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Cedar Key Woman’s Club Helps Children

City Key city employee Telecia Winfield (left), who runs the six-week summer program for children on the island, accepts a check for $4,000 from CKWC President Marci Wilcox. The presentation from the Cedar Key Woman’s Club to the City of Cedar Key happened at the Cedar Key City Commission meeting on Tuesday (April 15). The city had lost the supplies needed to run the summer program for the children. The meeting was well attended by Cedar Key Woman’s Club members. CKWC President Wilcox thanked the community for supporting the projects of the CKWC. To see the story titled Cedar Key Woman’s Club Shares Love At Spring Market, which was among the fundraising efforts to help fund the summer camp and which was published March 23, click HERE.
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Published April 16, 2025 at 4 p.m.

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‘Birthday party’ scars Buie Park
City looks at improved safety
No water slides allowed

Police Chief Scott Anderson speaks to the City Commission about what he sees as a matter to watch as he remembered the years leading to the one man murdered by gunshot and other wounded by bullets during Crab Fest 2013 in the area of Levy County east of Williston.

Story, Photos and Video By Jeff M. Hardison © April 15, 2025 at 8 p.m.
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     CHIEFLAND – An event logged as “birthday party” grew beyond what City Manager Laura Cain thought would occur because a form to use Buie Park did not include the fact that vendors would be involved.
     It became clear that the hundreds of people showing up from near and far had been led to believe alcoholic beverages would flow. Likewise, violations of traffic rights-of-way and the city’s noise ordinance were prevalent.
     On the agenda for the Monday night (April 14) regular twice-monthly meeting of the Chiefland City Commission was “Violation of Recreational Use Permit.”
     The Chiefland City Commission on heard from Chiefland Police Chief Scott Anderson, Levy County Sheriff Bobby McCallum “birthday party host” Takiya London and others after Chiefland City Manager Laura Cain listed the suspected infractions, some of which are criminal activities.
     The city rules that were alleged to have been violated included alcoholic beverage possession and use in Eddie Buie Recreational Park; drug possession and use in the park; profanity, including loud radios with rap lyrics that included “fuck the police”; ATV use in the park; alcoholic beverage sales in the park; and alcoholic consumption by individuals younger than 21 years old, according to documents provided by Chiefland Police Department (CPD).

     “Rules. Without them, we live with the animals.” 

-- From the John Wick Movie Franchise

     Another problem that was in violation of park rules was parking other than in designated places.
     During the meeting, Chiefland Mayor Chris Jones said he drove through the area after 10:30 p.m. and he had to go very slowly to avoid hitting people in the streets.
     London had completed the City of Chiefland Recreational Facilities / Special Use Permit Application on Feb. 26 for the event scheduled to be in Eddie Buie Recreational Park on April 5 from 2 p.m. until the park closed that day at 10 p.m., according to records.
     The written rules for use of the park show there are no exceptions to the 10 p.m. closure time for events.
     She checked the box for “Birthday Party,” according to the form she completed and signed.
     London signed the form that stated, “By my signature below, I understand the City of Chiefland may revoke the Facilities / Special Use Permit I am requesting if I falsify this application or if I fail to abide by the Rules for City Recreational facilities.”
     The rules for use of the park note an event with vendors are permitted only after a public event permit is completed and approved. That permit was not completed for this “birthday party,” according to records.


This is the first of a three videos from the Chiefland City Commission meeting of April 14, where Police Chief Scott Anderson and Levy County Sheriff Bobby McCallum speak respectively about the April 5 giant party at Eddie Buie Recreational Park in the City of Chiefland, as well as Crab Fest which happened for some years in the unincorporated area of Levy County to the east of the City of Williston. Click on the PHOTO to see and hear the video.
This video is by Jeff M. Hardison. 
All Copyrights Are Reserved.


