HORSE COUNTRY

By TomL

Marion County is “Horse Country”! I was always pushing for the people of Marion County to recognize the Cattlemen’s Association. After all it’s the cattle industry that is suffering now! I remember a great horse farm on hwy 40 on the way to Ocala from Dunnellon. “Ocala Stud Farm” I think was the name. In Ocala, FL, the area is famous for its numerous horse farms, with many families like the O’Farrell Family it’s is generational, the father and his son and his son’s son. The family bringing Quarter Horses and Thoroughbreds from Texas in the 1960s It seems that the limestone-rich soil was ideal for bone development, establishing Ocala as the “Horse Capital of the World,”!

Horse Country one horse at a time. My wife and I lived in south Florida and we had a horse and pastured it in Davie Fl which was South Florida’s Horse country. The price of land was out of our reach so we decided to move and find land that we could afford. We won d up in Dunnellon Florida. We bought 20 acres and bought 20 more, at one time we had 55 acres  and we decided we did not need that much for the Horse, a riding mule that someone gave us and a  Shetland pony and Rhodesian Ridgeback dogs we were raising. We sold 15 acres. But you see if we did not have a horse we may have never moved, so Marion County grew into the name Horse Country a long time ago probably in about 1950’s. Now to put the icing on the cake now we have the World Equestrian Center. It is growing to one of the biggest industries in our Country. Everything you can think of for horse showing and riding competition. Stall and horse care and elaborate hotels to stay in. With the best restaurants, entertainment and large meeting room bringing large numbers of visitor for industrial shows. Continue reading →

Staff writer

Drain the Swamp    OR Clean the swamp! Donald Trump’s elected to Clean the swamp of terrorist, drug dealers, gangs, dishonest politicians and this is currently in the process. It will be hard to address but he is walking right into it, facing it with “True Grit!” A Modern Day John Wayne! I’m not sure how all this will end up but I’m sure the United States will be in a better place. As we race forward a great speeds with the internet and the cell phones, communications is instant, Knowledge is instant. The internet cost the newspapers a lot of money over night. The biggest money maker for paid newspapers was the classified pages, the Internet did it free. Some times progress hurts. Antique business had a change, buyers use to go to auctions and antique stores buying and part of the price of the product was to find it. I had some Flo Blue plates worth $100 per piece over night they dropped in half. Because they were easier to find.

Yes we are living and traveling at the speed of light, we are breaking the sound barrier every day. You can talk to your cell phone and get information in seconds! I really think that would be considered “Warp Speed!” I would like it to slow just a little. Give us time to think and make good decisions.

Our journey brings us into the elderly category. Healthcare problems, high insurance rates, high Doctor bills, ruthless Doctors trying to build a practice. My wife has a primary doctor she was sent to, a specialist for a work up, she was OK while there the doctor said she needed some test on her legs. She was tested and the recommendation was made to close off the vein’s, that was done After many trips, her in pain, months of travel, she was getting worse, then she had a stroke in her eye, what caused that? Maybe clot from her legs? We kept going back and suddenly we realized she has two primary doctors, hmmm. We decided to cancel the second one and she was told at that she could not come back??? I think the doctor was taking clients from our small town and sending  into her main off in the large city close by. I am not happy! I think we were worked at the expense of my wife health. Lot’s of procedures on her legs and they put her on a maintenance program NO IMPROVEMENT!  And we are not allowed to come back! They made their money.

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I was happy that the METRO CEP Ocala Chamber Partners were commenting to me about the Ocala DownTown newspaper. They said they saw all the great CEP information in it!  Thanks for the Comments. I still have not met Mark McCormick the new CEO but I will, I’m looking forward to it.

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Why did 14,000 Amazon Big Tech employees lose their jobs? Very large lay offs from New York, California, New Jersey, and Washington represents nearly half of the layoffs were engineers. Someone from Amazon said they need to get rid of the Bureaucracy in their company. That might be but, I don’t believe that! Here is what I think. Continue reading →

By TomL

Some years back I went to a senior fishing derby to take pictures for my Seniors Voice of Ocala newspaper.

It was being held at Lake Tuscawilla and seniors were out in force. Every body had a spot and they  would maneuver to get where they  wanted to fish. Here is what happened. The lady that was coordinating the fishing Derby back then was Mary Filer one of the Parks and Recreation employees.  I started taking pictures and went to interview Mary Filer and as I ask questions she said this might be the last Senior Fishing Derby My sponsor for the Derby said they will not be doing it any more. I ask how much does it cost to put on a fishing derby. She explained different ways of feeding the seniors. I went out and priced a few things. I went to a restaurant supply place and price the big all beaf hotdogs, chips, drinks, worms for bait. Then I find out that the Florida Game Commission loaned the fishing poles over a hundred. The price fit my budget!

