Tavares, Florida - Judges Visit First-Time Participant
Tavares, Florida - Judges Visit First-Time Participant
By AIB Judge Sue Amatanglo
Many have used the saying planes, trains, and automobiles
when describing their travel experiences from one destination to another. But for the city of Tavares Florida, the
judges used not only planes, trains, and automobiles to reach their destination;
it also took trucks, boats, walking shoes, golf carts and seaplanes to
experience every unique detail of this beautiful lakeside city.
Tavares, America’s Sea Plane City, is nestled in Central
Florida just north of Orlando on Lake Dora. Daily flights surf their shores
originating from FA1, the city’s designated seaplane base.
Although it took many modes of transportation to navigate
this city of 14,583 residents, as a first year AIB participant, nothing moved
the judges more on their tour than the pride that every person had in their community
along with their contagious enthusiasm. Time and time again we were told of the
excitement that America in Bloom has brought to their community and how they
were able to accomplish things that they never thought they could. One of the
most impressive was the Freedom Flag monument and circle.
Pride went much deeper than the pride they have for their
community. Patriotism certainly runs deep in Tavares where donors from the community,
along with other inspired citizens, pledged amounts ranging from a few dollars
up to $3,000 to make a Veterans Memorial a reality. The goal was reached within
a short period of time and the funds were used to erect a 60’ flagpole
anchoring a high profile traffic circle centered in the county government
campus. A commemorative granite donor monument, with the inscription “Freedom
is Never Free”, was placed adjacent to the traffic circle recognizing the
efforts of so many that contributed.
According to Traci
Anderson, Tavares in Bloom Committee Chair and Landscape Specialist for the city,
the judge’s visit was the catalyst they needed to gear up and plant up the
Freedom Flag with perennials. She asked city staff to complete this project at
the last minute (a week before the judges arrived). In just a week, they were
able to get the needed PO’s, secure the plant material, pick it up and deliver
everything to get the project done. But that wasn’t all. Before anything could
be planted, there was a need to first remove masses of jasmine groundcover, a
lot of poor soil and then bring in good soil to fill and raise the level of the
garden. Working together as a team, within 6 hours the soil was all replaced
and the area surrounding the flag was planted.
Just like each and every
community that we have the pleasure to get to know, there are so many wonderful
things to see, so many inspiring stories to tell and so many lasting experiences
to share and for AIB judges, Laurie Potier-Brown and Sue Amatangelo - Tavares,
Florida was no different.
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