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Annual Levy County Legislative Delegation
Public Hearing set for Oct. 21
Deadline to be placed
on printed agenda is Oct. 10
Information Provided
By Levy County Legislative Delegation Chair
Stan McClain (R-Gainesville, Dist. 90)
Published Oct. 6, 2025 at 2 p.m.
     BRONSON – State Sen. Stan McClain, chair of the Levy County Legislative Delegation, recently announced that the Legislative Delegation’s Public Hearing for the 2026 Session is scheduled to be held at the Levy County Commission Board Auditorium on Oct. 21 from 1 to 5 p.m. (or until the conclusion of the speakers, whichever comes first).

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     The Levy County Commission Board Auditorium is located at 310 School St. in Bronson.
     This annual public meeting is an opportunity for residents and visitors, as well as elected officials from municipal governments, and other organizations to address the delegation before the start of the 2026 Legislative Session.
     Anyone who wants to be placed on the printed agenda, is asked to please fill out this form found at https://forms.gle/EQeHXwQHHnWa2CT18 and to send any documents for the delegation to treiber.jennifer@flsenate.gov before noon on Friday, Oct. 10.
     The speaker’s form and information documents should be submitted by this date to be included in the Delegation’s workbook. 
     Individuals may also complete a Speaker’s Form on the day of the meeting, and they will be afforded time to speak in the order in which it was received that day.
     Individuals who do not send information ahead of time, are asked to please bring two copies of all handouts to the meeting for distribution to the delegates.
     Individuals who have an appropriation request, please provide information in your handout. If a Delegation Member decides to sponsor your request, you will need to contact them for the required House of Representative and Senate forms. If you would like more information regarding this meeting, please contact Jennifer Treiber by email (treiber.jennifer@flsenate.gov) or call 352-732-1249.

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High-powered economic development
interests visit sawmill

Dixie County Commission Vice Chairman Mark Hatch (left) and SBDC State Director Greg Britton are seen moments before the meeting starts.

Story, Photos and Videos By Jeff M. Hardison © Oct. 4, 2025 at 8 p.m.
All Copyrights Protected By Federal Civil Law
Do Not Copy and Paste to Social Media or Elsewhere
     CROSS CITY – A multi-county tour included a stop at Cross City Lumber on Thursday afternoon (Oct. 2), where visitors enjoyed Subway sandwiches for lunch, listened to the history of the sawmill, heard about the economic impact of the timber-to-lumber industry and they enjoyed a quick tour of the sawmill.
     The Small Business Development Center (SBDC), based on the campus of the University of West Florida in Pensacola, hosted the daylong event.
     The agenda for the day showed that it started at Big Top Manufacturing in Taylor County.
     Since 1979, Big Top Manufacturing in Perry has been a trusted leader in engineered fabric structures, delivering durable, cost-effective, and highly adaptable solutions for military, construction and industrial operations.
     After the Big Top visit in Perry, the group went to Perry Precast in Lafayette County (Mayo). Perry Precast Inc. is an active Florida business entity incorporated May 15, 2008. Sheila Perry acts as the agent for this company.
     From Lafayette County, the group went to Cross City Lumber in Dixie County. 
     The tour ended at Big Bend Technical College in Perry (Taylor County), where there was a four-hour session to review everything from the visit to the three sites, and more.
     While there were a number of people listed for the big session at the technical college in Perry, there were significant representatives from the public and private sector that were on the site at Cross City Lumber too.


SBDC State Director Greg Britton (left) shakes hands with City Manager John Driggers of Cross City. Cross City Lumber Procurement Manager Andy Chesser is in the immediate background in a green shirt.


Dixie County Manager John Jenkins speaks with Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation Secretary Melanie Griffin, who is the head of that state agency.


CareerSource Florida President and CEO Adrienne Johnston joins colleagues on the trip as she prepares a Subway sandwich. Johnston is the top leader of all CareerSource regions in the state.


FloridaCommerce Chief Manufacturing Officer and Deputy Secretary of Economic Development Jason Mahon stands ready to serve as he learns more about the timber and sawmill industry.


North Florida Economic Development Partnership Director, Rural Economic Development Services, Diane Scholz of Tallahassee, is a key mover for the business development team in rural North Florida.


Cross City Lumber Procurement Manager Andy Chesser is seen as he sits at a table. Chesser connects pine tree farmers with the sawmill and procures this natural resource that is vital to the sawmill’s continuing to thrive.

Trucks bring pine trees to the sawmill and are seen Thursday afternoon.