I called Mary and ask do you still need a sponsor? She said yes I said thats me! The first one we had I had so much fun that I ask how about having two per year. She got back to me and said as long as you want to sponsor it YES!  I ask the members of Ocala Business Leaders for door prizes. BJ Trophy’s came in with three trophy’s, I would go to Walmart and buy three to six fishing poles for grand prizes We bought the fishing worms there also. After that I sponsored 17 Senior Fishing Derby. Dianne Leaf was the supervisor for thee Senior Center, she is also known for her work with Charity’s. When Mary Filer retired her super took over with the help of Grace Huff on the fishing derby. Continue reading →

• We have 4 digital Newspapers!
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• AND MORE!

This year has brought us many new friends ands associates. I want to thank them: My graphic artist, our advertisers.

Tell them you read it here.

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Contact us – Hate mail or nice mail – email me at tloury@att.net

By TomL

To The Board of County Commissioners.

I have written several letters to Board about taxes and insurance. I agree you need the money to get Marion County ready for many residents moving here. The perfect storm is to be ready before they move here but, you can see what is happening I’m sure. When you raise taxes, you raise value of the homes, The mortgage Companies raise the insurance value and the tax payers are receiving astounding Insurance increases every year. I have talked to many people that say their insurance monthly payment has gone up $200 to $400 per month in two year’s. That is not sustainable. When a person turns 65 they should not have increases like that. Retirees work many years in Marion County, pay taxes to build the current infrastructure and now they risk all the planning to live comfortably for the rest of their lives because of taxes and Insurance. Again I understand you need the money to get the County ready for the incoming, Someone said a thousand a month, but the people moving here should pay the expense not the Marion County elderly. I am sorry I have to write this letter but it’s getting worse for the mortgage holders and the banks don’t care and the Insurance Company’s LOVE IT!  It is in your hands to help the elderly mortgage holders. One question. Have you looked at the fore closures lately.

A suggestion was offered by one of the Marion County residents, if the insurance company has not paid a claim that year on the said property give the insured half their money back or credit half money for the next year.

I am sending a copy to the Governor also, you are honorable people I understand maybe the Governor is acting on this.

I have been a Marion County tax payer for 56 years. I have already paid for the infrastructure!

Respectfully Tom Loury

Dunnellon Florida (the forgotten).

By TomL

In October we took a half a day to split wood. Enough to keep us in firewood for a while. We had our first fire in the fire place on Oct 31. It really felt good, I have a relaxing feeling come over me when there is a fire in the fire place. I sat there thinking here we go into winter. I am glad we made it this far, I have had a lot of friends fall along the wayside in the last two years. Dave Noel was my most hurtful one this year, so far. I lost three out of my Business Club  in recent years. Anyway this is the time to be thankful. Christmas is coming and I have not done any shopping, our grand children have all the biggest tows there is already. The boys on the farm  have their own horses. The other Grandchildren are easier to buy for. Of course in our business world charities are coming out of the woods. There is a lot of needy children out there this Christmas. Try to help!

Going into next year very soon I will say I have laid my trust in the right people this year. The two I always have to mention is Nick Navetta with (Edward Jones) and Christine Calvert Healthcare Insurance Specialist. I Trust these two completely. They have proven records in my book and It is hard to earn that position with me! I do business with people NOT businesses, if you trust someone it is easy to do business. Continue reading →

By TomL

WOW if you look on the internet there is a lot of positive and negative writings about Charlie Kirk. (My opinion) I think he brought a light to young people who have been almost brain washed by teachers, professors and social media.

There are many more patriotic teachers and professors than Anti-America teachers. Many years ago I wrote that I could not understand why we allow so many students from other countries to be educated here, when they graduate they go back and use their education to try to destroy us.

I think Charlie opened the door to help young people who were afraid to speak up and explained them selves about the teachings of Christianity.

He probably was not a perfect guy but he believed in what he was saying and good at it. I don’t think he was a rouge, he was a bit like our president,  but when Trump  says he is going to do something he does it! If people out there don’t believe him watch out the hammer of hell could befall upon you! Continue reading →

By TomL

This is a true story. When I was a little boy we were being raised Dania Beach Florida by my Grand Mother while our parents worked out of town at the Boca Raton Hotel. One day just before Christmas my friend and I were playing near

the Railroad tracks. We were bare footed. I jump off a little hill and landed on a broken beer bottle. It cut my heal pretty bad. I could see everything inside, my tendon was almost severed. The other boy piggy back me to the road and ran to the Fire Chiefs house. Luckily the Fire Chiefs home was close by. He

wrapped my ankle, there was a lot of blood.  He picked me up, put me in his truck and took me to my house where my grandmother was. They could tell they could not fix the wound. So the fire Chief took me to a clinic in the next town Hollywood. If the tendon was almost severed back in them days if it was severed you were crippled. They managed to get clamps on my tendon and pull it back into place and staple it. My parents were called. They picked me up at the clinic and I was told I would not be able to start walking for at least two months. Continue reading →