Remembering iconic journalist

The field of journalism has truly lost an exceptional man. Jan Glidewell's column was the first thing I read when he was a regular contributor. He was sure to arouse feelings of joy and laughter and, at times, tears and frustration — but still, always the first go-to column.

Upon meeting him at a social gathering, I commented on how much younger he looked in person. He looked at me, smiled and said "My dear, but I am so much younger in person."

So funny, so passionate and loved and respected by so many. He will be missed.

Janet Sunderland, Spring Hill

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I lost a friend I never met.

Leon G. Atkinson, Istachatta

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I am saddened to learn of the passing of Jan Glidewell and appreciated Bill Stevens' commentary on this unique journalist. I particularly appreciated a piece Jan wrote defending state HRS child protective staff many years ago. It was a time that they were the punching bag of politicians and the public at large.

I remember writing a letter on one occasion of his suggested retirement, that he retired more times than George Foreman, the late boxer. I was fortunate to get to know him personally. I will miss his columns and I will miss him.

Marc Yacht, Hudson

DeWitt wrong on Common Core

Like the Hernando School Board members he criticizes, Dan DeWitt inadvertently makes an argument against himself on Common Core. He says their arguments are so bad they make local governance over public schools look bad, and national education policies like Common Core look good. Has he ever paid attention to state and national politics? Does it appear so calm, so orderly, so sensible that it would be a vast improvement over local politics?

Most people would laugh at the suggestion.

Further, if, as DeWitt says, "most people would want these particular locals as far away from deciding the course of our kids' education as possible," the beauty of local control is that the people can actually make that decision at the ballot box next year. Yes, you can do that in state and national elections, too, but each vote has a bigger voice in local elections because there are far fewer votes. And, in comparison with Common Core, where the public had no say over who wrote the thing, local control looks, well, democratic, while Common Core looks mightily autocratic.

Of course, DeWitt may prefer an autocracy, or a monarchy, but that's not the government we have, and for many good reasons.

Joy Pullmann, Chicago

County does poor job on park fees

On Thursday, Sept. 26, I telephoned the county parks and recreation department to inquire about fees for a renewal of my dog park pass. I was told the fees went up which, is no problem, but when I asked if I could purchase my renewal immediately, the person on the phone said I had to wait until Oct. 1.

How ridiculous is that? They do not trust a person for a few days, and everyone must renew on Tuesday, Oct. 1. The last time I was there I couldn't renew because the person who does the renewal was out to lunch. Did anyone ever hear of cross training individuals for better service to the public?

Time to do something about our county government. What a waste of my time and our county's assets.

Susan Myers, Spring Hill

Sad as it is to see the remains of the old piers — barely jutting above the surface of the slow-flowing Withlacoochee River near Istachatta — they do have the benefit of revealing secrets about old-time bridge construction.

Workers apparently drove steel tubes into the riverbed, along with — right down the middle of these tubes — sturdy, reinforcing timbers. The tubes were then filled with a mixture of concrete and fist-sized rocks, forming pillars about 2 feet in diameter and nearly 20 feet high.

The piers were still standing as recently as three weeks ago, said Charles Lee, Florida Audubon's director of advocacy, who lives near the river.

But when he paddled by them on Jan. 27, he said, they had collapsed into the river.

"A part of history now gone," Lee wrote in an email to me last week.

True enough, though it's probably a little different than the history Lee heard from neighbors and passed on to me in his email and when he met me on the river Saturday — that the bridge was built by slaves during the Civil War, originally for rail, and was later converted for use by cars.

Melba Ward, 66, is an Istachatta resident who grew up in the Peters family, one of the first to settle in the tiny community in the northeast corner of Hernando County. In 2007, she wrote an extensive report about it, Istachatta: History of the First 100 Years, 1850-1950, published by the Hernando Historical Museum Association.

Ward was not able to find a record of when the bridge was completed. She did discover when the County Commission approved a $2,200 contract to build the bridge — in 1908.

She agrees with Lee on another point. It was the only bridge in the area available for car traffic until the steel and concrete bridge for what is now County Road 476 was finished in the early 1940s.

There was no record of a rail bridge before that — only of several ferries, including one that began operating near present-day Nobleton in 1859.

Those ferries were basically small barges with decks attached to ropes strung across the river. Horns made of conch shells were hung at the landings on either side so customers could summon the ferry.

