Americana Cove

"June is bustin out all over"

Jun 01, 2005

PRAYER FOR JUNE 2005
Eternal God, Gracious Heavenly Father: Your Son has invited us to call You Abba Father. To think the Creator and Sustainer of this fantastic universe should allow us, mere mortals, to refer to You as Father is almost beyond belief.
This month we honor our mortal fathers on June 19th. Help us to remember them in love. Like mothers, they come in every variety possible. Those of us who have pleasant memories but cannot greet them because they have graduated to their final reward can offer a prayer for fathers everywhere.
We think particularly of those separated from their families because of international strife. Let us pray for men everywhere no matter what the
circumstances. We know that You have them in the palm of Your Hand.
On this we can be comforted. May the Holy Spirit guide, protect and comfort them always.
Amen.
John Whittredge Hill, Chaplain


First we are children to our parents, then parents to our children, then parents to our parents, then children to our children. ~Milton Greenblatt


SUNSHINE REPORT JUNE 2005
By Gerri Bassett

DEATHS
Jan Tarziers

Our death is not an end if we can live on in our children and the younger generation. For they are us, our bodies are only wilted leaves on the tree of life. ~Albert Einstein

NURSING HOMES
Mitzi Delzell Shore Acres
Kay Brownsey Pinellas Park Care & Rehab Center
Cameron Shults Abbey
Jan Renaud Marie Manor

Families are like fudge... mostly sweet with a few nuts. ~Author Unknown

JUNE BIRTHDAYS
02 George Cantos
03 Theresa Volk
06 Lillian LaRochelle
08 Leo LaForce
10 Joe Gray, Judi Connolly
15 Eileen Latendresse
16 Edna Bolin, Marcia Fay
17 Gerri Bassett
26 John Layner
27 Leni Lambert, Millie Emerick
29 Ellie Oliviera, Joan Dell?’Angelo

May God grant you many years to live,
For sure He must be knowing
the earth has angels all too few
and Heaven is overflowing. ~Irish Blessing

JUNE ANNIVERSARIES
01 Dorothy and Ed Kimak 53 years
06 Nita and Tom Lambert 8 years
08 Grace and Hugh Roberts 70 years
12 Eiko and Edwin Nos 47 years
13 Millie and Jim Dye 48 Years
14 Mary Ann and Drew Fairlie 53 years
15 Mary and Bill Gilfillan 58 years
17 Anne and Bill Kocher 55 years
19 Mary and Cal St. Sauver 12 years
20 Midge and Orrie Bull 57 years
21 Dotty and Gerry Kirby 47 years

A wedding anniversary is the celebration of love, trust, partnership, tolerance and tenacity. The order varies for any given year. ~Paul Sweeney

Would you like your Birthday or Anniversary in the Forecaster? Let me know. E-mail me at lyonsbassett@juno.com or see me at one of the park functions I attend.


FROM THE MANAGER
By Dawn Simmons

ROAD WORK: If work has not started by this printing it will shortly. All street drains are to be done first on the north side. Residents wanting their portion of the driveway black topped or seal coated please call the office and Carolyn will put your name on a list to have Driveway Maintenance give you a quote. The sections being done this year are Mt. Piney Avenue, from Mt. Essex East, Mt. Fairfield and the South portion of Mt. Essex, all of Mt. Georgetown, Mt. Jupiter and Mt. Piney Rd, Mt.Oak from Mt. Essex to Mt. Piney. For your information, a color coded map is on display in the glass case under the portico, with an explanation of what will be done.

VINYL FENCE: Many residents living along the First Street fence line are telling us how quiet it is not to hear the road traffic anymore. Great! And as a reminder, we ask that you do not plant shrubs or trees along the fence line as the root system over the years will move the fence. Also each resident who is able to, please rake up the ground on your side of the fence. We appreciate it.

NEW EMPLOYEE: Paula Burrows will be joining us the first of June. She will be the Clubhouse, Atrium, Office and Pool janitor. She will also be a pool monitor. So if there are any problems during her working hours she will be in charge of handling them. Any problems after hours and on weekends will need to be in writing to the Manager. She will also be monitoring residents who use the bathhouse privileges as their own personal showers. Many people will remember Paula as she worked here many years ago.

VACANT LOTS: Some residents living next door to vacant lots are extending their yard and garden and therefore are encroaching over their five foot rule. We do not want residents spending their money to extend the yard only to be told it must go when a new home arrives. Just so you know.

T-SHIRTS: If you would like to order an Americana Cove T-Shirt please put your order in at the office. We are also taking orders for sweatshirts and the license plates ($5.00) will be arriving soon.

OPERATION GROUND CONTROL: We have had nothing but praise with the work being done by Operation Ground Control. They have asked me to mention they check the sprinkler system once a month and do not come out on just one call for a defective sprinkler. Please remember if the sprinklers have been broken by the Lawn Service we need you to call the office and report it so Matthew?’s Lawn Service can fix it. Thank you.

COMMUNITY NOTICES
There is located at the maintenance shed on Mount Piney Avenue an air pump that you may use to inflate your bicycle tires.

Newspapers and Magazine Recycling
All newspapers are to be placed in the newspaper bins. Please do not put brown paper or plastic bags in the newspaper bins. The bins are only for newspapers.
A magazine bin is located at the storage compound on Americana Drive. Please take all your magazines to this bin.
Phone books should be taken to the dumpster on Mt. Piney. Do not put them in with your regular trash.