     Among the visitors to Cross City Lumber Thursday afternoon was SBDC State Director Greg Britton; Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation Secretary Melanie Griffin, the leader of this statewide agency; Florida CareerSource President and CEO Adrienne Johnston, the leader of this statewide agency; and FloridaCommerce Chief Manufacturing Officer and Deputy Secretary of Economic Development Jason Mahon.
     The single most-recognized mover and shaker for economic development in North Florida present on the tour was North Florida Economic Development Partnership (NFEDP) Director, Rural Economic Development Services, Diane Scholz of Tallahassee. She was accompanied by NFEDP Executive Director Jeff Hendry.
     Elected local government leaders at the sawmill included Dixie County Commission Vice Chairman Mark Hatch and Cross City Mayor R. Ryan Fulford. Karen VanAernam, who is the relatively recent Dixie County replacement for Carol West on the NFEDP, was also present.


Cross City Lumber Chief Executive Officer Michael Tate is the first to speak from the lectern in a conference room of the sawmill on Thursday. To see and hear the video, click on the PHOTO.
Video By Jeff M. Hardison – All Rights Reserved

     Cross City Lumber Chief Executive Officer Michael Tate opened the program as he spoke from a lectern in the conference room in the front office building at the sawmill.
     Tate welcomed everyone and apologized for the Subway sandwiches, which were self-served buffet style with lots of “fixings.” The limited visiting time planned for the sawmill stop left few choices on the lunch menu. Tate said the next time, if the visitors can stay longer, there could be barbecue.
     He introduced many of the visiting guests.
     To see the story and photos from the Cross City Lumber grand opening of May 22, 2019, click HERE.
     Tate introduced some of the other leaders of Cross City Lumber, including -- General Manager Morgan Thomas; President Wes Grant; Daniel Dicker, a shareholder; Chairman of the Board Robert Pearce; and Procurement Manager Andy Chesser.
     Steve Conner, the founder of the sawmill who brought it back to life, Tate said, shared that there were three things that convinced Conner this was a viable business opportunity back in 2017 -- when Conner began rebuilding the business that Georgia-Pacific had abandoned.
     First, Cross City has always been a multigenerational town of sawyers. Tate said there were sawmills in this town back to the 1920s – a century ago.
     “It’s multigenerational today,” Tate said. “We have grandfathers and grandsons that work here today.”
     The two shifts at the sawmill are overseen by a father and son, Tate said, with one leading each shift. 
     Conner saw that a workforce was in the area that is oriented toward sawmilling, Tate said.
     Another factor, Tate said, gave Conner confidence in this business investment. The timber grown in this part of Florida is abundant and well-managed, providing “an abundant fiber basket” that can support the logging mill that produces lumber.
     The third influence moving Conner to invest in revising the sawmill was the support from people in state and local government and private interests as well, Tate said. The support from the local and state interests, then and now, serves as a testament to the reason for success when people work together.
     There are 150 employees who work every day at Cross City Lumber, Tate said. The mill runs around the clock, except for Sundays.
     “It’s a meaningful place for those folks to work,” Tate said. “And we are proud that we give that opportunity to those folks.”
     Since 2017, Cross City Lumber has committed $35 million to capital investments, he said. 


Cross City Lumber Shareholder Daniel Dicker is the second to speak from the lectern in a conference room of the sawmill on Thursday. To see and hear the video, click on the PHOTO.
Video By Jeff M. Hardison – All Rights Reserved

