If anyone is a Hall of Famer it is Bill Belichick. He is the winningest coach of all times, with 8 Super Bowl. Tom Brady and fans are very upset. They are demanding consideration or overturning their decision to SNUB him. It is strictly politics. It is done by secret vote. A new stadium has tens of millions invested could be at stake. Some say Belichick might turn down the offer if it’s made next year. A SNUB FOR A SNUB! Maybe they need to over hall the Hall of Fame if the best does not win? They need to have transparency on who voted for who. There is 50 members voting  takes 80% of the vote, now everyone acts shocked. I think the decision should take a revote and over turned. There is to much to lose over stupid politics! All this is over a first pick  that was adjudicated years ago! Our world is filling with hate and it seems to be coming from the same place.

Tom Brady said it was completely ridiculous! Donald Trump voiced outrage. I don’t think anything will come good from this and it will hurt the game! But while I am at it TV is hurting it. We use to be able to see football on regular channels without paying extra. Most people are not watching because they don’t want to pay extra! They could double the audience by putting it on regular TV. Football is our national sport and making us pay extra for it is like asking us to pay to fill out a political poll. It is unAmerican! Everything is about money. Continue reading →

By TomL

I would like to tell you about an amazing medical team. But the story must start back a few weeks before in the Shans medical emergency room Ocala Fl.. My wife fell and hit her head on the corner molding opening her head up quit a bit it took nine staples to close her up. We took her to the Shan’s emergency room in Ocala located I-75 and SR 27, nice clean looking facility no waiting quick service. After closing the wound. They had to check to see if she had internal damage, she did  not but “oh no” there a mass (tumor) in her head,  The doctors were surprised. They recommended we take her to a neurosurgeon with urgency.

I’m a newspaper guy so I know a little bit about research. My research told me the best neurosurgeon was Doctor Jacob Freeman, he is one of the few that does this kind of surgery. He is very busy and was kind hard to access. His staff was on it. When I told the Surgical Nurse I was afraid my wife was on her way out and she needed his help. That was New Year’s Eve, he said go to the HCA emergency room now, he will  call ahead and after checking her they would give her a room and begin testing. Three days of testing they had scheduled her surgery for the next week. Surgery date was approved. While talking to Doctor Freeman he said he has been working with an ear nose and throat specialist a Doctor Jose L. Ziron Jr. MD so we were waiting to see if he could assist. Next day they scheduled the operation. Continue reading →

By TomL

Is it a Bird? Is it a Plane? NO it’s Superman! Oops NO! wrong hero!

One of my favorite hero’s was John Wayne and the character parts he played.  But remind yourself it was make believe. He was always the hero and the last movie I remember watching. At the end there was big open field and the gang of bad guys were calling him out he got on his horse Duke, and hollered “Fill your hands you SOB,s!” took the reins in his teeth, he road against the whole gang of bad guys guns blazing guns one in each hand. Remember that was make believe!

Fast forward to modern day hero which this is not make believe, I bring you Donald J. Trump. Is he a bully maybe? Does he do what he says he is going to do, probably? Remember Trump is always setting someone up to negotiate. Did it work? Most of the time. I did not like the words “We are going to take Greenland!” As you can see we did not, but we did get a sweet deal and that was what he wanted in the beginning. But saying we are going to take them over bothered me. The people in Greenland are living a quiet life not bothering anyone but quietly the Russians and Chinese are trying to take control of them.We need it for defensive reasons to for us to build “The Big Beautiful Golden Dome” we want it to protect ourselves and everyone else on the other side of Greenland from Chinese and Russian missiles. With the Dome we would have a chance to shoot them down. Continue reading →

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 →

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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).