The following was sent by former OSFR president Kristin Rubin, who has been dedicating much of her time to promote the FRTCW amendment. OSFR is blessed with many hard-workers none of whom are paid.
Since many of Florida’s leaders in the Legislature serve only themselves rather than the people who elected them, this amendment may be our only hope to save our rivers and springs. Some have even said we are too stupid to know how to spend our money so they feel free to fund their personal projects.
Please help put this amendment in our constitution, safe from greedy self-server legislators.
And a big thank you to the OSFR volunteers!
Comments by OSFR historian Jim Tatum.
jim.tatum@oursantaferiver.org
– A river is like a life: once taken,
it cannot be brought back © Jim Tatum
Happy Thanksgiving,
OSFR was invited to have a booth at the 41st Annual Gainesville Arts Festival once again and we rocked it! This year the Sierra Club was our neighbor and as always, the more the merrier.. They helped us set up Saturday morning and load up Sunday afternoon. Thank you Sierra Club. We said hello to our dear friend John Moran whose photography is proof of what we can see if we look and David Moritz was there to say hello and lend his support for The Right to Clean Water.
The League of Women Voters was also collecting signed petitions, so all in all, a great day for The Right to Clean Water.
The ‘we” was Dani Lee, OSFR Treasurer, Patty Street, Board Member and Education Committee, Terry Phelan, OSFR President, Cathy Messersmith, Marion Moss, and Billie Jo Benedict, OSFR members always willing to help keep our waters protected and Lisa Blythe who has been at almost all of the OSFR monthly book club meetings hosted by David Vaina, OSFR Secretary and genius behind the book club which continues to bring issues and lively conversation to the forefront.
Saturday, November 19th was a gorgeous, chilly day and the volunteers talked to over 300 people and concerned citizens signed 245 petitions for the Right to Clean Water. We had our infamous water faucet with the empty, non-recyclable, single use plastic bottles on display, our karst rock to share what is put onto our soil ends up in the water we drink and of course our cooler of water for all to enjoy for free, even the canines.
Just as Saturday was a day of nonstop conversation about The Right to Clean Water, Sunday , November 20th was even more so as citizens from many counties came out once the light rain subsided. There were almost 300 petitions signed…that is a lot of conversations.
We were so busy, that it was almost impossible to secure the signed petition so we could hand the clipboard to the next person!
So yes, Happy Thanksgiving especially to those that took a moment to listen to a summation of the proposed amendment and give their support by signing it. These same people were thankful for the volunteers that made time to gather the signed petitions.
They wanted to know more about what OSFR does, like working with the Sierra Club and others to prevent an application for mining in Bradford and Union counties, the beginnings of OSFR with the courage to stop 4 bottling companies in its infancy and our involvement with Sierra Club in our need to stop toll roads from ruining fragile eco systems in the name of sprawl.
Then there is Blue Triton, formerly known as Nestle’, and the Consumptive Use Permit that is up for renewal in two years. Thanks to the Florida Springs Council for their continued work to prevent this from happening.
