THE GRAND OPENING OF THE NEW FOREST PUBLIC LIBRARY!
At press time the opening ceremony is planned for the beginning of February. The exact date will be announced. All are invited to attend the ribbon cutting ceremony and get a tour of the new library. The Forest Public Library will actually open for business the day after the opening ceremony. Library cards are free to Marion County residents.
THE MARION COUNTY MASTER GARDENERS SPRING FESTIVAL
The Marion County Master Gardeners present their annual SPRING FESTIVAL. The Festival will take place at the Agricultural Center on Old Jacksonville Road, Ocala, on March 13th and 14th. There will be many plant vendors and food vendors. Decorative garden figures and furniture and doo dahs will be available. There will also be lectures and demonstrations on both Sat. and Sun. The Festival runs from 8 to 4 on Sat. and Sun.
FLAVOR YOUR FOODS WITH TEA
What easier way to add exotic flavors to your meals than by substituting tea in place of water? When you cook rice boil 3 cups of water, then add 4 Wild Cherry Blackberry tea bags. Continue boiling for an additional minute. Remove the tea bags,squeezing out the excess. Add 1 1/2 Cups of rice, lower to a simmer and cover. Cook for 20 minutes or until the rice is tender. P.S. The rice will be flavorful and purple! This is from Cooking With Tea by Jennifer and Mo Siegel owners of Celestial Seasonings Tea Company.
MOVING DAYS
Library volunteers and staff will all pitch in to move the books, shelving and furniture from the present library to the new facility. Since this is not a one day job the Forest Public Library will be closed for several days in January. The exact date was not known at the time we went to press so check the dates when you check out your books.
WEDNESDAY MATINEE MOVIES
Twice a month The Friends of the Forest Public library have offered free movies. This will be suspended until the move to the new library is completed. We hope to resume in February. Keep your eyes open for posters or call the library for dates and titles.
GARDENING TIPS FOR THE SEASON
- JANUARY is a good time to curl up with your seed catalogs and plan your spring garden. Seeds are a good way to go if you want many of the same flowers. If you want just a few of each, then purchasing an established plant from a local nursery might be best. Try to use native plants when you can.
- FEBRUARY is the month to start your seeds indoors. Use individual plant pods and do not over water. Do not let the pods dry out either. If you are planning to put in new beds work on them now.
- MARCH, theoretically, is the end of winter. You can start planting outdoors after St Patrick’s Day. Clean out your beds and add slow release fertilizer. Now is the time to buy your established plants but when you go to the nurseries go with a list of specific plants. Don’t let yourself be lured by the call of beautiful exotics!
Fashion Show
St.Joseph’s church will be having their annual fashion show. Parishioners will model clothes from Bon Worth. Lunch will be served; admission is $10 per person, Feb. 13, 2010 at 11:00 Call 625-4222 for more info.
Alpha Center
We will have a baby shower for the needy moms and babies. The event will be held in St. Jo’s hall. They need blankets, diapers and clothes that a baby needs. Shop the yard sales and get gently used items, these girls need them now. We will have finger foods and drinks. Jan. 30, 2010 2 to 4 p.m. Please plan to attend and any donation will be welcome.
Choral Celebration
Our Celebration was dampened with continuous rain and had to be held indoors, but the choirs and entertainment was just as great, as always. From 7 to 9 we enjoyed a variety of Christmas music, starting with 12 members of Marion County Sheriff’s Dept. Drum and Pipes. The breath-taking cadence of bagpipes thrilled everyone. St. Joseph’s choir entertained us with many carols, as did Forest Lutheran Church choir, Cornerstone Cafe’s live band, Faith Family Fellowship Church adult choir and their charming childrens costumed group. The Girl Scouts added several songs and accompanied by “Here Comes Santa Claus” Santa himself entered with his bag of toys. Area organizations contributed dozens of plates of cookies and COPS provided parking control.
Turkey Float
FAC had a float in the Ocala Christmas Parade that no one could miss this year, a 13′ high 14′ long Turkey. Accompanied by live Christmas music on the guitar by Ray Migatz, our float received a tie for 3rd place, out of 100 floats. The wood frame was constructed by Ray, Terry Taylor, Tony David and Diana Harris with Ray his wife Patcy and Diana finishing it over several weeks. Covered with over 20 strings of lights and dual spotlights it was very visable in the evening parade, from the two people in camp chairs by our “campfire” to the huge turkey tail.
