Fred Harden will be running in District five, and Ginger Bowman will be competing for the District three seat.

While FOWR is a non-political organization and we cannot take a position in any partisan events, we thought you would like to know that these two Friends of the Wekiva have decided to seek office in Seminole County.

In Lake County, Richard Swartz, 1990 recipient of FOWR's annual award for local government, has kicked off his reelection campaign. Commissioner Swartz has been a consistent friend of the Wekiva.

It's a given that all of these candidates are looking for people to volunteer their time, money and energy in the coming campaign. If you are interested in helping, call them and get involved.

We sure hope you will do your homework, look at the issues which concern you, and then choose your candidates carefully. Whomever you favor, be sure to VOTE in November.

The Lower Wekiva River State Preserve (LWRSP) and the recently state-purchased BMK Ranch, need you.

Jennifer McMurtray has been conducting a series of projects at the LWRSP; a lot of work has already been done, now volunteers are helping with an ongoing bird census. The next group will meet on March 28 at 8 a.m. at the entrance to the preserve (four+ miles west of 1-4 on State Road 46). The bird watching/counting will continue until noon. Those who can stay to discuss the morning's efforts are invited to bring a bag lunch.

Another project within the LWRSP involves cleaning up 'a small area of the river. A small number of thorough,' hard working folks can clean up the area quickly.

Incidentally, FOWR has agreed to help defray the costs of printing an informative brochure which "walks" visitors through a number of stations along one of the nature trails in the preserve. If you haven't been to the preserve recently, do yourself a favor and spend a couple of hours there. It's a spiritual experience, and during the spring change of colors, you should not miss this beautiful encounter with nature.

There is an old hunt camp with cabins on the BMK Ranch property, which is now a state preserve. Efforts are being made to take down these old buildings. FOWR has been invited to be a part of this endeavor, ala the cabin removal along the Wekiva. Taking out these structures will do much toward restoring this critical bear habitat.

After a false start, FOWR has settled on April 11 for this year's River Awareness Day. Celebrants will meet at Katie's Wekiva River Landing at 9:30 a.m. Be prepared for a day of fun and recreation. We will canoe from Katie's down the Wekiva River to Emmanuel Bend, across the St. Johns River.

Once there, we will enjoy our picnic lunches (which everyone is expected to bring for him/herself) and a wonderful presentation by Danny Masters, the diver who uncovered a world of fossilized bones and early tools and weapons in the Wekiva River. His research and efforts uncovered the skeletons of an impressive number of prehistoric animals, including mammoth, mastodon, camel, and even Arctic mouse.

Recently, however, there have come to mind two areas where we really need help from some of you out there. ClearView could use new input. If any Friends feel the urge to write - the topic is pretty much open: nature, editorial, activities, anything having to do with the Wekiva River please send your articles, ideas, comments. We all like a change of scenery from time to time, and a fresh approach to writing articles would be most welcome.

Another dire need of ours is for a graphic artist. Is there anyone out there with a good eye and a talent for designing membership brochures? Time is getting away from us and we desperately need help in this area. All artistic talents are encouraged. As much as we love our old membership brochure, it's time for a new, glitzy one with pictures, color and pizazz.

As always, your calls and letters to officials are needed in many different ways. Read our articles to find out what's going on, and if you want to help but don't know how, please call us and we'll give you any necessary information.

Arlen Charters is organizing a roadside clean-up by the Friends. On March 21 FOWR volunteers will spend the day picking up litter alongside State Road 46 west of the Wekiva River to County Road. If you join our forces, the work will be made lighter.

Workers will meet at 7:30 a.m. at the corner of 433 (approximately three miles west of the Wekiva River, along S.R.46), where fashionable fluorescent orange safety vests and trash pickers will be issued and workers will be paired up and given a territory.

We have committed our organization to keep this part of the road clean as a community service. Please give us your support and the project will go quickly and smoothly.

It seems like we just had our Annual Meeting and Banquet, and here it is, a year later already and time for the next one.

FOWR will hold its Annual Meeting and Banquet on Friday, April 10, at the Plantation in Apopka.

Our speaker for the evening will be Mark Glissen from the Department of Natural Resources. The board will be bestowing awards to a number of people who have given superior service to the Wekiva River over the past year. The members will have a chance to vote for the board members and officers at this time.

This being the tenth anniversary of our Annual Meeting, plans are underway to prepare a display of memorabilia, news articles, photos, awards, etc. from the past ten years. If you have anything to contribute (loan) to this display, contact Lorraine Williford.

Our Annual Banquet is more than just a wonderful meal. It's a great time of camaraderie, a chance tocatch up with people you may not see often, and a wonderful dose of enthusiasm to provide that burst of energy which gets our spring off and bounding. With so many projects in the fire, we'll need lots of energy and your joining in to help fan that fire will give us a great boost.

OWR was delighted to learn that the Department of Natural Resources has challenged the Seminole County rezoning on the corner of State Road 46 and Longwood/Markham Road.

We will continue to keep you informed as this case drags on. We intend to work as closely as possible with the DNR and support them fully. As members of FOWR, you can write or call your county commissioners and urge them to cooperate with the DNR in resolving the problem in favor of our natural resources.

P2000 is still in jeopardy. Governor Chiles has promised to veto any budget which does not restore P2000 to the people of Florida. Your call or letter might be the one which convinces our legislators that the people of Florida are serious about protecting what precious little wilderness is left.