The Newscaster/Nature Coast News
PAGE 11 - July 22, 2009
Yankeetown Mayor s Report
Editorial - Opinion - Commentary
A Guest Commentary by Dawn Clary
More Tools / Wake up!
Storm Water Committee News - Councilman Doug Dame reports that a civil en-
gineering firm has approached the Town about helping prepare grant applications. Bailey,
I attended the Yankeetown meeting when the non-Levy County non-Yankeetown
Bishop & Lane of Lake City expressed an interest in working on storm water in Levy
resident complained about the children “being children” at the Park. You know, carrying
County to Commissioner Marsha Drew, and she referred them to us. They have experience
on, laughing, and swimming across the river. I found it interesting the Town’s Attorney
with small communities, including Horseshoe Beach which has many similar coastal con-
showed up at this same meeting stating twice on the record they were already working on
cerns and issues. They have a staff grant-writer, and are reviewing our SWFWMD water-
the ordinance back at the office. He also brought to this meeting information regarding a
shed mgmt plan etc, targeting the fall grant cycle. Potentially we could get $600,000 from
case in South Beach. I found this interesting as should you. We obviously spell Sunshine
the CDBG program, enough to do all of our identified SWDC projects, with no matching
quite differently.
requirement from Town funds. Plus we get an approximately 10% scoring bonus for not
At the same meeting a Commissioner was whining about seeing Citrus County license
having received CDBG money for many years. FEMA also has funding programs. All in all,
plates at the public boat launch, and suggested that a launch fee should be charged; what a
well worth pursuing, especially since it appears the grant-writing help would be free. Look
hoot!
for them at a Council meeting in August.
I followed up by attending a meeting where the park rule changes were discussed with
Need New Member - Speaking of the Storm Water Committee, they have a vacancy. If
intelligent suggestions offered by a resident such as posting a sign stating “Swim at your
you would like to get involved with this effort please contact town hall with a resume and
own Risk”. It was pointed out the town does not own the river, and thinking about it now,
letter of interest.
if they want to claim it they should be prepared to maintain it along with the fallen, falling,
Wish List -Fire Department Liaison, Larry Feldhusen reports. The Town has long rec-
and dead trees, period.
ognized the desirability of relocating our Fire Station to higher ground. Our existing facility
Yes, by ordinance they can prevent the children access to the water via Town property,
– a circa 1950 structure – is not “storm hardened” and is located just outside the V-Zone on
but is that what it is really about? Think about that and think about this when you are fin-
relatively low ground close to the River. Moving the facility to higher ground further from
ished. Once you point out that you feel there is a liability issue and you are in charge of
the V-Zone would improve our ability to respond to storm situations and serve as a recovery
policing it, you have a liability issue. After some one finds out what this Attorney’s deduc-
facility after storm events.
table is, you as citizens should demand the “Swim at your own Risk” signs, which by the
While the benefits of the project have been obvious, funding has been unavailable until
way need to be in two languages.
this spring when the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) made $210,000,000 avail-
Most Yankeetown residents and all visitors that are driving, walking, riding, or just in
able to fund the construction and modification of fire stations. The Town reacted promptly
general using town right-of-ways (streets), could at any minute have a falling dead limb
and with the help of Mittauer & Associates and volunteers submitted a grant application at
kill them as we have literally hundreds of potential opportunities waiting to occur. Also,
no cost to the Town. DHS expects to announce grant awards by September 30. The grants
forty percent of the pine trees in this town need to be removed because they are over-laden
will require no matching funds.
weight-wise, old, and dangerous.
Legal Front - No agreement or settlement was reached at the mediation session in the
You can hide behind this liability excuse, but the Town before this exhibition of stupid-
case Forum Architects has filed concerning our former Zoning Official Rebecca Jetton. This
ity had no more liability than a home owner who had a fatality in their front yard when a
is called an impasse. No further action on this is required now, until the case goes to court
vehicle ran off the road and hit their tree on their property, but now we do.
which is predicted to be in February.
As a suggestion only which will not receive honest correct consideration because of
Free Information - Gulf Archaeology Research Institute (GARI) invites you to a free
understood politics regarding the boat launch, it should be closed! Install a fence dividing
workshop to discover “Our Changing Nature Coast” on Thursday, July 23rd from 9:30am
the river and the lagoon keeping the bull sharks off the swimmers and make it a beach and
until 3:00pm at the Withlacoochee Gulf Preserve. Bring a bag lunch. The ecological history
do it now. The boaters have several alternative choices to launch and it was passed-the-line
of the coast will be explored as well as interpreting the local coastal landscapes, identifying
stupid to suggest the children should ride to the end of C.R. 40 to swim! The steam roller is
changes and damage to ecosystems. While they would like for you to have registered by
warming up and will roll if necessary. As always, I believe communication leads to under-
Monday, there may still be spots, call 352-564-0888.
standing. Wake up! Selah. Joe McDonald, Yankeetown Local Phone: 352.212.4951
Goodbye Walter Cronkite, you will be missed and that’s the way it is. Good Night and
Sunday Dinner
Good Luck, Dawn Marie Clary, Mayor of Yankeetown.
Specials at VFW
ew! email news to: news@thenewscaster.com
Joe Gumus mans the grill as Bob
N
Webb and Marvin Gwyn wait for
the skewers of freshly grilled veni-
son and Jerk Pork to come off for
the VFW dinner Sunday afternoon.
Cheese grits, baked beans, cornbread
and slaw went with this feast open to
Restaurant  the Border!
the public. Keep an eye out for the
Sunday dinner specials this patriotic
The Best Mexican Cuisine South of
group prepare for members and the
445 NE 1st Terrace • Crystal River • North of Big Lots & East of Post Office
public. Gilley, Long, Osteen VFW
Crystal Terrace Shopping Center
Post 8698 are always seeking new
members if you served on foreign
Monday-Thursday
soil or are a relative of someone who
11 am - 2 pm & 5 - 9 pm
did and want to join the camaraderie.
Friday
11 am - 2 pm & 5 - 10 pm
Photo by Sally Price
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