This is a video of Cecilia Jones complaining to the Chiefland City Commission during the meeting of April 14 about the city discussion of a violation of park rules. She did not speak from the lectern in City Hall and instead shouted from the back of the room. Cecilia Jones said that the hundreds of people in Buie Park on April 5 are no different than the hundreds of people that come to the Annual Chiefland Watermelon Festival. Cecilia Jones’ account is in contrast with what Chiefland Police Chief Scott Andrews said shows the Buie Park fiasco of April 5 is similar to the early days of the now infamous Crab Fest held east of Williston. In 2013, one man was murdered by gunfire and others suffered wounds from flying bullets. Cecilia Jones said that Chief Anderson's statement that alcohol was being sold there is 'a lie' and people may have bought alcohol elsewhere. There are police reports confirming alcohol consumption at the park during this event. She said there may have been marijuana smoked at the event, but some people have medical marijuana cards. Smoking marijuana for medical reasons is in private residences only. People with medical marijuana cards in Florida can only smoke medical marijuana inside a private residence. Smoking in public places, including parks, sidewalks, beaches, or any place open to the public, is illegal, and the violator could be cited for that, according to the law. The police chief said people posted on social media that they sold alcohol. Carter said she feels this does not mean alcohol was sold in the park. There is also a homemade ad for an event at Buie Park on May 17 where there is going to be a water slide. Water slides are prohibited at that park. Click on PHOTO to see and hear video.
This video is by Jeff M. Hardison. 
All Copyrights Are Reserved.


In this video, Chiefland Mayor Chris Jones speaks, as does Police Chief Scott Anderson and the woman hosting an event where people clearly violated park rules. Tamika London gives her perspective of the situation. The police chief showed body cam footage that demonstrates very loud music with vulgar lyrics being played. The chief said what he saw reminds him of the early Crab Fest years, which he covered when he was with the Levy County Sheriff’s Office. He said this giant party has all the earmarks of what evolved to be a huge gathering at Crab Fest where crimes were committed, including thefts, fraud and murder, as well as violation of Florida drug laws and county and state traffic infractions. Click on PHOTO to see video.
This video is by Jeff M. Hardison. 
All Copyrights Are Reserved.

     City Manager Cain brought the clear violations of park rules to the attention of the City Commission for those five people to consider how to deal with violations such as these at the city’s public facilities.
     Essentially, the City Commission metaphorically kicked the can down the road by having a lot of discussion with no clear action.
     As Mayor Jones opened discussion of the matter, he asked Police Chief Anderson to state what knew from the April 5 “birthday party” at Buie Park.
     While this city park was requested to be used for a “birthday party,” Chief Anderson said, social media posts advertised it as “The 1990s Cookout” and by other names.
     Officers who went to the event after 7 p.m. witnessed people drinking alcohol and performing other actions that are violation of city park rules.
     Chief Anderson said he has been a law enforcement officer for 38 years and he knows what burning marijuana smells like. It was being smoked in the park, he said. Medicinal use of the drug is allowed, but only in a residence – never in a public park, according to Florida law.
     The police chief said he lives six-tenths of one mile from Buie Park and he could hear the music at his house.
     “I said, ‘Seven O’clock, it’s supposed to be over with,” Anderson told the City Commission. “I’ll address it then.”
     At 7 p.m., Chief Anderson sent officers to the park. The officers were told that the people there informed those officers that they are going to do whatever they want to do, Anderson said. With all of the CPD officers being outnumbered by 100-to-1 ratio or so, they chose against making arrests or detaining individuals.
     The chief then left his house. He called for assistance from other agencies. The Levy County Sheriff’s Office sent four deputies. The Florida Highway Patrol sent four troopers. The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services sent two state law enforcement officers.
     After law enforcement cleared the park, the partygoers went to create a block party on Southwest Eighth Court, Anderson said.
     The chief said that activity is a violation of Florida law. 
      Police Chief Anderson said he does not want the CPD to have to check coolers coming into the city’s park. 
     “Somebody’s going to get hurt,” Anderson said. “I dealt this for years with the Crab Fest over there (unincorporated Levy County east of Williston). It finally got closed down because we had a homicide.”
     The chief said these unorganized, unsanctioned events where hundreds and even thousands of people show up are destined to be problematic.
     Police Chief Anderson told the City Commission that the city must address this now, before it gets out of hand.


