Secret Santa

Every holiday season it never ceases to amaze me how wonderful the people are in Hernando County. I am not talking about the busy shoppers with the short fuses, or the increased snow bird traffic on our local roadway but all the good-hearted people reaching out to their neighbors in the true Christmas spirit. Each year I have a caring individual come by our business to ask us to help him with his secret Santa program in south Brooksville. This individual gets the names, ages and gender of some really deserving, and needy children, to make their holiday bright. Do I trust this person to fulfill his promises to these families? You bet I do. This individual has worked with the youth in the south Brooksville community for years as a girl's softball coach, mentor, and all around good guy. This person works for the city of Brooksville and his name is Sonny Gill. Sonny's own daughters are now grownup but he continues to participate within the south Brooksville area trying to make the lives of neighborhood children a little brighter during the holiday season. So the next time you think Santa Claus does not exist, look around your little patch of the world. I'll bet you'll find more than one person that resembles the good-hearted Sonny in the south Brooksville neighborhood.

Picking up the tab...

Without weighing in on the Rocco-Robinson debate again, only one question needs to asked today. Who is paying for former Chief Justice Stephen Grime to represent Annie Williams? It will be interesting to see if the taxpayers are picking up the tab or if Ms. Williams will pay these legal fees out of her own pocket.

Money shifting...

Twice in one week we have heard from Commissioner Kingsley that the state of Florida is mysteriously shifting money away from Hernando County. Both of these instances of money shifting have proven to be incorrect. The Hernando County dredge project is on target with all the state funding intake, as is the FDOT five-year tentative work plan, with the distribution of allocated money for Hernando County. Did Commissioner Kingsley act impetuously to a perceived shifting of money for the Hernando Beach dredge project last week, and today, with his concerns to focus on the Florida Department of Transportation shifting money from the our county? It is an odd coincidence that Commissioner Russell worked directly on both of these projects while he was our state representative. Mr. Russell worked with Senator Fasano for the dredge project funding and he was also the chairman of the transportation committee in Tallahassee. Why did Commissioner Kingsley write a letter to the Florida Department of Transportation Secretary, Donald Skelton expressing his concerns about the State Road 50 funding without getting the consensus of the entire board of county commissioners? It seems that if there was a real perception of funding loss, it would have been prudent for Chairwoman Diane Rowden to pen the letter to Donald Skelton. Was Mr. Kingsley truly concerned with county funding or was it his way to undermine Commissioner Russell before he had time to get his feet wet on the Hernando County Board of Commissioners?

Loud swirling sound...

If you hear a loud swirling sound coming from Brooksville, just ignore it, since it just our tax money being flushed down the drain at the old hospital site. The projected forecast for completion of a feasibility study for the old hospital site is now November 2007. Last August, Commissioners Robinson and Hogan, at the urging of a longtime community activist Janey Baldwin, decided to start the search over for a firm to conduct a feasibility study, based on the results of Strollo Architects. Apparently Strollo had exceeded the original bid requirements by expanding their scope of work. If common sense had prevailed with the county commissioners in August, the project would not be another four months behind costing an additional $220K in tax money. The commissioners always have a choice of professional firms based on their fair ranking and the ability to perform the requested tasks. The most logical approach would have been to eliminate Strollo for exceeding the bid requirements in August and award the contract to the firm in second place to conduct the study. Government bureaucracy has been blamed on the county staff many times but the responsibility for this "money pit" lies squarely on the county commissioners shoulders. In hindsight, over $2 million will be used on this project before any concrete decisions are made for the old hospital. The county commissioners should have been pro-active in 2001 with the new lease agreement with Brooksville Regional. This feasibility study should have been completed prior to the county assuming full responsibilities of the hospital last spring before Brooksville Regional staff vacated the premises. If a pro-active approach had taken place in 2001 by Commissioners Rowden, Kingsley and former Commissioner Robinson, our tax money would not be wasted today on these unnecessary delays. So on December 4th, the selection committee will once again rank the same firms to conduct this feasibility study. Ironic, or just plain sad, you be the judge?

"Happy Thanksgiving to your family from ours!"

Welcome, Commissioner Russell

This morning at the Hernando County Board of Commissioners, Judge Daniel Merritt, Sr. had the honor of swearing in newly elected Commissioner David Russell. Very little fanfare was undertaken for Commissioner Russell other than a few snapshots by newspaper photographers. Chairwoman Rowden took a ten minute recess for everyone in the chamber to greet Commissioner Russell then she called the meeting back to order. This swearing in ceremony of Commissioner Russell did not have any of the fanfare like in previous years. In fact, this ceremony seemed rather clinical, to the point of being cold, since Chairwoman Rowden did not even take the opportunity to welcome her new colleague on board, nor did the other two commissioners. Commissioner Russell will be a real asset to the Board of County Commissioner with his wealth of knowledge from the Florida Legislature. From the citizens of Hernando County, welcome on board Commissioner Russell.

