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Featured Story

A Card, A Community, A Bigger World

International Literacy Day lands on September 8, and around Brandon, it feels less like a holiday and more like a great excuse to visit a place that changes lives for free. As an author, I grew up in libraries. I found quiet corners, opened doors I did not know existed, and learned that curiosity is a muscle you can train. That has never stopped being true.

Literacy is not only about books. It is about belonging, confidence, and opportunity. When a child cracks a chapter book for the first time, when a parent finds the right resource to help with homework, when a job seeker leaves with a stronger résumé, you can feel a community getting stronger. Our local branches in and around Brandon are not just shelves. They are classrooms, studios, safe hangouts, and launchpads.

As a kid, I treated the library like a second home. A card in my pocket meant I could wander without leaving the building. Today, I still feel that thrill when I stack up a few new finds. The difference is that now I also see the ripple effect. Readers become voters who are informed. Workers become students again when they need to learn a new skill. Neighbors connect because they share a book club, a class, or a corner table.

If it has been a while, take this as a nudge. Get a card if you need one. Check out a book for yourself and one for someone you love. Ask a librarian what you can learn this month. Join a club, try an audiobook, explore a new section you usually skip. Literacy Day is one square on the calendar. The real celebration is what happens here all year, one reader at a time, right here in Brandon.

Things to do

🐝 WHAT’S BUZZING AROUND TOWN 🐝

A Buzzworthy Story Ranch & Bees brings a microfarm experience to Lithia Ranch & Bees brings a microfarm experience to Lithia

Brandon, meet Rosado Ranch & Bees in Lithia, a small family operation run by Edwin Maldonado and his wife, Erika Rosado Maldonado. After 21 years in the Army, Edwin traded deployments for bee boxes. What began as a couple of hives grew into dozens, and today the ranch manages roughly 50 to 70. Eight years in, this is the longest the family has put roots down anywhere, and it shows. The place hums with steady work and quiet purpose.

The ranch is more than bees. A dozen cows graze nearby, a flock of about 100 chickens patrols the grounds, and a few horses complete the picture. Visitors learn quickly that farm eggs come in many colors and carry a flavor you do not always get from a grocery carton. They also learn that time with animals can lower the shoulders and slow the breathing. Veterans and first responders often stop in, and the ranch has become a calm corner where people and animals seem to return the favor of care.

Rosado Ranch & Bees offers farm experiences by appointment. You can feed the chickens, get a close look at the hives, and pick up local staples on the way out. Eggs, meat, and honey are available, each a small snapshot of the season and the land.

THE BEES KNEES

Not really sure what it means, but we’re sure you’ll find it here.

Local Sports

Football

Brandon vs Strawberry Crest, Friday 9/5 @7:30 PM - Home

Durant vs Gaither, Friday 9/5 @7:30 PM - Away

Newsome vs East Bay, Friday 9/5 @7:30 PM - Away

A Final Note

The Brandon Buzz, more than news, it’s a lifestyle.

Until next time,

Buzzing Local