News of Sun City Center May 2024

The News of Sun City Center

CA SCHEDULE

May, 2024

1 Coffee and Conversation Florida Room – 6:30 p.m.

8 Board Meeting Rollins Theater – 9 a.m.

Zoom ID: 849 1843 0052

Passcode: 807020

21 Club Leaders Meeting

Florida Room – 10 a.m.

Zoom ID: 845 9236 5582

Passcode: 795469

23 Supplemental Board Meeting Board Room – 1 p.m.

27 Memorial Day Holiday CA Office and Library Closed Facilities Open

Agendas for the monthly Board Meetings will be posted on the Official Bulletin Board in the Atrium the Friday before and on the CA website “suncitycenter.org” – under “Residents” – Upcoming Meeting

Agendas). They will also be sent via “What’s New in the CA” email.

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

Generations Playing Together

By Kai Rambow

“Where’s

the kid?”

“When is the kid playing today?”

These were regular questions for Javier Gomez, father of the youngest player, Angel, 18. Javier wasn’t the only one to get questions.

“Are you here to photograph Angel?” queried an onlooker. I was. I had met Angel Gomez at the opening ceremonies for the national tournament for lawn bowling. In a short time, he had built a following of players watching his games. “He’s been most impressive,” remarked another viewer.

In addition to his talent, Angel was noticed for his age, 18. Angel’s entire family plays the game and he started when he was 7. The average age for a lawn bowling player here is over 55, but in Australia there are clubs with an average age in the thirties. The game requires a certain amount of talent and skill, but more importantly, strategy. Angel explained how quickly the game can change was his favorite part of the game. I watched as his team went from leading throughout the game, only to lose at the last minute. So how did Angel end up being the youngest competitor?

Angel’s partner, Peter Richie, 65, saw

LRPC Congratulates Community

By Debbie Caneen Chair, Long Range Planning Committee

Congratulations to all CA Members! With the passing of the approval of Phase 1a our Membership has shown support for the overall Master Plan. The overall plan, (starting with Phase 1a) will bring with it a new Applied Arts Building, Makers Plaza, Resort Style Pool and Restaurant space. The vision for the future is bright and the LongRange Planning Committee (LRPC) is excited!

Our Construction Subcommittee will be making recommendations for the Board to consider and by working

with professionals who understand our needs, Pi Architects and Appono Consulting, will be managing the project as we move forward. Our committee will continue to work with our clubs that are relocating to the new Applied Arts Building and other spaces on campus to ensure their needs are met.

As the term “long range planning” implies, our pool subcommittee is looking toward the future and will be gathering input from members regarding the new resort style pool and restaurant. The committee will be taking into consideration parking needs and accessibility for all members to be able to enjoy our new space with a pleasing design.

As the build moves forward, we are confident we will be able to provide a quality community asset that all members can enjoy. As always, we welcome member input. If you have an idea, please email us. You can send comments to me at “DCaneen@ suncitycenter.org”.

Angel resoundingly trounce another young player. Peter, who has been involved in recreation and kids all his life, asked Angel’s father if he could team up with Angel. Javier recently won the U.S. Open for lawn bowling. At this tournament, Angel’s parents did not compete, they were there just to support Angel.

Even before the first game, Angel and Peter were discussing the preeminent player at their home club in San Diego, Bill Hiscock, 98. Apparently one does

not want to start any tournament playing against Bill.

Respectful of each other’s skills, Angel and Peter competed in the men’s pairs, sometimes up to five hours a day. Their teamwork paid off; they finished second in the tournament.

The Gomezes smiled as they talked about how lawn bowling had been great for the whole family. Meeting the Gomez family was a delight. Clearly treating lawn bowling as a family activity has paid many dividends.

Jet Jamboree

By Paula Lickfeldt

Florida is a wonderful place to enjoy the sport of model airplane flying. The Triple Creek Radio Control Aircraft Club has 130 members that pay $135 dues a year. The TCRC has 40 acres of land with a 450-foot runway that they lease from Hillsborough County. The club has up to five events a year which include a jet plane fly in, a propeller plane fly in, a helicopter fly in and a warbird fly in. Model airplane enthusiasts from all over come for the fly-ins. To participate in the flight, the plane owner will pay a landing fee. They can take off but they can’t land without paying the fee. The club members can fly their plane at any time that there is no event going on. Club member John Mynster has been

flying model planes for 35 years. He has 15 different planes. The plane that he had at Saturday’s event was a model airplane that he spent over 100 hours working on. He started with a white body and wings and he painted it and put the graphics on it. At each event a pilot’s choice award is given. On Saturday, April 13, when the jet plane flew in, John was awarded with the pilot’s choice award.

Three members called the “young guys” fly Blue Angel type jets. They have been practicing flying formations and they put on a demonstration. Their planes looked just like the Blue Angels. There are so many different hobbies that people can have. Flying model airplanes is a very interesting way for club members, both men and women, to spend their time and money.

Sean, Sam, and Harley the “young guys”

Angel Gomez, 18, was the youngest player in the lawn bowling tournament. He quickly developed a fan base because of his talent and skill.

President’s Report

By Ron Clark, CA President

As reported elsewhere in the NEWS, funding for Phase 1A of the Master Plan was approved by a 78% to 22% vote. This is an extremely important step as it will allow us to actually start building the Central Campus upgrade. The Board appreciates the strong support shown by the voters. I would like to thank the current and past members of the Long Range Planning Committee who have worked hard on the project since January 2022. CA members should also be commended for providing their input to the development of a plan so strongly approved by the voters.

The main focus of Phase 1A is constructing the new Applied Arts Building that will house Club rooms for Pottery, Ceramics, Stained Glass, Weavers, and Billiards. The Board can proceed to select a general contractor and negotiate a final cost, which will be below the $4.2 million maximum guaranteed price that was approved.

Next steps also include submitting building permit applications for both Phase 1A and 1B. Since the county says their review will take four months, we are submitting 1B as well to save project time once we have the money and membership approval to move forward on Phase 1B. After we receive the building permit, the contractors say completion for Phase 1A will be in 12 months.

Money from the Capital Fund will pay for the new facilities of the Central Campus Upgrade. The Board is also improving existing facilities that need renovation, with those expenses paid for from the Replacement Fund. For instance, the Needlecrafters club room is getting a total makeover and a new door on the south side to connect it to the “Makers Market” area. The adjoining Art Club room also has some renovation activity as well. Please check them out when you are in that area.

This is an exciting time in the CA as we upgrade existing facilities and start down the path of a major upgrade of the Central Campus with new facilities. The Board will ask for funding approval of Phase 1B (new pool & new restaurant/bar) when there are sufficient funds in the Capital Fund. As always, let us all be respectful, positive, kind, and have fun in our senior years!

Phase 1A Gets Thumbs-Up

By Bob Sanchez

By a vote of 2,383 to 679, SCCCA residents approved the proposal to go ahead with spending up to $4.2 million for Phase 1A of the Master Plan and associated site work. The expenditures will come from the Capital Fund and will not incur debt to the community.

SAVE THE DATE

July 4 Breakfast is Back

The July 4 Pancake Breakfast is back again! Sun City Center neighbors will gather in Community Hall on South Pebble Beach Boulevard, to spend time with friends enjoying hot pancakes, scrambled eggs, sausage, toast, orange juice and coffee, all for only $7. Breakfast will be served from 7:30 to 11:30 a.m., and is open to the public. Tickets can be bought at the door. Interested in volunteering? Email Sam, Joanne, or Cindi: (Sam) msudman@tampabay.rr.com, (Joanne) jsudman@tampabay.rr.com, or (Cindi) cindifrancos@icloud.com.

28 Years of Service

Center.

It’s not just the time in service, but Carol has done so with distinction. Dolores Whitfield, who worked with Carol since 2001, found this amazing: “She worked well with every single board member.” Carol was described by many others as being unfailingly tactful. At her retirement party, Carol was described by multiple people as a walking history of the CA Board and the community. Several past CA presidents were on hand and thanked Carol for her invaluable contributions over so many years.

Paul Wheat, who served on the board for 11 years, described Carol as, “very dependable, very conscientious, making sure things got done right.” He, along with several others, noted that Carol is soft spoken, but firm.

The role Carol took on was part-time at first, and quickly became full-time. Out of all the jobs Carol had over her lifetime, the CA board was the best. The Board composition changed every year. Carol says she loved the changes, “Different people every year made the work interesting.”

Despite the serious approach Carol has taken to her work, she does have a sense of humor. She described how her first day at work starting on Halloween all those years ago did not portend what was to come. At her retirement party, she was admired for having “trained” 14 presidents during her tenure. When asked what she planned to do now that she was retiring, Carol softly stated, “sleep in.”

Carol has served our community behind the scenes quietly and well. We will miss her, whether we know it or not. We wish her all the best in her retirement.

Model Railroad Club

March 9 was another beautiful day in Sun City. Hundreds came out to enjoy the annual Community Association FunFest. The Sun City Model Railroad Club was once again one of the clubs that participated in this event. Every year the club raffles off a custom built railroad layout that takes countless hours and many dollars to build.

This year’s theme was “Winter Wonderland” complete with an N Scale freight train set, transformer to operate the train, and a Christmas tree with lights.

This year’s winner, drawn by a board member of the community association, was Joe Reilly from Sun City Center. Congratulations to Joe. We hope it brings him and his family many years of joy. Also thanks to all who participated in the raffle and to the club members who helped in selling tickets and the building of the layout. Don’t be discouraged if you didn’t win because another layout will be raffled off next year; you don’t have to be there to still win!

Several past CA presidents were present at the retirement party for Carol Donner. From left to right: John Luper, Walter Cawein, Carol Donner, Ron Clark, Jane Keegan, and Paul Wheat.

Carol Donner, left, training her replacement, Alisha Marshall.

Board Meeting Update

By Bob Sanchez

The Sun City Center Board of Directors held its monthly meeting on April 10 in the Rollins Theater and approved four items:

1. Gone Stamping request to move to the Bunka Club room

2. Contracts for the 2024/2025 Entertainment Series

3. Replacing certain equipment in the Fitness Center

4. Appointment of Cindi Malin and Len Lewinski to chair the July 4th Community Breakfast Committee; Marvin Sudman and Joanne Sudman to co-chair

Secretary Debbie Caneen acknowledged several donations: Dollhouse Miniatures Club $30 for the Hardship Fund; AAUW $25 for FunFest, Ceramics Club $100 for FunFest, and the Siville Fund $15,265 for the Library.

President Ron Clark noted that the Future Facilities Fund “has cracked $60,000” and that residents are invited

to make tax-deductible contributions to it. In his president’s report, he stated that the board is focused on two main issues. First is the Central Campus upgrade.

The second issue is investing nearly $1 million from the Morse trust fund. The principal must remain intact, but the Association is earning 5% interest, amounting to thousands of dollars.

Treasurer Roger Zieg reported the following numbers:

Operations Fund: $3,757,160

Capital Fund: $5,729,396

Morse Trust Fund: $992,503

Replacement Fund: $1,681,736

Renovations Fund: $43,461

He noted 39 home transfers in March, net of 36, totaling $108,000 added to the Capital Fund.

Community Manager Lyn Reitz said that the current resident count is 11,386. Membership dues are 11,460. Some people pay dues without residing in the homes, accounting for the different numbers.

