Project1:Layout 1 6/10/2014 1:13 PM Page 1 Football: Top SEC contenders breaking in new-ish QBs/B1 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 26, 2021 Florida’s Best Community Newspaper Serving Florida’s Best Community $1 VOL. 126 ISSUE 327 NEWS BRIEFS County mulls Pirate’s Cove Commissioner Davis to meet Commission will seek appraisals for property, but won’t help with purchase constituents MICHAEL D. as Pirate’s Cove. $464,000, died in 2019. His Commissioners believe likened this move to what Commissioner Ruthie BATES The idea was broached heirs want to sell it and Pirate’s Cove is desirable the board did in 2017 Davis Schlabach will be Staff writer earlier this year but staff hired a real estate agent because of its location when a group of Homo- available from 9-11 a.m. wanted to ensure the to market the property. and possible use as a pas- sassa residents asked for Wednesday, Sept. 1, at County commissioners property had a clear title, The site is about sive public park. It sits assistance in securing the CORE Business Cen- voted unanimously Tues- free of liens or other 3.6 acres on 750 feet of near a county boat ramp funding to buy property ter, 203 E. Dampier St, day to seek appraisals for encumbrances. water frontage. The site at the St. Martin’s Marsh along the Homosassa Inverness, to meet with the Crystal River water- George Decker, who includes about a half-acre and Aquatic Preserve. River for a park. constituents. front property at the west bought the Pirate’s Cove of commercial land and it County Commissioner If you would like to dis- end of Ozello Trail, known property in 2004 for abuts an existing park. Ron Kitchen Jr. said he See COVE/Page A2 cuss any ideas or con- cerns you have, contact The CORE Business Center for a reservation at 352-419-4834 from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday through Friday, or on a Workers battle mosquito menace first come, first served basis on that day. Address confirmation requests mailed The Supervisor of Elections Office mailed out address confirmation request (ACR) postcards to approximately 11,000 Citrus County residents on Monday, Aug. 23. The white ACR post- card is part of their ongo- ing effort to maintain the integrity of the voter rolls. If you receive one of the ACRs, complete the re- quired fields and return the postcard promptly. Residents can also call the Elections Office at 352-564-7120 to confirm or update their address. Floral City Heritage Council to meet The Floral City Heritage Council will host the first 2021-22 quarterly annual membership meeting at 7 p.m. Aug. 31 at the Floral City Community House, 8370 E. Orange Ave. There will not be a pot- MATTHEW BECK/Chronicle luck dinner for members at Citrus County Mosquito Control technician Eric Epps inspects a cup Wednesday, Aug. 25, that is used to collect water and checked for this gathering. Cupcakes mosquito larvae. If larvae is found it’s identified and a treatment plan to combat the specific species of larvae in the area is developed at the and beverages will be Mosquito Control offices in Lecanto. served. Members in good standing will elect the offi- Recent rains have provided ideal conditions for spread of pesky insects cers and steering commit- tee for the coming year. FRED HIERS disease-carrying pests But as rain continues expire while still a baby mosquito district, which The plans for the Citrus Staff writer get their holiday gifts of and standing water larvae or as an adult be- is based in Lecanto and County Walk Aware for warm weather, rain and gathers, members of the fore they find a mate was established in 1953. Alzheimer’s and Heritage August for Citrus all the stagnant standing Citrus County Mosquito and lay eggs. A lot has changed Days will be discussed. County mosquitoes is water they can stand. Control District work “Our main goal is pub- since pesticide fog The public is invited. like Christmas to the The population of the hard to spoil the mos- lic health ... and to re- trucks criss-crossed the Appropriate distancing pesky, pestiferous winged, buzzing crea- quitoes’ banquet and try duce the (mosquito) county and children ran insects. tures swells more than to disrupt their lifecycle numbers that can pass and mask wearing will be behind them to bathe in About this time of their abdomens follow- so they never get to the on disease,” said Blake the malathion cloud. observed. year, the often ing a successful holiday dinner table. Instead Jenkins, administrative Visit floralcityhc.org or blood-sucking, blood feast. they want them to coordinator for the See MENACE/Page A5 call 352-419-4257 for more information. — From staff