Local News
Organizers: Centennial events an overall success
JOE SEELIG
Published: October 24, 2012
SEBRING - The centennial celebration has about wrapped up for Sebring but the centennial committee will hold one more meeting – so anything is possible.Published: October 24, 2012
"We're going to get together and go over everything," said City Clerk Kathy Haley on Tuesday. "We don't have a date set yet."
There may be one more thing yet to come.
"A couple of us have an idea on closing it out," she said, but they have not discussed it as a committee.
More will be revealed.
The centennial events kicked off with a Jan. 6 parade with a number of current and former city council members and mayors in attendance.
It was a short jaunt from City Hall up to the Circle, where participants enjoyed a mixture live music and pep talks from Mayor George Hensley and Allen Altvater III, centennial committee president, who got the crowd psyched up for the evening and for what was to come in October.
Haley said they are pleased with the turnout and participation for all of the events.
"We could have had more when you have a city of 10,000 people," she said. "But there were no incidents at any of the events during our focal week."
They were happy for the turnout for the parade on Monday – considering it was a Monday and many people had kids in sports and adults either got out of work or had to work the next day.
"We couldn't have had the parade Friday because it was homecoming," she said. They were pleased that the Sebring High School Marching Band was able to participate.
Haley also said they would have been happy to get 20 groups participating, so when they got 50, it was impressive.
Even though the Community Church Service at City Pier was moved indoors they had a good turnout.
"We had about 200 people at the Civic Center for our church services," she said.
That was with 200 chairs filled and standing room only, Altvater III said.
"All the food was either purchased or given away," he said.
Friday's luau event also attracted more about 300 people; although it was difficult to tell with people coming and going all evening.
"The luau went very nice," Haley said.
A young lady named Lynn Barber won the evening's hula contest, Haley said.
They also held a "best dressed for a luau" contest which was won by Bob Hummel and Jamie Hershkowitz.
"Jamie is in her last year at South Florida State College studying dental hygiene," said her mom, Dawn Dell, of Heartland Real Estate's Dell Realty Team.
Haley was also pleased with the turnout for the burial of the time capsule and the Mayor's Street Dance.
"We had young kids out there wanting to square dance and the parents out there," she said.
Back Porch Revival provided the live entertainment.
About 300 people attended the Historical Society Luncheon and the Maj. Thomas B. McGuire Highway dedication event at the airport also attracted a nice crowd, Altvater III said Tuesday.
Saturday the Lakeshore Mall, as a centennial gold sponsor, provided the Long Shot band and lots of entertainment for anyone within earshot.
He said after the time capsule was buried on the Circle he felt almost a sense of mourning that the events of the week were winding down, although the week wore him out.
"I felt as if I should go by the next day and put some flowers on it," he quipped. "It was a great week and we accomplished what we set out to do."
He's been telling his son Andrew, who is now 25, that he'd better start thinking about his participation in 125 year celebration and the 150 year.
"I've got a picture of me as a child at the Sebring 50th," he said.
One of the last events for the centennial year will be the First United Methodist Church, which will celebrate 100 years of existence in December.
jseelig@highlandstoday.com (863) 386-5834