As I ride along U.S. 27, I look out on Lake Jackson. As I look past the weeds, where there is sand, I notice people out there with chairs, coolers and some of them who can get their boats afloat, boats. Where there is sand and water people tend to go to the beach, have fun, swim, relax and just have a good time. I further notice that none of them choose to sit in the weeds. It's still unimaginable that we spent over $70,000 to remove some of the weeds from the dry lake bed, and maintain the so called "native" weeds. Weeds are unsightly. Weeds are weeds. A weed by any other name is still a weed. We pick them from our lawns and flower beds. We poison them to get rid of them. But then along comes someone with a grant to grow them. Who decides that we should have weeds growing where there will again someday be a lake? We don't need to cultivate weeds where there should, and eventually will be, water. Something for boat props to get tangled in. Now I've noticed that we are maintaining the weeds. We are mowing weeds in a lake bed. I wonder how much that is costing and who is paying that bill? ...more

July 3, 2008

The sun teased Pasco County on Sunday, peeking out several times. But the sky was mostly gray, and the rain poured on already waterlogged lawns and into taxed drainage systems. ...more

June 23, 2008

I live on a long, long, long street in Carrollwood. Many front lawns, many approaches to watering. ...more

June 12, 2008

DUNEDIN -- Dunedin, Tarpon Springs and Pinellas County called on residents to drastically limit use of reclaimed water to irrigate lawns so there is enough for everyone until the recent drought is but a memory. ...more

June 11, 2008

CLEARWATER - Clearwater residents could someday be drinking treated sewage. City officials are looking to meet the ever-increasing demand for drinking water with purified wastewater. They say recycling wastewater would take pressure off the aquifer, cut the amount of sewage running into local waters and eventually trim water bills. ...more

May 25, 2008

Walking my wife's puppy upward of 50 miles a week affords me a unique view of several nearby neighborhoods. ...more

May 21, 2008

Walking my wife's puppy upward of 50 miles a week affords me a unique view of several nearby neighborhoods. ...more

May 21, 2008

With "For Sale" signs sprouting up like dandelions on lawns in Pasco County, one national company is hoping it will find the grass is a little greener on the commercial side of the real estate market. ...more

May 19, 2008

Monday's small brushfire in Avon Park Estates will hopefully serve as a reminder for residents to be prepared. To see just how devastating brushfires can be, check what happened in Brevard County last week. All it took apparently was tossing a cigarette and the result was thousands of acres of land burned, 30 homes destroyed, 140 structures damaged, people displaced and lives impacted for years to come. Although May is officially the last month of the brushfire season, the threat of fire is still very possible in many parts of the state. It has been dry – as evidenced by lawns turning brown – and will likely continue to remain that way. May is traditionally one of the driest months of the year in Florida. ...more

May 17, 2008

SEBRING — When you live in a neighborhood where a high-profile crime has been committed, it would be easy to jump to the conclusion that violent crime is increasing across the county. But perception isn't always reality. "I went to the front yard to get my paper in the morning and I saw all sorts of police cars and crime scene tape everywhere," said Sebring Country Estates resident George Bauer. "It made me wonder what was going on." ...more

February 3, 2008