Greatest man in history, named Jesus, had no servants, yet they called him Master.

Had no degree, yet they called him Teacher. Had no medicines, yet they called him

Healer. He had no army, yet kings feared Him. He won no military battles, yet he

conquered the world. He committed no crime, yet they crucified Him...He was buried

in a tomb,conquered the grave & lives today! Hallelujah What a Savior!!

When Elvis Came to Town - a live theater production!

7:00 PM -
When: April 15–17, 2011

Elvis in Citrus County!
Elvis Presley and his entourage arrived in the humid Florida summer of 1961 to film his ninth movie "Follow that Dream". The sleepy county of Citrus woke up to actors, extras, screaming star stuck fans and a lot of fun. 50 years later, Follow that Dream-2011, the King Returns- in an original play/musical presented in the original 1912 Courthouse where the criticaly acclaimed courtroom scene was filmed in Inverness, Florida.


Where: Historic courthouse in
downtown Inverness, Florida (90
min. northwest of Disney World
and Universal; 60 min. from
Tampa Bay area; address: 1 Courthouse Square, Inverness, FL 34450

What: 3 shows, each starting at
7:00 p.m. with featured
appearances offstage by Elvis
tribute artists!

Why: All proceeds go to benefit
the Citrus County Historical
Society and its efforts to restore
and maintain the Citrus County
Courthouse and Historical
Museum.

For more information visit elvisinflorida.com or call 352-341-6436

Elvis Presley's Filming History on Florida's Nature Coast

Elvis Presley's Filming History on Florida's Nature Coast
from the website www.visitflorida.com


November 12, 2010

At the request of a reader, I've done some research on Elvis and the time he spent filming on Florida's Nature Coast. Of course, it wasn't called "Nature Coast" back then. Elvis filmed primarily in Yankeetown, which sits on the Withlacoochee River a few miles inland from the Gulf. This is what I learned after a bit of digging on www.inglisyankeetown.org:

"The Elvis Presley movie, "Follow that Dream," [was filmed] in our historic courthouse. When you visit Inverness, you will be struck by the beauty and quaintness of our historic "Courthouse Square" shopping district, the centerpiece of which is our stately Historic Courthouse... It was placed on the National Registry of Historic Places on April 2, 1992."

During the shooting, Elvis apparently stayed in Crystal River. From there, it was an easy drive to the locations that took him to Inverness, Yankeetown, Ocala and Tampa. Yankeetown has a marker commemorating the shoot, and it also named a highway after Elvis, the Follow That Dream Highway.


To get to the spot in Yankeetown where the fishing scenes from the movie were filmed back in 1961, you need to travel to the end of Highway 40 West at the Gulf of Mexico. There, at the bridge that goes over Bird Creek, you'll also see some of the most glorious sunsets in the entire state.

Like Elvis, many people before and after have followed their dream to Florida.

From My Friend Naz~ Inspiring

Inspiration for Christmas straight from Prison

I came across this letter from my cousin and thought it appropriate to share with you all to help you remember what the Christmas spirit is all about. Never lose hope, never give up. Santa lives within us all………

From my cousin:

I address this letter to the youth as well as to the young men and women in Rockaway who may be involved in any type of negative or delinquent life style. My name is Joey LaMarca, and I write this letter from my cell inside Attica Maximum Security Prison.

In 1996 I was involved in a crime that took place in Rockaway. I was arrested, found guilty, and now spend my days and nights regretting the ignorant past I once lived. I have now been incarcerated for the past seven years, and any light at the end of the tunnel remains years away.

My so-called reasons for committing my crime I now realize weren't reasons at all. I know this because the fact is there are no reasons or justification to commit criminal acts! I was living in a mind frame where I was concentrating on things such as my reputation instead of on the consequences of my actions.

I never thought about the individuals I hurt. I did things out of greed, out of ignorance, and from my misconception on what I thought life was about. The sad reality now for me is that I am told when I can eat, when I can sleep, when I can go outside, when I can make a phone call, what I can wear, and even what I'm permitted to say. The truth is I never dreamed imprisonment would happen to me. My family were very respected high ranking law enforcement. So, if it can happen to me, it can happen to you! Prison is a second by second assault on the soul, each day an echo of the day before, and at times I feel as if I'm choking in silent pain.

It is said that hindsight is 20/20, and when I reflect back on the choices I made I realize my enormous mistakes. I have learned that life is about educating yourself, building a family, being responsible, helping your neighbor, and really just trying to enjoy life in general.

It now has been fourteen (updated) years since I have seen the beach or the boardwalk. The Atlantic Ocean you are steps away from, I can only now dream of. I now realize I took many things for granted. If any of you reading this have a dream or a positive goal in life, GO FOR IT! When you talk about your goal it's a dream. When you plan for your goal, it becomes possible. But, when you go after that goal, when you become determined, that's when it becomes your reality! At this time I am living life as it is from a steel and cement cell, but all of you have the chance and the opportunity to live life as it should be. It's not only possible to have and achieve your dream, tell yourself it's necessary! I ask you to never let success go to your head, and never let failure go to your heart.

I would like to close with a short story. There is a tree called 'The Chinese Bamboo Tree.' When you plant the seed of this tree in the ground it takes five years of watering the seed everyday just for the tree to break free from the ground. But after it does break the ground, in just FIVE WEEKS it grows over 90 FEET TALL.

