Hometown Happenings 0123

Community Event

Inner Peace Church of the Spirit will sponsor a Haiti fundraiser yard sale from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 23, at the church located at 425 West Jefferson St., Brooksville. Vendor space is available. Donations of items and money will be accepted. Monies will be sent to Dr. Paul Farmer, a Brooksville native, care of Partners in Health (www.pih.org) to help Haitians in need. There will be books available about Dr. Farmer and his work. For more information, call Maria at 352-544-0305.

Computer Club

Hernando Computer Club will present "QuickBooks" by Pat Turek at 1 p.m. Monday, Jan. 25, in the North Room at the Education B building of Grace Presbyterian Church, 8375 Spring Hill Drive, Spring Hill. In addition, the club will present "PC Upgrading: Installing RAM and More" by Gray Alexander at 10 a.m.; "How to have a Free Web Site" by Brigitte Haag at 1 p.m.; and "MS Excel 03 and 07" by Pat Turek at 7 p.m., all Tuesday, Jan. 26, in the North Room. The cost for lecture classes is $2 per person. Lecture classes do not require registration, but hands-on classes require preregistration. The public is welcome. For more information, visit the club's Web site at www.hcc.org or call the club at 352-684-7171.

Education

Hernando County Cooperative Extension Service will offer a class on the topic "Budget Landscaping - Plant Propagation Made Easy" at 5:30 p.m. Monday, Jan. 25, at the Extension Service's new office located at 1653 Blaise Drive, Brooksville. The class will be presented by Urban Horticulture Agent Jim Moll and will feature how to multiply plants by growing from cuttings, seeds and division. Registration is not required; but seating is on a first-come, first-seated basis. The class will be free of charge and will be open to the public. The Extension Service is an educational program which exists to serve the educational needs of the community. For more information, call the Extension Service office at 352-754-4433 or visit its Web site at www.co.hernando.fl.us/County_Extension/

Recreation

American Sewing Guild Neighborhood Group Sew Smart will meet at 1 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 3, at the Spring Hill Branch Library, 9220 Spring Hill Drive. Program presenter Carol Thibert will demonstrate several serger techniques featuring a "Silk Scarf" with other items. Bring a serger and a half yard of silk or rayon-like fabric to make a scarf. New members are welcome. For more information, call Pat Conkle at 352-293-3834.

Suncoast Ship Model Society will meet from 7 to 9 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 4, at the Weeki Wachee Senior Citizens Club located at the corner of Toucan Trail and Susan Drive in Spring Hill. All modelers interested in building model ships and boats are invited. For more information, call Jim at 352-592-6419.

West Hernando Coin Club will meet at 6:45 p.m. Monday, Feb. 8, at the Community Center of The Heather located on U.S. 19, two miles north of State Road 50, Weeki Wachee. Refreshments, educational speakers, door prizes and auctions will be featured. Children and beginning collectors are welcome. For more information, contact Vincent at 352-678-7769.

Ethnic

Italian American Club will meet at 1 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 6, at St. Andrew's Episcopal Church, 2301 Deltona Blvd., Spring Hill. Newly elected officers for 2010-2011 will be sworn in at this meeting since the installation was not held at the January meeting due to illness. An installation luncheon will be held for the officers, and the luncheon will be free of charge for paid club members. Membership dues of $20 for 2010 will be collected at the meeting. On Friday, Jan. 29, the club will carpool to the Greek Festival in Tarpon Springs. The object of the club is for fellowship, social activities, trips, picnics, games as well as interesting speakers plus occasional entertainers at its meetings. Dues are $20 per year, and it is not necessary to be Italian to join the club. If interested in attending as a visitor, call Theresa at 352-683-6712 or Cathy at 352-686-9526.

Botanical

Spring Hill Garden Club will meet at 1 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 26, at Forest Oaks Lutheran Church, 8555 Forest Oaks Blvd., Spring Hill. Speaker will be D.J. Hall, a master gardener who owns and operates a landscape business. Members of the club maintain the plant nursery located at 1489 Parker Ave., off Spring Hill Drive, Spring Hill, the waterfall area at the entrance to Spring Hill on U.S. 19, and the Nature Coast Botanical Gardens adjacent the nursery. The nursery is open to the public from 9 a.m. to noon Mondays and Saturdays. Visit the gardens anytime during daylight hours. For more information, call 352-683-9933 or visit its Web site at www.naturecoastbotanicalgardens.com

Florida Native Plant Society, Nature Coast Chapter, will meet at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 9, at St. Mark's Presbyterian Church, 7922 State Road 52, Hudson. The subject will be "Maintaining Your Native Plant Landscape," to be presented by Bill Bilodeau, past president of the Pinellas Chapter of FNPS. Bilodeau is a longtime professional gardener who designs and installs native plant landscapes. He will discuss important basics, tools needed, and will answer questions about how to keep native plants looking good all year round. Meetings are free of charge; and all interested parties are invited to attend, bring yard questions, and participate in the native plant drawing. For more information, call Mary at 727-849-2335.

