Don’t Get Scammed

More then ever Florida folks are getting taken advantage of. Be sure not to get tricked into getting ripped off.


THE STATISTICS ARE SOBERING, AND THE solution is counterintuitive, at first glance: In Florida in 2017, almost 18,000 people fell victim to scammers usually working computers, but sometimes telephones, who stole $111 million, according to FBI statistics. U.S. losses amounted to $1.4 billion. Federal Trade Commission numbers can break down losses from scams not only by state and county, but […]

Celebrate 49th Earth Day at Oscar Scherer State Park



Oscar Scherer State Park (and all Florida State Parks) invites everyone to an Earth Day celebration, Saturday, April 27 — and admission is free. Events will take place between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. The park is open from 8 a.m. to sunset. Earth Day was first celebrated in 1970, ushering in a major environmental movement throughout the country. The […]

End of the world



Last month, an article appeared in The New Yorker magazine (March 29 online) that gave me my first complete and wholly believable picture of the end of the world. I owe this glimpse to a 37-year-old graduate student in paleontology at the University of Kansas who also serves as unpaid curator of vertebrate paleontology at the Palm Beach Museum of […]

Presidential con



We should do better, but how can we? By “we” I mean media wretches — the purveyors, so President Donald Trump charges, of “fake news.” The reality is that we constantly deal in his fake spews of outrageous controversy, which he concocts to feed his insatiable need for attention and our perpetual need to have something to feed our beasts. […]

Weep for Notre Dame



“I believe that this church offers the carefully discerning such cause for admiration,” the 14th-century French philosopher Jean de Jandun wrote of Notre Dame, “that its inspection can scarcely sate the soul.” A cultural calamity played out on live TV when the Paris cathedral that has been a focal point of Christendom for so long was apparently gutted by a […]

Life in the land of long pants



Well, here’s a change from Southwest Florida temperatures! Nancy and I are in Telluride, Colorado, visiting kids, grandkids and friends. Last week we left Florida thinking the cool change would be nice. It was — for a few days. Then it snowed. And snowed. And snowed some more. Folks who live and work out here are accustomed to this weather […]

Join free annual fishing contest to round up invasive species

The Southwest Florida Cooperative Invasive Species Management Area will host its annual Invasive Fish Roundup the weekend of April 26-28. The free three-day competition is designed for teams with one to four anglers per team in both youth and adult categories. Prizes will be awarded in both categories for heaviest invasive fish and highest total net weight of invasive fish […]

Puppy hacks



Whether your new puppy is your very first or the latest in a long line of family dogs, a little advice on bringing him up can help ensure that he has a great start in life. Sometimes we forget what puppies are like, especially if the last one was 10 or more years ago, and if you’re new to puppies, […]

Pets of the Week

These animals are available for adoption at the Animal Welfare League, 3519 Drance St., Port Charlotte. All animals are microchipped, neutered and current with their shots. The shelter is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. every day. To view adoptable pets, visit www.awlshelter.org. To learn more, visit EARS at 145 W. Dearborn St., Englewood, visit www.earsanimalrescue.com or call 681-3877. […]

GRRSWF holds GoldenFest X at Shell Factory & Nature Park