cevycounryjournat. AROUND LEVY COUNTY

THURSDAY, JUNE 29, 2006

 

Chiefland hears plans for making life simpler

BY CAROLYN RISNER
MANAGING EDITOR

With residential growth just
over the horizon, Chiefland
City Commissioners, are now
mulling over ifthe city’s water
and sewer treatment plants
should be computerized.

At Monday’s meeting,
representatives from the
Sanders Company and US
Filter presented why putting
the plants on the computer
would be beneficial to the
city.

Using radios, data could
be transmitted from the city’s
13 lift stations, three wells
and three elevated storage
tanks to a computer from
which operators could access
and download real time
information rather than do it
manually from the sites.

Information on water
levels, pumping and
flows could be readily

available and if something
is operating inadequately,
the operators could © know
about it and correct it almost
immediately.

Reports required by the

Florida Department of
Environmental Protection
could be tabulated

immediately via computer
rather than spending the time
it would take for the operator
to gather the information and

-then record it.

The new system, called
SCADA, is used primarily

in larger cities, said Doug ~

Schafer of Sanders Company,
but Newberry has also added
it.

The system is so
sophisticated, the operator
can access the password
protected program from a
laptop computer at home and
many times be able to handle
the situation without ever
going in to the plant.

Schafer said $175,000
was budgeted for the system,
but was reluctant to name a
specific amount in case the
city opted to go with the
system and put it out for
bids.

Mayor Teresa Barron said
the city planned expansion in

the next two years and would
keep SCADA in mind.

In other business, the city
approved two requests that
concern a _ condominium
development planned for
behind the Chiefland Post
Office.

Skyline Builders, which is
planning a 100 unit complex,
asked the city to allow it to
build one of its buildings on
land designated commercial
in order to save a 72 inch tree
and to enter into an agreement

with the city that makes the

developer responsible for
ownership and maintenance
of the utilities and roads
within the development.

The commission
unanimously approved the

| requests and also agreed to

adopt a resolution that will
cede street rights-of-way
back to the developer.

Jim Long, president of
Skyline Builders, told the
commission that 18 buildings
will house the 100 units. At
the end of each building will

be a three bedroom, single .

 

AN ARTIST rendering of the new condominium development that will be lo-
cated behind the Chiefland Post Office.

story unit. Each will have
its own garage and plans are
now in the works for a pool
and clubhouse. The three
bedroom units have about
1,600 square feet and the two
bedroom units have 1,300.
The condos will sell . for
$140,000-$180,000, Long
‘said.

The commission also:

° Had the final reading
on a voluntary annexation

for James Hudson; a final
reading for LSG Land’s. re-
zoning and the first reading
for a voluntary annexation by
G.C. Cannon.

¢ Heard from Nyla

“Lockwood who spoke on the

city’s Unity Day planned for
October. A planning meeting

is set for 7 p.m. July 10 at:

Bell’s restaurant.
° Learned ‘that Waste
Pro had cancelled its meeting

with the city on garbage :

concerns for the second
time.
e Learned the first |

estimate to ground the water
tower at the police station is in
excess of $77,000. Lightning
has hit several times and has
cost -the city a considerable
amount. of downtime and
funds to replace radio
equipment.

 

Bess Evans continues to pursue that which interests her

BY AMANDA DEPOTTY
CORRESPONDENT

ESS EVANS IS A

WOMAN WHO

HAS SPENTHER

UFE GIVING TO
OTHERS. BORN AND RAISED IN
TENNESSEE, EVANS ATIENDED
MIpDDIE TENNESSEE STATE
UNIVERSITY, M AJORING IN
HEALIH, PHYSICAL EDUCATION,
AND RECREATION.

“ATIHATIM E, THERE WERE
NOTM ANY THINGS WOMEN -
COULD GO INTO REAILY,? iii -
EVANS REMINISCES. IN HIGH
SCHOOL, EVANS FEELS THAT HER
SP ECTACULAR TEACHERS HEIP ED
HER FALLIN LOVE WITH ENGLISH.
HOWEVER, AFIER TAKING A FEW
ENGLISH COURSES IN COLLEGE,

' SHE QUICKLY CAME 0 THE
DECISION THAT HER P ROFESSORS
WEREN TENTIRELY UP TO HER
STANDARDS. SHE DECIDED TO
ANSWER THE NEED FOR PHYSICAL
EDUCATION TEACHERS INSTEAD
OF STUDYING HER fiRSTIOVE.
SHE WAS FOND OF SP ORIS AS
WEIL, HAVING PLAYED SOFIBALL
IN HIGH SCHOOL AND BEEN
AMEMBER OF THE COLLEGE
TUMBLING TEAM :

- “TR TD BEEN TAIER IT
WOULD’ VE BEEN BETIER,” EVANS
SAYS WITH AIAUGH. SHE
FELT JUST ATHOM E TEACHING
PHYSICAL EDUCATION AND
COACHING TEAM S AS SHE
DID READING LITERATURE AND
WRITING.

