June 2022 NEWS is HOT off the PRESS!

June 2022 NEWS is HOT off the PRESS!

In this issue…

Discover a new ER in SCC, meet the new SCCCA director, celebrate with Cygnet, commemorate Earth Day, take a low and slow balloon cruise, marvel at the world’s largest flamingo, catch up on Entertainment News, save the date for the next Pelican Players performance, celebrate seven decades with the Babbits and triple digits with Gina Shanklin, explore a local author’s “Saga,” get away to Hawaii, learn about a local study involving brain health, and make sure you’re prepared for hurricane season.

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 June 2022 Issue of The News

April 2022 NEWS is HOT off the PRESS!

April 2022 NEWS is HOT off the PRESS!

In this issue… Mark your calendar for Earth Day, shoot hoops with Senior Basketball, immerse yourself in Van Gogh in Sarasota, hear what ClubLink is planning in the community, catch up with residents who won ribbons at the state fair, learn why...

March 2022 NEWS is HOT off the PRESS!

March 2022 NEWS is HOT off the PRESS!

In this issue… We honor standout members of the SCC Security Patrol, uncover a Hoot of a Story, learn how to connect with the Long Range Plan, travel back in time to the Renaissance Festival, play some Games Highland Style, have a Great Time at...

Funny Farm: It looks a Bit Like Noah’s Ark

Funny Farm: It looks a Bit Like Noah’s Ark

Funny Farm: It looks a Bit Like Noah’s ArkBy Andrea L. T. Peterson Peppered with references from the cultural milieu in which many of us and our children were raised, Laurie Zaleski’s Funny Farm is both a heartbreaking and a heartwarming...

SCC Beautification Corporation

SCC Beautification Corporation

SCC Beautification CorporationCreating a First Impression of the Greater Sun City Center Area By Diane M. Loeffler, Photos by News Staff First impressions count. If you walk in the lobby of a hotel and see run-down furniture, a dirty carpet and...

Books At Bunkers Bar & Grill

Books At Bunkers Bar & Grill

Books At Bunkers Bar & GrillBy Andrea L.T. Peterson What a beautiful afternoon for an outdoor book signing! Sun City Center resident Michael H. Blaine, author of The Invisible Walls of Dannemora: Inside the Infamous Clinton Correctional...

The Information Center

The Information Center

The Information Center A Place for Prospective Buyers, New Residents and All of the Rest of Us    By Diane M. Loeffler The Information Center sits at the southeast corner of Cherry Hills and North Pebble Beach. Some people think of it as our...

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 care 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

The ribbon-cutting ceremony provided attendees and media the opportunity to hear from Manatee Memorial Hospital’s Leadership including Tom McDougal, Chief Executive Officer; Lynne Conlan, Executive Director, South Hillsborough Chamber of Commerce; and Hugh Miller, Chairman of the Board of Governors.

“We are honored to be expanding in Hillsborough County with the first freestanding emergency room for Manatee Memorial Hospital,” CEO McDougal said, “By expanding our emergency services, we can better meet the needs of our growing communities and provide access to emergency care where it is needed. No matter what the emergency, the new ER at Sun City Center is equipped to handle everything from minor conditions to stabilizing treatment for major conditions such as heart attack and stroke.”

ER at SCC staff

This new freestanding ER will always be staffed by a physician and offers six exam rooms, three rapid medical exam spaces, and nine treatment areas, housed in a 10,884 square foot facility that also includes a full-service on-site laboratory, as well as x-ray, CT, and ultrasound imaging services. For more information, visit “manateememorial.com”.

AT THE TOP: (l to r) Tammy Sloas, Jim Boyd, Gerri DeStefano, Hugh Miller, Tom McDougal, Cathy Cooper, Joe Hwang, Gary Whittington.

April 2022 NEWS is HOT off the PRESS!

April 2022 NEWS is HOT off the PRESS!

In this issue… Mark your calendar for Earth Day, shoot hoops with Senior Basketball, immerse yourself in Van Gogh in Sarasota, hear what ClubLink is planning in the community, catch up with residents who won ribbons at the state fair, learn why...

March 2022 NEWS is HOT off the PRESS!

March 2022 NEWS is HOT off the PRESS!

