Ocala Magazine April 2021

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OCALA MAGAZINE APR 2021

Ocala’s Opioid Crisis

Ocala fights back and is seeing some remarkable results

Spring Fashion, Food and Fun!

The Guest House Ocala One of Ocala’s Best Kept Secrets for Healing and Hope

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CELEBRATING OUR 40TH YEAR!

APRIL • 2021 p. 50 — Egg recipes

FEATURES 18 30 36 40 46

Ocala’s opioid crisis The LPGA returns to Ocala Destination Wedding: Rogers-Atkinson nuptials Fashion, Food, Flowers and Fun OM Pulse: It’s Oscar time!

DEPARTMENTS 10 12 14

Letter from the Publisher Letter from the Editor From the Mayor

49 EAT 50 Eggs: A taste of spring in every bite 52 Dining Out 57 PLAY 58 Socially Speaking 62 Anthology: Poetry in Motion 65 EQUINE 66 The Giving Collection

Photo by Robin Fannon

ON THE COVER: John West and Judy Crane at The Guest House Ocala Photography

by Ralph Demilio

Ocala’s City Magazine Since 1980 Serving the Horse Capital of the World® $5.95

OCALA MAGAZINE APR 2021

Ocala’s Opioid Crisis

Ocala fights back and is seeing some remarkable results

Spring Fashion, Food and Fun!

6

| APR 2021 | OCALAMAGAZINE.COM

The Guest House Ocala One of Ocala’s Best Kept Secrets for Healing and Hope

69 ETC 70 Charity Spotlight: Delivering Meals and Companionship 74 Your doctor’s visit is changing 78 State of the City: Water Conservation 80 State of the County: New web page 82 Kiwanis Korner 84 Rotary Circle 88 Looking Back

PROMOTIONAL FEATURE 26

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Volume 40, Issue 10

APRIL 2021

OM

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LETTER

from the publisher

Easter the way we like it HAPPY EASTER, EVERYONE! That certainly has a nice ring to it, does it not?

We all remember last year at Easter we were not able to celebrate the holiday in the normal fashion as the pandemic had just started its grip on us. Unable to gather with family, last Easter took on a whole new look as our fears of the unknown basically paralyzed us.

How thankful I am that a year later we have accumulated more knowledge of this virus and now have a vaccine that even experts believed would take years to develop, if at all! So now, albeit with certain safeguards, we are able to gather among family and friends to celebrate Easter more like we traditionally have.

For me, I’m taking my kids to the Golden Ocala Easter celebration with an egg hunt and visit from the Easter Bunny himself. My youngest is already excited and so am I. In 2020, the Easter celebration at Golden Ocala was cancelled and proved to be what was a sign of things to come for the remainder of 2020.

That’s why I look at this Easter as marking a one-year anniversary of sorts for this pandemic. Easter was the first event to be affected by the quarantines and lockdowns and the fact that we are more open is a sign of things returning back to some sense of normal. We still have a way to go, but we can at least see some light at the end of the tunnel.

I am going to enjoy the time with my kids this Easter and cherish the moment a bit more than usual, knowing what was missed last year and how easily things can be taken away. I want everyone to have a joyous Easter the way they know how and cherish the moment as well!

Our charity spotlight this month is Meals on Wheels, and I think it is a good reminder to us all that there are many homebound seniors that are in dire need of the community’s help. Without Meals on Wheels, many seniors who would be unable to feed themselves, subsisting on things such as ketchup packets. But Meals on Wheels provides proper nutrients to these folks as well as some human contact and compassion that is sorely needed as well.

For many, companionship comes in the form of a pet and, like the homebound owner, is in need of food as well. Thankfully, Meals on Wheels also offers Pet Meals on Wheels so that the furry friends can partake of a nice lunch without having to beg for scraps.

Through the pandemic, there was a fear that the number of volunteers that would be able to deliver meals would dwindle, creating a dire situation. But that did not happen as staff and volunteers at Marion Senior Services held firm to their mission. What a reflection this is on the people of our community!

On a final note, I would like to wish my parents, Jerry and Sharon Glassman, a happy 51st wedding anniversary. They will be celebrating the occasion on April 1 and I know will be doing so for many years to come!

‘Til next month, Meals on Wheels in action with Police Chief Mike Balken

PHILIP GLASSMAN, PUBLISHER

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| APR 2021 | OCALAMAGAZINE.COM

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LETTER

from the editor

Not one deadly epidemic, but two

W

hat a year. So much has happened.

Lockdowns and crowd limits. Face masks and social distancing. Businesses failing with others flourishing. We Zoomed and Tik Tokked and worked from home. Hugs and handshakes were off limits. Yeah, what a year.

Yet, life carried on. Babies were born. Couples were married. Taxes were collected. New buildings went up. And people died — so many people died.

Somewhere amidst it all, we held a historic election.

Our fair city moved forward, too. Ocala regained its place among America’s best places to live, according to people who measure such things. A 2020 U.S. News and World Report story, using U.S. Census Bureau statistics and other data, told us what we already knew: Ocala is a darn good place to live. And, according to that data, other people are

BY BRAD ROGERS finding out, too.

In its rankings of the 150 largest cities across the land, U.S. News ranked Ocala as: • The 6th best place in the nation to retire because it is affordable and has great health care.

• The 5th fastest growing place in the nation, behind, in order, Myrtle Beach, Fort Myers, Naples and Sarasota. Not bad company — and we did it without a beach.

• The 10th best city to live in Florida, and 69th best place to live in the country.

Yet, while we were busy learning to live in, indeed survive, a pandemic, another plague continued to grow and spread in our community. It, “Fentanyl is a powerful too, has reordered lives. It, too, has synthetic opioid that caused so many deaths. is similar to morphine The heroin/opioid crisis has but is 50 to 100 times worsened over the past year here more potent.” in Ocala. After beginning to see a decline in the number of cases, 2020 saw a surge again. The experts suspect it is fallout from the misery of the pandemic — lost jobs, lives and hope.

This month Ocala Magazine looks at the opioid crisis in our community. How remarkably fast it gripped Ocala, how the community responded and how the crisis has evolved from being about prescription opioids and heroin to now focusing

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on fentanyl. What is fentanyl? According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, “Fentanyl is a powerful synthetic opioid that is similar to morphine but is 50 to 100 times more potent.” And as Ocala Police Chief Mike Balken lamented, it’s cheap and easy to manufacture illegally. Oh, and it’s highly, highly addictive.

The heroin/opioid/fentanyl crisis has touched so many families in our community with the lives it has taken. But Ocala has responded vigorously.

When Mayor Kent Guinn saw the numbers of heroin/opioid deaths in 2017 — there were 79 — he called for the creation of a task force. The Marion County Children’s Alliance stepped up and created the Marion County Heroin/Opioid Task Force, bringing together law enforcement, drug rehab groups, and the health care community.

Ocala now has a coordinated effort that includes programs ranging from the Ocala Police Department’s Amnesty Program and the new Beacon Pointe “medication withdrawal” center to more drug rehab beds and widespread dispersal of Narcan, which can resuscitate someone who is overdosing on opioids.

Much credit goes to Nancy Castillo, the Children’s Alliance coordinator for the Community Council Against Substance Abuse and the point person for the task force. She has brought people together and, in the process, has made Ocala a model for other communities fighting the opioid scourge.

When Orlando officials, who early on advised Castillo and her cohorts on a heroin/opioid strategy, returned after the first year of the task force’s existence, they were impressed.

“They were amazed that what we had accomplished in one year had taken them three years,” Castillo told me. “And that’s because of the collaborators — you can’t do it without relationships.”

So, while the cloud of heroin/opioids still hangs over our community, there is a silver lining in what our community has done to respond to this killer. While cases are up, deaths are down. The reality, however, is more people will die.

“Every time I get a chance to get before a group, I point out that there is a good chance that someone in that group is addicted,” Castillo said.

Sadly, there is no vaccine to end this plague.

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MAYOR

from the

Frenchie and Horseshoe Fever

BY MAYOR KENT GUINN

O

ne of the nice aspects of being mayor of such a fine city is meeting many great people who are so dedicated to making this a better place.

One of those people is Virginia C. Bisiaux, who prefers to be referenced by her nickname ‘Frenchie.’ She has resided in Ocala for 22 years and has her hand in many charitable and educational projects. Her latest endeavor involves some pretty good timing, with Horse Fever taking Ocala by storm once again. Frenchie’s project is called “Horseshoe Fever” and fuses art and charity just like the former.

Frenchie is president of the College of Central Florida Equestrian Club and has taken a cue from Horse Fever in raising money for the club. Instead of painting large horse canvases, Frenchie is painting actual horseshoes and selling them, with all proceeds benefitting the club.

“I wanted to do a fundraiser and to me it was an absolute no-brainer to do something with horseshoes,” said Frenchie, whose parents were farriers. “I have seen the evolution of Horse Fever and I put two and two together, and thought, ‘Well, if I’m going to do something with horseshoes, why don’t I paint them?”

Frenchie is a student at CF after a military career that saw five active combat duty tours in Iraq and Afghanistan and is now retired on disability. She started her quest by purchasing the necessary paint and cleaning supplies to go along with the many horseshoes she has accumulated. The whole process has been a labor of love where the prepping of the shoes takes up the most time.

“What took the longest was the cleaning of the shoes,” she said. “It took me three to four months to remove the nails, manure and everything.”

A self-described perfectionist, once Frenchie has removed the last grain of dirt, she embarks on painting the horseshoes herself along with many of her friends in the art community. The final products, many of which are commissioned pieces, sell for $25 and as much as $50 with every cent going to the club.

So far, she has bought and cleaned around 200 horseshoes with around 150 having been turned into nice pieces of art. The onset of the pandemic has kept sales of the horseshoes limited to friends, family, co-workers, professors at the college and even myself, but she is hoping soon to bring the wider public into the mix.

She says she had not planned on officially starting the campaign until the college opened up activities. At that point, other members of the club would become more fully involved to broaden the range of “Horseshoe Fever.”

“Some of my friends have asked me for customized work,” Frenchie said. “But when I do the customized work, I’m going to ask for the $50 donation.” So hopefully soon the college will open up its activities and Frenchie will see “Horseshow Fever” reach its full potential.

For now, anyone who is interested in donating to the club by purchasing one of these unique pieces of art may contact Frenchie at 352-216-4273 or via email, ltfrenchie@hotmail.com.

Mayor Kent Guinn 14

| APR 2021 | OCALAMAGAZINE.COM

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OPIO THE

CRI 18

| APR 2021 | OCALAMAGAZINE.COM

IOID Opioid abuse is growing in Ocala, but the community is fighting back … and seeing some remarkable results

ISIS

BY BRAD ROGERS

O CALAMAGAZINE.COM | APR 2021 |

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“WE HAVE BEEN FIGHTING THIS DRUG WAR MOST OF OUR ADULT LIVES.” —OPD CHIEF MIKE BALKEN

Ocala Police Chief Mike Balken

Photo by Ralph Demilio

T

he frustration in Ocala Police Chief Mike Balken’s voice was unmistakable as he talked about the battle to curb heroin/opioid use and the deaths it has brought to his community as well as the myriad efforts to wage that battle.

