The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Special to The Laker/Lutz News

ICI Homes Wins Two Top Parade of Homes Awards

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It was an exciting March for ICI Homes, which received two prestigious awards from the Tampa Bay Builders Association during its recent Parade of Homes.

Two of the builder’s homes received top honors from Parade judges, including its Brooke model home at Bexley, which won a silver award for homes priced between $650,000 and $699,000.

“The Brooke is a very flexible home with a unique, open floor plan and fabulous outdoor living area that appeals to a multiple buyers,” said Ron Ferguson, division manager of ICI Homes’ West Florida Division. “It is an exceptionally well-designed home with no wasted space, and has a style that is not too modern, and not too country.”

One of the Brooke’s strongest selling features is its first-floor master suite. “Many people are looking for a large home with the master bedroom on the first floor. With this separation from four bedrooms and two full baths upstairs, the Brooke works well for multi-generational families,” said Ferguson.

ICI Homes also won the Grand Diamond Award, the Parade’s highest honor, for its Shenandoah model at FishHawk Ranch in south Hillsborough County.

“Our team is very excited and extremely proud to be recognized during the Parade of Homes in both Bexley and FishHawk,” said Ferguson. “We are thankful to work with such a conscientious and futuristic developer as Newland Communities, the company behind both Bexley and FishHawk. Our home designs complement Newland’s vision, and obviously appeal to homebuyers of all ages.”

ICI Homes also builds in Asturia, a Hines community of 550 homes located west of Bexley on State Road 54. It offers two home series built on 55-foot and 65-foot lots in Asturia’s heavily wooded second phase that opened in late 2017.

ICI recently completed its brand-new Serena model in Asturia, which has received rave reviews from prospective homebuyers and Realtors. The Serena is a one-story, 2,217- square-foot home with four bedrooms, three baths and a two-car garage. Its base price begins at $331,900.

“People love the Serena’s grand foyer, which pulls you through the house with its 12-foot ceilings and open floor plan, sweeping you from the front of the house to the back,” said Ferguson. “It feels so much larger than a 2,200-square-foot house, because its large kitchen and great room gracefully flow into a covered lanai that stretches along the back of the home. This home never feels crowded, whether you’re relaxing with family or entertaining friends.”

ICI Homes has three move-in ready homes available in Asturia. A Serena and the two-story Santa Maria at 2,933 square feet will be ready later this month, and another one-story home, the 2,500-square-foot Costa Mesa, is under construction and will be ready this summer. Base prices for ICI Homes in Asturia are between $288,900 and $419,900.

Over at Bexley, ICI also has a move-in ready home, the 3,089-square-foot Pamela. This home features four bedrooms, three baths, and a three-car garage and sells for $549,030. The Pamela has a 12-foot-high foyer that offers the unique option of walking into a flex space/study, the kitchen and gathering area, or straight into the private owner’s suite. A gourmet kitchen is just steps away from a large gathering and dining rooms, both of which open to a large covered lanai.

Easily Customized Homes
“People want well-designed homes with quality construction and workmanship that can be easily customized, built on conservation home sites in a community that provides an active lifestyle and great location. ICI Homes is that kind of builder, and Asturia and Bexley are those kinds of communities,” said Ferguson.

ICI Homes sets itself apart from other builders with its unusual ability to make custom changes without sacrificing affordability. “We believe in a hands-on approach with all of our new homebuyers, offering custom changes by experienced design professionals that help make decisions for the homebuyer easier and affordable,” said Ferguson.

ICI is one of Florida’s most premier builders, and for many years has been ranked in the Top 100 Builders in the nation by Builder Magazine. Established in 1980 and headquartered in Daytona Beach, ICI Homes is the recipient of several prestigious awards for design and innovation, and has long enjoyed local, regional and national professional recognition.

The Asturia sales center for ICI Homes is at 15134 Aviles Parkway in Odessa, (813) 359-0264. At Bexley, the sales center is at 16754 Courtyard Loop in Land O’ Lakes, (813) 530-9069.

Published March 28, 2018

Bexley Chef Invited To Wine and Food Festival

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In February, Ashley Davis, Café Manager at Twisted Sprocket Café, participated in the South Beach Wine and Food Festival in Miami. It was the second year Bexley’s chef was invited to this prestigious event, hosted by Giada De Laurentiis, of the popular “Giada at Home” show on the Food Network.

