Ace in the hole: Homan’s rare feat pushes Citrus to win /B1 WEDNESDAY TODAY CITRUS COUNTY & next morning HIGH 89 Partly cloudy with a LOW chance of showers and thunderstorms. 72 PAGE A4 www.chronicleonline.com SEPTEMBER 5, 2012 Florida’s Best Community Newspaper Serving Florida’s Best Community 50¢ VOLUME 118 ISSUE 29 NEWS BRIEF ‘Unintended consequences’ Gudis: T.S. Michael business growth in the stronger in City manager: Alcohol ordinance city’s commercial district, east Atlantic in particular eateries that DNC an obstacle for business growth may want to serve alcohol. MIAMI — Fore- One of the main reasons casters say small NANCY KENNEDY “Back in the late 1980s for the proposed ordi- Tropical Storm Staff Writer and early ’90s, a concern nance change is the exis- evolved regarding the pos- tence of the Withlacoochee upbeat Michael has INVERNESS — The sibility of a proliferation of Frank Jacquie Trail State Park, a prime strengthened in the DiGiovanni Hepfer MIKE WRIGHT eastern Atlantic phrase of the night at Tues- adult entertainment ven- location for the very type day’s Inverness City Coun- ues in Inverness,” he said. proposes says it’s an of business the current Staff Writer Ocean but does not cil meeting was “A problem didn’t exist, but change to issue of regulation prohibits from pose a threat to land. “unintended conse- often perception can shape alcohol-sale common opening. Democrats are pumped ordinance. sense. The U.S. National quences” as City Manager and direct people’s think- “When this ordinance up for their convention this Hurricane Center Frank DiGiovanni opened ing. To control this pending had a male dance revue in- was put in place, the trail week in Charlotte, N.C., with said Tuesday after- the discussion about pro- issue, regulations were es- tended for adults. was a railroad,” he said. a message they hope will noon that Michael posed changes to an exist- tablished that we still “That caused pandemo- “Wallace Brooks (Park) was resonate with Americans. was moving slowly ing ordinance requiring maintain today.” nium,” DiGiovanni said. a sewer plant and Liberty Citrus County Demo- toward the north- bars and restaurants serv- He was referring to the “But that’s no longer the Park didn’t exist.” cratic State Committeeman northwest at about 7 ing alcohol be located no time when Tampa strip case. Things are not the Previously, proposed Mike Gudis is a delegate to mph. Current models closer than 300 feet to a club owner Joe Redner same now as they were alcohol-related ordinance the conven- showed it staying church, day care center, wanted to open an adult then.” changes have caused tion, as is well out to sea over school, public library or club in Homosassa Springs, He called the current or- Samuel the next few days. park. and a local bar in Inverness dinance an obstacle to See ORDINANCE/ Page A2 Davis of Michael had maxi- Sugarmill mum sustained Woods. Both ar- winds of 50 mph. It rived Mon- was 1,210 miles day by car southwest of the Mike from Crys- Azores. Gudis tal River, Meanwhile, Tropi- delegate to and Gudis cal Storm Leslie was Renaissance woman DNC. said the moving very slowly scene is electrifying. more than 500 miles “I’ve never seen people south of Bermuda. more enthusiastic,” Gudis, a That storm’s maxi- Crystal River city council- mum sustained man, said in a phone winds Tuesday were interview. near 65 mph. The pair joined the In the Pacific, Florida delegate contingent what was Tropical for breakfast Tuesday morn- Depression John has ing where Newark, N.J., fallen apart. Mayor Cory Booker fired them up with an impassioned — From wire reports speech, Gudis said. Booker was also to speak to the full INSIDE convention Tuesday night. “Everybody really loved OPINION: him,” Gudis said. The convention was to A fishing hear Tuesday night from former President Jimmy tournament is Carter and first lady planned Oct. 28 Michelle Obama. “ Gudis said he didn’t at Lake watch much of the Republi- can National Convention Rousseau to last week in Tampa. “My stomach isn’t strong help raise enough for that,” he said. He said he thinks it’s to funds for the the Democrats’ advantage “ to follow the Republican family of Lance MATTHEW BECK/Chronicle convention with their own. Rachel Miller sits with Renaissance Center student Cory Kjeldgard last week as the teen works on reading aloud. “Expect ours to be more Cpl. Joshua Miller, a paraprofessional at the school, was once a student there. truthful, more realistic,” Langston Gudis said. He said the Democratic White. Once a student at school for troubled youths, Miller now educates message will be one of hope and encouragement. EDITORIAL, PAGE A8 MIKE WRIGHT She brings something no teacher, their home school. She plans to “The convention will Staff Writer aide or administrator brings: Expe- graduate in May from St. Leo Uni- show what the president