VOLUME 9 ISSUE 1 PRICELESS NOVEMBER-DECEMBER, 2014
Holiday Issue
The
Take a Step Towards Your Independence. Our therapy program is designed to rehabilitate individuals back to their highest level of independence and functioning. Our therapists and nurses work closely with the physician and resident in order to create a plan of treatment that will combine comprehensive care with the patient’s personal goals.
• Individualized Physical, Occupational & Speech therapy • Joint Replacement (Knee, Hip, etc...) • Stroke • Cardiac Disease • Fractures (Hip, Shoulder, Pelvic, etc...) • Arthritis • Neck/Back Pain • Balance Disturbances • Difficulties Walking Thank You for Voting us Best of the Best • Generalized Weakness Skilled Nursing Facility • Wound Care • Impaired Abilities to Perform Activities of Daily Living: • Bathing • Ambulating • Dressing, • Eating • Transferring
Call Today to Pre-Register or2 | Currents to |take a2014tour of our facility. November/December
Every baby is unique
At The Birth Center at Shands Lake Shore Regional Medical Center, we help to make every childbirth experience unique. Babies and their families are the focus of everything we do. The Birth Center features the region’s most sophisticated birthing suites, all in a welcoming, comfortable environment. Our obstetricians, labor and delivery specialists and nurses do everything possible to help make your stay with us safe and special.
We offer: · Newly renovated, $3.4 million facility
· Flat-screen TV, wireless Internet, comfortable sofa
· Full spectrum of maternity and delivery care
· Free childbirth classes
· Latest monitoring techniques and procedures
· Lactation services
· 14 private, luxury suites with private baths You can also benefit from our women’s health services and education program.
To find a physician, visit ShandsBaby.com. To schedule a free tour of The Birth Center, call us at 386-292-7800.
Currents | November/December 2014 | 3
PUBLISHER Todd Wilson EDITOR Robert Bridges ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Theresa Westberry SALES Eileen Bennett Donna Bowen WRITERS Emily Buchanan Sarah Loftus
Cover model Abi Brooks
contents
6 Live in the country but work in the city 12 Stay healthy with your smartphone 26 Shark Stories: Megladon on display at UF 30 High-flying drones’ popularity soars
38 Barber steps back in time at Blanche 44 What’s hot in high-tech gadgets 4 | Currents | November/December 2014
PHOTGRAPHY Jason Matthew Walker DESIGN Emily Lawson
ON THE COVER
Abi Brooks, 5, places ornaments on a cypress tree at Huntsman Tree Supplier near Wellborn. Abi is the daughter of Theresa and Robbie Westberry of Lake City. — Photo by Esta Eberhardt Captured Memories By Esta — Composite by Dave Kimler
CURRENTS magazine is a publication of the Lake City Reporter. 180 E Duval St., Lake City, FL 32055. To inquire about advertising, call (386) 752-1293 or e-mail Currents@lakecityreporter.com. © Copyright 2014.
Currents | November/December 2014 | 5
W Live in the country; work in the city Story by SARAH LOFTUS | Photos by Jason Matthew Walker
TOP: Lake City resident Carole Dotson, a partner and director of consulting at InTelegy Corporation, based in San Francisco, helps her son, Luke, 10, with homework after school. RIGHT: Dotson prepares a snack while on a conference call. 6 | Currents | November/December 2014
ith the advent of the digital age, more and more people across the U.S. have started working from home — some even telecommuting and living in different cities than the companies for which they work. Lake City resident Carole Dotson was among one of the first to give that a try and has now been doing it for 16 years. She was working for a consulting firm in California called InTelegy Corporation, which works with health and human service agencies to modernize and streamline the client service delivery model, in 1998 when she and her husband decided it was time for a change. They wanted to move back East, and he wanted to transition from coaching college football to coaching high school football. Naturally, she thought moving across the country for her husband’s career would also call for a change in her career. She started applying for jobs in Indiana, where they were planning to move and had a job lined up when her boss at InTelegy suggested she try telecommuting.
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368 NE Franklin St., Lake CityCurrents • ShandsLakeShore.com | November/December 2014 | 7
‘A lot of people don’t even know I work.’
Telecommuting wasn’t something a lot of people did then, so she wasn’t sure how things would go. “It worked,” she said. Dotson even gained a moment of fame for telecommuting. In 1999, NBC Chicago interviewed her for a story on the emergence of telecommuting and creating a good home office. But while telecommuting was working for her, it wasn’t without its challenges, Dotson said. Her office was in the basement of their house, which wasn’t the best, she said. And when you work from home, you risk not having a professional environment for work phone calls, she said. If your dogs are barking or kids are loud, that can ruin things. But she overcame most of those challenges with time and a little practice. Two years after moving to Indiana, Dotson and her family headed south to Lake City so her husband, Dennis Dotson, could take a job on the coaching staff for Columbia High School football. Almost 15 years later, the things about telecommuting that were originally difficult no longer pose difficulties for her, she said. “I’ve mastered the challenges,” Dotson said. Her children, and even their friends now, have gotten so well-trained that they know they can’t talk in the kitchen while she’s working because it’s next to her office, she said. Sometimes her dogs still bark at inopportune times, but it’s never caused any serious trouble, Dotson said. And for her, the flexibility that comes with telecommuting outweighs the challenges. “I take care of a lot of things during the day that other people who work in an office can’t do,” Dotson said. Like letting her dogs out and putting in a load of laundry. And if one of her children is sick and stays home from school, no problem because she’s already at home. She wakes up at the same time and gets dressed,
8 | Currents | November/December 2014
Lake City resident and telecommuter Carole Dotson walks her two dogs Trout (left) and Cocoa in front of her home while doing work on her tablet. Dotson has been working for a SanFrancisco-based firm from home for 16 years. Telecommuting has allowed Dotson’s husband to take any job in the country and has given her family the freedom to move around, if needed.