     Dickert was next to address the audience.
     He opened by asking everyone to pray for the lumber market.
     Dickert has been in Cross City for all of his life, and his father started Suwannee Lumber Co., which is on the north end of town.
     Dickert has been in this business for 41 years now, he said, in the career he entered when he was 14 years old by working in a sawmill.
     This sawmill produces yellow pine lumber as it provides a $10 million annual payroll for the 150 workers, Dickert said. 
     Dickert said Procurement Manager Chesser brings 350 loads of logs a week.
     Southern Yellow Pine is the tree of choice.
     Dickert mentioned the shutdown of sawmills in the area, and he spoke a little about September of 2023 -- when Georgia-Pacific employees at the Foley Cellulose mill in Perry learned about the plan to permanently close the facility.
     The market has become challenging, Dickert said, and right now it is depressed. 
     With Buckeye (Foley Cellulose) shutting down, Cross City Lumber must now send chips 120 miles to a pulp mill when they used to go 40 miles to Perry. Also, with other pulp mills shut down like the one that used to exist in Perry, Dickert said, the remaining mills are seeing an overabundance of chips from sawmills, which drops the price that chips can be sold at.
     Dickert said timber prices have increased, and this means lumber prices must increase.
     He let leaders from FloridaCommerce, CareerSource, the NFEDP, the SBDC and everyone else know that people in the Florida sawmill industry, including Cross City Lumber, owners and investors are looking for help from anywhere.
     Dickert mentioned a potential development in the area that would use chips from Cross City Lumber if that proposed business came to fruition. If that does not happen, then people are looking at whatever options work for best management practices to keep the business viable.
     Cogeneration is a possible business plan that was mentioned.
     For sawmills, cogeneration is a highly efficient process that uses wood byproducts to simultaneously produce electricity and heat for the mill's operations. It provides a sustainable method for waste disposal and offers significant economic and environmental benefits. 
     Sawdust, wood chips, bark and other wood residuals that were previously treated as waste are collected and stored. This waste provides a consistent, low-cost fuel source for the system.
     The wood waste is fed into a boiler and burned at high temperatures. The resulting heat converts water into high-pressure steam that turns turbines to generate electricity.
     After exiting the turbine, the steam or excess heat is captured instead of being wasted. This is the crucial step that distinguishes cogeneration from traditional power generation.
     The captured heat is piped to other areas of the sawmill for industrial processes, most commonly for drying lumber in dry kilns. This second use of the same energy source maximizes efficiency.
     The proverbial bottom line from the short visit to the sawmill by state leaders is that public and private interests who care about good economic development heard about various needs of manufacturing companies that exist in North Florida, including thanks to a luncheon meeting and quick tour at Cross City Lumber.

Lobbyists accept marching orders
for legislative requests from Dixie County

Adam P0tts of Liberty Partners speaks to the Dixie County Commission.

Story and Photos By Jeff M. Hardison © Oct. 3, 2025 at 8 p.m.
All Copyrights Protected By Federal Civil Law
Do Not Copy and Paste to Social Media or Elsewhere
     CROSS CITY – Two members of the Liberty Partners lobbying company spoke with the member of the Dixie County Board of County Commissioners on Thursday (Oct. 2).
     Adam P0tts and Ethan Merchant said they will let State Sen. Corey Jermaine Simon (R-Tallahassee, Dist. 3) and State Rep. Shoaf (R-Port St. Joe, Dist. 7) know what Dixie County is hoping for in regard to aid from the Florida Legislature.
     Sen. Simon is responsible for serving as the state senator for the people of Dixie, Franklin, Gadsden, Gulf, Hamilton, Jefferson, Lafayette, Leon, Liberty, Madison, Suwannee, Taylor, Wakulla counties.
     Rep. Shoaf is responsible for serving as the state representative for the people of Dixie, Franklin, Gulf, Hamilton, Lafayette, Liberty, Suwannee, Taylor, Wakulla, and parts of Jefferson and  Leon counties.
      Potts, the director of governmental affairs for Liberty Partners, opened the presentation. He mentioned that this firm secured more than $2 million in grants and appropriations from the state government for the county. Another $3.6 million is pending right now, Potts added.
     Last year, the Florida Legislature leaned more toward putting money in reserves and cutting state spending across the board. All signs are pointing toward a continuation of that practice in the upcoming legislative session, Potts said.
     Potts said the budget this year will be “tough” on the state side, but there is hope for the state to help Dixie County some.
     Merchant, who serves as governmental affairs manager at Liberty Partners of Tallahassee, said he has spoken with Commission Chairman Jody Stephenson and county department heads to produce four requests to make for the Florida Legislature to consider this year.
     He reiterated Potts’ statement about the state budget being “tough” for this coming legislative session.
     Before everything was said and done on this topic, the Dixie County Commission added a couple of more items that the state government might consider helping Dixie County this year.


Ethan Merchant of Liberty Partners speaks to the Dixie County Commission.

