions? Call Sue Muise, 813-633-2479.
Metaphysical Society Meetings
10 a.m., to noon, in the Heritage Room of the Atrium Building. Wed May 5: “Beyond the Physical You,” with presenter Judy Taylor. Judy will share why she believes we are beings of energy with unlimited abilities to change our lives, even humanity. Judy is available for afternoon readings for persons as well as pets (bring a picture). Wed May 19: “Ogham and the Magic of Trees,” with Presenter Beverly Frable. Beverly will share her intuitive insight regarding Ogham Staves - an ancient Celtic tradition. Meeting is open to Society members and SCCCA residents joining the Club. SCCCA ID required. Masks are requested on campus. Free admission, with a love offering requested. Those wishing to view the presentation via Zoom.com, for a $5 fee, are to request a link via an email to “metaphysicalsociety@gmail.com”, before 5 p.m. on Tuesday evening prior to the event, for further instructions.
Needlecrafters Club
By Joanne Moore, publicity chairman Needlecrafters Club located at 942 Cherry Hill Drive, next to the shuffleboard court, is now open Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to noon, to Sun City Center residents who have a CA issued ID card. Masks are required. Need a housewarming gift? Check out our dish towels, dish clothes, matching tissue boxes, and scrubbies. Baby gift? We have sweater sets, dresses, afghans, flannel blankets/bib/burp cloth sets. We carry items for those who play card games as well. Card holders that securely hold 1 to 20 cards and are small enough to toss into your pocket or purse. Also, we have items for dominoes and the center for Mexican Train. Don’t forget the assortment of stuffed toys for the little ones, crocheted earrings, shawls, seasonal items, and more.
April Bandstand Concert
Brie Rivera was back on campus singing in her distinctive bluesy style. She smiled when the carts honked their horns and said, “The horns honking are my very best memory from the last time I was here.”
Scrabble is Back
Scrabble is back! Left to right: Diane Loeffler, Cynthia Mikos, Elsa Petursson, Gaye Mattimore, and Midge Mader resumed their friendly games in the Heritage Room on April 7. Join them there on Wednesdays from 2 to 4 p.m. (Photo by Bob Sanchez, who also played)
Computer Club Monthly Meeting
Wednesday, May 12, from 7 – 8 p.m. At this meeting Rob Truman will give us a top-down look at Google and some of its products. Rob will go over the Google ecosystem, including using Search, Gmail, Google Drive and cloud storage for creating and sharing documents, along with Google Maps and YouTube. He will also discuss Google tracking; how much Google knows about us, and some tips and tricks you can use while working in the Google universe. Computer Club Classes The Computer Club Lab is open with limited activities. Some classes will be held in the lab and some classes will be held as Virtual classes using GoToMeeting teleconferencing software. Sign-up for classes can be done online. Students must be a member in good standing at Sun City Center or Kings Point. Tuition is payable upon registration. Info: Pauline Baker, Education Director at “paulinebaker864@ gmail.com”. Listed here are brief descriptions of the classes being offered. For all the details, go to the Computer Club website www.scccomputerclub.org. Detailed information is also available in the computer lab. •iPad/iPhone for Seniors: Wednesday, May 5, from 9 to noon •Introduction to Excel: Thursday, May 6, from 9 to noon •Introduction to Computers: Thursday, May 20, 27, June 3, 10 from 9 to noon •Introduction to File Explorer: Friday, May 21, from 9 to noon •Buying a Computer: Monday, May 10, from 9 to 11
Organ Keyboard Club Resumes Lessons
The Organ KeyBoard Club meets every Thursday in the Armstrong Room for a group lesson. Things begin with a short business meeting at 9:45 with the lesson starting at 10 to 11 a.m. A professional teacher in music will have sheet music passed out with the song to learn for the week and yours to keep with your personal notes on it for homework. No instrument is needed, the teacher for that Thursday will teach on the organ of their choice. The club owns four organs. Cost is $3 per lesson. Kings Point residents welcome with a gold card. More info: “scckc.org”.
Lapidary Club Spring Into Summer Sale
Starting in May, the Club shop hours are changing to the Summer hours of Monday, Wednesday, and Friday 10 to 12 noon, and we are offering all items in the Club shop at 20% off! Come by and see all the beautifully unique jewelry and decorative items, handcrafted by our talented members. The shop is compliant with all current SCCCA health and safety protocols.
Catch The NEWS on the web at www.soco.news
May 9th
of Sun City Center & South County News Line: 813.938.7441 • Ad Line: 813.938.8721 • www.soco.news • May 2021 By Kai Rambow Want to have an adventurous weekend, but don’t want to go far? Then a weekend in Wimauma just might be the ticket. Some is traditional, and some is brand new. The traditional: Frequently overlooked, but literally down the road, are two outdoor activities at the Little Manatee River State Park. The first are the trails located off US-301 on the north side of the river. A short walk will envelop you in the woods, complete with shade, quiet and peace. There is a longer six-mile trail, if you want to spend more time walking in nature. The second is a canoe or kayak trip down the river. The Canoe Outpost is right off US-301, but on the south side of the river. You’ll need to be in fairly good shape, agile, and able to paddle easily. Once you start, it will be hard to believe that this much nature is so close to home. You might spot a hiker from the trails bordering the river. After having a great time and possibly several hours expending some energy, you’ll probably want to eat. Wawa,
Weekend in Wimauma
You can create your own pasta dish from the new dinner menu at Wawa.
Lady and the Tramp having a romantic dinner at Wawa.
already known for coffee and good sandwiches at lunch, has recently introduced dinner. We bravely tested a few meals for you. Just like their sandwiches, you order from the stationary tablet. And just like the sandwiches, you can make choices about your meals.
Note: the menu is not available and won’t show on the tablets until 4 p.m. The same is true if you have the Wawa app. The hamburger was sizable and tasty. It cost about $5 and Wawa was out of fries. Didn’t think to get potato chips instead. Wawa was clearly having a few
Burgers at Wawa are tasty and sizable.
teething problems, which I’m sure they’ll sort out. The big dinner addition is pasta dishes. There are signature pasta dishes, including such favorites as fettuccine alfredo with chicken, chicken parmesan with fettuccine, pesto penne
Wimauma continued on page 7.
You Can’t Hold a Good Theatre Down
Jill Witecki, the theatre’s Director of Marketing & Community Relations.
The venerable Tampa Theatre in downtown Tampa.
The Tampa Theatre Is Back By Bob Sanchez Tampa Theatre re-opened on March 11 to a capacity crowd of 200 movie fans to watch Anthony Hopkins starring in The Father. “Tampa’s Non-Profit Movie Palace” is a beautiful city-owned venue built in 1926, where I recently had a sociallydistant sit-down chat with theatre marketing manager Jill Witecki. Before the pandemic, she explained, the single-screen
theatre had been a bustling place that opened “more than 700 times a year for movies, live shows, tours, educational programs, private rentals and special events. Now, a year later, we are thrilled to be opening for a half-dozen film screenings a week and a private tour here and there.” When you go, you’ll find seating in clusters of two, four, and six, with most seats closed off for social distancing—that’s why 200 is the current capacity in the 1,200-seat theatre. And there’s an interesting 21stcentury innovation: to avoid crowding at the concession stand, customers can download an app onto their cell phones, order soda and popcorn from their seats, and pick up their purchase when it’s their turn. As with everywhere else, the
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A cluster of four seats, ensuring social distancing.
iconic theatre’s return to a semblance of normal is taking a while. During the year-long shutdown, theatre officials consulted with a team of infectious-disease consultants from Tampa General Hospital who evaluated the building’s airflow and made a series of recommendations that the theatre will implement. They plan to increase their seating capacity as vaccinations in the Tampa Bay area continue to climb. So when they open their Summer Classics program, they’ll be able to accommodate more movie fans at a time. In the fall, they expect to host some live shows. “With any luck,” Witecki adds, “By this time next year, we’ll be back up to full capacity again, both in our 1,200-seat auditorium
and 700-show schedule.” This is proof that you can’t hold a good theater (or in their case, theatre) down. Witecki said that the president and CEO John Bell likes to joke that “In its 95 years, Tampa Theatre has survived The Great Depression, World War II… and all seven Police Academy movies.” More recently, he adds, “Now, we can add ‘global pandemic’ to that list.” She concluded that “we are just grateful to be fulfilling our mission again, building community through extraordinary entertainment in an iconic landmark.” The Box Office isn’t open yet, so visit “tampatheatre.org”” to order tickets online. Prices range from $8.50 to $13.50, and you can even watch certain movies at home for $10.