Aluminum Cans/Can Tabs and Container for Labels
Please put these out on Tuesdays only (or late Monday evening) for very early Tuesday pick-up, or take to one of the Old Timers Aluminum sheds. Do not put in the garbage compactor. It is for household garbage only. As the sale of aluminum contributes money to our social activities, please take the effort to segregate the cans from the regular trash. Aluminum can top tabs can be placed in the jar provided in the clubhouse.

PLEASE NOTE THIS NEW INFORMATION: You will find a large, round container in the Crafters area with a picture of Campbell?’s Soup on it. Please start saving your labels (even if you are ?“up north?”!) and place them in this receptacle. The schools in our area win points and can purchase much-needed supplies and equipment with these labels. It all goes to a good cause and your contributions will really help! Thank you.

Yard Brush and Tree Trimmings
Pick up days is Tuesday and Friday. Place all brush and tree trimmings at the side of the road separate from the garbage. It must be contained in trash bags, plastic containers or bundled.

Dumpster
The dumpster at the Mount Piney location is for the use of residents who have scrap materials from work that they themselves have done. Contractors doing renovations or repairs to your property are to remove any such materials from the community and dispose of it at their cost.

KITCHEN KREWE Ice Machines To all residents and guests: Do not use ice from the kitchen supply for your personal home use or for your coolers. Ice in the kitchen is required for activities in the Hall and Atrium. Traffic through the kitchen area creates sanitary problems. Thank you! From Betty Chase, Kitchen Manager


FROM THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
By Bill Stanford, President

This month the Board is pleased to report that our projects are proceeding as planned. The by-law changes we proposed have been returned with minor changes from our attorney. After making the suggested changes it will again be presented to the attorney for approval. The finished product will then be presented to the Board, possibly in June. We can then explain to you exactly how it will work and the process that will be followed.

Further research on the size of homes people will buy has indicated that small one or two bedroom units up to 1,000 sq ft are not selling. Local manufactures have been contacted for information. They report they have not received orders for smaller units even though they have some on display. The small park model homes are being placed in RV parks only, if at all. The sluggish market for small new units is apparent in our park as well as competing parks in our area. Recently deposits have been placed on two large back quad lots near the RV storage. This proves that back quads are attractive if they are large enough for the size home people want.

By this time, work has started on the road repairs on the northeast part of the park. All remaining catch basins will be done first, then the street repairs on the northeastern half. Maps of the section having work done this year are displayed at the clubhouse and office. The fencing on First Street is progressing and should be completed soon. The planting of flowering shrubs will further enhance the appearance.

The Delta Engineering Reserve Review draft copy was received and critiqued at a workshop of the Board. Final adjustments are being made and we should have a completed copy available by the first of June. We will then have a current document to do our planning from, with an indication of when maintenance will be needed and associated cost. This will benefit our budgeting planning enormously. We have, through court action, obtained a refund of our $3000 fee paid to Montecki last year for the unusable study she did.

The Board Meeting on May18th saw the adoption of a Policy & Procedure Manual that was years in the making. John Bassett was able to bring together all the scraps and pieces accumulated over 10 years into a workable, comprehensive, document that will be a guide for present and future board members and managers. A very important section on emergency powers, taken verbatim from Florida Statues, gives the board direction on handling an emergency. That section completes our preparedness procedure for a hurricane or a disaster.

The Board will continue through the summer to actively pursue the betterment of the community.


CONGRATULATIONS TO THE CRAFTER OF THE YEAR!
Submitted by: Annette Solomon

We have selected a Crafter of the Year! The accolades go to BECK HOPKINS! Beck has been responsible for our most productive and exciting year since the Crafters became a Club. This energetic young lady has always gone above and beyond the call of duty. She is our own social butterfly. She plans our monthly schedule, organizes our guest speakers, makes monthly lunch reservations, plans our infamous Strawberry social, decorates the Clubhouse, and the list goes on and on. Her pleasant, out-going and vibrant personality puts a smile on everyone?’s face, even when she puts us to work! We thank you, Beck, for sharing all your many talents with us! We love you. God Bless you!


MEMORIAL DAY
Submitted by: Linda Lou Fairbanks

Special ceremonies were conducted here in the Cove for Memorial Day on Monday May 30, 2005. The Veteran Club?’s planning and consideration for all veterans was very visible and greatly appreciated by all who attended. A special thank you goes to Dave Vogle for coordinating activities, for all the members who contributed their time and energies over the several past months, and for everyone who attended the services to honor our heroes. As always, the music played by Ferne Eppers and sung by the Melodears and Betty Chase (her beautiful solo) helped put everyone in the spirit. Randy Rogers helped move things along as the Master of Ceremonies; the Color Guard led by Dorothy Kolb stepped lively and looked very patriotic in their wearing of the red, white, and blue; Ed Kelly read the poem by Richard Fay and Mary Krich read ?“In Flanders Field?”. Veterans from all branches of our Armed Services were asked to stand, be recognized individually then walk under the Arch of Flags. Everyone then silently filed out to the Garden Memorial Monument where Ed Kelly offered a prayer, and taps was played by Brian Birch on his trumpet. Refreshments were served in the Clubhouse where we got the chance to reflect and share many thoughts, feelings and memories.


