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- Issue #525: Post-Holiday Tree Disposal, A Dementia Diet Surprise, Florida’s Christmas Orange Tradition & the Rays’ Tough Brandon Lowe Call
Issue #525: Post-Holiday Tree Disposal, A Dementia Diet Surprise, Florida’s Christmas Orange Tradition & the Rays’ Tough Brandon Lowe Call
12/24/2025
Ted Grellner
24 Dec
Keep your finger on the Pulse!
GOOD MORNING
Dr Ted
USAF Retired
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In this issue of NewTampa | WesleyChapel Local Pulse
Our Event Calendar
Please post events of interest to our NT|WC Live Events Calendar; its easy to do.
Local News
— Tossing the Tree? What Tampa Bay Residents Need to Know
Food
— Full-Fat Surprise: Cheese and Cream Linked to Lower Dementia Risk
Of Interest
— The Christmas Orange: How Florida Keeps a Golden Holiday Tradition Alive
Sports
— Why Trading Brandon Lowe Hurts — and Why the Rays Had to Do It
Our NT|WC Live Events Calendar:
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Last Time the Market Was This Expensive, Investors Waited 14 Years to Break Even
In 1999, the S&P 500 peaked. Then it took 14 years to gradually recover by 2013.
Today? Goldman Sachs sounds crazy forecasting 3% returns for 2024 to 2034.
But we’re currently seeing the highest price for the S&P 500 compared to earnings since the dot-com boom.
So, maybe that’s why they’re not alone; Vanguard projects about 5%.
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My subscribers can skip the waitlist.
*Investing involves risk. Past performance is not indicative of future returns. Important Reg A disclosures: masterworks.com/cd.
Tossing the Tree? What Tampa Bay Residents
Need to Know
Once the holidays wrap up, Tampa Bay residents have several options for safely disposing of Christmas trees, whether natural or artificial. Local governments across the region offer curbside pickup, drop-off sites, and recycling programs that turn trees into mulch or compost.
Natural trees are encouraged to be recycled whenever possible. Many counties allow residents to place undecorated trees curbside on regular yard waste days, often requiring them to be cut into manageable sections. Others offer drop-off locations where trees are chipped for landscaping use.
Rules vary by county and city. Residents in St. Petersburg must request pickup in advance, while counties such as Hillsborough County, Pinellas County, and Pasco County provide curbside or drop-off options.
Artificial trees are not recyclable and should be placed with regular trash or scheduled bulk pickup. Residents are urged to remove all decorations before disposal.
Full-Fat Surprise: Cheese and Cream Linked to Lower Dementia Risk
A long-term Swedish study suggests that not all dairy affects the brain the same way. Researchers analyzing data from the Malmö Diet and Cancer Cohort followed nearly 28,000 adults for about 25 years to examine links between dairy intake and dementia risk.
The key finding: people who consumed higher amounts of high-fat cheese and cream had a lower risk of developing dementia. Those eating at least 50 grams of full-fat cheese daily showed a 13% lower dementia risk, while regular high-fat cream consumers had a 16% reduction compared with non-consumers.
Low-fat dairy products showed no clear protective effect, and high butter intake was linked to increased Alzheimer’s risk in some analyses. The protective association with cheese appeared strongest for vascular dementia and mainly among people without a key genetic risk factor.
Researchers stress caution. The study is observational, meaning it cannot prove cause and effect, and does not yet support changes to dietary guidelines.
Read More: news-medical.net — (I really needed this article to back up my claims)
The Christmas Orange: How Florida Keeps a Golden Holiday Tradition Alive
Central Florida’s citrus groves are once again busy for the holidays, keeping alive a Christmas tradition that dates back centuries. At Dun-D Citrus Growers, crews process more than one million oranges and grapefruit a day during peak season, shipping fruit across the U.S. and overseas.
The custom of placing citrus in Christmas stockings traces to European legends of St. Nicholas giving “balls of gold” to the poor. By the 1800s, oranges were rare treats, and as Florida’s citrus industry expanded, growers helped link the fruit to American holiday traditions.
Today’s operation blends history with high-tech agriculture. Fruit is harvested into 900-pound bins, washed, graded by cameras, lightly waxed, and packed. Top-quality citrus becomes fresh gifts, while imperfect fruit is redirected for juice or feed.
Growers say each orange still represents “a gift of sunshine” during winter months.
Read More: fox13news.com — I remember when my St. Louis family would get the gift of Florida oranges from an aunt who lived in Delray Beach!
A little-known fact about Florida citrus:
Many modern Florida orange trees are not grown on their own roots.
Instead, nearly all commercial citrus trees in Florida are grafted onto entirely different root systems, sometimes from unrelated citrus varieties. The fruit-producing top (the scion) is selected for taste and juice quality, while the underground rootstock is chosen for disease resistance, soil tolerance, and hurricane survival.
This practice became especially critical after citrus greening disease devastated groves statewide. Some rootstocks used today were developed decades ago and quietly preserved by researchers, then reintroduced to keep the industry alive. In some cases, a single mature tree may consist of three genetic citrus varieties layered together through advanced grafting techniques.
To consumers, the orange tastes the same—but beneath the soil, Florida citrus is a carefully engineered hybrid system designed to survive pests, flooding, heat, and storms.
Why Trading Brandon Lowe Hurts — and Why the Rays Had to Do It
Yes, the Rays traded another fan favorite — and the frustration is understandable. Brandon Lowe ranks among franchise leaders in games, home runs, and OPS, and his gritty presence made him a familiar face in Tampa Bay for nearly a decade.
But from a baseball operations standpoint, the move makes sense. The Tampa Bay Rays operate with a limited payroll and have long relied on trading players before expensive contracts loom. History shows why: letting stars walk for nothing, as happened with Carl Crawford, proved costly.
The Lowe deal — paired with trading Shane Baz — reflects a long-term strategy. By flipping veterans for high-upside prospects, the Rays aim to stay competitive beyond 2026, especially with a brutal AL East ahead.
It’s painful, but familiar. Similar trades once brought Ben Zobrist, Evan Longoria, Tyler Glasnow, and Randy Arozarena. Losing Lowe hurts — but this is how the Rays reload.
30+ Free Holiday Events in Tampa Bay for a Festive Date
Source: tampabaydatenightguide.com
Things to do Around Tampa Bay this weekend |
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Useful Arts & Entertainment Event Links
The Arts
- The Exhibiting Society of Artists (new)
- USF College of the Arts
- USF Steinway Piano Concert Series
Theater
- NTPAC - New Tampa Performing Arts Center
- New Tampa Players
- USF School of Theatre & Dance
- Wesley Chapel Theater Group
- Carrollwood Players Theatre
Misc
- Carrollwood Center Events
- Craft Festivals (new)
- Fall (Farmer’s) Market Guide for Tampa Bay (new)
- The Krate, WC
- The Shops at Wiregrass, WC
- visitflorida.com
For Kids
- Fun4TampaKids
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