It’s a pretty big deal

It’s a pretty big deal

It’s a pretty big deal

By E. Adam Porter

Editor, News of SCC & South County

I heard a whispered conversation in the dining room and pretended not to notice, busying myself preparing the evening meal. It was beef stew night, so the slow cooker had done most of the heavy lifting, leaving me able to focus on eavesdropping while I finished the meal prep. My bride was on the phone with our lovely daughter-in-law discussing Thanksgiving dinner.

Our eldest son, Captain America, and his bride, Melissa, recently purchased their first home together. Cap’s duty station for the next few years also meant that – for the first time since he raised his hand and swore the Oath – he would be making his home in Florida. His mom and I are elated to have him on this side of the ocean for a change. Even happier that he’s reporting for his next training assignment, rather than wearing a rifle in the desert.

Since buying their home, Chris and Melissa have been working day and night to fix the house and property up to their liking, and they’re justifiably excited to show off their hard work. Almost as excited as my bride and I are to celebrate this important milestone with them. Given the timing, they suggested hosting Thanksgiving this year. That’s a pretty big deal. Though, I think, maybe, just hearing, “Y’all come up; we will cook this year!” put some more gray in my beard. Put a smile on the face behind that graying beard too. If there’s anything better than achieving your own goals in life, it’s watching your kids achieve theirs. Cooking your first Thanksgiving bird in your first new home as a family is a pretty big deal. We can’t wait to help them celebrate this milestone in their lives and their marriage.

Milestones are an ancient idea. Like some of the most enduring roads, we have the Romans to thank for the concept. They placed distance markers roughly every 1,000th double step, giving armies and traders clear answers to vital logistical questions as they traveled the length and breadth of the empire. Many centuries later, Matthew Simons described these markers in his 1635 travel guide, “Directions for English Travelers.” Though it would be another six decades after Simons’ book before uniform guideposts were codified into law in Britain. And it would be another 50 years before the term “milestone” entered common usage.

As with most words, “milestone” evolved new meaning with extended use over the successive generations. Today, milestones are not only symbols of distance traveled, but also metaphorical reminders that we’re going in the right direction; and, if we keep following that path, we’re likely to arrive where we’re headed. All the more reason to celebrate each time we achieve something new, learn something interesting, or arrive at a much-anticipated destination.

Speaking of milestones worth celebrating, this year, local SCC historians came together to write, curate, and publish a book commemorating 60 Years in Sun City Center. This community began with an idea, a vision that was picked up by the original residents and carried along by each new resident who chose to make Sun City Center their home. Active retirement, stimulation for the body, mind, and spirit. A community of volunteers willing to invest their hands, feet, smarts, and hearts in support of the ideal of “Neighbors helping neighbors.”

There are very few communities where one can learn textile art, painting, photography, woodworking, computers, chorale singing, organ playing, guitar picking, HAM radio operation, lawn sports, court sports, card games, and synchronized swimming in an afternoon, then have your pick of live music and dancing in the evening. Building these opportunities into this community involved all kinds of exciting, challenging, and important milestones. Individually and collectively, these are, indeed, something worth celebrating. So, be sure to stop by the Atrium ticket kiosk on Monday mornings between 10 and noon to buy your copy of 60 Years in Sun City Center, Florida.

Aerial photo of SCC’s north campus during FallFest 2021, courtesy Stan Lipski.

Over six decades, SCC residents have shared many meals together and celebrated countless milestones. As we enter this holiday season, many of us are excited to share a more “normal” celebratory time than last year allowed. Thanks to care, innovation, and a series of modern science miracles, we’re able to celebrate more safely. Already, many traditional services and ceremonies have returned, from Veterans Day celebrations to chorus concerts, dances, the Holiday Golf Cart Parade, and a host of other opportunities to come together with friends and neighbors as we close out 2021. If you’re interested, be sure to check out this issue of The News. There’s plenty here to fill up your calendar… and…. just maybe, help you take the first steps toward a new milestone of your own.

Cover photo: Melissa baked these pies, from scratch, to enjoy after the Thanksgiving meal. They cooled in this window for hours, and it was tough not to steal a slice.

.

February 2024 NEWS is HOT off the Press!

February 2024 NEWS is HOT off the Press!

In this issue… Learn how Tampa General is fighting against human trafficking, put fins up with the Landsharks, see the new Historical Marker, enjoy Coffee and Communication, celebrate a Good Life with Walter, visit Yellowstone in the spring,...