As to another part of Lee's email — "The bridge had an infamous history involving lynchings" — there could definitely be something to that.

In 1926, Brooksville's Southern Argus newspaper reported that a black man named Charles Davis, accused of killing a white Pasco County deputy in eastern Hernando County, had been seized by an armed mob near the river as he was being led back to Brooksville from Ocala.

"I believe Davis was taken and thrown into the Withlacoochee River," Sheriff W.D. Cobb told the paper. "Maybe in a day or two the body will come to the surface."

The apparent lack of concern in Cobb's comment isn't surprising once you know, as some historians believe, that he was complicit in this killing and several other acts of racial violence in the 1920s.

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That's not in Ward's book. But here are some things that are.

Istachatta appears on early maps as Magnolia or Magnolia Bluff. The current name didn't show up until 1884, when F.M. Townsend filed a plat map with the county.

Nearby Townsen Lake and Lake Townsen Regional Park were named after him, Ward said, which means both have been misspelled on maps and in county documents for years; she thinks somebody in the county mistakenly dropped the final "d" and the result took on a life of its own.

But even Townsend didn't really found the town, which didn't take its current shape until a developer mapped a grid of streets during the 1920s land boom.

Of course, you don't need to know about this history of the bridge or the town — if, with a population of 116, it can even be called a town.

But maybe hearing about the bridge will encourage you to get in a canoe or kayak and take a trip along the river to see what's left of the piers.

It's a good trip, even when you don't know the history. Just a little more so when you do.

NOBLETON

Diane Fintel acknowledges that Nobleton is "way out here in the boondocks," but she also wants people to know that there's a lot going on these days in the northeast Hernando hamlet.

Fintel is co-chairwoman of a garage sale taking place today and Saturday in the community along the banks of the Withlacoochee River, where Hernando, Citrus and Sumter counties converge.

The purpose: to raise operating funds for the facility that's at the center of all the recent hubbub in Nobleton.

What formed about a year ago as the nonprofit Tri-County Community Association has refurbished the former firehouse in Nobleton and turned it into the Tri-County Community Center, where all sorts of events are now being held.

The all-volunteer group, many of them formerly affiliated with the fire company, hopes to raise $1,200 to $1,300 over the next two days to pay for insurance for the coming year, said Fintel, who lives in nearby Istachatta.

The sale will run from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day. Donated items include: "loads of glassware," including figurines, cups and plates; kitchenware; linens; Christmas decor; wall art; sets of dishes; electronics; a few tools; and "tons of clothes," Fintel said.

A silent auction will feature higher-ticket items such as golf clubs, new Princess House wares, Pampered Chef items and some furniture.

Property and liability insurance are necessary to occupy and stage public gatherings at the community center.

The association's list of events has grown over the past six months to include: Teen Time for 13- to 18-year-olds and a scrapbooking class on Mondays; Young Guns for 8- to 12-year-olds on Tuesdays; a morning coffee social for men and women and a computer class on Wednesdays; a morning quilting class, an after-school musical instrument class and math tutor/study and evening bingo on Thursdays; and afternoon board games and family night movies with popcorn on Fridays.

Special festivities coming up include an ice cream social and hoedown in November and a Christmas party with treats and gifts for some 100 children in December.

The center also offers a free book and video lending library, computer user space, an activity room with a pool/ping-pong table and a check-out station for borrowing equipment such as wheelchairs, crutches and emergency medical care items.

All programs and use of the center are free.

"When people come in for an activity, they usually put some money in a collection jar," said board president Dorrie Lewis of Nobleton.

The association has established its budget for the year at $8,000 — "what we figure it will cost to run it," Lewis said.

As for the boonies, Fintel noted that the closest community to Nobleton is Istachatta — neither much more than a curve in the road.

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"I'm laughing," she explained, "because there's nothing (in Istachatta) but the post office and library.

"Oh, there's an antique and ice cream shop and a couple of good restaurants."

But she's hoping residents from around the area will venture out today and Saturday to see what the area has to offer.

Beth Gray can be reached at graybethn@earthlink.net.

The Central West Florida road trips and scenic drives recommended here are often staged on the back roads around Tampa.

I-4 is the main east-west interstate highway in this region, and traverses the state from Daytona Beach through Orlando to Tampa.

This urbanized area is known as the I-4 Corridor.

I-75 is the north-south interstate, and enters Florida near Jasper and meanders down the center of the state until it starts veering west toward Tampa.

