Local Lookalikes Run With the Hemingways

Local Lookalikes Run With the Hemingways

Local Lookalikes Run With the Hemingways

By Kai Rambow

“Always do sober what you said you’d do drunk. That will teach you to keep your mouth shut.” – Ernest Hemingway

“There might have been some alcohol involved,” recalled Gary Mull.  Mull recently participated in the 41st Hemingway Look Alike contest.  Key West is a favorite destination for residents Janet Wright and Gary Mull.  They have sailed there a few times.  The contest was a great reason for another trip to Key West.

A good friend of Gary’s had been competing for several years. Paul encouraged Gary to grow a beard and enter the competition. Out of 140 contestants, Gary and Paul made the semi-finalist list of 25. The 25 were whittled down to five, and then a winner was selected.

Despite the hot and humid conditions, Key West was sold out. Created by the Hemingway Society, the contest isn’t just a fun event. The contest is used as a fundraiser for scholarships. Originally focused on literary related studies, the Society has put special emphasis on nursing students studying in the Keys.  There is a shortage of qualified health care professionals here. This was inspired by A Farewell to Arms.  This past year, 17 students received scholarships.

SCC resident, Gary Mull, right, participating in Key West’s 41st Hemingway Look Alike contest.

With over 140 contestants, it took two nights at Sloppy Joes to determine the semi-finalists.  Previous winners, called “Papas,” comprise the judges’ panel. Each contestant has 15 seconds to say or do something. Most spoke; a few, like Gary, sang; and one guy blew a conch shell.

“The whole thing was fun. Typically, most people here were interested in Hemingway and his work, so starting conversations was easy,” remembered Gary.  The third night a winner was selected.  A recreation of the running of the bulls was a highlight. Past winners get to ride one of the bulls on wheels in the parade.

TOP PHOTO: A previous winner rides a bull on wheels in downtown Key West.

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May 2022 NEWS is HOT off the PRESS!

May 2022 NEWS is HOT off the PRESS!

In this issue… Check out the Sew’n Sews baby shower benefit, meet the new SCC Activities Director, enjoy Faye McKeown’s art, go Trail Blazing, learn about CA Club facility use, take off in a B-29, clean up with the Boy Scouts, bounce back...

5th Annual SCC Relay for Life Surpasses Goal

5th Annual SCC Relay for Life Surpasses Goal

5th Annual SCC Relay for Life Surpasses Goal

By Bob Sanchez

The 5th annual SCC Mini-Relay for Life drew hundreds to St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church on July 29 to raise money in the fight against cancer. The event raised $16,757.39, easily exceeding its goal of $15,000. Co-chair Sarah Baez expects the final number to surpass $18,000.

Connie Lesko originated the Mini-Relay at Freedom Plaza, where she is Business Development Coordinator with the Retired Officers Corp. She directed the event there for four years. This year, she has turned over chairmanship to Brian Bower, an Edward Jones Financial Advisor, and to Sarah Baez, a Senior Care Consultant at CarePatrol. Meanwhile, Lesko continues to provide considerable support to their effort.

“I felt led to start it when my 54-year-old nephew was diagnosed with colon cancer,” she wrote in an email, adding that she has lost him and three other dear friends to cancer since that time. So for her, fighting cancer is deeply personal.

Beverly Gaussiran represented Freedom Plaza at the event.

Thirty-eight teams worked hard to raise the funds by paying for display tables, selling hot dogs, beer, raffle tickets, and bingo cards. Baez enthused that they also had “a wine pull, social media marketing, the remembrance tree at the South Hillsborough Chamber of Commerce and boots on the ground efforts, and it is all going to the American Cancer Society!”

The organizers made a point of thanking St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church for generously letting the fundraising event use some of its space. Of course with an event such as this, many people pitched in: Tammy Schoonover, Senior Development Manager with the American Cancer Society; Kim Bauer, volunteer extraordinaire; Sean Andrews, Financial Advisor with Edward Jones; Julie Brink, Branch Manager with Lake Michigan CU; Lynne Conlan, Executive Director with the South Hillsborough Chamber of Commerce; Joanne Bassinger, volunteer extraordinaire; Thina Huskey, Realtor with Keller Williams; and members of the St. Andrew Presbyterian Church.  “So many people came together to donate their time or resources,” Baez noted.

TOP PHOTO: Mini-Relay founder Connie Lesko, left, with this year’s co-chairs Sarah Baez and Brian Bower.

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Houseboating on the St. Johns River

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Houseboating on the St. Johns River By Ilona Merritt If you’re looking for entertainment, shopping, or fancy restaurants on your vacation, this one is not for you. However, if you ever wanted a truly relaxing holiday, houseboating on the St....

May 2022 NEWS is HOT off the PRESS!

May 2022 NEWS is HOT off the PRESS!

In this issue… Check out the Sew’n Sews baby shower benefit, meet the new SCC Activities Director, enjoy Faye McKeown’s art, go Trail Blazing, learn about CA Club facility use, take off in a B-29, clean up with the Boy Scouts, bounce back...

