This historic night tops them all

It took my entire career to write this blog.

You see, I’m in the word business. I also write about Citrus County politics, so nothing surprises me.

So, when the never-seen-before occurs, I find myself with no words. Some things can’t be explained or described.

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Dave Vincent’s “One Community, One Goal” campaign for sheriff was more than a catchy slogan. It epitomized exactly what we all felt.

His landslide victory was clearly a mandate for change, but more than that. It was the cumulative voice of people who said, “Hey, we CARE for one another. Our leaders need to care even more.”

I was caught up in this campaign more than any other since my first Citrus County election in 1988. The blog brought me closer access to candidates and issues than in my life, and none more so than Dave Vincent.

That’s why I decided Monday to not even write today’s blog. Instead, I’d run a few photos of Sheriff Vincent’s investiture ceremony so that I could absorb this historic event.

Well, that went out the window Tuesday afternoon. I was wandering through downtown Inverness and saw that organizers had set up chairs on the Old Courthouse lawn. Several of the seats were reserved. Once I saw my name on a chair, I knew JWC photos wouldn’t cut it. (Our photo today is from the sheriff’s Facebook page.)

But, how to summarize the greatest night of my Citrus County life? I’ll do the best I can.

The feel-goods were off the charts. EVERYONE was smiling, laughing, in a happy mood. The sheriff himself has a fun, dry sense of humor. 

Someone asked me to guess the crowd size. I said 2,000, but I’m usually way off on those things, so who knows? There were a lot of people on a very cold evening. That, I know.

A few people made note before the ceremony of Tuesday’s blog that said Dave’s campaign and election brought us full circle from Phil Royal’s tragic death eight years ago. The only time Dave really choked up during his speech, and there were several wet eyes in the audience, was when he talked about his friend.

The sheriff introduced his new command staff, led by our great friend Calvin Adams Jr., who is Vincent’s chief of staff. What a spectacular hire. Calvin has decades of experience at the highest levels of state law enforcement. He knows exactly what works and what doesn’t.

Plus, Dave “Pasta” DeCarlo as head of a new office of transparency and community engagement. Already, before being on the job 24 hours, Vincent is focused on community and communication.

Where am I going with all this? Good question.

This is why I had trouble with the blog. Trying to describe the mood both at the ceremony, and reception that followed at the Depot. It wasn’t so much relief, though there’s plenty of that. No, much deeper. A feeling that this county has turned a corner, that it has in Dave Vincent a true leader to show us how a strong community creates efficient law enforcement, and vice versa.

We’re onto something here.

He is setting the model for others to follow. Sky’s the limit. Dave said: Working together, we can solve so much.

One more thing to make the point.

As we know, Dave was elected in the primary. I always say the primary voter is a motivated voter. The folks who attended Tuesday’s ceremony were motivated Citrus Countians. They’ll return to their neighborhoods, workplaces, golf courses, prayer groups, and knitting clubs and proclaim what they’ve just witnessed.

Change happens when we want it badly enough. I’d say we’re there.

My optimism for Citrus County is through the roof. Dave Vincent didn’t start that, the community did. But Sheriff Dave Vincent captured our spirit better than anyone. 

Good times are coming. I can feel it. Happy New Year, friends.

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