differences Page 10 BY JEFF M. HARDISON STAFF WRITER “It’s like the pioneer days ‘ when you’ve got covered wagons and the wheels have come off,” ‘said Radie Armstrong of Yankeetown. The wagons can’t roll without wheels and the town government can’t run without having enough people for a - quorum — which has been the case in Yankeetown a couple of times. Armstrong called the Levy County Journal in an attempt to balance the perspective concerning the town. that is in the throes of revolutionary social change — development is coming there but some people are fighting fiercely against it. ; A plague of mistrust has fed the cancer of hatred that eats at neighbors’ hearts. The issue dividing the little hamlet is a battle over whether to allow a major development on the Withlacoochee River. Some townsfolk are angry. They want a recall of the mayor. They say she will grant developers’ requests with no regard for the environment. Other townspeople believe Mayor Joanne Johannesson represents the majority view of the people. That view endorses the philosophy of private property rights prevailing over government regulating what can‘be built. The polarization of the town epitomizes a statewide struggle that has raged for decades. This little slice of tranquil, rural river life is a candy store for developers. It is a hotbed in a war that is not based on socio-economic - classes. This fight is not linked to race, religion or political parties. either. This conflict revolves around philosophical. about whether to allow any development of environmentally sensitive areas Of the state. An enticing chunk of property along the river that runs through Yankeetown has brought about this war where Closed ———— Haines and others said the council needs to just confer with Pate as to when she can attend, because she must do things to care for her husband who is very ill. Then, there was more banter from the audience as some people yelled at Bowman for an email he had sent to the mayor. Then, Bowman made it simple. He resigned, effective immediately. Therefore, no quorum can exist until the governor appoints three new members, Only Pate and Stetz remain. Dorothy Duran who had come to. the “workshop” to be interviewed for the town clerk job experienced people yelling questions at her, and she replied. Neither Bowman, nor Stetz, nor Myric asked any questions of Duran. Unlike all other cities, the people conducted the interview rather than the elected officials. It was chaotic, with none of the questioners identifying themselves before they asked pointed and some personal questions of Duran. When Duran saw that town rang through the LEVY COUNTY JOURNAL RADIE ARMSTRONG friends are no longer civil to each other. Passion runs deep in regard to keeping big development out. The Izaak Walton Lodge has become the Wal-Mart of the Withlacoochee in the eyes of some townsfolk. Armstrong said she called for a press conference because no one is speaking in favor of the mayor or in favor of development. “What has happened to this woman who is just a citizen in an unpaid mayor’s job is horrible,” Armstrong said. “And, I feel like a lot of us want to say, first of all, a lot of things that are right with this town. And then, get back to having a government able to operate again.” Among the people joining Armstrong at her press conference were her husband Ron Armstrong, Barbara “Lee” “Parker, Art Parker, Dennis McGill, Dara McGill - and: Kathleen Hoover. Other than the Journal, a reporter | from the Citrus edition of the St. Petersburg Times attended the get-together. Two points of contention entire conference. The “Save Yankeetown” website is seen as a place where people are defamed and misinformation is spread. The second point is that people who are unwilling to post “Save Yankeetown” signs in their yards become hall was‘going to be closed, she said she would not seek the clerk’s job. Emie Paskey and Chris Fineout applied for the zoning official’s job, again being interviewed by unidentified people in the audience rather Journal photo by Jeff M. Hardison AROUND LEVY COUNTY. Drama in Yankeetown ongoing saga _ Group defends mayor: targets for zealots who abuse them with vicious verbal attacks. Hoover said her husband George turned 80 on June 22, the day of the Armstrong press conference. One of their neighbors reached through his car window and grabbed his. arm in a violent manner as part of that neighbor’s exhibition of anger over the Hoovers’ choice to remove a “Save Yankeetown” sign they had on their property. Mrs. Hoover said her husband. — a police officer ’ in Washington, D.C., for 11 years — chose against filing any civil-or criminal charges against the neighbor over the incident. : Mr. McGill said everyone in Yankeetown would prefer not to have the development happen on the Withlacoochee River, Property owners have rights, however, he added, and these investors have bought the property. The McGills, Armstrongs, Parkers and Hoovers all would prefer that their neighbors agree to have different opinions on this issue — but still remain civil. They want to return to the days when people waved at each other with all