Project1:Layout 1 6/10/2014 1:13 PM Page 1 Softball: Rivals Citrus, Lecanto battle on the diamond /B1 SATURDAY TODAY CITRUSCOUNTY & next morning HIGH 84 Increasing clouds, LOW windy. Chance of thunderstorms. 63 PAGE A4 www.chronicleonline.com APRIL 10, 2021 Florida’s Best Community Newspaper Serving Florida’s Best Community $1 VOL. 126 ISSUE 184 NEWS BRIEFS In-home vaccinations available Department of Health. Citrus County Health care officials push to vaccinate homebound residents Florida health officials re- COVID-19 cases ceived about 9,000 inquiries from According to the Flor- FRED HIERS The DOH in Citrus County also workers went to their homes to homebound people, or their fami- Staff writer announced it would soon change offer the shots, according to Sa- lies, about getting them the vac- ida Department of Health, its vaccination location to an in- mantha Bequer, press secretary cine shots. 15 positive cases were Florida and local health care door site in Crystal River. for the Florida Division of Emer- “It’s been really great,” Bequer reported in Citrus County officials are asking that home- Since the homebound program gency Management. said of the program. since the latest update. bound people unable to travel to began last month, more than 7,200 The number in Citrus County Audrey Stasko, spokeswoman Two new deaths were vaccination centers try and utilize homebound people have received who have received the home- for the Department of Health in reported, for a total of the state’s door-to-door home- at least their first vaccinations, as bound vaccine was not readily Citrus County, said that because 437. bound vaccination program. of last week, when local and state available from the Florida See VACCINE/Page A8 To date in the county, 10,498 people have tested positive (including 91 non-residents). Two new hospitaliza- tions were reported, for a Made a difference with a smile total of 683 hospitalized. Totals reflect prelimi- nary reports received by Tricia Fowler: Wildlife park manager loved animals — and people the state, and are subject to revision. Register to get COVID vaccine DOH-Citrus’ preregis- tration system to sched- ule COVID-19 vaccine appointments for all indi- viduals 18 and older and frontline health care work- ers is now available. Individuals can now be added to a waiting list for vaccine appointments and be notified when ap- pointments are available in Citrus County by visit- ing myvaccine.fl.gov or by calling 866-201-0442; TTY is 833-476-1036. Cit- rus’ designated helpline number is 833-540-2058. Keep the Pool Open Committee to meet The Beverly Hills Keep the Pool Open Commit- tee will meet at 1 p.m. Saturday, April 10, at the Central Ridge Boys and Girls Club, 901 W. Roos- evelt Blvd. Organizers will discuss why the old pool in the Central Ridge Community Park is not a viable op- MATTHEW BECK/Chronicle file tion, and instead a new Longtime Homosassa resident and Ellie Schiller Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park manager Tricia Fowler died March 27 at age 46. six lane pool paid for with impact fees located in the CELEBRATION OF LIFE Central Ridge District n Celebration of Life for Tricia Fowler begins at 11 a .m . with a viewing and a Catholic Park is the most viable service at noon Saturday, April 10 at St . Benedict Catholic Church, 455 S . Suncoast option. Volunteers will be Blvd ., Crystal River . Interment follows at Fountains Memorial Park in Homosassa . asked to join committees NANCY KEnnEDY that will make a presenta- Staff writer “She’d always come home smelling like diagnosed with Stage 4 metastatic breast tion on behalf of the com- gorilla,” said Rob Fowler, Tricia’s husband. cancer. Three months later, on March 27, munity to the BOCC. As a kid growing up, Tricia Fowler would “For 25 years of my life, she always came Tricia Fowler died. She was 46. It is hoped that a public visit her grandparents at their house that home smelling like animals.” “She had a true passion for animals,” private partnership will be backed up to the then-named Homosassa In 2009, Rob, Tricia and their son, Robby, said Kate Spratt, park services specialist at formed to secure operat- Springs Wildlife State Park. moved from Tampa to Citrus County, moving the Homosassa wildlife park. ing funds. More than A lover of animals, she went to the park into the house once owned by Tricia’s grand- She helped rescue injured manatees and $13,000 in contributions often, worked as a volunteer in high school, parents, next door to her parents’ house, helped rescue, rehab and release more that pre-date COVID-19 dreamed of being a zookeeper. and Tricia went to work at the wildlife park. than 