THANK YOU
I extend a big ?“thank you?” for the lovely plants and many cards I received on my recent birthday. It truly brought much happiness to me on my special day!
Ferne Eppers


JUST A LITTLE WHITE LIE?…
(Another good one from the Internet)
Alice was to bake a cake for the church ladies' group bake sale, but of course she forgot to do it until the very last minute. So she quickly baked an angel food cake and when she took it from the oven, the center had dropped flat. She said, "Oh dear, there's no time to bake another cake." So, she looked around the house for something to build up the center of the cake. Alice found it in the bathroom ... a roll of toilet paper. She plunked it in and covered it with icing. The finished product looked beautiful, so she rushed it to the church. Before she left the house, Alice had given her daughter some money and specific instructions to be at the bake sale the minute it opened, and to buy that cake and bring it home. When the daughter arrived at the sale, the attractive cake had already been sold. Alice was beside herself! The next day, Alice was invited to a friend's home where two tables of bridge were to be played that afternoon. After the game, a fancy lunch was served, and to top it off, the cake in question was presented for dessert. Alice saw the cake and started to get out of her chair to rush into the kitchen to tell her hostess all about it, but?… before she could get to her feet, one of the other ladies said, "What a beautiful cake!" Alice sat back in her chair when she heard the hostess (who was a prominent church member) say: "Thank you, I baked it myself."


WELCOME NEW RESIDENTS
By Frances McVay

BAGLEY, Rebecca
7221 Mt. Arlington Drive
Previously Bailey

BRINKER, David & Diane (PA)
7174 Mt. Arlington Drive
Previously Milner

CAMPBELL, Terry & Linda
STEWART, Emerald
6815 Mt. Orange Drive
Previously Hita

COHRS, Helmut & Ruth (GER)
6703 Americana Drive
Previously Walsh/MacDonald

HARWOOD, Martha (CT)
7112 Mt. Jupiter Drive
Previously Girdlestone

KNIERIEM, William & Judy
116 Mt. Isle Avenue
Previously Laliberte

PIECHOTA, Michael & Prudy (NH)
6720 Mt. Pleasant Road
Previously Eisel

SZNAJDER, Stephen & Jane
7114 Mt. Arlington Drive
Previously Posson

TANNER, James & Donna (MA)
102 Americana Court
Previously Dullaghan

A strong positive mental attitude will create more miracles than any wonder drug. ~Patricia Neal


A LITTLE HOUSEKEEPING
From Your Editor, Linda Lou Fairbanks

It doesn?’t seem possible it is time once again to begin the packing process (which means finding space in the car for all those necessities you just can?’t live without and never really use all summer) and start our journey to Maine. The last seven months seemed to fly by and I now understand what my friends have told me all along-time flies when you get older! But this season was filled with lots of wonderful memories, plenty of interesting things to do here in the Cove, and a lot of fun and laughter sprinkled in between. I will still be editing our Forecaster from Maine and want to encourage you to email me with news, information, or just to say hello. My email address will be the same: mspiglover@aol.com . My address and phone number is: 7 Buker Lane, Weld, ME 04285; (207) 585-2182. I also want to remind you to familiarize yourself with the Forecaster submission information. I seem to be spending a fair amount of time making corrections to font sizes and typos?… John Bassett will once again pick up the torch here in the community and will help deliver the Forecaster and answer any questions you might have. We have decided together to remove the Forecaster box from the Atrium, at least for the summer months. We really need to receive our information by email. If you don?’t know how or don?’t have access to a computer then call us! Otherwise use your email! Your cooperation is appreciated and will make our job so much easier.
I am going to list the shelters for evacuation in ZONE A once again and encourage you to tear it out and post it somewhere convenient, JUST IN CASE?…


ZONE A SHELTERS

SAXTON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
1997 54TH Avenue (Oxygen is available)

JOHN HOPKINS MIDDLE SCHOOL
701 16th Street S (Oxygen is available)

MEADOWLAWN MIDDLE SCHOOL
6900 16th Street N

MARSHALL MIDDLE SCHOOL
3901 22nd Avenue S

NORTHSIDE BAPTIST CHURCH
6000 38th Avenue N

And last of all, I wanted to mention a concern that has been raised by residents here in the community. As you know, the majority of the Clubs and activities go ?“black?” during the summer months. Some of the Clubs have equipment they entrust to all of us (like the Cue Club, the Shufflers, the Pool, etc.), to use when we have some leisure time. This also includes the common areas like our streets, Atrium, Clubhouse, laundries, and restrooms. Many of you read this publication but don?’t attend the functions we offer and it sometimes bears repeating that we all share the Cove, and as such, we are asked to abide by certain rules. I?’ve noticed an increase of younger folks wandering around the park, many of them without adult supervision. Please encourage your family, friends, and relatives to carry their colored tag with them, especially if they are under the age of 18. You can be sure someone is going to stop and ask them who they are visiting?…And I ask you to respect our property and treat our equipment as if it were your own. As they say-?“An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure!?” Thank you for your cooperation.