Brooksville Garden Club will meet Wednesday, Feb. 10, at 250 Bell Ave., Brooksville. A light luncheon will be served at 12:30 p.m. The program will be presented by Stacy Strickland, director of the Hernando County Extension Service on the topic "Bugs, the Good, Bad and Beautiful." The club's purpose includes furthering the education of the public in horticulture, conservation and botany. For more information, call Nancy at 352-799-2042, Louise at 352-799-3160 and Lorraine at 352-397-3157.

Community

Nature Coast Telecom Pioneers will meet at 1 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 3, at Mariner United Methodist Church located at 7079 Mariner Blvd., Spring Hill. Bingo with prizes will be featured. Bring used stamps, community service hours, can tabs, ditty bag items, food for the needy, knitted baby caps, box tops for education, Campbell soup labels and used greeting cards. Membership is open to anyone interested in serving the community and enjoying fellowship. For more information, call John at 352-596-4802.

Social

St. Frances Cabrini Council of Catholic Women will meet after the 8 a.m. Mass on Wednesday, Feb. 3, in Xavier Hall of the church located at 5030 Mariner Blvd., Spring Hill. Join the group for the Rosary at 7:30 a.m. in the church. Guest speaker will be Dr. Harris of Oak Hill Hospital on the topic of "Mammograms." For more information, call the parish office at 352-683-9666.

Marine Corps League Detachment 708 will hold steamed clams and "chowda" night from 4:30 to 7 p.m. every Tuesday at the Detachment located at 8405 Sunshine Grove Road, Brooksville. One dozen cherrystone clams with a cup of "chowda" will be served at a cost of $10 per person. Ipswich and cherrystone clams as well as "chowda" will be served a la carte. The Leatherneck Lounge will be open for the purchase of beverages. For more information, call 352-597-7979.

Friendship Lodge 2728, Sons of Italy, meets at 6 p.m. the first Wednesday of the month at the Senior Citizens Club of Hernando County, 7925 Rhanbuoy Road, Spring Hill. The club features speakers, bowls every Monday, attends every new show at the Show Palace in Hudson, conducts trips, social evenings, picnics and dinner-dances. Membership is open to all; it is not necessary to be of Italian heritage. For more information, call Dottie at 352-444-1124.

Sons of Italy, Nature Coast Lodge 2502, Order of Italy of America, holds a monthly dinner/business meeting the third Wednesday; a "social night" at a local restaurant monthly on the first Wednesday; three yearly dinner-dances; scholarship, Columbus Day and Christmas. In March, the Lodge sponsors a St. Joseph Day Community Mass and complimentary spaghetti dinner. Its annual picnic is held in September. Membership is open to all; it is not necessary to be of Italian heritage. For information, call Gene Gesselli at 352-596-9456.

Library Programs

Main Branch of the Hernando County Public Library will hold its next monthly book discussion meeting at 6 p.m. Monday, Jan. 25, at the library located at 238 Howell Ave., Brooksville. "Three Cups of Tea" by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin will be discussed. Registration is not required, but copies of the book are limited. Check out a copy at the Main Library to join the informal discussion. For more information, call the library at 352-754-4043.

Movies at your Library® will be held at 2 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 2, at the East Hernando Branch Library, 6457 Windmere Road, Brooksville. Based on real-life experiences, a teacher enters into a high school ill-prepared for the challenges of her at-risk students. Met with conflict at every stage, she finally makes a connection with them through a discussion of "The Diary of Anne Frank" and encourages them to write their own daily journal. The movie is rated PG-13 and runs 123 minutes. The movie is free of charge, and registration is not required. Light refreshments will be provided. The program is sponsored by the Friends of the Library of Hernando County. For the movie title or more information, call the library at 352-540-6391.

Seniors

Hernando County AARP Chapter 1026 invites members to its meeting at 11:30 a.m. Thursday, Jan. 28, in the Great Room at The Atria of Evergreen Woods located at 7030 Evergreen Woods Trail, off State Road 50, Spring Hill. A special meal will be prepared by executive chef Stephen Westoff. There will be a nominal charge for the all-you-can-eat buffet meal, and the ticket for same will later be used for a door prize. The topic will be "What You Need to Know...Medicare 2010" and "You Can Change Your Plan...Up to March 31" by Betsy Vipond. Firm registration is required and must be on a first-come, first-served basis. For reservations or more information, call Bob at 352-596-0722, Joyce at 352-688-6910 or Rose Deorie at 352-688-5606.

