Yes, I know I stated there would not be another release until after the New Year, but my plans went awry, as most of mine do, and I had to postpone my out-of-state trip until a later date. It will be fun when I do get away and I plan on doing that in the very near future. Well, I hope everyone had an exciting and very Merry Christmas, as mine was very enjoyable. My family had our annual gathering at my nephew's home outside of Chiefland, and, as always, everyone over-indulged in our most favorite topic: Food! The fellowship was very good and no one went hungry. We did not exchange gifts, but we did exchange one of the most important gifts any family could give and that was the expression of love for each other. Thank the good Lord for the closely knit family we have as we continue to be blessed by His leadership and promise of eternal salvation. Recently I received some disturbing comments about my profession of faith and the fact I support the leaders of our great Nation, but as stated in previous releases: my statements are my personal opinions, and no one is bound to agree with me, as I would not belittle anyone for stating what they believed in, even if I do disagree with them. If I have offended anyone, I apologize, but I will continue to state my feelings of faith and support the leaders of my country. If the editors of the respective papers choose not to print my opinions, that is up to them, but unless they refuse to accept my press releases, I will continue to state my personal feelings and opinions. Remember: SCHOOL IS OUT FOR THE HOLIDAYS AND OUR CHILDREN WILL BE ON OUR NARROW STREETS AND BYWAYS; SO BE CAREFUL, ALWAYS GIVING THEM THE RIGHT-OF-WAY. Thank you for your awareness and concerns for their safety at all times. It may be an inconvenience for some of us, but they are our future leaders and we need to protect them at all times. Also, our community winter visitors/residents are slowly returning from the "colder" weather in their summer homes. Let us all welcome them back, when we see them at the Post Office, stores and on the streets of their winter home. Too, we are losing, or have lost, some of our current residents during the holidays. Our Baptist Minister, Mike Shelby, wife Donna and his family are returning to Tennessee, much to our demise. They will be sorely missed; especially Micah's basketball playing ability and Rebecca's cheerleading during the basketball games. They are really a great family. Seth Colson, wife Sherri and their two lovely daughters, Chelsea and Emily, are relocating to West Virginia. I will certainly miss all of them, but especially these young people, as I always enjoyed their smiling faces on a daily basis, while directing traffic in the school zone. We do wish them continuing success in their new locations and may the good Lord keep them safely in His hands during their trip. I am already looking forward to their return visits, which I hope will begin very soon. Good luck to both families in their future endeavors. Your Police Department personnel express their thanks for our slow business we are currently enjoying in Cedar Key, and we contribute this to everyone attempting to keep our little community a safe haven for all of us to enjoy. Currently we are having a limited amount of calls; mostly calls for service, and a few traffic citations are being issued, but otherwise it has been very quiet. We continue to appreciate neighbors looking out for neighbors and the fact that all of us are being responsive in obeying City Ordinances and State Statutes throughout our community. The destruction of our world famous "Big Dock" is now complete, and the more traffic-oriented "construction" of the new dock is beginning. I still believe that "Dock Street" should be one-way traffic during this time frame since there will be a lot of cement truck deliveries being made in the next few months, which will increase the possibility of accidents on this narrow thoroughfare. Too, individual drivers, including yours truly, will be stopping and observing the progress of the new pier. PLEASE, USE CAUTION AT ALL TIMES WHEN TRAVELING IN THIS AREA, AS THE CONGESTION WILL CONTINUE TO INCREASE WITH THE INCREASING DEMAND OF MATERIALS. PLEASE BE SAFE AND CAUTIOUS IN THE AREA ANY TIME YOU PASS THAT WAY. HAPPY NEW YEAR FROM YOUR POLICE DEPARTMENT PERSONNEL AND PLEASE MAKE IT A SAFE AND SOBER ONE. Remember, have a designated driver or call for the Coconuts Taxi Service, if you cannot control your intake of alcohol. May we continue to try and make each New Year better than the one before. | 