Ice Cream Social Fundraiser

By Mike Lee

The

Sun City Center

Barbershop Chorus and the Sun City Center Security Patrol recently held an ice cream social as a charity event, which raised funds for both organizations.

Entertainment was provided by the chorus, with a full Florida Room present to enjoy the entertainment.

The Barbershop Chorus is 22 years old. Like many clubs and organizations, membership dwindled during and after the Covid-19 pandemic. “It’s slowly building back up. We have about 20 people now,” according to David Lemley, a member of the chorus. “We have full-

time residents and snowbirds,” he said. They also welcome women members and encourage other women to join. The chorus meets every Tuesday at 12:30 at Redeemer Lutheran Church. The event featured six different quartets, as well as the complete chorus. Which is more than is typical for the Chorus’s other events. “It was quite fun. It was a different kind of experience for everybody,” according to Lemley.

The Chorus and the Patrol would like to thank everyone who attended this event for a good cause, as well as CC’s Grill and Jack’s Shack for contributing ice cream and supplies for the event.

By

Mike Lee

Discussion related to the Master Plan dominated a recent Community Association meeting that was held in Community Hall. Phase 1-A of the plan was subsequently passed in a referendum vote by CA members, with 78% of the vote.

It was reported by Ron Clark, Community Association President, that costs for this phase are not to exceed $4.2 million. Clark stated that costs for this phase come from money that is already in the bank, and that the project will keep the Association debt free. He also reassured members that Phase 1-B and any future projects will not be started until the Association has enough money to allow construction without incurring any debt. Future projects will also require a referendum to be approved by CA members before they can proceed. Clark indicated that “Phase 1-A is the first step in this upgrade project, and must be built before we can construct Phase 1-B.” Phase 1-B, if approved, would include the new Rollins and the resort style pool. “The board

is being financially prudent, and will recommend building Phase 1-B when sufficient funds are available,” Clark said.

Guest speakers included Gina Torres from the Hillsborough County Transportation Department came to discuss Access 2050, which is a long range transportation plan for the county. They are presently conducting a survey of county residents to assist in determining what projects would be important to them. Your voice can be heard on this important issue. If you are interested in taking the survey, you can access it at “planhillsborough. org/2050lrtp”.

Another guest speaker was Vivian Jones of the Sun City Center History Society. The Society is currently reaching out to second and third generation residents, people whose parents or grandparents preceded them in Sun City Center. If that is your background, please contact them at the Information Center. Jones also entertained the audience with pictures from Sun City Center’s past. There have been many changes through the years!

SCC History Society

20 years ago an expansion of Central Campus began. One of the changes involved expanding the maintenance building, the adjacent parking lot and adding an entrance to the Atrium from Cherry Hill. The addition of the entrance required removing some houses. The houses at 1002, 1004, 1006 Cherry Hills were purchased by the CA. 1004 and 1006 were torn down and removed. 1002 remained, was eventually remodeled using funds from donations received by the History Society and in January 2006, The History Society and the Welcome Center moved in.

As Central Campus continued to expand both moved to a new building and the house became The SCC Men’s Club and LifeLine offices. Currently the CA is again planning changes and if approved by CA members, 1002 Cherry Hills will be removed making way for other improvements to the campus. If the plan does move forward, The History Society will be planning a “goodbye ceremony” for the house prior to demolition. A bittersweet event as many goodbyes are but necessary if we move forward.

Lapidary Club Holds Appreciation Luncheon

By Paula Lickfeldt

In the spring of each year the Lapidary Club hosts its appreciation luncheon. The honorees are the people who have taught classes, the people who have worked in the shop, the people who take care of the bead sales, the people who order supplies and of course, the board members.

This year’s luncheon was on March 26 in the Florida Room with about 50 club members attending. It was “Fiesta de Gracias” with tacos and all of the fixings plus a delicious display of desserts all prepared by C Cs restaurant which is in the Atrium Building.

The theme of the luncheon, along with thanking the club volunteers, was to celebrate all of the various ways that the club members volunteer in and around our community. Each table was asked to go around the table and have each person tell all of the different ways they volunteer their time and efforts.

The people at the tables were asked to choose the person who did the most “volunteering” and that person was rewarded with a bottle of wine.

Joanne Kerr, who is manager of the shop, presented Merri King with the

“volunteer of the year” award. Merri is relatively new to the club but she jumped right in and started working at the shop. She worked at least two shifts each week for the entire year. Lin Opgenorth, club president, thanked all volunteers,

stating that the club members volunteer for many activities along with their Lapidary Club activities.

Volunteering is the backbone of both Sun City Center and Kings Point. She then gave a tribute to Debbie Goodrow, a beloved member of the club, who had passed away. The members of the club had been asked to bring a donation of yarn to the luncheon. The yarn was given to club member Kim Bauer who works with a group that makes prayer shawls and lap blankets. The members of the Lapidary Club are vested in all aspects of “volunteerism.”

The Lapidary Club is in the Arts and Crafts Building on Cherry Hills Dr. The shop is in the front of the room and the classrooms are behind it, You can get more information about the club by stopping in the shop when it is open on Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m. and Tuesday and Thursday from 1 p.m. until 3 p.m.

Kim Bauer, Diane Alty, Rhonda Altman. and Vicki Hohnson

Computer Club Monthly Meeting

Wednesday May 8, at 7 p.m.

Atrium, Florida Room

Geeks on Tour will present a Hodgepodge of Tech Tips for Everyone. Tips about Smartphone photography, Google Photos, Google Maps, AI Chatbots, Android phones and more. Come with your phone in hand and your questions in mind.

Computer Club Classes

CLUBS

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.

The Computer Club Lab is open from 12:30 to 4:30, every day except Sunday. 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. For additional information email: Judy Lee, Education Director at education@scccomputerclub. org.

AI Artificial Intelligence

• Thursday, May 2, from 10 to noon

How to buy a Computer

• Monday, May 6, from 9 to 11 a.m.

Beginner Class I

• Tuesday, May 7, and Thursday, May 9, from 10 to noon

Beginner Class II

• Tuesday, May 14, from 10 to noon

Ipad/iPhone for Seniors

Intro to File Explorer

Smartphone SIG

• Friday, May 10, from 9 to noon

• Wednesday, May 22, from 10 to noon

• Wednesday, May 29, from 10 to noon

Metaphysical Society Presentations

10:00-11:45a.m.

Heritage Room, at 951 N. Course Lane

May 1 • Caroline Blesson, “Unlocking the Golden Secrets of Turmeric and Ginger”.

May 8 • Barbara McGillicuddy, “Animal Communications”

May 15 • Bill Schroeder, “Exoplanets”

May 22 • Janet Reynolds, “Understand Mystical Magical Dreams”

May 29 • Trisha Kirby presents her special, “Colors”

Members’ Zoom link is available by email at “metaphysicalsociety@gmail.com”. The mission of the Metaphysical Society is to inspire and empower others. For more information call Nancy, Membership Director, at 813-541-1945.

Cat Lovers Club of SCC Cat Chat

Tuesday, May 21, at 1:30 p.m.

Trinity Baptist Church, 702 W. Del Webb Blvd.

Cat Chats are informative presentations on topics related to the well-being and happiness of cats and their humans. New members are always welcome! Annual dues for 2024 are $20 for an individual or $25 for a couple/family. Every membership and every coin donated to our Coins for Cats project helps to put food into the tummies of hungry cats in need. Please bring your coins in a plastic Ziploc bag with your name and address label attached so we may know who donated the coins. All proceeds benefit the Cat Lovers Club of SCC, a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit, all-volunteer organization which provides cat food to local low-income pet owners. For more information, check out our website, CatLoversClub.org, or email “info@catloversclub.org”.

Monday Movies Rollins Theater

Only one movie will be shown in May.

Movies are normally shown the second and fourth Monday of each month in the Rollins Theatre at 1 p.m. Movie attendees must present a current SCCCA ID Badge, a SCCCA Guest Card or a Kings Point Usage Card to attend. Dates and time may be changed if necessary. Theater capacity is limited to 145 attendees per the Hillsborough County Fire Code.

May 13 – Retro Movie Monday MERMAIDS 1 hour, 50 minutes

Charlotte (age 15) is tired of her mom moving the family to a different town any time she feels the need. After moving to a small Massachusetts town and the mom starts dating a shopkeeper, Charlotte and her sister (Kate, age 9) hope to finally settle down. But when Charlotte’s attraction to an older man gets in the way, the family must learn to accept each other for who they truly are.

Starring: Cher, Bob Hoskins, Winona Ryder, Christina Ricci, Michael Schoeffling

Genre: Comedy, Drama

Rating: PG13 (parental guidance suggested)

Art Club Gallery Opening

The Art Club of Sun City Center is proud to highlight our own watercolor artist Rober Krowl. His paintings will be on display in the Art Room Gallery May 1 thru the month of May. Please join us for the opening reception May 1st from 1 to 3 p..m in the Art Room. Refreshments will be served, and all CA members, Art Club members, and their guests are invited to attend.

Robert began painting in 2010 when he took the first art lesson with our watercolor teacher Tom Haverfield, then on to Diane Simon for more advanced learning. He continues learning from her to this day. Robert enjoys all aspects of the art world and belongs to the Sun City Center Art Club, as well as the Kings Point Art League. We are extremely proud of the artist Robert has become and thrilled to show off his talent. Please join us for this important event.

Volleyball Fun

The Volleyball Club plays on a temporary court near the Atrium while they

the completion of a new facility (Photo Credit: Bob Sanchez).

Multicultural Heritage Raffle

The Multicultural Heritage Club is sponsoring a raffle to win a beautiful, fun-filled, six-day five-night cruise on Royal Caribbean’s “Enchantment of the Seas” group cruise. Tickets are 1 for $10 and 5 for $40. This is a fundraising raffle which will benefit the club and add to our donations to and support of other clubs. The Club President, George Miecyjak, will be selling tickets and answering any questions you may have at the Atrium Building every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 10 until noon.

We encourage everyone to consider our club when looking for activities. We are, as the name states, a multicultural club, whose mission statement reads:

“The Multi-Cultural Heritage Club is dedicated to inspiring our members to reach out in fellowship and support each other through social and cultural activities. We therefore take tremendous pride in understanding, preserving and promoting the richness of the multicultural heritage of all Sun City Center’s residents.

“We welcome you to join us in creating a society where a greater understanding and awareness among all groups exists. The Multi-Cultural Heritage Club meets monthly, September through June, on the second Friday of each month from Noon until 2:00 PM in the Caper Room of the Sun City Center Atrium Building located on North Course Lane off North Pebble Beach Blvd.”

Stained Glass Club Raffle Winner

Congratulations to Barb Sanecki. Barb was the winner of the beautiful stained glass panel raffle at FunFest created by members of the Stained Glass Club. Stop by the stained glass club to see what other beautiful items we have for sale.

await

May 12th

A Non-Profit With a Simple, But Not Easy, Mission

By Andrea L.T. Peterson

The Raptor Center of Tampa Bay (RCTB) volunteer, Robin Roberts of Ruskin (some of you know her as Critter Momma from her independent rescuing, financing the medical need, and placing wounded, abandoned, or found cats and dogs in the Sun City Center/Ruskin area), called me a few weeks ago to ask if I’d like to help her release a rehabbed Barred Owl and take some pictures for her. I agreed.

