6/1/2018

Today, marks the first day of the 2018 Atlantic Hurricane Season and it is also a time when tourists love to visit Florida. Close to 21 million people call Florida home, and millions more visit the beauty Florida offers from the panhandle all the way to the Keys. In the past two years, Florida has been reminded of the impact of mother nature during the past hurricane seasons that have brought destruction and devastating flooding to our communities.

Everyone, whether you are a resident or a visitor, should make safety their number one priority and be prepared for this upcoming hurricane season. Hurricane experts predict this hurricane season to be an active one, and I want everyone to be prepared. My Hurricane Preparedness Guide provides a detailed checklist of items you will need in the event of a hurricane. To view my guide, click here. [Read more…]

The City of Ocala Recreation and Parks Department will host the Future Stars Basketball program Mondays through Saturdays, June 4 through July 7 from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m.

Post Date:05/31/2018 1:56 PM

OCALA, Fla. (May 31, 2018) – The City of Ocala Recreation and Parks Department will host the Future Stars Basketball program Mondays through Saturdays, June 4 through July 7 from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the E.D. Croskey Recreation Center located at 1510 NW Fourth St. Games will take place Saturdays, June 9 through July 7 at 8 a.m. at the E.D. Croskey Recreation Center.

This program will teach participants the fundamentals of basketball, teamwork and sportsmanship. It includes four weeks of games, a one-week tournament and one championship game per age division.

This program is open to boys and girls ages 7 to 17. Registration is open now through Monday, June 4. The registration fee is $30 per player.

To register, or for more information, please contact the City of Ocala Recreation and Parks Department at 352-368-5517.

The 2018 Atlantic Hurricane Season begins Friday, June 1 and ends Friday, Nov. 30.

Post Date:05/31/2018 4:42 PM

OCALA, Fla. (May 31, 2018) – The 2018 Atlantic Hurricane Season begins Friday, June 1 and ends Friday, Nov. 30. While Ocala/Marion County does not have a coastline, our community can still experience freshwater flooding when tropical storms and hurricanes move across the Atlantic Ocean. The City of Ocala strongly encourages its residents to be alert, aware and prepared this hurricane season. [Read more…]

The best way to reduce the risk of a traffic crash is to practice safe driving behavior.   Here are some helpful tips to keep you safe.  All of the following information is readily available from driver handbooks and other government agencies:

When you’re behind the wheel of a car – whether alone or with passengers – driving safely should always be your top concern.  We are more distracted than ever, so it’s crucial to know the basics of safe driving and practice them every time you’re on the road.  Your safety, and the safety of others depend on it.

Pedestrians

It is the motorist’s responsibility to do everything possible to avoid colliding with any pedestrians. Bicyclists, skaters and skateboarders in a crosswalk or driveway are considered pedestrians. Turning motorists must yield to pedestrians at intersections with traffic signals.  Motorists must yield to pedestrians crossing the street or driveway at any marked mid-block crossing, driveway or intersection without traffic signals. [Read more…]

Fishing off Aruba: Bob Irwin of Bob’s Coins & Jewelry, Inc. and Wendy Netherclift of TomL Publishing LLC pictured in Aruba on a fishing trip. Bob said he wanted to target a Marlin and that’s what he did. The Marlin weight was approximately 450-500 lbs 12’ long, the largest Marlin the Charter Boat Captain had ever seen on that side of the island. It was caught and release. They were fishing in 1600 feet of water. The trip also caught 8 tuna 70-80 lbs and 5 tuna 20-30 lbs.

WILDWOOD, Fla. – Today, Governor Rick Scott attended a groundbreaking ceremony in The Villages to kick off construction of the Center for Advanced Healthcare at Brownwood, as well as the Brownwood Hotel and Spa. Governor Scott said, “It was great to celebrate a project that will create jobs and serve the 120,000 residents of The Villages. The Villages is a prime example of our state’s economic success. Florida has created more than 1.5 million jobs since December 2010 because of projects like the one we celebrated today.”

• A four-way stop is any intersection with a stop sign in each direction, a flashing red light in each direction, or an inoperable traffic light.  Traffic lights that are not working should be treated as a four-way stop sign.
• Four-way stops are usually (but not always) labeled as such, having a rectangular sign below the octagonal shape which reads something to the effect of, “4-Way Stop,” “Four-Way Stop,” or “All-Way Stop.”
• Each driver arriving at a four-way stop must first come to a stop, then one driver proceeds at a time.
• If turning, as you approach a four-way stop, use your turn signal about one hundred feet prior to reaching the stop sign. The four-way stop is one of the most crucial places for using your turn signal compared to almost any other driving situation.
• Four-way stops always operate in a clockwise direction. So, the car furthest to the right always has the right of way, and then cars take their turns in a clockwise direction.
• If multiple cars approach a four-way stop at about the same time, the driver who comes to a complete stop first proceeds first.
• If two or more cars arrive at a four-way stop simultaneously, the driver furthest to the right always proceeds first, and each next driver in the clockwise direction follows.
• If four cars arrive at a four-way stop simultaneously, drivers going straight should proceed first. If all four are turning right, they may all proceed simultaneously. These aside, there is no distinguishable way to see who should go first, so the intersection is at a standstill until one driver gets up the nerve and begins to inch forward, alerting the other drivers of his or her intentions, and proceeds through the intersection (thus starting the clockwise rotation from that driver).
• If two cars opposite each other are proceeding straight, both turning right, or one proceeding straight with the other turning right, they may go at the same time. The turn then goes to the adjacent cars at the stop, who may follow the same rule if applicable.

[Read more…]

Pictured are Children from Villages Elementary School of Lady Lake, with the Town Council showing their Water Awareness poster. The second annual Water Awareness Poster Contest was a great success. This is put on by the Town of Lady Lake and the Florida Governmental Utility Authority.

April Nothing But Networking lunch was held at the Waterfront Inn. Lady Lake Area Chamber recognized our Volunteer of the year, Dodie Frank, who is the owner of Cyber Office 4U. Starting from right to left is Dan Wilcox VP of the Chamber,  Susan Soltysiak President, Dodie Fran and Donna Oates Head of our Ambassador program.