Currents | November/December 2014 | 9
Dotson is seen in her home office. Although she spends most of her time working from home, she typically flies to her corporate office about once a month.
just like most other working professionals. “I never stay in P.J.’s,” she said. “That’s how I stay focused.” But instead of driving to an office after getting dressed, she stays at home, and since it’s three hours earlier in California than it is here, she’s able to have leisurely mornings. By late morning, she’s usually in conference calls, but even while she’s in conference calls, she can do things around the house because of her headset. Mid-afternoon, she picks up her children from school and drops one of her sons off at baseball practice. She then heads home to work a bit more but never works past 4:30 p.m., she said. Dotson does have to travel to California on occasion. But even then, she still almost never misses one of her kids’ sporting or school events, and a lot of people don’t even know about her professional life. “I think it’s interesting that in the years I’ve lived in Lake City, there’s a lot of people who don’t know I work,” she said.
10 | Currents | November/December 2014
Is telecommuting a good fit for you? Ten points from TechRepublic 1. You can avoid external distractions, like kids playing tag in your office 2. You can ignore internal distractions, like the laundry nagging you to wash it 3. You can put together the necessary equipment to do your job 4. You’re still willing and able to communicate regularly with office co-workers 5. Structured schedule and seating arrangement is not required for productivity 6. Your manager is willing and able to manage remotely 7. You can establish boundaries with friends, family, or neighbors 8. When eight hours are up, you’re able to quit and turn into ‘mom-mode’ 9. Independent productivity is not only OK for you, but good 10. Collaborative brainstorming isn’t a must to complete the job
AD VERTISEMEN T
Helping You Make the Transition CARETENDERS LAKE CITY HAS A VARIETY OFof SERVICES cAretenderS ofOF gAineSville hAS A vAriety ServiceS THAT AID SENIORS IN MAKING A LIFESTYLE CHANGE. thAt Aid SeniorS in mAking A lifeStyle chAnge
T
he life changes that come with age can be at once mystifying and frightening. Whether it’s something as minor as new glasses or as major as a move to assisted living, Seniors are often concerned that lifestyle adjustments can lead to lack of independence. Thankfully, Mederi Caretenders of Gainesville has a variety of programs aimed at answering questions and easing the transitions that Seniors face. “As with anyone, when a senior is faced with one or more major life changes - such as a move to an assisted living community where they’re changing their lifestyle to accommodate some limitation, or they lose a loved one - this can be very scary and overwhelming and can possibly lead to decline in physical and/or mental health,” said Susan Swirbul, a patient care liason at Caretenders. Caretenders has a variety of services specifically designed for clients undergoing a stressful period of change. These Seniors might be experiencing new limitations on mobility, cognitive deficits, effects of medication or other challenges that necessitate a change in lifestyle. When combined with declining overall health and other factors, clients can easily become depressed and feel as if they are losing control of their lives. One such service, the Transitional Care Program, assists in a Senior’s transition to an assisted living facility. A physician’s order is placed for a comprehensive geriatric needs assessment, which is conducted by a nurse who
is thoroughly trained to identify the imminent needs of the patient. Once the client is settled in, the program professionals help manage medical needs and communicate with families, assisted living staff and other people involved with the client’s care. The program includes a team of psychiatric and medical nurses, therapists and social workers, all of whom have extensive experience and training in working with Seniors in transition. For patients dealing with loss of mobility or cognitive abilities, Caretenders provides occupational therapists to help them re-learn and perform everyday tasks. They can also ensure that Seniors are using medical equipment correctly – for example, they can demonstrate proper positioning in a wheelchair. All of these changes can take their toll on a Senior’s morale. Psychiatric nurses provide emotional support and teach clients how to deal with their feelings of frustration and helplessness. They also partner with other Caretenders professionals to provide education and moral support to caregivers, as they play a crucial role in a Senior’s outlook on life. “Having an expert team of Caretenders clinicians that specialize in working with senior adults needing transitional support can help seniors sustain good health by incorporating proven techniques, like thorough mental/physical assessments, support counseling and engagement in meaningful activity,” said Swirbul.
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Currents | November/December 2014 | 11
Stay healthy with your
SMARTPHONE 12 | Currents | November/December 2014
Story by EMILY BUCHANAN Photos by Jason Matthew Walker
When Apple launched iOS 8, its latest mobile operating system for the iPhone and other Apple devices, it included a new app called Health — an app that lets the users record an array of information about their health and wellness to hold in the palm of their hand. Calorie-counting and fitness activity-tracking apps have been available to smartphone users for quite some time, but now iPhone users can track an overview of one’s health by implementing vitamin intake, blood glucose tracking, sleep habits and Jackie Lewis, left, vitals, Anytime Fitness personal such as trainer/instructor, shows heart off her Health app, which rate was downloaded on her and iPhone during the latest blood update. The app can sync preswith other health-related sure apps and show the rel- directly evant data including how into the many steps one takes, app. The caloric intake and nutritional statistics from food Health diaries as well as informa- app tion found in health bands gives that monitors sleep pat- an easyterns. to-read dashboard of health and fitness data collected by the user, according to Apple’s website. Apple developers even took a step further with the app as they created a tool called the HealthKit, which allows all the health and fitness apps on one’s phone to sync together under the single Health app and with each other. The HealthKit allows the data from a user’s blood pressure app to be automatically shared with a doctor. Or can allow a nutrition app to implement data
into the user’s fitness apps, which will tell the fitness app how many calories the user consumed that day. Jackie Lewis, personal trainer manager at Anytime Fitness, said she understands the benefits that come from an app, but is concerned that the older generation of people who would benefit from the app the most might find it confusing to use. “It’s basically like a filing cabinet to keep all your health and fitness apps,” she said. “I train several people who use the fitness apps all the time. So it’ll be nice to have it all in one place.” An emergency I.D. card with vital health information on it, such as one’s blood type or al-
lergies, can also be created in the app so the emergency card would be accessible from the user’s lock screen in case of an emergency. The emergency card seemed like the most important feature of the app, Lewis said. Earlier this year, Lewis’s daughter Hayley Lewis was critically injured in an ATV accident. While emergency rescue workers tried to unlock Hayley’s phone to contact Lewis, she said they ended up locking up the phone because of the password Hayley kept on her lock screen. “This new I.D. card might really help in emergency situations,” she said. “I think the whole app is a great tool.” Currents | November/December 2014 | 13
Bette J. Carlson, M.S, R.D. Administrator
Stacey R. Johns R.N. Director of Nursing
40 Years Combined Health Care Expereince
Happy Holidays! 1270 S.W. MAIN BLVD., LAKE CITY, FLORIDA • (386) 752-7900 14 | Currents | November/December 2014
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unwind
Local parks: A place to Falling Creek Falls
You'll find this 75-acre park near the intersection of U.S. Highway 441 and Interstate 10 on County Road 131. A small creek crosses through the park, and wildlife species include gopher tortoises, wading birds, deer, squirrels and raccoons. For bird watchers, Falling Creek Falls Park is part of the Great Florida Birding Trail. At normal water levels, the creek roars over a 10-foot waterfall then flows under Falling Creek Road. It pools over limestone boulders at the bottom of a ravine before disappearing underground. The area was the site of the first settlement in the area. Opened in 2001, Falling Creek Falls features a recreation site with picnic tables, a playground, a boardwalk to the falls and a historic building. Visitors can enjoy hiking, picnicking and wildlife viewing. The park is managed through a partnership with Columbia County and Suwannee River Water Management District. The property was purchased from the Parker and Hogan Families to protect and preserve the falls. For park information, contact the county at 386-719-7545. It remains open from 8 a.m. until sundown.
