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Seminole County honors Navy veteran Gary Shearing and names Bonnie Sprung Artist of the Year
Summary
At its Aug. 27 meeting the Seminole County Board of County Commissioners presented a veteran’s proclamation to Chief Petty Officer Gary Shearing and named local artist Bonnie Sprung the county’s 2024 Artist of the Year. Both proclamations were adopted unanimously.
The Seminole County Board of County Commissioners on Tuesday presented two ceremonial proclamations, recognizing local contributions to the community.
Chief Petty Officer Gary Christian Shearing was declared Seminole County’s August Veteran of the Month. Commissioner Andrea Herr read the proclamation recounting Shearing’s Navy service (enlisted October 1963, retired February 1984), his deployment to Vietnam, and subsequent county work as a traffic engineer, where staff credited him with upgrading traffic-signal wiring and leading certification efforts for technicians. The board voted unanimously to adopt the proclamation. On receiving the honor, Shearing described his long ties to traffic engineering and thanked the commission for the recognition.
The board also proclaimed Bonnie Sprung Seminole County’s 2024 Artist of the Year. Commissioner Lee Constantine noted Sprung’s decades of creative work — set and stage design, photography, scene painting and arts education — and her long volunteer service with the Seminole Cultural Arts Council. Sprung, introduced by the council’s president, thanked the commission for the surprise recognition and said she was “overwhelmed and grateful.” The proclamation was adopted unanimously.
These ceremonial recognitions were the meeting’s opening items; both were carried by unanimous voice votes and followed by brief remarks and photo opportunities.
