PAGE 3 - August 20, 2008
The Newscaster/Nature Coast News
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with destruction. There have been a few times when I have brought my camera up to my eye
August is back-to-school time for students in Florida, but amid the excitement of the
to record something especially awful and just couldn't bring myself to press the shutter
new school year it is easy to forget the hazards associated. Transportation to and from
button.
school, whether on a bus, car, bicycle or foot, is a high-risk part of the school experience for
Yes, I'm mad at you people that take warning after warning of the possible scenarios of
children and the Florida Highway Patrol urges all parents to warn children of the dangers they
various storms and blow the warnings off or otherwise take the warnings with less serious-
may encounter during their commute.
ness than they warrant. EVERY warning has the potential to destroy life and property. EVERY
Approximately 24 million children commute to school on some 440,000 buses that
storm warning has been generated to help prepare YOU and minimize losses in the event of
travel nearly 4 million miles every year, according to the National Highway Transportation
catastrophic direct hit.
Safety Administration. Unsurprisingly, with this much exposure, many accidents occur. How-
Many reading this will argue that the odds are in their favor and that if they reacted to
ever, a majority of these accidents occur while loading or unloading children. Therefore, the
every warning, they'd get run into the poor house. All I can say to this argument is that if you
Florida Highway Patrol urges parents to work with their children to develop a safety plan to
pick up the dice and you crap out, you will wish you had been more inclined to listen and heed
reduce the risk of accidents and injuries that include the following: For those riding buses
the warnings; not enough of you in Citrus County have seen the total destruction and misery
1.Line up facing the bus door and not along the side of the bus.2.Do not play in the street
from the aftermath of a disaster like I have...
while awaiting the bus.3.Carry belongings in a backpack or book bag.4.Never reach under the
... thank God.
bus to retrieve anything that may have fallen under the bus.5.After exiting a bus, quickly
Please, take this to heart: do everything you can to prepare for the worst case you can
move to the sidewalk or shoulder, away from traffic.6.If crossing a street to access a bus, await
think of, then add another 10% on top of that. Let's all send positive thoughts to Fay to spare
a signal from the driver before starting out in front of the bus and walk 10 steps ahead of the
Florida and spin herself to death way out in the Atlantic.
bus so that you are visible to the driver.7.Never cross the street behind a bus
State & County Candidates, Levy &
For those walking or biking: 1.Never walk alone – always walk with a friend
2.Follow all instructions from crossing guards.3.Never cross the street against a traffic signal
even if no cars are coming.4.Wear a helmet when biking. 5.Walk your bicycle across the street
Citrus For The August 26 Primary
6.Wear reflective material so as to be visible to other traffic. For those driving or riding in a car
1.Always wear your seatbelt (seatbelts reduce the risk of injury in a crash 45%). 2.Take extra
STATE: U.S. REPRESENTATIVE DISTRICT 5: Virginia "Ginny" Brown-Waite (R)-Brooksville,
precautions when driving and be observant for foot and bus traffic
Carol Castagnero (D)-Lakeland, Jim King (withdrew) (R)-Land O'Lakes, John Russell (D)-
Dade City, H. David Weerder (D)-Hudson. U.S. REPRESENTATIVE DISTRICT 6: Tim Cunha
(D)-Ocala, Cilfford B. "Cliff" Stearns (R)-Ocala. STATE SENATOR DISTRICT 3: Charles S.
Dean (R)-Inverness, Suzan L.R. Franks (D)-Hernando. STATE REPRESENTATIVE DISTRICT
10: Leonard L. Bembry (D)-Greenville, Julie Conley (D)-Monticello, Don Curtis (R)-Perry,
Mike Williams (R)-Madison.
LEVY COUNTY: COUNTY COMMISSION DISTRICT 1: Dave Bibby (D)-Williston, Abraham
Blitch (R)-Trenton, John Meeks (D)-Bronson, Tony Parker (D)-Bronson. COUNTY COM-
MISSIONER DISTRICT 3:Al Macri (D)-Morriston, Sammy Yearty (D)-Gulf Hammock. COUNTY
COMMISSIONER DISTRICT 5: Cal Byrd (D)-Williston, Jerry Robinson (R)-Williston, Danny
Stevens (D)-Williston. PROPERTY APPRAISER: Francis Akins (D)-Bronson, Osborne "Oz"
Barker (R)-Chiefland, Anthony Phillips (D)-Chiefland. SHERIFF: Bobby McCallum (D)-
Chiefland, Johnny Smith (D)-Bronson. CLERK OF COURT: Bruce A. Greenlee (D)-Williston,
Danny J. Shipp (D)-Bronson. SUPERVISOR OF ELECTIONS: Connie Asbell (D)-Chiefland.
TAX COLLECTOR: Linda Fugate (D)-Williston. SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS: Jeff
Edison (D)-Chiefland, Robert "Bob" Hastings (R)-Chiefland. SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER
DISTRICT 2: Beth Davis (NP)-Cedar Key. SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER DISTRICT 4: Paige
Brookins (NP).
CITRUS COUNTY: CLERK OF THE CIRCUIT COURT: Betty Strifler (R). SHERIFF: Jeffrey
Dawsy (D), Big Mike Eyes (R), Hank Hemrick (R). PROPERTYAPPRAISER: Geoffrey Greene
(R), Melanie Hensley (R), Leonard Navickas (D). TAX COLLECTOR: Janice Warren (R).
SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS: Sandra 'Sam' Himmel (D). SUPERVISOR OF ELECTIONS:
Susan Gill (R). COUNTY COMMISSIONER DISTRICT 1: Dennis Damato (R), Bernie Leven
First Day of School - Melody Carson's 3rd/4th grade students anxiously await their
(D), Renee McPheeters (R). COUNTY COMMISSION DISTRICT 3: Tom Franklin (R), Joe
class on the first day of school at Yankeetown School. This year something new is being
Meek (R), Vicki Phillips (R), Bud Sasada (R). COUNTY COMMISSION DISTRICT 5: Kenneth
utilized where the 3rd and 4th grade teachers are departmentalizing these grades. The stu-
Heimann (D), Joyce Valentino (R), Joseph Ward (R), Winn Webb (R). SCHOOL BOARD
dents in this group have Writing, Language Arts and Handwriting with Melody Carson,
DISTRICT 2: Virginia 'Ginger' Bryant (NPA). SCHOOL BOARD DISTRICT 4: Bill Murray
Reading with Mary Schlachter and Math and Science with Becky Fries. 4th graders have
(NPA).
a writing test they need to pass and 3rd graders have to pass the FCAT reading test or they
A.B.A.
are retained. This year all students in 1st thru 4th grade will have Health/PE five afternoons a
week.
A/C & Heating,Inc.
Yankeetown School has been an "A" school 2 years in a row. School enrollment is
down this year from 319 to 309. Photo and Story by Sally Price
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