The Virgin Mary and Joseph’s search for lodging on Christmas Eve in Bethlehem was re-enacted in Anna Maria on Sunday evening, with Roser Church members, residents, visitors and a menagerie of farm animals and pets during the annual Bethlehem Walk.
Families dressed as shepherds, angels and townsfolk journeyed down Pine Avenue into neighborhoods and past restaurants full of puzzled diners with a llama, a donkey and several goats, chickens and dogs in tow.
At each stop, Mary and Joseph asked for shelter and were told, “No vacancy,” but everyone sang carols in between destinations, and finally found shelter for the Holy Family at Roser Church, where a living nativity scene preceded a celebration with desserts and fellowship.
Owen Serra, left, and Asher Patel dressed as wise men in the Bethlehem Walk. – Cindy Lane | SunThe Holy Family was turned away at an ice cream shop in Anna Maria. – Cindy Lane | SunBecky Bixler, left, and Lesley Foulk donned angel-wear for the Bethlehem Walk. – Cindy Lane | SunRobin Kollar and Kujo the llama participated in the Bethlehem Walk. – Cindy Lane | SunEven a local real estate company was unable to provide lodging for Mary and Joseph on the Bethlehem Walk. – Cindy Lane | SunMary, Joseph and Jesus in the living nativity scene at Roser Church. – Cindy Lane | Sun
The Bethlehem Walk evening began with a beautiful sunset at Roser Church. - Cindy Lane | Sun
Roser Church Pastor Dirk Rodgers carried a goat for part of the Bethlehem Walk. - Cindy Lane | Sun
Owen Serra took a goat on the Bethlehem Walk. - Cindy Lane | Sun
Kujo the llama went on the Bethlehem journey. - Cindy Lane | Sun
Revvy the donkey journeyed with Mary and Joseph at the Bethlehem Walk. - Cindy Lane | Sun
Saylah Harding brought a chicken on the Bethlehem Walk. - Cindy Lane | Sun
ANNA MARIA – The Anna Maria Community Farmers Market made its season debut in a new location on Oct. 7.
The weekly market that operated last year at The Center of Anna Maria Island, and previously at nearby City Pier Park, has a new home on the grounds of the Roser Memorial Community Church, 512 Pine Ave.
Weather permitting, the relocated market will continue every Tuesday through April from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Nestled between the main church building and Lake La Vista, the market vendors set up their tents alongside parking lot travel lanes that now double as sturdy and spacious footpaths and nicely frame the new market setup.
Thirty-nine vendors were on hand for opening day, including many from last year’s market and many from previous years’ markets. Two produce vendors, Milagro’s Produce and TJ’s Produce, date back to the first year the city-hosted market began in 2018.
Milagro’s Produce is an original Anna Maria market vendor. – Joe Hendricks | Sun15-year-old cellist Kal Hyun Burgess-Hicks provided the live music. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
The vendors’ opening day offerings included fresh produce, all natural dog treats, local honey, fresh baked bread and biscuits, mushrooms and mushroom products, fresh guacamole, fish dip, seafood, organic juices, matcha drinks, jewelry, crystals and other mystical items, art, back massages and more, with 15-year-old cellist and visiting High Point, N.C. resident Kal Hyun Burgess-Hicks providing the live music.
Market moves
Hurricanes Helene and Milton displaced the city-hosted market in 2024 when the park was first used as a staging area for recovery crews and later as the temporary Anna Maria Post Office.
In January, DBTB Juice Bar & Bakery co-owner, and former city market vendor, Devinne “Dev” Whittaker proposed relocating and expanding the weekly market on The Center’s spacious athletic fields. Whittaker and her fiancé, former Chiles Group head baker Ted Louloudes, co-own the DBTB Juice Bar & Bakery that operates inside The Center.
DBTB Juice Bar & Bakery co-owner Devinne “Dev” Whittaker manages the market. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
During the market’s summer offseason, Whittaker spearheaded the move to the Roser Church property.
“We’re at Roser Church now every Tuesday through April because The Center spent some good money on their athletic fields this summer,” Whittaker said on opening day. “We coordinated with the church and they were happy to have us. They said we could do it every year here if we want. It’s a great day, no rain and lots of room. And we’re on Pine Avenue again, closer to where the market used to be.”
The DBTB market offerings included fresh juices and juice combinations, fresh baked sourdough bread, scones, cookies and other baked goods.
TJ’s Produce owner/operator Tillman Thomas is an original Anna Maria market vendor. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
TJ’s Produce owner/operator Tillman Thomas noted the market never opened in October before and will end in April instead of May to beat the summer heat. His offerings included tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, watermelon, lettuce, limes, lemons, oranges, cantaloupes, onions, potatoes and more.
Sea-renity Spa owner Amanda Escobio gave Pittsburgh resident Joe Pastor a massage. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Set up near Lake La Vista, Sea-renity Bou-Tiki & Beach Spa owner Amanda Escobio gave visiting Pittsburgh native Joe Pastor a soothing massage.
