AARP can wait for my renewal check

AARP is a trip.
The American Association of Retired Persons, a nationally known advocacy organization for folks aged 50,  mailed me a membership card about the time I hit that milestone.
That was 12 years ago, coming up on 13.
I paid the dues, signed the petitions, read the periodic magazines and tried to stay current on the issues they brought to its membership's attention.
Wish I could say the same about them keeping current on its own membership.
Several months ago, probably longer, AARP was mailing me notices that my membership was about to expire and it was time for me to re-up.
But it wasn't time.
My membership doesn't expire until December.
The AARP card in my wallet says so.
So I'd toss their mail in the garbage.
Yet it kept coming, each form letter more urgent than the one before.
I got tired of it.
One day I photocopied my membership card, circled it and drew an arrow to the expiration date and mailed the copy to AARP.
It didn't do any good.
Not long ago I got another form letter from them.
AARP was cancelling my membership.
I guess it didn't matter I still had three months to go, according to my AARP card.
To heck with them, I decided.
Sure enough, I've begun receiving more mail seeking my renewal signature and check, too.
Got one just the other day, in fact.
Don't hold your breath, AARP.

Pumpkin Patch another sign October's here

What tells you October is here?
Cooler temperatures and breezes like we enjoyed Monday.
Blue skies with wispy clouds carrying the feel of fall.
The third annual Pumpkin Patch, Oct. 13-31 at Trinity United Methodist Church, 3200 Manatee Ave. W., Bradenton.
Nearly 2,000 pumpkins of all shapes and sizes with a variety of autumn decorations will be on sale. Proceeds benefit youth ministries and services to the hearing impaired in partnership with the Sertoma Club of Bradenton.
Senior Pastor Jim Rosenburg invites families and groups to check out the inventory of pumpkins and bring cameras to the harvest-themed patch. 
Hours are 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily.
Call 941-747-3704 for more details.
Or visit www.TrinityBradenton.com.

Not feeling buzz over iPhone 5's debut

 

Long lines of people queued up outside area stores before dawn.
Some of them got there as early as midnight.
All were filled with expectation.
What gives?
Take your pick:
1.) Lady Gaga concert tickets went on sale.
2.) Unemployed job seekers hoping for a break.
3.) A practice run for Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving when hordes of shoppers traditionally go bonkers, raiding stores for early Christmas deals as if their lives depend on it.
If you said No. 3, you’re close.
Last Friday morning untold hundreds — thousands? — of eager Manatee County consumers were hot to buy Apple’s new iPhone 5, ponying up $200 and twice that for the latest smart phone with all the bells and whistles.

Read more Sunday in Mannix About Manatee on Bradenton.com.

There's a new state trooper in this family

 Judy Larrabee and son, new Trooper Jeremy Larrabee.

A salute to Jeremy Larrabee, a member of the Florida Highway Patrol’s 122nd graduating class. On hand for the ceremonies in Tallahassee were proud parents Ken and Judy and girlfriend Lauren Ceruti.

The 5th Volley for the Cure Fundraiser is 6 p.m. Oct. 2 at Southeast High’s Buzz Narbutt Gym. The Seminole spikers host the Manatee Hurricanes varsity and JV in the annual breast cancer research fundraiser that will pack the place with pink — pink volleyball, pink uniforms, ribbons and officials T-shirts and whistles, too.
For details, contact Lisa Pratt at clemsurv2@verizon.net.

Remember Heather Koch?
She’s Dr. Heather Crawford now.
The former three-time state weightlifting champion at Lakewood Ranch High School has joined Hornback Chiropractic and Wellness, P.A. in Lakewood Ranch.
She married Manatee County Sheriff’s Deputy Randall Crawford last April.

Read more Friday in Vin's People on Bradenton.com.

Beatles music comes to life Oct. 3 at MHS

Like Beatles music?
The Manatee High School Academy for the Performing Arts is hosting the "Liverpool Legends" Beatles tribute band 7 p.m., Oct.3 in the Davis Theater.
Students from the school's band, chorus, and orchestra programs will be performing with this group during several pieces.
The "Liverpool Legends" are a part of the "Help Keep Music Alive" program, the brainchild of Louise Harrison, sister of late Beatle, George Harrison.
Visit www.liverpoollegends.com for more information on the band.
Tickets are $25 in advance and $30 at the door. Student tickets are $10 with student ID.
Call Linda Boone at 714-7300, ext. 2093 for tickets or information.
Or email: boonel@manateeschools.net.
You can find more information at the following links:
http://magazine.usf.edu/2012-fall/spotlight/system/coming-together.aspx
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L3vbjhWg38A
http://lh-hkma.org

Dead fish? Buzzards? There's goes neighborhood

We had a stinky situation in our neighborhood. Literally. For the past week or more, the tilapia in our subdivision's lake have gone belly up and been floating on the surface dead. Not only did it create quite a stench, but it brought buzzards to our shores by the dozens. Ugh, what a scene. On a recent Sunday our homeowners association president and another neighbor walked the lake perimeter with rakes and big plastic bags to try to get rid of the dead fish. By the time the pair reached the back of our house, they said they had picked up 60. And they still had the other half of the lakeside to go. What was causing this dilemma? They weren't sure, but suspected someone had dumped something poisonous into the drink. If so, what a rotten thing to do. What the men weren't able to rake up and take away, the buzzards have tried to do their part, scarfing up the dead tilapia as they come to the surface and float to the shoreline. We love our wildlife, but what unwelcome guests.

Habitat official challenges Fitzgerald's claim

If Keith Fitzgerald wants to make a campaign issue over Cortez Landings in his race against Republican congressman Vern Buchanan, he won't do it with the help of Jim Frame and Manatee County Habitat for Humanity.

The Democratic challenger was quoted in Thursday's Bradenton Herald accusing his opponent of "'misleading' Habitat for Humanity in a questionable real estate deal."

Fitzgerald was referring to the East Bradenton property Habitat bought for $1.4 million in 2009 from Ed Buchanan, the Sarasota lawmaker's brother, and Cortez Landings LLC, among whose owners is Sandra Buchanan, the congressman's wife.

In 2010, Vern Buchanan used the Habitat mortgage as collateral for a $3.875 Bank of America loan.

Frame, president of Habitat's board of directors, has no problem with Buchanan's business decision concerning the mortgage and, furthermore, said Fitzgerald's claim the nonprofit was "misled" in its initial purchase is false.

"On the matter of our purchase of Cortez Landings ... from Cortez Landings LLC, I would say to any reporter that on behalf of the board of directors of Manatee County Habitat for Humanity that we do not believe we were misled by anyone in purchasing the aforementioned property," he said.

Though the appraised value of the property is now a third of what it was three years ago, Habitat is content with the still-undeveloped land on which it hopes to build homes for the poor.

"The use we intended it for is as good today as it was four years ago," Frame said.

The conressman's campaign manager said his opponent's statement is a blatant distortion.

"Fitzgerald should be ashamed of himself for dragging Habitat through the mud in a sleazy and now proven to be dishonest attempt to smear Vern," Sally Tibbetts said.