A Resolution By The Board Of County Commissioners Of Pasco County, Florida, Honoring Lieutenant Colonel Kenneth Sawyer On His 100th Birthday

30:41Okay, we are on to R S one. Commissioner Oakley. Okay,

30:45so we are going to honor Lieutenant Colonel Sawyer. So if he can come to the podium and his family can join him.

30:56Okay, so this is resolution number 25-258, a resolution by the Board of County Commissioners of Pasco County, Florida, honoring Lieutenant Colonel Kenneth Sawyer on his hundredth birthday. Whereas Lieutenant Colonel

31:19Okay, so whereas Lieutenant Colonel Kenneth Sawyer was born on June 6th, 1925, in Haber Hill, Massachusetts, and celebrated his hundredth birthday on June 6th, 2025. And whereas Lieutenant Colonel Kenneth Sawyer honorably served the United States as a member of the Army for 35 years, enlisting on June 3, 1943, and being stationed at various locations, including Fort McKellen, Camp Shelby, Cambridge,

31:50Massachusetts. Red Bank and Fair Haven, New Jersey, Tucson, Arizona, South Korea, Shofield Barracks in Hawaii, and Reston, Virginia. And whereas he married Alma Sawyer on June 10th, 1951. June's a good month for you. Anyways. And together they raised their daughter uh Kendi Sawyer and now have two grandchildren and three great grandchildren. And whereas

32:20after retiring from the military in nineteen seventy-nine, Lieutenant Colonel Sawyer continued his dedication to education by teaching calculus at the Florida Institute of Technology for four years. and as well as contributing to the community by founding the West of U Galley Association O Galley, and whereas Lieutenant Colonel Kenneth Sawyer further demonstrated his commitment to service by volunteering at the fire department,

32:51logging fifteen hours per week and assisting at the Sharing Center in Melbourne, Florida. Yeah. and whereas Lieutenant Colonel Kenneth Sawyer served as the commander of VFW Post 3991 for over ten years, helping provide food pantry bags to those in need. and whereas Lieutenant Colonel Kenneth Sawyer became an active and valued member of the Dade City Senior Center on september eleventh, twenty nineteen, enjoying

33:22meaningful activities and the companionship of a supportive community. And whereas the pa the Board of County Commissioners of Pasco County recognize this momentous achievement of one of Pasco County's citizens and wishes for Kenneth's continued good health and happiness in the years to come. Now, therefore, be it resolved by the Board of County Commissioners of Pasco County, Florida, that said board hereby honors Lieutenant Colonel Kennet

33:52Sawyer on his hundredth birthday and commends his lifelong dedication to his country, community, and family, and expresses profound gratitude for his service and contribution. Done and resolved in regular session with a quorum present in voting this 17th day of June 2025.

34:15Second. All in favor? Aye. Wow.

34:19Lieutenant Colonel

34:20Sawyer?

34:22We're uh happy you're here with us today and uh if we could we could sing happy birthday I guess to him.

34:29Let's go.

34:29Let's go set the birthday.

34:35Happy birthday

34:37to you. Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday to Kenny.

34:46Happy birthday to you.

35:03Okay.

35:06Right.

35:07Colonel Sawyer, uh I'm glad you're here today because uh that makes me not the oldest man in the room.

35:16You happen to be uh

35:18here because he's not the oldest man in the room.

35:24So you're actually twenty years and two months older than me. I'll in July I'll turn eighty, so But yes, I I need to start doing and taking the things you have over a lifetime that allowed you to reach a hundred years old. So We're very grateful that you're here today.

35:42He said he's very grateful that you're here today and he wants to take on some of the things you've done to get to one hundred as well.

35:55Uh

35:58You want to speak?

35:58Yep, Commissioner Weightman. Thank

36:00you.

36:01Well, sir. It's it's an honor to to share birthday month with you. And uh June is a great month. Um I was an eighty six kid, so you've got me beat by a few more a few more decades, but a hundred year milestone to you and and your family. Um just amazing the things that you've you've seen and experienced in your life and watching this country evolve to where we are today. Um just can only imagine the story. and the memories that you have. So we're

36:31very glad that that you're here with us in the board meeting today. I hope you have a great birthday month and a wonderful summer.

36:40Commissioner Yeager.

36:41Hi. Well, first of all I wanna let him know that milk was twenty seven cents a gallon when he was born. Um, but to the family. Um I had a gr a great grandfather that lived to be a hundred and four and I know what a cherished gift that is. And I will never forget just asking my grandpa about things when he was younger. And you know, just you never get that knowledge and and those stories back. So So cherish every moment and happy birthday, and

37:11thank you for your service to our country, and God bless you. Commissioner Mariano.

37:18Is he hearing this? Or do you need to you go ahead tell them?

37:21She she said that her grandfather great grandfather lived to one oh four. Yeah.

37:30You

37:30got goals.

