FWC seeks public input
on Levy County manatee zones
Workshop set for Jan. 21 in Inglis
Published Jan. 14, 2025 at 4 p.m.
Information Provided By
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
     TALLAHASSEE -- The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) has scheduled a public hearing to gather public input on proposed final rules to amend some of the existing manatee protection zones in Levy County.

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     The workshop will be held from 5:30 to 7 p.m. on Jan. 21, at the Inglis Community Center, 137 Levy County Road 40 West in Inglis.
     The FWC has been working with Levy County and other stakeholders to review potential changes to the rule, specifically in the vicinity of the mouth of the Withlacoochee River. The public hearing offers an opportunity for people to ask questions and provide information to FWC staff.
     Information about the ongoing review is available at MyFWC.com/Manatee.
     Maps and descriptions of the existing manatee protection zones are available by going to the manatee page and clicking on Data and Maps. The zones help reduce the risk of injuries to manatees from boats in areas regularly used by manatees and are supported by data.
     FWC staff will use input provided at this workshop to help develop recommendations for potential rule changes. Any potential changes will be considered by FWC Commissioners at a future Commission meeting.
     This activity is part of the statewide manatee management plan approved in 2007, which directs staff to periodically review existing manatee protection zones to see if changes are needed.
For more information, go to MyFWC.com/Manatee and click on Protection Zones.

Cedar Key clam sculpture postcards
and trail maps available

This graphic shows the location of the various sculptures on Cedar Key.

Information and Art Provided
By Levy County Visitors Bureau
Published Jan. 11, 2025 at 2 p.m.
     CEDAR KEY – Visitors to Cedar Key may enjoy seeing some artwork by local sculptors.     And visitors can find postcards to herald their experiences.
     Six clam sculptures painted by local artists were unveiled in Cedar Key recently.
     One of the six was designed by our Emily Colson, a team member of the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Nature Coast Biological Station
     The other five depict natural, historical and working waterfront scenes. Colson's work shows the colorful and labeled anatomy of a hard clam. 
     Visit the Cedar Key Welcome Center to get a map of where to find each sculpture around the city.
     This project was a collaborative effort with the Cedar Key Art Center, the City of Cedar Key, the Cedar Key Aquaculture Association, UF/IFAS Shellfish Extension and the Levy County Visitors Bureau.

The two graphics above show postcards that have been created to help draw more visitors to Cedar Key.
 

Citrus County asks for Levy County
help for new boat ramp
Commissioners to conduct research

James Toy, the intergovernmental affairs manager of the Citrus County Board of County Commissioners, asks the Levy County Commission to adopt a resolution or write a letter of support to help Citrus County secure funding from the Florida Legislature to build a boat ramp next to the Gulf of Mexico at the end of the Cross Florida Barge Canal.

Story, Photo and Videos
By Jeff M. Hardison © Jan. 8, 2025 at 4 p.m.
All Copyrights Protected By Federal Civil Law
Do Not Copy and Paste to Social Media or Elsewhere
     BRONSON – Five Levy County commissioners on Tuesday morning (Jan. 7) agreed by consensus to conduct more research before granting a request made to them by the Citrus County Board of County Commissioners.
     James Toy, the intergovernmental affairs manager of the Citrus County Board of County Commissioners, asked the Levy County Commission to adopt a resolution or write a letter of support to help Citrus County secure funding to build a boat ramp next to the Gulf of Mexico at the end of the Cross Florida Barge Canal.
     The Citrus County Board of County Commissioners had approved the proposed Cross Florida Barge Canal Boat Ramp as one of its 2025 legislative priorities, Levy County Manager Mary-Ellen Harper said as she introduced Toy.
     Construction of the boat ramp is currently estimated at almost $11.2 million. The Citrus County Commission would put $215,528 toward the project. Citrus County Boating Improvement fees would cover $410,000 and the RESTORE Act (from the big oil spill years ago) would cover about $3.3 million.
     The Florida Legislature is being asked by Citrus County to pay for $7.2 million of the cost. To help the state legislators know that Levy County is onboard with the Citrus County boat ramp request, the neighbors to the south asked for an endorsement from the Levy County Commission.
     As Toy spoke to the commissioners, he stressed that Citrus County is seeking zero dollars from Levy County for this project.
     This area to launch boats, Toy said, will relieve the inundation of other ramps in Citrus County.
     This is a “shovel ready project” now with Citrus County having cleared review by the United States Army Corps of Engineers.
     Toy said that although this is a development in the northwest corner of Citrus County, this County Commission views it as a regional project. The area continues to blossom, he said.
     Boaters will need more access points to the Gulf of Mexico, launching out of Citrus and Levy counties, he added.


