The Newscaster/Nature Coast News
PAGE 11 - June 8, 2011
Guidelines for submitting Letters to the Editor
Editorial - Opinion - Commentary
The Newscaster does not publish anonymous letters or commentaries. We receive letters from
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Yankeetown Mayor's Report
current address. Letters can be mailed, faxed or emailed and not accepted at the Newscaster Classi-
fieds drop box. Emailed letters may be delayed while verification takes place. Emailed letters must be
A Guest Commentary by Yankeetown Mayor Dawn Clary
received from the author's valid email address. Comments can be left on our comment line at 352-388-
1668. You must leave your name and phone number for verification.The limit is 400 words, no excep-
Tarmac - Yankeetown has filed the Writ of Certiorari asking the courts to reverse
tions. For more information see page 2.
the county’s decision to grant a special exception to the Tarmac mining project. As I under-
Letter to the Editor:
stand it, now we just wait and see. There are no depositions to be taken or testimony. The
Re: To the Levy County Commission Agenda Item County rock mining
court will simply look at the record.
In review of your agenda for Tuesday 7/7 on the request of the road department
Smoke and Fire - Levy County has called for a voluntary burn ban. The reasons
to purchase an excavator for extraction of rock I would ask all of you to do a study of what
are obvious, little rain has created very dry conditions prompting fears of wildfires. The
the costs are for operating a rock mine versus purchasing needed materials.It is prudent that
county is asking that citizens curtail outdoor burning until the dry conditions improve.
yo require this to make sure you are exploring less expensive alternatives. In a time where
Speaking of burning, in the future, please be thoughtful of your neighbors. Some
budgets are strained it is extremely important that every expenditure goes under scrutiny. It
of our citizens have breathing problems and smoke bothers them. Some just like to have
would seem that the cost to process the county minerals would be more expensive in equip-
their windows open and have some fresh air, some just don’t like the inside of their house
ment, salaries, benefits, fuel, insurance, transportation than just purchasing. I also see that
smelling like a fire pit. I am amazed at how mean spirited people can be when it comes to
the Road Department wants to tap into reserves which as you all know are diminishing each
this. Unfortunately, one of the unfair rules of the universe is that smoke doesn’t stay in the
year and this expenditure while it may have been in the original budget request and possibly
yard of the person who burns. I would like to remind everyone that they can put out one
eliminated it is not the time to request tapping reserves as you should be aware estimated
trash can of yard debris a week. Composting piles are good too.
property tax evaluations were just sent out to the municipalities and it looks like they are
Also according to the tree experts it is better for the trees if you mulch around them ap-
again down for 2011. Thank you for your attention to this.
proximately 4 feet. Therefore if you rake the leaves to the base of the trees, it looks nice
Jack Schofield, Councilman,Yankeetown
and reduces the amount of yard debris. Pulling every leaf off your property means Mother
Nature’s chain of recycling nutrients is broken, more fertilizer is needed which runs off into
Letter to the Editor:
the river, which causes an upset in the eco balance in the river. It’s a vicious domino effect
Re: Mr. Schofield's Letter to the Levy Commission
that can be easily prevented
Dear Mr. Schofield,
Trees and Thanx - Mr. Clark Dyals donated an adorable bird feeder to the play-
ground. He has also been extremely helpful in giving advice to keep the trees that we plant-
Thank you for your email regarding the purchase of a new piece of equipment for
ed last month in the best shape possible. Transplanting is very hard on trees and a piece of
the county mine. I agree that due to the downturn in the economy we must look at all costs
advice to anyone considering planting a new tree smaller is better. Many people intuitively
and weigh them against our needs. Mr. Greenlee and I have had discussions about him pre-
think that a bigger tree has a better chance because it is “more established”. Apparently this
paring a cost analysis for keeping our mine open vs. buying materials from another source
is not true. Thanks also to my crew and volunteers who diligently watered the new trees
and this may well be the appropriate time for this analysis to take place.
everyday. Good Night and Good Luck
Travel/Passport Tips
I agree that tapping reserves is not the best approach to paying the bills and I have
done my very best since being your Commissioner to try to get costs under control. I will
continue to look for every dollar that I feel could be spent more efficiently.
Nothing is more enjoyable than knowing a vacation is around the corner, and noth-
Please rest assured that I will look at every line item this year, as I have done in past years,
ing is more disappointing than forget-ting an important “to-do” before heading on your
and that I will ask all departments to do more with less. I feel the county has come a long
way. If your travel plans will take you outside of the United States, a pass-port is a must! If
way in reducing unnecessary costs but we still have a very long way to go. If you have any
you already have a passport, remember to check the expiration dates of your entire family’s
more suggestions I would love to hear from you. Best regards,
passports well in advance of your departure date. U.S. passports are issued to adults for 10
Marsha Drew, Levy County Commissioner, District 3
years and to children under the age of 16 for 5 years. This means that even though your
passport may be valid, your child (who may now be a 20-year-old adult) could be carrying
an expired passport.
This happens more times than we care to think about, and often results in a last-
minute trip to a passport agency and the additional payment of a $60 expedite fee. The De-
partment of State’s Passport Services Directorate issues passports to U.S. citizens. In fiscal
6027 Hwy. 40 W.
year 2010, approxi-mately 13.9 million U.S. passports were issued. For more information
Yankeetown, FL
contact the U.S. Postal Service.In Inglis call 352-447-2888.
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