Florida Estos

Dear Members and Friends of Kesk Florida Eesti Selts/Estonian Society of Central Florida!

It’s never too early to offer season’s greetings! Season’s greetings to you all!

We will gather for our traditional Christmas luncheon:

Sunday, December 15, 2024

12:00-4:00 pm (Volunteers are welcome to arrive at 11:00 am to help us set up and decorate and to remain after 4:00 to help us clean up.)

We will gather at our familiar location: Birgit and Vincent DeLaidatti’s community clubhouse

Clubhouse at Harbour Crest 400

13940 Anona Heights Drive

Largo, FL 33774

Parking is available across the street in the school parking lot. Thank you to Birgit and Vincent for making all this space available to us!

The main course (pulled pork, mashed potatoes and gravy) are catered. Verivorst and cranberry relish are homemade.

Please plan to bring something for our smorgasbord table too: appetizers, salads, side dishes, and desserts are most welcome! When you make your reservation, please mention what you will be bringing. You are welcome to bring your own adult beverages; non-alcoholic options will be provided.

By Wednesday, December 3 10, 2024, please send an email to Heikki and Inne Joonsar at kfes1918@yahoo.com to let them know you are coming so they may place an accurate catering order. Please include (1) the names of your guests and your children and their ages, and (2) what you will be bringing for the smorgasbord table.

The cost to participate:

$20 per adult and children over the age of 12

$5 for children twelve and under

You may pay:

(1) with cash or check at the door

(2) in advance through ZELLE  (KFES1918@yahoo.com) to the KFES account, or

(3) in advance by mailing a check made out to KFES and addressed to Heikki Joonsar, 14032 89th Ave, Seminole, FL. 33776.

Jõuluvana will be visiting us! The FAA has agreed to clear Jõuluvana for a direct flight from the North Pole to Largo!

Parents are invited to bring wrapped presents with clearly marked name tags for their children so Jõuluvana may begin Christmas deliveries at our party. Activities for children are welcome too!

We are looking forward to celebrating the holiday season with you!

Heikki and Inne Joonsar

Only the fellowship of friends and families can lift one’s spirits on the heels of Hurricanes Helene and Milton that struck our area in September and October. And so it was on this clear blue sky sunny day in Seminole, Florida. The Estonian Society of Central Florida/Kesk Florida Eesti Selts welcomed back 45 members and friends to launch the 2024-2025 year of activities. Walsingham Park Shelter #3 provided the perfect setting for our potluck picnic (KFES provided delicious French dip and pulled pork sandwiches purchased through one of our favorite “go to” places, Pete and Shorty’s). We were delighted Hannes Jacobson and Ludmila Stelmokene brought their two friends and Taivo and Anneliis Hurt brought their two friends. Friends and guests are always welcome!

Many thanks to our leadership–Heikki and Inne Joonsar–for launching this new year of activities. Huge thanks to individuals who volunteer invisibly and tirelessly in the background: Anneliis Kuusik and Rein Allikberg, Birgit and Vincent DeLaidatti, Virve Kai Bulla, and Estonian Honorary Consul Kaie Põhi Latterner. It goes without saying: Thank you to all the members who contribute delicious side dishes and desserts to our always scrumptious potluck table! Special thanks to Sophia Abolfathi for rosolje and Anne Holda for kringel–two traditional Estonian favorites! What makes KFES so special is the community we have built and share!

Just prior to lunch Heikki Joonsar offered welcoming remarks. Vincent DeLaidatti blessed our gathering and the meal. Estonian Honorary Consul Kaie Põhi Latterner offered words of remembrance to those we have lost. This year, KFES mourns the passing of two significant figures in our history. Jaan Kuuskvere, who passed away in May, was always an active KFES member nearly 30 years and never hesitated to take on a leadership role. Over the years, Jaan served as our association’s president, annual meeting convener, and financial auditor. Geraldine Raja, beloved wife of KFES longtime treasurer Rein Raja, passed away early this November. Geri, as she was known among us, wore her Estonian dress proudly as she supported all the association’s activities–including those in the St. Petersburg International Folk Festival Society–and adorned formal Estonian Independence Day gatherings for more than 30 years. As we mourned the losses of others we have lost in our lives, we hope our shared grief brings comfort to those who grieve deeply at this time.