So for everyday for five years this man would water the same spot on his grass with no results. All his so-called friends and neighbors would call him crazy and stupid. But, after five year's of dedication and belief, and NEVER GIVING UP on the dream of his tree, one day it popped up! Then, five weeks later he had a beautiful Chinese Bamboo Tree in his front yard, which was over 90 feet tall! This man placed his favorite comfortable chair under the tree, and because of his dedication, hard work, and faith, he was able to sit back and relax.
The same so-called friends that called him crazy and stupid were stuck in the summer heat, but this man sat back in the shade. Yes, it takes hard work to reach certain goals in life, but if you do it right the rewards will last forever! I beg of you all, DO IT RIGHT! Take it from me, it's worth it!

I would like to thank my wife Kim and our friend Lauren for both being a positive inspiration in my life. My best to all of you out there. Stay safe, smart, happy, and healthy in all you do.

JOSEPH LAMARCA

DESCRIPTIVE PARAGRAGH

My favorite season of the year is fall. I mostly enjoy fall because the trees become colorful. The way the hues of the leaves blend together is like seeing a real life painting. It's a pretty site to see to wake up at sunrise. The morning dew blankets the already fallen leaves. The dew glistens and looks like shiney diamonds on the various colors of the leaves. Although I am an adult, I still like to run and tumble in a pile of raked leaves. It feels like a cushion to land on. I especialy like to play in a pile of oak tree leaves because it has a robust smell of coffee roasting on a campfire. It reminds me of the fun times when I was just a little country girl and life seemed much simplier.

Sam Phillips Deserves a United States Postage Stamp

Sam Phillips deserves a United States Postage Stamp because he was an honorable American icon. He demonstrated the courage to break racial barriers in music during the segregated 1950's of the South. Phillips discovered many well known talented artists. My favorite amongst them was Elvis Presley.

Phillips had a talented ear for sound. He heard what most seasoned record producers couldn't hear. Phillips was self-taught and was intune with the heart and soul of music. He didnt judge a person if they could carry tune, but he did critique the originality of the artists' style. He wasn't interested in doing things the same way. For example, country music was already king in Nashville. Electric Blues was already being done in Chicago. In his mind, the world didn't need another Frank Sinatra, Hank Williams Sr., or another Dinah Washington because the record companies were trying to mimic what was already being done with newer artists. He wanted his artists to create their own sound. He also wanted to bring various generes of music together so that it would appeal to both black and white people. He opened up the Memphis Recording Service, now known as Sun Studio, in 1950. The motto he used was "We create anything, anywhere, anytime."

Phillips accomplished his goal to bring black and white music together when he recorded Elvis Presley. Elvis had the negro feel in his voice in a white person's skin. Phillips didnt like that term 'race music,' which was used to describe the music listened to by only black people. On July 5, 1954, Rock n' Roll music was born with the recording of "That's Alright Mama." This was Presley's first big hit record. This breakthrough opened many doors for this new kind of music that brought forth many influential artists. It will be an honor for Phillips' birthtown in Florence, Alabama to host the official ceremony when the stamp is realized.

My Least Favorite Place

My Least Favorite Place

Riverbend Center for Mental Health in Florence is an uncomfortable place for me. It looks like a building from a horror film. There is also a strong, disgusting, and old odor inside, and the ringing phones aren't loud enough. Riverbend's purpose in the community is to assist people with mental disabilities, but the whole feel, smell and look of the facility defeats the purpose it is supposed to serve. Furthermore, it is difficult to see Riverbend as a helpful resource because of the look, smell, and the low-volumed telephones.

The first thing that is always noticeable about the facility is its odd shape and colors on the outside of the building. The faded, cream colored, cone shaped columns in the front and left side of the building looks like they were made by aliens. I am not sure what the shape of the building is. It comes close to a twisted hexagon. The bricks are light brown and vomit yellow color. Since Riverbend is a place for the mentally ill, it doesn't look inviting. It looks depressing. It should be more of an upbeat, cheerful and modernized building for these 'special' people who visit here. In addition, as you walk inside it, it appears to be a reality Twilight Zone.

The sight of Riverbend and the smell inside are equally dreadful. I always get dizzy, but mostly nauseous when I walk through the front foyer. The smell hits you in the face like a baseball bat; it's that bad! The facility is clean and thoroughly sanitized, but the building is so old and outdated it is difficult to tell. I am not making fun of people that have to go there; I am an outpatient client also. I am so fortunate that I have access to a daily shower and proper hygiene. Many people who go there are weird and appear to be homeless. They smell bad because of the lack of bathing and keeping their clothes clean. I feel bad for them, but it makes me uncomfortable to be around some of them. It makes me sad that Riverbend is owned by the state of Alabama. The state neglected to provide the financial support and other resources to make it a better place for the treatment of the various forms of depression. Regardless of their unlimited or limited hygiene procedures, the facility could reach out to more people if it weren't for the state.

The sounds in the building are not disturbing. People do not talk loud and the phones are soft sounding. When I have heard the phones ringing, I often wonder if someone will hear it. It may be a person in need of services. Sometimes the phones are unanswered because of the lack of employees to manage the calls. They have a radio in the ceiling speakers that isn't loud either. It plays Oldies Rock n' Roll music, which is one of my favorite genres. I never have heard of any complaints about the music. Even though the sounds you might hear at Riverbend aren't negative, the place for the most part is.

The sight and smell of the building makes me more depressed. More people would voluntarily seek services if it weren't for these negatives. Maybe this is why the doctors seem to prescribe strong doses of medication to keep some sanity in their patients when they have an appointment.