Wonderful photos

Mark Rials of the Hernando Sportsman Club took some wonderful photos of our Veterans Appreciation Parade. Here is the link:
http://www.hernandosportsmansclub.com/images/Military%20Museum/Veterans%202006/index.html
Thanks, Mark!

Continuing saga...

According to an announcement on WWJB radio, Judge Booth will conduct a hearing at 3:30 p.m. this afternoon in the continuing saga of Robinson vs. Rocco. We have so many players in this issue it will be interesting to see which parties will go before Judge booth this afternoon.

A process of self promotion?

Who is keeping score in the Robinson / Rocco heavyweight fight of this local election season? Its getting kind of confusing with the flurry of legal motions filed in the past few days. One thing is for sure though, some local attorneys are not experiencing a recession with this headline news. An interesting twist of events now has local gadfly, Janey Baldwin as a player in the action, with her own lawsuit in this debacle. Her attorney, Joe Mason, was quoted in the Hernando Times as saying, in part, "Janey just wants to participate". If you remember, this is the same person that filed an ethics complaint against Mayor Robyn Anderson in 2004 during Swiftmud's attempt to revoke Weeki Wachee's long term lease agreement. Is this most recent court action by Mr. Mason's client an honest attempt to participate in the fair electoral process or just a process of self-promotion by this gadfly?

Robinson vs. Rocco

A press release, in reference to the Robinson vs. Rocco civil complaint, was just read on the air by WWJB talk show host, Bob Haa. Judge Booth ordered the Hernando County Canvassing Board to withhold the certification of the county commission, district 2, race and any swearing in ceremony for Rose Rocco until such time as court hearings are held in this case.

Melting Pot?

Walter Dry and Nick Morana of the Human Rights Coalition have organized a forum on tolerance on November 20, 2006. This forum is titled, "Is Hernando County Truly a Melting Pot?" It will take place at The Lake House located at 1202 Kenlake Avenue in Spring Hill from 6 to 9 p.m. Nick Morana was quoted as saying, "We're just going to bring it all out into the open and see what we can come up with," in reference to the firestorm created by Mary Ann Hogan's letter about the Islamic faith. This should be a good opportunity for our community leaders to have an open, frank discussion on intolerance or the perception of it.

Ambulance catches fire...

Did anyone catch the small article on page A-7 of the Hernando Today this morning titled, "Ambulance catches fire at scene of brush fire?' Apparently Hernando County Fire Rescue had an ambulance catch on fire while responding to a fire in the Chassahowitzka National Wildlife Refuge. The article said that the fire was thought to be mechanical in nature. Hopefully, an in-depth investigation will be made to determine the cause (and cost) of this fire since this equipment is extremely expensive for the taxpayers.

The real losers

Arm chair quarterbacks are weighing in all over Hernando County on the "Rocco vs. Robinson" fight for the county commission seat in district 2. Was Rose eligible on November 7th, or is Nancy nitpicking an issue because she is a sore loser?

Sterling Ivey, spokesman for the Florida Department of State said Florida case law clearly states that Mrs. Rocco should have established residency requirements on November 7th, the day of the election. Mr. Ivey said there appears to be no wiggle room according to his statements in this morning's edition of the Hernando Today.

Who will really win this battle? It certainly will not be the voters in Hernando County. If Nancy Robinson is success in her civil suit, she would resume her duties as commissioner. If Rose Rocco is success in defending this challenge, she will be the commissioner for the next four years. Clouds of doubt will hover over this county because the voters will question either winner of this challenge. If Mrs. Robinson is successful with her civil litigation, she will carry the reputation of a loser that does not deserve the seat. If Mrs. Rocco is sworn in as commissioner, she will bear the stigma of cheater for not abiding by residency requirements.

The Hernando County canvassing board, made up of Annie Williams, Commissioner Kingsley and Judge Scaglione, has a tough job on Friday. Will Ms. Williams and Mr. Kingsley leave their partisanship at the door when deciding whether to certify this election? If Mrs. Rocco is certified the winner on Friday, which judge will hear the civil litigation? Will it Judge Springstead, or Judge Merritt, or maybe Judge Rushing? Remember the partisan cartoons in the Hernando Today that depicted Mrs. Rocco in a unfavorable light drawn by Timothy Rushing, son of Judge and Mia Rushing.