“It’s maddening to realize all the effort, the resources and money poured into this, only to see the numbers rise,” he said.

That sums up the heroin/opioid crisis in Ocala and Marion County.

Everyone is well aware that heroin and opioids are a scourge on the community, that people are overdosing and dying. Many of us likely know a family that has lost someone to opioids. Fewer are aware, however, that much has been done over the past four years to tackle the problem, and with some marked success – enough to bring Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody to town last year to praise the community as being a model for others.

Yet, the amount of opioids and heroin, as well as the number of overdoses, continues to grow steadily.

The recognition that opioids were a problem in our community first came in 2017 when the city reported 79 overdoses and 16 deaths related to opioids. The numbers alarmed Mayor Kent Guinn, who called for the formation of a task force to examine the issue and find for solutions.

“I said we’ve got to do something,” the mayor said recently. “… Everyone recognized it was a problem. Everyone kind of dove in.

That’s what was so encouraging.”

The city of Ocala and Marion County keep separate running tallies on drug deaths, but their trend lines are similar – and worrisome.

In 2017, the number of overdoses in the city was 79, with 16 deaths. In 2020, there were 360 overdoses and 44 deaths. So far this year, the city has seen 56 overdoses and five deaths.

In the county, the Marion County Sheriff ’s Office reports all drug-related deaths and does not break out opioid fatalities. But the pattern is the same. In 2017, there were 89 drug deaths in the unincorporated areas of the county; last year, there were 123.

Out of the mayor’s call for a task force came the Marion County Heroin/Opioid Task Force. It operates under the Marion County Children’s Alliance and is led by Nancy Castillo, who is also the coordinator

for the Community Council Against Substance Abuse. It seemed an odd assignment for the Children’s Alliance to some, but to Castillo, it was a perfect marriage.

“In Marion County, the primary reason children are removed from their homes is substance abuse,” she said. “The No. 2 reason is family violence.

“If our mission is to improve the lives of children, why wouldn’t we get involved?

When the opportunity came along to lead the task force, we jumped on it.”

With a fervor. The first mission was to bring all the groups, programs and agencies that deal with drug addiction together. So, law enforcement, mental health, drug treatment, social services, health care and government got together in a room and began to talk about what Ocala could do to stop the societal mayhem opioids and heroin were causing. Castillo said the first meeting drew almost 100 people.

Steve Blank, operations manager for Perspectives Integrated Treatment in Ocala and current chairman of the Heroin/Opioid Task Force, said the trick was to bring former competitors and key community members together to talk and collaborate. The result four years later, he said, is noteworthy.

“There are a lot of good things happening,” Blank said. “But with all the good things happening, how do you determine what is going to be the biggest difference? There are only so many detox beds in Marion County.

There are only so many rehab beds.”

SAVING LIVES, GIVING HOPE The list of initiatives that have been implemented since the 2017 launch of the Heroin/Opioid Task force is impressive.

Maybe most important is the communitywide Narcan program. Narcan is the commercial name of naloxone, a drug that can reverse the effects of an overdose. Since 2017, hundreds, maybe thousands of doses of Narcan have been disbursed throughout the community. Every first responder has Narcan; many businesses have Narcan; individual families that are battling opioid addiction within have Narcan. And it has been important because, simply, it saves life after life. Here in Ocala, literally hundreds of lives.

“Narcan has saved so many people who would otherwise be dead,” Guinn said.

Narcan has been the centerpiece of an Ocala Fire Rescue program called the Community Paramedicine Program. Under the program, city Fire Rescue personnel, who have treated someone who overdosed on drugs, conduct a follow-up visit to monitor the addict’s progress. Part of the program is Narcan Leave Behind, where OFR leaves Narcan with the families of those it has treated.

Capt. Jesse Blair heads the program and said it has been “a great success.”

OFR also oversees the Ocala Recovery Project. This program, funded through a grant, gets people in a detox program and counseling.

“Somebody has to step in and communicate with that person with understanding and compassion,” Blair said. “And that’s what we try to do.”

OFR sees 50-70 overdose cases a month, he said, adding, “Every month it goes up.”

Another program that has captured the public’s attention is the Ocala Police Department’s Amnesty Program. Its aim is simple: If you are a drug addict, you can walk into any OPD office, or approach any OPD officer, and ask for help, no questions asked.

The officer will then drive them to a rehab facility. Sometimes, Balken said, that means driving to Gainesville, even Daytona Beach, to find an open bed – and they do it.

Since its inception in 2018, the Amnesty Program has served more than 400 people.

OPD officials aren’t sure what their success rate is, but at a tree-planting ceremony last month at The Centers to honor former OPD Chief Greg Graham for his efforts in fighting opioids and the Amnesty Program in particular, a number of people spoke about how the program had not only changed their lives but saved their lives.

One of those was Melissa Crane. Crane said she became addicted to opioids and had overdosed numerous times. The last time, she said, paramedics found her sprawled out on her bed overdosed and unconscious, ironically with a catalogue of rehab facilities laying open on the bed next to her. Two days later she entered the Amnesty Program.

“The police department didn’t let me go home,” she said. “If not for Amnesty, I wouldn’t be here.”

Today, Crane works for The Centers. “I want my recovery to speak for me.”

In 2017, the number of overdoses in the city was 79, with 16 deaths.

In 2020, there were 360 overdoses and 44 deaths.

So far this year, the city has seen 56 overdoses and five deaths.

SINCE ITS INCEPTION IN 2018, OPD'S AMNESTY PROGRAM HAS SERVED MORE THAN 400 PEOPLE.

OCALAMAGAZINE.COM | APR 2021 |

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Blank and Castillo reiterated that the lack of rehab beds is a huge hinderance to helping people. Nonetheless, in 2019, the community received funding for 15 new drug rehab beds.

Yet, Castillo said the real problem is there are not enough places for people with no insurance or means of paying for treatment.

“We don’t have enough residential treatment beds for the uninsured,” she said.

“Our indigent population really struggles.”

In terms of treatment, there are also a number of new facilities and programs that have opened over the past year. Lifestream at Beacon Pointe opened in early 2020 and offers a one-stop shop for drug treatment services, including counseling, cognitive behavioral therapy and medication-assisted treatment. It also offers group therapy, family therapy and peer counseling.

And coming soon is Park Place, a 10-bed facility that focuses on “medication withdrawal.”

Indeed, much is happening. But those on the front lines say while they’re winning on some fronts, they’re still losing ground, and the statistics bear them out.

“IN MARION COUNTY, THE PRIMARY REASON CHILDREN ARE REMOVED FROM THEIR HOMES IS SUBSTANCE ABUSE.” —NANCY CASTILLO

A little history. Over the years, the “opioid crisis” has evolved multiple times.

Back in the early 2000s when opioid-based painkiller OxyContin emerged and doctors were writing a flood of prescriptions for it, lawmakers took note. By that time, though, the addictiveness of OxyContin had created a new class of addicts.

Florida became ground zero in the opioid business as clinics in South Florida, known as “pill mills,” operated solely to write prescriptions for people, some of whom would drive across the country because of the easy access to quantities of Oxy. When states, and Florida in particular, put the kibosh on the pill mills and restricted the distribution of opioid medications further, it was too late. Those addicted to Oxy and other opioid medications, their supply pipeline shot off, turned to heroin because it was cheap and available.

Instead of fixing the problem, public policy created a new one.

“That our efforts really pushed a lot of these addicts to illicit sources is really frustrating,” said OPD’s Balken.

It was no longer just prescription opi-

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Photo courtesy of Nancy Castillo

FROM BAD TO WORSE

Nancy Castillo

oids that were creating death and heartache on a wide scale, but heroin, too.

Things, however, were going to get even worse.

Enter fentanyl. Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is 50-100 times more potent than morphine. It’s cheap and easy to manufacture illegally. It is flooding Ocala’s streets, Balken said. So much so that during a recent

drug bust enough fentanyl was seized to kill every resident of a city twice the size of Ocala, population 60,000.

“The opioids are still the brunt of our addiction problem,” Balken said, “but the deaths are being caused by opioids laced with fentanyl.”

Police are finding fentanyl in more than just heroin and other opioids as well. It’s be-

During a recent drug bust enough fentanyl was seized to kill every resident of a city twice the size of Ocala, population 60,000.

THE AVERAGE OVERDOSE VICTIM IN OCALA IS A 44-YEAR-OLD WHITE MALE.

“WE ARE NOT GOING TO ARREST OUR WAY OUT OF THIS.” —FORMER OPD CHIEF GREG GRAHAM

ing found in cocaine and marijuana, too. The latter worries Balken a lot.

“Fentanyl-laced marijuana is readily available on our streets,” he said. “My concern is these kids are buying stuff on the street without knowing what’s in it. What better way to get someone hooked on opioids than to lace their marijuana with an opioid?”

The average overdose victim in Ocala is a 44-year-old white male. White males, especially those in their 30s and 40s, make up the majority of Ocala’s opioid overdose victims.

Where the task force and its 25 partners – and growing – go from here is uncertain.

Most of those dealing with the problem up close believe it will not be solved solely by law enforcement.

As former OPD Chief Graham was fond of saying, “We are not going to arrest our way out of this.”

For her part, Castillo said people have to start looking at addiction as the disease it is.

“It is truly a disease,” she said. “When someone has cancer, we don’t get mad at them, but we get angry that people are addicted to drugs.”

Blair echoed Castillo’s perspective and believes more people in the community – churches, civic organizations and employ-

ers – need to get involved and learn to understand what causes addiction and what it takes to overcome it.

“People have these drug addicts all wrong,” he said. “These people are warriors.

They literally get up every day and fight to save their own lives. It starts with a bad decision, and then they get hooked. But there’s always some kind of trauma.”

As for Balken, “We have been fighting this drug war most of our adult lives and we have learned that law enforcement can only disrupt a small percentage of the problem.

Until we can get the demand to decline, we will continue to have a problem.”

That’s where Ocala is fortunate to have the Heroin/Opioid Task Force. Not only has it made meaningful and measurable steps toward helping ease the opioid crisis in our community, it has done so in a relatively short time. That has brought praise from around the state and nation.

“We’ve come a long way, but we still have a lot to do” said Castillo, who through it all lost a close cousin to opioids. “For us being a smaller town, people are amazed how much we have accomplished. We have a lot of moving parts. We have a lot of programs. And, of course, we have a lot more to do.”

