NFL: 49ers, Broncos advance to championship games /B1 MONDAY TODAY CITRUS COUNTY & next morning HIGH 75 Increasing LOW clouds, 30% chance for rain. 58 PAGE A4 www.chronicleonline.com JANUARY 13, 2014 Florida’s Best Community Newspaper Serving Florida’s Best Community 50¢ VOL. 119 ISSUE 159 QUESTION OF THE WEEK Thorpe to pitch buying center Meadowcrest facility. Its That information would Last option to buy Meadowcrest building current lease contains an be presented at a future option to purchase the board meeting. CHRIS VAN ORMER should consider buying for the regular meeting of building for $4,050,000 be- The research, called Staff writer the building it leases in the Citrus County Board fore May 31, 2014. Thorpe due diligence, would Meadowcrest to house the of County Commissioners will request board direc- involve county staff INVERNESS — Com- West Citrus Government (BOCC), County Adminis- tion as to its wishes to re- in reviewing property missioners will be asked Center. trator Brad Thorpe will search whether the Contribute! Tuesday if the county According to the agenda present the status of the purchase is advisable. See CENTER/ Page A2 Like us at facebook.com/ CONVERSATION citruscounty Monday chronicle and respond to our Question of the Week. What are your views on Tom Davis Field artificial life sup- port? Nancy Daniel I got hit in Citrus County and now have a severe traumatic brain injury. I was on life support and in a coma for two months in Tampa General and was declared brain dead. Everyone gave up on me but me. I lost everyone and everything too ... and you can hear everything being said around you when you’re in a coma, and yes you can recover... Kelly L Graham If it were me on life support and brain dead — pull the plug. But hav- ing it be your child — I can un- derstand the heart ache the family is going through, the “what if’s,” but if she was de- clared brain dead by multiple doctors, the loving thing would be to let her go and be in peace. I’m very sorry for their situation. Maureen Barton Bissonette I do not want to be kept alive with feeding and breathing tubes. I can’t imagine anyone wanting to. If you are proven brain dead, you cannot recover. Even back then with Terri Shi- avo, she went into the coma and became brain dead be- cause of her compulsion with being skinny and beautiful. Would she want to be kept alive the way she looked at the end? Falcon Rogers I believe it’s a parents right to hold into hope. They bring the child into the world; they should be the MATTHEW BECK/Chronicle ones to choose to hold on to Tom Davis is an aviator to the core. A combat fighter-pilot during the Korean War, Davis flew the Corsair off a carrier deck on many hope or not. Science and medi- missions. The Crystal River Airport is being named in his honor. cine are not 100 percent, and they certainly aren’t God! I have heard many stories ... which prove there is a reason for Veteran aviator shows he’s firmly in charge at Crystal River airport hope, and miracles do happen... Peggy DeFrancisco MIKE WRIGHT “ When someone is Staff writer brain dead, let them I didn’t really expect anything to be die with some dignity. There could never be any type of o say Tom Davis is synonymous named for me, except maybe my headstone, quality of life — let God take with the Crystal River Airport is them home. an understatement. For 35 years “ so this really is an honor. — 30 as the fixed base operator POLL — Davis has made his presence Tom Davis knownT as the say-it-like-you-mean-it avia- fixed base operator of Tom Davis Field airport in Crystal River. ONLINE POLL: tion force in Citrus County. Your choice? during the Korean War. this really is an honor. The downside of it Davis’ company, Crystal Aero Group His command post now is in Crystal is I’m not through yet and there’s still Do you support legisla- Inc., pays the county $38,400 a year base, tion that River, where he plans to stay as long as time for me to make them regret the deci- plus 5 percent of his gross if it tops would greatly possible. The Citrus County Commission sion (laughs). At my age, the risk is slight. lessen pun- $800,000 annually. He was able to do that — a group that in years past Davis toiled CHRONICLE: The funny thing about ishment for from 2006, the first year of the new agree- with over airport improvements — re- this is you’ve had quite a history of bat- people who ment, through 2012. Last year, he hit cently recognized his efforts by