On the brink: Heat face elimination tonight /B1 TUESDAY TODAY CITRUS COUNTY & next morning HIGH 92 Partly sunny. 20 LOW percent chance of afternoon rain. 75 PAGE A4 www.chronicleonline.com JUNE 18, 2013 Florida’s Best Community Newspaper Serving Florida’s Best Community 50¢ VOL. 118 ISSUE 315 Water district dives in Scott taps two for hospital trustees CHRIS VAN ORMER Staff writer When the hospital board of trustees meets today to consider propos- als for the future of Citrus Memorial Health System, it will have its necessary quorum and one new face. Gov. Rick Scott has ap- pointed Dr. Christopher Mark Fal- lows to the Citrus County Hospital Board and reap- pointed Robert Priselac. Robert They will Priselac reappointed to join cur- hospital board rent of trustees. trustees Debbie Ressler and Krista Joseph, with one trustee MATTHEW BECK/Chronicle seat remaining vacant. Southwest Florida Water Management District Senior Environmental Scientist Chris Anastasiou explains the importance of aquatic Priselac, 64, of Her- vegetation on a recent afternoon on Crystal River’s King’s Bay. nando, has served on the hospital board since June 22, 2012. He had been a non-voting member of the Series of major projects aim to restore King’s Bay to its original state Citrus Memorial Health Foundation board of di- A.B. SIDIBE algae which is denuding the rectors for two years. Staff writer bay bottom of useful plants “I appreciate the confi- like Vallisnaria or tape dence of the governor and For many pedestrians who grass. am very honored to serve are going through Crystal But according to Chris J. on behalf of the citizens of River or locals seeking to take Anastasiou, senior scientist Citrus County,” Priselac a peek at the waters of King’s of Natural Systems and said Monday. “This is a Bay, there is a stretch of area Restoration for the South- very challenging time for well suited for such activity — west Florida Water Manage- hospitals, especially Cit- the areas around Hunter ment District, King’s Bay is rus Memorial Health Sys- Springs Park and King’s Bay a complex body of water, tem. With significant debt Park. and the reasons for its water and deficit problems, it is However, a closer examina- quality issues are varied time to look at options to tion of the shallows in those and have to be tackled insure the future of health areas also reveals a murkier accordingly. care in the county. I, as are tale, a film of green algae and Special to the Chronicle The water district, he said, my fellow board mem- a darker shade of noxious fila- The Water District will be working with the city of Crystal River to has jumped in to turn the tide bers, am committed to mentous lyngbya on the sandy create a living shoreline in a portion of Hunters Spring Park, which and has either initiated sev- preserve its mission, re- bottom. the city had earmarked to have a seawall in its own eral restorative plans or is store sound financial foot- It is cause for consternation development for the park. The shoreline project will mimic the planning to launch others ing, invest in the latest for residents and visitors. vegetation on a floating island in a marshy area. soon. technology, equipment Certain facts have already And, “King’s Bay is like a and facilities and retain been established: The bay is brackish (mix of salt and unacceptable standards for tale of two bays,” Anastasiou physicians and employ- turning saltier by the day; fresh water); the bad nutri- nutrient loads and the sub- said. ees. And not at the taxpay- the crystal clear fresh water ents flowing through the merged aquatic vegetation is ers’ expense.” springs have become mostly spring vents have risen to smothered by filamentous See BAY/Page A2 See HOSPITAL/Page A9 Court rules citizenship proof law illegal Stops states from independently changing voter registration requirements without federal OK Associated Press sion complicating efforts in Ari- duced under the federal “motor Justice Antonin Scalia, who “Today’s decision sends a zona and other states to bar vot- voter” registration law. They wrote the court’s majority opin- strong message that states can- WASHINGTON — States ing by people who are in the would need permission from a ion, said federal law “precludes not block their citizens from can’t demand proof of citizen- country illegally. federally created panel, the Arizona from requiring a fed- registering to vote by superim- ship from people registering to The justices’ 7-2 ruling closes Election Assistance Commis- eral form applicant to submit posing burdensome paperwork vote in federal elections unless the door on states independ- sion, or a federal court ruling information beyond that re- requirements on top of federal they get