North Florida

Check the new WhoseFlorida for updates

Gainesville Civic Media Center
If you have realized that the news you get in the mainstream press isn't really comprehensive or even truthful, and that a lot of news and views are filtered out of the mainstream press outlets, libraries, and thus, public debate, then you've found a home.

http://www.civicmedia.org

(news clips have not been kept updated - check archives)

Senator Richard Mitchell's district (district 3) gerrymandered from Tallahassee to Citrus County 10/10/02

Alachua and National Labor Party Websites 8/28/02

State Peace and Justice Groups meeting in Gainesville 8/24/02

Manatee Springs alert renewed- Again!!

The issue of White Construction and the proposed limerock mine adjacent to Manatee State Park goes to the County Commissioners for the crucial vote March 2 (2004) at 6:30.

Limerock Mine Next to Manatee Springs Back on the Table This Monday 2/2/04

Manatee Springs Alert renewed 4/19/02
Hi, I'm Layne Redmond, and you posted my original plea to save Manatee Springs. You were right, the fight is not over yet. Luther White is now mining without a permit. Plus the racketeering charges were just dismissed against Luther White, his son and his grandson. We are writing a new alert and would truly appreciate it if you can replace the old alert. We should have it in a few days as we compile the facts. Thanks so much, Layne

Mining request is pulled- for now
White Construction Co. of Chiefland withdraws its application for a controversial limerock pit.8/3/01

Manatee Springs Alert - 7/17/1

News clips updated 06/22/04

Newspapers:
The Florida Alligator
The Gainesville Sun
Florida Times-Union
The Star-Banner
Lake City News

Daytona Beach News-Journal

Gainesville Iguana

FaithOUTLoud

Agenda 2002 Page -- Six priority issues to be addressed throughout the year for Flagler/Volusia

Reporters wanted -- Any News??

The Alachua County Democratic Executive Committee's new website and meeting dates

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News Clips

	Healthy cities mean happy living Ocala,FL — Suicide rates in this Florida town are 96 percent higher than those of other areas surveyed. 10/4/02
	Layoffs, cutbacks proposed for Daytona Beach Scrambling to keep the city from running out of money next year, city staff Monday proposed employee layoffs and cutting services to residents. 7/23/02
	Clay commission weighs cable fines GREEN COVE SPRINGS -- A new cable ordinance imposing fines of up to $50,000 for service failures by cable companies likely will be approved this afternoon by the Clay County Commission. 7/23/02
	Downtown cleanup plans under way Gainesville - Underground storage tanks from four service stations near the new courthouse - one dating back as far as the 1920s - have leaked as much as 100,000 gallons of gasoline. That's the equivalent of about half a dozen home swimming pools. 7/12/02
	One of Florida's most popular parks lays off beaten path CHIEFLAND — Nestled among the acres of bald cypress and live oak trees at the southern end of the picturesque Suwannee River is a pleasant respite from the hot summer days. Manatee Springs is well-documented for its population of manatees in the winter and early spring months, and it's also a popular diving mecca for the novice or veteran. 7/10/02
	Toppling-tree zone Gainesville residents beware: Your city's becoming a falling-tree zone. 7/6/02
	Population growth, drought drying north Florida springs BRONSON — Four years of drought and a growing population are causing popular north Florida springs to dry up and rivers and streams to be at record low levels, a hydrologist said Thursday. Blue Springs, outside Bronson in Levy County, is where generations of kids have plunked down 35 cents to spend a day flopping into the cool, blue water. But this year the water is no longer moving at the minimum requirement of 500 gallons per swimmer per day. In fact, it's not moving at all. 6/28/02
	Prairie fenced off A strip of highway that has become one of the area's hottest spots for gator-watching was deserted Wednesday, except for a Florida Highway Patrol car and a few workers unrolling a band of metal fencing on the grassy shoulder on the west side of U.S. 441. 6/27/02
	Jacksonville has a crisis that needs action ASAP Only three in 10 Duval County public high school students passed the reading section of the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test.6/25/02
	2 Living Wage Task Force members resign Gainesville -A task force recommendation suggests the county raise the minimum hourly wage paid to county workers.-- But a "living wage" for service contract workers is not addressed. 6/12/02
	Panel restores SFCC funds A House committee voted April 30 to give $300,000 that SFCC expected to another college.
	Bivens Arm water levels dropping Gainesville - The water level of Bivens Arm has been falling since an apartment complex stopped pumping it discarded cooling water in April.
	Cabinet puts canoe-filled lake off limits to deadhead logging TALLAHASSEE — A lake near Gainesville where archaeologists found Indian canoes from as far back as 5,000 years ago will be off limits to the harvesting of timber from its depths. Citing the importance of the ancient site, Gov. Jeb Bush and the Cabinet unanimously decided Tuesday to keep so-called "deadhead loggers" from pulling old logs from Newnan's Lake, also known as Lake Pithlachocco.5/9/02
	Wildfires close state park Stephen Foster State Park was closed yesterday as three wildfires burned thousands of acres of the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge.5/8
	A place to swim The owners of Otter Springs, which discharges into the Suwannee River in Gilchrist County, have applied for a permit from the Suwannee River Water Management District to withdraw up to nearly a million gallons of water a day for offsite bottling. 5/6
	Town amid prisons can't escape mark of ex-guards' trial By John Pacenti, Palm Beach Post Staff Writer STARKE -- Here in the Iron Triangle, the friendly residents readily acknowledge that if you aren't employed by the corrections industry, you are related to somebody who watches criminals...
	Alachua's time out It was a good sign last week when the Alachua City Commission decided to impose a moratorium of up to seven months on new industrial development in the city while officials develop a sense of vision.
	Protecting Newnan's Government's objective should be to preserve and protect Newnan's historical and cultural integrity. That public interest objective would seem to outweigh the desire of one entrepreneur.
	Courthouse mural's Klan image draws fire - The mural was supposed to hang prominently and proudly in the lobby outside a shiny new courtroom, showing visitors 6,000 years of North Florida history in glorious, full color. -- Instead, a brewing battle over one small panel of that mural -- depicting three hooded Ku Klux Klan riders -- might force officials in tiny Baker County to put the painting in a vault.
	George HW Bush to speak in Gainesville 1/9/02 On Wed, January 9 George Bush, the first, will be in Gainesville to speak at the University of Florida where he will be paid $80,000 for this time. Our community of activists will be organizing a protest and would like to extend an invitation to others in Florida to join with us. We will meet on the corner of University Ave and Hwy 441 at 5:00 pm to vigil at this busy intersection. Then, around 6:30 pm, we will move together down the sidewalk to the entrance of the O'Connell Center where we will leaflet and hold signs as people enter the arena. Some people will go inside to ask questions of Bush. Others will stay outside. Please help us pass the word to interested folks. Bruce K. Gagnon, Coordinator, Global Network Against Weapons & Nuclear Power in Space, PO Box 90083. Gainesville, FL. 32607 (352) 337-9274 http://www.space4peace.org / globalnet@mindspring.com
	GOP committeeman removed from post
	Student inclusion splits GOP in Alachua TAMPA - A squabble between the old guard and college students in Gainesville leads to one member's ouster. ...
	Newspaper editors receive death threats - Keywords: Florida Alligator, Earnhardt's autopsy photos 6/18/01

