Super worm moon is coming~March 9th

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Mother Nature is offering stargazers a super worm moon, which is a combination of two things – a super moon and a worm moon. A super moon is a new or full moon that happens at the time of the month when the moon is closest to Earth in its orbit. That means it’s going to look extra big and bright. The worm moon is just another name for the March’s full moon. It’s also called the Lenten moon, crow moon, crust moon, chaste moon, sugar moon or sap moon, depending on where you live.

Officially, the full moon peaks at 1:48 p.m. EDT on Monday(3-9-20) afternoon when the sun is out. But it will look full for much longer – from Sunday(today) through Tuesday night. Viewing conditions will depend on the weather and skies in your area.

Spring Forward on Sunday, March 8th

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Here’s a reminder to set your clock forward for Daylight Savings Time, starting on Sunday, March 8th, 2020. You may not even need this reminder, unless you have wall clocks in your house, because most devices are so smart these days, they just automatically change themselves once the time change goes in to effect.

Have you ever wondered why it’s called “daylight savings”? Essentially, we change our clocks as a way of “saving” or making better use of natural daylight. During daylight savings time clocks are set an hour ahead, so that the sun rises later in the morning and sets later in the evening. We do the opposite in the fall. Contrary to popular belief, Daylight savings Time was not enacted to benefit farmers, but rather as a wartime conservation effort during World War I.

One of the best things about Daylight Savings time is leaving work when the sun is still out. Some people say it saves energy during the spring and summer months, because more people may be outside in the evening and not using artificial light at home. Other people love the long summer evenings and feel safer when there is still light. There are people who also complain about the drawbacks of springing ahead, as it causes you to lose an hour of sleep or an hour of productivity, and a rise in traffic accidents due to drowsy driving during the first few days after the spring time change.

 

Census Info

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The Census Bureau serves as the nation’s leading provider of quality data about its people and economy. The Census is hiring and also will be sending out forms in the coming months. For information about that click the link at the bottom of this blog.

If you have a P.O. Box, you won’t receive the census there. Instead, expect a census field worker to bring a postcard or questionnaire to your home.
How to identify a census field representative:
They must present an I.D. badge with their photograph, a department of commerce watermark, and an expiration date.
They will have a letter from the director of the U.S. Census Bureau
They will be able to provide the number for the regional office for verification.

Did you know 45% of 18- to 24- year old’s who don’t live at home are considered less likely to respond to the #2020Census because they are what the U.S. Census Bureau calls “young and mobile?”

The Data is Used:
– to determine the distribution of Congressional seats to states–
~mandated by the U.S. Constitution
~used to apportion seats in the U.S. House of Representatives
~used to define legislature districts, school district assignment areas and other important functional areas of government

Changes in our community are crucial to many planning decisions, such as where to:
~provide services for the elderly
~where to build new roads and schools
~or where to locate job training centers

Census data affects how funding is allocated to communities for:
~neighborhood improvements
~public health
~education
~transportation
~and much more

For more information about the Census click the link below.

www.census.gov

March 7th

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Saturday, March 7th is another full day in the panhandle. As always look under each photo for details on events.

Quincy Porchfest and Sketchcrawl will be held Saturday, March 7 from 1:00 to 6:00 pm. Musicians will be playing on porches and other venues throughout the Quincy downtown historic district. Area artists will also be sketching and painting the scenery. The genres of music cover a wide range from Classical and Jazz, to Americana and Indie Rock. Bands that have signed up so far are: Big Bend Woodwind Quintet, Genezone, Frank Dietrich, Decade Kings, Tallahassee Flute Club, Wreckin’ So, Below the Dam Band, Hot Tamale, Bench Warmer, Once Great Estate, and LCP & the Gangbusters. The finale of the day will be the 20 member jazz/Swing band, Thursday Night Music Club, playing under the covered pavilion behind the First Presbyterian Church. So take the family and some chairs, stroll around beautiful downtown Quincy and be entertained by talented area artists and musicians. Musician list and map will be available at the Gadsden Arts Center and Museum, Damfinos, the Quincy Main Street office, and other downtown locations. The event is open to the public and always FREE.
Head over to any Sunsouth locations from 10am to 1pm on Saturday, March 7th, for the Open House event being held at all SunSouth locations, with equipment demos of Gators and Tractors, kids’ activities, and a FREE lunch! Plus, register to win a Gator XUV 560E. Door prizes every 15 minutes.
Harbor Freight Tools is having the formal grand opening of its new store at 4739 US Highway 90, in Marianna on Saturday, March 7, at 8 a.m. The first 1,000 customers to visit the store on grand-opening weekend will get a free tape measure. The 24,000-square-foot store will stock tools and accessories in categories including automotive, air and power tools, storage, outdoor power equipment, generators, welding supplies, shop equipment, hand tools and more.
Free food giveaway from 2nd Harvest. Saturday, March 7th from approx. 9:30 until 11:30 (or sooner if they run out) they will be at the Wewahitchika High School. They will start passing out the food as soon as they can get it ready(possibly 9am). They can only give out what they get and there is a 3 family per car limit(no exceptions). Bring comfort measures for yourself because there can be a wait. Please stay inside your vehicles & please have an empty, accessible area to place food.
Can’t find that one item you need? Go on out to the Panhandle Pioneer Settlement in Blountstown on March 7th from 7:30 am until 2 pm for the Kick off of the Annual Rummage Sale. They are also accepting items for the Rummage Sale. Must be clean and usable. No TV’s or Encyclopedias!
2nd annual bbq and yard sale at Possum Place from 7am to 4pm for a Wausau recreation fundraiser day.

