Old Homosassa Sidewalks

Upcoming Important Events

March 10, 2015March 10, 2015 by KTgreen

We have serious stuff to talk about today….

This evening at 5:30, Old Homosassa Historical Preservation Society holds their monthly meeting at the Gator Den at MacRae’s Motel, If you are interested in preserving Old Homosassa’s heritage for current and future generations, you should attend this meeting. Our current project is to buy, repair, and maintain the Old Homosassa Water Tower.

Thursday evening at 6 – 7:30 there will be a town hall meeting with County Commissioner Ron Kitchen Jr. at the Homosassa Library. According to the Citrus Chronicle, Kitchen said “I want the public to know that I am continuing to listen, I want to hear about any issues our citizens are currently facing.” If you are concerned with events occurring in our community, you should attend this meeting. Two hot issues right now are the sidewalk plans on Yulee Drive and the 110-unit motel being planned on Halls River Road.

Following the town hall, The River Alliance will be meeting at 7:45 at the Civic Club.

We have two big events on Saturday.

First, Homosassa Heritage Day will be held at Ellie Schiller Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park from 10:00am to 4:00pm. Here’s an opportunity to learn about Homosassa’s history. The event is held inside the park’s Visitor Center at the main entrance on U.S. 19 so you do not have to pay admission to the park.

Second is the 3rd annual Shrimpapalooza. The parade starts at 10:30 am and will feature about 10,000 golf carts and a gazillion beads. That might be a slight (huge) exaggeration but you should just come and see for yourself. The festival following the parade is held in the park behind the Homosassa Civic Club. Sponsored by the Homosassa Rotary club, the proceeds go to numerous charities, many of them local.

2014 Shrimpapalooza — There’s Anne, her daughter and granddaughter

Friday Meanderings

February 20, 2015 by KTgreen

Chilly Maggie — Maggie in her Winter Attire

It’s ch-ch-ch-illy here. So chilly I was shaking when I took that picture yesterday. Brrrrr!

Now I have to talk about the Old Homosassa sidewalks. Sorry, I’m possibly a bit obsessed with the subject.

Since I never received a response from Jeff Rogers regarding my email from last week, I emailed everyone again.

To Randy Oliver, County Administrator, Ron Kitchen, County Commissioner, Walt Eastmond, Transportation Project Manager, and Jeff Rodgers, Public Works Director.

I did not hear from Mr. Rogers as referenced in the attached email.

I would like to follow up on the email I sent you last week regarding the sidewalks in Old Homosassa. I have a suggestion. Could the sidewalk run behind the Sugarmill Ruins? There appears to be room there. And that would eliminate the dangerous sidewalk crossing on Yulee Drive. I have been down to Sugarmill Ruins twice on beautiful days in the last two weeks and both days the traffic was non-stop. Plus the cars do not stop at the two crosswalks from the parking area to the ruins. Taking the sidewalk across Yulee Drive then back again past the Old Mill Tavern will be very dangerous for pedestrians.

I took these pictures on Monday afternoon. I did not attach them to the email but in retrospect, I should have because they illustrate my point.

curve — The cross walk will be in the area where the first car is.

Here’s the existing sidewalk behind the Sugarmill Ruins.

Sugarmill Ruins Sidewalk — View from the other side.

I received two responses…

From Jeff Rogers,

We have provided this information to the engineer that is designing the project. We will forward their response when we obtain it, and we can have further discussions.

Thank you for your thoughts.

And Randy Oliver,

I will check with Jeff. Who owns the property behind Sugarmill Ruins as the County would need an easement to use the property?

And my response to Mr. Oliver,

The Sugarmill Ruins is a state park so I believe the state owns it.

I’m wondering if any of our county representatives that I’m emailing have actually been to Old Homosassa and looked at the section of Yulee drive that they propose installing a cross walk.

Okay. On to other subjects.

What’s going on this weekend?

It will be a sunny beautiful warm weekend. Yeah!

We are headed to the Open House at Three Sisters Springs on Saturday. Catching a bus at Kings Bay Plaza with two of our grandkids. There will be pictures on Monday!

This is Elvis Presley Weekend in Inverness. Starting with Friday Night Thunder classic car cruise in with an Elvis impersonator and continues with Elvis themed events through the weekend.

There’s a Healthy Living Show at the Crystal River Mall on Saturday.

On a quest to understand the water issues in the state, Terry and I will be attending a presentation on Wednesday at 6 pm at the Plantation Resort in Crystal River. Two retired scientists, Carl Wolfe and Rae Ellen Syverson will present a study from data collected from a 30-day period during this winter’s tourist season.

Have a great weekend!

Kathy

Old Homosassa Sidewalks Revisited

February 16, 2015 by KTgreen

Where the Sidewalk Ends — Where the sidewalk ends….

I’ve posted a few times about the Old Homosassa Sidewalks, first back in July 2014 and then last Sunday. If this is your first visit to my website, the concern is that we have seven large oaks that are marked to be removed between in the Sugarmill Ruins area for the sidewalks. I am all for the sidewalks, just not the destruction of several of our beautiful trees.

I emailed our county officials regarding this issue and received three responses.
From Commissioner Ron Kitchen: “Thank you for your concern for our community and for your well thought out comments. I am sure we will take what you say into consideration as the county continues with the planning process.”

Walt Eastmond, Transportation Project Manager, responded, “Good morning Mrs. Green – Thank you for your interest in the Yulee sidewalk project and taking the time to review the 60% plans and the site. We appreciate your comments and will forward them to our consultant preparing the plans.

And on Wednesday I was “cc:d” on an email from Randy Oliver, County Administrator, to Jeff Rogers: “Jeff: Would you ask someone to follow up with Mrs. Green and copy Commissioner Kitchens and myself on the response.”

Jeff did not email me. So sad.

I’ll be following up on those emails this week.

Here’s a website and some emails addresses for you.

Citrus County Board of County Commissioners http://www.bocc.citrus.fl.us/

Ron Kitchen, 1st Vice Chairman and Commissioner District 2, Ron.Kitchen@bocc.citrus.fl.us

Randy Oliver, County Administrator, Randy.Oliver@bocc.citrus.fl.us

Walt Eastmond, Transportation Project Manager, Walt.Eastmond@bocc.citrus.fl.us

Old Homosassa Trees