Punting my work for the big game

We usually like to start the week with some hard-hitting theme but a certain sporting event Sunday interfered with my writing time.

Sunday through Thursday I start writing around 4:30 p.m. and get it all done and posted by about 9. I’m a zombie when that schedule is messed with, as it was this weekend, forcing me to write much earlier in the day when my brain was still finishing up the weekend.​

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So we’ll instead turn to commission mail. Before, though, four observations from the game:

1. Field was slippery. For the Super Bowl. I mean…stadium people…you’ve got to get one thing right. Instead the NFL gunked up the field with some fancy logos. At least it looked pretty as players were sliding through.
2. Rihanna’s floating platform looked very, very high. And then I read later she’s pregnant. She should have been MVP for that stunt.
3. Enjoyed nearly all the commercials, even the ones that I couldn’t identify. Some of these are highly entertaining but I have no clue what they’re selling. From kickoff through the ads and halftime — the Super Bowl is probably the only commercial event on television that someone literally can watch the entire four hours.
4. I collected some Super Bowl predictions from Citrus County government types for Florida Politics, and school board Chairman Doug Dodd said the Chiefs would win by 4. Half a minute after the game ended, Dodd texted me: “Not bad huh? Missed it by 1 point.”

And now we return to Citrus County business.

This week’s random email batch from Commissioner Jeff Kinnard is actually last week’s batch from the week before. 

— “I would like someone to look at Old Floral City Rd between Sandpiper Dr and the entrance to Sweetwater Subdivision. The lanes are narrow with no shoulder. I cannot imagine it meets any current standards and I believe it is a hazardous condition.”

Kinnard forwarded that person's to the staff, which responded: “Old Floral City Road has very little right-of-way, so the road is extremely narrow with no shoulders. To fix the situation by widening the road would require purchasing right-of-way which would be extremely expensive…  Please note that US Hwy 41, which is a much better road, mostly parallels Old Floral City Road, and gives travelers another option if wanted.”

JWC take: Old Floral City Road is a beautiful 35 mph drive where one definitely needs to pay attention. It’s narrow, with power poles and trees just off the edge, especially near Fort Cooper State Park. Just because it’s narrow doesn’t mean the county should widen it. Just means drivers should be careful.

— “I voted for conservative values when I voted for you. To not oppose the Library Board and their LGBT activists agenda was a dereliction of duty. You owe it to your conservative Citrus County constituency to stand up for our values, not for a loud and aggressive minority seeking to undermine our parents, families and place our children under unacceptable risk. I only wish I could change my vote for you retroactively.”

JWC take: I’m going to keep posting the weird library emails so long as commissioners keep receiving them. For the life of me I cannot understand how Citrus County citizens reach these conclusions other than to simply believe the nonsense handed them. There is no “LGBT activists agenda” on the library board.

— ”There are now 2 school buses in the wooded area just off the intersection of Ozello Trail and Beaverdam Road. There was initially one bus but now the occupants moved a second bus into the area last week. There appears to be multiple families with children, dogs, boats and tents on site. No sanitary facilities serve this group of people. Please address this situation as it is getting out of hand.”

JWC take: We’ve been seeing this type of issue crop up over the last year or two. Folks from God-knows-where showing up in some of the county’s outskirts and creating mini communities totally off the books. Old school buses, RVs, vans, boats — camping out in the woods near established neighborhoods.

According to the email chain, this one is being handled by code compliance. 

The last thing we want is Citrus County to become someone’s squatterland.

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