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Gallagher and Suzy Bogguss coming to Ponte Vedra Concert Hall
01/20/2012

Two events have been added to the 2012 lineup for the Ponte Vedra Concert Hall: country singer Suzy Bogguss on March 30 and comedian Gallagher on April 5.

Messy comedian

Gallagher is a comedian, clown and entertainer from Tampa. His signature sketch is the “Sledge-O-Matic,” a large wooden mallet that Gallagher uses to smash a variety of objects including apples, pineapples, computer keyboards and, most famously watermelons.

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Pedestrian hit on State Road 207
01/20/2012

A man was injured Wednesday evening after he was hit by a car on State Road 207 near State Road 312.

The man was trying to cross S.R. 207 near the Kangaroo gas station around 6:45 p.m. When he stepped into the road, a driver  hit him, said Florida Highway Patrol Trooper Phillip Payne, who was on scene.

“He just walked out into the road,” Payne said.

The victim’s name is William Gregory Wilson, 53, of St. Augustine, Payne said.

His shoe, food and other belongings that he was carrying were strewn across the pavement.

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City receives grants to study downtown transportation alternatives
01/20/2012

Congressman John Mica announced Tuesday that the U.S. Department of Transportation has awarded the City of St. Augustine a $150,000 grant to study transportation solutions for the additional visitors expected during the 450th Commemoration.

The grant is in addition to the $753,000 award that the city received last week through the same program, the Paul S. Sarbanes Transit in Parks Program.

The planning study will address parking needs downtown as well as a temporary shuttle or circulator system.

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JAX PIER-1PM UPDATE
01/20/2012

Waves have pretty much gone flat again this afternoon. It’s knee high at best and breaking right on shore. Maybe it’ll look a little better when the tide comes in. For now stay at work or on the couch. Share on Facebook

JAX PIER WED 8AM
01/20/2012

The surf looks to have backed off this morning with cloudy skies at report time. We have a cold front passing through our area today with rain expected this morning. Right now, we have minimal knee high surf with an occasional almost thigh high set. Overall, looks super weak and only rideable on a longboard. [...]

JAX PIER-1:15PM UPDATE
01/20/2012

Finally we have surf! Waves are in the waist high range and looking pretty fun. It’s super peaky and clean so definitely worth a check. Go surf if you can. Enjoy the pix! Share on Facebook

JAX PIER TUES 8:15AM
01/20/2012

We finally have waves! Nothing great, but we are finally back into the rideable range. Look around the knee to thigh range with an occasional waist set. Light offshore winds with failry decent form. Overall looks worth a check, especially considering how flat it’s been lately. Share on Facebook

JAX PIER MON 8AM
01/20/2012

Minimal, close to flat, surf out there this morning with slightly warmer air temps. Size looks around knee high at best. Some forecast models are showing a little pick up in ESE windswell by afternoon. New weekly forecast up soon. Check back! Share on Facebook

JAX PIER SAT 2PM
01/20/2012

Flat and cold at the beach this afternoon. Nothing rideable at all. Hopefully we will see something next week. Share on Facebook

JAX PIER THURS 7:40PM
01/20/2012

Small, cold surf this morning. Knee high with an occasional + set hard angled northerly wrap windswell trickling in. One lone surfer out on the south side showing his commitment to the sport. The forecast was calling for a slight bump up by afternoon…but I wouldn’t expect much based on how small it looks at [...]

JAX PIER-12PM UPDATE
01/20/2012

Starting to see a little something out at the Pier this afternoon. Don’t get me wrong it’s still pretty much flat but there is atleast a small bump every now and again. Not looking rideable yet but it’s kinda choppy! Share on Facebook

JAX PIER SUN 8AM
01/20/2012

Flat and cold at the beach this morning. Forget about surfing and enjoy some football today. Hopefully things will pick up this week to put an end to this little flat spell. Share on Facebook

Ocala Fire Rescue promotes firefighter
01/19/2012

Ocala Fire Rescue recently announced that Brandi DuCoeur, a firefighter with the department for five years, has been promoted on Jan. 17 to the rank of Fire Equipment Operator (F.E.O.). “Successful completion of a written test and a practical test are required to be eligible for the position, then should a vacancy become available the top candidate is chosen” states Fire Chief James Ganter. The position also requires completion of several college level courses. During a brief ceremony at headquarters Brandi… Read More »

Alice Cannon named Sunshine State Scholar
01/19/2012

Alice Cannon, a junior at Forest High School, is the 2012 Sunshine State Scholar for Marion County.  The honor goes to one student each year representing the highest achievement district-wide in science and mathematics. Cannon, a 17-year-old junior at Forest High, will be honored February 16-17 at a Florida Department of Education banquet in Orlando. Cannon earned the honor by excelling academically above all other high school students and is considered the top mathematics and science student in Marion County. … Read More »

Local Modern Woodmen completes program
01/19/2012

Modern Woodmen of America representative, Susan C. Lynn of Ocklawaha, has recently completed a five-day educational program at Modern Woodmen’s home office in Rock Island, Ill. The program focused on comprehensive financial services for families and small businesses.  