Senator Richard Mitchell

Because I am a state worker, I must remain anonymous; however, I am issuing an urgent appeal to you to vote for Richard Mitchell for State Senator for District 3. Some of you getting this message may not be in District 3, but you can urge your friends who are to vote for Mitchell or you can send a donation to his district office at

Virgie Cone Center

406 10th Ave. NW

Jasper, FL 32052.

Senator Mitchell is one of the up and coming stars of the Democratic Party. Because of this the Republican Party has targeted him for defeat. The Republicans have used their majority to gerrymander his district into a distorted mess running from Tallahassee to Marion County. This is a near complete rewrite of his District territory.

DISTRICT MAP: http://election.dos.state.fl.us/maps/Senate/2002/map.asp?map=03

The Republicans are running Nancy Argenzziano against Mr. Mitchell. Argenzziano is best known for sending a box of manure to a lobbyist. Please do what you can to keep Mitchell as one of the few reasonable voices in the State Legislature.
.... 10/10/02

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Alachua and National Labor Party Websites

Thanks for the good work on Whose Florida.

We would appreciate it if you would install a direct link to the Alachua

County Labor Party Home page at http://www.ascertaination.org/labor/ and to the national Labor Party at http://www.thelaborparty.org/

In Solidarity,

James Hamon

Alachua County Labor Party

"The two greatest obstacles to democracy in the United States are first, the widespread delusion among the poor that we have a democracy, and second, the chronic terror among the rich, lest we get it." -- Edward Dowling 1941

(WF: These are the good folks working for Universal Healthcare) 8/28/02

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Florida Alliance for Peace and Justice and Community Coalition Against War and Terrorism

The Community Coalition Against War and Terrorism (CCAWT) and

the Florida Alliance For Peace and Social Justice are having a joint

meeting on Saturday, 8/24/02 at the Downtown Alachua County Library,

401 East University Ave., Gainesville, Fl., meeting Room A, at 1 pm.

From I-75 take exit 387, Newberry Rd (State Route 26), go east on

Newberry which becomes University Ave. The library is located on the

south side of University Ave.

The purpose of the meeting is to discuss ways that community

groups can come together to plan and take actions on issues of common interest. The formation of a state-wide steering committee will also be discussed.

