FRNEWS V40 Issue 1

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VOLUME 40 NUMBER 1 • PH. 813-737-NEWS (6397) • E-MAIL: [email protected] • WWW.FARMANDRANCHNEWS.COM Agriculture’s Most Trusted Source For News, Views and Advertising Since 1974 When wildlife managers import- ed eight female Texas pumas in hopes they would mate with native Florida pan- thers, they knew they were taking a bit of a risk. But a new University of Florida research study, published in the Journal of Animal Ecology, suggests their gam- ble paid off. “We found that the Florida pop- ulation would’ve declined, on average, by about 5 percent per year,” said Oli, a UF population ecology professor and In- stitute of Food and Agricultural Sciences faculty member. “And that’s essentially tell- ing us there was a high chance that the population would’ve eventually gone extinct.” There were an estimated 20 to 25 panthers left in the state when the Texas female cats were brought to Florida in 1995. Officials believe the population Sound the Alarm A New Year of Taxes and Grand Schemes are in the Works! By Josh Burgin It seems that everywhere there is talk of new taxes, nowhere is this more evident than in Washington, yet at the state level there are whispers and at the local level advocates for big government along with the usual cadre of special interests are again beating the drum to raise taxes for public transportation. President Obama may be able to argue that his re-election gives him grounds to press for higher taxes. How- ever, just over two years ago the voters of Hillsborough County resoundingly rejected an effort to raise our sales taxes in order to build light rail in Tampa and increase overall spending on buses and public transportation. Even though “we” the voters clearly rejected this tax increase scheme in 2012, by a wide margin, now, the same group of big government bureaucrats and special interests are preparing to spend millions of dollars in another campaign to “educate and inform us”. Again, they will try to convince us to give them even more of our hard earned money, and the liberal media will assist them every step of the way. Most concerning of all is an ef- fort by a powerful state legislative leader who is using the levers of power in Talla- hassee to try and force HART and PSTA (the two public transportation systems in Hillsborough and Pinellas Counties) to become a multi-county regional agency. Those who support this proposal claim cost savings, but in reality two things are happening here: 1. PSTA’s financial position is simply unsustainable and they have been forced to spend millions out of their emergency fund. The Pinellas County population is on the decline and as a result their share of state and federal funds are decreasing. Pinellas County leaders see a merger between HART and PSTA as a way to solve their financial problems. By con- trast HART has its fiscal house in order and has contributed millions to its rainy day fund over the past 2 years. 2. Light rail advocates see the combined agency as the best hope for building a multi-county regional light rail system. Normally, the merger of two large taxing authorities from different counties would require referendums to pass in both counties, but at the joint meeting of HART and PSTA on January 10, the CEO of PSTA advocated merging the two agencies through a Joint Powers Agreement (JPA), openly stating that this approach would avoid public referenda. Of course, The Tampa Bay Times (formerly The St. Petersburg Times) Ed- itoral Board is strongly supporting the proposal and is promoting a vision of a massive regional public transportation agency. Bottom line for residents of East Hillsborough: whether new taxes are levied in Hillsborough County, the two agencies are combined or both we will be forced to pay a disproportionate share of the costs, while receiving virtually none of the benefits or services. Even now, property taxes paid into HART go mostly into routes, services and jobs that are west of I-75. The great thing about local poli- tics is that your voice can make a differ- ence and fortunately, many of the current HART board members are not in support of the merger or any effort that would increase taxes, but they need you to pub- licly stand with them. The HART Board will meet at 9AM on January 7 th and there will be a joint meeting of HART and PSTA Boards at 9 AM on January 14 th . Both meetings will happen at the HART building located at 1201 East 7th Avenue, 3 rd Floor, Tampa Florida 33605. (Editor’s Note If you are unable to at- tend, please consider sending an email expressing your position on these mat- ters to Josh Burgin josh@joshburgin. com a friend of Farm & Ranch News, member of the HART Board of Direc- tors and someone who has lived here in East Hillsborough most of his life). UF/IFAS Researchers Say Florida Panther Effort Likely Saved Big Cats From Extinction has since grown about 4 percent per year, and their estimate now ranges from 100 to 160, said Dave Onorato, a panther ex- pert with the state Fish and Wildlife Con- servation Commission’s Florida Panther Project. The Florida panther had been listed as an endangered species since 1967, and although it was named the official state animal by 1982, it was in peril by the 1990s. The cats suffered from numerous inbreeding-related problems, including poor sperm quality and other reproduc- tive abnormalities, kinked tails, heart de- fects and heavy parasite loads. When the Texas cats were brought to Florida, officials weren’t sure how they would fare or that the breeding effort would work, but with the success of the genetic restoration, Onorato said a similar effort could be initiated again in the future. For now, however, there is no specific timetable for such an effort. He said the cats continue to face threats from loss of habitat, cars and inbreeding. The recent UF study, which ex- amined several decades’ worth of field data and genetic information about the panther, found that the robust survival of the Florida-Texas hybrid kittens played a large role in the panther population being reeled back from the brink of extinction. “I would say that at least in the short term, the outlook is good for the Florida panther,” said Hostetler, who worked on the project for more than four years as part of his doctoral studies. “But there are still a lot of threats to their sur- vival that could be important in the long run.” The research study was funded by the Florida Panther Research and Management Trust Fund (via sales of the Florida “Protect the Panther” license plate), National Park Service, the Uni- versity of Florida and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

description

News paper once a month publication.