FORECASTER DEADLINES
All items and other information for the AMERICANA COVE FORECASTER may be sent electronically to our Editor- Linda Lou Fairbanks at: mspiglover@aol.com.
Questions during the summer months may be directed to: John Bassett at 526-6046.
All items are to be in the original type- no photocopies, please, in BLACK INK,
on full-size paper (8 ?½ by 11). The DEADLINE for JULY for all articles is
Tuesday JUNE 14th. The font size is number twelve (12).
FORECASTER SUBMISSIONS
If you can, please send me your items by email, either by attachment, or as part of your email text. You will save yourself money and perhaps a little time as well. Thank you for your cooperation. If you are sending me an email for the first time, please let me know by phone what your email name is. I get so much spam in my mailbox and if I don?’t recognize a name I may inadvertently delete your item(s). It would also be very helpful if you could identify ?“Forecaster?” in your subject line.
FORECASTER CALENDAR
The deadline for the calendar is different from the articles, so please make note of this. Deadline for entries will be the 13th of each month, except for December and January. These months require submission two (2) days prior to the Forecaster entry deadline. AND PLEASE NOTE: ALL calendar submissions must come from, and be approved by the Americana Cove Association. Please contact President Ken Hopkins if you need/require information at hopken@mindspring.com COORDINATOR for the calendar is Nora Adell Andrews, 528-9888. THANK YOU!


GRANDMOTHER?’S APRON
Submitted by: Marilyn Waltz

The principle use of Grandma's apron was to protect the dress underneath,
but along with that, it served as a holder for removing hot pans from the
oven. It was wonderful for drying children's tears, and on occasion was even
used for cleaning out dirty ears. From the chicken-coop the apron was used
for carrying eggs, fussy chicks, and sometimes half-hatched eggs to be finished
in the warming oven. When company came, those aprons were ideal hiding places
for shy kids. And when the weather was cold, grandma wrapped it around her arms. Those big old aprons wiped many a perspiring brow, bent over the hot wood stove.
Chips and kindling wood were brought into the kitchen in that apron. From
the garden, it carried all sorts of vegetables. After the peas had been shelled it
carried out the hulls. In the fall the apron was used to bring in apples that
had fallen from the trees. When unexpected company drove up the road,
it was surprising how much furniture that old apron could dust in a matter
of seconds. When dinner was ready, Grandma walked out onto the porch, waved
her apron and the men knew it was time to come in from the fields to dinner. It
will be a long time before someone invents something that will replace that
"old-time apron" that served so many purposes.

A handful of patience is worth more than a bushel of brains. ~Dutch Proverb

Editor?’s Note: This month we honor the symbol of our great country- the Flag, on June 14th. It is a privilege for all of us to celebrate this day set aside to glorify the creation of the Stars and Stripes. Then, on June 19th we will all pay tribute to the father?’s in our lives as we celebrate Father?’s Day. Let us all take a moment to reflect on the significance of these two days to each of us. The following is information I thought might give us all pause for the blessings we have in our lives. Enjoy!


THE HISTORY OF FLAG DAY
The Fourth of July was traditionally celebrated as America?’s birthday, but the idea of an annual day specifically celebrating the Flag is believed to have first originated in 1885. BJ Cigrand, a schoolteacher, arranged for the pupils in the Fredonia, Wisconsin Public School, and District 6, to observe June 14 (the 108th Anniversary of the official adoption of the Stars and Stripes) as ?“Flag Birthday?”. In numerous magazines and newspaper articles and public addresses over the following years, Cigrand continued to enthusiastically advocate the observance of June 14 as ?“Flag Birthday?”, or ?“Flag Day?”.
On June 14, 1889, George Balch, a kindergarten teacher in New York City, planned appropriate ceremonies for the children of his school, and his idea of observing Flag Day was later adopted by the State Board of Education of New York. On June 14, 1891 the Betsy Ross House in Philadelphia held a Flag Day celebration and on June 14 of the following year, the New York Society of the Sons of the Revolution celebrated Flag Day.
Following the suggestion of Colonel J Granville Leach ( at the time historian of the Pennsylvania Society of the Sons of the Revolution), the Pennsylvania Society of Colonial Dames of America on April 25, 1893 adopted a resolution requesting the mayor of Philadelphia and all others in authority and all private citizens to display the Flag on June 14th. Leach went on to recommend that thereafter the day be known as ?“Flag Day?”, and on that day, school children be assembled for appropriate exercises, with each child being given a small Flag.
Two weeks later on May 8th, the Board of Managers of the Pennsylvania Society of Sons of the Revolution unanimously endorsed the action of the Pennsylvania Society of Colonial Dames. As a result of the resolution, Dr Edward Brooks, then Superintendent of Public Schools of Philadelphia, directed that Flag Day exercises be held on June 14, 1893 in Independence Square. School children were assembled, each carrying a small Flag, and patriotic songs were sung and addresses delivered.
In 1894, the governor of New York directed that on June 14 the Flag be displayed on all public buildings. With B J Cigrand and Leroy Van Horn as the moving spirits, the Illinois organization, known as the American Flag Day Association, was organized for the purpose of promoting the holding of Flag Day exercises. On June 14th, 1894, under the auspices of this association, the first general public school children?’s celebration of Flag Day in Chicago was held in Douglas, Garfield, Humboldt, Lincoln, and Washington Parks, with more than 300,000 children participating.
Adults, too, participated in patriotic programs. Franklin K Lane, Secretary of the Interior, delivered a 1914 Flag Day address in which he repeated words he said the flag had spoken to him that morning: ?“I am what you make me; nothing more. I swing before your eyes as a bright gleam of color, a symbol of yourself.?”
Inspired by these three decades of state and local celebrations, Flag Day- the anniversary of the Flag Resolution of 1777- was officially established by the Proclamation of President Woodrow Wilson on May 30th, 1916. While Flag Day was celebrated in various communities for years after Woodrow?’s proclamation, it was not until August 3rd, 1949, that President Truman signed an Act of Congress designating JUNE 14th of each year as National Flag Day.


