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Useppa Island Employees Celebrated – Pictures and words by UseppaGin – Useppa’s Employee Picnic is a celebration and a thank you to all the men and women who work so hard taking care of the island we love. It was also a good-bye to Comptroller and new mother Sarah McMillen moving back north to be closer to her family. Her computer and technical skills changed the way business is done on Useppa. Paul Webb-Martin, Head of the Service Department is retiring and will leave in early February moving to Texas and closer to his wife Jane’s family. He started work two weeks before Hurricane Charley devastated the island. His skills and determination, his loyalty and hard work helped us rebuild. CEO Tim Fitzsimmons says we could not have done it as well or as quickly without him. The Employee Christmas Fund given by Useppa Members was distributed. Pins were given to long-time employees. Gar and Sanae Beckstead have pins reading 42 Years. Tim Fitzsimmons’ pin reads 39. Lucky folks with the right numbers, won a chance to take a stocking from the tree holding either a gift card or cash. The menu chosen by a secret vote was a plate filling Mexican Feast. And then, when the party ended, the traditional picture atop the marina. Thank you to all Useppans, the men and women who work here. and the men and women who contributed to the Employee Christmas Fund.

Lunch at the Fire House – Words and pictures by UseppaGin – Fire Chief Maria Silva and Deputy Chief Chris Wilfong hosted Useppa Island Employees for lunch last week. It was a feast, a way of saying thanks for all the work the men and women do to take care of the island. Maria and Chris are Useppa’s new Fire Chiefs and they seemed to enjoy the party as much as their guests. Kudos from Useppa’s Staff. There were only two things missing… a chance to ride the truck and shoot a hose. Maria and Chris promised to put that on the menu next time.

Dedication of the Useppa Museum Miller Room – Thoughts and pictures by UseppaGin – On Saturday night, November 24th Island neighbors and friends gathered in the Barbara Sumwalt Museum to dedicate the Miller Room. It was a chance to both honor the memory of Paul F. Miller Jr and to celebrate all he and Warren Miller have done for Useppa’s Museum and the Useppa Island Historical Society. Last year’s Museum Fundraiser paid tribute to both Paul and Warren, and the money raised enabled this year’s interior redesign to accommodate larger crowds attending Museum events. Because of Paul and Warren’s stewardship, the voluntary contribution of architectural design advice, the physical sweat equity of hard working men and women, the Museum Board, its Director Rona Stage and The Useppa Island Club, the Barbara Sumwalt Museum is both a place to learn Useppa history and to gather together as an island community.

Thanksgiving on Useppa 2018 – Thoughts and pictures by UseppaGin – Thanksgiving on the Island begins on Wednesday when the Cookie Brigade bakes chocolate chip cookies and draws pictures for the men and women who take care of Useppa. This year the children’s good deeds were rewarded when Deputy Fire Chief Chris let them play with a hoses at the Firehouse. On Thursday all ages played in the pool, walked the beach, visited with friends, walked pets and enjoyed Island life. The Collier Inn served a traditional Thanksgiving meal, and the hospitality of its staff made all of us feel welcome. Dinner was delicious. On Useppa we are all a family.

Useppa Members Welcome Back Party Part II – Pictures and thoughts by UseppaGin – The smiles were genuine, the fellowship real at the Useppa Island Club Members Welcome Back Party. Summer was rough this year in Florida. For year-rounders to be able to gather outside with friends old and new was especially meaningful. We don’t take island life for granted. For seasonal residents just being back on Useppa was cause for celebration. Thank you to Useppa Island Club Management and Staff for a great evening.

Useppa Island Members Cocktail Party Part I – Pictures and thoughts by UseppaGin – It was the best Members Party in recent memory. The setting both across the new Collier Patio and inside the Inn was perfect. Gourmet stations with appetizers and dishes tempted and satisfied every palette. New and long-time Members mixed sharing family and Island stories. The Collier staff seemed to enjoy it as much as their guests. The evening ended with everyone smiling.

Veterans Day and More – Words and Pictures by UseppaGin – On Useppa we celebrate Veterans Day with the quiet raising of flags in honor and memory of the men and women who served and are serving now in our country’s military. Thank you to each of them and to their families. We enjoy our freedom because of you.

Halloween and More on Useppa – words and photos by UseppaGin – From the TV weatherman interviewing a visiting star at Halloween’s Happy Hour to the completion of the new pool and Collier patio, a rebuilt Bill’s Grille, Island family visits and reunions; life on Useppa has been busy. Costumed members and guests gathered on Friday night in the Tarpon Bar. Over the weekend the first dives celebrated a reopened pool, and lunches were served again on the patio. Boats from the Field Club from Sarasota docked at the Marina. People played croquet. Another Useppa season is underway.

New Friends, The Lady Chadwick, The Collier Inn, & the Barbara Sumwalt Museum – words and photos by UseppaGin – The Lady Chadwick was back in service after an eight-week boat yard project. The Barbara Sumwalt Museum was still undergoing a remodel, but open for this unique group. The Collier Inn hosted a special buffet luncheon. The Island pool and patio area were closed and blocked off for reconstruction. The logistics of getting from the Collier to the Museum confusing and circuitous. BUT…. The Sandollars of Naples were welcomed by all. Our visitors and their good humor made the day fun for everyone. It was like the first day of school – high levels of enthusiasm, and if something went wrong, everyone just grinned and readjusted. Golf carts and their drivers were requisitioned to avoid the added distance and stairs between the Collier Inn and the Museum. Men and women who needed extra help maneuvering smiled cheerfully and accepted a ride. Everyone was patient and in a good mood. After a long hot summer with few visitors, Red Tide, and reconstruction; the first guests of a new season were welcomed by all of us on Useppa. According to its website, Sandollars of Naples was formed to provide a social and informative setting in which lasting friendships can be built and nurtured. When the Sandollars re-boarded the Lady Chadwick to head back to Sanibel, we waved good-bye to each other. New friendships had begun begun.

Island Walkabout – Words and photos by UseppaGin – Blue skies above, blue waters below, birds everywhere, a long sandy beach waiting for children. Useppa is back to the Island we love. The pool and patio are still under reconstruction, but that means parties happen inside the Collier Inn or down at the Marina’s Tarpon Bar. Welcoming hugs on the dock, grandfathers and grandchildren in golf carts, sunrises savored with a cup of coffee, sunsets toasted with a cold drink. Island life continues.