Transcript of FRNEWS V40 Issue 1

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VOLUME 40 NUMBER 1 • PH. 813-737-NE WS (6397) • E -M A IL : FA R MR A NCHNE WS@AOL .COM • W W W.FA R M A ND R A N C H N E W S . C O M

Agriculture’s Most Trusted Source For News, Views and Advertising Since 1974

When wildlife managers import-ed eight female Texas pumas in hopes they would mate with native Florida pan-thers, they knew they were taking a bit of a risk. But a new University of Florida research study, published in the Journal of Animal Ecology, suggests their gam-ble paid off. “We found that the Florida pop-ulation would’ve declined, on average, by about 5 percent per year,” said Oli, a UF population ecology professor and In-stitute of Food and Agricultural Sciences faculty member. “And that’s essentially tell-ing us there was a high chance that the population would’ve eventually gone extinct.” There were an estimated 20 to 25 panthers left in the state when the Texas female cats were brought to Florida in 1995. Offi cials believe the population

Sound the AlarmA New Year of Taxes and Grand Schemes are in the Works! By Josh Burgin

It seems that everywhere there is talk of new taxes, nowhere is this more evident than in Washington, yet at the state level there are whispers and at the local level advocates for big government along with the usual cadre of special interests are again beating the drum to raise taxes for public transportation. President Obama may be able to argue that his re-election gives him grounds to press for higher taxes. How-ever, just over two years ago the voters of Hillsborough County resoundingly rejected an effort to raise our sales taxes in order to build light rail in Tampa and increase overall spending on buses and public transportation. Even though “we” the voters clearly rejected this tax increase scheme in 2012, by a wide margin, now, the same group of big government bureaucrats and special interests are preparing to spend millions of dollars in another campaign to “educate and inform us”. Again, they will try to convince us to give them even

more of our hard earned money, and the liberal media will assist them every step of the way. Most concerning of all is an ef-fort by a powerful state legislative leader who is using the levers of power in Talla-hassee to try and force HART and PSTA (the two public transportation systems in Hillsborough and Pinellas Counties) to become a multi-county regional agency. Those who support this proposal claim cost savings, but in reality two things are happening here: 1. PSTA’s fi nancial position is simply unsustainable and they have been forced to spend millions out of their emergency fund. The Pinellas County population is on the decline and as a result their share of state and federal funds are decreasing. Pinellas County leaders see a merger between HART and PSTA as a way to solve their fi nancial problems. By con-trast HART has its fi scal house in order and has contributed millions to its rainy day fund over the past 2 years.

2. Light rail advocates see the combined agency as the best hope for building a multi-county regional light rail system. Normally, the merger of two large taxing authorities from different counties would require referendums to pass in both counties, but at the joint meeting of HART and PSTA on January 10, the CEO of PSTA advocated merging the two agencies through a Joint Powers Agreement (JPA), openly stating that this approach would avoid public referenda. Of course, The Tampa Bay Times (formerly The St. Petersburg Times) Ed-itoral Board is strongly supporting the proposal and is promoting a vision of a massive regional public transportation agency. Bottom line for residents of East Hillsborough: whether new taxes are levied in Hillsborough County, the two agencies are combined or both we will be forced to pay a disproportionate share of the costs, while receiving virtually none of the benefi ts or services. Even now, property taxes paid into HART go

mostly into routes, services and jobs that are west of I-75. The great thing about local poli-tics is that your voice can make a differ-ence and fortunately, many of the current HART board members are not in support of the merger or any effort that would increase taxes, but they need you to pub-licly stand with them. The HART Board will meet at 9AM on January 7th and there will be a joint meeting of HART and PSTA Boards at 9 AM on January 14th. Both meetings will happen at the HART building located at 1201 East 7th Avenue, 3rd Floor, Tampa Florida 33605.

(Editor’s Note If you are unable to at-tend, please consider sending an email expressing your position on these mat-ters to Josh Burgin [email protected] a friend of Farm & Ranch News, member of the HART Board of Direc-tors and someone who has lived here in East Hillsborough most of his life).

UF/IFAS Researchers Say Florida Panther Effort Likely Saved Big Cats From Extinction

has since grown about 4 percent per year, and their estimate now ranges from 100 to 160, said Dave Onorato, a panther ex-pert with the state Fish and Wildlife Con-servation Commission’s Florida Panther Project. The Florida panther had been listed as an endangered species since 1967, and although it was named the offi cial state animal by 1982, it was in peril by the 1990s. The cats suffered from numerous inbreeding-related problems, including poor sperm quality and other reproduc-tive abnormalities, kinked tails, heart de-fects and heavy parasite loads. When the Texas cats were brought to Florida, offi cials weren’t sure how they would fare or that the breeding effort would work, but with the success of the genetic restoration, Onorato said a similar effort could be initiated again in the future.

For now, however, there is no specifi c timetable for such an effort. He said the cats continue to face threats from loss of habitat, cars and inbreeding. The recent UF study, which ex-amined several decades’ worth of fi eld data and genetic information about the panther, found that the robust survival of the Florida-Texas hybrid kittens played a large role in the panther population being reeled back from the brink of extinction. “I would say that at least in the short term, the outlook is good for the Florida panther,” said Hostetler, who worked on the project for more than four years as part of his doctoral studies. “But there are still a lot of threats to their sur-vival that could be important in the long run.” The research study was funded by the Florida Panther Research and Management Trust Fund (via sales of the Florida “Protect the Panther” license plate), National Park Service, the Uni-versity of Florida and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

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Georgia Evangelist John Mitchell, above, and columnist James Garner with buck.

We have had a great hunting season and we hope that you have as well. Hunting season is winding down in most states for deer, but don’t forget, you still have small game season through March in most areas. Try to spend some time taking oth-ers to the woods so that they may enjoy what God has given us. As Team Black Hog Down (TBHD) has done guided hog hunts over the last few months, we have noticed that there are a lot of novices that just want to experi-ence hunting. Now that you had your opportunity to bag the “Big One”, take a novice out and teach them what you know. It is important to have as many hunters as we can in order to help preserve our outdoor heritage. You will be surprised how many people would like to go but don’t even know where to start. My two favorite hunts this season were with my fi ve-year old son and an evan-gelist preacher that I have been friends with for a few years now. It wasn’t important whether or not we got a deer, hog or squirrel. The most impor-tant thing was that we shared some good fel-lowship in the outdoors. I know for myself it has given me memories I will never forget.

