1A SUNDAY, JULY 28, 2013 | YOUR COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER SINCE 1874 | $1.00 Lake City Reporter LAKECITYREPORTER.COM Class reveals Fresh snacks SUNDAY EDITION inner workings for kids at two of community. 1C local schoools. 1D County Pipeline worries rise school FPL hires company to build project; grades Ichetucknee in path. down By JIM SAUNDERS and AMANDA WILLIAMSON Local rankings TALLAHASSEE — Saying the parallel results state needs another source of natural gas, Florida Power and around state. Light Co. contracted on Friday with two companies to extend a By AMANDA WILLIAMSON natural gas pipeline through 16 [email protected] Florida counties and potentially across the Ichetucknee River — As a collection of chang- despite growing area concern for es swept the Florida school the Columbia County spring. grading system this year, Combined, the pipelines would Columbia County saw a cost more than $3.5 billion and drop in preliminary school will bring natural gas from a facil- grades for elementary and ity in Alabama to a hub in Osceola middle schools, according County and then deliver part of it to a report released Friday to an FPL power plant in Martin by the Florida Department County. Officials said the pipe- of Education. lines also would offer gas sup- Statewide, the number of plies to other electric utilities and schools receiving F grades industries, with FPL an “anchor” d o u b l e d , customer. while the The plans come as FPL and number of other electric utilities become A schools increasingly dependent on natural p l u n g e d gas to fuel power plants. Florida by 19 per- has two major pipelines serving cent. In the central and southern parts Columbia of the state, but FPL officials say C o u n t y , Huddleston those pipelines are near capacity. s e v e n “Natural gas is vital to the reli- schools received lower ability and affordability of elec- grades, three schools tricity in our state,” FPL president JASON MATTHEW WALKER/Lake City Reporter remained steady and one Eric Silagy said in a prepared Visitors play in the Ichetucknee Springs on Friday. The springs and their outflow, the Ichetucknee River, are a school improved. statement Friday. “Although major tourist attraction in Columbia County. They also are in the path of a planned new natural gas pipeline that “We can make no excuses Florida has essentially no natural would cut through the middle of the state. for how our students have gas reserves, many areas of our scored,” county School country have a wealth of supply. covers her entire 3.3 acres and and springs.” the recently formed Ichetucknee Superintendent Terry This project is not only about FPL runs down the middle of her FPL spokesman Richard Gibbs Alliance seem concerned about Huddleston said. “We just and our customers. Increasing neighborhood’s Central Avenue. said the exact route hasn’t been the current pipeline path, which have to continue to push access to clean, efficient, U.S.- “I know about the ecology here. decided yet, but the company runs through the southwestern and improve. ... The stan- produced natural gas will benefit I know about my sinkhole, and doesn’t determine the route. Sabal corner of Columbia County and dards are more difficult. the entire state.” I know about the springs,” she Trail Transmission LLC, which is directly across the Ichetucknee That’s OK. We will meet However, Three Rivers Estates said. “I hope to God they don’t get owned by Spectra Energy Corp., River. them.” resident Judy Hagg doesn’t see the [pipeline] through... Get it out has been responsible for laying “The Ichetucknee Alliance According to Kitty the benefit in this instance. The of the middle of our subdivision, out the route. McElhaney, assistant super- proposed pipeline right of way and get it away from the rivers According to Hagg, members of PIPELINE continued on 3A GRADES continued on 7A Local museum closes for repairs Dispute develops Slow time of year over use of soccer being used for work; reopening set Sept. 6. fields at complex Group of adults and former captain of Fort By STEVEN RICHMOND White High School’s soc- [email protected] angered by ban cer team, was displeased by on pickup games. the move. The Lake City-Columbia County “It’s upsetting, honestly, Historical Museum at 157 SE By STEVEN RICHMOND to see that kind of stuff,” Hernando Ave will be closed until [email protected] Myers said. “I grew up on Sept. 6 for repairs, according to its those fields since I was 5 president, Sean McMahon. The Columbia Youth years old. You’re telling me “There are several small projects Soccer Association said it I can’t just take my son out we need to get done,” McMahon would begin