Print

Email story

Comment

Email editor

Neighborhood Report

Centennial party is fit for a spring

Fred Ball Park is the site of a celebration for an area once known for its waters that were thought to have healing powers.

By ERIKA VIDAL
Published April 21, 2006

Memories will swirl and mysteries will be revealed Sunday during Palma Ceia Springs' 100th anniversary celebration at Fred Ball Park.

The site was named after the cool waters of Palma Ceia Spring, which once gurgled below what is now Fred Ball Park, at Bayshore Boulevard and Rubideaux Street in Bayshore Gardens. The spring used to feed two man-made swimming pools and was thought to have healing powers.

According to a story told by the late James L. Ferman of Ferman Motor Car Co., the water is what brought his ancestors to Tampa in the late 1800s.

His great-grandfather was looking for a cure for rheumatism. Apparently the water worked, and the family stayed.

Vicki Pollyea, president of Bayshore Garden Neighborhood Association, said no one knows for sure why the pools closed. Stories abound. One involves the death of a swimmer, and another blames a strange bacteria that resulted in the loss of a woman's hair.

The spring now feeds a fountain in the small park. The park, named after former Hillsborough County Commissioner Fred Ball, was refurbished by the Rose Garden Circle.

The group began the project in the 1980s and continues to support the park, which now hosts weddings, garden tours and other projects.

Pollyea, the lead organizer for Sunday's event, said the neighborhood works hard for its present and future. Now, it's time to "celebrate our rich past."

The Palma Ceia Springs Centennial Celebration begins at 1 p.m. Guests are encouraged to bring blankets and food for a picnic. The Sunshine Brass Band and Belinda Womack will perform in the park gazebo.

Organizers sent more than 150 invitations to residents over the age of 70 asking them to come and share stories for a short film on the area's history.

Several guest speakers are expected to attend, including Mayor Pam Iorio, historian Leland Hawes and former U.S. Rep. Sam Gibbons, "whose daddy used to swim at the old swimming hole at Palma Ceia Springs," Pollyea said. A magnolia tree will be planted as a commitment to the park's future.

Activities for children will include games such as badminton and croquet. A craft area for making old-fashioned toys like paper dolls and tin-can phones will also be set up.

Pollyea said so few people know the area's history. The event offers a chance to learn it.

Erika Vidal can be reached at 813 226-3339 or at evidal@sptimes.com.

[Last modified April 20, 2006, 12:34:16]