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Diggin' It!

ISSUE NUMBER 9                                                                       OCTOBER 2010 

In This Issue
COMING SOON: People at Play
Recipe of the Month
This Month's Quote
Lights, Camera, Action!
Vote "NO" on 4
Bennett Job Update
PEOPLE AT PLAY TO LAUNCH TO THE PUBLIC DEC. 1st, 2010
PEOPLE AT PLAY LOGO
Well, we've been talking about it for years and it's finally time for us to put our money where our mouth is!
People at Play: The Heavy Equipment Playground will launch to the public on December 1st! This new recreational offering will allow both groups and individuals the opportunity to live out their childhood dreams by running extreme construction machines such as excavators, bulldozers and skid steer loaders in a safe and fun environment. You will automatically receive the People at Play e-mail newsletter as a subscriber to Diggin' It. If you have any questions or want to book an outing for yourself, buy a gift certificate or inquire about group rates give us a call today at (941) 756-0886!
OCTOBER RECIPE:
WHITE TRASH DIP
This seriously delicious dip is sooo easy that it's the perfect thing to make for tailgating or for watching the game at home on TV. This recipe is courtesy of my friend Sara Riley, who likes to serve it with Fritos and/or Tostitos.

1 aluminum pie plate
1 small tub cream cheese
1 can Hormel Turkey Chili
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
 
Soften the cream cheese and spread approx. 1/2" thick on bottom of pie plate. Top cream cheese with Hormel. Top Hormel with cheddar cheese. Bake in 350 degree oven until cheese on top is melted and entire plate is warm throughout (approx. 20 minutes). Delicious -- not nutritious, but who cares, right?

QUOTE OF THE MONTH
Diligence is the mother of good luck.

-- Benjamin Franklin
Witch
Construction Comic Carmen Ciricillo and Jason Bennett Audition for National  TV Pilot "American Hardhat"
Jason and CarmenOn a sunny Sunday afternoon two CAT excavators faced one another and two contractors named Jason (Jason Bennett and Jason Swift) were ready to compete to see who would be the first to pop the cork off of their bottle of champagne using the excavator bucket. Extreme stunts like this are just what Michelle Weber, Casting Director for Powderhouse Productions is looking for in casting contestants for a TV Pilot for the History Channel tentatively titled "American Hard Hat." The new show will feature heavy equipment operators doing unusual and challenging stunts using backhoes, excavators, loaders and bulldozers.
In addition to Jason's video audition, comedian Carmen Ciricillo (who lives in Sarasota) auditioned for the role of host of the show. Ciricillo is a nationally recognized comedian -- his Comedy CDs can be heard on XM and Sirius satellite radio's Comedy channel and he performs his stand-up routine all over the US at comedy clubs and privately for corporate groups and associations. Carmen also has a thriving business offering (hilarious) continuing education programs for licensed Florida Contractors. For more information about Carmen visit his website at www.constructioncomic.com or plan to attend one of his upcoming shows at McCurdy's Comedy Theatre November 24, 26 - 28,2010. To book one of these shows visit www.mccurdyscomedy.com. The pilot for "American Hard Hat" will be shot in Mid-November in Massachussets. Good luck, guys!
Why You Should Vote "NO" on Amendment 4
It's not very often that we get political here at Bennett Contracting, but there is an Amendment on the ballot that could cripple our industry and our state's economy much worse than we've already experienced with the "Great Recession." Amendment 4 sweetly dubbed "Hometown Democracy" by its sponsors is truly an awful proposition that will require all comprehensive land use changes to go to a vote, virtually paralyzing and slowing any and all development (small and large) statewide until elections on each and every proposed change could be brought to citizens for a vote.
There are many, many reasons why this is a bad idea, and we aren't eloquent enough to give you all of the finer points, but we encourage you to take a moment and visit the website below (click on the Vote No on 4 icon or visit www.florida2010.org) to educate yourself on Amendment 4. Oh, and thanks for letting us get up on the soapbox for a minute, we'll step down now!

Vote No on Amendment 4


JOB UPDATE: What We've Dug and Where We're Diggin' Now

Robert L Taylor Construction


Work is moving quickly at the Robert L. Taylor Community being built by KRAFT Construction and Bennett Contracting is handling all site work and underground utilities, as well as removal of trash from the site which was a small landfill in the 1950s. (See photo above of the project). Additionally our crews have been busy working on the new Christ Church of Longboat Key for DooleyMack Constructors.
Bennett Contracting also was just awarded the North Sarasota Neighborhood Enhancement Project and Aqua Utilities of FL Utility Relocation project for Sarasota County Government. The project consists of two miles of sidewalk between Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Way and 17th St, spanning parts of Mango Ave, 19th St, 22nd St, 23rd St, 24th St, Chilk Ave, Booker Ave, Snug Harbor and N Euclid Ave. The project also includes roadway widening, intersection improvements, storm drainage improvements and utility line relocations.
Quite a few projects have recently been completed by our team including a total of 9.83 miles of sidewalk in the North Port area completed in two phases for the School Board of Sarasota County and Jon F. Swift Construction, Inc., the new City of Sarasota Police Headquarters Building built by KRAFT Construction and a small improvement project for Second Chance Last Opportunity (a community-based non-profit organization) for Willis A. Smith Construction.
We hope you enjoyed reading Diggin' It! Keep your eyes peeled for a new e-mail newsletter from People at Play: The Heavy Equipment Playground, launching right here in Sarasota/Bradenton December 2010.

Sincerely,
Jason & Alisa Bennett & The Bennett Team