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Safety the focus of fair, along with arts and animals

The Sheriff's and the Emergency Management offices will each have a booth at the county fair.

By JORGE SANCHEZ
Published March 21, 2006

INVERNESS - Homemade quilts and prize-winning pigs won't be the only things on display at this year's Citrus County Fair. So will safety.

The Sheriff's and the Emergency Management offices will have displays at the fair this week, with many safety and crime prevention tips.

Both displays can be found in the Jacobs Building at the fairgrounds. The county fair begins at 10 a.m. today; gates close at 10 p.m.

In addition to safety information, the booths will have applications for people who want to volunteer with the two agencies. There will also be copies of the Sheriff's Office 2005 annual report.

The report includes the agency's budget, plus a summary of new services and programs, said Gail Tierney, public information officer. Also, each division of the Sheriff's Office is profiled.

The Sheriff's Office dedicated its yearly summary to 9-year-old Jessica Marie Lunsford, an abduction and murder victim who lived in Homosassa Springs.

With the hurricane season approaching, the Emergency Management Office will provide handouts on hurricane preparedness. Applications to attend the Community Emergency Response Team training can be picked up at the booth.

CERT organizes neighborhood volunteers to help care for their friends and families in the aftermath of storms until help arrives. Training is free, and the class lasts seven sessions.

"The training covers basic fire fighting, light search and rescue techniques, triage and things that volunteers can do until the cavalry arrives," Tierney said.

Residents can also obtain neighborhood re-entry placards, which are color-coded identification cards that allow passage through checkpoints after a storm.

The placards hang from a vehicle's rearview mirror, allowing the driver to pass through checkpoints to reach their homes in case a storm-mandated curfew is imposed. Without a placard, a driver must stop and show identification at a checkpoint.

To receive a placard, a person must show proof of residency.

In other fair activities, local entertainers will take the stage inside the air-conditioned auditorium today. Performers include Robert Figley, Dick Garbig, Brittany Nichole Lane, Melanie Pierson, the Citrus Concert Band and Leah Rusaw. See the schedule for performance times.

The midway opens at 5 p.m. Wednesday.

--Jorge Sanchez, who covers arts and entertainment in Citrus County, can be reached at sanchez@sptimes.com or 352 860-7313.

[Last modified March 21, 2006, 02:30:40]