Well, winter is almost over, we think?

So many new activities getting started.  Come Wednesday, March 10th, the 4th Annual Open Air Arts Festival kicks off with 65 artists participating. They’ll be all over the area recording many of Melrose’s pristine areas. And, on Saturday evening, starting at 6:00 pm, March 20th there’ll be receptions at all 3 of Melrose’s art galleries displaying the efforts of these 65 artists and what they’ve created with inspiration from Melrose’s scenic beauty. Don’t miss these gala events.

In the midst of all this activity, again on Wednesday, March 10th, starting at 11:30 am, is the Melrose Business and Community Association’s (MBCA) monthly meeting.  This will be held at the Melrose Methodist Fellowship Hall on Hampton Street.  Our guest speaker will be Mary Lou Hildreth, Mayor of Keystone Heights.

And, we’re planning a lunch by Blue Water Bay.  Where else can you get a Blue Water Bay Lunch for $7.00? Visitors are always welcome.

We’re asking all who plan to attend and eat with us to send your confirmation of attendance by e-mail or phone (352) 586-6776 and let Susan know. Sorry for the short notice, but need to have all reservations by Monday evening.

Also, The Melrose Alert is on-line for your viewing pleasure.

And, on Friday, be sure to attend the Melrose Community Farmer’s Market at Heritage Park starting at 3:00 pm.

Bring all your friends and take in all of these great Melrose activities.

Click on the poster to make it larger

We’ve been telling you about the meeting Thursday, 2/25 at the St. Johns River Water Management District Headquarters on SR 100 in Palatka, starting at 5:00 pm.

It’s important that we have a large turn-out for this meeting.

The Melrose Water Association engaged an enviromental engineering firm, Water & Air Research, Inc. to review the application of the Little Big Sturgeon (LBS) Farm. The purpose of the review was to indentify enviromental concerns associated with the siting, constructing, and operating of the proposed facility.

Their findings are summarized in their report to Melrose Water Association as of February 17, 2010.

A brief quote from the report, “The St. Johns River Water Management District has asked repeatedly since the LBS filing for information relative to the stormwater and wastewater plans for this facility. They have been continually rebuked by the applicant; LBS citing their permit approval with the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services does not require them to respond. Your Water Association membership should be very concerned about this lack of transparency and unwillingness to address stormwater and wastewater systems and their impact on the waters of Florida.”

The entire report can be read on-line at: http://melrosefl.com/sturgeonfarmreport.pdf or downloaded by clicking here.

Here’s an independent study which indicates this proposed venture will potentally have an adverse impact on our natural resources, specifically our water!

Spread the word and let’s all go to Palatka on Thursday and voice our concerns.

At last, a beautiful day for the Melrose Community Farmers’ Market on Friday. Just remember, every Friday afternoon at Heritage Park, starts at 3:00 pm. You never know what our area farmers and merchants will offer.  And, this has become the place where friends meet, it’s also a place to catch up on what’s happening ’round town.

Saturday evening a group enjoyed the program and hospitality of Bellamy Road Gallery combined with good music and a wonderful bonfire.  A great combination, Thank you Alan, David, Keith, and Linda!

This week, there are two major events we should all attend.  Tomorrow evening at 6:30 is the Suwannee River Water Management meeting at Keystone Heights High School Cafeteria.  They are formulating their plans for OUR water for the next 20 years!   Be there!

And, even though it’s my birthday, I’m going and encourage all to go to Palatka on Thursday, 2/25 and voice your concerns about the proposed sturgeon farm.  This is slated to go on a parcel near the SR 26 and 219 intersection east of SR 21. This is being held at St. Johns Water Management District Headquarters on SR 100 starting at 5:00 pm.

And, don’t forget our weekly events like COFFEETALK on Wednesday morning at ShakeRag Artists’ Collective and Ed’s Friday afternoon gathering in Heritage Park.

To digress a bit, when I finish a listing like this, I think of the old NY Times slogan, All the News That’s Fit to Print. I know it’s not quite that, but that’s enough for our lil ole garden spot we’ve all come to love called Melrose.

Now, what’s ole Cracker boy like me know about NYC?  Yep, in my earlier years I lived there for a bit, but that’s a story for another day.

See ya’ll at these many happenings.