TRY THIS INSTEAD
- For burns use Colgate toothpaste.
- Two glasses of Gatorade can relieve headache pain.
- Try chewing a couple of Altoids peppermints instead of using the high priced inhaler for your stuffed nose.
- Alka-Selzer can cure some urinary infections. (NOT Alka-Seltzer Cold Medicine, it has aspirin and can cause stomach bleeding).
- Listerine can be used for toenail fungus.
- Coca-Cola can be used to remove rust.
- Instead of insecticide try a spray of Formula 409 when menacing bees, hornets or yellow jackets get in your home.
- To disinfect a broken blister dab on a few drops of Listerine.
- Soak a cotton ball in white vinegar and apply it to a bruise for 1 hr. to speed up healing.
- Wash your dog in Dawn dish-washing liquid to kill fleas.
- Mix 2 cups oatmeal and 1 cup water and warm in the microwave for 1 min. Apply the mixture to your hands for soothing relief of arthritis pain.
Theraputic Laughter
- Laughter reduces cortisol which is a hormone that causes stress.
- Laughter aids in the production of endorphins to keep you feeling good.
- Laughter eases muscle tension, which is good for rheumatism.
- Laughter increases the body’s T-cell count, which are cells of the immune system that kill outside bacteria harmful to the body.
- Laughter aids ventilation and helps clear mucus plugs which is good for emphysema.
- Laughter induces an increase in heart rate which increases blood circulation causing a rise in the volume of oxygen and nutrients pumped to the tissues.
- Laughter increases catecholamines which are known to boost mental functions.
- Laughter increases pain tolerance.
- Laughter reduces the rate of cellular decay, thus slowing down the rate of aging.
- Laughter is linked to lower blood sugar levels ( after a meal by type 2 diabetics.)
- Laughter can, in 15 min., burn 40 calories, about equivilent to a decent piece of chocolate.
1-800-NOWLAFF or www.worldlaughtertour.com
GARDENING HELP AVAILABLE
Has one of your shrubs mysteriously died? Is something attacking your lawn? The Master Gardeners of Marion County are available 5 days a week to answer questions you may have about your gardens. These are volunteers that have been trained by the University of Florida and who love gardening. Call 671-8400 or stop in their office at the Agricultural Complex on old Jacksonville Road.
ARNETTE HOUSE THANKS YOU
To those who brought Christmas gifts for youth of Arnette House, to the Friends Christmas and Appreciation Brunch, Arnette House extends a heartfelt thank you. A special thank you goes to John and Sherry Gringos who represented the Eagles and presented a check for $2,500 to the Arnette House. A blessing on all.
Forest COPS Activities
The quarter got off quickly with the Cops patrol organizing a collection for the troops. We named the event “Christmas in a Box”_ Two tents were set up for collections on Sat. Oct. 24th. One in front of Winn Dixie and one in front of Family Dollar and donations began pouring in. At the end of the day we had collected $1100 and several boxes of personal care items. After a little more shopping with the donated money the group gathered again to sort, pack and label 32 large banana boxes. Ernie Barney, the COPS coordinator and Bill Stewart went to Ft. Blanding and made arrangements for the boxes to accompany the next group of soldiers to Afghanistan. They left the middle of Nov. and will arrive there in January. What a great feeling it was to see all those supplies and know that all of it will be used by our own local soldiers.
Then it was on to Halloween to patrol the parking lot of the Corrtmunity Center, then the Choral Celebration in Dec. We patroled a full week at the Ladies Golf tournament in Ocala and rang the rang the bell for the Salvation Army one full week.
The patrol is up to capacity again with the snow birds back. Hours patrolled: 900+ hours in Oct., Nov. and Dec. After a busy quarter it was time for fun the COPS annual Christmas party was held at the United Methodist Church. Sheriff Dean and his wife attended to thank the packed room for their service to our Community. A great time was had by all. We still need more volunteers to patrol; for more info call 402-6040.
