County government shows off

A smorgasbord of county services will be on display Saturday, as departments show the public how things work.

St. Petersburg Times, October 12, 2001
By JORGE SANCHEZ

LECANTO -- Speakers, demonstrations, displays and activities from county and local state offices will provide a convenient, one-stop opportunity to learn about virtually every government service at a government services expo on Saturday.

The expo will be from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at several county sites; the Lecanto Government Services Complex, 3600 W Sovereign Path; the Fire Training Center, 1300 S Lecanto Highway (County Road 491) and the Lecanto Multi-Purpose Senior Center, 1460 S County Road 491.

Among the services offered will be free blood pressure and sugar screenings for adults, vision screenings for children and adults, hemoccult kits for stool cultures and fingerprinting identification for children.

The expo begins with an opening ceremony and remarks by County Administrator Richard Wesch in the portico of the government services complex at 10 a.m.

The following speakers will be at Room 166 of the Lecanto Government Services Complex.

Voter education by Supervisor of Elections by Susan Gill at 10:30 a.m.

Overview of the county's veterans services benefits and requirements for qualifications by veterans services officer John Kenney at 11 a.m.

Preparing for natural disasters, such as hurricanes, by Ruth Tear of the Emergency Management Department, 11:30 a.m.

A Sheriff's Office overview by Sheriff Jeff Dawsy at noon.

Overview of fire services by Mike Schlaudraff, fire service director, 12:30 p.m.

Community planning and development review by community development director Chuck Dixon, 1 p.m.

Creating Florida yards and neighborhoods using Florida-friendly plants, by the University of Florida Extension Service, 1:30 p.m.

4-H youth opportunities by extension services staffer Amy Duncan, 2 p.m.

The speakers each will make a presentation, followed by questions and answers.

Many demonstrations are scheduled at the Fire Training Center and beneath a tent on the grounds of the government complex.

Among them are:

Demonstration on emergency response to a hazardous material spill, at the fire training center at noon.

Tae kwon do martial arts, sponsored by Parks and Recreation at the government complex tent, 10:15 to 10:45 a.m.

Rope rescue and rappelling at the fire training center, 10:30 a.m.

Storytelling by the library system at the government complex tent, 10:45 to 11:15 a.m.

Live burn firefighting demonstration, fire training center, 11 a.m.

Canine unit demonstration by the Sheriff's Office at the government complex tent, 11:30 a.m. to noon.

An LP gas live burn demonstration at the fire training center at noon.

Entertainers and musicians, sponsored by the Support Services and Senior Centers at the government complex tent from noon to 12:30 p.m.

Tai chi demonstration sponsored by the library system at the government complex tent, 12:30 to 1 p.m.

Rope rescue and rappelling at the fire training center, 1 p.m.

CPR demonstration by emergency medical services at the government complex tent, 1 to 1:30 p.m.

Cloggers sponsored by parks and recreation at the government complex tent, 1:30 to 2 p.m.

Live burn demonstration at the fire services center, 2 p.m.

Entertainers and music sponsored by support services and the senior center, government complex tent, 2 to 2:30 p.m.

Hazardous materials emergency response demonstration, fire training center, 2:30 p.m.

LP gas live burn demonstration, fire training center, 2:30 p.m.

Other activities include:

Balloons and face painting by the RSVP clowns at the government complex, the fire training center and Lecanto Seniors Center, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

CompuKid computerized childrens' identification by the Sheriff's Office, Room 166 government services complex, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Blood and sugar screenings; infant and youth vision screening at the Citrus County health department, adjacent to the Lecanto Government Services Complex, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Fair games for children at the government complex lawn, 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

Fire safety house tours from 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the fire training center.

Crafts for kids at the government complex gazebo, 11:15 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.

The Emergency Operations Center on Southern Street off County Road 491 N, will offer guided tours to show how the county coordinates emergency dispatch activities from this central location.

Free shuttle buses will run between the government complex, fire training center, Lecanto Senior Center and emergency operations center. County buses depart run every 15 minutes from the government complex from 10 a.m.

See October 12, 2001 issue of St. Petersburg Times for original article.