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MARCH 2023 941.312.0665 | 27TH STATE MEDIA, LLC JACK AND LENORA: THANKS FOR THE MEMORIES
Mike Knupp Receives Free College: March Lineup By Irv Kushner Greenfield Award The Landings free college got off to a powerful start in February with a full house for the first presentation by Ir v Kush ner a nd a n overf low crowd for the second presentation by Jay Handelman, art editor and theater critic of the Sarasota HeraldTribune. From today’s perspective (mid-February) it looks as if we can expect similar turnouts in March. Here is March’s schedule:
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KAYAK SECURITY, PROJECTS, AND OUTINGS
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IT WAS “CHILI” INSIDE … NOT OUTSIDE
This community is very fortunate to have many knowledgeable, dedicated volunteers whose efforts often go unnoticed because they work quietly and efficiently serving The Landings. Mike Knupp, known as the man who responds day or night, needs no introduction. It isn’t just Mike’s commitment that he generously shares; he shares h is expertise as in environmental and engineering consulting, land and water conservation expertise, and organizational management expertise. Mike currently serves as the Chair of the Security Committee, a member of the Roads Committee, and
the Lakes and Drainage committee. He has served on The Landings Homeowners’ Board and been President of the Landings Management Association. Add equanimity, sense of fairness and his willingness to educate us whenever necessary and we get a bit closer to describing how much of himself Mike has given to our community. It’s time to acknowledge and take note of Mike’s contributions as one of the most significant members o f o u r c o m m u n i t y. Therefore, The Landings Management Association bestows t he Green f ield Award on Mike Knupp.
Ma rch 2 nd: To beg i n wit h, Ir v Kushner will tell us about Two Gun Cohen: a Chinese General. Learn how an impoverished Jewish kid, a juvenile delinquent from the slums of the East End of London, became a General in the Chinese army. March 9th: Dr. Michael P. Crosby, President and CEO of the Mote Marine Laboratory and Postdoctoral Research Fellow Dr. Beth Brady will present Sea Change. Hear about Mote’s research and its exciting future. Mote SEA, planned for Nathan Benderson Park, is projected to inspire 700,000 visitors from the Sarasota-Manatee region and around the world each year with its incredible displays of marine life, interactive technology, and windows into Mote’s amazing science. This presentation will be followed by a mouth-watering reception. March 16th: John Bruno, Emeritus
Distinguished Professor of Psychology, Neuroscience, and Psychiatry at The Oh io St ate Un iversit y, gave us a terrific talk about Parkinson’s disease last year. This year, his topic will be The Neuroscience of Depression and Anxiety: Two Sides of The Same Coin. A lot of us are at least a little bit familiar with this topic. March 23rd: Sandra Caccic, one of our tennis pros will let us in on What goes on behind the scene in professional tennis? Sandra played for many years on the WTA tour, reaching a ranking of 39th in the world in 1992. She’ll be introduced by Adrian “Mo” Moghina and her colleague, Jen Fiers, will give us some additional insights into the world of tennis. March 30th: Frank Pipers, a charter member of the Free College Hall of Fame, will t reat us to another i n for m at ive a nd enter t a i n i ng p r e s e nt at ion : T h e Erect i o n of a n Insurrection. While Jan 6th was a bell weather event, the U.S. history is pock marked with insurrection. The talk will put into perspective the history of insurrection, highlight the failed insurrection of the 1940’s, and identify the common thread that underlies all these uprisings. After that, the season will wind up with a bang with wonderful refreshments provided by the Landings realtors Judy Greene and Tara Lamb again.
Landings’ Volunteers Who Work For You page
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MILLENNIAL SPOTLIGHT
Tristan Reynolds, 24
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EVERY DOG (PARADE) HAS IT’S DAY
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This is the seventh in a series of articles highlighting the work of special volunteers who help to make The Landings such a wonderful community. The Eagle interviewed Paige Packman for this issue. I f you wa nt somet h i ng done i n T he Landings, Paige Packman is your go-to person. Paige, and her husband Jeff, were getting ready to retire and had previously visited family on the east coast of Florida, which was not for them. After visiting Naples and Cape Coral, they were reminded that Jeff’s second cousin, Betty Greenspan, lived in Sarasota. After talking with her, Betty found them a rental on Heron Way that was posted on the LRC bulletin board. Paige and Jeff rented the home in fall of 2015. The Packmans loved the friendly Landings’ community with its tennis, nature, arts, and culture. Before they left, they bought the upstairs condo right next door to the rental and moved in fulltime in 2018. Paige, who is from Buffalo, NY, had a distinguished career as a project manager. She re ceived her m at hem at ics deg re e from University of Buffalo, followed by an MBA, while working full-time in computer programming. She moved on to work at Price Waterhouse where she transitioned to IT Project Management. She then spent 14 years with IBM, 6 years with Washington Mutual Bank, 6 years with the City of Seattle, then worked as a consultant, leading software, security and infrastructure implementation teams. Throughout her career, she was one of only a few women in technology. In 1986, she took a break from work to travel, and five months into her trip, she met Jeff in the Sinai Desert, who was also travelling. They hit it off and spent two years exploring the world visiting Europe, Russia, Israel, Egypt, Kenya, Nepal, Tibet, China,
India, Bali, Thailand, Bangladesh, Myanmar, then finally on to Australia and New Zealand. After traveling together, they got married and moved to Seattle. When asked if she and Jeff have any upcoming travel plans, she mentioned Japan, Korea, French Polynesia, Tunisia, and Algeria. They certainly have been and are world travelers. Jeff started his professional life with a masters in social work and went on to have a successful career in financial services. Paige and Jeff have one son, Chase, who is 31 and lives in Denver. After moving to The Landings, Paige volunteered to work with the Securit y Committee to help them implement a new speed monitoring program to keep our roads safe from speeders. She also wanted to beautify the LRC pool area and front entrance, so she joined the LRC Landscaping Committee to make that happen. She suggested that the LRC hold monthly happy hours, which led to her being LRC Social Director, where she worked with her committee to expand LRC social programs. She also served on the tennis, Eagle, and kayak committees after retiring in late 2021. She has been a leader and instrumental in adding new programs at the club, where she now sits on the LRC Board. On top of her volunteer service to LRC and LMA, Paige joined the Board of Landings South IV and is now their President. She was responsible for launching Heron Way Happy Hours during COVID, which is a popular event that has brought the community closer together. Paige is the “poster child” for leadership in The Landings. Paige was asked what she liked best about The Landings now that she has been a resident for several years. She said, “It’s like a peaceful oasis with lots of social
Paige Packman
activities, lectures, tennis, and most of all, the friendliest community in Sarasota. I’m inspired by all the talented and interesting people who live in The Landings.” She said the future of The Landings looks bright if “we continue to build community connections and cohesiveness.” She said, “I’m thrilled to see people coming forward to volunteer their expertise to launch new activities, from Mahjongg to line dancing to sound baths! This enables us to leverage their skillsets to provide more activities of interest for our residents. I personally love bringing people together in teams, to build a sense of community and trust, like I did when I was working in tech. It’s even more fun to do this for our own Landings community.” There are few other residents in our community who have given so much time and so much of themselves to enhance The Landings as has Paige Packman.