Citrus County Chronicle *From Mouths of Rivers **At Kingʼs Bay ***At Masonʼs Creek Montgomery 85 73 0.07 87 72 Sh Berlin 80/58/S Paris 74/60/Pc 1624 N
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Project1:Layout 1 6/10/2014 1:13 PM Page 1 MLB: Late rally lifts Rays over Rangers /B1 MONDAY TODAY C I T R U S C O U N T Y & next morning HIGH 93 Warm with a few LOW evening storms. 70 PAGE A4 www.chronicleonline.com JUNE 7, 2021 Florida’s Best Community Newspaper Serving Florida’s Best Community $1 VOL. 126 ISSUE 243 NEWS Sheriff picks EM director BRIEFS Attend the IF YOU GO Phil Royal Taps Amanda Woodward, awaits county approval I WHAT: Citrus County Board MIKE WRIGHT hiring committee that included sheriff ’s Col. Elena Vitt, has of County Commissioners Legacy Gala Staff writer representatives of the county ad- worked for the health department meeting The fifth annual Phil ministration and sheriff ’s office. since 2020. She played a leading I WHEN: 1 p.m. Tuesday, June 8 Royal Legacy Hearts of Citrus County will have a new The committee interviewed six role in the health department’s I Gold Gala will be held vir- emergency management director candidates and two were chosen COVID-19 vaccine roll out in Cit- WHERE: Courthouse, 110 N. Apopka Ave., Inverness tually from 5 to 9 p.m. just as hurricane season takes off, as most qualified, County Admin- rus County, managing the mass Saturday, June 12. pending county commission ap- istrator Randy Oliver said in an vaccination operation center. I ON THE WEB: www. Silent auction items will proval Tuesday. agenda memo to commissioners. Woodward has a bachelor’s of clerkcitrus.org be available via charity Amanda Woodward, emergency He said the highest ranked candi- science from the University of auctionstoday.com begin- preparedness program manager date, a recent Lake County dep- Central Florida, and a master’s of Emergency Management certifi- ning the week of June 7. for the Florida Department of uty manager, subsequently science from Embry Riddle Aero- cation in the 2021 class, Oliver Health in Lecanto, is the choice withdrew his application. nautical University. She is a can- wrote. The gala will feature of Sheriff Mike Prendergast and a Woodward, who will report to didate for the Florida Professional See EM/Page A7 two Hearts of Gold recipi- ents, presentations by Becky Beattie and April and Brelyn Royal, DJ music by Chris Moling via YouTube and a Facebook Live the night of the event. Planning Crystal River’s future Dinner from Oscar Penn’s may be delivered, picked up or eaten out- doors with dining times available at 5 or 6:30 p.m. (weather permitting). The cost is $60 per meal, $275 for a party meal up to five or $550 for a party meal up to 10. Tickets are available for purchase online via philroyallegacy.com. — From staff reports SO YOU KNOW The Florida Department of Health has ceased the daily COVID-19 reports that have been used to track changes in the number of coronavirus cases and deaths in the state. POLL ONLINE POLL: Your choice? The city of Crystal River MATTHEW BECK/Chronicle is asking Citrus citizens Crystal River’s five-day charrette, which starts June 21, will include public discussion on the downtown area, such as Citrus Avenue, above. for input on the future A: When the state announced plans for design of the city at a Charrette planned June 21 through June 24 resurfacing S.R. 44 between U.S. 19 and public charrette June 21- the RaceTrac, and those plans included a 25. What do you think is Q: Sounds complicated. Is it? MIKE WRIGHT raised median, the city requested a the top priority for Staff writer A: Not at all. In fact, it’s designed to sim- chance to offer alternatives. The consul- plify the input-gathering process while at tant led the city through a 3-day virtual change in Crystal River? It’s charrette time in Crystal River. the same time forming a vision of how charrette to receive ideas for what the A. Transportation. Following the success of last year’s vir- something should be. “gateway to the city” should look like. There’s a strong need tual charrette focused on State Road 44, Q: Such as? After talks with the city, the state dropped for a long-term mobility the city is hoping in-person meetings and A: Such as the downtown area; the city’s the raised median plan. plan, especially on U.S. open houses, combined with online inter- main thoroughfares of S.R. 44 and U.S. 19; Q: Will this charrette be virtual as well? 19 and State Road 44. action, will lead to an adoption of the and redeveloping dilapidated shopping A: The June 21-25 charrette will be B. Resiliency. Crystal city’s 50-year master plan. plazas into “town centers.” in-person, though there will also be vir- River needs blueprints The