Features

First United Methodist Church in Chiefland is holding its annual pumpkin and gourd sale in front of the church on U.S. Highway 27A/State Road 500. Alice St. John, who was selling pumpkins on Saturday, Oct. 10, said the church has 563 big pumpkins, 10 boxes of assorted smaller pumpkins and gourds to sell. Small pumpkins are 50 cents each and prices on the larger  pumpkins go up to $20. The church is also selling swan gourds and pie pumpkins. The stand is open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily, including Sundays, until Oct. 31. 

All the grace, color and tradition that is the Kentucky Derby will move South Oct. 24 when Haven Hospice hosts Fall at the Derby at Black Prong Equestrian Center.

The 250-acre property, nestled in the heart of the Goethe Forest, will showcase an evening of fun for benefactors of the end-of-life care organization.

Beginning at 5:30 p.m., guests will be entertained by the Rick Gordon Band, who will play throughout the evening.

Both live and silent auctions will take place with the center’s Aulson Hall as the focal point for items that have been donated.

The Partners in Prevention of Substance Abuse (PIPSA)  Faith-Based Coalition of Levy County is sponsoring its 4th Annual Hope in the Park Hope fest on Saturday, Oct. 10 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The event will be held at Edie Buie Park in Chiefland, and includes fun, games and free hamburgers and hotdogs.

A lot of little girls go to bed and dream of ponies.  But not Patricia Engesser.  Her childhood dreams were filled with snarling tigers.  And she didn’t wake up screaming.

“I always wanted a tiger,” Engesser said.  “So, I married a guy with one.”

Engesser and her husband, Robert, have been married about 26 years and own The Zoo AKA Jungle Safari between Chiefland and Trenton.

It is one of six licensed wild animal facilities in Levy County.

About eight months ago, 45-year-old Polly “P.J.” Jensen noticed a lump under her left arm.

She was unable to afford health insurance and ineligible for Medicaid.  

“So I kind of set it aside at the time – something I should have never done,” P.J. said. “Something every women should never do.”

After a while, the mild discomfort became painful tenderness. “It got to the point that I couldn’t wear anything tight around that area.”

She finally went to the doctor early this month.

Nearly 150 motorcycles turned out for this year’s Ride to Provide through 60 scenic miles of Levy County. The Ride benefits the Levy Association for Retarded Citizens, a Work Activity and Training Center located in Otter Creek.

The event is the largest fundraiser of the year for LARC, and this year brought in approximately $11,500, topping 2008’s success of $10,000.

It has been a couple of hot, sweaty Saturdays, but the employees of Waste Pro in Chiefland know they have helped folks who were in a fix.

Mostly, it's folks who have found themselves with a lot of stuff on their property.

As a community service, the crews at Waste Pro have been choosing one project every three months and helping folks mired in stuff clean up their property.

More than 40 participants from the Levy Association for Retarded Citizens Work Activity Center located in Otter Creek visited the Cedar Key Community Center last Thursday for a luncheon, informational presentations by local officials and a dance.

“Mrs. Thelma McCain made us a fish dinner, grits, coleslaw, hush puppies and cake,” said Trainer Kathy Eschbach. McCain’s son Harold is a LARC participant. “Mrs. McCain fed everybody – anyone who walked through the front door,” Eschbach said.

The Log Cabin Quilters met Thursday, August 20 at the Levy County Quilt Museum.   

What a wonderful day we had with six members from the Joyful Heart Quilters near Branford.  We started there in 1991 in a small building and now they meet in the Fire Department where they have more room and are also meeting every week.  We also help them when we take quilts and crafts to the fair in Tampa.

More fabric has been brought in and we hope we can get rid of it.