Elmer's Genealogy Library

There's a really unique library a couple of hours from Pasco up in Madison, Florida called Elmer's Genealogy Library. If you are researching your family tree, are at a crossroads, or just need a little assistance to get started, they may be able to help you. They will do research for you either online or in person. There is a charge though-$40/hour for non-members, $20 for members. Check out their website: http://www.elmerslibrary.com/index.php

Researching your family history is a fun and rewarding activity but can also be a daunting task. It's nice to know that we have places like Elmer's to help us when we need it.

Don't forget that locally, we have resources too. There is the genealogy collection housed at the Hugh Embry Library in Dade City. Other resources can be obtained by contacting the West Pasco Historical Society. Click on the icon under History/Genealogy, to view their website.

Pasco County EOC Emergency Notification System

County Emergency Operations launched a new program in the past few weeks called the Emergency Notification System. It's a pilot program right now, for seven months. It's being developed to warn residents of any kind of emergency situations from hurricanes to hazardous material incidents to boil water orders. By signing up, county residents can receive emergency notifications by home phone, cell phone or email. If you want to sign up, just go to the county emergency management website: http://www.pascoemergencymanagement.com/

On the web page, you will see an icon that says "Click here for one step notification." Click on that and follow the steps. Give it a try! This could prove to be a very useful tool to the citizens of Pasco County.

Coastal Cleanup September 20, 2008

Want a chance to volunteer some time? Give back to your community? Do something good for the environment? Well, on September 20th, you can have your chance with the 2008 Coastal Cleanup. The Ocean Conservancy's International Coastal Cleanup is a worldwide effort to help rid our coastlines of the garbage and waste we leave behind. Lots of people from Pasco will be participating, landlubbers and divers alike. Join in the fun and do something worthwhile! Click on the link below to sign up:
http://www.oceanconservancy.org/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&id=9623

Or locally, you can call 727-847-8041.

Conservation Series Slated for Hudson Regional Library

The Pasco County Utilities Department and the Pasco County Library System are co-sponsoring a special series of four programs on conservation. The programs are scheduled at the Hudson Regional Library, located at 8012 Library Road in Hudson. These programs are free and open to the public. The programs are:

Win/Win: Conserving Water & Your Dollars
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
6:30 p.m. -- 7:30 p.m.

Sand is NOT Soil
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
6:30 p.m. -- 7:30 p.m.

Recycling
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
6:30 p.m. -- 7:30 p.m.

Landscaping for Water Conservation
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
6:30 p.m. -- 7:30 p.m.

Pioneer Days-Dade City

In case you've never been, there's a little gem of a museum in Dade City called the Pioneer Florida Museum and Village. Pioneer Florida is a collection of historical buildings and items of the Florida pioneer on display throughout 16 beautiful acres just north of Dade City on Highway 301. There's a main building housing many artifacts from all aspects of pioneer life such as farming, spinning, blacksmithing and food preparation. There's even a schoolhouse and train depot on the property. This weekend would be a great time to visit because it's the museum's annual Pioneer Days Festival (August 31 and Sept. 1). One will find civil war reenactments, children's activities, and craft demonstrations throughout both Saturday and Sunday. Pioneer Days occurs every Labor Day weekend. To find out more, just click on the link:

http://www.pioneerfloridamuseum.org/index.php

Pasco County Community Development Homebuyer Programs

Pasco County Community Development assists residents of the county with neighborhood revitalization and housing programs. One program they offer is the Homebuyer Assistance Program. With real estate prices down, now might be a good time to buy a home if you are ready. There are certain parameters applicants have to meet. The money provided by the county is considered a 0% loan and must be paid back according to each person's ability within a 30 year time frame. Click on the link below to be taken to the document page of Community Development:

Comm Development Docs and Forms

From there, click on the fifth PDF file down entitled "Homebuyer Assistance Program."

Take a glance. The program could help you get into that dream home you've always wanted.

SCORE Ch. 439-Serving Pasco & Hernando

Have you ever heard of the Service Corps of Retired Executives? Probably not. But, you've probably heard of SCORE, which is the acronym for the Service Corps. SCORE is a non-profit group dedicated to educating entrepreneurs and small business owners across America. SCORE is a resource partner with the Small Business Administration (SBA). If you are actively pursuing your own business or just thinking about it, the volunteers of SCORE are a valuable resource. Take advantage of their years of knowledge. We have a chapter right in our own area. SCORE Chapter 439 serves both Pasco and Hernando counties. You can view their website just by clicking on the link under "Business/Legal/Career." You can also view the national SCORE site by visiting the following link: http://www.score.org/index.html

Keep your eye out for SCORE business seminars at your local library. Seminars covering various topics from Record Keeping/Quickbooks to Writing a Business Plan are available. At the SCORE 439 website, just click on the link under seminars.