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Gabber August 28 - September 3, 2014 21 Places of Worship
Gabber August 28 - September 3, 2014 21
Places of Worship
22 Gabber August 28 - September 3, 2014
Local ObituariesBOUCHEZ, DONALDINE MAY, 81, of Town Shores, died Tuesday, August 19, 2014. Born in Hartford, CT, she came here in 1996 from Winsted, CT. Donna was a supervisor with Sears for many years. She loved cats and collecting antiques. She was preceded in death by her parents Donald and Elsie Trimble DiCioccio. Donna is survived by her husband of 59 years Charles; a son Charles Jr.; a brother Gregory DiCioccio and his wife Carol and many, many nieces and nephews. ALifeTribute.com.
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American Legion Post 125 News It’s not too late to get your Back to School items donated for this year’s drive. October 14, Penny Auction starting at 5 p.m. with chip sales auction starts at 7 p.m. Fun for all, door prizes, 50/50, and a whole lot more. Time is ticking by to get your items in so call now for a pick up or just bring them in to the Legion and we can store them. (No clothes please.) Come play Steak-ums Sundays 1 to 3 p.m. Meet new people and play some games. The grill is always fired
up for hot dogs and burgers. September 20 beginning at 8:30 am the American Legion Riders starting at Post #125 will hold a Poker Run/fundraiser with all proceeds going to Cancer Awareness and COTA (Children’s Organ Transplant). Thank you to everyone who came out (nearly 200 people) for Fran Worthington’s Memorial Service and Celebration of Life. Everyone did such a terrific job. We are sure the Worthington family was blessed and Fran was smiling down on all who attended. There were nearly 40 lighthouses displayed of all sizes, shapes and replicas of landmarks. Fran was known as Lady of the Lighthouse.
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Spanish Returns Spanish Beginner 1 and 2 classes resume at Gulfport Recreation Center, 5730 Shore Blvd. S., on September 8. Classes are on Mondays in September, October, and December. See the instructor for the excluded dates. Beginner 1 (novice) is from 6 to 7 p.m. and Beginner 2 is from 7:15 to 8:15 p.m. All lesson materials are included. For more information and how to register and pricing please call 727-482-2125 or email [email protected].
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Kids Karate Chito Ryu Karate at Gulfport recreation center is staring a new kid’s class in September. The class will be for students in kindergarten to 8 years of age and be held on Thursdays from 6 to 6:45 p.m. Please contact Sensei Andel at 727-459-1319 for more information. For ages 8 and up classes are held Monday from 6:30 to 8 p.m. and Thursday from 7 to 8 p.m.
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Medicare Info at Main Branch Library Medicare 101: An introduction to Medicare. Learn about Original Medicare, Supplemental Plans, Medicare Advantage Plans, Part D Prescription Drug Plans and financial assistance programs. Tuesday, September 30 at 11 a.m. Medicare Advantage Plans: This session provides more specifics about Medicare Advantage Plans including HMOs and PPOs. You’ll learn what they are, how they work, when you can join and your rights and protections. Tuesday, October 14, 11
a.m. Medicare Prescription Drug Plans: This is an overview of Medicare Part D. You’ll learn about eligibility and enrollment, how to compare and choose a drug plan, and financial assistance programs. Tuesday, October 28, at 11 a.m. All three programs are presented by SHINE (Serving Health Insurance Needs of Elders), a program of the Florida Dept. of Elder Affairs in conjunction with the Area Agency on Aging. Programs will be presented in the auditorium of the St. Petersburg Main Library, 3745 9th Ave. N. Register by calling 727-893-7928. In addition, one-on-one appointments with a SHINE Medicare Counselor will be available at the St. Petersburg Main Library, Wednesdays, October 8 to December 3, 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. The SHINE counselor can help answer your questions about Medicare, assist with enrollment in Medicare Savings Programs, and can help you determine which Medical and/or Medicare Prescription Drug Plan best fits your needs. Call 727-893-7928 to register for an appointment.
