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Celebrating its 31st year of tradition, Sunset Hills Elementary School will host the annual lambatha event.
"Because of Tarpon Springs' large Greek community, the Greek word "lambatha" was substituted for "luminary" when the tradition began more than 30 years ago.
The event was established after a group of Sunset Hills students developed a project to raise money for the Pinellas County Schools Economics Fair. As a form of advertisement, the group sold bags to local businesses and proposed their plan to light up the bayou.
Once the idea was approved by the school principal, mayor, city manager and fire department, the project was set in motion.
On Christmas Eve in 1986, the bags were placed along Spring Bayou and the candles were lit at dusk. The city experienced its first lambatha display.
City officials were so impressed with the outcome, it became an annual event and even made its way onto the city calendar."
patch.com/florida/tarponsprings/sunset-hills-to-light-up-...
Map shows platting of downtown properties in 1884, before Tarpon Springs was incorporated and before the 1887 arrival of the Orange Belt Railway. The tracks would cross Tarpon Avenue and head south down Safford Avenue. Courtesy West Pasco Historical Society
Celebrating its 31st year of tradition, Sunset Hills Elementary School will host the annual lambatha event.
"Because of Tarpon Springs' large Greek community, the Greek word "lambatha" was substituted for "luminary" when the tradition began more than 30 years ago.
The event was established after a group of Sunset Hills students developed a project to raise money for the Pinellas County Schools Economics Fair. As a form of advertisement, the group sold bags to local businesses and proposed their plan to light up the bayou.
Once the idea was approved by the school principal, mayor, city manager and fire department, the project was set in motion.
On Christmas Eve in 1986, the bags were placed along Spring Bayou and the candles were lit at dusk. The city experienced its first lambatha display.
City officials were so impressed with the outcome, it became an annual event and even made its way onto the city calendar."
patch.com/florida/tarponsprings/sunset-hills-to-light-up-...
The Gopher Tortoise shown here has been using this borrow for many years. Taken from a distance of 20 yards, so no disturbance.
In 1945, the Victor Chemical Works of Chicago announced it was going to construct a new factory in Tarpon Springs that would manufacture yellow phosphorus and related chemicals from phosphate ore mined in Florida. Both the AC and SAL railroads were chartered to access the plant, with a common rail spur making the final connection to the facility. The plant began installing heavy machinery in September of 1947, some of which was presumably hauled in by rail, and full production began in the Spring of 1948. This photo is said to show the installation of rail spur tracks inside the sandy grounds of the chemical plant in May of 1946. St. Petersburg Times photo
Greeks from as far as Daytona Beach drive to Acropolis Meats and the other local markets to buy specialty products. Due to the large Greek population in Tarpon Springs, the merchants are able to import bulk quantities of goods at a better price than may be found elsewhere in Florida. During my stay, the innkeeper shared that her guests sometimes arrive with coolers to fill with local goods.