James Toy, the Citrus County intergovernmental affairs manager working for the Gilchrist County Board of County Commissioners, is seen and heard in this video. He notes the request for a letter for endorsement will cost no Levy County tax dollars. Click on the PHOTO to watch and listen to the video.
Video by Jeff M. Hardison – All Rights Reserved


Carl Zervis of Levy County says he opposes the Levy County Commission providing a letter of recommendation for the boat ramp sought by Citrus County. In this clip, the first part of his comments to the visitor representing the Citrus County Commission are heard. Zervis said he was unfamiliar with the rules of conduct after he was told not to address his comments to anyone other than the County Commission. Click on the PHOTO to watch and listen to the video.
Video by Jeff M. Hardison – All Rights Reserved

Yankeetown Town Manager William Ary tells the Levy County Commission that the Town Council of Yankeetown approves of the Levy County Commission sending a letter to endorse Citrus County being given funds to build a boat ramp at the end of the Cross Florida Barge Canal. Click on the PHOTO to watch and listen to the video.
Video by Jeff M. Hardison – All Rights Reserved


Carl Zervis of Inglis says he opposes Levy County providing a letter of recommendation for the boat ramp sought by Citrus County.


Yankeetown Town Manager William Ary tells the Levy County Commission that the Town Council of Yankeetown approves of the Levy County Commission sending a letter to endorse Citrus County being given funds to build a boat ramp at the end of the Cross Florida Barge Canal.


Lower Withlacoochee Keeper Kenneth ‘Ken’ Raulerson said Citrus County never helped Levy County. If Citrus County moves forward with its plan to build a boat ramp where it proposes, Raulerson said he intends to hire an attorney and seek an injunction to stop that construction.

