Remember the "Dog Days of Summer" are here, take it easy don't get over heated, heat exhaustion and heat stroke can happen very quickly. Above all "Stay hydrated". Remember your pets, they too suffer in this heat!
The Park at SunWest...
NEW PORT RICHEY — One commissioner walked out. Another
accused the chairman of "doing an injustice to the board." And by the
time Pasco County commissioners had wrapped up for lunch Tuesday, numerous
issues divided them.
One thing was clear: After two hours of public testimony —
most of it surrounding the SunWest park project in Aripeka — nerves were starting
to fray.
At issue was Chairman Jack Mariano's proposal to allocate
more money to the proposed park. Commissioners have allocated $3.9 million
to build a beach, volleyball courts, parking and a boardwalk. Most considered
SunWest a closed issue.
Yet for Mariano, who has continually pushed for more
funding, SunWest has remained alive.
On Tuesday, as the meeting got under way, he found dozens of
allies in the audience. They wore white T-shirts that said "I (heart)
SunWest." Many later said the chairman urged them to attend.
They appealed for more money, making many of the same
arguments that Mariano has.
"This is a beautiful area, an ideal area to put a
park," said Victor Branson of Hudson. "It's a shame it sits there and
the funds aren't going to be allocated that should be allocated."
"The No. 1 thing that attracts people to Florida is
beaches," said another speaker, Taylor Ney, a senior at Ridgewood High
School in New Port Richey.
"Kids need a place to go to," said Joann Bliss,
76, of Hudson.
"You're going to need more parking when more people
find out about this," said Janet O'Hara, also of Hudson.
Mariano's frequent pitch is that the county has "only
one shot to get it right" and needs to invest now in additional amenities.
Among those: extra parking, a second bathroom, high-grade volleyball beach sand
and a splash pad for young children.
Other commissioners contend the additional amenities can be
added when the funds become available. After two hours of public testimony, it
became clear they had had enough.
"When we voted on this park we said it would be built
in phases," Commissioner Pat Mulieri said. "We need to separate wants
from needs."
Turning to Mariano, she added: "I think you're doing an
injustice to the board. It's not like we don't want this, but there is only X
amount of dollars."
Commissioner Ted Schrader said the park was never intended
to be more than a boat launch and a beach on a freshwater lake, but over the
past year has evolved to include a boardwalk, a wakeboarding facility and a
volleyball facility. The board supported those changes, Schrader pointed out,
but can't afford the additions sought by Mariano.
Then, referring to the chairman, he added, "He's
spreading propaganda. He's misrepresenting the board. This board has supported
SunWest."
He then made a motion to withdraw an item about the park
from the agenda, sparking an argument from Mariano who wanted to discuss it.
Shortly later, Schrader walked out.
"Go ahead and walk out," Mariano said as he passed
by.
The meeting broke for lunch minutes later, leaving Mariano
standing among his supporters. Asked whether he would back down rather than
bring up SunWest again, Mariano said: "It's not up to me. It's up to
them."
Contact Rich Shopes at rshopes@tampabay.com or (727)
869-6236. Follow @richshopes.
BROOKSVILLE — If
Hernando County creates a recreation area inside the Weekiwachee Preserve, it
will be in direct competition with a proposed project off U.S. 19 in Pasco
County called SunWest Park, some residents fear.
Hernando has proposed building a tourism and education
center on land that was once a mining site in the preserve, along with a public
beach, hiking trails, picnic areas and a parking lot.
Meanwhile, about five miles south on U.S. 19 in Pasco
County, the proposed SunWest Park would
bring a beach, riding and nature trails and recreational
activities to a reclaimed mine.
Aripeka resident Karen Smith, who has weighed in on the
matter at public meetings, has told commissioners that tourists coming north on
U.S. 19 will pass SunWest first and will not make it as far as Hernando County.
“Where are people going to go?” she asked. “I don’t think
they’ll ever get past SunWest.”
But County Commission Chairman Wayne Dukes said the
purpose of the “Nature Coast Experience” — the working title of the proposed
project — is not to make money for the county, although that could be an
ultimate by-product.
The main purpose, he said, is providing another
entertainment alternative to residents.
“This is a not-for-profit venture,” Dukes said.
On Tuesday, county commissioners said they are also
considering another site for the center — adjacent to Weeki Wachee Springs
State Park. However, they made it clear in a 5-0 vote that the Weekiwachee
Preserve is still on the table.
