Some of the most popular stories of the week
Members of the Crystal River Boat Builders, from left, Ed Pesula, Steve Kingery and Bill Connor slowly cruise along King’s Bay Tuesday, March 9, on the maiden voyage of the Silver Tide. The wooden boat was hand-made by members of the boat club that craft boats commonly used more than 100 years ago. This vessel was commonly used for fishing, according to the group.
Crystal River Boat Builders float into history with maiden voyage of replica fishing boat
Crafting historic replica vessels by hand, using tools and materials available during the boat’s time in history is what “floats their boats” for the Crystal River Boat Builders.
On March 9, they launched “The Silver Tide,” a representation of the turning point in Crystal River’s fishing industry from the late 1800s to the 1960s. It’s a 2/3-scale model of the 36-foot-long craft, “The Sharkie.”
On its maiden voyage, the 24-foot, 8-foot-wide wooden vessel, equipped with a 1920s motor, chugged through the high-tide current in King’s Bay on its circuit along the coasts of the bay’s Cedar Cove as a few scores of people watched from the shores of the Best Western Crystal River Resort.
“It went quite well; we need to work on some fine-tuning things, but other than that, it’s amazing,” said Steve Kingery, one of the boat builders. “You don’t hear that motor very often.”
Citrus County student dies in boating accident
A local teenager was killed Saturday, March 13, in a boating accident in the north body of water of the Tsala Apopka Lake chain. She was being pulled on an inner tube behind the boat when the boat driver, driving at an unknown speed,” turned left through a curve and the tube swung right, hitting a cypress tree, knocking the teen into the water, according to Karen Parker, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission spokeswoman.
After a 30-minute search, the teen was found and paramedics performed life-saving efforts while they transported her to Ocala Regional Medical Center where she was later pronounced dead.
Inverness man arrested during early morning raid
Matthew Steve Williams
An early morning SWAT team raid at an Inverness home Friday, March 12, resulted in the arrest of Matthew Steve Williams, 36, on charges of a felon possessing ammunition and drug paraphernalia.
According to the arrest report, after Citrus County Sheriff’s Office deputies ordered the occupants in the home out of the residence and searched the house they found two safes in Williams’ bedroom containing rounds of ammunition. They also found a baggie and two scales with methamphetamine residue on them in the bedroom.
Deputies conducted a criminal history check on Williams and reported he had several felony convictions including one for armed burglary.
COVID delivers a crushing blow to Canyon
Joe Cappuccuilli, president of Rock Crusher Canyon Pavilion and Amphitheater, stands before a 20,000 square foot covered pavilion at Rock Crusher Canyon. The COVID-19 pandemic has taken its toll on the venue. Thus, Rock Crusher management is “exploring our options. We are deciding what to do with it,” said Joe Cappuccilli, manager of the Rock Crusher property and vice president of Gulf to Lake Associates, a commercial real estate and development firm.
At one time Rock Crusher Canyon Amphitheater in Crystal River hosted some of the big names in music: Trace Adkins, Vince Gill, Faith Hill, Willie Nelson — even Herman’s Hermits and the Kingston Trio.
But COVID-19 has taken its toll on the performance space, which includes not only the amphitheater, but the 20,000-square-foot, open-air pavilion, where many local nonprofits have hosted popular fundraising events and smaller concerts have been staged.
Since the pandemic began last year, the facility has been closed.
Joe Cappuccilli, manager of the Rock Crusher property and vice president of Gulf to Lake Associates, said Rock Crusher management is currently exploring their options, whether to sell the property, develop portions of it for different uses or just stay the course and wait until it can be reopened for concerts and events.
COVID “decimated what had worked for us for the last three or four years,” Cappuccilli said. Rock Crusher had been doing a lot of music, car shows, and community events, among other things. Before COVID, “We had almost 25 events for a 26-week season,” he said.
