David Ott a favorite with Walton snowbirds

If laughter is the best medicine, no wonder snowbirds are alive and well. After all, they have among their members the good-hearted Nancy Gehrke who dispenses laughter with the finely honed wit of a raconteur. She was on hand at the Walton County Snowbird general meeting Jan. 11 where, while bantering with the 650-snowbird attendees, she oversaw the distribution of 100 or more gift certificates donated by Emerald Coast businesses for golf, boat rides, dinners and other prizes, even haircuts. A snowbird favorite, David Seering entertained the crowd with the soft refrains of Frank Sinatra, Phantom of the Opera lyrics, and concluded with an Andrea Bocelli hit.

Snowbirds rarely take Emerald Coast treasures for granted. Among those treasures is one of the world’s ranking modern composers. He is four-time Pulitzer Prize in Music nominee David Ott who lists symphonies, children’s music and an opera among works performed and recorded by leading orchestras in the United States and Europe. Seven years ago, Marilyn Barnard, then president of the Walton County Snowbirds, urged the composer/pianist to share with the snowbirds his knowledge of the music masters and thus was born the David Ott music series.

Composer Ott, who spoke briefly at a January snowbird meeting where he said he particularly enjoys speaking to audiences of seasoned music lovers, plans to describe the life and times that shaped the music of the masters. The 2012 program, “How Composers Express Themselves and Their Times”, begins at 1 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 23 at Faith Assembly Church, 306 South Geronimo St. Attendees pay $5 per lecture or $25 for the six-lecture series.

Dancing snowbirds can use their membership card in the Walton County Snowbirds for a variety of free dance opportunities. Line dancing under the tutelage of Diane Likhite, Julie Flynn, Connie Sutherland and Sarah Vaillancourt follows senior aerobics led by Vivica Kiger and Carleen Newell on Mondays and Wednesdays at Faith Assembly Fellowship Hall. For details about line dancing call 837-5685, for aerobics e-mail newcheez@bledsoe.net. Ballroom dancing, per instructor Len Hoover, will feature the basic steps of the fox trot, rumba and cha cha along with dance floor etiquette at Faith Assembly, Mondays from 6:30-8:30 p.m.

Hundreds of snowbirds enjoy the congenial hospitality of the Embassy Suites on Old 98 where they gather throughout the snowbird season to play euchre, bridge, Mah Jongg and from time to time make use of their ample facilities for special events. Bill Grenier and Lynda Smith led the euchre players on a recent night with top scores of 97 and 87 respectively. Tom Broderick scored a second place 81 for the men while Linda Irvine secured a second place for the women with an 82.

If gambling is in your blood then sign up for the Good Time Bus Trip to the Hard Rock Casino in Biloxi, Miss., scheduled for Feb. 17. Cost is $13 and includes the bus and $15 free play.  Call Bob and Eunice Collins at 650-1546.

Bridge players Deanna Babcock and Mary Pat McLaughlin won first place honors on Jan. 11. Paul Smithers and Sandy Olson captured winning spots on Jan. 16.

Thursday golf teams led by Don Gehrke, Laurie Flaherty and Tom Gaston took top honors in that order during the first league outing of the season.

Tom Mahar writes for the Walton County Snowbirds and can be reached at tkmahar@aol.com.