OCALAMAGAZINE.COM | APR 2021 |

23

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PROMOTIONAL FEATURE

The Guest House Ocala One of Ocala's best kept secrets for healing and hope

PHOTOGRAPHY BY ALE CRETUL

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| APR 2021 | OCALAMAGAZINE.COM

Photo provided by The Guest House Ocala

Photo by Ralph Demilio

P

eople come from all over the world in search of healing and hope at the Guest House Ocala, and now its operators want to share their message with and open their doors to more Ocalans.

“Not everybody in Ocala knows about us,” said Judy Crane, the Guest House’s co-founder and chief executive officer. “We have people fly in from all over the world. We want people right here in Ocala to know we’re here.”

The Guest House, located on a rustic estate in Silver Springs, has been in operation since 2016. It is one of the nation’s leading centers for treating addiction and destructive behaviors. Located on 52 oak-shaded acres, the Guest House provides an idyllic setting with a unique and personalized treatment program that addresses any self-defeating behavior – from drug addiction and sex addiction to anxiety and depression.

The program, though, does not only focus on the particular addiction or other self-defeating behavior, but also, as Judy put it, “on the trauma and the underlying issues that cause such things as addiction, anxiety and depression.”

Judy and her partner, Guest House co-founder and managing partner John West, said the focus on unresolved trauma is what separates their program from most rehabilitation programs.

“We have people who come here who have been in program after program, but they have never dealt with the unresolved trauma in their lives,” Judy said. “This is a very traumatized world, and the United States has maybe the most trauma of all.”

Judy and John explained that while most people come to the Guest House to address a certain behavior, like gambling addiction or grief, every client has had a trauma of some kind in their life—whether emotional, physical or spiritual—that ignited and fueled their destructive behavior. And often, they added, it is not just the client who is suffering from the effects of that trauma, but the client’s whole family.

When the self-destructive behavior is diagnosed, Judy, an internationally known expert and speaker on the effects of trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, said that often what the Guest House staff finds is that there are multiple traumas and disorders in play.

Judy Crane and John West

Every client has had a trauma of some kind in their life—whether emotional, physical or spiritual—that ignited and fueled their destructive behavior.

What makes Guest House unique, however, is you don’t have to have an addiction to go there for treatment. Much of its focus is on trauma and PTSD, but what makes the Guest House’s treatment unique is they treat addiction through the lens of trauma, based on the theory that addiction is the symptom and trauma is the cause.

“Not everyone who comes here is just a substance abuser either,” Judy said. “So, you have to unravel the trauma story to understand the addiction story and write the recovery story.”

Of course, while the Guest House program is unique in its focus, it also stands apart in the length of treatment. While most

rehabilitation facilities typically offer 30-day programs, the Guest House’s program takes about three times as long. The average stay for a Guest House client is between 70 and 111 days. John said 30 days is simply not realistic to adequately address most people’s deep-seated problems.

THE FOUNDERS AND THEIR TEAM Judy and John, who met in 2004 after John left a Hollywood career and became a patient of Judy’s, have melded into a remarkable team who have garnered international recognition as leaders and innovators in the field of addiction recovery.

OCALAMAGAZINE.COM | APR 2021 |

27

The staff includes more than 70 people, including three staff doctors, 12 nurses and 14 clinicians, all of

Judy is a licensed mental health counselor, certified addiction professional, a certified sex addiction therapist, a certified hypnotist and, as previously mentioned, an internationally recognized specialist for healing trauma and PTSD. Over the last 30 years, she has developed her trauma model into one of the country’s leading treatment programs specializing in trauma/PTSD and its effect on addictions. She also has spearheaded Spirit2Spirit Healing, a new movement in experiential and holistic therapies.

John, meanwhile, has made an international name for himself as an alcohol

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| APR 2021 | OCALAMAGAZINE.COM

and drug interventionist and crisis manager specializing in high-profile clients such as celebrities, politicians, musicians, scientists, artists and corporate executives.

John is the son of actor J.T. Walsh and renowned businesswoman Susan West, who served as the president of biodynamically grown skincare company Dr. Hauschka. John was influenced by his parents’ creativity, fame and success. He was pursuing a Hollywood producing career when his father suddenly passed away. He was overwhelmed and grieving, which led him to seek his own trauma treatment. That helped him to find his calling

Photo provided by The Guest House Ocala

whom are trained as certified trauma specialists.

as a Sober Companion and an interventionist in the film and recovery industry, where he helps those who feel unable to share their pain because of their public image.

John met Judy in 2004 during his treatment, and that relationship grew into a

for its counseling, medical treatment and holistic care, the program also provides a unique array of therapies, including Conscious Connected Breathwork, equine therapy, adventure therapy, somatic experiencing, art in healing, grief therapy and mindfulness, among others.

Interestingly, many of the staff members are former patients themselves.

“We’re training people, we’re healing people, and a lot of the people healed come back and are now some of our best people,” John said. “We also have an alumni group, and they come back and help.”

The Guest House also provides outpatient services, which the clinical staff oversees. The outpatient program is especially well-suited for local residents who live in the Ocala area. In addition to care while they are at the Guest House, John has a separate company, Sober Companions, that provides personalized counseling for those who cannot, for whatever reason, take time off to undergo residential at the Guest House. Sober Companion provides individualized, oneon-one, day-to-day care and monitoring of patients across the country.

WHO CAN GET IN?

friendship and business partnership.

It’s more than Judy’s and John’s expertise, however, that makes the care and results at the Guest House so remarkable.

The Guest House has a patient capacity of 27 clients. To ensure those patients get the most intensive and personalized care possible, the facility’s level of staffing goes beyond typical rehabilitation facility standards. The staff includes more than 70 people, including three staff doctors, 12 nurses and 14 clinicians, all of whom are trained as certified trauma specialists. There is also an on-site kitchen staff that makes organic dishes fresh for each meal.

This team of medical experts provide care on an individual basis as well as in group settings.

“The group dynamic is where the power is,” John said of the Guest House staff. “We have the best people in the country, the best in the world. They truly are.”

While the Guest House is best known

The Guest House prides itself on its doors being open to anyone, regardless of race, religion, age, gender, sexual orientation or gender/sexual identification. But the cost—patients pay $50,000 a month for the program—can be intimidating. But Judy and John, noting that rich people and poor people ultimately have the same personal problems, are quick to assure that cost should not stand in the way of a person seeking critical care that they need.

The Guest House is a private pay facility and works with insurance companies to reimburse the cost of a patient’s residential stay.

For Guest House outpatient services, which, again, are tailored for local residents, the facility is in-network with many insurance plans.

So, Ocala, you have one of the best places on earth at your doorstep if you are trying to overcome an addiction, chronic depression, anxiety, suicidal tendencies or unyielding grief. The best care of its kind in the world is right here.

“I want Ocala to know there is help here,” Judy said. “We take insurance. If you can’t come stay because of work, we have an outpatient program.”

OCALAMAGAZINE.COM | APR 2021 |

29

The Perfect

H ST Golden Ocala steps up for the LPGA Tour

BY CARLTON REESE PHOTOGRAPHY BY RALPH DEMILIO

P

rofessional golf ’s return to Ocala last March came and went in the quietude that resembles the very game itself.

Hiding its show behind the COVID curtain, the LPGA Tour paraded its stars at Golden Ocala Golf and Equestrian Club with little fanfare, minimal spectators and publicity that left inquiring minds wanting.

For its part, Golden Ocala pulled off a minor miracle by hosting a major league sports event on short notice, but to those watching on television, it all seemed like any

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| APR 2021 | OCALAMAGAZINE.COM

other professional golf tournament. In the end, Austin Ernst conquered the Golden Ocala layout and ran away from the field, enjoying if not the accolades of a huge gallery that was missing then at least a celebratory beer shower from her fellow competitors.

The scene at the 2021 Drive On Championship Presented by Volvik at Golden Ocala (a rather verbose title for an event, yes) resembled very little the last time the LPGA Tour ventured into horse country. In 2015 and 2016, the LPGA Coates Champion-

ship enjoyed throngs of record crowds, much to the delight of the LPGA Tour and the players themselves, who described the atmosphere as similar to a major championship.

Alas, no ticket sales and only a limited number of passes available to club members made for an event relegated to the cyber vacuum typical in these times of pandemic paranoia. The whole thing from the beginning seemed a secret the LPGA had little interest in revealing.

“The LPGA didn’t really publicize

much, other than on their website,” said Joe Donnelly, general manager at Golden Ocala.

“If there had been spectators it would have been a whole different marketing program.”

Before the season began, the LPGA committed itself to limited spectators at events, at least until perhaps May when it returns to the east coast from stops out west and overseas. To its credit, the LPGA scrambled to put together the Ocala event and the one a week earlier in Orlando when it is usually on a five-event swing in Australia and Asia this time of year – those events an impossibility due to restrictions there.

It was not until last December that the LPGA contacted Golden Ocala about the possibility of bringing an event there, and the short turnaround time to hold such a tournament was astonishing. Even if the LPGA had wanted huge galleries, as were seen the very same week at Orlando’s Bay Hill for the PGA Tour’s Arnold Palmer Invitational, the logistics of hosting large numbers of spectators was not in the offing.

“We could not have pulled it off in 5-6 weeks if we were doing it with big attendance,” said Donnelly, noting the construction of grandstands, electronic scoreboards and even the recruitment of around 800 volunteers would have been next to impossible on such short notice. As it were, close to 600 spectators did show up daily to the tournament, all consisting of club members, sponsors and guests. Missing were the food trucks, VIP tents and buses that hauled in spectators by the thousands in previous events.

“There was a big difference,” said Jim Letterly, who was a spectator this time around and five years ago. “We were able to get right up to the ropes, be 15 feet away on their tee shots.”

Letterly watched the tournament with his wife and said he missed the atmosphere of the crowds and large grandstands, but that he enjoyed the easy access to good viewing positions.

“It was almost like Sunday at the Camp tournament,” said Letterly, referring to the big amateur event that takes place annually at Ocala Golf Club. “Everyone watching golf and drinking, just having a good time.

The players were awesome and hopefully they will come back.”

The course itself faced perhaps the biggest test of all, being in championship con-

dition for an event that just a few months earlier was not even on the calendar. That aspect, however, gave Donnelly and his Golden Ocala staff little concern. The weather was perfect, the azaleas were in full bloom and the lush greens and fairways made for a spectacular television showcase.

With superintendent Jack Creveling, who has experience working at high-end, high-traffic venues that host major tournaments – Creveling worked at the famed TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra before coming to Golden Ocala in 2013 – Donnelly had little concern the track would be LPGA-ready.

“We told those azaleas to bloom that week,” Donnelly joked. “We were lucky; the weather warmed up and we had blue skies for two weeks (before the tournament).

“We try to have our (course) in tournament condition all the time. There were very few changes we had to make for what we were going to do for the LPGA.” Under such odd circumstances, Golden Ocala proved to be a perfect host for a tour in dire need of something positive following a year that took its toll perhaps harder than most professional sports leagues. The course was in championship condition and the venue well-prepared for a week of the world’s best players descending upon it. Even the mid-week pro-am went off like clockwork.

