Project1:Layout 1 6/10/2014 1:13 PM Page 1 Alabama wins Rose Bowl, headed to title game / B1 SATURDAY TODAY CITRUSCOUNTY & next morning HIGH 84 Partly sunny, LOW breezy and warm; sea fog.. 62 PAGE A4 www.chronicleonline.com JANUARY 2, 2021 Florida’s Best Community Newspaper Serving Florida’s Best Community 50¢ VOL. 126 ISSUE 86 NEWS BRIEFS BOCC ponders new hire Citrus COVID-19 update to Oliver. Editor’s Note: Florida Inverness resident could return as Pieklik, 43, health officials said Friday said he hopes they will not report new county commis- cases of coronavirus in county economic development director sioners will con- observance of the New firm him Year’s Day holiday. The MICHAEL D. BATES director of the Nature Coast Tuesday and Florida Department of Staff writer Business Development Council looks forward to in neighboring Levy County. And his new job. He Health usually reports Bruce David Randy County commissioners Tues- he lives in Inverness. intends to get new cases, hospitaliza- Register Pieklik Oliver day will consider making an em- It’s that familiarity with the current executive input by listen- county tions and deaths daily. ployment offer to David Pieklik, area that County Administrator economic director of the ing to those in administrator To date in the county, making him Citrus County’s new Randy Oliver said was one factor development Nature Coast the public and recommended 6,663 people have tested economic development director. in making the recommendation director retires Business private sector to Pieklik. positive (including 46 non- If that name sounds familiar, it to his board. in February. Development learn “their Council. residents) and 266 have might be because he worked two If commissioners approve Oli- Oliver said thoughts on growth, development died; 517 have been years as a reporter with the Cit- ver’s choice at their meeting Pieklik’s starting salary would be and opportunities to collectively hospitalized. rus County Chronicle and served Tuesday, the wheels will turn to $68,750 a year, about $13,000 less raise the bar and improve four years helping market the bring Pieklik on board to replace than Register’s. It will come from things.” Health Dept. has city of Inverness. Since 2011, outgoing director Bruce Register, business taxes (not the general temporary jobs Pieklik has been the executive who is returning as of Feb. 2. fund) and he will report directly See HIRE/Page A5 Florida Department of Health in Citrus County REVIEW plans to hire additional Year in temporary COVID-19 po- sitions to assist with its response efforts. Applicants must pos- sess a basic skill set and a willingness to work long hours and learn on the fly. Available positions range from senior clerk to bio- logical scientist, with RN, LPN and other titles. All COVID-19 team mem- bers assist at the Citrus Springs testing site (soon to be assisting with the COVID-19 vaccination ef- forts), as well as contact tracing and case investigations. These are temporary positions guaranteed through June 30, 2021. Interested applicants should email Janora. [email protected] or Anne.Murphy@FLHealth. gov to receive a State of Florida application. Deadline today to reserve seat Would you like to have MATTHEW BECK/Chronicle file a fun night out? Then Crystal River City Council members, city staff and two members of the Crystal River Rotary Club cut the ceremonial ribbon to officially open come and enjoy the Town Square on July 24, 2020. From left are Pat Fitzpatrick, Vice Mayor Robert Holmes, City Manager Ken Frink, Mayor Joe Meek, Cindi Guy Dinner/Comedy Show and Ken Brown. Gerry Mulligan and Amy Meek, representing Crystal River Rotary, are pictured in the background. The Rotary Club donated hosted by the American- $25,000 for the construction of the fountain at the square. Canadian Snowbird’s Club on Saturday night, Jan. 16, at the Inverness Moose Lodge No. 2112 at 221 S. Haid Terrace in Crystal River in 2020: Lecanto. Food served beginning at 5 p.m. will feature a bowl of bean and bacon soup with three-cheese A year of action, ‘bridge-building’ grilled cheese, cornbread and a side salad. The BUSTER THOMPSON added Meek, a former county commis- comedy show at 8 p.m. Staff writer READ MORE SUNDAY sioner. “We’re seeing partnerships right will star Mike Palma with n Officials report Crystal River’s now that are historic in nature.” a blend of comedy, magic Crystal River wasn’t lazy as it went Riverwalk project fulfills successful After breaking ground in mid-January on and ventriloquism. Cost is through the obstacles and hardships of tourism mission ./Page D1 Sunday its town square on the corner of U.S. 19 and $20 per person. There will 2020. Citrus Avenue, Crystal River