BCC Splits Over Where to Set Taxes

We Insure SPORTS HOMES FOCUS Jane DiLoreto Agency OP cyclist wins Wisconsin Cycling Classic 215-2121 SPORTS 3701193-01 THURSDAY, JULY 26, 2012 WWW.CLAYTODAYONLINE.COM VOLUME 42, NO. 30 75¢75 COUPON SAVINGS BCC splits $AVE $ over where to set taxes WITH62 COUPONS By Debra W. Buehn, INSIDE THIS ISSUE Correspondent GREEN COVE SPRINGS -- Vowing to contin- ue to look for savings in the coming months, the Clay County Board of County Commissioners Tuesday kept the tentative millage rate for the new scal the same it’s been for the past year. The tentative millage rate of 7.8510 may actually translate into a tax decrease for many property owners in Clay County since property values have continued to decline. A mill is $1 in property taxes for every STAFF PHOTO BY STEPHEN KINDLAND Election Guide Inside Orange Park police Chief Jim Boivin looks through a scrapbook containing newspaper stories and $1,000 of assessed property value after ex- photos that chronicle his 35-year career with the department. Boivin plans to retire on Wednesday, emptions. Aug. 1. The vote on the tentative millage rate was 4-1, with Commissioner Chereese Stewart dis- NEWS senting. Stewart proposed setting the rate at what is known as the “rollback” rate, which FOCUS Police chief carries respect, would have been 8.0633 mills. The county is required by state statute to admiration into retirement set a tentative millage rate by Aug. 15, with By Stephen Kindland the rate being made permanent at the end of Staff writer ness owners and church of cials throughout two public hearings in September when the the town have posted messages on their mar- budget for the scal year is set. If the BCC had ORANGE PARK – Fond farewells have be- quees, thanking him for his service, including approved the rollback rate of 8.0633 mills on gun owing for retiring Orange Park police his role as police chief for the past 10 years. Tuesday, it could have reduced the permanent Chief Jim Boivin, a Green Cove Springs native “It really makes me and my family feel wel- millage rate before the nal vote in September, who worked his way up the department ladder come and wanted,” Boivin said. “I really ap- but it could not go any higher. Stewart said she after taking a cut in pay to become a patrol preciate that.” wanted to go with the rollback rate so there of cer 35 years ago. Boivin, who turns 60 on July 29, will spend would be room for discussion over the next sev- Town employees, longtime friends and col- his last day heading a department that is vast- eral weeks as the county sets its budget. NEW BUSINESS leagues throughout Clay County have called, ly different -- at least in terms of equipment The proposed budget commissioners are Black Horse Winery is sent cards or stopped by to wish Boivin well and technology -- than it was when he joined looking at for the coming scal year is $268 as his Aug. 1 retirement date nears. Busi- on Kingsley Ave. Pg. 13 SEE BOIVIN, 11 SEE BCC, 5 INSERTS USA WEEKEND NEWS AMERICA COUPONS GEICO HARDEES HOME DEPOT CLAY CO. ELECTION GUIDE 2 CLAY TODAY • July 26, 2012 COMMUNITY CLAYTODAYONLINE.COM by Clay County Mary Jo [email protected] Memories [email protected] Threat of yellow fever ﬁ lled Florida summers with fear Throughout most of the 1800’s, year only method of ghting the spread of the the burning of vats of tar in the streets in round residents of Clay County expected disease. hopes that the racket and the rank billows to suffer on and off from chills and fever During the 1887 Jacksonville epidemic, of black smoke would somehow affect the starting around August. Relief arrived only trains from the southern part of the state disease and quarantine did more damage. with the rst cold spell. were not allowed to progress beyond the Some said, “What the yellow jack didn’t Usually the symptoms were mild and northern border of Clay County. Freight get, the quarantine did.” Produce from every family administered a homemade or was unloaded and stored at both Green many Clay County farms never made it store-bought tonic in the spring to ward-off Cove Springs and Orange Park. In Orange to northern markets because they rotted infection. The annual dosing might contain Park, the frenzied switching of cars proved on Jacksonville piers or in train cars that anything from kerosene to laudanum and more than the crew could handle and a never left the yard. always a strong diuretic to -- “clean out the runaway boxcar knocked the depot off the Subsequent shipments had to be ex- system”. foundation. pensively rerouted to avoid Duval County. But ... some years it was different. A track repair crew stationed within For many new