COMMENTARY ON THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE BY RED SKELTON
Contributed by: David R. Lewis, Nashville,Tenn.

As a schoolboy, one of Red Skelton's teachers explained the words and meaning of the Pledge of Allegiance to his class. Skelton later wrote down, and eventually recorded, his recollection of this lecture. It is followed by an observation of his own.
I = Me; an individual; a committee of one.
Pledge = Dedicate all of my worldly goods to give without self-pity.
Allegiance = My love and my devotion.
To the Flag = our standard; Old Glory; a symbol of Freedom; wherever she waves there is respect, because your loyalty has given her a dignity that shouts ?“Freedom is everybody's job?”.
United = That means that we have all come together.
States = Individual communities that have united into forty-eight great states. Forty-eight individual communities with pride and dignity and purpose. All divided with imaginary boundaries, yet united to a common purpose, and that is love for country.
And to the Republic = Republic--a state in which sovereign power is invested in representatives chosen by the people to govern. And government is the people; and it's from the people to the leaders, not from the leaders to the people.
For which it stands One Nation = One Nation--meaning, so blessed by God.
Indivisible = Incapable of being divided.
With Liberty = which is Freedom; the right of power to live one's own life, without threats, fear, or some sort of retaliation.
And Justice = The principle, or qualities, of dealing fairly with others.
For All = For All--which means, boys and girls, it's as much your country as it is mine.
Since I was a small boy, two states have been added to our country, and two words have been added to the Pledge of Allegiance: Under God. Wouldn't it be a pity if someone said that is a prayer and that would be eliminated from schools, too? ~Red Skelton


DUPLICATE BRIDGE By Directors
Gerri Bassett & Shirley Beauchamp

Howell Movement
Sunday April 17, 2005
Joy & Bill Slepin
Claire Bator & Anne Kocher
Gerri & John Bassett
Sunday April 23, 2005
Esther Israel & Bev Hamel
Joy & Bill Slepin
Joan Dell?’Angelo & Tex Batchelder
Sunday May 1, 2005
Joan Dell?’Angel & Tex Batchelder
Lucy & Roger LaBerge
Gerri & John Bassett

You must give some time to your fellow men. Even if it's a little thing, do something for others - something for which you get no pay but the privilege of doing it.
~~Albert Schweitzer


THERE IS A PLACE FOR YOU!
Submitted by Joan Mitchell

Have you or someone you know ever been involved with a Hospice program? The program provides care for all whose lives are affected by a chronic illness, death or grief.
Created in 1977, Hospice has a great need and dependence on their volunteers to help bring comfort and solace to those in need. I know many of you already know about the program and are currently serving on the Silver team. Our Hospice is divided into different teams, each one identified by a color. I recently moved to a newly-formed group, the Coral Team. We are in need of volunteers and I can tell you from my own experience that serving the Hospice of the Florida Suncoast is one of the most rewarding things I have ever done! Hospice patients are actually nurtured when you spend time with them and I have seen first-hand the impact one person can have. Many of our patients have even ?“graduated?” from Hospice and we get the opportunity to do follow up visits with them. It is a wondrous thing to behold! If you have some time to volunteer I would be so delighted to hear from you. You can reach me at 727-525-1240(h), 727-967-3542(cell) or email me at selectlady7@yahoo.com. I look forward to hearing from you.
Have a beautiful summer.


CRAFTERS CLUB
By Annette Solomon

The Crafters will continue to meet through the summer months on Mondays, 6-9:00 PM in the Clubhouse. All residents who are here during the summer months- please drop by and meet our ?“Special Crafter?” Wanda Spetz. She has a few exciting projects to share with you. You can call her at 522-6872 to find out other times she might be available to help you. Come and make magic with used greeting cards, make dust mitts, decorate Christmas balls, and much, much more! The clubhouse is always cool and I can promise you will meet new friends and have lots of fun.
The Crafters who have already traveled to their summer homes also have homework to do! Let?’s make this year a memorable one for the Holiday Craft Bazaar. This event is sponsored by the Americana Cove Association (ACA) and the proceeds go to help furnish residents with delicious lunches, fabulous entertainment and a pleasant atmosphere for us to all live in. Everyone is being asked to help support this great cause. So, let?’s keep those crafty hands busy creating wonderful items to sell at the Annual Bazaar, which this year will be held on Saturday, December 3, 2005. Stay tuned for more information in the months to come. HAPPY CRAFTING EVERYONE!!!

Sometimes when we are generous in small, barely detectable ways it can change someone else's life forever. ~Margaret Cho


PLEASE REMEMBER?…
For residents who are wondering what to do on the second Wednesdays of June, July and August, I have a suggestion for you! Don?’t forget to join the BROWN BAG LUNCH BUNCH! Meetings will be held in the Clubhouse at 12:00 o?’clock. If you have any questions give Virginia Curtis (525-5022) or Vivian Linville (527-1011) a call. They have some fun times planned for you. Information will also be on the bulletin boards. SEE YOU THERE!


