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Project1:Layout 1 6/10/2014 1:13 PM Page 1 Full coverage of Wednesday’s MLB action /A7 THURSDAY TODAY C I T R U S C O U N T Y & next morning HIGH 91 Scattered LOW showers and thunderstorms. 74 PAGE A4 www.chronicleonline.com AUGUST 13, 2020 Florida’s Best Community Newspaper Serving Florida’s Best Community 50¢ VOL. 125 ISSUE 310 NEWS BRIEFS Schools ready for unknown Citrus COVID-19 daily update Officials expect bumps, but confident system is prepared for pandemic year Twenty new positive cases were reported in BUSTER question what’s happen- to brick-and-mortar cam- school district could better district to move their chil- Citrus County since the THOMPSON ing,” Doug Dodd said, open- puses on Aug. 20. prepare for reopening with dren there. latest FDOH update. Two Staff writer ing the board’s Tuesday, Roughly 3,630 students COVID-19 looming. District Chief Academic new hospitalizations were Aug. 11, 2020, meeting. “But will start their first semes- Withlacoochee Techni- Officer Dr. Scott Hebert told At their last meeting be- when we work together, ter of schooling with Citrus cal College began its fall school board members his reported; one new death fore the first day of the when we look at the talent Virtual, the school dis- courses Aug. 10. staff are accommodating was reported. 2020-21 school year amid a we have and when we look trict’s new online school For more information those families. However, he To date in the county, pandemic, Citrus County at our desire to do what’s taught by local teachers about the district’s reopen- said, there will have to be 1,610 people have tested School Board members right for children, we’re using curriculum from ing plan “Citrus Cares,” an ultimate deadline soon positive (including four said their district is as going to make it through Florida Virtual School. visit tinyurl.com/yy2j636b. so class schedules and sizes non-residents), 154 have ready as it can be. this, we are.” Students were supposed Even after the Aug. 5 can be finalized before been hospitalized and “It’s not going to be easy County schools will wel- to return to class Aug. 10, a deadline ended to enroll school starts. 38 have died. and there’s going to be a lot come roughly 11,300 of date school board members in Citrus Virtual, parents League of of times people are going to their 15,000 students back voted to postpone so their are still asking the school See SCHOOLS/Page A5 Women Voters to meet The League of Women Voters of Citrus County will meet at 10:15 a.m. Msgr. Cummings: ‘Last of the giants’ the second Tuesday monthly, via Zoom. Meet- ings will be recorded live and posted online for public viewing. To join meetings, visit lwvcitrus. org/ to access the form. For information, 614-563- 4282 or email [email protected]. Drop your vote-by-mail ballot off early Vote-by-Mail (VBM) bal- lots may be dropped off at one of the four early vote sites; Inverness City Hall, Central Ridge and Homosassa libraries and at the Crystal River elections office at Meadowcrest. Additionally, the Mead- owcrest Elections Office has a secure 24 hour drop box to the left of the front door on the wall of the office located at 1500 N. Meadowcrest Blvd. Crystal River. Dropping off your VBM ballot will take place in- side the early vote site as it is required that the drop box be secured by the supervisor’s staff or poll Special to the Chronicle workers. The poll workers Among his many roles as a Catholic priest, the Rev. Monsignor George Cummings, right, served as camp director at Our Lady of Good Counsel Camp in Floral City for 37 years. He founded the camp in 1947. He’s seen here in this undated photo with the Rev. David Banks, who served or staff will check to make as the pastor of St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic Church in Homosassa and spent many summers at Good Counsel Camp. Banks died in 2006 sure the VBM envelope is and Cummings died Aug. 8, 2020, at age 102. signed. Voters who have not signed their certificate en- Priest, centenarian, founder of Good Counsel Camp had great impact velope will be contacted by the elections office NANCY KENNEDY Floral City, the youth camp Church in Largo. and will be required to Staff writer Msgr. Cummings founded in Msgr. Cummings took Morgan complete a Cure Affidavit 1947. for a tour of every single piece he first time the Rev. Cummings had already By 1992, Cummings was of property associated with the providing their signature Tom Morgan met Monsi- served 50-plus years as a Cath- legendary. camp, ending up in a tree