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American Stage Fall Youth Classes American Stage Education now offers year-round acting classes for youth ages 5 to 17. With a focus on developing the student’s performance skills, creativity, and self-confidence they have classes for the beginning actor as well as for advanced performers. While class titles remain the same year after year, lessons and final showcase pieces change each semester. Classes are designed to be taken more than once. Each class meets once a week for 12 weeks, allowing students the opportunity to get a truly in-depth experience. All classes are taught by working, professional theatre artists who have a passion for teaching. Instructors are trained by American Stage and have passed a Level 2 background screening. For more information or if you are having problems enrolling online, contact the Education Department, at 727-823-1600 x 204 or email at [email protected].
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24 Gabber August 28 - September 3, 2014
Stan Kreuter looks pretty happy for a banker who may or may not have lost his entire town’s life savings.
Ward Three Councilwoman Yolanda Roman dances in the aisles with Judy Baggs.
Daniel Hodge gets up and gets down with the rest of the Roaring Gecko ragtime crowd Saturday night.
Mayor Sam Henderson (right) helps outgoing Queen Faun Weaver and her court recover from last year’s Saturday Night Fever and travel back in time to the Jazz Age.
By Cathy Salustri
At the annual Gecko Ball, a packed Gulfport Casino rocked the town on August 23. The sold-out event took on a Jazz Age theme this year: Roaring Geckos. Flapper queens, Gatsby types, bankers and one man in a blue striped bathing costume overtook the Casino and the Z Street Speakeasy Band kept the Zeldas and Art Deco fans entertained. Backfin Blue Café catered, complete with serving girls dressed as flappers. The Gecko Ball is one of three Gecko-related activities during Gulfport’s Gecko Season. The culmination of the season will take place this Saturday, August 30, with GeckoFest, an all-day-and-part-of-the-night celebration of Gulfport.
The Great Gecko Ball Roars at the Casino
Gabber August 28 - September 3, 2014 25
Gail Biron and partner Pauline Laurendeau cut a rug, flapper style.
Dean Wick and Stone Handy might be bartenders or gangsters – shady characters either way in the Jazz Age.
Saturday night, Gulfport crowned a new Gecko Queen: Wesley Sloat (left). Mayor Sam Henderson crowned him the second-ever Gecko Queen. The first queen, Faun Weaver, graciously relinquished her crown.
Angela Lagan is pretty in pink and looks like “sugar and spice” personified.
Christoper “Toffer” Ross looks suspiciously like Amelia Earhart. So much so, she won the costume contest. Vivian Hawker also won the contest; Hawker made her entire costume.
26 Gabber August 28 - September 3, 2014
Teen Council Distributes School Supplies The Gulfport Teen Council had a successful school supply drive. An overwhelming amount of donated supplies such as paper, crayons, pencils, pens, folders, binders, etc. were received. “These supplies enable students to have the items needed for a good start for the school year, as many families do not have the financial
resources to provide these supplies,” said Mary Ruth Bumgarner, Family and Community Liaison at Gulfport Elementary. “These projects let the students know that members of the community care about them and their educational success.” The supplies were distributed to Boca Ciega High, Hamilton Disston, Thurgood Marshall Fundamental and Gulfport Elementary. The Gulfport Teen Council would like to thank everyone that made this project a success.
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Planning your Fall Meetings?
The Gulf Beaches Historical Museum located at 115 10th Ave., St. Pete Beach might be the answer. We are open October through May on Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and June through September, we are open on Friday, Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and all Sundays from 1 to 4 p.m. If you are interested in a private tour for a group, please call 727-552-1610 and we will be pleased to make arrangements when the museum is not opened to the public. A special “you bring dessert and we will have coffee/tea” tour has been added recently. A program about the museum and island history is also available for presentation at a meeting or dinner. The museum is handicapped accessible and there is no admission fee.
PAG Thrift Shop Celebrates 56 Years The Thrift Shop of Pass-A-Grille Beach Community Church will commence its 56th consecutive year of service to the community on Tuesday, September 2. The shop stocks quality used and new items to include women’s and men’s clothing, jewelry, dishes, knick-knacks, and linens. All items are donated by church and community members and are “priced to sell.” Proceeds support community charities such as Habitat for Humanity, Salvation Army, AmiKids Pinellas and church missions. Beginning September 2, the shop will be open every Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday from 9 a.m. to noon. The shop is located at 17th Ave. and Pass-A-Grille Way, St. Pete Beach, 727-329-8617.