Alligator Lake Park
Alligator Lake Park, which offers a playground, picnic tables, hiking trails and boat ramps, totals nearly 800 acres, while the park is 130 acres. Nearly two-thirds of the lake's surface area is within city limits, the rest in the county. Before 1997, only 338 acres were accessible to the public. Since then, the county purchased the adjacent lands using funds from the Preservation 2000 Communities Trust. The purchase included 450 acres of former lake bottom that had been diked and drained for agricultural purposes in the 1950s and 1960s. Several sinkholes are located in the north and south basins of the lake. These provide a direct connection to the aquifer. Alligator Lake is the headwaters for Ichetucknee Springs. One of the sinkholes frequently causes the northern lake basin to drain during periods of drought. Columbia County’s Alligator Lake opened in April 2002. A small boat launch on the north marsh and boardwalks provide anglers a local fishing spot. However, Alligator Lake is a Fish Management Area, so a license is required to fish in the north and south lake basins and the north and south marshes. During the waterfowl hunting season, no fishing access is permitted in the north and south marshes on Tuesdays and Thursdays until noon. The area is established as a small game hunting area, which means ducks only.
>> Story continues on Page 24
Alligator Lake Recreation area 16 | Currents | November/December 2014
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Chris
18 | Currents | November/December 2014
stmas in North Florida
I
Story by EMILY BUCHANAN
t’s that time of year again for bonfires, hot chocolate, Christmas lights and holiday festivals, as residents get ready for another holiday season. Here are a few of the highlights of Christmas in North Florida.
Lake City Locals can participate in this year’s Lake City Rotary Christmas Parade, themed “Christmas Around the World,” on Dec. 13 at 6 p.m., as the Rotary Club of Lake City puts on the parade for the fourth consecutive year. “The parade has been around for as long as I can remember,” said president of the Rotary Club John Wheeler. “It’s an honor that we’ve put it on for the last four years as a service to the community.” The parade will begin on the north end of downtown Marion Street at Washington Street and continue south to the Department of Transportation, said Greg Houston, the Rotary Club’s Christmas parade chair. The categories for the parade include: Business and non-profit floats, schools,
Currents | November/December 2014 | 19
marching band units, color guard, ROTC units, motorcycle clubs, dance and cheerleading teams, antique and classical car clubs and first responders. Rita and Steve Dopp, of United Way of Suwannee Valley, are the grand marshals for the parade, Houston said. The number of floats entering in the parade are “flowing in,� said Wheeler. See related stor y, Page 49.
Live Oak Live Oak will host its 30th annual Christmas on the Square on the first weekend of December. Festivities will begin Friday, Dec. 5 with The Jingle Bell Fun Run/Walk through downtown Live Oak ending at the historic Train Depot, which will have food, live music, dancing and fireworks. Saturday morning will hold arts and crafts vendors, dozens of food vendors, a car show, an agriculture exhibit and live entertainment at Millennium Park. Later Saturday evening, Dec. 6, the annual Christmas Parade of lights will stroll down Ohio Avenue, which includes several floats who enter each year to compete for numerous titles in the parade competition. The event is under the direction of the Suwannee County Chamber of Commerce and will host over 250 vendors throughout the weekend.
20 | Currents | November/December 2014
Spirit of the
Suwannee The Spirit of the Suwannee annually hosts a drive-thru tour of more than 6 million lights from Dec. 6-24 each evening at 6 p.m. “This event, rain of clear weather, attracts folks who bring their families year after year to see this magnificent display of lights, custom built displays, visit with Santa, see the elves in their workshop, roast marshmallows and sip hot chocolate,” said Susan Lamb, of Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park media relations. The Crafts Village will be open nightly as the Suwannee Lights are open so visitors can shop in the store. Not only will the Puppetone Rockers will perform every night,
but there will be performers on grand pianos, the 10-feet-tall “Sam & Suzie” and other performers, Lamb said. Residents can also stop by any S&S Food Store on Tuesday nights during the Suwannee Lights and make a purchase to receive free admission to the Suwannee Lights.
