BY LAMAR THAMES

Les and his wife, Susan Dick, live in a comfortable home near Orange Park, Fla., a far cry from the modest accommodations they experienced during a lengthy service as missionaries to Haiti.

“We had no telephone and unscheduled mail service most of the time we were there,” said Susan Dick, “and never any air conditioning.”

The Dicks and their seven children lived off and on in Haiti as missionaries from 1954 to 1984, returning to the United States for a year every four or five years. Three of the their children were born in Haiti, the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere.

Jonathan Dick, center, looks at some of his parents' photos taken in Haiti. At left is son-in-law Mason Miekley, son Forrest, daughter Shauna Miekley and wife Susan. (Photo by Lamar Thames)

“For mom and dad, coming back to the United States was coming home,” their son Jonathan Dick, 56, said during a four-day visit to see his folks and help celebrate Les’ 90^th birthday. “For me, coming back to the U.S. was leaving my home. I had never known anything else.”

Jonathan, who lives with his wife Susan, in Lake Forest, Ill., was a year old when the Dicks moved to Haiti, along with three older siblings.

“We were called by the Lord to come do his work in Haiti,” said his mother, Susan Dick, who like her husband holds deep religious convictions. The Dicks’ other children are Joann Lintini of Brunswick, Ga,; Phyllis Vancas of Orange Park; Peggy Harder of Laramie, Wy.; Kathy Epp of York, Neb.; Peter Dick of Orange Park and Curtis Dick of Jacksonville. The latter three were all born in Haiti.

Now the Dicks shake their heads in dismay over destruction wrought by the recent earthquake to a country they grew to love.

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This gum tree towered nearly 300 feet within 10 feet of the back of my house.

By LAMAR THAMES

I have a confession to make. I am a big woosy. That probably isn’t surprising to those of you who know me, but let me explain.

Recently, I have had to hire two contractors for major work around my house. Both were going to cost a significant amount of money (at least to me) and the prospect scared me to death. I didn’t want to make a mistake in hiring either one of them, but I didn’t have any personal experience with doing it. Thus my dilemma.

The first chore was to pick a roofing contractor. Over the years, I have had to pay several thousand dollars for minor repairs to the old roof caused by falling limbs from a giant gum tree in the backyard. The most recent repair was going to be about $1,500. My wife and I decided to have the roof replaced instead, since it was nearly 17 years old and showing signs of wear.

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Lamar Thames

I frequently get asked how I am enjoying retirement.

I’m usually taken aback by the question because I don’t consider myself retired.  It is true that I don’t have a job, that I am 65, that I receive a Social Security check every month and that I have not gotten a job interview since I was laid off by the Florida Times-Union in November 2008. Still for the life of me, I can’t come to grips with the idea that I am retired. Let’s just say I’m between jobs.

Of course, I really don’t expect anyone to hire me at this stage of my life, especially considering the state of the economy these days. A lot of people who are younger and more educated than I am are in the same situation in that they can’t find jobs either. That makes my chances of returning to the workforce even more unlikely. Still, I persevere.

I currently have applications in for two positions I feel I would like and am qualified to handle. And there are a couple Read the rest of this entry »

SUBMITTED BY GREG:

Blue Fridays  
 
Very soon, you will see a great many people wearing blue every Friday. The reason? Americans who support our troops used to be called the ’silent majority’ We are no longer silent, and are voicing our love for God, country and home in record breaking numbers. We are not organized, boisterous or overbearing. 
 
Many Americans, like you, me and all our friends, simply want to recognize that the vast majority of America supports our tr oops. Our idea of showing solidarity and support for our troops with dignity and respect starts now — and continues each and every Friday until the troops all come home, sending a deafening message that .. every red-blooded American who supports our men and women afar, will wear something blue. By word of mouth, press, TV — let’s make theUnited States on every Friday a sea of blue much like a homecoming football game in the bleachers. If every one of us who loves this country will share this with acquaintances, coworkers, friends, and family, it will not be long before the USA is covered in BLUE and it will let our troops know the once ’silent’ majority is on their side more than ever, ce rtainly more than the media lets on.

We need your support and your prayers. Let’s get the word out and lead with class and dignity, by example, and wear something blue every Friday. 

