PAGE 3 - April 16, 2008
The Newscaster/Nature Coast News
"Blazing a Trail" for the
Squawk Box
from page 1
tion worthy of photographic honor. I met the instructor, Dillon, a teenaged snow stud with the
Withlacoochee Gulf Preserve
commensurate `feet of air' that seemingly never touched the ground. He never spoke too
much whilst I was invading his snow-covered classroom and I didn't think too hard about his
By Sally Price, Newscaster Correspondent
aloofness, considering my level of hot toddy-ness. At the time little did I realize...
Several trips like this over the course of a couple of hours and finally I isolated my
Withlacoochee Gulf Preserve, the 413 acre Florida Department of Communities Trust
snow-bunnies mid hill while mom was on the lift with Dillon and asked how it was going. I
Grant entrusted to the Town of Yankeetown, held an Open Gate Days Saturday and Sunday.
expected to be bowled over with stories and yearnings for Dillon, instead I got herded into a
Preserveteers (volunteers) for the park stationed themselves at various locations to help with
huddle and they whispered in unison, "dad, we've got a problem here." "What's that, girls",
visitors who came to the first public viewing of this magnificent park which will hopefully
I slurred. "Dad, there's not enough Dillon to go around", they confided.
open in the fall. The raised boardwalk takes you thru real untouched Florida around a tidal
About that same time, the chairlift hummed overhead and there was Dillon sitting warm and
pond crossed by a bridge. Walking trails cover more of the property. A canoe and kayak
cozy next to my wife on the way to higher ground. She smiled and waved at us. We waved
launch with dock and pier are completed on an adjoining island connected by the continua-
back and went back to our huddle. "We've been working on Dillon all afternoon, but she
tion of Old Rock Rd, opening up islands and saw grass trails in pristine condition for those
won't let us get an elbow in edgewise. He's been flirting with her like CRAZY! What are you
that delight in paddling. .
going to do about it", they asked. I pulled at my imaginary goatee a few times and said, "well
According to Ellen Klee Henson, volunteer coordinator, 136 cars and 12 bicycles
good for her!" I like catching them off guard once in a while. They just rolled their eyes and
passed thru the gate on the 2 open days. 162 of the visitors who actually went to the house
shrugged and went back to their edging activities.
signed the sign in sheet, though more people than that passed through during the weekend
As an alpha male, a well-worn silver-backed alpha male to be exact, I have little
pass. 32 Preserveteers logged in 110.50 fun hours. Ellen praised the volunteers saying she
concern of teenage upstarts the likes of Dillon; his amateur attempts of being a big dog were
had never worked with such a great bunch of people.
actually kind of endearing. What's the harm? My still beautiful wife's ego gets indulged; she
The 413 acre "jewel" was purchased through the grant process of the Florida De-
also gets to stand ground against her own crowd of debutantes; power playing in the middle
partment of Communities Trust in July 2002 for $820,000. 2007 assessed value was $1,501,686.
of powder playing; the alphas teaching the omegas. What the snow-lings failed to see at the
The double octagon 2 story former home is located at 1001 Old Rock Road,
huddle half-time (and at my level of conniving I'm never telling) was the barely noticeable
Yankeetown opposite 65th St on the north side of Hwy 40 W. The original octagon home was
wink momma and I exchanged which cut through the crisp alpine air and ethanol inebriation
built in 1979 by Tom Knotts, nephew of Yankeetown founder AF Knotts. Dr David Ohlwiler, a
like a sushi knife through butter; a pair of old hands at romance are no match for a herd of
famous plastic surgeon, retired from Orlando, purchased the property and home Oct. 1989 for
younglings learning the ropes.
$300,000 and added the second octagon house joining it to the original Knotts home in
1990. According to the Levy County Property Appraiser website under building characteris-
e-mail your news to: newscast@atlantic.net
tics, the over all building area is 6225 sq. ft. and the conditioned area is 3725 sq. ft.
The Felburn Foundation is helping with the conversion of the home to an environ-
mental center with Bill Pate overseeing the construction. Genie Sturtevant's science class
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