SECO honored for tree care practices
01/19/2012

When the Arbor Day Foundation and the National Association of Foresters honor a utility for the way in which it fosters good tree management practices, it’s a pretty big deal.  Sumter Electric Cooperative (SECO) has just been recognized by these two prestigious groups for the fifth year in a row for meeting their three very strict requirements. To receive the coveted ‘ Tree Line USA’ designation SECO had to have a program of quality tree care, annual worker training in… Read More »

Elks honor law enforcement officers and firefighters
01/19/2012

OCALA – Ocala Elks Lodge 286 hosted their annual Officer of the Year awards dinner Saturday, Jan. 14, to honor area law enforcement officers and firefighters for bravery, dedication and service to Marion County. The honorees included: * Marion County Sheriffs Office, detective Donald Buie * Ocala Police Department, officer Robert Douglas * Ocala Fire Rescue, Capt. Marvin Davis, fire equipment operator Gary Hamilton, firefighter/paramedic Michael Lipphardt, firefighter/EMT Ken Thomas Sr. and firefighter/paramedic Alex Sada * Marion County Fire Rescue,… Read More »

Edwards awarded contract for Villages downtown
01/19/2012

Edwards Construction Services, Inc. has been awarded the construction management contract for the construction of The Villages third Downtown area, Brownwood Town Center. Phase 1 of the new town center is approximately 130,180 square feet and will include The Palace Hotel, The Manly Building, The Rose Building, The Wiechens Building, The Schmidt House, The Bunk House, and Barnstorm Theater.

Poe elected as President of Florida Hospice Board
01/19/2012

Accepting a second one-year term, Hospice of Marion County CEO Mary Ellen Poe has been elected President of the Board of Directors for Florida Hospices and Palliative Care (FHPC). As Board President, Poe also chairs of the Executive Committee and supervises the business affairs of FHPC. The President presides at meetings of the Board of Directors and serves as an ex-offico member with full voting privileged on all committees and/or initiatives.

Tranzon Driggers announces new members of ownership team
01/19/2012

Walt Driggers announced today that majority interest in his long standing real estate auction company, Tranzon Driggers has been sold.  Tom Saturley, of Portland, Maine and Jon Barber of Ocala,  have joined Walt Driggers to form a new partnership that will continue to conduct business as Tranzon Driggers. Saturley is owner of Portland based Tranzon Auction Properties, Chairman of the Board of  Tranzon, LLC, and a member of the Board of the National Auctioneers Association. Barber, a Florida real estate… Read More »

Hair cutting raised money for charities
01/19/2012

OCALA – The Nowhere Bar recently held a hair cutting marathon for charity.  The following donations were made: $1,800 and four boxes of toys to Toys for Tots, $400 to the local Shriners and 21 boxes of food donated to Trinity Catholic High School.  

The Holidays Have Arrived Tampa Bay - Have You Brushed Up on Your Party Etiquette Lately?
01/19/2012

The holidays are upon us. As always, they show up before you know it. June Cleaver or not, many of us will be hosting parties at our Tampa Bay homes for the holidays - Thanksgiving Dinner, Cookie Parties, Dinner Parties, Cocktail Parties, New Years Parties. If you've ventured into home entertaining, you all understand how stressful it can be to throw a party at your Tampa Bay home. So when it's your turn to be the guest, keep in mind these tips to make it as easy on the host as possible to pull off the perfect holiday celebration...

7 Tips to Holiday Party Etiquette

1) Surprise Gift
It's always a nice surprise to bring the host something little to show them your appreciation for throwing a fantastic shin dig.

1) The Dreaded Double Dip
No matter how sneaky you are about it, double dipping is not acceptable. Not only does it turn people off, but it is also unhealthy. The correct move is to spoon some sauce onto your own plate, allowing you to dunk all you want.

2) Removing Shoes
If the host asks you to remove your shoes, you should oblige. If it makes you uncomfortable to traipse around barefoot, bring an extra pair of your own shoes. A good hostess, however, should be flexible, or at least provide you with slippers.

3) To Sip or to Stir?
That little plastic straw served with your cocktail was originally intended as a stirrer - not a straw. If you're in a bar, you can probably pull it off and use it as a straw. But if if the drink is served in fine crystal, it should be kept to its original intention.

4) Whoops! I spilled!
Don't try to cover it up! It will only make you feel worse in the long run. If you spill, tell your host right away, apologize profusely, and offer to help clean it up. If it needs professional work, offer to pay for the service to do it. If the host doesn't accept, mail them a check with a note expressing your apologies.