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The Editor’s Corner
Good Trade By E. Adam Porter
Editor, News of SCC & South County My nine-year-old held the small, blue binder in his hands, grinning from ear to ear. “This is for me?” He asked, for the third time. I nodded, once again repeating the terms of our transaction. “Keep your room tidy this week, get a good report from your teacher, and it’s yours.” The growing-fast, blue-eyed kid we call “Crash,” favored me with his thousand-watt smile. Carefully, he set the binder, still in its protective shrink wrap, down on my desk and bopped out of my room. Crash never walks. He’s either skipping or trudging. Why is a nine-year-old boy with perpetually skinned knees who never met a tree he wouldn’t climb so excited about office supplies? Because Crash has discovered commerce. A few weeks ago, his older brother, B, came home from school chattering excitedly about something “new” he had learned about from a friend. “Pokemon,” he declared with the confidence of an Olympic gymnast who just stuck the landing on live TV, “Is awesome.” To support this thesis, B reached deep into his pocket and pulled out, in succession: two candy wrappers, a rubber band, a paperclip, a broken mechanical pencil and two worn, bent, and slightlytorn, yellow-edged cards. The obverse of each card boasted cartoon drawings of the eponymous Pokemon, or “Pocket Monsters.” Little imaginary critters that come with distinctive stats, like baseball players on bubble gum cards. This, I was familiar with. Crash and B’s older brother, Captain America, also went through a Pokemon phase at around the same age. In those days, the card game was supported by both a video game and a TV show, making it a viral nationwide craze for kids of Captain America’s vintage. Now, those kids are all grown up, and, apparently, many of them are still playing. So, what’s the deal with Pokemon? I knew, but asked B to explain. B loves to explain things. He did so, in exhaustive detail. Here’s the Cliff’s Notes: Each card has a single Pokemon on it. Each Pokemon has “points” that signify the strength of their attack and defense. You play them against each other, with each player laying down a card they think will beat the other person. Match the points, subtract, and the defeated Pokemon goes back in the deck… or, if you’re playing a particularly cutthroat game, into the deck of the winning player. So, a bit like marbles. Though, most kids
The News May 2021 today don’t play for keeps. They at least the second time that where I could see my boys at do, however, love to trade. afternoon. the table, and they could not Watching a group of PokemonA few days later, Crash stood in see me watching. Big brother whispered loving kids swapping cards is a my office, once again beaming enthusiastically little bit like watching the floor his thousand-watt smile. His advice to Crash. The sat close, shoulder-to-shoulder, of the NYSE. Offers are made room, he said, was immaculate. almost and accepted or rejected Every single Lego carefully flipping pages and inserting at lightning speed and with tucked away. And his teacher cards. They don’t know it yet, significant emotional investment, had already informed me how but these are the moments that each move intended to give the engaged and helpful he had help create a bond that will traders an advantage in their been at school. I handed over last a lifetime. And these are next swap or their next battle. the plastic-wrapped notebook, the experiences that will teach Over the next few weeks, B, which he clutched to his chest. them how to know a good deal thanks to incentives for good Crash gave a little happy hop, when they see one, know when behavior at school and hard spun, and darted out of the someone may be trying to cheat work at home, acquired scores room. Over the next few hours, them, and know what it feels like of cards. One morning he came I heard the occasional joyful to wish, to hope, to win, and to out of his room carrying a neon exclamation from the dining lose. Those are pretty good life green three-ring binder. He room, as he discovered a card asked if I had any card sleeves. he forgot he had and carefully lessons, all for the price of a little I said I wasn’t sure. He said I did, placed it in the notebook’s blue binder and a small stack of cards. Sounds to me like a good because he’d already looked in protective sleeves. the Big Closet of Endless Office I stepped out into the hall trade. Supplies, and found a stack buried beneath reams of copy paper and folders full of blank Get “social” in Sun City Center. address labels. I gave him the Share your favorite SCC pictures and news and view pictures protective sleeves he needed, from fun SCC events. and my typically kinetic kid spent “LIKE” the News of Sun City Center Facebook page at “www. the next few hours carefully facebook.com/NewsofSCC”. organizing his growing stack of cards. Since then, every day, B regales me with his triumphs both in trade and in the game. He speaks in awe of other kids who, to him, are bottomless fonts of wisdom relative to All Things Pokemon. And he rattles off stats and strategies to acquire the cards that will fill holes in his of SCC & South County deck and give him an edge at recess tomorrow. I grin, knowing Is a publication of NOKPmedia that this little card game is PO Box 6212, Sun City Center, FL 33573-6212 teaching him math, strategy, News Line: 813.938.7441 • Ad Line: 813.938.8721 how to win and lose with grace, Submission Deadline: 15th of the month prior to publication. and many important dynamics ADVERTISING: Neither NOKPmedia, nor its representatives or publications are liable for errors in advertising. THE NEWS does not endorse and cannot verify the accuracy of commerce. As with most things his big of claims or representations made by advertisers who are solely responsible for contents. brother is into, it didn’t take long advertisement SUBMISSIONS: THE NEWS is proud to be the ONLY print media publication distributed for Crash to get curious. The to EVERY home and business in Greater Sun City Center, as well as several nearby sheer variety of the “monster” communities in South Hillsborough County. We are dedicated to providing you a local types and attributes blew his paper with a “hometown” feel. Submissions we accept include: community events creative mind. He just had to or business news, club or group announcements, stories and poems, as well as your joke, song, photo, artwork, or travel story. have some. His big brother, favorite NOKP Media (Publisher) reserves the right to edit or otherwise refuse all submissions. in a fit of generosity none of Neither the publisher nor the editor assume any responsibility for the return of submitted us expected, handed over a items. Mailed submissions can ONLY be returned if a correctly sized SASE is included small stack. “Most of these are with the submission. Basic paragraph format required for all submissions. Submissions including ALL CAPS, duplicates,” he reasoned, “But multiple colors, and other ‘flyer-type’ formatting will not be considered for publication. they will get you started.” Email submissions are preferred. Submit stories and photos to “editor@soco.news”. And so they have… Place the content in the body of the email and attach pictures in .jpeg or .png format. Fast-forward a few weeks. Submissions may be submitted via the SUBMISSIONS link at www.soco.news Mailed submissions should be sent to: Both boys have growing stacks The News of Sun City Center & South County of cards, and both are coming C/O NOKPmedia home with stories of trades gone PO Box 6212 well or poorly, and of attempted Sun City Center, FL 33573-6212. conquests that succeeded or LETTERS: The News of Sun City Center & South County will not publish any political, failed. They trade advice, as proselytizing, or complaint letters. We will consider “thank you” notes for good service well as cards, talk strategy… directed toward local people, organizations, or businesses. DECLARATION: No part of this publication may be reproduced without the express and they smile a lot. written consent of NOKPmedia. All editorial copy is strictly the opinion of the author and Day before yesterday, Crash does not necessarily reflect the opinion of this publication, its officers or employees, or came into my office, holding the Sun City Center Community Association. two overflowing boxes in his hands. “Dad,” he said, with the E. Adam Porter John Wolf Nancy Jean gravitas of a doctor delivering Editor in Chief Advertising Design and Layout 813.938.7441 813.938.8721 art@soco.news bad news, “I need a notebook.” editor@soco.news newsofsccads@gmail.com He held out the overflowing boxes, “I have too many cards, and I can’t keep them Kai Rambow organized.” As a guy who was Ilona Merritt Reporter once a nine-year-old with too Reporter krambow@soco.news imerritt@soco.news many football and baseball cards, I understood completely. “Sure,” I said, “We can get you Bob Sanchez one.” Diane Loeffler Reporter Reporter Crash then outlined what he dloeffler@soco.news would do in order to earn the notebook. I would have been happy to just give it to him, but I Paula Lickfeldt love it when my boys offer to put Andrea L.T. Peterson Reporter Reporter plickfeldt@soco.news in work for what they want. Deal struck, he lugged his overflowing boxes of cards to the dining table, where he dumped them Contributors: Frank Kepley, Garry Higgins, Bob Monahan, Peggy Burgess, Renee Bray, all out and organized them for Debbie Caneen, John Lampkin, Cathy Meyerhoff, and Bob Sullivan (CA President).
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COMMUNITY 4
May 2021
The News
Congratulations 20 Years of Service
Apollo Beach Woman’s Club First In-Person Luncheon Since March 2020
Sun City Center Security Patrol Chief Tim Broad presented Kathy Bizzano with a certificate for 20 years of service as a volunteer for the SCC Security Patrol. Kathy started as a Driver and is currently a Dispatcher. She is also a member of the SCC Emergency Squad.
AAUW Invites You to Hear Stories of Local Nurses
How has life changed for three generations of nurses in one family pre-pandemic to this past year while all working at our local South Bay Hospital? Jennifer Balukoff will share her history and experience of caring and healing with the local Branch of AAUW (American Assoc. of University Women) on Saturday, May 8 at 10 a.m. via Zoom. Her Mother at 70 has worked at South Bay since 1993, and her daughter just recently joined the nursing staff there. As a front line worker, she will share with us how she and the staff have managed during COVID. Find out what inspired three generations to offer their nursing skills at our local hospital. There will also be plenty of time for questions and comments. Call our Zoom Host Angie Maze at 813-505-8998 to be sent the correct link shortly before the date of the talk. For more information about AAUW or membership call President Susan Nasrani at 507-401-5346.
