 Apologies for interrupting our normal programming but July is about to start.
I nearly missed it. I’m taking Deb to the airport Friday and picking her up Sunday, and completely forget about Saturday. July 1.  We broach a subject today that I’m loath to discuss.
Politics. In an odd-number year. You know how some people get bent out of shape if you start playing Christmas music before Halloween? That’s how I am about politics in an odd-numbered year.  A question for your Wednesday:
If I build my house along a golf course, should I have an expectation it’ll stay a golf course forever? Asked another way: If I own a golf course and it goes under, am I stuck with links and greens even though the market provides other opportunities?  Every so often we’re going to discuss Inverness Village Unit 4. Like today.
IV4. as the locals call it, is the place with hideous dirt roads that the county “owns” but doesn’t “maintain.” That’s the official explanation. The unofficial one is the worst of all development train wrecks: People who pay $200K-plus to have houses built on sugar-sand roads, which alternate between snow drift consistency during dry spells and mudslides after summer rains.  A friend sent me a photo the other day of the new Chipotle restaurant in Inverness that looks close to opening.
“The chairs are out!” she wrote. I stared at the photo.  Winding down the week while killing two hours in Dunedin:
— That’s right, Dunedin. Clearwater’s little brother. Gateway to hot, crowded beaches. Other than driving between Clearwater Beach and Tarpon Springs, I’d never stepped foot in Dunedin. My travels took me there Thursday for an appointment and I had a little bit of time before heading back.  Wednesday morning was the perfect time to hang out at the Crystal River Mall.
The mall sold and closed 10 months ago in anticipation of being torn down and replaced with a home-and-commercial development.  Tuesday was one of those challenging County Commission meetings to write about.
It’s not due to an extreme amount of news. Rather, the opposite. The board met six hours and conducted lots of business but none created its own headline.  All last week I anticipated Friday’s inaugural Behavioral Health Symposium at the College of Central Florida.
Here’s why: The more I looked into the issues of mental health and addiction treatment, the more I saw a disconnect between the decision-makers and our community groups in the trenches dealing with these real-life challenges every day.  It’s a great day to appreciate freedom.
You may be saying: “Whoa there, Mike. July 4 is still a few weeks off.” I’m talking about a different Independence Day, one of deep American tradition. |
AuthorMike Wright has written about Citrus County government and politics for 36 years. 
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