     This proposed boat ramp would include 10 docks for boats. There will be 24 parking spaces for vehicles other than with boat trailers. There will be 60 boast trailer parking spaces, Toy said.
     There was concern expressed by some people at the meeting that Citrus County will be taking retail customers away from the marinas, bait and tackle shops, convenience stores and other outlets in Levy County.
     Although Toy said this boat ramp lacks water and sewer service when it starts, that may happen in the future and there could be commercial development next to the ramp in the future. Even if Citrus County saw investors for enterprises at or near the ramp, he is certain there are enough customers to support both counties’ economic interests.
     Commission Chair Desiree Mills said this part of Levy County is in her district and she knows there are people from Inglis and Yankeetown who want to speak about the request. A call by HardisonInk.com to Inglis City Hall on Jan. 8 uncovered that group of municipal leaders have the question about whether to endorse it on its Jan. 14 agenda.
     Meanwhile on Tuesday, Carl Zervis of Inglis went to the lectern to tell the Levy County Commission why he was against the request for a letter of endorsement.
     Instead of speaking to the County Commission, Zervis began by asking Toy what he did and for whom he worked.
     In Gilchrist County, people are provided with a sheet of paper that shows the Rules of Decorum.
     Those rules in Gilchrist County are listed below:
     • All persons should be seated. No person shall stand or sit along walls and may not block doorways.
     • Banners, flyers, or other signs are not permitted in the meeting. Distribution of other flyers is not permitted.
     • Demonstrations including cheering, yelling, whistling, clapping, foot stomping or other behavior which disrupts, disturbs, or otherwise impedes the orderly conduct of the meetings are prohibited.
     • All persons shall observe proper decorum and shall speak in a civil or courteous manner and shall not yell, scream, or use foul language.
     • Speakers shall address the agenda topic; time limits will be adhered to.
     • Speakers shall address the Board and not turn to address the audience.
     • Adherence to these rules is required for the continued participation in the meeting.
     Neither Levy County nor Dixie County have printed guidelines for addressing those county commissions.
     In Levy County on Jan. 7, Chair Mills waited until Zervis after had questioned and seemed to have attempted to berate Toy before Mills let Zervis know that was not the method for providing input to the County Commission practiced in this county.
     Zervis said there is a boat ramp at the end of State Road 40 (Follow That Dream Parkway) in Yankeetown, and at several other points along the Withlacoochee River and on the coast next to the Gulf.
     Zervis said he feels this future facility will take business away from Levy County and put it into Citrus County.
     Addressing the County Commission, Zervis said Citrus County developers will build marinas and other businesses in competition with those that already exist in southern Levy County.
     Yankeetown Town Manager William Ary said the Town Council sent him to let the Levy County Commission know that Yankeetown endorses Levy County writing a letter of support to let the Florida Legislature know Levy County is in favor of Citrus County adding a new dock at the edge of the Cross Florida Barge Canal.
     Lower Withlacoochee Keeper Kenneth “Ken” Raulerson went to the lectern to tell the Levy County Commission his opinion that Citrus County never helped Levy County.
     Raulerson said Florida Power Corp., which became Progress Energy Florida and then Duke Energy Florida chose to close the nuclear power plant when it determined it would be too expensive to repair it and keep it going.
     Raulerson said the railroad tracks have all been replaced by trails for bicyclists. 
     Raulerson said he believes this move is the first step in creating “Port Citrus,” where commercial vessels, tankers and major shipping interests will come to dock near the barge canal.
     This will affect the lower Withlacoochee River, he continued, adding that part of the river is in dire need of help to allow it to flow more freely.
     Raulerson said he will seek to have a court impose an injunction on the construction of this 10-dock boat ramp until the matter of the Lower Withlacoochee River flow levels is settled.
     “There is nothing that Citrus County has ever done for Levy County,” Raulerson said.
     Then, Levy County Parks and Recreation Director Matt Weldon told the County Commission about current use of the county boat ramp at the end of Levy County Road 40.
     Commercial fishermen, recreational fishermen, recreational boaters are filling the parking space there, he said, and they are parking along the sides of CR 40. It is jampacked with vehicles and trailers.
     Chair Mills said she is uncertain about how the majority of people in southern Levy County feel about Levy County endorsing a boat ramp built with state and federal funds, as well as Citrus County funds. Rather than pass a resolution to endorse the idea or to write a letter of support, Mills heard from the other four county commissioners that it was a consensus to wait to decide until they hear more from the people.
     As noted earlier in this story, the Inglis City Commission is set to discuss the matter at its Jan. 14 meeting.
 

One-day art festival
set for Cedar Key on April 5

Judi Cain’s acrylic painting titled After the Storm is used to announce the event in April.
~
An Article and Graphic Provided
By The Cedar Key Arts Center Committee
Bev Ringenberg, Faye Sanders, Patsy Schossler, Mary Prescott, Ann Morgan, Deb Mann, Denise Fieber, Kathy O'Neall, Sue Rosenthal, Eileen Senecal, Dawn Callahan, and Jim and Marci Wilcox
Published Jan. 7, 2025 at 3:30 p.m.
     CEDAR KEY -- When Judi Cain was notified last September that she won the 2025 Old Celebration of the Arts Design Contest, she did not know how poignant that decision would be, and neither did the Cedar Key Arts Center Board who coordinates the event.
     Her acrylic painting was titled After the Storm. 
     The damage to Cedar Key caused by Hurricane Helene on Sept. 26, 2024, was extensive. Popular shops and restaurants on Dock Street were severely damaged, businesses along historic Second 
Street were flooded; homes were lost and hearts were broken. Judi Cain’s was one of those hearts. From her first visit to Cedar Key over 50 years ago through her time as an artist in the Cedar Keyhole Artist Co-op, Judi says “She always wanted to live there.”
     Coming in from Gainesville early to work or staying late to walk around the town she loved, she took pictures for future paintings. One of them, a black and white photo she took several years after the fire at Coconuts on Dock Street, inspired her winning artwork.
     Like others, Judi, who had recently moved to West Virginia to be near family, watched the news and cried.
     When the Cedar Key Arts Center board met several weeks after the hurricane, concerns were raised about whether Cedar Key would be able to host the annual spring arts festival - the Old Florida Celebration of the Arts - which had celebrated its 60th Anniversary in 2024.
     However, by the November board meeting, the resilient island community was showing signs of coming back as a few shops and restaurants began to reopen, even as the clean-up continued. By December, 
the path was clear.
     The community of Cedar Key needed to have the festival, but the board would need to reimagine the event in a way that would bring visitors to the town without overwhelming it as rebuilding continued. 
     The decision was made to modify the festival by hosting a one-day event with a smaller number of juried artists calling it the Cedar Key Fine Arts Show.
     The reputation of Cedar Key’s Old Florida Celebration of the Arts has grown since returning to a juried fine arts event in 2007, and its popularity with artists and art enthusiasts has been recognized nationally.
     It is that reputation that makes the 2025 event possible as a talented group of artists in multiple disciplines, who have come to love Cedar Key, have committed to being part of the show even though amenities will be limited and there will be no prize money.
     The hope is that others who also love Cedar Key and love art will join in supporting Cedar Key, April 5, 2025, as it works to come back “After the Storm.”

