Thursday, March 31, 2011

Opportunity 2011 Hernando County Career Fair

Opportunity 2011 Hernando County Career Fair

If you are unemployed, looking for a career change or are simply tired of commuting; make plans to attend the Hernando County Career Fair "Opportunity 2011", hosted by Hernando Today in partnership with the Greater Hernando County Chamber of Commerce, Career Central and Pasco Hernando Community College (PHCC).

This exciting two-day event will feature an educational evening on April 7th from 4 pm to 7 pm at the PHCC Spring Hill Campus, 450 Beverly Court. With a program of interesting speakers covering topics like Self-Esteem & Confidence, Reinventing Yourself, and Entrepreneurial Success along with experts on hand to help you polish your resume or interviewing skills, this evening is sure to offer something for everyone.

The Career Fair will kick off on April 8th at 1:45 pm with opening remarks from Congressman Richard Nugent. At 2 pm, doors will open for job seekers. Bring your resume, dress for success and plan to meet with more than 20 local firms with current job openings in fields such as health care, manufacturing and retail. For more information, please click on the link below.

Consumer Advisory Warning

Attorney General Pam Bondi today issued a consumer advisory warning of a new scam targeting elderly citizens.

The Florida Attorney General’s Office has been notified of a scam where a person uses false caller identification displaying a relative or friend’s information and personal details of the victim to solicit funds.

“Consumers should never provide financial details over the phone to anyone before verifying the caller and their information,” Bondi said in a news release. “As these scammers become more sophisticated, it becomes more important to be alert and report suspicious behavior to our office immediately.”

Consumers can report scams to the Attorney General's Office by calling
1-866-9-NO-SCAM (1-866-966-7226) or by filing a complaint online at
http://www.myfloridalegal.com.

Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Severe Weather Forecast for Thursday, March 31st

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY HAS ISSUED A SIGNIFICANT SEVERE WEATHER FORECAST FOR TOMORROW (THURSDAY)(SEE ATTACHED). THE SEVERE WEATHER SHOULD OCCUR OVER OUR AREA BETWEEN 2-8PM. WIND GUSTS UP TO 65 KNOTS (74 MPH) MAY OCCUR DURING THAT TIME. THIS IS THE EQUIVALENT OF A CATEGORY 1 HURRICANE OR EF2 TORNADO.

WE ARE RECOMMENDING ALL OUTSIDE WORKERS USE EXTREME CAUTION AND SEEK IMMEDIATE SHELTER IF CONDITIONS WARRANT DURING THIS TIME.

Sunday, March 27, 2011

Thoughts from a concerned Resident of Preston Hollow

I received this email from a concerned resident and asked him for permission to post it on the website. I agree with him and thought it was very worthwhile to put on the website. Unfortunately, I could not copy the two pictures that were sent.

To All:

I’m not sure why anyone that lives in Preston Hollow would deliberately put trash along any of our road ways. Not to mention, taking the time to lean bottles up against a sign pole for everyone to see. The big question is though, why would a home owner in here take the time to leave the trash in place and post a sign stating “PIG” next to the trash. The making of the sign, driving back to the trash and attaching the sign (to county property) must have taken a great deal more time then just picking the two bottles up and disposing of them.

There is a term used in most agencies throughout the country known as “Blight”. Blight is something that damages or causes harm like a disease; one piece of trash leads to another, one broken window leads to several more and so on and so on.

The “broken window theory” is another. This theory states that monitoring and maintaining urban environments in a well-ordered condition may prevent further vandalism as well as an escalation into more serious crime.

We know these types of things will happen, have happened and will happen again. Our best defense is to just “pick the trash up” and not provoke any future littering.

FYI - Change in Hours at Utilities Customer Services Office - Spring Hill

Change in Hours at Utilities Customer Services Office - Spring Hill

In an effort to maintain and provide good customer service, the Hernando County Utilities Department is temporarily changing the lobby hours for the month of April. The lobby and drive-through will be closed Wednesdays from 8AM-1PM. The dates are April 6, 13, 20, and 27th. The lobby and drive-through will both be open from 8AM – 5PM Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday.

Effective May 4th, NEW lobby and drive-through hours will be:
Monday, Tuesday, Thursday & Friday: 8AM-5PM
Wednesday: 9AM-5PM

For our customers’ convenience, we will continue to accept utility payments in the night deposit drop box located at the front of our 21030 Cortez Blvd. location and in the front of the 7425 Spring Hill Dr.

For all new service, account inquiries, or any customer service-related questions, please call (352) 754-4037 for assistance.

Hernando County Code Enforcement Update from the HOA

The Hernando County Code Enforcement people were seen at the following addresses last week regarding code violations.

Marmo---320 Preston Hollow Dr---pick up bed setting in driveway.

Small---224 Preston Hollow Dr---derelict car with flat tire parked in driveway.

Both locations were involved in code violation actions last year.

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Final Session in Water Awareness Series

The Hernando County Utilities Department and Citizens for W.A.T.E.R. invite the public to the final session of the 2011 Hernando County Water Awareness Series on Friday, April 1, 2011, from 10:00 AM to Noon at the Hernando County Utilities Department, 21030 Cortez Blvd., Brooksville, FL 34601. The topic for this final session is:

Florida Friendly Landscaping; How to convert your standard landscape to a more efficient Florida-friendly landscape.

Florida-friendly landscapes use less money, time and water. You can convert your existing landscape with a few low-cost, easy changes. Learn how to reduce common problems while enhancing curb appeal and increasing efficiency. Presented by Jim E. Davis, Extension Agent I, Florida Yards and Neighborhoods, Lady Lake, Florida.

