Dr. Bob Here

‘Tis the season for great food and time with friends. At their annual Parks & Beautification Holiday Party today at the Clearwater Country Club, it was obvious that both food and friends were on the minds of these hard-working employees of the City of Clearwater.

Approximately 75 attended the luncheon, including Mayor George Cretekos and several others from the city council and other city offices. City Manager Bill Horne attended as well as several others from his office.

Keven Dunbar, director of Parks & Beautification, organized the event. I enjoyed the brief get-away from city hall to see again some of the folks who help keep Clearwater Bright and Beautiful!

What better way to begin the Christmas season than with a thousand-plus school children listening with excitement to the Florida Orchestra at the 29th Annual Children’s Holiday Concert at Ruth Eckerd Hall in Clearwater, Fla., on Tuesday, December 12, 2017.

John Wilson was the host of the program; He and his wife Mary K. Wilson also sang several Christmas songs, and led the audience in singing some of the favorite melodies of the season.

Yankee great Tino Martinez read Clement Clarke Moore’s “Twas the night before Christmas” to the children, many of whom quoted the 1822 poem as Martinez read it.

Members of the Ballet Theatre International performed with the orchestra, whose guest conductor was Robert Romanski.

Of course St. Nicholas, or Santa Claus, made his appearance too.

The concert is presented each year by the George Steinbrenner family and the New York Yankees.

Marsha Rimer heads a staff of caring counsellors and volunteers who “serve babies from conception to five years of age.”

Tonight was the annual Appreciation Dinner for those who have assisted the center this past year.

I was privileged to have been invited and able to attend the dinner.

The Willa Carson Health and Wellness Center celebrated 20 years on December 2, 2017, with a gala at the Clearwater Country Club.

Members of the Carson family, including Willa Carson’s daughter Earnestine Carson Heastie, came for the occasion; a number of city officials, police, city personnel joined a large crowd from the neighborhood in the celebration. Dr. Bob, along with council members Doreen Caudell and Bill Jonson also attended.

The Wellness Center’s mission is “to provide culturally sensitive quality healthcare in a friendly environment”, according to the program. It is not federal funded and has no affiliation with the government. The center relies on many donors for its continuing operations.

The center provides healthcare to uninsured and low-income patients.

Sunset over Clearwater Harbor, December 4, 2017

Miracle on Cleveland Street, on Saturday, December 2, featured the Atlanta Rhythm Section in a free concert.

A huge tree was decorated at Station Square Park and a horse-drawn carriage were just two of many sites of the evening.

Plenty of food, from street vendors to restaurants offered a wide selection of fares to the hundreds who attended.