Master Gardener course starts Jan. 23

What is soil texture? (from left) Sue Stockman, Joyce Shannon, John Brunner, Janene Hartley and Sarah Taylor find the answer to this question as they take the UF/IFAS Extension Master Gardener volunteer (MGV) course.


Planting a citrus tree are (from left) Maria Rivero, Hayden Long, Joe MacKenzie, Scott Wallace and Henry Quandt.
Both Photos By Michael Harmon

By Jeff M. Hardison © Dec. 16, 2024 at 12 p.m.
All Copyrights Protected By Federal Civil Law
Do Not Copy and Paste to Social Media or Elsewhere
     BRONSON – A 12-week set of weekly gardening classes start Jan. 23 at the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Extension Office for Levy County in Bronson.     The 2025 UF/IFAS Extension Master Gardener volunteer (MGV) course is capped at a maximum of 35 students. The nonrefundable cost is set at $124 for each student.
     UF/UFAS Levy County Extension Horticulture Program Assistant Barbara Edmonds is scheduled to lead the class.
     The UF/IFAS MGV course is an opportunity to connect with like-minded folks, gain new skills, increase personal satisfaction, share horticulture knowledge with others and creatively use free time, Edmonds noted in a Dec. 23 press release she sent.
     The class meets once per week, each Thursday, from 9 a.m. to noon, from Jan. 23 through April 17, at the UF/IFAS Levy County Extension Center, 625 N. Hathaway Ave. (U.S. Alt 27), in Bronson. 
     This course is for everyone from the novice, North Florida newcomers, to the veteran gardeners, Edmonds said.
     It is facilitated by MGV coordinators, agents and specialists, the program covers fertilization, efficient watering, pesticide options, vegetables, fruit selection and more, Edmonds said.
     In-person lectures, online presentations, videos, group and hands-on activities all provide part of this comprehensive experience.
     As noted the application and non-refundable $124 materials fee (cash, check or money order payable:  University of Florida) is due by Jan. 9.
     In the memo line of checks, it should be noted “Master Gardener.”
     To request an application to be in the class send an email to savemygarden@ufl.edu or pick up an application at the office, at 625 N. Hathaway Ave., Bronson, FL 32621.
     “MGV efforts make a positive difference in our communities,” Edmonds said.
     To certify as an MGV, the individual will complete the course and then provide 75 hours of Extension volunteer service, Edmonds said.
     In regard to some volunteer hours, Edmonds noted the University of Florida requires a level one background screening for MGVs working with youth for fewer than 10 hours per month.
     She added that attendees must bring a photo ID on the first day of class.
     As for the class limit of 35 students, that cap is determined by first call, first served, she noted.
     Contact Barbara L. Edmonds for sign language interpreters or listening devices by sending an email to savemygarden@ufl.edu, or by calling 352-486-5131 at least one week in advance. Advance notice is necessary to arrange for some accessibility needs.