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Citrus slices
By Times staff writers Show of unity denied measure of posterity Solidarity is nice, but Don Gessner didn't want to be that nice. As a Republican running for Congress, Gessner said he wants to see the incumbent, Democratic U.S. Rep. Karen Thurman, out of office. Gessner would like to be the man to do the job, but he realizes he has a GOP opponent, state Sen. Ginny Brown-Waite of Brooksville, who might beat him in the primary. In a gesture toward solidarity, Gessner last week donned a Brown-Waite sticker during a political meeting in Lake Panasoffkee. But he recoiled in mock horror when someone suggested preserving the moment on film. "Don't take any pictures with this on!" Gessner said with a laugh. * * * THANKS FOR THE SHOWER: Crystal River City Manager Phil Lilly is not afraid to get dirty on the job -- he spent a day riding a garbage truck, after all -- but what about this? As he made his way home from the office Wednesday evening, Lilly noticed a large puddle of water on the side of NE Second Court. He jumped out of his truck, shovel in hand, to carve a channel in the grass for the rain water to drain into a nearby ditch. As he began this task, a car suddenly sped up and swerved into the puddle, spraying a sheet of dirty water all over Lilly's chinos. He stood there incredulous, then remarked, "I really worry about people around here sometimes." The driver was not some teenage punk, either, Lilly reported. It was a middle-aged woman. * * * ALL ABOARD: Besides dealing with high-profile issues such as the Walgreens wall and the Main Street flag project, the Inverness City Council waded Tuesday evening into the not-so-glamourous issue of sludge. The city's wastewater treatment plant churns out 3-million gallons of the byproduct every year, which translates into about 25 or 30 truckloads a week. With the two disposal trucks wearing down, City Manager Frank DiGiovanni asked the council to allocate $23,499 to convert another vehicle into a sludge truck. There was only one objection. "I find it hard to believe this City Council would retrofit a sludge truck but wouldn't retrofit a double-decker bus," council member Ted Stauffer said, jokingly referring to the $24,591 proposal last year to fix up the 1910 B-type London bus replica. "If it could hold sludge, we would," DiGiovanni replied. * * * I OWE YOU NOTHING: Picking a collection agency can be tough for cities like Inverness, which has about 200 overdue utility accounts that owe nearly $15,000. But MJ Altman Collection Agency came to town with good references. The cities of Ocala and Leesburg, as well as Sumter Electric Cooperative, gave the firm high marks. Even Stauffer offered a testimonial Tuesday evening before the City Council approved a contract with the agency. "I've had calls from these people," he said. "They're very good." -- Staff writers Jim Ross, Alex Leary and Bridget Hall Grumet compiled this report.
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