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Veterans block road renaming
By JEFFREY S. SOLOCHEK © St. Petersburg Times, published May 9, 2001 BROOKSVILLE -- The numerology of Spring Hill Drive made perfect sense to County Commissioner Chris Kingsley. The road runs from U.S. 19 to U.S. 41. Put them together and it makes 1941, the year that Japanese fighter planes blasted Pearl Harbor. So why not designate Spring Hill Drive as a memorial highway to Pearl Harbor survivors? Kingsley wondered. "Succinctly put, the veterans don't want it changed," said Jeff Johnston, representing the Hernando County Veterans Roundtable. He recommended putting up a dedication plaque in Veterans Memorial Park, or taking some other action that does not single out one group from the many that fought and served the country. Representatives from other veterans' organizations echoed that sentiment. "There are survivors of every war and police action that has occurred all over this world" living in Hernando County, said Mary Ann Keckler, representing Amvets Post 28. "We all need to be recognized." Hernando County has 28 veterans organizations, noted Al Jenkins, president of the West-Central chapter of the Retired Officers Association. All defended the country, and all work together to benefit veterans now, he said. "We should honor all the veterans," Jenkins told commissioners. If the commission wants to dedicate or name a road for veterans, he and others said, they should not do it to Spring Hill Drive because it defines the county as a landmark. "County Line Road means nothing to me" except as a boundary, Jenkins said. "It runs from 19 to 41. Designate that as a Veterans Memorial Highway." Kingsley, a Coast Guard veteran, repeated several times that he did not want to rename Spring Hill Drive, just put up signs dedicated to the people who fought and died at Pearl Harbor. He found no support among his colleagues, who sided with the people calling for a more inclusive dedication. "I'm in favor of honoring all veterans," Commissioner Nancy Robinson said several times, deflecting Kingsley's arguments that recognizing one group does not demean others. Ultimately, Kingsley gave up his idea, saying, "I think I've taken enough punishment already." Commissioners last debated whether to rename Spring Hill Drive as World War II Veterans Memorial Boulevard in 1998. That proposal, brought forth by the county Veterans Services Division, also failed.
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