'Newspg11.indd' by The Newscaster Nature Coast News

Big Lizard Hunting Season - If you live in the swamp, you know it’s alligator hunt-

What Darwin Expected the Rocks to Tell Us

ing season. Alligators used to be an endangered species but are no longer, Florida and other

states now have regulated hunting. Since 1988 the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission

Charles Darwin believed that if evolution were

allows the public to hunt and take alligators as part of it’s management of the species. The

true it would be found in the fossil record. He believed

season goes from August 15th to Nov. 1 and the agency has more than 5,000 permits avail-

that the fossil record would show a species gradually

able for the alligator season. You gotta have a permit and only two gators are allowed for

changing from simple to greater complexity. But over the

each permit. It costs nothing to apply for a permit but there is a charge if you are given a

last hundred years, these transitional forms have simply

permit which seems to vary if you are a Florida resident or not and other conditions. Many

not been found. What has been found are fully formed,

people use the numerous gator hunting packages available, which usually offer guides, boats

fully functional, very different forms of life. Evolution-

and lodging. They can range in price from around $1500 going up to around $3500 and

ists are especially confounded by a layer close to the bot-

tom of the geological column (that sediment buried ﬁrst

Louisiana is thought to have the most gators with perhaps as many as 2 million but

or deepest during Noah’s Flood). What we ﬁnd in this

Florida is next with about 1.3 million. They have 74 to 80 teeth but despite all those teeth,

rock layer is a veritable explosion of life:

attacks on humans seem relatively rare with Wikipedia reporting 13 fatal attacks since 2000.

“The Cambrian explosion’ … is one of the big-

The word alligator comes from the Spanish word el lagarto, which means “the lizard.”

gest mysteries of biology. It is at this point in the fossil

Despite the fact that you cannot take an alligator except during these special hunts with

record that a multitude of animal forms suddenly appears, for reasons that are not well

permits, the state does have a program for dealing with nuisance gators. It’s called the

Statewide Nuisance Alligator Program (SNAP) and is administered by the FWC. It is part

Within this particular rock layer we ﬁnd every basic phylum (body type) of life

of Florida’s comprehensive Alligator Management Program, and was developed to address

on earth. This sudden appearance “out of nowhere” poses signiﬁcant problems for evo-

complaints concerning alligators. If you have a concern about an alligator, and feel it is a

lution. This layer does not show animals evolving from simple, single-celled organisms

threat to you or your pets, call the toll-free Nuisance Alligator Hotline at 866-FWC-GATOR

into more complex structures. The Cambrian explosion shows the sudden burst of great

(866-392-4286). The FWC uses contracted alligator trappers to remove alligators from lo-

variety. Evolution from one type of creature into a completely different type of creature

cations where they are unwanted or unwelcome. In 2011, 14,275 nuisance alligator com-

has never been observed in the natural world or the fossil record. Remember, science is

plaints were received.

based on what we can observe.

News From Your Water Department – A plan is being proposed to modify the water

When wisdom entereth into thine heart…understanding shall keep thee: - Prov-

supply line down through Alley 60 to make it less prone to breakage and easier to ﬂush. The

present line is very close to the surface and has been a maintenance nightmare. That may not

seem like a big deal to you but to the businesses on this line that have been putting up with

Based on, Inspired Evidence a book by Bruce Malone, 2011

Presented by Bob Allen-Paid Advertisement Contact Bob at SFTT321@gmail.com

brown water and surprise outages, it is long overdue. The plan is something thought to be

achieved in-house at a very modest cost. Good Night and Good Luck

w! email news to: news@thenewscaster.com

Inglis Mayor's Report

Call 352-634-0129

At its regular meeting, the Commission contract with Sheriff McCallum on July 25,

Email: plantationlisa@yahoo.com

took action to implement another item on 2013. Beginning October 1, 2013, the Sher-

See all the Citrus County listings on our Website:

the voters’ agenda: our Town Attorney will iff’s Ofﬁce will be responsible for law en-

www.plantationrealtylistings.com

be drafting to eliminate charges for “water forcement in the Town. We’re working now

SHORT SALE! 5BR/2BA on over 10 acres,

service availability” - those are fees charged on the transition from IPD to the Sheriff’s

to residents and business who could hook Ofﬁce; as you might expect, there’s a lot to

close to Progress Energy. Steal at $119,900!

up to the Town’s water system (but haven’t). it and there have been some bumps along the

That was step #1; Step #2, the Commission way; given the size of the task, that’s inevi- is the maximum ERU the Commission can sibly taking over ﬁre protection - County



has told the Town Attorney to report back table. I appreciate the efforts of Lt. Dowd consider (the actual ERU will be set during assessments on businesses would be based

the transition as budget hearings in September).

upon square footage (Inglis ﬁre assessments

on what needs to be done to eliminate, sat- and IPD ofﬁcers to make

So, why was the ERU set at $82.80 when are not); a lot of our business owners have

isfy and forgive all existing “service avail- smooth as possible. There’s still a lot to do,



it was $29.69 last year? Two reasons: #1, told us they could not afford to stay open in

but we’ll get it done.



As you know, in March, the voters also the $29.69 ERU covered 36% of the Inglis Inglis if they had to pay County ﬁre assess-

So you’ll know - liens owed by people who

were hooked up, who used  told us they’d like to see the County take Volunteer Fire Department’s budget; Levy ments.

didn’t pay for it, willover ﬁre protection services in Inglis. While County covered the rest, and we can’t count

 remain in place.

Given we want to bring business into the

wantsto re-establish

The Commission    a Public Safety Director David Knowles on that continuing forever. And, #2, last Town, not drive it out, this is a real concern.

Town “Water Board.” Members would be and I have talked about it numerous times year’s budget assumed none of our equip- We hope to arrange a meeting or meetings

appointed by the Commission; their job will since, we’re not at a point where we have ment or vehicles would break down or have with the County to discuss the issue (and

 

be to help the Commission develop policy a contract for the Commission to consider, to be replaced - that isn’t realistic.

hope our business owners will attend and let

So how will property owners

Hometown News for the adjust? Well, their voices be heard).

for the “operations and maintenance” of the so we’ve started the process for adopting a

water system. We hope that, over time, the 2013-2014 budget for the Inglis Volunteer for one thing, the Commission

Advertising at Reasonable Rates for S Levy, NE has done SW Marion having budget workshops every

We’re Counties

Board will become the “in house experts” Fire Department. You may have heard that 5093 S.with the Pt., Homosassa, Florida 34446

away Orwell stormwater assessment; for Wednesday night for the next few weeks

another, $82.80 is the maximum amount a leading up to formal budget hearings. We

we need to improve the system over time. the Commission approved an “ERU” of Phone: (352) 489-4588 Fax: (727) 362-4788

Email, residential property owner will have to pay need your help in setting priorities for the

It’s a good opportunity to get involved. $82.80 for the Fire Department. What you Tom Russell, Publisher: thenewscaster1@gmail.com

If you’re interested, please let us know at may not have heard is that “ERU”mainot for ﬁRussell, Editor:the actual ERU may coming year; please come out and let your

l, Debbie re protection … debbienewscaster@gmail.com

“ﬁnal”; it was approved so it could be in- be lower.

Websites: thenewscaster.com • newscasterarchives.com • history.newscasterarchives.com • thehealthcaster.com

There’s another issue with the County pos-

Glenda Kirkland, Mayor

The Commission approved the Town’s cluded in the County’s TRIM Notice and it

 

   

     

        

 

       

       

    ♦    

       ♦     

       

 

   

       

    

         TMJ

TMJ  



       

    





   

   

  



     