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Opinion

  • Could Washington be right?

    Last week, the news came that the cash for clunkers program ran out of money in a week.

    And there was just a hopeful murmur out of Washington that the recession may be bottoming out.

    Here in Levy where more than 1 in 10 folks is unemployed, there might have been some agreement--especially in Chiefland where there are hopeful signs of an economy working hard to recover. Behind First Baptist Church, the $220,000 Harmony Baptist Pregnancy Center is being built.

  • Letter: EMS or lack thereof...

    Commissioner,on July 26 I found myself in a life-threatening situation. While handling a large sheet of steel I completely severed my Ulnar artery in my arm. The blood loss was out of control and 911 was called immediately. We were informed, “There is only one vehicle serving the Chiefland area now, and it is on a call, and it will take some time before a backup can be dispatched from Bronson.” No matter how much we wrapped the injury the blood would not stop pouring out. Chiefland Fire Department was called and thank God a provider was at the station at 3 p.m.

  • It's all about the right to...

    The Florida High School Athletic Association has released the results of its 2007-2008 sports participation survey. You can read it at http://www.fhsaa.org/programs/participation/2008_09.asp. Coincidentally, or not, FHSAA board also was scheduled to meet this Wednesday to (hopefully) rescind its recent decision to reduce schedules by 20 percent for all high school sports except football and cheerleading. A Title IX lawsuit filed last month in Jacksonville is surely one reason for reconsidering the policy.

  • Watch your wallet, home, car,...

    So just as the police and sheriff are telling me  there is a surge in economic crimes in the county, our office gets hit  with a credit card scam.

    Advertisers are calling and coming into the office  after being contacted by someone - with from a blocked phone number -  saying they are from the "Chiefland Bulletin" and they need credit  card information to update their records.

    A call to the Levy County Sheriff's Office confirms  

    that one customer has already called them to make a report. Chiefland  

  • Dear Editor: The Cornerstone

    A noble act may be one of giving, caring, or sharing. It may be an act of enlightenment, just enough truth to guide someone’s path. Truth enough to stand the test of time, time enough to see the truth in something we believe in. The cornerstone of government that our forefathers intended for us was, “government for the people, by the people.”

  • Things I'd like to see when I...

    Things I'd like to see when I come back to Chiefland for a visit:

  • Hard to keep up with deaths of...

    The death notice box has been busy the past couple of weeks, in fact, so busy that it's hard to keep up.

    Ed McMahon, Michael Jackson, Farrah Fawcett, Gale Storm, Karl Malden, Billy Mays, Steve McNair, Robert McNamara – those are some of the big names who left us during the past couple of weeks.

    They say the deaths of famous people come in threes. If that's the case, we have far exceeded our quota.

  • One less fee for drivers

    There's been a lot of talk the past few years about cities and counties charging accident victims for the response of emergency personnel to their mishaps.

    Williston went round and round about it some time ago, and Chiefland implemented it.

    Ocala and Belleview in Marion County have done it.

    But it won't happen any more ... not in Florida.

    The Legislature passed, and the governor signed, Senate Bill 2282, which took effect July 1.

    Part 1 of each section, one dealing with counties and the other with cities, reads:

  • Where do the Ten Commandments...

    So a move is afoot in Levy County to place a Ten Commandments monument on the grounds of the county courthouse.

    The county commission last week OK’d guidelines for monuments on the courthouse lawns.

    We have one at the Chiefland City Hall. It’s a huge black and white monolith. It’s there because the Chiefland Commission expressed the need for more prayer in the community.

    I pass it at least once a day during the week.

    I often use the sighting as a mental test to see if I can still remember all 10 directions.

  • Memories for Father's Day

    There's a story I told at my father's funeral a few years ago that gave an indication of what type of person he was.

    I was somewhere in my tender years, under the age of 10, when he took me to a baseball game at Yankee Stadium, where the Yankees were playing the St. Louis Browns (had to be 1953 or before, since the Browns ceased to exist in 1954, moving to Baltimore).

    A good way through the game the Browns had to summon a relief pitcher (something they did quite often) and the seemingly old man ambled in from the bullpen, which was deep in the outfield.

  • To the moon, Lou

    As a child of the 50s, I am part of the generation that saw humans fly into space and came to believe that if we applied ourselves to a problem it could be solved - especially if we applied ourselves to science, engineering and math.

    The news that the Soviets (remember them?) had put a man into space sent us into a frenzy.

    We watched President Kennedy's challenge to reach the moon in 10 years.

    I remember the nuns hustling us out of class one day to look up at the sky for a "really tiny reflection of light."

  • Letter to the governor: How about a...

    Dear Governor,

    Hope this letter finds you doing OK.

    Being governor in these economic times can test a politician’s ability to accomplish anything as your counterpart in California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, can tell you.

    But you seem to have weathered the recent legislative session nicely. You got your Seminole gaming pact. You can brag about bringing money into education that kept the budget at the same level as last year.

  • Staying dry at the festival

    With rain gear, hat, towel and other paraphernalia packed, I headed to the Watermelon Festival last Saturday.

    Fortunately, I didn't need a lot of that stuff.

  • Dark cars and credit cards

    Catching up on some news items you might have missed:

    Dark cars the culprit? California is considering a ban on the sale of cars painted black and other dark colors. The theory is that dark cars need more air conditioning to stay cool and that results in the emission of more dangerous gases than white cars.

    I have to wonder what would happened to hearses at the funeral homes.

    And what about black and white police cars? Remember "1 Adam 12, 1 Adam 12, See the man..."? Will Reed and Malloy's buddies have to take to white cars only?

  • In defense of the animals

    Editor:

    My family and I have been volunteering at the Billiar/Davis Sanctuary for several months. We have known Dr. Billiar in a professional capacity for two years. We have also had the honor and privilege of providing foster care for an endangered ape. As you know after one year of age, they can no longer be kept in a private residence. Lucky little ape, he now lives the life of Riley at Sue and Brian’s house.

  • D-day remembrance

    Editor:

  • Message to the graduates

    This is a yearly column by the editor, updated with latest information.

    This is a big weekend for many young people in Levy County, as they leave high school and move on to the next phase of their lives.

    Graduation ceremonies are scheduled for most Levy County schools this weekend, a landmark day for a few hundred young adults who are ready to venture out into the world.

  • Are children safe?

    There was a recent story that should have sent a little bit of anxiety through all the parents in Levy County.

    The attempted kidnapping of two young boys from Joyce Bullock Elementary School in Williston recently points out how vulnerable our children can be. Joyce Bullock has fences around it, but it is a huge campus and it's impossible for the faculty to keep an eye on all children once school is dismissed.

    Ultimately, the safety of children is a parent's responsibility, but all of us have trusted our children to the schools at one time or another.

  • Memories on Memorial Day

    White grave markers and bright red, white and blue flags as far as the eye could see … that was my first impression of Florida National Cemetery in Bushnell the first time I went around Memorial Day several years ago.

    There are those buried there who gave their lives in service of their country, but there are many more who served honorably, came home and lived full and productive lives, as my father did. Also buried there are their spouses, such as my mother.

  • A student's plea: Save our...

    Editor: My name is Cheri, some know me by C.J. At this current moment I'm an 11th grade student here at Chiefland High school. I wanted next year to be the best year here for me and a lot of other students at Chiefland High, knowing that it is going to be the last year for a lot of us. Unfortunately it won't be. Why, you ask? Well, it's not that we are taking a cut in games for some sports, or that the lunches may not always be what we expect them to be, even though they have been a lot better. No, it's neither. It won't be such a good year here because some of our teachers have been cut.