I discovered quite a bit about the Center, a non-profit with a simple, but not easy, mission: to rescue, treat, and rehab wounded birds and animals and release them back into the wild. In addition, their goal is to teach and guide the general public about conservation issues and increase public awareness of wildlife.

When a wounded bird or other animal is found, the Center is called, and one of a number of dedicated volunteers goes out to capture and take the animal to be healed or rehabbed. The Center is a “state and federally

permitted” organization of rehabbers (including several local veterinarians in the area), educators, and conservation activists that rescues in the neighborhood of 1,000 birds and others annually—five to seven a day.’’ Individuals should not take it upon themselves to attempt to rehab these animals. The largest percentage of the wounded are hurt as a result of human interaction or encroachment into their habitats with construction and utility lines: gun shots, poison,

encounters with vehicles, unfortunate encounters with power lines and buildings, and cats are among the culprits. At any given time, the Center may be dealing with baby squirrels, bald eagles, owls, cara-caras, opossum, and sandhill cranes.

A few weeks after the first call from Robin, I received a second call. Together with the Audubon Center for Birds of Prey (CBOP) and members of the Hillsborough County ELAPP (Environmental Lands Acquisition and Protection Program), The Raptor

Center was going to release three rehabbed Bald Eagles at a remote location in the county. Again she invited me to attend and again, I agreed.

The Audubon Center for Birds of Prey brought the eagle rescued by RCTB, a second eagle which had been rescued by Save Our Seabirds, and a third eagle rescued by Featherland to the planned release location. All three of the birds traveled by car from Maitland, FL, where they had been rehabilitated and flight conditioned by CBOP. All three were carried by volunteers, each of whom held one of the birds on her lap for the length of drive. The birds were hooded to keep them calm during the drive (several hours from Orlando), and those involved with the original onsite rescue of the birds were offered the opportunity to do the actual releasing, one at a time.

One volunteer removed the hoods, and on the count of three the eagle was given a little

Raptor continued on page 6.

Saint Andrew Hosts Its Spring Craft Fair and More

By Bob Sanchez

On a sunny Saturday morning in April, Saint Andrew Presbyterian Church held its spring craft fair and bake sale. Dozens of local artisans displayed and sold their wares in the Fellowship Hall. Delicious baked goods were also on offer near the display of the Model Train Club. Outside, more than a dozen members of the Roamin’ Oldies Car Club

off

automotive Americana. Lou Putnam chaired the event, while Carol Slagle and Beverly Bauer handled the kitchen with Peter Sallemi “doing the best hot dogs in town on the grill,” wrote spokesman Grant Strum. Denise Marrero managed the raffle and Dean Metcalf coordinated the car show outside the church. Many hands went into the baking and selling, and the Bake Sale was a “huge success.”

Hundreds of residents stopped by to enjoy the event and purchase the vendors’ wares. “We are looking forward to doing another Arts & Crafts Fair in November,” Grant said.

More Photos on page 21.

MacDill Air Show Excites

By Mike Lee

Under crystal clear skies, tens of thousands of Tampa Bay area residents, as well as tourists, marveled at a recent air show at MacDill Air Force Base. The show, which featured the United States Air Force Thunderbirds, also included performances by the U.S. Special Operations Commands Para-Commandos, an elite parachute demonstration team, a flyover by the C-17 Globemaster III, which is used

to quickly deploy troops, a performance highlighting the KC-135 Stratotanker, which refuels other aircraft in the air, and many other performances in the air. There were also many displays on the base, showcasing many types of aircraft utilized by the military.

Unfortunately, this will be the last airshow that will be hosted at the base for at least three years, as major construction has started, which will limit facilities for shows such as this one.

Glenn King takes pride in his 1967 Chevelle. showed

their shiny examples of

Crafts on display.

Shine Blockers

By E. Adam Porter Editor, News of SCC & South County

One of my guilty pleasures is watching blind auditions from The Voice on YouTube. The music talent show combines the emotional connection of concerts with the anticipation of opening a present—usually without the schlocky nonsense of off-pitch trolls just trying to live their 15 minutes of fame, which happens on other, similar TV talent shows.

I often have The Voice compilation videos playing while I write. It’s a fun way to experience a variety of incredible songs performed in new and interesting ways. Singers arrive at the auditions knowing this is their shot, and that pressure compels the true artists to hone their skills until they shine.

Some of my favorite videos are when a singer reinterprets a familiar song in such a stunning and unique way that you cannot help but stop and listen. I can be totally immersed in scripting a scene when—suddenly—the music has me, and I have to click over and watch. Part of the joy of the experience is watching the rapture on the faces of the judges. These judges are all household names in their profession. They love music, and it shows when someone comes on stage and knocks their professional socks off.

I came across a clip recently from 2022. The artist was a nervous Australian girl, who delivered a soulful version of the circa-2000 teen pop-punk anthem, Teenage Dirtbag. The song captures the lament of a self-described loser who pines for an unrequited love while feeling like the ultimate outcast in the small fishbowl of high school. He longs to invite her to a concert. She doesn’t know he exists—cue the music

The young singer, Ally, embodies the emotion in the song in a way that causes one of the judges to ask why she connected with it so deeply. After all, it was a “come and gone” track by a

one-hit wonder more than two decades removed from radio airplay. Where did her passion for and connection to that song come from?

Ally, a nervous smile lighting her face, said that the song encouraged her not to listen to the bullies. The judge—worldfamous country artist, Keith Urban, leaned in, looking like an empathetic father. It’s natural transition—he has girls of his own at home. Urban asks Ally if she’s had a bully in her life. Ally pauses, thinks, says: “When I was 9 years old…”

She shared a story of a teacher who mocked her in front of the class for trying to sing. When she was NINE years old. Now, as a young adult singing in front of a global audience, the memory is as fresh in her eyes as if it had happened the day before… Naysayers, Urban replies… Shine blockers We get a lot of motivation from them

It’s a good message, and it’s true. But the deeper truth is that it takes a lot of strength to overcome the shine blockers. It takes a bright flame to burn through the efforts of those who feel compelled to snuff the flame from every candle they find. They are relentless, and they are legion. And, with apologies to children everywhere, far too many of them are teachers, parents, coaches… adults who volunteer for roles requiring them to inspire kids… who choose, instead, to stifle, mock, and deride them… to steal their shine

Roger Waters captured this sentiment pretty well: “When we grew up and went to school there were certain teachers who would hurt the children in any way they could…”

This abusive pattern is not exclusive to teachers and students. I don’t know what the ratio of encouragers to shine blockers is, but it sure feels overwhelming. Negativity permeates many corners of our culture, and it’s creeping toward the middle more and more every day. Makes me wonder if we really want to be a society that stifles flames rather than inspiring them.

Now, I know, right now there’s someone reading this, shaking their head, thinking, “Well, some people do need to be stifled. Not everyone can be a star.” That’s true. It’s also true that not everyone is qualified to be a critic.

I’ve spent many years working

as a professional writer and editor, apart from my duties with The News. There are more people who believe they are writers or who want to be than who actually are… and the technology available today allows these folks to circumvent the stopgaps that used to help them see where they are on that path. I’m not saying those folks should stop—or that they should be stopped—only that writing, like singing or any other art, is also a craft. And craft should be honed to a professional level. Does that mean folks should bow to criticism and assume they are unworthy? No. But they need to consider an objective standard to measure their level of skill—not talent, skill. A quick and simple filter for writers is Dutch Leonard’s timeless rule: “If it sounds like writing, I rewrite it.” If you know what that means, you are on pretty solid ground. If

not, that’s a good place to start. In the end, though, that process is an internal one. A pattern of working and learning and striving… of identifying where skills are lacking and working through those deficits to achieve greater understanding. There is precious little in that process that benefits from someone on the outside—some mean, disaffected, stifled human—to offer their unsolicited (and often unqualified) critique.

Maybe that’s a good thought for all the armchair shine blockers out there: If you can’t do it or you don’t know it… don’t try to teach it. And, maybe, just maybe, all of us— qualified or not—should default to encouraging. Think about it… Which is worse: A world where the less talented feel encouraged, or one in which the truly gifted have already given up?

NOKP Media (Publisher) reserves the right to edit or otherwise refuse all submissions. Neither the publisher nor the editor assume any responsibility for the return of submitted items. Mailed submissions can ONLY be returned if a correctly sized SASE is included

Whether it’s on the basketball court or the playground, don’t let pain stop you from enjoying time with the younger generation.

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Southshore Women’s Luncheon

Wednesday, May 8, doors open at 1050 a.m.

UMC of SCC, 1971 Haverford Avenue

All women are invited. “Bloom

Where You Are Planted” is the theme of the luncheon hosted by the SouthShore Women’s Connection. You’ll enjoy a delicious lunch prepared by Chef Joe and served by the wonderful volunteers at UMC for only $20 (including dessert!). As always, we will have fun door prizes for you to take home.

COMMUNITY

Kindred Spirits May Meeting

Wednesday, May 1, at 3:30 p.m.

Kings Point Banquet Room

As life changes, we often find ourselves missing a companion to be active with. Are you tired of going to restaurants, movies, and events alone or maybe not going at all? We have the solution. It’s the Kindred Spirits Club! Come meet other women to enjoy life with and build friendships. Please let the gate know you are here for Kindred Spirits. This month we are doing a fashion show featuring all things from resale shops. We gave several ladies $5 to purchase stellar outfits for the fiscally responsible! Questions? Contact Michelle Mason 813-492-8920 or “mmason@seniorsinservice.org”.

South Bay Genealogical Society Meeting

Our feature will be Valerie Frayer, Paper Alchemy Jewelry Class Instructor. Learn about a new art medium. Our guest speaker, Beverly Williams, from Lakeland, will share Pivotal Moments. You won’t want to miss this event!

Reservations and payments are required by May 1. Please call Amy with your reservation at 317-414-9062 or email her at “SSCWCFlorida@gmail.com” before Wednesday, May 1. Send $20 check payable to Stonecroft Ministries to Nancy Decker, 5203 Admiral Pointe Dr., Apollo Beach, FL 33572. Please let us know if you are a first-time guest so we can have a gift ready for you.

Reservations are limited for this event so get your reservation and payment early! Check us out at Stonecroft.org.

South Shore SAR to Host Luncheon

Saturday, May 11

The Plaza Club, 3932 Upper Creek Drive

South Shore Chapter Sons of the American Revolution luncheon. Social time will begin at 11:30 with luncheon at noon. All members, spouses, and guests are welcome to attend. For advance reservations, contact William Simms at wmsimms1@gmail.com or call (309) 826-6554 text or leave message.

The planned program will feature a presentation by William “Bill” Adkins, Sr. entitled, “From Quang Tri to Khe Sanh, Vietnam: 1968.” Bill is a USMC Veteran who earned his Combat Aircrew Wings while serving in Vietnam as a helicopter gunner, maintainer, and aircrewman. Following nine years of active duty in the U.S. Marine Corps, Bill set his course to become a medical imaging and radiation physics professional, and he now has more than 45 years in the profession.