Davis participated in the event’s Italian Bites on the Beach. Her team served 1,500 portions of Rotini Pasta with Italian Sausage, and a Roasted Red Pepper Ragu with a Balsamic Glaze and Pecorino Romano Cheese.

“It was a big crowd to feed,” said Davis. “But, it was extremely rewarding to have so many people tell how us much they enjoyed the dish and thought it was the best one of the evening.”

The South Beach Wine and Food Festival invited more than 30 of the nation’s best chefs to serve up dishes originating from various regions of Italy.

“It was a great honor to be invited back to this festival,” said Davis. “I was proud to represent Bexley and all of Pasco County.”

Published March 28, 2018

Suncoast Trailside Bicycles To Open Shop In Bexley

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Pasco County is a well-known destination for cyclists, so it’s no surprise that Bexley, one of the county’s most popular housing communities, is attracting bike lovers from all over the region.

The master-planned community by Newland Communities is located in Land O’ Lakes, just east of the Suncoast Parkway on State Road 54. It has earned numerous awards, including Best Master-Planned Community and Best Recreational Facility by the Southeast Building Conference, and Best in American Living Award for the Best Single-Family Community by the National Association of Home Builders.

In addition to its many awards, what sets Bexley apart from other communities is its miles of trails for cycling, walking and jogging (which may one day link to the 42-mile Suncoast Trail), its BMX pump track and soon, an on-site bike shop.

This spring, Odessa-based Suncoast Trailside Bicycles will add a new location within the Bexley community. The full-service shop, which will be open seven days a week, will offer tune-ups, sales and rentals, for residents and visitors.

“From the very beginning, we wanted Bexley to be a community that encouraged an active lifestyle where residents enjoy the beautiful scenery and acres of nature preserves,” said Pam Parisi, vice president of marketing for Newland Communities. “Having a bike shop within the community is a natural fit, and we couldn’t have found a better partner than Geoff Lanier and Suncoast Trailside Bicycles.”

“Once I saw the plans for Bexley and learned what the community was about, I was all in,” said Suncoast Trailside owner Geoff Lanier. “We can’t wait to open.”

Lanier is excited to be offering bike rentals for adults and children. “We’ve always had requests for rentals, but we never had enough space at our Odessa location. Now in Bexley, we can offer this service.”

In addition to renting traditional bicycles, the Bexley Suncoast Trailside store will offer battery-powered e-bikes, which Lanier said have become very popular over the past few years. Users can turn off the battery and pedal, or turn it on when they need some extra assistance.

Lanier is also looking forward to offering cycling and BMX clinics at Bexley for bikers of all skill levels. And, he’s already teamed up with Chef Ashley Davis, who runs Bexley’s Twisted Sprocket Café, for Bike and Brew events within the community. The café, which is open to the public, serves breakfast, lunch, desserts, smoothies, wine, craft beer and coffee drinks.

The bike shop will be located right next door to The Bexley Club, the community’s lakefront amenity center with its two resort-style pools and screened-in game room. Residents also enjoy other amenities in Bexley, including several open spaces for sports fields, a large event lawn for community events and festivals, custom-built playgrounds, and two dog parks.

Bexley’s prime location in central Pasco County provides direct access to the Suncoast Parkway and is convenient to many areas of Tampa Bay. The community consists of 1,825 acres of pastoral ranch lands, mature woodlands and cypress wetlands, with Newland dedicating 1,200 acres to remain in its pristine natural state.

In the 18 months since Bexley opened, it has distinguished itself as one of Tampa Bay’s top-selling properties with over 300 new homes sold. Homes begin in the low $200,000s and include single-family, luxury, and low-maintenance townhomes, courtyards and villas.

“Bexley is a vibrant community for people at all stages of life, especially those who are looking for an active lifestyle, and greater connections with each other and the outdoors. It’s just a wonderful community to live in, whether you’re a family with kids, just starting out, or looking to downsize,” Parisi adds.

Bexley is the fourth master-planned community for Newland in the Tampa Bay area, joining FishHawk Ranch, MiraBay and Waterset in south Hillsborough County. For information, visit BexleyFlorida.com.

