photo credit: wumpiewoo

Wednesday, January 20, a second quake shook the already destroyed country creating even more panic for survivors and volunteers in the small Caribbean country.

Many national organizations and celebrities have quickly come forward to assist non-profit organizations like the American Red Cross, Partners in Health and many others. The United Nations, United States and other countries, too, are doing everything possible to help and keep order in the midst of the unimaginable disaster.

Although it is great that nations and national organizations have taken the lead in helping Haiti’s victims, it is important to know how local businesses and individuals are helping the cause.

Soon after the disaster reached the masses, in a Twitter update, Publix Super Markets shared that Publix Charities donated $100,000. And a week later, they shared that employees and customers had collected $2 million, and counting.

Despite what some have called a “dying music scene,” Lakeland bands, with the assistance of TJ Alcock, owner of Central Florida Entertainment & Promotions, are doing what they love most to help raise money for the Red Cross and to bring this unfortunate event to the minds and hearts of most of the (863)’s citizens.

The show was scheduled prior to the disastrous events, but the opportunity to do something meaningful could have not been missed.

“We are donating our cut from the door as well,” Alcock said.

The show will take place in Lakeland’s own Mojo’s Winghouse, Friday, January, 29. And the doors will open at 8 p.m.

Like always, it is $5 to get in and this is an all-ages show.

For more information and to pre-purchase tickets, click here.

Editor’s Note: Alex Santiago’s Band 48 States Away is playing the benefit show.

photo credit: US_Air_Force

Today-together-we will be able to help some of these unfortunate persons from all over the world. 

Tonight beginning at 7 p.m., Pizza Hut (PH), with Vigor! Services and Johnson Sound are hosting the first “Rock the Hut” benefit show, which will take place at the 6858 S. Florida Ave. Pizza Hut parking lot. 

“In 2008, WFP reached just over 102 million beneficiaries in 78 countries,” and now, Lakelanders have the opportunity of helping them reach even more people in 2010.

Pizza Hut has supported the WFP for many years. But this year an employee hoped to inspire people from his community to help PH raise money for the international charitable organization. 

Earlier this year, Clint Woolley, a Pizza Hut employee and owner of with Vigor! Services, brought the idea of creating a free music event to his manager to help PH raise more money for the WFP. 

Woolley and PH management felt like having their community forming part of such a good cause would make a real difference for the WFP.

“There will be a $5 raffle to win a live Christmas tree for the holidays,” Woolley, who is also performing, said. “All proceeds of the raffle will go directly to benefit the World Food Program. 

There will also be food specials where you can get pizza by the slice or pizza slice/drink combos for around $5.”

With the assistance from Steve Johnson, owner of Johnson Sound, a local recording and rehearsal studio, Woolley’s idea finally came to fruition. Johnson is providing the PA equipment for the artists playing in the highly anticipated show. He is also performing on the three-hour-long event.

THE BANDS

Plant City’s Eden Regained will open the show at 7 p.m. Eddie Wicker, drummer for Eden Regained, is a Pizza Hut employee and plays all over Central Florida with the band.

The members of Presque Vu, who are debuting in the Lakeland music scene in this show, will go on around 7: 45 p.m. 

Woolley and yours truly, both members of 48 States Away (embedded music), will perform at 8:30 p.m. 

And Johnson, lead guitarist and vocalist from Razor’s Edge, will close the show starting at 9:15 p.m. 

In order to help Woolley, PH and the WFP, all of the bands are performing for free, which is why the show itself is free for everyone who may want to come. 

In addition to the raffle, band members will accept donations during and after their sets, and all earnings will go directly to the WFP.

THE EXTRAS

In an online message, Woolley encouraged people coming to the show “to bring blankets and chairs” since the show will be outside and winter is in full swing.

To learn more about the World Food Programme and with Vigor! Services, please visit these sites: http://www.wfp.org, http://www.freerice.com and http://www.withvigorservices.com. 
 

First up – Texas Cattle Company with bartender Ron making a Chocolate Covered Cherry Martini.
This will be the third year that Texas Cattle Company has participated in “Music & Martinis”. The first year they came in 3rd and last year 2nd . Guess what he place he is aiming for this year? If you guessed 1st you guessed correct. Ron told me this years martini will be fruit based with a fondue. Ron is a Crown Royal and diet man for drinks but the best drink for him to make is the Blue Rose of Texas. Stay tuned to watch drinks made at Linksters and Natalie’s.

