Comments for http://www.melrosefl.com/blog Wed, 18 Aug 2010 12:06:27 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 Comment on What do you want for Melrose? by Jane Storm http://www.melrosefl.com/blog/?p=698&cpage=1#comment-1646 Jane Storm Wed, 18 Aug 2010 12:06:27 +0000 http://www.melrosefl.com/blog/?p=698#comment-1646 I would like to see Melrose bring back the Grape Festival, and begin a Blueberry Festival. The Heritage Park is an ideal location. The weekly Farmer's Market seems to be a food fest, which is great. Maybe more vendors and picnic tables would make dining there a weekly treat. Also, I'd like to see the town gear toward a golf cart community. I was told they are permissable on the road where the speed limit is set low, but I'm not sure of the exact legality. Melrose is the only town in the nation that has four counties! Ungoverned and ungovernable ? I would like to see Melrose bring back the Grape Festival, and begin a Blueberry Festival. The Heritage Park is an ideal location. The weekly Farmer’s Market seems to be a food fest, which is great. Maybe more vendors and picnic tables would make dining there a weekly treat.

Also, I’d like to see the town gear toward a golf cart community. I was told they are permissable on the road where the speed limit is set low, but I’m not sure of the exact legality.

Melrose is the only town in the nation that has four counties! Ungoverned and ungovernable ?

]]> Comment on What do you want for Melrose? by admin http://www.melrosefl.com/blog/?p=698&cpage=1#comment-1620 admin Tue, 17 Aug 2010 17:17:44 +0000 http://www.melrosefl.com/blog/?p=698#comment-1620 More thoughts on what people want for Melrose. This was sent via e-mail and is self-explanatory. It's good to hear from some of our winter-time residents that are doing their summer time thing. Thanks for your comments, Diane. HI, I am Diane Clark and my husband, Bill Moran live in Melrose from Nov. to April each year. We very much feel a part of the community, having met so many wonderful people and attended many arts and social affairs. We are actually hoping to be a part of the Christmas Parade with our little trailer. It has taken me awhile to answer this request because i am not on target with many of the questions. Please consider that my husband and I run an environmental center during the summer in western New YORK. I THINK THE "HOT ISSUE" that affects Melrose ( and the world ) is climate change and the apparent raise in temperatures. Melrose would be well off with a tree planting campaign, not more utilities and buildings and businesses. The hot issues of developing a really green area, would bring in tourists, individuals not corporations. Again, i would like to see an environmental store, with Audubon having a permanent home base. Eco tours could certainly be encouraged. We are still in a recession, so that is just the national trend, not an area to panic over. Nature, nature nature, we should be singing the praises of nature and exploiting our wonderful natural resources, our walking trail, the lakes, eco tours. Why can't Melrose become the northern Florida Eden? Welcome to the gardens of Melrose! More Community Pot Lucks and gatherings, more house concerts more cultural and arts gatherings. So that is my twist. Enjoy! Diane More thoughts on what people want for Melrose. This was sent via e-mail and is self-explanatory. It’s good to hear from some of our winter-time residents that are doing their summer time thing. Thanks for your comments, Diane.

HI, I am Diane Clark and my husband, Bill Moran live in Melrose from Nov. to April each year. We very much feel a part of the community, having met so many wonderful people and attended many arts and social affairs. We are actually hoping to be a part of the Christmas Parade with our little trailer.
It has taken me awhile to answer this request because i am not on target with many of the questions. Please consider that my husband and I run an environmental center during the summer in western New YORK.

I THINK THE “HOT ISSUE” that affects Melrose ( and the world ) is climate change and the apparent raise in temperatures. Melrose would be well off with a tree planting campaign, not more utilities and buildings and businesses. The hot issues of developing a really green area, would bring in tourists, individuals not corporations.

Again, i would like to see an environmental store, with Audubon having a permanent home base. Eco tours could certainly be encouraged.

We are still in a recession, so that is just the national trend, not an area to panic over.

