Inverness Council Vents About Park Funds
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Soccer romp: Panther girls outclass Pirates /B1 THURSDAY JOB TODAY CITRUS COUNTY & next morning HUNTING ? 000DOPN HIGH APPLY TODAY 81 Partly cloudy. LOW PAGE A4 at VILLAGE SEE IT TOYOTA ON PG. C13 62 www.chronicleonline.com JANUARY 10, 2013 Florida’s Best Community Newspaper Serving Florida’s Best Community 50¢ VOLUME 118 ISSUE 156 Inverness council vents about park funds to make Whispering Pines Park ways to make the county the ground.” work is beyond me, because aren’t accountable.” Council President Cabot County witholding $300K payment our children the future? Or is the Councilman Ken Hinkle McBride called the county’s with- port our future?” he said, refer- pointed out the city’s budget is holding of payment a “slap in the NANCY KENNEDY Inverness Mayor Bob Plaisted ring to Port Citrus. open to inspection and bristled at city’s face,” but also said the city Staff writer acknowledged the “seething that’s Plaisted added, “The county (is- the idea of turning the park’s man- has a friend in Commissioner going on beneath the skin” of sued) a memorandum of under- agement over to the county, as had Scott Adams. INVERNESS — The anger in council members and said, “I standing — we contribute $1.8 been suggested as an option “I don’t understand if there’s the room was palpable as mem- know that we’re all upset. We want million annually to the county in 2008. some passive-aggressive game bers of Inverness City Council dis- the best for our children, and we budget and we don’t have a mem- “We’re going to manage the park that’s going on, but as a resident of cussed the future of Whispering know that we’re going to do every- orandum of understanding on — we just signed a 10-year agree- the city and as a council member I Pines Park and the county’s with- thing we can to make Whispering how they spend our tax dollars … ment with the state,” he said. feel trivialized and disregarded,” holding of its $300,000 annual pay- Pines Park work. Why the (county) We need to move in the direction “We’re not going to turn it over to a ment to help fund the park. commission isn’t doing everything to keep the park going and find government that will run it into See PARK/ Page A4 Little girl — big voice MATTHEW BECK/Chronicle Marleigh Miller sings as she practices her guitar Monday evening at the FS Music store inside the Crystal River Mall. Local elementary school girl’s singing becomes overnight sensation with Internet videos MIKE WRIGHT Check out the more than 800 brought to tears.” Staff writer comments on Facebook, ■ To view Marleigh Miller’s Kennedy was so impressed, including: videos, go to www.god he asked Marleigh to sing for CRYSTAL RIVER — Eight-year-old “This little girl is truly tal- vine.com, and type her the school board in December. ented and this is my third time name in the search line. Marleigh, a Forest Ridge El- Marleigh Miller has an amazing singing voice. listening and probably not the ementary third-grader, is ac- Don’t take our word for it. last. I look forward to hearing my soul to the core.” customed to singing in public. more from this beautiful child.” Or, closer to home, this from She’s sung at patriotic cere- Go online to GodVine.com and join the 1.1 “I have listened to this little Citrus County School Board monies at the state Capitol in million viewers who watched the November girl sing this song about 10 member Thomas Kennedy, who Tallahassee and the National times now. It brings a smile to has heard Marleigh sing in Guard Armory in Crystal River. 2011 video of Marleigh singing “How Great my heart.” church: Thou Art.” “This little girl has touched “I remember almost being See VOICE/ Page A2 INSIDE STATE & LOCAL: TDC eyes youth Tense exchange during baseball tourneys discussion of school fees residential and impact develop- fee re- New facility Adams knocks ment plans quests have HPH Hospice breaks Could provide tourism boost to make been re- ground for a new ‘$100K-a-year sure the viewed and care center./Page A3 PAT FAHERTY entation on Citrus County district has rejected by Staff writer hosting Super Series Base- bureaucrats’ school ca- the school INDEX ball tournaments. Super Se- pacity to board. Comics . .C6 LECANTO — The poten- ries Baseball is a national MIKE WRIGHT handle new Brad Scott Adams, Community . .C4 tial of sports tourism, espe- sanctioning organization Staff writer students. Thorpe Adams whose busi- Crossword . .C5 cially youth baseball, promoting travel tourna- The re- county county ness inter- Editorial . .A8 dominated discussion at the ments for players ages 9 INVERNESS — An hour- view, called