Talk of the Town
GB Optimist Club installs new officers at middle school

The Gulf Breeze Optimist Club had an action-packed meeting on Jan. 11. They hosted the installation of Gulf Breeze Middle School (GBMS) Junior Optimist Club officers for this semester and discussed plans for one of their North Florida District Annual conferences.

The installation of officers was a great event. Pete Della Ratta and Dan Wells, advisors for the Junior Optimist Clubs, introduced President Allison Carter and Vice President Sarah Van Slyke, Secretary Taylor Pacenta and Treasurer Brett Westmoreland. Mark Meister, a former Gulf Breeze Optimist President, swore in the new officers who then received their Optimist pins from Dan Wells. Della Ratta presented the officers with a new gavel, symbol of authority and organization, praising the students' enthusiasm, energy and dedication. Jennifer Mitchell, past president, spoke on the group's activities since their formation last year. Having contributed a check for $250 to the zoo campaign, they distributed $1,300 from their fund-raising December dance to various needy areas including the Zoo.

Several former GBMS Junior Optimist officers and parents of present officers attended the breakfast and ceremony, along with the Executive Director of Santa Rosa Kid's House, Hank Shirah. The kid's house is a facility for abused children. Shirah listened intently to the program then said at the conclusion, "This makes my heart feel happy to see these kids doing so well because the kids I work with have such different situations."

The North Florida District Optimist 2nd Quarter Conference will be held in Pensacola at the Clarion Hotel, formerly Holiday Inn, in University Mall on Feb. 8 through Feb. 10. The North Florida District has four annual conferences each year and attending one usually means traveling out of town. Tom Naile, Governor of the North Florida District and a member of the Gulf Breeze club, planned this conference well. This year, Optimists in this area have an opportunity to attend a conference in their own backyard. Lt. Governor Marguerite Burr said, "This won't happen again for at least 20 years."

Betty Archer Allen/Gulf Breeze News The new Gulf Breeze Middle School Junior Optimist officers are, from left to right: President Allison Carter, Vice President Sarah Van Slyke, Secretary Taylor Pacenta, Treasurer Brett Westmoreland, are pictured with Past President Jennifer Mitchell.

The agenda for the conference is full of interesting events and many sessions. The activities on Friday, Feb. 8, from 8 to 10 p.m. feature a hospitality suite with refreshments and a chance to meet and socialize. The activities on Saturday, Feb. 9 include a rare opportunity to see the communications contest for the deaf and hard of hearing. The winner of this contest will be awarded a $1,500 college scholarship. Paula Reyling, an international certified trainer from Jasper, Ind., will be a guest and provide useful, interesting and enjoyable sessions based on the areas of interest to the Optimist members. Saturday's Awards Banquet will honor the Gulf Breeze Optimist Club as a Distinguished Club for the third consecutive year. Gulf Breeze Optimists are encouraged to come and celebrate the club's success. Fees are $20 for the conference and $30 for the awards banquet. Hotel room rates are $75 for those wishing to stay. To register, contact Mark Meister at 850-932-4996 or by e-mail nfldistreg@hotmail.com or Burr at 850-916-0869: mburr208@aol.com.

Betty Archer Allen/Gulf Breeze News Guests at the last Santa Rosa Woman's Club meeting were Lucille Russel, Jean Yuill, Ann Simmons, Heike Appelt, Kathy Weaver, Kathy Kuehl, Carol Samuels and Jeanne Merchant.

Santa Rosa Woman's Club

The Santa Rosa Woman's Club (SRWC) held their first meeting of the year on Jan. 8. After a short social period, President Marion Ginn directed the first meeting of the Santa Rosa Woman's club in 2008. The devotion was given by Wendy Brandon and he Pledge of Allegiance was led by Second Vice President Jane Parker. Jane also welcomed the following eight guests to the meeting: Lucille Russel, Jean Yuill, Ann Simmons, Heike Appelt, Kathy Weaver, Kathy Kuehl, Carol Samuels, and Jeanne Merchant.

