Former OPHS Senior Class President
Erich Spivey on First Coast News
Wayne Spivey
Staff Writer
Erich Spivey, the former Senior Class President at Orange Park High School (Class of 2000) and graduate of the University of Florida's College of Journalism with a degree in Telecommunication News and a minor in Criminology (2002), has returned home. He is the newest television reporter on First Coast News, which airs on both WTLV and WJXX, the NBC and ABC affiliates in Jacksonville.
Spivey began reporting for the Clay County Leader newspaper while in high school. At UF he wrote for The Gainesville Sun and reported for WRUF-AM and WUFT News 5.
After graduation, his first TV news assignment took him from sunny Florida to Bangor, Maine - WVII-TV, then to WRDW News 12, the CBS affiliate in Augusta, Georgia. He was the first reporter filing live reports after a train crash in Graniteville, South Carolina, which led to 15 hours of continuous live reporting. He also reported from New Orleans in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and from Wauchula, Florida, after Hurricane Charley.
For the past two years, Erich reported for WFMY News 2, the Gannett station in Greensboro, North Carolina, covering several major stories including the Virginia Tech shootings and the Rev. Jerry Falwell funeral.
Erich has appeared on 60 Minutes and reported live for CNN.
He aired his first report on First Coast News on July 25th. Look for his upcoming bio on Firstcoastnews.com. You may reach Erich at espivey@gannett.com with news ideas - or just to get back in touch with old friends.
Congratulations and Welcome Home Erich from your Neighbor to Neighbor "Your Newspaper with the Best of Clay County Living."
The Shrimp are Running
at the
Ann Williamson Staff Writer
It’s that time of year again . . . casting nets along the St. Johns River in the area of the Green Cove Springs City Pier and Shands Fishing Pier, as the shrimp begin running – well, as long as a hurricane isn’t approaching, that is.
Recreational “shrimping” is a subculture all its own, as many long-time residents join the throng at pier side and begin hauling in this tasty “river” delicacy that goes beyond the salt-water variety.
Each summer, the shrimp travel into the brackish waters of the
Shrimp season in the Green Cove Springs area usually begins near the end of July and as late as November in some cases, depending on the northeasters, and the colder climate weather factors.
The safari onto the City Pier includes many varieties of cast nets, five gallon buckets, ice chests, folding chairs, flashlights, lanterns, rock salt, shrimp pellets, clay, cat food, panty hose and an entourage of families of all cultures and creed. It is truly a melting pot of humanity, as they enjoy the sport, shoulder-to-shoulder up and down the Green Cove Springs City Pier. It is truly a sight to behold.
As the sun sets in the west, the antique street lights that dot the City Pier click on for another enjoyable night of shrimping on the
Who says there is nothing to do in Green Cove Springs?
Come on down . . . and enjoy the evening.
___ Ann Williamson/staff
Local resident Valdon Haley proudly displays a sample of the bountiful shrimp now being caught from the Green Cove Springs City Pier.
Atlanta and Miami Home Games
Jaguars Open NFL Preseason -
Fans Enjoy Scrimmage
Wayne Spivey
Staff Writer
"It was all about setting the tone for the season," commented one Jaguars fan, "a nighttime tradition, at Jacksonville Municipal Stadium."
On August 1st, 12,109 fans enjoyed the team's "Training Camp Scrimmage," and hung around for the autographs. The Roar, D-Line, Boogie Freaks, along with Jaxon de Ville and the Jax Pack entertained the crowd, but it was meeting the players up close and personal after the scrimmage that excited everyone. Autographs and photos with players and cheerleaders became instant treasures.
Jaguars' owners and beloved philanthropist Wayne Weaver and family were on the sidelines throughout the scrimmage, cheering on their team. Fans enjoyed free parking, free admission and special concession prices to begin the 2008 football season.
Fans cheered loudest when Josh Scobee kicked a 57-yard field goal that would have been good from 67 yards. Rookies shined and shaved their heads in solidarity. Veterans Fred Taylor and David Garrard connected. "Jaguars Won!" exclaimed football-crazed fans. The training camp scrimmage was followed the next day with closed practice sessions.
An exciting lineup of preseason NFL games has the Miami Dolphins and Atlanta Falcons coming to Jacksonville on consecutive Saturday evenings: Jags vs. Dolphins on August 9th and Jags vs. Falcons on August 16th. These games start at 7:30 PM.
The Jags travel to Tampa Bay to play the Buccaneers on the 23rd and to Washington, D.C. to play the Redskins on the 28th.