Nature, nature nature, we should be singing the praises of nature and exploiting our wonderful natural resources, our walking trail, the lakes, eco tours. Why can’t Melrose become the northern Florida Eden? Welcome to the gardens of Melrose!

More Community Pot Lucks and gatherings, more house concerts more cultural and arts gatherings.

So that is my twist. Enjoy! Diane

]]> Comment on What do you want for Melrose? by Bobby Zettlemoyer http://www.melrosefl.com/blog/?p=698&cpage=1#comment-1617 Bobby Zettlemoyer Tue, 17 Aug 2010 14:12:06 +0000 http://www.melrosefl.com/blog/?p=698#comment-1617 Luann, We've already had many of those shops in Melrose. You may think they can make it. It is very difficult to make it in a small town, if you do not serve alcohol, like beer and/or mixed drinks. People are tired at the end of the day. They have to get home, feed their household and relax. I actually thought my ice cream shop would make it. but after all the permits, taxes, high cost of leasing, and any other expenses, it is virtually impossible without a LARGE amount of cash to continue. People will not sustain a nice little business in a small town without lots of foot traffic. Luann, We’ve already had many of those shops in Melrose. You may think they can make it. It is very difficult to make it in a small town, if you do not serve alcohol, like beer and/or mixed drinks. People are tired at the end of the day. They have to get home, feed their household and relax. I actually thought my ice cream shop would make it. but after all the permits, taxes, high cost of leasing, and any other expenses, it is virtually impossible without a LARGE amount of cash to continue. People will not sustain a nice little business in a small town without lots of foot traffic.

]]> Comment on What do you want for Melrose? by Bobby Zettlemoyer http://www.melrosefl.com/blog/?p=698&cpage=1#comment-1540 Bobby Zettlemoyer Sat, 14 Aug 2010 16:52:09 +0000 http://www.melrosefl.com/blog/?p=698#comment-1540 I have been a resident in Melrose for over 40 years. I sold life insurance in this area for 11 years. I also opened an ice cream shop for 3 years. I've heard all sides of this issue about incorporation. I heard the pros and the cons. Most of the opposition come from the natives of Melrose and long time residents. Most of the support has come from the very people who have left their former residents to live in this community to get away from all the political and taxing ideas of their former towns. If you look around at the very people who wants this to happen, you will see business people, political people, and retired people (from other places that they spent their working years at) agreeing. The ones who oppose this are the younger people, long time residents (natives), and people who wants a place to live without all the taxing political ways of all the incorporated cities. We should not allow anything that is going to tax our freedom and be run by politicians who just want a vote. Please think of the reason you moved here. We do not need a political government run by tax dollars that will need to be collected from us. We already have that from Palatka, Gainesville, Starke, and Greencove Springs. Putnam, Alachua, Bradford, and Clay county police have a very good response time. If we create our own government (police, fire and rescue, and any political offices), this will require more tax dollars. We do not need this now or anytime in the near future. These values may weaken with time, but if we stay true to the values of our community and stand up as we did to the sturgeon farm and to the Toll Road (1980), we will have a very nice place to live. Yes, we may not get all the dollars from the counties or political promises by not incorporating. But, we can control our own destinies. As Darrell mentioned above, "If Melrose incorporates, Melrose would need politicians to take care of the citizens". Haven't we seen what all this has done to our country. Instead of creating things in thought of creating more tax dollars, and collecting more tax dollars that can be corrupted or miss spent. We can just keep to what we do best, coming together when we need and to support the things that will keep Melrose the nice peaceful community it is today and has been throughout history. Please, if you don't like it and want change, try your place of residents first. I have been a resident in Melrose for over 40 years. I sold life insurance in this area for 11 years. I also opened an ice cream shop for 3 years. I’ve heard all sides of this issue about incorporation. I heard the pros and the cons. Most of the opposition come from the natives of Melrose and long time residents. Most of the support has come from the very people who have left their former residents to live in this community to get away from all the political and taxing ideas of their former towns. If you look around at the very people who wants this to happen, you will see business people, political people, and retired people (from other places that they spent their working years at) agreeing. The ones who oppose this are the younger people, long time residents (natives), and people who wants a place to live without all the taxing political ways of all the incorporated cities. We should not allow anything that is going to tax our freedom and be run by politicians who just want a vote. Please think of the reason you moved here. We do not need a political government run by tax dollars that will need to be collected from us. We already have that from Palatka, Gainesville, Starke, and Greencove Springs.
Putnam, Alachua, Bradford, and Clay county police have a very good response time. If we create our own government (police, fire and rescue, and any political offices), this will require more tax dollars. We do not need this now or anytime in the near future. These values may weaken with time, but if we stay true to the values of our community and stand up as we did to the sturgeon farm and to the Toll Road (1980), we will have a very nice place to live. Yes, we may not get all the dollars from the counties or political promises by not incorporating. But, we can control our own destinies. As Darrell mentioned above, “If Melrose incorporates, Melrose would need politicians to take care of the citizens”. Haven’t we seen what all this has done to our country. Instead of creating things in thought of creating more tax dollars, and collecting more tax dollars that can be corrupted or miss spent. We can just keep to what we do best, coming together when we need and to support the things that will keep Melrose the nice peaceful community it is today and has been throughout history. Please, if you don’t like it and want change, try your place of residents first.