Wings of Dreams presents The Collings Foundation’s

Wings of Freedom Tour

1st Stop of the 2010 National Tour

- February 19 – 22, 2010 -

Keystone Heights Airport

Admission: Adults $5.00

Children (under 12) $2.00

Children (under 5) Free

WWII Vets Free

Active Duty in uniform Free

Friday, Feb. 19, 12 noon

-          Bombers arrive; tours, rides

-

Saturday, Feb. 20, 9 am – 5 pm

- Bomber tours, rides,

- B-25 instruction

- Fighter Aces Symposium

- WASP Symposium

- Hangar Dinner/Dance

- Cash wine/beer bar

Sunday, Feb. 21, 9 am – 5 pm

- Bomber tours, rides,

- B-25 instruction

- Combat Airmen Symposium

- Tribute – WWII Veterans

Monday, Feb. 22, 9 am -11 am

- Tours, rides; bombers depart

- Visit www.wingsofdreams.org for more information –

Pam Whittle

North Florida Regional Chamber of Commerce

FloridaWorks

100 East Call Street * Starke, FL 32091

Phone 904-964-5278

Fax 904-964-2863

The Bradford County Education Foundation presents

The Second Annual “Adult Spelling BEE”

Saturday, February 27, 2010

Charley E. Johns Conference Center

Tickets $20 for adults, $10 for children 12 and under

Contact: Lila Sellars, School Board Office at 904-966-6018 or

Cheryl Canova, SF Andrews Center at 904-964-5382 for tickets.

Dinner 6:00 p.m.  – Spelling BEE 7:15 p.m.

All profits will benefit Bradford County Public Schools

Pam Whittle

North Florida Regional Chamber of Commerce

FloridaWorks

100 East Call Street * Starke, FL 32091

Phone 904-964-5278

Fax 904-964-2863

www.northfloridachamber.com

Important Meeting Coming soon!

Northeast Florida Water Supply Plan

Monday, February 22, 2010

Keystone Heights High School

900 SW Orchid Avenue

Keystone Heights, 6:30 pm

Sponsored by: Suwannee River Water Management District

Mark you calendars for February 25th. Important Public hearing at St. Johns River Water Management offices in Palatka starting at 5:00 pm.

Tell everyone in the Melrose area to attend and voice their concerns.

Note: If you have trouble reading the text of the letter, click on the post title, “Remember the Sturgeon Farm” and it will bring up the full size letter.

Read Claire’s announcement here:

Hopefully, this headline caught your eye! What am I talking about? Well at last night’s MBCA meeting, Yvonne Parrish, Chair of the 2010 Census Complete Count Committee of Putnam County  told us how we shot ourselves in the foot in 2000 by over 40 percent of the population not  responding to the Census.

So, what’s the big deal? It’s just some numbers for those bureaucrats in Washington! WRONG!  The census is used to allocate funding by the Federal Government for all funds. So, if you don’t  complete the census forms, we all lose funds that would come back to the state and local areas. From the  2000 Census, it’s estimated we lost at the rate of about $2,200 per person per year.

State wide, Florida had a participation level of  55%. What could we have done with that extra money.  Just remember, there are over 70,000 people in Putnam County alone, according to the 2000 Census.  You do the math, but the amount of lost revenue is staggering.

Forms are to be mailed about March 15th, be on the lookout for them. It’s been simplified and there are only 10 questions on the standard “short form.” A few people, selected at random, will receive the “long form.” Also,  they only mail to people with physical addresses,  post office boxes are NOT mailed to.   So, we all need to do our part and make sure those census forms are completed and returned.  Thanks, Yvonne for an interesting and informative presentation.

Well, we had about 37 or so people brave the cold to come out. We appreciate all of you taking the time to attend. We trust it was worth your time. And, we thank the school and their staff for making the facility available to us.

At last night’s meeting Jill McGuire, President of the Santa Fe Lake Dwellers, told about the “Rally for the Rivers” which kicked off with a Public Hearing starting at 8:30 on Friday morning at the Quality Inn Riverfront in downtown Palatka. Can you imagine me trekking off to Palatka, almost “before breakfast’  for an 8:30 meeting?

Well, Susan and I did along with a whole bunch of other folks including several from Melrose, Keystone and environs. Some names I recall include, Mary Lou Hildreth, Mayor of Keystone; Jill McGuire, Kathy Cantwell, Joyce King, Walter Cole, Hannah Price plus numerous others. Other attendees included   Putnam County Commissioners Chip Laibl and Kenny Eubanks, former Commissioner Linda Myer and husband, Vernon Myers. The large meeting room just off the lobby was full of people.

The “Rally for the Rivers” is sponsored by the Putnam County Environmental Council. From this  turnout in spite of the early hour and weather, they’re off to a great start. Karen Ahlers, President and  their team are to be commended for sponsoring this event.

So, what drew so many people to Palatka to start the day, not just the “Rally.” The “Public Hearing” was held by the Florida Senate Select Committee on Florida’s Inland Water Resources. Two hours were allocated for the hearing and the Committee heard from 50 different people representing various organizations and concerned citizens. The consensus was we need better protection over our natural resources and to not export our water to other areas.

It’s most encouraging to see so many people and different organizations taking an active role in voicing the concerns of the majority to protect what we have before it’s too late.