January 2024 NEWS is HOT off the Press!

January 2024 NEWS is HOT off the Press!

In this issue… Celebrate holiday fun in SCC, learn what the LRPC has planned for the new building project, meet the new CA Board members, get to know DOGs and turtles, skate with Disney on Ice, meet South Shore Authors, savor Ruskin seafood,...

December 2023 NEWS is HOT off the Press!

December 2023 NEWS is HOT off the Press!

In this issue… Explore Christmas decorations in SCC, check out the National Lawn Bowling Tournament, meet friends at “Hi, Neighbor!”, read the detailed LRPC Report, commemorate Veterans Day, visit Jurassic Park, beware of scammers, find out why...

November 2023 NEWS is HOT off the Press!

November 2023 NEWS is HOT off the Press!

Discover what the Long Range Planning Committee is working on, find out how folks cruise around SCC, hear from the candidates for CA Board of Directors, ring bells with DAR, support local kids, laugh with the Pelican Players, travel to…

October 2023 NEWS is HOT off the Press!

October 2023 NEWS is HOT off the Press!

In this issue… Save the date for “Hi, Neighbor!”, cruise over to the SouthShore Sportsplex, see why a grant was awarded to the Boys & Girls Club, discover why an SCC woman took TOPS honors, meet an Angel on Earth, enjoy a Dramedy on Aging,...

September 2023 NEWS is HOT off the Press!

September 2023 NEWS is HOT off the Press!

In this issue… Have some Pool Party fun, celebrate with the History Society, register for the Active Life Games, see why local volunteers rock, go Trail Blazing, learn why a local fire chief received a lifetime honor, support Adaptive Sports,...

Late Summer Reflections

Late Summer Reflections

Late Summer Reflections

By E. Adam Porter

Editor, News of SCC & South County

A famous pirate troubadour from Mississippi croons through the sound system down the hall, There’s something in the wind tonight, some kind of change in the weather… I sit back in my office chair and think, Jimmy’s definitely not talking about Florida. We’ll be hot and humid well into October. Now I’m tuned in, though, listening to one of Buffett’s deep tracks, “Savannah Fare You Well,” written by prolific pop and country songwriter, Hugh Prestwood. 

A Texas native, Prestwood has written songs for James Taylor, Trisha Yearwood, Alison Krauss, Jimmy Buffett, and Crystal Gayle, among other very famous names. The opening lyrics of “Savannah” describing changes in the weather may not reflect the meteorological reality in Florida as summer turns to fall, but the imagery in the song, delivered with pensive authenticity by Buffett, still plucks my heartstrings.  

In a vision I had yesterday
It rained so hard that I drowned
While I waited for a hurricane to die down

Now, that sounds more like Florida. Every year, from June to November, we all watch storms cruise through the tropics on the news, waiting for our favorite weather forecaster to use words like “strengthen” and “rotation” and “turn,” terms that, for native Floridians and long-time residents, trigger an early warning system that sends us out to buy water and fill up the gas tanks in our cars. This season, thankfully, has been relatively mild. We’ve had a few named storms, but nothing like those that have brought the big wind and heavy rains of previous years. Hopefully, I didn’t jinx us, and that trend will continue. We certainly have enough to worry about without another storm coming this way. 

Down the hall, Jimmy is still strumming and humming, delivering lines from the song that many people think is about his daughter, Savannah Jane, but is really Prestwood’s ode to ol’ Savannah-town. If you’ve been there, perhaps you can commiserate with Hugh’s longing for that signature city with its idyllic parks, oak-shaded streets, cobbled lanes lined with palm trees, and camera-ready antebellum architecture. If not, you can probably still identify with the imagery Prestwood uses to describe the turmoil in his heart created by his love for the town and his need to leave, to get back on the road and earn a living. 

It’s easy to feel that tug, that longing for better days and new adventures over the horizon, especially these days. The constant firehose of calamity and tragedy on TV and the radio, the pandemic, school issues, foreign wars… Spend too much time immersed in that, and we forget the good times, beautiful relationships, and worthwhile endeavors available to us. Or, maybe that’s just me, but it sure feels like I’m not alone in this. 