Published March 28, 2018

Music, food and fun mark Land O’ Lakes Music Festival

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Singer Carmen Harrell, of Orlando, performs with Marlon Boone and his band, City Groove, giving the audience a treat with her soulful voice and high energy performance. (Christine Holtzman)

Festival-goers were dancing, relaxing and generally just enjoying a day of continuous entertainment at the third annual Land O’ Lakes Music Festival, held March 24 at Land O’ Lakes Heritage Park.

Some there, including April Genter, of Land O’ Lakes, were obviously having a good time — grooving to tunes performed by a band called the Actual Bank Robbers.

Four-year-old Morgan Keith, of Lutz, was having a ball — while sailing down the large bouncy slide. The little girl was also excited about Stonegrey’s appearance at the festival because she considers lead guitarist Tristan to be her ‘boyfriend.’

Singer Carmen Harrell entertained the crowd by belting out a high-octane version of Ike and Tina Turner’s Proud Mary, as Marlon Boone jammed on the saxophone.

April Genter, of Land O’Lakes, moves to a song performed by the Actual Bank Robbers at the third annual Land O’ Lakes Music Festival.

There were a lot of people there to support friends, or simply revel in a sunny Saturday afternoon, while supporting a local event.

This year’s festival was the first to utilize the new Heritage Park Stage, a venue which took years of advocacy, and a considerable number of partnerships among governments, local businesses and community volunteers to achieve.

The slate of entertainers included Stonegrey, Solar Exposure, City Groove, Fred Chandler, Actual Bank Robbers, Trigger City Trio and Sowflo.

While the live music played non-stop, festival-goers also could check out the beer and wine tent, and food trucks, do some shopping to find out more about the goods and services offered by local businesses.

Children could have fun, too, at the Kids’ Zone, sponsored by My Pediatrics, which offered balloon animals, games, a bouncy house and inflatable slide.

Admission was free to the event, which was hosted by the Central Pasco Chamber of Commerce and was presented by Ierna’s Heating & Cooling. Parking was $10, with proceeds benefitting local schools.

By Christine Holtzman

B.C. Manion contributed to this report.

Published March 28, 2018

Eight-month-old Griff Miller, of Land O’Lakes, is clearly enjoying himself in the Kids’ Zone at the festival.

 

Lynn Vanmeter, of Spring Hill, shows off her ‘Crazy Hat’ just outside the Kids’ Zone. Lynn is a practice manager for My Pediatrics, sponsor of the Kids’ Zone.

 

Leslie Brown, lead singer of Solar Exposure, belts out the first tune at the festival. Solar Exposure is based in Land O’ Lakes.

 

Deon Coogle and her husband, Stephen, are having a good time while listening to the band Solar Exposure.

 

The band Actual Bank Robbers energizes the crowd with its performance of the Bruno Mars hit ‘That’s What I Like.’

Farewell to those heading home

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(Courtesy of Mabel Budzinski)

Because some of our residents are heading home soon, our spring picnic in the park took place March 22.

Keith Babbitt, Ken Mann and Andy Pratt manned the grills, and flipped burgers and prepared hot dogs for everyone. Carolyn Babbitt and Rachel Pratt made sure everyone got a bun!

After the awesome picnic, bocci ball and washer games were enjoyed by both players and spectators.

By Mabel Budzinski, Gem Estates

Beverly Martin showed us her washer games skills.

Volunteer teams in action

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Steve, David, Marley, Dave, Norm, Judy and Walter work hard to get our Clubhouse floors clean & shiny. (Courtesy of Diana Manual)

Sweetwater RV Resort has many teams of people who work hard to make this park the special place that it is. Without dedicated volunteers, we would not have so many special events and activities, I’m sure!

The Jam Team this season has gone above and beyond to offer daytime weekly music jams, evening events and special projects. They used some of their proceeds to spray the bandstand field, when people were getting bitten while sitting in their chairs listening to the music. The group also rented equipment, and physically stripped, cleaned and polished the clubhouse floors, including the washroom and pool table/library room. Their enthusiasm and sense of having fun is contagious — whether buying a hotdog or a 50-50 ticket, a friendly face and smile is offered! Marley does a great job announcing each act, as well and encouraging participation.