“The room was filled with smiles and laughter during lunch. The ladies were so glad to be able to connect with their ABWC friends,” says Apollo Beach Woman’s Club (ABWC) President Claudia Gassett. It has been over a year since the ABWC met in person due to COVID-19 concerns, but the club stayed active via Zoom. On April 14, the first in-person luncheon was held at Apollo’s Bistro. There were 67 attendees (including 7 guests). Masks were worn except when eating. Prizes were given for the best matching outfit and mask. Light yellow and green mini roses in a glass vase beautifully arranged by ABWC members Liz Pedersen and Eileen Sengstock were given to ABWC longevity award honorees in appreciation for their commitment to the club’s primary mission of providing scholarships for the education and training of students who live in Apollo Beach with a demonstrated financial need. The attendees were also treated to a presentation from John Patrick, AICP, the Division Director of Strategic Infrastructure Planning for Hillsborough County. He shared his extensive experience in transportation and land use planning in both the public and private sectors. On May 12, the ABWC will have another luncheon at Apollo’s Bistro where the 10 ABWC Scholarship recipients will be acknowledged. The college-bound 2021 high school graduates living in zip code 33572 and/or zoned to attend East Bay or Lennard High and one family member have been invited to attend the luncheon. Info: “www.apollobeachwomansclub.com” or contact Liz Pedersen at 813-777-8215 of “kenlizpedersen@msn.com”.
SCCCF Donates to Beth-El
By Sally Reid Board members of the Sun City Center Charitable Foundation, Inc. (“SCCCF”) recently presented a check in the amount of $1,000 to Beth-El Farmworker Ministry, Inc. (“Beth-El”) in recognition of the outstanding services they provide to the local farming community. The funds for this grant originated from the Dr. Patricia A. Ginley Donor Advised Fund within the SCCCF. Established in 1976, Beth-El is a non-profit organization with a stated mission to, “feed the mind, spirit and body of the farm working community and neighbors in need.” To achieve this objective, Beth-El provides a variety of programs to assist with hunger relief, housing, education, Board Members of the Sun City healthcare, dental care, and Center Charitable Foundation spiritual growth. presenting a check to BethFor more information about El Farmworker Ministry. Board Beth-El, or to donate your time members, left to right, include Jim or money to their mission, visit Porrett, Frank Reid, Steve Overton “www.beth-el.org”, or call 813- (in back), Sally Reid, Paul Wheat, Cawein, John Paulhus, and 633-1548. You may also make Walt Patsie Ginley. Accepting the check an appointment to visit and on behalf of Beth-El is Executive tour Beth-El’s impressive 27-acre Director Teresita Matos-Post, far facility located at 18240 US 301 S. right. Photo courtesy of Rosalva Serrano. in Wimauma.
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Group 9 Rotary Club Speech Contest
The Sun City Center Rotary Club hosted the 2021 Rotary Group 9 high school speech contest. The winners from individual Rotary Clubs competed to establish who would move on to the Districtlevel contest. Pictured (l-r) are Connie Huber (SCC Club President), third place winner Asha Sneed (Ybor City Club), first place winner Jasmine Cheong (Sun City Center Club), fourth place winner Katie Tyson (Fishhawk Riverview Club), second place winner Sydney Dykes (Brandon South Global Club), and Group 9 Assistant District Governor, Mike Broussard. The first place winner will compete at the Rotary District level in April, where that winner continues to higher levels. The SCC Rotary Club meets each Tuesday for lunch at Freedom Fairways (membership – call Tony at 813-642-8715).
Community continued on page 6.
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May 2021
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Time is Brain. Time is Life. Manatee Memorial Hospital is Saving Both.
Strokes require immediate attention, and the Stroke Alert Team from the Emergency Care Center and the Stroke and Cerebrovascular Center at Manatee Memorial Hospital, rapidly respond to evaluate and treat all stroke emergencies 24 hours a day, seven days a week. We offer several advanced stroke treatments in our Interventional Radiology Suite including endovascular therapy (mechanical thrombectomy) to remove large blood clots, aneurysms treatment, or carotid interventions to open narrowed or blocked blood vessels that are associated with stroke. A Full Continuum of Care At the Stroke and Cerebrovascular Center at Manatee Memorial Hospital, our team-based approach allows for streamlined treatment and services for stroke patients, including: • Prevention and intervention • Education • Active management of strokes • Rehabilitation
“Manatee Memorial Hospital had the expertise to remove the clot. They literally saved my life.” -Jane Caruso, Stroke Patient
For more information about the Stroke and Cerebrovascular Center, call Christine Gonzalez, RN, CNRN, Comprehensive Stroke Program Coordinator, at 941-812-9566.
Remember: If you or a loved one experience any signs of a stroke, call 911 immediately! 206 Second Street East Bradenton, FL 34208 manateememorial.com
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Physicians are on the medical staff of Manatee Memorial Hospital, but, with limited exceptions, are independent practitioners who are not employees or agents of Manatee Memorial Hospital. The hospital shall not be liable for actions or treatments provided by physicians. For language assistance, disability accommodations and the non-discrimination notice, visit our website. 210223-0214 04/21
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May 2021
The News
It Takes A Village
Community continued from page 4.
“Thank you for your care of us,” says director Tom Bullaro. “A special thanks to all our snowbirds who have done so much to lend a hand. We shall miss you and look forward to seeing you again next fall.” New helpers are always welcome. Please ask for Tom or Anita if you come. To learn more about Our Lady’s Pantry, please visit us at “www.ourladyspantry.com”.
Sally Reid and Al Harris
Winne Hicks
Squad Awarded Three Grants
Three grants were awarded to the Sun City Center Emergency Squad by the Community Foundation of Tampa Bay for specific help with a needs request from non-profit organizations. The Sun City Center Emergency Squad requested support for personal protective equipment, maintaining a safe work environment, and sanitizing equipment for Squad members and patients. The Emergency Pam Zion Squad used the first grant for $1,500 to supply gloves and masks for all ambulance and van crew members as well as patients during the pandemic (Personal Protective Equipment). The second grant for $2,000 was used to keep Emergency Squad members safe by sanitizing the work environment (hard and soft surfaces such as offices, chairs, tables, ambulances and vans) and supplying N95 masks and nitrile gloves (Safer Workplace). The third grant for $1,200 was used to supply the Squad with touchless hand sanitizing dispensers to use during the day and night shifts and provide a plexiglass barrier at the reception desk to help keep volunteers safe (Sanitizing).
Community continued on page 7.
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May 2021
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Community continued from page 6.
Beth Israel Sisterhood Reiki Program
Beth Israel Sisterhood will present a program on the practice of Reiki Tuesday, May 4, at 1 p.m. via live Zoom. Reiki has gained popularity in the United States as a natural method to induce relaxation, reduce stress, relieve acute and chronic pain, boost the immune system, improve sleep and appetite, and accelerate the healing process. Reiki Master/Teacher, Jeanne Shanin, will describe this therapeutic technique and how it can be used as a personal practice that anyone can learn for self-healing, spiritual awareness and as a tool for living a happier life. Participants will be given a brief Reiki experience during the presentation.
Ballroom and Latin Dance Lessons
Monday, May 3, 10, 17, 24 4 p.m. - Silver Bolero 5 p.m. - Intermediate West Coast Swing 6 p.m. - Intermediate 1 Rumba 7 p.m. - Beginning Foxtrot Location: St. John the Divine Episcopal Church, Parish Hall, 1015 East Del Webb Blvd. Sun City Center. Contact: Bernice DuBro (dancewithbernice@gmail.com) 813-634-3205 or 813-482-6784 Cost $30 per person for a four-week month or $8 per lesson. All are invited to attend.
GFWC SCC Woman’s Club May Food Drive
On May 20 from 9 to 11 a.m. the SCC Woman’s Club will be having a food drive in lieu of the General Meeting. It will benefit Our Lady of Guadalupe Food Pantry which helps many Sun City Center and Hillsborough County residents. We are asking all club and community members to participate if possible. There will be an easy contact-free in and out drop-off at St. Andrew Presbyterian Church parking lot, 1239 W. Del Webb, SCC, follow the signs. Club members will greet you and get your donations from your car or golf cart. If you prefer to send a monetary donation, please make a check to SCC Woman’s Club and mail to SCC Woman’s Club, P.O. Box 5434, SCC 33573.
Rotary Club Group Speech Contest
Each year Rotary Clubs all over the United States hold a highschool student speech contest, which starts at the local level, where the winner continues on to higher contest levels. This year’s topic was “Rotary Opens Opportunities”. The Sun City Center Rotary Club is proud to announce that our local winner this year, Jasmine Cheong, moved on to win at the Group level and then at the District contest. Rotary’s District 6890 covers the entire Tampa Bay area, as well as Hillsborough County. In winning at District level, Jasmine received a prize of $1,000. Jasmine is a student at Lennard High School. Pictured are Jasmine with her father. The SCC Rotary Club meets each Tuesday for lunch at Freedom Fairways (membership – call Tony at 813-642-8715).
