March for peace set for March 28
A Florida March For Peace will be at 2 p.m. Saturday, March 28, in Melbourne.
The march, which will go from 2205 Front St. to Melbourne City Hall, is being organized by Humanists for Peace and Patriots for Peace.
Organizers and supporters are calling for a transformation of America’s pro-war foreign policy away from militarism.
For more information, go to www.floridamassmarch.com.

Quiñones to hold town hall meeting
Osceola County Commission Chairman John Quiñones will host a town hall meeting in Buenaventura Lakes at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, April 2, to discuss community enhancement projects in the district 2 community and to answer questions.
County staff also will attend the meeting, which will be at the Robert Guevara Community Center, 501 Florida Parkway.
“We’re kicking off some major community enhancement projects in Buenaventura Lakes, and a town hall meeting is really the best way to update everyone on what’s coming up,” Quiñones said.
For more information, contact the Osceola County Public Information Office at 407-742-0100.

Year-end report now available online
The city of St. Cloud has completed its end-of-year report for 2008, and it is now available online on the city’s Web page, www.stcloud.org, document center, public information office, surveys and reports.
The report offers details from every city department for calendar year 2008. In it, departments list their top accomplishments, statistics and upcoming projects.
The report is posted online as part of the city’s efforts to “go green” and cut down on costs. However, a copy of the report is available for viewing at the city clerk’s office (City Hall, Building A, third floor). Paper copies are available upon request and the charge is 15 cents per page. To request paper copies of the report, call 407-957-7300.

Tax preparation help available
The Internal Revenue Service is offering free assistance with tax preparation Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Minesterio Restauracion Si Lo, 209 W. Cypress St., Kissimmee.
Volunteers will prepare 2008 tax returns for free for residents with an annual income of $42,000 or less, who also would qualify for the earned income tax credit.
Residents are asked to bring all the necessary documentation for filing a federal tax return and bank account and routing numbers if they want direct deposit of refunds.
The IRS estimates that up to 25 percent of eligible households fail to claim the earned income tax credit because of lack of awareness. This year, qualifying residents could be eligible to claim up to $4,824.

Small business forums
The Florida Office of Small Business Advocate has announced the dates and locations for a series of small business issues forums throughout the state during March, April and May.
These forums have been designed to give small business owners and supporting organizations, such as local chambers of commerce and other economic development organizations an opportunity to voice their concerns over current issues facing small businesses and to brainstorm possible solutions.
The Central Florida forums include March 27, Orlando area, and March 31, Melbourne area.
While there is no registration fee, all participants are asked to complete the online registration form at http://floridaosba.org/. Seating may be limited in some locations, so registrations will be accepted on a first come, first served basis.
For more information, visit http://floridaosba.org/ or contact Jennifer Crews at 850-473-7817 or by e-mail at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Spring turkey hunting
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission offers 37 public hunting areas statewide where hunters need only to “walk on” to hunt spring turkeys.
The spring turkey season in most places runs through April 12 in the South Hunting Zone and March 21 through April 26 in the Central and Northwest zones. Shooting hours during spring turkey season on wildlife management areas are one-half hour before sunrise to 1 p.m.
Hunters need only a hunting license ($17 for residents, $46.50 for a nonresident 10-day license), management area permit ($26.50) and turkey permit ($5 for residents, $100 for nonresidents) to spring turkey hunt on the following areas.
Arbuckle WMA – 13,531 acres in Polk County. March 24-26 and April 7-9. There are 10 no-cost, daily quota permits available at the check station on a first-come, first-served basis. Camping allowed only by permit from the Division of Forestry by calling 863-635-7801.
Bull Creek WMA – 23,646 acres in Osceola County. Camping allowed.
Green Swamp WMA – 49,768 acres in Polk, Sumter and Lake counties.  Hunters must have a quota permit to hunt the first weekend, but there are 200 no-cost, daily quota permits available at the check station on a first-come, first-served basis for the remainder of season. Camping allowed only by special permit from the FWC.
Kissimmee River Public Use Area – 23,433 acres in Glades, Highlands, Okeechobee, Osceola and Polk counties. Area is split between Central and South hunting zones. When hunting the South Zone, the season runs March 7-April 12. For camping information only, call the South Florida Water Management District at 800-250-4200, Ext. 3019. Management area permit not required.
Three Lakes WMA – 54,628 acres in Osceola County. Camping allowed. For more information on spring turkey hunting, or to download management area rules and maps, visit MyFWC.com/Hunting. Brochures also are available at tax collectors’ offices in counties close to the wildlife management areas.
These licenses and permits are available for purchase at county tax collectors’ offices and at most retail outlets that sell hunting and fishing supplies. Also, hunters can purchase them with a credit card by calling 888-486-8356 or online at www.wildlifelicense.com.

Lack of rain in water district
The 2008-09 South Florida dry season through the end of February has became the third driest on record dating back to 1932.
Water levels in the 16-county South Florida Water Management District are declining, and the stage is set for drought conditions to worsen if adequate rain does not fall, district Executive Director Carol Ann Wehle stated in a press release. The forecast of persistent dry conditions through the remainder of the dry season underscores the need for continued conservation to stretch the water supply.
The latest SFWMD reports show an average of 0.41 inches of rain fell across the region in February, which is 1.78 inches less than the historical average for the month. Rainfall for the dry season is down 6.65 inches to date from the historical average, with several months left before the wet season begins. Forecasters are predicting below average rainfall to continue through April.
Landscape irrigation remains restricted to two days a week for a majority of the region, home to approximately 7.5 million residents. The measures were instituted to protect the public water supply and meet growing demands amid the parched conditions. More information about irrigation limits by area is available on the District’s Web site.
The need for water conservation is underscored by Florida’s weather extremes during the past few years. Records show 2006 and 2007 were the driest back-to-back calendar years based on data dating back to 1932, according to Wehle, with the rainfall deficit at more than 20 inches.
Read more about the district’s water conservation plan and get tips on saving water at www.savewaterfl.com. For more weather data, visit www.sfwmd.gov.

Lynx gets $7 million additional funding
Lynx will receive almost $30 million from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, $7 million more than the transit agency requested.
Lynx chief financial officer Linda Watson said the money would enable the transit agency to build the necessary infrastructure to meet ridership demands.
The money allocated will focus on the urban core, Watson said, adding that Lynx also is eligible and will apply for additional funding for rural areas. The Florida Department of Transportation will distribute those dollars at a later date.