It’s summer time, and according to Gershwin’s Porgy & Bess, “the living is easy.” However, things still happen ’round Melrose.

Plan to take in the following:

Wednesday – 10 am COFFEETALK at ShakeRag Artists’ Collective -  Bellamy Avenue (SR 26)

Aqua Fitness Classes by Michel Laxson
Wednesday, Friday, Saturday
Melrose Bay Park
Register and Pay at 8:40AM
Class from 9-10AM
$5 per person per class, cash or check

Friday – 4:00 pm Melrose Farmer’s Market – Heritage Park

Friday – 7:00 pm Santa Fe Lake Dwellers Annual Meeting – Trinity Parish Hall -  all are invited. See their Newsletter, click here.

WHAT:            Aqua Melrose Classes

WHERE:         Melrose Bay Park at foot of Quail Street

WHEN:            EVERY WEDNESDAY, FRIDAY & SATURDAY

TIME:               9AM (June-November)

TAUGHT BY: Michel Laxson, AEA Certified Aquatic Fitness Professional

COST:               $5 per class, cash or check.

NOTE:              Please arrive 20 minutes prior to class to register, etc.

At the July 14th Meeting of the Melrose Business & Community Association (MBCA), we furnished each attendee with a questionnaire which included the following questions:

     1) What you view as “hot issues” that may affect the Community such as new development, police coverage, roads, schools, taxes, utilities, etc.
     2) What additional stores and/or services you would like to have available in Melrose?
     3) How can we attract and retain additional businesses and services to Melrose?
     4) What else should the MBCA be doing for the Community?

Kimberly Moore from the Gainesville Sun attended and published an article about the meeting which appeared on the front page (no less) of the Wednesday, July 21st paper. See“Melrose struggles to discover its identity” by clicking here. This has drawn mixed comments from various persons, some approving of it and some taking exception.

In the August 09th Gainesville Sun appeared an article from a Melrose resident expressing their views about Melrose titled “Why Melrose should be a city”. To view this click here.

I invite all to take a look at these two articles and voice your opinion here. Let’s get an old fashioned debate going on these two portrayals of Melrose plus your own views as to how you see Melrose now and into the future.

MONDAY, June 14th at 7:00 pm – Another Successful Aging in the Lakes Event
Lecture: Moovin and Groovin: Key to Longevity
Laughing Eagle Studio, Melrose, Florida

Directions: From the only light in Melrose, travel south on State Rd 21
for exactly 4.5 miles (just past Lake Winnott Rd). At top of hill, look for black and white striped mailbox on left, sign on fence “Laughing Eagle Ranch” and picture of an eagle.

Turn left into property and follow the dirt drive past the house, bear left when you see the red barn and continue to the back of the property and park at the studio.

Cate Miller home #475-1258 cell #716-753-6075. Please wear loose,
comfy clothing and supportive shoes. We will have snacks after lecture.
Sounds like there will audience participation

WEDNESDAY, June 16th – COFFEETALK 10 am to Noon
ShakeRag Artists’ Collective, Great coffee, conservations, nibbles, and music
Don’t miss it!

FRIDAY, June 18th 9:00 am
Join the Fun!
Aquatic Fitness Classes
Melrose Bay Park, foot of Quail Street, Melrose
Instructor: Michel Laxon, AEA Certified Aquatic Fitness Professional
For details, click here.

FRIDAY, June 18th Melrose Community Farmers Market, 4:00 7:00 pm
Melrose Heritage Park

Please don’t pick up any plastic bottles that may be laying in your yards/mail box,  etc.

Click on the Snopes web page below to watch the video.

Good safety info that I never heard of; be careful and watch the video if you don’t believe it.

Pay attention to this.

1. a plastic bottle with a cap.
2. a little Drano.
3. a little water.
4. a small piece of foil.
5. Disturb  it by moving it; and BOOM!!
6. No fingers left and other serious effects to your face, eyes, etc..

People are finding these bombs in mailboxes and in their yards, just waiting for you to pick it up intending to put it in the trash.
But, you’ll never make it!!! It takes about 30 seconds to blow after you move the thing.

See “SNOPES” below….it’s true. This happened a few days ago…April 27, as a matter of fact.
http://www.snopes.com/crime/warnings/bottlebomb.asp

Hopefully we will all have one minute; praying together.

Any time is good, collectively may be stronger—who knows. Did you know that during WWII there was an adviser to Churchill who organized a group of people who dropped what they were doing every day at a prescribed hour for one minute to collectively pray for the safety of England, its people and peace?

There is now a group of people organizing the same thing here in America .

If you would like to participate:

Every evening at 9:00 PM Eastern Time, stop whatever you are doing and spend one minute praying for the safety of the United States, our troops, our citizens, and for a return to a Godly nation.

If you know anyone else who would like to participate, please pass this along. Our prayers are the most powerful asset we have. Please forward this to your praying friends.

Here’s some great advice that comes from a few years ago.

Read and find out how timely it is.

“The budget should be balanced, the treasury should be refilled.

Public debt should be reduced.

The arrogance of officialdom should be tempered and controlled.

The assistance to foreign lands should be curtailed lest Rome becomes bankrupt.

People must again learn to work, instead of living on public assistance.”

Cicero – 55 BC

In case you wondered what happened:
The pause in Melrose water service yesterday was caused by a break in a pipe on SR 21.The Water Association contacted the health department to initiate testing of the water to assure its quality. One test has been done and the results will be known tomorrow and will be followed be further tests. The water is probably NOT contaminated, but it would be prudent for all of us to BOIL our drinking water for the next two days. However, it is not mandatory to do so. The reason it was on the local news is that the health department is obligated to notify the media upon such an occurrence.
Thanks to William for the the water issue explanation. For the official release by Alachua County,
click here.