“Happy New Year” from Team Black Hog Down By James W. Garner

Last month we encouraged you to take your daughter hunting and now we encourage you to take a novice, close friend or maybe some folks from church. You will enjoy good fel-lowship and share memories for years to come. If you are a novice or a professional hunter and want to go on a hog hunt you will never forget, contact us at teamblackhogdown.com. As you start your New Year, don’t make a New Year’s resolution, make a New Man resolution. God says that in Christ we are a new creature (2 Cor.5:17). If you know Christ as your Savior then live as a new crea-ture in 2013. If you don’t, I encourage you to seek him and would be happy to show you from Gods word how to know you will go to heaven when you die. At TBHD our number one priority is our Lord and everything else comes after Him. In today’s world God calls us to be a bright and shining light in the darkness. God Bless and I look forward to seeing you in the woods…or more importantly, Church. Romans 10:13: “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” Titus 2:12-13

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As I sit and com-pose my monthly column for Farm and Ranch News, I attempt to look for-ward into the near future and speculate just what might be in store for us. We have just completed our presi-dential election.

Many, many small businessmen (and women) are devastated by the results. How can small business survive while we endure the policies of this President and this Ad-ministration, we ask? Beginning this year (2013) we must pay thousands of dollars in “Obama-care” money for each employee we have. I suspect that this added cost will cause many small businessmen to reduce their workforce by one or more employees. With fewer people working it will mean that we will have fewer people paying taxes, and more people drawing welfare money and unemployment benefi ts. This will cause the small businessman to pay even more in the tax for unem-ployment compensation. We simply cannot understand who it is that could have voted for this man. The answer was shown to me loud and clear on the night of Novem-ber 6th. The news channel I was watching showed the State of Ohio, county by county. There were a total of fi ve (5) counties shown in Blue (meaning that they were voting predominantly Democrat) and all the remaining Ohio counties were shown in Red (meaning that all the rest of Ohio counties voted Republican for President). The 5 counties shown in Blue contained the cities of Chicago, Cleveland, Cincinnati, Toledo and Columbus. You can see that the major population centers voted to keep the wel-fare policies of Obama, and all the rest of the state of Ohio voted for new fi scal policies. The problem is that many more voters live in the 5 major cities than in all the rest of Ohio. Rush Limbaugh has labeled these phenomena “the Santa Claus Syndrome”. We must disregard the soaring National Debt; disregard the continued jobless economy; disregard the increasing govern-ment programs that increase our cost of doing busi-ness. This philosophy tells us that it only mat-ters that my unemployment benefi ts continue to be extended. It only matters that my disability checks still give me cost of living increases often. It only

Volume 40 • Number 1 • 2013 • Farm & Ranch Newspage4 www.farmandranchnews.com

Many, many small

the davis reportBy Roy Davis- Associate Editor

The End of the World Didn’t Come, so I Have Other Things to Worry About!

matters that welfare checks continue to support sin-gle mothers who continue to pop out more babies so they can draw bigger welfare checks. It seems that every week now we have an-other tragic mass shooting. The school shooting in Connecticut is a prime example of how society has crashed. It seems that the deranged shooter always takes his own life, so we are denied the opportunity to fi nd out what caused the monster to come out of hiding and create this rampage. Our morning ritual is to do morning chores, let the dog out, put on the coffee and turn on the news. Immediately we hear the most recent shoot-ing of some “poor soul” on or near Nebraska Av-enue or in Dover. If you assume these shootings to be dope-related you would be right at least 85% of the time. In between the reports of our daily killings, we might hear a report of yet another tsunami, or volcanic eruption, or of the tropical cyclone that hit Tahiti last night after demolishing Samoa the night before. I wonder if these events are happening more often now, or is it that our modern communi-cations are just allowing us to report these events in such a way that more of us hear about them, more frequently? And, so we individuals must just press for-ward. I do not fi nd many who were worried that the Mayan calendar predicted that our world would be gone December 21. We know that others had proph-esized that December 21, 2012 might be the end of it all. I heard that some folks relocated to a particu-lar mountain (somewhere) and taken survival sup-plies so they could have beaten the odds by surviv-ing this catastrophe.These are just a few things we need to worry about. I choose to worry about how I will meet payroll next week. And I might worry about how we will pay our taxes this year, whatever they might be. No, I have not given up the fi ght to restore reason to our government policies. I just have not fi gured out how to sometimes win some of our points.

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“December, 150 Years Ago”

On the second to the last day of 1862 two great armies were encamped near Murfreesboro, Tennessee. On the north side of the Stones River about 45,000 Union soldiers under Gen-eral Rosecrans had pitched

their tents. On the south side there camped something less than 35,000 men under Confederate General Brax-ton Bragg. Both sides knew the battle would begin the next day. We can imagine, those who have been in battle probably better than others, what the men were thinking that night. As has been the case with armies from time im-memorial, various men had brought with them musical instruments and bands had been organized. Soon, in the darkness, a band on the north side of the river be-gan to play an old familiar tune - “Yankee Doodle”. In reply, one of the Confederate bands struck up “Dixie’s Land”. This ‘battle of the bands’ went on as another northern band took up the strains of “Hail, Columbia” and yet another on the south side played “The Bonnie Blue Flag.” But then the camps on both sides of the river quieted as the strains of an old tune rose from a band in blue. The musical difference of opinion was over as the bands in gray joined in. Soon, soldiers on both sides of the river added their voices to the instruments, bawling out the familiar line “Be it ever so humble, there’s no place like home.”