Bill is a Leader Member of The Academy of Model Aeronautics, an ARRL Amateur Radio Instructor and has served as the president of Redeemer Lutheran Church congregation. He is a past president of the SCC German American Club, and is past Commander, and former Veteran Service Officer with The Disabled American Veterans Chapter 110 here in Sun City Center. Bill is also past president and current chaplain at The South Shore Sons of The American Revolution.

The South Shore Chapter of Sons of the American Revolution (www.sssar.org) -- a patriotic organization of descendants of Revolutionary War Patriots -- welcomes visitors from southeastern Hillsborough and northern Manatee counties.

Tuesday, May 21, begins at 10:30 a.m.

United Methodist Church, 1971 Haverford Avenue

Beginning at 10:30 a.m., there is an optional Round Table Discussion, followed by a sit-down luncheon at noon. Following lunch, at 1 p.m., our guest speaker, Carol Rooksby Weidlich, will present “The 10 Most Common Mistakes We Make in Our Family Research.”. The cost is $18. For reservations and meal choice, call Vicki at 360-6081647. Make your check payable to SBGS, and mail to South Bay Genealogical Society, PO Box 5202, Sun City Center, FL 33571. Your check must be received in our PO Box by May 9th. Allow 4-5 days for mailing. Late reservations cannot be accepted. Info: Victoria Sorensen, Director of Ministry, at 813-634-2539.

This month-long effort’s food collection focus was peanut butter and cereal, which are key food items in providing support to families in need. They are especially desirable due to both their nutritional value and ease of storage. Thanks to generous donors, Rotary was able to collect almost 300 items each of both peanut butter and cereal. The resulting hoard of food was delivered to the Emergency Care Help Organization (ECHO) to assist local families. Other organizations who generously contributed to Rotary’s effort were the Sportsman Club and the SCC Line Dance Club. Rotary also has an ongoing project to collect clothing in support of ECHO’s retail store. Those sales help fund family emergency needs. The SCC Rotary Club meets each Tuesday for lunch with a topical speaker at Freedom Fairways For more information visit its Facebook page at “facebook.com/RotarySCC” or call Connie (membership) at 813-957-6482.

office. Dr. Lin is a Board-Certified Ophthalmologist and Fellowship-Trained Retina Specialist with expertise in:

• Macular Degeneration

• Diabetic Eye Care

• Flashes & Floaters

• Laser Surgery of the Retina

Stef Shaw, Vice Chair, Sandy Penvose, Speaker, Barbara Brown, Chair SSCWC

Community continued from page 4.

Daughters of The American Revolution

Wednesday, May 15

Atrium, Florida Room, 945-D North Course Lane

Our social time, with light refreshments, will begin at 12:30 pm followed by our meeting at 1 p.m. Our meeting will include our Chapter Memorial Service and the Installation of Officers. All members, guests and anyone interested in learning more about DAR are welcome to attend. Do you have a patriot in your family tree? We can help you find out.

For more information, email “DARcgmb@aol.com”.

CAHT Thanks Interfaith Action Council

The Campaign Against Human Trafficking—Southshore is grateful for the $5,000 grant to provide rescue backpacks and mentoring for our local survivors of human trafficking.

The rescue backpack project has been ongoing for many years. They contain clothing, cosmetics, toiletries, blankets and pillows, journals, pens, water bottles, and all the items a man or woman would need to begin a new life after being rescued from a human trafficking situation.

Over the past five years, CAHT has prepared and delivered over 800 backpacks. This year we anticipate needing 225 and, thanks to the IAC, we will be able to complete this year’s goals!

South Shore Authors Readers Theater

South Shore Authors, a group of local published authors, meets twice a month in the Southshore Library, which just so happens to have a recording studio available for use by residents of Hillsborough county with a library card. One thing led to another and we found ourselves in that studio reading our parts of Lawrence Drake’s short story, The Bonneville, which he adapted into a play.

Robert Curtis has a booming, radio-announcer voice, so he was the obvious choice for the Narrator with most of the lines. Other characters included Lawrence as his much-younger self; Linda Bleser, as the sumptuous girl of his dreams, Karla; Mark Sondrini played Lawrence’s best friend, Mike; Terri Houston was the voice of Mike’s girl-next-door girlfriend, Sue; and Ed Walker had dual roles as Lawrence’s Dad and his Uncle Ed. While no one would confuse us with professionals, we had tons of fun on this project. The result of the vocals added to this true story can be heard in the Short Stories section of “Southshoreauthors.com”.

By

Frank and

Reid, instructors with the SCC Emergency Squad in use of AEDs and CPR, gave a short talk on the use of the AED (Automated External Defibrillator) in case of a cardiac emergency. After a brief discussion on the workings of an AED, Mr. Reid stressed the need for more residents to take advantage of free AED classes and CPR instruction at the Sun City Center Emergency Squad and to learn the location of AED placement in the various buildings in Sun City Center and Kings Point. The SCC Men’s Club is a supporter of the SCC Emergency Squad and has funded the purchase of several AEDs to be placed in CA buildings.

South Lake Association Goes “Back to the 60s”

The Florida Room had many who dressed “groovy” and enjoyed playing corn hole, 60s music trivia and eating delicious food.

Left Center Right Meeting

First and third Saturday, 2 to 4 p.m.

Kings Point East Social Room

Remember Left Center Right? That fun game in which three quarters and three dice can win you untold riches? We offer both the traditional games as well as LCR Extreme! created by our own Rick Miles. BYOE snacks to share are always welcome. If you are coming in from outside Kings Point let the guard know you are here for LCR. Questions? Contact Michelle Mason 813-492-8920 or “mmason@seniorsinservice.org”.

Apollo Beach Woman’s Club

On May 8, ABWC will finish its 2023-2024 year with the ABWC College Scholarship award ceremony. Since September, the club has been raising money to fund these scholarships. The recipients and a family member will attend the event at the Ruskin Moose Lodge #183, 1212 E. Shell Point Road, Ruskin, FL. The cost is $22; reservations and payments must be received by the Wednesday before each luncheon. For menu details and reservations, contact Claudia Gassett, 3rd VP of Membership Meetings, at 352-258-4580 “claudiagassett@me.com”. A prospective member can attend two luncheons before paying dues. Info: “apollobeachwomansclub. com” or Liz Pedersen, at 813-777-8215 “kenlizpedersen@msn.com”.

SCC Woman’s Club Celebrates

Centenarian George W. Green

George W. Green, a resident of Sun City Center, served in the Army during World War II, and later owned a security investigation business. His other achievements included traveling the world, owning a Ferrari, owning a twoseater plane, performing on stage with Tony Orlando in Las Vegas after hours and meeting boxer Jack Dempsey. But his biggest accomplishment was turning 100 on April 11. Shawna Wainright, an active member of the SCC Woman’s Club honored George by presenting him with a birthday card which read “100 Cheers for 100 Years”. She collected 100 signatures from local clubs members and organizations to celebrate his special day. Happy Birthday George!

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Sally

Raptor continued from page 1. puppet show incorporates 14 characters such as a sea turtle, an octopus, an otter [who share the risks of the destruction of their natural habitats] and one happy alligator. Of course, the gator is happy—he lives in buginfested swamps where humans don’t want to go.

lift and let go. Though they were released heading in different directions, all three chose to go in an eastwardly direction. It was awesome to watch their wings reach their approximate seven-foot wingspan as they took to the sky where it is hoped they will return to their places of origin and resume their majestic lives without further incident.

Volunteers and donations are desperately needed by the Raptor Center. After a bird is rehabbed, it is released into a “big flight cage” where it regains it strength and readying itself for return to the skies at the Center, but the organization is hoping to find a new, two- to five-acre location where they can build a comprehensive visitors’ center, perhaps more flight cages, and a clinic. That means man- and woman-power and money.

In fact, I spoke with Nancy Murrah of The Raptor Center who told me she is working on a proposal with a major corporation to move the Center’s rehab operation to Polk County which offers a more natural environment—one that more closely resembles the eagles’ natural habitat--than current urban areas by the end of this calendar year.

“In addition,” Murrah says, “we will be working on our education programs, including the Magical Bird Bus, their literacy program and educational puppet show, I Can Save the World” (expected to be a book later this year). The

Murrah became involved in Raptor Rescue after being a part of the Tampa Audubon’s Eagle Watch where she soon became an officer. She would visit eagles’ nests and watch for activity for about 20 minutes. It was a rather passive involvement, so Murrah was surprised when she received a call telling her “one of your baby eagles is on the ground, can you go get it?”

Murrah thought to herself, “I thought we were watching, not touching!” This was July 4, 2012, and the eaglet was at MacDill AFB in Tampa. So she was off to the rescue. It would be greatly understated to say she became hooked.

More than 180 eagles have passed through the Center for some level of care—whether rescue, triage, or transport,” all have touched and been touched by The Raptor Center of Tampa Bay.

Murrah has always had a passion for big birds of prey but, she tells me, “so many other animals are impacted by what we do.”

So, what can YOU do, because a single individual CAN make a huge difference? If you are so inclined, reach out to the Center (813-205-1851) to volunteer or

Profiles in Compassion Rich Bothroyd

After retiring from a career as a software engineer in Massachusetts, Rich Bothroyd and his late wife Jeri, moved to Sun City Center in 2017, for the weather and the lifestyle. In January of 2018, he decided to join the Emergency Squad to give back to the community.

Rich went through the Emergency Medical Responder (EMR) class and then the Driver’s class. He has served as an EMR, EMR/Ambulance Driver, Assistant Captain, and is now Captain of Team 5. He was elected to the Board of Directors and serves as Secretary of the Board.

“It’s a wonderful feeling to be able to help someone in need, sometimes during their worst moments. When we’re not out on a call, the ready room can be a lot of fun. It’s a great family atmosphere. When a Squad member has a problem, we’re always there for each other. It’s a very close knit family.”

donate. If you’re too busy or you and your finances are too committed, you can still help:

“Take care of your piece of the planet. Make sure it is clean, free of mono-filaments, trashed toys or ear buds [and don’t release balloons into the sky]. If you see a violation, call the appropriate people at Florida Fish & Wildlife (888-404-3922).

“Teach people to fish and hunt responsibly, to use guns appropriately—NOT to shoot birds, frogs, and turtles, etc.,” admonishes Murrah. Remember even annoying bugs are an essential part of the food chain as are bees and worms.

One personal note: This writer strongly recommends two books by Patrick D. Smith’s A Land Remembered and Forever Island to see what initially slowly,

then more rapidly, went from being cattle country to being the place to go for spring break or winter holiday, costing us countless now-extinct species many of us have never seen and the coming generations will only know as a part of our planet’s history!

Thanks to Nancy Murrah of RCTB and to Cheryl Merz, Raptor Care Assistant CBOP for Audubon , for her input.

We are

episodes of high blood pressure. I called the Emergency Squad and their crew arrived quickly; assessed my vitals, reassured me and got me the help I needed. Our community wouldn ’t be the same without these volunteers. Please consider giving your time. ” Jean Wadlin

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.

PERFORMINGARTS DANCING

“Senior Prom” Dance

May 3, from 7 to 9 p.m.

SCC Community Hall, S. Pebble Beach

Presented by Swing & Country Dance Club. All are welcome. Dance to music by DJ Wayne Train. Tickets on sale in SCC Atrium for $5 and $7 at the door through May 1, Mon 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Wed. 10 a.m. to noon, Fri. 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Info: Cindy Rohr at 630235-1277.

