<font color="#FF0000">RANT & RAVE</font> - Dec. 18

Suwannee Countians, it's time to speak your mind! How? By calling the Suwannee Democrat Rant and Rave hotline. The hotline never closes and is your way to let it out. You can let everyone know how you feel -- as long as you express yourself in a respectful way.

Note: In written entries to Rant and Rave, errors in spelling, grammar or punctuation are those of the authors.

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Every day I pass around the roundabout in Live Oak and it galls me to see the signs, specifically, Happy Holidays. I have often heard people say that we live in the middle of the "Bible Baptist Belt." If this is true, and I think it is, who had the nerve to take Christ out of Christmas? I am Catholic and I firmly believe that December 25th is in celebration of the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ. Please whoever is in charge of erecting signs depicting specific holidays. Put Christ back into Christmas.

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Once again the Mayor and staff have done a great job decorating the city. It's amazing how congenial and quite we can be at the beginning of an election year.

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I would like to RANT about the Recreation Department's youth basketball program. This year was my son's first year playing basketball & I was hugely disappointed in the program. There was very little time allotted for practice, the uniforms were very cheaply made, and the gym where the children played is a lawsuit waiting to happen. There were several games where the floor surrounding the court, the stairs/bleacher area, and floor at the entrance was wet and EXTREMELY slippery, numerous children and adults fell. The lighting in the Coliseum is horrendous, the children could barely see the goals. As much money as the Recreation Department makes they should be able to provide a safe environment for our children to play basketball. In addition, I would like to RAVE about the coaches & referees for this program, they did their best to make this an enjoyable experience for our children!

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Concerning golf carts and city councilmen. If Mr. Stewart spent as much time trying to stop those that drive 40 and 45 miles per hour everyday in Manor Manor and Sherwood Forest, we would all benefit. As I write this letter, a red car is parked directly across my driveway, 18 inches of the vehicle in the street. Backing out of my driveway as I usually do, I would back into this vehicle. Whose fault would it be then. Maybe if Mr. Stewart drove around his district once in a while, he may find things a little different than what he thinks. Thank you.

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Thank goodness for Councilmen Stewart. Because of men like him I have a job. The people I work with everyday don't care about Florida Statutes either. We call them inmates.

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Iam responding to the person who wrote last week about the Christmas Parades, and not have all the sirens from the police cars, fire trucks and the sirens deafen you and scare the kids. I have been to alot of Parades and the kids love to see the flashing lights on the fire trucks, and also hear them as well. The sirens have never scared the kids in any way shape, or form! If it is a problem to you then don't bother to show up, or wear ear plugs. Kids love the parades, and i don't think they are gonna tone it down just for you.

Signed

A Lover of Parades

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I guess Councilman Flip Flop Stewart is about to change his mind on putting OMI out for bid.

He needed time to get the bid process in order and now it really doesn't matter, business as usual. Hey Flip, what happened to appointing a councilman who wasn't going to run?

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I hope anyone who has seen the horrible conditions under which chickens are trucked to the slaughterhouse will think twice about purchasing any animal that does not bear a certified humane label. The extra cost is worth a clear conscience.

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Callers to 386-208-8314 may express their thoughts, good or bad, 24/7 about community issues and politics, but not about private individuals or businesses. If you prefer, you may email your comments to nf.editorial@gaflnews.com. You don't have to give your name, and please, keep submissions to less than 45 seconds (that's about 150 words). We want everybody to have a chance to be heard. Submissions that are overly long will be discarded. If 45 seconds isn't enough time, write a Letter to the Editor. (Guidelines for letters appear on Page 6A of our print edition.)

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