Two new players to this debate popped up this morning attempting to influence the outcome of this election. Ana Trinque, chairwoman of the HCREC and Jay Rowden, chairman of the HCDEC are now weighing in with their partisan positions. Will the HCREC file an injunction to halt the swearing in ceremony of Mrs. Rocco next Tuesday? If so, will Mr. Rowden ask the HCDEC to take legal action? Or should Ms. Trinque and Mr. Rowden be involved at all? Is this a legal question that should be determined strictly by the merit of the law while leaving partisan politics out ot the equation?

Question, questions, questions...

Questions will remain for the next four years in the district 2 county commission seat. This debacle is a recipe for further voter apathy because we, the voters, are the real losers in this battle...

Christmas cards

Once again, the Hernando County Recreation Department, in cooperation with the Brooksville Kiwanis, will be organizing the Christmas cards on the Hernando County Courthouse lawn. Cards will be displayed from December 11th through 29th. For specific rules for registration, set-up, and display times, contact Marie Warren at 754-4031 (Hernando County Parks).

Example of goodness...

David Bearden, local chapter president of the National Federation of the Blind, recently was approved to become a foster parent. This is a remarkable achievement for Mr. Bearden since he is legally blind. David is also the first legally blind individual in the state of Florida to be certified as a foster parent. This challenge undertaken by David to give these children a home would be difficult even for a sighted person since several of his children, and foster children, are disabled, with one child being legally blind. David Bearden is a shining example of goodness in our community.

My heartfelt thanks...

Please allow me to express my heartfelt thanks to all of those that participated, and attended, The 6th Annual Veterans Appreciation Parade in Brooksville. A note of thanks to the participants:

• Brooksville Police & Fire Departments
• Hernando County Sheriff's Department Honor Guard
• Representative-elect Robert Schenck
• City Council members Mary Staib, Ernie Weaver & Frankie Burnett
• County Commissioners Jeff Stabin, Diane Rowden & Chris Kingsley
• County Commissioner(s)-elect David Russell & Rose Rocco
• Judge Stephen Rushing & his wife Mia, both veterans
• School Board member Sandy Nicholson
• WWJB talk show host, Bob Haa
• Hernando High School Band
• Hernando High Air force ROTC
• Central High Navy ROTC
• Young Marines
• Hernando County Chap. Of Military Officers
• D.A.V.
• American Legion, Post 99
• Gulf Coast Waves
• Knights of Columbus float
• National Federal of the Blind
• Operation Pride
• Beauty queens Eileen Majik, Morgan & Lane McDaniel, Alisa & Lexie Jester, Brittany Raborn
• Red Hat Ladies
• Daughters of American Revolution
• Girl Scouts, Troop 108
• All the walkers in the parade
• Alan Hartshorne, Pearl Harbor survivor
• Hernando Military Vehicle Preservation Association
• Hernando Sportsman Club
• Ye Mystic AirKrewe of Tampa

A special thanks to Chief Tincher, Sgt. Maeder, and the staff of the Brooksville Police Department for all their hard work in making this event a success once again this year. Thanks to my husband Tony, my son Bryon & Ed Baker (Am Leg. Post 99) & Rosann Toshich(Am. Leg. Post 99) for staging the event line-up and the many (many) emails & phone calls to get everyone on board.

See you all next year!

Anna Liisa Covell / Parade Coordinator

Reception for Nancy Robinson

For those of you who wish to thank Nancy Robinson for her 14 years of dedicated service to our community, a reception will be held at 11:00 a.m. following the county commission meeting on Tuesday, November 14th. For details, call the county administrator's office at 754-4002.

Veterans
Appreciation
Parade


Saturday, November 11, 2006 at 10 a.m.



Bring your American flags, your children & your neighbors
to show support for our men & women of our military, past & present.

Participation in this patriotic event will proudly salute our local
Veterans for their valiant service to our Nation!

Everyone is encouraged to walk with our Veterans to express thanks for their
heroic deeds. Please take a few minutes out of your day to express your
patriotism during this very crucial time in our country's history.

Parade line-up starts at 8:30 a.m. in the parking lot behind
Brooksville City Hall located at 201 Howell Avenue in downtown Brooksville.
(plenty of parking in adjacent lot on Orange Avenue)



"God Bless America"

Offer the olive branch...

Nausea overwhelmed me this morning. Our community is being consumed by hatred and bigotry to the degree not seen since the era of the 1960’s. Years ago many of us watched our black and white televisions in horror as blind hatred over took emotions in racial riots that proceeded the 1964 Civil rights Act. Do we really need to return to the age of the Ku Klux Klan and John Birch Society? Even though I respect everyone’s right of free speech, elected officials have the sworn duty to protect and serve our community without prejudice. A representative government sometimes means having to protect and serve those in our community, even when our elected officials vehemently disagree, in regards to race, creed, color, religion, or political persuasion. In this representative government, respectful dissent by the people is also an accepted method to approach your elected official. A truce needs to be called before innocent people are hurt, or religious institutions are damaged in our community. All party’s involved in this Muslin situation need to immediately set their prejudices on a shelf for the sake of our community to apologize to the offended party’s. The Hogan’s need to be the first to offer the olive branch…

Happy Birthday, Marines!

