Packers slip past Giants in final seconds to stay perfect /B1 MONDAY CITRUS COUNTY TODAY & Tuesday morning HIGH Partly cloudy. East 80 winds 5 to 10 mph. LOW PAGE A4 53 www.chronicleonline.com DECEMBER 5, 2011 Florida’s Best Community Newspaper Serving Florida’s Best Community 50¢ VOLUME 117 ISSUE 120 INSIDE FROM THE WHARF: Public input sought on springs plan dering Three Sisters and Wildlife Refuge manager, struck at the time also in- Three Sisters workshop Tuesday the greater King’s Bay area. has been invited to make a volved certain mandates Andy Houston, Crystal presentation. about how the property was A.B. SIDIBE topic of a public input work- River city manager, said the The U.S. Fish and to be developed. Staff Writer shop 6 p.m. Tuesday at Crys- meeting is to give residents Wildlife Service via Lusk But Houston said some of tal River City Hall, 123 N.W. a chance to appropriately are charged with managing those mandates can be CRYSTAL RIVER — The U.S. 19. discuss concerns and per- the property as per a pub- changed if those who op- conceptual plan to trans- The plan has stoked con- haps come up with alterna- lic/private purchase agree- pose elements of the plan Restricted form Three Sisters Springs troversy among some of the tives to things they don’t like. ment when it was bought can present convincing Fishermen limited to into a public-accessible na- homeowners who live on Houston said Michael from a Tampa developer. types of fish they catch ture enclave will be the the banks of the canals bor- Lusk, the Crystal River The management deal See SPRINGS/Page A5 and take home./ Page A10 LOCAL SPORTS: Hog hunting Water A portion of the Flying Eagle Preserve will be temporarily closed to supply the public for hog hunts Dec. 6 to 8./Page A3 High notes ENTERTAINMENT: authority Honored Stars gather for moves to Kennedy Center Honors Lecanto Saturday night in JIM HUNTER D.C. Correspondent /Page B5 OPINION: LECANTO — The Withla- coochee Regional Water A special Supply Authority is moving its office from Hernando word to those County to the Lecanto Gov- ernment Building. “who seek The office will be in Suite 228 on the second floor and office during will have its computers in- the upcoming stalled next week. The phone lines are now in oper- elections: You ation and can be reached at (352) 527-5795, (352) 527-5796 are putting “ and fax line, (352) 527-5797. The office will be manned yourself in by Administrative Assistant the public Nancy H. Smith, who is a certified planner and who eye. has worked with the author- ity on regional water con- servation projects. EDITORIAL, PAGE A8 The county is giving the CATHY KAPULKA/Chronicle authority office space for LOCAL EFFORTS: Matthew Bumbach, back to camera, directs four soloists in the Marion Civic Chorale’s “Lords and Dukes” $170 a month, the cost of the Give blood performance at the Shepherd of the Hills Episcopal Church in Lecanto on Sunday. From left: Dale Brumfield, electric and maintenance. Find out where the bass-baritone; Geoff Gartner, tenor and Janet Rabe-Meyer and Karen Adair, both sopranos The move from the South- LifeSouth west Florida Water Manage- Bloodmobile ment District head quarters will be Marion Civic Chorale brings conglomeration of music to area in Hernando County also parked for means the water authority donations CATHY KAPULKA ber and usher, had the same senti- board will now conduct its during monthly meetings in Room Staff Writer I think it’s “ ments about the chorale. upcoming “”I think it’s amazing that we 166 in the Lecanto Govern- weeks./Page A6 n a spiritual performance, amazing that we have this fine thing in our area,” ment Building. The authority Get food the Marion Civic Chorale have this fine thing she said. “I especially enjoyed the meets at 4:30 p.m. the third sang in the Light Shine’s “ base soloist, Dale Brumfield, Wednesday of the month. Al- Area groups offer 2011 fall and winter concert in our area. exceptional.” though the phones are low-cost food options series Sunday at the Shep- Jean Welman, also a church working, Smith said Friday, and free meals each Iherd of the Hills Episcopal because she still will be Natalie Warrick member, said the concert was week./Page A6 Church in Lecanto. church member and usher. “lovely, inspiring and uplifting, moving in next week, calls The chorale, which is under the like the angels.” may go to voice mail or be ONLINE POLL: direction of Matthew Bumbach, just wonderful,” he said. Adams said the church tries to forwarded. She said she Your choice? performed a “Lords and Dukes” Adams said the choral is made have about eight concerts a year. will check for messages recital that combined music from up of about 50 members who are Shows are