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The Future Looks Bright … Barring a Surprise Storm Page 1 Happy Halloween From the Vermost Team Page 2 Easy Halloween Fun for Kids (Without Losing Your Mind) Page 3 VOL 17, ISSUE 10
School is back in session, and high school, college, and pro football are back! What a great time of year, though it also means we’re in the prime stretch of hurricane season. While things have been quieter this year (and I’m not complaining), it only takes one storm to ruin the year. Remember last year! We can’t let our guard down yet. So, make sure you’re prepared like a good Boy Scout. Hopefully, by this time next month, I’ll be writing about how we’ve made it through peak hurricane season unscathed, and cooler temperatures are finally arriving for our sake. On the insurance front, we’re beginning to see something we’ve all been waiting for: rate relief in Auto and Homeowners Insurance, finally! It has been a tough road, but the legislative changes are starting to kick in, and consumers will see some relief in their premiums. Even better, companies are opening for more policies, and two new insurers have just been approved to operate in Florida for Homeowners’ coverage. These are strong signs that the worst is (hopefully) in the rear-view mirror. And let’s be honest, we could all use some good insurance news right now. As many of you know, I’m a voracious reader. Last month, I had the incredible opportunity to meet and have dinner with one of my favorite authors, Chris Voss, the FBI negotiator and author of Never Split the Difference . To my surprise, I found out he’s a fellow Iowan! Beyond that, he’s a tremendous human being and an amazing storyteller. The next night, I was equally blessed to enjoy dinner with the Shark, Daymond John. He’s not only a very successful businessman, but also generous in sharing his knowledge with others. It was a small, intimate setting, and one of the best parts of the evening was spending time with new and old friends.
Pulpits and Pumpkins Page 3
Referral Winner Page 4
Wacky October Holidays Page 5
Darren with Daymond John of Shark Tank
And yes, football is back! College and professional games are making weekends much more enjoyable for us fans. I can’t forget about the Tampa Bay Rays, though they’ve hit some struggles lately and aren’t looking too promising for the playoffs. I’m crossing my fingers that the sale of the team goes through this month. New leadership and fresh energy could be just
Puzzle Time! Page 5
Extra-Crispy Ranch Chicken Cutlets Page 5
what they need. Until next month,
September Puzzle Winner and August Referrals! Page 6
–Darren
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HAPPY HALLOWEEN FROM US AT VERMOST!
JOHN O’BRIEN Favorite costume
Do you prefer to paint, carve, or dress up pumpkins? Paint and occasionally carve, but sometimes I add stickers. DARREN VERMOST Favorite costume ever!
went every weekend in September and October. Halloween night, after trick-or- treating with the kids, was always scary movie night! Favorite childhood memory? I remember dressing up as a Rubik’s Cube one year and we had to walk up a hill to a house, and I tripped. I flew down the hill and across the street (Thank God no cars were coming). I was about 8 years old. Do you prefer to paint, carve, or dress up pumpkins? Carve. My kids and I would go to the local farm and pick out our pumpkins, and we would have a carving party.
ever! When I was a kid, you
had to dress as a member of KISS at least once. I was the drummer, Peter Criss! Favorite candy? 100 Grand
Dressing as Tampa Bay
Rays head coach Joe Maddon while handing out
Go-to Halloween activity? I’ve performed at Halloween parties as a musician or DJ for almost 40 years, but my favorite part is sitting by the firepit listening to music and giving out candy to the few kids left in our neighborhood. Favorite childhood memory? It’s weird, but I was sick one year and had to stay home, but I dressed as a pirate and gave out the candy. I was 10, and learned a major life lesson about expectations. They say it’s better to give than to receive, and I had a blast giving stuff away Do you prefer to paint, carve, or dress up pumpkins? We usually get one or two and sometimes make a face with a Sharpie or display it plain. We have fake jack-o-lanterns with lights in them that do the trick! CHRISTINE EARLE
peanuts, Cracker Jacks, and bubble gum. We picked the Rays theme that year since they won the AL Championship and were playing in the World Series! Favorite Halloween memory? Attending the annual Trunk or Treat at my daughters’ K-8 school. LESLEY BROWN Favorite costume ever! My daughter Mackenzie’s first Halloween as a cow Favorite candy? Almond Joy Go-to Halloween activity? Watching classic Halloween-type movies like "Practical Magic," "Hocus Pocus," and "The Witches of Eastwick." No scary movies for me! Favorite childhood memory? My older brother used to love taking me trick-or- treating. We were supposed to only go one or two blocks, but he used to take me through the woods as a shortcut so we could hit more houses. Getting to stay out late, in the dark, sneaking candy before mom inspected it, and just running through the neighborhood with him are my best memories. Do you prefer to paint, carve, or dress up pumpkins? Carving
MARY RIVERA ABRAMS (NOT A BIG FAN OF HALLOWEEN) Favorite candy? Chocolate Favorite Halloween story? It’s about my grandbaby, Mya, from when she was 4.
