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Letter to the editor

3 anniversaries, and 172 years

By Times Staff Writer
Published September 26, 2007

Lester and Mary Sandoe, of Largo celebrated their 66th wedding anniversary in July 19 at their son's home in Warren, Mich. The couple was married on July 19, 1941, in Detroit.

Mr. Sandoe is a Navy veteran of World War II and served in the South Pacific as a radio operator.

He worked 40 years as a photo engraver in Detroit, starting as six-year apprentice, when he worked for $25 a week. The couple bought their first car in 1950, a brand new Chevrolet Bel air, for $1,850.

Mrs. Sandoe was a homemaker.

They moved here in 1979 from Roseville, Mich.

The couple enjoys evening bike rides, nice dinners out, playing cards and bowling.

They have two sons, a daughter and five grandchildren.

* * *

Carl and Elizabeth "Betty" Sarine of Largo were married July 20, 1957. They celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary the weekend of July 20-22. The couple hosted a barbecue night July 20 with family and friends, many of whom traveled from 10 states to congratulate them. July 21, they dined with family at Hampton Inn, Largo; then, on July 22, there was a luncheon at Christ Presbyterian Church, Largo, for family and congregation.

The Sarines took their vows on July 20, 1957, at Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church, Troy, N.Y.

Mr. Sarine worked 20 years for Sperry Corp., Long Island, N.Y., designing sonar equipment for the Navy, and another 10 years at Sperry Microwave Division, Clearwater, as a project manager. He is a graduate of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy.

Mrs. Sarine worked 20 years as a poll worker for the Supervisor of Elections. She also designed gift baskets for a number of years. She is a graduate of Russell Sage College, with campuses in Troy and Albany, N.Y.

They moved here in 1979, from Long Island.

Mr. Sarine enjoys woodworking and music.

A lover of quilting and cross stitch, Mrs. Sarine is a member of Largo Cracker Quilters and Hidden Stitches Chapter of the Applique Society.

Both are members of the Pinellas County and Largo Area historical societies. They are also members at Christ Presbyterian church, where they have served as elders.

The couple have four sons and nine grandchildren.

* * *

Johnny and Rachel Johnson of Tarpon Springs recently celebrated their 56th wedding anniversary with a family get-together at the Largo home of their daughter, Mary Krouskos.

The Johnsons were married on July, 22, 1951, in Terre Haute, Ind., where they owned a grocery store.

In 1971, Mr. and Mrs. Johnson moved here from Cairo, Ill., and both worked in management for Wilson's Liquor Store. They now work in the Palm Harbor dental office of their sons, Dr. Johnny Johnson Jr., and Alex Johnson.

They are members of Countryside Christian Center Church, Clearwater.

Mr. Johnson is a 33 Degree Mason and a Shriner.

Both participate in water gymnastics at the YMCA. The couple are also animal lovers and have adopted many.

In addition to their three children, they have four grandchildren.

MDA honors Largo woman with award

Rebecca Blitch of Largo has been named recipient of the Muscular Dystrophy Association's 2007 Robert Ross Personal Achievement Award for Florida.

Ms. Blitch, 27, was honored because of her dedication to achieving personal success and her tireless commitment to helping others.

In 1981, Ms. Blitch was diagnosed with intermediate spinal muscular atrophy. She uses a power wheelchair for mobility and receives assistance from her service dog, Sydney.

A former Ms. Wheelchair Florida (2005), she serves as a reading coach and mentor at a local elementary school. She graduated summa cum laude from Eckerd College in 2002 with a bachelor's degree in religious studies, and she is preparing to complete a master's degree in transformational leadership.

Ms. Blitch also works with the MDA office in St. Petersburg and at the MDA clinics at Tampa's Children's Hospital at St. Joseph's and St. Petersburg Neurology Clinic, speaking with children and young adults as part of a peer support program.

Dunedin native earns Library Journal award

Katherine O'Clair, Life Sciences Librarian at Arizona State University, Tempe, Ariz., has been named a "Mover & Shaker" by the Library Journal for integrating information and technology literacy into the curriculum.

The former Katherine Clemens is a Dunedin native and 1995 graduate of Dunedin High School, Nazareth College, Rochester, N.Y., and received a master's degree in Library Science from Florida State University, Tallahassee.

The 30-year-old is active in the information literacy portion of the introductory biology course and is a consultant to one of the college's learning communities. She also volunteered to co-chair the Arizona Library Association College and University Division and brought in the division's first ever nationally recognized speaker, attracting an unusually large audience of academic librarians and made the presentation available as a podcast for those unable to attend.

She is the wife of Timothy O'Clair of Tempe and the daughter of Richard and Janet Clemens of Clearwater.

Festival includes local writer's really bad play

Local playwright Richard J. "Dick" Budin submitted his play, Come Again?, to NY Artists Unlimited and received a letter that began "We regret to inform you that you have written a really bad play ..." Mr. Budin's heart sank until he read, " ... but we would be thrilled to include it in our Bad Plays Festival, Chapter One of the International Cringe Festival."

NY Artists Unlimited, creator of the International Cringe Festival, wanted submissions that were "naughty, satirical, politically incorrect, political satire, and the like." Mr. Budin's play was read aloud three times by professional actors and discussed by the whole company and resident directors, who decided Mr. Budin's play was definitely for them.

The play has been included in the off-Broadway production at the Historic Players Theater in Greenwich Village, N.Y.

Mr. Budin, a 27 year resident of Clearwater and a self-proclaimed "Florida exile," is a member of the Dramatist's Guild of America and works with several local community theaters and writers groups.

[Last modified September 25, 2007, 20:32:36]