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Girl Scout Paves Way To Gold Award With Pantry Project

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By BARBARA ROUTEN Tribune correspondent

The Tampa Tribune

Published: November 26, 2008

RIVERVIEW - Why are the initials "EB" carved into the sidewalk outside the new entrance to Riverview United Methodist Church's Restore Food Pantry?

Emily Bradley of Girl Scout Troop 931 carved her initials in the sidewalk after planning, funding and recruiting volunteer help for, and pouring, the sidewalk. This was her Gold Award project, the equivalent of a Boy Scout's Eagle Scout project.

She raised more than $400 for the initiative from individual donors. More than a dozen volunteers helped her remove tree roots, set forms and pour and smooth concrete to construct the walkway.

Among them were Joe Cornell, Diane Williams, Dewey Brown, Steve and Lauren Williams, Jim Bryington, Carol and Rob Bradley, Gary Floyd, John Nelson, Steve Penta, Mike Plett and Jim Rollison.

Rollison is a professional contractor whose knowledge proved "invaluable," said Beverly Plett, publicity coordinator for the church.

The Restore Food Pantry, at 8002 U.S. 301 S., provides free food, clothes and spiritual encouragement to people in emergency situations.

For information, call the church office at (813) 677-5995 or visit www .riverviewflumc.org.

Lights To Shine On Boat Parade

APOLLO BEACH - The 25th annual lighted boat parade, co-sponsored by the Apollo Beach Chamber of Commerce and the Tampa Sailing Squadron, will begin around 6:30 p.m. Dec. 13 at the Apollo Beach north basin.

Boats festooned with holiday lights and decorations will sail a designated course through channels, basins and canals before ending at about 9:30 p.m. in the Symphony Isles Canal.

Anyone with a boat of any size powered by wind or fuel is invited to participate.
Vessel registration will begin at 8 a.m. the day of the parade at the Tampa Sailing Squadron, 1250 Apollo Beach Blvd. Doughnuts and coffee will be served. A mandatory safety meeting for all skippers will take place immediately after registration.

Spectators may view the parade from various places along the route, on open land, by invitation at private homes or from Circles Restaurant and Tiki Bar, 1212 Apollo Beach Blvd.

The parade is free to spectators and private boaters. Trophies or plaques will be awarded for best in show, and the three best entries in each of the following classes: all sailboats, power boats shorter than 30 feet and power boats longer than 30 feet.

A fee of $100 charged for commercial boats will be donated to the Apollo Beach Waterway Improvement Group for dredging the community's canals. Business vessels may display advertising banners, signs and flags.

For a copy of the route or other details, contact the Apollo Beach Chamber of Commerce at (813) 645-1366 or Bruce Gocek at (813) 245-6744.

Veterans Win, Hands Down

Jack Skelding, commandant of the Riverview Detachment of the Marine Corps League, presented a $5,000 check to Pat Schenck, a member of the board of directors of the Haley House Fund, and Ruth Fisher, a Haley House staff member, at the detachment's Nov. 4 meeting.

The money was raised at the detachment's Sept. 27 annual poker run, of which Joe Stajkowski and John Bain were co-chairmen.

The Haley House, affiliated with James A. Haley Veterans' Hospital in Tampa, is a home away from home for families of injured military personnel. For information, visit wwwhaley housefund.com or write to info@ haleyhousefund.com.

Santa To Send Braille Letters

With the help of the National Federation of the Blind, Santa will send Braille letters to blind children between Dec. 1 and 24.

Parents should request a letter for their child online at www.nfb.org no later than Dec. 16. A print copy will accompany the child's Braille letter so parents can read what Santa says, too.

Marc Maurer, president of the federation, said in a recent e-mail message that the ability to read Braille is the key to success and opportunity for blind people. He added, "Besides, reading Braille is lots of fun."

The 50,000-member federation works to improve the lives of blind people and hopes this partnership with Santa will encourage children to become fluent readers of Braille.

For information about the local chapter of the National Federation of the Blind, visit www.blind411.org.

Computer Club Boasts 25 Years

SUN CITY CENTER - The Computer Club at Sun City Center will celebrate its 25th anniversary with a wine and cheese party at its regularly scheduled meeting at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 3 at Community Hall, 1910 S. Pebble Beach Blvd. Russ Merritt, charter member and secretary, will describe the merits of Microsoft Publisher, a software program that enables users to make brochures, newsletters, booklets and such.

The nonprofit organization "has grown from a handful who met in members' homes to about 1,000 families today," said Jack Fischer, another charter member and the club's director of communications. The club now has special interest groups, publishes a 16-page monthly newsletter, offers classes and operates an open lab for residents' use.

"My computer at that time had two floppy disk drives and no hard drives," he said. "Our emphasis was more on hardware. ... Along the way, we have seen operating systems, e-mail, Internet, color, speeds we could not imagine and a marriage between photo-manipulation and movie making."

Several years ago, club members helped form a subgroup for owners of Apple products. Since then, that group has become a club in its own right, the Macintosh Users Club of Sun City Center, under the leadership of President Dunham Swift and Vice President Don Rawlings.

The computer club currently has a mix of people new to computers and those whose careers are centered on them. The club's Introduction to Computers course is the best attended of all its offerings.

Residents of Kings Point and Sun City Center are welcome to join. For information, contact Ilona Merritt, president, at (813) 633-9694.

Military Officers Hold Reception

TAMPA - The Tampa Chapter of the Military Officers Association of America and the Military Officers' Wives Club will host a Christmas reception from 6 to 9 p.m. Dec. 13 at the Bayshore Club Officers' Club at MacDill Air Force Base.

Active duty, reserve, retired, National Guard and retired U.S. military officers are invited to join the association and attend the formal reception, which will feature door prizes, dance music by the Melody Booth Orchestra and carved turkey, cocktail shrimp, pasta and cheese.

Toys and monetary donations will be collected or the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots Foundation.

The cost for the reception is $35 per person. Reservation forms and checks must be received by 8 p.m. Dec. 5.

Get details and a reservation form by going to www.moaatampa.com and clicking on "Chapter News."

Beth Israel Hosts Interfaith Service

SUN CITY CENTER - People of all faiths are invited to attend the Sun City Center Ecumenical Thanksgiving Worship Service at 7 tonight in the sanctuary of the United Methodist Church of Sun City Center, 1210 Del Webb Blvd. W. Beth Israel Jewish Congregation of Sun City Center will host the service.

The local ministerial association sponsors this "non-sectarian, all-inclusive worship service every year on the eve of Thanksgiving," said Delyse Axinn, president of the Beth Israel congregation. Each year there is a different host.

Speakers will include Axinn and clergy from LifePath Hospice and the following area houses of worship: First Church of Christ, First Christian Church, Prince of Peace Roman Catholic Church, Redeemer Lutheran Church, St. Andrew Presbyterian Church, St. John the Divine Episcopal Church, United Community Church and the United Methodist Church of Sun City Center.

Beth Israel Cantor Sam Isaak and choirs from participating churches will sing.

An offering to benefit local missions will be collected.

For information, contact the United Methodist Church of Sun City Center at (813) 634-2539 or www.sccumc .com.

Send news and photos of community interest to Barbara Routen at The Tampa Tribune, 505 W. Robertson St., Brandon FL 33511, e-mail neighbor@tampabay.rr.com or call (813) 657-4531.

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