“This is a relaxing environment and we have more shade here,” she said of the market’s new home.
Mr. Fun Guy has become a staple at the Anna Maria market. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Returning vendors included but were not limited to Dynasty Guacamole, Hahn’s Handcrafted Lemonade, Mr. Fun Guy (mushrooms) and more.
Diannah Hughes sold all natural dog treats from her A Bark Above Dog Bakery tent. – Joe Hendricks | SunBob and Jeanne Lorendo do business as The Chubby Seacows. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Doing business as The Chubby Seacows (another name for manatees), vendors Bob and Jeanne Lorendo sold cabinet knobs, small art pieces and other items made with resin, sea glass and crushed shells. They also offered leather purses and fanny packs and more. Next to them, Diannah Hughes sold natural dog treats at her A Bark Above Dog Bakery tent.
Spare Kitchen owner Michael Calvino baked fresh biscuits on opening day. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
One of the market newcomers, Spare Kitchen owner Michael Calvino, began baking fresh, aromatic and multi-flavored buttermilk biscuits when he arrived at the market and he continued doing so as the day progressed. The biscuit flavors included traditional buttermilk, chocolate chip, rosemary and more. The Spare Kitchen also offered Calvino Family Sausage, made with a time-tested family recipe.
“We make everything we sell,” Calvino said.
Next to the Spare Kitchen tent was another group of market newcomers, Sol Sipsters, who sold matcha drinks and more.
Wycked Jewels owner Robin Hankinson brought her mystical properties to the market. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Several vendors said they were very pleased with the new location and they look forward to a successful season.
ANNA MARIA – The city has again amended its special event permitting requirements.
When doing so on Dec. 12, the mayor and city commission allowed two previously permitted events to proceed at a different location due to the ongoing hurricane recovery efforts.
The latest amendment to the special event permitting process requires event organizers to submit their proof of insurance and other required documents at least 30 days before the event is scheduled. If the event organizer fails to do so, the city has the right to cancel the event. The previous ordinance required those documents to be provided at least 48 hours in advance.
The newly-amended ordinance also makes permit fees non-refundable.
City Attorney Becky Vose said the new provisions will better protect the city and help ensure that event planners complete their permitting requirements in a timely manner.
In August, the commission amended the special event permitting process in a manner that now provides for significantly higher permit fees that range from $200 to $5,000. To be determined by the mayor, the permitting fee is to be based on the size of the event, the anticipated attendance and the city services needed before, during and after an event, including law enforcement, street closures and trash removal.
The commission agreed that the special event permit applications included in that day’s consent agenda would not be subject to the new requirements adopted that day.
EVENTS RELOCATED
Earlier this year, the commission approved two special event permits sought by Blue Ribbon Events owner Danielle Lynch. The commission approved Lynch’s request to host a multi-vendor art and craft show at City Pier Park on Friday, Dec. 27 and Saturday, Dec. 28 and her second annual “Feed the Peeps” art and craft show at City Pier Park on Feb. 7-8. Those events were approved with the $200 per event permit fee in place at that time.
During the Dec. 12 meeting, Deputy Clerk Fran Berrios told the commission Lynch had to relocate those previously approved events because the park is not currently available. The temporary post office is currently operating at the park.
Lynch will now host her previously-approved events on the grounds of the nearby Roser Memorial Community church. The commission agreed those two events could be relocated with no additional permit fees or requirements. Lynch said she pays the church a “nice fee” for the use of the property and both upcoming events will also serve as food drives for the Roser Food Pantry.
Blue Ribbon Events is hosting an art and craft fair at Roser Church this weekend. – Blue Ribbon Events | Submitted
Lynch also addressed the uncertainty created by the $200 to $5,000 permit fee schedule adopted earlier this year. She said the wide-ranging fee schedule now in effect creates uncertainty for event planners. She suggested, and the commission agreed, that the city should develop a more specific fee schedule that provides better clarity regarding special event permitting costs.
ANNA MARIA – The sun was shining on Feb. 9-10 along the canal at the rear of Roser Church for the Feed the Island Art and Craft Show, the latest in a series of art and craft shows presented by Michigan-based Blue Ribbon Events.
All Blue Ribbon’s shows this year not only feature juried exhibitors offering unique, hand-crafted arts and crafts for any budget, but also raise funds and supplies for Roser Church’s food bank to help those on the Island in need.
The Roser Food Pantry is the one place on Anna Maria Island where people experiencing food insecurity can come to receive free groceries. A dedicated corps of volunteers and staff members distribute over 100 bags of groceries each month. Blue Ribbon Events also donates money from each show to the food pantry and collects hundreds of pounds of nonperishable food from attendees. Raffle tickets and other on-site fundraising have been responsible for thousands of dollars going to the food bank this year alone.
