LEVY, GILCHRIST, DIXIE COUNTIES
UPDATED FRIDAY (May 18) at 10:27 p.m.
Cedar Key Tide Tables at Bottom of Page

20-year saga has happy ending;
Santa Fe River made safer by FWC

Greetings
Rep. Elizabeth Porter and FWC Maj. Roy Brown greet each other near the Sandy Point Boat Ramp on the Santa Fe River Friday (May 18). In the background, Gilchrist County Commissioner Tommy Langford can be seen. This multi-county effort took about four decades of negotiations, and Porter brought it forward and was among the leaders to bring it to fruition.
Photo by Jeff M. Hardison

By Jeff M. Hardison, © May 18, 2012
     GILCHRIST, SUWANNEE, LAFAYETTE and COLUMBIA COUNTIES – State Rep. Elizabeth Porter (R-Lake City) brought an issue to the forefront for attention and resolution, which concluded Friday (May 18) with five new Santa Fe River speed zones.
     Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Maj. Roy Brown thanked the representative for helping resolve an issue that has been in the works for about 20 years.
     “I appreciate everyone coming together,” Porter said as she spoke next to the banks of the river on Friday, while Gilchrist County Commissioner Tommy Langford, Columbia County Commissioner Rusty DePratter, and Lafayette County Commissioner Jack Byrd and others listened.
     Porter mentioned that it took 18 months to reach this point even after everyone agreed to the signs and zones for slow-speed minimum-wake. In the past, there have been various obstacles to the project.
     Byrd, who has been on the Lafayette County Commission for more than 20 years, said he objected before because the plan to put signs in the water was not a good idea. By placing signs on the banks, he said, it removes the potential for injury by a person who hits them when they are boating, tubing or skiing.
     Langford, whose county bought the most signs, said he saw it as an issue when he first started on the Gilchrist County Board of County Commissioners 10 years ago. DePratter said he is glad to go along with the other counties, especially since Columbia County only had to buy one sign.
     FWC Public Information Officer Karen Parker arranged for the press to have a boat to reach one of the sign construction sites. Misty Ward, a reporter with the Suwannee Democrat and its affiliates, was among the journalists at the scene.
     FWC Officer Dwayne Mobley piloted one boat, with Maj. Brown, Ward, Parker, Langford and HardisonInk.com owner Jeff M. Hardison on board. FWC Officer Rod Boone captained the boat with FWC Maj. Camille Soverel, Save our Santa Fe River President Merrillee Malwitz-Jipson, Byrd and DePratter on board.
     Porter arrived after the group made its field trip, because she was running late. She went with the FWC officers later to view signs.
     Maj. Brown said there will be a 90-day education period, followed by a period of written warnings before the $50 citations are issued for going too fast through the slow-speed minimum-wake zones.
     “Don’t mistake the education period for a time when there is no enforcement,” Brown said. “If we catch a boater a second time, they will be issued a citation.”

Signed
FWC Capt. Richard Moore places a sign on a cypress tree in the Santa Fe River on Friday. FWC officers placed the signs within one day, and the education phase of enforcement began that day.
Photo by Jeff M. Hardison

     These new slow zones are effective immediately Brown said Friday (May 18) on the Santa Fe River and, obviously they will be in effect during Memorial Day weekend.
     The zones are the product of the FWC and the counties responding to boater concerns about safety on the river. Each county that borders the river has created an ordinance to support these new zones, Parker said.
     The five zones are:
     * At the confluence of the Santa Fe and Ichetucknee rivers (Columbia, Suwannee and Gilchrist counties);
     * The U.S. Highway 129 bridge and Guy Lemmon Park boat ramp (Suwannee and Gilchrist counties);
     * At the Sandy Point boat ramp (Suwannee and Gilchrist counties);
     * Ellie Ray’s boat ramp (Suwannee and Gilchrist counties);      * Butler Landing boat ramp and the confluence of the Santa Fe and Suwannee rivers (Lafayette, Gilchrist and Suwannee counties).

Resume Speed
One of the 'Resume Normal Safe Operation' signs rests on the workboat. The five zones are clearly marked to help boaters know when to go slowly -- beyond the slow ride to avoid being whacked by a sturgeon.
Photo by Jeff M. Hardison

     FWC Officer Jeff Summers piloted the pontoon workboat for sign placement. FWC Capt. Richard Moore and Lt. Jeff Swan placed the signs.
      Signs have been posted on the river, marking the beginning and ending of each zone, according to FWC Capt. Martin Redmond, area supervisor.
     “This is to improve boating safety on the river,” Redmond said. “The public has expressed concerns about the heavy boating traffic in these areas and the speed at which some boaters are traveling through these congested areas, especially in the areas where boaters congregate or are trying to load and unload their boats. We worked with the counties involved to attempt to resolve these safety concerns, using the minimum amount of regulation necessary.”
     Not adhering to the new zones will be a boating infraction that comes with a $50 fine.
     “We will be working diligently to educate boaters about these five new zones,” Redmond said. “We will be handing out informational brochures showing the zones and providing a reference for boaters to make sure they understand what the law requires when operating in a slow-speed, minimum-wake zone. Boats must be off plane, fully settled in the water and moving at a speed that makes little or no wake.”
     Maj. Brown said placement of the signs is “nothing outlandish.” Actually, he added, the signs are just codifying what common sense would dictate to any reasonably responsible boater. He expects to see excellent compliance by boaters.
 