     Merchant said the county can ask for assistance in fully equipping the county’s tanker truck for fire services. The county has $49,000 remaining in funds for this purpose, Merchant said, and that money is a “revert and reappropriate” set of funding that can be used for fire department-related expenditures. There was a 5-0 vote of approval to make that request.
     There is a $289,000 worth of funding that can be used as a “revert and reappropriate” set of funding, Merchant said, and this could be for improvement at the Dixie County Emergency Operations Center Fire Station to complete it, Merchant said. There was a 5-0 vote of approval to make that request.
     The Dixie County Sheriff’s Office Evidence Building, to reach the total $2.8 million to complete that building, Merchant said, will take another $1,237,000 ($1.2 million) that is not funded yet. There was a 5-0 vote of approval to make that request.
     Dixie County Solid Waste Department improvements show a $5 million price tag, but the county is recommended for requesting at least $500,000 from the state to help the request for federal grant funding. There was a 5-0 vote of approval to make that request.
     Chairman Stephenson told Potts and Merchant that Dixie County needs help from the Florida Legislature to fund a new public library. 
     Commission Vice Chairman Mark Hatch said that the Dixie County Tax Collector’s Office in the Dixie County Courthouse has needed improvements and expansion for several years. The Dixie County Commission asked for help with this last year, and the state rejected the request.
     That office has not been improved since the mid-1960s, Hatch said, and that is where people come to pay their taxes.
     There was no vote on the request for help with a public library or for expansion or improvements to the Dixie County Tax Collector’s Office either, although Stephenson and Hatch mentioned them.
     There has been no information sent to HardisonInk.com about the date, time and place for the Annual Dixie County Legislative Delegation Hearing from either Simon’s or Shoaf’s offices, yet, although in a short conversation before the meeting, Potts seemed to know when it would happen.

NCBS shares Coastal Cleanup stats
NOAA Marine Debris Program launches
By Jeff M. Hardison © Sept. 29, 2025 at 8 p.m.
All Copyrights Protected By Federal Civil Law
Do Not Copy and Paste to Social Media or Elsewhere
     CEDAR KEY -- Emily Colson, a communications specialist and K-12 education coordinator at the UF/IFAS Nature Coast Biological Station (NCBS) in Cedar Key late Monday afternoon (Sept. 29) provided data about Cedar’s Keys participation in the International Coastal Cleanup of Sept. 20.
     And while those preliminary and local results from the international effort to cleanup coast is inspiring, an announcement released a few days ago shines even more light on potentially good news for aquaculture in the region.
     On Sept. 25, Florida Department of Agriculture Wilton Simpson announced a multimillion-dollar project to remove hurricane marine debris and restore oyster reefs. 
     There were 371 people who volunteered for the effort in Cedar Key on Sept. 20, Colson said.
     To see the whole story, photos and video under the headline of International Coastal Cleanup Gulf of Mexico’s local coast improved; Debris becomes art, tackle boxes, toys and marine habitats, click HERE.
     Those hundreds of volunteers in city park on that Saturday in Cedar Key, collected 15,807 pounds of trash from the coast and adjacent Gulf of Mexico, Colson said.
     Mostly of the weight came from construction debris likely from recent storms, she said. Debris ranged from timber (even doors and windows), appliances and tires, to more items that are more detrimental to life and safety -- like propane tanks and full bottles of chemicals, Colson said.
     “Yet yearly we see that cigarette butts, single-use plastic packaging, glass bottles and aluminum cans are our top quantity items,” Colson continued. “In addition to typical trash, we also collect and dispose of aquaculture marine debris used in clam and oyster farming (like cover netting, clam bags, oyster cages, PVC stakes, and zip ties) that can get loose and wash up.”
     Colson, one of the staff members at the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences’ (UF/IFAS) Nature Coast Biological Station noted that this year researchers noticed a major reduction in these materials, which they believe may be a result from another cleanup event that the NCBS hosted in the spring of this year.
     “I think it’s beneficial to have regular cleanups like this before and after hurricane season to ensure that it’s removed and disposed of properly,” Colson said on Sept. 29.
 

     “This project is an important step toward helping Cedar Key’s aquaculture community recover from back-to-back hurricane seasons while also strengthening the coastal ecosystem,” Simpson said. “Through this project, and by turning marine debris into a resource for restoration, we are protecting jobs, rebuilding livelihoods, and improving the resilience of Florida’s shellfish industry and food supply chain.”
-- Florida Department of Agriculture Wilton Simpson

