Saturday, February 20, 2010

SEA TURTLE DAY AT GUMBO LIMBO IN BOCA RATON



On March 13th, Gumbo Limbo will celebrate their 5th Annual Sea Turtle Day from 10 a m to 4 pm.  Included in the celebration will be marine life, our oceans, terrestrial species and habitats along with a fun-filled day of environmental education.  Learn about conservation to help make our world a better, cleaner place, and how all species and habitats are interconnected.  This year’s focus will be on responsible fishing.  Children must be accompanied by an adult. 

CBS Channel 12 will feature on their morning show on February 21st a live broadcast from Gumbo Limbo Nature Center, from 6-9 am.  CBS recently showed surgical treatments for 35 green sea turtles affected by fibropapilloma, a virus which manifests in fleshy tumors on the turtles skin.  It is contagious among turtles, but does not affect humans.  Currently, only surgery can remove the tumors.  After surgery and a short recovery period, the turtles will be released to the ocean.  There were 5000 “cold-stunned” turtles rescued during 2 weeks of abnormally cold temperatures in Florida. 

Come to Gumbo Limbo and stroll around the butterfly garden, climb the observation tower on the boardwalk through coastal hammock, sit in a hut, see saltwater tanks brimming with marine life and take photos of the 7 giant turtles in the sea turtle garden. 

Wiggy, the Kemp’s Ridley turtle pictured about was captured as an adult in 1971 and is presumed to be born about 1960. 

The turtle pictured here, FeeBee, a Loggerhead, survived pneumonia and was hatched in July 2002 in Spanish River Park in Boca Raton.

Above is Milton, another Loggerhead, hatched in July 2002 south of the South Beach Pavilion in Boca Raton.  97 out of 102 of Milton’s eggs hatched.

You can adopt a sea turtle, including FeeBee or Milton, to help support their care and feeding.

Monday, February 15, 2010

GOING THROUGH END-OF-LIFE ISSUES WITH FAMILY MEMBERS?



Head over to the CARING INFO website.  Find out there about caring for someone, planning ahead, living with an illness.  You can download an advance directive form, fill it out and add it to your google health profile so it will always be easy for a family member to find.  There is hospice info there and a legal guide for the seriously ill.  There is also information on grieving a loss and using community outreach resources.

Sunday, February 14, 2010

BOCA WHISPER WALK COMMUNITY GUN CLUB VERY ACTIVE



In order to get a Florida state gun permit, according to the Treasurer of the Whisper Walk Gun club in West Boca Raton, you need 6 hours of intense coaching and a final period of shooting the gun at a range. The club is 14 years old and has 50 members including retired professionals, a few ex-law enfocement officers, neighbors and people from other communities. They meet monthly in the community clubhouse. 

During class you
·        see a 10-minute NRA video about the safe and responsible use of firearms
·        go through the NRA training manual, “The Basics of Pistol Shooting
o      pistol parts
o      operation
o      ammunition
o      using a pistol safey
o      operating a pistol
o      shooting basics

Three fundamental gun safety rules are mentioned:
·        always keep the gun pointed in a safe direction
·        keep your finger off the trigger until ready to shoot
·        always keep the gun unloaded until ready to use

The group learns how to shoot and care for their weapon.  They go to a Pembroke Pines shooting range a few times a month.  For more information call 561-483-5636.  Cost of course is $40.

Tuesday, February 9, 2010

LATEST FLORIDA HOME SALES NEWS


WHY IS RIGHT NOW
THE BEST TIME EVER
TO BUY A PROPERTY IN FLORIDA?

Florida single family home sales in Florida
were up 33% for the month of JANUARY 2010 
compared with the prior year, and
condo sales gained 91%.
 
REALTY TIMES reports that
Lawrence Yun, chief economist for the
National Association of Realtors
which conducts the pending sales survey
said the swings from month to month are
"masking the underlying trend (in housing)
which is a broad improvement over year-ago levels."  

Yun also predicts that that the two home purchase tax credits -- the extended $8,000 credit and the new $6,500 credit -- will have a significant impact on closed sales in the coming several months.  He forecasts that the two credits combined will stimulate 2.4 million sales in 2010, and most of that activity will be compressed into the first six months of the year.

December's pending sales contracts were 11 percent higher than December 2008's.