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Hurricane & Safety Expo

The Hernando County Sheriff’s Office / Emergency Management will host a Hurricane & Safety Expo from 10AM to 2PM on Saturday, May 7, 2011 at Weeki Wachee Springs State Park, located at the corner of US19 and SR50 in Weeki Wachee. This year’s guest speaker is Denis Phillips, Chief Meteorologist with ABC Action News. He will discuss the upcoming hurricane season and answer your questions.

The Hurricane and Safety Expo is an educational event for the entire family. Planned activities include: marine safety, a K.I.D. Korner (Kids In Disaster), flood mitigation presentation, rollover vehicle simulator, emergency vehicle displays, children’s smoke house, a taste of Hernando from local restaurants as well as a chance to win one of two generators from Wal-Mart Distribution Center.

Vendors of safety products, personal disaster preparedness & home retrofit products are invited to participate or support the Expo.

For information about the Expo, call Emergency Management at (352) 754-4083 or visit our web page at: http://www.hernandosheriff.org/em.

Hernando County Health Department Investigating Illness

State Agency Investigating Illness

Spring Hill- The Hernando County Health Department launched an environmental health investigation after numerous Hernando County residents and visitors began reporting symptoms of gastrointestinal illness late Friday afternoon March 11, 2011. The reports taken indicate that forceful vomiting and diarrhea, weakness, nausea and fatigue that lasted three to five days are all common characteristics of this illness. Several residents who experienced the illness have agreed to provide samples for laboratory testing, which can determine the type of organism and may assist in identifying the source of the illness.

The Department of Business and Professional Regulation, which licenses Florida restaurants, conducted a joint inspection with the Department of Health on Monday, March 14. While results from the Department of Health’s epidemiological investigation are not yet available, DBPR’s inspection found minimal violations pertaining to the food preparation, service or storage. These types of violations do not warrant closure without additional epidemiological findings.

Residents can decrease their chances of developing gastrointestinal illness by following these preventive steps:

· Wash hands frequently, especially after going to the bathroom, changing diapers, before eating and prior to preparing food
· Carefully wash fruits and vegetables, and cook foods thoroughly before eating them
· Thoroughly clean and disinfect contaminated surfaces immediately after an episode of illness by using a bleach-based household cleaner
· Immediately remove and wash clothing or linens that may be contaminated with the virus after an episode of illness (use hot water and soap)
· Flush or discard any vomit and/or stool in the toilet and make sure that the surrounding area is kept clean

Persons infected with a gastrointestinal illness should not prepare food while they have symptoms and for three days after they recover from their illness. Food that may have been contaminated by an ill person should be thrown away.

Although very uncomfortable, most gastrointestinal illnesses have no long term health effects. However, individuals with significant health concerns may wish to contact their private physician if they become ill.
For additional information, residents can contact the Hernando County Health Department at 352-540-6817.

Sunday, March 13, 2011

FYI from your Concerned Neighbor

The street light on Forest Wood Court by Knotty Pine is not working I noticed this weekend while walking my dog at night. I submitted a repair request to WREC online and they will fix it ASAP. There is also a light on Forest Crest that was out Saturday night but not on Sunday that I will keep watching to see if it becomes a problem.

Saturday, March 5, 2011

Keeping Preston Hollow Residents Informed

Last week everyone in Preston Hollow should have received a post card from the HCSO and Sheriff Al Neinhuis about a sexual predator. That person was living at the Topic's RV Park but has since relocated to another area in Spring Hill. There is still a sexual offender living there but he is not classified as a predator. Below is a link where you can click on and enter your address and zip code. This search engine will show you all the sexual predators and offenders in and area of up to 5 miles from where you live.

This Neighborhood Search allows users to enter any address in Florida and search the Florida Sexual Offender/Predator Registry for any registered sexual offender or predator living within a 1 to 5 mile radius of the address entered by the user. You can also open a map of the search results by clicking the "Display Results in Map" link

Florida-Friendly Gardening class

Florida-Friendly Gardening class: Find help for your yard and garden during this class, offered by the Hernando County Cooperative Extension Service. This class covers how to properly prune winter's damage from landscape plants. 10 a.m. Free on first-come, first-seated basis. Spring Hill Branch/Harold G. Zopp Memorial Library, 9220 Spring Hill Drive, Spring Hill. (352) 754-4433.

Tuesday, March 1, 2011

Be careful of IRS Tax Scams during Tax Season

Tax season is upon us and with three extra days to file your return this year, the IRS is warning against scammers that prey upon the unsuspecting. If you are preparing your tax return and searching online for the official site of the U.S. Internal Revenue Service, be sure not to click on www.IRS.com by mistake. This private website is owned by Banks.com, Inc. and is not related to the governmental entity we have all grown to love.

Despite yearly warnings and stories of the unsuspecting falling prey to scams, the IRS is calling for taxpayers to be alert for predators who may attempt to contact them by e-mail, telephone, fax, or regular mail pretending to be from the IRS.

They warn that "many of these scams fraudulently use the Internal Revenue Service name or logo as a lure to make the communication more authentic and enticing." In the form of the fake IRS e-mail, this is known as phishing. The Internal Revenue Service, like all U.S. government websites, uses the ".gov" top-level domain name and can be found at www.IRS.gov.

PHHOA Board Special Meeting

A special Preston Hollow Homeowners' Association Board meeting is scheduled for Friday 3/4/2011 at 7:30 PM at The Greco's home located at 266 Forest Wood Court. In and email I received there will be a discussion about replacing the front entrance well pump.