Project1:Layout 1 6/10/2014 1:13 PM Page 1 NFL: Tua returns, Dolphins knock off Bengals / B1 MONDAY TODAY CITRUSCOUNTY & next morning HIGH 64 Morning rain LOW ends, decreasing clouds, breezy. 39 PAGE A4 www.chronicleonline.com DECEMBER 7, 2020 Florida’s Best Community Newspaper Serving Florida’s Best Community 50¢ VOL. 126 ISSUE 60 NEWS BRIEFS ‘Ride with the tide’ amid COVID-19 COVID-19 cases on rise Pearl Harbor attack survivors remember at home this year According to the Florida Department of AUDREY MCAVOY morning — still wearing his foot- from attending an annual cere- because of the health risks. Health, 81 positive Associated Press ball padding and brown team mony remembering those killed “That’s the way it goes. You got cases were reported shirt — scanning the sky as Japa- in the attack that launched the to ride with the tide,” Ganitch in Citrus County since HONOLULU — Navy sailor nese planes rained bombs on the United States into World War II. said in a telephone interview Mickey Ganitch was getting ready U.S. Pacific Fleet. The 101-year-old has attended from his home in San Leandro, the latest update. to play in a Pearl Harbor football Seventy-nine years later, the most years since the mid-2000s California. Fifty-two new hospital- game as the sun came up on coronavirus pandemic is prevent- but will have to observe the mo- izations were re- Dec. 7, 1941. Instead, he spent the ing Ganitch and other survivors ment from California this year See SURVIVORS/Page A7 ported; four new deaths were reported. To date in the county, 5,096 people have tested positive (including 29 non- residents), 484 have been hospitalized and ERE WE COME A PADDLING 181 have died. H - ... Authorities: Fatal attack at county jail Authorities are in- vestigating a deadly attack at the Citrus County Detention Facility. CoreCivic staff at around 7:53 p.m. Sat- urday, Dec. 5, 2020, responded to “a medi- cal emergency and possible altercation” in one of the Lecanto jail’s housing units, where they found an inmate unconscious on the floor, according to CoreCivic spokes- woman Steven Owen. Owen said jail per- sonnel attempted to revive the man until Nature Coast EMS ar- rived and transported Dozens of paddlers prepare to take off from King’s Bay Park Sunday, Dec. 6, 2020, as an organized, holiday water parade gets started. him to Citrus Memorial Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at around 8:45 p.m. Another inmate was Several of Santa’s helpers and other elves identified as the man’s staged a holiday parade in King’s Bay on assailant, and no Sunday, Dec. 6. Throngs of kayakers and other inmates were in- paddleboarders took to the water volved, said Owen, who would not release to bring a little Christmas cheer to names. Crystal River. Chronicle Photo Editor Owen said Citrus Matthew Beck captured the festivities. County Sheriff’s Office detectives are investi- gating the incident. Laura Lou Fitzpatrick, left, organizer of the Santa and his — Buster Thompson Paddling Elves event on King’s Bay, paddles with Kathy Tolle Sunday afternoon, Dec. 6, 2020, in front of Kings Bay Park in Church stages Crystal River. More than 50 paddlers were counted taking part clothing drive in the free event that saw participants make their way around much of King’s Bay. The Hernando United Methodist Church Men’s group plans a Winter Clothing Drive from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Dec. 8-11. Drive-up, drop-off under the portico at 2125 E. Norvell Bryant Highway — do not enter the church. Needed are sweat- ers, long pants (men and women), socks, shoes, coats and jackets and blankets. — From staff reports POLL Your choice? Polls indicate approximately 50% of the U.S. population would not get the Crystal River resident Wayne Zuchowski get a kiss from his puppy Ripley Sunday, Dec. 6, 2020, as the Santa and His Paddling Elves COVID-19 vaccine when event begins in King’s Bay. Event organizer Laura Lou Fitzpatrick said the event is a way she hopes to bring the community together it becomes available to with a festive, safe activity during a time when gatherings of groups of people has become difficult. The free event concluded with the public. How do you an after-party at St. Johns Tavern where participants were served food provided by Fitzpatrick. feel about getting the vaccine? A. Not in a month of Sundays. B. Rather take my chances and roll the dice. Planners address transparency concerns C. Plan to wait and see. D. One of the first in MICHAEL D. BATES what they believe are more equitable ways for allay any board concerns on transparency. line. Staff writer each county and city represented in the MPO “I think it