     On Thursday, Florida Agriculture Commissioner Simpson aid that the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS), with support and $2.9 million in grant funding from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Marine Debris Program, is launching a new project to remove derelict aquaculture gear from the 2023 and 2024 hurricane seasons and restore oyster reef habitat near Cedar Key.
     “This project is an important step toward helping Cedar Key’s aquaculture community recover from back-to-back hurricane seasons while also strengthening the coastal ecosystem,” Simpson said. “Through this project, and by turning marine debris into a resource for restoration, we are protecting jobs, rebuilding livelihoods, and improving the resilience of Florida’s shellfish industry and food supply chain.”
     The project, carried out in partnership with UF/IFAS and the Cedar Key Aquaculture Association, will help to address the devastating impacts of the 2023 and 2024 hurricane seasons on Florida’s shellfish aquaculture industry.
     Cedar Key clam farmers produce more than 90 percent of Florida’s farm-raised clams, Simpson said. They suffered more than $63 million in estimated losses as storms displaced and buried tens of thousands of clam culture bags and other aquaculture gear across state waters.
     FDACS will lead the effort to remove approximately 40,000 damaged clam bags and other marine debris from more than 700 acres of state-owned submerged lands leased for aquaculture.
     The project will put recovered shell material and live oysters from derelict bags to beneficial use by reseeding about five acres of intertidal oyster reef habitat. Restored oyster reefs provide critical ecological benefits, including improved water quality, shoreline protection, and enhanced fisheries habitat.
     In addition to debris removal and reef enhancement, the project will provide a direct economic benefits by contracting under-employed clam growers as service providers.
     This will create immediate income opportunities for local aquaculture workers and help sustain more than 500 jobs tied to Cedar Key’s clam industry. The initiative will include industry workshops to develop hurricane preparedness guidance, ensuring growers are better equipped to withstand future storms.
     The project includes a phased approach for clean-up opportunities during a three-year period. Educational webinars about enrollment and project expectations will take place in December of 2025. More information will be available once a grant work plan has been approved, according to information from FDACS Communications.

4-H Youth Are Beyond Ready:
Levy County 4-H joins
national celebration
of leadership, learning and service

4-H members with their watermelons grown for the Giant Watermelon Project in June, before the Chiefland Watermelon Festival. They are (from left) Asher Stills, Londyn Stinson, Roman Stinson, Courtney Stinson, Corrie Stinson, Gus Mixson, Pearl McWilliams and Eliza McWilliams.

Story and Photos Provided
By Jessica Emerson, Levy County 4-H Youth Development Agent
Published Sept. 25, 2025 at 7:45 p.m.
     LEVY COUNTY -- From the barn to classrooms, community gardens to shooting sports, 4-H youth in Levy County are proving they’re not just ready for the future – they are Beyond Ready.
     During National 4-H Week, celebrated Oct. 5 through Oct. 11, 4-H members from around the state will share how 4-H equips young people with the skills, confidence and resilience to lead in a world full of opportunity and change.
     As America’s largest youth development organization, 4-H empowers six million young people nationwide with hands-on learning experiences through clubs, camps, school programs and community events. Through the Beyond Ready initiative, 4-H will help prepare 10 million youth for work and life by 2030.
     In Levy County, 4-H provides opportunities for youth to develop public speaking skills, lead community service projects, increase self-responsibility, raise livestock and to compete in different challenges.


Levy County 4-H Volunteer Leader Caryn Jones and her son David Jones speaking to members of the community about 4-H shooting sports at the annual open house.


Levy County 4-H Member Jadyn Mathis addresses the 4-H Youth County Council during office elections.

      “4-H in our community provides a space for youth to find what they are passionate about through building connections with positive adult volunteers and staff. Through our programs, youth grow in their leadership abilities, making this a welcoming place for all. I am extremely proud of the youth we have coming through our program. It is a joy watching them overcome challenges and accomplish things they never believed they would,” Levy County 4-H Youth Development Agent Jessica Emerson said.
     UF/IFAS Extension Levy County and its team of educators, volunteers, and mentors deliver 4-H programs that help youth learn by doing. From showcasing their projects at the fair or organizing food drives to support local families, youth are learning skills such as teamwork, resilience, and communication—skills that will serve them in their career and for life.
      “At a time when young people are navigating more uncertainty than ever, 4-H offers them a place to grow, lead, and find their spark,” said Jill Bramble, President & CEO of National 4-H Council. “Through 4-H, youth gain real-world skills and experiences to help them become confident leaders who are resilient, confident, and Beyond Ready for the future.” 
     During National 4-H Week, 4-H members, alumni, volunteers, and supporters will wear green, participate in community service projects, and share their stories on social media using #4HBeyondReady and #National4HWeek.
     To learn more about local 4-H programs or get involved, contact Jessica Emerson at 352-486-5131. 

FDOT starts building $60 million
U.S. 19 at SR 121 improvement project

This is one of the diagrams in the video created by the FDOT to show information about this project. Notice how northbound traffic in the future will go over the other roads at the intersection

Story, Photo and Video Provided By FDOT District 2
Published Sept. 23, 2025 at 4:30 p.m.
     LEVY COUNTY -- Construction has begun on a Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) intersection safety improvements project at the intersection of U.S. Highway 19 and State Road 121 in Levy County.
     Project improvements include reconfiguration of the U.S. 19 at State Road 121 intersection with one independent bridge, new ramps between U.S. 19 and SR 121 / Levy County Road 336, stormwater ponds, and other incidental construction.

To watch and hear a video of how the interchange will function once it is completed, please click on the PHOTO.