The NFL regular season begins September 7th for the Jaguars, an away game against the Tennessee Titans. First home game is against the Buffalo Bills the following Sunday with a 1 PM kickoff.
Sesquicentennial Series: Black Creek Ferries
Rideout: Last of the Old Ferries
Wayne Spivey
Staff Writer
Ferries were certainly important to the growth and maturity of Clay County from the mid-1800s until the year 1960. The Rideout Ferry, near present day McRae Landing at County Road-209 ceased to operate on June 19th of that year, which ended the era of ferries throughout the county.
"Tirl Phillips was the last ferryman," according to "Who's Who Politically Speaking in Clay County, Florida 1958 - 1986."
"The first ferry was propelled by oars but a cable was strung over the three-hundred foot span when the County assumed responsibility and the operator used a 'pulley stick' to move the vessel. A pulley stick was simply a large hickory stick with a notch in it which was placed on the cable. 'You just put the notch in the cable and rear back and pull,'" Tirl Phillips was quoted in "Parade of Memories - A History of Clay County, Florida" by Arch Blakey.
Margaret and Glenn Ryan of Doctors Inlet remembers riding on the ferry. Margaret moved here from Michigan in 1931. "Back then an old fellow ran the ferry. He had one arm and a heavy stick three-feet long with a notch to pull the steel cable. There was no fee but you had to wait, if the ferry was on the other side," said Margaret. Only one car could cross at a time. Glenn remembers, "it took ten to fifteen minutes to get to the other side. There was a ramp at each end of the ferry, pulled up by a rope." Glenn also recalled that "Black Creek was quite busy with bigger boats back then. The operator had to lower the cable for river traffic and then pull it back up again."
"A typical ferry was constructed of heavy planks and the cost averaged $55.00 during the 1880s. On each end of one side of the boat, two hickory (or cypress) posts with a hole bored about six inches from the top, were firmly installed. A cable (in earlier times, a heavy rope) ran through the posts and was anchored on both sides of the creek…When boats wanted to pass, the cable was slacked off and lowered into the water so the boats could clear and then tightened up again," confirmed Blakey. In general, ferries were ten feet wide and thirty feet long - dangerous without railings. In early times some horses became spooked during river crossings with horses, riders and carriages all lost.
Ferrymen salaries in the 1880s ranged from $9 per month at Gary's Ferry near Middleburg to $16 per month at the mouth of Black Creek. At Swimming Pen, near present day Whitey's Fish Camp, Ferryman Dave Hardenbrook received only $6 per month. By 1912, Ferryman S. J. Carter made $28 per month at Middleburg Ferry. Decades later, County Commissioners in 1948 raised J.R. Frisbee's salary from $75 to $100 per month.
As many a five ferries operated on Black Creek in the early 1900s. On June 13th 1960 minutes of the Board of County Commissioners records : "A motion was made by Commissioner Luther Wilson, seconded by Marvin Green, and passed that the Clerk be authorized to have Louie McKee survey and place a marker on the County-owned property located at the Rideout Ferry, Black Creek, and also to transfer Tirl Phillips from Ferry Tender to the Road Department at the same salary. This salary was $2,760.00 per year." In the July 11th records (1960): "Bids were opened, at the County Commissioners meeting, as advertised, for sale of the Rideout Ferry. The highest bid of $1,660.60 from Dan McInerney was accepted."
The era of ferries ended with Rideout which had operated for over seventy-five years. Prosperity followed with the opening of a concrete bridge for CR-209 over Black Creek. The development of Lake Asbury soon followed and the center of Clay County has blossomed ever since.
Note: Historical records report that the Rideout Ferry was also known as the Gad Frisbee Ferry. Ferrymen at this location from 1904 until 1952 included J. H. Harrell, J. R. Frisbee, Emanuel Falana, P. A. Robertson, J. E. Green, Harry Futheree, Quincy and Dorsey Adams. Ferrymen were important to early transportation and commerce well into the twentieth century. They generally lived in small houses next to their ferry, earning their keep, based on the frequency of transportation or as county employees. Private ferries were eventually sold to the local government and later replaced by wooden bridges. Rideout was the English translation for an original area of Clay County named for the Indian Chief Ridaught.
Former OPHS Senior Class President
Erich Spivey on First Coast News
Wayne Spivey
Staff WriterErich Spivey, the former Senior Class President at Orange Park High School (Class of 2000) and graduate of the University of Florida's College of Journalism with a degree in Telecommunication News and a minor in Criminology (2002), has returned home. He is the newest television reporter on First Coast News, which airs on both WTLV and WJXX, the NBC and ABC affiliates in Jacksonville.