“It was cool; really fun,” said Steve Albright, a Golden Ocala member who played in the Wednesday pro-am tournament with tour professionals Nelly Korda and Katherine Kirk. “They were both very nice and gracious; it was fun to watch them play.

“They were both very grateful to have the tournament there and they were very complimentary of the golf course.”

With the success of the tournament, hopes are that the LPGA will return to Golden Ocala next season, making Marion Coun-

GOLDEN OCALA PROVED TO BE A PERFECT HOST FOR A TOUR IN DIRE NEED OF SOMETHING POSITIVE FOLLOWING A YEAR THAT TOOK ITS TOLL PERHAPS HARDER THAN MOST PROFESSIONAL SPORTS LEAGUES.

ty an annual fixture on the tour’s calendar.

“They have always wanted to come back; they just had to have the right title sponsor to do it,” Donnelly said. “We’re talking to the LPGA and we have a few sponsors we’re going to pick up talks with here soon. The LPGA wants to have it again and I believe the Roberts family (owners of Golden Ocala) would love to have it back as well.”

Most appealing to the tour would certainly be a replay of the galleries that showed up in 2015-16 when 88,000 spectators trod the grounds, an unusually large number for a non-major championship. If this most recent event were an audition of sorts, Golden Ocala proved up to the task and worthy of a chance to repeat the success of five years ago.

A 2022 return of the LPGA would be

OCALAMAGAZINE.COM | APR 2021 |

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another chance for Ocala/Marion County to strut its stuff on the national stage, showcasing some its world class amenities and southern charms. What would be a walk on the red carpet for Golden Ocala would also be good for the business of all here.

“It’s good for membership sales; it’s good for marketing our real estate and it’s also good for our community,” Donnelly said. “When you have a big event with a lot of people in attendance, it’s good for the hotels and for the restaurants – everything.

“With the TV coverage, we knew we would get some exposure that way. We thought, maybe we could build some goodwill with some of the sponsors and talk with them about bringing it back next year.”

A YEAR OF RENOVATIONS AND ADDITIONS The recent LPGA event marked a surprise exclamation point to a year of big changes at Golden Ocala. During the past summer’s pandemic slowdown, management decided it was as good a time as any to put the course under some renovations that would likely have happened in the future anyway.

The course was shut down while greens and many tee boxes were re-built, which resulted in some firm conditions for the tournament, a fact that was not lost on some of the players.

“Some of (the players) loved them,” Donnelly said of the renovated greens which are still in the maturation process. “Some were wanting them to hold the ball a little better, but they’re the best players in the world and they proved it.

“By the time they (hopefully) come back next year, the greens will be accepting shots a little better.”

The renovations to the golf course don’t even tell half the story of what is happening at Golden Ocala. Currently under construction is a new nine-hole course that will include the two spectacular practice holes which already exist.

Plans call for the new nine to include tribute holes of iconic golf courses around the world, just as the original 18 holes at Golden Ocala enjoy. The course now contains holes that are tributes to Augusta National’s Nos.

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| APR 2021 | OCALAMAGAZINE.COM

12, 13 and 16; St. Andrew’s Nos. 1 and 17; Royal Troon’s No. 8; Muirfield’s No. 9 and Baltusrol’s No. 4.

Donnelly is not revealing too much information about the new nine’s tribute holes, but did say there will be “a few” of them, one patterned after Bethpage Black.

“The current golf course we have out here is fantastic,” Donnelly said. “We think the nine holes we’re building right now will live up to that and even exceed what we have now.”

Donnelly says Golden Ocala will eschew plans that other private clubs have done with new courses in the past by inte-

grating it with the original course. Instead of making the new nine ultra-exclusive, it will become part of a 3-course rotation where each nine is its own distinctive track. Member play will consist of rotating to and from the nines, offering different options depending on which hole a player begins.

“We will name the three nines,” Donnelly said. “It will give us the availability for more morning tee times, more preferred times.”

Renovations, construction of new courses, the wooing of professional tournaments – it’s busines as usual at Golden Ocala Golf and Equestrian Club.

Corporate events are golden here.

Golden Ocala is the ideal location for corporate inspiration. From golf outings on a majestic, championship course to garden-view strategy sessions and ballroom-surrounded luncheons, we have the picture-perfect office getaway for groups of any size. With state-of-the-art amenities like a touch-screen podium, microphone integration, satellite radio streaming, dual projectors and theatre seats, you’ll be more than ready for team-building, brainstorming and anything else that lies ahead.

Weddings are golden here.

From the moment you arrive on our property and see the lavish clubhouse, smell the fragrant rose garden surrounding our grand stairway entrance, you can be assured your hopes, wishes and dreams are in good hands with our professional planner and staff. Let your special occasion become momentous and memorable in our breathtaking indoor and outdoor settings.

GRAND OPENING 2021

Please call 352.629.6229 to schedule a tour of our gorgeous facility | GoldenOcala.com G O L F | T E N N I S | E Q U E ST R I A N | F I T N E S S | P O O L | S PA | D I N I N G | E V E N T S

R O G E R S - AT K I N S O N

DestinationWedding PHOTOGRAPHY BY THE INYANGS

N

othing has been easy during the pandemic but pulling off a wedding has proved particularly challenging for those seeking to exchange nuptials. That’s what Caitlin Rogers and Cody Atkinson found out as the pandemic forced the postponement of multiple wedding plans … until February 6, 2021.

The couple was married in a pandemic-friendly, open-air ceremony that Saturday at the White Room in St. Augustine. Rogers, a Belleview High and College of Central Florida graduate, is from Ocala, while Atkinson is a Jacksonville Beach native. The two met while attending the University of Florida, where they both graduated.

The ceremony was attended by about 100 family members and friends and included vows written by the bride and groom. The bride wore a flowing lace dress with a train by designer Ines Di Santo. There were three bridesmaids and three groomsmen, including the bride’s brother, Cole Rogers.

A reception was held at the White Room following the ceremony, featuring a seafood menu.

The couple lives in Jacksonville Beach.

Mrs. Atkinson is a marketing director for an aesthetic device company, while Mr. Atkinson is a recruiter for a major IT search firm.

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| APR 2021 | OCALAMAGAZINE.COM

OCALAMAGAZINE.COM | APR 2021 |

37

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L-R: Amanda: ruffled mini from The Pink Hanger; Erin: Mittoshop baby blue babydoll mini from Shannon Roth Collection, bunny rabbit earrings from Marley Mae; Joy: smocked maxi dress with cutout back from The Pink Hanger, all bracelets are Meghan Browne from Shannon Roth Collection

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| APR 2021 | OCALAMAGAZINE.COM

FASHIONFOOD FLOWERSFUN WRITTEN + STYLED BY ROBIN FANNON | PHOTOGRAPHY BY RALPH DEMILIO

L-R: Amanda: bubblegum pink skort and white tank top from The Pink Hanger, Consuela Tote from Shannon Roth Collection; Erin: white trousers and green top from The Pink Hanger; Joy; tangerine and white sundress from Zara, Megan Browne bracelet from Shannon Roth Collection

A

fter a year – a year! – of COVID-19 restrictions, quarantining and remote communications, we are beginning to see some glimmers of normalcy. Our pre-pandemic downtown retail establishments were thriving. It’s been a tough year for them and OM is pleased to throw some support behind these small business owners. As for the

Ocala fashion girls out there, it’s time to bust out of those drab sweats and into some fantasy florals, soft pastels, dreamy knits and bold pops of color. Of course, there is the ever-present slip dress and the always-on-trend animal print, only this time is a mini with puffy sleeves. Three local Ocala beauties, and good friends, Amanda Pell, Erin Lindsey and Joy Emerson gath-

ered downtown on the morning of the Spring Equinox, to forage at the Farmer’s Market for some healthy provisions, followed by brunch complete with Mimosas, fresh flowers, delicious food and beautiful al fresco surroundings.

So, cheers to supporting local business, enjoying some normalcy and bringing some beauty back into our lives!

OCALAMAGAZINE.COM | APR 2021 |

41

L-R: Erin: green dress from Shannon Roth Collection, headband from Marley Mae; Amanda: knit midi dress from Zara, beaded earrings from Marley Mae; Joy: Gilli dress from Shannon Roth Collection.

Slides on all three from DSW.

Colorful Sunglasses from Izipizi, Paris available at Shannon Roth Collection Steve Madden slides from DSW

L-R: Erin: Coral slip dress from Target; Amanda: Current Air lace skirt and Double Zero white T-shirt from Shannon Roth Collection; Joy: Animal print dress and Julie Vos jewelry from Shannon Roth Collection

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| APR 2021 | OCALAMAGAZINE.COM

L-R: Amanda: Flowy pants and tank from the Pink Hanger; Erin: Surf Gypsy two piece set from Shannon Roth Collection; Joy: Blue tiered pant and crop top from The Pink Hanger.

Meghan Browne bracelets from Shannon Roth Collection.

OCALAMAGAZINE.COM | APR 2021 |

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OM PULSE Each month, Ocala Magazine will showcase the tastes, opinions and desires of its readers through its online survey. For April, we discovered these preferences:

54%

OF OM RESPONDENTS SAY THEY WILL DO NOTHING OUT OF THE ORDINARY FOR EARTH DAY. 38% said they will plant a tree.

Margaritas and mojitos

ARE THE FAVORITE TROPICAL DRINKS OF OM RESPONDENTS.

31%

RESPONDENTS SAY ITALY IS THE COUNTRY THEY WOULD MOST LIKE TO VISIT. 15% would most like to visit Greece.

54%

OF OM RESPONDENTS SAY NETFLIX IS THEIR FAVORITE ONLINE STREAMING APP. 23% say Prime Video is their favorite.

46

| APR 2021 | OCALAMAGAZINE.COM

54%

OF OM RESPONDENTS CLAIM TO NOT DRINK BEER. Of those who do drink beer, crafts of any variety is the main preference.

62%

OM RESPONDENTS PREFER

pasta AND ITALIAN FOOD AS GO-TO COMFORT FAVORITES.

OF OM RESPONDENTS SAID THEY PLAN ON WATCHING THE ACADEMY AWARDS SHOW.

Mank and Nomadland ARE THE TOP CHOICES FOR 2020 BEST MOTION PICTURE AMONG MOST OM RESPONDENTS.

Rainbow Springs

31%

READERS SURVEYED SAY EGG HUNTS ARE THEIR FAVORITE PART OF EASTER.

23% say candy as well as getting together with family.

IS THE CHOICE FOR FAVORITE LOCAL OUTDOOR RECREATION SPOT ACCORDING TO OM RESPONDENTS.

