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PAGE 12 - October 24, 2007

THE NEWSCASTER-Nature Coast News

Community Events

Editorial - Opinion - Commentary

Letter to the Editor:

Officials to speak at Republican Club Luncheon in Yankeetown

RE: Response to the recent letter from Raddie Armstrong

The Yankeetown-Inglis Republican Club will meet at 12:00 noon, Sat., Oct. 27, at the

I strongly take issue with a number of her statements.Mrs. Armstrong's first com-

Inglis/Yankeetown Lions Club on C.R .40 and 59th Street, Yankeetown. A delicious luncheon

ment was that the town had 200 meetings in the past year. The actual number to date is 125.

of Chicken Cordon Bleu will be provided for $5 per person, including beverage and dessert.

She, as well as others, are twisting the 125 meetings to make them appear to be a bad thing

A prepared program will be presented by members of the Republican Party of Florida

and are criticizing the incredible amount of work the current administration has done. They

(RPOF): Pablo Diaz, Director of Field Operations, and John Davis, Director Minority Out-

say there have been too many meetings. My question to you is how do you get the opinions

reach and Coalitions. Diaz and Davis have been successful with this program and will give

and recommendations of the citizens without meetings? Considering the mess inherited from

you the inside scoop of party plans. Reservations are a must; please call Grace at 447-2693 or

the past administrations, the amount of work needed was, and still is, phenominal!? The new

Karen at 447-3640. The public is welcome.

candidates should look long and hard at what stamina it will take to complete the job.

Lions Club Events

Further comments I wish to address:

October 24th 7 ­ 9 pm, Candidates Forum Sponsored by the Lion's Club. Meet and

1. Mrs. Armstrong stated that a member of the Planning and Zoning Committee said that

hear candidates speak about the items they feel are important for your future. A question and

those who disagreed with their position "should have come forth and taken membership on

answer session will be provided. Lion's Club ­ 59th St Yankeetown

the committee rather than voice their objections at town meetings". That is just not the case.

October 28th Noon ­ 4 pm, Old Fashioned Political Rally and Ice Cream Social. All

All citizens were asked to comment, pro or con, on what was being discussed. Mrs. Armstrong,

candidates are welcome...Hear what they have to say one last time before casting your vote...Ice

please provide the minutes of the meeting where this was said. These minutes are public

Cream, Hot Dogs, Soft Drinks and Entertainment. Lion's Club- 59th St Yankeetown.

record and are avaiable to you.

Annual Italian Dinner

She also stated the oft heard opinion from the pro-development group that "everyone" is

united in a mission to defeat Izaak Walton Investors. Most people are comfortable with some

Come one, come all and bring your appetites! The Yankeetown-Inglis Woman's

development, but they want it to be done with care so that it is something that will benefit our

Club will hold its annual Italian Dinner and bake sale at its Clubhouse, #5 56th St., Yankee-

town, not destroy it and the river. The so-called stacked committees she discussed are

town on Friday, October 26 from 4pm-7pm. Dinner will include "all you can eat" spaghetti

comprised of people who VOLUNTEERED. The positions were advertised and were open to

with an authentic Italian "made from scratch" meat sauce, salad, garlic bread, and dessert. Take-

everyone. Where were you and the rest of the people supporting Isaak Walton Investors?

outs will be available. Cost is $6.00 per person. For information contact Sharon Petrovich,

2. The vast majority of voters elected a town council and mayor who reflected their views on

447-4386.

the future of Yankeetown. You call it a Jihad, a Holy War or being in "lock step". What it really

Inglis-Yankeetown Arts & Craft, Seafood Fest

is called is Democracy. You call us "The Folks". About whom are you talking? Are you

Get Ready for the Inglis-Yankeetown Lions Club Arts & Craft Seafood Festival

blaming the town government, the citizens, or just everyone in general who doesn't agree

November 17th & 18th, 2007. Vendor signup has started and spaces will go quickly. If you

with you? Are "the Folks" the same ones you said were "victimized into voting"? Please

would like to exhibit you'll need to get an application: - Go to Yankeetown Town Hall for

explain how that happens at the polls. Are "the Folks" the citizens of this town who have

Applications, 9AM-12 noon. - Call 352-447-2511 and they will fax the application to you. -

been characterized very stridently by members of your group as the "ignorant, unruly mob"?