federal or court ap- ently changing the require- overturning the commission’s quired by the form itself.” law,” said Nina Perales, vice proval to do so, the Supreme ments for those using the decision, to make tougher re- Voting rights advocates wel- Court ruled Monday in a deci- voter-registration form pro- quirements stick. comed the ruling. See COURT/Page A9 Classifieds . .C11 Community . .C8 INDEX Lottery Numbers . .B3 Obituaries . .A6 Comics . .C10 Editorial . .A8 Lottery Payouts . .B3 TV Listings . .C9 Crossword . .C9 Entertainment . .A4 Horoscope . .A4 Movies . .C10 000F4JS A2 TUESDAY, JUNE 18, 2013 LOCAL CITRUS COUNTY (FL) CHRONICLE BAY Continued from Page A1 Tool brings clarity With all the technologi- and the smaller diame- TALE OF TWO BAYS cal advances of the past ter allowed its use in On one side of the bay — century in marine sci- shallow waters. the southern portion — the ence, one tool remains Scientists at the water is discernibly more the standard for scientists Southwest Florida salty and the submerged to measure water clarity Water Management Dis- vegetation like eel grass — the Secchi Disk. trict routinely collect and sago pondweed are The disk is widely water clarity data using thriving right along with a used to measure water the Secchi Disk in one of different type of green fila- clarity throughout the two ways. The first is in mentous algae. world’s oceans, rivers, a vertical configuration But in the northern and lakes. While much where the user lowers coves of the bay where the more technical and ac- the disk down into the spring vents are pumping curate instrumentation water column until it can mostly fresh water, the exists today, the Secchi no longer be seen. In algal issue is lyngbya. Disk is unequalled in its clear water systems like “For many people who simplicity, efficiency and Florida Springs and have not been on the water low cost. shallow coastal waters or have studied the bay as The Secchi Disk was off the Springs Coast and we have, they think the en- created in 1865 by Fa- the Florida Keys, it is tire bay is full of lyngbya, ther Pietro Angelo Sec- common to see all the but as you can see that is chi. In 1844, he began way to the bottom, ren- clearly not the case,” Anas- theological studies in dering the vertical Sec- tasiou said during a tour of Rome and was ordained chi Disk useless. The the bay. a priest in September alternative method is During the tour, he also 1847. In 1899, George C. used where a diver is pointed out the various Whipple, a civil engi- placed in the water with monitoring stations used neer and cofounder of a tape measure and a by the water district to the Harvard School of second person is on deck keep tabs on quality issues Public Health, modified with the Secchi Disk at- like water clarity, nitrate Secchi’s original design tached to a pole. The content, aquatic vegeta- by painting the disk deck hand places the tion and temperature. black and white and re- Disk into the water and As a result of several ducing its size to 8 waves it at the diver who studies and monitoring inches in diameter, stat- carefully swims away data, Anastasiou said the ing that the alternating from the disk until it is water district is embarking colors were easier to see no longer visible. a series of major projects —Southwest Florida Water Management District aimed at trying to restore the bay to its sparkling fore the district’s Govern- of Crystal River to create a MATTHEW BECK/Chronicle past. ing Board for approval in living shoreline in portion A black and white disk is used along with a tape measure to record water-clarity lev- Among the projects are September, is expected to of Hunters Spring Park els in King’s Bay. A diver records how far the disk is visible once the disk is placed two — both in the Hunter bring back submerged veg- which the city had ear- under water. Springs area — which he etation and deny lyngbya marked to have a seawall believes would serve both an area to flourish. Anas- in its own development for by the late Gary Maidhof, the wetland area in Three the water quality of these as a catalyst and well- tasiou said the district will the park. according to Anastasiou. Sisters Springs. The treat- waters before they dis- spring of how things could have measures in place to The shoreline project The project is to expand an ment wetland will inter- charge into King’s Bay, be done to bring the bay ward off manatees from will mimic the vegetation existing water quality treat- cept stormwater from Anastasiou said. back from the brink. eating the vegetation, es- on a floating island in a ment area at the intersec- more than 100 acres of Contact Chronicle re- THE DRAWING BOARD pecially during the early marshy area.