settlers with no assets in People kept close tabs on the health of im- hollering distance was roused from their reserve this meant bankruptcy and a re- mediate neighbors hopeful of not hearing beds. They worked by the light of a full turn north to depend on the kindness of rumors of an epidemic. Smallpox, typhus, moon, kerosene lanterns and sputter- relatives, or worse. typhoid, scarlet fever, malaria and yellow Clay County raised Gov. Francis Fleming ing ames of pine knot torches. With the In 1889, a Clay county boy, Gov. Francis fever were all killers but in Florida “Yellow served from 1889 to 1893. His rst order same tools and rhythmic chants that they Fleming made a difference. Newly elected, Jack” was the most feared. of business was the creation of Florida’s used every day to tease rough-cut, cypress his rst order of business was the estab- Most survived but for some yellow fe- state Board of Health with the primary task ties into place under the track, the crew lishment of a state Board of Health which ver killed quickly producing what seemed of eradicating yellow fever. slid the derailed car back on the track and began an immediate and vigorous mosquito to be mountains of corpses in a matter of coaxed the station back where it belonged. eradication program. The public approval days and those corpses were mostly men, cant number of its leaders, laborers, and Little did they realize that quarantine and cooperation was complete. twenty to forty years old. A community family breadwinners in less than a week. was a useless tactic. It was as pointless Yellow fever in epidemic proportions could be decimated, stripped of a signi - Quarantine was mistakenly seen as the as the desperate ring of cannons and never struck Florida again. Aphids are causing black ﬁ lm on many crape myrtles We are starting to see black leaves return to many of resurged to the point that most Crape Myrtle leaves and our Crape Myrtles. It happens throughout the year when- twigs are turning black from the sooty mold that grows ever there is new growth on this plant but for the next few on all the sugary honeydew this aphid is dropping. Even months it will become even more the sooty mold fungus itself is speci c to this insect in an widespread throughout our county. indirect way – the particular Capnodium species involved So what is causing this? grows on Crape Myrtle Aphid honeydew and no other. The insect indirectly respon- Besides these strange examples of uniqueness, this sible for the black lm is the Crape is an aphid, which as an adult, is usually always winged. Myrtle Aphid (Sarucallis kaha- Other aphids form wings only in response to environmen- waluokalani). It has a scienti c tal factors or approaching the season to mate. name that sounds very Hawaiian So is the Crape Myrtle Aphid a really “bad” pest to – understandable since it was rst have around? The truth is that (as is the case in nature) Seasonal concerns described by a Hawaiian entomolo- from gardeners rarely is anything all bad to have around – some would gist. Originating in Asia, it has consider it “bene cial” in that it provides a sustaining The crape myrtle aphid is responsible for the black lm spread throughout most places RAY H. ZERBA JR. food source for various natural predators (lady beetles, seen on the plant year-round, but particularly prevalent dur- where the Crape Myrtle grows be- Horticulture Agent IV, and lacewings) at a time of year when other sustaining ing the late summer months. cause the Crape Myrtle is its only Emeritus UF.IFAS Extension food supplies are low. In addition, even their honeydew is Clay County (Retired) food. This species attacks no other an important food for various wasps (Paper and Sphecid), Myrtle. In light of that fact, this aphid ts right into the plant. ants, and parasitoids at a time when they also need a high concept of “encouraging” nature food chains that support In our area, it’s only a small irritation through most energy, sustaining food source. a healthy, on-site natural predator population, the Univer- of the summer because of the many predators keeping Of course, the fact they are feeding on one of our more sity of Florida suggests trying to ignore and live with them. its numbers low (especial the Multicolored Asian Lady important and attractive, owering trees (at the same Of course, you may not be so inclined when your Crape Beetle) but as August approaches, its numbers frequently time), makes it the “unfriendly homesteader” in the land- Myrtle starts to turn black – so what are your options if shoot up as predators switch to other food sources or pre- scape.

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