The artists featured at this and all of Blue Ribbon’s events are chosen from both regional and out-of-area artists, but according to Blue Ribbon’s Danielle Lynch, who organizes the events, it’s what they have to offer and how it appeals to buyers on AMI that’s the key to being chosen to have a booth. Lynch said about 50% of the artists and vendors at this show are from the Gulf Coast area and the other half are from other states.
“We like to have a nice turnover where we don’t have the same artists at every show,” Lynch said. “That being said, we do have at least 30% that we deal with over and over again. We know what we’re getting; they’re very respectful to the other artists and just come here and treat this as a little mini gallery.”
Lynch also stressed that there are products for every taste and every budget. Prices range from under $25 to high-end art that sells for thousands. All are welcome, and everyone can leave with something they will cherish.
For information on upcoming art and craft shows on the Island presented by Blue Ribbon Events, or to download a vendor application, visit www.daniellsblueribbonevents.com.
ANNA MARIA – The season of art shows on Anna Maria Island continues with the upcoming Feed the Island Art and Craft Show on Friday, Feb. 9 and Saturday, Feb. 10 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. both days.
The show will be held along the water in back of Roser Church, 512 Pine Ave. Local and national artists will feature their work, including painters, woodworkers, jewelry makers, potters and more.
Event promoters at Blue Ribbon Events said this show is not just about finding the perfect Valentine’s Day gift, it’s a chance to help Roser Church stock its shelves for those with food insecurity on the Island. The food pantry at Roser Church is the one place on Anna Maria Island where people experiencing financial hardship can come to receive free groceries. A dedicated corps of volunteers and staff members distribute over 100 bags of groceries each month.
Everyone attending the show can help by bringing canned or nonperishable food items, donating cash at the church booth, or buying raffle tickets for a chance to win items donated by participating artists. Tickets are $1, 6 for $5 or 25 for $20, with all proceeds going to the food pantry.
The show is free with free parking. There will be a Nigerian food truck offering up regional dishes for purchase, and plenty of unique art and crafts in every price range. For more information, visit www.daniellsblueribbonevents.com.
ANNA MARIA – The newly formed Mom’s Café group provides moms of all ages a place to gather and share their motherhood experiences.
The inaugural Mom’s Café gathering took place on Jan. 24 in the Fellowship Hall at Roser Memorial Community Church, 512 Pine Ave.
Led by Liz Rodgers, the Mom’s Café group now plans to meet two Wednesdays a month from 9:30-11 a.m. The next meeting is scheduled on Feb. 14 and will feature a guest speaker sharing hints and advice on healthy habits for moms. Additional meetings are scheduled on Feb. 28, March 13 and 27, April 10 and 24 and May 8 and 22.
“The first meeting is about getting to know each other, find out what’s meaningful for them and make sure we tailor this to what the moms’ needs are,” Rodgers said as the attending moms arrived, mingled and enjoyed free coffee and refreshments.
“It’s for all moms,” Rodgers said, noting the mix of younger and older moms is an important component of Mom’s Café.
Liz Rodgers, standing, leads the Mom’s Café meetings. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Before the first meeting started, Jen Serra and Laura Seubert shared their thoughts on motherhood and the Mom’s Café meetings. Serra’s kids are 13, 11 and 8 years old. Seubert’s kids are 17, 14 and 9.
When asked about the challenges currently faced by parents and youngsters on Anna Maria Island, Seubert said, “Social media is huge.”
“Yes, social media,” Serra agreed.
Seubert said scheduling is another big challenge.
“Our kids are so involved and so active. When I got home from school, I went out and played until the streetlights came on. Nowadays, our kids are doing community service, athletics and more. Getting everybody in one place and having a sit-down meal is challenging,” she said.
Serra said there’s a viable network of Island families but connecting as a community can be challenging.
“On the Island, there’s not a lot of focus on moms with kids in school and younger. That demographic exists but isn’t always noticed with all the snowbirds and visitors,” she said.
When asked about the challenges posed by living in neighborhoods dominated primarily by vacation rental homes, Seubert said, “While this is a really busy Island for visitors, it’s a rural community for residents with very few families that can interact. For our kids to do sports, other than at The Center, they go off the Island. For Boy Scouts, they go off-Island. It’s like being in the boonies; you have to drive to where you want to go.”
Rodgers, who lives just off-Island, said, “In my neighborhood, there’s two moms that are new to the area. They have little kids and feel isolated and they don’t get out. This is a venue to help moms connect with each other and share their journey, their experiences and what they’ve learned about mothering.”
“I go to a moms’ workout group at CrossFit but it’s not really advertised. It’s all word of mouth,” Serra said. “There’s a bunch of families that go play kickball together, but if nobody knows you and you’re not on the email list you’re not going to get the invite. It’s as close to a pick-up game as we can get when you can’t just go next door.”
Serra said she went through a period where she invited 10-15 kids over every Wednesday night to swim and share a potluck dinner. She also hosts a craft night for her friends every three months.
“Just to get connected,” she said.
As for what attracted her to Mom’s Café, Seubert said, “Having a place where moms can come together.”