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“Enrique’s Journey” Author to Speak Sonia Nazario, author of “Enrique’s Journey,” speaks at Eckerd College in Fox Hall on Thursday, September 11 at 7:30 p.m. She will appear with Lourdes Flores, the mother of Enrique. Nazario’s book tells the true story of a Honduran boy who embarks on a quest to find his mother, Lourdes Flores, who left him 11 years earlier to find work in the US. This powerful tale echoes with the immediacy of the ongoing refugee crisis along the US/Mexico border involving tens of thousands of Central American children who are escaping drug-fueled violence at home. Based on the Los Angeles Times series that won two Pulitzer Prizes, the George Polk Award for International Reporting and the Grand Prize of the Robert F. Kennedy Journalism Awards, Enrique’s Journey puts a human face on the debate about immigration in the US. The book won the 2011 Williams College Book Award Program and has been translated into eight languages. Nazario, who retraced Enrique’s
perilous path atop trains bound for the US, has become an outspoken advocate for these refugee children, testifying before congress and quoted widely, from the New York Times to CNN to the Daily Show. The event is free and open to the public. Eckerd College is located at 4200 54th Ave. S. in St. Petersburg. For more information, contact [email protected] or 727-864-7979.
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Coffee Club Don’t miss out on the Coffee Club that meets at the Gulfport Senior Center, 5501 27th Ave. S. on the first Tuesday of every month at 10 a.m. Discussing current events, the economy and investing, in a relaxed, informal setting, is a great way to get to know one another as you learn from Edward Jones financial advisor, Scott O’Berry. Coffee and doughnuts are provided. Must be a registered Gulfport Senior Center member. Membership is easy and free for all individuals 50 years of age or older. For more information, call the Event line at 727-893-5657.
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Before and After School Camp Summer is almost gone but the fun is not. Register now for city of St. Petersburg Parks and Recreation’s Before and After School Camp for students in kindergarten through 8th grade. Camp dates are August 18, 2014 through June 2, 2015, Monday through Friday at 11 locations. Participants are supervised by well-trained on-site staff and coaches in a licensed school age environment. Youth enjoy a choice of creative planned activities and special events with indoor and outdoor rotations. Sign in and sign out procedures are in effect. Full day activities provided during days and weeks when Pinellas County schools are not in session. These breaks include spring, winter and fall. More information about camp pricing, scholarships, location, application and other great quality programs call 727-893-7441 or see stpeteparksrec.org.
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28 Gabber August 28 - September 3, 2014
By Cathy Salustri
City of GulfportQ: I saw the giant "Klansman Ghost carrying wind chimes," along with several other pieces that had either been recently planted, or were in the process of being planted [in Clymer Park]. It all looks very nice, but I couldn't help but ask myself, "Where does the money for all this come from?” – Bob Usher, via the Gabber’s Gulfport Ideas and Opinions Facebook group
A: Penny for Pinellas monies funded the artwork, according to Gulfport City Manager Jim O’Reilly. In the 2012-2013 fiscal year, the council approved using $100,000 for the art, sidewalk and related improvements as part of the five-year capital improvement program budget. O’Reilly also added this statement: Gulfport “sought proposals for durable and weather-resistant artwork, such as sculptures or cast pieces to enhance the appearance of the park. Artists were encouraged to visit the park to review the location and medium conducive to supporting durable and creative outdoor public art. It is necessary for the media and/or artwork to withstand outside environmental elements including but not limited to rain, wind, and the heat of the summer sun. The artwork is required to need minimal maintenance and be created to enjoy longevity and must be appropriate for an active public pedestrian environment, with proper consideration given to the safety of the audience.”
City Whys? Email your request to [email protected]
Have you got a question for your city government?