     Traffic will be maintained in accordance with FDOT design standards throughout the project. Work is expected to occur daily from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday.
     FDOT selected Anderson Columbia Construction Inc. to complete this $59.5 million by fall 2028, weather and unforeseen circumstances permitting.
     The FDOT’s mission is to provide a safe statewide transportation system that promotes the efficient movement of people and goods, supports the state’s economic competitiveness, prioritizes Florida’s environment and natural resources, and preserves the quality of life and connectedness of the state’s communities.

Cedar Key is the crown jewel
of International Coastal Cleanup 
Gulf of Mexico’s local coast improved
Debris becomes art,
tackle boxes, toys and marine habitats

Dr. Savanna Barry (left) is seen here even though she is on sabbatical. Next to Dr. Barry is Emily Colson, a rising star at the UF/IFAS Nature Coast Biological Station. During many of the past Coastal Cleanups in Cedar Key, Dr. Barry was a leader. This year, Colson accepts the responsibility.

Story, Photos and Video By Jeff M. Hardison © Sept. 21, 2025 at 4 p.m.
All Copyrights Protected By Federal Civil Law
Do Not Copy and Paste to Social Media or Elsewhere
     CEDAR KEY – Saturday, in the park, it was the twentieth of September.
     A daylong venture conducted by volunteers – in and around Cedar Key on Saturday (Sept. 20) – put the isle on the map again for a coast where cleanup happened.     This little island city attracted fishermen, oystermen, clam-harvesters, marine research scientists, searchers, finders, fine artists, performing artists, as well as students, all the way from those learning in elementary school to those performing post-graduate studies -- and others.
     The all came to the Cedar Key part of the Annual International Coastal Cleanup (ICC).
     This year heralds the 19^th year when people came from near and far to help the Cedar Key community make a difference by clearing debris left by litterbugs or storms.


Some people participating in the event in Cedar Key visit the registration table.


The men seen here as they offload heavy debris into a Waste Pro bin are Timothy Solano, who owns the boat used to collect debris and that vessel is part of his business -- Cedar Key Aquaculture Farms -- and Caleb Cullinan, Caden Delano, Fisher Collins and Eladio Lamberson, who are high school and college students.


The men seen here on the boat are Timothy Solano, Caleb Cullinan, Caden Delano, Fisher Collins and Eladio Lamberson, who are high school and college students. On the ground in front of the boat is Jessica Rodriguez, a banker who works on the island in a bank there. This is a large boat used for clamming, normally.

     The Ocean Conservancy had called upon volunteers worldwide to join in the 40^th Annual ICC. Established by the Ocean Conservancy, the ICC is the world’s largest beach and waterway cleanup effort, and just like other coastal areas on Earth, Cedar Key was among those places where humans participated on Sept. 20.
     At last year’s ICC, more than 486,000 volunteers worldwide collected in excess of 7.4 million pounds of trash globally, including 1.4 million food wrappers, 1.2 million beverage bottles, and 1.2 million cigarette butts, the Coastal Conservancy noted.
     On Cedar Key, in the park next to the beach, check-in started at 7:30 a.m. (Eastern Daylight Time). Many volunteers went home afterward with free t-shirts, and several folks enjoyed a free hotdog lunch.
     People collected trash, tallied the weight or numbers of items that were gathered from the Gulf of Mexico and nearby estuaries. This single-day collection effort provides information to help scientists track marine debris trends.

Respect and Care For Each Other

This relatively short video shows young men unloading very heavy debris taken from the Gulf of Mexico on Sept. 20, 2025, off of the coast of Cedar Key, during International Coastal Cleanup Day. This is just one part of that singularly big unloading from a boat that is among the fleet of vessels used otherwise to plant, grow and harvest clams. Viewers may realize an equal amount of work had to occur, where the guys took debris from the Gulf. The men seen here are Timothy Solano, on his boat which is part of his business -- Cedar Key Aquaculture Farms -- and Caleb Cullinan, Caden Delano, Fisher Collins and Eladio Lamberson, who are high school and college students. Click on the PHOTO to see and hear the video. Notice the Waste Pro can on the boat -- Waste Pro - Caring About Community.
This video was created by Jeff M. Hardison -- All Rights Reserved
 