OCALAMAGAZINE.COM | APR 2021 |

47

IVY ON THE SQUARE

BOUTIQUE

Come visit Ocala’s chic boutique experience, where you’ll discover oneof-a-kind posh gifts, accessories and apparel. Stop by today and get ready to answer the question,

“Where did you get that?”

We appreciate our wonderful customers and the friends they bring by to see us!

42 SOUTH MAGNOLIA AVE., OCALA, FL • (352) 622-5550

eat

Ramps, also known as Tennessee Truffles Photo by Robin Fannon

Eggs...The Taste of Spring in Every Bite! p50 | Dining Out p52

OCALAMAGAZINE.COM | APR 2021 |

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eggs...

The taste of Spring in every bite!

STORY, RECIPES AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY ROBIN FANNON

R

emember the cholesterol scare back in the late 70s that had everyone banning eggs from their diets? As it turns out, eggs in fact are among the healthiest foods you can eat. They are high in protein, healthy fats and loaded with health-supporting vitamins and minerals.

In particular, they are high in the essential nutrient Choline, which supports cell production, helps the body metabolize fat, improves memory and cognition, promotes heart health and boosts metabolism. Most of us don’t think about these health benefits when we consume eggs.

We eat them because they are delicious! They’re inexpensive, portable and their recipe versatility is endless. This month we feature three egg recipes that are simple to prepare and evoke the flavors of the spring season. Here’s an interesting tidbit: Did you know that an egg will balance in an upright position on the spring equinox due to the earth’s position and the pull of gravity? Having missed the opportunity this year, I’ll have to mark my 2022 calendar!

Lobster Deviled Eggs INGREDIENTS » » » » » » » » » »

12 hard-cooked extra-large eggs, peeled 3/4 cup mayonnaise 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice 1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1/3 teaspoon salt 1/3 teaspoon ground red pepper 1 cup coarsely chopped cooked lobster Smoked paprika Chopped fresh dill

INSTRUCTIONS

• Cut eggs in halves lengthwise. Place yolks in a medium bowl; place whites on a serving platter. Mash yolks with a fork until crumbly. Add mayonnaise and next five ingredients; beat at medium speed with a mixer until smooth. Gently stir in lobster.

• Spoon filling into whites. Sprinkle tops with smoked paprika and fresh dill. Cover and chill until ready to serve.

"Jammy" Eggs

These buttery tasting eggs make for a super-delicious breakfast or wonderful snack. Serve with buttered toast, crackers, fresh herbs, sea salt and fresh cracked pepper.

INGREDIENTS

» 4 to 8 organic large eggs

INSTRUCTIONS

• Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil over medium-high heat.

Using a slotted spoon, carefully lower eggs into water one at a time. Cook 6½ minutes, adjusting heat to maintain a gentle boil.

Transfer eggs to a bowl of ice water and chill until just slightly warm, about 2 minutes.

• Gently crack eggs all over and peel, starting from the wider end, which contains the air pocket.

• Eggs can be cooked and peeled 3 days ahead. Store airtight in the refrigerator.

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| APR 2021 | OCALAMAGAZINE.COM

Instagram @RSVP_ROBIN

Herby Spinach and Goat Cheese Frittata INGREDIENTS » » » » » » » » » » » » » » »

1/2 pound baby potatoes (6 to 8) 10 large eggs 1/3 cup crème fraîche 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 1 leek, white and pale green parts only, halved lengthwise, rinsed, and thinly sliced crosswise 1 spring onion or scallion, thinly sliced Salt and freshly cracked pepper 2 cups lightly packed baby spinach 3 ounces goat cheese For Garnish 1 handful fresh parsley or cilantro 1 handful chopped fresh dill 1 handful chopped chives, with blossoms, if available 1/2 lemon, zested

INSTRUCTIONS

• Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). In a saucepan, boil the potatoes until fork tender. Drain and when they are cool enough to handle, thinly slice the potatoes.

• Whisk together the eggs, crème fraîche, and salt.

• In a cast-iron or nonstick ovenproof skillet, heat the oil over medium heat.

Add the leek and onion and sauté until soft and translucent, 4 to 5 minutes.

Add the potatoes and cook another few minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in the spinach and cook until just wilted.

Lower the heat to medium-low and pour in the egg mixture. Cook for a few minutes, pushing the eggs toward the center of the skillet as they cook. As you work, be careful not to break apart the potatoes. Once the eggs have set on the bottom, dot the top of the frittata with goat cheese. Place the skillet in the oven and cook just until the frittata has set, 12 to 15 minutes.

• Remove the frittata from the oven and cool slightly. To serve, garnish with fresh herbs and lemon zest.

OCALAMAGAZINE.COM | APR 2021 |

51

EAT

dining out

Ivy On The Square Whether gathering with friends or family for lunch or a night out, you’ll enjoy fresh salads, mouthwatering comfort food, late-night tapas and drinks. Specials include our Pecan Salmon, Southern Fried Lobster and famous baked Krispy Chicken. After dining enjoy a stroll in our boutique where we offer a variety of gifts, jewelry, home decor and clothing. Looking to host a special event or dinner? Call and talk to one of our staff members on the options we have available.

We invite you to join us for Easter, our hours are 11-2.

53 S. Magnolia Ave., Ocala | (352) 622-5550 Closed Mon, Tues 11am-2pm, Wed 11am-9pm, Thurs 11am-9pm 106 NW Main St., Williston | (352) 528-5410 Sun-Wed 11am-2pm, Thurs-Sat 11am-8pm | ivyhousefl.com

52

| APR 2021 | OCALAMAGAZINE.COM

Let us cook for you!

Easter meals are reservations-only for dine-in or call today for takeout.

Gift certificates available.

dining out

EAT

Milano Pizzeria and Ristorante NOW OPEN! Milano Ristorante Italiano — a pizzaria bringing authentic cuisine to the Ocala area. Enjoy made-from-scratch Italian cuisine every day, including freshly baked bread.

• Wednesdays— Buy One, Take One Home - select pasta dishes with purchase of an entree. Valid with entrees of $16.99 or more.

• Tuesday— $5 Calamari App • Thursdays— Buy One, Get One Half Off any Takeout Pizza • Sundays— 2 for 1 chicken parmesan every Sunday all day (with purchase of 2 beverages)

Now Delivering!

OFFERING TAKEOUT & CURBSIDE ORDERS!

For curbside service including wine, beer and full menu, call 352-304-8549 We’ll bring it out to you!

Get $25 back for every $100 in gift cards purchased.

Open Daily 11am-9pm 5400 SW College Road, Unit 106 | Ocala, FL 34474 | (352) 304-8549 www.milanotogo.com

Legacy Restaurant At The Nancy Lopez Country Club Join us at The Villages‘ Best Country Club for lunch and dinner. Serving steaks and seafood with various wine selections.

Monday - Prime Rib Night Tuesday - Three Course Dinner starting at 14.99 Tuesday - Lobster Night Friday - $1 oysters all day (raw, broiled, rockafeller(+.25) Saturday - Legacy BOGO 1/2 off anything on the menu (with purchase of two beverages. Must show coupon.)

Sunday Evening - Special Filet Oscar $19.99 Weekends - Weekend Brunch! 11am-3pm Live outdoor entertainment! See website for schedule!

Now Open For Dine In! OFFERING TAKEOUT & CURBSIDE ORDERS!

For curbside service including wine, beer and full menu, call 352-753-1475

We’ll bring it out to you!

Get $25 back for every $100 in gift cards purchased.

17135 Buena Vista Blvd | The Villages, FL 32162 | (352) 753-1475 SuleimanLegacyInc@gmail.com | Follow us on Facebook www.legacyrestaurant.com Open Fri-Sat 11 am-8:30pm | Sun-Thurs 11 am-8:00pm

Havana Country Club We offer an extensive variety of cuisines—these include superior hand-cut steaks, freshly caught seafood, and authentic Italian fare. A Suleiman Family Restaurant.

Tuesday - Italian Night Wendesday - $1 oysters all day (raw, broiled, Rockefeller (+.25) Thursday - Prime rib night Saturday - New Orleans Night! Featuring Louisiana Style Seafood Boil Sunday - Southern Fried Chicken Outdoor entertainment Tues, Weds, Thurs, Sat, Sun 5-8

Now Open For Dine In! OFFERING TAKEOUT & CURBSIDE ORDERS!

For curbside service including wine, beer and full menu, call 352-430-3200

We’ll bring it out to you!

Get $25 back for every $100 in gift cards purchased.

2484 Odell Circle | The Villages, FL 32162 | (352) 430-3200 Suleimanrestaurants@gmail.com | Follow us on Facebook www.havanacc.com Open Every Day 11am–8:30pm OCALAMAGAZINE.COM | APR 2021 |

53

EAT

dining out

Ipanema Brazilian Steakhouse Experience an authentic taste of Brazil featuring roaming gauchos slice and serve fire-roasted meats from skewers in continual fashion. Ipanema Brazilian Steakhouse boasts 12 of the finest cuts of meat complemented by an opulent 50 item salad-vegetable bar, decadent desserts, wines, beer and cocktails.

Our Sunday Brunch from 11a to 3p includes the 50 item salad bar plus crepe, waffle and omelet station. For $32.95 you’ll receive all of the above plus a free mimosa or bloody Mary and five different cuts of meat and our grilled pineapple. Save the date for our April 12th Easter Sunday Brunch!

Our keto, paleo, gluten friendly buffet menu will allow you to stick to your dietary new year resolutions.

Our NEW 3’s Catering Company brought to you buy our family of restaurants Ipanema, Latinos Y Mas and Craft Cuisine.

3sCateringCompany.com

Follow us on social media for updates.

2023 S Pine Avenue, Ocala | (352) 622-1741 | ipanemaocala.com Lunch Friday 11am-2:30pm › Brunch Sunday 11am-3pm Dinner Tue-Thu 5pm-9pm › Fri-Sat 5pm-10pm › Sun 4pm-8pm

Latinos Y Mas Our restaurant is the perfect atmosphere for business lunches, family lunches or romantic dinners. Since 1991, Latinos y Mas restaurant has been serving our valued customers in Ocala and surroundings.

Try the exquisite fusion of Latin food, such as one of our entrées, including Pargo Rojo, Paella, Ceviches, homema de Tres Leches and our amazing passion fruit Mojitos. Enjoy in house or order from the takeaway menu. Our friendly staff is more than happy to help plan an extraordinary dining experience.

Try our keto, paleo, gluten friendly menu options

Our NEW 3’s Catering Company brought to you buy our family of restaurants Ipanema, Latinos Y Mas and Craft Cuisine.

3sCateringCompany.com We are open for to-go orders, curbside pickup and Door Dash for deliveries.

Online Gift Cards

Happy Hour Mon-Thur 3-7pm. | Kids Eat Free Mondays

Follow us on social media for updates.