Prestwood touches on the delicate, transitory nature of those beautiful opportunities in the song. He defines the spell cast by genuine moments of happiness as a “fragile magic,” describing the golden threads of hope and love and joy as “frail as spider webs.”

It’s a poignant image, and, for me, it brings to mind a moment yesterday when I stopped to examine an elaborate spider web woven between two trees at the top of my driveway. The orb weaver had wrought her fragile magic into a series of concentric, adjacent, and descending layers of web. The gossamer strands captured the late-morning light, creating a prism that flowed across the circular webs. For a moment, I was mesmerized by the beauty and the artistry of the web… and then I laughed, thinking about how my reaction would have been wholly different had I stumbled into it while mowing the lawn. Instead of contemplation and appreciation of the elegant beauty, there would be fussin’ and cussin’ and impromptu karate, as I worked to tear that web away from myself. 

Still chuckling as I imagined myself dancing awkwardly but enthusiastically across the lawn, desperately trying to shed an imaginary spider web, I walked up the steps and into the house, thinking about how the difference between appreciation and revulsion are often a matter of timing and perspective.

What we see around us every day could be a calamity or an opportunity, depending on where we’re standing.

That’s a tough one for me right now, given everything happening around us. But I’m working on it, trying to create moments of fragile magic, or at least take a moment to enjoy them when they find me.

February 2024 NEWS is HOT off the Press!

February 2024 NEWS is HOT off the Press!

In this issue… Learn how Tampa General is fighting against human trafficking, put fins up with the Landsharks, see the new Historical Marker, enjoy Coffee and Communication, celebrate a Good Life with Walter, visit Yellowstone in the spring,...

January 2024 NEWS is HOT off the Press!

January 2024 NEWS is HOT off the Press!

In this issue… Celebrate holiday fun in SCC, learn what the LRPC has planned for the new building project, meet the new CA Board members, get to know DOGs and turtles, skate with Disney on Ice, meet South Shore Authors, savor Ruskin seafood,...

December 2023 NEWS is HOT off the Press!

December 2023 NEWS is HOT off the Press!

In this issue… Explore Christmas decorations in SCC, check out the National Lawn Bowling Tournament, meet friends at “Hi, Neighbor!”, read the detailed LRPC Report, commemorate Veterans Day, visit Jurassic Park, beware of scammers, find out why...

November 2023 NEWS is HOT off the Press!

November 2023 NEWS is HOT off the Press!

Discover what the Long Range Planning Committee is working on, find out how folks cruise around SCC, hear from the candidates for CA Board of Directors, ring bells with DAR, support local kids, laugh with the Pelican Players, travel to…

October 2023 NEWS is HOT off the Press!

October 2023 NEWS is HOT off the Press!

In this issue… Save the date for “Hi, Neighbor!”, cruise over to the SouthShore Sportsplex, see why a grant was awarded to the Boys & Girls Club, discover why an SCC woman took TOPS honors, meet an Angel on Earth, enjoy a Dramedy on Aging,...

September 2023 NEWS is HOT off the Press!

September 2023 NEWS is HOT off the Press!

In this issue… Have some Pool Party fun, celebrate with the History Society, register for the Active Life Games, see why local volunteers rock, go Trail Blazing, learn why a local fire chief received a lifetime honor, support Adaptive Sports,...

“Thanks, Dad”

“Thanks, Dad”

“Thanks, Dad”

By E. Adam Porter

Editor, News of SCC & South County

There’s a picture on canvas, hanging over the stairwell to my bedroom. When I see it, I think, man, I look tired. And then I smile. Not because I look soggy, bedraggled, and thoroughly exhausted in the picture, but because of the other people in it with me: My boys.

We were at the end of a long, fun day at Rainbow Springs State Park: swimming, hiking, swimming again, picnicking, hiking some more, then swimming some more. I look exhausted, because I was, but the boys are grinning ear-to-ear. I love that photo for a lot of reasons. We don’t get the opportunity to get all four of us together much since the Big Kid re-enlisted. I’m proud of him, but it’s tough to be in family photos when you’re busy jumping out of perfectly good airplanes half a world away.

A love for exploring nature is something all four of us have in common, and that had been a great day. Taking advantage of those moments and capturing those memories is something I’m thinking about a lot as we’ll be celebrating Father’s Day in a few days. The celebration this year will be bittersweet for me. My father died last July, so this will be my first Father’s Day without the opportunity to talk to him. But we will talk about him. I’ll share his story so my boys will benefit from the lessons he learned through living.

