PAGE 3 - April 9, 2008
The Newscaster/Nature Coast News
Squawk Box
from page 1
The house is much cleaner once the children move out. We used to seal our children's
bedrooms off from the rest of the house. I was always afraid that a new strand of bacteria
might be developing in the dark corners of their closet and under their beds. Smelly sneakers
being thrown into a closet is bad enough, but when you are going through a teenager's closet
trying to find your tennis racket which has mysteriously disappeared and you find a half-
eaten peanut butter and jelly sandwich that looks like it is left over from, maybe the second
grade, you know there could be a sanitation problem in your house. That problem leaves
when the children leave, but don't be surprised if months after they have left you find a stash
of snacks hid in some ingenuous place in their rooms. I found a half-eaten bag of Cheetos in
my daughter's closet months after she left. They were tucked in the pocket of a coat that she
left behind. I don't think our daughter hid this food from her parents as much as her siblings.
The boys were notorious for eating anything in sight that was edible and maybe a few things
most people wouldn't consider edible. Certainly, a bag of Cheetos would be fair game.
I miss an extra hand around to help me with the yard work. But that help was minimal
towards the end of their respective stays at home. My children wanted to mow when they
were toddlers. I even learned to mow the lawn carrying a child and one arm and pushing a
Farm implements found with a metal detector in ghost towns and old towns around Levy County by
push-mower with the other. But as soon as my boys became old enough to actually operate
Butch Mayes. Top row: two coffee grinders (one above the other), wood stove part, a second wood
the mower they were hard to find when the lawn needed mowing. My youngest son, being the
stove part, hatchet, ax; middle row: hoe, wood stove part, drill bit, wood stove part, three railroad
ultimate con artist that he is, told me once that he didn't mow one afternoon that he was
spikes; bottom row: plow blade, log splitter, iron, wood stove part. Photo contributed to Levy County:
supposed to because he was very concerned about my health. "You know Dad, you are
Voices From the Past- Photo by Butch Mayes.
Homosassa woman killed in car crash
putting a few pounds on and I really don't want to take that exercise away from you. I would
never forgive myself if you had a heart attack from being overweight". That excuse didn't fly,
but he got an A for creativity.
A 94-year-old Homosassa woman was pronounced dead at the scene of a car crash,
I don't have to plan my showers around the kid's showers any more. It's nice to pop
April 5, at the intersection of U.S. Hwy. 19 and W. Cypress Blvd. in Homosassa. According to
into the shower and have hot water whenever I feel the need to clean-up.
the Florida Highway Patrol, a 62-year-old Crystal River man, Kent A. Benson, was driving
All-in-all, There are more positive things about the empty nest than negative. If you
north on U.S. Hwy. 19, around 10:05 a.m., approaching the intersection of W. Cypress Blvd.
are a person that really misses, or think you miss having a house full of children sharing your
Another driver, 67-year-old Monika Wright, of Homosassa, was already stopped at the red
home I have a solution.
traffic light in a northbound lane of the intersection and Lawrence Hargett, Homosassa, was
Arrange for your nearest neighbor's teenagers to use your telephone when they so
driving south on Hwy. 19, attempting to make a left turn across U.S. 19 onto W. Cypress Blvd.
desire and allow them free reign on your food supply. Also loan out your car to whoever needs
to enter the Sugarmill Woods neighborhood. Benson failed to stop at the red light and ran into
it and tell the neighborhood the hot water is on at your house for anyone who needs a shower.
the back of Wright, pushing her vehicle out into the intersection.
That ought to bring you back to your senses real fast. Reprinted from the April 11, 2007
Benson continued into the intersection and hit Hargett's vehicle on the front seat
Newscaster Archives.
passenger side, where his mother, 94-year-old Mildred Hargett, was sitting. Hargett's vehicle
rotated clockwise onto the east shoulder of Hwy. 19. and flipped onto its right side. Benson
e-mail your news to: newscast@atlantic.net
was transported to Citrus Memorial Hospital, and Wright was transported to Seven Rivers
Regional Medical Center. Hargett was not taken to the hospital, as he had said his injuries
were minor. His mother was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident. Charges are
C ENTRAL SEWER FOR
pending investigation.
YANKEETOWN?
No one knows how soon Yankeetown will be
increase the plants processing capacity allowing
placed on the town's water supply.
forced to go to a centralized sewer system.
additional homes to be served by this system.
Which costs more: Hooking up to
It's happening to coastal communities
There is also the option of expanding the plant.
a centralized sewer or installing a
throughout Florida and eventually our time will
By working together we could create a treatment
performance-based septic system?
come, too.
plant that could serve the entire town or alter our
According to Mr. Septic and A Able, a
plant to become a pumping station for a larger
Right now the Izaak Walton Redevelopment
performance based septic system would cost
regional system.
has a plan to provide a centralized sewer system,
anywhere between $10,000 and $15,000,
which could be utilized by Yankeetown residents.
What type of system have you
depending on the size of the system purchased
designed?
It's important to understand the opportunities
and its location relative to the water table. State
and the options, and engage in solutions.
regulations would require a maintenance contract
We plan to use a forced main sewer system. This
for this system, which would cost at least $650 a
is an enclosed system and would keep wastewater
But you need the answers.
year or $55 a month.
contained until it could be treated. The system
How many homes could be served
has been designed to have excess capacity so it
Based on information provided by Suncoast
by IWR's wastewater treatment plant?
could provide service for the town.
Plumbing and Electric, we estimate that it would
Currently, our wastewater treatment plant
cost approximately $8,600 per household to
The wastewater treatment plant will use a series
has been designed to serve and about 166
connect Waterways Estates residents to the forced
of rapid infiltration basins, which can handle
Yankeetown homes.
main with a $25 to $50 monthly service charge.
100,000 gallons of water per day. Once at this
capacity the plant will begin generating reclaimed
Our system is modular and expandable so it can
Yankeetown's Town Council has the opportunity
water, which could be used for irrigation or other
grow to keep up with Yankeetown's sewer needs.
of offset some or all of the costs for a central
non-potable uses. Reuse water offers a green and
Once the plant is at its initial capacity it can be
sewer system by pursuing federal, state, regional,
sustainable solution for reducing the demand
upgraded to provide reclaimed water. This would
and district grants.
Call or visit our website for more information 352-447-2311 www.izaakwaltonlodge.com