Anza Bast has been involved with the Osceola County Historical Society for over 10 years, she is a dedicated volunteer and board member who received this year’s Florida Association of Museums Outstanding Volunteer award. Anza is an invaluable resource for OCHS. Her wealth of regional knowledge and her passion for history have made her an incredible asset to the organization. Anza volunteers most of her time in the Curation and Collection Department. Larissa Bixby caught up with Anza at the Research Center at Spence Pavilion one afternoon to chat a bit about her contributions to OCHS.

Last month we featured Don Miers in our Volunteer Spotlight and wanted to continue with another great volunteer of the Osceola County Historical Society to kick off the month of August!

Al Forgione grew up in the New Hampshire and Massachusetts area as an only child with a vivid imagination and a flair for theatrics. His father managed a drugstore chain, and the drugstore was a terminal for the local buses. His dad let him ride the buses for fun as he explored all over town. During these excursions, Al became pals with the drivers, and this is where he honed his “talking” skills. As anyone who meets Al can attest – he loves to talk!

There have been many famous mustaches throughout history. There’s Colonel Sanders and Tom Selleck, Yosemite Same and Salvador Dali. Here in Osceola County we have our own famous mustached man: the one and only Don Miers. 

Long before the mustache, Don grew up in Dumont, New Jersey. At a young age, he was a hard worker—a trait he inherited from his mother. Even though Stella Miers was a single mother, she climbed the ladder to vice president at a bank in New York. In 1971, at the age of 18 years old, Don moved down to tropical St. Petersburg to attend college. Maybe it was the sun and the sand, but Florida has had a hold on him ever since. Continuing in the footsteps of his mother’s work ethic, Don became the youngest hotel manager in Howard Johnson history at the age of just 20 years old.