A crisis is nothing for Mayor Meek

A few post-Debby thoughts before explaining how the sheriff pulled me over for speeding but let me go without a ticket.

— Driving and walking through Crystal River on Monday reminded me of the geographical diversity of our county.

The rain and wind from Hurricane Debby certainly caused a ruckus over at the New Just Wright Citrus World Headquarters on the shores of Big Lake Henderson. However, we don’t have tides. Once the rain ends and we clean up Mother Nature’s mess, it’s somewhat forgotten.

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Not for those with homes and businesses west of U.S. 19. An event like this occurs, and their lives just STOP. If the flooding is severe enough to involve the federal government, that’s a bureaucracy not easy to tame.

We never want to forget that bad weather affects us all differently. We rally around our community regardless of the particulars. Today it’s flood waters in Crystal River. Tomorrow could be something else. Regardless, we’re ready.

— Speaking of that, I'd like to make a suggestion. This may be a little awkward considering the timing and all, but here we go:

Can we make Joe Meek the mayor of Citrus County? It’s not fair that Crystal River hogs his leadership.

Leaders rise to the occasion in a crisis, everyone knows that. No one does a better job of informing residents about pending weather than Mayor Meek.

Before writing today's blog, I peeked at the Chronicle’s Facebook page. Few news items about the storm, though nothing fresh. The sheriff's Facebook page told us when U.S. 19 was reopened, and to avoid areas with standing water.

But for the real info, I went to the mayor’s Facebook page. He had at least 14 separate updated posts from early morning until evening, including a blow-by-blow accounting of water levels at Shell Island so that worried residents might know what the afternoon tide would look like.

Joe Meek can’t stop bad weather. He does the next best thing. He leads his community through a crisis. He keeps citizens informed of the things they need to know NOW. You don’t get a lot of p.r. from Joe. It’s the straight sauce.

Well done, Mr. Citrus County Mayor. (A guy can hope.)

— So. I was headed south Monday afternoon on U.S. 19 from Crystal River to Homosassa. Kinda in my own world, when suddenly I saw flashing blue and red lights behind me. I looked down and realized I hadn’t activated my speedometer (stupid story), so I had no idea how fast I was going.

I pulled into a parking lot. I could see it was an unmarked sheriff’s vehicle. I started gathering my info, fully prepared for a speeding ticket.

The officer got out of the car and walked toward my driver’s side. I checked the side mirror and could scarcely believe my eyes.

It was Sheriff Mike Prendergast. Before I could say hi, there was a knock on my passenger window. I saw a green uniform and rolled down the window to find Col. Elena Vitt.

Her reaction upon seeing who they had just pulled over was something of the "Oh, gawd!" variety.

The sheriff was pleasant and to the point. I was speeding. He didn’t say how much but reminded me it was a 45-mph zone.

I offered some silly explanation for not knowing how fast I was going. He gave me that police officer, “I’ve heard this a million times, and I don’t care” look.

Prendergast glanced at my license, registration (he pointed out I mistakenly gave him my 2023 info at first), and insurance card, and handed them back to me. He said, “Stay safe,” or something like that, and sent me on my way. I thanked him, and off I went more cautious with my speed.

Now. A few thoughts.

Should the sheriff have ticketed me? Well, that’s up to him. I was prepared for any result. I didn’t ask for a break. That said, I sure appreciated it. Just being honest.

Should I have demanded a citation, being news blogger ethical and all? Yeah, when I was 25 years old and idealistic as hell. Today, I look at life through a more realistic lens. The sheriff was doing his job. He caught a speeder, pulled him over, and decided to skip the citation. Considering our history, I doubt he was tossing me a bone.

(By the way, I recorded none of this interaction. That thought never occurred to me. I also didn’t ask for a selfie. Bad timing.)

Will this affect my Just Wright Citrus opinions of the sheriff in the current political race? Absolutely not. Though, gotta say, I appreciate God humbling me like that.

And if the sheriff passes on to me a particular Citrus County charity he fancies, I’ll be glad to make a donation.

Life sure is interesting. Have a great Tuesday, friends.

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