     There’s more to this event on Cedar Key than just cleaning its coast. There are layers that peel away to show ingenuity, as well as the actual grace and beauty of the human spirit. Some of this garbage becomes more than just future filler for a golf course or the foundation placed underneath some residential subdivision to be built in decades to come, where those golf courses and houses are placed on former landfills.
     There are layers found from this event. Throughout the whole morning and into the early afternoon, there was the comingling of happiness uncovered as a result of people working together for the same worthy causes at the same time and place.
     As noted, this was the 19^th year for the ICC in Cedar Key.
     Dr. Savanna Barry has been serving the Nature Coast as a regional specialized agent with Florida Sea Grant and UF/IFAS Extension since February of 2016. She often has been a lead figure in making the event happen in Cedar Key.
     Florida's Nature Coast is an informally designated region along the Gulf of Mexico, encompassing counties from Pasco County in the south to Wakulla County in the north, within the Big Bend area of Florida's western coastline. The Nature Coast is known for its rivers, estuaries, lakes, ponds, marshes, swamps, springs, wildlife, livestock as well as fields, forests and farmland rather than traditional sandy beaches and an overly urbanized environment. 
     Key counties in this region include Pasco, Hernando, Citrus, Levy, Dixie, Taylor, Jefferson, and Wakulla.
     Of course, with 1,000 people moving into Florida each day, the Nature Coast is evolving with a loss of nature as humans develop land for residential and commercial purposes.
     Dr. Barry is a regional specialized extension agent with Florida Sea Grant and the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences at the Nature Coast Biological Station. 
     She authored Living Shorelines for Florida: A Practical Guide for Building Coastal Resilience. Her work goes beyond the Nature Coast because there are many more coasts on the planet in addition to the Nature Coast. Barry, currently on a six-month sabbatical, already has visited the Galapagos Islands and she is heading toward the west coast of Australia.
     She took time to participate in the ICC event at Cedar Key this year. Dr. Barry earned credentials from her studies at the University of Florida (2010–2016), and the University of Virginia (2006–2010). Barry intends to return to the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Nature Coast Biological Station (NCBS), after her sabbatical ends at the conclusion of 2025.
     Leading the effort on Cedar Key for the ICC in 2025 was Emily Colson. Not only does Colson serve as the top coordinator for the ICC event on Cedar Key, but she also edits the NCBS monthly newsletter and serves as the leader for the horseshoe crab monitoring program. Beyond that, Colson serves as the top coordinator for community happenings, including all NCBS events for students from kindergarten through twelfth grade.
     Her focus at NCBS combines a clever mixture of multi-media technology and marine science education to enhance research, Extension and outreach programs.
     At the ICC on Cedar Key this year, as in years past, science, ecology, art and entrepreneurship came to life as this event intertwined those features with the essence of humans caring for one another.
     Despite some people on the planet being driven by hatred and fear, the folks working together on Saturday in the park, and beyond, served others as one team of positive humans.


Preparing and serving the hotdog lunch to the scores of volunteers are these members of the Cedar Key Woman’s Club – (from left) Dee Miller, Susan Hollandsworth, Lorraine Gramolini, Judy Duvall and Jan Hendrix. 


Among the performing artists in the park that day are Mike and Mary Peterson. 


Seen here are many of the 15 students and 10 adults who represented Students Working Against Tobacco from Levy County. Samantha Dean, Levy County Prevention Coalition Community Health Coordinator and SWAT Advisor for Williston Middle High School led the group. Two students from Bronson Middle High School were part of the SWAT group at this event. They collected 686 cigarette butts from the coast as part of their cleanup operation.

Changing Trash To Treasure
     The cleanup of the coast is a wonderful thing, like Tigger of Winnie the Pooh fame.
     However, it gets even better.
     There are a few side stories of turning trash to treasure.
     Three graduate students in the University of Florida Master of the Science of Entrepreneurship take discarded fishing gear and make it into jewelry.
     Isis Bennett, Michael Gonzalez and Madiha Philo find discarded fishing gear and Philo makes it into necklaces.
      Philo, who is from the Seychelles Islands, is a Fulbright scholar. She is an individual an artist who has received a Fulbright grant to exercise her talents abroad in the United States. She is participating in the Fulbright Program, an international academic and cultural exchange program focused on creating mutual understanding between the United States and other countries. 
     Her home -- the Seychelles -- is an archipelago of 115 islands in the Indian Ocean, off of the East Coast of Africa. It's home to numerous beaches, coral reefs and nature reserves, as well as rare animals such as giant Aldabra tortoises.
     All three of these students “perform the heavy lifting” of retrieving the debris and creating the jewelry. Both young women said that Gonzalez’s motto “Help the environment. We do the heavy lifting. Just give us the cash” (as your part in the effort toward recycling and supporting the fine art of jewelry creation).


This display of discarded fishing gear retrieved via coastal cleanup is shown with pictures of some of the jewelry sold by UF post-graduate students.


