Palm Harbor residents can learn more about the organization behind many of the community’s recreational and library services during the Palm Harbor Museum’s October program.
Erica Lynford, director of the Palm Harbor Community Services Agency, will present “Creating a Sense of Purpose and Place: The Palm Harbor Community Services Agency” at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 7, at the Palm Harbor Library, 2330 Nebraska Ave. Created in 1985, PHCSA oversees Palm Harbor’s parks, recreation and library services.
Lynford will discuss the agency’s work, ongoing facility improvements and plans for the new 28,457-square-foot Palm Harbor recreation center. The $14 million facility will include an indoor track, gymnasium and space for community events and also will serve as an emergency shelter for nearly 500 people. The program is free and no reservations are required.
Museum becomes FEAST donation site
The Palm Harbor Museum is now a donation drop-off location for FEAST Food Pantry. FEAST, which has served the community since 1989, provides families with fresh and shelf-stable food and personal care items. The organization says demand for assistance has risen substantially in recent years. Visitors are encouraged to bring nonperishable food donations when they stop by the museum, 2043 Curlew Road. Donations may be dropped off during museum hours, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays.
Chinese American citrus innovator celebrated Sept. 23
Palm Harbor Museum volunteer and historian Quinton Spiaggi will share the story of pioneering horticulturist Lue Gim Gong on Wednesday, Sept. 23 from 6 to 7 p.m. at the East Lake Community Library, 4125 E Lake Rd S., Palm Harbor.
Born in China and brought to the United States as a teenager, Gim Gong’s innovative work with citrus earned him recognition as a Great Floridian 2000. Spiaggi, guest curator of Heritage Village’s ongoing exhibit of Gim Gong, will also share stories from more than 330 years of Chinese American history in Florida. Admission is free.
Fabric sale celebrates generations of quilting
Fabrics, quilt-ready packets and other fiber-art supplies will fill the Palm Harbor Museum during a two-day quilter’s fabric sale Oct. 16-17.
Longtime quilter Anita Marks is sharing her extensive collection, including coordinated fabrics and packets for strip quilts, along with woven and ethnic fabrics, Swedish rug yarn, notions and other supplies. The sale also celebrates the quilting legacy of the women of the historic Hartley House, including Marks’ mother, Ida, and Clarine and Lucy.
Proceeds will benefit the Palm Harbor Museum and the Tampa Bay Surface Design Guild’s Scholarship Fund. The sale will run from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Oct. 16-17, at the museum, 2043 Curlew Road.
HART Fund Seeks Donations to Preserve Palm Harbor History
The Palm Harbor Museum’s HART (Heritage & Archives, Rooted Together) Fund is seeking donations to help preserve the community’s history for generations to come.
Hosted through the Pinellas Community Foundation (PCF), the fund is designed to provide long-term financial support for historical preservation, educational outreach, community programs and museum operations. Donations are professionally invested with only a portion of the earnings distributed each year. The principal remains intact and can continue to grow over time, providing an ongoing source of support.
The fund also honors Palm Harbor’s roots and the museum’s home in the historic 1919 Hartley House at 2043 Curlew Road. Donations can be made by cash at the museum, by check payable and mailed to the Pinellas Community Foundation, online, or through planned gifts and bequests. More information is available through PCF.
Museum seeks memories for library anniversary
The Palm Harbor Library has been an integral part of the area’s history for nearly half a century. Founded in the old Palm Harbor Methodist Church downtown using donated books, it maintains one of the state’s largest library volunteer programs.
As it approaches its 50th anniversary in 2028, the Palm Harbor Museum is helping preserve its memories by inviting community members to share stories, photographs and information. Short video interviews are also being recorded to document what residents remember and value about the library and surrounding area. These interviews will become part of Heritage Village’s The Power of Place ongoing oral history archive.
Recent participants included Glenda Riviere Gunnells, who discussed the history of the Riviere Dairy; Anita Freudenthal, who shared memories of Palm Harbor before mass development; and volunteer historian Quinton Spiaggi, who discussed the impact of the library on his life in the 2010s.