While the common love of music certainly played a part, it was much more a common sentiment that temporarily united the foes on the eve of the battle for Tennessee: a longing for home. It is safe to say that no soldier camped by the river that night returned to find home the way he had left it. That is a certain-ty that anyone who leaves home understands and yet, that longing is universal and so full of meaning for us all. Though we each have slightly different ideas and sentiments attached, and each one may define home in slightly different terms, every one, some time or other, feels the desire deep within - to go home. Christians must ever remember that we have a home. One for which our Lord must also have longed as He walked this earth but “hath not where to lay his head.” (ASV Matt. 8:20). A home “not made with hands,” (Heb. 9:11) “reserved in heaven for you,” (1 Peter 1:4). A home that no war can destroy, or ever separate us from when the days of this warfare are over. A home guarded by the majesties of our eternal father and for which we “by the power of God are guarded through faith” (1 Peter 1:5). The word ‘refuge’ in Deu-teronomy 33:27 (KJV) may be translated ‘home’. “The eternal God is thy home, And underneath are the ever-lasting arms.” A similar incident occurred during the Battle of Gettysburg about 6 months later. In that instance, it was the southern soldiers and citizens of the town who sang back and forth, without instrumental accompani-ment. During that battle, the town’s public buildings

and churches were impro-vised into hospitals where the wounded from both sides were brought. South-ern and Northern surgeons worked side by side with-out regard to the army of the wounded man they sought to mend. A young girl wanted to help but her first trip to the nearest makeshift hospital ended when she saw the blood and gore at the front and could not bring herself to go further. After returning home and gathering her composure, with true courage, she went back and this time entered. She wandered looking for something she could do until she came upon a wounded soldier ly-ing in an out of the way place. Asking if there was anything she could do for him, she was told that if she had a Bible he would like her to read. She found one and then asked if there was a passage he would espe-cially like. Told that on the night before leaving home the soldier and his father had sat together and read, she turned to the passage named, John 14, and began:

John 14:1-3 (ASV)Let not your heart be troubled: believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I come again, and will receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.

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Did you know that the invention of Velcro® was inspired by prickly weed burs that stuck to the pants of a Swiss engineer during a walk with his dog? It’s one of the many unique facts about weeds captured in a free brochure available from the Weed Science So-ciety of America. Created by the organization’s Public Aware-ness Committee with contributions from WSSA mem-bers, the document illustrates a few of the many unique characteristics of weeds and how they touch our lives. Examples include: • The Fundamentals. Weeds muscle out crops and

other desirable plants by competing for water, nu-trients, sunlight and space. One example: A mature saltcedar [tamarisk] plant consumes 300 gallons of

Weed Science Society Offers New Fact Sheeton Weeds, the Bullies of the Plant World

water a day. • The Impact on Crops and Natural Ecosystems.

Weeds can promote flooding during hurricanes by jamming control pumps and blocking water flow.

• The Impact on the Health of People and Ani-mals. Some weeds are poisonous. Examples range from poison hemlock (Conium maculatum) to ole-ander (Nerium oleander).

• Weeds on the Move. Tiny seeds from horseweed (Conyza canadensis) have been known to travel 300 miles by air. Specially equipped model air-planes have tracked horseweed seed in the earth’s planetary boundary layer.

• Weeds Growing by Leaps and Bounds. A single four-inch shoot hydrilla (Hydrilla verticillata) can

grow by 3,200 inches in just 35 days. • Weeds Reproducing for Long-Term Survival.

Each acre of U.S. cropland contains 50 million to 300 million buried weed seeds. Five to 10 percent of them germinate and emerge each year.

• Weeds That are Edible. Small nutlets found at the tips of underground stems of yellow nutsedge (Cy-perus esculentus) are edible and taste like almonds.

• Odd Facts about Weeds. Cows that graze on garlic mustard (Alliaria petiolata) or other mustard weeds produce milk with a garlic flavor. Similarly, wild garlic (Allium vineale) can “flavor” wheat crops and reduce their market value. It’s NOT the best way to make garlic bread!

The new brochure is available for download from the WSSA website: http://wssa.net/WSSA/Ar-ticles/WSSA-Facts-About-Weeds.pdf

About the Weed Science Society of America

The Weed Science Society of America, a non-profit scientific society, was founded in 1956 to encour-age and promote the development of knowledge con-cerning weeds and their impact on the environment. The Weed Science Society of America promotes research, education and extension outreach activities related to weeds, provides science-based information to the pub-lic and policy makers, fosters awareness of weeds and their impact on managed and natural ecosystems, and promotes cooperation among weed science organiza-tions across the nation and around the world. For more information, visit www.wssa.net.

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It is both an honor and privilege to serve you.Obituaries can be read at www.haughtfuneralhome.com

Better Services - Better Prices - Proud to be a Funeral Home

Howard Johnson, David Wolf,Mike Ritchie, Seated Founder Tim Haught

708 W. MLK Blvd., Plant City813-717-9300

Haught Funeral HomeOver 120 years of experience serving local families

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Durant is Runner-Up and 9th Overall in FFA

State Citrus Contest

Volume 40 • Number 1 • 2013 • Farm & Ranch Newspage10 www.farmandranchnews.com

Congratultions to the Durant and J.F. St. Mar-tin Citrus teams that placed 2nd and 9th,respectively, out of 47 teams in the FFA State Citrus Contest at the Leadership Training Centers in Hanes City on De-cember 5, 2012. Participants were asked to identify various insects, diseases, defi ciencies and weeds that hamper citrus production. They were also asked to identify the various rootstock and varities that are currenly used in Florida. Members of the team are Kennedy Sewell, Margaret Holt, Katherine Tagliarini, Oliva John-son, Randy Pickford, Jonathan Rowell, Adrian Ri-vera, Jake Belisle, Dalton Chesser and Konnor Long. Thomas Sturgis is ther FFA Advisor.

Corporate and individual contributions to the National FFA Foundation in 2012 to sup-port national FFA programs and agricultural edu-cation have climbed to more than $16.2 million. Corporate support this year exceeded the $15.8 million donated in 2011 and $15.6 million in 2010. Individual giving also rose to $558,000, up from $475,000 a year ago and $292,000 two years ago. Pfi zer Animal Health gave $1.27 million to FFA this year to link veterinarians in local com-munities with FFA members planning careers in animal health. Other million-dollar corporate con-tributors were CSX Transportation and RFD Com-munications, which operates RFD-TV and Rural TV. Monsanto provided more than $890,000 to sup-port national student leadership conferences, edu-cational awards, awareness campaigns and more. And Cargill and General Mills committed more than a half-million dollars to fund the creation of a new food science and safety curriculum for agriculture students. “Financially backing FFA and agricultural edu-cation creates critical educational opportunities for our students as they grow and learn about the science, busi-ness and technology of agriculture,” said National FFA Foundation executive director Rob Cooper. “Corpo-rate and individual donations help ensure our members will become leaders with core skills necessary to meet world needs for food, fi ber and renewable energy.