KFES hosted a special guest today. She introduces herself as follows:

My name is Sophia Abolfathi and I am a filmmaker, writer, and intern with the Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage. I am also a student at the University of Florida and based out of Gainesville, FL. I’m working on a story about Estonian experiences in Florida and the United States. The final article and short film would be published in Smithsonian Folklife Magazine in early 2025.

There are two components to this project:

Part I. Oral Histories of Migration circa 1944: We are interested in expanding the archive of oral histories of personal and family migration from Estonia to the United States during the 1944 Great Escape. There is a particular interest in collecting stories that involve boat travel. Primary accounts are preferred but children or grandchildren of immigrants are welcomed. This is the focus of the short film, so we may travel to interview with you on camera.

Part II. Interviews on Modern Perspectives: The second component of this story is interested in Estonians who have chosen to either move to the U.S. recently (after 1990) or remain in the U.S. after their parents’ migration (after 1944). There is an interest in why Estonians choose homes outside of Estonia; why they seek out communities with other Estonians; and how Estonian culture is being preserved in future generations. This is the focus of the article, so people who are uncomfortable being on camera are not required to be.

Sophia, whose mother is Estonian, mingled easily with our guests. It was a special treat to see Sophia in action taking notes as she goes about her research. She didn’t miss this opportunity to begin an interview with our KFES grande dame Urve Põhi. Sophia looks forward to hearing more stories from the members of the Estonian community spread throughout Florida. She can be reached through this site sophiaabolfathi.com.

SAVE THE DATES

Kesk Florida Eesti Selts will celebrate Christmas with Jõuluvana, verivorst and our traditional potluck dinner on Sunday, December 15, 2024. Details will follow in email.

We also plan to hold our traditional Supp ja Võileiv luncheon in January. Details will follow later.

The Estonian Society of Central Florida/Kesk Florida Eesti Selts will celebrate the 107th Anniversary of Estonian Independence on Sunday, February 16, 2025. Information and details will follow as the date approaches.

Information about KFES events and photos may be found on this website, floridaestos.blog, and our Facebook page, Kesk Florida Eestlased https://facebook.com/groups/2497393393890607/ . To enhance security features for our Facebook account members, Kesk Florida Eestlased is a private account that asks you to click on a link to join. The account is managed by KFES member Birgit DeLaidatti, and she will respond to requests from prospective followers. Thank you, Birgit, for this wonderful service to Estonian Society of Central Florida/Kesk Florida Eesti Selts members! To join our email list, please send an email to Heikki Joonsar, KFES Treasurer and Acting President, at kfes1918@yahoo.com.

Tere Members of the Estonian Society of Central Florida/KFES Liikmed!

We hope that by 10 November 2024 the blessings of a warm and sunny Florida day will shine upon us and the Kesk Florida Eesti Selts (KFES) community will come together and renew friendships and meet some of our newest members. 

We have changed our plans! We will NOT be meeting on November 3, 2024, at Pier 22.

Instead, we will gather on Sunday, November 10, 2024.

We have reserved Shelter 3 at Walsingham Park, 12615 102nd Ave N, Seminole, Florida, from 12:00 noon to 5:00 pm. We plan to eat together starting about 1:30 pm. Shelter 3 is next to a brand new playground for the young ones.

KFES will order the main course from Pete and Shorty’s: It will consist of pulled pork sandwiches and roast beef French dip sandwiches, each on their appropriate buns.

The cost per person will be $10 and children under 12 will be free.

