BELLEAIR BLUFFS - The Farmhouse restaurant was the setting for the Belleair Beach Island Garden Club's "Holiday Gathering" on December 13. Members feasted on their choice of roast pork loin, baked scrod or glazed ham. Highlight of the get-together was a jewelry fashion show presented by Daphne Dias of Simple Graces, Lois Dye of Jewelry and Things and Dawn Gurley of Wedding Wows. Hostesses for this month's event were Ann Petrak, Ruth McClelland and Carol DeNeve.
The Belleair Beach Island Garden Club, which is a member of the Florida Federation of Garden Clubs and the National Council of State Garden Clubs, was formed in 1991 by the amalgamation of the Belleair Beach Garden Club, which was founded in 1947, and the Island Garden Club, which was founded in 1959. Members are dedicated to the beautification of Belleair Beach and surrounding communities. Regular meetings are normally held the third Wednesday of each month at Belleair Beach City Hall. This year's executive board is composed of Mary Chacanias, president; Jan Rives, vice president; Sara Kolodisa, 2nd vice president; Sherrie Morton, recording secretary; Sue Edmunds, treasurer; Virginia Kemp, chaplain; and Dorothy Papworth, parliamentarian. Ruth McClelland is Area Beautification Council representative.
The first meeting of the new year will take place at 10 a.m. on January 17. There will be a general meeting followed by a program on plant propagation presented by Michael Pettay, horticulturist with the Pinellas County Extension Service. Lunch will be potluck. Attendees should bring a dish to share. Hostesses are Petrak, Geri Baldwin and Kathy Seaton.
The February meeting is scheduled on the 21st at 10 a.m. Election of officers is on the agenda. Suzanne Sakal of the Suncoast Seabird Sanctuary will be guest speaker. Box lunches will be provided by the Columbia Restaurant. Hostesses are Petrak, Dorothy Papworth and Lori Yaniscavitch.
The second Wednesday in March has been set aside for a trip to the St. Petersburg Museum of Fine Art, where the group will view floral arrangements designed to capture the impressions of the paintings. Afterward, the group will dine at the Renaissance Vinoy.
A general business meeting is planned on April 18 along with an Ikebana demonstration by Muriel Scriver of the Pinellas County Ikebana Society. Lunch is potluck. Hostesses are Petrak, Donna Mitchell and Ann Van Ness.
May 2 is the date of the last get-together of the year. Members will have lunch at Belleair Country Club, where officers for 2007-2008 will be installed during a special ceremony. Hostesses are Joyce Hall, Ashley Dressel and Cheryl Riley.
The Belleair Beach Island Garden Club welcomes new members. Interested persons may call 517-3618 for more information.