sawdstmakr, no, I don't think we have a local club... I'm thinking about trying to see what it will take to start one.. Stirring the interest in bee's has pro and cons it seems, everyone is interested in honey it seems, but the scare of Killer bees' seems to be a key factor in beekeeping, a few miles from my town, a 66 year old man was out mowing around his hives, and was stung and died.. I'm not sure the facts. but this statement has raised many eyebrows in our community..