Cinco De Mayo Dinner Dance

Tuesday, May 7, at 5 p.m. • Kings Point Veterans Theater New York Club. Food by Banquet Masters. Music by Gene Cannon. Members $25 and guests $27.50. For further information, please contact Frank Gatto at 813-633-8942.

SCC German-American Club Spring Dinner Dance

Thursday, May 8, doors open at 4:30 p.m.

SCC Community Hall, 1910 S. Pebble Beach Entertainment provided by Eva Adams. There will be a polka/waltz lesson by local dance artist Bernice Du Bro. A scrumptious buffet will be provided by Banquet Masters. Water will be provided. BYOB. Cut-off date for reservations will be May 5. Tickets will be picked up at the door. Tickets are $30 for members, and $40 for non-members. Send or drop off your check (along with any desired seating arrangements) payable to the SCC German-American Club, to any of the following: John Pryor, 2216 Platinum Drive, SCC 860/4022078 Lenny Crooks, 2425 Emerald Lakes Drive, SCC 813/493-1644 Wolfgang Kesselring, 2042 Grantham Greens Drive, SCC, 860-3073342.

Senior Social Dance Group

Thursday, May 9, from 6:30 to 9 p.m.

Doors open at 6 p.m.

St. John Divine Episcopal Church, 1015 Del Webb East. These dances are always open to everyone and admission is $6, payable at the door. Come and enjoy music of the 50’s & 60’s with all types of dances featuring entertainer Thor Stevens and his keyboard and sax. BYOB, ice, set-ups, and snacks/munchies, nothing furnished. For more info call or text Judy Furman, 813-6061233 or email “judyannfurman@gmail.com”

Come Dance With Us

Saturday, May 11, doors open at 5:30 p.m.

Kings Point Veterans Theater, North Clubhouse

Performers: LB & CHLOE. Charge is $5. BYOB with water and ice provided. All are welcome. Info: Ken at 513-582-8449 or Rose at 513258-8238.

The summer months are upon us and now is the time to come out and enjoy your evenings with some great music at our Summer Gazebo Concerts. During the Summer months we offer wonderful free performances to our CA Members at the Gazebo, 958 Cherry Hills Drive, from 6 to 7:30 p.m.

This month we kick off with Kevin Brooks on Wednesday May 15. From 6 to 7:30 p.m. Please remember to bring your CA badge, and we only allow service animals at these events. Also, bring your golf carts or chairs to enjoy the wonderful music. Make sure to watch for the upcoming groups to be announced each month for the Gazebo Concerts. Guest passes can be purchased at the SCCCA Office at 1009 N. Pebble Beach Blvd. from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday to Friday. See you at the Gazebo. For any questions about our Entertainment please call Judy Cesarski, Activities Director at “activities@suncitycenter.org” or 813-643-2001.

Do You Wanna Dance Club

Saturday May 11, from 7 to 10 p.m.

SCC Community Hall, 1910 S. Pebble Beach

Classix, 60’s, 70’s, 80’s & 90’s with its classic rock sounds. The dance is open to the surrounding communities, no cards or passes required. Tickets are sold at the Atrium Kiosk from 10 to noon, Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, May 6, 8, and 10, and at the door on May 11. Ticket sales will end promptly at 7 p.m. Doors open at 6 p.m.

Ticket pricing: $5 members and $10 non-members. You can join the club for a pro-rated $30. BYOB. Please bring non-perishable food items for Our Ladies Pantry. Info: “jfkfunnsun@yahoo.com” or “bgocek1@gmail.com”.

The Kings Point Italian Club

Sadie Hawkins Day Party

Tuesday, May 14, doors open at 4:30 p.m.

KP Veterans Theater

Food provided by Banquet Masters. Club provides coffee, tea, and soda. BYOB. Music by Tommy Batch. Members $30, guests $35. Please make checks payable to the Italian Club. Tickets on sale May 7 and May 8, from 9 to noon at the KP North Clubhouse. Contact: Jack Meyer “ccmeyer16@yahoo.com” or “kpitalianclub. com”.

Moonglow Dance Club Fabulous 50s

May 23, from 7 to 9 p.m.

SCC Community Hall, 1910 Pebble Beach

Fantastic music by Kevin Brooks. All Sun City Center residents are welcome. Kings Point Show your club usage card. Freedom plaza, show your card. All types of dance music will be played. Members free. Guest $6. Attire 50s or dressy casual. For more information call Sharon 918-845-7747

Free Dance Lessons

Every Thursday. For SCCCA Residents, Kings Point Activity Card, or Freedom Plaza ID.

6 to 6:30 p.m. Beginner West Coast Swing

6:30 to 7 p.m. Intermediate West Coast Swing

The lessons will be held in Dance Studio 1. The studio is next to the walking pool in the Atrium. For more information contact Cindy Rohr at 630-235-1277.

Dance Lessons

Monday: May 6, 13, 20, 27

4 PM Intermediate Silver Foxtrot

5 PM Intermediate 2 West Coast Swing

6 PM Intermediate 1 Rumba

7 PM Beginning - East Coast Swing

Location: St. John the Divine Episcopal Church, Parish Hall, 1015 East Del Webb Blvd. Sun City Center. Info: Bernice DuBro-Clark (dancewithbernice@gmail.com) or 813-482-6784.

Cost: $30 per person for four weeks or $8 per lesson. All invited to attend.

Jazzmatazz Dance Club Offers Beginner Classes

The Jazzmatazz Dance Club that recently performed to “Thoroughly Modern Millie” at the 2024 Vesta Follies is offering beginner classes emphasizing musical theater dance. The Saturday morning class is an opportunity for those who love to dance to explore what Jazzmatazz has to offer. To register, call Connie Ray at (859) 4945337.

Astronaut Speaks to the Silver Ospreys

The Silver Ospreys squadron was privileged to have Astronaut CAPT Mike Foreman USN (Ret.) as speaker. Originally from Wadsworth, Ohio he graduated from the United States Naval Academy with a Bachelor of Science degree in Aerospace Engineering in 1979. He received his Wings of Gold and was designated a Naval Aviator in 1981. He later graduated with Distinction from the U. S. Naval Postgraduate School with a Master of Science Degree in Aeronautical Engineering, and also graduated with Distinction from the U. S. Naval Test Pilot School.

CAPT Foreman has more than 7,500 hours of flight time in over 50 types of aircraft; he was selected into the NASA Astronaut program in 1998 and spent over 637 hours in space during two space shuttle missions, STS-123 and STS-129. While in space he performed 5 spacewalks for a total of 32 hours and 19 minutes outside the space vehicles helping to build the International Space Station (ISS). He told us that at the age of eight he knew he wanted to be an Astronaut. It took a while to achieve his dream. Being persistent, Mike sent in eight applications over a span of 14 years before he was accepted into the program. He gave us a broad overview of the rigorous program he completed in preparation for his trips on the

pool to become acquainted with the feeling of working in a weightless environment. As he pointed out, in space there is “no up.”

The launch phase of each of Mike’s trips into space were a complete shock to his body, with the immediate surge of energy from the massive rockets propelling the Space Shuttle on its journey. The STS-129 mission focused on staging spare components outside the ISS. The payload bay carried two large ExPRESS Logistics Carriers holding two spare gyroscopes, two nitrogen tank assemblies, two pump modules, an ammonia tank assembly, a spare latching end effector for the station’s robotic arm, a spare trailing

umbilical system for the Mobile Transporter, and a high-pressure gas tank. All of this equipment had to be taken from the payload bay and moved in place to be attached to the ISS during the space walks. Once docked with the ISS the STS-129 crew quickly became acquainted with the international crew members already aboard the ISS. The 11-day flight included three spacewalks. Preparations for space walks are quite thorough and time consuming. Egress from the air lock compartment required Mike being tethered via an 85 ft. cable to various rails and attachment points. All tools being used on the space walks were attached to him as well.

On one occasion Mike moved far enough from the air lock to require an additional 85 ft. cable tether.

Mike showed a video record of the STS-129 mission that was stunning as it was beautiful. It showed everything from launch to landing, from donning space suits for space walks, to actual photos taken during the space walks, to interactions with the international crew that was resident on the ISS when the STS129 crew arrived. The video was an exclamation point to Mike’s superb presentation.

Mike fielded an array of questions about the mission and its details, and then added that he “was humbled to look down and see our beautiful earth.” Asked by a member of the audience if he was moved spiritually about this experience Mike replied that indeed he was, and that “I am a believer.”

Astronaut CAPT Mike Foreman, USN (Ret.)

Tom Harding, CO Silver Ospreys Squadron; CDR Gayle Thompson, USN (Ret.); Astronaut CAPT Mike Foreman, USN (Ret.); RADM Ron Silva, USCG (Ret.); CAPT Dick Petrucci, USN (Ret.); RADM Larry Chambers, USN (Ret.).

WED. MAY 1, 8, 15, 22, 29THERAPEUTIC TAI CHI FOR HEALTH 9:30 - 10:30 a.m. at Sun Towers Retirement Community, 101 Trinity Lakes Drive, Sun City Center. Our therapists have advanced training in therapeutic Tai Chi for Seniors and will provide guidance in this healthy exercise. For more information, contact Debbie Caneen at 813-892-2990.

WED. MAY 1 - EMERGENCY SQUAD DISASTER PREPAREDNESS EVENT 1:00 p.m. at Community Hall, 1910 S. Pebble Beach Blvd. SCC. PURPOSE: Inform the general homeowner public regarding preparation and safety in the event of a severe storm or other disaster.

THU. MAY 2 - PARTNERS IN NETWORK – BUSINESS REFERRAL MEETINGS Every Thursday 8:30 – 9:30 a.m. at at Sun Towers Retirement Community, 101 Trinity Lakes Dr. Sun City Center. Partners in Network links professionals together to facilitate referral-based business

growth. Our members develop strong long-term working relationships based on trust and proven results. Questions? Call Debbie Caneen 813-892-2990.

THU. MAY 2, 9, 16, 23, 30OPTIMAL HEALTH CLASS 10:00 a.m. at Sun Towers Retirement Community, 101 Trinity Lakes Dr, SCC. Classes are free and I do not sell anything. I am just truly passionate about sharing my knowledge with anyone who wants to live long and be healthy in this journey called life. Yours in true health, Dinah Allison.

THU. MAY 2 - CRAFT BEER & WINE CLUB OF SUN CITY CENTER “Fermenting Fanatics” 1:30 p.m. Sun Towers Retirement Community, 101 Trintiy Lakes Dr., SCC. May brings so many holidays together into one giant celebration. As always, we request our members bring either 2 bottles of beer or a bottle of wine for tasting. This month our theme is new beginnings. Questions? Contact Michelle Mason 813-492-8920 or mmason@seniorsinservice.org.

FRI. MAY 10 - VETERANS COFFEE

SOCIAL 9:00 - 10:30 a.m. at Sun Towers Retirement Community, 101 Trinity Lakes Dr. SCC. Who Should Attend? Veterans, Active Duty Military, Family of Veterans, Law Enforcement, Faith-Based and Provider Organizations, Academic Institutions and Government. Free valet at high rise entrance. Info? Contact Elizabeth.Heyne@va.gov.