closing gates there to play on the fields? said. “Just little things that need to to its fields when there are I just want him to grow up be repaired,” such as the museum’s no official events, barring loving the game like I did.” air conditioning and roofing. people not affiliated with He also claimed that According to McMahon, the the association from using senior members of the museum gets few visitors during its facilities without permis- CYSA threatened to call the the time leading up to Labor Day, sion. police on players using the because of both the summer heat That effectively hands fields without the associa- and the fact that volunteers who staff JASON MATTHEW WALKER/Lake City Reporter a permanent red card tion’s permission. the museum like to travel this time The Lake City-Columbia County Historical Museum will be closed until Sept. 6 to a group of local adult The association’s board of the year. for repairs. Museum president Sean McMahon said the museum get few visitors players who used to hold of directors, however, want- He also wanted to reassure every- this time of year. pickup games at Southside ed to make it clear they’re one that the museum is not going Recreation Complex not targeting any group through any financial problems. Olustee in February,” he said, “It’s on the nature of the projects being Tuesday and Thursday eve- specifically. “We’re also getting ready for the going to be big.” planned because “nothing’s official nings for years. 150th anniversary of the Battle of He declined to comment further yet.” Michael Myers, parent FIELDS continued on 7A Vol. 138, No. 389 OpinionPeople. .. 4A2A CALL US: TODAY IN COMING (386) 752-1293 BusinessOpinion . 5A4A 91 6469 Obituaries . 5A PEOPLE TUESDAY SUBSCRIBE TO T-StormMostly ChanceSunny Obituaries . 6A THE REPORTER: Advice.Advice & . .Comics . .. 5D8B Budding ninja Local news Voice: 755-5445 Puzzles . 2B, 3B Fax: 752-9400 WEATHER, 2A8A Puzzles . 2B practices. roundup. 2A 2A LAKE CITY REPORTER SUNDAY REPORT SUNDAY, JULY 28, 2013 Page Editor: Jim Barr, 754-0424 Friday: Friday: Saturday: Saturday: Wednesday: Wednesday: 1-4-29-43 10 10-14-15-28-29 Afternoon: 9-7-8 Afternoon: 3-8-6-2 4-8-15-16-32-52 9-29-40-44-54 Evening: N/A Evening: N/A x2 PB 7 AROUND FLORIDA Annual grades for state schools fall sharply TALLAHASSEE, — The A crisis team was able Belafonte said Scott still number of top-rated to briefly establish com- has a chance to act before schools in Florida fell munication with Vargas. the protests intensify and sharply again this year as Sgt. Eddie Rodriguez said the situation becomes the state’s students strug- negotiators and a SWAT “ungovernable.” gle to adjust to a wave of team tried talking with him The main group leading new standards. from the other side of the the Capitol protests — the And the bottom line door of the unit where he Dream Defenders — have could have been much held the hostages. maintained a constant worse if state education Rodriguez said the talks presence for 11 straight officials had not adopted eventually “just fell apart.” days. While protesters a last-minute “safety net” Officers stormed the build- come and go during the provision that softened the ing, fatally shooting the workday, a small band final grades. gunman in an exchange of of them has spent every The new A to F grades gunfire. night sleeping in the hall- released Friday for ways since the protest elementary and middle began. schools show that the Harry Belafonte FDLE has spent nearly number of A-rated schools joins protesters $51,000 on overtime costs fell nearly 39 percent this since the protest began. year, while the number of TALLAHASSEE The state has spent more F-rated schools more than — Singer and entertainer than $140,000 on overall doubled. Grades for high Harry Belafonte on Friday security costs over the schools won’t be released called on Gov. Rick Scott 11-day period but that until late this year. COURTESY to listen to protesters who includes normal security Last year, more than are asking for a special expenses. 1,200 schools received the Centennial recognition legislative session to exam- ine the state’s self-defense A grade that is used by State Rep. Elizabeth Porter (right) presents a framed copy of the Florida House’s resolution parents and businesses to laws after the acquittal of School money identify top-rated schools. honoring Advent Christian Village’s centennial to village president Craig Carter. The retire- George Zimmerman. means tax hikes This year, the preliminary ment community in Dowling Park, west of Live Oak, was started in 1913 as a retirement Protesters have occu- grades resulted in a drop home for retired pastors and an orphanage.