I asked her how trick-or-treating was and asked who was dressed as what. She said, “I had fun, Grandmom, and Uncle Jesse was a celery .” He was Gumby, but you young in’s don’t know who Gumby is.
Favorite costume ever! Ursula is one of my favorites as an adult, but my mom always made our costumes as a child, so I have many good memories. Favorite candy?
DAWN EVANS Favorite costume ever! Too many to list, I love dressing up. Favorite candy? Chocolate Go-to Halloween activity? Movies and parties Favorite childhood memory? Going around my neighborhood with friends and staying out later than normal.
Reese’s PB cups. I have always loved those. I do like Candy Corn, however. I know, right? Go-to Halloween activity? Growing up in New England, I have been to a lot of haunted houses; they are everywhere in Massachusetts and New Hampshire. We
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1200 Belcher Rd. S., Suite 1 Largo, FL 33771-3315 Phone: (727) 748-2886
Depending on where you live, Halloween is either a holiday for spooky fun or a one-way ticket to the wrong side of the law. Surprisingly, certain parts of the country have Halloween- related laws regulating everything from who can wear a mask to whom you’re allowed to make laugh. Here are a few obscure-but-true laws in the South that, if broken, are scarier than any haunted hayride. THE GREAT MUSTACHIOED PRIEST MENACE If you’re a Halloween reveler in Alabama, be careful with your costume choice — God and the law are watching. Dressing up like a priest, rabbi, nun, or other clergy member on Oct. 31 or any other day of the year could cost you a fine of up to $500 or up to a year behind bars. The law was established to show respect to religious institutions by discouraging citizens from impersonating faith leaders. Additionally, Alabama’s focus on maintaining a sense of decorum in religious practices extends to what citizens do in the presence of actual priests. Naturally, disrupting services by prompting attendees to burst out laughing is bad form, which is why the state prohibits anyone from wearing a fake mustache in church to elicit a chuckle. Was this practice really widespread enough to inspire an actual law? While the law’s historical origins are unclear, it demonstrates the state’s commitment to religious faith and willingness to fine anyone who attempts to mock it. THE DECRIMINALIZED CHILDREN OF DUBLIN Dublin, Georgia, has an odd — and, depending on your age, totally fun — legal perspective concerning facial coverings. Although the city’s rules were loosened temporarily at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, municipal laws prohibit people from “wearing a mask, hood, or other apparel or regalia in such manner as to conceal [their] identity, or in such manner that [their] face is not fully visible, or in such manner that [they] may not be recognized.” However, Dublin makes an annual exception for children under the age of 16 who “may be garbed in the usual or customary children’s Halloween costumes.” While parents or older siblings will face a misdemeanor charge if they’re caught wearing a mask while accompanying their little ones trick-or-treating, at least children in Dublin won’t be deemed juvenile criminals for covering their faces while on the hunt for neighborhood candy. SURPRISING SOUTHERN HALLOWEEN LAWS Clergy, Candy, and Criminal Codes
Halloween has a way of sneaking up on you. One day, it’s back to school, and the next, you’re knee-deep in costume negotiations and candy debates. But here’s the good news: You don’t need an over-the-top haunted house or a monthlong Pinterest board to make the holiday memorable. With a few simple ideas, you can turn Halloween into a tradition your kids look forward to without totally exhausting yourself! GLOW-IN-THE-DARK EGG HUNT Who says egg hunts are just for spring? Fill plastic eggs with small candies, stickers, or tiny trinkets, toss in a glow stick bracelet or glow-in-the-dark sticker, and scatter them in the yard or house. With the lights off and flashlights on, it’s like Halloween hide and seek! Fun, Not Fussy Nail Halloween With Minimal Effort COSTUME CREATION STATION You can forget the overpriced store-bought outfits that tear before dinner on Halloween night. Set up a costume creation corner with old clothes, cardboard boxes, fabric scraps, and safe accessories. Let the kids go wild designing their own characters. These can be superheroes, TV characters, animals, or fun foods. PUMPKIN PAINTING PARTY Carving can be fun, but it’s not always kid-friendly. Painting pumpkins is safer, cleaner, and just as festive. Grab some nontoxic paints, markers, and stickers, and let your kids transform their pumpkins into silly, spooky, or sparkly works of Halloween art. HAUNTED STORY WALK Set up a path around your backyard or hallway with hidden story pages or flashlight stations. Each stop reveals part of a spooky (but age-appropriate) tale. For an extra-special touch, have an older sibling or adult dress up and narrate along the way. SPOOKY SNACK LAB Host a kitchen “lab” where your little monsters whip up their own creepy creations. Think monster trail mix, pretzel broomsticks, mummy-wrapped hot dogs, or bubbling punch with dry ice. The process is half the fun, and the mess is part of the Halloween magic.
