Public Forum

Three Rivers'

ICHETUCKNEE VIEWS

Public Forum

The opinions offered on this page are not necessarily those of the site administrator, but have been offered to
provoke thoughtful and courteous rebuttal from other readers and perhaps solve some of the problems we
might have here in Three Rivers, Columbia County, or on the Ichetucknee. If you have a TREPO issue, I'll post it
if it is coherent, but please email it to Trepo@windstream.net also, for we can't solve your problem, only air it.

Mosquito Spray...Worth a try
I was at a deck party awhile back, and the bugs
were having a ball biting everyone. A man at the
party sprayed the lawn and deck floor with
Listerine, and the little demons disappeared.
The next year I filled a 4-ounce spray bottle and
used it around my seat whenever I saw
mosquitoes. And voila! That worked as well.. It
worked at a picnic where we sprayed the area
around the food table, the chil dren's swing
area, and the standing water nearby. During the
summer, I don't leave home without it.....Pass it
on.

OUR FRIEND'S COMMENTS: I tried this on my
deck and around all of my doors. It works - in
fact, it killed them instantly. I bought my bottle
from Target and it cost me $1.89. It really
doesn't take much, and it is a big bottle, too; so
it is not as expensive to use as the can of
Bug-spray you buy that doesn't last 30 minutes.
So, try this, please. It will last a couple of days.
Don't spray directly on a wood door (like your
front door), but spray around the frame. Spray
around the window frames, and even inside the
dog house.

Now this is a Good Mosquito!!!

GOOD ADVICE

A corporate attorney sent the following out to the
employees in his
company.

1. The next time you order checks have only your
initials (instead
of first name) and last name put on them. If
someone takes your
checkbook, they will not know if you sign your
checks with just your initials or
your first name, but your bank will know how you
sign your checks.

2. Do not sign the back of your credit cards.
Instead, put 'PHOTO ID
REQUIRED'.

3 When you are writing checks to pay on your
credit card accounts, DO
NOT put the complete account number on the
'For' line. Instead, just put the last
four numbers. The credit card company knows
the rest of the number, and
anyone who might be handling your check as it
passes through all the
check processing channels won't have access to
it.

4. Put your work phone # on your checks instead
of your home phone.
If you have a P.O. Box, use that instead of your
home address. If you do not
have a P.O. Box, use your work address. Never
have your SS# printed on
your checks (DUH!). You can add it if it is
necessary. But if you have it
printed, anyone can get it.

5. Place the contents of your wallet on a
photocopy machine. Do both
sides of each license, credit card, etc. You will
know what you had in your
wallet and all of the account numbers and phone
numbers to call and
cancel. Keep the photocopy in a safe place. Also
carry a photocopy your my
passport when travel either here or abroad.
We've all heard horror stories about
fraud that's committed on us in stealing a name,
address, Social Security number,
credit cards.

Unfortunately I, an attorney, have firsthand
knowledge because my
wallet was stolen last month. Within a week, the
thieve(s) ordered an
expensive monthly cell phone package, applied
for a VISA credit card, had a
credit line approved to buy a Gateway computer,
received a PIN number from
DMV to change my driving record information
online, and more. But here's some
critical information to limit the damage in case
this happens to you or someone
you know:

1. We have been told we should cancel our credit
cards immediately.
But the key is having the toll free numbers and
your card numbers handy so you
know whom to call. Keep those where you can
find them.

2. File a police report immediately in the
jurisdiction where your credit cards, etc.,
were stolen.. This proves to credit providers you
were diligent, and this is a first step
toward an investigation (if there ever is one).

But here's what is perhaps most important of all:
(I never even thought to do this.)

3. Call the 3 national credit reporting
organizations immediately to place a fraud
alert on your name and Social Security number. I
had never heard of doing that until
advised by a bank that called to tell me an
application for credit was made over the
Internet in my name. The alert means any
company that checks your credit knows
your information was stolen, and they have to
contact you by phone to authorize new
credit.