THU. MAY 16- FREE BALANCE

SCREENING 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 noon – Sun Towers Outpatient

Therapy Dept, 101 Trinity Lakes Dr. SCC. Did you know one in four adults aged 65 and older falls each year? Are you at risk? Have your fall risk screened at no cost to you! This simple screening takes less than ten minutes. See the results before your eyes through biofeedback. Call to schedule today! (813) 331-3035.

THU. MAY 16 - DEFEAT DIABETES

GROUP 1:30 p.m. at Sun Towers Retirement Community, 101 Trinity Lakes Dr. SCC. Shirley Sullivan, Nutritionist and founder of Southshore Wellness, integrates a holistic approach and love of healthy, simple living through personalized, seasonal nutritional detox & cleanse programs, meal planning, FIT Testing, wellness workshops, lunch-n-learns, as well as providing other natural products to support your wellness goals. Healthy intent is key to reaching your wellness goals. Embrace the journey. For info, call Debbie Caneen 813892-2990.

MON. MAY 20 - PARKINSON’S SUPPORT GROUP 1:30 at Sun Towers Retirement Community, 101 Trinity Lakes Dr. SCC. This month, we will learn about the

Men’s Club Lifeline Personal Emergency Response System. For nearly three decades, the Men’s Club has been the exclusive provider of Lifeline Emergency Response Systems in the Sun City Community. However, unlike the off-the-shelf competitors, the Men’s Club Lifeline comes with something extra: free installation, free training, and free service calls by our many highly trained volunteers. With the influx of newly diagnosed group members, the request for seasoned members to assist is needed and appreciated! If you have Parkinson’s, or are caring for someone with this disease, be sure to attend this support group! Questions? Call Debbie Caneen 813-892-2990.

TUE. MAY 21 - ESSENTIAL TREMORS (ET) SUPPORT GROUP 2:30 - 3:30 pm. (3rd Tuesday of each month) at Sun Towers Retirement Community, 101 Trinity Lakes Dr. SCC. Gezil Andrews is the local coordinator for the group. Open to all the community, not just our local group members! Questions: Call Gezil Andrews at 309-6601091. Gezil also has a blog for all who deal with Essential Tremors: “Awomanandherstories.com”.

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 Lifeline Personal Emergency Response System (PERS) at a more competitive rate than what Lifeline 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 the 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

Beekeeping in Florida is Serious Business

By Gezil Andrews

Can bees make it to the Emmys? Really, how can creatures such as the honeybee be such a big deal? Watch the movie ratings of the “Beekeeper” with Jason Stratham, playing the part of a retired CIA operative who now runs a beehive operation, and you will capture the essence of enjoying your hobby and a peaceful life, turned upside down at no fault of the bees. The movie is mesmerizing and expresses the love for the hives one man can have. Stratham portrays the colony as part of his family.

Bees may be noisy but caring for and producing honey covers the background noise. There are over 20,000 different bee species—I am focusing on just one, the honeybee.

The revenue side of the picture is impressive. Total revenues for Florida beekeeping operations in 2020 were estimated at $93.36 million, including $60.35 million for sales of honeybee products and $33.29 million for crop pollination services. Capital investments by Florida beekeepers in 2020 for hives and woodenware, equipment, buildings, and other assets were estimated at $17.07 million. (Source: “ifas.ufl.edu”: Food and Resource Economics Department. Beekeeping is a major financial source for Florida.}

If you want even more minute detail, look up the name Melissa and you will see that the name derives from the Greek word mélissa, meaning “bee,” which was taken from the word meli, meaning “honey.” – honeybee! Think of how many girls and women named Melissa you know! And, for boys, Beckett is an Old English name meaning beehive. It comes from the words “beo cot” which means “bee cottage.” Add this to your “tough questions” on a Friday night with pizza and you will win big points with your family and neighbors.

There are three honeybee farms within 40 miles of Sun City Center, FL. I opted for a drive to Heritage Bee Farm, a working bee farm, and spent time with Chris Vasquez, Owner and CEO. The farm is in Myakka City, surrounded by woods and a lake. Serene and quiet, except for the hum of the bees in their hives. Plan a visit: “HeritageBees. com”.

Chris shares: “It was a church friend who took me down the path of keeping bees. The friend was a commercial beekeeper who realized I had an interest, so he dropped off a couple of hives at the house one day.”

The hobby with just two hives turned into 10, then to 50… several years and over a thousand hives later, an appreciation for bees has continued growing. Today there is Heritage Bee Farm! Chris and his wife, with their nine children, run the farm operations.

Chris showed how the hives are separated and what surrounds them for nurturing their growth. The bee farm is open and expansive. Chris and his family work on the farm every day, paying special attention to the growth and life of the bees as well as the product they produce.

While honeybees are essential pollinators for many fruits and vegetables, not all of them require honeybee pollination. Some can be pollinated by other insects or even by the wind.

The pollination flavors of honey are influenced by the nectar source, not the pollination method or bee hybrid. Examples of honey flavors include orange blossom and mango, which come from the nectar of those respective flowers.

Pasteurization refers to heating honey to kill yeast cells and prevent germination, while raw or unpasteurized honey is not heated and retains more of its natural properties. The distinction is not about added ingredients, as honey is typically pure without additives.

All the honey from Heritage Bee Farm is non pasteurized and you can tell the difference with just a modest taste. I pick nonpasteurized, but some people do enjoy more sweetness from added ingredients.

Mother Nature has played her own hand to farms in our state. Just one example is Hurricane Ian, 2022, the deadliest hurricane to strike the state of Florida since the 1935 Labor Day hurricane, and the strongest hurricane to make landfall in Florida since Michael in 2018. Heritage Bee Farm lost 450 colonies, over

one third of their entire colony base! It took over a year for the farm to recover in product and revenue.

The queen bee truly lives up to her name in that there is only one queen bee per colony. If the queen isn’t a producing queen (giving birth to hundreds of drone bees daily), she could be killed and taken away. The Queen bee makes one mating flight and doesn’t leave her hive again.

Bees rely on a combination of pheromones, visual cues, and behavioral differences to recognize and maintain their essential queen bee within the hive. Worker bees are female but are not fertilized. Drones are male bees that come from unfertilized eggs laid by the queen.

A worker bee produces about 1/12th of a teaspoon of honey in her lifetime, which is around 22 days during the foraging season. This is another reason that hive growth and life cycles are so meaningful to a bee farmer.

Bee farms and their hives receive vigorous state inspections. The state inspectors go through a detailed procedure to certify the queen isn’t carrying an African virus. The African virus is one of the deadliest viruses to attack the honeybee population.

African lowland honey bee with various European honey bee subspecies such as the Italian honey bee and the Iberian honey bee. These bees were first introduced to Brazil in 1956 to increase honey production, but 26 swarms escaped quarantine in 1957. Since then, the hybrid has spread throughout South America and arrived in North America in 1985.

Africanized honey bees are typically much more defensive, react to disturbances faster, and chase people further than other varieties of honeybees. They have killed some 1,000 humans, with victims receiving 10 times more stings than from European honeybees. They have also killed horses and other animals.

While bee incidents are much less common than they were during the first wave of Africanized honey bee colonization, this can be attributed to modified and improved bee management techniques. Prominent among these are locating bee-yards much farther away from human habitation, creating barriers to keep livestock at enough of a distance to prevent interaction, and education of the public to teach them how to properly react when feral colonies are encountered and what resources to contact.

In Florida, beekeepers have access to the Florida State Beekeeper Association. Chris Vasquez is a member of the association. The association has an excellent website that can direct an interested party to any range of topics, “flstatebeekeepers.org”.

The Africanized bee, also known as the Africanized honey bee and colloquially as the “killer bee”, is a hybrid of the western honey bee produced originally by crossbreeding of the East

The bee is visually a beautiful insect with its colorful body and is captivating to children! Many dogs and cats have experienced the sting of a bee bite on their nose so keep animals away from beehives. The same goes with children (and us adults too).

The published information on honeybees is massive – this is just a sample. Share the story with others. The world will be abuzz with good news!

Honeybee Photo by Andrea L.T. Peterson

Chris Vasquez, CEO & Owner, Heritage Bee Farm, checking the hives!

2024 Triangular Tournament

By Aileen Engel

The 2024 Triangular between Caloosa, Scepter, and Renaissance was held on Wednesday, 3-27-2024 at Caloosa Golf and Country Club. The weather was beautiful, with no rain. The cost was $35 per person, which included breakfast, lunch, golf, and prize money. Chairladies were Judy Wagner and Mary Ellen Laprade.

The tournament was one better ball net of a two-person team. There were a total of 84 golfers, with 14 two-person teams from each club. The lowest 12 team net scores were used to calculate the winning club. Caloosa was the overall winner, with Scepter second and Renaissance third. Prize money was awarded to the five teams from each club with the lowest team net score.

SCC Lawn Bowling

By Garry Higgins

Jack Hardy LTC, US Army, Retired and Still Serving

By Peter Stewart

At 93, Jack Hardy started tennis at the YMCA New Haven CT at 10 years old and hasn’t stopped yet. Jack loves the camaraderie and exercise, still playing three times weekly with the Kings Point Tennis Club in Sun City Center. Jack’s dance steps are renowned, and his tennis return is quick and deadly. Jack joined the US Army in 1957, started flight school in 1959, teaching emergency flight procedures at Fort Rucker Alabama. Jack served three full years in Vietnam, flying Caribou and Huey helicopters, and played tennis with his army team. Back in the US at Ft. Benning, GA.

Jack raised three boys, continuing his tennis and teaching tennis to his boys. His son Peter still comes out to play with dad and club members in mixed doubles at least once weekly. For 10 years now, as a resident of Kings Point and member of Kings Point tennis club, Jack jokes that he is finally getting the respect he deserves; staying in shape, eating healthy, enjoying wonderful fellowship and having lots of fun.

Take it from Jack, tennis at any age and despite physical challenges, can still be played and help bring health and fulfillment to a well lived life. Kings Point tennis club meets for double tennis Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday mornings so just show up, sign up, give it a try and say hello to Jack Hardy who will welcome you personally.

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One of the highlights of the lawn bowling season is the final playoff for the overall Club Singles Champion where the Women’s Singles Champion plays the Men’s Singles Champion. A “battle of the sexes” event that always attracts lots of “his” fans and “her” fans. This year it was the Women’s Singles Champion, Paula Larocque meeting the Men’s Singles Champion, Eric Porr. Paula prevailed, and with the win, was awarded the Club Singles Championship trophy.

Visit suncitycenterlbc.com for more information about the sport of Lawn Bowls, Croquet and the local club.

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Eric Porr Men’s Singles Champion. Paula Larocque the Women’s and 2024 Club Singles Champion.

Pictured are the three teams participating in the Triangular TournamentScepter in green, Caloosa in red, and Renaissance in pink.

Solar Eclipse

By Mike Lee

Streetlights came on in the middle of the day. Birds quit chirping. Near darkness set in. What caused all of this? That was the experience in Central Arkansas when the solar eclipse neared and then reached totality on April 8.

At the University of Central Arkansas in Conway, Arkansas, the time before totality was filled with a playlist consisting of songs related to the sun, the moon and the stars, culminating with “Total Eclipse of the Heart” by Bonnie Tyler as the sun was obscured by the moon. When the eclipse reached totality, thousands of cameras were being used by spectators in their football stadium. The jumbotron in the stadium also streamed a view from a telescope that is located in an observatory at the campus.

