The Aripeka Bridge is still out, but they are working on it daily. While we had heard that they would be re-opening it on January 1st, that seemed like a bit of a stretch and now it appears it will be much longer before we can travel from Pasco County to Hernando County without having to get there via US 19. I know it makes it harder for our small community to work as a team, but soon this will be over and things will return to normal and Aripeka will be reunited once again!
In the works...
We are planning a BIG EVENT for February 21, 2015...we will be raising money for the Aripeka Community Center. The Aripeka Community Center Fund Raiser will be held here at Aripeka West. We will be selling raffle tickets in January and February for a drawing to be held at the event, the tickets are $5 and are available at the office, funds raised from the sale of these tickets will go to much needed roof repairs at the Community Center. At the event, there will be music by Deuces Wild, food, sodas, a 50/50 and other prize drawings all afternoon, all money collected will go to Aripeka Community Center for daily operating costs, new tables & chairs, new blinds for the windows and other needed improvements. Please show your pride in Aripeka and attend, bring family and friends, there is plenty of available parking, for bikes, motorcycles, cars and pick-ups, but NO Off Road Vehicles will be allowed inside Aripeka West.We are looking for donations of prizes to be raffled off at the event, so if you can help or know anyone who can, please contact Gail. We are hoping to have lots of prizes to raffle off! More news and info... COMING SOON!
January Night Out...
On Friday January 16th, we will be going to the Eagles Club for dinner and to watch Aripeka's favorite duo Deuces Wild perform. Friday night at the Eagle's Club features their Fish Fry which is always good and priced right at $7. You can also order your fish grilled or blackened if fried fish is not your thing. They also serve fried shrimp and scallops ($9).
They a great sirloin steak with shrimp is also served ($12). The meals come with coleslaw and either french fries or a baked potato. Hush puppies are served with the seafood and a roll with the steak. Each meal is cooked to order, this is NOT fast food.Please plan to be there by 5PM so that you will be able to enjoy your meal before the show begins at 6PM. Also if you are there by 5PM, there is a much better chance we will all be able to sit together, since there is usually a fairly large Friday Night crowd at the Eagles.
Deuces Wild, aka Rob & Ali, make their winter home with us here at Aripeka West, so come hear them sing about Aripeka and it beautiful sunsets in their original song titled, (you probably guessed it) "Aripeka Sunset"! It is a nice tribute to our community! They will sing several original songs and also do many covers of other groups and singers you are sure to recognize.
If you are interested in becoming a member of the Eagle's, please let Karl or Rob know, the Eagle's are looking for new members and membership allows you to visit all locations throughout the United States.
Food & Football...
Dade City Kumquat Festival...
The Greater Dade City Chamber of Commerce has established a
flagship event that celebrates everything that makes the Dade City area unique,
while encouraging visitors to participate in the fun! Since the nearby town of
St. Joseph was already known as the Kumquat Capital of the World, the Chamber
of Commerce decided that this little fruit with a funny name could be the focus
of an annual festival.
The Kumquat Festival will take place on Saturday January 31st from 9AM to 5PM, but make sure to check out the other events leading up to the Festival taking place throughout the month of January!
Brooksville Raid...
The Raid is held the 3rd weekend in January every year. We have become the largest Civil War reenactment in Florida with over 1500 reenactors and their families. We have 28 cannons, 60 horses, and over 50 sutlers.
The public is invited to tour, at no additional charge, the authentic confederate and union camps and actually see how they lived and what it was like during the Civil War. We expect around 60 sutlers (Vendors), so you can purchase any Civil War items you might want. We also have kettle corn, old time root beer and you can't leave without having a FRY BREAD. All animals must be on a leash. The event location is Sandhill Scout Reserve (on 50 in Spring Hill) and the cost is $8 for Adults, $4 for Youths 6 - 12 (5 and under and Scouts in uniform are free).
Dog Day at the Beach...
Bring your dog for an enjoyable morning of play & fun on the beach this Saturday, January 3, 2015 from 8:30AM - 11:00AM at Robert K. Rees Memorial Park aka Green Key Beach. Please remember to provide proof of your dogs current vaccination record. Call (727) 942-7439 for more info.
1st Monday Dinner...