Golf course owner plans new homes, townhouses and recreation center
Neil Surati, president/owner of Shanti Golf LLC, pitched a plan to Pine Ridge Property Owners Association members to build upscale town homes, a recreation center and apartments for 55-and-older seniors.
Golf isn’t as popular as it once was, forcing golf course owners to think out of the box. Neil Surati, president/owner of Shanti Golf LLC and the new owner of the Pine Ridge Golf Club in Beverly Hills, believes he has a way not only to keep his course viable but also bring needed housing to the entire county.
Surati recently pitched a plan to Pine Ridge Property Owners Association members to close the 9-hole executive/par course and on the 40-plus acres build 25-30 upscale townhomes; a recreation center with an office, walking trails, fitness center, indoor pool, tennis and pickleball court and three- to four-story apartments for 55-and-older seniors who would pay rent from $900 to $1,200.
The ambitious plan still must clear the Pine Ridge Property Owners Association. Nothing has been submitted to the county.
Duke to build solar plant in Citrus
Duke Energy announced late Monday it will construct two new solar energy plants in Florida. One of those will be built at the energy complex north of Crystal River.
Duke Energy announced March 15 the plan to build two new solar energy plants in Florida, including one at the energy complex north of Crystal River.
The Citrus County facility will be a 74.9-megawatt solar power plant on 500 acres near the Crystal River Energy Complex (CREC).
The plant, which will be named the Bay Trail Solar Power Plant, is located on the Holcim property about two miles north of the Citrus Combined Cycle Station and northeast of the Holcim mine.
The $113-million solar plant north of Crystal River will create 200 to 300 temporary jobs and potentially reduce customers’ bills over time.
Work is expected to start in late March and be in service in early 2022.
“We have a long history in this community,” said Duke spokeswoman Ana Gibbs. “This project demonstrates we’re going to be here for many more years to come.”
Hot topic of the week: The news that Citrus County’s unemployment rate for January was 6.3%, up from 4.8% a month earlier, created a buzz on the Chronicle Facebook page. Here’s what some said:
• Jennifer Nicole: “I think another problem is the jobs are there, but no one wants to work, nor will they show up for interviews.”
• Karolina Smith: “They’re waiting for the minimum wage to be raised to $15.”
• Timothy Gilbert: “Where are the real jobs and careers? I see medical non stop as the only decent paid jobs. Everything else wants to give only $10/hour.”
• Anna Sowell: “My husband is looking for employees all the time. None want to work the long hours.”
• Courtney Moorman Tobin: “My hubby has placed hiring ads in papers lately and no one calls. It’s not that there’s no jobs. People are just living off unemployment and stimulus checks.”
• Kenneth Mark Vampran: “Six to 12 month waiting period to get a roof. Reason? Lack of workers.”
• Robin Leigh: “The problem is $8.46 minimum wage. Employers need to pay their help better. Employers are not being realistic about the salaries that they are offering entry-level candidates. Could you as an employer survive on the same salary that you are offering your new recruits?”
In this photo from 2016, Martha Burns, owner of Aunt Martha’s Produce Market in Floral City, reflects on the first years of the annual Floral City Strawberry Festival she helped organize decades ago.
Martha Burns died March 7 at age 83.
Quote of the week: “She was the ‘Gorilla Glue’ of Floral City — she kept us all together.” — Marcia Beasley, Floral City resident and historian, about Martha Burns, who died March 7.
Good news item of the week: Homosassa handyman Josh Hicks, the 31-year-old owner of Handy Hicks, has created Handy Hicks Skill Building Class, a free, not-for-profit 12-week course that gives Citrus County’s youth between 10 and 18 more access to vocational classrooms.
With the help of other local tradespeople and businesses such as Home Depot and Harbor Freight, kids are learning skills from welding to woodworking — and cultivating a work ethic.
The weekly class, Wednesdays from 6 to 7 p.m., is at Hicks’ Homosassa business.
For information, call Hicks at 352-436-3105.