0327 Chronicle week in review: Kayak launch overhaul, river restoration progress, “pride” display dispute continues, and the CHS band plays on | Local News

Crystal River park gets kayak ramp overhaul

The 28,000 acres of the Crystal River Preserve and Archaeological Park became more accessible this week thanks to private donors who gave more than $5,000 to overhaul the kayak and canoe ramp at the Mullet Hole.

A new launch site, made of concrete, gravel and rubber matting, replaces the former gravel ramp that was a steep drop that made maneuvering into the water difficult for kayakers and canoers.

Also, this new site allows boaters to enter the Mullet Hole, which feeds into Indian River Canal, and from there into Crystal River and the Gulf of Mexico.

Barbara Roberts, the park’s manager, said that building the new ramp was part of the park’s attempt to get more people enjoying the outdoors.

Donors to build the new ramp were Friends of Crystal River State Park raising $3,000, an anonymous donor giving $2,500, and the Florida Paddling Trails Association raising $500.

Pride displays hot topic at library board meeting

Emotions ran strong at the March 22 Citrus County Library Advisory Board meeting where members were asked to reconsider putting Pride Month displays inside libraries.

After two-and-a-half hours of debate, the board took no action on this hot-button issue and said it’s up to county commissioners to put it on their agenda if they choose to discuss it further.

Last June, during Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender and Questioning (LGBTQ) month, two libraries had displays designed to educate people and bring awareness to the month.

Those displays prompted a firestorm of controversy from people who believed the library was using taxpayer dollars to promote an inappropriate sexual lifestyle and was indoctrinating children.

Many of the 70 people who attended the advisory board meeting expressed those views. Others said the displays were innocuous, were not injurious to children and were meant to educate, not promote.

Board member Neale Brennan reminded the crowd that advisory members do not make policy and serve only as liaison between county commissioners and the public.

County commissioners, who met later that day, didn’t seem inclined to revisit an issue they thought was put to rest on Jan. 4. At that time, the board voted 3-2 to keep the existing policy in place, which allows such displays.

Inverness woman sentenced to life for trafficking meth into county jail

Devona Denise Ruiz, 44, already serving more than 30 years in prison, was sentenced to life behind bars for bringing almost an ounce of methamphetamine into the county jail.

Citrus County Circuit Court Judge Richard Howard also ordered Ruiz to serve 10 concurrent years in prison for her charges of introducing contraband into a detention facility, and for possessing cocaine. Ruiz was granted credit for time served on her drug-paraphernalia offense.

Assistant State Attorney Tara Hartman told Howard Ruiz is a 19-time-convicted felon, and made a reputation of being a drug dealer with the alias “Cinderella.”

“When she’s out of custody, she’s constantly committing crimes,” the prosecutor said. “She’s a great risk to the community.”

“Ms. Ruiz,” Howard said, “the best place for you, frankly, is in the department of corrections for the rest of your life.”

Win-win move relocates Homosassa River Restoration Project; removes derelict trailers

Sea & Shoreline, LLC crews contracted by the nonprofit Homosassa River Restoration Project Inc. (HRRP) recently demolished about a dozen unlivable mobile homes at Sportsman Cove off of Fishbowl Drive, near the Homosassa water tower.

Within the next two weeks they hope to clear the 10-acre site of remaining debris.

In exchange for the demolition, the property owner agreed to let the HRRP on their land so the organization can set up its final base of operations and finish restoring 46.19 acres of the river by 2025, from its headspring to south of the Halls River Road bridge.

“He had heard about our project,” HRRP Board President Steve Minguy said of the landowner’s representative, “and thought this would be a great fit for us to have a new worksite to help the river, and to help the owner with some of the trailers he was having an issue with with Citrus County.”

“He’s happy, we’re happy, and this is going to be the future of the project, this site,” added Mark Mekelburg, a Sea & Shoreline superintendent. “It was effort and teamwork to get stuff done, and this is the ticket for the future of the project.”

Three Citrus County motorists hospitalized after two trucks collide almost head onA Tuesday, March 15, vehicle crash on West Grover Cleveland Boulevard near South Peasant Point was the most-viewed Chronicle story this past week.

A 48-year-old Beverly Hills man driving a green Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and a 28-year-old Homosassa man driving a green Ford Ranger collided nearly head-on.

First responders airlifted the Beverly Hills man for treatment, and hospitalized two other Citrus County motorists after the collision.

A helicopter crew flew the Chevrolet’s driver to Ocala Regional Medical Center to be treated for “incapacitating” injuries, according to FHP. His 10-year-old son, a passenger in the back seat, suffered “possible” injuries, but wasn’t taken to hospital by first responders.

The Ford’s driver and his passenger, a 22-year-old Homosassa woman, were taken to HCA Florida Bayonet Point Hospital and Bravera Health ER Citrus Hills, respectively, for their incapacitating injuries, according to FHP.

FHP troopers cited the Chevrolet’s driver for failing to drive in a single lane. Troopers also ticketed the Ford’s driver for driving without a license and for driving without a seat belt, and also cited his passenger for traveling without a seat belt.

Hot topic of the week: County commissioners broached the idea of a half- or full-cent sales tax hike with the money generated to be used for repaving roads. That struck a nerve with Chronicle readers on Facebook. Here’s what some said:

GiGi Galasso: “You have taken enough! Decrease your salaries. Yeah, that’s right.”

Brent Franker: “No! Stop damn taxing us to death and figure out how to make do with what you have like the rest of us have to do. If our local government can’t figure out how to make this work with the gas tax already maxed out and record sky high property taxes and new houses (more property taxes!) being added daily, maybe they need to be replaced?”

Diana Botte-Curth: “Legalize marijuana. You’ll have more $$$$ than you need!”

Margaret Bailey: “These commissioners want to nickel and dime us to death! I believe they must be wearing blinders. When election time rolls around I hope each and everyone of them is not re-elected.”

Diana Estep Perez: “No more hikes please! The answer to $ problems is NOT more money. Look internally, audit more. The $ is there.”

Chris Stock: “I’ll pay it if you pave my damn road.”

Patti Sevelin-Dickson: “NO! Use the money from the taxes we already pay that were supposedly for this purpose!”

Jim Heinzman: “Here we go again, we need to raise taxes to pay for road repairs. If the population is growing, then the revenue from taxes should be growing too. Keep our sales taxes where they are! As inflation and gas prices are increasing, we are all having to make decisions within our current budgets. How about government doing the same? It is amazing how much taxpayer money is stolen and wasted. When is it enough?”

Odessa Halterman: “No.”

Quote of the week: “I have not met a better group of kids that are more driven than the kids in Citrus County. There’s something in the water here.” – Kaleb DuBose, Citrus High School band director, about the school’s concert band members going to the state-level competition for only the second time in 30 years.

Good news item of the week: For only the second time in 30 years, the Citrus High School concert band is preparing to compete at the state level on April 23 at the University of Florida’s Phillips Center for the State Concert Music Performance Assessment (MPA).

This competition follows their “A” performances at the District MPA.