Voted Best Campground in Lake City
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Stephen Foster With more than 5 million lights displayed around the park, the Stephen Foster Folk Culture Center State Park will host its 20th annual Festival of Lights from December 5-31. The park will be open each day until 9 p.m., with the exception of Christmas night when the park will be closed for the day. However, on Christmas Eve visitors can drive through the park to see the light displays. The Festival of Lights has been named a Top 20 Event in the Southeastern United States for its holiday displays. The holiday display includes decorated oak trees with thousands of lights, an antebellum museum, a gingerbread village, a candy cane forest and Santa’s runway. The park’s centerpiece is the 200-foot-tall Carillon Tower, which will also be decorated and will play holiday music from its ringing bells. Complimentary hot cocoa and popcorn are served as the Craft Square will have craft demonstrations, a bonfire, marshmallow roasting and holiday singing. Cousin Thelma Boltin’s Gift Shop will be open everyday from noon until 9 p.m. There will be a chance for snow flurries every evening on the hour, giant snow families and a chance to see Santa. Admission for the event is $3 per person and is sponsored by the Stephen Foster Citizens Support Organization. 22 | Currents | November/December 2014
Welcome home
At Baya Pointe Nursing and Rehabilitation, our goal is to provide quality, compassionate care. Whether needing short-term rehabilitation or long-term care, we will provide for your needs.
Dr. Ernest de Leon
Director of Medical Services
We offer Comprehensive Rehabilitation • Short Term Rehab • Physical Therapy • Occupational Therapy • Speech Therapy • 24 Hour on-site nursing • Long Term Care • Nutritional Therapy • IV Therapy • Stroke Recovery • Cardiac Care
• Wound Care • Private & Semi-Private Rooms • Large Shower Room • Wall-mounted Flat Screen TV • Cable TV • Professional Hair Salon • Personal Phones • Wireless Internet • Family Resident lounge • Open Visiting Hours
We accept Medicare & Medicare Replacements, Managed Care, Private Insurance, Private Pay, Medicaid and VA Contracts
JoAnn E. Gnuewuch, LNHA Executive Director
386.752.7800
Fax: 386.752.8270 587 SE Ermine Ave., Lake City, FL 32025 |
Currents | November/December 2014 | 23 Email: admissions@bayapointe.com
>> Continued from Page 24
Rum Island Park
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Rum Island Spring Park, which is fed by one of several dozen freshwater springs that feed the Santa Fe River, offers free access to the river through a public boat ramp and swimming spot. The park also provides a picnic area. Maintained by Columbia County, about eight known springs make up the Rum Island Park system. The springs include Rum Island Spring and Little Rum Island Spring Run. It is the only park in Columbia county that provides free access to a swimmable spring. Contact the county at 386-7197545 for more information.
Helping nature provide.
Helping nature provide.
Our backyard is your backyard.
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P
H n p
Megladon on display at UF Story by EMILY BUCHANAN
The largest prehistoric shark to cruise the world’s oceans before vanishing 2 million years ago is now showcased in a 5,000-square-foot traveling exhibit at the Florida Museum of Natural History in Gainesville. Museum visitors wanting to know what it feels like to be consumed in the fullscale jaws of a 60-footlong sculpture of Megalodon can do so now at the “Megalodon: Largest Shark that Ever Lived” exhibit until Jan. 4. Megalodon was about 60 feet long with a body mass of about 77 tons. This dominant marine predator with jaw full of 276 teeth, ruled the ocean for 15 million years before vanishing. Some scientists say Megalodon ate around 2,500 pounds of food
Exhibit When Did Megalodon Live?
Megalodon lived from 17 to 2 million years ago when the world’s oceans were generally warmer. Compare Megalodon’s time on earth to dinosaurs, humans and other animals. See fossils of some of Megalodon’s neighbors.
Where Did Megalodon Live?
Megalodon lived throughout ancient oceans. Touch Megalodon teeth from around the world and with buttons locate where these fossils were found on a world map.
Megalodon Extinction
Several factors caused Megalodon’s extinction about 2 million years ago. Climate change and shifting food resources are part of the story. Learn about extinction and guess which of five modern animals are in danger of extinction today.
Fact or Fiction? Module 14 in the exhibit is a growth series of Megladon’s jaws. 26 | Currents | November/December 2014
There are plenty of common misconceptions about sharks. Compare Megalodon’s place in time to dinosaurs and humans, and learn how unlikely it is today to be attacked by a shark.
If a break foils your holiday plans...
We’re on standby. Whether you need a gingerbread leg repaired or you have some other injury or illness, the ER at Lake City Medical Center has the technology and expertise to handle your emergency situation. And, we are doubling the size of our emergency room to provide additional access to emergency services for the communities we serve.
Voted Best of the Best ER in Lake City. Text “ER” to 23000 for current average ER wait times. Message and data rates may apply. For more information, visit: TextERhelp.com *Wait time defined as arrival time until seen by qualified medical professional.
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Currents | November/December 2014 | 27
11/10/14 1:03 PM
every day, including whales and other large fish. This interactive prehistoric shark exhibit includes a full set of 46 Megalodon teeth and a chance to learn why scientists still debate the shark’s size. Not only can visitors of the exhibit try to calculate the volume of tuna cans that represents its average daily meal, but they can also have a chance to touch Megalodon’s teeth from around the world and use buttons to
The entrance to the exhibit includes information on the circle of life. Growth rings are visible in shark vertebrae or ‘centra,’ much like tree rings, and indicate a shark’s age at death. The interactive exhibit lets users turn a wheel with shark centra to magnify and count rings to estimate age. 28 | Currents | November/December 2014
locate where the fossils were found on a world map. The exhibit includes fossils of Megalodon’s neighbors, a group of giants called megatoothed sharks that are all now extinct, the museum said. Visitors can discover when each species lived and see the diversity of their tooth shapes and sizes. The Florida Museum of Natural History has held the Megalodon traveling exhibit since 2007 and has already sold around 7,000 tickets since it has opened this year on Oct. 4, said the museum marketing assistant Katina Prokos. “It’s one of our most requested exhibits,” she said. “There’s a huge interest in sharks in Florida, and people are really passionate about learning about them.” Prokos said a new addition to the Florida Museum shark research includes the discovery of the first Megalodon nursery and information on newly excavated fossils from Panama. The Megalodon exhibit was produced by the Florida Museum of Natural History with support from the National Science Foundation.