“To carve out some mom time and to connect the younger moms and the older mentor moms,” Serra said.
Sharing something she learned as a mom and wants to impart to others, Seubert said, “Our kids go to Saint Stephen’s. My oldest is a senior in high school and he’s applying to college. We’ve had to go back in our memories and come up with the things he’s done to put on his resume. So, I started Google documents on my phone for my 14-year-old and my 9-year-old. Every time they get an award or an honor or volunteer for something I add it to the list. I tell other moms to start doing that now.”
Chinda Sanger and her husband, Tom, recently joined Roser Church. They have a 5-year-old in kindergarten and an 8-year-old in third grade, both of whom attend Anna Maria Elementary. They also have a 4-year-old who attends the School for Constructive Play in Holmes Beach.
“Jen is the president of PTO at Anna Maria Elementary. I know most of the women from the school and I’m here to meet other moms,” Sanger said.
Accompanied by her 12-week-old son Axl – named after Gun’s N’ Roses singer Axl Rose – Christine Mullen was the newest mom in attendance.
“I hope to make connections with moms who are going through similar trials and to learn from the more seasoned moms and get advice from them. I’m scared every day. I just want to raise a good person who has a servant’s heart and I want him to be a good guy,” Mullen said.
Mom’s Café meetings are free, with free childcare provided. The meetings are open to all moms regardless of age or religious affiliation. For meeting dates and more information call 941-778-0414 or visit www.roserchurch.com/moms-cafe/#more-8062.
ANNA MARIA – Roser Memorial Community Church Communications Director Bev Hunsberger spent most of her first 21 years living in South Africa.
Hunsberger’s parents, Lewis and Virginia Wood, served as missionaries for 25 years.
On Jan. 17, Hunsberger shared memories, photos and the story of her parents’ missionary work while addressing the JOY (Just Older Youths) group of senior citizens that meets in the Fellowship Hall the first and third Wednesday of each month at 11:30 a.m.
Roser Church’s JOY group meets twice a month in the Fellowship Hall. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Sponsored by the South Baptist Church in Lansing, Michigan, Virginia and Lewis boarded a freighter in 1943 and headed for Durban, Africa. In 1955, their daughter, Bev, was born in Port Shepstone, South Africa.
Bev Hunsberger, center, grew up among the Zulu people of South Africa. – Bev Hunsberger | Submitted
During their time in South Africa, the Woods planted crops and taught at a large Bible college. While living in Johannesburg, they published and distributed a Christian magazine. Lewis was field director for the Africa Evangelical Fellowship’s south region – a position that required travel, which Lewis often did aboard a small airplane he piloted himself.
Lewis Wood made his rounds in a small airplane. – Bev Hunsberger | Submitted
Hunsberger read excerpts from her mother’s unpublished memoir, “From Fire to Oblivion.” One excerpt detailed the family’s time living in a mud and brick hut while supervising a small clinic. Another details daily life among the Zulu people.
Hunsberger talked about her parents learning to communicate in the Bantu language that entails clicking one’s tongue, a language her father soon mastered.
“The Zulu people thought my dad was amazing because he spoke like a Zulu,” she said.
The family also befriended a 13-year-old orphan named Gladys, for whom they provided housing, food, uniforms and a few shillings in exchange for assistance around the family’s home.
At one point during her presentation, Hunsberger affectionately held an all-purpose, cane-like, native wooden stick her father carried for many years.
FOND MEMORIES
When asked what she remembers about life in South Africa, Bev said, “That was my home. I just loved it. I went to school and my best friend carried monkeys around with her.
“As missionaries, we came back to America every five years. When I was five, 10 and 15, we came back to America for a year. Every five years you had to report back. They call it deputation. You go around to the churches that support you and report what you’re doing.”
Bev was asked if she experienced culture shock during her return trips to America.
“Yes, definitely. In South African schools, the boys and girls were separated. In America, it was so different. We looked at it as a year off. In South Africa, the schools were under a British system and we were way ahead academically.”
Bev Hunsberger and her parents witnessed many South African ceremonies. – Bev Hunsberger | Submitted
Hunsberger left South Africa when she was 21. She still holds dual citizenship but has only returned once since leaving.
“I’d be terrified to go back there now because it’s so dangerous,” she said.
This photo of Virginia and Lewis Wood was taken in New York in 1955. – Bev Hunsberger | Submitted
Her parents returned to Lansing in 1979 to help care for Virginia’s aging parents. Lewis continued working full-time at the South Baptist Church until 1996 and then worked part-time for another four years. In 2004, they moved to a retirement community in Grand Rapids. Lewis passed away on Jan. 22, 2022. Virginia passed away soon after, on March 6, the couple’s 72nd wedding anniversary.
MORE MEMORIES
Hunsberger’s presentation stirred many memories and a few days later she shared more memories of her South African travels.
