Fire at Will

$$ Save big with the Beacon $$

will — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 21:49:10 +0000

Read the Beacon and save! Anyone perusing our paper will have an opportunity to take advantage of one of our many promotions.

Things to look for in current issues of the paper and at local events:

1. $5.00 off coupon towards a 1 year subscription ($35.00). This appears in our coupon section.

2. (BOGO) Buy one – get one free offer. When you pay for a 1 year subscription you get to give a 1 year subscription to a friend, family member, or loved one.

3. Free 6″ sub from Subway for you and a friend (if you give their information) when you pay for a 1 year subscription. Limited time.

4. Free Mcdonalds medium value meal for you and a friend (if you give their information) when you pay for a 1 year subscription. Limited time.

5. 1/2 off Day. This special is only announced once and is only valid for one day. With this you can get a 6 month subscription for $10.00 or a 1 year subscription for $17.50.

6. 2 free tickets for the Coles Bros. Circus ($34.00 value). This offer is good only if a 1 year subscription is paid. It’s kinda like getting a year of the Beacon for a buck. Limited time.

7. Recipe contest. If you send in a recipe you instantly get 2 months additional of the Beacon. If you are chosen to be our weekly winner than you win a 1 year subscription, your recipe will run in the paper, and you will be in the yet to be printed BEACON COOKBOOK.

8. 3 guesses to win. IF your at one of the many events held in West Volusia keep an eye out for Dan “The Beacon Man” and his jar of jellybeans. You will have 3 chances to guess how many are in the jar. If you guess right you will win a 1 year subscription to the Beacon.

These offers cannot be combined.

Manatee Fest & Taste of DeLand 2010

will — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 17:27:31 +0000

The West Volusia Beacon is off to a great start in 2010. We had 2 events going during the same weekend the 23rd and 24th. The Manatee Fest in Orange City and the Taste of DeLand. We had booths at both locations and met the crowds with the latest issue of the Beacon (free), free 4 week trials, free Guide to West Volusia, and warm smiles from Dan and Beri who manned the events. At the the DeLand event we gave people an opportunity to makes 3 guesses on how many jelly beans were in a jar (this day it was actually Valentine hearts) for a chance to win 1 yr of the paper. We have recently partnered with the downtown DeLand candy store Sweet Things. They have furnished the jelly beans for this neat drawing. Sandy Hampton was the winner this time by guessing the correct amount of candy hearts – 566. Her subscription was extended an additional year.

All together we had 40 new sign-ups!

We offer the Beacon in print and/or web form. Anyone interested in getting the 4 wk trial but is out of the area should opt for the web version. The free print trial is only valid for Volusia County residents due to postal rate fluctuations.

To everyone that participated I say,” Thank you and enjoy.”

RECIPE CONTEST

will — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 20:23:32 +0000

~HUNGRY FOR LOCAL NEWS~

Recipe Contest

Enter your favorite recipe** and receive 1 month of The Beacon for free*.
Each week a winner will be chosen.
The winner will be featured in an issue of The Beacon and will receive one year of The Beacon for free.
Please enclose a picture of you or your dish, name, address, and phone number**.
Please, only one entry per address*. All participants must allow The Beacon full use of their pictures, names, and recipes for any and all future publications**.

I, ___________ give The Beacon full permission to use my recipe, name, and any pictures included at anytime.

ALL ENTRIES MAY BE SENT TO:

THE BEACON

110 W NEW YORK AVE

DELAND FL 32720

2009 Alligator Hunt

will — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 13:20:32 +0000

using head lights to find lurking gators.

On an unnaturally balmy October evening Kraig Kemp and his son Kasey took me on an alligator hunting expedition off of the St. John’s River at Lake Harney in Sanford. Mr. Kemp and his son are seasoned hunters as this was their third year hunting gators. They have also hunted boar, whitetail deer, coyotes, snipes, doves, crows, bobcats, turkeys, rabbits, rattlesnakes, geese, beavers, badgers, elk, bear, mule deer, and prairie dogs. So, I felt like I was in good hands as they led me on my very first hunt of any kind. When they offered to take me along I leapt at the opportunity. There is something particularly interesting about hunting a creature that can easily overtake and consume anything that it desires. It creates a sense of heightened exhilaration. In an unnatural role reversal man enters this foreign territory, and stalks the black, slow flowing waters. Armed with the necessities for an alligator safari: a bang stick, a detachable harpoon, a three pronged snatch hook, buoys, and ripened nearly rotting whole chickens. We were ready.

harpoon

three pronged snatch hook

As soon as we entered the water we spotted 3 gators. It’s hard to imagine that alligators were once members of the endangered species list, because now they seem to be everywhere. Finding an alligator is simple. A beam of light is used to expose the alligator’s location. Glowing like beady embers floating on the waters surface.

