National Plant a Flower Day~March 12th

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National Plant a Flower Day 2019 is observed on Tuesday, March 12, 2019.

Few things on the planet are more beautiful or fascinating than flowers—with over 400,000 flowering plant species in the world, there is definitely something every one of us would fall in love with. Flowers have served numerous purposes over the millennia, from decoration purposes to medicinal ones, as well as many, many more. In 17th century Holland, a house could be purchased for tulips, and flowers have also been an integral part of various religions and mythologies and their traditions and rituals. Could you even imagine a wedding reception without the bouquet toss? Would there be any Christmas without poinsettias? What would poets and painters do without the flowers that have inspired them to create countless works of art? From the simple daisy to the elegant rose, and from the colorful wildflowers dotting hillsides to the elaborate and vibrant flowers of southeastern Asia, flowers have more than deserved their own day though for their contributions to art, culture, and life.

The best way to celebrate Plant a Flower Day is to plant a flower, or perhaps even many flowers!

So it is expected to be nice and warm here in the panhandle on March 12th so set a little bit of time aside on this holiday to sow some seeds in your yard or garden. This could also serve as the perfect time to take your children outside and explain a bit about how nature works its magic, what helps plants grow, why we need them, and what we can do to help protect our planet from pollution.

Happy National Plant a Flower Day!

March 13-15th~Carrabelle Camp Gordon Johnston WWll Museum~25th anniversary

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Camp Gordon Johnston WWII Museum is celebrating the 25th Annual Camp Gordon Johnston Days on March 13-15, 2020 in Carrabelle, FL. For this special anniversary, a weekend of meaningful events is planned especially to honor our country’s remaining WWII veterans as well as recognize and salute all veterans from WWII to present. All veterans, their family and friends as well as the general public are asked to come to Carrabelle to join the celebration of our military veterans.

On Friday, March 13th, at 6 pm, the Camp Gordon Johnston American Legion Post 82 located in Lanark Village warmly invites all WWII veterans, WWII widows/widowers, non-WWII veterans (with proof of service), active duty military, and members of Post 82 to a Low Country Boil in their honor. Each veteran or member is welcome to bring one guest. This event is not open to the general public. For more information, call (850) 697-9998.

On Saturday, March 14th, kicking off at 10:45 am, the Annual Camp Gordon Johnston Days Parade pays tribute to all veterans of all branches of service. This year’s community parade is expected to feature vintage museum vehicles including the WWII DUKW, Willis Jeep, and German Lieferwagen, more recent military vehicles, motorcycles, JROTC units, color guards, veteran organizations and auxiliary units, and of course, many civic and community floats, decorated golf carts, gorgeous classic cars, Shriners and beauty queens of all ages. In addition, the Military Vehicle Preservation Association – First Florida Chapter will be bringing their amazing restored vintage military vehicles to carry veterans in the parade. The parade will wind through downtown Carrabelle along Hwy 98. Camp Gordon Johnston Museum invites you to participate in the 25th Annual Camp Gordon Johnston Days Parade as the community celebrates and recognizes all military veterans and current service members here and abroad with a special tribute for our WWII veterans. Participants do not have to have any military affiliation to participate, just an appreciation for veterans and military. Individuals, community organizations and businesses are all welcome to participate with a float, vehicle or as walkers. Simply show your support for our veterans and military service members by displaying red, white and blue colors. If participants arrive without pre-registering, they are still encouraged to join but may be placed at the end of the parade.

Following the parade, the museum’s historical vehicles, the DUKW, Willis Jeep, and German Lieferwagon, will be on display at the Camp Gordon Johnston Museum at 1873 Hwy 98 West, Carrabelle, directly across the street from Carrabelle Beach. Everyone is invited to see these vehicles up close and personal.

The Camp Gordon Johnston WWII Museum will be open to all visitors on Friday and Saturday from 11 am – 5 pm. Guests are encouraged to come and hear the amazing stories of the region’s WWII heroes and see the remarkable collection of WWII artifacts and memorabilia. Overflow and large vehicle parking is available directly across Highway 98 at Carrabelle Public Beach Park.

