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Highlands Today

Valencia Circle Practically Barren

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By JOE SEELIG

Highlands Today

Published: December 29, 2008

SEBRING - The city park at Valencia Circle looked bare for Christmas after neighborhood organizer Mary Shivers reportedly emptied it of several items she and her friends placed there.

All that was left in the park was a cement horse for which Shivers got permission, a wooden fence around it, a birdhouse and some wind chimes, a string of paver stones, plus items the city placed there.

Responding to a complaint from neighbors Ted and Jennifer Budary, who live on the circle, the city council tasked Robert "Rob" Miller, the city's new public works director, to make an assessment of the items Shivers and neighbors placed in the park.

Ted Budary complained the items posed unsafe conditions in the circle, and that he absolutely disliked the gold-painted cement horse - noting it was supposed to be bronze - according to the petition that was circulated in support.

Miller was asked to make his recommendations on which items could be donated to the city, for liability purposes, and which items, if any, should be removed for public safety.

On Dec. 15, Miller contacted Shivers and recommended the removal of one metal frame wooden bench swing, one wooden Adirondack chair, a wooden end table and two concrete bird baths.

The bird baths posed a danger to small children because the concrete bath portion could not be properly secured and could fall on them, said Miller. The chair and table could not be bolted down.

He also recommended the removal of a wooden picnic table and said the city would install its own picnic table that could be bolted down.

On Dec. 19, Shivers sent a letter to the council and to Miller that she has removed all of the furniture "recommend to remove" in his report. She wrote that she had lost her interest and desire to improve the circle.

"The Valencia Circle looks bare and I'm sure the neighborhood residents will no longer use it, as it is not attractive or comfortable any more," she wrote. "...and it's very sad for me to go through this unfortunate situation because of one neighbor."

"She went in and pulled basically everything out of the circle," said Miller on Tuesday Dec. 23. "It looks barren. I talked to her on Friday and I asked her not to get worked up over the situation."
Shivers said Friday that she took the things out of the park until the city tells her what to bring, how to make it safe and what to do.

She said she was just tired of all the harassment from one neighbor calling the city, the council and code enforcement and being called by the city that it received a complaint.

"Maybe I moved too hastily; I don't know. Tell me what to do and I'll do it," she said.

Since she took out the items, she said, about 20 neighbors have called her and some said they would write the city.
Shivers said Friday, she just wanted to send "them" a message that this needs to be over with.

Over the course of the last year or so Shivers, 69, whose house is on Valencia Circle, got with some neighbors and began working on landscaping and fire ant eradication while getting permission from the city to place a painted cement horse to memorialize her husband Steve.

While she was at it, she added a non-functioning fountain, a sit swing, a picnic table, a wishing well, birdhouses, some chairs and neighbors built a checker table and chairs.

Miller's letter itemized the things that could remain in the circle and asked Shivers to donate them to the city. Shivers signed the letter and returned it to Miller, officially donating the items.

These included one concrete horse, one two-slat wooden fence surrounding the horse, one wooden checker table and two wooden benches, one wooden wishing well, one decorative non-functioning fountain.

Also included on the list was one post-mounted birdhouse, two hanging wooded birdhouses, three hanging wind chimes, two terra cotta flower pots, two runs of decorative pavers from curb to curb leading through to the center of the circle.

By signing, Shivers agreed that once donated these items became the sole property of the city of Sebring for which it would take responsibility, and agreed that all maintenance there-of would be at the city's expense.

"I thought if we followed the recommendations I made it would be a safe situation for people who use the park," said Miller. "She got fed up with the whole situation. I was looking forward to working with and helping her with the efforts to beautify the park."
Shivers said some city workers showed up to carry out some of the heavier items, like the picnic table.

"I asked four or five times for a picnic table over there and I didn't get it," she said, so she brought one over.

"I said move it over to my yard until they tell me what to do," she said.

That table is now in her neighbor's yard, she said, along with the wishing well.

She couldn't figure out how to stop the upper tier of the non-functioning fountain from wiggling and was afraid it, too, could fall off and hurt someone.

One of the workers asked her if he could have it so she told him "sure, take it," she said.

It was inexpensive, made out of plastic or fiberglass. It wasn't concrete, she said.

The workers pulled out the sit swing.

"(Miller) said you want a swing, we'll bring you a swing," she said.

Miller did not know what, if anything, he would do about the now absent city property, besides discussing it with the city administrator on Monday. Shivers said she would contact Miller on Monday, as well.
Shivers sent the Budarys a Christmas card with a note on Dec. 10, in an effort to reach out and restore peace back to the neighborhood. She sent a copy of the note to Miller.

"Life is too short to be at odds with each other and I especially don't want this with either one of you...," she wrote. "Let's be speaking neighbors and enjoy our lives with all of our neighbors and work together on the circle."

Highlands Today reporter Joe Seelig can be reached at 863-368-5831 or jseelig@highlandstoday.com.

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