Adult Spelling Bee
The Marion County Literacy Council is holding its sixth annual spelling bee on Jan. 22, 2010 at the Ocala Hilton begining at 5:30 p.m. The “Bee” includes an early evening dinner, silent and live auctions, drawings and the grand finale: a spelling bee among teams comprised of corporate employees and community groups. Tickets to attend are $50, available MCLC at 690-7323
Rare Bird Sighting
The red-breasted nuthatch, a bird rarely seen as far south as Marion County was spotted Oct. 20 by Donna Benedict at her home at Woods and Lakes Airpark. Donna, a sno~bird, a birder and a member of the Marion County Audubon Society says the small bird landed on her window screen and stayed there until one of her cats spotted it and said “Ohhhhh!” then it was gone leaving her to wonder if it will be seen by others in the forest anytime soon. Donna participates in the annual Christmas Bird Count held Dec. 14 in East Marion County and Jan. 4 in West Marion County.
The red-breasted nuthatch is a common bird seen in Michigan in the summer along with its cousin the white breasted nuthatch which can be seen at backyard feeding stations or climbing head-down on trunks or major limbs of trees.
Turning Point Mentoring
At Forest Lakes Park it has been an exciting year, with the Turning Point mentoring program getting off to a great start. Parents are reporting that they have seen a great improvement in their kids grades from the individual instruction and help from the program staff. Over the Christmas break David and his staff took the kids on several field trips. They enjoyed a trip to Epcot, the science center and took them out to lunch at a local restaurant. The kids really had a great time. It is the hope of David Houk, the coordinator, that this Center will be a model for other similar programs in the Forest area. The Center is open each weekday afternoon. Stop by and meet the staff and let them show you what a great program they have put together for the kids.
Forest Paper Crafters
We have a new name for our monthly “girls night out” get-together. We thought “The Forest Paper Crafters” was appropriate so that is what we’ll be! The girls enjoyed a couple days making fall cards and scrapbook pages last quarter. Several of the girls were new to the craft and are planning on coming back next month. We are starting earlier in the day since it is getting dark so early and several girls don’t like to drive after dark. We’ll start at noon and go ’til we drop!!! Paper crafting, whether you scrapbook or just like to make greeting cards is easy and fun. It is also a great way to spend long winter days when you can’t get outside. Basic supplies are provided in the class fee. All you need to bring is some adhesive and your scissors. We meet the fourth Friday each month. Any questions or to sign up call Jackie 288-9655.
H.O.M.E.
Hands of Mercy Everywhere is a Christian residential and outreach program for teens and their babies. Their current home is on Robinson Rd. in Belleview and they now have an outreach program at the Forest Community Center on Mon. 2 to 5 for teen moms and moms to be. Classes are available for parenting, life skills, spiritual development and academics, plus many activities and projects. Over the last 5 years the program has grown with committed board members, community partners, loyal volunteers and dedicated donors. It has been an excellent example for the teen moms to see how the community cares. Visit www.teenmothershome.org for more info.
Charlie Sez
Fishing is in it’s peak now as the water Cools. All Forest Lakes are currently good, with specs and catfish biting.
Ghost Towns
Fourth in our series of old communities in the area that no longer exist is Welchton. Silver Springs Shores is built in the middle of the site of Welchton on Maricamp Rd. In 1884 a little town was conceived to cultivate grapes on 7000 acres of pine land between Ocala and Candler. This was situated on the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad and founded by a northerner by the name of Capt. John M. Welch. He built a 3 story 40 room hotel, and a post office. Approx. 200 Italian immigrants came to Welchton to farm the grape vineyards. A roadhouse provided hardware, food and dress materials. Every day the train stopped and passengers would disembark for their noon meal at the hotel. The grapes didn’t fare well in the area and many people gradually left. Later the hotel and general store closed. The 1895 freeze Wiped out the remaining farmers and the post office finally gave up in 1898. Mr. Welch moved to Ocala and operated a restaurant. No traces of Welchton remain.
In the Forest
Juniper Springs and Salt Springs are both now open for picnics, swimming and hiking after a long period of re-construction. Along with Alexander Springs and Silver Glen Springs we have four priceless gems a short drive away offering swimming in crystal clear 72 degree water and hiking in tropical settings. Canoing has continued at all the springs. Because of hunting, dispersed camping is on hold until mid Jan. Until then stay in one of our 26 organized campgrounds and enjoy the miles of hiking, horseback and ATV trails. Please don’t feed the bears!!
Forest Lutheran Activities
Community meals will be held the 3rd Sat. of Jan., Feb. and March. If anyone is willing to help out, especially if a commercial kitchen might be available, contact Pastor Ron 625-8700. Lent begins on Feb. 17th and we will have soup supper before the Wed. services and Lenton services at 7 p.m.
