WEDNESDAYUM, JULYT 26, 2006 ..------- ----


Alex


Continued From Page 1A-

the position came about as a
result of combining the in-
surance commissioner with
the comptroller position.-
The person holding the job
serves as the insurance con-
sumer advocate, but doesn't
directly regulate the insur-
ance companies.
 "We've had a tremendous
decrease in the percentage of
small businesses that are
able to provide healthcare
for their employees," she
said. "Let's go out and buy
new products. Competitive


products. Affordable prod-
ucts."
 She said in that capacity
she'd help individuals trying
to buy property insurance or
small businesses trying to
find affordable healthcare
for employees. She would
also help large businesses
find insurance to.cover their
facility against hurricanes.
 After refreshments were
served, Sink dropped in at
Suwannee River Water Man-
agement District to speak
with .SRWMD Assistant Ex-
ecutive Director David Still
about growth management


in the area.
 "Even in this part of Flori-
da there are growth con-
cerns," she said. "What I'm
finding is there are many
people when I go to South
Florida saying they're mov-
ing north to get out of the
way of hurricanes."
 Sink said Columbia Coun-
ty is one of the fastest grow-
ing counties in the country.
* "And they (water manage-
ment) has to figure out
where their water is coming
from, which is a real chal-
'lenging balancing act," she
said.


 After the visit at SRWMD,
 Sink headed to Jasper.
 Sink.was the president for
 Bank of America for Florida
 for seven years where she
 was responsible for 800
 branches and 9,000 people.
 She managed $40 billion in *
 customer's deposits.
 "I'm bringing that type of
. background and financial
experience," she said. "I
want to wake up every day
thinking about the decisions
I make and what I'm going
to do to help the everyday
Citizen in this state to live a
better life."


WARM WELCOME: Candidate for Florida Chief Financial Officer
Alex Sink, far right, was given a warm welcome in Live Oak dur-
ing a meet and greet with the public July 20.
 Photo: Jennifer Burnham


OBITUARIES


 Annell C. Backus
 Nov. 5, 1940 -
 July 24, 2006

 nnell C. Backus, 65,
 of Crescent City, Fla.,
 passed away Monday,.
 July 24, 2006 at Flagler Hos-
 pital in St. Augustine. She was
'born in Live Oak to the late
Fred Eris and Maxine Watson
Carver. Backus was an active
member in her community, in-
cluding Red Hat Divas with
Hattitude and Women of the
Moose. Her hobbies included
BINGO, fishing, interior.dec-
orating and making crafts for


Downey, Sherri Randolph
(Travis) and Jeffrey. Backus;
and three great-grandchildren,
Taylor, Shaylee and Jaiden
Randolph..'
 Memorial services will be
conducted at 3 p.m., today,
Wednesday, July 26 in Friend-
ship Baptist Church in Live
Oak with the Rev. Ray May-
field officiating.
 Gateway-Forest Lawn Fu-
neral Home of Lake City is in
charge of all arrangements.

 Angel Piet Grant
 June 12, 1975 -
 July 21, 2006


her family and friends. Backus
and her husband, Jeff-opened ngel Piet Grant, 31,
their hearts and home to fami- of Live Oak, Fla.
ly and friends in their time of passed away Friday,
need. She touched the heart of July 21, 2006 due to injuries
everyone she met and offered sustained in an automobile
her love and support without accident. She lived in Live
ever expecting anything in re- Oak all her life, was a man-
turn. Backus was a loving sis- ager for S&S Food Store in
ter, mother, grandmother, Ellisville for two years and
spouse and friend to -all she was a.member of St. Francis
met and will be deeply Xavier Catholic Church in
missed, but we know we will Live Oak.
see her again. Survivors include her hus-
 'Survivors include her lov- band,. Brad Grant of Live
ing husband of 48 years, Jeff Oak; her father, Ralph Piet
Backus of Crescent City; her' of Live Oak; her mother, Di-
son, Bill Backus (Donna) of. ane Dean of Live Oak; three
Mobile, Ala.; her daughter, daughters, Misty Jonea Mc-
Julje Adams of Middleburg: Daniel. Kursty Marie Setty
three grandchildren, Chad ...and Franklynn Simmons. all