Spivey began reporting for the Clay County Leader newspaper while in high school. At UF he wrote for The Gainesville Sun and reported for WRUF-AM and WUFT News 5.
After graduation, his first TV news assignment took him from sunny Florida to Bangor, Maine - WVII-TV, then to WRDW News 12, the CBS affiliate in Augusta, Georgia. He was the first reporter filing live reports after a train crash in Graniteville, South Carolina, which led to 15 hours of continuous live reporting. He also reported from New Orleans in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and from Wauchula, Florida, after Hurricane Charley.
For the past two years, Erich reported for WFMY News 2, the Gannett station in Greensboro, North Carolina, covering several major stories including the Virginia Tech shootings and the Rev. Jerry Falwell funeral.
Erich has appeared on 60 Minutes and reported live for CNN.
He aired his first report on First Coast News on July 25th. Look for his upcoming bio on Firstcoastnews.com. You may reach Erich at espivey@gannett.com with news ideas - or just to get back in touch with old friends.
Congratulations and Welcome Home Erich from your Neighbor to Neighbor "Your Newspaper with the Best of Clay County Living."
The Shrimp are Running
at the
Ann Williamson Staff Writer
It’s that time of year again . . . casting nets along the St. Johns River in the area of the Green Cove Springs City Pier and Shands Fishing Pier, as the shrimp begin running – well, as long as a hurricane isn’t approaching, that is.
Recreational “shrimping” is a subculture all its own, as many long-time residents join the throng at pier side and begin hauling in this tasty “river” delicacy that goes beyond the salt-water variety.
Each summer, the shrimp travel into the brackish waters of the
Shrimp season in the Green Cove Springs area usually begins near the end of July and as late as November in some cases, depending on the northeasters, and the colder climate weather factors.
The safari onto the City Pier includes many varieties of cast nets, five gallon buckets, ice chests, folding chairs, flashlights, lanterns, rock salt, shrimp pellets, clay, cat food, panty hose and an entourage of families of all cultures and creed. It is truly a melting pot of humanity, as they enjoy the sport, shoulder-to-shoulder up and down the Green Cove Springs City Pier. It is truly a sight to behold.
As the sun sets in the west, the antique street lights that dot the City Pier click on for another enjoyable night of shrimping on the
Who says there is nothing to do in Green Cove Springs?
Come on down . . . and enjoy the evening.
___ Ann Williamson/staff
Local resident Valdon Haley proudly displays a sample of the bountiful shrimp now being caught from the Green Cove Springs City Pier.
Atlanta and Miami Home Games
Jaguars Open NFL Preseason -
Fans Enjoy Scrimmage
Wayne Spivey
Staff Writer"It was all about setting the tone for the season," commented one Jaguars fan, "a nighttime tradition, at Jacksonville Municipal Stadium."
On August 1st, 12,109 fans enjoyed the team's "Training Camp Scrimmage," and hung around for the autographs. The Roar, D-Line, Boogie Freaks, along with Jaxon de Ville and the Jax Pack entertained the crowd, but it was meeting the players up close and personal after the scrimmage that excited everyone. Autographs and photos with players and cheerleaders became instant treasures.Jaguars' owners and beloved philanthropist Wayne Weaver and family were on the sidelines throughout the scrimmage, cheering on their team. Fans enjoyed free parking, free admission and special concession prices to begin the 2008 football season.
Fans cheered loudest when Josh Scobee kicked a 57-yard field goal that would have been good from 67 yards. Rookies shined and shaved their heads in solidarity. Veterans Fred Taylor and David Garrard connected. "Jaguars Won!" exclaimed football-crazed fans. The training camp scrimmage was followed the next day with closed practice sessions.
An exciting lineup of preseason NFL games has the Miami Dolphins and Atlanta Falcons coming to Jacksonville on consecutive Saturday evenings: Jags vs. Dolphins on August 9th and Jags vs. Falcons on August 16th. These games start at 7:30 PM.
The Jags travel to Tampa Bay to play the Buccaneers on the 23rd and to Washington, D.C. to play the Redskins on the 28th.
The NFL regular season begins September 7th for the Jaguars, an away game against the Tennessee Titans. First home game is against the Buffalo Bills the following Sunday with a 1 PM kickoff.