I-75 goes all the way to Miami.

The Suncoast Parkway is a north-south toll road that starts in Tampa near the airport and terminates on US-98 north of Brooksville.

The I-4 and I-75 exits are crowded with gas stations, restaurants and motels. You can travel the state quickly and easily on these highways (except during rush hours), but not see as much scenery or real towns as on our recommended Central West Florida day trips.

The town signs you do see are usually a few miles from the downtown section. The fun begins when you get off the interstate and hookup with the less traveled roads that go through our many smaller Florida towns.

There are many state and county highways off the interstate that offer better scenery and a look at real towns. In Florida, some backroads are even four-laned.

The maps below show the routes of a few Central West Florida day trips that I recommend.

If you are more interested in destinations than driving routes, see Tampa Florida Day Trips

Central West Florida Road Trips and Scenic Drives with Maps

SR-476 from Bushnell west to Nobleton. Then north on SR-39 to Floral City, through Istachatta and Juneau. Peaceful country, parallels the rails to trails project, the Withlacoochee Trail. About 24 miles.

Sr-44 from Inverness to Crystal River through Lecanto. Pretty hills and lake views. About 18 miles.

SR-595 from SR-50 just west of Weeki Wachee Springs south to Hudson, through Hernando Beach and Aripeka. Low country, fishing villages, marshes, houses on stilts. About 18 miles.

SR-595 aka Alternate US-19 from Holiday south to Clearwater through Tarpon Springs, Palm Harbor, Ozona and Dunedin. These are old Florida towns with a lot of interesting houses and plenty of trees. About 18 miles.

Here is a way to come into Tarpon Springs from the north and avoid a few miles of that awful congested US-19. Just south of New Port Richey leave US-19 and go west on Trouble Creek Rd.

Follow it until it turns south and becomes Straub Memorial Drive. Stay on Straub until it comes to Bailles Bluff Road then follow it south to Anclote Rd (not Blvd) then stay on Anclote Rd until it comes back to Alternate US-19 just north of Tarpon Springs.

About 9 miles, some residential, a lot of mangroves and parks.

This is the Gospel Island Bypass around Inverness. A great scenic drive. From downtown Inverness go north on N. Apopka Ave until it turns right and becomes CR-470. Follow its meandering route among the lakes and oaks to SR-44.

The Gobbler's Drive Loop. From Aunt Martha's Produce Market in downtown Floral City on US-41, go north to E. Gobbler Drive and turn right (East) and follow it through the lakes and woods and peninsulas among Lake Tsala Apopka along South Withlapopka Drive and East Trails End Road back to CR-48 and on into downtown Floral City.

Find out if post offices are closed for Hurricane Idalia in Florida and more delivery service information affected by the dangerous weather warnings due to take place.

Storm Idalia intensified into a Category 1 hurricane early this week on a path toward Florida and is expected to rapidly intensify into an extremely dangerous Category 3 strength ahead of a predicted landfall on Wednesday (August 30) with winds of up to 130 mph. Will this weather affect services such as the post office?

Are post offices closed for Hurricane Idalia in Florida?

While everyone is currently preparing for the impact of Hurricane Idalia in Florida, many are curious as to whether delivery services will continue running.

Hurricane Idalia made landfall in Florida on early Wednesday (30 August) morning as a Category 3 Hurricane. The life-threatening storm surge and dangerous winds have led to impacts in Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina.

The Official Mail Guide reports that operations at the following list of Post Offices are suspended due to Hurricane Idalia.

