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Off To The Races
DADE CITY - Amid a sea of white tents, where high society social groups set up elaborate catered affairs with sterling silver serving pieces, jumbo shrimp and champagne, Helen and Tim McConnell had their own version of a steeplechase picnic. Blue canvas chairs, a blue and white blanket and a cooler spread over a green patch of lawn near the racetrack were the only accoutrements the Leesburg couple and some family members needed for what, to some, is the social event of the year. Helen McConnell's brother and sister-in-law, Jerry and Patty Schaller, entered their Jack Russell terrier in a race, one of several dog and horse events of the day. The Schallers' brown and white dog, Toby, came in second of three in his category. "We were here two years ago," Tim McConnell said.
Back to Nature Spring has sprung
The squirrels are working overtime gathering moss and twigs for nest building. The male cardinal is sporting his bright crimson jacket to woo his golden mate. Raucous blue jays in flashes of brilliant blue stage mock battles in the high oaks. A fresh shade of translucent sap green swashed over the forest canopy shimmers with each gently warmed breeze.
Theres something about all that spring activity that zest for life, that reborn commitment to the future, family, species, renewed hope for the new season of births, flowers, fruit and cleansing rains that deems spring a favorite to humans and wildlife alike. Spring invokes a mixture of emotions; Spring fever is marked by restlessness and contentment, excitement and lethargy, energetic and laziness. In essence we simply dont know what to do with ourselves so we cut the new blades of grass, clean out the garage, paint the walls, purchase new curtains, clean out the fireplace, organize a garage sale, wax the boat, dust off the canoe, air out the tent, open up the camper, Google the maps, shine up the motorcycle, waterproof the boots, rake the leaves, repot the plants, repair the screens.
Dark Side Of The Mesa
In the high desert, on the Rockies western slope, the Mesas tower over the town of Grand Junction, Colo., protected from the outside world.
But on June 4, 2002, Grand Junction saw the unearthing of a shocking secret at the local landfill.
The decomposed body of 34-year-old Jennifer Blagg was found wrapped in a red and black plastic tent.
Jennifer and her six-year-old daughter, Abby, had been missing for seven months.
Correspondent Susan Spencer reports.
What happened inside the walls of the Blagg family house still haunts the town of Grand Junction. The Blaggs Michael, Jennifer and Abby seemed so happy together.
"Two years ago, I had everything," says Michael Blagg, Jennifer's husband.
Carowinds expected to open Saturday
CHARLOTTE -- Theres no way the Rays, a family of four, is missing opening day at Carowinds. They pulled out the tent, chairs and have set up camp just yards from the gates. We have been counting down trying to figure out who in our family have season passes so we can all go together, April Ray explained. This weekend is a special family affair. It will be little Caroline's birthday and April's six-year wedding anniversary. The question is, will the park be ready for the Ray's? Besides the normal cleaning, like spraying off the sidewalks, crews are putting a last coat of black paint on railings and setting up the games. But most of the moving and shaking is happening at the Southern Star. .
The Burning Bush, starring Tracey Erin Smith, will be presented at ...
The festival is dedicated to celebrating Judaism through the arts and will feature movies, performance, music and photography. The opening night film is When Do We Eat, a Passover comedy starring Michael Lerner, Leslie Ann Warren and Jack Klugman on Sunday at 6:30 p.m. at Empire Park Lane Theatres. In this holiday film, written and directed by Salvador Litvak, the dysfunctional Stuckman family will try to celebrate their first Passover Seder together in three years. Ira (Lerner), a cantankerous Christmas ornament manufacturer, and his wife Peg (Warren) head up the diverse group consisting of their five children — stoner teenaged son Zeke; oldest son Ethan, a failed businessman recently turned Hassidic; youngest son Lionel, who doesn’t speak; one daughter, Nikki, who’s a sex worker and the other daughter, Jennifer, who’s a lesbian — a sexy cousin, a mysterious Israeli tent salesman and Grandpa Stuckman (Klugman) who never leaves home without a packed suitcase "just in case." In the hopes of mellowing Ira out, Zeke adds a pharmaceutical twist to his father’s Alka-Seltzer, leading to a Stuckman Passover no one will ever forget.
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