“Even though we were dirt poor, dad would always pack up a tent and we’d go camping in the wild, hiking in the mountains with monkeys screeching at us from the trees, seeing zebra and springbok along the way. We camped in Kruger National Park, where we would hear the lions roaring around us, with guards and a fire to keep them from coming closer. We would drive around the park and see cheetahs, rhinos, hippos, crocodiles, giraffes, hyenas, monkeys, baboons and snakes. The scariest thing to me was the elephants that would cross the road in a herd, with the babies all around our car.
“We traveled through Zimbabwe to my favorite wonder of the world: Victoria Falls, with its thunderous roar of water and the magnificent rainforest. We saw the Zimbabwe ruins, the Baobab trees and huge ant hills. We went to the goldmine and the diamond mines. We went through Southwest Africa and saw the desert full of rose quartz that we could just pick up. We went to the whaling station in Walvis Bay where they would harvest whales and bring them in to make countless products from their blubber, including ice cream. It was a very exciting childhood. I always felt that we were rich and I always felt very blessed,” she said.
ANNA MARIA – One of the most anticipated events of the holiday season took to the city’s streets on Sunday evening as dozens of participants came out to Roser Memorial Community Church to take the annual Bethlehem Walk.
Encompassing one city block, the interactive event invites community members to dress up and follow Mary and Joseph as they search for a room at an inn where Mary might rest and give birth to the Christ child. After making several stops and enjoying singing Christmas carols, the group makes its way back to Roser, where the Christ child is born.
This year a crowd took the journey escorted by Manatee County Sheriff’s deputies for safety. Participants were accompanied by a whole host of live animals, from the donkey walking with Mary and Joseph to chickens, bunnies, a potbellied pig and even a miniature horse. Children and adults alike dressed up as shepherds, wise men and women, angels, farmers and more. All of the animals and costumes were provided by the church.
After the nativity scene on the steps of the Roser fellowship hall, it was time to return the animals and enjoy treats provided by the church’s staff and members, including cookies and lots of hot chocolate.
The Bethlehem Walk takes place annually the first Sunday in December.
Each stop along the Bethlehem Walk was accompanied by a prayer for the holiday season. - Kristin Swain | Sun
Rev. Dirk Rodgers, accompanied by a chicken, welcomes everyone to the 2023 Bethlehem Walk. - Kristin Swain | Sun
Mary and Joseph, accompanied by a donkey, arrive at the first stop on the Bethlehem Walk to ask if there is any room for them at the inn. - Kristin Swain | Sun
Jackson Glasscock and Xyza Jaworski ready to take the Bethlehem Walk as a shepherd and an angel. Live animals also were brought to the church for participants to cuddle during the event. Xyza chose a chicken. - Kristin Swain | Sun
This group of Bethlehem Walk attendees dressed the part for the annual recreation of the birth of the Christ child. - Kristin Swain | Sun
Dozens of people took to the streets of Anna Maria, escorted by Manatee County Sheriff’s Office deputies, Dec. 3 for Roser Church’s annual Bethlehem Walk. - Kristin Swain | Sun
One couple brought their own animals to this year’s Bethlehem Walk, a rubber chicken and a stuffed horse. - Kristin Swain | Sun
ANNA MARIA – It was St. Patrick’s Day on the Island, but the shirts, hats and beads weren’t the only thing green that was drawing attention. March 17 was also the annual Anna Maria Island Garden Club’s Flower Show at Roser Church.
With more than 100 members and 72 years on the Island, the AMI Garden Club remains active and strives to share the joy of growing plants, as well as turning them into works of art, with anyone interested in learning and participating.
Categories at this year’s Anna Maria Island Garden Club’s Flower Show included one that had to be arranged in boots. – Jason Schaffer | Sun
“The Garden Club is here to help the three cities here on the Island with beautification and education and trying to bring people together to learn about flowers and how they can use them,” garden club member Ginger Huhn said. “We have a plant sale every year, and of course this event as well as others. We stay very active and busy.”
Other than the hot, stormy months of June, July and August, when they take a break, the non-profit organization is meeting, fundraising and working with the community the other nine months out of the year.
“We have monthly meetings and we try to hit a lot of different topics in those meetings,” Huhn said. “We’ll have a plant talk, so people can learn about growing and raising certain types of plants, and other similar subjects.”
The flower show has different categories every year. For 2023 some of the categories included plants arranged in boots, hats, and more. The categories are changed for each year’s show to keep it “fresh.” All arrangements in the show are made by club members but judged by the public.
The Anna Maria Island Garden Club’s Flower Show on March 17 featured the best arrangements from club members that were judged by the public by placing a ticket in a bowl corresponding to their favorite arrangements. – Jason Schaffer | Sun
When the show started, people threw pennies in a bowl next to their favorite arrangements for judging. Club members later realized there had to be a better way than counting thousands of pennies. They then moved to a format where judges would decide, but that didn’t get the best results either, since there was a lot of pressure on the judges. Recently, they began giving every visitor a certain number of tickets. With the ticket judging, the judges remain anonymous, and the endless supply of pennies problem was solved.
