Downtown will start out high octane Saturday, March 13 and end on some high notes.

The Nature Coast Corvair Club presents its 7th annual Car and Truck Show at the Inverness Government Center parking lot from 9 am - 4 pm. Approximately 200 cars and trucks will roll into town for the show, one of the largest in the state. Some of the featured entries date back to the early 1900's. Those who attend the show will likely be impressed by the glistening and gleaming display of horsepower. To accommodate the large number of entries, Tompkins Street and portions of Pine Avenue will be closed during the show.

The afternoon will shift gears as the Inverness Olde Towne Association presents its first annual Music and Shamrocks on the Square. Art and crafts booths will be assembled on West Main Street, and live music will be on Courthouse Square beginning at 6 pm. A beer and wine tent will be on site, and their will be scavenger hunts and other family-friendly activities. Festival hours are 10 am - 10 pm.

Both events are co-sponsored by the City of Inverness. Come out and join us. Sounds life fun! Let me learn more....

The US Census Bureau questionnaire should be hitting mailboxes in mid March. We can not express strongly enough how important it is to you, your family and others around you to complete the Census and mail it back promptly. Federal grants to help fund community improvements, statistics for state and federal officials to correctly allocate local programs and the number, plus alignment, of congressional seats will all be determined by the census results. Obviously, the lower the response, the lower the support and voice the community will have until the next census in 2020, ten years from now.

Completing the ten questions on the Census form will likely take 10 minutes or less. Hmmmm....giving ten minutes to impact the quality of your community's life for the next 10 years........sounds like a no-brainer.

So just how do we know the form will only take ten minutes to complete? Well...we've been busy researching the Census website to learn more about the process and impact. Our latest find, was the census form.

I want a Sneak Peak too!

With spring weather just around the corner, Sunny Cooter is getting ready to play-a-round...anxious to use his signature balls that just arrived. That's right, Cooterfest golf balls are now available for purchase at the Inverness Government Center or at the Cooterfestival site online. And what would be better to use in toasting a well played round of golf, but Cooter Shooters!?!

These new products, as well as Sunny Cooter's full line of tanks and Tshirts can be viewed at the Cooterfest Store. Other new products, like Cooter Coolers, are under development, and Sunny is always looking for new ideas on products to offer at the Cooterfest Store. Just email your ideas to his administrative staff at administration@Inverness-FL.Gov and he "shell" get right on it.

I need to do some shopping now.

YMCA of the Suncoast will offer two pre school opportunities for moms to have fun with their 18 month to 4 year old children. Beginning March 9th thru April 13th, "Little Chefs Academy" will be held each Tuesday from 10 to 11 am. On Wednesdays from 10 to 11am, "Silly Willy Workout" will be offered starting March 10th thru April 14th.

Cost is $35.00 per 6 week session. Classes will be held at the Whispering Pines Park Recreation Building. For more information or to enroll, please contact the YMCA at 586-4390.
Learn more about YMCA of the Suncoast.

Even though Tuesday, November 2nd, Election Day, is better than six months away, there's a lot of work underway to make sure we're ready. Are you?

Working closely with the Supervisor of Elections office, our City Clerk, Debbie Davis, is coordinating the City election piece. Once again, the Inverness Government Center, also known as City Hall, will be used as an Early Voting location.

If you have yet to Register to Vote, are considering voting via an Absentee Ballot, or thinking about running for a City Council seat, you can find information and additional links/contacts, as well as deadlines by clicking on the link below.

I want to know more

Join City Council, City staff and KCCB (Keep Citrus County Beautiful) members as we "take to the streets" in the annual Inverness City Clean Up campaign on Saturday morning, April 17th.

Not only is it good exercise, it's a great way to start the morning and demonstrate pride in your community. And, why not make it a fun group outing like the Inverness Shuffleboard Club does each year?

It's never too early to begin planning. Get family, friends and neighbors together to reserve early Saturday morning, April 17th, and decide a specific street or neighborhood to tackle. Meet at the Inverness Government Center at 8AM for light refreshments, clean up gear and to let us know what area you selected to clean up. As you fill a bag with improperly disposed waste, simply leave it on the edge of the roadway, so the patroling Public Works staff is sure to collect it. Obviously, the more hands...the faster clean up goes.

Your group outing doesn't have to end with waste pick-up. Why not plan a picnic in the park or maybe lunch at one of the local restaurants?

More details about the annual City Clean Up Day will be released shortly. If you have questions in the meantime, dial 726-2611 or email Administration@Inverness-FL.Gov.

Dr. Joshua Summers might be recognized as an everyday citizen of the City of Inverness, but he is also recognized as a 2009 Everyday Hero by Bay News 9 and Outback Steakhouse.

The “Everyday Hero” award was presented to Dr. Summers for his work in supporting those with Downs Syndrome. Dr. Summers has demonstrated and shared his passion for understanding and helping those with Downs Syndrome by establishing the not-for-profit organization, “Upside of Downs”. Working with the National Downs Syndrome Society, he launched the first annual “Buddy Walk” in Inverness at Whispering Pines Park. The outpouring of interest was so large, the event was moved the next year to Liberty Park to better accommodate the number of citizens wishing to be a part of the event. And last, but certainly not least, the Summer’s family adoption of Rebekah, a beautiful little girl with Downs Syndrome, brings his work and passion truly home.

Mayor Bob Plaisted will represent the City of Inverness at the Everyday Hero luncheon in March in Tampa. The City is honored to be invited to the annual event recognizing one of its citizens, and we are proud and privileged to have such an outstanding and caring person as Dr. Joshua Summers in our community.