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Hometown Hernando

What's happening

By Times Staff Writer
Published August 7, 2005

HIGH FIVES

Tiffany Woodall, who took home the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 10209 Youth Volunteer of the Year award in April, recently won the District 15 and state volunteer competitions. She was presented with a plaque and a $500 check at the VFW state convention in Jacksonville.

On April 10, at the annual Post 10209 and Ladies Auxiliary awards dinner for the Voice of Democracy and other contests, Betty Lou Bennett, Ladies Auxiliary program coordinator, presented Woodall with the post's award for students 12 to 15 years old. Woodall has won at the local level for three years in a row.

Woodall, 15, won the District 15 title in May, and advanced to the state level in June. Woodall will be a sophomore at Bishop McLaughlin Catholic High School this year, and is the daughter of Linda and William Woodall of Spring Hill.

Matthew Spencer of Spring Hill was recently named a recipient of a Sweetbay/Kash n' Karry Supermarkets and University of South Florida scholarship from the Endowed Scholarship Fund for Excellence for the 2005-06 academic year.

Recipients each receive $1,000 toward their undergraduate studies at USF. They may reapply for the scholarship every year they meet the eligibility requirements.

All of the winners are either Sweetbay/Kash n' Karry Supermarket associates, or children of longtime associates. They were selected on the basis of several factors, including academic record, leadership and participation in school and community activities, honors received and work experience.

Spencer, a recent graduate of Springstead High School, has an interest in English, music theory and geography. He has not made a career plan yet.

The USF and Sweetbay/Kash n' Karry Endowed Scholarship Fund for Excellence is awarded each year to current and future students of the university. Sweetbay/Kash n' Karry Supermarkets established the scholarship program as part of its commitment to quality education.

Members of the Kiwanis Club of Spring Hill invited Hernando County Property Appraiser Alvin Mazourek to speak to the club in June. Other guests included six Springstead High School Key Club members - Stephanie Gomez, Kathleen McDermott, Kristie Almeida, Holly McCrory, Lana Alexander and Camille McAvoy - and their faculty adviser, Jaqueline Agard.

Members of the Key Club presented their class advisers, Kiwanis members Stan Antonoff and Walter Goodseal, with certificates of appreciation for the time they spent working with the Key Club this past year.

Kiwanis member Al Johnson presented an honorary membership to Agard for her work reorganizing the Key Club into a growing, active club.

Mazourek shared many interesting facts about his office since he was elected in 1997. The numbers were indicative of how fast Hernando County is growing. He also discussed the appraiser's Web site, the information available on it and the accuracy of the aerial photography depicting properties on the site.

For information about the Kiwanis Club of Spring Hill, contact Beverly Reso, president, at 683-7668.

The Rotary Club of Spring Hill completed its centennial project in June - construction of a "sensory garden" for the Lighthouse for the Visually Impaired and Blind.

The project was headed by Rotarian Carol Okula and took nearly six months to complete. The garden is designed to provide an experience to those with no or limited sight. It features a large patio and mobility path, a trellis entrance, a fountain, wind chimes and bird baths.

The plants and trees were chosen not only for their beauty, but for their durable foliage, strong scents and vibrant colors. The project was completed on June 18, when Rotarians were assisted by a group of volunteers, Team Depot, from Home Depot's community service group.

The volunteers and Rotarians cleared the garden, planted, edged and mulched. Many local businesses and individuals donated time and money to make the project a success.

The Rotary Club of Spring Hill extended its gratitude to the following: Robert Simmons of th e Secret Garden; Ron Orchard, manager a t Home Depot; Bill Jones; Keys Concrete; Evergreen Woods; ProCraft Custom Structures; Sherwood Forest; and Pinecrest Funeral Chapels.

Special recognition was extended t o Marie "The Plant Lady" O'Neil and the members of Team Depot : Joe Beaudin, Caroline Daniele, Jackie Dean, Liz Hamilton, Becky Hamilton, Cassie Hamilton, Rhonda Mullin, Barbara Nielsen, Ron Orchard, Cheryl Orchard, Lynn Reed, Raquel Villanueva and Debra Wakim.