Sales

St. Andrew's Ukrainian Catholic Church, 8064 Weeping Willow St., off State Road 50, Brooksville, has resumed its perogi and bake sales from noon to 3 p.m. Wednesdays. Bapka, apricot, prune, poppy and nut rolls, cookies and perogi will be featured. Phone orders will not be accepted on day of sales. For more information, call Alyce at 352-688-1839 or the church at 352-597-5589.

Brooksville Regional Hospital Auxiliary will hold a gift fair from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 10, at the hospital located at 17240 Cortez Blvd., Brooksville. A wide range of jewelry will be available; and the Hospital Auxiliary is sponsoring the fair to support its scholarship and charity fund. For more information, call pat at 352-666-8755.

State Clubs

Illinois Club of Spring Hill will meet at 1 p.m. Friday, Feb. 5, at Forest Oaks Lutheran Church, 8555 Forest Oaks Blvd., Spring Hill. Entertainment will be provided by the Spring Hill Acoustic Guitar Club featuring "pickin' and grinnin' guitar renditions. Following the meeting, coffee and dessert will be served. The object of the club is to promote fellowship, social and fraternal activities for former residents of Illinois. In addition to monthly meetings, activities include eating out at a local restaurant each month and group travel opportunities. Annual dues are $12 per person. All former Illinois residents and their partners are invited to join the club or to come as a guest prior to making a decision to join. For information, call Patricia Godfrey at 352-597-0346.

Maine Club will meet at 12:15 p.m. Friday, Feb. 12, at the Spring Hill Community Center, 1202 Kenlake Ave. A potluck dinner will be held, and everyone is requested to bring a dish to share and own place setting. The club meets the second Friday of the month from November through April. All present and former residents of Maine are welcome. For more information, call 352-592-0741.

Music/Dance

High Point Community ballroom dance lessons for beginners and intermediate dancers will be conducted from 2 to 3 p.m. every Wednesday, and the cost will be $5 per person per lesson. Practice and review will be held from 3 to 4 p.m. Wednesdays, and the cost will be $4 per person. All classes will be held in the High Point Community Center, 12249 Club House Road, Brooksville. For more information, call instructors Ken and Margaret Hammond at 352-688-4867.

Hernando Harmonizers has openings for singers. Men who love to sing are invited to join the Hernando Harmonizers of the Barbershop Harmony Society from 6:45 to 9:15 p.m. every Monday at Nativity Lutheran Church, 6363 Commercial Way, just north of the intersection of State Road 50 and U.S. 19, Weeki Wachee. Singers have an opportunity to participate in community performances, annual show, competitions, etc. For more information, call John at 352-666-0633 or George at 352-556-3936, e-mail BASSharmonySingR@aol.com or visit its Web site at www.HernandoHarmonizers.org.

Seniors Activities

Senior Citizens Club of Hernando County offers the following activities at the hall located at 7925 Rhanbuoy Road, Spring Hill: bingo will be held from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. every Saturday, and card games are held from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. every Monday and Thursday. For information, call Barbara at 352-683-2440. For information regarding crafts, line dancing and Weight Watchers, call the club. Group road trips such as Biloxi, Sterling and Hard Rock plus cruises are periodically arranged for members and their guests. Club membership is $20 annually. For information, call the club at 352-596-1095.

Crime Watch

SHARP Crime Watch is seeking day and night patrollers and dispatchers. SHARP Crime Watch has been in existence for 27 years watching over the Spring Hill area. Patrollers are provided with radios and patrols his or her own area. Dispatchers keep close contact with the Sheriff's Department, Animal Services, Road Department, Code Enforcement, etc. SHARP makes daily calls to the elderly who live alone and will also watch someone's home when the residents are out of town. SHARP meets at 7 p.m. the second Monday of the month at the Senior Citizens Club of Hernando County, 7925 Rhanbuoy Road, Spring Hill. If interested in volunteering, attend the monthly meeting or call 352-683-5936.

Radio Clubs

Spring Hill Amateur Radio Club (SHARC) meets at 7 p.m. the third Tuesday of every month at the Oak Hill Hospital Enrichment Center. Anyone interested in Ham Radio is welcome to attend. Testing for an FCC license is conducted at 6:30 p.m. the third Wednesday of each month at the same location. The club operates a 2-meter repeater on 146.805 MHz (no tone). Every Tuesday except meeting night, the club conducts a Club net at 7:30 p.m. Anyone with a Ham Radio license is welcome to participate in both nets and attend monthly meetings. For club information, visit its Web site at www.kf4ixu.org or call Ed at 352-684-7623.

Gulf Coast Amateur Radio Club invites those interested in HAM radio to join the group on its radio net at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday nights on the club's repeater WA4GDN, 146.670 MHz and read the club's newsletter at www.gulfcoastarc.org. For information, call John at 727-848-7785.

