Brandon/Winthrop
38
March 2023
Volume 15, Issue 3
Ph: 813-657-2418
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CELEBRATING 21 YEARS OF PUBLISHING P OSITIVE COMMUNIT Y NEWS
NORTH BRANDON YMCA GYMNASTS PLACE FIRST IN GASPARILLA CLASSIC
By Lily Belcher
Osprey Observer 2109 Lithia Pinecrest Rd. Valrico, FL 33596
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The North Bran“We are super don YMCA Level proud of them, … 2 Top Flight Gymwe are so proud nastics Team took of the girls. They home the firstdid great,” said place small team communications award in the 2023 and social media Gasparilla Classic. manager Hannah Five female athGeaumont. letes visited TropBoth the North icana Field at the Brandon and Bob end of February Sierra YMCA loand showcased cations are home North Brandon YMCA Top Flight Gymnastics their floor, vault, to Top Flight GymTeam took home the first-place small team award beam and bar nastics teams and in the Gasparilla Classic. routines for the state-of-the-art first time in the facilities. The Bob Gasparilla ClasSierra Top Flight sic. Laisamar Gil, team hosts gymSophia Condit, nasts at levels 2, Maddison Seale, 3, 4, 5 and 7, but Adeline Rodriguez they work with and Olivia Blicker athletes to coach made up the first them at their perNorth Brandon sonal skill level. Top Flight Team to While the North qualify for the anBrandon location nual meet. currently only has “The girls were a level 2 coable to secure the ed team, they Olivia Blicker placed first-place team third overall, scoring cater to all win by showing above a 9.0 in three skill levels as events. beautiful and clean well. gymnastics routines on all four events. “Our coaches A lot of their routines scored over a 9.0, w i l l be able to aswith a 10.0 being a perfect score,” said sess them and see where their skills North Brandon gymnastics program di- are and they will be placed on a team,” rector DeJon Moore. said Geaumont. One of the girls, 8-year-old Blicker, For more information on the Top Flight placed third overall in the competition. teams or other experiences offered at Blicker is new to the North Brandon team the YMCA, visit www.tampaymca.org. To but scored high in the Gasparilla Classic. register, athletes must complete an evaluOn vault and bars, Blicker tied for fifth ation with the YMCA gymnastics director. with a 9.2 and tied for second with a Moore at the North Brandon Family Y can 9.375, respectively. She scored the high- be contacted at dmoore@tampaymca. est on her beam routine, placing second org, and Tyler Conover at the Bob Sierra in the event with a score of 9.5. Her floor Youth and Family Center can be contactroutine tied for fifth with an 8.925. ed at tconover@tampaymca.org.
For one week in February, 31 local educators and Osprey Observer Managing Editor Marie Gilmore participated in the U.S. Marine Corp Educators’ Workshop in Parris Island, S.C. The weeklong bootcamp style workshop introduces educators to the educational and recruitement opportunites available. See Full Story on Page 12
LOCAL VETERAN WITH A LIFETIME OF SERVICE HONORED AT TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING GAME
By Jane Owen
Lewis Palumbo ing to the US Mahas given a lifetime rine Corps website: of service to his “There truly is no country and comsuch thing as a formunity. He celebratmer Marine, as after ed his 91st birthday, service our Marine along with his wife Veterans are just of 72 years, Virginia, as dedicated to adthis past June. vancing our Nation The Tampa Bay and defending its Lightning honored ideals.” Palumbo on the Palumbo volunice with the honor teered tirelessly for guard before their 22 years with TOPgame against the Soccer, a recreationSan Jose Sharks on al sports program February 7. for children with disLewis’s longtime abilities, and THORN friend, Ken Muzyk, Retired USMC Captain Lewis H. Palumbo at the (Thankfully Helping brought him to Tampa Bay Lightning game against the San Jose Others’ Real Needs) Sharks on February 7. the game and surMinistries, which prised him with the feeds the homeless honor. in the Tampa area. “You may never Palumbo also regumeet someone of larly volunteered at that caliber your the Nativity Cathwhole life. He’s not olic Church Food one of those guys Pantry. that wants to be THORN founder patted on the back, Kristin Taylor said but he was in awe, Palumbo has a big and he was grateheart for others, ful,” Muzyk said. especially homeless A career Marine, veterans. Lewis Palumbo (right), who volunteered with Palumbo is a vet“Seeing homeTHORN Ministries for 22 years in caring for the eran of the Korean less veterans never homeless, pictured with his friend, Ken Muzyk. War, Vietnam War sat right with him, and Cuban conflict. Palumbo enlisted in the so … he would quietly collect metal to sell to Marines in 1949. While fighting as part of buy socks for the guys. Lew is simply the fathe 4th Battalion of the 1st Marine Division, ther and husband everyone could ever hope he was wounded in the Korean War Battle for. The friend and mentor you thank God for of Chosin Reservoir and received the Purple every time you see his face. He is the most Heart. Following the Korean War, he served honorable yet humble man I’ve ever known,” in the Howitzer Battery and the 2nd Signal Taylor said. Battalion of the 2nd Marine Division, among other units. He received his commission as a second lieutenant in 1966. He retired as a captain in 1979 after working with the Na- TECO FAMILY BBQ ............................PG 3 tional Security Agency. FOURTH OF JULY PARADE..........PG 10 While Palumbo retired from military serEDUCATORS’ WORKSHOP........... PG 12 vice in 1979, he never stopped serving. He lives up to the U.S. Marine Corps motto, EYE ON BUSINESS..........................PG 36 “Once a Marine, always a Marine.” Accord- SUMMER CAMP GUIDE ............... SEC 2
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