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Toll free (800) 828-2226 Fax (727) 577-4991
vermost.com newsletter@vermost.com
BE A LIFESAVER We want to thank everyone who referred their friends, family, and coworkers to Vermost Insurance throughout 2024. When you refer someone to us, you receive rewards for each referral and are entered into 2024 REFERRAL WINNER! 2025 REFERRAL PROGRAM
monthly and annual drawings for additional, even bigger prizes. Your referrals mean a lot to us, and we want to reward you for helping us grow our Vermost Insurance family. The annual grand prize winner of our 2024 referral program was Jene Cook. He received a 55-inch 4K TV plus a $250 donation to the charity of his choice. If you want a shot at the 2025 prize, keep sending referrals our way. Your referrals make us happy, and we hope our referral program makes you happy, too!
Jene Cook was our 2024 referral winner of the 55-inch 4K TV plus a $250 donation to a charity of his choice.
Be Entered in MONTHLY Drawings for • A $50 GIFT CARD • PLUS...ANNUAL Drawing for a
• EACH Referral • $5 Starbucks Gift Certificate • 3 FL Lottery Scratch-Off Tickets • A chance to win prizes! • $5 donation to our spotlight charity: Moffitt Cancer Center
$500 Amazon Gift Card plus a $250 donation to the charity of the winner’s choice
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1200 Belcher Rd. S. Suite 1 ● Largo, FL 33771-3315 ● Phone: (727) 748-2886 Largo, FL 33771-3315 Phone: (727) 748-2886 1200 Belcher Rd. S., Suite 1
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Wacky October Holidays
• • • •
October 1 – National Pumpkin Spice Day October 2 – National Name Your Car Day October 3 – National Boyfriend Day October 4 – National Golf Lovers’ Day
• •
October 18 – National No Beard Day October 19 – National Seafood Bisque Day
• October 20 – National Chicken and Waffles Day • October 21 – National Pumpkin Cheesecake Day • October 22 – National Tavern-Style Pizza Day • October 23 – National Boston Cream Pie Day • October 24 – National Bologna Day • October 25 – National Greasy Foods Day • October 26 – National Chicken Fried Steak Day • October 27 – National Black Cat Day • October 28 – National Chocolate Day • October 29 – National Oatmeal Day • October 30 – National Candy Corn Day • October 31 – National Frankenstein Friday
• October 5 – National Do Something Nice Day • October 6 – National Noodle Day • October 7 – National Chocolate Covered Pretzel Day • October 8 – National Fluffernutter Day • October 9 – National Moldy Cheese Day • October 10 – National Cake Decorating Day • October 11 – National Sausage Pizza Day • October 13 – National Train Your Brain Day • October 14 – National Real Sugar Day • October 15 – National Cheese Curd Day
EXTRA-CRISPY RANCH CHICKEN CUTLETS
WORD SEARCH
• Olive oil • 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste • 3/4 cup flour • 2 large eggs, beaten • 1 cup panko breadcrumbs • 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese • 1 oz ranch seasoning, store-bought (1 packet) or homemade • Cooking spray Ingredients Directions 1. Preheat oven to 375° F. Grease a 9x13-inch baking pan with olive oil and set aside. 2. Season both sides of chicken breasts with salt and pepper. 3. Set out three shallow bowls. In the first, combine flour and a pinch of salt and pepper. Add the eggs to the second bowl. Mix panko, Parmesan, and ranch seasoning mix in the third bowl. 4. For coating, dip seasoned chicken breasts in flour, coating both sides. Then, dip the chicken in the beaten eggs and, finally, the panko mixture. 5. Place each coated chicken breast in the prepared baking dish. 6. Spray the tops of the chicken with cooking spray. 7. Bake for 30 minutes, or until the chicken reaches 165° F and is golden brown. Inspired by TheCookieRookie.com
CANDY GOURD HAUNTING LEAVES
LIBRA MARIGOLD MOON OPAL
PUMPKIN SOUP TEACHERS TOUCHDOWN
You can fax, email, or mail your completed puzzle for a chance to win our monthly prize!
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Toll free (800) 828-2226 Fax (727) 577-4991
vermost.com newsletter@vermost.com
PRST STD US POSTAGE PAID BOISE, ID PERMIT 411
1200 Belcher Road South, Suite 1 Largo, FL 33771 vermost.com (727) 748-2886
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
You Make Us Happy
We Insure More Than Just Cars and Homes Here’s a list of some of our lines of protection:
People who referred clients to us in August: • Gary Haag
• Christian Salamone
› Antique vehicles › Annuities › Auto › Boat/RV › Bonds › Builder’s risk › Commercial auto › Commercial property › Condo › Disability
› Flood › General liability › Home › ID theft › Life › Mobile home › Motorcycle/Jet Ski › Notary public
• Donald Richey • Eva O'Malley • Marty Scarlato • Melissa & Jonathan Pierson • Jonathan & Rachel Tarro
• Christine Earle • Ronald Arata • Larry & Pamela Harkins • Pamela Nadeau
September Puzzle Winner: This should have been you!
› Umbrella › Workers’
August Referral Winner: Jonathan & Rachel Tarro
compensation
... and more!
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1200 Belcher Rd. S., Suite 1
Largo, FL 33771-3315
Phone: (727) 748-2886
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