By the time I was advised to do this, almost two
weeks after the theft, all the
damage had been done.. There are records of
all the credit checks initiated by the
thieves' purchases, none of which I knew about
before placing the alert. Since then,
no additional damage has been done, and the
thieves threw my wallet away. This
weekend (someone turned it in). It seems to have
stopped them dead in their tracks.

Now, here are the numbers you always need to
contact about your wallet, etc.,
has been stolen:

1.) Equifax: 1-800-525-6285

2.) Experian (formerly TRW): 1-888-397-3742

3.) Trans Union : 1-800-680-7289

4.) Social Security Administration (fraud line):
1-800-269-0271

We pass along jokes on the Internet; we pass
along just about everything. But if
you are willing to pass this information along, it
could really help someone that you
care about.

8-9-08

Today I received a telephone call from a Mr.
Robert Sheridan who lives on Newark. Mr.
Sheridan is 62, a truck driver, and moved up
here with his wife from Kissimmee 5 years ago.
Mr. Sheridan is very disappointed in our
current law enforcement agency.

In Kissimmee Mr. Sheridan was familiar with
and worked closely with the law enforcement
there, and feels what we have here in
Columbia County is lacking in professionalism
and isn't connected to the people they are
serving.

His son lives in Wilson Springs, was broken
into a while back, and called the police to make
a report. A female detective arrived, took the
report, and left the Sheridan's feeling used and
abused. Evidently the Officer was cold and
uncaring, and didn't take an accurate report.
There was no follow up, and no disposition to
the break in.

Mr. Sheridan, himself, has experienced sign
and mail box destructions three times, and yet
the officers don't even want to take a report. If
they take a report, they advise there is nothing
that can be done about it, and disappear. I
know this from my own personal experience, as
my mail box has been bashed multiple times,
and each time I have insisted on making a
report. Didn't it use to be a Federal Offence
to mess with the US Mail?

Mr. Sheridan feels the law shouldn't be ABOVE
the people. They need to get to know their
residents, learn their names, and their fears,
then act upon those fears to relieve them. To
do this, law enforcement needs to have a
repport with the people.

His message also extends to the residents --
you need to be a good neighbor. Keep your
eyes peeled for vandalism or problems. Be
prepared to help whenever you can. We all
feel that many of our residents here in Three
Rivers treat our by-ways as their own personal
garbage dump. Their yards aren't much
better. Where is individual and community
pride?

Mr. Sheridan is supporting Mark Hunter for
Sheriff because he feels Mark is and will be a
good leader, is honest and sincere.

Thanks again, Mr. Robert G. Sheridan for
contacting me, and I hope I have relayed your
story accurately.

Karen Faunce

Date: Tue, 12 Aug 2008 0
From: Chief Eenkcutehci
To: karen@ichetuckneeviews.com
Subject: TREPO keys
Well, the word is out and the pigeons have come in to
roost!   I've
visited the main park and point park three times over
the last six weeks and the parks and parking lots are
jammed with users of copied TREPO keys.

At Point Park, the "no parking" sign outside the park
gate has been removed and trespassers freely park
outside the park gate and walk right in.   This is not
disputable. It is simple economics.   Why pay for
TREPO dues and why pay to get into Ichetucknee
Springs State Park when you can just walk into
TREPO parks for free?

After all, half of Columbia County is doing it.     Let's
hope that TREPO learns from this mistake and goes
back to keys which are marked "do not duplicate"
next year. --Chief Eenkcutehci

Note to the Chief: Besides
printing "do not duplicate"
on the keys (which is
actually printed on each
key), the key needs to be a
different size and shape --
not the size key which is
almost always a
duplicatable key. Editor

Date: Sun, 24 Aug 2008 07:44:48 -0700 (PDT)
From: "Karen Faunce"
<info@ichetuckneeviews.com>
Subject: Re: fay
To: "Susan Allen" <susanallen4@verizon.net>
Hello Susan: Welcome to Ichetucknee Views.
Basically, Fort White, or Three Rivers more
specifically, received about 6 inches of rain, and
light winds. So far, no flooding from standing rain,
but now the rivers are beginning to rise. Please go
to www.ichetuckneeviews.com and look at the Three
Rivers page and/or the About the Ichetucknee page.
I have posted the rivers' flood progress, and
according to projection, I don't think we are in deep
trouble. The Santa Fe is low and the Ichetucknee
hasn't been this low in years. It could use a good
backwash.