Anyone in attendance didn’t have to leave empty-handed, as many of the arrangements were offered in a silent auction. The highest bidder could take home their favorite and enjoy it. Proceeds from the auction help fund Garden Club activities throughout the year.
ANNA MARIA – There are plenty of inns on Anna Maria Island, but the “No Vacancy” signs were out for Mary and Joseph as they walked with their animals and several angels searching for shelter in Anna Maria on Sunday.
The annual Bethlehem Walk, held by Roser Church, portrayed the struggle faced by Jesus’ parents as they desperately searched for and were continuously denied shelter as they walked the streets of Bethlehem.
Mary and Joseph (Sophie Bernet and Noah Goodkind) are denied a room at the first inn they stop at during Roser Church’s Bethlehem Walk. – Jason Schaffer | Sun
A large crowd followed them as they went from inn to inn until they were eventually offered lodging in a local stable.
“This is an annual event that we’ve been doing for many years to keep Christ at the center of Christmas,” Roser Pastor Dirk Rodgers said. “We just wander the streets of Anna Maria and reenact the story of Mary and Joseph looking for a place to stay. We wind up back here at the church, which is the manger in our story, then announce the birth of Jesus and then celebrate Christmas here with a little fellowship at the end.”
Mary and Joseph (Sophie Bernet and Noah Goodkind) begin their journey to find a room at an inn with their animals as Roser Church in Anna Maria began their annual Bethlehem Walk on Sunday. – Jason Schaffer | Sun
Unlike a Christmas play or pageant, this event is open to anyone who wants to walk the route. The church even pro- vides costumes for those that want to dress the part but don’t have a costume. Many enjoyed walking the route with Mary and Joseph (Sophie Bernet and Noah Goodkind), their cow and donkey and plenty of angels, who also carried animals including chickens and goats.
The animals for the Bethlehem Walk were provided by Addie’s Pony Parties, and were central to the event. There were plenty of children who were happy to carry an animal, and everyone in attendance had to get at least one petting session with the beautiful and docile creatures that seemed to be very comfortable with their roles in the story.
Rodgers said that Roser is unique in the fact that they are non-denominational, and welcome everyone for not only this event, but every service held at the church. He said because the church is aware that many tourists come to the Island and want to go to a church, they are welcoming of anyone from any denomination whether local or from thousands of miles away.
Participants in Roser Church’s annual Bethlehem Walk stop to sing a traditional Christmas carol for diners at The Waterfront Restaurant in Anna Maria. – Jason Schaffer | Sun
“I just want everyone to know that in these troubled times, Christmas is a message of hope that God is with us through these things,” Rodgers said. “He sent His son to encourage us and help us find hope in these times.”
ANNA MARIA – Showing off their head-to-toe outfits from the Roser Guild Thrift Shop, models displayed just a few of the possibilities for having a stellar fashion closet without designer prices during the annual style show and Guild luncheon.
The sold-out event began with a homemade luncheon provided by some of the ladies of Roser Memorial Community Church. The menu included a French-style roasted garlic chicken sandwich with a lemon pasta salad, arugula wrapped in prosciutto and mini raspberry tuxedo cheesecakes with chocolate ganache. As diners enjoyed their food and listened to the musical stylings of Brandon Kouri on the piano, models took the runway to show off styles selected from the offerings at the Roser Guild Thrift Shop.
All of the outfits, from hats and earrings to clothing and shoes, were chosen by each of the models with each model having first dibs on any of the items from the thrift store they wished to take home.
Some of the items displayed during the fashion show included a Coach handbag, Calvin Klein dress and other designer offerings available for purchase at bargain prices, along with jewelry and other items.
Once the show concluded, attendees were treated to an exclusive opportunity to purchase garments from the fashion show before traveling across Pine Avenue to peruse the thrift shop.
All proceeds from the style show and the thrift shop go to help fund the Roser Guild’s scholarships, programs and other community outreach missions.
Diners look on and applaud as models take a turn down the runway to show off their selections from the Roser Guild Thrift Shop. - Kristin Swain | Sun
Kurt Huhn takes a stroll down the runway in a dapper golfing outfit. - Kristin Swain | Sun
The lovely Lillian Chen twirls to show off the movement of her full skirt during the style show. - Kristin Swain | Sun
Host Ginger Huhn strikes a pose with Roser church members who served as models for the Roser Guild’s annual Style Show. - Kristin Swain | Sun
Rev. Dirk Rodgers made his style show debut in an outfit perfect for Anna Maria Island life. - Kristin Swain | Sun
It wasn’t just modern styles that made it down the runway. One fabulous fashion evoked the 1920s flapper style. - Kristin Swain | Sun
Roser Robics instructor Ann Bodger shows off one of her outfit selections chosen from the offerings at the Roser Guild Thrift Shop. - Kristin Swain | Sun
ANNA MARIA – If you’ve ever stepped into the Roser Guild Thrift Shop or attended one of the church’s events, you’ve likely seen Peggy Nash hard at work volunteering, taking photos or helping someone else out with whatever they need.