Sharks have been around for over 400 million years. Exhibit participants can view models of some of these curious early sharks and the specimens that give us clues.
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Currents | November/December 2014 | 29
High-flying drones taking off in popularity Story by TONY BRITT | Photos by Jason Matthew Walker
D
rones rose to popularity through technological advances that allowed the military to attack, do reconnaissance and eavesdrop on enemies. Since then, the unmanned aerial vehicles have grown popular with the general public, both for work and play. Drones are being used for a variety of routine applications ranging from estimating crop yield, oil and Mace Bauer, a UF/IFAS extension agent, flies a DJI Phantom 2 Vision gas exploration, telecommunications, drone. He mainly uses it while working with local farmers while eduweather monitoring and filmmaking cating them about practical applications and techniques. ‘I work with to real estate agents using the aircraft to show potential buyers different a lot of technology, but this is something that people just want to do views of homes. because they will have lots of ways to use it.’ Market professionals in the drone industry say the drone market is just sion service agent. The drone is plasbeginning to take off. tic, has four propellers and carries a In Columbia County drone use is in camera. It costs about $1,300, includthe early stages but steadily growing. ing the camera, and sounds like a high-powered electric shaver. Bauer, who has been using his Columbia County crops drone for about six months, said flying the drone is fairly simple, using Mace Bauer, UF/IFAS Extension a remote control unit powered by Columbia County agronomy extenregular alkaline batteries. The drone sion agent, uses drones to help area is powered by a mid-sized rechargefarmers monitor some of their crops. able battery cell. “I use it to educate farmers about The images captured through the practical applications for their farmdrone’s camera, whether video or still ing applications and appropriate photos, can be seen on Bauer’s cell techniques,” he said. “It’s really for phone while he operates the drone an education program.” and he can download the images Bauer uses a DJI Phantom Vision later. (The drone also can capture au2 drone for his work as a local exten-
I use it to educate farmers about practical applications.
30 | Currents | November/December 2014
dio as well). However, there’s a limit to how high he can fly. FAA regulations keep drones at 400 feet and below. “I like the drone because you can see things from the air you just don’t see from the ground,” Bauer said. “You can see patterns from the air that are hard to make out from the ground.” Enough data has not been collected to determine which crops benefit the most from drone monitoring; however, FAA regulations prohibit drones from flying over crops that will be sold rather than used as food for livestock.
Bauer can control the altitude and direction of his drone and with the help of a Wifi booster, he can control the camera via an app on his smartphone.
Easy-sell technology
Apparently there is a lot of interest by area farmers who would like to use drones themselves. “I’ve worked with a lot of technology-type things in my job and this is the one technology that I’ve ever dealt with that people just want to do it,” Bauer said. “They want one because they think it will have
Usually you have to sell technology ... [but farmers think a drone] has a strong place in their operation.
Currents | November/December 2014 | 31
applications in their operation. Usually you have to sell technology, but this is one that when farmers see the imagery they can collect, they think it has a strong place in their operation.” Commercial operators and government officials from police to research scientists must obtain FAA certificates of authorization to fly drones. Exceptions are made for some government drones such as those the military flies in great swaths of airspace in reserved, remote areas. Customs and Border Protection flies high-altitude drones along the U.S. borders with Mexico and Canada. In addition to the ceiling of 400 feet, the FAA requires that drone and model aircraft operators keep the aircraft within sight of the operator and stay at least five 32 | Currents | November/December 2014
‘It’s just a whole different perspective and people think it’s really cool.’ miles away from an airport. Small drones are often indistinguishable from model aircraft.
Music Park performances George Peavey, a Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park photographer, uses his AR Drone 2.0 to shoot video of performances at the park. “I use it at the music park to video some of the musical events,” Peavey said, noting he’s been using the drone for a few
George Peavey, a Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park photographer, uses his AR Drone 2.0 to shoot video of performances at the park.
months. “We use the drone to get a video of the event from an aerial perspective.” Peavey records video that can be downloaded to his iPhone by an app or through his iPad, and he later posts it on the park’s website. (His drone doesn’t have the ability to record audio.) “You can watch on the screen of the iPhone and iPad the video as it’s recording,” Peavey said. Peavey said he’s still getting accustomed to using the drone, though its flight can be unstable when it’s windy. Peavey said his four-prop drone “only cost several hundred dollars” and utilizes a builtin camera that shoots straight ahead or provides an overhead vantage point. Before utilizing a drone, Peavey shot with traditional digital camera, which didn’t always offer the best views. “This is something new and different when people see the videos of performances,” he said. “Mostly (traditional) video is from the ground and you see people in front of you and a little bit of the performance, but in the air you get the whole view of the entire stage and everybody attending it. It’s just a whole different perspective and people really think it’s cool.”
