Weeki Wachee

My Sunday column is about Weeki Wachee Springs, the 60-year-old attraction located on U.S. 19 in Hernando County, famous for its mermaids. Weeki Wachee has been involved in a court fight for three and a half years with the Southwest Florida Water Management District. That's my photo over on the right. Here's a snippet of my own amateur video, too: Download wwsprings_002.avi

I visited the park and talked with folks on both sides of the court fight. The gist of it is that Swiftmud (the nickname for the water district) wants to force Weeki Wachee to negotiate a new lease. At least, that's what the district says that it wants. But one possible outcome is that the mermaids could be evicted. I have the distinct impression that the legal fight has grown into a bitter, personal struggle, like a nasty divorce case.

Just for fun, here's a video I found on YouTube that features the opening of The Little Mermaid Show, which I mention in the column:

Comments

[Tom Miller]

Probably easier for everyone to view if you put your video on YouTube.

[David Mathews]

Weeki Wachee ... Florida could afford to lose a tourist trap theme park. Too bad Florida cannot get rid of the rest. Walt Disney World ... is there any better reason to hate Walt Disney? Love the cartoons, though.

I spent this morning at Brooker Creek Preserve and that place is especially beautiful. Today was a lovely day, too.

I wonder how many Floridians noticed that today was such a beautiful day?

I wonder how many Floridians appreciated the beauty of today?

I wonder how many Floridians even cared?

Humans are disconnected from the sun, the sky, Nature and life itself. Filling this void is the light of the television, the ceiling, possessions and consumerism.

Who would ever call this "progress"? Only a sick, sick animal would celebrate the destruction of its natural habitat, the poisoning of its rivers and lakes, the pollution filling its atmosphere, and the eradication of Nature for the sake of economic activity.

Does anyone notice the absurdity of Americans boasting about how much better our civilization is compared to what preceded ... you know, the Native American culture which inhabited this land for ten thousand years until our ancestors came along and stole their land and then attempted to exterminate except failed only because the Indians knew how to live in the Everglades but the American army couldn't reach them there?

When the Europeans and Americans began to inhabit this land it possessed an intact and fully functional ecosystem from coast to coast, filled with an abundant diversity of life, and providing clean water and food which was sufficient to support a self-sustaining Native American culture for ten thousand years.

Over the last one hundred and fifty years the Americans have destroyed everything, including (alas!) the Everglades. The civilization which exists in Florida today is not self-sustaining: Floridians have to draw down the resources of the entire world to maintain this lifestyle.

For all this, Americans are stressed out, unhealthy, obese, involved in a perpetual struggle with each other, prone to violence, and engaged in perpetual warfare all across the globe.

Does anyone imagine that this civilization is better than the one which it eradicated?

Does anyone imagine that the United States will inhabit this land for ten thousand years?

Our values have destroyed Florida, destroyed our own future, destroyed our own health, and driven numerous species to extinction.

The loss of Weeki Wachee is a small thing compared to what humankind is going to lose over the next several centuries. Isn't it a pity that we didn't live differently?

[Winston]

David, does this mean that you think the mermaids are peeing in the pool?

I can't think of any other reason anyone would want Weeki-Watchi closed down, except for a power struggle by beauracrats.

David, I have to exterpolate, even though I am also going off Howard's thought.

Granted, when europeans came to this continent, there was a self-supporting environment..for about 100,00 (not sure of the number) people.

During their 10,000 year tenure, many animals became extinct. How many mastodons have you read about Europeans mentioning?

There is a prevalancy to consider the Native-Americans as a conserver of resources, and the environment.

This is the furtherest from the truth. Native-Americans would drive 2-3,000 bison over a cliff, however many got caught up in the drive. Of course, their population size allowed them to waste all this game.

Clean water? Sure it was there, but only upstream from the uncontrolled defecations from the tribe. When the woods were full, and all the local animals were either dead or wary, they moved on. Include the gatherable plants in this scenario.

Every narrative I have ever checked, by Europeans, mentioned the smell of the villiages, and the other filth that surronded them.

Granted, none left a Love Canal, but it just wasn't in their technology.

Much of the world had discovered the use of metal for tools, the Calusa used traded copper for ear ornaments. They still used sharpened rocks for their hunting.

Yes, I understand about projectile points, as my brother, and many of my friends are collectors.

Projectile point technology took a nose-dive from the first Clovis Points. What the Native-Americans were using when Europeans arrived was just a rock tied to a stick.

I had a friend once, who was born around the turn of the 20th century, on a farm, in St Petersburg. I was lamenting about how wonderful it must have been. He asked me: "How would you like to have to bury 2 sisters, and a brother, because of malaria? How would you like to be thankful that you had mullet tonight, for 10 days in a row?"

I'll tell you what to be thankful for. One of the prettiest bays in the world. Brooker Creek Preserve. A living environment in St Petersburg. A land that is supporting 300 Million Americans.

Had things proceeded the way you dream of, I doubt seriously you would have ever became even a gleam in your father's eye.

[Ron]

Weeki Wachee is an important reminder of Old Florida. Before Disney and the Interstate Highway system, Florida was full of wonderful roadside attractions like Weeki Wachee. It needs to be preserved.

[ToolmanTim]

Weeki Wachee was once a great place to visit aand brag about. But as a lifetime resident of the area it has been nothing but a disgrace. Robyn Anderson the manager and mayor of Weeki Wachee (who is elected in by her family) is to blame. She and her family has ruin the attraction and has allow the mermaids of Weeki Wachee to suffer.

If anyone even you Howard should take a look where all the money goes. I am sure that you will find it in Robyn's little fat pocket. Thats where the crime is!!!