By BRENT KALLESTAD

ASSOCIATED PRESS WRITER

TALLAHASSEE – An elections bill introduced by Republicans that could make it more difficult for thousands of Floridians to vote was condemned Monday by public interest groups and legislative Democrats who decried the measure as “draconian” and “unconscionable.”

Democrats were further angered by how the House version zipped through its first committee stop on Friday, only hours after it was written and without any public scrutiny.

“I look at it as group of folks who do not want to accept the fact that a Democratic president won the election in Florida,” said Rep. Audrey Gibson, D-Jacksonville. “That is the bottom line. Get over it. Get over it.”

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This photo was taken in 1918. See the details below the photo. You’ll be amazed.

FACTS: Base to Shoulder: 150 feet Right Arm: 340 feet Widest part of arm 
Holding torch: 12 1/2 feet Right thumb: 35 feet  Thickest part of body: 29 
Feet Left hand length: 30 feet Face: 60 feet Nose: 21 feet Longest spike of 
Head piece: 70 feet Torch and flame combined: 980 feet Number of men in 
Flame of torch: 12,000 Number of men in torch: 2,800 Number of men in right 
Arm: 1,200 Number of men in body, head and balance of figure only: 2,000

Total men: 18,000

The USS New York, which was made from scrap metal of the World Trade Center, will be arriving in New York Harbor on Nov. 1 and be commissioned to the U.S. Navy on Nov. 7. If you are planning a trip to New York, you will be able to tour the ship during that week. The ship contains 24 tons of scrap metal that was melted down from the World Trade Center at a foundry Amite, La. Reportedly, when it was poured into molds on Sept. 9, 2004, “those big rough steelworkers treated it with total reverence,” recalled Navy Capt. Kevin Wensing, who was there. “It was a spirtual moment for everybody there.”

The ship’s motto is: Never Forget.

Junior Chavers, foundry operations manager, said that when the World Trade Center steel first arrived, he touched with his hand and the “hair on my neck stood up. It had a big meaning to it for all of us. They knocked us down, but they can’t keep us down. We are going to be back.”

Dear Friends,

Today I was pleased to stand alongside Florida business leaders in a grassroots effort to help Floridians save money. Together we unveiled the Florida Backyard Card, a money-saving incentive for Floridians to spend their money wisely and locally.

Through the Florida Backyard Card, hundreds of businesses across Florida are offering incentives for their customers with benefits reaching beyond discounts and values.

The State of Florida is pleased to join the coalition of businesses rewarding customers through the Florida Backyard Card. With support from the Florida Lottery, the Backyard Card will be available at lottery retailers across the state. In addition, VISIT FLORIDA is managing www.FloridaBackyardCard.com, where consumers can download a card and search for the best deals in their backyard.

At www.FloridaBackyardCard.com, Floridians can enter their zip code and search for participating businesses to save on apparel, restaurants, groceries, home improvement, vacation rentals and many more goods and services.

When Floridians spend with local businesses, their dollars go to employee wages, building rent, utilities and state and local taxes which support schools and emergency services. Every purchase impacts our economy. In fact, 75 percent of Florida’s gross domestic product comes from consumer spending.

I am personally urging Floridians to go out today and get a backyard card from Florida lottery retailers across the state or online atwww.FloridaBackyardCard.com.

I already have mine and plan to use it well to help boost our economy.

Thank you and may God bless our beautiful state.

By BEN F. OVERTON and MAJOR B. HARDING

(This story appeared in the Panama City Herald Friday.)

The Florida Legislature is considering a proposal to transfer the administrative responsibility for court records to the courts and away from the locally elected county clerks.

The Supreme Court supports this legislative evaluation. We, as former chief justices of that court, believe that this is a logical and rational idea that could save substantial tax dollars particularly in this new electronic era. It warrants a reasoned discussion based on facts. We both believe that trial court record keeping and administrative functions need to be uniform and electronically compatible throughout the state. Read the rest of this entry »

Dear Friends,

 This week we have been celebrating Sunshine Week – recognizing Florida’s open government laws. We serve the people of Florida with openness and transparency every day. However, every year during this week, we strive to find new ways to make state and local government more accessible to the public.  To achieve this goal, today we launched a new Web site,www.FlaRecovery.com.

As you know, these are challenging times for our nation and for our state. Yet, I believe that Florida will weather this storm as we have weathered storms in the past. Brighter days are ahead. We know people are hurting, and that is why I am grateful for Florida’s fair share of the federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.

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