When the sun began to reappear, the thousands in attendance erupted in applause. This was a once in a lifetime experience for many, as the next total eclipse in the United States will not occur until August 23, 2044.

News of Freedom Plaza

By Peggy Burgess

Residents and non-resident guests who attend Freedom Plaza’s “Opera & More“ sessions find opera entertaining! They also enjoy the “More” aspect that includes lighter fare in operettas, Broadway shows and movies about opera.

April was “Mario Lanza Month” featuring two movies in which he starred. May brings melodious memories of Nelson Eddy and Jeanette McDonald in “Maytime” and “Rose Marie.” May brings, as well, a special treat for our opera enthusiasts as 30 of them will be escorted to Tampa’s Hyde Park CineBistro theater for a MetLive presentation of Madama Butterfly. They will relax in easy chairs and enjoy food served to them as they join millions of viewers in theaters worldwide to watch this live performance on the Metropolitan Opera stage in New York City. These residents will be well-prepared for Madama Butterfly with a study session on it and its composer, Giacomo Puccini, offered prior to the excursion.

Opera invaded Freedom Plaza even before the doors opened in 1992. When Freedom Plaza was under construction, with the Sales Center occupying what is now the Plaza Club, a member of the sales staff was also teaching a class called “What’s So Grand About Opera?” at a local learning center. She was given permission to offer evening classes in the sales center, which

was closed at night. Upon Freedom Plaza’s official opening, those classes were moved into the new building and continued as “Opera Club” with all class members, residents or not, welcome to attend. The name “Opera Club” was later changed to “Opera & More” to reflect its expanded program. It still welcomes anyone interested to attend the sessions on the 2nd and 4th Tuesdays of every month at 7:15 p.m. Visitors need only register at Freedom Plaza’s Front Desk to be directed to the Auditorium and the magical world of what, in 1645, English diarist John Evelyn called, “The noblest spectacle ever conceived by man!” For more formation call (813) 634-8046 during business hours.

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Resident opera fans, Tom & Sarah Tidwell, look forward to seeing Madama Butterfly.

By Kai Rambow

TRAVEL

Canyonlands Plus Surprise

If you race through Southeastern Utah trying to hit as many national parks as possible, ironically you will miss something. Better to plan and not miss anything. Canyonlands National Park is right beside Arches National Park, yet it receives over half a million fewer visitors every year. If you were to set aside one day for Canyonlands, you can comfortably see it in a day.

Mesa Arch

The best known landmark here is Mesa Arch. The most popular time is sunrise.

To catch the sunrise, I left in the dark. The drive is easy; the hike requires caution. If you use GPS, you should be able to find the parking spot easily. Recommend you hike with a flashlight or equivalent. The hike is not difficult, but the ground is uneven. Taking your time for the hike is the safest option.

most popular

Do not be surprised if people are already there when you arrive. You’ll make new friends while waiting for the sunrise. Count on being flooded with people the closer you get to sunrise. The advantage is you’ll have the spot you want to watch the sun come up and take pictures.

Being there for sunrise is not a must. You can, of course, opt for a later time. It’s still great to see the arch at any time during the day.

Shafer Canyon Overlook

After the Mesa Arch, as you head back towards the entrance two spots worth a stop are the Shafer Canyon overlook and the visitor center. The overlook has a winding road descending into the canyon. There will be the occasional car. It’s fun to watch the progress of a car on the road. You’ll quickly recognize this road is for four wheel drive vehicles and people with steady nerves.

The visitor center is worth a quick stop. You’ll learn there are four distinct areas of the park, spread apart by some distance. There are a few other things you may discover and enjoy.

Dead Horse Point

This is a pleasant surprise. A

short distance after exiting Canyonlands, you’ll encounter signs for Dead Horse Point State Park. The main attraction here is a view most of us have seen in photographs. There is a separate fee, but I considered this side trip to be worthwhile. After seeing these main highlights, I headed back into town for lunch.

Tips for a Great Trip

If you are planning on visiting several national parks, consider getting an annual or lifetime pass. If you already have one, you’re all set. Arches National Park will be covered in the next issue.

You may want to consider planning for a fall trip for several reasons. The weather is better. Utah, when it gets hot, can be unbearable. Any hikes in hot weather could leave you dehydrated. To stay comfortable in the fall, dress in layers, plus a good jacket should do. A good pair of hiking boots and sunglasses are a good idea. There will be less crowds in the fall as well. This makes visiting sites much more enjoyable. Moab is the nearest town offering a good range of places to stay and restaurants. Fall prices on rooms is an added plus.

Sunrise at Canyonlands National Park. This is the

time to see the arch. The placement of the arch at the edge of a 1300 foot drop, plus capturing the sunrise has made this the most notable spot in the park.

Most of the drives off the main road require a four-wheel drive, steady nerves and really good driving skills.

Dead Horse Point State Park is frequently photographed. Not every great view is in a national park. This one is easily accessible near Canyonlands.

A winding road along the edge of the canyon requires a four wheel drive and nerves of steel. It’s fun to watch other drivers navigate their way.

Family of Dr. Willis and Louise Brown’s Connection to SCC

By Paula Lickfeldt

Dr. Willis Brown and his wife Louise lived in Indiana where they raised their five children. When Dr. Brown was in his late 50s he became ill. He lost his ability to walk unassisted and had to use a scooter. He and his wife Louise decided to move to Texas because they wanted to get away from the cold and snow. Texas did not turn out to be what they had wanted and they had some friends who had moved to Sun City Center, so in 1994 they decided to move to Florida. They rented a home in SCC for a few years and then they bought the home where they spent the rest of their lives. Their middle child, Deborah, and her husband, Dan Pollert, visited Deb’s parents in Florida. Dan worked for the John Deere Co. and Deb was a parapro teacher in the Forest Hills School District on the outskirts of Grand Rapids, Michigan. They bought a home in SCC in 2002 even though they had not yet retired and neither was old enough to live here. They continued to visit and when they had retired, they were the first of the siblings to move to SCC, but they still go back to Grand Rapids, MI, for four months each year. They have three children and four

ograndchildren and one of their children lives in Grand Rapids. While they are in SCC, they are both very active at Redeemer Lutheran Church and they are co-chairs of Aquasizers. Dan belongs to the SCC Men’s Club and they both belong to the “Do You Wanna Dance?” Club. In 2013, the rest of the family except Mary and Scott Brown

moved to SCC. All of the children had visited the Browns, and they liked SCC and what it had to offer. Cynthia Brown and Andy Moss lived in Wisconsin. Cynthia was an assistant District Attorney in Chicago and Milwaukee and Andy was a teacher in a Montessori School. They have two children. They spend just three months

each year in SCC. While they are here, Andy likes to golf with his brother-in-law, Scott.

Scott Brown was a management wholesale distributor and retired in 2020. His wife Mary was a registered nurse and she retired in 2016. Mary likes to walk and Scott plays golf with Andy. They go north for the summer to see their three children who are still working. Clark and Gwen Brown are here year round. They have four children who are still working and living in the north. Both Clark and Gwen volunteer as mentors for the Hope Fund. Clark likes to play poker and chess and he belongs to the Lions Club. One sister, Pam, and her husband, Dan Baker, had already returned to New Albany, Indiana where they spend part of the year. Pam retired from Purdue as an Extension Educator. Her husband, Dan retired from the Chrysler Corporation in the Chicago Office. The Bakers and their children spent many spring breaks in SCC.

The family loves that they are able to be together for part of the year. When some of them go north, they spread out, but when they are in SCC they can spend time together and enjoy each other.

Back L to R: Clark Brown, Scott Brown, Andy Moss, Dan Pollert. Front L to R: Mary Brown, Cynthia Brown and Deb Pollert.

Audubon Club Hosts Florida Wildlife Corridor Foundation

By Bob Sanchez

The Audubon Club’s April meeting in a packed Florida Room featured a video and talk by Teresa Chalkley of the Florida Wildlife Corridor Foundation. She answered a number of questions from Club members.

The Corridor comprises nearly 18 million acres of contiguous wilderness and working lands

crucial to the survival of many of Florida’s 131 imperiled animal species, according to the Foundation. It is the result of many years of hard work and a 2021 Act by the Florida Legislature creating a “network of connected wildlife habitats,” including a landscape design element called a Wildlife crossing, which connects two or more patches of wildlife habitat

and is meant to function as a safe conduit for wildlife. The legislature has budgeted nearly $2 billion for protecting land in the Florida Wildlife Corridor since 2021, according to the Foundation. Since 2021, at least 200,000 areas of conservation land have been added. For more information about the Corridor, visit “floridawildlifecorridor.org”.

Hope Fund Spring Break Fun

“Over the past 25 years, Our Lady’s Pantry has grown exponentially into what is now a big business,” says director Tom Bullaro. “But, still, the Pantry is an all-volunteer charity, consumed by the laborious procedures and reports of any big business.

“We are hoping to identify a few volunteers skilled in Microsoft Office Excel who can work alongside our computer folks to serve as a backup, lending a hand whenever needed.

“If you wish for more information, you can call me at: (813) 741-2000,” says Bullaro. “Please leave a message and I shall call you back. And thank you so much!”

Our Lady’s Pantry Needs Immediate Help Register For Benefit Cruise

This year, the Multicultural Heritage Club of Sun City Center has a scheduled fundraiser group cruise you can sign up for now and lock in an exceptional group rate. Any reduction in the fare before the cruise will accrue to all passengers. It’s a 6-day, 5-night cruise on Royal Caribbean’s “Enchantment of the Seas”, and it sails from Tampa from November 9- 14, 2024. This sailing goes to Puerto Costa Maya and Cozumel, Mexico. Rates start at $614.89 per person for an inside cabin and ocean view stateroom

from $679.89 per person. Your fun-filled package includes: shipboard accommodations, ocean transportation, on board meals and some beverages, entertainment and daily activities, and port taxes and government fees.

Contact SCC Travelworld, 906 N. Pebble Beach Blvd, Sun City Center Plaza, 813-634-3318, for more details and to book your cabin and join our fun group. Everyone is welcome on this cruise. Bus transportation will be provided at additional cost if the number of travelers justify.

The Hope Fund introduced something extra-special to its afterschool learning program for Wimauma’s grade-school migrant children – fun things and times for them to enjoy during spring break week March 11-15. Many of the 45 children enrolled this school year participated in these activities, which, for most of them, were also exciting first-time experiences.

Monday, March 11, the children snacked on donuts and oranges at their regular meeting place, the Wimauma Civic Center, and then watched a great show put on by Razzmatazz Entertainment’s Lowell Tauszik, a ventriloquist and magician. He gave some of them the thrill of helping perform magic tricks.

“On Tuesday, March 12, we bused the kids to The Alley in Riverview for bowling,” said Beth Ewing, Hope Fund president. “Only five of them had ever bowled, and none of them wanted to leave. They were having so much fun.”

On the last day, Friday, March 15, after a McDonald’s Happy Meal lunch at the civic center, the children played grown-up bingo with real bingo cards and daubers. “They got so excited when their numbers were called,” said Ewing. “We also gave them raffle tickets like those offered at professional games and they won prizes.”

