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© St. Petersburg Times, published January 10, 2003
Editor: As many Sugarmill Woods homeowners know, there is a great deal of support in the combined communities of Sugarmill Woods for a community center. A center would give the community a focal point to conduct business and social activities. Game, conference and meeting rooms, an auditorium for entertainment, dining, and intellectual and political gatherings and a fitness center are all planned.
There are a few citizens who are adamantly opposed to the center because it would increase annual assessments (estimated to be less than $50 per year per lot), because they wouldn't use its facilities and because we don't need it.
Ask yourselves if these are truly legitimate reasons or just very limited views of a small vocal minority. They either forget or don't care that we are the largest development without a community center in the whole of Citrus County; that our citizenry makeup is getting younger and more active; and that a center would lend new dimensions to our property values and to our lives at Sugarmill Woods.
Some of this minority are the same ones who cost our community hundreds of thousands of dollars because the center was not built when costs were lower. If Sugarmill Woods residents really want a place to call their communal home, they should forget the naysayers and actively support the drive for a community center.
-- Roger W. Johnson, Sugarmill Woods
Editor: We were quite concerned when we read the article Legislators leap into fray over utility sale, Sunday, Citrus Times.
The article gave state Sen. Anna Cowin beneficial publicity for apparently opposing the Florida Governmental Utility Authority's attempts to buy out Florida Water Services. FGUA is, in fact, Citrus and other counties acting together for citizens being served by Florida Water Services. Cowin's opposition to FGUA was initiated during the negotiation process and seems to be continuing.
We are hoping that state Sen. Nancy Argenziano will prevent the sale to the cities of Milton and Gulf Breeze and ensure the sale to a consortium of counties serving customers of Florida Water Services or to a private utility over which the state Public Services Commission has control.
-- George and Frances Harbin, Homosassa
Editor: I think airboats should be used for search and rescue only. They are not a family boat.
When we first moved here in 1982, there were all kinds of wild birds around: egrets, blue herons, marsh hens and wild ducks. One duck even hatched eggs and had babies right under our mobile home. We don't see any of these any more -- too many airboats.
Last week while doing dishes -- my kitchen window faces the canal -- I saw a squirrel on the ground searching for food. It heard an air boat coming, and so did I. Anyway, when it heard the airboat coming, he scooted up the nearest tree.
It's not just the noise of the airboats that affects the wildlife. A few weeks ago my little grandson and his sister were on the deck. Mikey had a little remote control boat he was running. An airboat came zooming by and sprayed them both, plus it blew Mikey's little boat upon the shore. Last week, my husband was sitting out on the deck, and an airboat came through and sprayed him.
I could go on and on about different things that have happened. How about being awoken at 1:15 a.m. by an airboat out here in the canal? That must be their fun time to go out and wake people up.
-- Harriet Schermerhorn, Floral City
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