Ribbon Cutting: Landshark Seafood and Oyster Bar~March 5th

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The Jackson County Chamber of Commerce and Landshark Seafood and Oyster Bar would like to announce a Ribbon Cutting Ceremony on Thursday, March 5th at 4:00 p.m. to celebrate the Grand Opening of Landshark Seafood and Oyster Bar located at 3299 Main Street in Cottondale.

Landshark Seafood and Oyster Bar is owned and operated by Glinda Hathorn and Carl Tegeder. The menu offers a variety of seafood options as well as New Orleans Cuisine and something for the land lovers. Be sure to check out the raw oyster bar as well as their delicious cooked options. Call 850-768-2479 for any questions. They are closed on Sundays, Monday thru Thursday they are open 11am to 9pm and Saturday and Sunday open from 11am to 12pm.

The public is invited to help celebrate this special occasion. For more information contact the Jackson County Chamber of Commerce at 850-482-8060 or info@jacksoncounty.com

 

Happy Birthday Florida~March 3rd

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Today Florida is celebrating a birthday! Florida is the 27th state to be admitted to the Union. After being organized as a U.S. territory in 1822, Florida was admitted into the Union in 1845. Florida has now grown to be the third most populous state in America, with some 21 million residents and more than 400 municipalities. They include St. Augustine, the nation’s oldest continuously occupied settlement. A few fun things about Florida: ~Florida has an average of 300 days of sunshine a year. ~Florida has the most golf courses of any state in America. ~Florida is the flattest state in America. ~Florida produces the most oranges in America.

“Happy Birthday, Florida!” is the new public education project that will join public, private and nonprofit sector partners, to use this historic milestone in time to increase awareness about the rich heritage of America’s third-largest state. The majority of Floridians moved here from someplace else, choosing to make the Sunshine State their home. This is an opportunity for these newer residents – as well as native Floridians — to learn all about the strength and diversity of our cultures and citizens. People have lived in Florida since the Ice Age, and Juan Ponce de León visited Florida more than 500 years ago.  Florida was making history before the Pilgrims set foot at Plymouth Rock. You could easily spend your entire life studying our state’s intriguing past. It’s an incredible history well worth sharing with all Floridians. This project is expect to launch this spring.

STREET EATS in Blountstown~March 6th

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As the week beginnings start planning for the weekend! Friday, March 6, 2020 from 5pm to 8pm at 20331 Central Ave W in Blountstown at the Plaza on Hwy 20 [next to Badcock] you are invited to join your local foodies for dinner and dessert! Dinner options include Swamp Shack BBQ, Uncle’s Taste of the Island, and What’s Kookin’ and have dessert with WildFlour Bakery or The Sugar Fix. Cornhole and Giant Jenga are always made available by Mainstreet Blountstown. This is a  monthly event with games and food for you to buy.

Learn to use your smartphone~March 3rd

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Need help learning to use your smartphone? Join this one-hour class where you can get your questions answered by an AT&T representative. Held at the Jackson County Public Library located at 2929 Green Street in Marianna at 1:45pm.

Last Day of February

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Can you believe it is already the last day of February? Where has this month gone? Some things that were celebrated this month were: ~Black History Month ~ American Heart Month ~ Friendship Month ~ Valentine’s Day ~ National Youth Leadership Month ~ Library Lovers Month ~ National School Counseling Week ~ Congenital Heart Failure Awareness Week ~ Jello Week ~ Random Acts of Kindness Week ~ Engineers Week ~ and National Eating Disorders Awareness Week.

Random facts about February. ~The largest American sporting event of the year, the Super Bowl, is held in February. ~Birthstone is Amethyst ~ Flower is Primrose ~ Zodiac signs are Aquarius and Pisces ~ Over time, the length of February kept changing. At one point, it had as little as 23 days. ~ The name of February comes from the Latin word “februum” which means purification. ~ February is the only month where it’s possible to go the entire time without having a full moon. ~ AND Of all the words you can misspell, February is one of the most misspelled words in the English language!

Seacrest Wolf Preserve

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Seacrest Wolf Preserve is located at 3449 Bonnett Pond Rd. in Chipley. You can email them at seacrestwolfpack@yahoo.com and call them at (850) 773-2897. The office is open Monday-Friday 9:30am to 5:00pm. Click on the link to be directed to the website. https://www.seacrestwolfpreserve.org/visitor-information

Seacrest Wolf Preserve offers an unforgettable, educational experience where visitors encounter wolves. This rare and immersive experience allows guests to come face to face with the Seacrest Wolf Ambassadors as they learn important scientific information about this amazing keystone species.They offer several different types of educational tours by reservation only. Seacrest Wolf Preserve is working hard to equip the public with knowledge to become better advocates through their educational programs. The goal is to raise the awareness of the visitors of the urgent needs of wolf conservation that have become extremely immediate. Founded by Cynthia and Wayne Watkins in 1999, Seacrest Wolf Preserve, Inc. is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization dedicated to wolf and wildlife conservation. What began as a small rescue effort has now grown to a large preserve focused on education, which is home to 30 wolves (Gray Wolves, Arctic-Type Wolves, and British Columbian Wolves) and a variety of small native species, including a coyote, foxes, raccoons, skunks and foxes. At Seacrest, they teach people about wolves, create awareness of the importance of wolves to their ecosystems and dispel the myths that have been associated with this keystone species for far too long. This wonderful preserve uses science-based educational tours in order to help aid in conservation efforts and bring a better awareness and understanding of wolves.

If ever you’ve wanted to get nose-to-nose with a wolf and have the photo documentation to prove it, then head on over to Seacrest Wolf Preserve in Florida.