Corporate Support of National FFA Organization in 2012 Tops $16.2 Million

Individuals also stepped up to support FFA in 2012. A group of eight people who advise FFA in matters concerning individual giv-ing created a pool of donations to serve as match-ing-fund incentives and encourage others to support FFA. The group will give more than $312,000 over the next three years and each new donation to FFA of $1,000 to $100,000 will be matched by the group. And Nebraska business owner and former FFA member Ron Grapes established a major en-dowment that will provide grants for FFA members to use and complete their required supervised agri-cultural experience, marking the fi rst time in the 85-year history of FFA that an endowment was estab-lished to support the organization’s SAE program. Funds donated to the National FFA Foundation help sponsor leadership development training initiatives, national award and recognition programs, scholarships, service-learning activities, global engagement programs, nationwide teacher training and more. Since its incep-tion, the foundation has raised more than $260 million. Created in 1944, the National FFA Foundation is the fundraising arm of the National FFA Organiza-tion, which provides leadership, personal growth and career success training through agricultural education to 557,318 student members in grades seven through 12 who belong to one of 7,498 local FFA chapters through-out the U.S., Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.

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As Mosaic produces essential phosphate crop nutrients to help the world grow the food it needs, our 3,000-plus Florida employees are unwavering in our commitment to wildlife stewardship. Mosaic has pioneered wildlife relocation techniques and created prime habitats, as well as fi nancially supported wildlife rehabilitation and education. We’ve worked with regulators to develop the largest scrub jay population in Southwest Florida; we’ve reclaimed numerous popular fi shing lakes; and we own and help fund an island sanctuary that is home to as many as 18,000 pairs of native water birds. At Mosaic, we are dedicated to the protection of local

wildlife, and equally dedicated to the creation of local jobs and economic opportunities.

Join in Mosaic’s promise at www.mosaicco.com/promise.

Roseate Spoonbill

Richard T. Paul Alafi a Bank Bird Sanctuary

Hillsborough Bay, Florida

That’s our promise.

We’re growing a future for creatures great and small.

Koontz v. St. Johns River Water Management District concerns an issue eventually faced by every homeowner. These days, common activities like building a deck, removing a tree, or remodeling, require government approv-al (i.e., permits). Government attaches conditions to most permits. Some con-ditions are reasonable, such as requiring you to clean up your mess. But what if the government con-ditioned approval of a new deck on dedi-cating your yard as a public park, or

PLF’s newest U.S. Supreme Court Case (Koontz v. St. Johns River Water Management District) Will Affect Every Homeowner

Brian T. HodgesManaging Attorney,

PacificNorthwestCenter

paying the government $25,000 for new library books? What does a park or li-brary books have to do with your deck?

PLF asked the U.S. Supreme Court that question 25 years ago in the case, Nollan v. California Coastal Com-mission, and again as a friend of the court in Dolan v. City of Tigard, leading to the rule that a permit condition must be related and roughly proportional to a

proposed development’s impact. Unrelated or unfairly large demands are unconstitutional. Nollan and Dolan assured that government could not abuse its superior position in the permit process. But lower courts have threatened those protections. The Florida Supreme Court’s decision in Koontz allows a permitting agency to avoid Nollan and Dolan by either (1) requir-ing a dedication of money, labor, or other personal property (instead of land), or (2) by imposing the de-mand as a condition prec-edent to permit approval. The Koontz case will deter-mine whether Nollan’s and Dolan’s protections will have any practical effect

for homeowners across the nation. PLF attorneys, representing Coy Koontz, Jr. and Linda Koontz, will argue their case at the United States Supreme Court on January 15, 2013. A ruling in Koontz, PLF’s eighth case at the High Court, will be signifi cant for the Koontz family, but also for all property owners across the nation.

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The quest to develop a grapefruit hybrid that will not interact with medication has taken a step forward, as researchers pinpoint compounds most responsible for the problem, a University of Florida citrus breeder says. The data were published in the December 2012 issue of the journal Xenobiotica. Scientists have been aware of the so-called

Researchers Pinpoint Culprits in Grapefruit/Drug Interactions, UF/IFAS Citrus Breeder Says

“grapefruit juice effect” since 1989. Compounds in the fruit called furanocoumarins inhibit the action of an enzyme that breaks down certain medications in the human digestive system. The phenomenon poses a health risk be-cause it can produce unexpectedly high levels of these medications in a patient’s bloodstream. Doc-tors, pharmacists and prescription drug labels warn

patients to avoid grapefruit and related products under these circumstances. The phenomenon is a disappointment for fans of the tart treat, but Fred Gmitter, a faculty member at UF’s Citrus Research and Education Center in Lake Alfred, is part of a team work-ing to address the problem by developing a hy-brid between grapefruit and selected varieties of pummelo that have been shown to have low fura-nocoumarin content and can transmit the trait to

their offspring. In the current study, researchers investi-gated the effects of furanocoumarin compounds, testing each one to determine the amount re-quired to slow the enzyme reaction by 50 per-cent. The results showed that a handful of fura-nocoumarins had the strongest effect. More importantly, juice samples from 40 different hybrids and their parents were tested directly for their overall effect on enzyme ac-tivity, and one of the selected hybrids approved for impending release, known as UF 914, was among the samples with the lowest effect. Gmitter said further study is needed to learn how low furanocoumarin levels must be to reduce the interaction risk. Other members of the research team in-cluded David Greenblatt, Yanli Zhao, Michael Hanley and Jerold Harmatz of Tufts University School of Medicine and Tufts Medical Center in Boston; Chunxian Chen of the Lake Alfred center and Paul Cancalon of the Florida Depart-ment of Citrus in Lake Alfred.