Event Chair Jean Harrison and volunteer Kathy Eckhart.
Loads of goodies for CAHT yard sale.
CAHT’s Second Annual Yard Sale a Smashing Success
Community neighbors flocked from all points to search for goodies at CAHT’s second annual yard sale. “This year’s item donations were incredible”, stated Jean Harrison, fundraising chair and host, “We were astounded, as well as delighted.” Over two mornings, March 19 and 20, the nonprofit raised over $2,000. There were even non-shoppers who just dropped by to donate cash or a check to CAHT’s worthy cause. The funds raised are designated for CAHT’s scholarship and safe shelter programs. Special thanks to volunteers, Jean and Steve Harrison, Bonnie and Bob Doll, Annie Garrison, Robbie Chaplin, John Mitchell, Elaine Palach, Kathy Eckhart, Judy Kiel, and Ray Klein, who helped set up and staff one or both days of the sale.
SouthShore Christian Women’s Connection
Luncheon May 5, doors open 11 a.m. SouthShore Christian Women’s Connection, a division of Stonecroft Ministries, is hosting their last monthly luncheon program on Wednesday, May 5, at the Firehouse Cultural Center, 101 First Avenue NE, Ruskin until October. The theme of our luncheon is “Memories”. The event is from 11:30am – 1 p.m. with open seating beginning at 11 a.m. We are very privileged to host Beverly Burgue, Regional Administrator for Stonecroft as well as the Chairman of Tampa CWC. Becky is a Speaker, Teacher and Trainer for Stonecroft Ministries. If you would like, please bring a special picture to share. Please wear a mask and observe all COVID restrictions. There will be outdoor seating (weather permitting) as an option for your dining. Luncheon and program cost is $17 per person. Publication after reservation deadline. For questions, email “SSCWCFlorida@gmail. com” or call Barbara Brown at 814-397-3916.
Wimauma continued from page 1. with roasted veggies, baked penne with meatballs, baked penne with marinara, roasted veggie with alfredo, and fettuccine alfredo with broccoli. Unfortunately, these were not available when we tested the meals. We did, however, create our own using the menu board. This too was tasty. We ate outside and all we really needed was a tablecloth,
candles and some wine to turn this into a fine dining experience. The pasta dishes are in the $7/8 range with a decent portion size. The other new thing to consider checking out is the lagoon at Southshore Bay. It is finally under construction. Seeing a five-acre shallow pool under construction is rare. You can drive to the top of the overpass road and park for a clear view.
ISAC Continues to Support Our Local Charities
Even during this pandemic time, the Interfaith Social Action Council (ISAC) of Sun City Center continues to raise funds to distribute as college scholarships to local high school graduates, and local charity grant requests. 100% of profits from sales at ISAC’s Nearly New Shop are utilized to meet these needs. One of the most recent recipients of an ISAC grant includes the Sun City Center Security Patrol, who received a grant for $11,333. Receiving the check from Nearly New Shop volunteer, Jackie Potts are Tim Broad, Chief of Patrol (left), and John Erano, President of the Board.
Kayakers starting their journey on the Little Manatee River. This is a wonderfully scenic adventure just around the corner from us.
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The Nearly New Shop, located at 1601 Sun City Center Blvd (back side of Sun City Center Shopping Plaza), is currently open every Wednesday and Saturday from 8 a.m. to 12 noon. Our shop is “bulging” with all of the donations we have received. Please come and check out the goods. Masks, social distancing, and hand sanitizer are enforced.
dba Total Home Care of SCC, LLC Under Fl. State Lic: #CRC 1332172
813 812 6116 • 767 Cortaro Dr Ruskin
8
The News
Goal! Hockey from Florida to Ukraine
May 2021
Volunteers in Their Natural Habitat: Sun City Center
By Bob Sanchez One of the greatest strengths of our Sun City Center community is our large network of volunteers, who carry the spirit of community investment that has been a fundamental part of Sun City Center since the very beginning. Let’s meet a few of our outstanding community volunteers:
Nancy MacDonald (left) and Dolores Whiteside partner at the Emergency Squad’s front desk. Nancy, from Illinois, has been a volunteer for 1-1/2 years of the 2-1/2 she’s lived here. Dolores is a Kansas native who has volunteered for 14 of her 15 years in Sun City Center.
Jonathan Tepes Sharkey watches a young hockey player practice in his neighborhood. By Kai Rambow Even though he has physical challenges, Jonathan Tepes Sharkey does not sit still. You may remember him from a short piece we did on him helping veterans with car racing dreams. Now with a new goal, the South County resident is taking hockey to the Ukraine. Sharkey plays hockey himself at the Tampa Bay Lightning training center in Brandon. Married to a Ukrainian, Sharkey wants to help young hockey players there. Out of 40 countries, the women’s Ukrainian team is ranked 39th. The men’s team is ranked 26th, but barely ahead of the Philippines and Malaysia, which are brand new teams. “Ukraine has a hockey
problem,” summarized Sharkey. “One rink has a center beam in the middle of the ice. When I show people a picture, they laugh and say, ‘What is this?’” Sharkey has already exposed his nieces, who live in Ukraine, to hockey. “They think it’s fun. You want youth to think of hockey as fun. By starting at a young age, by the time they’re 20 they should be able to teach others.” Sharkey has been able to get help from others. He’s had donations and help from Pure Hockey and Mylec Hockey. Members of St. Michael’s Ukrainian Orthodox Church held a special fundraiser to buy hockey sticks. Even Father Stephen donated.
Samaritan Vice President Julie Floyd and President John Mayoka never slowed down during the pandemic. While the office doors were closed from late March until June of 2020, the officers coordinated a reduced crew of volunteers to make sure no one missed a Meals on Wheels delivery. Julie and John also used that time to apply for grants and keep protocols current.
Douglas Fitzgerald came to Sun City Center from Texas a year ago and has been a Security Patrol dispatcher for three months.
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May 2021
The News
Family Connections to Sun City Center
By Paula Lickfeldt Lucia Perez lived in Texas as a youngster, and then moved with her family to Georgia. In 2012, Lucia moved to Tampa for a job. She moved from Tampa to Riverview. While living in Riverview, she had a doctor appointment in Sun City Center. She had never been to Sun City Center, even though it was right around the corner from where she lived. After some investigation of the community and checking out the activities that were offered in Sun City Center, she decided to move there. In 2014, Lucia moved to Sun City Center. Six months later, Lucia moved
her mother, Jeannie Cheek, who lived in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Northern Georgia, to Sun City Center. Jeannie says that she has never regretted the move. Both Jeannie and Lucia have been very involved in Sun City Center. Jeannie is a member of several different dance groups, and she belongs to the Stained Glass Club. She can’t wait until she can start participating in these activities again. She also goes to the fitness center regularly and enjoys the walking pool. Lucia still works full time but she has time to volunteer at the Owl’s Nest Wildlife Sanctuary, which is located in Temple
Terrace. Lucia is the volunteer representative for the Sun City Center area. The group rescues and rehabs animals that are found to be in trouble or injured. The volunteer group also spends time cleaning local lakes and rivers. Lucia also belongs to the SCC Cat Lovers Group. Helping animals is her mission. Lucia and Jeannie have made a lot of friends. On Friday nights, they meet with some of their friends at Jeannie’s house for a meal and conversation. On the Friday that I joined them, 10 people had gathered. These are all people who enjoy life, enjoy each other and enjoy living in Sun City Center.
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Jeannie Cheek sitting with Lucia Perez behind.
Many Support Groups Hope to Restart Soon
By Diane M. Loeffler One of the best aspects of living in the greater Sun City Center area is the support from people who are at the same stage of life as we are. Until COVID-19 struck in early 2020, we also had access to a number of support groups facilitated by experts in their fields. Sun Towers, an assisted living facility SR-674 and Trinity Drive, hosted and coordinated several support groups. These groups were open to their
facility’s residents and to other people in our area. Restrictions on visitation in assisted living facilities made it impossible to meet at Sun Towers. Now and then, there have been some Zoom webinars, but few groups have been meeting virtually or in person. The good news is some support groups may resume meeting in the upcoming months. If you or a loved one have Parkinson’s, chronic pain, neuropathy, life challenges, diabetes, or low vision, you
may wish to get your name on a waiting list. To sign up, email Debbie Caneen at “dcaneen@ suntowersretirement.com”. Be sure to give your contact information (name, address, phone, and email) and to list the group or groups you would like to join. When meetings are re-established, you will be contacted. The Men’s Club hopes to host a Health Fair on October 28 if possible. If conditions permit, this fair would be similar to fairs in previous years. There would
be people from a variety of private and government agencies, support groups, assisted living facilities, nursing homes, memory care units and other organizations geared toward senior citizens. There would be speakers on health and other issues. People at tables and in booths will be ready to talk to you one-onone to answer your questions. Keep abiding by safety measures and, hopefully, we will be able to access this assistance again soon.
