homosassa

Life in Homosassa, Florida

Friday Meanderings

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I’m back!  

I love visiting Bismarck/Mandan.  What’s not to love?  Got three beautiful grandkids there and my son and daughter-in-law that I adore.  

The scenery is beautiful. Deer, pheasants and turkeys in the back yard almost every day. The Missouri River and Alan has a pontoon boat that we go out on in the summer.

I can drive downtown in the capital of North Dakota at NOON or at 5 PM and there’s no traffic jam.  Yet, there’s excellent restaurants, trendy shops, fun thrift stores, a great music shops. Along with all the chains like Target, Macy, and Barnes and Noble.

Seriously, if it wasn’t for all that weather with cold, ice, snow, blizzards, snow, cold, for like 9 months of the year, I’d live there!  

So what’s going on here in Citrus County for the weekend?

Nothing!

Just kidding.  I plan to just lie around and absorb all the sun and quiet. The weather is wonderful.  Maybe do some kayaking. 

According to the sign at MacRae’s yesterday, Sarasota Slim will be at the Shed on Sunday at 2 pm.  Sometimes the sign doesn’t get updated until Friday but if that’s right, we’ll be there!

There’s a new restaurant in Crystal River.  River Ranch. It’s in the same location that was the former Mullet Hole .  Which was previously Cafe on the Ave.  Open 7 days a week. Couldn’t find a website.  I tried.  Yes, I tried.  

Talked to a participant at the Crystal River RibJam that I recommended last week but couldn’t attend.  It was a bust.  The organizer stole the money and ran. Of course, that’s just an opinion from a local that had his bbq smoker set up at the event and depends on these kind of things to make a living.   Haven’t seen anything in the newspaper about it. According to the source, the RibJam was even shut down on Sunday.  Anyone got any info?

Now some serious stuff.  We need more members in the Homosassa Civic Club.  This is a great organization that puts on the hugely popular Homosassa Seafood and Arts and Crafts Festival in November and does good works in our community.  If you live in the area and are looking for a community organization to join, this is the one.   We have been recruiting new members and have been very successful.  But we need more people.  More volunteers for the Seafood Festival.  The next meeting is Monday, May 4th at 7 pm at the Homosassa Civic Club.  Be there!

HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND!

Kathy

 

 

 

 

 

 

Halls River Development Public Hearing

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A whole lot of Homosassa residents made the effort to attend the Halls River Development Public Hearing last night. 

Starting at 5:06 with Clark A. Stillwell, attorney for the Halls River Development, Inc, presenting the case as to why Homosassa needed a four story, 101 room, 50 foot high structure on wet lands plus a 2,500 sq. ft. restaurant and how their project would fit in.

Then  it was time for the public to speak up.

Only one person in the audience, Bud Allen, spoke in support of the developer.  Twenty-five spoke against.

Starting with Rodney MacRae who stated that “There is a time and a place for everything and this is not the time. Not the place.”  He used one of his father’s quotes and said that anyone that wanted this project “Got rocks in their head”.  Rodney further said that the project was “Not Compatible with Anything”. 

One of my other favorite presenters was Iris Rose who stated her case against the motel and turned to the commission and said that we have no mayor nor city council.  “We only have you”. 

Very strong words. 

There were attorney’s, residents, concerned citizens from other parts of the county, speakers representing groups.  All with impassioned pleas to stop this project.

Two retired professional firefighters from Orlando that had settled in Homosassa said that neither our fire department nor the water system was adequate to protect the building.  Others pointed out that there was no parking provided for the trucks and boat trailers that would come with the motel guests nor enough parking for the employees. 

At 7:35 the public portion was closed and then the board made their comments.  Each commissioner gave many reasons for their vote. 

Starting with Scott Carnahan.  No.

Scott Adams. No.

Ron Kitchen. No.

Dennis Damato. No.

Joe Meek.  No.

Unanimous.

The application was denied at 7:51.

And then there was a standing ovation.

Halls River Development Public Hearing

Halls River Development Public HearingHalls River Development Public HearingSometimes having a lot of concerned citizens stepping up against something that they see is just wrong actually does work.

It’s not over.  There will probably be lawsuits.

But Homosassa and the environment won this round! 

Friday Meanderings

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Okay.

It’s Friday.

My favorite day of the week.  

I’m sure it’s ingrained from all those years of working those jobs where Friday meant HAPPY HOUR! (or sometimes happy lunch that just continued into the happy evening)

Let’s talk about how great the weather has been!  This is the weather that makes our northern visitors move here.  Or just stay all year round.

Fortunately that’s balanced with the heat and humidity and hurricanes of the summer.  I’m calling them the 3H. Which scares the rest of the visitors away. I’ll take the 3H over the snow that the northeast has experienced this year.  

Speaking of hurricanes.  We have sirens here in Citrus County.  They were originally put in to alert us about possible nuclear disasters.  Yes, here on the NATURE COAST we had a nuclear power plant.  But it’s being brought DOWN.  Oh, wait, the official term is decommissioned.  

The Citrus County Sheriff’s Office sent out an announcement on Facebook that they are no longer using the sirens and are removing them.  What? I’m pretty sure those were also used when we had possible hurricanes.  (And there’s also a fire engine that goes around and announces really loud that YOU NEED TO EVACUATE)

and how will I know that it’s noon on Friday without our official alert announcement?

Heavy sigh. 

Crystal River Power Plant

Here’s some flowers and a bee….

Bush Daisy and a bee
Just a reminder that it’s the perfect time to stick some flowers in the ground.  I planted these a couple years ago.  Never liked bush daisies but I needed some color in a new piece of landscaping.  We were having a lot of guests (someone got married in our back yard). And these crazy daisies have been beautiful.  I had to cut them all the way to the ground last year when they were looking scraggly.  But they are back and beautiful.  

Thank you bush daisies.  You make it through 27 degree weather.  

Unlike my plumerias.  Almost all passed away after that one night of non-tropical weather. But I have one sturdy one that perservers.

Oh, I’m really meandering this week.

So let’s get to business.

What’s going on this weekend?

A lot.  

Brooksville is having their Blueberry Festival.  Inverness is having a taste of Inverness. Crystal River is having a beer and wine tasting hosted by Burke’s of Ireland.  

But all of those cost money.  

Our plans are to stop in Crystal River for Market Day with Arts and Treasures at Heritage Village.  We have a friend that’s performing at the gazebo. 

Free! 

I think Paula starts playing at 11 am.

And I can do some shopping on Citrus Avenue. And support our local merchants.  (Guess I gotta buy something to do that!)

Fun!

Have a GREAT weekend!

Kathy