of their fingers rather than just one. Mr. Parker said allegations that he cozies up to the mayor and the developer to secure a job as a planning official is hogwash. Mrs. Parker said her being a volunteer office worker at Town Hall is not her method to have an inside track to fill the vacant clerk position. Mrs. Parker said she’ may’ never volunteer for anything again. “There is a dissident group in the town that just does not want any development,” Mrs. Armstrong said. “They have bonded together and determined this mayor is the person who is at fault for any potential change. And they have decided if they can get rid of her, there will be no’ change, which is still unrealistic.” Continued from front than by the town council members. Yankeetown Town Council has dissolved as far as being an operable body. It went up in alittle mushroom cloud on June 23 with Bowman‘s resignation. ATTORNEY KENNETH L. Warnstadt of Brooksville (right) speaks with attorney Tim Haines about whether Roger Myric can keep rescinding his resignation, or if the acceptance of the resignation ever existed. Nettles-Parrish-Polk reunion scheduled The annual Nettles-Parrish-Polk reunion will be held on Sunday, July 16 at the Hart Springs Park Pavilion A, Bell. Please re- mind any family members and friends that the reunion is back to the original date, the third Sunday in July. chair. The family only has the one side of the pa- vilion this year, so you may want to bring a ‘All paper goods will be provided If anyone has any questions please call Patti at 352-871-3960 or Elaine at 352-472-2443. THURSDAY, JUNE 29, 2006 Recall election set for Aug. 8 BY JEFF M. HARDISON STAFF WRITER Eighth Judicial Circuit Chief Circuit Court Judge Frederick D. Smith of Gainesville has scheduled the recall election of Yankeetown Mayor Joanne Johannesson for Aug. 8. It was Smith’s single duty to set the date for the recall election. Smith has received confirmation of the number of voters’ signatures who want to oust Johannesson, which forced him to set a date within a certain window of time. Meanwhile, Circuit Civil Court Judge Maurice Giunta heard the first pleadings in the case of Johannesson versus the Town of Yankeetown, Maxine Comer and. Levy County Supervisor — of Elections Connie Asbell in his chambers June 28 after presstime. The mayor wants to stop the recall election via her lawsuit. She is alleging that she was not given due process of law, according to the suit. Johannesson’s attorney is the former interim town attorney for Yankeetown — David LaCroix. Smith said he could not give a legal opinion regarding the question, “Does the circuit court judge in Levy County have the authority to ask the chief judge of the circuit to not set a date for a recall election?” The reason Smith cannot give a legal opinion results from procedural law related to. making comments about cases where he is involved as a judge.. Giunta also must remain silent about anything concerning the suit by Johannesson against the Town of Yankeetown and others, because it is a case upon which he will rule. Johannesson is suing the town, of Yankeetown, according to Yankeetown ‘Town Attorney Kenneth Warnstadt, because there was no clerk in office when LaCroix filed the papers. The mayor’s suit “is not a vicious lawsuit” against the town, Warnstadt said. It is just to’ force the court to determine if the recall petition is sufficient on its face to force a recall election. Special agents from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement’s Gainesville Field Office continue investigating alleged crimes by | Yankeetown © officials, although the FDLE chose against investigating allegations by Johannesson that she has been threatened. The criminal investigation was announced June 20 — two days after Johannesson was seen putting papers, some shredded and some not, into a recycling Dumpster at city hall. Ed Candela saw her dumping the papers as he was going for a walk. “After I saw her, I thought to myself — this smells,” Candelasaid, Candela saw Elizabeth — Weimer’s . car in the parking lot of city hall with Johannesson’s vehicle at the time of the paper dumping. Candela took - photos of the mayor disposing of materials. Candela and others “went Dumpster diving” and found two sacks of material, which they gave to the FDLE. The choice by the mayor . to dispose of materials came immediately after, former Town Clerk Debra Stines‘and Deputy Clerk Laura Coyle had resigned. Normally, the clerk of the town would dispose of public records following procedures established in law for proper disposal or archiving. Developer promises ecological harmony BY JEFF M. HARDISON Staff Writer. Without a doubt, the turmoil in Yankeetown: found its seed in a big development planned to be on the banks of . the Withlacoochee River. Some environmental activists of disruption of town government, but the developer wants everyone to understand certain truths about his current proposal for a three-phase project that shows a tentative completion date in 2010. Peter F. Spittler is the architect, the planner, the engineer and the developer for all three phases of the development — Izaak Walton Lodge & Marina, Yankeetown Boat ‘Co. & Fish Co., and the Anchorage Boathouse & Preserve. The first phase is the Izaak Walton Lodge & Marina. “T firmly believe this will be a benchmark in the state of Florida for development with environmental sensitivity at its core,” Spittler said. This project will include about 90 resort residential units to begin with, but the 176 dry dock ‘boat racks and 130 wet slips will be near an area where another 48 living units will be in two buildings. Along the river there are Bee’s Marina, the “Speck piece” of property and Yankeetown. Marina. In the current zoning, which goes commercial-residential- commercial for the three sections next to the river, Spittler could build 56 units in four big buildings at Bee’s Marina, eight houses on -the Speck property and 32 units in three big buildings on the Yankeetown Marina property. Instead, he wants to build the same total number of units in 32 different buildings along the whole stretch to make it more evenly distributed across the land. This creates more green space and is on a better scale, Spittler said. Another 25-acre section of the property acquired from the Knott family will be preservation land for mitigation. Yet another 12 acres: next to SR 40 is for a wastewater treatment plant. Spittler noted that Izaak Walton was a 16" century ‘are at the ‘core: philosopher who .was a defender of soil, woods, water and wildlife. The theme for the whole project is to be part of the natural surroundings. To -develop along the Withlacoochee River, which is one: of Florida’s ‘protected Waterways, Outstanding Spittler must meet standards set by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, the DepartmentofCommunity Affairs and a dozen other state agencies. . Although Levy County has no manatee protection ordinance, Spittler said he will abide by the rules set in Citrus County to protect those creatures. He plans to enhance the. quality of the water in three ways. First, he will create a wastewater treatment plant to accept all septic from his development: and he wants to. allow the town to connect to it. Second, the stormwater runoff issues that feed pollution into the river will be corrected’ on this section of property. Third, he intends to reconfigure the water’s edge so that small inlets that have been harboring pollution will be allowed to flush downstream and the river will flow better through the area. The Izaak Walton Lodge and ‘Marina may be open as soon as April 2007, Spittler said. Every part of the project is intended to be in harmony with nature. Ecology, economy and culture are all key considerations for the ‘development, he added. His project will create 130 full-time permanent jobs, Spittler said. He believes he can bring-the:town millions of dollars 'for*imprtoving its’ infrastructure, through a memorandum of agreement with the Florida Office of Trade and Tourism. : Right now, that progres has been stalled by the state due to the issues with the government of Yankeetown. As far as progress in purchasing all of the land, six of the nine pieces are bought. . Contracts are pending on the Cunningham and Riverside Marina Property, and there is a lawsuit in regard to the property owned by Eddy and Clara Oesterle, Spittler said. Misinformation has been a problem, he said. Development is a process, Spittler said. His first plan was of too large a scale for what can be built along the river in Yankeetown. This plan, he added, is good to go. It takes civility to discuss these development issues, he said. Pitting friend against friend over this development is a sin that has been perpetrated on Yankeetown by a few people who are not willing to look at the current plans for development, Spittler said. Governor responds to crisis BY JEFF M. HARDISON STAFF WRITER After a June 26 letter from Yankeetown Town Attorney Kenneth Warnstadt to Nathan Adams, who is Gov. Jeb Bush’s deputy general counsel,,a spokesperson for the governor’s of- fice said on June 27 it would try to provide assistance. Warnstadt noted the town lacks staff and town council members, and it does not have a method to add council mem- bers — who are the people that hire staff. “The Governor’s legal office is still working on several op- tions to provide assistance to Yanketown. We will most likely have something tomorrow,” said Alia Faraj, communications director. Warnstadt said the Florida League of Cities and the gov- ernment of Levy County is assisting with helping the town pay bills and conduct minimal business until the dilemma is resolved more permanently. The problem comes from people leaving their offices. The following people have resigned: Council people Roger Myrick, Diane Blomgren, Dan Bowman, Clerk Debra Stines, Deputy Clerk Laura Coyle, Interim Town Attorney David La- Croix, Zoning Official Raymond J. Wojciulewicz, Zoning Of- ficial Stan Moore, Planning and Zoning Chairman Marinus DeRijke and Planning Board Member Elizabeth Weimer. Myric took back his resignation a couple of times. Bow- man’s resignation was not in writing. Nevertheless, for all in- tents and purposes, only two town council members remain.