A woman who deals with people in sorrow from the loss of loved ones as a member of D. Williams Life Tribute Funeral Services said she participated in the discussions about Crab Fest.

     Levy County Sheriff McCallum, who lives in Chiefland, said he came Monday night at the chief’s request because the sheriff can help Chiefland’s leaders better understand about how Crab Fest grew into the monstrosity that it became, and how the people of the community – especially with leadership by pastors and congregants shut that activity down.
     The sheriff said he and Chief Anderson have years of experience working together, and Sheriff McCallum has witnessed “many, many Crab Fests over the years” – going back to the early 1990s.
     Crab Fest started decades ago as a birthday party for family and friends, McCallum said. It started in the home and yard of a very well-known and respected lady who lived in the area of unincorporated Levy County east of Williston, he said.
     Over the next 30 years, the annual event came to be known as Crab Fest, along Levy County Road 318, McCallum said.
     There was no person who was the organizer, he said. No one took ownership of the event. 
     At Crab Fest in 2013, five people were shot with one being fatally wounded, McCallum said.
     “We couldn’t get to the body,” the sheriff said because the festival was so packed with people it was not possible. Ambulances could not reach the wounded individuals, he said.
     The injured men had to be moved from inside the crowd by a pickup truck, he said, because there were so many people that roads were blocked. The crowd had taken over CR 318, he said.
     Since then, the subsequent years of Crab Fest – until it stopped – cost the LCSO in excess of $200,000, Sheriff McCallum said. There also was a cost to the Levy County Fire Rescue Department, Florida Highway Patrol, the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office and every other law enforcement agency, too, as they aided the LCSO.
     That event grew over the years to draw in more than 10,000 people at one time, McCallum said. 
     “They came in from New York, South Carolina, Alabama, a lot from Volusia County, Marion County, Alachua County, our surrounding counties – from all over the state,” he said.
     The sheriff said that he is not trying to stop anyone from having fun. He said he wants the people of Levy County to have fun, and as he looked out at the people in the audience that night, the sheriff said he recognized friends who he has known for most of their lives.
     Sheriff McCallum said he respects them, and he respects that they want to have a fun time. 
     The people coming from other places, McCallum said, do not have any ownership in this community.
     “They’re going to come in and do whatever they want to do,” McCallum said. “Or they will try to do. Then they will take off and go back home.”
     The local residents of the area, he added, are not the problem. The problems happen from people coming from other areas and exploiting whoever they can. There are people making money off of these types of events, he said.
     Residents along CR 318 were selling rights to their property to let food trucks come in, he said. There were souvenir trucks and other vendors.
     There were even people who bought “tickets” to a “concert” at a Crab Fest, and when they showed up to find the band – it didn’t exist, he said.
     The sheriff shared the history of Crab Fest. 
     The only way he could stop Crab Fest was to have the people of the community say, “We have had enough.” The global COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 helped stop it that year, he said.
     The last Crab Fest was in 2021, he said, and that is because the pastors, preachers and the people of that community stopped it.
     The sheriff said people attracting mobs via social media are what leads to these events.
     The sheriff said he understands the fast growth of Crab Fest because of its proximity to Marion County and Alachua County. He never thought this type of thing would happen in Chiefland.
     If the city is going to allow these events to happen, then it must prepare with a significant budget to pay for security as well as the aftermath.
     By being a city rather than the county, the sheriff said those five people can better determine the destiny of what happens within its area.
     Cecilia Jones, a Chiefland resident, shouted from her seat at the back of the meeting room to provide her opinions.
     She said Chief Anderson lied about alcohol being sold in the park. However, while the CPD officers did not arrest people, there are reports where those professional law enforcement officers saw first-hand people drinking alcohol in the park.
     Likewise, all of the alleged violations of park rules cited are based on evidence collected by law enforcement.
     London took time to defend her good name from being disparaged.
     She said he obtained a permit early for this event. She said she had planned to provide a venue for black business interests that are not in a brick-and-mortar structure to have an outlet to generate revenue for their interests at this birthday party.
     London said she did not know a different permit would be required for the many vendors at the event.
     Also, whatever happened after the “birthday party” was beyond her knowledge or control, London intimated.
     City Manager Cain said she intends to improve the application for use of city facilities for parties and the like.
     There were points in the meeting where the crowd all began talking at the same time and the mayor had to bang the gavel to bring order. Chiefland City Commission meetings are relatively less orderly than the Levy County Commission meetings have become.
     Vice Mayor Lewrissa Johns suggested for large gatherings organizers may want to use Trail Head Park rather than Buie Park.
     Johns said that the Chiefland Woman’s Club has taken over hosting of the Chiefland Watermelon Festival. She would like to see some organization formed to oversee hosting for other events, like the recent “birthday party” in Buie Park.
     Mayor Jones said he saw social media promoting a water-oriented event for May 17 at Buie Park. However, the city absolutely prohibits water slides there.
     Mayor Jones would like the city manager and police chief to try to get in front of this false advertising placed on Facebook and elsewhere.
      There is no action that was recommended for the city to take when a person violates the rules that have already been established for park use.
     To see the May 1, 2016 story and photos Crab Fest reverberates with safe fun and festivities, click HERE.
     To see the April 22, 2021 story Judge approves emergency injunction to stop Crab Fest promoter, click HERE.