Betty Arcer Allen/Gulf Breeze News The Home Life Department of Santa Rosa Women's Club includes Nan McLendon, Barbara Miksch, Mary Eder, Mattie Mitchell, Linda Dawson, Donna Giddis, Berni Findley and Barbara Elbert.

Barbara Miksch, Berni Findley, Mary Eder, Linda Dawson, Donna Giddis, Barbara Elbert, Mattie Mitchell, and Nan McLendon of the Home Life Committee presented a program entitled "Prevention of Skin Cancer." The speaker was Beverly Quinville, who represented the office of William Henghold, M.D. Quinville has been working with Henghold for one year, and, with the aid of slides, was very effective in urging skin check ups to prevent skin cancer. Quinville provided the SRWC members with Dr. Henghold's qualifications. He finished his formal medical and surgical training at Vanderbilt University with a one-year fellowship in Mohs Micrographic Surgery and Cutaneous Oncology and has dedicated his dermatologic surgery practice to patients with tumors of the skin.

An installation ceremony was held for Sally Sternung immediately following the program and the club welcomed her as a new member. Shari Fulford was Sally's sponsor and stood with her as Jane Parker presented her with a rose.

Submitted photo Victoria Tanner of Pensacola Beach, left, qualified for the Fall 2007 Dean's List at Belmont University in Nashville, Tenn. Tanner is a full time senior student attending the Mike Curb School of Business at Belmont. She is pictured with her sister, Betsy.

The business meeting continued with reports from officers and chairpersons. Mary Eder conducted roll call, and read correspondence, which included a note from the Gulf Breeze Fire Department thanking the club for their donation. Wendy Brandon, scholarship chairman, reported that SRWC had given two $500 awards to Jennifer Becknell and Stevie Meaux to be used at Pensacola Junior College. Ginn announced a donation to hospice had been given in the name of Betty Jayson, a long time former member who died recently. Second Vice President Jane Parker announced the Membership Tea would be held on March 30 at the home of Barbara Oliver. Third Vice President Linda Dawson reported that a check was received for $315 dollars from Pensacola Hardware where club membership had placed cookbooks for sale. Arts Department Chairman Shirley Gaddis gave details on the arts and crafts festival and asked that those entering please sign up after the meeting. Gaddis was elected to chair a nominating committee. The members are: Mattie Mitchell, Barbara Oliver, Libby Prochaska, and Carolyn Pfeiffer. Brandon gave the blessing before the club adjourned for lunch.

Women's Advisory Council

The Women's Advisory Council (WAC) of Santa Rosa Medical Center will present "Death By Valentine" on Friday and Saturday, Feb. 8 and 9, beginning at 7 p.m. The dinner theatre will be held in the Santa Rosa Medical Center Education Building, located directly behind the Santa Rosa Medical Center at 6002 Berryhill Road in Milton.

"Death By Valentine" will be presented by Act4Murder from Shalimar, Fla. The group is made up of professional actors presenting comedic murder mysteries for dinner theatre. They provide adult entertainment with a hilarious, original murder mystery written by Paula Hilton. This is what you can expect during the show: Hart Braker is trying to throw the perfect Valentine's Day party for her daughter, Candy, and can't get any cooperation from her other daughter, Coco Puff, her current husband, Drew Blood, her friend, Bill Willkill, or her brother, Rock Bottom. Candy isn't impressed with anyone on the guest list and wants to go hang out with her friends instead, but gifts keep arriving from a secret admirer and she can't figure out a way to make her escape. Something has to be done to save this Valentine's Day party; but who will save Candy Valentine?

Tickets are $25 each and can be purchased from any WAC member, at the Santa Rosa County Chamber of Commerce, 5247 Stewart Street in Milton, the front desk at Santa Rosa Medical Center or by calling 850-626-5113. The dinner includes: Caesar salad with sea salt bagel crisps, chicken marsala with rice pilaf, green beans almandine and death by chocolate with raspberry sauce, coffee and iced Tea. Proceeds from the dinner theater will go to the American Cancer Society's annual Relay for Life and to the Kathy Russell Medical Scholarship Fund. This year, WAC will once again be a Relay Corporate Sponsor and host the Milton Cancer Survivor Reception for continuing medical-related education. The scholarship is awarded to an employee of Santa Rosa Medical Center. For more information, call 850-572-5775 or 850-626-5113.