Sesquicentennial Series: Black Creek Ferries
Rideout: Last of the Old Ferries
Wayne Spivey
Staff Writer
Ferries were certainly important to the growth and maturity of Clay County from the mid-1800s until the year 1960. The Rideout Ferry, near present day McRae Landing at County Road-209 ceased to operate on June 19th of that year, which ended the era of ferries throughout the county.
"Tirl Phillips was the last ferryman," according to "Who's Who Politically Speaking in Clay County, Florida 1958 - 1986."
"The first ferry was propelled by oars but a cable was strung over the three-hundred foot span when the County assumed responsibility and the operator used a 'pulley stick' to move the vessel. A pulley stick was simply a large hickory stick with a notch in it which was placed on the cable. 'You just put the notch in the cable and rear back and pull,'" Tirl Phillips was quoted in "Parade of Memories - A History of Clay County, Florida" by Arch Blakey.
Margaret and Glenn Ryan of Doctors Inlet remembers riding on the ferry. Margaret moved here from Michigan in 1931. "Back then an old fellow ran the ferry. He had one arm and a heavy stick three-feet long with a notch to pull the steel cable. There was no fee but you had to wait, if the ferry was on the other side," said Margaret. Only one car could cross at a time. Glenn remembers, "it took ten to fifteen minutes to get to the other side. There was a ramp at each end of the ferry, pulled up by a rope." Glenn also recalled that "Black Creek was quite busy with bigger boats back then. The operator had to lower the cable for river traffic and then pull it back up again."
"A typical ferry was constructed of heavy planks and the cost averaged $55.00 during the 1880s. On each end of one side of the boat, two hickory (or cypress) posts with a hole bored about six inches from the top, were firmly installed. A cable (in earlier times, a heavy rope) ran through the posts and was anchored on both sides of the creek…When boats wanted to pass, the cable was slacked off and lowered into the water so the boats could clear and then tightened up again," confirmed Blakey. In general, ferries were ten feet wide and thirty feet long - dangerous without railings. In early times some horses became spooked during river crossings with horses, riders and carriages all lost.
Ferrymen salaries in the 1880s ranged from $9 per month at Gary's Ferry near Middleburg to $16 per month at the mouth of Black Creek. At Swimming Pen, near present day Whitey's Fish Camp, Ferryman Dave Hardenbrook received only $6 per month. By 1912, Ferryman S. J. Carter made $28 per month at Middleburg Ferry. Decades later, County Commissioners in 1948 raised J.R. Frisbee's salary from $75 to $100 per month.
As many a five ferries operated on Black Creek in the early 1900s. On June 13th 1960 minutes of the Board of County Commissioners records : "A motion was made by Commissioner Luther Wilson, seconded by Marvin Green, and passed that the Clerk be authorized to have Louie McKee survey and place a marker on the County-owned property located at the Rideout Ferry, Black Creek, and also to transfer Tirl Phillips from Ferry Tender to the Road Department at the same salary. This salary was $2,760.00 per year." In the July 11th records (1960): "Bids were opened, at the County Commissioners meeting, as advertised, for sale of the Rideout Ferry. The highest bid of $1,660.60 from Dan McInerney was accepted."
The era of ferries ended with Rideout which had operated for over seventy-five years. Prosperity followed with the opening of a concrete bridge for CR-209 over Black Creek. The development of Lake Asbury soon followed and the center of Clay County has blossomed ever since.
Note: Historical records report that the Rideout Ferry was also known as the Gad Frisbee Ferry. Ferrymen at this location from 1904 until 1952 included J. H. Harrell, J. R. Frisbee, Emanuel Falana, P. A. Robertson, J. E. Green, Harry Futheree, Quincy and Dorsey Adams. Ferrymen were important to early transportation and commerce well into the twentieth century. They generally lived in small houses next to their ferry, earning their keep, based on the frequency of transportation or as county employees. Private ferries were eventually sold to the local government and later replaced by wooden bridges. Rideout was the English translation for an original area of Clay County named for the Indian Chief Ridaught.
STROKE: Remember The 1st Three Letters.. S.T.R.
Seriously Please read:
It only takes a minute to read this...
A neurologist says that if he can get to a stroke victim within 3 hours he can totally reverse the effects of a stroke...totally. He said the trick was getting a stroke recognized, diagnosed, and then getting the patient medically cared for within 3 hours, which is tough. RECOGNIZING A STROKE
Thank God for the sense to remember the "3" steps, STR Read and Learn!