Governor appoints
Dixie County School Board member
Information Provided By Governor’s Press Office
Edited By Jeff M. Hardison
Published April 11, 2025 at 7:30 p.m.
     TALLAHASSEE – Today (Friday, April 11), Gov. Ron DeSantis announced the appointment of John Duane Driggers Jr. to the School Board of Dixie County.
     After former Dixie County School Board Member Paul Gainey resigned to run for Supervisor of Elections, the District 3 seat remained vacant for some months.
     Now Driggers is in the seat for District 3. of the School Board of Dixie County.
     The other Dixie County School Board members are Cheryl C. Pridgeon, District 1; Amanda Mills NesSmith, District 2; Timothy Alexander, District 4; and Lucas Rollison, District 5.
     Driggers is a Procurement Forester for Domtar. Active in his community, he is the President of the Dixie County Future Farmers of America Alumni and is a board member of the Suwannee River Fair Youth Livestock Show and Sale, the Shired Island Hunting Club, and the Dixie Horseman’s Association.
     Driggers earned his associate degree in forest management from Florida Gateway College.

NCDBC executive director resigns
By Jeff M. Hardison © April 10, 2025 at 3 p.m.
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     LEVY COUNTY – Nature Coast Business Development Council (NCBDC) Executive Director Scott Osteen, a Gilchrist County resident who ran for Gilchrist County Supervisor of Elections and lost, resigned from his paid job at the NCBDC on April 8, the same day he was reportedly too ill to attend the Levy County Board of County Commissioners’ meeting where he was scheduled to give a report, according to records and an email from NCBDC Vice Chairman Greg Galpin.
     Galpin, an employee of Weyerhaeuser, serves as the volunteer vice chair. All of the directors of the NCBDC are not paid. Osteen receives tens of thousands of dollars annually from the Levy County Board of County Commissioners, and CareerSource Citrus Marion Levy provides the other significant funding for this paid position.
     The only other paid entity for the NCBDC is an independent law firm that contracts to provide services. It is the Fugate and Fugate Law Firm. Of course, the lease vehicle that Osteen drives is also covered as compensation for his service.
     Although Osteen is quitting, he noted he is “willing to stay on board long enough to fulfill the requirements outlined” in the CareerSource Citrus Levy Marion Memorandum of Understanding or until the Levy County Board of County Commissioners hires a new executive director.
     The NCBDC did not have its quarterly meeting for 2025 yet.
     Galpin said he volunteered in December to become vice chair when George Buckner III stopped being a member of the NCBDC Board of Directors. 
     Galpin said it was “due to inclement weather” that the NCBDC Board of Directors lacked a quorum and canceled its first quarter 2025 meeting.
     Galpin said that Levy County Tourist Development Council Executive Director Tisha Whitehurst presented the report that Osteen had been scheduled to present on April 8 because Osteen “… was ill and unable to attend the BOCC meeting.”
     His report was presented through the TDC Executive Director as was requested of him.
     Galpin noted that the NCBDC Board of Directors plan to address Osteen’s resignation and to respond at a meeting that may occur later in April.
     In response to a request of the NCBDC Board of Directors to send HardisonInk.com correspondence that is sent to its directors, especially notices of the meetings, Galpin flippantly noted in an email “… maybe we can discuss that at the upcoming meeting.”
 