55 bears back into the wild. are still being held by the While attending the University of South After a series of positions, from park She once saved a hurt pelican she found Florida in Tampa, she volunteered at the ranger to park services specialist to volun- at a local seafood restaurant, found water Central Citrus Rotary for Lowry Park Zoo and later got a job at Busch teer coordinator to wildlife care supervi- for a dehydrated dog she came across during this campaign. Gardens, first at the petting zoo, then work- sor, in early 2020 Tricia was made park a trip to Utah and even rushed to help a Simpson ing with the gorillas, chimps and orang- manager. chihuahua escape a coyote in Arizona. committee utans at the park’s Myombe Reserve. Then in December 2020, she was See TRICIA/Page A6 hauls in $541K On the eve of this year’s legislative session, a politi- cal committee led by Sen- ate President Wilton Crystal River outlines Prince Philip, Queen’s Simpson, R-Trilby, raised $541,000, according to a newly filed finance report. its list of city chores husband, dies at 99 The report for the commit- tee Jobs for Florida lists a BUSTER THOMPSON planning to host JILL LAWLESS March 1 date for the con- Staff writer Main Street’s First AND GREGORY KATZ tributions. The legislative Friday outings Associated Press session started March 2, Crystal River City Manager Ken again downtown, and lawmakers are barred Frink has a list of growing city proj- starting May 7. LONDON — Prince Philip, from raising money during ects and endeavors for him and his City staff is also the irascible and tough- the session. staff to tackle. moving forward minded husband of Queen Among the contribu Frink shared updates of those with Crystal Riv- Elizabeth II who spent more - Ken Frink tions to Simpson’s com- tasks Wednesday, April 7, with the er’s July 4 fire- than seven decades supporting Chronicle Editorial Board: Crystal River works show, which, mittee were $50,000 from his wife in a role that both de- city manager. thanks to private the medical-marijuana firm Events restart with fined and constricted his life, contributions, is expected to have has died, Buckingham Palace Trulieve, Inc.; $45,000 COVID-19 in mind a larger arsenal of celebratory said Friday. He was 99. from the tobacco firm RAI After the “success” of the Citrus rockets, Frink said. To lessen the His life spanned nearly a Services Co., $25,000 County Chamber of Commerce’s risk of COVID-19 transmissions, the century of European history, from The Big Easy Casino Manatee Fest the weekend of city will have show attendees starting with his birth as a Associated Press in Hallandale Beach; and March 27 in Crystal River, Frink said spread out throughout downtown, member of the Greek royal Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke $25,000 from Disney the city has been promoting its other Frink said, instead of traditionally family and ending as Britain’s of Edinburgh on Nov. 18, 2007, Worldwide Services, Inc., future festivities. grouping them in Kings Bay Park. longest serving consort during at Broadlands. Prince Philip has according to the report “We’re getting back to events,” he For more information on Crystal a turbulent reign in which the died, Buckingham Palace said filed with the state Division said, “and we’re really excited River events, either visit the city’s thousand-year-old monarchy Friday. He was 99. of Elections. The commit- about that.” website at crystalriverfl.org/special was forced to reinvent itself remarks — and for gamely ful- tee also raised $515,000 Frink said the city and the com- or its Facebook page at tinyurl. for the 21st century. filling more than 20,000 royal in February. munity-revitalization nonprofit, com/4jc2yz85. He was known for his occa- engagements to boost British — From staff and wire reports Crystal River Main Street, are See CHORES/Page A5 sionally deeply offensive See PHILIP/Page A13 Classifieds . .B6 Crossword . .B9 INDEX Lottery Numbers . B2. Obituaries . .A6 Comics . B5. Editorial . A10 Lottery Payouts . B2. TV Listings . .B4 Horoscope . A4 Entertainment . .A4 Movies . .B5 A2 Saturday, april 10, 2021 Citrus County (FL) ChroniCLe TRADE IN! TRADE UP! 2021 TOYOTA 2021 TOYOTA 2021 TOYOTA 2021 TOYOTA COROLLA CAMRY LE RAV4 LE HIGHLANDER 0% APR LE 0% APR 0% APR 0% APR LE AVAILABLE AVAILABLE AVAILABLE AVAILABLE MODEL#1852 MODEL#2532 MODEL#4430 MODEL#6946 LEASE FOR LEASE FOR LEASE FOR LEASE FOR $ -OR- ZERO $ -OR- ZERO $ -OR- ZERO $ -OR- ZERO 150 DOWN 189 DOWN 228 DOWN 298 DOWN PER MONTH FOR 36 MONTHS PER MONTH FOR 36 MONTHS PER MONTH FOR 36 MONTHS PER MONTH FOR 36 MONTHS WITH $3999 DOWN $266/MO. FOR 36 MOS. WITH $3999 DOWN $305/MO.