Dear editor:
The top of my head is exploded as I write this letter. Why???
There are tons and tons of ads for hearing aids everywhere, in the newspapers, in the mail, on TV. They are so prolific, you cannot miss them.
While visiting a friend in rehab, the subject of hearing aids came up. She said her hearing aids cost $6500. That was the first of the top blowing incidents. They were not working well, and she would probably have to buy new ones. That astounded me.
Decided to see what it cost to make hearing aids. Second top blowing. Went on the net to: http://www. cbc.ca/news/Canada/Manitoba/hearing-aid-prices-much-higher-than-their-actual-cost-1-1367189. Take a guess.
The median price is $150. RANGE $50 TO $200. Continue reading
There were 36 in attendance at this week’s meeting. We listened while Michelle Stone, Marion County Commissioner for District 5 told us about a few things that are happening in Marion County. She touched on two of the topics the Commission is focused on; Public Safety and Economic Development.
The 1 cent sales tax is helping fund Public Safety. With 60% of the money raised to help with improvement of roads and infrastructure, 20% to the Sherriff’s Department and 20% to Fire Rescue.
To help with Economic Development, the County has welcomed new commerce such as Chewy and Auto Zone. They are also reviewing options to develop tracts of land in Belleview. Michelle recognizes how important it is to preserve land while offering opportunities for development.
In her fight to protect our water Michelle is learning a lot about how to appropriately develop space at Silver Springs in a protective manner. She reminded us all that we will soon be a part of the 220 miles of biking trails across Florida. Continue reading
Knowledgeable. Honest. Attentive. These are a few words that describe local REALTOR ®, Nicki Schwartz of Roberts Real Estate, Inc. Nicki says,” I use the latest technology to assist my clients. If you are buying a home, I can take away the burden of the many hours used to search for the perfect home online. If you are selling a home, my marketing plan will provide you the most exposure for your property”. She continues, “I believe in providing excellent service and personal attention to each client. This kind of service, coupled with the power of technology, is a winning combination for client satisfaction and peace of mind”.
Nicki moved to Ocala in 2004 after a long, weekend visit the previous summer. The beauty of central Florida and the friendly residents was enough to convince her and her husband to relocate. “I love Ocala, so it is easy for me to sell Ocala”.
Nicki believes it’s important to be an active member of the community- to be a good citizen. “We have a wonderfully active community. This sense of community keeps us rooted”. When speaking about raising her children, “I hope my kids are learning, from my husband and I, the importance to serve one’s community.” Continue reading
Part of the South Eastern Youth Fair is a Dog Show where the youth and their dog compete.
First place winner, Brianna Fryer and her dog Jazzy, a 15 month old Rat Terrier.
Second place winner was Amanda Valez with her Blue Healer called Tag-A-Long. Amanda is also the winner of the trophy sponsored by Ocala DownTown / Seniors Voice newspapers.
Good job ladies, stay involved with the Youth Fair and thanks for competing.
 Brianna Fryer |
 Amanda Valez |
There is no sense in me commenting on the national news because it’s moving faster than the speed of light. Well at least Trump and his spokespeople can’t keep up. Of course the Left is stalling; it has to come to a head sooner or later. Some of these foreign countries have had their way with us for way too long. When the White House has a briefing, the left media twists the story. Somebody said just shut down the briefing room; don’t do press conferences. That will teach them a lesson.
It seems to me that you have to have a crime before you name a Special Prosecutor. It seems to me that the left has a wish list and I know what the first wish is. They are making themselves look foolish. First the call for Impeachment has to have a crime. So far there is no evidence, only accusations. The one thing that the Left is trying to get us to forget is the leaks, no matter where they came from, were true! First I think we need to pass a law that it is illegal to pay someone to disrupt a meeting, a rally or any public gathering. That is far beyond freedom of speech. Continue reading
One of the two primary goals of the CEP is to create and retain jobs in our community. Four of our five core areas are organized around this goal. You will often see our five-year goal of impacting the announced creation of 4500 new jobs if you attend a CEP event or browse our website. However, job creation is more than just the projects that we directly impact. In fact, if we are doing our jobs then the community should see greater economic impact and job creation.