Contractor expresses discontent
with Gilchrist County School Board vote
Todd Gray endorses using local businesses

Todd Gary prepares to share thoughts with the Gilchrist County Commission on April 7 about a choice the Gilchrist County School Board made in a 3-2 vote on April 1.

Story, Photo and Video
By Jeff M. Hardison © April 9, 2025 at 11 a.m.
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     TRENTON – Todd Gray, a former Gilchrist County Commission member and a well-established and respected contractor, let the Gilchrist County Board of County Commissioners know what he thought about the Gilchrist County School Board’s recent selection of another company rather than his.
     Gray is a resident and business owner in Gilchrist County.
     By a 3-2 vote recently the Gilchrist School Board chose Gainesville-based Parrish-McCall Constructors rather than Trenton-based Gray Construction Services, founded in 2001 by Todd Gray.
     Gilchrist County School Board members Christie McElroy  (District 1), Susan Owens (District 2) and Tammy Moore (District 4) chose Parrish McCall Constructors to be the contractor for the multimillion dollar elementary school that is planned to be built.
     Gilchrist County School Board members Roy Smith (District 3) and Deen Lancaster (District 5) chose Gray Construction Services.
     Gray spoke for a few minutes during the first of two “public participation” parts of the Gilchrist County Board of County Commission’s agenda for that regular twice-monthly meeting on April 7.


Todd Gray tells the Gilchrist County Board of County Commissioners on April 7, 2025, that he thinks government entities should hire local businesses to provide services when they are qualified to do so. To see and hear the video click on the PHOTO.

     “On Tuesday (April 1), I think the Gilchrist County School Board made a mistake by not hiring a good, qualified local contractor to build the new elementary school,” Gray said.
     Gray went on to share with the commissioners that Tommy Langford and Todd Newton spoke to the School Board in favor of hiring Gray Construction Services for the next elementary school to be built in Gilchrist County. Gray noted that Langford, who is the chairman of the County Commission, as well as Gilchrist County Clerk Newton, did not speak in their capacities as elected leaders, but instead as residents of Gilchrist County.
     The contractor said he is speaking from the lectern on April 7 to let the County Commission know that he endorses putting local business owners first when possible.
     “There’s procurement rules, and there’s things you have to do,” Gray said, “but when you have a good qualified local business, there’s no reason we should not be using them.”
     The Gilchrist County School Board, he added, appears to have incorrectly applied a Florida law where some of them apparently misunderstood that Florida Statute as noting a local contractor cannot be used for a project.
     Gilchrist County Attorney Lindsey Boyd Lander did not return a telephone call on Wednesday morning (April 9). 
     Gilchrist County Superintendent of Schools Gina Geiger did not return a telephone call on April 8. Her secretary said Wednesday morning that the superintendent was out of the office and would remain “unavailable” all day.
     Gray said that as the County Commission looks for contractors to perform services on projects for the benefit of the residents of, and visitors to, Gilchrist County in upcoming projects, “I think we can be a resource to this board (of county commissioners).”
     For instance, he continued, the current project to build the next UF/IFAS Gilchrist County Extension facility, came in with estimates beyond what a grant will cover. Gray Construction Services has worked with the Gilchrist County Commission to build the structures that can be funded.
     “There’s ways to do that (reduce prices) on the front end where it does not cost the county and it moves a lot quicker,” Gray said. “So, kind of like North Florida (Professional Services) – one of the engineers you use, we are a resource. So, why not use us? We’re here and we can help y’all get these projects within budget.”
     County Commission Chairman Langford, who was at the dais on April 7 with Vice Chairman Bill Martin, Sharon A. Langford, Darrell Smith and Kenrick Thomas, said he felt the School Board should have selected Gray Construction Services for the project of building the next elementary school in Gilchrist County.
     Chairman Langford said Gray Construction Services hires local subcontractors who all live in Gilchrist County and they spend their money here.
     “I was very disappointed,” Chairman Langford said in regard to that 3-2 vote by the School Board favoring McCall-Parrish over Gray.
Other News
     Gilchrist County Administrator Bobby Crosby spoke with the County Commission about the Ag Complex just outside of Trenton. 
     He said that since the County Commission has taken over rentals of the facility – effective April 1, he recommends the facility not be rented until the county establishes how it is to be used, and potentially to make it more compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
     The County Commission voted 5-0 to follow his advice in this regard.
 