You may pay:

(1) with cash or check at the door

(2) in advance through ZELLE  (KFES1918@yahoo.com) to the KFES account, or

(3) in advance by mailing a check made out to KFES and addressed to Heikki Joonsar, 14032 89th Ave, Seminole, FL. 33776.

RSVP DEADLINE:

BY WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2024: Please send an email to KFES1918@yahoo.com if you are attending. Please let us know the names of those attending with you and the main courses you prefer: pulled pork or roast beef French dip. 

Side dishes and desserts are welcome! Please let us know what you plan to contribute to the meal.

KFES will provide water and soft drinks. 

Tervitus,

Heikki ja Inne Joonsar

The Estonian Society of Central Florida/Kesk Florida Eesti Selts (KFES) is on break now for the summer. Like snowbirds in Florida, many KFES members travel north and abroad to escape our summer heat and humid conditions to enjoy cooler climates and friends and family settled elsewhere. We will plan to see you again in the fall! When summer ends, please stay tuned to your email from Heikki Joonsar, KFES Treasurer and Acting President, when he announces a return to activities.

PLEASE SAVE THE DATE: The Estonian Society of Central Florida/Kesk Florida Eesti Selts is pleased to announce they will celebrate the 107th Anniversary of Estonian Independence on Sunday, February 16, 2025. Information and details will follow as the date approaches.

Information about KFES events and photos may be found on this website, floridaestos.blog, and our Facebook page, Kesk Florida Eestlased https://facebook.com/groups/2497393393890607/ . To enhance security features for our Facebook account members, Kesk Florida Eestlased is a private account that asks you to click on a link to join. The account is managed by KFES member Birgit Delaidatti, and she will respond to requests from prospective followers. Thank you, Birgit, for this wonderful service to Estonian Society of Central Florida/Kesk Florida Eesti Selts members! To join our email list, please send an email to Heikki Joonsar, KFES Treasurer and Acting President, at kfes1918@yahoo.com.

Just under 25 Estonian Society of Central Florida/Kesk Florida Eesti Selts (KFES) members and friends gathered for a picnic on Sunday afternoon, March 24, 2024, in one of our favorite spots, Walsingham Park, in Largo, Florida. KFES provided grilled hamburgers and hotdogs and our members contributed an amazing assortment of side dishes, salads and desserts to our smorgasbord table. Yes, we had traditional Estonian dishes (kartuli salat, rosolje and roosamanna), scrumptious Korean dumplings, and Florida spring-themed fruit-topped desserts (key lime tarts, miniature cheesecakes, and a strawberry whipped cream torte). We give a special shout-out of thanks to Inne and Heikki Joonsar and Birgit and Vincent DeLaidatti for going the extra mile to set up and take down our picnic and a suur tänu to everyone who contributed to our smorgasbord table. Aitäh! Thank you!

March is perhaps many Floridians’ favorite time of year: The sky is blue, the temperature is perfect, humidity is low, and the breeze is warm. That provides the perfect setting for outdoor games.

We have not yet decided when we will meet again. Please stay tuned to your email (to be added to the list, please send an email to KFES1918@yahoo.com), Facebook (search for Kesk Florida Eestlased and ask to be added to the private group), and this website. In the meantime, our group sends best wishes for a happy spring to all our members and friends!

Pictured left to right: Alexandra Remelgas Kroon, Ilme Susi with daughter Marju Dishmey and twin granddaughters Karneelia and Marmeelia, Moonika Mägi, Jüri and Jae Hee Toomepuu, Vincent and Birgit DeLaidatti, with Märt and Ulve Nurmet in the back, Sirje Kiin and Jack Walters with Heiki, Heidi and Nathan Pajusalu in the back, Inne and Heikki Joonsar, with Tõnu Toomepuu and Liz Williams in the back, and Myrtle Hall. (Missing from the photo: Lisa A. Mets and Erkki Taada, KFES web manager and photographers)

The Estonian Consul in New York will conduct a consular mission in Crystal River, FL on April 19th and 20th, and in Miami, FL on April 22nd and 23rd, and is available for all consular services at these times:

