Letters to the editor, Jan. 8

Giving thanks

We would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone in the community for their support in making the Christmas Celebration of Lights event a big success at Ellie Schiller Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park.

This was the 19th year the Friends of Homosassa Springs Wildlife Park have sponsored this community event and it was brighter than ever.

The park's maintenance and transportation departments, with assistance from a group of volunteers, put up the lights and decorations for the remainder of the park for the holidays.

Thanks to Santa and Mrs. Claus and their elves for taking the time from their busy schedule to listen to many children's Christmas wishes. More than 3,500 children and adults enjoyed the toboggan slide and six tons of snow on the evening of Dec. 22.

Thanks to Sebastian Hawes for creating Sebastian's Winter Wonderland, a spectacular synchronized light and sound display in the Garden of the Springs. He and his family spent several months, designing and installing the lights.

Four evenings of wonderful entertainment was provided by Hearts to Hands Deaf Choir, Cajun Dave from Neon Leon's, Beverly Hills Community Church's Chime Choir and Marcus Held of Panetopia Restaurant who performed as Elvis on the final night of the Celebration at the After-Christmas Party. DJ Joe Dube did a terrific job emceeing, assisting the entertainers and providing holiday music for dancing most evenings of the event.

The Nature Coast Community Church presented another wonderful holiday service in our garden on Christmas Eve, which inspired people of all ages and all backgrounds. We Care Food Bank was the recipient of hundreds of pounds of non-perishable food items donated in lieu of admission on Christmas Eve.

We would also like to thank the Department of Environmental Protection's Park police officers for keeping the visitors safe crossing Fishbowl Drive every evening of the event.

The support of all the staff of Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park, including members of the Friends, volunteers and employees, was instrumental in making this event so successful.

A special thanks to all of those who attended our event and participated in the Celebration of Lights. Thanks, once again, for showing your support for Ellie Schiller Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park. We wish everyone a Happy New Year.

Karen Franklin and Art Yerian

Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park

Rid Washington of career politicians

What in the world has happened to our country and our government? I'm a senior born in 1939 and over these many years I have seen the United States of America turn into a direction that is not the country I grew up in.

As a youngster growing up and going to school in the 40's and into the early 50's, our governments in the House and Senate in most cases were not career members. They were, in most cases, successful people from the private sector who went to Washington, D.C., as a calling as many were paid $1 per year. They went to Washington to do the peoples business and not to self serve themselves as they are today.

The people who ran for office seemed to be very different from the people we find in Washington today. The Senate and the House seats were never to be career jobs where a man or woman is in that position forever as we see happening now. What is the answer? Term limits.

And how can we get our lawmakers to pass term limits into the law? The only way is the career lawmakers who don't want to give up power need to be voted out of office. Only a House and Senate member who will work to solve the structured problems and debt we are drowning in without worrying about being reelected will be able to save the United States as we have known it.

This is true for the city, county, state, federal up to the president in order to correct the direction of our country. With our elected officials pandering to special interests and campaigning and raising money for reelection instead of doing what's best for the American people, we will continue turning the greatest country ever known into a third world European socialist country.

So what kind of country do you want to live in? I want to confess I am a conservative and want to see our country make a complete reversal in the direction the Obama Administration and the progressive movement that seems bent on leading the U.S.

We need to elect a whole new group of leaders that will fix the structural problems facing our country instead of making them worse. Don't forget the power of your vote and than the veterans that have made it possible.

Frederic J. Guenther

Weeki Wachee