Saturday evening the Camp Gordon Johnston Days festivities continue with a special event – the Camp Gordon Johnston Days Dinner Dance – at the Franklin County Senior Center in Carrabelle. Enjoy a 1940’s era dinner and music with our veterans. The suggested donation is $15 for advance tickets and $20 at the door if any tickets are still available. Advance ticket purchase is recommended due to limited seating and can be purchased at the Senior Center, 201 NW Ave F, Carrabelle. For more information, call (850) 697-3760.

On Sunday, March 15th, Camp Gordon Johnston WWII Museum will also be hosting a Dice Run to raise funds for constructing a vehicle display building next to the current museum facility. All types of vehicles are welcome. Registration is $15 for the driver and $5 for each passenger and will be open from 12:00-1:30 PM at the museum. The Dice Run will conclude by 4:30 PM. Prizes for high and low rollers, door prizes, and 50-50 will be awarded. For more information about the Dice Run, contact Mark Melcher at (850) 228-6477 or Jim Newton at (260) 341-7291.

Garden/lawn tips

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There’s no busier time of year for the avid gardener. The weather is getting warmer, the soil is ready for planting, and the garden center is bursting at the seams with new arrivals. Our annual final frost typically occurs around March 15, but this year has been unseasonably warm and many gardeners are itching to get started. Here are a few tips from Esposito Garden Center in Tallahassee.

Pruning
It’s time to finish any heavy pruning of trees or shrubs. You can hold of on pruning any spring flowering shrubs until they are finished blooming.
For shrubs that appear cold-damaged, wait until you can see the new growth to begin pruning. You may be surprised to see that there is less damage than you expected. Old, overgrown woody shrubs including tea olive, ligustrum, and hollies, may be rejuvenated with heavy pruning. Cut them to within a foot or two from the ground and allow them to grow back.Thin the fruit on apples, persimmons, and pears as the clusters form. Thin peaches and nectarines before they reach the size of a walnut.

Planting Trees
Early March is an excellent time to plant trees and shrubs, but the sooner the better! As it heats up, it becomes more difficult for newly planted trees to thrive, so it’s best to get them in the ground before temperatures start to climb. If you select your spring flowering trees while they are in bloom, it’s easy to see exactly what you can expect for years to come. Be sure to check out the Japanese Magnolias and Redbuds while they’re still in bloom!
It’s a great time to add some fruit trees, shrubs, or vines to your yard. Make sure to ask about pollination requirements; some fruit trees require a partner.

Lawn Care
Sharpen your mower blades and take care of any mower maintenance. A dull blade makes a rough cut which can damage your grass. Keep an eye on this throughout the season; sharp blades make for a healthier lawn. Mow every 2 weeks to prevent winter weeds from spreading. If you planted winter rye over your lawn, cut it as low as possible so the sun can reach the permanent grass. Once the soil warms up, it’s safe to add plugs of St. Augustine or centipede grass. Wait until about 3 weeks after your lawn completely greens up to fertilize.

Fertilization
Perform a soil test to determine your exact fertilization needs. Fertilize young trees and shrubs with a balanced fertilizer (Plant Tone is a good organic option, but you can also use a general liquid or granular fertilizer, or even easy-to-use fertilizer stakes). Fruit trees such as peaches, pecans, grapes, pears, plums, figs, and persimmons should be fertilized with a fertilizer containing zinc and other minor elements. Also fertilize citrus and bananas with their respective fertilizers. After risk of frost, cut back and fertilize frost damaged perennials. Fertilize annuals with a bloom booster or general fertilizer at time of planting and once a month thereafter; plant veggies, perennials, and new trees or shrubs with a starter fertilizer that includes mycorrhizae (Bio-tone Starter Plus is a great one).

Happy gardening!

AXE Throwing PCB

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Axe Throwing PCB opened up just a few weeks ago. Located on Richard Jackson Boulevard in Panama City Beach, it’s an activity for the whole family to release their inner lumberjack. This is a new trend spreading through the US.

Visitors can book a board for 30 minutes, an hour, or even two hours. Prices start at $20. And they do sell alcohol as well. When you enter you first sign a waiver and watch a short tutorial on how to best throw an axe and all the safety rules and then, the board is all yours. Walk-ins are welcome, or you can book the venue for parties or corporate events. To book a lane and get your axe throwing on call (850) 249-4790.

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.