free and made possible daily, however, and will re- Should teacher pay be the Franz Hayden’s “Lord Nelson turn any calls she isn’t able cut so the school dis- all volunteers. In this concert, he in conjunction with the Florida Mass” and Duke Ellington’s songs said the group featured four tal- Humanities Council. to answer. trict can meet budget The authority represents constraints? from his Sacred Concerts series. ented soloists, Dale Brumfield, For more information on up- Citrus, Hernando, Marion A. No. I’d The choral is the oldest commu- bass-baritone; Geoff Gartner, coming concerts, call the church rather pay nity chorus in Marion County. tenor and Janet Rabe-Meyer and at (352) 527-0052 Monday through and Sumter counties in re- more in Bishop Jim Adams, head pastor Karen Adair, both sopranos. Friday from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. gional water supply plans taxes than for at the church, said this was the “We’d just like to thank them for Chronicle reporter Cathy and projects. The authority that to happen. second time the chorale has per- giving their talent and sharing it Kapulka can be reached at (352) is special district created by B. Yes. An across-the- formed at the church. with everyone,” he added. 564-2922 or ckapulka@chronicle state statute to allow coun- board nominal cut “The last time they sang, it was Natalie Warrick, church mem- online.com. ties and cities in a specific wouldn’t be felt by See WATER/Page A5 teachers but would gen- erate much revenue. C. No. Find the money by cutting programs not directly tied to reading, writing, math and Postal cuts to slow delivery of first-class mail science. D. Yes. If the option is HOPE YEN check payments to Netflix’s The cuts, now being final- cutting programs vs. Associated Press DVDs-by-mail, add costs to ized, would close roughly Postal woes grow as volume sinks cutting pay, cut pay. mail-order prescription 250 of the nearly 500 mail Steep operating losses from increased online competition and To vote, visit www. WASHINGTON — Facing drugs, and threaten the ex- processing centers across chronicleonline.com. bankruptcy, the U.S. Postal high overhead costs are leading the cash-strapped U.S. istence of newspapers and the country as early as next Postal Service to cut spending to avert bankruptcy. Click on the word “Opin- Service is pushing ahead time-sensitive magazines March. Because the consol- ion” in the menu to see with unprecedented cuts to delivered by postal carrier idations typically would Operating profits and losses since 2001 the poll. first-class mail next spring to far-flung suburban and lengthen the distance mail -$5.1 billion Results will appear that will slow delivery and, rural communities. travels from post office to $4 billion next Monday. Find last for the first time in 40 years, That birthday card mailed processing center, the 2 week’s online poll eliminate the chance for first-class to Mom also could agency also would lower de- 0 results./Page A4 stamped letters to arrive arrive a day or two late, if livery standards for first- -2 INDEX the next day. people don’t plan ahead. class mail that have been in -4 The estimated $3 billion “It’s a potentially major place since 1971. -6 Comics ....................B7 in reductions, to be an- change, but I don’t think Currently, first-class mail -8 Crossword ................B6 nounced in broader detail consumers are focused on it is supposed to be delivered Editorial....................A8 -10 Monday, are part of a wide- and it won’t register until to homes and businesses '01 '02 '03 '04 '05 '06 '07 '08 '09 '10 '11 Entertainment ..........B5 ranging effort by the cash- the service goes away,” said within the continental U.S. Horoscope ................B5 Total mail volume since 2001 strapped Postal Service to Jim Corridore, analyst with in one day to three days. Lottery Numbers ......B4 quickly trim costs, seeing no S&P Capital IQ, who tracks 250 billion pieces Lottery Payouts ........B5 That will lengthen to two immediate help from Con- 200 Movies ......................B7 the shipping industry. “Over days to three days, meaning gress. time, to the extent the cus- mailers no longer could ex- 150 Obituaries ................A6 168 billion TV Listings................B6 The changes would pro- tomer service experience pect next-day delivery in 100 vide short-term relief, but gets worse, it will only in- Classifieds ................B8 surrounding communities. 50 ultimately could prove crease the shift away from Periodicals could take be- 0 counterproductive, pushing mail to alternatives. There’s tween two days and nine '01 '02 '03 '04 '05 '06 '07 '08 '09 '10 '11 more of America’s business almost nothing you can’t do days.