If you’re lucky, you’ve had one of her famous orange cookies.
Peggy Nash enjoys an after-Christmas visit with some of her family members at her home in Anna Maria. – Submitted | Peggy Nash
Known affectionately as Mrs. Peggy, Nash has been a force for good in the Anna Maria community for more than 40 years. After moving to Anna Maria in June of 1977 with her husband, Bob, Nash said she joined Roser Memorial Community Church the first Sunday after they arrived.
In speaking with The Sun on Dec. 30, Nash recalled the move to Anna Maria fondly, noting that her son, Clark, encouraged the couple to relocate to the Island community and that her husband bought their first home before she’d even seen it. They relocated to another home in Anna Maria to accommodate the tower needed for Bob’s tarpon fishing in 1982 and Nash has lived there ever since.
“I feel very blessed,” Nash said. “It’s a nice community.”
Though the community has changed over the years, Nash said she embraces the change, including the visitors who frequent the homes on either side of hers.
Roser Church Trustee Alan Ward and Guild members Margaret Atwood and Peggy Nash join together to ceremonially open the door to the Roser Guild Thrift Shop, officially reopening the store to the public during a grand reopening ceremony Nov. 9, 2021. – Kristin Swain | Sun
“To me, it’s the best place in the world to live,” she said.
The location close to the church, Nash said, has been a blessing because it allows her to spend her days doing what she loves – volunteering to help better the church and community.
As one of the founders of the Roser Guild Thrift Shop, Nash can frequently be spotted checking in new merchandise, straightening shelves and helping customers. In addition to her volunteer work at the thrift shop, Nash is an active member of the women’s guild, the Roser missions committee, which distributes funds to local nonprofits, the Naomi Circle, All Island Denominations, Church Women United and the church’s Grief Share ministry. She’s also a Stephen Minister and volunteers with the Roser-Robics senior workout group. When she has a free moment, Nash can be found taking photographs at church and local events, writing press releases to accompany those photographs to local media outlets or baking batches of her orange cookies to give out at events.
In celebration of her 90th birthday, Nash made dozens of orange cookies and packaged them individually to be given out to everyone in attendance that Sunday at Roser.
The urge to volunteer and give back to the community is something Nash learned from her grandmother and mother and something she’s passed on to her four sons and their families, who she said help out their communities in any way they can.
Speaking about Nash, Roser financial administrator Matt Meehan said her strength, especially in how she approaches life changes, is an inspiration to many.
Charles Wade stops by the Thrift Shop to give Peggy Nash a hug Dec. 30. – Kristin Swain | Sun
“I’ve learned a lot from her,” Charles Wade, facilities administrator at Roser, said of Nash. “She’s very, very, very active. We appreciate her and everything that she does.”
“She’s so involved in almost any event, any church event that’s going on. If you go there, you’ll see Peggy there. She’s always around and very engaged. She has a really, really amazing energy,” Brandon Kouri said. Kouri is the assistant director of music ministries at Roser. “She just seems like she’s doing so much all the time. She always has her camera; she’s always snapping wonderful pictures all the time.”
“When I came here in November of 2020, she was one of the first people to greet me. She was sending me emails before I even got here saying ‘we can’t wait for you to be here.’ Every week she’s checking in with me to make sure I’m okay,” Roser pastor Rev. Dirk Rodgers said, commending Nash for her involvement in the church.
“If I described her in one phrase, she’s a constant encouragement. I hope I have that energy in five years, let alone when I get to be her age. I wish I had that energy now,” he said. “She’s definitely an encouragement and example to all of us.”
“She does a lot to bring the community to Roser and Roser to the community,” office administrator Nikkiah Jaworski said. “She just does a ton, as much as she can possibly do, she’ll do and then some. She’ll go the extra mile and never complains.”
“She’s just really, really an amazing lady,” Craig Ramberger, director of music ministries at Roser, said of Nash, adding that he’s nicknamed her the Energizer Bunny because she “just never seems to stop.”
Though she doesn’t see herself stepping away from her volunteer work in the community that she loves, Nash said she hopes to slow down a little bit in the coming year to allow other people to step up and get involved. Wherever people feel led to volunteer, if it’s in a local church, with a theater group, with animals, at a community center or any other organization, she said she hopes they will embrace the challenge and work to make a positive difference in their communities.
“Groups, churches, they always need volunteers,” Nash said. “I hope more people will step up and get involved.”
ANNA MARIA – The holiday season is upon us, and while it’s the most wonderful time of the year for many, some people are struggling with hunger. That’s where the Roser Food Pantry comes in, but it needs the community’s help to meet the need.
Supported by All Island Denominations (AID), the food pantry is in need of financial support, along with donations of unopened, non-perishable food items.