Looking to Join a Book Club? All are welcome to the following book clubs at the Main Library, 3745 9th Ave. N. Speculative Fiction Book Club: Tuesday, September 2, 6:30 p.m. “Firstborn” by Arthur C. Clarke and Stephen Baxter. Modern Classics Book Club: Thursday, September 18, 6:30 p.m. “The Heart is a Lonely Hunter” by Carson McCullers. The Real Deal Nonfiction Book Club: September 25, 6:30 pm. “The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History” by Elizabeth Kolbert. The North Community Library, 861 70th Ave. N., hosts: Murder by the Book Mystery Book Club: Thursday, September 4, 6:30 p.m. “The Devotion of Suspect X” by Keigo Higashino. Thursday Morning Group: Thursday, September 4, 11:00 a.m. Call 727-893-7214 for title. South Community Library, 2300 Roy Hanna Dr., hosts: South Community Library Book Club: Wednesday, September 10, 2:00 p.m. “Sarah’s Key” by Tatiana Rosnay. Mahogany Book Club: Saturday, September 20, 12:00 p.m. “The Dew Breaker” by Edwidge Danticat. More information available online at splibraries.org/Book_Discussion_Groups.htm.
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Improv and Storytelling Have a story to tell? Want to create new stories? Join Improv and Storytelling! on Monday evenings, 5:30 to 7 p.m. starting on September 8 at the Gulfport Senior Center, 5501 27th Ave. S. Participants will learn the basics of improvisation, and create and perform new stories together every session. Experts and beginners are all welcome. You don’t have to be a comedian. Just come ready to collaborate and have fun! The class will culminate in a public performance. Must be a registered Gulfport Senior Center member. Membership is easy and free for all individuals 50 years of age or older. For more information, please call our Event Line at 727-893-5657.
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Crossword Puzzle Solution on Page 18Truly Stars
30 Gabber August 28 - September 3, 2014
Champ is a five-year-old, 68-lb Australian Shepherd. He is a delightful boy who takes life in stride and enjoys walks and belly rubs. Champ is neutered, vaccinated, and microchipped.Visit Pet Pal Animal Shelter located at 405 22nd St. S., St. Pete, or call 727-328-7738. All of our animals are posted online at petpalanimalshelter.com.
Pet Pal Animal Shelter
Lewis is a love that adores attention. Less than two years old, this handsome boy sports a solid grey and white fur coat and a very pink nose. Quite sociable, Lewis enjoys being petted and is awaiting a family to love him forever. Lewis has been completely vetted and is microchipped. To meet Lewis at SOS’ Cat Haven in Pinellas Park, call a SOS volunteer at 727-545-1116. Additional cats may be seen on SOS’ website saveourstraysinc.com.
Save Our Strays Codes, from front page
but if a caller wants a follow-up he must leave contact information, which means the complaint is no longer anonymous. To review the code enforcement activities documents for more detailed information and a map of the code enforcement areas, please visit the “Special Documents” section of the city’s website at mygulfport.us.
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Gulfport Getaways: Florida Botanical Gardens No need to be a GEMS member to enjoy this exciting Gulfport Getaway. The Florida Botanical Gardens offer a well laid out area devoted to a wide range of interesting plants. The curving pathways lead visitors through shaded areas and over streams. Enjoy this hidden treasure with your Gulfport Senior Center friends on Tuesday, September 9. Call GEMS at 727-893-2242 more information and to reserve your seat by September 3. GEMS Members $10 / Non-GEMS Members $12. Price includes round-trip transportation, parking, and a box lunch.
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Senior Solos Upcoming Calendar Back in action after a two-month summer break, the Senior Solos will start the fall activities by meeting for lunch at CiCi’s, 4743 66th Street, Kenneth City, at 1 p.m. on September 3. Then mark your calendar for the first regular meeting of the season on September 8 at 1:30 p.m. in the Pinellas Park Recreation Center, 7625 59th St. N in Pinellas Park. Bring a dish to share and $2 or come without a dish and pay $5. These pot-luck lunches always provide an interesting array of yummy foods. Activity for this meeting includes Karaoke, sing-along, and dancing. All singles 55+ are welcome! For additional information call Jeri at 727-541-6206
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