Crystal River (3939 North Eagle Point, Crystal River, FL 34428)

Friday, April 19th – 09:30 AM to 4:00 PM

Saturday, April 20th – 09:30 AM to 4:00 PM

Miami (1384 SW 18 St, Miami 33145)

Monday, April 22nd – 09:30 AM to 4:00 PM

Tuesday, April 23rd – 09:30 AM to 1:00 PM

Note: Passport and ID card renewal applications can also be done by mail or at the self-service portal of the Estonian Police Board (https://www.politsei.ee/en/) if your fingerprints on file are less than 6 years old.

You can update your fingerprints with the consul if you will need to renew a document in the next few years and your fingerprints are or will be outdated. This could save you a future trip to New York or Washington! The service is free of charge.

Regarding the fees – they will change at the beginning of April, so please look at them only after the 3rd of April https://newyork.mfa.ee/state-fees/. Payments during consular missions must be made in cash or check – no credit cards will be accepted as we don’t have the card terminal.

Please contact:

Ms.  Kaie Tiina Põhi Latterner, kaiet@earthlink.net, phone 612-669-9765 to schedule an appointment in Crystal River, FL.

Estonian Consulate General in New York, nyconsulate@mfa.ee, phone 212-883-0636 to schedule an appointment in Miami, FL.

Dear Members and Friends of Kesk Florida Eesti Selts (KFES)/Estonian Society of Central Florida!

Please join us for one of our favorite activities: A picnic!

Sunday, March 24, 2024

1:00-5:00 pm

Shelter #2

Walsingham Park

12615 102nd Ave N

Largo, FL 33776

https://pinellas.gov/walsingham-park-map

Entrance to the park is free. The KFES fee to help underwrite our costs will be minimal at no more than $10 for adults, payable by cash, check or Zelle at the door. Children are free.

KFES will provide hamburgers, hotdogs, buns and fixings as well as non-alcoholic beverages. Our members and friends are invited to contribute salads, side dishes and desserts to our smorgasbord table. Please note: This shelter does NOT have an electrical connection. The grill we will be using will provide space for dishes that may need to be warmed before serving.

By Wednesday, March 20, 2024, please send an email to KFES Treasurer and Acting President Heikki Joonsar at kfes1918@yahoo.com to let us know you are coming. Please provide the names of all adults, names and ages of children, and the items you will be contributing to our luncheon offerings. If you have some favorite outdoor games for children to play, please bring those too! The playground is under renovation and may not be finished in time for our picnic. Restrooms are located near our shelter.

We look forward to seeing you soon to welcome in spring together!

KFES Juhatus/Estonian Society of Central Florida Board

Four members of the Estonian Society of Central Florida/Kesk Florida Eesti Selts (KFES)–Anneliis Kuusik and Rein Allikberg and Lisa A. Mets and Erkki Taada–had the great pleasure of joining 90 guests who attended the Estonian Society of South Florida/Lõuna Florida Eesti Selts (LFES) celebration of the 106th Anniversary of Estonian Independence on Saturday, February 10, 2024, in the Finland House, Lantana, Florida. Lantana is an unofficial Finnish capital in Florida and the United States.

LFES past president Veljo Kurik and current president Terje Hill presided over the evening program. This program was especially significant for the attention given not only to the 106th anniversary of Estonian independence but also to the 80th commemoration of the great exodus from Estonia in 1944 which we are marking this year. Ms. Hill recounted moving stories of escape from LFES members Elve Müürsepp, Vivian Edwards and Aavo Kõiv who were in attendance this evening.

The LFES flag, designed by Veljo Kurik, gives testimony to LFES’s long established history of operations in the Miami/Ft. Lauderdale/Palm Beach area in southeast Florida. You may learn more about the association through their Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/FLORIDAEESTISELTS/

[Click on a photo to enter a gallery with full size photos in each section.]