August 2022 NEWS is HOT off the PRESS!

August 2022 NEWS is HOT off the PRESS!

In this issue…

Learn how volunteers here and abroad are helping Ukrainian refugees, meet some local teens investing in our community, catch the raptor show at the Florida Aquarium, celebrate our Independence, raise a nesting pole with the Audubon Club, get an update on SCCCA facilities and grounds beautification, save the date(s) for the upcoming Entertainment Series, uncover a “Hidden Surprise” at the Tampa Bay History Center, make some “Family Connections,” share your favorite summer reads, and help keep history alive.

Then be sure to check out the SCCCA Club News, Kings Point News, Military News, Sports, Arts, Faith & Service, and Community News sections to help you plan your month.

Read the August 2022 Issue of The News

New Freestanding ER in SCC

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New Freestanding ER in SCC On May 11, Manatee Memorial Hospital debuted a new freestanding emergency room in our community: The ER at Sun City Center. The new ER, located in front of Walmart at 16504 S. U.S. 301, will expand access to emergency...

Cygnet Yacht Club Awards

Cygnet Yacht Club Awards

Cygnet Yacht Club AwardsBy Paula Lickfeldt, Photo by Rich Link On May 3, the members of the Cygnet Yacht Club had dinner at Club Renaissance. They had a night of socializing and awarded the trophies that the members had won the month before....

Meet Your Neighbor: Young Chung-Hall

Meet Your Neighbor: Young Chung-Hall

Meet Your Neighbor: Young Chung-HallBy Ilona Merritt It was a cool morning when I met Young in the Tillers & Toilers Garden. She radiated warmth and friendliness, and it turned out to be one of the most exciting and informative visits I...

Our Earth Day Celebration

Our Earth Day Celebration

Our Earth Day CelebrationBy Diane M. Loeffler April 22 was Earth Day. Once again, the local Audubon Club celebrated the day at the West Campus Nature Trails with tours of our own little piece of “the real Florida.” Free fruit, snacks, water, a...

Houseboating on the St. Johns River

Houseboating on the St. Johns River

Houseboating on the St. Johns River By Ilona Merritt If you’re looking for entertainment, shopping, or fancy restaurants on your vacation, this one is not for you. However, if you ever wanted a truly relaxing holiday, houseboating on the St....

May 2022 NEWS is HOT off the PRESS!

May 2022 NEWS is HOT off the PRESS!

In this issue… Check out the Sew’n Sews baby shower benefit, meet the new SCC Activities Director, enjoy Faye McKeown’s art, go Trail Blazing, learn about CA Club facility use, take off in a B-29, clean up with the Boy Scouts, bounce back...

July 2022 NEWS is HOT off the PRESS!

July 2022 NEWS is HOT off the PRESS!

In this issue…

Save the date for SCCCA Family Fun Day, welcome Jeff Parsons to the SCCCA Board, enjoy the beauty of local nesting birds, celebrate a truly great photo exhibit, catch up on local road improvements, remember our veterans as we celebrate our Independence, tip your hat to CAHT, soar with the Thunderbirds, swim with the dancers, get déjà vu all over again, cruise over the mountains of Kauai, meet local hero Bill Chini, lend a helping hand with the Lions Club, peruse the art of the Highwaymen, reminisce over A Land Remembered, explore some Cuban Pathways, and meets some folks with a deep Family Connection to SCC.

Then be sure to check out the SCCCA Club News, Kings Point News, Military News, Sports, Arts, Faith & Service, and Community News sections to help you plan your month.

Read the July 2022 Issue of The News

New Freestanding ER in SCC

New Freestanding ER in SCC

New Freestanding ER in SCC On May 11, Manatee Memorial Hospital debuted a new freestanding emergency room in our community: The ER at Sun City Center. The new ER, located in front of Walmart at 16504 S. U.S. 301, will expand access to emergency...

Cygnet Yacht Club Awards

Cygnet Yacht Club Awards

Cygnet Yacht Club AwardsBy Paula Lickfeldt, Photo by Rich Link On May 3, the members of the Cygnet Yacht Club had dinner at Club Renaissance. They had a night of socializing and awarded the trophies that the members had won the month before....

Meet Your Neighbor: Young Chung-Hall

Meet Your Neighbor: Young Chung-Hall

Meet Your Neighbor: Young Chung-HallBy Ilona Merritt It was a cool morning when I met Young in the Tillers & Toilers Garden. She radiated warmth and friendliness, and it turned out to be one of the most exciting and informative visits I...

Our Earth Day Celebration

Our Earth Day Celebration

Our Earth Day CelebrationBy Diane M. Loeffler April 22 was Earth Day. Once again, the local Audubon Club celebrated the day at the West Campus Nature Trails with tours of our own little piece of “the real Florida.” Free fruit, snacks, water, a...