5) Pass the Potatoes
For a family-style dinner, the proper way of serving requires the host to serve the meat and the side dishes passed to the right (counterclockwise), with each guest helping themselves.

6) Help - Only if Wanted
Ask the host if they want help with anything - setting the table, cleaning up, etc. But if they decline, don't insist. It might just stress them out more to find something for you to do.

7) Send Thanks!
It may seem like a little much, especially if Grandma was the host, but a nice thank you card goes a long way. Imagine what a nice surprise it will be for the host to receive a card in the mail, long after the last guests leaves, thanking them for all their efforts.

At the end of the night - even after all of the stress and anticipation - entertaining in your Tampa Bay Home, surrounded by your friends and family, is one of the thrills of owning a home. It's such a wonderful feeling to have a place to bring everybody together, filling the air with laughter and delicious smells. With every party comes a new memory, a new story, and a new tribute to your home. If you're interested in Tampa Bay Real Estate, we would love to help you find your dream home.

Team Chais
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01/19/2012

Team Chais would like to remind you that November is the official month for Alzheimer's Awareness. We could not agree more that setting an official time of year to raise awareness is one of the best ways to make strides towards finding a cure for this widespread disease that continues to affect our parents, grandparents and friends.

It is estimated that 5.3 million Americans suffer from Alzheimer's disease (source: www.alz.org). That number is doubled, if not tripled if you think of the number of people who are affected by this debilitating disease - the friends, family, healthcare and social workers, advocates, and volunteers.

So this November, Tampa Bay is standing up and taking a walk to raise awareness with the Alzheimer's Association Memory Walk and you're invited!

Place: Lowry Park Bandshell, 7530 N. Boulevard, Tampa, Florida
Date: Saturday, November 6th 2010
Time: 8 am (Pre-walk activities); 9 am (Walk step off)
Length: 2 Miles

Team Chais is participating and we would love to see you there! This is such a great cause and such a successful event. Since its inception in 1989, Memory Walk has raised more than $300 million for the cause. The money goes towards Alzheimer's Association support and research. The mission of the Association is to provide care and support to those affected, reduce the risk of dementia through the promotion of brain health, and ultimately eliminate Alzheimer's disease through research advancement.

Team Chais welcomes your donations and your words of encouragement. Go to the Team Chais Facebook Page to check out the Team Chais Memory Walk Event. Or visit the Team Chais Donation page to make a contribution to the cause. We are always happy to get more involved in the Tampa Bay community and encourage new and old residents to do the same. If we can use this blog as a platform to make one more person aware of this disease and feel that they need to do something about it, then we have done our job.

Team Chais
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Unfortunately, with all of the good, also comes some bad. There are always precautions we should be aware of when it comes to Trick or Treating.

7 Tips to Tampa Bay Trick or Treating Safety

At Least One Adult: Children should always go trick or treating with a responsible adult. One large group of kids does not equal one responsible adult. Have at least one parent along for the ride, even if that means walking 10 feet behind them as to not embarrass them.

Stick to the Neighborhoods: Many Tampa Bay Neighborhoods have a town curfew. Make sure to stick to the curfew times and stick to the subdivisions and neighborhoods with lots of homes - not only does it make for the safest scenario, but it also allows the maximum amount of candy in a short amount of time!

Go Towards the Light: Tell your kids the importance of staying out of back allies and fields. For a reference, tell them to always stay towards the well-lit areas. As a courtesy to your neighbors, Tampa Bay Homeowners should turn on exterior lights to provide as much light as possible for the kids.

Look Before You Eat: Make sure your kids know not to open and eat any candy before bringing it home to be inspected first. Be wary of anything that is not factory-wrapped or no longer sealed. The easiest way to keep them from picking at their stash is to make sure they get a full meal in them before they go out.

Stranger Danger: They've heard it before and they'll have to hear it again. Instruct your child never to go into the home a of a stranger or into their car. No exceptions. Even if they roll their eyes at you as you tell them this for the 100th time, one more time is not going to hurt.

Stand Out: Make sure your child carries a flashlight, glow stick, or wears some sort of reflective tape on their costume. When it's dark outside, it's very easy for a car to miss a small child dressed in a dark costume.

Check In: The beauty of having cell phones these days is that we can keep tabs on our kids a lot better. Make it a rule that they check in with you every hour, or that you check in with them.

For a few more tips from Tampa Bay Online, check out this news story on Trick or Treating safety.

We feel pretty fortunate to live in a Tampa Bay neighborhood where we feel comfortable with our neighbors and safe in our community. When it comes to our kids, however, we always have to err on the side of caution. If you have any questions about any of the Tampa Bay areas, or you need some advice on which Tampa Bay Homes provide the safest areas - and will give you the best candy - give us a call.

Here is wishing all of you a very safe, fun and memory-filled Tampa Bay Halloween!

Team Chais
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Tampa FL Homes for Sale
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