naming tling county commissioners and here they draw a firearm $799,193 in gross sales. the airport Tom Davis Field. are recognizing you. and/or fire one if they The biggest revenue-builder comes from Davis spent a few minutes recently dis- DAVIS: It’s been an evolution of the perceive a threat but pilot classes, especially foreign students. cussing is favorite subject. board. I don’t know if I look at it as bat- aren’t under attack? He and his wife, Gudi, average 15 students CHRONICLE: So they’re naming the tling them. It was fighting for the airport A. Of course. If some- at any given time from 50 countries. airport after you. How do you feel about improvements, because I knew what it one threatens me, you Davis, 86, is a 33-year Navy veteran. that? could do and what the citizens deserved can bet I’ll exhibit a The walls of his office are filled with pho- DAVIS: I have mixed feelings about it. I for an airport. The complaint was always firearm. tos from his Navy days and many photos didn’t really expect anything to be named B. No way. Pulling a tell stories of escaping death while flying for me, except maybe my headstone, so See MONDAY/ Page A8 weapon just elevates the potential to shoot or be shot. C. It depends. Let judges exercise discre- tion in such sentences. To vote, visit www. MLK events on tap for next weekend chronicleonline.com. Click on the word “Opinion” in the menu NANCY KENNEDY gether,” he said. continue at 10 a.m. Monday becue and Oysters will be the recitation of Dr. King’s to see the poll. Staff writer As a lifelong Crystal with the annual parade. available for purchase, “I Have a Dream” speech. Results will appear River resident, unlike his The parade will begin along with drinks from the ■ For those interested next Monday. Find last CRYSTAL RIVER — parents who went to a seg- at Seventh Avenue be- George Washington in participating in a Day week’s online poll It’s been nearly 51 years regated school, he grew tween Third and Fourth Carver Committee. of Service in honor of the results./Page A3 since the late Martin up side by side with peo- streets, proceeding onto Also, there will be lots civil rights icon, the Na- Luther King Jr., spoke of ple of different color. Gulf-to-Lake Highway of activities for kids, along ture Coast Volunteer Cen- INDEX his dream for a colorblind Even so, desegregation in (State Road 44) to 12th Av- with opportunities for vis- ter has several projects Classifieds ................B8 society and it still hasn’t the late 1960s didn’t end enue and to Third Street, iting with neighbors and going on around the Comics ....................B7 been realized. racism. ending at Copeland Park. friends. county such as a cleanup Crossword ................B6 But that doesn’t mean “Racism isn’t an inher- “This year we have For information, email day from 9 a.m. to noon, Editorial..................A12 we stop trying, said ent trait. It’s not in our about 20 entries, includ- Charles McCray II at Monday, Jan. 20, at Floral Entertainment ..........A4 Charles McRay II, organ- genes; it’s a learned be- ing the Crystal River Mid- charlesmccrayii@ Park in Floral City. Horoscope ................A4 izer of this year’s Martin havior,” he said. “We want dle School band,” McCray yahoo.com. Or, creating valentines Lottery Numbers ......B3 Luther King Jr. commem- to end all racism in Citrus said. ■ Across the county in for veterans from 9 a.m. to Lottery Payouts ........B3 orative parade and picnic County and nationwide.” Beginning at 11 a.m., a Inverness, the MLK Jr. noon at Central Ridge Movies ......................B7 Monday, Jan. 20, in Crystal The MLK events in Crys- commemoration service Unity Walk begins at Community Center, 77 Obituaries ................A6 River. tal River begin at 5 p.m. with keynote speaker 8:30 a.m. Monday at the Civic Circle, Beverly Hills. TV Listings................B6 “This is our ninth year, Sunday, Jan. 19, with a Bishop Brown will kick off Citrus County Sheriff ’s For more information, and the dream is to bring church service at Mount the annual Living the Office on Martin Luther call the Nature Coast Vol- all the communities to- Olive Missionary Baptist Dream Festival at King Jr. Avenue, ending at unteer Center at 352-249- gether as one to celebrate Church, 2105 N. Georgia Copeland Park. Food from Liberty Park for a short 1275 or email ncvc@ Dr. King’s dream to- Road, Crystal River, and local vendors Rudy’s Bar- ceremony that includes bocc.citrus.fl.us.