News Staff | News of Sun City Center and South County

Come to FunFest on March 16

by News Staff | Mar 2, 2019 | News

Come to FunFest on March 16

By Diane M. Loeffler

Come to FunFest for a day of food, entertainment, shopping, prizes and a health fair! The day begins at 9 a.m. with the flag raising, Pledge, National Anthem, and opening remarks.

Getting There

Drive your car to Community Hall at 1910 South Pebble Beach Boulevard and take one of Aston Gardens comfortable, handicapped-accessible buses to north campus. Buses will begin running at 8:30 in the morning and run until 2:30 in the afternoon. The bus will get you closer to the action than you can get to any other way.

Prefer coming by cart or bike? Parking will be in the same place as last year, the fields behind the parking areas north of the Atrium Building. As always, there will be parking attendants. This year the rows will be labeled to make it easier to find your bike or cart afterwards.

Streets and parking lots will be blocked off beginning the evening of Friday, March 15. The parking lot that is reached via North Course Road will be reserved for the Eye Associates’ Eye Mobile Bus, One Blood and other vehicles associated with the festival. The Arts and Crafts parking lot will be for the use of the entertainers.

Have a pet? Unless your four-legged friend is a certified service animal, please leave him or her at home.

Entertainment

Stop by the information tables for the FunFest map and schedule. These tables will be located near the bus stop, next to the Pottery Wheel Club, along Cherry Hills, and at the Club Kiosk in the Atrium.

This year you can see the entertainers you have enjoyed in the past, and some new acts as well. Elvis, Kevin and the Dukes will be back. 3Dom will be there as well. If you have gone to Circles on Saturdays, you may have heard 3Dom perform at that restaurant. You may also have enjoyed 3Dom when they entertained at the CA Gazebo. The Wonders of Nature program is among those outside groups returning to inform and entertain us this year.

Fourteen CA clubs are providing entertainment this year including the Swim Dancers, many of our wonderful vocal groups, dance classes and exercise groups. See how talented your friends and neighbors are. Maybe you can even learn how to join their groups. Of course, it wouldn’t be an event without The Front Porch Pickers. You can count on them putting a smile on your face again this year.

Health Fair

Be sure to stop by the Health Fair. It will be located in the Caper and Horizon Rooms in the Atrium. You will learn so much about your health and what you can do to maintain it.

During the fair, you can receive a diabetes screening consisting of measuring your BMI (Body Mass Index) and blood draws for cholesterol screenings. You can have your blood pressure, your skin and your veins checked. You can find out about DNA cancer testing from one organization or have the test done (a mouth swab) from another. Proof of your Medicare card will be necessary before the swabbing.

Have your balance assessed and your walking assistance devices tested for safety. Learn about new hearing aid technology, insurance options, prostate cancer, Lifeline, hearing loss, as well as organ and tissue donations. If you step outside you will see two buses. In one bus, vision screenings including distance and glaucoma checks will be offered at no cost. In the other bus, you will have the opportunity to donate blood.

Shopping and Prizes

Stop by the club rooms. These spaces will be full of items to purchase. Most clubs also sell chances to win some of their best and most unique creations. Many clubs will be demonstrating their craft. There will also be vendors selling their wares.

Food

If being out in the fresh air and taking part in all of the activities doesn’t make you hungry enough, the wonderful food aromas wafting around on March 16 certainly will. The assortment of foods available can allow you to eat breakfast, lunch and snacks without ever repeating a menu item. Menus are tentative at the time of publication, so decide on a few favorites to choose between. Here is the mouthwatering list: scrambled eggs, breakfast sandwiches, sausage, bacon, pretzels, Elite Donut donuts, brats, Italian sausage, beans, potato salad, hotdogs, cookies, apple pie, cherry pie, strawberry shortcake, pork chops, chicken sandwiches, Polish sausage with kraut, ice cream bars, popcorn, chips and beverages.

See you on March 16!

The March 2019 NEWS is HOT off the PRESS!

by News Staff | Mar 1, 2019 | Hot Off The Press, News

In this issue…

Thank you community volunteers! We also follow up on the ongoing SCC golf cart transit study, learn the history of SCC’s lakes, visit the ‘South Pacific’ at Selby Gardens and ride along as travel reporter Kai Rambow takes us to Cuba’s beautiful natural settings. Get information about the upcoming consumer fraud protection symposium, meet a resident of distinction, get to know a family with deep connections to Sun City Center, and find out what happened when The News staff ran off for a day at the circus.

And be sure to…

Save the date for FunFest, and check out the SCC Bulletin, Kings Point, Community News, Dance, Military News, Faith & Service, Performing Arts, Sports, Travel, and South County Events sections to help you plan your month. And travel with your friends and neighbors who took The News around the world.

Read the March 2019 issue

The News Staff Spends a Day at the Circus

by News Staff | Feb 27, 2019 | Features

The News Staff Spends a Day at the Circus

By Paula Lickfeldt

The staff of The News of Sun City Center & South County all revisited their childhood as they marveled at the array of acts presented at The Sarasota Circus. Each of us was asked what our favorite act was: the horses, the silly clown, the acrobatic sisters, the juggler, the dogs, or maybe the daredevil in the “Wheel of Destiny.” We had lots of discussion and decided that we really could not choose, because they were all wonderful.

Reporting the news in and around Sun City Center is an effort all four reporters finds very rewarding. We started out as coworkers and have become very good friends. We laugh and tease each other a lot, and we are always supportive of the work that each of us does.

