St. Patrick’s School Fun Fair kicks off Nov. 6
LARGO — St. Patrick Catholic School, 1501 Trotter Road, will host its 58th Annual Fun Fair from Thursday, Nov. 6, through Sunday, Nov. 9.
Along with the carnival rides and games, Fun Fair will offer a silent auction, raffles and many food specialties and beverages.
Music offerings will include a Friday, Nov. 7, performance by the Surfin’ Raccoons Band and a Saturday, Nov. 8, performance by the Bus Stop Band.
Tickets for rides and other offerings may be purchased at presale discount prices. For more information visit stpatrickcatholic.org or email pruppel@stpatrickcatholic.org.
City learning program earns national notice
LARGO — A learning program conducted by the city of Largo has received national recognition with a 2025 Silver Trailblazer Award from Chief Learning Officer magazine’s Learning in Practice Awards.
Joe Malta, the city’s organizational training and development manager, accepted the award during a virtual ceremony held on Oct. 16.
The Trailblazer Award honors learning executives who have introduced innovative workforce development strategies. Malta was recognized for leading the creation and launch of Largo Learning, a flexible skill-based training initiative aligned with the city’s commitment to advancing a high-performance organization and its strategic focus on organizational excellence.
Launched in 2024, Largo Learning provides every team member with a personalized learning path designed to develop essential skills such as growth mindset, drive results, build trust, foster teamwork, and strategic focus. By integrating learning into daily operations and leadership development, the program promotes a culture of continuous improvement across all departments.
“Largo Learning is a clear example of how investing in team members strengthens the entire organization,” said Meridy Semones, assistant city manager. “This award affirms the city’s commitment to building an environment where people feel supported, empowered, and equipped to deliver superior service to the community.”
This investment in professional development has already shown strong results. In the city’s 2025 team member engagement survey, team members rated their access to formal training and supervisor support for growth 10% above national public sector benchmarks, the highest performance across all survey areas.
Commission celebrates local heroes
LARGO — The City Commission celebrated Largo Fire Rescue’s Extrication Team, library volunteers, and Florida City Government Week during its regular meeting on Oct. 21.
The commission recognized the outstanding performance of the Largo Fire Rescue Extrication Team, who represented both Largo and the United States at the 2025 World Rescue Challenge in Croatia. Competing against 36 elite teams from 24 countries, the team placed third globally in two of three complex rescue scenarios and earned an impressive 10th place overall. A highlight of the competition was the triage scenario, where Largo’s medics achieved a first-place global ranking.
The commission also proclaimed Oct. 20–26 as National Friends of Libraries Week, recognizing the Friends of Largo Library for two decades of dedicated service. Through fundraising and volunteerism, the group supports vital library programs and fosters a lifelong love of reading across generations. Their contributions also extend into the community through stewardship of five Little Free Libraries, promoting literacy and access to books for all.
In recognition of the essential role of municipal government and importance of civic engagement, commissioners also proclaimed Oct. 20–26 as Florida City Government Week. Community Engagement Specialist Aileen Carey shared ways residents can get involved, including subscribing to the Largo Today eNewsletter, following the city on social media, and attending community events like the monthly mayor’s coffee chat.