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LEVY COUNTY JOURNAL

THURSDAY, JUNE 29, 2006

 

EB
Let freedom ring!

hen in the Course of human events, it becomes
\ \ | necessary for one people to dissolve the po-

litical bands which have connected them with
another, and‘to assume among the powers of the earth, the
separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and
of Nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opin-
ions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes
which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are
created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with
certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Lib-
erty and the pursuit of Happiness.

Declaration of Independence
July 4, 1776

 

YOUR VIEW
ey
Wanting it both ways

To the editor:

There seems to be a lot of this going around these days.

First it was the Spittler spin that [WI was going to put
in “resort residential units” so that their projects could be
interpreted as “resorts” to get one permit and as “residences”
to get another.

The current argument is that because his resignation was
not formally accepted by the Yankeetown Town Council, Mr.
Myrick is entitled to continue to serve and to vote as coun-
cilman.

Does it not follow, then, that, since Mr. La Croix’s res-
ignation also was not formally accepted by the same Town
Council, that he is still employed by the town and is there-
fore in violation of ethics to take on the position of private
attorney for Mayor Johannassen?

Further, using the same reasoning, cannot Debbie Stines,
whose resignation was never formally accepted by the coun-
cil, now resume her duties as town clerk?

There’s also the matter that, to use the endearing phrase
of her close friend, “her Mayorship,” who has been quoted
numerous times in the Chronicle as “just trying to keep the ©
town from being sued” is now suing the town herself be-
cause she “is not part of the governing body” and therefore
not subject to recall.

If that is indeed the. case, then the opinion of counsel that
“The governing body can choose its own agenda,” must
mean that the mayor has no authority: ‘tordo so since she pro-
fesses not to be “part of the governing body:”

And let’s not forget that Madame Mayor summarily
vetoed a hearing for a building moratorium in its final stages
after hours of work by the Planning Commission with the
assistance of Bruce Day (at $75/hr.) and the former town
attorney (at $150/hr.). At the same time, she imposed a de
facto moratorium of her own by having the un-resigned
zoning officer ignore all zoning needs of town citizens while
working feverishly from his hideaway someplace in the next
county on documents submitted by developers from Cleve-
land and Clearwater .

All this is terribly confusing to the ordinary citizen who
has no trouble “living in the 19th century” because then, at
. least, people said what they meant.

Patricia Candela
Yankeetown

Quotes of the Week

Nothing is more difficult, and therefore more pre-
-cious, than ue be able to decide.
“Napoleon Bonaparte

 

Those who deny freedom to othars deserve it not
for themselves.
~Abraham Lincoln

It is easy to take liberty for granted, when you
have never had it taken from you.
~Dick Cheney

Liberty has never come from the government. |
Liberty has always come from the subjects of it. The
history of liberty is a history of resistance.

~Woodrow Wilson

The Levy County Journal is published to serve the people
of Levy County as the leading information source that
empowers the community while never
compromising our principles.

‘ We:

*reflect our community in everything we do.
*provide leadership that contributes to the betterment of
our community,

*record the history of our county and make a difference
in the quality of life for our residents and merchants.
*S5rgmote readership of community events that foster
better citizens.
*promote readership of advertising thereby fostering a
healthy economic environment.

   

fame COUNTY PAPER «

 

Our Mission

 

Y COUNTY JOURNA|

EST.

— 4

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“Copyrighted Material
Syndicated. Content

Available from Commercial News Providers”

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Happy B irthday, America

BY D.T. PENDLETON
Guest COLUMNIST

merica’s birthday
is just around
-MAthe corner. What

does it really mean to you? I
look through the plastic flag
decorations in the discount
store and wonder about the
people buying them. What are
they celebrating this year?
Decorations are part of
our modern celebrations.
I decorate my house for
holidays by changing
accessories to match general
colors.of the season. I have a

small house and by changing
“my accessories, I get to

enjoy treasures otherwise
packed away.

I decorate my garden this
way, too. I prepare my July
garden in April. I reserve
a special section in my.
garden for the red, white
and blue display. I must
admit this year my blue just
disappeared. I’m not sure
where the blue went, but this
year I am left with red and
white salvia! The weeds are
happy though.

My azaleas are pruned and
fed and the garden is waiting
for her new dress in the fall.
I will begin planning that
soon. I will let you know
what I decide. Fall planting
should begin as soon as the
evenings begin to cool a bit
in September.

I will celebrate my
freedom to plan my garden
as I please this year. I have
always made a garden
wherever I have lived.
Sometimes I have just laid
the soil bag flat on the
ground, made three holes
and popped in the plants.
This works real well for

apartment dwellers that want

to grow veggies.

I have lived in many
places in our country. |
have also traveled to many
countries. I learned a
long time ago, we may be
different in some ways but
we are all human. The soil, .
the sun and a deep seeded
need to be near life are
universal. Gardening brings
us all together in many ways,

1923

 

Who We Are

Managing Editor

Carolyn Risner

Office Manager/Chiefland
Robin Heath

Photographer/Production
Miriam Blitch

Staff Writer
Jeff M. Hardison

Sales Representative
Laura Catlow ©
Tynesetter
Wilma Jean Asbell

  
      
     
      
      
 
 
    
   
   
     
    
  

like sharing
advice or
helping a .
neighbor
pull weeds.
Sometimes
my
gardening
is difficult,
helping

a client
choose a
plant for
an ailing
friend or relative.