Bud and Bloom Garden Club is one of 21 clubs in the Pensacola Federation of Garden Clubs and was organized in 1957 and has been active for 51 years. The organizational meeting was held at the Lou Jones' home, who then lived on Springdale Circle in Pensacola. Lou Jones is the President of Bud and Bloom and is the only member still in the club who was at that organizational meeting. She is now a resident in Santa Rosa Shores. The information in the yearbook states that the club was organized "to promote civic beauty and roadside development, to advance the art of gardening, the study of horticulture, the artistic use of plant materials, to work in cooperation with other agencies to furtherance of all interests of horticulture and conservation."

Jones says, "Bud and Bloom takes these commitments very seriously."

In the beginning, the club chose to meet at night because most of the women had babies and needed dad to baby-sit. They still meet at night, but now the reason is to meet the needs of working women. Some of the members come directly from work to the meeting. Members come from both Escambia and Santa Rosa Counties and meet at 6:30 p.m., the fourth Monday of each month, at the Garden Center at 1850 North Ninth Avenue, in Pensacola. Bud and Bloom was organized before the Garden Center building was built and was instrumental in all the activities that were needed to begin such a structure. Jones was at the ceremony when the first spade of dirt was turned. Bud and Bloom is an old club that is still growing.

Navarre Garden Club hosts horticulture series

The Navarre Garden Club is presenting the Florida Horticulture Study Series titled "Digging It" for all area residents to participate in. This is the second time in the state of Florida that the class will be offered and the Navarre Garden Club is the first in District 1 to host this horticulture series. The series was designed for the Florida Federation of Garden Clubs by horticulture expert Tina Tuttle. It has an established horticulture curriculum and a hands-on, interactive session for ten topics of interest. The program was developed for the general home gardener, flower show school participants, floral design study participants and it is a compliment to flower show judges, certified master gardeners and any one in the landscape design business.

The first class is horticulture basics and is suggested prior to any other subjects in the series. The courses will focus on a type of plant in that session giving the specifics of its life cycle and landscape uses. Instructors will provide participants with demonstrations and practice at propagation. The class will also help you to select and site the proper plant for the proper place. You will learn how to not only grow the plant optimally but to show it as an award-winning specimen. Participants will be taught what it will take to maintain plant subject and informed of the competition you are sure to face from nature's insects, diseases and weather events. The course is designed to be the whole package of ten classes. Those unable to take all 10 courses may take any of the classes as a single unit.

The first class, Horticulture Basics is followed by Annuals and Biennials, followed by Herbaceous Perennials, Woody Perennials Arboreal Trees and Shrubs, Bulbs and Container Grown Plants. The classes have been scheduled for Feb. 16, Feb. 23, March 1, March 8, May 3 and May 17. The other four classes will be scheduled in the fall of 2008.

Each class will consist of a lecture followed by a hands-on workshop. The study course will be held at St. Augustine's Church, Highway 98 in Navarre. Class time starts at 8:30 a.m. and the workshop is over at 12:30 p.m. Students will be asked to bring their own garden gloves and clippers. All other supplies will be furnished with the registration fee. The cost of the series is $20 per session or $100 for registration of all six classes offered now. Coffee, juice and a light breakfast will be provided at the start of each session starting at 8 a.m.

Additionally, many plants and other gardening items will be available for purchase at each session. A Florida Federation of Garden Clubs Course Certificate will be issued to those who complete the ten workshops. For more information, contact Judith Begue at 850-936-4150 or send registration checks to Navarre Garden Club, Inc., P.O. Box 5606, Navarre, Fla., 32566. Space will be limited to those who pre register with payment. This is the time to increase personal knowledge and skills in horticulture while having fun learning.