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Lake City Newco Story by SARAH LOFTUS | Courtesy Photos
W
hen the Lake City Newcomers Club, which originally was the Lake City Welcome Wagon, started more than 60 years ago, there were only women in it, and they were mostly young women. Through out the years, the organization has undergone changes, the members have gotten older and even a few men have joined the organization. But they still have just as much fun now as they did then. “We just want people to enjoy life,” current Lake City Newcomers and Friends Club president Barbara Cutcher said. The organization is purely social, member Pinky Moore said. It meets twice a month on Wednesdays — once for lunch and once for programs with lunch. The luncheons, which are called friendship luncheons, are on the first Wednesday of every month at a different restaurant, and the programs are on the second Wednesday of each month. One program had the ladies make hats, Moore said. For one, Third Circuit Judge Leandra Johnson spoke about what it’s like to be a female judge. “So we have informative programs, not just fun ones,” Cutcher said. Employees of First Federal Bank of Florida will be giving a program on identity theft,
34 | Currents | November/December 2014
Models from the Lake City Newcomers and Friends Club annual fall fashion show pose together. From left: Duane Moore, Linda Isbel, Marilee Bonyata, Joy Wilson, Pinky Moore, Joyce Cheetham, Betty Patow, Barbara Cutcher, Barbara Phillips, Rosalee McLeod, Martha Bryan. Cutcher said. Once a year, the organization also puts on a fashion show. Not to raise money for anything, just to have fun. The organization does no fundraising. It’s solely a social club. “A lot of people have worked all their lives, and now they’re looking for something fun to do,” Moore said. Each member has to pay $15 for dues per year. “But if you turn 90 and let us know, you get a lifetime membership,” Cutcher said. “Not everyone wants to tell us that,” Moore said. Moore, who first joined the group in 1967 when she moved to Lake City, was surprised by how small the town was. “I was a very unhappy camper,” she said. “There were no malls, fast food restaurants. Nothing was open after 5 p.m.” Moore’s husband was working, and she wasn’t, so she was
bored, she said. Shortly after joining the Newcomers, they asked her to fold the newsletters. “I had something to do,” Moore said. She dropped out of the club in 1973 when she went back to work but rejoined in 1992 and has been a part of the club ever since. When she first joined more than 40 years ago, she also found a group of other women who, like her, were having trouble adjusting to Lake City, which brought them together. “You figure that you’re not the only one who’s not happy,” Moore said. “But everybody vented together.” But after living in Lake City a while, everybody grew to love the club, she said. “If you just accept it, you learn to love it,” Moore said. But the origin of the club isn’t one of commiseration, but rather of trying to welcome new
omers keep the
welcome wagon rolling residents to the area. More than 60 years ago, in 1951, a woman named Madge Van Arsdall started the Lake City Welcome Wagon as a way to welcome new residents. A few years later, she changed the service into the Lake City Newcomers Service to become independent of the national Welcome Wagon. As the years passed, it became harder for the service to identify new residents, so in 2004, the service was transitioned into a club. It was known as the Lake City
Newcomers Club and was for women who were new to Lake City. In that time, the women of the Lake City Newcomers would dress up in fancy dresses, hats and white gloves to get together once a month to socialize and listen to guest speakers. Back then, the women didn’t work, so they used to club as an opportunity to dress up, Moore said. While the premise of the club hasn’t really changed -- it’s still a purely social organization — few
changes have taken place since then. The women no longer dress so formal, Moore said. “We lost the hats and dresses and wear more casual dresses and pants now,” she said. About four or five years ago, the name of the club was changed to Lake City Newcomers and Friends Club so as not to exclude those who grew up in Lake City, current Lake City Newcomers Club president Barbara Cutcher said. “We want everyone to feel welcome,” she said.
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Currents | November/December 2014 | 35
‘Passalong plants’ keeping history alive
I
just finished reading “Passalong Plants” by Steve Bender and Felder Rushing. I’ve read it at least three times and use it for researching unusual and old-fashioned plants. Both men are Southern garden writers and are very entertaining. You might be familiar with Steve Bender as “The Grumpy Gardener” in Southern Living Magazine. Felder Rushing is a horticulture professor from Mississippi, world traveler and engaging horticulture speaker. Anyway, they wrote a book together about older, easy-care plants and the people they met along their life paths, who shared or “passedalong” plants as well as gardening advice. A passalong plant isn’t usually found at nurseries, so the only way to acquire the plant you have been admiring is from a generous gardener. Another requirement is they should multiply easily. Otherwise we might be stingy with our plants.
36 | Currents | November/December 2014
Fragrance of nostalgia
Why the interest in old-fashioned plants? Nostalgia! These plants are valued because they illicit an emotional response that the newer, improved varieties fail to do. The plants that take me back to happy childhood memories are many, because of the gardeners in my past. The fragrance of a pink sweetheart rose my grandmother grew and made into a corsage for my first piano recital. Or, the time we all had to stay up late, because Mom’s night-blooming cereus was expected to bloom that night, an exciting event. The fragrance of a gardenia wafting through the garden in early summer. One of
the first blooms in January include the delicate white tiny snow-drops tipped with a perfect green dot on each petal that grew along my neighbors rock wall. Even the invasive potato vine was my grandmothers favorite trellis vine. It shaded her porch swing where I spent many lazy hours. The following list include some of the
Martha Ann Ronsonet plants I grow in my garden and pass along to my gardening friends. • Ipomea alba or moon flower, beautiful large white blooms in late afternoon, after the blooms fade away there are many seeds to share and save for next year. • Lycoris aurea and Lycoris radiata, Hur-
Hurricane lilies appear out of nowhere on leafless stems in autumn. They are native to eastern and southern Asia.
ricane lilies, yellow and red exotic blooms appear out of nowhere on leafless stems in autumn. Then the lush green strap shaped winter foliage comes up when so much other tender foliage has been killed back. Foliage dies down in early summer to repeat the process in the fall. • Neomarcia spp. and Trimezia martinicensis, walking iris, which have tiny orchid-like blooms in blue, white or yellow at the end of long arching stems that will become baby plants if they touch the soil. Stokesia spp., a native with bluish purple, daisy-like blooms in early summer. Saxifraga stolonifera, strawberry geranium, a great 6” spreading groundcover for shade. Achemenes, Sarah plant, named because Sarah gave it to Mom, beautiful purple blooms with lush velvety green leaves with purple undersides that ap-
pear from little pink bulbs each summer, must have full shade. Habranthus robustus, pink rain lilies, blooms profusely each June-July followed by seed pods with plenty of tiny wafer thin seeds to passalong. Iris x albicans, Cemetery iris, smaller than our northern neighbors bearded iris but a true-to-form white bearded iris that thrives in the hot, humid south, and blooms in early spring. There is also reportedly a purple one but I haven’t found a gardener with one to beg for. Full sun to partial shade. I’m sure you all have a plant or two that remind you of pleasant childhood memories, call me when you start dividing them and I’ll passalong one to you. n Martha is an avid gardener who lives in Lake City. She is the author of ‘Gardening in the Deep South and Other Hot Pursuits.’
The walking iris has tiny orchid-like blooms in blue, white or yellow at the end of long arching stems that will become baby plants if they fall on the soil.