Places to go and Things to do
Jan. -Mar.: View the Manatees at Blue Springs St. Park.
Jan. 8-10: Seaside Festival, New Smyrna Beach Hot air balloons
Feb. 14-28: Speed Week, Daytona, NASCAR
Feb 30-31 and Feb 5-7: Hoggetowne Medievel Faire at Alachua Co. Fairgrounds
SILVER SPRINGS: Crystal Gayle, Foreigner, Chris Cagle, Oak Ridge Boys and Ford Mustang Show.
ORANGE BLOSSOM OPRY: Billy “Crash” Craddock, the Diamonds, Ray Price, the Coasters, Ronnie Dove
Feb. 26-Mar 7: Daytona Bike Week
SILVER SPRINGS: Tracy Lawrence, America, Neal McCoy, Starship
ORANGE BLOSSOM OPRY: Our own Mel Tillis, Bellamy Bros., little Jimmy Dickens, John Conlee
Mar. 4-14: Strawberry Festival, Plant City
Mar. 6-7: Azelea Festival, Palatka
Mar. 8-26 Spring Break, Daytona Beach
SILVER SPRINGS: Aaron Tippon, Randy Travis, Loverboy, Gatlin Bros
ORANGE BLOSSOM OPRY: Roy Clark, Buck Ram Platters, Connie Smith and Marty Stuart, Gene Watson
Coming Events: Business Expo April 17, Community Center Free, Business and organizations set up and the Sheriff’s K-9 unit, Crime Watch and Firetrucks are on display.
FACFounders Awards
The Forest Advisory Council Annual Anniversary and Awards Celebration will be held on Feb. 20 at the Community Center on 314A south of 40. The council will vote on the community awards this month, the Founders awards have been selected and they are as follows: The Parnell Townly Award selection is Mary Betty Herrera known as Rocking Chair Betty, Rocking Chair Betty, who has given many many hours, years to reading to the children at our library and at the East Marion School. This lovely lady is 94 years young and still rocking. Bless your heart we all love you.
The Tommy Needham Award selection is Pastor Tony David for his caring and sharing with the community and serving as an officer of FAC due to his concerns for the community family.
The Art Tooley Award selection is the Eagles Auxilliary #4216 for walking the walk, people helping people, in many ways to many people in our community, especially the youth. You are respected and admired.
The Patricia Holcomb Award selection is Diane Lemon, the choir director of the St Josephs of the Forest Church. She is a gifted writer, directors and plays many instruments, but you will find her caring and sharing out in the community treating the elderly and veterans to musical treats and laughter, the healing scene. Diane’s troops are wonderful too.
The John Van Fleet award is for the East Marion little League for their concern and sports education and sportsmanship for the East Marion Youth.
New Library
The new Forest Public Library, Branch Supervisor Greg Malak extends a large welcome to the public for the grand opening of the new library on 314-A south (on the next parcel from the old library) during the month of February. It will have triple the space and a lot more to offer, as bigger rooms, programs, activities and educational programs. See you there.
Note from Pat
There was a giant wild turkey from the East Marion area. People saw it growing in Diana Harris’ front yard in Nov. Helping it along was Ray Migatz, Terry Taylor and Tony David. Diana designed it. “Drumstick” was 11 feet long and 13 feet tall. He participated in the Ocala Christmas Parade with his Santa Hat and guess what?? He brought home an award!! So Congratulations to “Drumstick” and his whole human family for their jolly good award. Well deserved.
Where to Take Visitors
1-Take a hike and picnic at Alexander Springs, south of rt. 40 east of rt. 19. This is a beautiful natural spring with swimming,. canoeing and camping. $4
2-Go to Orange Blossom Opry in Weirsdale. Thur. Fri. and Sat evenings, $7-$25. Excellent country music!!
3-Go to Market of Marion Flea Market. no charge.
4-Spend the day at Silver Springs, a good 4-5 hours to enjoy the treasure right in our back yard. $34
5-Try a unique Carriage tour of the area horse farms. Ocala carriage.
6- G0 fishing at Carney Island, Rt. 25 outside Ocklawaha. Playground, picnic, swimming beach.
7-Visit Don Garlits drag racing museum, 1-75 at exit 341.
Something for everyone.