What's on this page:
- Large alligator attacks High Springs researcher
- Historic meeting marks unified effort to transform area's economy
- Gardeners and landscape plants need to be protected from North Florida's summer heat-
- Certain fishing license free this year
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ICHETUCKNEE VIEWS
6/9/2010 9:09:00 PM
Historic meeting marks unified effort to transform area's
economy
Lake City Journal
By Jim Poole
Executive Director, Columbia County IDA

Columbia County history was made when the Columbia County
Board of Commissioners, County Manager, City of Lake City Council
and Mayor, City Manager, Columbia County School Board,
Superintendant of Schools along with the Columbia County IDA
Board and Lake City-Columbia County Chamber of Commerce
Board met to discuss the future of Columbia County and the City of
Lake City’s economic future. Each group has an important part to
play in achieving success and coming together in a united effort will
insure that the goal is achieved.

With the support of the County Commissioners, the IDA Rudder
Team has worked to identify the areas in Columbia County that are
best positioned to help bring about good economic growth in the
years to come. The Rudder Team has divided the county into 7
different areas for consideration and then identified the strengths
and gaps for each location to determine the top three areas to
concentrate on for immediate growth.  The Team recommended that
the Plum Creek site east of Lake City Airport be the priority area to
complete the rural area of critical economic concern catalyst site and
to develop the intermodal logistics center which will serve as an
inland port concept for receiving and transferring goods to Florida
and the southeastern U. S.

The Rudder Team also recommended that the City include the
Inland Port in the Lake City Airport long range plan. The IDA plan will
also include adding the airport to the Inland Port plan for the future.
The availability of roads, rail, water and air will truly make the Inland
Port in Columbia County a true Intermodal Logistics Center.

Terry Huddleston, Principal at Columbia High School, with support of
the School Board and Superintendant is moving forward with
establishing a logistics and distribution academy at CHS this fall.
There are 40 students already signed up to be part of this new
program and to learn skills that would prepare them for a career in
this field. Lake City Community College and the Banner Center for
Logistics and Distribution have developed a curriculum for
continuing the training at the college. The University of North Florida
in Jacksonville presently has a degree program in logistics and
distribution providing a seamless pathway toward the necessary
education to achieve personal goals in this career field.

The present economy places even greater emphasis on having a
diverse economy to help our community ride out down times like
today. Diversification provides insurance to provide for a stronger
economy that does not depend on one or two industries to keep it
moving. Florida as a whole has been very successful with three
areas for years. Those are construction, agriculture and tourism.
These three industries provide an important base that needs
additional support added on. The American economy has changed
also from a self supportive system, manufacturing and producing our
own food and products to one that depends on goods produced
overseas that are received through our ports and then requires
distribution to the end users. Lake City and Columbia County is well
located to be part of this industry as well.

The bright spot of all this is the coming together of our community to
look at the future needs together. This is just the first step of the
efforts required to accomplish a brighter tomorrow with a stronger
community. The vision needs to be shared and allowed to grow to
become a true vision for Columbia County. All of us talk about
providing a better opportunity for tomorrow for not only our young
people but for all residents of our county. The talk can stop and
action can start to reach our goals for the future. Taking the first
step forward is the start to success.
6/19/2010 8:48:00 PM
Gardeners and landscape plants need to be protected from North
Florida's summer heat

Tithonias love full sunshine and the
summer heat.  Butterflies enjoy
feeding off their nectar.  Other plants
that can take the heat include
black-eyed Susans, zinnias,
angelonia, milkweed, and hibiscus
to name a few.  For the vegetable
garden, you can grow okra, peppers,
eggplant, cherry tomatoes and a
variety of summer peas.
(Don Goode photo)


The summer heat speeds up the
composting process.  Use your
compost as mulch, garden soil
amendment or potting soil.
(Don Goode photo)

By Don Goode
Horticulture Writer

With temperatures hovering in the
mid-90s, let’s look at some
suggestions to improve your summer
gardening experience.

Personal protection  As you work outside, be mindful of your health and
alertness.  The heat takes a toll on us physically.  Take frequent breaks to drink and
cool off.  Wear a wide rim hat and sun screen.  Use mosquito repellent in the evening
when they are active.

Mulch Plants need water too and can suffer from the heat.  Mulch around the roots
helps them stay cooler and conserves the soil moisture.

Wide rows  Instead of planting your vegetables or flowers in a single row consider
planting 2-3 rows fairly close together.  This allows the plants to shade and cool their
neighbor’s roots and helps to shade out competing weeds.  You can also have more
plants in your garden plow with these wide rows.

Horizontal planting  Plants like tomatoes and sweet potatoes root readily along their
stem.  They can be planted with the stem buried horizontally to allow for more root
formation and greater use of the soil’s moisture.

Plant in a trench instead of mounding  Another soil moisture technique is to plant
summer crops in a shallow trench instead of up on a hill.  Our sandy soils are quick
to drain so the roots will not rot with this trench technique.  When it rains or as you
water the garden the water will puddle in these trenches and soak down into the root
zone.

A little shade helps Many plants are labeled in nurseries as being “full sun.”  Here in
Florida many of these “full sun” plants benefit from a partial shade in the afternoon
when the temps are at their highest.  I have some herbs in two locations.  The ones
in the partial afternoon shade are twice as vigorous as those in the full sun!

For more:  go to http://lakecityjournal.com/main.asp?
SectionID=13&SubSectionID=73&ArticleID=6213

I
Large alligator attacks
High Springs researcher

By Rachael Anne Ryals
Herald Staff Writer
HIGH SPRINGS – A High
Springs researcher was
able to swim to the
shoreline and escape
after being bitten on the
neck by an 11-foot alligator while collecting water samples on the
Silver River in Marion
County Tuesday, July 22.

Pete Butt, 55, a well-know local researcher, was snorkeling around
5:15 p.m near the Silver Springs attraction that is famous for its
glass-bottom boat rides, said Miranda Iglesias, public information
officer for Marion County Fire-Rescue.

Butt was conscious and able to talk when rescuers arrived on the
scene, Iglesias said. He was flown to Shands Hospital in Gainesville
to treat his injuries.

Iglesias said Butt is expected to make a full recovery from the attack.

The 11-foot, 500-pound alligator left lacerations on Butt’s neck and
a possible broken jaw.
Read more:  http://www.highspringsherald.
com/articles/2010/06/25/news/news01.prt
Certain fishing license free this year

The shoreline fishing license for Florida residents to catch saltwater
fish from the shore or from a structure affixed to the shore cost $9
last year, but this year, it’s free beginning July 1.

Locally, licenses can be picked up at Bennett’s True Value Hardware
in High Springs.

The Florida Legislature repealed the shoreline license fee during the
past session. However, legislators retained the license requirement
to prevent a more-costly federal registration fee from taking effect in
Florida.

Resident anglers who obtain the shoreline license over the phone or
Internet still will have to pay a convenience fee to the vendor. The
convenience fee is $2.31 for Internet sales at:

http://www.Fl.WildlifeLicense.com

The fee is $3.33 for phone sales at 888-347-4356.

Only Florida residents qualify for a no-cost shoreline license, and the
license does not cover fishing from a boat or from land or a structure
accessible only by boat.

That requires a regular saltwater fishing license: $17 for residents;
for nonresidents, the cost is $17 for three days, $30 for seven days
or $47 per year.

There are some exemptions for license requirements. More
information is available at:

http://www.MyFWC.com/License