Community assistance programs at the food pantry include providing bags of groceries to Anna Maria Island residents and families along with those of workers who commute to the Island, giving out Publix gift cards for those in need to purchase groceries and a blessing box on the outside of the food pantry that has items available for anyone in the community who needs them to pick up.
The food pantry is almost completely funded through donations and with the COVID-19 pandemic there are more people than ever struggling to make ends meet. Without additional donations, the benefits available to the community through the food pantry will be curtailed.
“My heart is overwhelmed with gratitude for the love, support and kind gesture this program provides,” one food pantry beneficiary said. “I want to thank you for the Publix gift card. It truly is a blessing to be provided with food. I am so humbled by your thoughtfulness and gift.”
“It has helped out so much having the monthly gift cards from your church to help out with groceries,” another recipient said. “My mom, who I live with and look after, is sick and won’t be getting any better so she can no longer work. We scrape by each month with the bills but we rarely have much left over for food or anything else. I sure hope the funding improves and you can continue. If not, we still appreciate all of these months you did help us.”
Food donations can be dropped off Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Roser Church, 512 Pine Ave. in Anna Maria.
Financial donations can be given online by credit card or mailed to Roser Church, P. O. Box 247, Anna Maria, FL 34216.
ANNA MARIA – After months of renovations, the doors of the Roser Guild Thrift Store are open to the public and quite a lot has changed on the inside.
Members of the Guild and some of the volunteers who worked on the building renovations met Nov. 9 for a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the store followed by a tour of the newly refurbished interior.
Rev. Dirk Rogers gave a blessing of the store before Guild members and thrift store volunteers Peggy Nash and Margaret Atwood joined hands to cut the ribbon. They were then joined by church Trustee Alan Ward to unlock the door, officially reopening the shop for the first time in more than a year.
The store, 511 Pine Ave., is open on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Staffed by volunteers, the proceeds generated by the store help the Roser Guild provide scholarships, community programs and support to Roser Church and other local organizations.
ANNA MARIA ISLAND – Priscilla Seewald may be gone but she’s left behind the positive impact she made on not only her community but also the people in it.
Seewald passed away on July 22 and was honored with a memorial service Aug. 8 at Roser Memorial Community Church where she was a long-time member. Due to COVID-19 precautions, the service was limited to 50 people with priority given to Seewald’s family, however, they did give permission to the church to live stream the service on the Roser YouTube channel for all of her friends and family who couldn’t be present.
A Holmes Beach resident for many years, Seewald leaves behind her husband, Bruce, daughter, Lisa Turner, and son-in-law, Wayne Turner, along with two grandchildren, Rutger and Angelica Hope Turner, as well as a sister, Judith Stermer and her family. Seewald also leaves behind a legacy of many years of service on Anna Maria Island.
Many Island residents will know Seewald from her volunteerism. She could be found helping stamp booklets at the entrance of homes on The Center of Anna Maria Island’s Tour of Homes, ringing bells during the holidays to help raise money for the Salvation Army and serving as a volunteer at Anna Maria Elementary School.
Seewald also was a former president for and award-winning lifetime member of the Anna Maria Island Garden Club. When not volunteering elsewhere, her friend Beth Bernet recalled Seewald delivering flowers to friends, neighbors, church members who were homebound and others that were on her mind.
Bernet said she recently received a message from Seewald offering to deliver flowers to her, not because of an illness but because she said she wanted to give them to someone that wouldn’t ordinarily receive flowers.
At Roser, Seewald was an active member, deacon, mission committee member, music committee member, Sunday school teacher, Roser Women’s Guild member, food pantry volunteer, thrift shop volunteer and a favorite teacher of the children at Roser’s annual Vacation Bible School.
“I got to take pictures at Vacation Bible School as co-director. I got to run around to all the stations, and I loved going to Priscilla’s station because you could hear a pin drop,” Bernet said in a July 26 tribute to Seewald during Roser’s church service. “She commanded attention as she taught those children those Bible stories. And she also always got to be the one to give out M&Ms to the children, so it was a favorite station and not only because of Priscilla. All of those little hands stretched out waiting for those M&Ms, it was just, I’ll always think of Priscilla when I eat M&Ms.”
Seewald also worked with All Island Denominations and the Roser Food Pantry to ensure that the less fortunate children attending Anna Maria Elementary School would have enough food over summer break.
“Priscilla is an example of how we want to be a saint,” Bernet said.
“Priscilla Seewald was a very special Christian friend to many of us who are a part of Roser Church and the Guild,” friend Peggy Nash said. “We will always remember her friendly smile, laugh and willingness to help many of us. She was fun to be with. Priscilla was always happy to help and will be greatly missed by many of us.”
“Heaven gained a great new angel and we lost a great lady,” Peggy Anthony said of Seewald.
In addition to remembrances by her friends, Nancian Hall wrote several poems dedicated to Seewald, all of which can be viewed online. In lieu of flowers, Seewald’s family asks that memorial donations be made in her honor to the Roser Food Pantry.