of Live Oak; one son, Cody
Lee Grant of Live Oak; two
sisters, Misty Tinney and
Chantel Mansfield, both of
Live Oak; and four brothers,
Ralph John Piet Jr. of Bowl-
ing Green, Ky., James Ray
Piet of Daytona -Beach and
Raoul Duane Piet and Shane
Augustine Piet, both of Live
Oak..
 Funeral mass will be con-
ducted at 10 a.m., today,
Wednesday, July 26 in St.
Francis Xavier Catholic
Church in Live Oak with Fa-
ther Richard Perko and Fa-
ther Mike Pendergraft offi-
ciating. Interment will fol-
low at Friendship Baptist
Church Cemetery, Live Oak.
 Daniels Funeral Homes.
 Inc. of Live Oak is in charge
 of all arrangements.

 Christopher D. "Chris"
 Gaylord
 Sept. 10, 1976 -
 July 21, 2006

 hristopher D. "Chris"
 Gaylord, 29, of Live
I Oak, Fla. passed
away Friday, July 21, 2006
due to injuries- sustained in
an automobile accident. The


in Live Oak. ::.
 Survivors include his
wife, Tracy Gaylord of Live
,Oak; his mother, Deborah
Gaylord of. St. Augustine;
one daughter, Amber Gay-
lord of Live Oak; one son,
Christopher D. Gaylord of
Live Oak; and maternal
grandfather and step-moth-
er, Elva ard Carol Gaylord
of Live Oak. He was pre-
ceded in death by his grand-
mother, Sylvia Gaylord.
 Funeral services will be
 conducted at 10 a.m., Thurs-
 day, July 27 in Daniels
 Memorial Chapel in Live
 Oak with the Rev. Louis
 Berry officiating. Interment
 will be held at 2 p.m. in
 Pine Level Cemetery in Ox-
 ford. Visitation will be held
 from 6-8 p.m., today,
 Wednesday, July 26 in the
 funeral home.
 Daniels Funeral Homes,
 Inc. of Live Oak is in charge
 of all arrangements.

 Margaret Ruth Burlison
 Aug. 12, 1925 -
 July 22, 2006

 argaret -Ruth
 SBurlison, 80, of


Gainesville native was a4/ I Live Oak, Fla.,
steel worker for eight years passed away Saturday, July
with Gamble Construction '2, 2006 in Shands at Lake


Shore in Lake City follow-
ing. a brief illness. The
Lucedale, Miss. native
moved to Live Oak from
Miami 23 years ago, was a
homemaker and enjoyed
Working with flowers and
tending her garden. She was
a member of Pine Grove
Methodist Church.
 Survivors include one
 brother, Steve Harvard of
 Lucedale, Miss; two grand-
 sons, Shawn Dougherty of
 Iraq and Robbie Dougherty
 of Live Oak; and one great-
 grandchild.
 Graveside funeral ser-
 vices'were held at' 10:30
 a.in., Monday,..July 24 in
 Pine Grove Methodist
 Church Cemetery with the
 Rev. Carl Wiggins officiat-
 ing.
 Harris.Funeral Home, Inc..
 of Live Oak was in charge
 of all arrangements.

 Roy Koon
 Nov. 9, 1917 -
 July 20, 2006

 oy Koon, 88, passed
 away Thursday, July
 20, 2006 in North
 Florida Regional 'Medical
 Center in Gainesville fol-
 lowing short illness. He was
 born Nov,. 9, 1917 in Hil-


dreth, son of the late Ben M.
and Elvie Rhoden Koon.
Koon was preceded in death
by his wife of 61 years, Iris,
and passed away on what
would have been his 65th
wedding anniversary. He
,was a farmer, played.the
guitar and sang. He loved
Jesus, Iris, his children and
music. Koon was a member
of Evergreen Baptist Church
in Lake City.
 SSurviv6rs include four
daughters, Ann and Billy
Hart of Lake City, Sue and
Marc Smith of Jacksonville,
Jane and Harvey Irby of
Lake City and Karen and
Gerod Knighton of O'Brien;
one son, Charles and Marion
SKoon of Ward, Ala.; two
brothers, Edward and Joy
Koon of Lake City and Rus-
sell and Evelyn Koon of
Lake City;: 12 grandchil-
dren; and 16 great-grand-
children.
 Funeral services were held
 at 3 p.m:, Saturday, July 22
 in Daniels Memorial Chapel
 in Branford with the Rev.
 Frank Davis officiating. In-
 terment followed in Siloam
 United Methodist Church
 Cemetery in Lake City.
 Daniels Funeral Homes,
 Inc. of Branford was in
 charge of all arrangements.,


 NOTICE OFTAX FOR


 SCHOOL CAPITAL OUTLAY
 The Suwannee County School Board will soon consider a measure to continue to
impose a 2.00 mill property tax for the Capital Outlay projects listed herein.

