 Welcome to the final day of the year.
Yes, I realize Dec. 31 is Tuesday. New Year’s Eve shouldn’t really count as a day. I see it as the 24-hour transition to the new year. So, one final glimpse in the rearview mirror. I'm a political guy. And 2024 was the political year to end all years. Rather than rattle off all the big political events of the year, I’m thinking of the people who made it happen.  Happy Friday! It’s annual report time.
We started the annual report after Year One of Just Wright Citrus, kept it going last year, and now we’re seeing Year Three conclude. Before the details, this little story illustrates well how we’re doing:  T’was the day after Christmas
And all through the blog Nothing made sense ‘Cuz it’s the day after Christmas. Now we know why Hallmark never sought my greeting card services. So, it dawns on me around 12:30 p.m. Christmas Day, that it’s a workday. The Dec. 26 blog doesn’t materialize out of thin air, though it may seem that way at times.  These things always start with the best intentions.
How, one might wonder, could I possibly screw up the annual Just Wright Citrus Christmas card? Oh my. Several ways. See, every year since I was a lad I’ve enjoyed sending Christmas cards. Special messages, little innuendos to close friends, and the ability to spread the Christmas message.  And…we’re stuck.
It happens. Regular Just Wright Citrus readers know it’s not all that uncommon for me to whip up 700 words on nothing, like an episode of “Seinfeld.” See, Friday is my Christmas card blog. And on Wednesday, I wrote about cute, cuddly Bunny (who, right on cue, chewed up my Janet Barek pen). Since it’s generally frowned upon to broach any serious subjects this close to Christmas, we’ll postpone my in-depth Barge Canal boat ramp analysis till 2025.  This is when I knew Bunny was a keeper:
Cattle Dog chats. I sat on the porch a few days ago enjoying my Cattle Dog frozen hot chocolate, extra chocolate. Bunny and I were jabbering about something when I got up and walked into another room.  It’s Tuesday, so let’s talk about Ozello.
Not Pirates Cove Ozello. Not glampground Ozello. No. The Ozello where people live, work, retire, and thrive. Or, for some, survive.  One of my favorite county officials sends out a monthly report called “Look What’s Coming.”
Joanna Coutu, director of the Land Development Division, lists all the significant permit activity in the county. Joanna’s been issuing this monthly report for years. It used to run a page or two. You know…a Dollar General being built here, a new Taco Bell there.  Back in my Chronicle days, we’d be heading into year-end wrap mode by now. Best stories, biggest issues, top people — that sort of thing.
Photo Editor Matt Beck and his predecessors also had photos of the year. I recall it being a chore for the editors to choose just a few of the hundreds of award-worthy photos the Chronicle prints each year. At Just Wright Citrus, we also publish our photos of the year. It’s not quite the same laborious process.  She’s going to drive them batty.
I can see it already. We’re just a few meetings into Commissioner Janet Barek’s term, and her colleagues are exasperated. During Tuesday’s board meeting, when Janet stated her numerous objections to the county buying Pirates Cove, other commissioners suggested she hasn’t grasped this job quite yet. |
AuthorMike Wright has written about Citrus County government and politics for 36 years. 
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