I also help choose
memorial plants for those
who have passed on. I try
to pick something that will

. reflect the loved one and also

one which will be successful
for the purchaser. I, myself
have a small memorial
garden for those loved ones
who have passed on from my

_life. Sometimes the garden...

offers. ‘comfort. aha

I remember celebr ating the

Fourth of July with my son,
who was then four. I was.a
single mom. I worked one
full-time job and a weekend
job, but I still had it kind of
tough. Jason used to go see
the fireworks with his Daddy,
but I was short on funds that
year. We couldn’t go to the
big show inside the stadium.
I packed peanut butter and
butter sandwiches (family
tradition) mixed up some
blue Kool Aid and drove
to the college. We brought
a small radio and sat on
a baby blanket eating our

‘ picnic lunch. The sunset was

beautiful.

My son danced and
clapped his hands as the
music played. He didn’t see
the line on the other side of

-. the stadium, the crowd of

people going in. A security
guard walked past us. I
wondered if we would have
to leave but he just smiled.
As Jason sat in my lap and
watched the fireworks, he
sang Happy birthday to you,

‘happy birthday America,

with glee.

He had no idea we were
poor or that there were
people inside the stadium.
sitting on bleachers. I

 

remember thinking, this
is America. This is why I
have that flag outside for the
whole neighborhood to see.

Did I know it was
improper to use a staple
gun to staple the flag to my
wooden balcony?

Did I know I had
staple gunned that flag up
backwards?

Did I know that flag

had been made in another. iss
“countty?, as
I didn’t care. Tt felt good.

ERAN LEST TE

to have that flag out for the

whole WORLD to see where
my heart stood. This year, as
I reflect on the joy the flag .

- brings to me, I think I might

understand those people in
the discount store, buying
garlands of plastic flags.

My father served in the
military, my husband served
and my son is serving now.
It gives me great pride to
know the men in my family
love the flag and the republic
it represents so much they
were willing to give their
life.

I have since learned how
to properly display a flag.

It is not impaling a flag with
staples.
I have also learned a flag
may be left out at night only

-if it is properly illuminated.

I now know the direction a

' flag should be oriented to be
viewed properly. |

I learned a flag may be left
out in inclement weather if it
is a storm flag.

I have heard rumors there
is one American company
who makes flags, I will try to
track it down for you.

See D.T. Page 8

Miss Honey Says .

onday, June 26
8 a.m. Good
morning! I

didn’t sleep much Saturday
night and was up early
Sunday morning and baked
two coconut custards and
ared velvet cake and went

~ to Sunday service and to

lunch at Brenda and Brother

“Billy’s.

I took the cake and one
custard to them and went
by Melanie’s before coming
home to take her one of the
coconut custards, and Adam
and Bridget’s baby a stuffed
animal. But they were either
gone or asleep and no one
answered the door.

I couldn’t open the door
so I couldn’t leave the

custard, so I brought it back

home. I'll take it down to
Debbie this iam as
morning
when | take §
this to the
Journal.
_ I didn’t 4
sleep much [i
again last :
night, but
I am okay!
Iam taking
D.J. and
Little Bit
down and getting their nails
clipped so maybe my arms
and legs will get well from
the toenail scratches!

Hush, Donald, I still love
these little dogs and I know
they love me, but I have

MISS
HONEY

| the editor of

‘ before I

 

The Passing
Parade in
Levy County

kind country editor
I knew when I was °
cub reporter in —
the early 1980s was named
Dr. Curry Merchant Jr.
He was

the Madison
Enterprise-
Recorder.
He may
have been
there for
decades

 

JEFFM. —
HARDISON _

Columnist -

sojourned
through that
county. That
was back
when the Suwannee County
Democrat, The Jasper News,
the Perry News-Herald and
the Madison Enterprise-
Recorder were all owned by —
one company in Live Oak.

Curry Merchant only let
me call him “doctor” once
before correcting me. I called.
him “Dr. Merchant” because
I saw his juris doctorate
degree on the wall. Being.
fresh out of the University
of Florida back then I was
rightly impressed by fancy
sheepskins on the wall.

The J.D. is a professional
doctorate awarded by law
schools. It is a requirement
for,admission to the Florida
Bar. The Associated Press
Stylebook cautions against
using the title “Dr.” except
for medical doctors or when —

‘

‘a person’s title relates to his

or her specialty in context __,
witha story, this old country, ,

.., editor reminded me back |.”

then.

I wrote feature stories
for the honorable Mr.
Merchant’s newspaper,
although most of my efforts
went toward the Jasper and
Live Oak newspapers, with

_a smattering of my work

gracing the publication in
Perry as well.
I enjoyed Curry

' Merchant’s weekly column.

He named it “The Passing
Parade.”

He had subtle methods
for expressing his opinion
to “the powers that be” in
Madison County at the time.

I think he called it “The
Passing Parade” because he
saw the passing parade of
humanity in Madison County ,
as it went before his eyes.

It’s been more than a
couple of decades since I
wandered through Hamilton,

‘Suwannee, Taylor and

Madison counties as a young }
reporter. A lot has changed in :
North Central Florida in the *
past quarter century or so.
Zillions of new people

have moved into the whole
state since then, from every
other state and from almost
every country. Wow! What a 5

See Jeff Page 8

never had scratches like this!
Not ever, and I am trying to
get them well because they
really look bad!

I saw and talked to my
friend Betty Colson from
my life at Betts Sunday at
Wal-Mart and she looks
great, but told me Carl (her
husband) is sick, so if and
when you pray, please pray
for Carl, because I do know
God answers prayer and Carl °*
needs our prayers. Of course
we all need prayer, but he
needs healing.

Oh, where would I be
without Jesus? He cares
when it seems no one else
does, and I do thank him for

See Honey Page 8