 Happy post Thanksgiving Monday!
We’re kicking off December with a new feature I call “Trouble Spots.” As the name implies, we’re going to take a deep dive into some of the areas around our county that call for particular attention, yet seem not in the decision-makers’ line of vision. Or they have the government’s attention, but the response isn’t getting the job done.  Happy Thanksgiving Eve! Speaking of turkeys, let’s talk about politics.
Just kidding! Ha! Actually, um, my brain is about mush at this point. Just thoughts of thankfulness on a beautiful afternoon… — First off, thank God for my life. It’s not everything I want, but it’s sure better than anything I could have come up with. I’m a sober alcoholic, own a business that brings value to the community, and I’m surrounded by people who have my back. If it all ends tomorrow, I will go out on streets of gold.  Happy Tuesday! I returned late Sunday from a fun four-day weekend in Michigan, my first out-of-state vacation in two years.
So, of course, I took notes. Some highlights: — I was once a frenzied online airline and rental car shopper. Middle of the night, certain days of the week, and so on. No more. It’s simple for me now: Delta and Hertz. Both companies have exceptional customer service and a few bucks more buys peace of mind.  Happy Monday! Have a nice weekend? Good. Glad to hear it. Let me tell you about mine.
First off, know this. There's pressure, there's extreme pressure, there's brain surgery pressure, then there's the pressure of writing about my siblings. I mean...one typo and I'm disowned.  Tuesday was a tie day.
The fact that I wore one at all shows the trajectory of my professional life. Never was a tie person. I purposely chose a career where the expectation leaned more toward “sleeping in your clothes” apparel than three-piece suits.  The new County Commission met Tuesday and wasted little time opening up a can of worms.
Janet Barek took the oath of office, and then gave us a decent idea of what to expect from her the next four years: Someone who likes to argue to win her point, even if that means driving it into the ground. Not sure how well she’s going to play with others. Rebecca Bays took over as chairman, with Diana Finegan vice chairman. Barek is second vice chairman, meaning she’s in line for chairman in two years. Can hardly wait for that.  Some very good news for your Tuesday:
Citrus County’s newest Superintendent of Schools is a goofball. Scott Hebert is also brilliant, funny, an educator in the true sense, and as we’re about to find out, ready to move our school district forward in exciting ways.  Happy Monday! I know the calendar says November, but the New Year is just two days away.
The County Commission swears in a new member Tuesday. Janet Barek is getting all the attention; well-deserved for sure. I would suggest, though, that Janet’s impact on Citrus County her first year in office will be negligible as it is for most freshmen. Unlike the chairman.  Two things are guaranteed to happen at the conclusion of every election:
1. Winning candidates take office. 2. I clean my desk. We’ve covered exhaustively the candidates elected. I’m planning to be at the County Commission at 1 p.m. Tuesday to see Janet Barek take the oath, and then the School Board at 4 p.m. the same for Scott Hebert and Ken Frink.  One of those days staring at a screen with starts and stops because I can’t decide on a single topic.
That means of course, the rambling blog… — Construction starts Monday on the mother of all resurfacing projects — S.R. 44 between U.S. 41 in Inverness and the Sumter County line. That’s 6.7 miles and will take 18 months to complete. |
AuthorMike Wright has written about Citrus County government and politics for 36 years. 
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