Welcomes
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May 2021
The News
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News? he
Where Ar
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r e t n e C y t i C
The News of
Sun
Where in Sun City Center did Karen and Dale Shook take The News?
Where Around Town Is The News? For years now, our readers have told us one of their favorite features
is our “Where in the World” photos, where you take The News with you on your travel excursions and snap a photo someplace fun and far away. Well, since COVID-19 stalled a lot of our travel plans, we haven’t had the opportunity to take The News far and wide, so we wanted to try something a little different that’s still a lot of fun. While we all hope to be globetrotting again very soon, over this spring and summer, we would like to invite all of you to take The News with you in your local travels: around town, on day trips, and anyplace you like. Send in your shots of smiling faces holding The News, and we’ll print them. To inspire you, our News team has a challenge for all of our readers. They have carried The News and invited folks around town to snap a photo. In each picture, we identify the person, but it’s up to YOU to identify the place. Send in your guesses, as well as your “Where Around Town” photos to “editor@soco.news.” Looking forward to hearing from you soon!
John Loeffler took his newspaper along on a hike, but where is he walking?
The Men's Club of SCC Offers Peace of Mind!
At Affordable Prices!
Where’s Nancy Sanchez? She and Bob ate a delicious lunch somewhere in Hillsborough County. Can you guess where it is? Hint: Our sandwich is called a “Traditional Cuban.”
Where in Sun City Center did Phyllis Fratzke take her copy of The News?
Have you ever wondered what would happen if you lived alone and there was an emergency? Or do you like to take your dog for a walk but are concerned about falling and no one being there to assist you? For Greater SCC residents who think they need a medical alert button and don't believe they can afford it, the Men's Club of Sun City Center would like for you to contact our office. Because the Men's Club is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit club, we offer the Philips Personal Emergency Response System (PERS) at a more competitive rate than what Philips charges at the national level. Our pricing is comparable to other systems in the market as well – just compare systems with similar capabilities. Installation and all service calls are completed by Men's Club volunteers at no charge to the Subscriber. The Men's Club was formed in the early 1960's. In 1991, the Men's Club decided to offer Philips Lifeline Personal Emergency Response System (PERS) to residents of Sun City Center and Kings Point with no annual contract. The PERS offering began with the purchase of four units with installation provided by Men's Club volunteers. This offering continues today with multiple systems from which to choose - including one that will work anywhere in the U.S., a dedicated office staff, and over 25 trained Men's Club volunteers who provide personable and knowledgeable service for our Subscribers. Get prompt caring assistance at the push of a button, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
Call the Men’s Club
813-633-7091 Where in Sun City Center did Rich and Liz Link take The News?
or stop by our office 1002 Cherry Hills Drive,SCC
TRAVEL May 2021
The News
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Adventure at High Speed
By Kai Rambow Land was rushing towards us – at high speed. It was, fortunately, an optical illusion. There was a thin layer of water, which we glided over. These are some of the thrills when riding an airboat in Florida. While there are several airboat rides in Central Florida, and we’ve covered one or two, an airboat ride with Grape Hammock is worthwhile. One reader likes them so much, he has taken multiple visitors there. There are three advantages to consider. First, is the airboat ride itself. Having grown up on the lake, the captains know how to maximize what an airboat can do. At the end, one rider asked, “How are you able to push over the dirt?” It is an exciting ride. Second, are the wildlife sightings. There are the expected Florida birds. Many will fly out of the way briefly as the airboat approaches. We were fortunate to sit in the front row and also spotted the occasional, young alligator scrambling away. Then there is the unexpected. We were able to see two bald eagles, posing for pictures. As we rounded a corner, there were four bison in the water munching on wet grasses. Not something one sees every day, and probably my favorite moment on the trip. On nearby Brahma Island, private stocks of Asian and European deer are visible. They, like the bison, were brought here by the owners of the island. Our captain/guide was good enough to identify what was native vs. imported. Three, the drive to reach the airboat dock. Almost all airboat adventures require going on I-4 to Orlando. Traffic is usually heavy and a strain on what should be a fun adventure. Grape Hammock’s location requires about a 90-minute drive, but through scenic back roads with little traffic. Perhaps most important on any of these types of trips, our captain knew where to find all the animals. There’s no guarantee, but it certainly helps. The ride is comfortable with headphones and microphones to combat the noise generated by the engine. Note: When you have your headset on, everyone can hear you. Tips for a Great Trip Weather: Fortunately for us, our weather forecasts are quite good. You’ll definitely want to pay attention to the forecast. Note: The water makes a difference, meaning the speed of the boat on the water makes it feel comfortable or slightly cooler. We had windbreakers, just in case, but never needed them. Bring your camera and/or binoculars. Some of the birds may be too far away for a good picture, but we were very close to the bison. Hours and Admission: Hours change with the seasons. At the time of writing this article, the earliest boat ride is 9:30 a.m. and the last at 5 p.m. If you want a specific time, book it about a week ahead. Clothing and Food: Comfortable walking shoes and sunscreen are recommended. If you want a quick snack after, there is a fairly sizable convenience store in the office. You may want to pack your own snacks, as food options on route are limited. There is a McDonald’s in Frostproof and a Burger King in Fort Meade. Directions: Suggest planning a two-hour drive time to arrive with plenty of time and no stress. We were early, but the last to arrive. Our boat departed as soon as we boarded.
Many times on an airboat ride it looks like you’re about to run out of water. It is an optical illusion, heightened by the speed of the boat.
This egret started dinner with frog legs. There is usually plenty of wildlife to see on an airboat ride.
A surprise! We encountered several bison in the water, keeping cool while eating.
It’s an easy 90-minute drive. Definitely recommend looking at a map online and using GPS. There are a few spots that are a little tricky. Take SR-674 east until the junction at 37. Turn left. Once past the Polk power plant, watch for 630 heading towards Fort Meade. Travel on 630 through Fort Meade and Frostproof. Eventually you’ll reach 60. Turn right, travel for a few miles and turn left onto Grape Hammock. Once at your destination have a great high speed adventure. Special thanks to Nancy and Alan Renfrow for this great suggestion. Grape Hammock Fish Camp 1400 Grape Hammock Rd, Lake Wales, FL 33898 (863) 692-1500 https://www.grapehammock.com
We Welcome Selina J. Lin, M.D.
813-633-3065
Coastal Eye Institute is pleased to welcome Dr. Selina Lin to our Sun City Center office. Dr. Lin is a Board-Certified Ophthalmologist and Fellowship-Trained Retina Specialist with expertise in:
1515 Sun City Center Plaza CoastalEye.com
• Macular Degeneration • Diabetic Eye Care • Flashes & Floaters • Laser Surgery of the Retina
Dr. Lin is now accepting new patients!
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May 2021
The News
News of Freedom Plaza
By Peggy Burgess Most readers will remember a television sitcom called “My Three Sons” starring Fred MacMurray as a widower raising three boys. His “sons” were, of course, fellow actors. That’s not the case when Stephen Ditchfield steps onstage with the quartet called “My Three Sons.” The other vocalists are actually his three sons, Nathanael, Michael, and David. All four are members of The Ditchfields, a nationally-known company of singers. Freedom Plaza residents have, as well, enjoyed excursions to see the Ditchfields in their annual Christmas Concerts, usually staged at the Sarasota Opera House. Many delightful musical memories were renewed when “My Three Sons” took the Freedom Plaza stage on April 8 with a program that was a paragon of musical versatility. It included that thrilling “ringing tone” in the a cappella Barbershop tunes; the rich, complex harmonies of popular ballads and the special sound and rhythm of Broadway melodies. It is a tribute to the musicality of the Ditchfields that most of their vocal arrangements are written
The Ditchfield’s prize-winning quartet “My Three Sons” appeared in concert at Freedom Plaza. They are, left to right: David, “Dad” Stephen, Nathanael and Michael.
by ensemble members. An important aspect of the show was “Mom” Bernice Ditchfield at the sound system, controlling mics and cueing in taped musical accompaniment when required. This is her usual role when not on stage singing with her talented brood of three sons and two daughters, plus spouses and grandchildren. Now that live entertainment is beginning to return to us, and with the Freedom Plaza Auditorium recently opened to 150, half capacity seating, residents are looking forward to welcoming back, soon and with a full-house audience, their favorite family of music, the Ditchfields.