Over the past 29 years since Carla Miles started The Hope Fund, it has thrived with generous funding by donors.

“We have made a difference,” says Miles, “Most of our volunteers, many of whom are retired teachers, return year after year, and we always welcome new ones.” The Hope Fund runs its weekly sessions during each school year. Anyone interested in joining the program, or would like more information, can call Carla Miles at 813-590-8448 or visit “thehopefundscc.org”.

Cindy Stewart Visits SCC Men’s Club

County Clerk of Court and Comptroller was a guest of the Sun City Center Men’s Club at the April luncheon meeting. Ms. Stewart spoke of her duties and the services the Clerk of Court and the Comptroller provide to the citizens of Hillsborough County.

are facilitating the jury process, maintaining court records, maintaining court finances, maintaining court evidence, processing domestic violence injunctions, and offering U.S. passport applications. The office of the Comptroller provides accounting services to all departments under the

Hillsborough Board of County Commissioners, audits county expenses and activities, oversees county assets and manages county investments, maintains financial records for county commissioners and prepares financial reporting that is often accessible online. Ms. Stewart answered many questions from the audience in The SCC Men’s Club is one of the leading service clubs in Greater Sun City Center as is best known as the sponsor of Lifeline, the emergency contact system and sponsoring many health and welfare seminars. For info please call Bruce Fraser, VP of Membership at 813-419-4013.

L to R: Denny Gray, President, SCC Men’s Club; Cindy Stewart, Hillsborough County Clerk of Court & Comptroller; Programs, SCC Men’s Club.

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Military News

Attention all Military Veterans and Their Spouses

The next meeting of the American Legion Post 246 will be held on Friday, May 31, at 9:30 a.m. in Room 3, SCC Community Association Community Hall,1910 South Pebble Beach Blvd., SCC.

The program will include updates on present Post activities and other items of interest to local veterans and their spouses. Elections for next year’s Post Officers will also be held. Nominations from the floor will be welcomed. Discussions will take place concerning adding Post activities supporting local veterans and local High School students.

All veterans (including snowbirds), spouses and friends are welcome. For information call Paul Wheat at 813-391-7309 or e-mail at “pawheatjr@aol.com”.

Daughters of the American Revolution Service Awards

Memorial Day Ceremony

Kings Point Veterans Theater • 10 a.m. Monday, May 27

Sun City Center will again observe our traditional Memorial Day Ceremony starting at 10:00 a.m. Monday, May 27th in the Veterans Theater in the Kings Point Clubhouse, 1900 Club House Dr., Sun City Center. Doors will open at 9 a.m. for open general attendance seating. The public is invited. All guests requesting reserved seating should be seated not later than 9:45 a.m.

This ceremony is sponsored by the combined military veterans’ organizations of Sun City Center and is supported by the joint efforts of many participating community service organizations.

Our Guest Speaker will be Executive Director David K. Dunning, MPA. Dunning was appointed Medical Center Director of the James A. Haley Veterans’ Hospital and Clinics in Tampa, Florida effective Nov. 8, 2021. Mr. Dunning joined the VA with 30 years of healthcare experience in the United States Army. He is a multifaceted healthcare executive, successful in environments of armed conflict to state-of-the-art healthcare facilities.

The focus of this Memorial Day ceremony is to honor all former or present community military veterans who have died in the past year. They will be recognized and honored by the Roll Call of Departed Comrades held concurrently with our Living Flag Tribute.

Our Grand Marshall, Mr. William (Bill) Hodges, U.S. Air Force veteran, who, assisted by members of the Sons of the American Revolution, will then be placing a wreath at the flagpole outside the auditorium immediately after the inside ceremony. Call Paul Wheat at 813-3917309 or e-mail pawheatjr@aol.com if you have questions

Daughters of the American Revolution held its annual March meeting on the 20th, at which time two Community Service Awards were presented to two very dedicated veteran volunteers.

Col. Jim Fletcher, US Army (Ret.). Jim is the Vice President of the Veterans Council of Hillsborough County. He currently serves on the Board of the Hillsborough County Veterans Helping Veterans and is treasurer of the Mentors for Hillsborough County Veterans. He is the current President of the Vietnam Veterans of America (VVA) Chapter 787 and is the Senior Vice Commander and Service Officer for Chapter 110 of the Disabled American Veterans (DAV).

The second one was LtCol. Paul Wheat, US Army (Ret.). Paul currently serves as Commander of the Sun City Center American Legion Post 246 and has held leadership roles in the Veterans Foreign Wars Post 1288. He has also had leadership positions in the Disabled American Veterans, Military Officers of America, and Military Order of the World Wars. He is an integral part of our Sun City Center Memorial Day Program and our Sun City Center Veterans Day Program.

Vietnamese Capt. Leon Nguyen Addresses MOWW

The Sun City Center Military Order of the World Wars (MOWW) Chapter held their monthly meeting/luncheon at the Freedom Plaza Club, Sun City Center, on March 21. The guest speaker was Capt. Leon Nguyen.

Capt. Nguyen spoke on how the Republic of Vietnam disposed of their fleet at the end of the war. He was the man in charge of the Fleet and as Fleet Commander he had some 7,500 officers and men in his command. The coordination of the itineraries of a large number of ships departing from all over the country was a daunting task. Transporting about 30,000 individuals for a long voyage across the South China Sea was accomplished without any incident. He commented that retreating is the most difficult part of warfare and described the final phase of the war which started in February of 1975.

He settled in the USA in 1975. In 1982-1997 he was Process Engineer, United Technologies, Tampa, and in 1997-2003 he was a Title 1 teacher, in the Pinellas County Schools Systems. He attended the U.S. Naval Postgraduate Schools in Monterey, California, in1961; the U.S. Naval War College, Newport Rhode Island in1969; Graduated a Mechanical Engineer at Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA in 1982; Graduated Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering, University of North Carolina in 1998; and Graduated Doctor of Philosophy, Engineering Management, Warren National University, Cheyenne, Wyoming in 2001. He retired in Saint Petersburg, Florida with his wife and daughter in 2007.

From left Capt. Nguyen; LTC Charles Conover (Ret) Col. Jim Fletcher LtCol. Paul Wheat

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Riverside Jukebox Band Beth Israel Fundraiser

Sunday, May 19, from 5 to 7 p.m.

KP North Clubhouse, Waterside Room, 1900 Clubhouse Drive, SCC

Beth Israel will present The Riverside Jukebox Band. The performance, under the musical direction of Stephanie Peshek, will feature music from the Big Band era to the 1980s. American standards are combined with danceable pop music. Featured vocalist Anita Martin is a fan favorite. This is an evening you will not want to miss!

Tickets are $25 per person, which includes a deli wrap of turkey, roast beef or vegetarian wraps from Publix, chips, dessert and beverages. BYOB is also welcome. Please write your choice of wrap in the memo portion of your check. Please send your check to Beth Israel, c/o Jo-Ellen Bromberg, 2005 Sifield Greens Way, Sun City Center, Florida 33573. No tickets will be sold after May 9.

BOOK REVIEW

Erik Larson’s “Demon of Unrest”

By Andrea L. T. Peterson

Let me begin by saying, “Erik Larson is brilliant! I mean truly brilliant!” I’ve read seven of his eight books—and each is more amazing than the one before (though I still think The Devil in the White City is the absolute best).

To my delight, two things have happened recently that have thrilled me like nothing in recent memory: 1) Larson has an amazing new book out, The Demon of Unrest: a Saga of Hubris, Heartbreak, and Heroism at the Dawn of the Civil War, and 2) I scored an interview with him—brief though it had to be.

The Demon of Unrest spans the five months between the election of Abraham Lincoln to the presidency and the firing of the first shots of the Civil War. The idea for the book… “It goes back to 2020,” Larson said, “when I was touring for my book The Splendid and the Vile There was a lot of political unrest and muttering about a[nother] Civil War. I came across a collection of official records of the Union Army comprised of a compendium of letters, responses to letters—that gave the real flavor for the suspense and the drive to war. The story was almost written for me,” he said.

Then came January 6 and the assault of the U.S. Capitol. “Riveted, stunned, appalled, and terrified” as he watched the whole thing on TV as it was happening, it occurred to him that “this is probably what it felt like to (those on the brink of Civil War all those years ago). Having just gone through all of the old documents, he had the feeling “I’d been through this already. Would the electoral vote be certified? Would the inauguration come off?” He realized, “This is really our story—a story for our time.”

Larson has woven an engaging, suspense-filled narrative that will keep you on the edge of your seat—even though we all know how it turns out.

“For a lot of my readers, Demon story about the Civil is possibly the last thing they want to read.” He explained to me that his “hope is that readers will descend into the past and suspend their knowledge of history and let the story carry them along, as if they were living it at the time without knowing the ending.”

“My favorite response,” he added, “to one of my books was when, after I gave a talk about The Devil in the White City, a woman stood up during the question and answer period and said, ‘When I finished reading it, I didn’t want to come back.”

Catch The NEWS on the web at www.soco.news

FAITH &service

St. John Welcomes New Rector

On April 14, The Rev. Alex Andujar joined the church after a yearlong search for a new rector. Fr. Alex and the congregation are both excited to enter this new chapter in the history of St. John the Divine.

Yom HaShoah

Community Holocaust Memorial Service

Sunday, May 5, at 7 p.m.

Sun City Center United Methodist Church 1971 Haverford Avenue

On the Road Again

Residents of Central Florida are likely familiar with Our Lady’s Pantry white truck zipping along almost every day of the week, picking up food from all over the county. But the real power behind these trips is not the gasoline fueling the engine (costing a stunning $9,597 this past year, in fact) but the women and men who drive our trucks.

“Introducing Becky Bell, Lisa Medina, Mike Buffone, Mike Jasudowicz, Doug Lazarus, David Mariconda, Tom Rossetter, and Lyle Smith,” says director Tom Bullaro. “They come from Iowa, Michigan, Connecticut, Virginia, New Jersey, and other states just to make a difference. Our Lady’s Pantry could not exist without their efforts.”

Like Mariconda, these volunteers believe their driving “is a good way to give back to the community.”

“No one in this country should ever go hungry,” says Lazarus. But Bell’s reason is more personal. “When my family came here from Cuba, the Catholic Church gave us food,” she says.

Jasudowicz says he was looking for something to do about 12 years ago and ran into Ray Lennon, who drove the Pantry’s single truck back then. “Ray told me to come on down to the

Pantry,” he says. “They always need help. I’ve been here ever since,” he says. “I started driving about 7 years ago.”

Medina found her way to the Pantry a couple of years ago. “There was a story that said Our Lady’s Pantry was looking for strong men to help lift the heavy boxes of food. But I thought, “I can lift heavy boxes, too!” she says. “And so, I volunteered.”

“Times have changed,” says Bullaro. “We now have three trucks going in different directions almost every day of the week. Regrettably, some of our drivers are snowbirds and will be leaving us soon, so having a few backup drivers would be great. If you might be interested and want more information, please let me know. You can call me at (813) 741-2000. Leave a message and I will call you back.”

“Come on down and join us,” says Jasudowicz. “It’s more fun than a job — and very fulfilling.

Photos courtesy Lou Putnam

Eye-catching colors at Saint Andrew. Photo by Bob Sanchez