AVON PARK –– Some people dream of sailing off into the sunset upon retirement, but only a few actually try it. Bill Stephenson spent 40 years in Vermont with his own agency as a manufacturer's representative selling agricultural and industrial machinery. His wife Mildred, affectionately known as Midge, had been his office manager. Upon retirement in 1995, they set sail. While on the Intracoastal, they lost an engine in Cocoa Beach. Some friends owned property at Lily Lake in Frostproof and invited them to stay there while their boat was being repaired that summer. "During that hiatus, we agreed that our age was beyond our ability to sail and then we got involved with the Union Congregation Church," Stephenson said. ...more

November 5, 2007

I read many letters to the editor wanting national health care. I, for one, will just say no to more taxes to pay for a government-run health care program. We do not need a 15 percent tax added on to everything such as hair cuts, clothes, motor vehicles, etc., like they have in Canada for substandard medical care. The letters say there are many children without medical insurance. This is bad, but only the parents of these children are to blame for bringing these children in to the world and expecting others to pay all of their expenses. The No. 1 way to reduce medical costs in the United States is to stop all free medical treatment for the 12-plus million illegal immigrants. ...more

September 28, 2007