The proposed vision statement of the steering committee follows:

Florida Alliance for Peace and Social Justice

Vision Statement

The Florida Alliance for Peace and Social Justice (FAPSJ) affirms that

all war is a crime against humanity.

We therefore are determined not to support any kind of war,

international or civil. We oppose war as a solution. We maintain that

we do have the right to protect ourselves and our friends from all

physical violence.

We understand that de facto governments have used various pretexts and lies to promote agendas not in the interest of the people. We are not fooled and do not accept the "war on terrorism" any more than we

accepted the "war on drugs." Such terminology provides pretexts for

squelching true democracy, peace with justice and human rights at home and abroad.

We will demand balanced reporting from the media so that citizens can

examine conflicting views

We are well aware that such challenges as the uneven effects of

globalization, the rapid expansion of the military-industrial-judicial

complex, the erosion of human rights and civil liberties around the

world were well underway before the tragedy of September 11, 2001.

We will uproot the structural causes of poverty, racism, sexism,

homophobia and other forms of social injustice and inequality.

Hope to see you at the meeting

Jenni Otterson

CCAWT

peace is our natural religion; all that we do affects those who

surround us.

http://www.geocities.com/ccawt2/index.html

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Manatee Springs Alert - Update

This post is from a resident near Manatee Springs -- it's not just the Ichetucknee that is imperiled! --

A petition was filed at the county zoning board office by White Construction Company (owned by Luther White who I have been told has numerous and hefty outstanding and unpaid fines levied against him by the DEP for toxic waste dumping) petitioning the Board for a Special Exception to allow a limerock mine aka "Manatee Pit" (land clearing, stripping overburden, blasting, excavating, and crushing of limerock), on a 160 acreparcel of land located in an Agriculture/Rural Residential zone. This 160 acre mining operation will be in what is now the pasture across the street from my property. This proposed limerock mine would be within 4000 feet (less than one mile, 5280 feet) of the Manatee State Park boundary. It will be 1 6/10 of a mile from the Suwannee River and just under three miles from Manatee Springs itself.

This petition will go before the Levy County Zoning board on Monday, August 6, at 7:30 pm in the County Commissioners Room, at the Levy County Courthouse in Bronson, FL. Many of the local residents whose property will be directly impacted have not been notified of the possibility of this mine and there has been no coverage in the local paper. The area that the mine would be located in is a residential area that borders the state park. The property is at the current time being used as agricultural land for growing silage and for pasturing cattle. Most people are completely unaware of the proposed mine.

The most important thing is for people to be physically present at the meeting on August 6 to protest this change in the zoning law. If that is not possible a letter to the zoning board, Levy County Building and Zoning, Levy County Courthouse, PO Box 672, Bronson, Florida 32621, would be helpful. It must be received in the office ten days prior to the zoning meeting, July 27. Please send it certified return receipt requested. Some surrounding land owners were notified by mail on July 16. The intention is to notify as few people as possible leaving them with as little time as possible to reply.

The impact of a mining operation within 4000 feet of one of the most pristine Florida State Parks that we have left would be a tragedy of untold magnitude. The damage to the fragile aquifer that surrounds Manatee Springs would be certain to have a detrimental impact on the spring itself.

Please help me to prevent this. At this time there are two other women besides myself working on this, paying for flyers ourselves and going door to door. I'm making an add to go in the paper so people can be aware of it. We are worried the paper will not run the add for fear of Luther White. I haven't been able to sleep since I received this letter, I am devastated. As I went door to door, people told me I can't beat Luther White. He is too powerful and has funded political compaigns for the last fifty years. I'm afraid I can do very little of anything but work on this up until next wednesday when we leave for the advanced retreat at Cedar Terrace.

If anyone has any information or contacts that could be of help, please email me at <layneredmond@hotmail.com> or stopthepit@hotmail.com or call me at 352-493-2905.

Layne Redmond www.LayneRedmond.com

Manatee Update -- Mining request is pulled
White Construction Co. of Chiefland withdraws its application for a controversial limerock pit. --- but don't rest yet -- it'll be back...

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The Alachua County Democratic Executive Committee (ACDEC) is the official representative body of registered Democrats in this county and is governed by the State of Florida and the Florida Democratic Party. Each county in Florida has an Executive Committee responsible for discharging Florida Democratic Party affairs within the county. A committee structure carries out the administrative and programmatic activities of the DEC.
DEC meetings are open to the public and committed Democrats are encouraged to attend. Meetings are on the second Wednesday of each month starting at 7:30 PM and ending no later than 9:00 PM. They are held in the County Administration building at the corner of SE 1^st Street and University Avenue (Second Floor auditorium), Gainesville. Visit ACDEC Website

This page: As you can see, this and the other regional pages are only suggestions /invitations of what could be. If you know of an individual or group that would like to attend to this page or know of any sites that this page can link to please contact us. thanks.

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