In honor of my husband, a former combat Marine Vietnam Veteran and with his fellow Marines, past and present, a message from the Commandant of the US Marine Corp on their 231st birthday:

UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS BIRTHDAY MESSAGE -

10 NOVEMBER 2006

ON NOVEMBER 10TH, 1775, OUR CORPS WAS BORN AS THE CONTINENTAL CONGRESS RAISED THE "FIRST AND SECOND BATTALIONS OF AMERICAN MARINES." EACH YEAR AS WE CELEBRATE OUR BIRTHDAY, WE PAUSE TO REFLECTON THE MARINES OF YESTERYEAR WHO FOUGHT IN OUR TOUCHSTONE BATTLES AND FORGED THE MODERN MARINE CORPS WITH THEIR COURAGE, INTEGRITY, ANDUNDYING COMMITMENT TO THEIR FELLOW MARINES. EACH OF OUR STORIED BATTLESIS A LINK IN THE LONG CHAIN THAT BINDS ALL MARINES TOGETHER-FROM THE CONTINENTAL MARINES AT BUNKER HILL TO THE TEUFELHUNDEN CROSSING THE WHEAT FIELDS OF BELLEAU WOOD. THIS CHAIN BINDS US TO THE MARINES ON THE CREST OF MOUNT SURIBACHI; IT PASSES THROUGH THE ICE AND SNOW OF THE CHOSIN RESERVOIR AND THE STEAMING JUNGLES OF VIETNAM, AND IT ANCHORS FIRMLY TODAY IN THE DESERT SANDS OF IRAQ. THIS YEAR'S CELEBRATION AGAIN FINDS MANY FROM OUR RANKS SERVING WITH DISTINCTION IN HARM'S WAY. AS WE HAVE FOR THE PAST 231 YEARS, OUR CORPS IS ANSWERING THE NATION'S CALL. I CAN REPORT FIRST HAND THAT OUR MARINES FIGHTING ON THE FRONT LINES OF THE LONG WAR ON TERROR ARE PERFORMING BRILLIANTLY, ACQUITTING THEMSELVES WITH HONOR, DEDICATION,AND DIGNITY IN DIFFICULT AND DANGEROUS ENVIRONMENTS. ALL MARINES ARE MAKING A DIFFERENCE. REGARDLESS OF WHERE YOU ARE SERVING, YOU ARE ADDING NEW CHAPTERS TO THE LEGACY THAT WAS EARNED WITH SWEAT AND BLOOD ON OLD BATTLEFIELDS. JUST AS PREVIOUS GENERATIONS OF MARINES SHAPED TODAY'S MARINE CORPS, YOUR DEEDS ARE MOLDING THE CORPS OF TOMORROW. OUR CORPS HAS NEVER BEEN STRONGER, AND ALL AMERICANS ARE EXTREMELY PROUD OF YOUR MAGNIFICENT PERFORMANCE AND UNWAVERING COMMITMENT TO SERVE OUR CORPS AND COUNTRY. WITH HIGH CALIBER MARINES LIKE YOU, OUR FUTURE HAS NEVER BEEN BRIGHTER. ANOTHER IRREPLACEABLE ELEMENT OF OUR SUCCESS AS MARINES IS THE TERRIFIC SUPPORT WE RECEIVE FROM OUR FAMILIES. THROUGH THE LONG HOURS, THE EXERCISES, AND THE COMBAT DEPLOYMENTS, THEIR SUPPORT IS UNCONDITIONAL AND FIRM. THEY GIVE US LOVE AND DEVOTION, PROVIDING US WITH THE STRENGTH TO DRIVE ON WHEN DUTY CALLS. TODAY WE SHOULD ALL ACKNOWLEDGE OUR LOVED ONES FOR THEIR PATIENT, STEADFAST SERVICE. TO ALL WHO HAVE EARNED THE TITLE MARINE, TO THE SUPERB SAILORS WHO SERVE WITH US IN EVERY CLIME AND PLACE, AND TO OUR PRECIOUS FAMILIES-I WISH EACH ONE OF YOU A HEARTFELT HAPPY 231ST BIRTHDAY.

SEMPER FIDELIS AND KEEP ATTACKING!

M. W. HAGEE, GENERAL,
U.S. MARINE CORPS

Hoo-Rah!