reports INDEX Classifieds . .B6 Comics . .B5 Crystal River OKs water WHO: COVID-19 Crossword . .B10 Editorial. A9 Entertainment . A4 Horoscope . A4 meter replacement bid origin search stalls Lottery Numbers . .B3 Lottery Payouts . .B3 HANNAH SACHEWICZ for the Crystal River drinking MARIA CHENG has stalled and warned that Movies . .B5 Staff writer water state revolving fund water AP medical writer the window of opportunity for meter replacement project at the solving the mystery is “closing Obituaries . A6 Some Crystal River residents Aug. 23 city council meeting. LONDON — The interna- fast.” TV Listings. .B4 and business owners may experi- “I think tonight’s probably the tional scientists dispatched to Meanwhile, a U.S. intelli- ence an increased water bill in the most important step that the city is China by the World Health Or- gence review ordered up by coming months. going to take to get this to ganization to find out where President Joe Biden proved The city officially awarded Pedal the coronavirus came from Valves Inc. their $3.2 million bid See CITY/Page A7 said Wednesday the search See SEARCH/Page A2 50008149 A2 THURSDAY, AUGUST 26, 2021 LOCAL/WORLD CITRUS COUNTY (FL) CHRONICLE are we going to get for it?” Ozello resident Cecelia COVE Treat said the property Continued from Page A1 could be developed into a larger park and draw tour- Citrus County commis- ists to the water. sioners offered support, but “This is our chance to said they would not put any add to it and make it one county taxes into the plan. whole area,” Treat said. “I won’t support buying it “We don’t have to do any- with tax dollars as a park thing to improve it.” down the road,” Kitchen said. County commissioners will Janice Barek, president seek appraisals for the of the Citrus Springs Civic Crystal River waterfront Association, questioned the property at the west end of move. Ozello Trail, formerly known “Is it a need or a want?” as Pirate’s Cove. The site is she asked about 3.6 acres on 750 feet The property, she said, is of water frontage, includes worth more on the tax rolls. about a half-acre of “That’s a pricey thing to commercial land and abuts take off the property tax an existing boat ramp. rolls,” Barek said. “What MATTHEW BECK/Chronicle 9050-0829 MXDCRN high-level American re- search labs, suggesting the SEARCH United States invite WHO Academy of Environmental Science Continued from Page A1 to investigate some of its Call for Board Members installations. inconclusive about the vi- Marion Koopmans and Are you looking to serve your community? Have you been rus’s origin, including her WHO-recruited col- wanting to put your talent in business management, fundraising, whether it jumped from leagues listed a number of or strategic thinking in the service of a great cause? an animal to a human or priorities for further re- Look no further! If you are committed to instilling respect for escaped from a Chinese search, including conduct- the environment through educating children, we are looking lab, The Washington Post ing wider antibody surveys for you. reported Wednesday. that might identify places The Academy of Environmental Science is looking for leaders In a commentary pub- where COVID-19 was such as yourself to join our board of directors. For more lished in the journal Na- spreading undetected, than 20 years, our volunteer board has been the heart of the ture, the WHO-recruited both in China and beyond, organization, ensuring that in our work for students and the experts said the origins testing wild bats and farm- community, we provide high quality educational opportunities Associated Press that focus on the environment and provide hands-on investigation is at “a criti- In this Jan. 31 file photo, security personnel clear the way raised animals as poten- experiences that ensure connections to real world applications. cal juncture” requiring ur- for a convoy of the World Health Organization team to enter tial reservoirs of the virus, gent collaboration but has the Huanan Seafood Market on the third day of field visit in and investigating any If you are one or more of the following, we’d like to hear from instead come to a stand- Wuhan in central China’s Hubei province. In a commentary credible new leads. you: still. They noted among published Wednesday Aug. 25, the international scientists Some other scientists • Energetic and entrepreneurial businesspeople eager to put other things that Chinese fear the best opportunities dispatched to China by the World Health Organization to your enthusiasm for the environment to work for our officials are still reluctant to collect samples might students and staff.