charrette is Monday, June 21, Q: Why is the city doing this? tual meetings where someone can partic- for the future, especially through Friday, June 24. There are nu- A: In 2020, the city hired planning con- ipate without having to attend sessions in focusing on sea level merous ways to participate. Here’s a little sultant Dover Kohl & Partners to assist person. rise and health of bay rundown of how it works. the city in developing a 50-year master Q: How does it work? Q: First off, what’s a charrette? plan, starting with the charrette. COVID- A: The consultants will give an over- waters. A: Charrette is an intense brainstorm- 19 delayed all but one part of it for one view to the city council on June 14, then C. Downtown. Areas ing session that involves all stakeholders year. spend two days touring the city and within the city’s CRA in a project. Q: What was the one part? See FUTURE/Page A7 need more projects like the Town Square. D. Revitalization. Abandoned shopping centers and older structures like the mall Investigators: Fire pit ‘suspected origin’ of wildfire need a makeover. E. Residential BUSTER THOMPSON neighborhoods. Staff writer Interconnecting A fire pit was the apparent source Resident communities and of what ended up being a 105-acre maximizing the wildfire in Chassahowitzka that potential in Crystal River threatened several homes. upset over neighborhoods is the Authorities of the Florida De- key to happy living. partment of Agriculture and Con- To vote, visit www. sumer Services’ Office of firefighters’ chronicleonline.com. Agricultural Law Enforcement an- Scroll down the home nounced the finding after their in- page and look for the vestigation into the April 3 blaze in southwestern Citrus County closed response poll box in the right- April 27 with no further leads. hand column. According to the office’s case BUSTER THOMPSON Results will appear report on the Riviera Wildfire, Staff writer next Monday. Find last obtained Tuesday, June 1, wit- week’s online poll nesses told investigators they BUSTER THOMPSON/Chronicle Bill Smith wasn’t happy when results./Page A3 spotted people in their 20s driv- Scorched earth from an April 3, 2021, wildfire in Chassahowitzka off he read the news in the Chroni- cle reporting firefighters’ re- ing trucks into where the fire had South Riviera Drive goes up to private farmstead’s fence line, which was INDEX started within timbered property recently repaired after being burned by the flames. sponse to the 105-acre wildfire off of South Riviera Drive and and Glenn Kramer discovered the of Nectar Lane and burning a next door to his farmland Classifieds ............... B7 West Nectar Lane. remains of a fire pit surrounded Withlacoochee Electric Coopera- homestead in Chassahowitzka. Comics .................... B6 One person said they saw a boy by burnt chairs, cans, bottles, tive power pole, causing roughly After Smith saw a comment Crossword .............. B10 in his early teens walk into the chewing tobacco containers and $2,000 in damages. from the Florida Forest Service Editorial ....................A6 burning forest after he pulled out tire tracks in a muddy area south- Changing winds and flammable in the April 6 newspaper stating Entertainment ...........A4 firefighters plowed firebreak a gas mask from a backpack, ac- west of Nectar Lane and West vegetation on the ground then Horoscope ................A4 lines around the April 3 Riviera cording to the report. Troubadour Court. drove the fire to the west- Lottery Numbers ...... B3 Firefighters with Citrus County “I did not find any evidence southwest, threatening six homes Wildfire, he called the agency out. “There is no fire line,” he Lottery Payouts ........ B3 Fire Rescue and the Florida For- that the fire was caused by light- along Riviera Drive and South Obituaries .............None est Service were respectively dis- told a Chronicle reporter on his ning, railcars or power lines,” Mandelay Loop. TV Listings ............... B5 patched to the wildfire at King wrote in his report. None of the residents were property off South Riviera 10:35 a.m. and 10:48 a.m. They From the “suspected origin,” damaged, and no injuries were re- Drive, a week after the blaze in had it contained by 6:43 p.m. King and Framer reported, the ported. Flames did cause an esti- southwest Citrus County, “that Throughout their investigations, fire back burned to the east and mated $1,000 in damage to a fence is a complete fabrication.” agricultural officers David King north, jumping over the dirt road line of a farmland to the south. See FIRE/Page A7 A2 MONDAY, JUNE 7, 2021 LOCAL CITRUS COUNTY (FL) CHRONICLE Food PROGRAMS FOOD PANTRIES H om osassa residents m ay receive a C u r c h — 10 t o 11 a.m .