Thursday, April 10, 2014

Thu - 10 Apr/14

Phone went off this morning with an AMBER ALERT for a child abduction in Sarasota, FL. It displayed a car description and Plate number.

An AMBER Alert or a Child Abduction Emergency (SAME code: CAE) is a child abduction alert system. Originating in the United States in 1996, there are now similar systems in a number of other countries, including Canada.

AMBER is officially a backronym for America's Missing: Broadcast Emergency Response, but was named for Amber Hagerman, a 9-year-old abducted and murdered in Arlington, Texas, in 1996.

In the United States, AMBER Alerts are distributed via commercial radio stations, Internet radio, satellite radio, television stations, and cable TV by the Emergency Alert System and NOAA Weather Radio. The alerts are also issued via e-mail, electronic traffic-condition signs, the LED billboards which are located outside of newer Walgreens locations, along with the LED/LCD signs of billboard companies such as Clear Channel Outdoor, CBS Outdoor and Lamar, or through wireless device SMS text messages. AMBER Alert has also teamed up with Google  and Facebook to relay information regarding an AMBER Alert to an ever growing demographic. Those interested in subscribing to receive AMBER Alerts in their area via SMS messages can visit Wireless Amber Alerts, which are offered by law as free messages. In some states, the display scrollboards in front of lottery terminals are also used.

The decision to declare an AMBER Alert is made by each police organization (in many cases, the state police or highway patrol) that investigates each of the abductions. Public information in an AMBER Alert usually consists of the name and description of the abductee, a description of the suspected abductor, and a description and license plate number of the abductor's vehicle, if available.


FYI: A similar program, Code Adam, is a "missing child" safety program in the United States and Canada, originally created by Wal-Mart retail stores in 1994. It is named in memory of Adam Walsh, the 6-year-old son of John Walsh (the host of Fox's America's Most Wanted). Adam was abducted from a Sears department store in Florida in 1981 and was later found murdered. Today, many department stores, retail shops, shopping malls, supermarkets, amusement parks, hospitals and museums participate in the Code Adam program. Legislation enacted by Congress in 2003 now mandates that all federal office buildings employ the program.

Another "Cold" day here - only reaching the low 70's F. These "Cold" days are perfect in my book.

NEWS BREAK: They caught the hit and run suspect that was the focus of the massive manhunt.

Wayne from Blount Honda came to pick us up at 5:15 p.m. We picked up the car (looks good), paid the bill and headed to The Villages.


Tonight vendors where around Sumter Landing Square.


As usual lately, their was a large crows listening to the music. There had to be 1,000 golf carts parked 4 deep. I was lucky enough to find a spot with a block of the square.


Even more than usual up line dancing (photo makes them look like spectators).


Not being too hungry tonight so we decided on Panera Bread across from the square for a sandwich. Charlotte checked the menu and choose the "Napa Almond Chicken Sandwich". I ordered the sandwich and a drink while Charlotte found a place to sit on the porch outside. I went out to the porch (pager in hand) and by the time I sat down it was signalling. That was fast! Charlotte went in to choose her drink and pick up the food (it came with a small bag of  Kettle Style potato chips and a pickle). We listened to the music from the square while we ate.

We decided to head back a little earlier than usual so we could stop at Publix to pick up some grocery items we required (the milk had hit sour this morning).


On the way to the car Charlotte check the local paper headlines. With a population approaching 110,000 The Villages not only has it's own radio station (which is broadcast through the square); It has it's own newspaper: The Daily Sun.


I got a great sunset shot of Sumter Landing as we were leaving.

A nice convertible drive back in the warm evening air to the RV. There was very little traffic, as usual, on the "Back Way" home. We turned on CR-452 to bring us right to Publix. We call this turn "Idiot Corner". We are extremely careful when we approach as we have seen  a lot of stupid drivers do dumb things. We have had cars pull out directly in front of us (as if we weren't there) requiring us to slam on the brakes. In another similar instance (at night) a driver, wanting to turn, had pulled completely into our land and was stop waiting for traffic from the other direction to pass. Tonight was no exception. I was making a right turn and had the right of way yet a driver turned from the other lane and crossed right in front of us. Again, it was a good thing we were on the alert.

It took only a few minutes to pick up a few essentials at Publix and get back to the RV and unload.

Back in time to watch "Elementary" on TV to round out the day.


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