Visitors utilize reopened boat ramp

There is no camping at the Cedar Key No. 4 Bridge Boat Ramp. However, boats can launch there again, now, after some repairs resolved issues from severe hurricanes last season. The wooden fishing pier there remains closed.

Story and Photos By Jeff M. Hardison © April 6, 2025 at 4 p.m.
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     CEDAR KEY – The Levy County Board of County Commissioners announced on April 4 that the Cedar Key Number 4 Bridge Boat Ramp is open to the public. 
     The County Commission’s effort led to completing the temporary repairs needed to allow the public to utilize the facility.  The wooden fishing pier adjacent to it, however, will remain closed to the public due to safety concerns.

This long view of the area leading to the boat ramp shows barricades are down now. Airboat users find this as the best launch point from Cedar Key.


Amber Mielke of Michigan waits for her father to park the car and join her as they launch two kayaks from the recently reopened boat ramp.


Amber Mielke of Michigan and her father Paul Mielke of Minnesota stand in front of the entrance to the wooden pier that remains closed as they prepare to launch Saturday afternoon in kayaks as the venture in the inland waterways near Cedar Key. Their launch point is to the left in the photo and is out of view here. It is the #4 Bridge Boat Ramp.

     Meanwhile, as hundreds of people enjoyed the Cedar Key Fine Arts Festival on the island Saturday (April 5) a father and daughter launched kayaks from the restored boat ramp, perhaps unaware that they may have been the first kayakers to enter the water there for about a year now.
     Amber Mielke, 31, of Michigan went from her home to meet her father Paul Mielke, 61, of Minnesota during the Sun ‘n Fun Aerospace Expo in Lakeland. That event was April 1 through today (Sunday, April 6).
     Her father has been on a monthlong road-trip adventure, she said, and she was able to be there in Lakeland for that part of the fun, and then they found the boat ramp on the island of Cedar Key to have that experience together.

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181^st Performance

This is Stephen McGovern, who goes by the stage name “Stephen Thomas” as he sings the HardisonInk.com jingle on Saturday morning (Feb. 22). He was performing as Elvis during the 2025 Tour of the Town event in Inglis and Yankeetown. McGovern’s range is more than just Elvis songs. Jeff M. Hardison asks people to sing the jingle, and some of them agree to sing it. (Thanks people!) CLICK ON THE PICTURE ABOVE TO SEE AND HEAR THE VIDEO ON YouTube.com. The very first person to sing the jingle was in Chiefland in March of 2013. HardisonInk.com started as a daily news website on Feb. 1, 2011.
Photo and Video by Jeff M. Hardison © Feb. 23, 2025 at 9 a.m.
All Rights Reserved Do Not Copy And Paste Anywhere