2030 South Pine Avenue, Ocala, FL 34471 | (352) 622-4777 www.latinosymas.com Mon-Thurs 11am - 9pm | Fri-Sat 11am-10pm | Sun closed

West 82° Bar and Grill Looking for a flavor party in your mouth with the best view in Citrus County to tantalize your eyes?

The West 82 Bar and Grill offers fun innovative dining options with niche regional and eclectic southern charm. We use the freshest ingredients to include locally caught fresh seafood, Florida beef, as well as locally harvested fruits and vegetables.

We invite you to catch your own in season fish and scallops which we can prepare in a variety of ways, served family style.

Overlooking the beautiful Kings Bay and Crystal River, the West 82 satisfies all of your senses in one place.

Call for reservations and weekly specials.

Breakfast: Monday-Sunday 6-10:30am Lunch: 11:30am-2pm, Dinner: Daily: 5-9pm 9301 West Fort Island Trail, Crystal River, FL 34429 | (352) 795-4211 www.plantationoncrystalriver.com

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| APR 2021 | OCALAMAGAZINE.COM

9301 West Fort Island Trail Crystal River, FL 34429 (352) 795-4211 plantationoncrystalriver.com

AMERICA’S HOME PLACE

CUSTOM HOMES BUILT ON YOUR LAND SINCE 1972

Gainesville Building Center

9200 NW 39th Ave Ste 190 Gainesville, FL 32606

(352) 244-8442

AmericasHomePlace.com FL # CR-C1330787

HOPS Set amid the ambience of the city’s oldest historic district and through the generosity of the homeowners, H.O.P.S. is pleased to showcase some of Ocala’s distinctive architecture, history, and culture. Since 1992, these home tours have provided a rare opportunity for guests to go inside some of our community’s most beautiful private residences.

2021 Historic Ocala Preservation Society Board Members

Sponsorship opportunities available, please contact 352-351-1861

Brian Stoothoff — President Rhoda Walkup — Vice President Richard Perry — Secretary Dennis Phillips — Treasurer Linda Anker Giorgio Berry Bryan Caracciolo Robin Fannon Sean Gallaway Leon Geller Stephanie Howard R.J. Jenkins Lela Kerley Trish Kilgore Sarah Kirk Caryl Lucas Penny Miller Suzanne Thomas Rhoda Walkup Diana Williams Link Wilson Holly Yocum

712 S.E. Fort King St. Ocala, FL 34471 | (352) 351-1861 | www.HistoricOcala.org Follow us on Facebook

play

“Blue Sun” by Ryan Andrew Neumann, Magnolia Art Xchange Resident Artist “Oh you crazy sun, don’t be so blue. Don’t you know this world was made for you.”

Acrylic on canvas | 48” x 48” | Made at the MAX for the MCA | IG: @ORIGINALLOCALARTIST

Socially Speaking p58 | Anthology—Poetry in Motion p62

OCALAMAGAZINE.COM | APR 2021 |

57

EVENTS

socially speaking

Fort King National Historic Landmark Brings History Alive STORY AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY RONALD W. WETHERINGTON | SOCIAL EDITOR Ron@ocalamagazine.com

S

ome people think of history as a living spirit which enriches the present and guides future generations. Nowhere in Ocala/Marion County is the living spirit of history more alive and on view than at the Fort King National Historic Landmark. Former New York State Parks Commissioner and one of the trustees of the Fort King Heritage Association, Bernadette Castro, explains, “The Ocala/Marion County region is sitting on a secret that must be shouted out to residents, visitors, businesses, students and educators.”

The words “National Historic Landmark” are very significant and can only be authorized by the National Park Service, which designated the title to Fort King in 2004. That title is an incredible honor for the site, which tells exciting stories of Chief Osceola and how the Seminoles interacted with the U.S. Army in this frontier fort. Standing inside the fort helps one understand the complicated story of the Seminole Wars and encourages more learning on the subject.

This historic site offers a walking trail where one can imagine the soldiers and Seminoles on horseback.

As Castro observes, the Fort King National Historic Landmark is still a well-kept secret to many.

The Fort King National Historic Landmark is a 42-acre park located within the city of Ocala. Operated by the City of Ocala, the park amenities include a full- scale replica of the 1837 fort, visitor center, archaeological resource center, nature trails, seep spring and heritage teaching garden. Fort King National Historic Landmark is dedicated to the education of the Seminole Wars in Florida and the role that Fort King played in those wars, which spanned 42 years of conflict.

Future development of the park includes the eventual construction of the entire Fort King complex as well as a new museum and education center. The economic impact on our local economy is significant as heritage tourism is a thriving industry in Florida.

The Fort King Heritage Association (FKHA) is a non-profit formed to “preserve, protect and promote” the Fort King National Historic Landmark, while serving as a citizen support group to cultivate and sustain a public-private partnership with private donors and local, state and federal governments. Under the leadership of Charlie Stone, who recently termed out as a state legislator and is the current FKHA president, a recent legislative delegation luncheon was held.Those in attendance included state Sens. Jennifer Bradley, Dennis Baxley and Keith Perry, along with U.S. Rep. Neal Dunn and state Rep. Joe Harding. Also in attendance were Stone and former Speaker of the Florida House of Representatives Larry Cretul.

It is meetings such as this that are making the future visions of Fort King National Historic Landmark a reality. The next project is to rebuild the blacksmith shop for which

Bill McCall and Rep. Joe Harding

Larry Cretul, County Commissioner Craig Curry and Charlie Stone

Rep. Stan McLaine, Senator Jennifer Bradley and Senator Dennis Baxley

Caroline Rutosky, Preston Posner, Bill Rodriguez and Keifer Caulkins

FKHA has completed the archeological work. After that, FKHA seeks to rebuild all the buildings that stood inside and outside of the fort’s walls: officers’ quarters, a sutler’s store, powder room and courthouse as the first county seat for Marion County.

In addition, FKHA wants to construct a new welcome center that will contain a shop, library, video room, displays for artifacts and various displays of the U.S. military and Seminoles. Such ambitious projects

benefit our entire community but especially students who get a hands-on view of Seminole War history.

Most historical sites like Fort King are now covered with asphalt or have a shopping center standing on top of them, but not Fort King. Fort King National Historic Landmark is located at 3925 E. Fort King Street, Ocala. For more information or to plan a family tour or educational visit, please call 352-368-5535.

OCALAMAGAZINE.COM | APR 2021 |

59

EVENTS

socially speaking

Kimberly’s Playground STORY AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY LESLIE J. WENGLER

K

imberly Center for Child Protection had its ribbon-cutting ceremony for the much-anticipated playground Feb. 25. Kimberly Center was founded in 1996 by a team of professionals and various leaders in the community to help children start the process of recovery due to a trauma or a neglect situation. There are around 350-400 cases of child abuse each month in Marion County. This $200,000 project was developed to help the children have a little fun while also receiving therapeutic touches throughout the playground. It includes a mural done by Marion County education students and a plaque to honor the late Chief Greg Graham. Senator Dennis Baxley said some very moving words about how much caring for the younger generation is important, especially during these difficult times, followed by Dawn Westgate, Executive Director of Kimberly Center. There were several board members in attendance as well as members of the community to celebrate this event that will help bring joy to the lives of those going through this process.

Amanda Cawley, Nikki Tripodi, Davis Dinkins, Thad Boyd, Dennis Baxley, Melissa Bianculli and Dawn Westgate

Chester Weber and Beth McCall

Niki Tripodi

Tyler Graham, Amy Graham and Chester Weber

Kaitlynn Schrader and Barbra Carbaugh

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| APR 2021 | OCALAMAGAZINE.COM

Frank Deluca and Jeanne Henningsen

Senator Dennis Baxley and Dawn Westgate

Cindy Harper and Victoria Smith

AT in memory of Dick Hancock, Horse Fever Champion

CRITTERS BONNIE EADS

HOME SWEET HOME CARLYNNE HERSHBERGER

SUNNY DAZE RONDA RICHLEY

Benefitting MCA and its support of the arts in Ocala, Marion County.

DRAWING JUNE 4TH

Online Raffle Tickets Are Available Now! Visit: www.mcaocala.org for complete details.

The Giving Collection drawing is being conducted by Marion Cultural Alliance, Inc., located at 23 SW Broadway Street, Ocala, Florida 34471. Please note: Horses are 3D, life-size sculptures and actual designs may vary. The drawing will take place at 6pm on Friday, June 4, 2021 at Brick City Center for the Arts (home of Marion Cultural Alliance, Inc.). The winner of each horse (Sunny Daze, Critters, and Home Sweet Home) will be selected at random. rando Entrants do not have to be present to win. All three horses will be drawn and awarded. Winners will be notified by telephone. The suggested donation is $100 per ticket. In accordance with state law, no purchase or contribution is required to enter. Please mail requests for a ticket to 23 SW Broadway Street, Ocala, Florida 34471. For questions, a complete list of rules, and prizes, please contact MCA.

OCALAMAGAZINE.COM | APR 2021 |

61

PLAY

anthology — poetry in motion

Tall and Bold

BY JERRY GLASSMAN

There was a tree that grew tall and bold And became a magical tree where stories are told The sound of the tree is a language all its own And only magical beings can understand its tone Right from the start as you can see

The Hammock

BY KELLY FORT PORTER

Love is the language of the wonderful tree The tree speaks in a magical way So that everyone listening will feel its love today

Lemonade sky, And my soul took a nosedive

To find your own magical tree

Into the emerald waters of your eyes—

Pick a tree that grew tall and bold That's the one where the stories are told Gather your friends and sit under the tree Your troubles will leave, and you will be free Now, low and behold, You're ready to listen to a story told.

| APR 2021 | OCALAMAGAZINE.COM

Against the backdrop of the Atlantic’s

It's not so hard as you will see Get outside and walk around

62

We swayed back and forth

Pools of promise.

My heart swam in their expressions of adventure. (burnt-umber bled into the blue-gray skyline of my consciousness) Yes, long ago we soared Against the backdrop of the Atlantic’s Lemonade sky— Just you and me.

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Ocala’s Chocolate & Confections • 104 E. Fort King St., Ocala, Florida 34471 • (352) 789-6882

OCALA’S #1 STOP FOR ALL THINGS CHOCOLATE!

You can have your delight for a one stop shop for your gourmet, exotic, and everyday chocolate needs. If we don’t have your desires on the shelf, simply make an order in advance and we can customize it specifically for you. We are a neighborhood store in a neighborly community, see you at Ocala’s Chocolate & Confections!

We also offer many chocolate fruits, other chocolate products, and ice creams at our shop!

OCALAMAGAZINE.COM | APR 2021 |

63

ELITE EQUESTRIAN

®

Celebrating The Equestrian Lifestyle

We are America’s Favorite Equestrian Lifestyle Magazine, Published Since 2008.