RED HAT CHILIES
By Linda Myers, Vice-Queen Mother

There will be a Tea Party in the Atrium on Saturday June 18, 2005 from 2-4:00 PM. If you plan to attend please send a check for $3.00 to: Red Hat Chilies, c/o Linda Myers
VQM, 735 White Sand Dr. NE, St. Petersburg, FL 33703-3160. If you have questions please feel free to call me at 525-0241. I need you to RSVP by June 4th. You are asked to
bring along your favorite tea cup. We will have a white elephant exchange. No need to go shopping, all you need to do is look around your home (and it does not matter what) and find something you want to part with by way of a garage sale or Goodwill donation. Once you pick out an item, simply wrap it in newspaper, a brown bag, or pretty wrapping and bring it to the tea. We will have a gift exchange and share many laughs. And just a reminder the Red Hat Chilies will be dark the month of July and August.

April 25, 2005 we had a National Red Hat Day Luncheon and Silly Fashion Show at the Belleview Biltmore. It was a huge success. It may be one of the last big functions to be held there. There were 730 Red Hatters from 62 Chapters throughout Florida in attendance. The Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation sold $750.00 in raffle tickets. The Red Hats donated a large, beautiful basket containing over $200.00 in Red Hat items that were collected from various members. A mascot Red Hat Doll also made $188.00 from the sale of raffle tickets. Twelve venders were there and you will see a lot of new items on our 23 Red Hat Chilies that attended. A special thanks to our QM Marilyn Waltz, for organizing another outstanding Red Hat Luncheon and all the Red Hatters that helped!


THE HISTORY OF FATHER?’S DAY

Dr. Robert Webb held what is believed to have been the first Father's Day celebration at the Central Church of Fairmont, in Fairmont, West Virginia in 1908. Most likely this celebration originated from observations of Mother's Day, which also had its birth in West Virginia. However, it was the efforts of Sonora Louise Smart Dodd that really led to instituting Father's Day as an official holiday in the United States. Sonora lived in Spokane, Washington, and came up with the idea of Father's Day while listening to a Mother's Day sermon in 1909. Sonora's father, William Jackson Smart, was a Civil War veteran and had lost his wife as she bore their sixth child. William raised the six children on his own. Sonora felt her father was very loving, courageous, and selfless. Her father's birthday was in June and Sonora chose June 19th, 1909 for the celebration to honor fathers. Many report this as the first Father's Day celebration.

We should also give some credit to Harry C. Meek, the president of the Lions Club of Chicago. He made several speeches expressing the need for a holiday to honor fathers. In 1920, the club presented him with a watch bearing the inscription, "Originator of Father's Day". In 1924, President Calvin Coolidge showed his support for Father's Day becoming a national holiday. However, Father's Day did not become an official holiday in the United States until many years later. In 1966, President Lyndon Johnson proclaimed the third Sunday in June be Father's Day.

NOTE: It is a Father?’s Day tradition to wear a red rose if your father is living, and a white rose if he is deceased.


YOUR NAME
Submitted by: Gerri Bassett for Father?’s Day

It came from your Father,
It was all he had to give,
So it?’s yours to use and cherish
As long as you may live.
If you lose the watch he gave you
It can always be replaced.
But a black mark on your name, son
Can never be erased.
It was clean the day you took it and
A worthy name to bear.
When I got it from my father
There was no dishonor there.
So make sure you guard it wisely-
After all is said and done,
You will be glad the name is spotless
When you give it to your son.

What children take from us, they give?…We become people who feel more deeply, question more deeply, hurt more deeply, and love more deeply. ~Sonia Taitz

QUOTES ABOUT FATHERS

When Charles first saw our child Mary, he said all the proper things for a new father. He looked upon the poor little red thing and blurted, "She's more beautiful than the Brooklyn Bridge." ~ Helen Hayes

I have found the best way to give advice to your children is to find out what they want and then advise them to do it. ~ Harry S Truman

One night a father overheard his son pray: ?“Dear God, Make me the kind of man my Daddy is?”. Later that night, the Father prayed, ?“Dear God, Make me the kind of man my son wants me to be?”. ~ Anonymous

My father gave me the greatest gift anyone could give another person, he believed in me.
~Jim Valvano

The older I get, the smarter my father seems to get. ~Tim Russert

My dad has always taught me these words: care and share. That's why we put on clinics. The only thing I can do is try to give back. If it works, it works. ~-Tiger Woods

My father used to play with my brother and me in the yard. Mother would come out and say, "You're tearing up the grass." "We're not raising grass," Dad would reply. "We're raising boys." ~Harmon Killebrew

Fatherhood is pretending the present you love most is soap-on-a-rope. ~Bill Cosby

Spread the diaper in the position of the diamond, with you at bat. Then fold second base down to home and set the baby on the pitcher's mound. Put first base and third together, bring up home plate and pin the three together. Of course, in case of rain, you gotta call the game and start all over again. ~Jimmy Piersal, on how to diaper a baby, 1968

When I was a boy of 14, my father was so ignorant I could hardly stand to have the old man around. But when I got to be 21, I was astonished at how much the old man had learned in seven years. ~ Mark Twain

The best thing to give to your enemy is forgiveness; to an opponent, tolerance; to a friend, your heart; to your child, a good example; to a father, deference; to your mother, conduct that will make her proud of you; to yourself, respect; to all men, charity. ~~Francis Maitland Balfour


MEET YOUR NEW NEIGHBORS
By Gail Jones

REBECCA BAGLEY?… Her search for a new home started when Parsley?’s
Mobile Home Park on the Gulf was sold out from under the owners. You may have read the story in the paper. She is so pleased that she drove down 1ST street looking for water-front property. She is very proud to be a seventh generation Florida ?“cracker?” and a pioneer of Jackson County. She was active in writing the Heritage book for that county. She shares a lot of interest about Weedon Island because one of her close friends was the daughter of Clarence Simpson, the man noted for doing early historical digs on that site.
Rebecca is married and has a son who lives in Plant City. She lived in Panama City for
twelve years, then in the Destin-Fort Walton Beach area for10 years, working as a property and condominium manager. She later worked in the food and beverage industry. In 1989 she moved to Brandon, starting her own business in 1991. She supplies cut roses to area night spots-her personal varieties are the purple shades and she thinks our Rose Garden is very special. She brought with her many flower varieties and plans to make pretty gardens around her home on 7221 Mt Arlington Drive. She is interested in the group that puts together quilts because she has some yet to finish that her grandmother made.

