Jun 6, 2013
By Derek Maul Most Floridians know about the Seminole Native Americans, but what we don’t know is much about the long and colorful history of conflict with the U.S. Army in the first half of the 19th Century. The three Seminole Wars occurred from 1814-1819, 1835-1842, and 1855-1858. Forts, both temporary and more substantial, came(…)
May 23, 2013
By Derek Maul The Bridges retirement community resident Clyde Piercy has been married to his bride, Margaret, for 71 years (and counting). Looking back over seven decades, Piercy’s most difficult moment may have been the day in 1944 when he left his wife behind, along with their two-year-old son, to begin his military service. Piercy,(…)
May 23, 2013
By Derek Maul May he be like rain falling on a mown field, like showers watering the earth (Psalm 72:6) “You heavens above, rain down my righteousness; let the clouds shower it down. Let the earth open wide, let salvation spring up, let righteousness flourish with it; I, the LORD, have created it.” (Isaiah 45:8)(…)
May 1, 2013
By Derek Maul In February, the Hillsborough County School Board named Susan Burkett principal of Bloomingdale High School. Ten weeks down the road, the former Burns Middle School leader feels 100 percent at home. “By nature I’m a high school person,” Burkett said. “Burns was a huge growth opportunity for me. I learned a lot(…)
Apr 21, 2013
By Derek Maul As a kid in Kentucky, submarines were the last thing on Joseph Hayden’s mind. However, once the young cook enlisted in 1945, he knew exactly what he wanted to do. “I was working at Gabe’s Steakhouse,” Hayden said. “Guys came in from the Army, the Marines, and the Navy. They said, ‘Your(…)
Apr 1, 2013
By Derek Maul Theodore “Ted” Dmetroshko may look a little young for a World War Two veteran. But the 86-year-old Michigan native pulled it off by lying to the Army about his age and enlisting at 16. Ted grew up in Detroit, where his parents settled after fleeing Russia in 1912. His father, a former(…)
Feb 26, 2013
By Derek Maul Local IT specialist Daniel Coleman knows the value of networking first hand. “It’s a proven model that works,” Coleman said. “I’ve grown and am sustaining my business because of it.” Consequently, and because he understands that a healthy small-business climate is good for every business in the economy, Coleman puts out a(…)
Feb 26, 2013
By Derek Maul When The Bridges resident, Dorothea Kelchner Wyda, saw her brother, Larry, leave their Pennsylvania home to join the Navy, she knew she wanted to help the war effort too. It was 1944 and Dorothea was 22-years old so she joined the Navy Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service (WAVES). She served for(…)
Feb 2, 2013
By Derek Maul Theodore “Ted” Dmetroshko may look a little young for a World War II veteran, but the 86-year-old Michigan native pulled it off by lying to the Army about his age and enlisting at 16. Ted grew up in Detroit, where his parents settled after fleeing Russia in 1912. His father, a former(…)