ELITE

EQUESTRIAN

®

Celebrating The Equestrian Lifestyle

CURO- Diagnostics “Revealing the Unseen”

NIC ROLDAN Peek Inside His Life SPRING Fashion

AIKEN, SC Highlight

Volume 21 Issue 2 Complimentary

TRAILER SAVING A TREASURE Maintenance Persano Breed www.EliteEquestrianMagazine.com

is not a gentle hobby, Ridingto bea horse picked up and laid down like a game of solitaire.

I t is a grand passion.

-Ralph Waldo Emerson

ELITE EQUESTRIAN Magazine RANKED 7TH WORLD WIDE Equine Magazines to watch -according to Feedspot Blog

www.EliteEquestrianMagazine.com To request on-line subscriptions and for media kit inquiries, email info@eliteequestrian.us

equine

Gracious Living in the Horse Capital of the World® Photograph by Ralph Demilio

Horse Fever’s Giving Collection p66

OCALAMAGAZINE.COM | APR 2021 |

65

EQUINE

Horse Fever 20/20’s ‘Giving Collection’ honors Hancock

BY BRAD ROGERS PHOTOGRAPHY BY KENT WEAKLEY

A

s part of Horse Fever 20/20, the arts fundraiser’s organizers have set aside three of the latest herd’s beautiful horses – known as The Giving Collection - to be raffled off in honor of Dick Hancock, longtime Florida thoroughbred industry leader and local booster of the arts.

“Dick Hancock was a champion for Horse Fever,” said Laurie Zink, chairman of Horse Fever 20/20 and one of the original founders of Horse Fever in 2001. “If it had not been for Dick Hancock, Horse Fever might not have happened.”

Hancock, who served as executive vice president of the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders and Owners Association for 22 years before retiring in 2011, was key in Horse Fever’s success because he convinced the FTBOA to partner with what would become the Marion Cultural Alliance to present the wildly popular original Horse Fever.

As we now know, the original Horse Fever spawned two more editions of the public art project, including this year’s version, and has raised more than $1 million to help local artists and arts organizations.

“It has engaged the arts community,” said Jaye Baillie, executive director of the MCA. “It has provided support to our arts community. It has been a revenue source for the MCA, and one of our goals is to give away more money through our cultural arts

66

| APR 2021 | OCALAMAGAZINE.COM

Critters

Artist: Bonnie Eads

grants.” So far, MCA has given away around $400,000 in cultural arts grants.

The FTBOA is again co-sponsor of Horse Fever 20/20 with the MCA. The two groups will split the proceeds from the Horse Fever 20/20, but money raised from the Giving Collection raffle will go to MCA. The Giving Collection includes three horse from this year’s 16-horse herd. They are Sunny Daze by Ronda Richley, Home Sweet Home by Carlynne Hershberger and Critters by Bonnie Eads.

The three horses will be raffled June 4 at the Brick City Center for the Arts. There are 300 tickets available for each horse, at a cost

of $100 per ticket. Tickets can be purchased at the Brick City Center for the Arts or online through the MCA website at mcaocala.org.

Baillie said MCA will use 100 percent of the proceeds from the Giving Collection to fund arts organizations and arts programs.

Horse Fever has been the impetus for a groundswell of public art throughout Ocala.

Horse Fever organizers say the latest round of horses, including those in the Giving Collection, will only add to what the public art series started.

Zink said the Giving Collection gives Ocalans a unique opportunity to put one-ofkind artworks in front of their home, busi-

Sunny Daze Artist: Ronda Richley

ness or favorite community organizations.

“You can be part of a program that has changed the city and made it one of the country’s most art-friendly places,” she said.

Zink said one of the beauties of Horse Fever over the years – and she expects the Giving Collection horse to just add to it – is that most of the horses are located in public view where they can be enjoyed by all in the community.

“These three horses are creating a connection in the community, all in honor of Dick Hancock,” she said.

If you have any questions or for The Giving Collection’s current viewing location, please contact MCA at 352.369.1500.

Home Sweet Home Artist: Carlynne Hershberger

OCALAMAGAZINE.COM | APR 2021 |

67

Lakeview Terrace Terrace,

New Homes Ready Occupancy.

Special Sale for Pricing

We welcome you to become a part of our family while retaining your indepenTo the sense future of opening of our New we here are offering, for a limited dence.celebrate The loving community andClubhouse, compassion at Lakeview provides time, great sale pricing on many of our homes.

Lakeview is a wonderful place to live and hope as staff and residents come together to help and support each other. “I didthe Clubhouse will give our residents even better accommodations and service. not like being alone,” one resident said, “Now I am among friends.”

Lakeview continues, with unwavering dedication, to provide necessary precautions and Lakeview continues, with unwavering dedication, to provide necessary precauresources, along with kindness and creativity to keep our residents safe and entertained. tions and resources, along with kindness and creativity to keep our residents safe We have gone above and beyond expectations, delivering groceries and meals, and and entertained. We have gone above and beyond expectations, delivering groceries communicating daily with our residents. Wouldn’t you want to be part of this great and meals, and communicating daily with our residents. Wouldn’t you want to be Continuing Care Retirement Community? part of this great Continuing Care Retirement Community?

Now’s the time to sell your house and enjoy the peace of mind of Life Care at Lakeview.

Now’s the time to sell your house and enjoy the peace of mind of Life Care at Houses are selling rapidly and at high prices with low interest rates. This may not last long.

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etc

Southeastern Pro Rodeo Photograph by Ralph Demilio

Charity: Meals on Wheels p70 | Health Journal p74 | State of the City p78 State of the County p80 | Kiwanis Korner p82 | Rotary Circle p84 | OM Marketplace p86 | Looking Back p88

OCALAMAGAZINE.COM | APR 2021 |

69

ETC

charity

Delivering Meals and Companionship Meals on Wheels has expanded during the pandemic

BY CARLTON REESE | PHOTOGRAPHY BY RALPH DEMILIO

F

or some elderly and infirm, the entire universe may as well be 1,000 square feet enclosed in drywall and dated paper. The few voices that interrupt the day’s silence come mostly from the television set or the AM/FM radio that also serves as an alarm clock.

At some point in the early afternoon the doorbell rings and a little life leaps into a barren day. On the porch awaits a volunteer for Meals on Wheels, delivering not just a hot lunch to a needy and immobile client but also some heartfelt companionship that goes a long way to enhancing one’s quality of life. One of the core programs at Marion Senior Services, Meals on Wheels serves nearly 73,000 meals to over 500 clients a year and along the way delivers hope with a hot meal.

“We just want people to know they’re not forgotten,” said Jenny Martinez, Executive Director of Marion Senior Services.

“It’s making sure they know and understand there are people out there that know them and love them and want them to do well. It gives them purpose.”

In 1973, several local women concerned about their neighbors took a $100 check from Blessed Trinity Catholic Church and began delivering meals to homebound seniors. From that small beginning grew MSS and the local Meals on Wheels program that started in England during the German bombing campaigns early in World War II. With nutritionists and dieticians overseeing the preparation of all meals, homebound seniors in Marion County are able to receive one-third of their daily nutritional requirements through the delivery of lunch, something nearly all would have otherwise been deprived.

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| APR 2021 | OCALAMAGAZINE.COM

Rondo Fernandez, Jennifer Martinez, Mayor Kent Guinn and Police Chief Mike Balken

The meals arrive via volunteer or MSS staff member and looks much like a traditional TV dinner, but healthier. In some cases, according to Martinez, the meals replace ketchup packets and water. In such cases, pride gets in the way of the necessary inquiries into services.

“They don’t want to burden anybody,” Martinez said. “They don’t want to make their problems somebody else’s so they try to maintain themselves and that usually doesn’t work. We’re very honored to be able to help these people.

“Our whole mission is to keep seniors independent and in the home as long as possible. There’s no place like home – it’s not just a slogan.”

With the onset of the pandemic, the efficiency and volume of Meals on Wheels

has been tested like no other time before.

Martinez and her team certainly anticipated a greater demand from clients, but also feared a depletion of volunteer forces which, like most charitable operations, are its lifeblood. As most volunteers are seniors themselves, it was believed fears of COVID would ultimately keep many from their usual rounds.

To Martinez’ surprise, the volunteers and staff at MSS actually increased their vigilance, enabling a continuation of the services. “(The volunteers) all showed up,” Martinez said. “They even took it more to heart that they remain consistent, that they didn’t want a stranger going to their (appointed) houses because in a scary time we have been in they didn’t want to add in another layer of the unknown.

They came out and continued their mission.

“It was really warming for me as an exec-

utive director to have my staff and volunteers just really take it to heart and not want to give their responsibilities to someone else.”

With the negative effects of the pandemic also came an opportunity for Meals on Wheels to expand, which it has done with the help of local restaurants and the governor’s relaxing of restrictions on home meal deliveries. What has ensued is the Warm Meals program in which MSS volunteers are able to deliver meals from area restaurants such as Mojo’s in Ocala, County Line Barbecue in Ocklawaha, Pappy’s Place in Anthony and

Sonny’s Barbecue near Marion Oaks. Before the pandemic, such services would not have been allowed in a Meals on Wheels program, but now such expansion that has sprung forth a win-win for all involved. “(Demand) is up over 300 percent and our purveyor was completely overwhelmed,” Martinez said. “We were blessed that our governor allowed us to use restaurants as emergency purveyors where we can help our more vulnerable people so that they might get two meals a day now.”

Martinez says that all meals are still being approved by a nutritionist and dietician, but that much of the bureaucracy has been lifted, allowing for a more flexible and creative program. Marion Senior Services negotiates a contract price with the restaurants with a reimbursement rate, creating a situation where less money is paid up front that allows more people to be served on the back end.

“The restaurants are being very generous with us and we are actually able to give back to the restaurants that give back to us,”

Martinez said.

Not to be lost in the shuffle is the fact that many homebound seniors also own pets, which provide much-needed companionship. As food was delivered to the client, that client would often have a hungry dog or cat that would inevitable be fed from the gift provided. When this problem came to light, Pet Meals on Wheels came to fruition.

These days, when a client has a hungry pet, food delivery also includes a meal for the furry companion. Meals on Wheels partnered with Project PUP and through other community partnerships has been able to provide domestic animals pet food on a weekly basis.

“Our volunteers and staff recognized that the meals we were delivering they were sharing because they felt guilty eating in front of their pets. Now, they don’t have to feel guilty when they eat their food and can take all the nutrition for themselves.”

Funding for Meals on Wheels comes through a variety of sources, including subsidies from the state and federal government, private donations, United Way and grants.

In March, the organization celebrated its “March for Meals” national campaign which brings awareness to Meals on Wheels and the need for such a program as 12,000 people turn age 60 every day in this country. As part of the campaign there was “Champions Week” in which local leaders were able to help deliver meals.

“They can see it for themselves,” Martinez said. “Until you go out and see it, you truly don’t understand the impact.”