Very ripe whole chickens stuffed with Styrofoam to make them buoyant were used as bait. Beef lung is another popular choice among these hunters, but wasn’t used on this night. Once the alligator took the bait, we waited for it to swallow. Mason line on a swivel spool is used to keep the hunters attached to the buoy that is attached to the bait. They then slowly took in the twine and brought the boat closer to the gator. As we rounded the bend we noticed that of the 3 baits dropped only one was submerged and the attached buoy was bobbing away from land to deeper water. Kraig used the snatch hook, and on his only second try snared the alligator. The alligator thrashed violently and spun around in the water doing the dangerous death roll. As it was rolling it slapped against the boat rocking us precariously about. On one side of the 12 foot boat was Kraig, his son, and a 7’5” 200 lb fighting alligator. I did my part by staying on the other side acting as a counter weight while taking pictures.

When the alligator was brought to the surface of the water the bang stick was placed at the base of the skull. A precise aim is needed as these animals have a brain the size of a walnut. Thousands of bubbles came from the creature as the last of the oxygen left its body. “That’s a good sign!” Kraig explained as he struggled. The mouth was then wrapped up with generous amounts of electrician’s tape. Only then was the beast brought into the boat. Then a long metal rod was used to pierce the brain. The last measure taken to immobilize the alligator was to sever the spinal cord. These are steps recommended by the Alligator Management Program Division of Hunting and Game Management Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Within minutes of immobilizing the alligator, Mr. Kemp tagged the alligator’s tail following the strict state mandated guidelines. Alligators have a tendency of appearing dead when they are only temporarily unconscious. This creates a dangerous situation. Hit with the powerful tail, bitten, or going overboard into a body of water filled with other hungry alligators all become possibilities when an angry gator “comes to” in the boat. Even after these measures were taken, it’s tail ominously moved back and forth, and it’s legs continued to be animated the entire boat ride back to land.

Once landed, the alligator was taken to a local processor to be skinned. Only the skin from the underside is used. The individual skinning the animal buys the pelt, and returns the head and meat to the hunters. Not long ago alligator hunting was profitable, but the industry has been crippled by the economy. Now, a hunter is lucky to come out even, and many hunters like the Kemps continue purely because they enjoy the sport.

Each hunter enters into a raffle to get 2 tags allowing them to bag 2 alligators during the season in a designated area. About 6,000 Alligator harvest permits were available in the 2009 season, and cost $271.50 each for Florida residents. The season runs for 11 consecutive weeks, going from August 15th through November 1st. The Alligator hunting program is highly monitored, and well maintained by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

2009 RED, WHITE, & BLUE GALA

will — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 13:11:28 +0000

The Children’s Cancer Foundation hosted the evening’s festivities October 3^rd 2009, which marked the 4^th annual Red, White, and Blue Gala. The formal event, which was held in Daytona Beach at the Daytona 500 Club, raised nearly $24,000. Approximately 175 individuals filled 26 sponsored tables, and took part in playing black jack, slot machines, a 50/50 raffle, a live auction, and numerous silent auctions to raise money for this worthy cause. Also, those in attendance had an opportunity to have their pictures taken in the Winner’s Circle.

The evening’s entertainment was hosted by radio personality Bob Barry from Sunny 105.9. Michele Anastasio returned as the featured performer and filled the night’s air with her angelic voice. The Stetson University Jazz Ensemble set the tone that all enjoyed.

Over 130 companies contributed with donations of gifts and prizes for the auctions. Many companies throughout Volusia County took part in sponsoring the special occasion. They were:

SIGNATURE SPONSOR

DeLand Nissan

PLATINUM SPONSORS

Jacob Heating & Air Conditioning

Rotary Club of DeLand

Rue & Ziffra, P.A. – Attorneys & Counselors at Law

GOLD SPONSOR

The West Volusia Beacon Newspaper

SILVER SPONSORS

Terry Bailey, Realtor – ReMax Associates Inc.

Brighthouse Networks

Steven R. Burk, Attorney at Law

DeLand Junior Service League

DeLand Toyota

Dreggors, Rigsby & Teal, CPA

Florida Hospital DeLand

Gateway Bank

Girard Enviromental Services

H&R UNLIMITED

Dr. Steve Hayman

The Higbee, Shams & Spore Group – Morgan Stanley Smith Barney

Angie Johnson

Maureen Kemp, Realtor – Bill Mancinik Realtors, The Home Team

Kiwanis Club Deland

Kiwanis Club Deltona

Mainstreet DeLand Association

Mainstreet Grill

Michael F. Scott, Realtor – Adam Scott Realty

Sunny 105.9

Woman’s Lifestyle Magazine

CCF Board of Directors include: Don Hill Executive Director/Founder, Sammie Wiggins Chairman, Jack Becker Director, Kathy Burk Director, Janet Dixon Director, Jan Giroux Director, Dr. Steve Hayman Director, Donna Higbee Director, Harper Hill Director, Chantel Martin Director, Michael Scott Director, Cherry Smith Director, and Nan Smith Director.