Pulpit built by Norm and Walter, and enjoyed by Marley, David and others, mostly for Sunday Worship. (Courtesy of David Kai)

When our Sunday fellowship leader Claude Smith was unable to come to Florida this winter, Marley and David Kai stepped up by planning and leading the weekly nondenominational services. They, along with the musicians and singers, offer 1.5 hours of enjoyable Christian music and teaching. When Norm and Walter heard that a pulpit was needed to facilitate readings and preaching, they found a futon in the garbage, and used the wood to build a lovely pulpit. The Running Water Club has also paid for some needed equipment to complete the audio-visual aids and microphones. All this makes programming and leadership more enjoyable and doable.

After Dale and Rhoda Hunt’s motorcycle accident, they were unable to come to their Florida home, and Sweetwater needed kitchen help. The A-Team was developed when Linda and Ted were approached by Bonnie Kae in the park office. This is another example of weekly effort and teamwork. Headed up by Linda and her cooks, Ted and Dale, weekly ‘Blue Plate Specials’ have been shopped for, prepared and served by a group of very able and willing workers. Janet is the cashier, and others members include Linda and Don, Shirley, Cathy, Caroline, Dolores and Barb – others have filled in when needed. As soon as the quilters start packing up their machines and supplies on Wednesday afternoons, a group of table-setters comes in, just before dinner is served. We’ve been very lucky to have these delicious and affordable meals made for us each week this season. They also look after other special events with meals, like our St. Paddy Day luncheon for two parks recently, and a very delicious breakfast.

Everyday Blessings Kids’ Day Volunteers. Bill and Susan Gaffney, bottom left. (Courtesy of Steve Manual)

Susan and Bill Gaffney have bought their own place in Sweetwater now, so we can look forward to them returning each season, along with the many gifts and talents they offer and bring. Susan ran a weekly Bible study this winter, focusing on The Book of Ruth, and a video series on the book: “The Girl’s Still Got It – Take a Walk with Ruth and the God Who Rocked Her World,” by Liz Curtis Higgs. Approximately 30 people overall attended and enjoyed Liz’s sense of humor, and the questions prepared each week by Susan, in order to stimulate discussion and personal sharing.

Finger-painting activity, done by children of Everyday Blessings, at our Kids’ Day, and hanging in their facility for the tour. (Courtesy of Diana Manual)

The main theme of trusting God was also shared by Susan, was the message at the March 18 church service. The church has also matched an anonymous donation, to replace the cabinets in one of the caregiver kitchens. This is over and above the weekly amounts that are collected and delivered to the agency each week, along with any food donations.

Susan and Bill also held a Hope Marketplace Day, for WAR (women at risk), in order to heighten the challenges faced by fighting against human trafficking, and the need to support and rescue at-risk women. Volunteers manned tables of crafts made by victims, and speakers made us more aware of the problems faced. I bought a pair of brass chevron earrings from the War Chest Boutique, Shop with a Purpose. Dale Sanders and his team of bingo volunteers have also been donating money and food to Everyday Blessings and money to WAR.

Quilts made for Everyday Blessings’ children by Quilters’ Group – displayed at Quilt Show. (Courtesy of Diana Manual)

On another special day, Susan and a large group of volunteers ran a full-day event for the children of Everyday Blessings. I’m sure we were blessed as much as the children were, by all the special touches offered that day! Susan has already decided this will be a yearly event, and there are plans for another volunteer to plan an Everyday Blessings auction again next year, as well. About 25-30 people toured the Everyday Blessings facility, to get a better idea what goes on there, and what might be needed or offered. It tickled them to see the banner and bags hanging on the wall – all painted by the children on their special day at Sweetwater’s clubhouse.

Cheryl spices up the Mexican Buffet with her Tequila performance. (Courtesy of Linda Roebuck)

The quilters have also put special focus on the Everyday Blessing children this season.  Several quilts were made as a group to give to boys and girls there. There was also an ‘orphan’ quilt put together by the ladies, and sent out for quilting; plans are to sell raffle tickets for the March 27 end-of-season park picnic and send proceeds to Everyday Blessings.