In this issue… We honor standout members of the SCC Security Patrol, uncover a Hoot of a Story, learn how to connect with the Long Range Plan, travel back in time to the Renaissance Festival, play some Games Highland Style, have a Great Time at...

Funny Farm: It looks a Bit Like Noah’s Ark

Funny Farm: It looks a Bit Like Noah’s Ark

Funny Farm: It looks a Bit Like Noah’s ArkBy Andrea L. T. Peterson Peppered with references from the cultural milieu in which many of us and our children were raised, Laurie Zaleski’s Funny Farm is both a heartbreaking and a heartwarming...

SCC Beautification Corporation

SCC Beautification Corporation

SCC Beautification CorporationCreating a First Impression of the Greater Sun City Center Area By Diane M. Loeffler, Photos by News Staff First impressions count. If you walk in the lobby of a hotel and see run-down furniture, a dirty carpet and...

Books At Bunkers Bar & Grill

Books At Bunkers Bar & Grill

Books At Bunkers Bar & GrillBy Andrea L.T. Peterson What a beautiful afternoon for an outdoor book signing! Sun City Center resident Michael H. Blaine, author of The Invisible Walls of Dannemora: Inside the Infamous Clinton Correctional...

The Information Center

The Information Center

The Information Center A Place for Prospective Buyers, New Residents and All of the Rest of Us    By Diane M. Loeffler The Information Center sits at the southeast corner of Cherry Hills and North Pebble Beach. Some people think of it as our...

Cygnet Yacht Club Awards

Cygnet Yacht Club Awards

Cygnet Yacht Club Awards

By 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.

Rich Link, club president, uses electronic scorekeeping software to keep the race scores for the month. At the end of each month he tallies the scores to see who won the most races. Once a month, the club members and their wives or partners go out for dinner and the trophies are awarded. The winner of a trophy gets to keep it for three weeks, return it and then it is passed on to the next winner.

At the May dinner the awards went to (pictured left to right), Jim Hallaron 4th place, Glen Surkont 2nd place, Rich Link 1st place, and Bob Cabral 3rd place. Bob got the blue boat trophy for racing the most races in April.

April 2022 NEWS is HOT off the PRESS!

April 2022 NEWS is HOT off the PRESS!

In this issue… Mark your calendar for Earth Day, shoot hoops with Senior Basketball, immerse yourself in Van Gogh in Sarasota, hear what ClubLink is planning in the community, catch up with residents who won ribbons at the state fair, learn why...

March 2022 NEWS is HOT off the PRESS!

March 2022 NEWS is HOT off the PRESS!

In this issue… We honor standout members of the SCC Security Patrol, uncover a Hoot of a Story, learn how to connect with the Long Range Plan, travel back in time to the Renaissance Festival, play some Games Highland Style, have a Great Time at...

Funny Farm: It looks a Bit Like Noah’s Ark

Funny Farm: It looks a Bit Like Noah’s Ark

Funny Farm: It looks a Bit Like Noah’s ArkBy Andrea L. T. Peterson Peppered with references from the cultural milieu in which many of us and our children were raised, Laurie Zaleski’s Funny Farm is both a heartbreaking and a heartwarming...

SCC Beautification Corporation

SCC Beautification Corporation

SCC Beautification CorporationCreating a First Impression of the Greater Sun City Center Area By Diane M. Loeffler, Photos by News Staff First impressions count. If you walk in the lobby of a hotel and see run-down furniture, a dirty carpet and...

Books At Bunkers Bar & Grill

Books At Bunkers Bar & Grill

Books At Bunkers Bar & GrillBy Andrea L.T. Peterson What a beautiful afternoon for an outdoor book signing! Sun City Center resident Michael H. Blaine, author of The Invisible Walls of Dannemora: Inside the Infamous Clinton Correctional...

The Information Center

The Information Center

The Information Center A Place for Prospective Buyers, New Residents and All of the Rest of Us    By Diane M. Loeffler The Information Center sits at the southeast corner of Cherry Hills and North Pebble Beach. Some people think of it as our...