Don't forget, 1st Monday Dinner at the Aripeka Community Center will be on January 5, 2015 at 6PM. There is always good food and conversation at these events. Bring a dish or make a donation if you can, but all residents of Aripeka are welcome! A wide variety of food is will be available for you to enjoy along with iced tea to wash it all down! Please come and meet your neighbors. We will have tickets for the Community Center Roofing Project Raffle and more info on the Fundraiser.
Did you know?...
January 4th is National Trivia Day!!
In the mid-1960s, Slumber Party Barbie came with a book
called "How to Lose Weight." One of the tips was "Don’t
eat." Barbie say it isn't so!!!
Ben & Jerry originally considered getting into the bagel
business, but the equipment was too expensive. Lucky for us!!!!
The first webcam watched a coffee pot. It allowed
researchers at Cambridge to monitor the coffee situation without leaving their
desks. Guys with a lot of extra time I guess!!!
When asked if he knew the speed of sound, Einstein said he
"didn't carry such information in my mind since it's readily available in
books." Guess he didn't really know, good cover!!!
The last time a Republican was elected president without a
Nixon or Bush on the ticket was 1928. Are things about to repeated in 2016 or will the chain be broken???
When three-letter airport codes became standard, airports
that had been using two letters simply added an X. X makes the spot!!!
In 1979, Japan offered new British PM Margaret Thatcher 20
"karate ladies" for protection at an economic summit. She declined. Probably wanted the Karate Kid!!!
Before Google launched Gmail, "G-Mail" was the
name of a free email service offered by Garfield's website. I want a Garfield Email, my Gmail is so boring!!!
When New Jersey's Action Park sent crash-test dummies down
its looping waterslide, the dummies were allegedly dismembered. So guess that makes the line longer in the summer!!!
In 1980, Detroit presented Saddam Hussein with a key to the
city. So that is what happened to Detroit!!!
The "Where's the Beef?" lady (Clara Peller) lost
her job in 1985 after doing a Prego ad in which she "found the beef at
somewhere other than Wendy's." So what was their "beef" with that???
Just before the Nazis invaded Paris, H.A. and Margret Rey
fled on bicycles. They were carrying the manuscript for Curious George. My heroes!!!!
In Super Mario Bros., the bushes are just clouds
colored green. No can't be, thought they were real!
In colonial America, lobster wasn't exactly a delicacy. It
was so cheap and plentiful it was often served to prisoners. Gives new meaning to prison food!!!
Crayola means "oily chalk." The name combines
"craie" (French for "chalk") and "ola" (short for
"oleaginous," or "oily"). Aww, so that is why you can't get that off the walls, no "oil based" over latex!
The Constitution does not require the Speaker of the House
to be a member of the House. In 2013, Colin Powell got a vote. Does John Boehner know about this? No wonder he was upset!!!
Until coffee gained popularity, beer was the breakfast
beverage of choice in some parts of the United States. Too bad it went out of favor, never cared for coffee anyway!!!
In 1493, Columbus thought he saw mermaids. They were
"not as pretty as they are depicted, for somehow in the face they look
like men." (Probably manatees.) Where were his glasses anyway???
When the Westboro Baptist Church protested a soldier's funeral
in Oklahoma, their tires were slashed. People in town refused to repair them. As it should have been!!
In 2007, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer said there was "no
chance the iPhone is going to get any significant market share." Hope he knows more about Basketball than Iphones!!!
An early ATM was deemed a failure because its only users
were "prostitutes and gamblers who didn’t want to deal with tellers face
to face." They really had people you could talk to face to face back then???
Even Fidel Castro hated New Coke, calling it "a sign of
American capitalist decadence." Where did Fidel get that New Coke? Thought there was an "embargo" back in 1985!!!
William McKinley was on the $500 bill, Grover Cleveland was
on the $1,000, and James Madison was on the $5,000. People must have been paid better back then to need such large bills!!!
Judge Judy reportedly makes $45 million a year. We need those large bills back to pay Judge Judy!!!
Coming in February...
The Aripeka Community Center Fund Raiser, our Valentine's Day Wine and Cheese Party and our Super Bowl Party, as you can see that February is going to be a busy month around Aripeka West.
Calendar of Events...
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