Interfaith Council Gives Grant to Southeastern Guide Dogs
Southeastern Guide Dogs recently received a grant for over $4,000 from the Interfaith Social Action Council to assist guide dog and service dog clients in the Sun City Center area. Southeastern Guide Dogs creates extraordinary partnerships between people and dogs. The organization breeds, raises and trains elite working dogs to meet the needs of people with vision loss and veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other disabilities. All services at Southeastern Guide Dogs are provided at no cost to recipients thanks to private donations. Local Sun City Center resident Sharon Underwood experienced these life-changing services first hand when she received her guide dog, London, in January. “I could not have imagined the program would be what it is,” shares Underwood. “For me, this is a facility that everyone who has issues with their vision, I would hope, would have an opportunity to visit and maybe train with.”
703 Del Webb Blvd. W., Suite B Sun City Center • 813-634-3396 www.ZKJVdental.com
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SPORTS May 2021
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LAWN BOWLING • TENNIS • GOLF • SOFTBALL• PICKLEBALL & MORE!
SCC Lawn Bowling – Ladies Pairs Champions
By Garry Higgins Eight teams started in this singleknockout Suncoasters (women’s) Pairs Championship event. The final match-up saw the team of Cassie Krowl and Diann Thomas winning over Mary Baker and Mary Chamberlin. It was another exciting match that came down to a measure to confirm the winner. For more information visit “www. suncitycenterlbc.com”. We ‘Suncoasters” Pairs Champions, welcome members from the Sun Cassie Krowl and Diann Thomas. City Center Community Association and offer free lessons, a free trial period and special introductory membership plans.
Lawn Bowling Men’s “Singles” Champion
By Garry Higgins The week started with thirty competitive bowlers vying for the title of 2021 Pebble Beach Singles Champion. In the fifth and final round of single-knockout play, it was Joe Mignogna over Russ Clewley in well-played match. The Pebble Beach Division of the Sun City Center Lawn Bowling Club is affiliated with Bowls USA (www.bowlsusa.us), which governs the sport of bowls in the U.S.A. and is a member of World Bowls, the organization that establishes the worldwide Congratulations to Joe Mignogna, Laws of the Sport. Residents of 2021 “Pebble Beach” Men’s Singles Sun City Center, feel free to drop Champion. by the Sun City Center Lawn Bowling and Croquet Club (behind the library) and give it a try!
Front L to R: Terri Vaillancourt, Marti Turocy and captain Lee Greenlee. Back, L to R: Rolande Poulin, Nancy Clark, Helene Peterson, Betty Zeller, Edna Carlin and Janet Hoffman. Not pictured: Deb Zieg
SCC Team Undefeated
The “Sunsetters,” tennis traveling team from Sun City Center, won against Plant City recently. They are 10-0 with four games left in the season.
Gremlin At SCC Archery Range
The Gremlin at the SCC Archery Range didn’t stand a chance against archery club member Rita Mealey. CA members are eligible for free archery lessons from club instructor Jerry Anderson at 330-206-7048. For archery club questions not instruction related call club president Mark Erickson at 813634-0796.
Eric Porr, Men’s Singles and Club Champion. Ava Casper Women’s Champion.
SCC Lawn Bowling Singles Championship
The highlight of the lawn bowling season is the final playoff for the overall Club Singles Champion. This year it was the Women’s Singles Champion, Ava Casper, meeting the Men’s Singles Champion, Eric Porr. The match attracted over 60 spectators. Eric Porr prevailed, winning the match, and was awarded the Club Singles Championship trophy. Visit suncitycenterlbc.com for more information about the sport of Lawn Bowls, Croquet and the local club. They welcome members of the Sun City Center Community Association.
Are you tired of struggling to use your KEYS to enter your home?
Tennis Tournament
The Sun City Center Tennis Association had their first ever Mixed Doubles Blind Draw Tennis Tournament. There were 18 teams playing on the ten Har-Tru courts on the South Sports Complex. L to R, Consolation Round Runner’s Up Ron Doom & Pat Iacurci, Runner’s Up for First Flight Lorraine Yaghoobian & Scott Wood, Winners of First Flight Helene Peterson & Paul Shanley, Consolation Round Winners Jan Gurley Booker & Michael Irving. Photo by Jeff White
HOLE IN ONE Accomplished By: Glenn Lyon
Glenn Lyon scored a hole in one on April 4 at Scepter Golf Club Osprey #2, 130 yards, with a 7-iron. Witnessed by Mary & Marty Graham and Nancy Lyon.
Catch The NEWS on the web at www.soco.news
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Adogable Pets Pet Salon & Spa
May 2021
The News To show our support Adogable Pets is offering Law Enforcement & 1st Responders a 15% discount on all Grooming services for your civilian pets. K-9 Officers Grooming services are 100% on us! In lieu of our services, Officers are welcome to use our facility to bathe their own police dog ! For an appointment call 813-419-4972
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BOOK REVIEW Nosing Around, Asking Inappropriate Questions: A Journalist’s Dream Come True
An Interview with Jewish Journalist, Crime Writer, Author Julia Dahl By Andrea L.T. Peterson Just after Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans, journalist Julia Dahl wrote a story for Seventeen Magazine about a girl who escaped the flood waters of her 9th Ward neighborhood even though she could not swim. Nineteen-yearold Tyeisha Martin stayed on rooftops for days and survived Katrina despite the challenges the hurricane put in her path. Four months later Dahl received a phone call from Tyeisha’s sister telling her that the girl who had barely and miraculously survived Katrina had been murdered. Fifteen years later Martin’s murder was still unsolved. America’s Most Wanted took interest and because of Dahl’s story in Seventeen Magazine, she was asked to participate in the call for justice for Tyeisha Martin. She was asked to go to Texas to “try to talk to detectives and drum up leads,” she told me in a recent interview. “If I hadn’t written about her,” Dahl explained, “No one would have cared that she had died. There just wasn’t much interest in the murder of [another] young girl who wasn’t white.” She was deeply troubled by the question of “who gets justice and who doesn’t” and the fact that justice “isn’t equal. It made me angry,” she told me. That story and the unsolved murder of Tyeisha Martin changed Dahl’s life, and the trajectory of her journalistic career. Since she had no formal training, she decided she would
go to Journalism school. When she set her pen to paper to write her first novel, The Invisible City, the question of justice—”who gets it and who doesn’t? whose interests are privileged over the interests of others?”—was at the forefront of her mind. This injustice and her own faith heritage(s) growing up the daughter of a Jewish mother and a Christian father combined to take her and her fictional journalist Rebekah Roberts into the heart of New York’s orthodox Jewish Community. In her real life, author Dahl’s parents are both committed to their faiths and very happily married. Her fictional journalist, Rebekah, isn’t so fortunate. Rebekah’s mother, who has run away from her Hasidic community with a Christian man, gives birth to Rebekah before marrying the child’s father, then abandons him and the child shortly after the child’s birth. Like Dahl, Rebekah leaves her home for New York where Dahl goes to college and Rebekah, having just graduated, wants to become a journalist. One of Rebekah’s first stories as a journalist in New York takes her into the heart of the Orthodox community where an unidentified Orthodox woman’s naked body is found at a construction site. Not unlike the author, Rebekah thrives on “nosing around and asking inappropriate questions,” so she is quite good at her job. But the Hasidic community is silent. The family of the dead woman and those who dwell within her community close ranks.
While digging for the truth of this woman’s murder, Rebekah encounters a man who claims to have known her mother 20 years earlier before she fled New York with the man who would be Rebekah’s father. What this man, Saul, doesn’t tell Rebekah is that he is still able to contact the girl’s mother and he can help Rebekah reconnect with her. In time, as Rebekah gets more involved in the comings and goings of the Hasidic community, as she seeks to find the truth about the dead woman, and as more people begin to open up to her, she comes to understand what it means to be Jewish, why these people [Hasidim, Orthodox Jews] live the way they do. And she begins to know and understand the mother she never knew. On her way to solving the mystery of the murdered woman, Roberts finds a community that is really just like any other: it has its secrets, “within any community, there are good and bad, pluses and minuses, but there are reasons why [they believe and behave the way they do]. Fundamentalism,” Dahl explains, “crosses all religions.” The insulated Hasidic community is no exception. Problems, serious problems, arise when “the organization is more important than the individual,” Dahl says. In the case of her fiction, it is the murdered individuals who are denied justice so that the Hasidic community—which has its own separate justice system into which the official city and
state authorities do not intrude— is not tarnished. Dahl’s mother asked her “why are you writing negative things about the Jews? Everybody already hates us?” It is this hate that the insulated Hasidic community aims to keep in check at the expense of the men, women, and children who populate it. In the Rebekah Roberts trilogy: The Invisible City, Run You Down, and Conviction, Dahl takes readers into the world of Hasidic Jews, into the hatred and attempts at extermination Jews have faced around the world and since the beginning of time, and the personal struggle of one woman to find the truth of her own life and heritage. A major theme, “the idea that secrets are deadly,” prominent in her first three books, is also a thread woven into Dahl’s next book The Missing Hours which will be in bookstores this fall. The Missing Hours leaves Rebekah Roberts behind and finds a college co-ed grappling with being outed or outing herself as a rape victim. Is she responsible because she was drunk? Will she be judged? How can she, her family, her friends and her community go on after the secret is revealed and pictures of her drunk and vulnerable flood the internet? Dahl’s focus in all four books is consistent: her characters are people “it might be easy to dismiss. We could all be dismissed,” she says, “if everyone knew our stories. Don’t begrudge their foibles. At heart,” she emphasizes, “we are all the same!”
