Friday is the deadline to register for the benefit golf tournament sponsored by the Hernando County Education Foundation. The event is scheduled for May 18 at Silverthorn Country Club, 4550 Golf Club Lane. Sponsorships are available from $100 to $10, 000. The cost for individual golfers is $75, which includes golf, dinner and gifts. There will also be a silent auction. Interested golfers and potential sponsors can call Luigi Martinez or Kathleen Reitz at 797-7029. This is the group’s major fundraiser.

When your homeowners policy with Citizens comes up for renewal after Sept. 1, look closely for the word “sinkhole.”
As policies come up for renewal, Citizens Property Insurance Corp. automatically will drop sinkhole coverage from standard homeowners policies in Pasco and Hernando counties. Customers who want the coverage will have to buy it.

4PM to 8 PM Reggae Bash featuring Henry Turner, Jr. & Flavor. Henry’s style of music is an infusion of R&B/Reggae with some jazz chording.

This event is FREE.

For more information contact Mary Jane Russell at 352-754-4788.
Location: Hernando Park and Bandshell, 204 East Fort Dade Avenue, Brooksville

Growing Roses Organically
Growing roses successfully can be a challenge, especially if you are trying to do it organically. I’ve been researching and experimenting since last Summer and wanted to share more of what I have found. What do roses need? A good, rich soil that is amended with compost, humus and, if you have it, aged manure. They also need at least 6 hours of sun per day and deep, weekly watering-which is best done in the morning and below the foliage, not from above. Good air circulation is also important. Do not crowd your roses.

Give them the room they need on all sides, which will help keep fungus to a minimum. These are the basics, but there are more things you can do to encourage your roses.

If your roses had blackspot last year, remove all the old mulch from each plant. Give the ground a bit to dry and air out, then replace with new mulch. Before doing that you can add some nutrients to the soil around the plant.

There are MANY combinations that rose gardeners swear by, and you’ll have to find the one that is right for your soil and your roses. You can try 1/2 cup blood meal, 1/4 cup Epsom salts and 1 cup of lime. Do not dig where it will touch the stems or disturb the roots. Work it in around the plant carefully. Some gardeners prefer Sulfate of potash magnesia to Epsom salts– it can be found at garden centers.

If your soil is not acidic you can use gypsum instead of lime in the same measurement. You can also use alfalfa meal as a soil additive or make this ‘tea’ for your roses: Add 10 cups of alfalfa pellets and 4 cups Epsom salts to a 32 gallon plastic garbage can. Fill with water, stir and brew the tea for a day or two. Use one gallon per rose bush.

Mildew can be a problem with roses too. First, give your plants space as I mentioned - no crowding. If you’ve had the problem on a regular basis you can start spraying with a mixture of 1 tbsp. baking soda to 1 gallon of water. Spray on the foliage before as a preventive measure. Also, always keep the mulch away from the stem of the plant.

You can also try companion planting to aid your roses. Any garlic related plant is a good choice for rose companions.
You can plant regular or elephant garlic, chives, or society garlic (Tulbaghia violacea). These help repel pests, while the following plants will help attract good insects to your roses:
dill, alyssum, coriander, and gypsophila (baby’s breath). Do be careful not to disturb your rose’s roots when planting any of these companions.

An organic rose tip: Add a few shovels of compost around the base of your rose plants this spring.

Roses like a good, deep soak to promote deep rooting and they will actually develop drought tolerance if established this way. Frequent light waterings promote shallow roots that will depend on frequent watering. Applying the water slowly with soaker hoses or drip irrigation allows the water to soak in rather than running off, keeps water off the foliage (wet leaves spread fungal diseases), and reduces the puddling which can cause clay soils to form a hard surface less permeable to water.

Epsom Salts
Epsom salts has long been used to feed roses because it helps grow stronger stems, new growth and can even improve the color. If your roses are new this year, start with 2 teaspoons Epsom salts in early spring mixed into the soil a couple inches from the base of the plant. Older roses can handle more - about a 1/2 cup worked into the soil four times per season. You can also use Epsom salts for your tomatoes. Mix 2 tablespoons in with a gallon of water and water the plants about 2 months after they have germinated.

