The biggest mystery of this campaign season, other than whether Paul Grogan is Diana Finegan’s secret running mate, is the elephant in the room regarding Paul Reinhardt. He calls himself Dr. Reinhardt. It says, “M.D.” on his campaign signs for House District 23. His biography says he graduated with a doctor of medicine from the Universidad del Noreste in Tampico, Mexico. Let’s put a pause on this week’s election talk for a moment. We can’t let the Crystal River Mall close without saying goodbye to Millie. It was Millie Bresnahan who kept the place relevant in Citrus County long after it should have lost its relevance. It was a year ago that life as I knew it ended and a new one began. On Aug. 13, 2021, I retired from the Citrus County Chronicle, the place I called home for nearly 35 years. I was left with no direction, uncertain what to do next. I met with Gerry Mulligan, the retired publisher who had hired me all those years ago when he was editor. OK Republicans, now it’s our turn. We’re the only ones invited to the County Commission District 2 primary, thanks to an NPA who blocked Democrats and independents from participating. The people behind such a move did so purposely to keep the primary closed to Republicans, thinking that a more conservative voter base will help Diana Finegan over Stacey Worthington. Everyone remembers their favorite teacher. For me, two always come to mind. Ms. Schoenwether, who taught journalism my senior year at Stevenson High School in Sterling Heights, Michigan. The other is Mr. McBroom, a speech teacher at the same school who introduced me to the fun of public speaking. It’s Tuesday, so let’s talk about county commission District 4. Rarely do we have a county commission district race, decided in the primary and open to all voters, where any of the three candidates could start on Day One ready to go. That’s what District 4 provides. It’s that time when candidates are touting their endorsements. County Commission District 2’s Stacey Worthington and District 4’s John Murphy Jr. both have support from the Realtors Association of Citrus County. Makes sense considering their business connections. It’s a rare day when a story of magnitude falls from the sky, such as the one that dropped into my world Wednesday afternoon in Ozello. I had driven out there to take a photo of — no kidding — a closed fishing pier. I’ll drive all day for a picture of immovable objects, staples of the Just Wright Citrus photo gallery. One of my life’s greatest joys is living in Inverness, along the shores of Big Lake Henderson, close to Wallace Brooks and Liberty parks. My city has so much to offer: the Depot District, a thriving Courthouse Square, wonderful community events. |
AuthorMike Wright has written about Citrus County government and politics for 36 years. Archives
March 2024
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