Library board nominations up again

By John Labriola - Just over three months after the Library Advisory Board (LAB) bowed to a mob of hateful leftists to reject a temporary display of books by the late Charlie Kirk, the Citrus County Commission will sit in its capacity as the Library Governing Body this coming Tuesday to nominate and appoint five members to the nine-member LAB.

The meeting will take place at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 10, at the Citrus County Courthouse, 110 N. Apopka Ave., Inverness, FL 34450. The five county commissioners will be joined by Inverness Councilwoman Crystal Lizanich and Crystal River Councilwoman Gabrielle Satchell, who are part of the seven-member nominating body that appoints LAB members.

Over the years, conservative residents have grown tired of the LAB's consistently liberal bent. On numerous occasions, residents have demanded the LAB take action to address leftist politicization of the library system, but the LAB has almost always voted the wrong way, mostly out of fear of the left, forcing the county commission to take corrective action.

Issues have included a June LGBT Pride propaganda display in the libraries in 2021 that the LAB supported but was eventually canceled after many residents complained to commissioners; the presence of pornographic materials in the libraries' children's sections, including the book "Jack of Hearts and Other Parts," which commissioners demanded be removed when the LAB failed to act; a $3,300 annual subscription to the ridiculously woke, pro-LGBT and anti-Trump book review magazine BookPage, which commissioners decided to cancel after the LAB chose delay; and most recently, the LAB's vote against a temporary Charlie Kirk book display, a vote that commissioners have criticized but not reversed. The only time the library board voted correctly was in 2023 when a majority recommended termination of the library system's membership in the far-left American Library Association, but that was only because the LAB's two most liberal members were absent that day.

Commissioners are clearly tired of resolving library problems that the LAB has repeatedly failed to, and they are discussing making changes to the LAB's charter to make at least some of their decisions final and unappealable to the county commission. Given that, we believe the only solution is for the commission to start appointing real conservatives.

A total of 17 individuals have applied for the LAB, including some incumbents. 

The liberal/leftist applicants include: 

Terry Morriston, a liberal online professor, retired teacher-librarian and former LAB member. A few years ago, during the months of controversy surrounding the LGBT propaganda displays and subsequent library policy debates, she was part of a band of Friends of the Library members who began showing up at commission meetings in their group's yellow T-shirts in a show of solidarity for the LGBT agenda. In 2022, she spoke out against an unsuccessful motion by former County Commissioner Ron Kitchen to establish a policy to prohibit sexual orientation displays in the libraries. She also was one of just three hard-core ALA supporters who showed up at a LAB meeting in 2023 to urge members to reject a move to end the county's affiliation with the ALA.

Janet L. Borton, a far-left Democrat whose Facebook page includes multiple anti-Trump posts. 

Rebecca Beattie, an LGBT activist who enjoys defaming conservative residents during county commission and city council meetings for their conservative stances on issues, especially if they oppose LGBT grooming materials targeting children in the libraries.

Timothy Gilbert, a local Democratic activist who has angrily argued at many public meetings in support of the LGBT agenda. His Facebook page includes a post of a "progressive" LGBT rainbow flag with the statement "Honor them with ACTION." 

Denise Martinez, another far-left Democrat whose Facebook page features both anti-Trump and pro-LGBT memes. 

Gordon Myhre, a left-wing extremist who has spoken in favor of the county's now-canceled $3,300 subscription to "BookPage" and whose Facebook page advocates for abolishing ICE. 

Laura Gatling-Wright, a failed 2024 candidate for school board whose Facebook profile photo bizarrely shows her in a demonic Halloween costume wearing horns and covered in black warpaint. 

Karen O'Brien and Virginia Owen, who are also registered Democrats who would push the library board even further to the left than it already is. 

I am recommending the commission appoint the following conservative candidates:

Incumbent Lenora Nelson, a longtime Citrus County school teacher who has been a strong conservative voice on the board.

Elaine Kleid, an independent author/publisher and current secretary of the Citrus County Republican Executive Committee who was a well-respected conservative voice on the LAB for years before commissioners removed her last year because she supposedly refused to read an explicit LGBT novel targeting children that was challenged by a resident. In fact, Kleid did read excerpts of the book that demonstrated it was inappropriate in the children's section without having to read the whole thing, and she voted to move it to the adult section, but she was outvoted by the LAB. Kleid did nothing wrong and in fact voted the right way, so we are demanding that commissioners reappoint her to the library board.

Lala Sanders, a retired former Citrus County deputy clerk who has been an active voice for conservative causes.

Steve Moline, a former educator and school administrator with in-depth experience producing and consulting in educational literature and curricula. He also leads a Bible study and has chaired his homeowners' association. 

Myself, John Labriola, who have led many of the aforementioned efforts to depoliticize the library system. I have a background in journalism and currently serve as a lobbyist for an organization that advocates for religious liberties.

So please show up at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 10, at the Citrus County Courthouse, and ask commissioners to reappoint Lenora Nelson and Elaine Kleid, and also appoint Lala Sanders, Steve Moline and myself, John Labriola, and to reject Terry Morriston, Janet L. Borton, Rebecca Beattie, Timothy Gilbert, Denise Martinez, Gordon Myhre, Laura Gatling-Wright, Karen O'Brien and Virginia Owen.

If you can't attend, write county leaders at the email addresses below to urge them to name LAB members who reflect Citrus County's conservative values, will allow a temporary display of Charlie Kirk's books, and won't use their position to push LGBT propaganda and materials with our tax dollars.  

Gabrielle Satchell <gsatchell@crystalriverfl.org>

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