Meet Your Neighbor: Young Chung-Hall

Meet Your Neighbor: Young Chung-Hall

Meet Your Neighbor: Young Chung-Hall

By 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 have had the privilege to enjoy. Sherwin Green and his wife Kathleen Peoples introduced Young to us and called her a “Gardener Extraordinaire.” She is all of that and much more.

In 1979, Young Chung came to America from South Korea for the American dream to get an education and a good job. Her first husband felt that having a son to take care of was all she needed. Young disagreed with that and moved on. She went to work and night school. She worked hard at learning the English language. She started as a letter carrier for the U.S. Postal Service after attending Cornell University Business School, and worked her way up to Manager for National Programs. She worked for them for 20 years, and then transferred to the IRS, where she worked another ten years and retired. She moved up in their ranks, and part of her job was speaking to hundreds of Americans, and her language skills were so important. She also learned American Sign Language.

She married Larry Hall in 2001, and in June 2017, they moved to SCC. She had never had time to garden, but the lack of finding fresh Asian vegetables got her interested in the Tillers and Toilers. Young decided to grow her Asian vegetables; she went to USF Continuing Education Programs, enrolled in the Florida Friendly Landscaping program, and learned about plants, soil, and the sun’s effect. She works in the garden and plans what she wants to grow and what season to plant. She starts with seeds in small containers at home and staggers their growth carefully. Young also includes flowers in her garden to attract Bees and Butterflies to pollinate the vegetable plants. She never uses chemicals in her garden.

Young enjoys cooking healthy meals and uses everything out of her garden. I finally found out what a Napa Cabbage looks like at our meeting before all the leaves had been taken off. There was a trellis loaded with Christmas Lima Beans, and I fell in love with her Moringa Tree. Besides being a tremendous source of nutrition, it also grows very artistic. She readily shares her harvest with friends. Her friends, Sherwin and Kathleen, said that Young is a very accomplished woman. Kathleen has not had such good luck gardening, but she and Young share recipes. Young also enjoys participating in Archery and loves Sun City Center and the Tiller and Toilers community.

April 2022 NEWS is HOT off the PRESS!

April 2022 NEWS is HOT off the PRESS!

In this issue… Mark your calendar for Earth Day, shoot hoops with Senior Basketball, immerse yourself in Van Gogh in Sarasota, hear what ClubLink is planning in the community, catch up with residents who won ribbons at the state fair, learn why...

March 2022 NEWS is HOT off the PRESS!

March 2022 NEWS is HOT off the PRESS!

In this issue… We honor standout members of the SCC Security Patrol, uncover a Hoot of a Story, learn how to connect with the Long Range Plan, travel back in time to the Renaissance Festival, play some Games Highland Style, have a Great Time at...

Funny Farm: It looks a Bit Like Noah’s Ark

Funny Farm: It looks a Bit Like Noah’s Ark

Funny Farm: It looks a Bit Like Noah’s ArkBy Andrea L. T. Peterson Peppered with references from the cultural milieu in which many of us and our children were raised, Laurie Zaleski’s Funny Farm is both a heartbreaking and a heartwarming...

SCC Beautification Corporation

SCC Beautification Corporation

SCC Beautification CorporationCreating a First Impression of the Greater Sun City Center Area By Diane M. Loeffler, Photos by News Staff First impressions count. If you walk in the lobby of a hotel and see run-down furniture, a dirty carpet and...

Books At Bunkers Bar & Grill

Books At Bunkers Bar & Grill

Books At Bunkers Bar & GrillBy Andrea L.T. Peterson What a beautiful afternoon for an outdoor book signing! Sun City Center resident Michael H. Blaine, author of The Invisible Walls of Dannemora: Inside the Infamous Clinton Correctional...

The Information Center

The Information Center

The Information Center A Place for Prospective Buyers, New Residents and All of the Rest of Us    By Diane M. Loeffler The Information Center sits at the southeast corner of Cherry Hills and North Pebble Beach. Some people think of it as our...

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. Johns River would be the answer.

The St. Johns River is the longest in Florida and is significant for commercial and recreational use. At 310 miles long, it flows north and winds through or borders twelve counties. The drop in elevation from headwaters to mouth is less than 30 feet. Like most Florida waterways, St. Johns has a shallow flow rate of 0.3 mph and is often described as “lazy.”

