Melrose Grapevine

A tribute published by Gary Simpson in the Gainesville Sun on Friday, July 3rd, 2020.

The area fishing community lost a good friend last Sunday [June 28, 2020] when Eddie Joe Parrish passed away. He and I went way back to the days when we both attended a Sunday school class taught by my mom.

While working at Chiappini’s Service Station in Melrose, Eddie made the most of his fondness for helping kids catch fish. Several years ago, he came up with his annual “Great Worm Giveaway” that started as a request for area fishers to donate their plastic worms to kids who could use them to catch fish through their summer vacations. Hundreds did come into Chiappini’s for their free worms, but through the years, the donations grew to include rods, reels and all kinds of other tackle. Eddie’s popular program enabled tackle of all kinds to flow from fishers whose time on the water was growing short, into the possession of kids whose fishing was just beginning.

We can’t know how many children Eddie introduced to fishing or how many thrills he helped them experience. His was a simple but noble calling.

[Gary Simpson, a veteran tournament angler, writes a weekly sports column for the Gainesville Sun and operates Gary’s Tackle Box at L&S Auto Trim, 5721 NW 13th St, Gainesville, FL 32653, (352) 372-1791]

The park, which had been closed due to the coronavirus has reopened.

PUTNAM COUNTY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE ANNOUNCES

Take Out Tuesday Contest

Easy Rules:

1. To be eligible to win a $100 gift certificate all you need to do is order takeout on Tuesday (April 21, 2020 and/or April 28, 2020) from a restaurant located in Putnam County, Florida.

2. Post a picture of your takeout order, with your receipt (date must show) and post it on the Putnam County Chamber of Commerce Facebook page
https://www.facebook.com/PutnamCountyFL

3. Then just enjoy your takeout from a local restaurant and thank you for doing your part.

A random drawing will be held on Wednesday, April 29th and the winner will receive a $100 gift certificate redeemable at the restaurant they posted their takeout from.

BONUS: If you also purchase a gift certificate for $10 or more from that restaurant, add it on your picture posted to Facebook and if you are the lucky winner you will get double the prize – a $200 gift certificate!

Please support our local restaurants by participating in this contest. They need us and we need them!  Thank you!

Track COVID-19 cases in your county or zip code.

https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/96dd742462124fa0b38ddedb9b25e429

If you are a local Melrose business, post any news you’d like to share as a Comment to this post.

If you’d like to be able to post your own messages (with graphics, etc), contact mbca@melrosefl.com.

The North Florida / South Georgia Veterans Healthcare veteranshealth@public.govdelivery.com are sharing this information to ensure that you area aware that criminals are attempting to exploit COVID-19 worldwide through a variety of scams.  There have been reports of:

• Individuals and businesses selling fake cures for COVID-19 online and engaging in other forms of fraud.
• Phishing emails from entities posing as the World Health Organization or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
• Malicious websites and apps that appear to share virus-related information to gain and lock access to your devices until payment is received.
• Seeking donations fraudulently for illegitimate or non-existent charitable organizations.

Criminals will likely continue to use new methods to exploit COVID-19 worldwide.

If you think you are a victim of a scam or attempted fraud involving COVID-19, you can report it without leaving your home though a number of platforms. Go to:

• Contact the National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via email at disaster@leo.gov
• Report it to the FBI at tips.fbi.gov
• If it’s a cyber scam, submit your complaint through https://www.ic3.gov/default.aspx

https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/features/coronavirus-scams-what-ftc-doing

Avoid Coronavirus Scams

Here are some tips to help you keep the scammers at bay:

• Hang up on robocalls. Don’t press any numbers. Scammers are using illegal robocalls to pitch everything from scam Coronavirus treatments to work-at-home schemes. The recording might say that pressing a number will let you speak to a live operator or remove you from their call list, but it might lead to more robocalls, instead.
• Ignore online offers for vaccinations and home test kits. Scammers are trying to get you to buy products that aren’t proven to treat or prevent the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) — online or in stores. At this time, there also are no FDA-authorized home test kits for the Coronavirus. Visit the FDA to learn more.
• Fact-check information. Scammers, and sometimes well-meaning people, share information that hasn’t been verified. Before you pass on any messages, contact trusted sources. Visit What the U.S. Government is Doing for links to federal, state and local government agencies.
• Know who you’re buying from. Online sellers may claim to have in-demand products, like cleaning, household, and health and medical supplies when, in fact, they don’t.
• Don’t respond to texts and emails about checks from the government. The details are still being worked out. Anyone who tells you they can get you the money now is a scammer.
• Don’t click on links from sources you don’t know. They could download viruses onto your computer or device.
• Watch for emails claiming to be from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) or experts saying they have information about the virus. For the most up-to-date information about the Coronavirus, visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO).
• Do your homework when it comes to donations, whether through charities or crowdfunding sites. Don’t let anyone rush you into making a donation. If someone wants donations in cash, by gift card, or by wiring money, don’t do it. 

https://home.treasury.gov/services/report-fraud-waste-and-abuse/covid-19-scams

If you receive calls, emails, or other communications claiming to be from the Treasury Department and offering COVID-19 related grants or stimulus payments in exchange for personal financial information, or an advance fee, or charge of any kind, including the purchase of gift cards, please do not respond.  These are scams.  Please contact the FBI at www.ic3.gov  so that the scammers can be tracked and stopped.

https://home.treasury.gov/services/report-fraud-waste-and-abuse/covid-19-scams

https://www.treasury.gov/tigta/index.shtml

https://www.treasury.gov/tigta/contact_report_scam.shtml