TALLAHASSEE — Under legislation signed Monday by Gov. Charlie Crist, hurricane supplies will be tax-free for 12 days in June.

It’s more than a time to save on sales taxes, said Craig Fugate, the state’s emergency management director.

It’s a civic duty for Floridians to stockpile goods, from bottled water to batteries.

“For every one of us that fails — you’re going to take away from our most needy citizens,” Fugate said at Monday’s bill-signing ceremony.

The state’s hurricane preparedness sales tax holiday begins with hurricane season —June 1. It lasts until June 12, giving consumers two weekends to stock up on qualifying items.

The list ranges from tarps and plastic sheeting to cell phone batteries, battery-powered radios, and storm shutter devices under $200. The ceiling this year on portable generators is $1,000.

“We know the hurricanes are going to come,” said Crist. Getting ready for them, he said, “is just the right thing to do.”

The bill signed by Crist, HB 211, again is a one-year tax break. Senate sponsor Carey Baker, R-Eustis, said he will continue to work on convincing lawmakers to make future hurricane shopping tax-free.

The sales tax holiday is just part of efforts by state emergency managers to shift a larger share of storm relief to the private sector, along with a sense of responsibility.

Large retailers, such as Publix, have gone beyond early pledges to equip coastal stores with emergency generators and post-storm staffing plans, Fugate said. They are now participating in state emergency drills.

“The big lesson we learned was we have to work as a team,” Fugate said.

James Oleson, the owner of Boyette Grove attraction and zoo, was
robbed and shot. He is still in the hospital, with his family at his side. Food is needed for the animals, and can be placed in bins outside
the Boyette Grove attraction. They are in need of carrots, tomatoes,
squash, fruits, berries, bird food, saltine crackers, lettuce, hay,
cereal such as Fruit Loops, Captain Crunch etc., broccoli, celery,
bananas, grapes, Fig Newtons, corn cobs, peanuts, peanut butter,
potatoes, apples horse feed, bird food, flake fish food, parrot food,
turtle food and crickets. Any way you can help would be greatly appreciated. The
address is 4355 Spring Lake Hwy, Brooksville, FL 34601.
(352)796-2289

National Summary (U.S.)

After bottoming in the fourth quarter of 2006, existing-home sales are forecast to gradually rise through 2007 and into 2008, while new-home sales should turnaround by summer, according to the latest forecast by the National Association of REALTORS® .

David Lereah, NAR’s chief economist, said annual totals for existing-home sales will be fairly comparable between 2006 and 2007. “We have to keep in mind that we were still in boom conditions during the first quarter of 2006 with a high sales volume and double-digit price appreciation,” he said. “We are starting 2007 from a relatively low point, so even with a gradual improvement in sales it’ll be pretty much of a wash in terms of annual totals. The good news is that the steady improvement in sales will support price appreciation moving forward.”

TALLAHASSEE — Gov. Charlie Crist said he has not given up on further insurance reform in the last days of session.

“It’s been an extraordinary session,” he said, applauding lawmakers for passing his anti-murder legislation as well as continuing to squeeze more from the state’s insurance industry.

Neither chamber has yet to pass Crist’s central insurance bill, allowing Citizens Property Insurance more room to compete with private companies. The House stripped the provision from the bill. Its stronger Senate companion was readied Tuesday for a floor vote.

“They’ve done great work already and I think they will continue to do more. We’ve got four more days to do more good work,” Crist said.

On Tuesday, senators put their own Citizens Property Insurance bill through its paces, adding an amendment to freeze rates by the state-run insurer another year, until January 2009.

For more of this story go to: News-Press.com

Festival times are from 9-5 pm on Saturday (May 5) and 9-4 pm on Sunday (May 6).

Lots of art, crafts and music.

This is a fund raising event for the Hernando County Arts Council.
Location: Tom Varn Park, Brooksville, FL