Thrift Shops

SPCA Thrift Shop, 9075 Grant St., adjacent to the shelter, Brooksville, is open from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Housewares, books, games, toys and clothing for the entire family are featured. All clothes are $5 a bag. All proceeds from the thrift shop benefit the care and upkeep of the animals at the shelter. Donations are welcome and can be dropped off from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Thursdays or Fridays, but large furniture or appliances cannot be accepted. To reach the SPCA shelter and thrift shop, take Sunshine Grove Road (off State Road 50) to Taylor Street, then turn left onto Grant Street. For information, call the thrift shop at 352-540-5727.

Karen's Kit 'n Kaboodle (St. Andrew's Thrift Shop) announces a new feature - a small area known as La Boutique where unusual, trendy or special items will be available. The shop will be open from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday and is located at 2301 Deltona Blvd., Spring Hill. The boutique-style shop features a $5 bag sale the second Tuesday of the month. Donations are appreciated and can be left in the shop during hours of operation or in the drop-off bin after hours. To volunteer or schedule pick-up of large items, call 352-686-1114.

Daystar Lifecenter Thrift Store, 7120 Hope Hill Road, off State Road 50, Brooksville, is open from 8:30 a.m. to noon Fridays and Saturdays. Clothing, crafts, furniture, housewares, books, small appliances, electrical items and Christmas decorations are offered. The store is located one-quarter mile behind St. Anthony Catholic Church. To schedule a pickup or for information, call 352-799-5930.

Jericho Road Ministries has a thrift store in the Winchester Plaza located at 5260 Commercial Way, Spring Hill, in addition to its stores located at 16479 Wiscon Road, Brooksville, and in the Sunrise Plaza at 31170 Cortez Blvd., Ridge Manor. All stores are open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday; and from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday. Clothing for adults and children, household items, furniture, kitchenware, toys, as well as numerous specialty items are available for sale. The Ministry has a women's shelter, Mary's House, which is located at 1163 Howell Ave., Brooksville. The thrift stores were established for the purpose of supporting the Jericho Road Men's Rescue Mission Shelter located at 1090 Mondon Hill Road, Brooksville. Donations are welcome and can be brought to any of the thrift stores during business hours or larger items can be scheduled for pick-up daily. For information or to schedule a pick-up, call 352-797-9009.

Habitat for Humanity Thrift Store, 19450 Cortez Blvd., in the Brooksville Square Shopping Center, Brooksville, is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Clothing for adults and children, furniture, household items, kitchenware, books and a holiday room are featured. Donations are welcome and can be delivered to the thrift store during business hours. Larger items can be picked up Tuesday, Friday and Saturday. Volunteers are needed to work in the thrift store or on construction. Habitat established the thrift store to support the construction of decent and affordable Habitat houses for low-income eligible individuals who are willing to partner in the building of someone else's home and their home. For information, call 352-754-1159.

Seniors Programs

Mid-Florida Community Services provides nutritious meals year-round to seniors age 60 and over. Seniors are welcome to visit any one of its four dining sites within the county. In addition, the Meals on Wheels program provides nutritious lunches five days a week to seniors who are homebound. The daily contact by the program's volunteers ensures a visit by someone who provides companionship, while checking on the person's health and well being. Volunteers are welcome, and donations are appreciated. For more information, call 352-796-1425 or 352-796-0485.

Experience Works, a senior work force solution, provides information and assistance with employment and training to income eligible seniors age 55 and older. For information, call Amy at 352-200-3042.

Education

HEART Literacy Adult Education Program is offering reading, math, language arts, free Pre-GED testing, Florida Ready to Work (work credentials for employment), and ESOL (English for Speakers of other languages). All classes are free of charge, and child care is also offered free of charge at most sites. An appointment is not necessary. To sign up, bring a Florida photo I.D. to any of the following sites: Career Central, 7361 Forest Oaks Blvd., Spring Hill, from 5:45 to 8:15 p.m. Monday and Wednesday; Northcliffe Baptist Church, 10515 Northcliffe Blvd., Spring Hill, from 9:30 a.m. to noon Monday and Wednesday; Grace World Outreach Church, 20366 Cortez Blvd., Brooksville, from 9 to 11 a.m. Tuesday and Thursday; HEART Literacy, 801 North Broad St., Brooksville, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday. For more information, call 352-797-7018.

Equine Rescue

Schatzan Ranch is a nonprofit horse rescue/rehab facility that is accepting donations of any kind, i.e. monies, time, supplies, or services. Donations are tax deductible and are all used for the horses. Appointments can be arranged to visit the ranch. For an appointment or more information, call John and Kathy Schatzan at 352-585-7014 or 352-263-4701, or e-mail Schatzan@aol.com.