EDUCATION: rience in the Renaissance class- versity with a bachelor’s degree in and administration plan on LECANTO — Well before Rachel room — as a student. elementary education. It is her doing for the majority of Miller signed up as a teacher’s aide Miller, 30, has the unique status hope to continue her educational people over the next four at Renaissance Center, she knew among her peers as a former Ren- career as a teacher. years and to point out we’re the school’s stigma as the place for aissance Center student. Her It’s a far cry from her days at really better off than four troubled students. mother sent her there in early high Lecanto High School. Miller at- years ago,” Gudis said. She knew Renaissance was not a school and it changed her life. tained high grades and was suc- Charlotte, he said, is on destination for most students, un- Now Miller wants to give Renais- cessful until she started hanging its toes for the convention. less they got into fights, skipped sance students the same hope that around with the wrong kinds of “You would not believe the school, or took drugs. teachers gave her. kids. security here,” he said. Still, when the chance came “I find they can relate to me,” She and a friend would attend “Everything is really upbeat.” eight years ago to join Renaissance Miller said. school for early check-in, then Chronicle reporter Mike as an aide and paraprofessional, Miller is an aide in a class that Wright can be reached at Miller jumped at it. helps students transition back to See MILLER/ Page A2 352-563-3228 or mwright@ chronicleonline.com. Democrats: GOP’s Romney just ‘doesn’t get it’ Associated Press since the president took criticizing Romney, even office. suggesting the former Mas- CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Obama was back home in sachusetts governor might Democrats ridiculed Re- the White House after a not even be the driving publican Mitt Romney as a campaign appearance in force on the Republican man who “quite simply Virginia earlier in the day. ticket this fall. doesn’t get it” and worse He said he’d be watching on “First they called it Tuesday on the opening television when his wife ‘trickle down,’ the supply College color night of a national conven- spoke. side,” he said of the eco- Students from local tion aimed at propelling Polls made the race for nomic proposals backed by middle schools show Barack Obama to a second the White House a tight one, Republicans. “Now it’s support for their favorite term in the White House almost certain to be de- Romney/Ryan. Or is it colleges./Page C1 despite high unemployment cided in a string of eight or Ryan/Romney? and national economic 10 battleground states “Either way, their theory INDEX distress. where neither the presi- has been tested. It failed. ... Comics . .C8 Obama “knows better dent nor Romney hold a Mitt Romney just doesn’t Community . .C6 than anyone there’s more clear advantage. And dur- get it,” Castro said. Rom- Crossword . .C7 hard work to do,” said San ing the day there was ample ney’s running mate is Wis- Editorial . .A8 Antonio Mayor Julian Cas- evidence of an underper- consin Rep. Paul Ryan. Entertainment . .B6 tro, the convention keynote forming economy, from a re- In his campaign trip to Horoscope . .B6 speaker, sharing the prime- port that said Virginia earlier in the day, Lottery Numbers . .B4 time spotlight with first lady manufacturing activity de- Obama told an audience at Lottery Payouts . .B6 Michelle Obama. clined for a third straight Norfolk State University Movies . .C8 After the deep recession, month to the Treasury’s an- that the economy will get Obituaries . .A5 Castro said in excerpts re- nouncement that the gov- worse if Romney wins the Classifieds . .C9 leased in advance, the na- ernment’s debt exceeded White House this fall and TV Listings . .C7 tion is making progress $16 trillion at the close of that Election Day apathy Associated Press “despite incredible odds the business day. was his enemy — and Democratic National Committee Chairwoman Rep. Debbie and united Republican op- Castro, the first Hispanic theirs. Wasserman Schultz, from Florida, waves Tuesday as she position.” He pointed to the chosen to deliver a keynote opens the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, creation of 4.5 million jobs address, was unsparing in See DEMOCRATS/ Page A2 N.C. A2 WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2012 LOCAL CITRUS COUNTY (FL) CHRONICLE was complete. The lectern “A political convention is stow their nomination on likely that a day care center rested on a blue-carpeted “just like a relay, and you Obama and Vice President would move into a down- DEMOCRATS stage, inside a circle of start off with the fastest per- Joe Biden on Wednesday ORDINANCE town space and a bar move Continued from Page A1 white stars suggestive of the son,” he said.