Tomorrow Is Another Day

My neighbor, Ingrid called me this morning. During our conversation she had asked me if I knew the Tillotsons that lived on the next road over from us. I told her that I had met the lady once when a tree had come down across the power lines and took out the electricity in our neighborhood. Then Ingrid said, “I just found out that she was one of those women killed in that shooting rampage.”

“Shooting rampage, ” I had answered, “What shooting rampage?”

And she proceeded to tell me the details.

Shocked and horrified, and told Ingrid, “It seems like we should do something.”

“Like what?” she answered.

“I don’t know, send flowers from the neighborhood…doesn’t it seem like we should do something?”

“You’re right…send a dish, something.” I think we both felt very helpless, yet felt like there was something we should be able to do for that poor woman’s husband and family. We didn’t know her well, but she was part of our neighborhood and when something this tragic happens to one, in a way it seems like it affects us all.

After Ingrid hung up, I looked up the whole tragic event on the local new network online. Wsat a sad thing to die so gruesomely simply because you were in the wrong place at the wrong time. Deborah wasn’t killed because she had wronged the killer, she was brutally gunned down because this nutcase was angry at his sister and niece, and Deborah had simply had the misfortune to go to work that day.

One sentence in the news article leaped out at me….our Sheriff Nugent was quoted as saying, “Kalisz has a record of more than 17 arrests in multiple states and has addiction issues.” Once again, our justice system has failed to protect the innocent and now three families are devastated forever. An even further injustice was that the killer was sentenced to probation last year for an incident in which he apparently tried to give his niece nude photos of himself and then pulled a knife on his niece’s boyfriend….that same neice whom he shot this week, killing her unborn baby and her mother, along with my neighbor Deborah and a brave police officer.

Justice is blind………….and not very wise.

It still seems like we should do something…the neighborhood, I mean, although no words or platitudes of sympathy will ever bring peace and comfort to Deborah’s husband. The poor man is beside himself with grief…how do you recover from something as devastating like this?

The killer shot Kathryn Donovan, 61, three times; Deborah Buckley Tillotson, 59, four times; Amy Wilson, 31, two times; and Manessa Donovan, 18, up to five times, Nugent said. “In my 37 years, it always seems the good guy succumbs to his injuries and the bad guy — and this is a bad guy — survives,” Nugent said. “He should’ve died in that shootout.”

Yes…he should have…that’s the final injustice…the killer lives..the innocent died.

It seems like we should do something.

Linda

THREE DEAD, THREE WOUNDED IN SHOOTING RAMPAGE

Thursday sheriff’s deputies rushed to a rural neighborhood in central Hernando County and cordoned off a home as a crime scene.  As events unfolded, deputies told reporters that 55-year old John Kalisz was a suspect in the death of his sister and an employee at the sister’s home based business.  His shooting rampage also wounded another worker and his pregnant niece, who lost the baby.
Deputies said Kalisz fled the scene and called a friend on his cell phone to say he planned to kill as many law officers as he could.  
Kalisz

As authorities traced his movements based on the cell phone contact, Dixie County authorities spotted his white van on US 19.  Though they apparently intended to stop the van in a rural area, the plans changed when he pulled into a convenience store in the heart of Cross City, about 75 miles north of Hernando.  Officers closed in and Kalisz opened fire, inflicting a mortal wound on 33-year old Captain Chad Reed of the Dixie sheriff’s office, before he was reportedly shot in the head and apprehended.  Reed and Kalisz were both airlifted to the Gainesville hospital, where Reed was pronounced dead and Kalisz survived.
Hernando Sheriff Rich Nugent said Friday that Kalisz had been target shooting in the woods near the crime scene before the shooting.  He estimated that 14 or 15 shots were fired during the assault on the victims.  He said Kalisz has a record of more than 17 arrests in multiple states and has addiction issues.
Thursday night deputies identified the victims as 61-year old Kathryn Donovan, the shooter’s sister, and 59-year old Deborah Buckley Tillotson of Brooksville.  33-year old Amy Wilson of Hudson and 18-year old Manessa Donovan, Kathryn’s pregnant daughter, were transported by helicopter to a Tampa Hospital.  They were said to be critically injured, but they were reportedly listed in stable condition Friday.  
Reporters uncovered additional details of Kalisz’ time in Hernando County.  He was sentenced to probation last year for an incident in which he apparently tried to give his niece nude photos of himself and then pulled a knife on his niece’s boyfriend.  And it was also learned that most of his possessions were destroyed in a fire earlier this week at a south county RV park when a mistake in handling propane tanks engulfed his home in flames.

Riding the River

When you go to the Homasass Wildlife Park, you can either park at the Main Entrance on Highway 18 and then take a 20 minute boat ride on the Homasassa River to the West Park. or you can drive right out to the West Park area and Park there. Having come here with two little boys, we thought they would like the boat ride.

Backwater Bayous

It’s a pretty ride…not very exciting but it is very relaxing.

Birds sunning themselves

This is the real Florida…the bayous and springs, with the overhanging oak trees laden with the heavy Spanish Moss. Along the way the Ranger points out various wildlife, birds, turtles and en eagle nest.

Linda, Jenny and Garrett

We had to pose for the obligatory Tourist photo and then went to meet up with Jim who had driven the car out here to the West Park area.

The Park Lagoon

The lagoon was as still as glass and the water was crystal clear.

Manatees in the Water

It wasn’t hard to see the Manatees. There are seven Manatees that live here full time, mostly because of injuries they have recieved in the past which makes it impossible for them be released back into the wild. And then one of them was actually born here in the Park, so while she is healthy and uninjured, they felt it would not be in here best interest to just release her since she never lived in the wild.

The Fish Bowl

Looking across the lagoon you can see the Fish Bowl which is an underwater observatory.

In the Fish Bowl

Once in the Fish Bowl, you can see the fish swimming around the spring The hordes of fish just swim round and round as is in a giant never-ending circle of fish.

Lots of Fish

Fish, Fish and more Fish. The Park Rangers say that it’s thought all these fish swim up the river from the Gulf of Mexico because of the healing properties of the pure spring water. For whatever the reason, everytime we have ever come here, the schools of fish are diverse and plentiful.

River out to the Gulf

This is looking outside of the park down the river where it flows into the Gulf of Mexico. They have mesh screens crossing the river by the Pedestrian Bridge that allow small fish to come in and out but keeps the Park Manatees from leaving or other big predators from coming in. This is still fresh spring water here.

This is the bridge that separates the river from the Park Lagoon and Spring.

Another Manatee

Sometimes you see other manatees by the bridge, looking to come in but they can get through the wire mesh.

Another View of the Park Lagoon

The trail through the Park’s Nature Preserve takes you over the bridge and around the southe end of the Lagoon where the Manatee Hospital Tank is located.. It’s always a pretty view looking back at the bridge. The water is so crystal clear and they say maintains a 75 degree temperature no matter what the time of year or weather.

Park Alligator

The Park has a number of resident alligators,,most of them have had injuries of some sort,,,as are most of the animals you find living here. One alligator is missing half a leg, others have obvious scars from injuries. One thing they all have in common is that they love to sun themselves.

Park Flamingos

Of course you find flamingos here, most of them seems to be banded..so I don’t think they come and go. I can tell you one thing, they can be very noisy once they get excited and start to honk.