[reading this on iphone/bb? Watch the video here]

Jose also showed me when he logged in to see the video of the ticket there was a “Most Asked Questions”. So here is a copy and paste from the site!

Most Asked Questions
Q: What is the City of Lakeland Photo Enforcement Program?
A: This is a traffic safety program in which the City of Lakeland utilizes state-of-the-art digital cameras and violation detection systems for the purpose of decreasing violations of the traffic control regulations and reducing collisions. If this violation is a Red Light Infraction, please be aware that a vehicle may not be present in an intersection when the traffic control light is in the red phase. In the absence of a right turn on red restriction, a vehicle may make a right turn on the red, but only after making a complete stop, and assuring that it is safe to proceed.

Q: How do Red Light Cameras work?
A: Red Light Cameras: Each intersection is outfitted with a high-resolution high-speed digital camera. The cameras are activated by sensors which are located at the intersection. The cameras are activated when a vehicle is detected by the sensors after the light has turned red. The camera takes two digital photos which document the violation. The program operates 24 hours a day seven days a week and operates in all weather conditions. The system is only activated when a vehicle runs a red light. All intersections with red light cameras are clearly marked. The Lakeland Police Department reviews every violation before the citation is issued. Citations contain an image of a violating vehicle before it enters the intersection, while it is in the intersection, and the license plate of the vehicle.

Q: Why did I receive a Notice of Violation?
A: A Notice of Violation for a Red Light Violation is issued when your vehicle fails to stop at a clearly marked stop line or at any other stopping point described in the ordinance when facing a steady circular red signal. You will also be issued a Notice of Violation for a Red Light Violation if you do not come to a complete stop before making a right turn.

Q: What if the registered owner was not driving the vehicle at the time of the violation?
A: The registered owner of a vehicle will be mailed the Red Light Safety Notice of Violation. If your vehicle was stolen, sold prior to the date and time of the Violation, or was otherwise not in your care, custody or control at the time of the Violation, you may submit a sworn statement to that effect to rebut the presumption that you were driving the vehicle at the time of the Violation. The registered owner may submit information and supporting documentation to that effect by mailing an Affidavit that is downloadable from the link at the bottom of this website. The Affidavit must be received by the due date of your Notice. If an Owner furnishes satisfactory evidence pursuant to this paragraph, the Hearing Officer may terminate the prosecution of this Notice of Code Violation issued to the Owner, and if appropriate, issue a Notice of Code Violation to the person identified in the evidence as the operator of the motor vehicle at the time of the Violation.

Q: What is the amount of the fine?
A: The fine amount is $125.00 for a first and second offense, and $250 for the third and any subsequent violations within any five (5) year period. A Violation detected through the use of an automated traffic safety camera is a non criminal offense for which you cannot go to jail. Like a parking ticket, a Violation detected by a traffic camera is NOT part of the driving record of the violator. Therefore, a finding that the Violation was committed, either by payment or after a hearing, will not be reported to the Department of Licensing. However, failure to respond to a Notice of Violation, failure to appear for a requested hearing, or failure to pay a penalty imposed after a hearing may result in the filing of an order constituting a lien against your real and personal property and/or the denial of the right to obtain and maintain City permits and licenses.

I was at lunch yesterday reading the latest USA Today national prep baseball poll, and saw that the Dreadnaughts of Lakeland High School are sitting at number ten (number eight among teams across the South).  That is a drop of eight positions from last week’s number two rating following their first two losses of the season last week to Winter Haven and Riverview, but one still has to be somewhat impressed that the LHS sports reputation continues to expand.

Many of you already are aware that for a number of years, the ‘Naughts have enjoyed a position among America’s elite high school football programmes, including a couple of years where they ended the season at number one in addition to their collection of state championships.

Congratulations!  Next on the schedule:  The District tournament beginning Monday at East Bay High School in Gibsonton.

[ONE QUESTION WASTED]
Townsend interviewed in Ledger’s “Five Questions”

Last night the Ledger posted an article where Lakeland’s paper of record asked the Downtown Lakeland Partnership’s Julie Townsend* five questions about her organization’s continuing fight against Florida wasting taxpayer dollars to give CSX corporate welfare.

