Get Your Discounted Florida State Fair Tickets NOW!

The 2012 Florida State Fair is only 8 days away... Have you gotten your tickets yet? From now until February 8, you can purchase discounted gate admission tickets at your local Sweetbay Supermarket - adult admission for $8 (age 12 and up) and youth admission for $4 (ages 6-11). Ride armbands can be purchased for $25. For more information, for ride armband dates, and a list of participating Sweetbay Supermarkets, click here.

From the Sun to Pluto - Family-Friendly 5k - February 4, 2012

5KFlyer+(3)-1

Dade City Kumquat Festival - Saturday, January 28

If you want something fun and family-friendly to do this weekend, check out Dade City's annual Kumquat Festival, Saturday, January 28, from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. in historic downtown Dade City. 

Dade City's Annual Kumquat Festival™ , held the last Saturday in January each year, has become extremely popular for its homegrown, family-friendly entertainment. Visitors can listen to local entertainment, get their face painted, look at antique cars, and shop for arts and crafts. There are also 5k and 10k races/walks and a recipe contest where you can invent or re-invent your favorite dishes using kumquats. Participants recipes will be published in our Kumquat Festival™ Cookbook, available for sale at the festival. Our BBQ Dinner and Kumquat Growers' Open House are part of the festivities that round out our Kumquat Festival™ month in January.

For more information please call the Greater Dade City Chamber of Commerce at 352-567-3769 or visit the Kumquat Festival website.

Phone Numbers for Your Local Post Office

If you have ever tried to find a local phone number for your neighborhood Post Office, you know it can be frustrating.  Fortunately, the phone numbers are available on the USPS website, if you know where to look.

First, go to the main USPS website (www.usps.com).  Then, click on "Find Locations" on the left side of the screen.  This will bring you to a search page where you can type in the ZIP code or city and state you want.  A search will bring up a list of post offices in that area.  Don't stop here, although you only see the 877 main toll-free number for the USPS.  Click on the name of the post office that you want to contact.  This will bring up a map of the location and the local phone number.

You can CLICK HERE for a direct link to the Post Office location finder.

Paddling Pasco - January 14, 2012 Excursion

Paddling Pasco Blueways Program

Hosted by the Pasco County Parks and Recreation Department. This is the second of a series of excursions which will cover the entire coastal Pasco Blueways Trail System from Anclote to Aripeka including the Anclote and Pithlachascotee Rivers.

Date: Saturday January 14, 2012.


Oelsner Park on Miller’s Bayou to Robert K. Rees Memorial Park (AKA Green Key)


We will meet at Oeslner Park at 3 pm to off load boats, then drive to Rees Park and catch shuttle back to Oelsner to launch just before 4pm. Paddle west out the Pithlachascotee (Cotee) River and then south to Rees Park as the sun sets. (5:46 pm). Arrive at Green Key at around sunset. Enjoy a small bonfire on the beach for a short time (1/2 hour or so) or load up and head home. The trip is approximately 4 miles and is anticipated to take approximately 2 to 2.5 hours on the water.

As tide allows (high tide is at 4pm) we will hug the coastline in shallow water. The first portion of the trip is on the Cotee River lined with some expensive Homes, Restaurants, Marinas and docks. Once we head south the shoreline becomes natural with mostly mangroves and the coastline becomes shallow with sand or sea grass bottom depending on the depth of the water. There are several inlets and bayous to explore at a later date. During this paddle there is a good chance to see some coastal wildlife including:

Birds – Bald Eagles, Osprey, Pelicans, White Ibis, Cormorants, Anhinga, Great White Egrets, Great Blue Herons, Little Blue Herons, Sea Gulls, Black Skimmers, Wood Storks, Kingfishers, Night Herons, Snowy Egrets, Black Vultures and Redwing Blackbirds.
Sea Life – Dolphins, Stingrays, Blue Crabs, Horseshoe Crabs, Fiddler Crabs, Hermit Crabs, Conches, Barnacles and Oysters, Sheephead, Red Fish, Mullet, Sharks, Speckled Trout, Pin Fish, Jellyfish and Needle Fish.

All participants will be required to sign a participation agreement and waiver to:

1. Provide own kayak or canoe. Please contact us if a rental is needed.

2. Wear a life jacket/PFD when on the water.

3. Be at least 16 years old or with parent or guardian.

4. Provide own drinks and snacks. No alcoholic beverages.

5. Assume all risks and be solely responsible for their property, safety and well-being. Complete the attached participation waiver and turn it in at the start.

6. Follow the instructions of the trip leaders.

Cost is $2 per vehicle for a park parking pass to support the County Parks and Recreation system. Paddling Pasco Tee Shirts are available for $10.00 to support the County’s Greenways, Trails and Blueways programming however there is a limited # available so please let us know if you are interested.  This money will be collected at start.

For more information and to register for this program, please contact the Pasco County Parks and Recreation Department at 727-834-3278 or 813-929-2760.

If you plan to participate, please contact us and register by providing your name, phone number and email address, so that we can prepare adequately. This is a moderate paddle unless the wind is strong. We will stay in touch as the program comes closer to make adjustments and provide additional information as needed and in case weather becomes an issue.

Pasco County Cold Weather Shelters

Pasco County Cold Weather Shelters

Apply NOW for Salvation Army Christmas Assistance Program

Applications are being accepted through Friday, November 11 for the Salvation Army Christmas Assistance Program. The program provides a holiday food box to adults and a food box and/or Christmas toys to families with children. All applicants must provide the following: a valid driver's license or state-issued ID, a Social Security card for all family members, birth certificates if a child's last name is not the same as the applicant's, guardianship papers if the applicant is a child's appointed guardian, proof of income, and proof of Pasco County residency. For information, call Jean Coulter at (727) 847-6321, ext. 101.