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A CUT ABOVE:
Old-time BARBER
steps back in time at Blanche Story by EMILY BUCHANAN Photos by Jason Matthew Walker
A
s businesses in the Blanche Hotel have come and gone over the last several decades, one local barber shop has kept the light on throughout it all. William Aubrey Larson, Jr., a Lake City native, began cutting hair at the Blanche Barber Shop in 1984 when his father, William “Wild Bill� Larson, Sr., had previously owned the shop since 1967. The barber shop was established in 1924 when it was owned by the Hammond brothers, he said. Larson began work in the barber shop as a shine boy and worked his way through the 38 | Currents | November/December 2014
Barber William Aubrey Larson, Jr. at his shop.
Lake City native William Aubrey Larson, Jr. has worked in the Blanche Barber Shop for 44 years. Larson’s clients are greeted with hundreds of books, photos and other antiques decorating the barber shop.
ranks until he went to school to be a hairdresser, his original dream, he said. But he ended up being a barber and has worked at the shop for a total of 44 years. “Some folks would say that I’m a living legacy or that I have some sort of credit for all of this, but I don’t,” he said. “I have been blessed with the honor of working with the men who really should have all the credit from the beginning.” Back in 1924 when it first opened, Larson said the barber shop had eight stations, a 55-foot-long marble backbar and a 55-foot-long mirror with wooden frame on the front bar for customers to look into as they got their hair cut. When his father took over the business in the 1960s the barber shop went down to six stations, he said. Larson said around 45 years ago, on average the shop would have seen around 300 clients over a six-day period. His father once held a record of doing 75 haircuts in one day. “But much has changed since the old days,” Larson said.
Currents | November/December 2014 | 39
“Within the past 30 years, much of downtown’s business has shifted west on US 90.” Now the barber shop has one station and on average will have between 35 to 65 clients over a six-day period. Larson said his father worked as a barber for 53 years and passed away in 2000, which left him as the last barber in the shop. In recent events, however, a Valdosta, Ga. development company has looked into turning the Blanche Hotel into business offices, condominiums and space for retail store and restaurants, which could boost Larson’s business, he said. Although it is undetermined what future businesses will be in the hotel once remodeled if a deal goes through, Larson said he is staying positive that he will remain in the same slot as he has been for the several decades and may even get an upgraded barber shop. “I really have to give thanks for Daniel Crapps and Richard Cole for
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everything they’ve done to help me with my business,” he said. “Without them I wouldn’t have been here for as long as I have.” Larson said once the remodeling begins, he will have to briefly move his work somewhere else so that workers can get in and out of business slots. Retired Circuit Judge Vernon Douglas said he has gone to get his hair cut at the Blanche Barber Shop on numerous occasions. “There’s so much nostalgia,” he said. “Back in the day, it was so convenient to walk across the street and get a quick hair cut. It’s such a great piece of history and we would love to see it continue.” Anyone who walks past the barber shop downtown or has
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With the hundreds of books, photos, and other antique items decorating the Blanche Barber Shop, Third Circuit Judge Paul Bryan calls it ‘unique and interesting.’ gone inside for a haircut knows that Larson is a collector. From the moment his clients step in the door, they are greeted with hundreds of photos, books and antiques of all kinds decorating the inside walls. “The barber shop is unique and interesting,” said Third Circuit Judge Paul Bryan. “It is the furthest thing from a chain hair dresser, and that’s what makes it so great.” Judge Bryan has gone to the Blanche Barber Shop ever since Larson has been cutting hair there, he said. Not only is the barber shop a great piece of the historical building, he said it also holds many stories with all the antiques that Larson has collected over the years, many of which were a part of the hotel at some point. “Bill (Larson) has done a great job keeping up the business and also maintaining the hotel with what he can,” he said. “The barber shop gives a local home feeling to the community, and he’s a great barber - I intend to stay there for many years.” 42 | Currents | November/December 2014
As Larson looks forward to what the future might hold for him and his barber shop, he said he will always remember all the great memories the old shop has offered him. “The men that came here were from all walks of life,” he said. “From the well educated to all the common trades — from farmers to politicians. The hardest part for me is coming to work without the older generation here to trust and guide me through the day.” Larson and his wife, Joyce Elaine Larson, who owns the local bakery Cakes and More, have called Lake City their home for many years. “This old hotel has provided me with a good place to earn a good living,” he said. “I’ve gotten everything I’ve wanted in life, and more. I have a loving wife, kids and grandchildren. This old town has become a part of me and all I do is cut their hair — I am extremely grateful for all my clients and everyone who has helped me.”