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The Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries (GFAS), the only globally recognized organization pro-viding standards for identifying legitimate animal sanc-tuaries, awarded Verifi ed status to Faith Equine Rescue, Lakeland, FL as of November 25, 2012. Verifi cation means that Faith Equine Rescue meets the criteria of a true equine sanctuary/rescue and is providing humane and responsible care of the animals. To be awarded Verifi ed status, an organization must meet GFAS’s rigorous and peer-reviewed animal care standards which are confi rmed by a site visit and they must also adhere to a demanding set of ethical and operational principles. “Not every organization has the expertise to care for young and/or feral horses, but Faith Equine Rescue is committed to helping these equines in col-

Faith Equine Rescue (FER) of Florida has Achieved Verifi cation by the Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries

laboration with their local law enforcement,” said Jean-nine Alexander, GFAS Deputy Director-Equine. Dr. Judith Horvath, Board President of Faith Equine Rescue expressed her reaction to achieving GFAS Verifi cation stating, “We are excited to be con-fi rmed and working with the Global Federation of Ani-mal Sanctuaries. We feel this opportunity enhances our ability to accomplish our mission and supports our fu-ture goals.” Faith Equine Rescue (FER) was awarded a compliance grant by GFAS to help make recommend-ed improvements to meet Accreditation/Verifi cation Standards. Compliance grant funding is made possible through a grant from PetSmart Charities®. The GFAS Equine Accreditation Program is made possible by generous grants from PetSmart Char-

ities® and The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals®. The mission of Faith Equine Rescue is to allevi-ate the suffering of equines by providing services to enrich the welfare of aban-doned, neglected, and abused equines, and to edu-cate the public on equine suffering and rehabilitation. For more information, visit www.faithequineres-cue.webs.com or call Dawn Bazemore at 863-608-0827. Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries (GFAS) is a 501(c)3 nonprofi t or-ganization dedicated to the sole purpose of strengthen-ing and supporting the work of animal sanctuaries world-wide. The goal of GFAS in working with and assisting sanctuaries is to ensure they are supported, honored, rec-ognized and rewarded for meeting important criteria in providing care to the ani-mals in residence. GFAS was founded in 2007

by animal protection leaders from a number of differ-ent organizations in response to virtually unchecked and often hidden exploitation of animals for human entertainment and fi nancial profi t. The GFAS Board of Directors guides the organization’s work in a collabora-tive manner. They represent top leadership from Born Free USA, The Humane Society of the United States, Inter-national Fund for Animal Welfare, American Anti-Vivi-section Society, and National Anti-Vivisection Society. http://www.sanctuaryfederation.org/. Established in 1994, PetSmart Charities, Inc. is an independent, nonprofi t 501(c)(3) organization that creates and supports programs that save the lives of homeless pets, raise awareness of companion animal welfare issues, and promote healthy relationships be-tween people and pets. The largest funder of animal welfare efforts in North America, PetSmart Charities® has provided more than $134 million in grants and programs benefi t-ing animal welfare organizations and has helped save the lives of more than 4.7 million pets through its in-store adoption program. To learn more about how PetSmart Charities is working toward its vision of a lifelong, loving home for every pet, visit petsmartcharities.org or call 1-800-423-PETS (7387). Founded in 1866, the ASPCA® (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals®) is the fi rst humane organization established in the Ameri-cas and serves as the nation’s leading voice for animal welfare. One million supporters strong, the ASPCA’s mission is to provide effective means for the prevention of cruelty to animals throughout the United States. As a 501(c)(3) not-for-profi t corporation, the ASPCA is a national leader in the areas of anti-cruelty, community outreach and animal health services. The ASPCA, which is headquartered in New York City, of-fers a wide range of programs, including a mobile clinic outreach initiative, its own humane law enforcement team, and a groundbreaking veterinary forensics team and mobile animal CSI unit. For more information, please visit www.aspca.org. To become a fan of the ASPCA on Facebook, go to http://www.facebook.com/aspca. To follow the ASPCA on Twitter, go to http://www.twitter.com/aspca. http://www.faithequinerescue.webs.com/http://www.facebook.com/groups/faithequinerescue

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By Richard (Dick) Moore, Pastor

Parkway Baptist Church4305 James Redman Parkway

Plant City, FL

For my monthly column I want to share a thought with you that I trust will ake an impact on your plans throughout the year of 2013. I wanted to get this to you be-fore you start setting your personal goals for the New Year, for it deals with the priorities of life. This article is not my creation, and quite frankly I’m not smart enough to have come up with something this clever anyway; but the message has made a major difference in my life for a number of years and I hope it will be a blessing to you. It is simply entitled “The Mayonnaise Jar”.

A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him. When the class began, wordlessly, he picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and start to fi ll it with golf balls. He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was. The professor then picked up a box of peb-bles and poured it into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls. He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was. The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand fi lled up everything else. He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with an unanimous ‘yes.’ The professor then produced two cups of coffee from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar, effectively fi lling the empty space be-tween the sand.

The Mayonnaise JarThe students laughed. ‘Now,’ said the professor, as the laughter subsided,‘I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the important things- God, family, children, health, friends, and favorite passionsThings that if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full. The pebbles are the things that matter like your job, house, and car. The sand is everything else –The small stuff. ‘If you put the sand into the jar fi rst,’ he continued, ‘there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls.The same goes for life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff, You will never have room for the things that are impor-tant to you.So ...Pay attention to the things that are criti-cal to your happiness.

Play with your children.Take time to get medical checkups.Take your partner out to dinner.

There will always be time to clean the house and fi x the dripping tap.

‘Take care of the golf balls fi rst--The things that really matter.Set your priorities. The rest is just sand.’ One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the coffee rep-resented. The professor smiled.‘I’m glad you asked’. It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem, there’s always room for a couple of cups of coffee with a friend.’

Blessings to you all for the New Year.

