Highlands County Talk

Many children never get to see a cow up close. But in the heartland, school children can tour the 10,300 acre Buck Island Ranch on a bit-wheeled swamp buggy and see more than 3,000 cows.

Besides cows, kids will learn about how sold is grown and cut for road right-of-ways and how palm trees are raised for landscaping. They also learn about the "boots" or wide spikes that fall off the young cabbage palms as they grow - adn how you can eat the fruit of the palm,, called wamp cabbage.

The Lake Wales ridge, 200 feet above seas level, is visible to the west of the ranch. Kids learn just what that is and how it was here before florida.

And if they're lucky, the may also see an alligator sunning itself on the banks of the harney Pond Canal that catches the overflow from Lake Istokpoga.

Hunting is a seasonal passion for many in the Heartland. Seasons range from March through April for spring turkey hunting season to September and October for bow season adn November for sun season for hunting antlered deer and wild hogs. The largest public hunt opportunity is at the Avon Park Air force Bombing Range, located east of Avon Park off State Road 64. the range encompasses parts of Polk as well as Highlands County.

Hunting licenses can be obtained from a tax collector's office or a sporting goods store. For more information about licenses, such as muzzleloader season, antlerless deer season and alligator hunting, visit www.myfwc.com

Trophis of the unt  include large Osceola turkey, found on ly in the South.

The Highlands Social Dance Club, which holds ballroom dances from 1 - 10 pm every Friday evening, has added ballroom dancing lesson to its venue. lesson will be held before the dance from 6 - 7pm on Fridays. the club also brings ballroom dancers in periodically to demonstrate the art.

Amateur ballroom dancers, some champions in teh United States Amateur Ballroom Dancers Association (USABDA), demonstrate the standard, internations styles of dance, including the waltz, tango, vienese Waltz, fox-trot and quick-step.

Dancers are in costume as they perform. After the performance, they often stay to dance with local participants and sometiems even give a few lessons. Program chairman Bill Ringo is also on hand to give a few pointers.

The Highlands Social Sance Club holds classes, dances adn exhibitions at the Sebriong Civiv Center on East Center Avenue. Donations for the Friday night dance are $6 for nonmembers and $5 for members. Snacks are welcome; softdrinks and ice are provided. For more information, call president of the club Fran Sharkey: 863-382-6978

I have seen several of the flag waving events while driving by but last Saturday, while I was on floor duty, they waved their flags right across the street from my office on Lake Jackson. No kidding, there were horns honking all morning long!

I took a picture and received a summary by email from Tom Macklin:

"I want to take a moment to thank everyone who was able to attend and participate in yesterday's Patriotic Flag Wave on U.S. 27 in Sebring, Fla. yesterday.  As always, our efforts were very well received by the public.  Honking horns, hand waves and thumbs up were the responses we received.  Unfortunately, but as usual there were a couple less than cordial responses.  I want to pass along a couple of personal contacts I made with several drivers.  One lady who was headed south (we were on the north-bound side) and was stopped at the traffic signal at Sparta Rd. and hollered across four lanes of traffic, "my baby's over there and I want to thank you."  This in response to my calls over my mega-phone to the public to,"remember to pray for our troops and to thank a Veteran for their service to our country on Thanksgiving Day."  Another gentleman who after having sat through a red-light cycle pulled up next to me obviously touched emotionally and said, " I just wanted to thank you guys.   I just returned from Afghanistan three weeks ago and I just want to thank you for being here."  I stepped out into traffic to shake his hand and thanked him for his service and assured him that we'd all be praying for him.   Ladies and Gentlemen.... if you haven't had the opportunity to stand up in public and wave our flag and see the positive responses we receive you just haven't lived.  Consider that in this small way we are showing not only our love of country, but that we are also paing respect to the men and women who have served and continue to serve us, and help preserve the freedoms that we enjoy, but routinely take for granted.  Again I turn to the final words of the American Party of Florida purpose statement which reads:   "MOST IMPORTANTLY, WE ARE ETERNALLY GRATEFUL FOR THE SERVICE, AND SACRIFICES OF THE MEN, WOMEN, AND FAMILIES OF OUR MILITARY.  TO THEM WE OWE OUR FREEDOM."   Let us not forget them on Thanksgiving Day.  
Tom Macklin American Party of Florida-State Chairman  "