Currents | November/December 2014 | 43
What’s
in high-tech Story by JASON MATTHEW WALKER
In an effort to simplify our lives, the digital age has become increasingly complicated. Tablets can snap onto keyboards to become laptops. Touchscreen laptops can fold backwards to transform into tablets. Smartphones evolved into phablets and have easily taken the place of both laptops and tablets, steadily maintaining the lead as the most favored device. While technology becomes more micro, consumers are purchasing more macro, at least in the cell phone realm. “People do love their bigger phones like the Samsung Galaxy Mega,” said Mobile Mania owner David Rader. “You still see a lot of people with
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smaller phones, but that’s only because they haven’t gotten around to buying bigger. They want bigger, but they don’t have a choice right now.” Rader said that the top three selling points his customers look for are phones with good cameras, larger screen size and an efficient battery life, like the Motorola Droid Maxx with an impressive 48hour charge. With a myriad of apps and distractions, screens are a top priority. “Everybody wants at least a 4-inch screen, minimum. A 6-inch screen may be too big for some people,” Rader said. “Most people want the Samsung Galaxy Note 3,” which has a good mix of all three, but with the Apple iPhone 6, and its Plus version, the competition is growing. “At least 50 percent of my customers buy iPhones,” he said. Good cameras “The other 50, everyLarger screens thing else.” As size becomes Efficient more combatteries monplace for nonbasic cell phones, tablets are seen as a luxury, “mostly for impulsive buyers, for people not really planning to get one,” Rader said. To complicate the issue, wearables are springing up everywhere. Watches can not only tell the time, but can connect to the Internet as well as document the wearer’s fitness level. Glasses can take photos, record video and Google anything by voice command. To ease the confusion and subside the techno-
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Currents | November/December 2014 | 45
logical intimidation, local retailers like StarTech Computer Center provide their customers with knowledgable technicians that can help narrow what the buyer needs when shopping for a new computer. “We offer an in-depth interview process,” said StarTech owner Bryant Jennings. minimum inch-screen wanted by most cell “The main phone customers reason why we sell so many computers is that we have percent of customers people that buy iPhones, others buy everything else are qualified to help our customers choose machines that they want to hour charge boasted buy.” With so by the new Motorola Droid Maxx many devices to choose from, “many times people get both laptops and tablets. Tablets and smartphones are often companions to computers.” Modern computers are made more portable, which has unintentionally edged out more conventional desktops. “The move from desktop to portable computers is a broad evolution,” Jennings said. “People are more on the go. Portability is an important factor while buying a computer. Most of the developments have to do with cell phones. In my world, the PC world, there’s not many new developments.” A major redirection for computing is the implementation of the solid state hard drive. The drive is much faster and
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46 | Currents | November/December 2014
more reliable because it has no moving parts. Even older computers can be retrofitted with these new drives. Laptops like Apple’s MacBook Air were amongst the first computers to do away with conventional hard drives and disk drives. Computer manufacturers have already phased out optical drives. People are doing most of their file storage via the cloud or flash drives. “The days of the optical disks might be numbered.” Still, desktop computers maintain a niche corner in the computer world — gaming. Gaming PCs are especially strong. They are faster and more powerful with high-performing graphics. With gaming computers running an average of about $600 to $800, it’s no wonder StarTech has a hard time keeping up with the demand. “We build a lot of gaming computers,” Jennings said. “The most popular is based on an A10 processor for speed. I think we have a very strong game population. That element of the market is very strong in our area. We sold about 2,000 PCs last year and about a quarter of them are gaming PCs.”
Currents | November/December 2014 | 47
48 | Currents | November/December 2014
Snow advisory in effect soon A snow day advisory is in effect for Saturday, December 13 in Lake City.
Break out your winter coats and brace yourself for arctic conditions. Well, maybe not the arctic conditions but the Lake City-Columbia County Chamber of Commerce can promise more than 30 tons of snow will be dropped in downtown Lake City. On December 13, the Chamber will once again host one of the community’s favorite events, Snow Day. What can you expect if you attend Snow Day? 30 tons of snow, two snow slides and lots of your friends and neighbors having fun! If you are a true Floridian and the snow doesn’t interest you come on out anyway, we will also have live entertainment, food vendors and other children’s activities including bounce houses, slides and a special appearance by Santa all the way from the North Pole! The title sponsor of Snow Day is Busy Bee B&B and they will have lots of surprises and give-away’s throughout the day! This is a unique event you don’t want to miss and best of all -- playing in the snow and the children’s activities are
Lake City resident Mia Ray, then 7, gets a snowball to the head while making ammo for a snowball fight. LEFT: Will Norman (left), then 8, keeps his cousin Malon Hauge, then 3, close to him as they cruise down the snow slide during the Snow Day event last year.
Currents | November/December 2014 | 49
Snow Day volunteer Shelby McRae, then 16, braces for impact as a snow ball comes barreling towards her.
absolutely free! Just make sure you arrive before the closing of the fun at 4 p.m. It is a day that is sure to put you in the Christmas spirit and provide life long memories of playing in the Florida snow. For more information on any of these events, please contact the Lake City- Columbia County Chamber of Commerce at 386-752-3690 or visit www.lakecitychamber.com.
IF YOU GO WHAT: Snow Day, presented by the Lake City – Columbia County Chamber of Commerce WHEN: December 13 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. WHERE: Darby Pavilion at Wilson Park SPONSOR: Busy Bee B&B EVENT DETAILS: Two snow slides, more than 30 tons of snow, food vendors, bounce houses, live entertainment and lots of prizes and free giveaways. PLUS: Santa will make an appearance from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Gazebo in Wilson Park off Davis Street. CONTACT: 752-3690 or www. lakecitychamber.com
50 | Currents | November/December 2014
Dashing 5k through the snow
WHAT: Dashing through the Snow, hosted by the Lake City – Columbia County Chamber of Commerce WHEN: Saturday, December 13 starting at 8 a.m. WHERE: Darby Pavilion, 828 NE Lake DeSoto Circle SPONSOR: Lake City Medical Center, The Orthopaedic Institute
and The Cardiac and Vascular Institute EVENT DETAILS: Runners and walkers welcome. Proceeds will be used to purchase annual Christmas decorations to ensure that Lake City continues to have one of the most beautiful Christmas scenes in North Florida. AWARDS: The race will be
timed and we will have male & female awards categories. REGISTRATION: Regular Registration Nov. 22 – Dec. 11 : $30; Day of Race Registration (begins at 7 a.m.) : $35. If interested, register at the Chamber office or by visiting www.lakecitychamber.com for a link to Active.com or for a printable form.
Currents | November/December 2014 | 51
Framing t at Gateway The Marion Avenue location of the Gateway Art Gallery had a grand opening on May 31 after the gallery outgrew the 2,000-squarefoot building it started out in. The new location is an old Deco-Tique store, which is 3,400-square-feet and now features a 2,100-squarefoot artist display area, a gift shop and an artist work area.
52 | Currents | November/December 2014 52 | Currents | November/December 2014
the future y Art Gallery Art from local featured artists now dazzle the walls of Gateway Art Gallery, which is open weekdays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The Gallery offers art classes and each four gift certificates purchased for classes, one class is free. The Gateway Art Gallery is located at 168 N. Marion Ave. Lake City, Florida. Phone 386-752-5229.
Currents | November/December 2014 | 53
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Gainesville | Ocala | Lake City | Alachua Currents | November/December 2014 | 55
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