MARY & MARTHA HOUSE Fashion and Home Goods Shop and Make a Difference! New Store Summer Hours.
Tuesday, Thursday & Friday 9:00 a.m. - 3 p.m. Saturday 9:00 a.m. - 2 p.m. Donation Hours: Tuesday, Thursday & Friday 9:00 a.m. - 1 p.m.
Clothing and Accessories, Housewares, Furniture, Home Decor, and so much more! You can help to sustain our programs by shopping with us and by donating your gently used items.
312 S. Us. Hwy. 41 • Ruskin, FL 33570
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813-645-7874
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May 2021
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SOCIAL DISTANCING SEMINAR FOLLOWING CDC GUIDELINES
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Facelifts (Surgical and Non Surgical) • Facial Sculpting (Filler, Wrinkle Relaxers) • Facial Polishing (CO2, IPL, SkinPen Microneedling)
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You are Invited
FACIAL BEAUTY INFORMATIONAL SEMINAR Sun City Center CLUB RENAISSANCE Wednesday, May 12th @ 2 p.m. 2121 S. Pebble Beach Blvd.
Masks are required. Very limited seating. Guests must have a confirmed reservation.
888-875-3223 Rich Castellano, M.D., Founder, Medical Director youtube.com/imagelift • facebook.com/imagelift Patient and any other person responsible for payment has a right to pay, cancel payment, or be reimbursed for payment for any other service, examination, or treatment that is performed as a result of and within 72 hours of responding to ad for the free, discounted fee, or reduced fee service, examination, or treatment.
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May 2021
The News
Our Lady’s Pantry Gets a New Truck
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Feeding Tampa Bay both require that any food being transported from place to place be refrigerated to keep it safe. For this reason, Our Lady’s Pantry recently replaced their original box truck that was not refrigerated, with this new refrigerated vehicle. “Donations that we receive for food are used only for food,” says director Tom Bullaro. “For this reason, we borrowed money to pay for this truck.” According to Bullaro, this second truck cost $30,000, plus our old trade in. He has already received two checks totaling $10,300 from one donor, plus another $500 from a second donor to help pay for this truck. The total monies still outstanding are $19,200. If you wish to send the Pantry
Part Time Help
Office Assistant, Skilled Handyman, Sales People , and more! 5 to 10 hours a week more if you like! Sun City Center Senior’s have a wealth of knowledge and skills to help develop other people around them. a donation, kindly indicate if we may use your gift to pay for our truck and other operational costs. Or do you prefer we use it only for food? Please make your check out to Our Lady’s Pantry and mail it to: 16650 U.S. Highway 301 South; Wimauma, FL 33598. “Donations dedicated to general operating expenses, therefore, are always welcome,” says Bullaro. “As always, we thank you for your amazing support. You are our hunger heroes.”
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4002 Sun City Center Blvd Ste: 101 • Sun City Center FL 33573
May 19TH
OPEN HOUSE 1010 AMERICAN EAGLE BLVD. SUN CITY CENTER, FL 33573 Join us as residents open their doors offering a glimpse of their life at Freedom Plaza from 1PM-3PM. Guests will have an opportunity to mingle and engage with various community departments and resident club leaders. Refreshments provided and RSVP required
(813) 634-1824
May 2021
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Answers to Puzzles on Pages 22 and 23
Catch The NEWS on the web at www.soco.news
KNOX ALUMINUM 720 4th Street SW • Ruskin, FL 33570
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KINGSPoint 18
May 2021
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NOTICE: Each community and club in Sun City Center and Kings Point has specific rules about membership and attendance. Unless specifically stated or posted, most venues, meetings and events hosted on the Community Association campus and in Kings Point require attendees to bring their SCC CA or KP ID or come with a resident member. When in doubt, contact the club in question - not the venue or association - prior to arrival. Thanks.
Kings Point Amenity Update
There are many different viewpoints on how to continue to reopen Kings Point. As the pandemic has passed the one-year mark, the management company and community leadership continue to work together to ensure that the amenities operations are consistent with the guidelines established by the CDC for the safety and benefit of all residents. Below you will find various operational adjustments that occurred in mid-April and other changes which will begin on Tuesday June 1. The timeline of June 1 was chosen with the premise that it allows all residents who are 55-plus ample time to obtain the vaccine and the second dose if they choose. We are also providing this advance notice as many of you are looking forward to making summer plans with your families. All Facilities: Main Club, South Club and 2020 Centre •Temperature taking will be discontinued. •ID Badge scanning will be discontinued at designated entries on Tuesday, 6/1. •Non-Kings Point club members will be allowed to participate in Kings Point club activities beginning Tuesday, 6/1. •Capacity limitations for all rooms will remain the same until further notice. •Medium and Large indoor gatherings without adequate social distancing will not be offered at this time per CDC recommendations. •Individual residents, groups, and clubs may continue to reserve rooms for the purpose of holding a meeting or activity. •Sign-in logs with an associated waiver are still required for each room. •Social distancing and wearing masks are still required in all common areas and strongly recommended in clubhouse rooms. •Masks are still mandatory in the following areas: Billiards, Library, Business Offices, Cyberspace, Spa.
All Pools: Main Club, South Club, and Nantucket •All pools are operating at full capacity. •Beginning Tuesday, 6/1, Kings Point resident guests will be permitted to use the pools during the hours of 1 p.m. to close. •Reminder: All guests 18 years and older must have a valid Guest Pass. Fitness at 2020 Centre •The 2020 Centre Fitness sessions will no longer require fitness session reservations due to available reservations times going unreserved. •Fitness Classes will still be on reservations. •Gym hours will increase to 7 a.m. - 8 p.m., seven days a week beginning Tuesday, 6/1. •Guests will be permitted beginning Tuesday, June 1. •Reminder: Guests must purchase Guest Passes to be permitted entry into the Trust amenities. Main Clubhouse •Stay tuned for future Le Perk re-opening plans. •Snacks and refreshments will be permitted in all rooms. South Clubhouse •Karaoke and Trivia capacity has been increased to 100 Kings Point Resident participants. •Guests will be permitted to use the South Club, beginning Tuesday, June 1. Notice: All residents are responsible for their own health, safety, and welfare and by using any Kings Point Sun City Center West Land Trust amenities you are voluntarily assuming all risks related to possible exposure to Covid-19.
YOU’VE ALWAYS TAKEN CARE OF YOUR FAMILY.
Vesta Property Services Receives Recognition From The Emergency Squad The past year has brought numerous changes to the Sun City Center community, focused on keeping our community as safe as possible from the COVID-19 virus. During this time, Vesta Properties has stepped up to every challenge and has partnered with the Emergency Squad and other Sun City Center organizations to provide testing and vaccines to local residents. Chief Mike Bardell states “Vesta consistently goes above and beyond to support the community during difficult and challenging times. The Emergency Squad particularly appreciates their willingness to take on new situations to ensure the safety of their residents and the community.”
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Local Musicians Joining Organist Keith Rasmussen For Concert
The United Methodist Church of Sun City Center, 1210 Del Webb Blvd. West, welcomes talented local vocalists Donna Fiore and Rick Selby and trumpeter Mike Leavitt to join church organist Keith Rasmussen for a live Sunday afternoon concert May 16, 2021 at 3 p.m. A donation of just $5 is requested at the door on the day of the concert. During 2021 UMCSCC has hosted Sunday afternoon concerts on the third Sunday of each month as part of its “Organ Plus Artist” concert series. Until now, all of the concerts in this series have been virtual. But for the last 2021 Winter/Spring concert of the series, the concert will be live. Some of the organ pieces concert goers will enjoy include Broellmann’s “Toccata”, Soler’s “Emperor’s Fanfare”, arranged by E. Power Biggs and Schreiner’s “Lyric Interlude”, as well as others. The church is still practicing CDC recommended practices such as temperature taking
south County Events
By Debbie Caneen South County Events is provided by Debbie Caneen, Director of Admissions, Sun Towers from items submitted for publication. To submit events for future publications, send them by the 15th of the prior month. Debbie also publishes Ads and Events, a weekly e-mail containing information about what’s happening in 33573. Your event will also appear in the weekly Ads and Events e-mail and on the website www.SCCAdsAndEvents.com. Send all events by e-mail to sccfreeads@tampabay.rr.com. You only need to submit your Event one time each month for it to appear in both The News of Kings Point and SCC Ads and Events. SPECIAL EVENTS Please include all basic information, especially Price (or list it’s Free) and Contact Information (phone, e-mail, or website). Six lines maximum. Send to: sccfreeads@tampabay.rr.com. As soon as space permits, we will put it in the weekly e-mail and it will run until event date passes. You do not need to submit it again. P L E A S E N O T E : Th is a r e a is f or SPECIAL EVENTS only. WEEKLY, MONTHLY, or ONGOING EVENTS are listed on our website under WEEKLY & MONTHLY MEETINGS at www.SCCAdsAndEvents.com which is updated every weekend.