Yes, the project that used to be called Central Florida Commuter Rail. The project that used to be responsible for forcing CSX to build a new ILC in Winter Haven and running many more longer trains through downtown Lakeland.

You remember that don’t you? But I guess the Ledger believes we have always been at war with Oceana.

Back to the Townsend questions. I finished the article and wondered why 20% of the questions ere wasted on:

CSX officials have said that if the purchase of the 61 miles of track goes through, there will be money available to help to install quiet zones along the rail corridor in<0x00A0>downtown Lakeland, but if the deal falls through, the quiet zones are probably off the table. Which is a bigger issue for the DLP: quiet zones or the increased number of trains the Orlando deal will bring?

Townsend gave a courteous answer “To my knowledge, CSX has never offered to pay for quiet zones….”

I wish she had said, “Stop misleading with talk about quiet zones. It’s the wasted tax money and traffic stupid. It always has been” (To paraphrase a Bush.)

File Storms Under Aquatic Birds (genus Gavia)

Part of our reading area has a state Senator, Rhona Storms. She was in the news recently:

The economy is a shambles. State revenue is in a free-fall. House leaders in both parties stand accused of misusing their political powers. This week, state Sen. Ronda Storms identified another menace: The Dewey Decimal System — Libraries Offer Plenty For Storms To Stew Over

Some might give Storms credit. The Dewey Decimal system is a proprietary product of OCLC. Libraries use the company to catalog books and must pay a small price per item placed in their catalog. (Assuming they want to use OCLC’s common cataloging info. They could save the money and not join with OCLC, but it would cost them more to do all their own original cataloging. Trust me on this one. I spent seven years dealing with OCLC and catalogers on a daily basis.

There is a system that is owned by the American people: the Library of Congress system, but cataloging under that system also has costs.

Storms proposes libraries use the BAM method. You know where bookstores place items under big signs in some odd sort of order. You know how easy it is to find the book you need at Borders or Books-a-Million?

(I’ll wait for my sarcasm challenged daughter to catch that last sentence.)

OK, it is simply silly that Storms believes only “little old librarians” will be upset to lose proper shelving of books. So will every single library patron. It’s not a miracle that you can look up a book and go to a shelf and find it properly placed. It is the result of a lot of hard work and a precise system of cataloging.

It may save a few dollars to not use Dewey, but I promise that when your child needs that book on loons the night before the paper is due…you will be glad you don’t instead find a biography on Rhonda Storms.

And as a bonus, this headline from today’s Ledger:

Woman Accused of Biting Hubby’s Thingy

Seriously? “Thingy”?! It’s a penis people.

The Orlando Sentinel, where the Ledger got the story, wasn’t much better: Angry wife jailed after biting husband’s you-know-what

Note that the Sentinel’s URL does reference “penis.”

* – Townsend is the wife of Lakeland Local writer Billy Townsend, but that makes no difference to me.

photo 1 credit: Cat Carter for ylakeland

photo 2 credit: becflies2001

(Cross-posted at LakelandLocal.com)

Black and Brew Coffee House
205 E. Main St.
Lakeland, FL 33801
(863) 682-1210

All ages welcome. Please pass it on.

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Polk Community College has many activities in September and October for the celebration of Hispanic Heritage including a Hispanic Art themed exhibition.

Vilas Tonape, PCC’s new art instructor, painted a students portrait in less than one hour at the opening of the Students Art exhibition. It was an awesome experience watching him paint (video to come soon). Many students showed up for the opening, which included food from Guava Berry Bakery. The gallery is on the Lakeland PCC Campus in the Technology Building (LTB) and open Monday to Thursday at various times.

photo credit: Darby Critendon

photo credit: Tom Hagerty

“In July, Graham Packaging disclosed an agreement to be acquired by Texas Rangers owner Thomas O. Hicks for $700 million. The deal is expected to close in the fourth quarter.” — Tradingmarkets.com

They should all work now. I won’t bore you with details.

Please let me know in comments if you find any other broken links.

Thanks.

Now back to posts on traffic cones, buses, breakfast, and socialists.

And isn’t it time for another look at local main stream media?