Most of the day, though, will be about making memories with my boys.

I look forward to hearing from the Big Kid, learning more about his upcoming training assignment. For the two younger boys, Father’s Day is all about spending uninterrupted time with dad. We don’t get enough of that, and I’m not always the best at taking advantage of the opportunities when they’re presented. Maybe that’s something all dads deal with. I know I do, especially on days I’m working from home.

My home office has an open door policy. If the door is open, come on in. If it’s shut, Dad might be shooting a video, making a webinar, or doing a live consultation, so, unless it’s an emergency, wait. Sometimes, though, I get caught up in what I’m doing, and that open door is treated like it’s closed. That happened just a few days ago. My middle son ambled into my office holding a small stack of papers. “Dad,” he said, “Do you want to see my test scores?”

I knew he had just taken an achievement test to track his academic progress, but I thought that could certainly wait until I finished whatever Immensely Important Thing I was working on at the moment. Had I taken a second to glance at the stack of papers in his hand, I would have seen he was holding a lot more than test scores. I would have noticed the way he held them and seen the anticipation on his face.

But Dad was busy, so Dad was blind.

“Go put them on the dining table. I’ll look at them later.” I caught the hesitation as he, slowly and carefully, set the stack of papers on my desk. Now, I did look up, “B,” I said, using his preferred nickname, “I said the dining table. I don’t want those papers on my desk.”

This time, I saw the disappointment as he slowly retrieved the stack of papers and turned to leave. He made it three strides down the hall before my brain put all the pieces together. “Wait, bud, hang on.”

He stopped immediately, face writ with disappointment turning back to nervous anticipation. “I’m sorry, B. Did you want me to look at this stuff now?” He offered a small, hopeful nod.

I picked up the papers, scanned the bar graph indicating his results on the achievement test. He had done well in certain areas, needed to work on some others. Like the rest of us. I glanced over, saw his eagerness intensify. A thought tickled the back of my mind: there is no way this is about test scores. I flipped the page to find a note from the school, instructions about the last day. Nope, this wasn’t it. I flipped to the next page, and that’s when I understood.

The last page in the stack was a drawing.

Pen-and-ink on notebook paper. Science fiction fighter jets and fast-moving tanks. Rockets and missiles. Bunkers with a prominent acronym in giant block letters. Fairly common subject matter for an 11-year-old boy. Except, this drawing didn’t come from the mind of that 11-year-old boy. This drawing was a replica that came from his heart.

A few weeks ago, I’d been going through an old steamer trunk I keep in my closet. The trunk is filled with souvenirs and keepsakes, as well as a bunch of stuff from my school days. One of those things is an old, oversized sketch pad filled with drawings I made when I was B’s age. He had seen me going through the trunk and asked to look at the sketch pad. I handed it over and watched his eyes lit up. “You drew this?” I nodded, and he kept flipping pages filled with science fiction fighter jets, fast-moving tanks, bunkers chock full of rockets… and an acronym that made a lot of sense to a kid growing up during the Cold War.

What I held in my hand all these years later was a near-exact replica of one of those old drawings, which my son had completed at school during free time. This is what the stack of papers was all about. My boy was saying, “Look, Dad, I’m a chip off the ol’ block.”

I almost missed out on that moment because of some mundane chore.

I sat there staring at the drawing, and the longer I held it, the wider his smile grew. Finally, he asked, nervous, “What do you think, Dad?” I looked up, my smile matching his own, “This is amazing, B. Thank you for sharing it.” He stepped forward, threw his arms around me, and hugged me tight, said, “Thanks, Dad.”

Then he turned and bounded out of the room, forgetting the stack of papers now strewn across my desk. I took a moment to straighten them, tears in my eyes, whispered, “No, son. Thank you.”

February 2024 NEWS is HOT off the Press!

February 2024 NEWS is HOT off the Press!

In this issue… Learn how Tampa General is fighting against human trafficking, put fins up with the Landsharks, see the new Historical Marker, enjoy Coffee and Communication, celebrate a Good Life with Walter, visit Yellowstone in the spring,...

January 2024 NEWS is HOT off the Press!

January 2024 NEWS is HOT off the Press!

In this issue… Celebrate holiday fun in SCC, learn what the LRPC has planned for the new building project, meet the new CA Board members, get to know DOGs and turtles, skate with Disney on Ice, meet South Shore Authors, savor Ruskin seafood,...