(from left) Isis Bennett, Michael Gonzalez and Madiha Philo pose for a group shot at their table where they sold jewelry made from discarded fishing gear. All three are seeking degrees in University of Florida Master of the Science of Entrepreneurship.


M - Madiha Philo holds a beautiful necklace she made from fishing gear as her friend and class cohort Isis Bennett watches the Fullbright scholar help the world see the power of applying the fine art of creation. Dream-Believe-Create.

     Another story related to recycling is from the monofilament recycling collection points on the island.
     People who go fishing and reach the end of the line with trying to untangle monofilament can put those tangled webs into these recycling ports rather than to pollute the coastal waters with the clear line.
     There was a display at the park this year showing how the recycled fishing line is made into tackle boxes, toys and marine habitats.
     While this is the happy part of the story. There is a sad, and even gruesome tale. Some people put trash in the recycling collection points. There have even been dirty diapers put in them.
     The display at the park showed the most successful locations for the recycling units and a lot of other relevant information. The display showed an attempt to reach out to the public to reduce the input of bad material and increase the input of monofilament.


This is a picture of the display that shares information about the monofilament recovery and recycling program on the island.


Sue Colson, an extremely active member of the Cedar Key community, holds up some examples of things people put into the recycling units that should NOT be put there.

     The ICC event at Cedar Key was chock-full of “wow” moments, and among them was the continuing tale of an artist who has reached a level of discarded glass recycling for art that may be unrivaled worldwide.
     “I normally have two five-gallon buckets for people to put the glass they find into them,” Mary Prescott of Cedar Key said on Saturday. “But my studio got wiped out by both storms.”
     Prescott said that selling her art is not her main focus. 
     The whole point to showcase her art at the Coastal Cleanup events in Cedar Key, Prescott said, is to honor the people who show up and perform the work. These volunteers get dirty, they get wet, and they get bitten by mosquitoes and sand gnats, Prescott said. They clean up the coastline.
     During the six years she has used glass from cleanup to create into art, she has recycled three tons (6,000 pounds) of glass that would have gone to a landfill. (Glass is no longer recycled in Levy County.)


Mary Prescott stands next to an art piece she created. This includes glass from the 1800s. The glass artwork is framed in a carriage house window frame that came from Kiss Me Quick Island.


Among the youngest people helping at the Coastal Cleanup in Cedar Key this year are Madden Miller (left), 7, and Ryder Miller, 5, who are seen here with their father Johnathan Miller. Here. The boys had already emptied their wheelbarrows, and Dad was sure to move then a bit more away from the Waste Pro dumpster soon after this picture was taken, because that is when there were giant debris pieces being offloaded from Timothy Solano’s clam boat.


People head toward the free hotdog lunches that were cooked and served by members of the Cedar Key Woman’s Club. 


One of the participants starts the process to accept a free hotdog lunch from the Cedar Key Woman’s Club as CKWC Member Judy Duvall (in the green apron and black gloves) shows him the choice of large or regular hotdogs from which to choose.

     Before the Cedar Key participation in the ICC event, there were scores of other volunteers working on Atsena Otie Key as well as next to a canal on Sunset Isle, Sue Colson said.
     Tour boats from Tidewater Tours, Island Tours, Captain Doug, as well as private and commercial boats from Tim Selano and Andrew Gude took 50 or more students back and forth from Atsena Otie Key, Colson said.
     Boats and crews from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission helped in the cleanup at Atsena Otie Key, Colson said.
     John Stark was the captain of the 50 “UF kids” who worked tirelessly on Atsena Otie Key, Colson said. That effort and the work on the canal are what it takes, she added. It takes “a captain” to lead the army of volunteers to clean up debris, Colson said.
     

189^th Performance

Reggie “Reggie Starr” Stacy, country music singer, performs the HardisonInk.com jingle at the Hispanic Heritage Festival in Bronson on Sept. 13, 2025. There have been entire groups of people performing the jingle, including from the Levy County Supervisor of Elections Office as well as some trustees for Central Florida Electric Cooperative. Mark “Clawhammer” Johnson is the only professional performer who has played the jingle as a solo hit on the banjo, so far. Jeff M. Hardison asks people to sing the jingle, and some of them agree to sing it. (Thanks people!) CLICK ON THE PICTURE ABOVE TO SEE AND HEAR THE VIDEO ON YouTube.com. The very first person to sing the jingle was in Chiefland in March of 2013. HardisonInk.com started as a daily news website on Feb. 1, 2011.
Photo and Video by Jeff M. Hardison © Sept. 24, 2025 at 4 p.m.
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