Anna Maria, 101B S Bay Blvd, Anna Maria, 34216Aripeka, 18925 Aripeka Rd, Aripeka, 34679Bay Pines, 10000 Bay Pines Blvd Bldg 20, Bay Pines, 33744Bradenton Beach, 116 Bridge St, Bradenton Beach, 34217Brooksville Aviation, 16150 Aviation Loop Dr, Brooksville, 34604Brooksville DTS, 207 E. Fort Dade Ave, Brooksville, 34601Brooksville MPO, 19101 Cortez Blvd, Brooksville, 34601Brooksville Plaza, 7341 Spring Hill Dr., Brooksville, 34606Brooksville Spring Hill Br, 8501 Philatelic Dr, Brooksville, 34606Clearwater Main, 100 S Belcher Rd, Clearwater, 33765Clearwater Postmaster, 100 S Belcher Rd, Clearwater, 33758Cleveland Street, 650 Cleveland St, Clearwater, 33755Countryside Postal Store, 25941 Us Highway 19, Clearwater, 33763High Point, 4600 140th Ave N Ste 100, Clearwater, 33762Sunset Point, 1851 N Hercules Ave, Clearwater, 33763Crystal Beach, 420 Crystal Beach Ave, Crystal Beach, 34681Dunedin, 1350 County Road 1, Dunedin, 34698Elfers, 4122 Madison St, Elfers, 34680Holiday Br, 4737 Mile Stretch Dr, Holiday, 34690Hudson St, 13610 Big Bend Dr, Hudson, 34667Indian Rocks Beach, 204 4th Ave, Indian Rocks Beach, 33785Istachatta, 28199 Magnon Dr, Istachatta, 34636Land O Lakes, 5230 Land O Lakes Blvd, Land O Lakes, 34639Land O Lakes CAX, 5875 Ehren Cutoff, Land O Lakes, 34639Largo, 50 8th Ave SW, Largo, 33770Largo Seminole St, 9355 113th St, Largo-Seminole, 33772Longboat Key, 560 Bay Isles Rd, Longboat Key, 34228Madeira Beach, 15019 Madeira Way, Madeira Beach, 33708New Port Richey, 6550 Main St, New Port Richey, 34653Trinity CAX, 4022 Little Rd, New Port Richey – Trinity, 34655Nobleton, 29095 Forbes St, Nobleton, 34661Oldsmar, 3905 Tampa Rd, Oldsmar, 34677Ozona, 310 Orange St, Ozona, 34660Palm Harbor, 495 Alt 19, Palm Harbor, 34683Pinellas Park, 5260 78th Ave N, Pinellas Park, 33781Embassy Crossing, 9602 Us Highway 19, Port Richey, 34668Port Richey CAX, 8101 Washington St, Port Richey, 34668Safety Harbor, 1703 N Mcmullen Rd, Safety Harbor, 34695Crossroads, 1275 66th St N, Saint Petersburg, 33710Euclid, 901 34th Ave N, Saint Petersburg, 33704Gateway Mall, 701 77th Ave N, Saint Petersburg, 33702Gulfwinds, 4222 22nd Ave S, Saint Petersburg, 33711Midtown, 1750 16th St S, Saint Petersburg, 33705Northside, 1201 Gandy Blvd N, Saint Petersburg, 33702Open Air, 76 4th St N, Saint Petersburg, 33701Saint Petersburg Main Office, 3135 1st Ave N, Saint Petersburg, 33730St Petersburg Postmaster, 3135 1st Ave N, Saint Petersburg, 33730St Pete Beach, 250 Corey Ave, St Pete Beach, 33706Tarpon Springs, 850 E Lime St, Tarpon Springs, 34689

U.S. Postal Service temporary suspensions

Due to Hurricane Idalia, the Postal Service is temporarily suspending retail and delivery operations in the following Northern Florida Post Offices.

Effective immediately, retail and delivery operations at the following Post Office are temporarily suspended until further notice. The Postal Service will provide additional information when normal operations resume.

The website reports that no drop shipments will be accepted and no alternate sites are available.

Unless otherwise noted, other postal facilities in the district are at normal operations.

Cedar Key, 518 2nd St., 32625Crystal River, 18 NE 4th Ave., 34429Gulf Hammock, 5350 SE Highway 19, 32639Homosassa, 10780 W Yulee Dr., 34487Homosassa Springs, 4610 S Suncoast Blvd., 34446Horseshoe Beach, 77 5th Ave. E, 32648Inglis, 70 N Inglis Ave, 34449Steinhatchee, 104 15th St SE, 32359Suwannee, 23252 SE Highway 349, 32692Yankeetown, 17 56th St., 34498

More delivery service information for weather warnings

If required, the following options can be used to order and mail emergency supplies:

American Family specializes in emergency preparedness kits and supplies, whereby customers are able to order emergency kits, meal-ready food and hurricane kits.

Survival Frog is a small business carrying the largest selection of survival food and hundreds of cool outdoor and preparedness products – shipped directly from their warehouse in Denver.

Survival Frog is one of the largest and most trusted sources for survival and preparedness products online. Survival Frog now distributes physical survival and outdoor gear throughout the US and Canada, and has evolved into the industry leader in preparedness products and survival gear sold online.