My long-time dream of a houseboat trip came true this summer, with my husband and two dear friends. Hontoon State Park near Deland was our destination. Once you leave I-4, it is all two-lane country roads. We had to cross a drawbridge before turning onto Hontoon Road, where the Holly Bluff Marina was located, only to travel later on the river when we had to radio the Bridge Tender to open up the bridge for us to pass beneath.

Upon arrival at the marina, we were greeted by a very gracious and helpful staff. The entire area was well organized, and the houseboats were all lined up waiting for us. They are well cared for, and supplied with everything we needed for the trip. We only brought our food and packed casual clothes. An amicable staff member came aboard and gave us instructions on how to handle the boat, and off we were on our adventure. It is important to know that whenever the boat is moving, it must be piloted. Therefore we appointed a captain and a first mate.

A cruise on St. Johns is a return to original natural Florida. The scenery along the river varies with elevation. Pines occur in the higher areas while palms, swamps, and marshes variously border the river and its tributaries. Much of the land bordering the river is part of the Ocala National Forest and will never be developed. Many parts of the Tarzan movies were filmed here, and while relaxing on the deck, it was easy to imagine Tarzan traversing through the trees and swamps. Wildlife is abundant. In the winter, the manatee travel to this area for the warm water springs, constant 72 degrees. We saw great blue and little blue herons, ospreys, and eagles soar in the sky above. Lest we forget, fishing is prevalent.  There is no swimming in the river. The water is brackish and brown with tannin. Alligators are common, as are other water inhabitants, such as bull sharks and snakes.

The route to travel is laid out very precisely and was sent with the contract. There was plenty of time to study the course. With Lake Monroe on one end and Lake George on the other end, there were many things to see and wildlife to watch. It is essential to stay in the channel due to the shallow water. There are branches of the river which are hazardous and are not to be entered. The lakes are shallow and can be dangerous. The river features scattered pockets of civilization with small communities. There is an abundance of alligators in the St. Johns River. Once considered endangered, they are now a preservationist success story.

The river experience will not be forgotten. We enjoyed our meals on the boat and spent the evening playing board games and cards. We charted our own course, enjoyed the beauty of this area of Florida, the camaraderie with our friends, and the casual and laid-back life on the St. Johns River.

April 2022 NEWS is HOT off the PRESS!

April 2022 NEWS is HOT off the PRESS!

In this issue… Mark your calendar for Earth Day, shoot hoops with Senior Basketball, immerse yourself in Van Gogh in Sarasota, hear what ClubLink is planning in the community, catch up with residents who won ribbons at the state fair, learn why...

March 2022 NEWS is HOT off the PRESS!

March 2022 NEWS is HOT off the PRESS!

In this issue… We honor standout members of the SCC Security Patrol, uncover a Hoot of a Story, learn how to connect with the Long Range Plan, travel back in time to the Renaissance Festival, play some Games Highland Style, have a Great Time at...

Funny Farm: It looks a Bit Like Noah’s Ark

Funny Farm: It looks a Bit Like Noah’s Ark

Funny Farm: It looks a Bit Like Noah’s ArkBy Andrea L. T. Peterson Peppered with references from the cultural milieu in which many of us and our children were raised, Laurie Zaleski’s Funny Farm is both a heartbreaking and a heartwarming...

SCC Beautification Corporation

SCC Beautification Corporation

SCC Beautification CorporationCreating a First Impression of the Greater Sun City Center Area By Diane M. Loeffler, Photos by News Staff First impressions count. If you walk in the lobby of a hotel and see run-down furniture, a dirty carpet and...

Books At Bunkers Bar & Grill

Books At Bunkers Bar & Grill

Books At Bunkers Bar & GrillBy Andrea L.T. Peterson What a beautiful afternoon for an outdoor book signing! Sun City Center resident Michael H. Blaine, author of The Invisible Walls of Dannemora: Inside the Infamous Clinton Correctional...

The Information Center

The Information Center

The Information Center A Place for Prospective Buyers, New Residents and All of the Rest of Us    By Diane M. Loeffler The Information Center sits at the southeast corner of Cherry Hills and North Pebble Beach. Some people think of it as our...