Houseboating on the St. Johns River

Houseboating on the St. Johns River

Houseboating on the St. Johns River By Ilona Merritt If you’re looking for entertainment, shopping, or fancy restaurants on your vacation, this one is not for you. However, if you ever wanted a truly relaxing holiday, houseboating on the St....

May 2022 NEWS is HOT off the PRESS!

May 2022 NEWS is HOT off the PRESS!

In this issue… Check out the Sew’n Sews baby shower benefit, meet the new SCC Activities Director, enjoy Faye McKeown’s art, go Trail Blazing, learn about CA Club facility use, take off in a B-29, clean up with the Boy Scouts, bounce back...

Making History at the Olympics

Making History at the Olympics

Making History at the Olympics

By Kai Rambow

When Ana Zolotic won her gold medal match, she was so exuberant NBC showed her reaction to winning for several days.  It all started quite differently.

“We had to enter an after school activity, and my dad didn’t want us to start ballet or other girly stuff.”  My mother said, ‘It’s too rough for girls.’  My sister quit, and I almost quit because it was something we had done together.  It was how we bonded and took out our frustration with each other.”

Fortunately for Team USA, Anastasija (Ana) Zolotic didn’t quit.  At the Tokyo Olympics, she not only won gold in Taekwondo, but became the first American woman to do so.

Born in Largo, Zolotic started the sport at age five. At eight, she decided she wanted to go to the Olympics.  “The only reason I continued was because I had made a deal with my dad that I would try for the Junior Worlds.”  She won at Junior Worlds.

“People would say, ‘You’re an inspiration.  Thank you for being a role model.’  I didn’t have that growing up.  I was eight and people would say, ‘It’s a guy’s sport.’ I was 15 and they were the same age.  It didn’t make sense to me.  How are they looking up to me?  Let’s see if I can keep going with this.”

How are points scored?  It’s all electronic.  “Our socks have magnets in them, our chest pads and head guards have sensors.  Our gloves are the only things that don’t have sensors in them.  If you kick to the body and your sock makes contact with the chest pad that’s two points.  Punches are scored by judges. If you spin kick there are more points.”

The Olympics felt familiar to Zolotic.  “I went to the Youth Olympics and the Pan Am games. A very similar environment.  This time it was just me and my coach. The rec room was best. We played ping pong and argued intensely. I didn’t want to lose to my coach and he didn’t want to lose to his athlete.”

Zolotic spent most of her time preparing for the games. “I came to the games to win. If I lose, I usually go to the gym and work out even harder.”

A training day for Zolotic involves a practice at 7 a.m. for 90 minutes and a kicking session for two hours in the afternoon. In between she is studying, working on a degree. “I train most of the day. I love the gym. I prioritize: 10 minutes of fun and I miss two hours of training.”

Zolotic currently lives and trains in Colorado. She misses the beach and rain. Ana was a lovely athlete to interview. We thank her for generously sharing with us. Wherever her endeavors take her, we wish her the best.

IN THE TOP PHOTO:  Zolotic kicking out at her opponent.  She’s 5’11” and trains to adapt to whatever height her competition has. (Photos courtesy of USA Taekwondo)

New Freestanding ER in SCC

New Freestanding ER in SCC

New Freestanding ER in SCC On May 11, Manatee Memorial Hospital debuted a new freestanding emergency room in our community: The ER at Sun City Center. The new ER, located in front of Walmart at 16504 S. U.S. 301, will expand access to emergency...

Cygnet Yacht Club Awards

Cygnet Yacht Club Awards

Cygnet Yacht Club AwardsBy Paula Lickfeldt, Photo by Rich Link On May 3, the members of the Cygnet Yacht Club had dinner at Club Renaissance. They had a night of socializing and awarded the trophies that the members had won the month before....

Meet Your Neighbor: Young Chung-Hall

Meet Your Neighbor: Young Chung-Hall

Meet Your Neighbor: Young Chung-HallBy Ilona Merritt It was a cool morning when I met Young in the Tillers & Toilers Garden. She radiated warmth and friendliness, and it turned out to be one of the most exciting and informative visits I...

Our Earth Day Celebration

Our Earth Day Celebration

Our Earth Day CelebrationBy Diane M. Loeffler April 22 was Earth Day. Once again, the local Audubon Club celebrated the day at the West Campus Nature Trails with tours of our own little piece of “the real Florida.” Free fruit, snacks, water, a...

Houseboating on the St. Johns River

Houseboating on the St. Johns River

Houseboating on the St. Johns River By Ilona Merritt If you’re looking for entertainment, shopping, or fancy restaurants on your vacation, this one is not for you. However, if you ever wanted a truly relaxing holiday, houseboating on the St....

May 2022 NEWS is HOT off the PRESS!

May 2022 NEWS is HOT off the PRESS!

In this issue… Check out the Sew’n Sews baby shower benefit, meet the new SCC Activities Director, enjoy Faye McKeown’s art, go Trail Blazing, learn about CA Club facility use, take off in a B-29, clean up with the Boy Scouts, bounce back...