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Talking about farming in Pinellas . . .
By Linda D. Cole and Ingrid L. Kohler, Times Staff Writers
Published August 4, 2007
Yet another reminder that later this month school doors fly open to welcome back eager scholars we like to mix fact and fantasy occasionally, strictly for entertainment value comes from REXer Jane Wendt. Jane works for the Pinellas County Farm Bureau and, as its agricultural education coordinator, visits schools here to promote agriculture. What with the bumper crop of blacktop and concrete the county produces, farming in Pinellas has, undoubtedly, never needed promotion more - unless you're raising condos. Jane is feeling the urban pinch as she invites high school students to participate in the farm bureau's annual public speaking contest. You don't have to be a Future Farmer of America or a 4-H student. If you are a Pinellas resident age 14 to 18, unafraid to speak in public, you are eligible to enter. The local contest will take place at the end of August or during the first week in September. A district match and possibly a state contest will follow, with cash awards for those finishing first, second and third. For further information and to learn about the contest rules, please e-mail jane.wendt@ffbic.com. Brad hopes to warm the cockles of some reader's heart by offering a Maytag halo of heat dryer, theirs for the picking up. Please call (727) 531-1206. The staff nominates the members of the Holiday Ladies Missionary Class as bona fide phenoms; they just keep eclipsing their own records. They have completed 26,000 Nigerian Bible verse cards, but they have run out of card fronts used to make them. The ladies would appreciate further donations of used greeting card fronts, which may be left at the door of the church or mailed there. The address is Holiday Gospel Assembly, 1842 Grand Blvd., Holiday, FL 34690. Joanne Drake writes that the Pinellas County Extension Service is preparing for its sale of plants to the public in October and is in need of plastic pots, 1 gallon size and larger. Here's a chance to recycle those plant containers currently taking over your garage. The Extension Service Web site is coop.co.pinellas.fl.us; the phone number is (727) 582-2100. Other potential homes for unused pots are mentioned by Joanne: pinellas.ifas.ufl.edu/4-H/index.shtml, for the children's 4-H program; and www.flbg.org, Florida Botanical Gardens. Frank Prager of New Port Richey has a new digital camera that works with WindowsXP or Vista only, a fact that Frank didn't know when he bought it. Unfortunately, his PC is Windows98SE. So Frank is looking for a REXer with an unused card reader with CD that works with his computer. If you can help, he'll gladly pick it up. Please e-mail fcprager@netzero.net. Maybe we should take a leaf from Dear Abby and say Confidential from . . . or, maybe not. At any rate, Elaine Schwarz of Tarpon Springs asks the lady from Seminole to call her again, collect, about the drug store at which she buys camphor bars. Elaine also needs a 30-inch bar stool and information on locating a leather repair kit. Elaine may be reached at (727) 934-0197. On July 28 we ran a request from Debbie Lynn, who uses Bare Essentials products and would like to swap some foundations she can't use. From the time we received Debbie's request to when it appeared she changed phone numbers. Her new number is (727) 953-6885. Thanks, and now . . . Sometimes we receive thank-you notes that also include another request; this week turned up several, so just for the heck of it we're trying a category that contains responses that essentially say, "thanks, love the column; oh, by the way, will you yada, yada, yada while you're at it?" Ellie Weaver was delighted with the slide projector her request elicited from a couple in Clearwater. She has gone through her seven boxes of family slides and is shipping off some of them to her brother in Detroit. Thanks! And, oh by the way, Ellie's husband, Ray, is looking for someone to transfer five of his old music cassettes to CDs. Please call (727) 441-8011 or e-mail raymondellie@aol.com. Joan Ferst writes that the electric typewriter she was giving away was the perfect match for an elderly lady who doesn't use a computer but writes a monthly column for an Alzheimer's support group. Love the column, and by the way, Joan needs more yarn for knitting mittens for the chilly children up north she helps. Joan can be reached at (727) 323-4477. The ladies group from Suncoast Cathedral that calls itself "A Labor of Love" says thanks to readers who sent batting and quilting materials to be turned into bedding for homeless children. Thanks, and while you're at it, the group has a box of woolen yarn they won't be using, but if you can, please call Lucille Wilson at (727) 570-8263. Send requests to Reader Exchange, Floridian, St. Petersburg Times, P.O. Box 1121, St. Petersburg 33731 or e-mail cole@sptimes.com. Requests will be accepted only by mail or e-mail. This is an exchange column, so we will not run items that are for sale. Readers must agree to publication of phone numbers, including area code.
[Last modified August 2, 2007, 15:02:52]
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