Keystone Residents Enjoy Picnic, Concert

By STEPHEN HAMMILL The Tampa Tribune

Published: May 3, 2008

KEYSTONE - Good weather welcomed about 100 people to last weekend's Sunset Music Fest and Picnic in the Park.

Residents brought blankets and lawn chairs, picnic food and sunscreen to the free event.

The Keystone Civic Association sponsored the festival, which was originally scheduled for April 5 and was postponed until April 26 to coincide with a picnic for deputies of the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office, District III.

The sheriff's picnic was the first of what Maj. Albert Frost hopes to make a biannual event at the park, 17928 Gunn Highway.

The concert kicked off at 5:30 p.m. with a performance by rhythm and blues band the Dukes of Juke, a group comprising two Keystone residents.

Keystone resident Riley MacDonald, 13, sold baked goods for $1 each. MacDonald is raising money for an academic trip to China in the summer.

"His grandmother and I did the baking," said his mother, Audrey MacDonald, "more than 150 pieces."

Riley has raised $2,100 of the $6,659 cost of the trip.

Jan Nelson organized the concert with money from the Anita Unruh memorial fund.

Last year, the association charged Nelson and others with finding a way to honor the memory of the former art professor and longtime Keystone resident, whose husband donated $25,000 to the association in 2007 with instructions to put it back into the community.

"We're trying to put that money to good use, and this is one of those events," Nelson told the crowd.

The event cost less than the $1,500 budget.

"We were very happy with the day," said association board member Barbara Dowling. "We plan to do the concert again next year."

Next year's concert will probably feature '50s and '60s pop music, Dowling said.

"Next year we'll reach out to more people and hope for the same great weather," she added.

Reporter Stephen Hammill can be reached at (813) 865-1523 or shammill@tampatrib.com.