LA FLORIDIANA'S FREE FORM WEEK

The World's Neatest Party Invitation
Orlando artist and writer Lisa Clardy, a dear friend of mine and my wife's, and sister of Anita Clardy (see NCPCR Issues 115 and 116, June 3-16, 2002, "La Floridiana Goes West (On Vacation)" came up with this outstanding retro party invite (see image, right) for our other dear friend Susan Hughes (see NCPCR Issue 115, June 3-9, 2002) for a Holidays event she will be holding this upcoming winter. Also take the time to visit Lisa's great web site about her rocketeering heroine "Hominy Fa-Tang! Space Pirate" at: http://www.f-bod.com/hominy.htm

Floridana Fest II
Be sure to mark your calendars to attend "Floridana Fest II" which features Florida souvenirs, art, postcards and kitsch. The festival will be at the Gulfport casino at 5500 Shoreline Boulevard on Saturday March 1, 2003. Admission is $5.00 per person. For more information call Ken or Barbara Breslauer at 727-895-3482 or e-mail at FloridanaShow@aol.com

Karen's New Wheels
As noted in last week's "La Floridiana" your intrepid author's 1994 (erroneously called a '93) Z-28 Camaro was retired to make way for the '99 Firebird nicknamed "The Huntress". My wife and too often unsung NCPCR contributor Karen Cashon gave me the Firebird in order to make way for her new 2002 V-8 Pontiac Firehawk, line number 1420 of 2000 in the last of the F-Body line. Check out her neat little web site called "Moonglade's Phooka" at http://www.florida-floridahawk.com

T.R.E.E. Inc. 20th Anniversary Planting, Saturday November 9, 2002
Volunteers are needed to plant 225 3-gallon Slash Pines, 27 2-gallon Pignut Hickories, 55 3-gallon Green Ash, and 42 3-gallon Baldcypress at the Interstate 4/County Line Road interchange in Plant City, and at a retention pond on Eureka Springs Road near the Tampa By-Pass Canal, on Saturday November 9, 2002 at 10:00 A.M. for T.R.E.E. Inc.'s (www.tree-inc.org) 20th Anniversary! Volunteers are requested to meet at the Shell Gasoline station located at the Interstate 4/County Line Road interchange in Plant City. Bring a shovel and a friend (or two!). For further information call me at 813-754-4470, or e-mail at treeinc@tampabay.rr.com

CSI: Miami Thanks The Florida Department of Transportation
Believe it or not someone actually had something good to say about the organization I work for. This is in the October 2002 edition of the Department's "Transportation News", "Dear DOT" letter column:

"Dear DOT:
   Just wanted to take a few moments to thank you so very much for all your hard work, and help with the filming of "CSI: Miami."
   Thank you for putting up with all the sudden changes in our schedule and needs. Your patience and willingness to help out are very much appreciated.
   You go above and beyond the call of duty! You do a great job at balancing the needs of our industry with the needs of the neighbors and business owners in the community. This certainly makes for a smoother ride on shoot days.
   Thanks one more time from CBS Productions and the crew of "CSI: Miami."

Christina LaBuzetta
Location Manager
CSI: Miami"

Creaturefest
Many apologies for the short notice, but horror buffs nevertheless mark your calendars for November 8-10, 2002 for Tallahassee's "Creaturefest", an annual festival celebrating the American movie classic "Creature From the Black Lagoon" which was filmed about 50 years ago at nearby Wakulla Springs State Park.

The movie's stars Ben Chapman, Julie Adams and Ginger Stanley will be part of the festival. It will also feature VIP and weekend packages including opportunities to meet the stars, have dinner with them, and take a twilight river cruise to where "Creature" and "Tarzan" movies were filmed.

The "Revenge of the Creature", "Black Tarantula" and "Monster on Campus" will also be shown. For more information, please call (800) 628-2866.