Pastor Dick Moore

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New staff members will serve as Legislative Director, Legislative Analyst, Communica-tions Director, and Constituent Services-Out-reach Representative

U.S. Rep. Dennis Ross (FL-12), a new member of the House Financial Services Committee for the 113th Con-gress, formally announced Anthony Foti as his new Chief of Staff, and welcomed three new staff members to his Washing-ton, D.C. office and one new staff mem-ber to his Lakeland office. Amie Woeber will serve as the Legislative Director, Kyle Glenn as a Legislative Analyst, and Katie Hughes as the Communications Director. Woeber, Glenn, and Hughes

Rep.Ross announces new Chief of Staff and four new Staff Members

will be based out of the D.C. office. Lau-ra Rodriguez will serve as a Constituent Services-Outreach Representative in his Lakeland office. “I am grateful that Anthony ac-cepted the position as my Chief of Staff, and am thankful for the addition of these experienced staffers who will join our team,” said Ross. “Their breadth of knowledge and commitment to public service will be invaluable as we con-tinue to serve the great people of cen-tral Florida and work toward building a stronger United States of America.” Anthony Foti has served Rep. Ross as his Deputy Chief of Staff since

2011. Prior to serving Rep. Ross, he was a Senior Advisor at Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer and Feld, L.L.P. He has also served as the District Director for former U.S. Rep. Bill Paxon (NY-27), was a Transition Advisory Committee Coordinator for the Bush-Cheney Presi-dential Transition, and was the Director of External Affairs for the 2008 Repub-lican National Convention. Amie Woeber, a native Florid-ian, has joined the Ross office as Leg-islative Director. She has been on and off the Hill for almost ten years, most notably serving as Legislative Director for former U.S. Rep. Ginny Brown-

Waite (FL-05), who was a member of the House Financial Services Commit-tee. In her capacity as Legislative Direc-tor, she and the legislative team will help implement the Congressional priorities of Rep. Ross. Kyle Glenn will join the Ross office as a Legislative Analyst. He most recently worked for U.S. Rep. Rich Nugent (FL-05) as his Legislative As-sistant, focusing on Armed Services, Veterans, Judiciary, Education, and La-bor issues. He also served as Rep. Rich Nugent’s campaign manager in 2010, and as a Legislative Correspondent for former U.S. Rep. Ginny Brown-Waite (FL-05). Katie Hughes will join the Ross office as Communications Director. She has most recently served U.S. Rep. Mike Pence (IN-06) as his Press Secretary. She also served as a Press Assistant for the House Republican Conference dur-ing the 111th Congress. Laura Rodriguez will join the Ross office as Constituent Services–Outreach Representative. Rodriguez has worked for Florida State Senator Paula Dockery as her Chief Legislative Aide, serving her throughout her term as senator.

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Repelling Western fl ower thrips from Florida’s bell peppers could be as simple as giving the insects a push and a pull, say researchers with the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agri-cultural Sciences. A team at UF’s North Florida Research and Education Center in Quin-cy is evaluating an eco-friendly approach called “push-pull.” It’s meant to push thrips away from the target crop with unpleasant stimuli, and pull the insect to another type of plant grown as a lure. Initial fi ndings from a two-year study at a South Florida farm suggest that push-pull could help the state’s outdoor pepper growers reduce the thrips threat, said entomologist Joe Funderburk, a UF/IFAS professor who led the study. The Western fl ower thrips is na-tive to the Southwestern United States but spread to the country’s Eastern half in the 1980s. The insect feeds on plant juices and preys on more than 500 spe-cies, including many vegetables, fruits and ornamentals. It also transmits the

Push-Pull Approach Could Keep Western Flower Thrips Off Peppers, UF/IFAS Researchers Say

University of Florida entomologist Joe Funder-burk, left, and plant pathologist Tim Momol check tomato plants at UF’s North Florida Re-search and Education Center in Quincy, in this undated file photo. The raised planting bedsare covered with plastic mulch that reflectsultraviolet radiation from the sun, repelling a destructive insect, theWestern flower thrips.Currently, Funderburk is part of a research teamevaluatingUV-reflectivemulchandothertactics to keepWesternflower thrips off out-door-grown bell peppers. UF/IFAS photo by Eric Zamora

notorious tomato spotted wilt virus. “Western fl ower thrips is a pretty big problem, and one that’s easily mis-managed,” Funderburk said. “Many growers try to address it with broad-spectrum insecticides and that’s like putting the Western fl ower thrips on ste-roids.” Funderburk said broad-spectrum insecticides kill not only Western fl ower thrips but also natural enemies and harm-less native organisms that compete with the pest for resources. The result: After a brief decline in Western fl ower thrips populations, the pest comes back in force, and may develop insecticide resistance. The UF/IFAS push-pull strategy takes a completely different tack:The “push” involves covering raised planting beds with plastic mulch that refl ects ultraviolet light from the sun, to repel the insects. Researchers also coated pepper plants with a light dusting of ka-olin clay, making it tough for thrips to feed and breed on pepper leaf tissue.

The “pull” was accomplished by raising rows of sunfl owers near the peppers, keeping the rows free of UV-refl ecting mulch and kaolin to offer the thrips an appealing alternative meal. But those sunfl owers didn’t pro-vide safe harbor. They teemed with a well-known predator, the minute pirate bug. And they hosted two native thrips species that are more effi cient at feed-ing and reproducing than Western fl ower thrips, making it harder for the pest to survive. “These are all natural popula-tions,” Funderburk said. “We are not buying natural enemies and releasing them.” The initial fi ndings were pre-sented in November at the Entomologi-cal Society of America’s annual meeting. The study was funded by the Florida De-partment of Agriculture and Consumer Services. The research team included Steve Olson, a horticultural sciences pro-fessor at the Quincy center; Kara Tyler

Julian, a graduate student at the Quincy Center; Stuart Reitz, a research entomol-ogist with the U.S. Department of Agri-culture in Tallahassee; and Galen Frantz and Charles Mellinger with Glades Crop Care, a Jupiter, Fla.-based independent crop consultant.

“ � is book is written by a goat farmer for a goat farmer;” - so says author Janet Hurst about her new book, � e Whole Goat Handbook: Recipes, Cheese, Soap, Cra� s & More (published January 14, 2013 by Voyageur Press.