Next Major
FWC Maj. Camille Soverel is the person who will be taking the station currently held by Maj. Roy Brown, who is retiring in the near future. She was among the officers participating in the signage and press briefing on Friday.
Photo by Jeff M. Hardison

     Slowing down in these areas, Rep. Porter said, has become even more critical because as the drought has continued, the width of the river is reduced. That, combined with more and more boaters, equals more boats on less space.
    These areas where it becomes congested for boat traffic, especially on weekends, improves safety for the boating public, she said.
     “Usually, when it becomes congested, most people will slow down anyway,” she said. “But there are some people who have a lack of concern and are disrespectful of other boaters. These signs will make them think twice.”
     Another benefit for boaters in these zones is reduced odds from being seriously injured or killed by Gulf Sturgeon that leap into the air from the water. If a speeding boat crosses the path as a 100-pound or heavier sturgeon as it comes down from a jump, a person on the boat can be hurt or killed by the fish.
     Sturgeon are an indigenous prehistoric species that has been in these Florida waters since the time before man walked the shores, much less boated on the river.

Fast Ride
This video shows there are stretches along the Santa Fe River where boaters can open up the throttle and get their boats on plane. This is not the speed to go through the area marked for slower passage.
Video by Jeff M. Hardison, all copyrights reserved

Earl The Raccoon
Four and one-half weeks old on Thursday afternoon (May 17), baby Earl the raccoon poses at an undisclosed location in the Tri-County Area. Earl was discovered by a hunter. The little animal had his eyes closed and was nothing more than fur and bones. Just over a month later, the baby raccoon is eating a mixture of goat milk and baby food as he starts his life. A stack of paperwork is in the hands of government people so that Earl can continue enjoying life outside the woods.
Photo by Jeff M. Hardison

FWGP Donates
The Friends of the Withlacoochee Gulf Preserve Inc. donated $5,000 to the Town of Yankeetown to help with the reconstruction of the Ellie Schiller Education Center ’s elevator at the Withlacoochee Gulf Preserve. The Center has been under renovation for several years as funds become available through the town’s budget and community donations. The final element for a Certificate of Occupancy is bringing the elevator into compliance with state codes. The estimated cost is $17,000. The Friends raise funds through memberships, private donations, and T-shirt sales. Their big fundraiser is the Annual Rubber Duck Race held during the Yankeetown Seafood Festival in November on the Withlacoochee River. The Withlacoochee Gulf Preserve is located at 1001 Old Rock Road, Yankeetown. Visit the Friends’ website at www.withlacoocheegulfpreserve.com for information on the Preserve. Here, the Friends of the Withlacoochee Gulf Preserve Inc. present a $5,000 check to the Town of Yankeetown on Monday (May 14) to help with elevator renovations at the Ellie Schiller Education Center at the Withlacoochee Gulf Preserve. Pictured (from left) are Ann Sayward, Yankeetown’s WGP Board of Trustees; Ellen Klee, director FWGP; Jack Schofield, president FWGP, and Tom Sholes, vice mayor of Yankeetown.
Photo Provided

FFA Desserts
Some of the delicious desserts available to diners at the annual FFA banquet in Chiefland are captured on film. For more photo, the story and a video, please visit the COMMUNITY PAGE.
Photo by Jeff M. Hardison

CKAC preps for new year;
Summer offerings scheduled
     Cedar Key Art Center President Peter Klocksien, as he concluded his first year in that office, noted that he is mindful of the amount of hard work and dedication it takes to run the organization.
     There is a need for countless volunteer hours to be invested by volunteers in order for the non-profit group “to provide the opportunity to Create, Show, Work and Educate, per our CKAC Mission Statement.”
     “The result was an outstanding 2011-2012 Season highlighting talented Florida Artists, including a one-day event with R.L. Lewis, one of Florida's legendary Highwayman,” Klocksien noted in a recent email to members. “It has been a great year in terms of attendance and sales and I thank you for your participation.”
     “Last June the Art Center was bestowed a gift from our generous benefactor, Cathi Christie,” he noted. “In July we received a second gift, enabling us the ability to think in wider terms about the role the Art Center plays in the community and how we can impact more residents and guests. We will use the money in a supporting role for the Art Center, to maintain the building, and hopefully enhance the structure in a way to allow more visitors to enjoy and experience the programs we provide.”
     He also noted his thanks to Mandy Cassiano for her work with the Art Festival. Cassiano is leaving that position and a new person will take over.
     The 2012-13 CKAC Board will be: President Peter Klocksien, Vice-President Bill Seyfarth, Secretary Amy Gernhardt, Treasurer Mary Bottenberg, and directors Donna Bushnell, Susan Dauphinee, Kathy Carver, Ann Kamzelski, Christian Harkness and Tony Silveria.      “We at Cedar Key Arts Center, members and guests alike, can look forward to exciting coming events, educational workshops, exhibitions, open studio availability and many other programs that fulfill our Mission at the Art Center,” Klocksien noted.
     Following are some summer offerings from CKAC:
Summer Visual Arts Education July 16-27,  9-11:30 a.m.
• Learn from the professionals: ceramics, drawing, sculpture, jewelry, alternative photography…
• First grade to high school students eligible • Small materials fee may apply (scholarships available)
• Register prior to June 11 at the KeyHole in Cedar Key
• Limited enrollment

Art Therapy/Art Education Study July 2-31, 1-4 p.m.
• Eligible participants who complete the study will receive a gift certificate for Michael’s Arts and Crafts
. • Middle-school to high school students eligible
• Free
• Contact Alexandria Zettler (awz08@my.fsu.edu) prior to June 11th for screening/permission
• Limited enrollment

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