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Today's Letters: Crystal River police needed

By LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Published March 29, 2007

Editor: There have been editorials recently to the effect that Crystal River could save so much money if we incorporated our city Police Department into the county Sheriff's Office. Here is why I think that is a bad idea.

Back in 2002, our home was burglarized while we were at a neighbor's pool party. The thieves took cash, credit cards and irreplaceable personal property. Early the next morning, we discovered the theft of these items and called the Crystal River Police Department. Officer Pete Levack responded within 10 minutes.

At the same time we were explaining the situation to him, we called credit card companies to find out if the cards were being used. They gave us a list of where the cards had been used and at what time. The list showed purchases of four cartons of cigarettes (about $110 each charge) progressing northward from Homosassa toward Crystal River at each and every gas and convenience store along U.S. 19.

We felt tremendously relieved that Officer Levack wanted to go right out and catch them in the act. The credit card company offered to leave the account open until we could get law enforcement in position to catch the crooks.

Unfortunately, when Officer Levack called in to headquarters, he was told that since a portion of the crime was committed outside the city limits, the county had jurisdiction. Officer Levack reluctantly told us that we needed to call in the sheriff. We immediately did so and were told that an officer would call us back "shortly."

Within two hours, while we were forced to remain at home awaiting the sheriff's call, the thieves had used the card at the Racetrac and the Circle K on U.S. 19 in Crystal River (both within a half-mile of our house). At that time, we told the credit card company to close the account as we had no means to capture the thieves. Three days later, we got our first, and only, call from the Citrus County Sheriff's Office, to assign a case number! They never even bothered to interview us and there was absolutely no follow-up on their part.

Ultimately, it was the Crystal River Police Department that made an arrest in this case. Detective Corey Sharpe apprehended a person using our credit card fraudulently.

So I must ask you: If you have a robbery or a home invasion, do you want to wait three days for a response? In my mind, having a police force dedicated to the people of Crystal River is worth the extra taxes we pay.

Joyce L. Brown, Crystal River

Free membership costs others

Editor: Residents of Citrus Hills, Citrus County's largest and most successful country club community, awoke on March 19 to read a newspaper ad announcing free lifetime country club memberships to anyone who purchased, during an unspecified limited time beginning immediately, a new single-family home or a maintained detached villa at any of the Citrus Hills villages.

Since the Citrus Hills developers began selling home sites in 1993, purchasers within the gated area were forced to join the Citrus Hills Golf and Country Club. Meanwhile, the country club initiation fee and annual dues skyrocketed to about $2,000 for initiation and more than $1,000 a year in dues. You could not live in Terra Vista if you did not pony up these fees.

The country club promises grandiose plans for the future, which will require, it hastens to add, additional fees for the residents.

But, faced with flat new home sales, Citrus Hills owner/czar Stephen Tamposi unilaterally ran the ads in hopes of generating a spike in sales.

Continued enrichment of the owner and his cronies trumped the covenants and promises Tamposi agreed to with the thousands of people who bought their homes from him before this ill-conceived stratagem.

Citrus Hills residents are angry that they will be subsidizing new buyers, who will enjoy a free ride in the use of facilities current residents are still paying for. Tamposi is blatantly squeezing some residents to cover future expansion while creating a new class of privileged owners who will not pay a penny for country club amenities. How long will Stephen Tamposi trample on his promises? Where's the justice?

Joseph P. Wyatt, Citrus Hills

Citrus reporters will be missed

Editor: Farewell, Citrus Times!

Alas, I will have to alter my morning routine. Perhaps you'll be back when the new road brings thousands of new people to Citrus County.

I will miss you all, but particularly Jorge Sanchez's articles and the mature editorials of Greg Hamilton. I join those requesting a once-a-week local section.

Ken LaPorte, Crystal River

Beer money not worth it

Editor: I was very disappointed to see that the Inverness City Council voted to allow the sale of beer at special events sponsored by the city.

Part of the small-town charm of our city is the family-oriented nature of special events. Now, there will be people who will become intoxicated or at the very least "get a buzz" at these events, which is something we just don't need.

The money gained by non-profits will, in the final analysis, be a loss for us all. It's just so unnecessary.

Cabot McBride, Inverness

Area depends on the local coverage

Editor: After reading of the upcoming "demise" of the Citrus edition of the St. Petersburg Times, I felt stunned. "This must be a terrible joke," was my first thought.

It is important to me to stay informed and aware of what is happening in my community and the world (and I don't just mean what festival is going on this weekend or how the Lecanto Panthers performed in basketball this week). I'm speaking about information on what's happening with local government, schools and national and world events.

However, as a single, working mother, I do not have time to spend researching all this information on my own. And since we have no local TV station and the only other (local) newspaper has little investigative reporting and basically one page of national/world coverage, I rely very much on the St. Petersburg Times Citrus edition to stay aware and informed.

It feels like a terrible loss. I am deeply concerned about the effect this will have in terms of who is keeping an eye on our government officials, local businesses, etc. I have no doubt this is a bad thing and can only affect our community negatively.

Finally, I would like to express my appreciation to all the Citrus edition staff who have worked diligently to bring us this paper for so long. Your work has positively affected our lives and we will feel the loss deeply. Best of luck to all of you in your future endeavors.

Deborah J. Smith, Hernando

A thank-you to Citrus staffers

Editor: It was with complete dismay that I read that the Citrus edition would not be published after April 1. As the date approaches, I feel no less concern about the decision, one not made at the local level.

We in Citrus County indeed have been blessed to have the diligence and the expertise of the editors and the staff of this local edition. Not having your accurate and unbiased daily reporting of news and issues that impact Citrus County will be a huge loss.

I, speaking for many others, want to express appreciation to all of you at the Citrus Times and to wish each of you continued success as you pursue your important careers.

Janet Masaoy, Beverly Hills

Chairman, Citizens Opposed to the Suncoast Tollway (COST)

Many sections of paper interest us

Editor: We are snowbirds who spend the winter months in Homosassa and we subscribe to your newspaper seven days a week. I called your paper today and bent the ear of one of your operators about not dropping the Citrus Times part of the paper. I called as I did not want to write, but here comes the pen and paper anyway.

While in Chicago, we subscribe to the Chicago Tribune.

Every morning when my wife and I are down here, we enjoy your paper and the Citrus Times section of the paper. She gloms onto this immediately as I peruse the first section, sports and business, then Citrus.

The Citrus section is unique and different as it deals with local material that might even concern our neighborhood. Even the Chicago Tribune publishes a part of the paper for our Northwest side.

Yes, your paper has a main section that is comparable to any other newspaper, as all papers get the same material from various news media sources. We can also get this news from the Internet (perish the thought) or from television (another wasteland).

Your sports section is very good, in that you cover the SEC and the ACC conferences and even the Big 12. You also do a good job on baseball and football.

Your Business section, like the Chicago Tribune, is very light although, to your credit, you print the daily stock averages. The Chicago Tribune does it on Saturday.

But the local section of the paper has value. The young lady who writes "Up from the Laundry Chute" is a gem. She takes one's mind off of the problems that are in the first section of the paper.

Most newspapers are shrinking down, trying to reduce costs. Make sure your industry does not go the same way as the American automobile industry. They reduce the number of models they make, and eventually reduce their very life-blood. By continuing to reduce models, and with no original designs, there eventually will be no American cars.

Some day there will be no newspapers.

Robert J. Tomsovic, Homosassa

Your voice counts

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If you prefer, you may fax your letter to (352) 860-7320, or mail it to Letters to the Editor, Citrus Times, 301 W Main St., Inverness, FL 34450.

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[Last modified March 28, 2007, 20:23:40]