]]> Comment on What do you want for Melrose? by LuAnn http://www.melrosefl.com/blog/?p=698&cpage=1#comment-1516 LuAnn Fri, 13 Aug 2010 20:34:41 +0000 http://www.melrosefl.com/blog/?p=698#comment-1516 I've been pondering this. I think some businesses that might go well in Melrose include a book store, stained glass shop with classes, pottery and/or ceramic shop with classes, fresh produce shop with home made jams/jellies, pickled items, sauces, etc., car/boat detail service, coffee shop with open mic night for local artists - musicians/comedians, etc., bait and tackle shop, picture framing shop. I’ve been pondering this. I think some businesses that might go well in Melrose include a book store, stained glass shop with classes, pottery and/or ceramic shop with classes, fresh produce shop with home made jams/jellies, pickled items, sauces, etc., car/boat detail service, coffee shop with open mic night for local artists – musicians/comedians, etc., bait and tackle shop, picture framing shop.

]]> Comment on What do you want for Melrose? by admin http://www.melrosefl.com/blog/?p=698&cpage=1#comment-1494 admin Thu, 12 Aug 2010 18:52:45 +0000 http://www.melrosefl.com/blog/?p=698#comment-1494 Another voice heard from. This appeared in yesterday's (August 11) Gainesville Sun: <strong>Leave Melrose alone</strong> In response to "Why Melrose should be a city," Aug. 9, by Mark V. Barrow: Leave Melrose alone. I have a deep fear of the word "incorporate," which means unite as one body. Sounds good, but beware of the consequences. Individualism: the conception that all values, rights, and duties originate in individuals. If Melrose incorporates, Melrose would need politicians to take care of the citizens. Maybe then Melrose would need a police chief. Maybe Melrose would need a dog catcher, or someone to tell where you can park your car. How would all of these new titles be funded? I moved to Melrose to get away from all the rules and regulations of Gainesville. I think most people in Melrose feel the same way. Let the voices of Melrose be heard by a straw poll vote. I too can live with the results of that vote. Darrell Fowler Melrose Another voice heard from. This appeared in yesterday’s (August 11) Gainesville Sun:
Leave Melrose alone

In response to “Why Melrose should be a city,” Aug. 9, by Mark V. Barrow: Leave Melrose alone.

I have a deep fear of the word “incorporate,” which means unite as one body. Sounds good, but beware of the consequences.

Individualism: the conception that all values, rights, and duties originate in individuals. If Melrose incorporates, Melrose would
need politicians to take care of the citizens.