Rotary volunteers included: Janet Coit, Allison Humphreys, Doug McCaul, Don McElroy, D.J. McElroy, Lindsey McElroy, Carol Okula, Tim Robinson, Barbara Sharp, Terry Sharp, Bob Shutler, Jim Stewart, Janet Stewart, Brenda Wendt, Matt Wendt and James Yant.

To celebrate Father's Day, more than 40 members and guests of the Hernando Beach Club enjoyed a brunch.

The brunch was prepared by vice president Fran Scambio and her crew of volunteers. Plates of bacon, sausage and home fries, along with Fran's secret recipe of eggs and sausage - plus bowls of fruit - filled up even the pickiest eater.

For information about the club and its events, contact Bunni at 688-4976.

Wal-Mart Supercenter store 1213 on Cortez Boulevard in Spring Hill recently awarded two high school seniors with college scholarships.

Raymond Cho and Stephanie D'Anna, both from Central High School, received the Sam M. Walton Community Scholarship, worth $1,000. This is Wal-Mart's 25th year of awarding scholarships to high school students through their local stores or clubs.

The scholarship funds were presented by Annie Steen, community involvement coordinator at Wal-Mart. The money will assist with school supplies and other college costs.

Since the scholarship program's inception, Wal-Mart has awarded more than $50-million in scholarship assistance.

Hernando County sheriff's Deputy Gary Sokol says he "had a blast" portraying an American soldier in Saints and Soldiers, a feature-length movie inspired by a true story.

In Saints and Soldiers, the largest land battle of World War II involving American troops, the Battle of the Bulge, is relived. The real conflict took place between Dec. 16, 1944, and Jan. 28, 1945, in Malmedy and the Ardennes Forest area of Belgium.

Sokol is one of 100 reenactors who answered a casting call for extras that appeared in a World War II Historical Re-enacting Society newsletter. Filming took place in Ogden, Utah, in February 2003.

The extras had it much better than the soldiers who actually fought the battle. The production company provided three square meals a day and comfortable lodging. Sokol used his personal vacation time and paid for his own airfare. He did not receive any financial compensation, but did it "just for the thrill" of making a movie.

World War II reenactment has been a passion for Sokol since 1976, when he was a sophomore at William Patterson College in Wayne, N.J. His official reenactment group is a German infantry unit known as the 38th Jagers.

When Sokol makes appearances for local clubs and organizations, his uniform, gear and tent are authentic, down to his restored military Jeep. He typically does six reenactments each year, including the Jefferson Barracks event in St. Louis in the spring.

On June 17, members of the Hernando County Business and Professional Women attended the BPW state convention at the Dolphin Beach Resort in St. Pete Beach.

The convention offered leadership conferences on professional, personal and political development. The Hernando BPW won several awards for achieving goals set by the national organization.

The Public Policy Award was won by Hernando County for acknowledging Equal Pay Day. The award will be on display at Ray's Elbow Room, where Hernando County BPW meets at 5:30 p.m. on the fourth Tuesday of each month. Ray's recently hosted an "Unhappy Hour" to bring attention to the wage gap in America.

For information on BPW, visit the Web site at www.bpwhernando.org

Too many times we concentrate on the evil in this world and forget about the good that happens. Let me share what happened the other night on my way home from a church function.

I had been placed on a new blood pressure medication, and, to my dismay, the side effects were horrendous - headache, severe dizziness and double vision, which, as I drove home, made it nearly impossible to correctly judge distance and proper turning radius.

Because of this, I ended up on a curb half a block away from home. Two anonymous road angels appeared, and the gentleman drove my car off the curb and into my garage. He and the lady (in another car) made sure I was all right and then went their separate ways.

I'd like to thank each of them for their help and understanding. By the way, I am no longer taking that medication, so its safe to be out on the road again.

Juanita Kriebel, Spring Hill

[Last modified August 7, 2005, 01:29:21]