Aussie stunner: Wawrinka tops No. 1 Nadal for title /B1 MONDAY TODAY CITRUS COUNTY & next morning HIGH 70 Mostly cloudy, LOW 30% chance for light rain. 54 PAGE A4 www.chronicleonline.com JANUARY 27, 2014 Florida’s Best Community Newspaper Serving Florida’s Best Community 50¢ VOL. 119 ISSUE 173 QUESTION OF THE WEEK BOCC: Last word on speaking rules CHRIS VAN ORMER The board will discuss the or- ■ Staff writer dinance again at Tuesday’s meet- WHAT: Citrus County Board of County Commissioners meeting. ing because many residents have ■ WHEN: 1 p.m. Tuesday; public comments and questions will be INVERNESS — Time to speak argued for a return to the previ- taken at 1:05 p.m. up or keep silent: The Public Par- ous practice of the board taking ■ WHERE: Room 100, Citrus County Courthouse, 110 N. Apopka ticipation Ordinance will be re- public comment about each mo- Ave., Inverness. viewed Tuesday by the Citrus tion after board discussion but County Board of County Commis- before calling for the vote. ■ AGENDA: Available on the county’s website, www.bocc.citrus.fl.us, sioners (BOCC). The current ordinance also al- at the Lecanto Government Building or in the commissioners’ Contribute! The rule, adopted Sept. 24, lim- lows for comment time of up to suite on the second floor of the courthouse in Inverness. Like us at its each member of the public five minutes if the individual is ■ WATCH: The meeting will be televised live on cable TV on Channel facebook.com/ speaking as an individual to speaking on behalf of an 622 on Bright House and Channel 71 on Comcast. The meeting citruscounty three minutes of comment at the also can be viewed live online in a small digital format. start of BOCC meetings. See BOCC/ Page A11 chronicle and respond to our Question of the Monday CONVERSATION Week. Do you think racism will ever be eliminated from our nation? Chris Gangler ‘Pride of ownership’ I think it will eventu- ally as more genera- tions come and go. IMHO, things are already much differ- ent than when I was a teen. Elizabeth Goodale-Yerian Yes I do. The next generation is just not as racist as this one. It may take some more time but it will happen! We have finally elected a very intelligent black president to be the leader of the United States — that’s a huge step and speaks volumes. Makes me proud to witness that. (History!) when my kids grow up and I’m an old person I will be able to say that I was part of that (smart) generation who elected him — twice! Laura A. Rhame Unfortunately we will always have racism. I believe it is based from fear. Wendy Kalivoda Only if you can erase ignorance. Sharon Tvenstrup Concidine I don’t think racism will ever go away as well as ... being bullied because you’re overweight, the color of your skin or your sex- ual preference. It is a shame but I think it is here to stay no matter what. I believe it is handed down from generation to generation. I don’t believe in any of it and I have taught my children the same. MATTHEW BECK/Chronicle POLL Citrus County Sheriff’s Office Fire Rescue Division Chief Jim Goodworth has recently been able to purchase what he says is much-needed equipment for the county’s fire rescue personnel. Things such as the nozzle he identifies are more modern, high-tech devices that he says perform much better than the older models, such as the ones at right. ONLINE POLL: Home-grown fire chief explains fruits of his labor: How MSBU used Your choice? A.B. SIDIBE MSBU numbers person and is the money GOODWORTH: Yes, they are equipped How should the United Staff writer coming in? with all kinds of equipment and they States GOODWORTH: Yes, as of Oct. 1 the rev- carry 400 gallons of water, so we are able respond to im Goodworth took the helm of enues began to come in from the MSBU. to do a quick attack if indeed they were the threat of fire chief in November, which You know we really have to thank the first on the scene at a structure fire. At terrorism at came on the heels of the kickoff of commissioners who supported this, and least we are able to contain the fire until the Winter a controversial municipal service the citizens, because it wasn’t a matter of we can get additional resources to the Olympics in business unit (MSBU) for fire serv- us having a want, it was truly a need to scene. Sochi? ices,J but today the career Citrus County have this additional revenue source. It is CHRONICLE: And, the squads have A. Don’t over-think the threat. The Russian fire rescue worker is eagerly touting early important for our citizens to know where been kind of a new concept for the government will