Letters to the Editors

Boorish boaters foul up the river

Editor: Re: Kayak trip becomes case study in rudeness, April 6 column by Barbara Fredricksen:

I live, canoe and kayak on the Weeki Wachee River; and I hate to say, but your experience is the norm, not the exception.

Boaters are becoming increasingly unconcerned for anyone beyond their own craft. Going too fast and not watching for manatees, swimmers, kayakers and canoeists is only part of it. They think nothing of tossing bottles and cans into the river, they are unconcerned that their wake is eroding the fragile shore line, and, of course, the oily fumes are just something the rest of us have to live with. Every time I go out on the river, I come home with a bag of garbage and an earful of bad language from boaters I've asked to slow down.

I'm not talking about all boaters; some are very good, careful, trying not to create problems and put trash in the boat and not in the river. But what do we do about the others?

It may not be universally popular, but a reasonable and enforceable course of action would be to prohibit gasoline-powered boats up-river from the Rogers Park boat ramp unless they are boats owned by residents. In this manner, visitors who put their boats in at Rogers Park or Bayport could use the lower stretches of the river and have access to the Gulf of Mexico without impacting the upper reaches of the river. The upper river would be accessible only to homeowners, canoeists, kayakers and those with small, nonpolluting electric motors.

I must say this would not help me directly because I live down river from Rogers Park; but it would help protect the river, and that helps us all. This is an incredible natural resource; we all need to work to protect its beauty and the environment it supplies with fresh water.

A further step to protect our river is to adopt the restriction on all "disposable containers" they have on the Rainbow River. We may never be able to eliminate all trash from the water, but that would be a start.
-- Michelle Perry, Spring Hill

Community spirit should embrace the less affluent

Editor: The current opposition to affordable housing complexes in Hernando County is extremely disheartening. Am I correct in assuming that many of the residents objecting to the proposed complexes are retirees living the good life? Forty years ago, many of them were young, married couples just embarking on a life together, or singles still struggling to establish themselves in the community. These are exactly the kinds of people they now object to having as neighbors.

It is especially discouraging to hear their objections framed as opposition to poor growth management. The strict segregation of land uses and zoning they appear to support is precisely the approach to growth that has doomed much of Florida. I pray that Hernando will not continue down that path.

There can never be a spirit of community here when we refuse to actually become one. These multifamily complexes are one of the missing ingredients. Take a sprawling complex of expensive single-family detached homes and golf course villas, add a variety of nearby shopping outlets to meet the everyday needs of said residents and then stir in some affordable, multifamily, residential units that would allow the cashiers and other workers in those stores to live in the local area. The result more closely resembles a community than the narrow mix that exists now.

Some of the residents of this controversial affordable housing might even include other retirees living on a very limited budget. Maybe they would include someone's elderly parents. Judging from the current mood, such people should instead be banished to the fringes somewhere, lest we find ourselves standing behind them in the grocery checkout line. I hope those objecting so loudly now never had to face the same kind of banishment or intolerance.
-- Eugene M. Kelly, Brooksville

Deputy deserves support for enforcing law

Editor: Re: Deputy should have been prosecuted for his actions, April 11 letter to the editor by Sally Strail: Deputy Anthony Mazza was doing his sworn duty: enforcing the law. In this case, arresting a traffic violator.

The deputy was not intimidated by celebrity (the perpetrator allegedly said "Do you know who I am"). When he resisted arrest, the deputy subdued him and took him into custody.

Deputy Mazza should not have been censored for this, and Sheriff Richard Nugent did the correct and honorable thing by returning him to duty. In no way, should anyone accuse the sheriff of a "screw-up," as Ms. Trail did.

And to even suggest Sheriff Nugent should be a one-term sheriff is ludicrous. We are so fortunate and privileged to have this man as our sheriff. I hope he is for many, many years to come.
-- Dick Reinhard, Spring Hill

Law on career service is very clear-cut

Editor: Re: Corrections worker's campaign in question, April 13 Times:

You (Gregory Williams, a candidate for State House District 44) are being denied the right to run for state office, not because you are a "state citizen" but because the law -- which you would be required by oath to uphold -- states: "No employee in the career service shall hold or be a candidate for public office while in the employment of the state."

What part of this unusually clear, concise state law do you not understand?

Even though you are "an extremely, nice man" and others have indicated uncertainty about this law, all of these personal accolades have no relevance to this clear-cut, simple, direct law. I am certain that if you were elected, you would, unfortunately, attempt to change this law to allow you to receive public funds from two separate sources. I say no.
-- A.M. Sevier, Brooksville

Residential streets need more stop signs

Editor: Re: Don't lower speed limit; enforce existing road rules, April 12 letter to the editor from Gary Torrey of Spring Hill:

Although I may agree with Mr. Torrey that lowering of speed limits on U.S. 19 would be nonpreventive, I totally disagree with his lack of concern on the residential streets that are posted 30 to 35 mph.

I live on Cooper Road, which has a 30 mph limit, and I swear sometimes I think it is U.S. 19. Cars go that fast. I beg your pardon, Mr. Torrey, but an accident does not always involve two cars. A car hitting a child or an adult also is an accident and is more perilous than one involving two cars.

Maybe police officers could spend more time on busier streets if more stop signs were in place on residential streets. I know I would feel safer for my children, as well as others, if more stop signs were put on Cooper Road between Linden and Godfrey.

By the way, I like the idea of drunken drivers being nabbed no matter what time of day it is.
-- Jerry Bruzdewicz, Spring Hill

Why doesn't county have a dog park?

Editor: As far as we know, the county doesn't have a dog park to walk our dogs on a leash. Why not? We need one. When are we going to get one?

There is no place to exercise our dogs, and that could be a reason why some dogs get very bored and become nasty. Wouldn't you?

We are getting a skateboard park. Why not a dog park in Spring Hill with fences, trees and lots of space? It doesn't seem fair to the 30,000 of us who own pets. We think it is about time we speak up or call our county commissioners and find out why this is not being done. Let's roll.
-- Eva LaBella, Spring Hill

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The Hernando Times welcomes letters from readers for publication.

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Letters may be edited for clarity, taste and length.

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Send your letter to Hernando Times, 161 E Jefferson St., Brooksville, FL 34601. To fax a letter call 754-6133. Send letters by e-mail (in text-only format) to hernando@sptimes.com.

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