Smith sent an email to all five county commissioners and
representatives of the Southwest Florida Water Management District, which may
partner with the county in developing the preserve.
SunWest will offer water activities including wake
boarding, a tow line, splash pads, kayaking in the Gulf with dolphins and
manatees and 500 parking spaces.
“All of these features will be less than $1 in gas south
of the proposed (preserve) project,” Smith wrote.
She added that SunWest will have better access to visitors
and is located five miles closer to the higher density populations that
Weekiwachee Preserve cannot match.
“While not a Disney operation, SunWest is a competitor
with overwhelming advantages that will threaten attendance/revenues at already
existing Hernando Beach parks as well as at the proposed (preserve) park,”
Smith wrote. “It’s unlikely that there is enough new resident and tourism
business coming to northern Pasco and southern Hernando counties to support the
success of both of these facilities in the foreseeable future.”
Dukes said he doesn’t care what Pasco County is doing.
He’s only concerned with this county and making sure the board does what is
right for the citizens.
“This is for Hernando County, a destination where families
can come and spend a day,” he said. “If we can break even, I’m satisfied.”
Dukes stressed that the county must be good stewards of
taxpayers’ money if the preserve is developed. And it will require paying
maintenance workers, lifeguards, groundskeepers and people to give
presentations.
The goal, he said, is for the complex to be
self-sustaining.
If the county acted on the assumption that it must be
competitive with other counties, it would never venture out on any projects,
Dukes said.
Commissioner Dave Russell said the SunWest project and the
Nature Coast Experience are two different projects so people cannot make an
‘apples to apples’ comparison.
SunWest, he said, is conceived more as a place where
people can go for competitive water sports. The Nature Coast Experience is more
of an educational facility where people can learn about nature and — depending
on where it is located — could take advantage of nearby springs or lakes.
“It’s a different equation altogether,” Russell said.
mbates@hernandotoday.com
(352) 544-5290
2 Parks...
It would seem that those of us who live in Aripeka West would be excited at the possibility of two new parks nearby to enjoy with their family and friends. The beaches at Pine Island and Rogers Park are packed during the summer months. Parking is difficult at Rogers Park and almost impossible at Pine Island. Few other places nearby offer a place to swim. Weeki Wachee Springs State Park has Buccaneer Bay for keeping you cool and there are several places to rent canoes and kayaks along the Weeki Wachee River, but these come at a price. Here's hoping that the two new parks are free or very low cost to the public or only charge for parking like all other county parks in the area.
A great way to cool off in August is to go scalloping. It's like going on a giant underwater
Easter egg hunt with a bag of tasty scallops to cook up at the end of the day.
A popular place to scallop is Homosassa in 2 feet of water
out to 12 feet with the average depth being 3-6 feet, which is what most people
dive in. Look for sea grass beds with sand
holes. You also want to look for the shorter, thinner grass that grows in the
sand. You can also scallop in the waters off Hernando Beach.
Anyone can do this: All you need is a mask,
snorkel, fins and a catch bag to put your scallops in. If you look at the tides
and dive the last part of the outgoing tide and the first part of the incoming
tide, you can hit those deeper spots.
Back to School Tax Free Weekend...
Florida’s back to school sales tax holiday is coming up this
weekend.
The tax holiday will run Friday through Sunday, August 1 to
August 3, and will allow Floridians to buy clothes, school supplies and
personal computers without paying sales taxes. The back to school holiday
expands a discount introduced last year on computers and raises the tax-free
bar from $75 to $100 on the prices of clothing, bags and backpacks.
Last year, sales taxes weren’t collected on personal
computers and related gear worth under $750. This year, no sales taxes will be
collected on the first $750 of any computer and related gear, regardless of the
overall cost of the piece of electronics.
The Call of the Wild...
18212 Booming Rd., Spring Hill, FL, 34610
(352) 797-4785
Wildlife Survival, a non-profit 501c3 exotic animal and
wildlife rescue.
The organization was founded in May of 2000 and is located on ten acres just north of Tampa in Spring Hill, Florida.
The organization was founded in May of 2000 and is located on ten acres just north of Tampa in Spring Hill, Florida.
The founders realized that the problems facing wildlife in captivity were significant. Often, exotic animals found in captivity, are purchased by individuals who want to own them to enhance their personal status or for financial gain by breeding them for profit. Unfortunately, most people don't know that exotic animals in captivity have complex nutritional, dietary and medical needs that are extremely costly when you own one of these animals.