LFES members and friends drove long distances to give a warm welcome to the star of the celebratory program: singer and actor Triin Lellep-Kordes, who came all the way from Eesti to celebrate this special day. And it turns out, a special friend was already here for Ms. Lellep-Kordes: Eha Urbsalu. Ms. Urbsalu is a talented singer and film maker in her own right, demonstrated through her song and preview of her upcoming film. LFES took this opportunity today, too, to extend an invitation to the upcoming Palm Beach Sun & Stars International Film Festival, which will be including a showing of the highly acclaimed Estonian film Smoke Sauna Sisterhood.

What would an Estonian celebration of independence day be without traditional Estonian food?! The LFES ladies were determined to present the dishes we all long for! And they succeeded! We enjoyed great conversation over a dinner of delectable smorgasbord offerings across two tables. Thank you, LFES, for a memorable event!

On Sunday, February 18, 2024, more than 90 members and friends of the Estonian Society of Central Florida/Kesk Florida Eesti Selts (KFES) gathered at Feather Sound Country Club in Clearwater, Florida, to celebrate the 106th Anniversary of Estonian Independence. Click on the individual photos in this website to enter a full size photo gallery in each section.

Members of the Kesk Florida Eesti Selts offered our program elements. We were honored to welcome Mr. Margus Särglepp, Deputy Chief of Mission, Estonian Embassy in Washington, DC, as our keynote speaker. You may read the text of Mr. Särglepp’s remarks in Sirje Kiin’s Estonian write-up of our program published in our US and Canadian Estonian newspapers, Vaba Eesti Sõna (New York) and Eesti Elu (Toronto), February 29, 2024, editions.

Though Feather Sound Country Club offered us several meal choices, it was no surprise that the salmon entree was the favorite among our members. Seawater flows in our veins, kas ei? The meal was punctuated by Estonian chocolate, homemade kringel and a rhubarb cake, and a celebratory cake. Thank you Moonika Mägi, Inne Joonsar, Sirje Kiin and Virve-Kai Bulla for our homemade kringel and rhubarb cake. Such choices we had to make!

And it wouldn’t have been a proper celebration without our celebratory toast to Estonian Independence! Thank you to Tõnu Toomepuu once again for generously sponsoring our bubbly!

Donations from our KFES members filled the loterii table. In fact, there were so many contributions, nearly everyone made a trip to the table to choose a gift. KFES Secretary Triin Karr led the loterii, ably assisted by Helen Tammela and Marju Dishmey and her twin daughters Marmeelia and Karneelia. At our invitation, members brought copies of their favorite Estonian recipes to share and those filled a table too! We always seem to take home more than good memories following a KFES event.

It was an uncharacteristic rainy day for us in Florida as we celebrated Estonian independence. That makes the life of our photographer, Erkki Taada, just a little more fun! Though he was out in the rain, everyone posed under cover on the second floor balcony. None of Erkki’s photo-taking postures are easy!

Celebrating Estonian independence is a solemn and celebratory occasion that calls for traditional dress and reminders of home. Thank you Jae Hee Toomepuu and Virve-Kai Bulla for adorning our day with your special traditional Estonian dresses.

It takes a lot of work to organize a special event like today. We thank all those who participated in our program, contributed to our dessert- loterii- and recipe tables, made our beautiful table decorations, and managed the administration that makes an event like this possible. We pause a moment now to extend our profound gratitude to two KFES leaders who deserve special mention, KFES Treasurer and Acting President Heikki Joonsar and KFES Vice President Inne Joonsar. They greet us at the door and are the last ones to send us home.

Please enjoy these photos from the day’s collection. We hope we captured you all in this blog!

And here are a few more photos through Erkki Taada’s lens. Thanks for the wonderful poses!

Kallid Kesk Florida Eesti Seltsi liikmed ja sõbrad/Dear members and friends of the Estonian Society of Central Florida!