One way many people track the status of the job market is through the unemployment rate. While there are some real challenges with this approach, it does provide a good barometer of what is happening in our community. Using the latest numbers available (March 2017), the current unemployment rate in the Ocala MSA (Marion County) is 5.1 percent. This is a tremendous improvement from just a few years ago when it surpassed 14 percent. Additionally, when you look at the three-county workforce the numbers remain very positive. Marion County is the center of a regional workforce shed so these numbers are important. The unemployment in this region was 5.2 percent with nearly 5,900 more people employed than a year ago. Continue reading
The 2017 Legislative Session has come to an end! We have worked hard to secure good policy for our constituents and the people of Florida. During our time in Tallahassee this year, some big issues were addressed: tax cuts, increased homestead exemption, more clarity on our self-defense and religious freedom rights, and increased funding for bright futures and higher education institutions.
This year, the legislature passed $180 million in broad based tax-cuts for Floridians. This includes a three day back to school sales tax holiday, a reduction to the business rent tax, a disaster preparedness sales tax holiday, and the elimination of sales tax on feminine products.
A bill was also passed that will provide significant tax savings for homeowners across Florida. The increased homestead exemption bill will proposes an amendment to the Florida Constitution to provide an additional homestead exemption of $25,000. Homestead property owners will receive an exemption from ad valorem taxes, except levies by school districts, for the assessed valuation greater than $100,000 and up to $125,000. If approved by Florida voters in November 2018, the amendment will take effect January 1, 2019. Continue reading
(NAPS)—The 2016 hurricane season ended a decadelong landfall drought in Florida. Hurricane Hermine struck Florida’s north coast in early September, and then Hurricane Matthew tore north along the Atlantic coast in early October. The intensity of that late-season storm left more than 1 million Florida homes and businesses in the dark while 485,000 were without power in South Carolina; 300,000 in Georgia; and more than 127,000 in North Carolina.
The climatological hurricane season is long, running between June 1 and November 30, but it’s become increasingly important for vulnerable home and business owners—from the Gulf Coast to New England—to take the necessary steps ahead of the storm warnings and the inevitable rush for emergency supplies.
“It’s better to be ready for a nonevent than it is to be caught off guard by a strong storm,” said Russ Minick, chief marketing officer at Generac Power Systems. “We believe we can offer manageable ways to guide homeowners and businesses through the storm season, but staying safe starts with preparedness.” Continue reading
(NAPS)—America, it’s time to “Flip Your Fridge”! If your refrigerator is 15 years old or older, replacing it with a new Energy Star® certified model can save you more than $270 over the next five years and reduce your carbon footprint.
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, if all refrigerators 15 years old or older in the United States were replaced with new Energy Star certified models, Americans would save more than $1 billion in annual energy costs and prevent greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to those from more than 1 million vehicles.
There are an estimated 170 million refrigerators and refrigerator-freezers currently in use in the United States. More than 60 million are over 10 years old, costing consumers $4.4 billion per year in energy. Continue reading
(NAPS)—E-mail security is not the problem—it’s how we use e-mail that is the problem. There has been no lack of press and attention regarding the insecurity of e-mail and the consequences of account hacking. Look no further than the latest elections, the Sony Pictures hack, the latest Yahoo compromise, etc. We hear about the problem all the time. What is missing from all the discussion is how to solve the problem.
E-mail in its stock form is inherently insecure but that does not mean that it must stay that way. With a little bit of effort, one can confidently send secure e-mail with virtually no risk of the contents being compromised.
An analogy is that of a car and a seat belt. Cars are useful and largely safe. But we can make them safer by buckling up. While seat belts were not used regularly for many years, today, we understand their benefit and they are widely used. We need to make e-mail safe and secure and we can do this when e-mail encryption becomes as widely used. So get ready to buckle up before sending. Continue reading