CCF is a non-profit organization that raises money for children in Volusia County stricken with cancer. The organization also provides Allotment Funds – provides financial assistance towards transportation to and from treatment centers, food, tolls, and gas. An Emergency Assistance Program – provides help with grocery gift cards and utility bills during crisis situations. Prepaid Long-Distance Phone Cards – is given to parents to keep them updated on their children’s progress during hospitalization.

Those interested in contacting CCF may do so by calling 386-747-3962 or emailing them at www.childrenscancerfoundationinc.com. The Children’s Cancer Foundation, Inc. office is located at 451 E. Graves Avenue Orange City, FL 32763.

11th Annual Rivertown Craft Show & Bazaar

will — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 13:33:47 +0000

This isn’t your everyday craft show! No matter your taste or preference, you are sure to find something that appeals to you. My personal favorites are the vast assortment of eclectic jewelry, and any booth that has even one fossil. It’s a great way to enjoy downtown, and take in an eyeful for zero dollars. That’s right it will cost you absolutely nada, zip… What could be better?

Make sure you visit the West Volusia Beacon booth to receive a complimentary paper, and sign up for a free 4 week trial of the paper. All of the downtown Woodland Boulevard area will be involved in the event that runs from 10 am to 4 pm Saturday through Sunday, Sept. 26-27. Again, admission is a big, fat, giant goose egg. See you there!

Caught “Wet-Handed”

will — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 00:41:23 +0000

I have recently moved to Deltona. I would rather stay in the DeLand area, but in Deltona you can get more of a house for less money. So, I relocated, and because of this incident I will tell you about shortly – I may be relocating once more.
Today, my girlfriend and her mother came by the new house to finish moving in some items only to see our new neighbor running away from our property. Inquisitively they inspected the side yard where she (our new neighbor) ran from and found the water hose pulled out and the water on at full force. The trail of water from our place to her yard across the street effectively caught her red “wet handed”. To top it all off the lady had the audacity to emerge from her home to continue watering her front yard…this time with her hose.

I wouldn’t have minded so much except for the fact she was trespassing, and STOLE. She obviously had water, and was not in dire need of it to survive. If I catch her again I will call the cops, press charges, and sue her for charges on my water bill.

Everyone is familiar with the water situation in Volusia County. I have read many stories done by The Beacon concerning this topic. This just put a personal spin on the whole situation. Has it gotten so bad that people are willing to steal water from their neighbors? People will steal anything!

On the upside for anyone willing to risk siphoning off H2o from my property…They have plenty of water in jail. I have no problem sending you there.

I recommend that everyone keep an eye on their water usage as well – this could be happening to you and you have no idea. I’m curious as to whether or not this is a new trend that has evolved from an exhausted economy, and rising water bills … Or if I’m just naive to the seedy underground world of water abduction.

Ebay: Easy way to subsidize your income (part 4)

will — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 14:48:22 +0000

In this last installment of my 4 part series I will guide you through a journey. A journey of an item I bought cheap and sold for profit on eBay. This will help all that are new to selling on eBay understand truly how this can come together, and help create extra income easily.

I went to a local thrift store and noticed this interesting little guy sitting on a shelf among other rather plain coffee cups. I passed by it at first since I know nothing about mugs, but my curiosity was peaked. After a moment I decided to grab it. With a price tag of .25 I thought it was a risk I could afford. Once home I did some research on it and found out it was made by Dega. Dega is famous for making Tiki mugs, but I found nothing about them making this meat grinder, fire hydrant, or what ever it was. It wasn’t until a fellow employee, and eBay enthusiast did some research on his own that I found out it was a mug of a model airplane engine. It was made in the 70’s exclusively for a company that makes only model airplane engines. That was when I realized it was rare. I also realized it had at least 3 points of “collectability”. It was a coffee mug, was made by Dega, and would appeal to those interested in airplanes.

I listed the mug on eBay active auction for .95 (because that price is more appealing than $1.00, and people would perceive it as a better deal). I added none of the bells and whistles mentioned in my previous blogs, because I was still unsure if this would even sell.

I listed it for 7 days, and to my amazement over 300 people had viewed the item (high interest), 21 people were watching it (there was a bidding war), and it sold for $51.00 (including the profit I made from the shipping fees)! Better yet the person that bought it was in New Zealand which proves my point – what sells for .25 here may sell for $51.00 in another country.

I made $50.75 profit for about an hours worth of work. Hypothetically if this could be replicated each time ($50.75 an hr)…that would be $97,440 a year. Even if you don’t reach that amount, you can see the potential of easily making a decent second income in your spare time.