RECRUITED BY THE COLLIER
County SCHOOL Boarb, EVANS
LEFT TENNESSEE AND MOVED
TO FIORIDA TO TEACH PHYSICAL
EDUCATION. THERE, SHE MET
HER (NOW FORM ER) HUSBAND, A
SCIENCE TEACHER AT THE SAME
SCHOOL LATERON THEY MOVED
To ATLANTA SO HE COULD ATIEND
DENTAL SCHOOL

AFIER HE COM PIETED THE
DENTAL P ROGRAM ,: THE COUPIE

 

Journal photo by Amanda DePotty

“MISS BESS” Evans takes great pride in her Victorian
Tea Room nestled in the heart of Williston.

and their son moved to
Williston because of the
area’s critical need for
dentists. Though she

‘occasionally substituted to

help out the community, for
the most part Evans retired
from her career as a formal
teacher, though she never
stopped giving lessons in
life.

As if rearing children
weren’t enough, Evans took
it upon herself to save the
Suwannee Valley News when
she heard it was going up for
sale. Evans had acquired a
taste for journalism earlier
in life. She edited a small,
mimeographed paper in
high school. No major in
journalism was offered at
Middle Tennessee State at
that time, but Evans took
all of the available classes

offered.

In her sophomore year,

Suwannee Valley
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Evans became the first
underclassman editor of
the campus newspaper and

also worked on a bi-weekly

newspaper in her hometown.
With a deep interest in-

her Scottish heritage, she
has also worked on the

Clan Barkley newsletter

and published writing and
pictures in the newsletter
after she traveled to Scotland
and England. All of her
previous experience gave
Evans the confidence to buy
half-interest in the Suwannee
Valley News in 1965 while
most of her children were
still in diapers. In 1970
when the Williston Sun
News also became available,
she purchased the second
newspaper and merged her
two investments together.
Evans became the first
female newspaper publisher
in Florida.

       
 
 
   
 
  
     
  
   
  
   
   
   
    
     
 
 

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For years Evans devoted _
herself to the newspaper,
determined to provide
honest news to her readers,

a passion that she passed on
to her son, who often worked
for his mother’s paper.

Evans also never

~ abandoned her role.as

teacher. For years she would
offer summer positions to
journalism students from the
University of Florida, who
had no medium of their own.
to gain: experience. ae

“TOF oF people aia” nm
The Alligator is the college’s
paper, but it’s not,” says
Evans. The matronly
journalist would take these
young students under
her wing, teaching them
the ropes of writing for
newspapers, the importance
of style, accuracy and
deadlines. “They could —
write, but they didn’t know
how a newspaper worked.”

In November of 2001,
Evans decided to sell the
newspaper to a newsgroup in
Kentucky. Ready to devote
herself to other projects, and
still suffering injuries from a
serious car accident in 1997,
Evans decided to take the
offer the newspaper group
gave her. “I knew I had to
sell. I knew I just couldn’t
keep up.” .

However, Evans did not
retire completely. Handing
over the newspaper gave
Evans the opportunity to
finally finish one of her other
passions in life.

In 1987, Evans set into
motion the building of
Williston’s own tea room.

“T have always liked tea
rooms,” says Evans. She
remembers saving pennies
as a child to go to tea rooms.

Built in 1890 for the Barton
family and later renovated
into several hotels and a
boarding house, Evans’ tea
room is a historic landmark.
For almost 20 years she has
been working on restoring
the building to its former
glory. “I started scraping a
hundred years of paint off
of things,” Evans says with
a laugh. “What was there I
tried to retain.”

While she worked on

‘the paper, she spetit every “'\) ’

moment she could spare
working on the house,
mostly repairing it during
the summer when her son
and her interns did the
majority of the work on the
paper. By the time she sold’
her paper, the house was

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finally repaired and waiting
to be decorated. In January
of 2005, Evans was able to
make her dream come true.
She has invested much time
and care into her tea room,
giving each room unique

-_ colors and decorations. She

even names each room after
her grandmothers and her
sisters.

Now in her 70s, “Miss
Bess” shows no signs of
_, Slowing, down, She is tlle
to spend her days searching .
for new teas and interesting |
recipes, much to the delight
of her customers. With
plenty to keep her busy,
Evans will be a source of
inspiration (and a good cup
of tea) for years to come.

. ee Se it, — ii ie. )

ess =

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High Tide
/Low Time
High 5:30AM
Low 10:42 AM
High 4:24 PM
11:33 PM

Height °
Feet

Day

 
 
  
 
 
 

    
  

6: 31 AM
12:14 PM
5:59 PM

Low
High
Low
High 11:13 PM

Tides for Cedar Key starting with June 29

  
 

  

Time - % Moon
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10

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Rise 2: 36 PM

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