And, a reminder, two big events tomorrow:
CoffeeTalk at 10:00 am, ShakeRag Artists’ Collective

MBCA meeting at 11:30, Melrose Methodist Church Fellowship Hall

Be sure and read the Melrose Alert also.

Don’t miss any of these.

Here we are at the beginning on the second quarter of 2010 and this is no April Fools prank. I came across these words in my readings this morning and felt that Mr. Channing had some very valid points. And Mr. Brisbane added to it with his comments. After 90 years, it’s still timely. Enjoy:

“William Henry Channing’s Symphony” by Arthur Brisbane
(an editorial from the Hearst Newspapers, ca. 1920)

THE THOUGHT –
To live content with small means; to seek elegance rather than luxury, and refinement rather than fashion; to be worthy, not respectable, and wealthy, not, rich; to listen to stars and birds, babes and sages, with open heart; to study hard; to think quietly, act frankly, talk gently, await occasions, hurry never; in a word, to let the spiritual, unbidden and unconscious, grow up through the common–this is my symphony. William Henry Channing

TO LIVE CONTENT WITH SMALL MEANS.

This means to realize to the full the possibilities of life. Contentment means ABSENCE OF WORRY. It is only when free from worry that the brain can act normally, up to its highest standard. The man content with small means does his best work, devotes his energies to that which is worth while, and not to acquiring that which has no value.

TO SEEK ELEGANCE RATHER THAN LUXURY.

The difference between elegance and luxury is the difference between the thin, graceful deer, browsing on the scanty but sufficient forest pasture, and the fat swine revelling in plentiful garbage.

REFINEMENT RATHER THAN FASHION.

The difference between refinement and fashion is the difference between brains and clothing, the difference between an Emerson or a Huxley and a Beau Brummel or other worthless but elaborately decked carcass.

TO BE WORTHY, NOT RESPECTABLE.

In other words, to be like Henry George, and not like the owner of a trust.

WEALTHY, NOT RICH.

The man who has a good wife and good children, enough to take care of them, but not enough to spoil them, is WEALTHY. He is happier than the man who is RICH enough to be worried, rich enough to make it certain that his children will be ruined by extravagance, and perhaps live to be ashamed of him.

TO LISTEN TO STARS AND BIRDS, BABES AND SAGES, WITH OPEN HEART.

This means to enjoy the noblest gifts that God has given to man. He is happy who takes more pleasure in a beautiful sunset than in the sight of a flunky with powdered hair, artificial calves and lofty manners, handing him something indigestible on a plate of gold.

TO STUDY HARD; TO THINK QUIETLY, ACT FRANKLY, TALK GENTLY.

To exercise in this way the brain that is given to us is to lead the life of a MAN, a life of self-control, a life that is worth while, that leads to something and helps forward the improvement of the race.

In the words which we have quoted at the top of this column William Henry Channing has given a recipe for wise living. —-

In 1839, Edward Bulwer-Lytton, an English play-write coined the phrase, “The pen is mightier than the sword” as lines in one of his plays. Little did he realize the phrase would often be quoted, even into the 21st. Century

One of our local residents, David Beede is out to prove this with his writings and his songs. I’m sure you’ve heard about the proposed sturgeon farm planned to go between SR 26  and SR 219 on the East side of Melrose.

To learn more about this issue which is dear to all of our hearts, go over to David’s web-site, read his information, watch his video and listen to his song.  It’s all at: http://www.davidbeede.com/proposedsturgeonfarm.htm

We all need to follow David’s cue and write Kirby Green to let him know what Melrose does or does NOT want in the neighborhood.

Additional Melrose Happenings:
Tonight starting at 6:00 pm, Melrose rocks again.  The receptions and exhibition of our 65 guest artists’ works created over the past 10 days,will be at all of our Melrose art galleries for viewing and many available for purchase. Don’t this this highlight of the Fourth annual Open Aire Arts Festival of the Melrose Artists’ Community.

Then, this coming Friday evening, March 26 ShakeRag Artists’ Collective and the Melrose Business and Community Association (MBCA) jointly will be hosting our first “Business After Hours” mixer/social for 2010 at the ShakeRag Gallery on Bellamy Avenue (SR 26) from 5:30 to 8:00 pm.  All are invited and bring your business cards. You never know who all you may meet.

And, don’t forget the mid-week get together at ShakeRag every Wednesday, 10:00 am to 12:00 pm known as COFFEETALK. Great music, conversations, beverages and snacks.  Don’t miss all the fun!

And, on all Fridays, we have the Melrose Community Farmers’ Market in Heritage Park. Much good food, crafts, furniture and who knows what all else you may find being offered by these Melrose area vendors. NOTE:  New hours starting this Friday:  4:00 to 7:00 pm, be sure and come explore all the great things here.

And, last but certainly not least, on Saturday, March 27th, at Melrose Bay Park, from 11:00 am to 3:00 pm is the Santa Fe Lake Dwellers’ annual Lake Fest.  Melrose Bay Park is at the foot of Quail Street on the shore of Melrose Bay.  There will be food, free boat rides, a bird walk starting at 10:00 am, music, live demonstrations, and more.  Don’t miss it!

One more thought for now.  Note that at the end of each posting is a  link to comments.  It will state how many comments have been made.  We felt this venue would give everyone the opportunity to speak up  and share your thoughts.  A few are taking advantage of this feature.  Let’s hear from the rest of you, too.

We appreciate everyones’ participation “for the benefit of Melrose.”