stand and a form of ID. All these Tgnor George Cummings olic priest, including 15 years “I wanted to meet this man with the monsignor handing precautions are required was the summer of 1992. as the founding pastor at St. who had made such an im- Morgan a rifle. and are in place to pro- Morgan, a young priest at the Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic pact,” said Morgan, former pas- “My tour ended with hog vide security of the vote. time, had been assigned to Church in Citrus Springs and tor at St. Scholastica Catholic hunting!” Morgan said. “I’m in — From staff reports serve as chaplain at Our Lady more than 37 years as camp di- Church in Lecanto and current INDEX of Good Counsel Camp in rector at Good Counsel. pastor at St. Jerome Catholic See GIANT/Page A2 Classifieds . .B5 Comics . .B4 Crossword . .B10 Editorial. A10 Entertainment . A4 Deadline approaching to respond to US Census Horoscope . A4 Sports . A7, A8 Lottery Numbers . A8 BUSTER population count has a simple questions ... it takes “Just complete it,” she and government represen- Lottery Payouts . A8 THOMPSON quick and simple reply: six to seven minutes,” said added. “Once you com- tation for states, counties, Obituaries . A6 Staff writer “Right now!” Stephens, the assistant re- plete it, encourage 10 of cities, tribal communities Answering the 2020 cen- gional census manager of your friends and relatives and U.S. territories. TV Listings. .B3 When someone asks sus’ nine-question survey the U.S. Census Bureau At- to complete it also.” “If you talk about health Marilyn Stephens when on age, housing status, eth- lanta Region, covering Not only has it been a care, social services, edu- they have to respond to the nicity and in-home rela- Georgia, Florida, Alabama, civic duty in the U.S. since cation, affordable housing U.S. Census, the 22-year tionships takes a moment Louisiana, Mississippi, 1790, responding to the and veteran services,” employee and expert of for a household to do. North Carolina and South census helps shape future the nation’s decennial “It’s really fast ... just very Carolina. funding appropriations See CENSUS/Page A11 For Citrus County Elect Scott Supervisor of Elections Accuracy Accountability Action 000YVQD dams A Political advertisement paid for and approved by Scott Adams, Republican, for Citrus County Supervis or of Elections. A2 THURSDAY, AUGUST 13, 2020 LOCAL CITRUS COUNTY (FL) CHRONICLE cylinders on the front that wake up and I recommit were his ‘machine guns.’ myself to serving as a GIANT He’d ride around and peo- priest.” Continued from Page A1 ple would say, ‘THAT’S the Even at age 102, George monsignor?’ We’d say, Cummings was a priest. my clergy clothes and he ‘Yep, that’s him.’” “To say that Msgr. Cum- hands me a rifle and says When Debbie Hoffman mings was loved and the feeders are on a timer Sosnicki first moved to In- respected is an under- and when the hogs come verness in 1975, she be- statement,” Tom Morgan up, take your shot. So, the came acquainted with said. “He would never say timer goes off, the hogs Good Counsel Camp and goodbye, even on the come up, I take my shot — Msgr. Cummings. phone. He would just hang and thank goodness I “He invited our Catholic up when he was done missed.” youth group to come and speaking. Morgan added, “Msgr. clean the cabins, which “When he was at the Cummings was the last of were all pretty rustic at camp, when it came time the giants ... who made a the time,” she said. “He for the campers and the big impact in our state.” was a monsignor (an hon- counselors to leave, he The Rev. Msgr. George orary title given to a priest used to get very quiet. He Cummings died Aug. 8, by the pope), but he always wouldn’t say goodbye. And 2020. He was 102. referred to himself as ‘Fa- now we’re saying goodbye Ordained Nov. 27, 1943, ther Cummings,’ so that’s to him. Cummings served in what I called him. “His contribution to St. churches all over Florida, “He was quirky,” she Elizabeth Ann Seton from Miami to Citrus said. “He was thoughtful where he served many Springs. and insightful ... he was years as pastor, to all the However, his legacy and passionate about main- Special to the Chronicle people of Citrus County the great love of his life is taining history.” One of the features at Good Counsel Camp is the rustic, round chapel where priests say that he touched and every- Good Counsel Camp. He also loved to write Mass daily during camp season. This undated photo is of Msgr. George Cummings saying one associated with Good “As a teenager in 1971- what he called his epis- the Mass.