Please join us over lunch as we celebrate Eesti Vabariigi 106 Aastapäeva/106th Anniversary of Estonian Independence!

When?

Sunday, February 18, 2024

What time?

12:00-5:00 pm

Where?

Feather Sound Country Club

2201 Feather Sound Drive

Clearwater, FL 33762

Telephone: 727.498.0005

How much will lunch cost?

Feather Sound Country Club is offering a favorable price for a full luncheon meal. A cash bar will be open for our event.

Adults: $45 per adult and children over the age of 12

Children: $10 for children aged 12 and under

What is the lunch menu?

The adult menu includes three choices:

1. Citrus Rosemary Wild Salmon with Vegetables
2. Grilled Chicken Breast on top of Fettucini Alfredo
3. Vegan menu also available

The children’s menu includes a fruit cup, beverage, and two choices:

1. Chicken fingers
2. Macaroni and cheese

What’s for dessert?

Kringle and a champagne toast!

In advance, thank you to those who will bring  kringle and  the champagne!

Do I need to make reservations and pay in advance?

Yes, please, we need you to make reservations and pay in advance. Feather Sound Country Club cannot accommodate walk-ins.

By Sunday, February 11, 2024, please make your reservation by sending an email to Heikki Joonsar and let him know

1. the names of the adults and children over the age of 12 who are coming with you
2. the names and ages of children under the age of 12 who are coming with you
3. each adult’s and child’s meal choice

Please make the payment for your lunch by

1. Zelle to kfes1918@yahoo.com, or
2. Making a check payable to the “Estonian Society of Central Florida” and mailing it to

Heikki Joonsar, Treasurer

Estonian Society of Central Florida

14032 89th Ave

Seminole, FL 33776

Because the Country Club cannot provide refunds, we are sorry we cannot offer refunds after February 11, 2024.

Will there be a program?

Yes, we have a special program planned. Here is our update!

WE ARE PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE IT IS OUR HONOR TO HOST MARGUS SÄRGLEPP, DEPUTY CHIEF OF MISSION (DCM) AT THE EMBASSY OF ESTONIA IN WASHINGTON, D.C., AS OUR KEYNOTE SPEAKER.

Margus Särglepp has been serving as the Deputy Chief of Mission (DCM) at the Estonian Embassy in Washington, D.C., since August 2021. Just prior to this position, DCM Särglepp served as Deputy Chief of Mission at the Estonian Embassy in Kyiv, Ukraine.

DCM Särglepp joined the Estonian Foreign Service in 2002. From 2016-2018 he was the Coordinator for Eastern Partnership at the Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. From 2014-2016 he served as the Foreign Policy Counselor at the EU Secretariat of the Estonian Government Office in Tallinn. His previous postings were at the Estonian Embassies in New Delhi, India (Chargé des affaires, a.i), and Berlin, Germany.  During the 2007 German Presidency of the Council of the European Union (EU) he served as an Exchange Diplomat at the German Federal Foreign Office.

In 2006, Särglepp earned a master’s degree from the Franco-German Master of European Governance and Administration Program (Université Paris 1 Pantheon-Sorbonne/ Universität Potsdam); in 2001, a Master of Theological Studies degree from Duke University (Durham, NC); and in 1999, a Bachelor of Arts degree from Millsaps College (Jackson, MS).

In addition to our formal program with our usual elements our annual fun loterii will be offered again. We hope many of you will volunteer to bring gifts (10-15 cost range) for our loterii table. Aitäh!

We look forward to seeing you soon!

Elagu Eesti!

KFES Juhatus/Estonian Society of Central Florida Board

PS You may view KFES information on our private Facebook page, “Kesk Florida Eestlased.” Click on the link to ask to join. Our information is also posted on our website, https://floridaestos.blog/

PPS If you have questions about this event, please contact the following: Heikki Joonsar at joonsar@cox.net , Heikki at (703) 593-5365. Inne Joonsar at innelj23@gmail.com and Inne at (703) 593-5364.