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Hernando Briefs for June 23

 
Published June 21, 2017

COUNTYWIDE

Independence Day celebrations planned

The following events are planned to celebrate Independence Day:

• Independence Day dinner-dance, 5 to 8 p.m. July 1 at Brooksville Elks Lodge 2582, 13383 County Line Road, Spring Hill. Tickets are $7 and include a meal of a pulled pork sandwich, coleslaw and potato salad. Music will be provided by the Moses Greyhound Band. For tickets or information, call (352) 799-7148 or (219) 201-7278.

• High Point Community Fourth of July Parade, 9 a.m. July 4. The parade, which is open to the public, starts at the entrance to High Point, near Cortez Boulevard, and ends at the community center, 12249 Club House Road, High Point. Refreshments will be served after a flag-raising ceremony by American Legion Post 186's color guard. Raffle tickets will be sold to win prizes, and prizes will be given for best decorations in nine categories. For information, call (352) 596-2397.

• Machine Gun Shoot, 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. July 4 at the Hernando Sportsman's Club, 16121 Commercial Way, north of Weeki Wachee. Cars, trucks and an assortment of other targets will be destroyed. Machine gun owners ages 18 and older are welcome to participate. Rifles and pistols are also allowed. No tracers or incendiary ammunition will be permitted. Spectators and shooters should bring their own eye and ear protection. Food and refreshments will be available for purchase. Admission is $2 for spectators; children ages 14 and younger are free with an adult. $20 for shooters. For information, call (352) 597-9931.

• Firecracker Smash'm Up, starting at 4 p.m. July 4, Hernando County Fairgrounds, 6436 Broad St., Brooksville. The event will include live music and food. A demolition derby will start at 7 p.m., and a fireworks show will begin at 9:30 p.m. Parking is $5. Tickets for the demolition derby are $10 for adults, $5 for ages 4 to 12 and free for children ages 3 and younger. For information, call (352) 796-4552.

AARP offers Driver Safety Program

AARP Driver Safety Program classes are available at various locations. The cost for each six-hour course is $15 for AARP members (bring membership card) and $20 for nonmembers. These classes are scheduled in July:

• 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. July 5, Brooksville Enrichment Center, Suite 120, Bayfront Health Brooksville Medical Arts Building, 17222 Hospital Blvd., west of Brooksville. Call Marge at (352) 678-1533.

• 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. July 8, Brookridge Club House, 8150 Hampton St., Brookridge. Call Beverly at (813) 907-3908.

• 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. July 11, Hernando County Mining Association Enrichment Center, 800 John Gary Grubbs Blvd., Brooksville. Call Bill at (352) 556-3050.

• Noon to 3 p.m. July 11 and 13, Forest Oaks Lutheran Church, 8555 Forest Oaks Blvd., Spring Hill. Call Wayne at (352) 597-9590.

• 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. July 18, Atria Evergreen Woods, 7030 Evergreen Woods Trail, Spring Hill. Call Bill at (352) 556-3050.

• 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. July 27, Spring Hill Enrichment Center, Suite 105, Bayfront Health Spring Hill Medical Arts Building, 10441 Quality Drive, Spring Hill. Call Marge at (352) 678-1533.

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Suggestions offered for scallop season

Scallop season opens July 1 and continues through Sept. 24. Anyone who plans to go scalloping by boat is required by law to display a divers-down flag on their vessel while snorkelers are in the water. For the best results, most scallopers go by boat into water 4 to 10 feet deep, where they anchor, put up a dive flag and snorkel over the beds, collecting scallops by hand. For those who do not have boats, boats may be chartered with one of the Adventure Coast's seasoned captains. For information about accommodations and scallop excursions in the area, call toll-free 1-800-601-4580 or visit floridasadventurecoast.com. For information about scallops, scallop research and recreational harvesting, visit flseagrant.org.

Disaster loans due to drought now available

The U.S. Small Business Administration recently announced that federal economic injury disaster loans are available to small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, small businesses engaged in aquaculture and private nonprofit organizations in Florida as a result of the drought that began in April. The disaster declaration includes Citrus, Hernando, Hillsborough, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk and Sumter counties. The loan program is available to eligible farm-related and non-farm-related entities that suffered financial losses as a direct result of the drought. With the exception of aquaculture enterprises, the SBA cannot provide disaster loans to agricultural producers, farmers or ranchers. Nurseries are eligible to apply for losses. The loan amount can be up to $2 million with interest rates of 2.5 percent for private nonprofit organizations and 3.150 percent for small businesses, with terms up to 30 years. Applicants may apply online at disasterloan.sba.gov/ela. For information, call toll-free 1-800-659-2955. Completed loan applications must be returned to SBA no later than Feb. 7, 2018.

BROOKSVILLE

Crop tour offered at material center

Farmers, ranchers and researchers are invited to attend a free cover crop tour from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. July 14 at the National Resources Conservation Service's Brooksville Plant Material Center, 14119 Broad St. The tour will showcase the performance of 17 summer cover crop species in west-central Florida and the tests of five summer cover crop species to improve soil health. Participants will learn about evaluation results for different cover crop seed sources and planting recommendations. Regional soil health scientist Nathan Lowder will demonstrate different infiltration rates for cropland management types. For information or to RSVP, call Janet Grabowski at (352) 796-9600 ext. 3831.