administrator. commissioner. ests Entertainment . .B6 Tourist Development Coun- to 18. long discussion on an old concur- include Horoscope . .B6 cil meeting. “Citrus County will get ex- topic Tuesday included a rency, is allowed in state home construction, said Lottery Numbers . .B4 The council started 2013 posure on a national level.” terse exchange between law but not required. builders are hurting in an Lottery Payouts . .B6 with a busy Wednesday ses- Ramsay said. “The Bicen- County Administrator Brad Members of the Citrus economy that has shown a Movies . .C6 sion. Sports tourism, which tennial Park will work well Thorpe and new Commis- County Builders Associa- significant decrease in de- Obituaries . .A5 the TDC has discussed in for events.” He said they sioner Scott Adams. tion, or CCBA, also again velopment. He said remov- Classifieds . .C7 the past, could increase could put on up to 10 events Citrus County commis- urged commissioners to ing schools from impact fee TV Listings . .C5 spring and summer visitors a year, but would start by sioners discussed for more place a moratorium on and concurrency would by initially using existing hosting five qualifying tour- than an hour whether to re- school impact fees. The help the economy. facilities. naments and with seven quest the school board con- issue has been on the table County Development Timothy Ramsay and sider relinquishing its since about March. Adam Thomas gave a pres- See TDC/ Page A2 now-held right to review Both the concurrency See FEES/ Page A2 A2 THURSDAY, JANUARY 10, 2013 CITRUS COUNTY (FL) CHRONICLE Bluebird State BRIEF Judge denies acquittal in Wilson case MIAMI — A judge refused Wednesday to order the ac- quittal of a woman accused of killing 4-year-old foster child Rilya Wilson despite ar- guments from defense attor- neys that there’s no conclusive proof the girl is even dead. Scott Sakin, one of the at- torneys representing 66-year- old Geralyn Graham, contended a not guilty verdict was legally required because Rilya’s remains have never been found, there are no eyewitnesses to a slaying and virtually no forensic evi- dence exists. Rilya disap- peared from Graham’s home in 2000. “There is no direct evi- dence the child is dead,” Sakin said. The prosecution’s main ev- idence is testimony from three jailhouse snitches that Graham confessed to them DANIELLE KERESE/Chronicle behind bars. All three could An American bluebird dines on seeds from a Chinese tallow tree, also known as the popcorn tree, in a Homosassa backyard. The bluebird typically feeds win sentence reductions or on small insects during the summer months, but relies on berries, wild fruits and seeds during the winter months. parole because of their cooperation. Circuit Judge Marisa Tin- months old, she and her Miller credits for Marleigh’s “It touches my heart,” said. “For the talent she has, kler Mendez, however, said mother participated in a singing ability. said Mrs. Miller, whose fa- she’s so humble. I don’t the inmates’ statements and VOICE program called Kinder- Two years later, Mar- ther served in the Army. think she takes it for other testimony was enough Continued from Page A1 musik, sort of a Head Start leigh’s mom recorded a “She has a very hearty granted.” for the case to go forward. music program for toddlers. video of her singing “How sense the sacrifices our ■ ■ ■ “The evidence is sufficient Her favorite music is Marleigh took to it right Great Thou Art” in church. servicemen have given, Marleigh, who turns 9 on to go to the jury,” the judge country, patriotic and away. She posted it on YouTube so and their families.” April 14, said she’s also said. Christian. “I really think that’s the relatives in Alabama, Ohio At school, media special- amazed at the attention With that, the defense Marleigh’s motivation is reason she loves music,” and Pennsylvania could see ist Ben Johnston penned a the GodVine video began putting on its case. simple. Mrs. Miller said. it. Before she knew, some- CD of children’s songs that received. The prosecution rested Tues- “I love music,” she said. By the time she was 2, one had posted it on God- includes Marleigh singing “It’s just really cool,” she day following five weeks of said. “I never thought I “It’s fun to do.” Marleigh had nearly instant Vine.com, home of Christian three of them. The CD is on testimony and the jury could recall on songs and could videos, and it exploded in sale at the school as a would get a million people She plays piano and now begin deliberations sometime is learning the guitar. Her repeat them. popularity. fundraiser for the media seeing my video.” next week. instructor at FS Music, “She could sing along “At first it made me a little center.