Among hobby and commercial farmers alike, goats are today’ s hottest trending animals-both 4-H and FF re-port that raising goats is their most popular and fast-est growing project. But correctly using the products from these popular ungulates requires special skills and know-how. With � e Whole Goat Handbook, author and veteran goat keeper Janet Hurst provides a wealth of useful advice, from the selection of t he animal, to an understanding of the breed, and on to the use of the products the animal will supply. Nearly 50 recipes expertly guide readers through the processes of making popular goat cheeses, goat-milk soaps, meat dishes, and even delicious ac-companiments. In addition, Hurst o� ers a dozen cra� -ing ideas that utilize goat � ber for knitting, weaving, and felting projects. All will help the reader make the most of their adventure as a goat keeper. � e recipes and projects presented here, togeth-er with the author’s entertaining primers on goat own-ership and discussions of raising goats for dairy, meat, and � ber, not to mention a wealth of photographs and patterns, comprise an essential resource for anyone con-sidering goat owners hip, as well as those who have

New Book Helps Goat Owners & Farmers Get the Most from Their Animals By Janet Hurst

already embarked on this richly rewarding path.

About the AuthorJanet Hurst (Hermann, MO) is a veteran goat keeper and soap- and cheese maker, and tends to one of the largest dairy-goat herds in the United States. Hurst stud-ied cheese making at the University of Vermont’s Insti-tute of Artisan Cheese, at the University of Guelph, and on small farms in Israel. � e author of Voyageur Press’s Homemade Cheese (2011), her work has appeared in MaryJane’s Farm, Mother Earth News, Heirloom, Small Farm Today, and others.

The Whole Gioat Hand Book;Recipes, Cheese, Soap, Crafts & More

By Janet Hust

Published Januuary 14, 2013ISB: 9780760342367

Item # 149938

$19.99 US / $21.99 CAN

For additional Information:Steve Roth

[email protected]

www.voyageurpress.com

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JAY JAMES WITH HIS 13-YEAR OLD SON, CLAY. Jay and Clay of Winter Ha-ven, were in the their tree stand only 10 minutes when Clay killed this 7-point buck in South Carolina in November, his second of the year. Contract Pending

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In 1929, the Soviet Union es-tablished gun control. From 1929 to 1953, about 20 million dissi-dents, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated. In 1911, Turkey established gun control. From 1915 to 1917, 1.5 million Armenians, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated. Germany established gun con-trol in 1938 and from 1939 to 1945, a total of 13 million Jews and others who were unable to defend themselves were rounded up and xterminated. China established gun control in 1935. From 1948 to 1952, 20 million po-litical dissidents, unable to defend them-selves, were rounded up and exterminated. Guatemala established gun con-trol in 1964. From 1964 to 1981, 100,000 Mayan Indians, unable to defend them-selves, were rounded up and exterminated. Uganda established gun control in 1970. From 1971 to 1979, 300,000 Christians, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated. Cambodia established gun con-trol in 1956. From 1975 to 1977,

A Little History on Gun Control (Banning Private Citizens From Owning Guns)

one million “educated” people, un-able to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated. Defenseless people rounded up and exterminated in the 20th Century because of gun control = 56 million. It has the now been 12 months since gun owners in Australia were forced, by new law, to surrender 640,381 personal firearms to be destroyed by their own government, a program costing Aus-tralia taxpayers more than $500 million dollars. The first year results are now in: List of 7 items: Australia-wide, homicides are up 3.2 percent Australia-wide, assaults are up 8.6 percent Australia-wide, armed robber-ies are up 44 percent (yes, 44 percent)! In the state of Victoria alone, homicides with firearms are now up 300 percent. Note, that while the law-abiding citizens turned them in, the criminals did not, and now only the criminals still have their guns! While figures over the previ-ous 25 years showed a steady decrease in armed robbery with firearms, this has changed drastically upward in the

past 12 months, since criminals now are guaranteed that their prey is unarmed. There has also been a dramatic increase in break-ins, home invasion robberies (with the people still at home) and assaults of the ELDERLY. Austra-lian politicians are at a loss to explain how public safety has so drastically de-creased, after such monumental effort, and expense was expended in success-fully ridding Australian society of guns. The Australian experience and

the other historical facts above prove it. Guns in the hands of honest citizens save lives and property and, yes, gun-control laws adversely af-fect only the law-abiding citizens. With guns, people are ‘citizens’. Without them, they are ‘subjects’. During WWII the Japanese decided not to invade America because they knew most Americans were ARMED!

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A Little Boy and an Old Pony From Lithia the Talk of the Country

By Brittany Zimmermann

Political advertising paid for and approved by Carol Kurdell, Nonpartisan, for School Board County-wide District 7

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Eric Zimmermann III and his horse “Mis Crystal Snow” went to his fi rst big show, The Reichert Celebra-tion in Ft Worth, Texas. It is the largest multi-breed horse show in the world! Crystal and Eric showed in the Pony of the America classes as a third generation contender. This was his fi rst big show with his mare after having only a month to get ready (his other show pony came up ill at the last minute). Crystal is 21 years old and has been retired for over ten years and out to pasture as a broodmare. Eric is the fi ve-year old son of Britanny Zimmermann of Lithia, but don’t tell him 5 year old don’t show in the “big time” as he com-peted in the 8-and-under division. They showed halter, showmanship, hunter under saddle, hunt seat equitation, west-ern pleasure, western horsemanship, and bareback equitation. He ended his show as the Ft. Worth Reserve Champion 8 and-under-boys class! He won many of

his classes and he brought home a huge assortment of prizes and medallions that he and Crystal won. Eric is currently leading the state of Florida in the 8 and under division and is in the top 6 in the nation for Western Horsemanship, Bareback Horsemanship, and just a few points away from the top 6 in Huntseat Equitation. Eric and Crystal plan on moving up to lope/canter classes next year and hunter hack. Eric has exceeded all expecta-tions as a 5 year old showing this year. We are so very proud of his determina-tion and hard work. A little boy and his old pony from tiny Lithia has been the talk of the nation in our breed. But, there is more to the story about Eric than ribbons and trophies. His eye sight is horrible and his pony’s is not much better .... but they manage to memorize their patterns and execute them well. He lights up our lives as well as many that he meets.