will,” he said. “We’ve done every- E. Sign me up now to pay their fair share for keeping the trans- thing they've asked for. We’ve shown our ex- To vote, visit www. Members of the Hernando-Citrus Metropol- portation agency viable. penditures. We show our revenues and we chronicleonline.com. itan Planning Organization (MPO) in Septem- Staff obliged and a budget overview is on show our salaries.” Scroll down the home ber called for more budget transparency and the agenda for the Thursday, Dec. 10, meeting Here are takeaways from that budget page and look for the asked staff to come back with a detailed snap- to be held in Brooksville. breakdown: shot of its spending. MPO Executive Director Steve Diez said he poll box in the right- The board also asked for options to create believes the staff-prepared agenda item will See CONCERNS/Page A2 hand column. Results will appear next Monday. Find last Classifieds . .B7 Editorial. A6 INDEX Lottery Numbers . .B3 week’s online poll Comics . .B6 Entertainment . A4 Lottery Payouts . .B3 Horoscope . A4 results./Page A3 Crossword . .B10 Extra Puzzles . .B10 TV Listings. .B6 A2 SUNDAY, DECEMBER 7, 2020 CITRUS COUNTY (FL) CHRONICLE population of 191,684) Without it, the MPO and how can I get more Thursday, Dec. 10 in the Brooksville. CONCERNS contributes $392,000 an- would likely survive but information? county commissioners’ For more information Continued from Page A1 nually and Citrus (popu- might have to pare down A: The Hernando/Cit- chambers on the first about the MPO meeting, lation 149,265) future projects, Rogers rus Metropolitan Plan- floor of the Hernando visit http://hernando- contributes $308,000. said. ning Organization (MPO) County Government Cen- countyfl.iqm2.com/ Q: How much cash on- Q: The third option? Q: When is the meeting will meet at 1:30 p.m. ter, 20 North Main St., in citizens/. hand is needed to fund A: This option is a bit the MPO? more complicated and A: Annual expendi- has to do with apportion- tures range from $600,000 ing the funding by five THE CENTER FOR to $775,000 and it is (representing each MPO staff ’s position that member’s jurisdiction) based on current spend- based on the percentage BONE & JOINT DISEASE ing trends, it will take of population in the orga- $700,000 to fund the nization's area. organization. Bottom line: Hernando New Telemedicine Service Available Q: How many MPO County would pay staffers are there and $378,000, Unincorpo- what are their salaries? rated Citrus County A: The organization al- $287,000, Brooksvile, locates $411,891 for its $18,200, Crystal River, four full-time $7,000 and Inverness, employees. $15,400. Q: How much do Her- Q: And the final nando and Citrus coun- option? ties contribute A: Divide the funding financially to the MPO? level by the nine MPO A: Hernando County voting positions. Based Craig Bennett, MD provided the MPO an ini- on the $700,000 number, Dragomir Mijic, D.O. Kirill Ilalov, MD Conservative Spine/General tial $450,000 loan for op- each MPO member seat Shoulder/Elbow/General Spine erating expenses when it would contribute about merged with Citrus $77,777 with Hernando County. County’s share amount- However, Hernando ing to $233,333 and Citrus does not kick in that County at $155,554. $450,000 annually so the Q: Why the sudden con- original loan continues cern about the MPO to pay MPO expenses budget? until getting reimbursed A: Hernando County by grants. Commissioner Steve Citrus County or the Champion summed it up cities of Brooksville, in September when he Jared Salinsky, DO George Kardashian, MD Juan Raposo, MD Christopher Reyher, MD Crystal River and Inver- said the current method Sports/General Hand/General Spine/Total Joints Physiatry/PM&R ness pay nothing. of funding the MPO is Q: The MPO board has unfair because his county asked for more equitable pays the full freight and financial contributions Citrus, Inverness, Crystal for both counties to sat- River and Brooksville isfy the annual $700,000 pay nothing — even funding threshold. Staff though they benefit from has come up with four the organization's trans- options. What are they? portation work.. A: The first option: “We shouldn't have all Hernando County contin- the money in it and you ues to contribute have nothing,” Champion Christopher Linberg, MD Dolfi Herscovici, D.O. $450,000. Citrus County told the Citrus County Alexander Pappas, DPM would kick in $100,000 representatives. “(It) Sports/General Foot/Ankle Foot/Ankle and each of the three cit- should be equal because The Center For Bone & Joint Disease is proud to be celebrating our 47th year of providing the Tampa Bay area with cutting-edge orthopaedic care.