This is for typewriter people. Remember when we had that term paper to write, and we’d place the paper in the spool, rack it ready to go…and freeze? Or start, get one or two pages in, and realize what’s written so far is nonsense even to you? We focus today on our neighbors in Crystal River, Homosassa and Ozello. I spent Wednesday in my cozy Inverness home looking at photos and videos of what Hurricane Idalia did to their Wednesday. It was anything but dry and cozy. Oh man, here we go again. Are your hatches battened down? Secured the lawn furniture? Buy enough gasoline to drive to the moon and back? It’s hurricane time. Of course, I have thoughts. In no particular order: See that guy to my left? I’m confident there’d be no Just Wright Citrus without him. In fact, I’m pretty confident there’d be no me without him. He’s Dr. Parmanand Gurnani, an Inverness psychiatrist whose successful 40-year-plus career, including over 20 years in Citrus, ends today in retirement. The familiar voice was of a trusted friend in shock. “I’m floored right now,” the voicemail said. “I’m kind of speechless.” And it went on from there. “Mike, I am freaking out right now. You need to call me back!” Four topics on this Thursday, all intertwined: — Target — Car wash — Chick-fil-A — Lecanto. Buckled in? Let’s ride. We're rolling out a writing style today borrowed from a national sports columnist. It’s called the running diary and, while it works better for the Super Bowl or World Series Game 7, I always wanted to try it out at a county commission meeting. Tuesday stuff not named Ozello on my mind: — Welcome back Ruthie! Chairman Ruthie Davis Schlabach returns to the County Commission for Tuesday’s meeting after missing nearly two months being treated for breast cancer. Some opinions I should just keep to myself. The one place that’s best for me to avert my eyes and cross the street, is any matter of zoning. Few things the government decides are as deeply personal as zoning. It’s someone’s neighborhood, their home. Things are said and repeated, friendships formed and lost. Occasionally, someone emerges from a good zoning fight with an eye on elected office. In “The Odd Couple” movie, a woman asks Felix Unger what he does for a living. Felix replies that he writes for CBS News. A writer! She’s impressed and asks, Where do you get your ideas? Felix looks at her. “From the…news.” |
AuthorMike Wright has written about Citrus County government and politics for 36 years. Archives
January 2025
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