Model airplane engine mug

Ebay: Easy way to subsidize your income (part 3)

will — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 16:42:26 +0000

When you are setting up your items for sale on an auction site you must stay aware of fees. These little charges for pictures, insertion of the actual item, and little additional extras can add up. The “nickel and dime” effect is very subtle, but can really hit into your profit margin. If done right these little extras are fun options for those looking to spice up a listing. I recommend using these for items of substantial value so that you can attract the most potential bidders, and subsequently getting the highest winning bid possible. Also, if you have a “store” with similar items you can feature a great listing with bells and whistles in an attempt to attract traffic into your store. This works really well.

Here are just a few of the cool things you can add on to your listing:

Bold – make the listing description in bold script.

Highlight – highlight the entire listing in a purple that stands out.

Boarder – a colored boarder surrounds your listing to separate it from others.

Extra large picture – larger than normal pictures are featured in your listing.

Featured item – your item will always be featured on the top of every page associated with your listing.

Have an auction for more than 7 days, and up to 10 days – extends the length of the auction to possibly gain more exposure and higher bids.

A few other key points to mention. eBay also takes a very small percentage of the final selling price. If you have Paypal they will take out a minuscule amount for depositing monies into your account (if you have one with them). Most people who buy and/or sell on eBay use Paypal because it is a safe and secure way to make money transactions. Some eBayers will only deal with those that have a Paypal account.

The Best Hamburger In DeLand

will — Wed, 27 May 2009 16:39:39 +0000

Meat, it’s whats for dinner. That famous commercial slogan seems to encompass the core of my identity. I love meat. And if someone heaven sent were to approach me and authoritatively say, “You sir, can only eat meat. You are banned from all other staples. Until the day that you die meat is all that you will eat…and maybe some potatoes. So have the words of the Lord your God been breathed in your general direction.” I think I would cry from elation. On shaking, bended knee while looking up at this glowing figure, and shielding my damp eyes I would mutter softly, “I love you man.” Now, I’m not sure if it’s because of my inner caveman, selective hearing, or a silent stroke but I would be completely oblivious the obvious miracle taking place in front of my eyes. Don’t get me wrong, I would realize in a couple of days that I saw an angel and probably say something unintentionally blasphemous like, “Oh my God!”…..

Uh, sorry about that…I got carried away. (taking a deep breath) You get my point.

So you can imagine my giddiness when I found out I was going to check out a new restaurant serving my ultimate fave food (drum roll please) MEAT. Oh happy day! Let me tell you about my culinary experience.

Thursday I attended the a pre-grand opening of Ground Chuck’s Udderly Good Burgers. As I pulled up to the establishment the very first thing that I noticed was the giant cow on the sign facing the road. The cartoon bovine is wearing an apron that says Chuck, a chefs hat, and is holding a spatula. The cow and the twisted sense of humor is reminiscent of my favorite cartoonist Gary Larson of The Far Side fame. So right away they had my attention.

I ordered 3 combos and an extra side of fries to bring back and share with some eagerly anticipating coworkers. This was enough food to share among 6 people! ” Generous” can’t even describe the liberal amounts of food given. I was so full that I didn’t want dinner…and we ate around 2:30!

The menu is simple. It’s the model of perfection! I hate grabbing a menu and being lost in the thousands of little words describing hundreds of menu options. Not here buddy. Since this is a place where you come in and place your order – this also eliminates those individuals in the front of the line that take a lifetime figuring out what they want to eat. We’ve all heard it, “Um, um, maybe I want the – no wait…” Uh, I hate that! I just want to scream, “Hey can you hurry it up! We’ve lost half the line to starvation, and the other half are starting to sprinkle salt and pepper on me!” but at this place there is no such frustration!

They are so fast too! Like a pit crew at the Daytona 500 they make your meals in front of you before you can say lickity split, zippity doo da, or any other really long strange words. I was very impressed.

Once they have made your sandwich they give it to you on a red serving tray. As you continue down the line there is a ton of condiment offerings for you to choose from. To me this is a really cool, and novel idea. You make it how you want each time you come in to eat. My curiosity peeked when I saw Chicago relish. This is the greenest green relish I have ever seen. It almost had a glow about it, and I was so tempted to try it, but I had no room on my hamburger. Next time super green Chicago relish…next time!

Now the moment of truth…

They had a real challenge ahead of them as I prepared to sink my canines into their juicy sandwich. Could they make a hamburger that I would like? Well, I can honestly say that I was blown away. This is the best hamburger that I have ever had in DeLand. I don’t know what it is they do to prepare the meat, but my taste buds were doing the Macarena!

What really rounded out this meal was the french fries to make the best lunch or dinner. If you are taking an order to go the fries will always be on the bottom of the bag. Another really cool idea. It has the perfect blend of pepper and salt, and has a taste that just explodes with flavor.

I encourage you all to order any of their affordable combo specials.

You will not be disappointed!