Sometimes symptoms of a stroke are difficult to identify. Unfortunately, the lack of awareness spells disaster. The stroke victim may suffer severe brain damage when people nearby fail to recognize the symptoms of a stroke.
Now doctors say a bystander can recognize a stroke by asking three simple questions: S * Ask the individual to SMILE. T * Ask the person to TALK to SPEAK A SIMPLE SENTENCE(Coherently) (i.e. It is sunny out today) R * Ask him or her to RAISE BOTH ARMS. NOTE: Another ‘sign’ of a stroke is this: Ask the person to ‘stick’ out their tongue. If the tongue is ‘crooked’, if it goes to one side or the other that is also an indication of a stroke. If he or she has trouble with
ANY ONE of these tasks, call 911 immediately !! and describe the
symptoms to the dispatcher.
STROKE: Remember The 1st Three Letters.. S.T.R.
Seriously Please read:
It only takes a minute to read this...
A neurologist says that if he can get to a stroke victim within 3 hours he can totally reverse the effects of a stroke...totally. He said the trick was getting a stroke recognized, diagnosed, and then getting the patient medically cared for within 3 hours, which is tough. RECOGNIZING A STROKE
Thank God for the sense to remember the "3" steps, STR Read and Learn!
Sometimes symptoms of a stroke are difficult to identify. Unfortunately, the lack of awareness spells disaster. The stroke victim may suffer severe brain damage when people nearby fail to recognize the symptoms of a stroke.
Now doctors say a bystander can recognize a stroke by asking three simple questions: S * Ask the individual to SMILE. T * Ask the person to TALK to SPEAK A SIMPLE SENTENCE(Coherently) (i.e. It is sunny out today) R * Ask him or her to RAISE BOTH ARMS. NOTE: Another ‘sign’ of a stroke is this: Ask the person to ‘stick’ out their tongue. If the tongue is ‘crooked’, if it goes to one side or the other that is also an indication of a stroke. If he or she has trouble with
ANY ONE of these tasks, call 911 immediately !! and describe the
symptoms to the dispatcher.
Thinking of placing a sign on the side of the road? Think again!
Deborah Brown
Publisher
For us, it all started on Saturday, May 21, 2005.
Several years ago the Neighbor to Neighbor newspaper adopted a stretch of highway located on CR220 in Fleming Island. We were proud to have our name on the allocated signs to show our support for the community and the environment. And, I will admit it was nice to see our name hanging up where everyone could see.
For those of you that don’t know, if you adopt a roadaway, you are required to clean the mile long roadway at least 3 times a year. Which we have done, even in the cold of winter wearing coats, and the heat of summer returning home with a sunburn and headache. Also, to get started it cost $75 and you pay a yearly fee.
I am an earth loving person and would not do anything to harm the environment and we do our part to keep it clean. I suppose people that litter think the ground opens up and swallows their trash, so they don’t have to go home and place it in the proper containers. But that is also another story.
So starts Saturday.
The day before, we picked up what equipment was available for protection and cleaning purposes at the recycle center in Green Cove Springs. Unfortunately, we only had 15 orange reflection vests for 18 people, and one road sign to warn drivers of our presence. We would be cleaning a one mile stretch of roadway on both sides. Both directions, equal to 2 miles.
We decided that we should hang our Neighbor to Neighbor banners at either end in the medium to bring attention to the fact we were working there. We placed them close to the ground so we would not block the vision of the drivers, but yet give us some attention. We had enough help that we would not need to keep the banners up over 2 hours.
All volunteers were ready to get the roadside clean. By the way, we don’t get paid by the county to clean up, we weren’t being paid at all.
We had our orange vests on, garbage bags in hand, ready to start. We look up and here is a woman pulling our banners from the ground and throwing them into the back of a white county truck.
The owner of the paper, David Brown, rushes over to see what is going on. At first, the driver of the vehicle does not want to even roll down her window. She is apparently frightened (maybe she should not be doing a job she is frightened of). It was not his intent to scare her, just wanted to question why she pulled the banners. She cracked her window and told him they were against county code. He explained he had never heard of a code.
-Let’s see, we are a newspaper, we are probably more informed than most citizens of Clay County of such matters, yet we had not heard of a code enforcing signs- Go figure.
So David suggested to the county employee that he would appreciate she give us back our signs and we will place them into our vehicle and return to work.
She refused, stating she had to call the Director of Zoning, Cheryl Miller.
