Photos say what my words can't

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.

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I don’t know if these are the year’s best photos, but I like ‘em.
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We start off with my 2024 hero: Michelle Lahera. The fight on behalf of her husband Andy and their family that she waged against Sheriff Mike Prendergast was nothing short of inspiring. The community was outraged by Prendergast’s indifference to Andy in the year following the horrific accident that nearly took his life.
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This photo was taken during the barbecue fundraiser in the Lecanto High School parking lot, led by Leon McClellan, that raised enough money to pay off the Laheras’ mortgage. Michelle doesn’t like it when she gets the attention; every morning, she posts a photo of her husband, seeking prayers for Andy.

While she never made it political, we saw the results in August. This is a caring community. It wanted a caring sheriff.

We look forward to seeing Andy’s continued progress in 2025.

We had some weather this year at the Just Wright Citrus World Headquarters on the shores of Big Lake Henderson. A lot of wind/rain during Hurricanes Helene and Milton, but the brunt of the storm was felt in our coastal communities. 

When I wasn’t outside in the elements, I was inside, glued to my laptop, watching updates from Crystal River Mayor Joe Meek.

The flooding nightmare hasn’t ended for many west of U.S. 19. Folks who had never had water in their homes have told stories of being forced to leave. Some are still living temporarily inland. Some have no plans of returning. Others are dealing with the brick wall known as FEMA.

We haven’t talked much as a community about what hurricanes are doing to our coastal towns. Perhaps we should.

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OK, so technically this isn’t a photo. But a friend did this for me and isn’t it cool? We used a similar logo for the 2022 election and will probably go with the same design for 2026.

Never underestimate the significance of a eye-catching logo. We had a very good election blog year at Just Wright Citrus. It started with a great logo.​

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I have numerous Buddy photos. This is the last one I took of the two of us on July 3 during the Inverness Patriotic Evening. I came home to stay with Buddy during the fireworks, which he slept through.

I can’t believe how much I miss that dog. He brought me, and JWC readers, such incredible joy over a few short months. I’m glad Bunny is here, but she doesn’t remove the hurt. In fact, I have to make sure I don’t compare this poor thing to Buddy.

(There are plenty of differences. I’m pretty sure Buddy never ate a candy cane off the Christmas tree, chewed up the TV remote, or knocked a tin off the counter to get at the chocolate chip cookies it contained. Bunny is like having a 4-legged teenager in the house.)

Buddy’s legacy lives on through the Buddy Bandana Scholarship. That brings me peace in my sadness.

Buddy is my 2024 Photo Subject of the Year. Bunny is already in the running for ‘25.

That’s it for today. Don’t forget the Inverness Christmas parade at noon Saturday. Plan plenty of photos. 

Have a wonderful weekend, friends.

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