DAVID and SUSAN COOPER ?… 7186 Mt Arlington Drive. When I met them they were busy putting their boat into the water from the davits. They are both currently working in second careers and live in Tampa during the week. But this is their
weekend get-away and will be their permanent retirement home. Susan works with AARP Senior employment programs, assisting seniors who need employment or education skills that will assist them to obtain better employment .The program is funded by the Department of Labor. David is employed by the Department of Transportation in Tampa and is involved in public information on the new West Shore Extension. They became acquainted with Americana Cove because David worked in the sales office. They are happy to be a part of our community and look forward to being here full-time.

PAULA PARKER ?…Resides at 7134 Mt. Essex Drive. She had Rodney South remodel her home when she moved in and is very pleased with the outcome. Paula and her twin grew up on a farm near Muncie, Indiana. She graduated from Asbury College
in Wilmore, KY with a B.A. in Christian Education. She then attended Asbury Theological Seminary and graduated with her Master?’s in Arts and Religion. She has worked in various programs with youth ministry, children?’s Programs, singles groups and is currently in charge of the music program at Riviera United Methodist Church
at the corner of 1st St. and 62nd Ave. She likes games such as Bingo and would like to develop further her interest in watercolor painting. Paula hopes to attend some of the Crafter?’s activities.

HARVEY and STEVE JOHNSON reside in their new home at 570 Mt. Oak Ave. Harvey first learned about Americana Cove while visiting his father who had an apartment across from First Street at Emerald Point. He purchased the lot and has been in the process of building since May 2004. After a few months passed in visiting with his neighbor Chuck Newkirk they compared notes and realized both had attended Meadowlawn Junior High in l957. With a class of around 400 they really didn't know each other then, but had mutual friends. Harvey attended Northeast High School, then St. Petersburg College. He was voted outstanding student in l967. Harvey has had many interesting appointments: 15 years with an advertising agency in Boston, 3 years with General Electric in Sanford, Conn. He was also marketing manager for Coleco in Hartford, Conneticut. (That's the home of "The Cabbage Patch Kids") He was in the Army and now is a DAV. He spends most of his time in a wheelchair, welcomes visitors and is a great story teller. He devotes 100% of his time trying to catch a fish in the canal right behind their house. He has two sons, a 19 yr old in Cape Cod Community College and a 14 yr old in Medway, Mass. As for Steve, he has always lived in Florida and is retired from Price Waterhouse in Tampa. Because he wants to stay busy he spends a lot of time with his "second occupation?” in a retail store in Tampa.

JENNETTE WOSIL lives at 7143 Mt Arlington and is very happy with her beautiful new home. She moved here in January of 2005 from the Bay Pines area where she had lived for 26 years. Her first home was in Rockford, Illinois. She worked in the office of a propane gas company, and along with her husband, they raised two boys. She lost her first husband early in her life and was later remarried to Bill Wosil. They decided to move to Florida and were able to spend 26 pleasant years together. Bill passed away in the year 2001. Jennette?’s companions these days are two big kitties- Jethro, a yellow male and Elly Mae, a black and white female. She was very active as a home health aide with the Hospice of Suncoast in Florida and retired from that activity in 1981. She is current President and very active with the New Horizons for Widowed People. They meet once a month in the Largo Library and sponsor weekly activities for their 84 members. She also volunteers as an usher at the Largo Cultural Center. She plans to become a member of our Cue Club and would like to get together with others to play Canasta (a card game). Jennette?’s son John, his lovely wife and their year old son live close by and she is happy she gets to see them often, especially her grandson Nicholas.


DO YOU HAVE A COMPUTER?
By Conrad Weiser

Do you do e-mail? Would you like to join our "Over the back fence" private e-mail network for Cove residents? We call it the LISTBOT, short for listserv robot. There is no advertising, only the wit and wisdom of your Americana neighbors. Wanna try it? Give me a call at 522-5008 or drop me an e-mail note at: maoa1999@aol.com and?… oh yes?…?…..it's free!
And I was just wondering?…YOU DON'T HAVE A COMPUTER YET? I'll bet you have a hard time explaining that to the grandchildren! We have a program of giving recycled computers to beginner?’s right here in the park. So far, over 60 Cove families have been given these older computers and enough one-on-one help to get you started. If you're still on the outside looking in, give me a call at 522-5008. Think how proud you'll be when you send that first e-mail to your grandchildren!