safe- results of the new revenues. their money is being spent. You know county, right? guard the athletes and In a wide-ranging conversation with the when I was out there pushing for the GOODWORTH: Yeah, you know when spectators. Chronicle, Goodworth talked about the MSBU, we said what we were going to do we just had engines, we were sending the B. Sorry, but our range of services and equipment used by with this money and this is important to engines out on every call we go to, and athletes should pass his agency and the new structural show the citizens where their money is the fuel and maintenance cost. These are on these Olympics. The changes introduced by Sheriff Jeff Dawsy going. much more efficient when we respond to risk is too great. since the beginning of the new year and a CHRONICLE: So you guys have the calls. C. We shouldn’t back little more than two years after the sher- ladder trucks or tower, the engines and CHRONICLE: Don’t you guys also have out, but the U.S. should iff ’s office and Fire Rescue merged. the squad vehicles; are there any other vehicles to bring water to certain areas of be heavily involved in Goodworth started with Fire Rescue in things you use? the county? coordinated safety 1983 as an EMT and worked his way to GOODWORTH: We have only one tower GOODWORTH: Yes, we have to bring initiatives with the the top. He served as deputy fire chief and it is stationed here (at the Kensington water to places in the county because Russians. under Larry Morabito until Morabito re- Fire Station) and we have the engines there are no hydrants. That’s why in addi- D. In light of President tired in 2013. with the squads. The purpose of the tion to the engines we have tankers, too. Putin’s disregard for the Goodworth said being fire chief is “a squads are they respond to most of our We situate and locate our tankers strate- U.S. and his stance on dream come true” and he is excited about structure fires, our EMS responses and gically throughout the county. When we social/humanitarian leading a group of firefighters who practi- wires down and obviously our engines have a structure fire, we make sure we issues, we should cally “grew up with the department.” are used for the water source for our have water to tankers to bring a couple of boycott these games. “The pride of ownership is tremen- structure fires. thousand gallons to that area, because To vote, visit www. chronicleonline.com. dous,” he said. CHRONICLE: And, the squads are a Click on the word CHRONICLE: Chief, you were the lead jack-of-all-trades-type vehicle, right? See MONDAY/ Page A11 “Opinion” in the menu to see the poll. Results will appear next Monday. Find last week’s online poll results./Page A3 Marine science seen as economic boost INDEX PAT FAHERTY “ organizations and preserving Classifieds ................B8 Staff writer the Gulf, as opportunities for Comics ....................B7 Have the kids really integrated so they local and regional economic Crossword ................B6 CRYSTAL RIVER — While the can work side-by-side with researchers, so development. Editorial..................A12 future payout of Restore Act Similar conversations are Entertainment ..........A4 funds remains uncertain, the at- “they can be the hands that we need. going on in other Gulf Coast coun- Horoscope ................A4 tention focused on the Gulf of ties with marginal economies and Lottery Numbers ......B3 Mexico shoreline could create re- Laura Lange Hill slim prospects for future quality Lottery Payouts ........B3 gional partnerships with future Pasco County School District. jobs. And since the spill, coastal Movies ......................B7 economic benefits for Citrus and restoration concerns have broad- Obituaries ................A6 tion, in Brooksville earlier in the TV Listings................B6 other coastal counties. tion center for marine and envi- ened into overall water and envi- Thursday, a group of partici- ronmental sciences. day. ronmental quality concerns. pants from areas affected by the It followed a Nature Coast Wa- County Commissioner Rebecca “How do we turn this into more 2010 BP oil spill visited the Ma- tershed Planning meeting, organ- Bays, who organized the visit, economic development?” asked rine Science Station, Citrus ized by the Nature Conservancy sees marine science, the involve- County School District’s educa- and National Wildlife Federa- ment of students, links to related See MARINE/ Page A13 A2 MONDAY, JANUARY 27, 2014 CITRUS COUNTY (FL) CHRONICLE Don’t Be Fooled! 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