Last, but not least, our dedicated volunteer Running Water Club Board has met regularly and presented information at Thursday morning coffee/donut time throughout the season. They also oversee dances and shows, and special events, including the recent St. Patrick’s Day Parade and luncheon. There are many more events and teams to be highlighted in future papers, but for now, we wish all our Sweetwater friends a safe return

By Judy Pearce, Sweetwater RV Resort

 

 

 

Pam (Everyday Blessings staff), Susan Gaffney (event facilitator) and Bonnie Kae (Sun Office staff) after a very successful Kids Event Day!

 

Dotty and Al, Cindy (vice president), Vi and Betty (president) after the Valentines’ Dance.

Bargains and games

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A community yard sale was held on March 17 at the community center of Grand Horizons, as well as some individual houses.

Linda Tutin, left, Bartie, and Carolyn Fink get ready for a game of dominoes. (Courtesy of Helene Rubenstein)

This is the time of year that several people look forward to, as they may be able to find certain hard-to-find items either at one of the many homes or in the community center.

There were several houses that had sales, and you could find items such as shorts, books, housewares and much more. 

You could also find a big variety of items at the community center. Here, there were shoes, slippers, games and more.

In the community center, they also had a book sale that was headed by Linda Tutin and many helpers. There was a bake sale that was headed by Mim Gardner, where you could purchase cupcakes, peanut butter, mini-pies of several different flavors, cookies and other goodies. In addition to these sales, Chuck Carlson and Ron Bell made their famous hot dogs and fries. I never got to try one of them, but I heard they were delicious,

Domino players filled the tables.

On Monday, March 19, we had our weekly game of dominoes. This is a fast game that keeps you on your toes.

There was an unusually large crowd of domino players, and we had approximately six or seven tables, with several people at each table. 

Friendly banter went back and forth among the players at the same table, and you could hear comments like, “I’ve got a small train” or “You knocked my train off its course” and several other remarks. 

We have fun with this weekly game, and it is a good opportunity to socialize with others.

By Helene Rubenstein, Grand Horizons

Testing the weight-bearing load of bridges

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Have you ever wondered how many pounds of rocks a bridge made of 200 Popsicle sticks would support?

Saint Leo University student, Kenneth Wybicracki, a first-timer in the competition, places his bridge, ‘Dumpster Fire,’ on a scale to be weighed as part of the contest’s requirements. (Randy Underhill)

Students who wanted to find out took part in the Bridge-Breaking Competition held by Saint Leo University’s Department of Mathematics and Science on March 6.

The competition includes teams who constructed model bridges from lightweight wooden sticks and glue.

Each team relied on their own ideas, and their knowledge of physics and engineering to build the bridge.

The bridges had to be 47.2 inches in length and no more than 7.87 inches in height.

Each bridge also needed a name.

Dr. Howard Carey, professor of biology at Saint Leo University, strategically places a large bucket on one of the 16 bridges constructed of Popsicle sticks.

Most of the bridges were built in a truss style of construction, but a few were beam style.

Sixteen bridges entered the competition, which was conducted by Leo Ondrovic, professor of biology and physics; Thomas Ricard, professor of engineering and physical sciences, and Dr. Howard Carey, professor of biology.

The tone of the evening was lighthearted.

Teams watched as rocks were piled on — and ultimately destroyed — their bridges.

The strongest bridge supported 75 pounds of rocks.

By Randy Underhill

B.C. Manion contributed to this report.

Published March 21, 2018

Eighteen-year-old Katieri Smith, left, stands by as Thomas Ricard, professor of engineering and physical science, reads the weight of ‘Ann Marie,’ the bridge she constructed.
Saint Leo University student Christian Jones carefully places his team’s bridge — 4.7 — on the concrete blocks for the fifth annual bridge building contest at Saint Leo University.
Thirteen-year-old Alex McILroy, left, of Tampa, looks on as Dr. Howard Carey, professor of biology, pours 25 pounds of rock into the large blue bucket suspended from the bridge. McIlroy, who was competing for his third time, took five days to construct his bridge.

‘Spotlight on Talent’ announces winners

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“Spotlight on Talent,” a regional performing arts competition in its 35th year, has announced winners from its March 10 competition at the Center for the Arts in Wesley Chapel.

