Life in White Springs: Coming Together in White Springs

Published 1:00 pm Friday, July 13, 2018

The global events of the week are all overshadowed by the plight of the young boys in Thailand being stranded in a cave. As I go to press, some of the boys have been rescued and I hope and pray for a positive outcome. The underlying cause for celebration is the way the world has come together. The problem is obvious, the government and experts and scientists have quickly come together with a plan and quickly and bravely committed to it. This should not be so remarkable, but it is because, sadly enough the world doesn’t always come together for children suffering from isolation, hunger and bad decisions. We wish it would and it is encouraging when it does. It is good to see people come together because as Lyndon B. Johnson said, “There are no problems we cannot solve together and very few that we can solve by ourselves.” We just have to keep working together to get better at solving problems together. And the place to be most effective is at the local level!

Speaking of working for our kids at the local level, you can do that this Friday and have fun while you’re at it! The Hamilton County Alcohol and Other Drug Prevention Coalition is pleased to announce it will bring its “Friday Night Done Right” event to White Springs this Friday, July 13. It will be held from 6-9 p.m. at Ogburn Field. This event is to show youth that there are fun ways to have a Friday night without drugs, alcohol and tobacco. The event is filled with games, a video game truck, and a bounce house. Food, drinks and sweet treats will be provided for all who attend, and all for free. For adults who attend, we have our partners from the Health Department, Another Way, a CPR clinic, and the opportunity to register to vote and to sign up for insurance.

And there are prizes being given away! Thanks to the event’s wonderful sponsors, such as the Board of County Commissioners, the Town of White Springs, the Hamilton County High School SWAT club, and the Speights, there are wonderful prizes that will be given away including two flat screen TVs, a set of tennis rackets and balls, footballs, basketballs, board games, cash, dolls, and headphones. In case of rain, the event will be moved to the Nature and Tourism center. Tobacco takes a huge toll on all our communities, and we need your support to make a difference. It would be nice if the merchants in town could get behind this anti-smoking effort and take down their outside cigarette advertising signs that the kids can see.

Things have been busy over at Big Shoals State Park. The blue blazed hiking trail on the Columbia County side of Big Shoals is now part of the Florida National Scenic Trail with orange blazes. Through cooperation with multiple agencies, volunteers, and private landowners, this new section of trail eliminates 5 miles of road walk and adds 3 new miles of trail between the Osceola National Forest and the Town of White Springs. A ribbon cutting ceremony recently marked the official opening of the reroute. Almost 40 people attended, including representatives from the Florida Trail Association, Florida Park Service, Suwannee River Water Management, US Forest Service, and the Town of White Springs. A hike to Big Shoals happened after the ribbon cutting with 33 attendees hiking 2.5 miles round trip.

The Stephen Foster Citizen Support Organization is having a potluck dinner meeting on Monday, July 16, at 6:30 p.m. in Nelly Bly’s Kitchen in the Stephen Foster Park. Board member Bebe Willis is the host. She will be serving BBQ Pork as the entrée and your attendance would be welcome. Please bring a side dish and a friend. Agenda topics will include: Secretary’s Report, Treasurer’s Report, President’s Report, Park Manager’s Report and Members Topics. Jerry Lawrence Bullard is the new CSO President. His roots run deep at the park and he is looking forward to working with the CSO towards a common goal of enhancing Stephen Foster and Big Shoals so they can be enjoyed for years to come.

The White Springs Library is hosting a Puppet Theater on Thursday, July 19, at 2 p.m. Join their Drama Teens as they perform skits and shadow puppet plays this summer. It’s one hour of drama you won’t want to miss!

There will be a White Springs Public Workshop to discuss the Operations, Oversight and Management of the White Springs Fire, Police, Utility, Public Works and Code Compliance Departments. This workshop will take place on Tuesday, July 17, 6:30 p.m. at White Springs Town Hall following the budget workshop.

We’re always glad to hear about goings on in the community and will be glad to share anything appropriate for this column. I am thankful that we truly are all connected, and I hope that we can continue to feel proud of who we are and where we’re headed, and that we all appreciate that White Springs and its surrounding region is a very special place, to be honored and protected. As always, I look forward to seeing you out and about, enjoying your community and your life in White Springs or wherever you may be.

Walter McKenzie

386-303-1394

lifeinwhitesprings@gmail.com