ACROSS PASCO

ACROSS PASCO

DADE CITY

Concert is chance to salute the troops

Salute to Our Soldiers, a concert and dance featuring county music singer Michael Ray, with Todd Brown and The River Junction Band, will be held Saturday at Dan Cannon Auditorium on the Pasco County Fairgrounds, 36722 S.R. 52.

Doors will open at 7 p.m., with the concert starting at 8 p.m.

Advance tickets are $15 and are available through Friday at the Greater Dade City Chamber of Commerce, 14112 Eighth St. Tickets at the door are $20. Those attending can bring beverages, coolers and chairs for seating.

Those attending also are encouraged to bring items for care packages to send to U.S. troops overseas. The care packages are being put together by the Veterans of Foreign Wars Women's Auxiliary. A crate will be placed at the front of the auditorium for collecting items. Donations also can be dropped off at the chamber office.

A list of items requested by the troops is available from the chamber and includes food items, including homemade cookies packed tightly so they don't crumbled and hard candies and energy bars, as well as toiletries, music and movies, and paperback books and numerous other items.

For information, call the chamber, (352) 567-3769.

NEW PORT RICHEY

City to review budget at hearing tonight

The New Port Richey City Council will hold a budget hearing at 7 p.m. today.

City Manager John Schneiger said the most difficult part of the budget effort was the "challenge of making cuts in the Community Redevelopment Agency, including the laying off of seven employees funded out of the CRA."

The budget maintains property taxes at the same level as in 2009-10. The rate will be 8.1037 mills. This will result in lower city property taxes for the majority of homeowners because of decreasing property valuations, Schneiger said in a news release.

Seven employees were recently laid off, resulting in a total savings of $315,000 in 2010-11. Laid off employees are receiving a limited severance package.

Today's budget hearing is at City Hall, 5919 Main St.

Horse show on Saturday to benefit ailing mom

The Marcy Green Benefit Fun Horse Show is Saturday at Smokehouse Creek Rodeo Arena, 30232 Darby Road.

Marcy Green was diagnosed with colon cancer about seven years ago after the birth of her second child. She and her husband have two daughters. While battling cancer, she has helped her youngest child fight leukemia. Her daughter has been cancer-free for more than a year. However, Green's cancer has spread to her lungs and brain.

Registration for the show begins at 8 a.m., with the show starting at 10 a.m. Classes are Egg in Spoon; Water in a Cup; Phone Book Race; Izzy Dizzy; Flag Race; Obedience/Judge's Orders; Texas T; Keyhole/Hairpin Race; Poles; and Obstacle Trail.

Age divisions are PeeWee, 12 and younger; Junior, 13 through 17; and Senior, 18 and older. Entry fee is $4 per class or $25 for all 10 classes. A high point trophy will be awarded in each age group.

To be eligible for the high-point trophy, contestants must enter at least seven classes. All proceeds from the show and a used tack sale will go to Green and her family.

The show is open to the public, and there is no charge for spectators. The event includes food, drinks, music, drawings, children's activities, vendors and horsemanship demonstrations.

For information or to make a monetary or gift donation for an auction, visit www.marcygreen.org or contact Vickie Olivia, (813) 986-6115, or Laura VanHoose, (813) 781-5840.

SAN ANTONIO

Submissions sought for benefit cookbook

"Cookin' for a Cure III," a cookbook of favorite recipes of cancer survivors, those who fought the battle and others, is being compiled to benefit the American Cancer Society's Relay For Life in San Antonio.

Each of the previous editions sold out of the 500 copies; team captain Carol Jeffares Hedman, who is a correspondent for The Pasco Tribune, expects the new edition to also sell out.

All proceeds from the sale of the $15 cookbook went to the team, helping the group reach the cancer society's sapphire status, which means the team raised more than $15,000 for cancer research, education and patient services each year.

The recipe books include dedications and tributes, and pictures of the honorees.

Submission of recipes for the cookbook is open to anyone and is free. Recipes, including name and the name and a brief description of those to whom the recipes are dedicated and, if desired, pictures, should be e-mailed to cjhedman@aol.com or mailed to P.O. Box 863, San Antonio FL 33576.

To obtain a form with details, e-mail cjhedman@aol.com; forms also are available at the San Antonio post office and San Antonio City Hall, and will soon be available at www.relayforlife.org/ sanantonioFL.

The submission deadline is Oct. 1; the cookbooks will be printed by Thanksgiving.

WESLEY CHAPEL

GOP chairman to speak at club meeting Thursday

Randy Maggard, Pasco County Republican executive chairman, will be the guest speaker at the 7 p.m. meeting Thursday of the Wesley Chapel Republican Club.

The meeting is at the Wesley Chapel Hyundai auto dealership's second-floor meeting room, 27000 Wesley Chapel Blvd., a mile west of Interstate 75.

For information about membership, contact Peter Hanzel, (813) 907-6614, or e-mail Wesleychapel repc@aol.com.

A staff report