Celebrating the dedication of the community park in Traditions Dec. 6 are, front row, from left, Seminole Mayor Jimmy Johnson, Bud Sorenson and Judy Sorenson. In the back row are Ed Zickus, president of the Traditions Homeowner’s Association; John Creveling, a past president of the Traditions Homeowner’s Association; and Kirsten Thomas, a past president of the Traditions Homeowner’s Association.
SEMINOLE – A communitry park in the Traditions community of Seminole was dedicated Dec. 6 to longtime residents Bud and Judy Sorenson.
The Sorensons, who have made numerous contributions to the community, are pioneers of the Seminole area and have played a major role in its development.
The couple purchased 12 acres of land at the corner of Park Boulevard and Oakhurst Road 50 years ago. The land was previously the site of tangerine trees and was used primarily for the cultivation of fruit and honey.
After the purchase, the Sorensons continued with the fruit and honey business while building greenhouses to raise plants for sale to local florists.
Bud Sorenson also tried his hand at beekeeping. The couple’s business interests continued to grow and became known as Sorenson’s Nursery, which was one of the most successful and best known nurseries in Pinellas County for many years.
The Sorensons were, and remain very active in the community. Local residents tell of coming to Sorenson’s Nursery as children to buy poinsettias and Easter lilies, or working with the Sorensons when they were in high school or college.
In 1999, the Sorensons retired from the nursery business and developed the community now known as Traditions, where they still live, along with 41 other families.
A central feature of the neighborhood has always been its park where the community's children play, families have picnics and enjoy the oak trees planted by the Sorensons many years ago.
Although the community engages a commercial service to handle most of its landscaping, hardly a day goes by that Bud and Judy aren’t tending to the plants and trees somewhere in the community.
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