37:31Her great grandfather lived to one oh four.

37:40It was one hundred and two months ago we said one oh two. It's awesome. Yeah.

37:46Yeah.

37:48Okay, Commissioner Mariano.

37:50And uh Lieutenant Colonel, congratulations having such a great life, great family behind your and and a real tribute to your service, even after your service with the military, staying involved. Congratulations, and I think you can do it one hundred five.

38:04Yeah.

38:13to our country and afterwards as well.

38:18And and lastly, I I would uh also say congratulations for a wonderful life, happy birthday, thank you for your service, and thank you again for your continued service. So um how do we we wanna do this? I don't think I should go down. I got the remnants of a cold.

38:40down to give you a does wait, does anyone else want to speak? But the family?

38:44Oh yeah, I I can I'm always asked like what's the trick? And like what's the key? I don't know if I need the microphone or not. Um and honestly like his trap is his hearing.

38:55Hold on

38:56Just wait a minute. He's always waiting for me to talk. You can ask Nori. I'm usually earlier this week he was shutting the door to let me know to stop my conversation. But um Really his hearing has been almost like a trap but a blessing. Um he continues to always work his mind and his body and stay away from mindless tasks. That was something he taught me as a kid. Like you can watch TV and enjoy a movie, but Avoid those those boredoms and those traps and things. Keep your mind as your strongest muscle

39:26and keep always exercising it and learning and giving back. And he took his retirement as an opportunity to explore more of his passions. He rode a two-wheel bike until he was eighty-eight. Two weeks after we moved to Pasco County, it fell and broke his leg on it. Uh and he said, When her husband gets home, have him carry me inside. I'm like, I think we have to call the hospital. I'm standing with my neighbors and I said, You call nine one one to call nine one one, right? Um and after that he he kind of was like biking had been what he'd loved because

39:57he really couldn't walk. Um So we got him an adult tricycle and he rode his bike until about a year ago. So we always kept trying to get on and move just a little bit every day. Keep trying to move, exercising, use your brain. The senior center's amazing for him. He goes twice a week and he plays um a game called Bridge. So it is a little bit longer, but it really works your mind. And and there's people that have come now that are still continuing to to learn, you know, and pick up on things and And enjoy that retirement that you give and you're given and giving back. He really

40:27taught all of us to do that and our

40:29And who who are the folks with you?

40:30Um it's me and my daughter here right now and then the Senior Services Center. So he goes to the Senior Center out in Dade City. Dade City, okay. Mm-hmm. Yeah, so they're all here too. Um Um really doing that playing Sudokus and he's kind of always tried to keep up with technology but not let it take over. Like he's still got a tablet and sometimes I have to be like it's time to go to bed. It's midnight. But he checks checks in with people and does Sudokus and and keeps working his mind and things like that. So

40:58Very awesome.

40:59Sometimes the thing he sees people kinda let go and and to keep using that thing that you're giving 'cause you can keep building that.

41:05Love it. Thank

41:06you so much. Do you want to say anything? Oh

41:11thank you all. I'm

41:14one. Oh thank you. I love it. Okay.

41:17So uh s thank you for sharing. Can you give your name for the record real quick? Holly. Thank you, Holly.

41:22Okay.

41:25Yeah. I'm curious where he rides his bike, Commissioner Oakley.

41:30We live in uh Watergrass over there, so all the paths have been good. He can ride around and now he can go to public. So we've got public like Caddy Corner. He can take a scooter over there and buy his lot.

41:54We got a hundred year old guy riding his tricycle.

42:00So

42:00so if you have one and we meet at the bar if you don't bring a challenge coin, you have to pay.

42:07It's a challenge coin.

42:12He said if we meet at the bar and you don't have it you have to pay. What? If you went to a bar. If the coca bell is going, then you have to pay. Where? Where?

42:27If you went to a bar.

42:31Dunsey love it?

42:35Keep challenging Brian.

42:40No he challenged me to be the hundreds, so I don't

42:45They're gonna take a picture?

42:46We're gonna take a picture.

42:52Right here we go. One, two, and three.

42:58Perfect. Thank

42:59you.

43:06Give it to the granddaughter. We I have my challenge coin as well. Thank you.

43:13This is Ms. Starkey, Commissioner Starkey's coin. This is Commissioner Starkey.

43:19Okay. Yeah.

43:21So

43:21you get two coins.

43:23That's my coin.

43:24You can use

43:25them

43:25on the scratchers.

43:27I won't make you buy me a drink though.

43:33I would be honored to buy you a drink.

43:36This one? It's from Commissioner Starkey.

43:40From me. And the other one's from Commissioner Oakley.

43:44Both of 'em you can keep 'em. You can keep both of them in the wrong.

43:50That one's from her and the other one's from Commissioner Oakley. They gave you, yeah. Over for you to keep. Together. I think it's like what a doing panelist and how do you how do I play this? Thank you so much.