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Protest to Nestle Water Grab, part II

nes rally mmj leading In: Protest to Nestle Water Grab, part II | Our Santa Fe River, Inc. (OSFR) | Protecting the Santa Fe River

nes rally water tower In: Protest to Nestle Water Grab, part II | Our Santa Fe River, Inc. (OSFR) | Protecting the Santa Fe River
Protesters march with High Springs water tower in background.

 

We continue our post of Nov. 1, 2019, in order to present more images of those attending.  This protest was organized by Merrillee Malwitz-Jipson who, with the help of Anton Kernohan, conceived and planned the project, arranged the speakers, consulted the police, (to whom we give thanks for full cooperation,)  sent out the notices, planned the signs (with which she had some help in the making) and went to High Springs and made it work.   How lucky are we and the environment to have these people working for OSFR and our planet.

Leader that she is, Merrillee needed participants to send the message to Seven Springs, Nestle and the Suwannee River Water Management District.

And she got them.  People by the dozens came from as far away as Hawthorne, Tampa and Orlando.

Nestle’s and Seven Springs’ greed and the fact that our water district is industry’s toady results in a negative impact on our river and springs and brings out passion, indignation and anger, directed at the two water companies and also our state agencies for allowing it.

That the water district’s board has representatives from agriculture  and developers but not a single environmentalist adds  further injustice and  rage.  Here we direct our anger toward our governor.

This march sent a message to Seven Springs and Nestle: You are not a good neighbor; we do not want you in our community, you pollute and take our water. The few jobs you give in return is a pittance.  You leave the river and spring and Florida poorer than before you came.  And you leave plastic water bottles everywhere.

This march also told Suwannee River Water Management District that we do not want you to help industry instead of our river and spring.  The public has spoken loudly with many comments.  Read them and listen.

Seven Springs, Nestle, SRWMD, the message could not be more clear.

Thank you Merrillee, thank you everyone who was present.

nes rally tracy2 In: Protest to Nestle Water Grab, part II | Our Santa Fe River, Inc. (OSFR) | Protecting the Santa Fe River      nes rally billiejo3 In: Protest to Nestle Water Grab, part II | Our Santa Fe River, Inc. (OSFR) | Protecting the Santa Fe River l
Tracy Marinello and Billie Jo Benedict;  hardworking and ever-present

nes rally jojo In: Protest to Nestle Water Grab, part II | Our Santa Fe River, Inc. (OSFR) | Protecting the Santa Fe River    nes rally vicky In: Protest to Nestle Water Grab, part II | Our Santa Fe River, Inc. (OSFR) | Protecting the Santa Fe River
Joanne Trembly         Victoria Machado, U. Florida

nes rally mike cindy2 In: Protest to Nestle Water Grab, part II | Our Santa Fe River, Inc. (OSFR) | Protecting the Santa Fe River   nes rally pruitt sarah b In: Protest to Nestle Water Grab, part II | Our Santa Fe River, Inc. (OSFR) | Protecting the Santa Fe River
Cindy Noel, OSFR treasurer                 Jim Pruitt,  Sarah Baldwin

Mike Roth  OSFR president

 

nes rally hilda In: Protest to Nestle Water Grab, part II | Our Santa Fe River, Inc. (OSFR) | Protecting the Santa Fe River
On the left, Hilda Gilchrist with unknown

nes rally fresh water In: Protest to Nestle Water Grab, part II | Our Santa Fe River, Inc. (OSFR) | Protecting the Santa Fe River
Fresh water truck held by Kirk Moss.

 

nes really terry andy In: Protest to Nestle Water Grab, part II | Our Santa Fe River, Inc. (OSFR) | Protecting the Santa Fe River
Terry (OSFR board member) and Andy Phelan

nes rally mmj izzy In: Protest to Nestle Water Grab, part II | Our Santa Fe River, Inc. (OSFR) | Protecting the Santa Fe River
Merrillee sings along with Izzy Mogelgaard of Clearwater.  Added levity to the gathering.

nes rally triss meucci In: Protest to Nestle Water Grab, part II | Our Santa Fe River, Inc. (OSFR) | Protecting the Santa Fe River  nes rally saana In: Protest to Nestle Water Grab, part II | Our Santa Fe River, Inc. (OSFR) | Protecting the Santa Fe River nes rally maryann In: Protest to Nestle Water Grab, part II | Our Santa Fe River, Inc. (OSFR) | Protecting the Santa Fe River
Tris Meucci            Sana Saare                   Maryann Smith

nes rally russ In: Protest to Nestle Water Grab, part II | Our Santa Fe River, Inc. (OSFR) | Protecting the Santa Fe River    nes rally rhonda walter In: Protest to Nestle Water Grab, part II | Our Santa Fe River, Inc. (OSFR) | Protecting the Santa Fe River
Russ & Elayne Augspurg                   OSFR board member Rhonda Long, Walter Bickmeyer
grandparents of Issac A.

nes rally mmj leads2 In: Protest to Nestle Water Grab, part II | Our Santa Fe River, Inc. (OSFR) | Protecting the Santa Fe River
Merillee has her ducks in a row and directs the staging parade to the speaker area.

nes rally marion In: Protest to Nestle Water Grab, part II | Our Santa Fe River, Inc. (OSFR) | Protecting the Santa Fe River nes rally kate G In: Protest to Nestle Water Grab, part II | Our Santa Fe River, Inc. (OSFR) | Protecting the Santa Fe River nes rally doug In: Protest to Nestle Water Grab, part II | Our Santa Fe River, Inc. (OSFR) | Protecting the Santa Fe River
Marion Moss          Kate Gallagher          Doug Jipson

nes rally jane yell In: Protest to Nestle Water Grab, part II | Our Santa Fe River, Inc. (OSFR) | Protecting the Santa Fe RiverJane Blaise.  Well, we said this industrial greed draws out our passions.
nes rally mmj sign In: Protest to Nestle Water Grab, part II | Our Santa Fe River, Inc. (OSFR) | Protecting the Santa Fe RiverWorking on signs with Anton, Hilda and Merrillee

rally1 In: Protest to Nestle Water Grab, part II | Our Santa Fe River, Inc. (OSFR) | Protecting the Santa Fe River

Comments by OSFR historian Jim Tatum.
-A river is like a life: once taken, it cannot be brought back-


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3 Comments

  1. I think we are beginning to see the picture. Wealthy land-owners, along with our Governor are planning a big expansion in the north western part of our state…..new toll roads to “nowhere”, expansion of local roads, and the destruction of Florida’s water supply. The news is, with destruction and over building, comes multiple issues with algae, drying up of springs and rivers, death to wildlife and destruction of the habitat and, then…..NO VISITORS as there will be nothing left of the reasons people travel to Florida and with a tourism based economy—-the one that made Florida the Sunshine State—will be no longer.

    We begin to stop this destruction of our state by protecting our rivers and streams, our wildlife, our unique outdoors and continuing to give people a reason to visit, to love and to enjoy what Florida’s natural resources provides.

  2. Do not renew the permit for Nestle. We do not want them destroying our environment for profit.

  3. Thank you for sharing this important information and demanding stewardship of Florida spring water.

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