was ready to be a cash bar only and a Boxes on the city’s to-do list were being Crystal River.” cut the ribbon in July, bringing amenities large raffle giveaway checked off as its leaders and staff fast- Meek and City Manager Ken Frink are and attractions to a long-vacant lot. drawing will take place. tracked town square, honed in on finishing also proud and thankful of the city’s strong Frink said phase two of square construc- Seating is limited and will the Riverwalk, put a tighter grip on King’s relationships and project collaborations tion, which includes an adjacent splash be sold through Saturday, Bay, revamped land development codes with Inverness and Citrus County pad, will start next summer. Jan. 2; call 352-563-0140. and staked a claim of State Road 44. officials. Even though ground has yet to break on “In spite of all the issues we’ve seen with “It’s been a year of bridge-building be- the waterward sections of Crystal River’s Tops club to COVID and all of the things it has brought, tween both cities and the county,” Frink Riverwalk along Cedar Cove in King’s Bay, present Q&A it has really been a year of action in the said. the city was able to get every affected city,” Mayor Joe Meek said during a Zoom “During my time there, there has never property owner to OK easement The Tops Club at Grace interview. “… and the proof is the pud- been … as good as a relationship as we agreements. Bible Church, 6382 W. ding; I encourage folks to come to have now between the jurisdictions,” See REVIEW/Page A7 Green Acres St. in Homosassa, will present a Dementia Q&A workshop from 10 to 11 a.m. Friday, Jan. 8. The event is free laand open to the public. The workshop, featur- Fla. faces case of UK virus strain ing Debbie Selsavage and Ed Youngblood of coronavirus cases. cases and 133 new The Florida health deaths, raising the death Coping with Dementia State observes holiday, skips daily COVID report statement said the toll to 21,857. LCC, will explain basic in- tweet on Friday with no recent travel agency is working with On Friday afternoon, formation about Alzhei- Associated Press afternoon. history. the Atlanta-based Cen- health officials reported mer’s disease and other TALLAHASSE — Flor- This comes a day after Other cases of the new ters for Disease Control that about 6,450 people forms of dementia, then ida health officials said the Florida Department strain have been re- and Prevention on inves- were being treated for open the floor to ques- Friday they will not re- of Health disclosed in ported in Colorado and tigating the case. Offi- COVID-19 in hospitals tions from the audience. port new cases of corona- statement tweeted on its California. cials gave no other around the state. During CDC rules for social virus in observance of HealthyFla site that evi- Martin County is north details about the case. the virus surge last sum- distancing will be followed the New Year’s Day dence of a new and ap- of Palm Beach County, Also on Thursday, the mer, the number of hos- and masks will be holiday. parently more which along with state reported the high- pitalizations reached required. The daily report of contagious coronavirus Miami-Dade and Bro- est daily jump in COVID- nearly 10,000. The num- Call Eileen at new cases of COVID-19 strain first seen in En- ward counties have been 19 cases ever detected in bers had fallen to about 352-201-9175. will continue on Satur- gland has been detected the state’s hardest hit re- Florida. Health officials 2,000 in October and — From staff reports day, the agency said in a in a Martin County man gion in dealing with reported 17,192 new early November. Classifieds . .B6 Crossword . .B4 INDEX Lottery Numbers . B3. Obituaries . .A6 Comics . B5. Editorial . A10 Lottery Payouts . B3. TV Listings . .B4 Horoscope . A4 Entertainment . .A4 Movies . .B5 A2 Saturday, January 2, 2021 State Citrus County (FL) ChroniCLe Black players bemoan loss of community basketball courts more courts would mean Coral Springs to move, rebuild taking something else away. And Commissioner Carter said there are doz- ISA URIASH nature of the game to L J. H ens of other locations for swear, to use profanity. The Sun Sentinel people to play basketball. And I can’t say people CORAL SPRINGS — don’t swear when they Jamal Waring, of Lake The profanity hurled by play tennis or pickleball, Worth, has played basket- recreational basketball but it’s probably not as ball at Cypress Park for players led Coral Springs prolific.” about two decades, includ- to tear courts built right City Manager Frank ing when he lived in Coral next to a children’s play- Babinec agreed: “It was an Springs and even two ground, but the solution ongoing issue.” years after he moved away.