Call the Chairman of the Festival, Peggy at 352-447-2147 for more information and what

That certainly got "the Folks" attention and perhaps that was the "victimizing" which drew

spaces are left.

them out to vote overwhealmingly for the current mayor and council. If I am one of the poor

"victimized", ignorant many, then are you one of the enlightened intelligent few?

e-mail your news to: newscast@atlantic.net

And don't you have it backwards when you accuse the Mayor, the Town Council

and those who elected them when you state that they want to turn Yankeetown into "The

Villages"---another "gated community"? That is what has happened all over Florida with

unchecked development! That is why most of us are in Yankeetown!!! My husband and I

A.B.A.

moved here from Naples, Florida, because of the expensive problems created by "uncon-

trolled development"---higher taxes, higher insurance rates, higher utility rates, infrastruc-

A/C & Heating,Inc.

ture problems, breakdown in sewage and water systems, increased traffic, and so on, ad

infinitum! I know countless others who came here for similar reasons. Do you honestly

"Your Electric Bill Reduction Specialists"

believe we want those problems here in Yankeetown? That is why we are for "a safe, suitable

· 100% Financing

· Commercial

growth plan" unlike the one you support. Can you or anyone one else backing this devel-

· Visa & MasterCard

oper provide evidence of successful developments in other places? Are there people in those

Refrigeration

developments whom we can contact to provide information on their satisfaction with the

· 30 Years Experience

· Residential

results of those developments, if there are any? These questions were asked of the develop-

· Commercial

ers in this newspaper weeks ago and at town meetings in the past year, but so far no answers

Ask Us About

· Mobile Homes

have been forthcoming that I can recall. Why not? We would like to know and be able to make

Ultra Violet Air Filtering

informed decisions about what to expect from someone building a development of this mag-

Removes nearly 100%

nitude in our little town. Perhaps we could become one of the enlightened!

of germs & dust

Please get the facts. Our Mayor does not post on the SaveYankeetown site. Kindly

check this out since you obviously read the site. She and the other council people are

Reduce Sickness & Allergies

working diligently to do the right things for this town. I applaud them for continuing while

under constant personal attacks for their efforts. These are good people working for the

Family Owned & Operated

citizens of Yankeetown.

4. Also, please inform us how the Woman's Club was attacked? If you want us to join your

352-447-3040

Licensed & Insured

club, you might start by making us feel welcome. Many of us left the club because we did not

feel welcome anymore and did not like the direction toward which the club appeared to be

License #CACO 57707

leaning....for development without adherence to the town's ordinances. We also took um-

brage at being referred to as "members of an ignorant, unruly mob" by a member of the Club.

sink in. THE WATER PLANT IS NOT TOO SMALL FOR FUTURE GROWTH; HOME SELL-

The National Federation of Woman's Club to which I belonged before coming to Yankeetown

ERS DO NOT HAVE TO PUT IN NEW SEPTIC TANKS; HOMEOWNERS SHOULD FEEL

was an all-inclusive club with high standards and beliefs in the freedoms of the individual to

RESPONSIBLE FOR THEIR OWN STORMWATER ISSUES, AS ANY GOOD CITIZEN

think for themselves and to work together regardless of politics, religion, social or business

WOULD. Also, no sewage treatment plan was ever discussed in any "clean water" proposal.

associations. The current club was a member of that organization when I joined here. The

Where do you get your information? You again incorrectly stated that Yankeetown was

club chose to no longer be a part of the national federation, for very understandable reasons,

offered a chance to negotiate with the developers and refused. On April 16th and June 8th

and it continued to be a wonderful place to meet with friends and neighbors and do worth-

Yankeetown had development agreement negotiations scheduled with Isaak Walton Inves-

while things for the community; however, since the devisiveness over the development

tors. Both meetings were cancelled BY THE DEVELOPERS!!!. They even went so far as to file

issue,something has been lost....inclusiveness.

suit against Yankeetown to prevent the June meeting. Not very neighborly action, was it?. To

I agree with you that this town has been wounded; and that it needs to heal. I am

my knowledge, no free land was ever offered to the town. Land was offered free to use and

afraid though that some things will never be the same; long time friendships of people have

then to be purchased later. Sometimes a FREE gift can be a most expensive gift.

been destroyed, all because of a difference of opinion on what is best for something they all

As a member of a military family, I am highly offended by your reference to your-

love---this town, the river, and its environs. You cannot reasonably place the blame for this

selves as being like "our brave troops". How can anyone in good conscience

devisiciveness on those of us with whom you disagree.

make a comparison like that?

5. The following items have been addressed many times recently. Hopefully, they will finally

Respectfully submitted by Nancy Tobergte, Yankeetown.

Paid Advertisement, Paid for and Approved by the author Nancy Tobergte, Yankeetown