Showstoppers took first place among older competitors in the group competition with their musical theater number. (Courtesy of Heritage Arts Center Association)

The competition, presented by the Heritage Arts Center Association, involved 140 finalists, competing for more than $5,000 in trophies, ribbons and cash prizes.

Victoria Neukom was the winner of the $1,000 Pasco Heritage Scholarship.

Winners in various categories are:

ACT I, the younger students:

Category 1

  • First: Vincent Pham, piano
  • Second, tie: Emory Rudolph, jazz dance

Keaton Ward, musical theater

  • Fourth: Samuel Wu, piano
  • Fifth: Alynza McBride, ballet dance

Category 2

  • First: Kasey Lang, piano
  • Second: Jasmine Crew, lyrical dance
  • Third: Brooklynn Ryan, vocal
  • Fourth: Madison Fouche, lyrical dance

Category 3

  • First: Lilyana Gargano, jazz dance
  • Second: Taylor Kriisa, tap dance
  • Third: Michaela Mezzei, contemporary dance
  • Fourth: Sailor Wade, lyrical dance
  • Fifth: Faith Phaller, ballet dance

Groups

  • First: Showbiz, musical theater
  • Second: Songbirds, musical theater, Bianca Horodecki and Gabrielle Smedley

ACT II, the older students:

Category 1

  • First: Flavio Eduardo Carreno-Olivo, piano
  • Second: Julianna Mazza, pointe dance
  • Third: Victoria Conn, jazz dance
  • Fourth: Gracie Scaglione, contemporary dance
  • Fifth: Agnes Hernandez, piano
  • Sixth: Andrew Eskut, piano

Category 2

  • First: Zachary D’Onofrio, jazz vocal
  • Second: Shelby Surratt, musical theater
  • Third: Maria Hernandez, piano
  • Fourth: Georgia Piersall, vocal
  • Fifth: Dorothy Ferguson, vocal and piano

Category 3

  • First: Victoria Neukom, contemporary dance
  • Second: Haley Sanders, musical theater
  • Third: Hannah Knight, original vocal and guitar
  • Fourth: Kamryn Belloise, musical theater
  • Fifth: Kiersten Herman, musical theater

Groups

  • First: Showstoppers, musical theater
  • Second: Star Company, lyrical dance

For more information, call (352) 567-1720, or visit www.HeritageArts.org.

Published March 21, 2018

Recognizing our volunteers

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On March 9, a lunch connoisseurs was held at the Columbia Restaurant in Ybor City. It was hosted by Dale and Terri Satterlee.

Eileen and Ed Goldstein (Courtesy of Helene Rubenstein)

From what I heard from those who attended, the food was delicious, and they had several dishes to choose from. The menu was varied with quite a bit of Cuban influence. Before people placed their order, Cuban bread, plus butter, was served to each individual table. Salads were out of this world, as they are known for their house salads.

From what Terri mentioned to me, the fact was that 51 residents and friends attended this lunch connoisseur.

Chuck Carlson grills hamburgers.

The restaurant was set up in a way where there were 10 or 12 people at a table, and there were several tables. Terri went on to say that there were Spanish tiles on the outside of the restaurant and partially inside. She also said that there was a huge chandelier when you first walked in the restaurant, and she also mentioned that the waiters were dressed formally. This restaurant was established in 1903 and has the same family running it.

A few days later, on March 11, a volunteer lunch was held at the community center and hosted by Chuck Carlson. Close to 80 people attended.

Everyone was greeted with “thank you” signs posted throughout the community center and cute “thank you” cards, with a table number, on each individual table.

Chuck and Susan Reams

Before table numbers were called, Jim Leitzke said grace, while the people attending observed a moment of silence. There were several helpers in the kitchen, and everyone had a specific job, so everything ran smoothly and efficiently. 

These helpers included Ron and Joyce Bell, Chuck and Shirley Carlson, Ron and Rachel Gamache, and Mim and Terry Gardner. 

In addition to the delicious hamburgers with buns, they had tomatoes, lettuce, onions, baked beans, potato salad, Cole slaw, cake and ice cream, plus coffee and lemonade.

There was much conversation among all of the people who attended, and some people played dominoes after the meal.

A great time was had by all. Thanks go out to all who participated in this lunch.

By Helen Rubenstein, Grand Horizons