As David listened, she did call, and proceeded to explain the situation to Miller with a return of "If he wants his signs back, he can come downtown (meaning the Admin. Building in Green Cove Springs) on Monday and pick them up." She proceeded to drive away with signs aboard.
Our thoughts are; we were there with prupose of doing a good thing, the county employee could see that we were cleaning the roadway, (instead of the county having to pay people to do it), yet it did not matter. You would think common sense would come into play, but "Common sense is not always common practice."
We are law abiding citizens, not trouble makers, we love living in Clay County, and have for 14 years. In which time we have never heard of a sign ordinance, and are seriously disappointed at the thinking (or not) of people that think they have the powers that be.
Should we have placed our banners out? Maybe not and certainly would not if we thought it would be a problem.
But come on, we were cleaning the road. David explained the signs would be removed with 2 hours, but it did not matter.
Since that incident, the sign problem has been addressed in conversation by many business and home owners.
Some of which are very upset because they also did not know of a sign ordinance. They had signs removed, disappear (thinking they were stolen), and even fined.
So, to help with the problem; to be fair to the county and make the citizens aware; we decided to call Cheryl Miller, Director of Zoning Code Enforcement and ask her to send us some information on what is and is not allowed.
Her response was as follows:
Dear Debbie:
Per our conversation yesterday, the Clay County sign ordinance does allow commercial and residential property owners to have signage, provided they comply with the sign ordinance. The Code Enforcement Department is tasked with removing prohibited signs such as, signs in the public right-of-way, which our officers do daily and also one day on the weekends while investigating other code enforcement cases. We are also tasked with notifying property owners of illegal signs on private property. The Clay County sign ordinance requires signs to be set back a certain distance from property line and prohibits them in the right-of-way. Signs that do not meet the requirements of our sign ordinance can be a potential safety hazard. These signs when carried by the wind can cause a safety issue to motorists as well as pedestrians. The signs can also be a visibility issue. If our officers did not pick up the signs in the right-of-way or have the prohibited signs on private property removed, this county would be inundated with illegal signs, but most importantly, they would be a safety hazard to our citizens.
You asked me yesterday why citizens could not put up signs in the right-of-way for only a few hours. Although you may remove your sign or banner in a few hours, unfortunately, most people that set out these signs never remove them, especially if they advertise a business. There were 106 code enforcement cases written regarding signs since January 2005. Our office receives complaints daily regarding
bandit signs, balloons, banners, pennants etc. The above case numbers refer to complaints for signs in violation of the sign ordinance on private property. This number does not include signs located on right-of-way. Our four Code Enforcement officers, one of which was just hired the end of January, have picked up more than 2,380 lbs of signs within the rights-of-way since January 2005. Our Code Enforcement officers picked up 9,100 lbs fo signs located within the rights-of-way from Nov. 1, 2003 to Oct. 24, 2004, while continuing to investigate other violations of the county Land Development Regulations.
Please understand that when we have bad weather such as the hurricanes that came through our county last year, our four Code Enforcement officers would not have the ability to go out and pick up every sign that has been placed in the rights-of-way or illegally placed on private property. These signs can be very dangerous projectiles in strong wind. Most of these signs ar placed in the ground with metal wire or wooden stakes. therefore, these signs create a safety hazard for our citizens.
The sign (banner) that you placed in the county right-of-way was removed because it was in the right-of-way. It may have advertised a clean-up day; however, it also advertised a business...These signs are prohibited due to the fact that they are: 1) in the right-of-way; and 2) because they are off-premise signs, meaning they advertise a commodity, accommodation, service or activity not on the premise where the sign is located. Again, our sign ordinance does not allow signage for commercial property owners as well as residential property owners.
We appreciate your concerns, as well as ours, that the public be aware of the regulations regarding signs in our country and appreciate you asking for information regarding the complaints received and the number of signs removed from the rights-of-way...If you have any further questions requiring this ordinance, please give me a call at (904) 278-4705.
Sincerely,
Cheryl Miller
Director Zoning/Code Enforcement Departments
Hopefully this article has helped in one way or another with the sign issue. We do not intend in any way to sway the public’s opinion, but will try to inform you of the rules and regulations as apparently sign problems have not been addressed publicly.
We wanted the public to know that there is a sign ordinance. Our tax dollars pay county employees to go around and pick up signs and give them a vehicle to use to pick up these signs.
We are looking over the book of sign ordinances and will try to give more information in future issues. If you place a sign out that is against the county sign ordinance, it will probably be taken to the dump.
"Here’s your sign!"
Copyright © 2005 . All Rights Reserved.