December 2023 NEWS is HOT off the Press!

December 2023 NEWS is HOT off the Press!

In this issue… Explore Christmas decorations in SCC, check out the National Lawn Bowling Tournament, meet friends at “Hi, Neighbor!”, read the detailed LRPC Report, commemorate Veterans Day, visit Jurassic Park, beware of scammers, find out why...

November 2023 NEWS is HOT off the Press!

November 2023 NEWS is HOT off the Press!

Discover what the Long Range Planning Committee is working on, find out how folks cruise around SCC, hear from the candidates for CA Board of Directors, ring bells with DAR, support local kids, laugh with the Pelican Players, travel to…

October 2023 NEWS is HOT off the Press!

October 2023 NEWS is HOT off the Press!

In this issue… Save the date for “Hi, Neighbor!”, cruise over to the SouthShore Sportsplex, see why a grant was awarded to the Boys & Girls Club, discover why an SCC woman took TOPS honors, meet an Angel on Earth, enjoy a Dramedy on Aging,...

September 2023 NEWS is HOT off the Press!

September 2023 NEWS is HOT off the Press!

In this issue… Have some Pool Party fun, celebrate with the History Society, register for the Active Life Games, see why local volunteers rock, go Trail Blazing, learn why a local fire chief received a lifetime honor, support Adaptive Sports,...

Space at the table

Space at the table

Space at the table

By E. Adam Porter

Editor, News of SCC & South County

I love Christmas, the entire holiday season. From the moment the turkey comes out of the oven on Thanksgiving until we toast the new year, my spirits are up, and there’s a gleam in my eye.

I love it all: the shopping, the cooking, the friends and relatives coming and going, the gifts, the smiles on kids’ faces, cocoa and cookies, Christmas lights, trimming the tree, getting nowhere near enough sleep on Christmas Eve, and the opportunity to teach my boys about other customs, cultures, and traditions, as well as the chance to learn a bit more myself. I love stringing the lights, cruising to look at others, as well as the movies we watch every year, the books we read, and the music we listen to. Even the Muzak playing at all the stores that I complain about every year secretly puts a smile on my face.

This season, though, my light is dimmed. Earlier this year, we lost my father and my uncle, and each of them took a piece of me with them. As the holidays approach, I think back to the roller coaster of emotions created by disease and the fighting of it. Initially, before bad news became worse news, both men thought they had more time. I called my father on his birthday, and we talked about coming up for a visit. It had been far too many years since we made the trek up to Michigan, and it was way past time. “Wait a bit,” he said, “Come when the snow is on the ground. Your boys will love it, and I’ll feel better then…”

So, we waited… and “then” never came.

My uncle’s doctors thought they found a treatment protocol that would help him beat the cancer. Three days and a few tests later, that all changed. Practical to a fault, he accepted the news with grace, trying to comfort us as we all fell apart.

We held services, shared memories, commiserated best we could in the World of Covid. Talked about how unfair and capricious life can be and consoled each other with well-worn platitudes and ancient truth. Those words, those timeless ideas, are precious and priceless when you need them. But time passes, and another truth invades: those ideas do not replace an empty space at the table. This year, my family in Florida and Michigan will sit down together and try not to look at the empty chair, try not to picture the men who filled them with their laughter and insight and joy. We will walk through rooms in the homes where we always gather, catching shadows and glimpses of remembered moments, snatches of old conversations so real we can almost hear their voice.

This year, in this season of hope and joy and plenty, we will have an empty space at the table and in our hearts. And we are far from alone. Hundreds of thousands of American families will face their annual gatherings with an unexpected emptiness. Pandemic, depression, addiction, illness, accidents, and the inexorable passage of time will all make their presence felt as we gather, or, in some cases, choose not to gather.

In Ecclesiastes, the old wise king reminds us there is a time to weep and to laugh, to mourn and to dance. This year, for so many, our season of joy will be filled with sorrow, empty spaces at tables and in hearts, filled with loss and pain and bittersweet memories.

As I consider the weeks ahead, wondering what it will feel like to experience those dichotomous emotions during my favorite time of the year, I think about all the other people facing a similar emptiness, and I feel a little space open up inside me. A space for their stress and hurt and regret, for their struggles, questions, and concerns, as we all face an uncertain future. It’s not a big space, because I’m hurting too; but it’s there, and I hope it will be enough to bring comfort to friends and family and to share a smile with a stranger.

