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Opinion

  • A reason, a season,

    The year was 2008. Tom had just moved to Florida, we were living in a duplex in Chiefland and the time was right to start looking for a house.

    We both worked in Chiefland but Harriett Downs’ ad on the back of the Williston Pioneer spoke to us one week when the right house at the right price said, “Call.”

    We did and agreed to meet the agent that Saturday.

  • 25 Years Ago This Week

    Participating in the 4-H State Congress were Sarah Ahmed, Karen Branson, Rhonda Roberts, Eden McGee, Ginny Yearty, Phyllis Alexander and Robyn Hemond.
    Lonnie Blitch  received the Levy Soil and Conservation District Service Award.
    Judge W.O. Beauchamp swore in James Drew, Jack Hoy, Scott Rutland and Robert Stanley to the city council.
    Harvey and Margaret Pool announced the birth of a son, Dillon Wade, born July 28.
    Cleon Blitch, 76, and Clara Belle Kollock, 84, died.

  • Public records exist for public...

    It is a typical scene in our office.
    A person–generally irate–although sometimes simply confused–walks through the door, picks up a paper from the stand and slaps it on the counter.
    Wait–I take that back. Sometimes they are angry and  confused.
    Sometimes they shake the paper.
    Other times, they turn a few pages and jab a finger at an article.
    “Who wrote this?” They demand.
    Sometimes they add a few choice words.

  • Can this city be saved?

    There’s trouble afoot in the city of Williston, and it’s been brewing for some time. But if you ask some folks, they would chalk up this rough patch to an anomaly and skirt right over it.
    No hay peor ciego que el que no quiere ver–There is none so blind as he who will not see.
    It’s unfair to say the city’s finances are in disarray, because the fact of the matter is, no one knows. Anything. Good or bad. Which makes us ask the only question there is to ask–why?

  • Kindergarten basics forgotten at...

    It’s been brewing for days, weeks, months–maybe even years, and last Friday the frustration, the disappointment and the anger came to a head at the called Williston City Council meeting.

    Tuesday night, things weren’t much better, even after Council President Marc Nussel called for a return to civility and politeness, while Councilor Brooks Holloway asked for respect–from the council and public alike.

  • New Orleans is a magical place

    The question was simple: how spontaneous are you? The answer was easy: very.
    And with that brief interchange, I began yet another exciting adventure late last month.
    My birthday falls near the end of January, and since I suffer from SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder), Tom usually whisks me away to a sunnier-than-Levy County locale so I can soak up the sun.

  • Nugent helped change nation

    Daniel Vance

    For more than 60 years, 88-year-old Tim Nugent of Champaign, Ill. has been by far the nation’s most effective advocate in terms of creating educational and vocational opportunities for people with disabilities. After reading my column the next two weeks, perhaps you will agree

  • Letter to the the editor

    To the editor:

    As electronics improve (shrink) new technologies abound and one of the most recent is something called a credit card skimmer.

    A skimmer is a small, electronic credit card reader similar to the ones at ATM’s and gas pumps. In fact they are formed with the express purpose of fitting over legitimate card readers to accumulate credit card numbers in their memory.

  • Letter to the Editor

    To the editor:

    As a pharmacist who served the community and the surrounding areas as the co-owner of Sunshine Drugs for over 30 years, I felt I needed to perhaps clarify a situation that has recently come to my attention.

    It is my understanding that a business will soon be opened under the name of Sunshine Drugs.

    Although I wish the owners of this new business well in the endeavor, Iee^also feel that Iee^need to make it clear to everyone that Iee^m in no way assoiciated with, nor in any way a part of, this business.

  • Social Security makes a difference...

    Social Security reaches almost every family in the United States, and at some point touches the lives of nearly all Americans. It not only helps older Americans, but also workers who become disabled and families in which a spouse or parent dies. Today, about 159 million people work and pay Social Security taxes. More than 53 million people receive monthly Social Security benefits. In 2009 alone, those benefits came to about $675 billion.

  • Like the fathers of my father, I...

    When my dad, Darwin Parkin was the born Sept. 12, 1921 – shortly after Prohibition went into effect – his middle name was listed as “L.” His parents couldn’t agree on which relative to honor: Lewis or Louis. Both, of course, were from opposite branches of the family, so they settled on the ambiguous single initial “L” for his second name.

  • This Father’s Day, teach...

    Who says you can’t teach an old dad new twists? All across the nation, people are telling their fathers, grandfathers, and other special men in their lives about a new “twist” in the law that may help them qualify for extra help paying for costs associated with their prescription drugs.

    When you’re spending time with Dad this weekend, ask him if he can use some help paying for his prescription drugs. If so, tell him about the Medicare Prescription Drug Plan and the extra help available through Social Security.

  • Levy County condones animal cruelty

    Based on Ms. Lou Elliot Jones’ article regarding the Levy county commission passing a resolution in support of the practice of fox/coyote penning, one should ask, what were they thinking. For them to support this practice of pack dogs chasing down foxes and coyotes while in a penned area regarless of size, implies that they condone animal cruelty.

  • New Church of God benefits entire...

    To the editor:

    On Sunday afternoon, May 23, the dedication service for the new Church of God in Williston, was, without doubt, one of the outstanding events to be held in our area this year. I am sorry if you missed it.

    With the Lord’s help, the Rev. Wesley Smith and his church have done an unbelievable job for which our entire community can be very proud.

  • Philpot thanks everyone for support

    To the editor:

    To all of the students, parents, friends, school staff and county staff, I want to say a heartfelt thank you for the retirement celebration held May 15 in my honor.

    Iee^feel like Iee^should have held the event to thank everyone for the wonderful support I have received for the 37 years Iee^have been teaching in Williston.

    Iee^have enjoyed the experience immensely and it has greatly enhanced my life.

  • Letter to the editor

    To the editor:

    Recently in Federal Court, the sheriff of Levy County, Johnny Smith, pleaded before Judge Mickle for a lenient sentence for convicted county commissioner Sammy Yearty, who had been guilty of taking bribes.

  • Editorial

    Rep. Ginny Brown-Waite (R-Spring Hill), in one of her final acts as the U.S. Congressman for the 5th District of Florida, showed complete disrespect for the people who elected her.

    By manipulating the process, she took it upon herself to appoint her successor.

    We are deeply disappointed.

  • It's my anniversary

    A year ago last week I stepped into a long lineage of newspaper editors who, for the past 130 years, were dedicated to the people of Williston and the surrounding community.

    It was a daunting responsibility–just knowing that one day in the annals of history, my name would be included as editor of Levy County’s oldest newspaper. It was, and is, something I take seriously–and pridefully.

    Of all the towns and communities in Levy County, Williston was one I was not familiar with, ranking closely behind Inglis and Yankeetown.

  • You call call but I may not answer

    I despise telephones. I always have. Oh, sure there was a time in my youth when Iee^could talk for an hour (what my father allowed) with some silly boy I was crushing on. But I never was one to just pick up the phone to call someone and chat.

    Iee^much preferred then–as I do now–looking someone face to face when I speak with them. You can gauge so much from someone’s body language and eyes that just aren’t possible via a telephone conversation.

  • Letter to the Editor

    To the editor:

    Let me ask a question to the people of Williston. When you go into a city what you see is either eye appealing or an eye sore to you. Correct? What conditions are our Williston Business District buildings in? A step away from being condemned in some buildings.

    So why did the CRA spend so much time (months) researching to find prime property behind the Williston Business District? It's supposed to beautify our neighborhood maybe encouraging people to walk around possibly wanting to shop in other businesses we were told.