Each of the reporters, when asked why they write for the paper, said volunteering with The News gives them the opportunity to meet new people and learn new things. Each reporter, however, put their own spin on the opportunity.

Diane Loeffler said she likes knowing what is going on and being able to meet the people who make things happen. Working for the paper gives her an appreciation for the many people in our community who are willing to give of their time and energy to keep all of the activities running.

Ilona Merritt said she enjoys the variety of things she gets to write about. The reporting is full of surprises and is never just routine. Being a part of the team has opened new horizons for her.

Kai Rambow said he gets the opportunity to ‘learn about so many different hobbies and activities’. When he meets someone who participates in an activity that he has reported on, he can talk to the person about that activity with knowledge of it.

For me, it feels good when I’m out and about in the community and someone recognizes me and says how much they enjoy reading my articles. If you think you might be interested in joining our fun team of hardworking, enthusiastic community reporters, contact the editor, Adam Porter, here.

In the feature photo: The staff of The News of Sun City Center & South County had so much fun at the Sarasota Circus. Pictured, L to R: Paula Lickfeldt, Ilona Merritt, John Wolf, Diane Loeffler, Adam Porter, and Kai Rambow.

Get to Know the Stained Glass Club

by News Staff | Feb 23, 2019 | Features

Get to Know the Stained Glass Club

By Paula Lickfeldt

The Stained Glass Club was founded in 1991. The first president was Phyllis Colleran, who was president from 1991 until 1996. In the beginning, the Stained Glass Club shared a room with the Railroad Club. The Club had three tables, two grinders and a sink. The grinder could be filled at the sink but when the work was finisher, the grinder had to be carried outside and the water dumped into a nearby sewer.

During the early years, the members of the club did anything and everything to raise money. If they were ever able to move to a larger space they would need more equipment. In 2001, The Arts and Crafts building was going to become a reality. The Stained Glass Club had one member who had been in construction and knew what was needed to create the state of the art craft room that the club was looking for. In 2003, the new Stained Glass Club Room was opened. Dave Tichey, donated the first kiln and that was the beginning of glass fusing for the club.

The art of glass fusing has grown in popularity over the years, and the equipment for use has expanded too. The club now has two large kilns, five small table top kilns and three medium kilns. Kay Bogart, a member of the club, liked glass fusing so much that she took it upon herself to learn everything that she could regarding kilns and fusing schedules. She is now the kiln manager and is more than willing to share her knowledge to insure the end result of the project is what the artist intended.

Membership in the Sun City Center Stained Glass Club is open to all members of the SCC community association. The dues are $30 per year. When a person joins the club, however, they are required to take a series of classes that will familiarize them with all of the kilns, grinders and other machines available for use. The cost of the class is $30. Each member is asked to donate two projects to sell at FunFest or the Holiday Walk. With the money that is obtained from the yearly dues, new member classes, and sales, the club is able to maintain the equipment and replace equipment when necessary. With 184 club members, the equipment gets quite a workout.

Each year the Stained Glass Club has a juried Art Glass Show. The 2019 show will be in the Florida Room on Feb. 28 and March 1. This show has been very successful over the years as the community enjoys seeing what the members have created.

The Stained Glass Club also gives back to the community with donations to the CA Hardship Fund and the Mary Petro food and medicine fund for the residents of SCC and KP.

In the photo: Louis Salmorighi works on his design.

No Results Found

The page you requested could not be found. Try refining your search, or use the navigation above to locate the post.

Genealogy Club

by News Staff | Feb 22, 2019 | Features

Genealogy Club: Seminars, Individual Help, and Camaraderie

By Diane M. Loeffler, Photos by Bill Simmons

Do you want to delve into your family history for the first time? Have you been dabbling (or maybe even extensively searching) into your genealogy, but now you are stuck? Would like to talk to others about your adventures in genealogy? If you have answered “yes” to any of these questions, the South Bay Genealogy Society (SBGS) is the club for you.

What started as a computer club special interest idea, grew to twelve members meeting on April 18, 1991. President Bill Love says there are now over 130 household memberships in SBGS.

The club holds monthly meetings from September through May. They offer technology seminars at SouthShore Library from September through April. SBGS volunteers help in the SouthShore Library’s Genealogy room on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 10 a.m. until noon all year round. Also, members receive an electronic monthly newsletter, “The Links.”

Monthly meetings are held on the third Tuesday of the month at the United Methodist Church of Sun City Center in their Life Enrichment Center. Vice-President, Dr. William Simmons, says, “The monthly meeting begins at 10:30 a.m. with the Round Table Discussions where members interact and try to overcome their ‘brick walls’ or barriers that have stumped them in trying to put together their family tree. Then at noon, the members gather for a luncheon, prepared by volunteers from the United Methodist Church. At 1 p.m., the guest speaker is given the floor. Each month an expert in their field presents a different topic.

Reservations and payment for meals need to be made two weeks before each luncheon. Memberships are $25 per year for each household. For further information, call Dotty Love at 813.634.2749. Membership forms can be found in the Genealogy Center at SouthShore Regional Library, on the corner of Beth Shields Way and 19th Avenue NE. Mailings should be sent to SBGS, P.O. Box 5202, Sun City Center, FL 33571.

PHOTO: SouthBay Genealogical Society Officers and the Speaker pose for a photo. Front row: (left to right) Vice President Bill Simmons, Director Dotty Love. Middle row: Director Beth Clarke, Past President and current Treasurer Terri Cardoza, Director Linda Vitale, Director Dru Thomas. Back row: Director Scott Niblick, President Bill Love, February 19 speaker Joanne Ryder, Secretary Lynne Freeland.