Grief is a lonely, isolating condition. But this year, I’m reminded more than ever, we’re all in this together.

February 2024 NEWS is HOT off the Press!

February 2024 NEWS is HOT off the Press!

In this issue… Learn how Tampa General is fighting against human trafficking, put fins up with the Landsharks, see the new Historical Marker, enjoy Coffee and Communication, celebrate a Good Life with Walter, visit Yellowstone in the spring,...

January 2024 NEWS is HOT off the Press!

January 2024 NEWS is HOT off the Press!

In this issue… Celebrate holiday fun in SCC, learn what the LRPC has planned for the new building project, meet the new CA Board members, get to know DOGs and turtles, skate with Disney on Ice, meet South Shore Authors, savor Ruskin seafood,...

December 2023 NEWS is HOT off the Press!

December 2023 NEWS is HOT off the Press!

In this issue… Explore Christmas decorations in SCC, check out the National Lawn Bowling Tournament, meet friends at “Hi, Neighbor!”, read the detailed LRPC Report, commemorate Veterans Day, visit Jurassic Park, beware of scammers, find out why...

November 2023 NEWS is HOT off the Press!

November 2023 NEWS is HOT off the Press!

Discover what the Long Range Planning Committee is working on, find out how folks cruise around SCC, hear from the candidates for CA Board of Directors, ring bells with DAR, support local kids, laugh with the Pelican Players, travel to…

October 2023 NEWS is HOT off the Press!

October 2023 NEWS is HOT off the Press!

In this issue… Save the date for “Hi, Neighbor!”, cruise over to the SouthShore Sportsplex, see why a grant was awarded to the Boys & Girls Club, discover why an SCC woman took TOPS honors, meet an Angel on Earth, enjoy a Dramedy on Aging,...

September 2023 NEWS is HOT off the Press!

September 2023 NEWS is HOT off the Press!

In this issue… Have some Pool Party fun, celebrate with the History Society, register for the Active Life Games, see why local volunteers rock, go Trail Blazing, learn why a local fire chief received a lifetime honor, support Adaptive Sports,...

Thank you.

Thank you.

By E. Adam Porter, Editor

 

Out of an abundance of caution, in these challenging times, for the good of the community, we have all come together to read sentences that begin like this entirely too much over the past month or so. Let’s start over with what really needs to be said: THANK YOU.

Thank you to the phenomenal health care workers whose professional and personal lives have been turned upside down, who go to battle every day, fighting a war with, at least for now, no clear end in sight. You wield all the best weapons at your disposal: education, wisdom, wit, grace, patience, love, and an indomitable spirit. And you keep fighting even when you don’t have everything you need. We love you. All of you. 

Thank you to our law enforcement, who put their lives and health on the line to take care of us, to help the sick and the scared, those who have been victimized, while also dealing with the belligerent, the ignorant, the afflicted, and the evil. Thank you to all the first responders who show up as fast as they can when we are in the worst moments of our lives, who offer aid and comfort in our times of fear and pain. And a special “thank you” to our all-volunteer Emergency Squad and Security Patrol. Each of you is amazing.

Thank you to our military for showing all of us the meaning of duty, honor, and sacrifice. Later this month, we were scheduled to gather, as we do every year, to commemorate those who gave the last full measure of devotion in service to our country and her people. Like many things in this time, that service has been canceled. But nothing will rescind the respect and appreciation we have for those who faithfully served. 

Thank you to our teachers who routinely go far and above the call of duty to educate and protect our children. Teachers who, in these past weeks, have been asked to do even more and found a way to make it work. Parents are working, kids are confused, worried, and scared; and no one knows quite how to use the new technology. They all come to you, at all hours of the day and night. You are therapists as well as educators, and now you are web developers, video producers, and tech support. We see you, teachers. 

Thank you to the tireless volunteers who have poured their talent, time, and effort into meeting so many needs, closing so many gaps, and creating so many smiles. Making and delivering food, sewing and distributing masks, building PPE, picking up necessities, looking for opportunities and always going above and beyond. 

Thank you to the staff, volunteers, and correspondents, and readers who help build The News every month. Thank you to all the journalists out there taking risks to deliver the story. You rarely get mentioned as “essential workers,” but you’re always there. In the middle of the protests, at the hospitals, out in the community, anywhere there’s a story that needs to be told. 