Wildlife Survival is dedicated to providing permanent homes to these animals! We rely completely on public support.
Tours are available by appointment.
Admission is free, but donations are greatly
appreciated!!!!
Accessible to persons with disabilities.
100 % of your donation goes directly to the feeding and
care of
the animals here at Wildlife Survival Sanctuary.
All visitors will be given a guided tour by one of our
sanctuary volunteers.
Please call 352-797-4785 to schedule your tour!
Or email us at mail@wildlifesurvival.com
Fascinating Weather...
Snow isn't always white
In California's Sierra Nevada Mountains and the alpine
regions of Colorado, pink snow is occasionally spotted. It's caused by a
microscopic reddish-colored algae, chlamydomonas nivalis, that lives only in
cold climates.
While the locals call it "watermelon snow" it is
not edible. The algae can be slightly toxic and can give you an upset
stomach if you eat it. We don't want snow, white, pink or any other color as for that matter!
Largest hail stone: 8"
The small town of Vivian, South Dakota holds the record for
largest hail stone, which was an 8" stone that fell on July 23, 2010.
Les Scott found the hail stone in his yard after a
particularly strong storm. He said the dents in the ground were as deep
as coffee cans. When he spotted the stone, he put it in a cooler to keep
it cold. The National Weather Service verified the size of the
record-setting stone and added that it weighed 1.9375 pounds.
What does a storm that pelts your house with nearly two
pound hail stones sound like?
"A guy throwing bricks at the house and many of them
and it was scary," Scott said. Bricks huh? That does sound scary! If the dents in the ground were as deep as coffee cans, how big were the dents in the cars?
Fastest wind gust recorded: 231 m.p.h.
During a wild April storm in 1934, a wind gust of 231 miles
per hour (372 kilometers per hour) pushed across the summit of Mount Washington
in New Hampshire. This wind speed still stands as the all-time surface wind
speed observed by man. Don't want to challenge this one, Mobile Hones hate high winds!
Most rain in one minute: 1.23"
On April 7, 1956 in Unionville, Maryland, 1.23" of rain
fell in 60 seconds.
Weather observer G.P. Von Eiff said the 50-minute storm
dropped 2.84 inches of rain. That's not too remarkable, except for the
fact that a huge portion of it fell in just one minute. The U.S. Weather
Bureau checked his instruments twice in the following days and accepted his
measurement. It still stands as the world record for most rain in one
minute. Some days it seems like Aripeka is trying to take that record away from Unionville!
Hottest temperature ever recorded in the U.S.: 134° Fahrenheit
The highest temperature recorded in the U.S. occurred on
July 10, 1913 in Death Valley. The official read was 134° which is also
the highest temperature recorded in the Western Hemisphere.
Death Valley's unique geography is primed for extreme heat.
Winds off the higher surrounding land, known as the Great Basin, often
blow hot, dry air thousands of feet down into the long, narrow valley.
The steep walls of the valley essentially trap the heat, radiate it back
into the valley, causing the already hot air to grow even hotter.
July's average high in Death Valley is 115°, but nearly
every year the temperature reaches 125°, or higher. Glad Aripeka is not challenging this record!
Sidewalks on 19...
The sidewalks going both North and South on 19 from Aripeka Road appear to be complete. The signs still say "Sidewalk Closed" in both directions, but even "closed" sidewalks should be a lot safer than walking on the side of the road! Now we can safely walk on 19 if we need too. The hardest part will be walking down Aripeka Road to get to the new sidewalks!
A Quiet August...
We have no Special Events planned for August . No holidays to celebrate, school starting back, temps in the 90's, yes, a very quiet August spending a lot of time in the house! August 2014 has 5 Fridays, 5 Saturdays and 5 Sundays wouldn't it be great if they were all 3 day holiday weekends?
The Weeki Wachee River...
This may be just the ticket to cool you off on a hot August day considering all the worries about the water quality in the Gulf. The spring feeding the river maintains a constant temp of 74.2°. You can access the river at Weeki Wachee Spring State Park by renting a canoe or kayak or you can go to Rogers Park and just jump right on in the water. Rogers Park is located on Shoal Line Road just north of Hernando Beach. Parking is available for $5, but it fills quickly on the weekends, so get there early or be prepared to pay more and walk a bit! The water in the river is very clear, deep in some places, shallow in others and you might just see a manatee swim by. You can also enjoy the Weeki Wachee Spring water at Buccaneer Bay, this is a great way to pass a hot afternoon.August Calendar...
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