FRIENDS
Sayings submitted by: Lucy LaBerge

?“Strangers are friends that you have yet to meet?” ~Roberta Lieberman

"A friend hears the song in my heart and sings it to me when my memory fails"
~Pioneer Girl's Leaders Handbook

"Friends are those rare people who ask how we are and then wait to hear the answer."
~ Ed Cunningham

"A real friend is one who walks in when the rest of the world walks out"
~Unknown

"The only way to have a friend is to be one." ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

"Don't walk in front of me, I may not follow.
Don't walk behind me, I may not lead.
Walk beside me, and be my friend."
~Albert Camus


OLD AGE
Submitted by: Mary Kelm

The other day a young person asked me how I felt about being old. I was taken aback, for I do not think of myself as old. Upon seeing my reaction, she was immediately embarrassed, but I explained that it was an interesting question, and I would ponder it, and let her know?…

Old age, I decided is a gift. I am now, probably for the first time in my life, the person I have always wanted to be. Oh, not my body! I sometimes despair over my body- the wrinkles, the baggy eyes, skin spots and bumps, and the sagging behind. And often I am taken aback by that old person that lives in my mirror, but I don?’t agonize over those things for long?…I would never trade my amazing friends, my loving family for less gray hair or a flatter belly. As I have aged, I?’ve become kinder to myself, and less critical of others. I?’ve become my own friend. I don?’t chide myself for eating that extra cookie, or for not making my bed, or for buying that silly concrete gecko that I didn?’t need, but looks so avant garde on my patio. I am entitled to overeat, to be messy, to be extravagant. I have seen too many dear friends leave this world too soon, before they understood the great freedom that comes with aging?…. Whose business is it if I choose to read until 4 AM, and sleep until noon? I will dance with myself to those wonderful tunes of the 50?’s, if I wish. I will walk the beach in a swim suit that is stretched over a bulging body, and will dive into the waves with abandon if I choose, despite the pitying glances from the bikini set. They, too, will get old. I know I am sometimes forgetful. But there again, some of life is just as well forgotten- and eventually I remember the important things. Sure, over the years my heart has been broken. But broken hearts are what give us strength, understanding and compassion. A heart never broken is pristine and sterile and there are joys they will never know?… I am so blessed to have lived long enough to have my hair turn gray, and to have my youthful laughs be forever etched into deep grooves on my face. So many have never laughed, and so many have died before their hair could turn silver?…. I can say ?“no?” and mean it. I can say ?“yes?” and mean it. As you get older, it is easier to be positive. You care less about what other people think. I don?’t question myself anymore. I?’ve earned the right to be wrong?…

So, to answer your question, I LIKE being old. It has set me free. I like the person I have become. I am not going to live forever, but while I am still here, I will not waste time lamenting what could have been, or worrying about what will be. And?…. I shall eat dessert every single day. Yes, I shall!!! ~Author Unknown


DID YOU KNOW?

A dime has 118 ridges around the edge?…
A cat has 32 muscles in each ear?…
A crocodile cannot stick out its tongue...
A dragonfly has a life span of 24 hours?…
A goldfish has a memory span of three seconds?…
A snail can sleep for three years.
Butterflies taste with their feet?…
All 50 states are listed across the top of the Lincoln Memorial on the back of the $5 bill?…Almonds are a member of the peach family?…
An ostrich's eye is bigger than its brain?…
Babies are born without kneecaps-they
don't appear until the child reaches 2 to 6 years of age?…
Cats have over one hundred vocal sounds. Dogs only have about 10?…
February 1865 is the only month in recorded history not to have a full moon?…
It's impossible to sneeze with your eyes open?…Maine is the only state whose name is just one syllable?…
On a Canadian two dollar bill, the flag flying over the Parliament building is an American flag?… Our eyes are always the same size from birth, but our nose and ears never stop growing?…
Peanuts are one of the ingredients of dynamite?…Rubber bands last longer when refrigerated?…
The cruise liner, QE2, moves only six inches for each gallon of diesel that it burns?…
The winter of 1932 was so cold that Niagara Falls froze completely solid?…
The words 'racecar,' 'kayak' and 'level' are the same whether they are read left to right or right to left (palindromes)?…
There are 293 ways to make change for a dollar?… Tigers have striped skin, not just striped fur?… Winston Churchill was born in a ladies' room during a dance?…
And,women blink nearly twice as much as men?…


?“SPEAK?” ?“SPEAK?” ?“SPEAK?”ING OF DOGS
(Sayings forwarded to me from the Internet and for all animal lovers)

Dogs are not our whole life, but they make our lives whole. ~ Roger Caras

The reason a dog has so many friends is that he wags his tail instead of his tongue. ~Anonymous

If there are no dogs in Heaven, then when I die I want to go where they went. ~Will Rogers

There is no psychiatrist in the world like a puppy licking your face.~- Ben Williams

A dog is the only thing on earth that loves you more than he loves himself. ~Josh Billings

The average dog is a nicer person than the average person. - Andy Rooney

A dog teaches a boy fidelity, perseverance, and to turn around three times before lying down. ~ Robert Benchley

Any body who doesn't know what soap tastes like never washed a dog.~Franklin P. Jones

If your dog is fat, you aren't getting enough exercise. ~Unknown


THE TAP
A passenger in a taxi tapped the driver on the shoulder to ask him something. The driver screamed, lost control of the cab, nearly hit a bus, drove up over the curb, and stopped just inches from a large plate glass window. For a few moments everything was silent. Then the driver turned around and said ?“Please, don?’t ever do that again! You scared the living daylights out of me.?” The passenger, who was also frightened, apologized and said he didn?’t realize a tap on the shoulder could frighten anyone so much. To which the driver replied: ?“I?’m sorry, it?’s really not your fault. Today is my first day driving a cab. Before this I was driving a hearse for 25 years!?”










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