Thank you to local, state, and federal decision-makers who are trying to do an impossible job, without precedent, working without a net. No matter what you do and when you do it, people will say it’s too much or too little. Right now, the big question is “when.” Like as not, it will be both “too late” and “too soon.” You know that, and you have to choose anyway. 

Thank you, business owners. When you started your business, investing all that money, blood, sweat, and tears, you probably didn’t have “Worldwide Pandemic” penciled in the margins of your business plan. And yet here we are. Some of you were forced to close. Others remained open. Nearly everyone has lost a catastrophic amount of business. Many of you have been forced to cut payroll, to lay off or furlough workers. I see you there, sitting up late, wondering how they’re doing, and how you’re going to get through this. 

This is a good spot to offer a huge THANK YOU to our advertisers. Some of you have been with The News since the beginning. Others came along later and stuck with us. Many of you have become our friends. You represent lifelong dreams, private practices, family businesses, and big corporations, the “backbone of America” and the “infrastructure we can’t live without.” To us here at The News, you represent the resources that allow us to do what we do: Deliver positive news, fun opportunities, and current events to the residents of Sun City Center & South Hillsborough County. Thank you for helping us make this happen. 

Thank You to our “essential workers.” I’m guessing, about six weeks ago, you did not realize just how “essential” you are. But we knew. We have food to eat because of you. Our family and our pets are safe and healthy thanks to the risks you are taking every day. Our homes are pest-free, our mail is in the box, our power is on, our trash is gone, and our A/C is working. It’s Florida. It’s May, and summer’s coming… There is no price that can be placed on working air conditioning. To all of you “essential” workers, listen, that word just doesn’t cover what you mean to us. 

Speaking of essential people, Thank You to our artists, musicians, writers, and entertainers who make life – especially life in quarantine – sweeter, brighter, and better. By sharing your talent and hard work, you have given us a priceless gift. Thank you for immersing us in beauty, awe, and transcendence. Thank you for entertainment, for laughs, for illustration, for understanding… for a story to share, a melody to sing, and the rhythm to dance.

Finally, thank you to everyone reading this. The opportunity to share good news is not something that comes along often in the media business. Being part of a positive community news publication is a unique blessing, and I’m grateful.

Be well. Stay safe. Thanks for reading.

February 2024 NEWS is HOT off the Press!

February 2024 NEWS is HOT off the Press!

In this issue… Learn how Tampa General is fighting against human trafficking, put fins up with the Landsharks, see the new Historical Marker, enjoy Coffee and Communication, celebrate a Good Life with Walter, visit Yellowstone in the spring,...

January 2024 NEWS is HOT off the Press!

January 2024 NEWS is HOT off the Press!

In this issue… Celebrate holiday fun in SCC, learn what the LRPC has planned for the new building project, meet the new CA Board members, get to know DOGs and turtles, skate with Disney on Ice, meet South Shore Authors, savor Ruskin seafood,...

December 2023 NEWS is HOT off the Press!

December 2023 NEWS is HOT off the Press!

In this issue… Explore Christmas decorations in SCC, check out the National Lawn Bowling Tournament, meet friends at “Hi, Neighbor!”, read the detailed LRPC Report, commemorate Veterans Day, visit Jurassic Park, beware of scammers, find out why...

November 2023 NEWS is HOT off the Press!

November 2023 NEWS is HOT off the Press!

Discover what the Long Range Planning Committee is working on, find out how folks cruise around SCC, hear from the candidates for CA Board of Directors, ring bells with DAR, support local kids, laugh with the Pelican Players, travel to…

October 2023 NEWS is HOT off the Press!

October 2023 NEWS is HOT off the Press!

In this issue… Save the date for “Hi, Neighbor!”, cruise over to the SouthShore Sportsplex, see why a grant was awarded to the Boys & Girls Club, discover why an SCC woman took TOPS honors, meet an Angel on Earth, enjoy a Dramedy on Aging,...

September 2023 NEWS is HOT off the Press!

September 2023 NEWS is HOT off the Press!

In this issue… Have some Pool Party fun, celebrate with the History Society, register for the Active Life Games, see why local volunteers rock, go Trail Blazing, learn why a local fire chief received a lifetime honor, support Adaptive Sports,...