MONDAY - FRIDAY WEEKLY ALZHEIMER’S SAMARITANS CAREGIVER AUXILIARY SUPPORT LINE 9:00 a.m. 3:00 p.m. The Coordinator of Samaritans Alzheimer’s Auxiliary, Jim Butner, has set up a support line that an individual can call and discuss their concerns. Please call the Samaritan
L to R: Sudjith Idiculla, Pharmacist; Chief Mike Bardell; Melissa Lynn, Retail and Pharmacy Manager.
and limited capacity to ensure safety, so please bring your masks. For additional information about this and other concerts and recitals at the United Church of Sun City Center, please contact Kevin Goodenow, Concert Series Coordinator, at 813-362-0956. To learn more about the United Methodist Church of Sun City center, please visit our website at www.umcscc.org.
Services office at 813-634-9283. Remember, you don’t have to travel this difficult journey alone. THU. MAY 6, 13, 20 - SCC HAND AND FOOT CLUB 6:30 p.m. every Thursday evening in the Caper Room at the Atrium. Come join us and learn an easy and fast card game that is lots of fun! Beginners are welcome. Bring your friends, or come alone. Join us for a fun night! For more information email “suncity2rita@ gmail.com”. Open to all Sun City Center Association members. TUE. MAY 18 - HEARING MAINTENANCE OF YOUR HEARING AIDS HLAA SCC Chapter is sponsoring this Zoom meeting in your home 12:30 p.m. Presentation starts; Login at 12:15 on the Zoom platform. Caroline Fortune, Hearing Aid Specialist of the Hearing Center of SW Florida in SCC is our speaker. This is a free and captioning meeting for our community. Info: www.hlaascc. com. To register, email “Debbe. Hagner@gmail.com”, call or text (727) 271-0770. TUES. MAY 18 - ALZHEIMER’S ASSOCIATION SUPPORT GROUP 2:00 - 3:00 p.m. Now in a Zoom format hosted by Aging Care Advocates. Please gather on the phone to talk about your experiences, challenges, and victories. For more information and to register: 800-272-3900 Katie Colwell Williams, MA, CMC, Director of Advocacy Services, Aging Care Advocates, Inc. Office (813) 246-4120. FRI. MAY 28 – MOBILE FOOD PANTRY The Multi-Cultural Heritage Club has partnered with the Security Patrol of Sun City Center and Feeding America Tampa Bay for three Mobile Food Pantry community events. 4:30 - 6:00 p.m. in the Parking lot
Emergency Squad Recognizes SCC Walgreens
Chief Mike Bardell recently presented Melissa Lynn, Walgreens Store Manager, for Pharmacy and Retail Operations, and Sudjith Idiculla, Pharmacist, with a certificate of recognition for the support they have given the Emergency Squad. For many years, the local Walgreens has provided the Squad with the medicine bottles used as “Vials of Life” for
the community. In addition, the store has supported the Squad with its need for specific medical supplies for its ambulances. “For quite a few years, Walgreen’s has provided assistance for the Emergency Squad and its mission. We want to recognize their support and want the community to know of their generosity,” said Chief Bardell.
of the Sun City Center Security Patrol office at 1225 N Pebble Beach Blvd right here in Sun City Center. Bottled water will be provided. Contact
the MHC president, Vicente Lopez at 813-461-4576 to volunteer or send an email to “multiculturalheritageclub@ gmail.com”.
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Security Patrol Announces Grant From Community Foundation SCC Security Patrol is pleased to announce a grant from the Community Foundation of Tampa Bay, an organization focused on making a positive impact on the Tampa Bay region. The Security Patrol is most grateful to receive the grant of $28,000 from the Community Foundation, which will go towards the cost of operating the Patrol. As a non-profit organization, the SCC Security Patrol relies on the support of generous donors like the Community Foundation and the long-term support of its volunteers to serve the citizens of Sun City Center. The Patrol helps deter
crime in our neighborhood and business districts by maintaining a visual patrol presence that is on the lookout for the unusual. While the Patrol has no police authority, it works in cooperation with the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s office (HCSO), and in particular with its Community Resource Deputies. Our vehicles are on patrol 12 hours a day, seven days a week. All our operations are by local volunteers who drive over 125,000 miles and contribute in excess of 30,000 hours a year to help the community. The Community Foundation of Tampa Bay has been growing philanthropy in
Hillsborough, Pinellas, Pasco, Hernando and Citrus counties since 1990. The Foundation’s donors have made possible more than $210 million in grants to nonprofit organizations. Founded in 1990, the Community Foundation of Tampa Bay is a nonprofit organization that connects people and resources to inspire charitable giving and create a meaningful, lasting impact on our region. The Foundation serves Hillsborough, Pinellas, Pasco, Hernando and Citrus counties. The Community Foundation of Tampa Bay connects donors, nonprofits, community and business
leaders, professional advisors, volunteers and residents to make the maximum positive impact in the Tampa Bay region. For more than 28 years, the Community Foundation of Tampa Bay has been dedicated to making giving easy and meaningful for donors as a way to strengthen nonprofit organizations and build a better, more vibrant community. Since its inception, its donors have enabled the Community Foundation of Tampa Bay to award more than $210 million in grants to nonprofit organizations across the country.
ISAC Supports Local Charities Including Mary & Martha House
Even during this pandemic time, the Interfaith Social Action Council (ISAC) of Sun City Center continues to raise funds to distribute as college scholarships to local high school graduates, and local charity grant requests. 100% of profits from sales at ISAC’s Nearly New Shop are utilized to meet these needs.
Another recent recipient of an ISAC grants includes Southeastern Guide Dogs, who received a grant for $4,067. From left to right are Barb Lauer, NN Volunteer, Rachel Blanco, Grants Assistant with Southeastern Guide Dogs, Jackie Pott and Jay Germain, Nearly New Shop Volunteers.
The most recent recipient of an ISAC grants includes the Mary & Martha House, who received a grant for $7,500. Receiving the check from Nearly New Shop volunteer, Jackie Potts is Leticia Feregrino, Admin/ Grants at Mary & Martha House.
Renaissance Relocates Amid 2021 Challenges
The show will go on! The Bay Area Renaissance Festival is relocating to the spectacular, ancient forest of Withlacoochee River Park. This year, the festival is partnering with Pasco County Parks, Recreation and Natural Resources for a once in a lifetime celebration. Join the Villagers of Fittleworth and Queen Katherine Parr and her court as they invite one and
all to the magical 16th Century European village featuring four stages of exciting entertainment including musicians, magicians, jugglers, and mimes. Over 100 artisans will fill the Festival marketplace to display and sell their handcrafted goods for a truly fabulous shopping experience. Patrons will interact with memorable characters and
Christian Band “What Remains” To Perform
The United Methodist Church of Sun City Center, 1210 Del Webb Blvd. West, welcomes Contemporary Christian band, “What Remains” to its campus for a 7 p.m. concert Friday, May 14. A donation of just $10 is requested at the door on the night of the concert. Most of the members of What Remains are members of UMCSCC’s current contemporary worship praise team. It is comprised of lead guitarist Garrett Franz, vocalists Maria Leasure and Kristen Franz, Bass player Mark Turner, and drummer Andy Daley. What Remains was recently one of the featured bands at the Plant City Strawberry Festival. Regardless of the size of the crowd or venue, What Remains plays emotional, powerful spirit-filled music, fueled by a love of God and each other. Having formed three years ago, What Remains continues to perform shows and inspire people in and around the Tampa Bay area. For additional information about this and other concerts and recitals at the United Church of Sun City Center, please contact Kevin Goodenow, Concert Series Coordinator, at 813362-0956. To learn more about the United Methodist Church of Sun City center, please visit our website at www.umcscc.org.
enjoy full-contact live armored jousting, themed weekends, and fabulous food fit for a king or queen! This year’s festival runs on Saturdays and Sundays through May 23. This year’s theme weekends are: Wine, Romance & Song, Pirates & Pups, Barbarian Brew, Shamrocks & Shenanigans, High Seas Adventure, and Wonders of the World.
The 43rd annual Bay Area Renaissance Festival runs 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. rain or shine. The festival is located at Withlacoochee River Park - 12449 Withlacoochee Blvd, Dade City, FL 33525. At the gate: Adults $22.95; Children 5-12 $14.95; four and under are free. Free parking, rain or shine. For info and tickets: www. bayarearenfest.com or call 800601-4848.
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