This tax is in addition to the school board's proposed tax of 5.794 mills for operating
expenses and is proposed solely at the discretion of the school board.

"**THE PROPOSED COMBINED SCHOOL BOARD TAX INCREASE FOR BOTH
OPERATING EXPENSES AND CAPITAL OUTLAY IS SHOWN IN THE ADJACENT
NOTICE.

*The Capital Outlay tax will generate approximately $2,874.239 to be used for the
following projects:

 CONSTRUCTION AND REMODELING
 One'(1) New Elementary School, Live Oak
 Repayment for Special Facilities
 Classroom Addition to Existing Elementary School
 Plant Survey Construction Projects

 MAINTENANCE, RENOVATION AND REPAIR
 Facilities Maintenance and Improvement County Wide
 Roof Repairs
 Paving Parking Lots &Access Roads
 Storm Water Management.

 MOTOR VEHICLE PURCHASES
 .Purchase of Four (4) School Buses
 Purchase of Motor Vehicles for the Maintenance or
 Operation of Plants and Equipment

 NEW AND REPLACEMENT EQUIPMENT
 School Furniture and Equipment
 Data Processing Equipment

 PAYMENTS FOR EDUCATIONAL FACILITIES AND SITES DUE
 UNDER A LEASE-PURCHASE AGREEMENT,
 Suwannee High, Branford High, Suwannee Middle, Suwannee Primary,
 Suwannee Elementary and Suwannee Intermediate

 PAYMENTS FOR RENTING AND. LEASING EDUCATIONAL FACILITIES AND SITES
 One (1) Year Lease of Classrooms

 PAYMENTS OF LOANS APPROVED PURSUANT TO SS. 1011.14 AND 1011.15, F.S.
 First Federal Savings Bank

 PAYMENT OF COSTS OF COMPLIANCE WITH
 ENVIRONMENTAL STATUTES AND REGULATIONS
 Removal of Hazardous Waste

 PAYMENT OF COSTS OF LEASING RELOCATABLE EDUCATIONAL FACILITIES
 Portable Classrooms Live Oak and Branford

 All concerned citizens are invited to a public hearing to be held on July 31, 2006 at 5:30
 P.M., at the Suwannee County School Board District Office Board Room, 702 2nd
 Street, NW, Live Oak, Florida.

 A DECISION on the proposed CAPITAL OUTLAY TAXES will be made at this hearing.
 283658-f
 I .
 '1s


 NOTICE OF




 PROPOSED




 TAX INCREASE


The District School Board of Suwannee County will soon
consider a measure to increase its property tax levy.


Last year's proposed tax levy
A. Initially proposed tax levy $8,795,085
B. Less tax reductions due to Value Adjustment
 Board and other assessment changes $ 361,582
C. Actual property tax levy $9,156,667


This year's proposed tax levy $11,790,430


A portion of the tax levy is required under state law in
order for the school board to receive $21,084,618 in state
education grants. The required portion has INCREASED
by 24.07 percent and represents approximately seven
tenths of the total proposed taxes.


The remainder of the taxes is proposed solely at the
discretion of the school board.


All concerned citizens are invited to a public hearing on
the tax increase to be held on
 July 31, 2006 at 5:30 P.M., in the

 Suwannee County School District Office Board Room,
 702 2nd Street, NW, Live Oak, Florida.


 A DECISION on the proposed tax increase and the budget
 will be made at this hearing. 283659-F
 283659-F


.


E SUWAbNNEE DEMOCRAT/LIVE OAK


PAGE 9A


 M-rKllrtCM^ A\l II I1 \/ otr t ,'


I,