Our power has flickered a few times, and at times
went out, but no longer than a hour or two. Clay
Electric has done a good job.

There has been the usual tree limb damage, but
due to saturation mostly.

Our biggest problem to date is those pesky
mosquito's. There's lots of them.

Hope you find your Three Rivers home site in good
condition when you arrive. Thanks for contacting
me. I will post your question and my reply in case
other folks have been wondering the same thing.

Info@ichetuckneeviews.com

Susan Allen <susanallen4@verizon.net> wrote:
Greetings.

My husband and I own property on Newark . We live
in Polk County (between Orlando and Tampa ). We
have been trying to find some information about
storm damage in Ft. White and Three Rivers from
Fay to no avail. We have read about flood warnings
but are wondering what has actually happened.
Would you mind giving us some idea of what the
situation is there? We would greatly appreciate it.

Susan Allen

Linda Hizer <hizerl@windstream.net> wrote:
Dear TREPO Members,

Today, for the first time in several weeks, I went fishing with my cousin. I was hoping to have a
pleasant morning on the river with sunshine and fresh air. (I have been fighting a respiratory
infection for at least three weeks.) The morning was very pleasant to begin with even though the
fish were not biting.

We had put the boat in at the TREPO boat ramp park. When we came back to the boat ramp,
there was a lady fishing with three rod/reels in the water in the spot where we needed to dock the
boat. She made no attempt to move her rods. We asked her to move them so we could dock the
boat. ( I thought politely.) She removed one rod and put it back out after we got out of the boat.

After putting the boat trailer in the water, my cousin asked the lady to remove the fishing line
because it was going to get tangled up in the prop. She said her rod was fine. He proceeded to
crank the boat up and the line was caught up in the prop.

Beyond this situation, I saw that the gate was open and two four-wheelers were sitting about 100 ft.
from the bank. I asked them if they realized four wheelers were not to be driven on the river bank.
I also told them that actually, four wheelers were not allowed out here period. ( Did not the county
threaten us with $10,000 a day fine if we did not fence our property by the county park ? Wasn't
this to prevent vehicles going down to the river bank?)   One of the gentlemen, told me that the
Polaris my friend was driving was illegal too. ( The young man's parents supposedly had property
on Utah. He and his friend had come down from Lakeland to mow the lot.)   My response was that I
had personally attended a commissioner's meeting that said these vehicles were border line. That
it would depend on how these were used. I added that I personally did not report 4-wheelers on the
dirt roads unless they were being destructive.

Next, I asked the lady with the rods to please move them if a boat needed the space. She told me,"
It is not any of your business. Just leave, you're bothering me." She also told me members were
tired of people like me minding other people's business, just like my asking her about the locked
gate and four-wheelers. I told her that I was a board member and was just interested in protecting
our parks and the right of boaters in the boat park. She called me a nosey bitch and told me to
leave. I said that I had just as much right to be there as she did. I really thought she was going to
hit me.

It is so nice to be a member who is really just interested in protecting our parks and protecting the
everyone's rights. We are so much appreciated and respected!

Sincerely,

Linda Hizer

From: "Karen Faunce" <karen@ichetuckneeviews.com>
Subject: Re: Boat Ramp Park
To: "Linda Hizer" <hizerl@windstream.net>

Hi Linda: Sorry to learn you have been under the weather. Hopefully, the beginning of your boat
trip was peaceful and relaxing. I would suspect the lady you had problems with isn't even a
member of TREPO.

You should know the people who sit on the BOARD are indeed appreciated. Hopefully after the
October Election you will get more support from some new Board Members, and will be able to work
on a solution that is satisfactory to all members.

It seems to me that one of our Parks was designated as "FISHING" Park, and the Santa Fe side of
Point Park is an exceptional area to fish. Mid-Point Park on the Ichetucknee is another good place
to fish, as I believe not too many bathers enter the river there. Maybe the Board can make some
new designations to better direct bad mannered fishermen/women.