Maybe then Melrose would need a police chief. Maybe Melrose would need a dog catcher, or someone to tell where you can park
your car. How would all of these new titles be funded?

I moved to Melrose to get away from all the rules and regulations of Gainesville. I think most people in Melrose feel the same
way. Let the voices of Melrose be heard by a straw poll vote.

I too can live with the results of that vote.

Darrell Fowler
Melrose

]]> Comment on Thanks David & Jill! by Fabrizio Passalacqua http://www.melrosefl.com/blog/?p=585&cpage=1#comment-423 Fabrizio Passalacqua Sat, 01 May 2010 17:26:05 +0000 http://www.melrosefl.com/blog/?p=585#comment-423 While what Jill McGuire and David Beede are doing is great and will most certainly help, I would suggest/propose to collect as many signatures as possible from the greater Melrose and Keystone Height residents, opposing the Surgeon Farm project in Melrose. In this election year 200/300 signature, hopefully more, should bear some attention when presented to all Putnam County commissioners and the St John's River Water Management Department; they must produce some effect!!! While what Jill McGuire and David Beede are doing is great and will most certainly help, I would suggest/propose to collect as many signatures as possible from the greater Melrose and Keystone Height residents, opposing the Surgeon Farm project in Melrose. In this election year 200/300 signature, hopefully more, should bear some attention when presented to all Putnam County commissioners and the St John’s River Water Management Department; they must produce some effect!!!

]]> Comment on Change is always with us! by Dore http://www.melrosefl.com/blog/?p=543&cpage=1#comment-349 Dore Mon, 29 Mar 2010 20:15:10 +0000 http://www.melrosefl.com/blog/?p=543#comment-349 not keen on an "unbrella association". another layer of officials. Let's stay as Melrose and not dilute our goals with other folks's goals. The senior center needs a pool. not keen on an “unbrella association”. another layer of officials. Let’s stay as Melrose and not dilute our goals with other folks’s goals.

The senior center needs a pool.

]]> Comment on MBCA Meeting, Open Air Arts, etc. by Jessica http://www.melrosefl.com/blog/?p=529&cpage=1#comment-341 Jessica Thu, 25 Mar 2010 02:30:35 +0000 http://www.melrosefl.com/blog/?p=529#comment-341 We will sure try to get to the next MBCA meeting on the right day next time. Sorry we missed it. Despite all of your reminders and emails, I still managed to get the dates all mixed up. Is today Wednesday??? ha We will sure try to get to the next MBCA meeting on the right day next time. Sorry we missed it. Despite all of your reminders and emails, I still managed to get the dates all mixed up. Is today Wednesday??? ha

]]> Comment on Change is always with us! by Jessica http://www.melrosefl.com/blog/?p=543&cpage=1#comment-340 Jessica Thu, 25 Mar 2010 02:27:01 +0000 http://www.melrosefl.com/blog/?p=543#comment-340 I have two comments to share. 1. Something needs to be done to fix the automatic watering of Heritage Park. Our store is directly across the street from the park and we have seen it rain for two days straight and then the sprinklers some on in the park. We are a community that cares about our lakes; seems we would show it better, especially on "Main Street Melrose". Having a nice green park is wonderful, but wasting water is terrible. 2. I think it would be a wonderful addition to Melrose to have a community board to post local events. I know we have the small one at the post office, but I'm thinking bigger and better. Just a thought. I have two comments to share.
1. Something needs to be done to fix the automatic watering of Heritage Park. Our store is directly across the street from the park and we have seen it rain for two days straight and then the sprinklers some on in the park. We are a community that cares about our lakes; seems we would show it better, especially on “Main Street Melrose”. Having a nice green park is wonderful, but wasting water is terrible.
2. I think it would be a wonderful addition to Melrose to have a community board to post local events. I know we have the small one at the post office, but I’m thinking bigger and better. Just a thought.

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