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July 2025 Volume 20, Issue 7

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CELEBRATING 23 YE ARS OF PUBLISHING POSITIVE COMMUNITY NEWS

JOY STAFFORD CHRONICLES BRANDON’S PAST WITH NEW HISTORIC VIDEO PROJECT

By Libby Hopkins

By Libby Hopkins ‘Service Above Self’ around the world is something that Liz have caused 2.5 bilBrewer takes very selion children to be imriously. She is the CEO munized against poof the Angel Foundalio,” Brewer said. “We tion FL, has been a also work very hard member of the Branfor our local charities don Rotary Club since as well.” 2018 and has served Brewer doesn’t as the club adminwant to make any istrator for the past changes to the club three years. She had because it runs very also been the club’s smoothly. president-elect for the “I want to continpast year before beue to inspire our club coming its president member to keep doon June 26. Liz Brewer became the president of the ing the amazing work “Our Rotary club Brandon Rotary Club on June 26. She has they have been doing was formed in 1961 been a member of the club since 2018 and all these years,” Brewand only one other has served as the club administrator for er said. “I do want to time has there been the past three years. She had also been the get more engagement president-elect for the past year. a woman president,” within the club and Brewer said. “I will be the educate them on better ways second woman president in to serve as Rotarians.” the club’s long history. I’m If you ask Brewer what her honored that I have been favorite part of being a Rotachosen. The previous six past ry club member is, she will tell presidents make the recomyou it’s her fellow club memmendation for the new presbers. ident. To be nominated for this position “For me, it’s the fact I get to see these means a lot to me.” great people who truly have a servant’s Rotary is where neighbors, friends and heart every week,” Brewer said. “Once a problem-solvers share ideas, join leaders week, we get together and have lunch, in and take action to create lasting change. addition to hearing inspiring speakers. I Locally, Brandon Rotary is part of Rotary walk out of our meeting each week feelDistrict 6890. Globally, the club is part ing inspired … to keep doing good in our of a network of 1.2 million members and community.” more than 35,000 clubs around the world. If you would like to learn more about “We take action locally and globally,” the Brandon Rotary Club, you can visit Brewer said. “Each day, our members its website page at www.brandonrotapour their passion, integrity and intel- ry.org. The club meets every Tuesday at ligence into completing projects that 12 Noon at the Rivard-Simmons Rotary have a lasting impact.” Event Center, located at 3007 S. Kings Rotary clubs produce 16 million volun- Ave. in Brandon. teer hours each year. No challenge is too big for the club. For more than 110 years, rotaries have WONDER WOMAN BREAKFAST..........PG 3 bridged cultures and connected contiANGEL FOUNDATION FL,................ PG 8 nents to champion peace, fight illiteracy and poverty, promote clean water and MIELKE FOUNDATION......... ...........PG 18 sanitation, and fight disease. DRUG PREVENTION,............. ...........PG 18 “Since we began our polio eradication EYE ON BUSINESS.................PGS 30-31 efforts in 1987, Rotary clubs like ours

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Joy Stafaway. I got ford of our students Brandon has involved been a lover with this of local hisproject so tory all her they could life. “I’m 85 write it and years old make a video and I began of the conto become versations.” interested The adin history Brandon has a very rich history, and Joy Stafford, a local Brandon v a n c e d when my placement resident, loves sharing her knowledge of local history. mother and students acstepfather moved cepted Stafford’s to Virgina,” Stafchallenge to creford said. “The ate this video. state is full of “The students’ parks, museums, condensed verreenactments and sions of the interlibraries. Upon views were put graduating with into the history of honors from high Brandon School,” school, I had choStafford said. sen library science Over the years, as my major in Stafford has college.” self-published Stafford graduated from the Univer- books on local history that have made sity of Kentucky and met her husband, it all the way to the national library in Doug, in 1961 and earned her master’s Washington, D.C. This past May, Stafford degree that same year. showed some of the historic videos she “Doug and I married in September of has made to the local historic preserva1962, and I became a full-time wife and tion society, Preserve Brandon. mother to our three children until our “I was so excited when the Preserve church, First Methodist Church of Bran- Brandon committee asked me to plan and don, began a preschool. I was a part-time deliver a program about the history of teacher at the church for eight years.” Brandon School,” Stafford said. “I immeFast-forward to 1989, when Stafford diately called my friend and original chairwas working as a media specialist at Mc- person in charge of the 1989 committee. Lane Junior High School. The school cele- Jackie Williams was excited and as willing brated its 75th anniversary, and Stafford as I was to do the presentation.” was on the committee to create a small The video was a hit with the guests at book detailing the school’s history. the Preserve Brandon event. “Copies of the book were made for and “Jackie and I created a new, longer presented to all of the past and present edition of the history video,” Stafford principals of the school,” Stafford said. “I said. “I intend to have this copy of the wanted to make recordings of interviews video be made to keep in the new Branwith some of the elders of our commu- don Library in their Brandon History Colnity because they were quickly passing lection.”

LIZ BREWER BECOMES SECOND WOMAN PRESIDENT IN BRANDON ROTARY CLUB’S 64-YEAR HISTORY

Expires: August 30, 2025