Thanks again Linda, for putting up with some of the rude people who happen to favor our parks
and clubhouse with their presence. Karen

christopheranderson@clearwire.net wrote:

A FRAUD "HEAD'S UP:" I was browsing E-bay a few days ago. E-bay is warning of a
new scam that you may want to alert your readers to. It works like this: A con
artist advertises a very desirable RV on Ebay, typically with little or no
reserve. When potential bidders ask to see it, they're given the
run-around. The "seller" insists that the potential buyer deposit two or
three thousand dollars "good faith money" before seller will take off work and
drive to the storage lot to show the RV. You know the rest of the story:
The "seller" disappears and the "good faith money" and is never seen again.
--Chris

ICHETUCKNEE RIVER TUBING QUESTION: I went tubing town the Ichetucknee on
Labor Day. I got about halfway down and the current stopped completely. This
was obviously because high water on the Santa Fe River was pushing back up
the Ichetucknee. The Ichetucknee River was full of power boats! It was not
the quiet, lazy float experience I came for. I had to paddle my tube like a
surfboard all the way down to point park, where I finally got out three hours
later, totally exhausted. Question: How can I know ahead of time when such
conditions exist? i.e. should I reserve tubing for days when the Three
Rivers Estates Santa Fe River guage shows 12 feet or lower? At what level does
the Ichetucknee become navigable and jammed with power boats? I want to be
able to check this out on the Internet before I drive out to tube there again.
The power boaters obviously know exactly when they can get up the Ichetucknee.
--Chris.

TYPO: Karen, the word "incumbant" in the Sherriff Gootee article should be
"incumbent." I had to look this one up in the dictionary myself. Keep up the good work!
Chris
Date: Sat, 6 Sep 2008

From: "Karen Faunce" <karen@ichetuckneeviews.com>
Subject: Re: A fraud "head's up" and other matters
To: christopheranderson@clearwire.net

Hello Chris: Thanks for the FRAUD "Head's Up" and the correction in spelling. I guess I didn't spell
check that caption. Truth be known, I couldn't spell my way out of 3rd grade.

Regarding the Ichetucknee, floating, boats and other general stuff. At the mouth of the Ichetucknee is
a rock ledge. When the river is low, these rocks deter boats from coming up the river. Now that the
river is flooding, boats can get over the ledge, idle up the river, and enjoy the Ichetucknee from a
bird's eye view so to speak. The deeper water has also allowed schools of mullet and manatee into
the river, so there is a natural trade off. It has been over two years since the boats have been able to
get up the river, so I guess they are anxious to see what has changed.

To complain about the boats, you probably would need to contact the Fresh Water Game & Fish
Commission, Florida Marine Patrol or perhaps the Suwannee River Water Management group.
TREPO has no authority to dictate rules and regulations on the Ichetucknee -- only in our parks. Just
remember that some of those boaters are Three Rivers' residents and TREPO members. One can
only hope they are respectful to the tubers in our river.

Sorry to hear you got trapped in the slower current due to the flood. It's hard to warn people about
the length of time it takes to float the river during flood time as opposed to low waters. However, I
suspect you will know from now on, and be prepared on future floats.

For those not knowing: when the Ichetucknee is in it's normal river bed, it flows faster then when the
Santa Fe is flooding and pushing the Ichetucknee back and out of it's river bed. Something interesting
has to happen, and we are all glad to see it, as long as no one has to flee their homestead. One thing
to keep an eye out on is gators coming up the Ichetucknee when it's flooding. It happens. They are
usually pretty small, but need to be reported, none-the-less.

Thanks again for writing. Karen

PS: There is a new river level marker at the Ichetucknee River and SR27 Bridge. Maybe if you keep
tabs on that marker level, you can tell from out of town when the River is at your preferred float depth.

Evelyn Johnson took this photo at a Busy Bee gathering at the Ichetucknee Head springs. It's a
beauty. If you haven't been to the North Entrance to the Ichetucknee State Park in a while, take a
ride up some afternoon. You can't float the river from the North Entrance in the fall, but you can
wade in the head spring or take a walk down to the Blue Hole. It's worth the time and energy, I
promise.