Anyone who wants more information about donating or becoming a volunteer for Meals on Wheels can visit mealsonwheelsamerica.org or marionseniorservices.org.

OCALAMAGAZINE.COM | APR 2021 |

71

RIA L

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health journal

As healthcare evolves, is your doctor ready?

BRANDPOINT

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| APR 2021 | OCALAMAGAZINE.COM

T

he COVID-19 pandemic changed how people think about healthcare.

Interacting with your doctor has never been more critical, but now some or all those interactions might occur online.

The ability to make appointments online and see your physician without leaving home has benefits. In fact, Chilmark Research estimates that by 2025, 15 to 25 percent of all primary care visits will be conducted virtually in the United States. As telehealth use grows and patients have come to expect more online services from their

Your health is your top possession.

Stay connected to your doctor and take an active role in your own health.

doctors, it’s important to ask your doctor about available tools to help you stay connected and save time.

EXPLORE THE NEW AGE OF AMBULATORY CARE

One company leading the evolution in patient engagement technologies is NextGen Healthcare. Their platform saves time for healthcare teams and boosts convenience for patients.

NextGen Healthcare experts suggest you ask your doctor about: Online patient access: How does their patient portal work, and what features does it offer? Can you easily send a message to your doctor, request a prescription refill, access your personal health records, and view lab results online?

Online appointments: Can you schedule your own appointments online? Can you view your appointment history and/or

modify existing appointments?

Virtual visits: Do they offer virtual video visits (aka telehealth) for situations that don’t require an in-person office visit for things like refill requests, lab results, or follow-up appointments? Are they using a secure and HIPAA-compliant telehealth system? (HIPAA is a law that protects the privacy and confidentiality of patient health records and information.)

Online bill pay: Can you see your balance and pay a bill electronically without having to call or send payment in the mail?

THE FUTURE OF THE DOCTOR-PATIENT RELATIONSHIP

People are comfortable shopping online from their smartphones, tablets or computers. When the COVID-19 pandemic started, video chats with friends and family skyrocketed in every age category. Software

platforms enable us to do almost anything from the comfort of home, and the same expectation now applies to healthcare.

There’s no doubt that the patient experience will continue to evolve beyond the confines of a traditional office setting. This growth of consumerism also means you have more choices for where and how you receive healthcare, and this will likely impact how you choose a doctor in the future.

Your health is your top possession.

Stay connected to your doctor and take an active role in your own health by ensuring your doctor’s practice offers digital patient engagement tools that make it easy for you to stay on top of your healthcare.

Through technology, doctors and patients can be more aligned for even better overall health outcomes. NextGen Healthcare’s award-winning ambulatory software platforms enables a more seamless and efficient experience that helps improve the provider-patient relationship. Learn more at www.nextgen.com.

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state of the city

Preserving our greatest resource

April is Water Conservation Month

WRITTEN BY RACHEL SLOCUMB, WATER RESOURCES CONSERVATION COORDINATOR

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Photo courtesy of The City of Ocala

W

ater is a finite natural resource. What we have now is what has always been here and will always be here. The only thing that changes is how much is available for use and how polluted it may be. Have you ever thought about how much water you use in a day? The average person in central Florida uses around 100 gallons of water per day. Did you turn the faucet off for those two minutes while you were brushing your teeth? If not, you just wasted approximately four gallons of water – eight if you have the same practice at night. Water use can easily add up without much effort.

April is Water Conservation Month and to celebrate, the City of Ocala will be highlighting the importance of water conservation. Protecting our finite natural resource begins in our homes and businesses.

City of Ocala customers use an average of 12 million gallons of water a day. It is estimated that half of this water is used exclusively for irrigation, including the watering of lawns.

There are ways to reduce water use on your lawn. One simple way is to measure the amount of water that is being used during an irrigation cycle. Prior to running your irrigation system, place straight sided cans, such as an empty tuna can, around your yard. After your sprinkler cycle has finished, measure the depth of the water in the can. Irrigation systems should deliver no more than half to three-quarter inches of water per cycle. If this amount is exceeded, then the amount of time your system runs needs to be reduced.

You may be surprised about how little time is required to meet that water level threshold. Make sure that you are only watering on your designated irrigation day and during the specified time.

Wetland Recharge Park

During this time of year, residents and businesses are permitted to irrigate two days a week. Odd numbered or non-numbered addresses can irrigate Wednesdays and Saturdays while even numbered addresses can irrigate Thursdays and Sundays. Watering should not take place between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. These restrictions are also in place for those using irrigation or private wells. You should also only water when needed. You can determine if your turf needs watering by simply stepping on it. If the blades of grass spring back to their original place, the lawn can wait on watering. If your grass stays down, it could use a drink.

What are some other ways you can conserve water? Something as simple as using the dishwasher instead of handwashing dishes can have a dramatic impact on your water consumption. The typical kitchen faucet uses two gallons of water per minute.

If you let your water run for a few minutes before you start washing your dishes to ensure it is hot, that’s about six gallons of wa-

ter. Running water while washing and rinsing those dishes for up to 15 minutes could waste another 30 gallons of water. That’s 36 gallons of water for a small number of dishes. By using an Energy Star rated dishwasher, your water consumption will be around four gallons. Even if you are using an older model dishwasher the water consumption will be closer to 15 gallons.

That is over a 50 percent reduction in water use, just by using a dishwasher.

The water we have is the only water that has ever been, or will ever be, here on Earth.

Although April is Water Conservation Month, let’s make every day water conservation day.

Want to learn more about how you can save water or what the City is doing to help promote conservation?

Call the City of Ocala Water Resources Department call 352351-6772 or email Rachel Slocumb, Conservation Coordinator at rslocumb@ocalafl.org.

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state of the county

A New-Look County Website Filled With New Features Marion County has launched a brand-new website, MarionFL.org

BY ALEX AUBUCHON

C

ounty staff have spent months redesigning the site from the ground up with a focus on customer service and accessibility, offering improved functionality while still maintaining access to all of Marion County’s government services and information.

“You’ll find the features Marion County residents use most often front and center,” said Commissioner Carl Zalak while unveiling the site at a Board of County Commissioners meeting. “Things like paying a utility bill, applying for a building permit, adopting a pet, finding a park, or watching our commission meetings can be done with one click of a button.”

“The new website also features a responsive design where the website will automatically resize to the screen on smartphones and tablets while still retaining all the features and functionality,” said Information Technology Director Tom Northey on a recent episode of the Marion Minute podcast. This makes the new website much easier to navigate no matter what sort of device one is viewing.

Website visitors will enjoy a streamlined experience featuring large, clickable buttons, improved search functionality and ADA accessibility.

In addition to our new website, Marion County has rolled out a new interactive map featuring a wide variety of geographic information system (GIS) layers. These can each be toggled on or off and can answer simple

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questions such as “Who is my county commissioner?” or “Where is the nearest library, park, or fire station?” as well as complex questions like “What areas of the county are most prone to flooding?” or “How exactly are properties near me zoned?”

Accurate and functional GIS maps are crucial for our own road planning and growth services departments, but everyone can find some benefit with the layers we have available – like where our recycling centers, fire stations, and libraries are located or where Marion County water and sewer services are available.

The new website is live and fully functional at MarionFL.org.

One quick note – if you have any bookmarks to a marioncountyfl.org address, please update it! We’ll redirect it for now, but soon all our web content will live exclusively at MarionFL.org.

Similarly, county employees’ email addresses have shifted to [firstname.lastname]@marionfl.org.

This change to a shorter URL for web addresses and emails will lead to greater efficiency – after all, it’s less to type!

We hope you enjoy the newly redesigned website and all the features it has to offer!

Alex AuBuchon is the Public Information Officer for the Marion County Board of Commissioners.

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Kiwanis

Korner

Kiwanis Club of Ocala — Serving Above Self Always

Mayor Kent Guinn; Cindy Brown, Community Relations Representative for Congressman Daniel Webster; George Albright, Marion County Tax Collector; Cyndie McQuaig, District Secretary for State Rep. Joe Harding; David Ellsperman, former Clerk of the Court; Ocala Chief of Police, Mike Balken; City Councilman, Jay Musleh; Kiwanis President, Joe Voge and Wes Wheeler, Past-President and Program Chair

K

iwanis Club of Ocala recently had the honor of hosting two special speakers, sharing the effects that the COVID 19 virus has had in our community, both in the City of Ocala and Marion County overall. Mayor Kent Guinn introduced the Ocala chief of police, Mike Balken. Chief Balken gave a touching history of his life, dating back to his youth through present day, with special emphasis on the current opioid crisis in our community with additional information as to what he and the department are doing to fight the crisis and protect our younger generation. Tax Collector, George Albright spoke on the current status of the County Tax Office during the Coronavirus situation and how they have managed to keep operations open to the public in various ways while maintaining staff and using all required safety measures. His main priority has always been providing excellent service to the citizens of Marion County, not only when elected consecutively to serve 12 years as the Representative in the Florida House of Representatives, but now as the Marion County Tax Collector.

Mayor Kent Guinn

Chief of Police, Mike Balken

Paul Conley inducting 2 new members, Jeff Ulmer and Ted Houck

Special Guest Speaker George Albright, Marion County Tax Collector

Gary Rigby

From camping at Camp Kiwanis (since 1948), to projects to improve academics, citizenship, and child safety, the Kiwanis Club of Ocala serves and cares for the children of Ocala and surrounding areas.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

Kiwanis International is a global community of clubs, members, and partners, dedicated to improving the lives of children one community at a time. Today, with more than 550,000 members in 80 Countries, Kiwanis empowers members to pursue creative ways to serve the needs of our children, such as fighting hunger, improving literacy and being a mentor. Kiwanis Clubs host over 150,000 service projects per year. www.facebook.com/KiwanisClubOfOcala

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Rotary

Circle

Golfing & Education Together For The Good

Fellowship-MentorshipPartnership The Ocala Sunset Rotary Club recently held its annual golf scramble at Ocala Golf Club, with proceeds going to help the Marion County Boys and Girls Club.

“Supporting education” is Rotary International’s cause. As part of this mission, the Ocala Rotary Club offers two $1,000 scholarships to Marion County public school students who are high school seniors.

Patricia Sutton and Karla Grimsley

Becky Sinn, Megan Whittaker and Olivia Ortiz

Additional information about the eligibility criteria may be found in the 2020-2021 Marion County Scholarship Directory at https:// www.marionshchools.net/ domain/3048.

Golfers with Jeff Tucker and Chad Ditty

Jeff Tucker, Keith Meredith, Azim Saju, Billy Gilchrist

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| APR 2021 | OCALAMAGAZINE.COM

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OCALAMAGAZINE.COM | APR 2021 |

On the Menu

87

HOPS

looking back

When the nation’s legal focus fell upon Ocala

BY CARLTON REESE WITH THE HISTORIC OCALA PRESERVATION SOCIETY

I

n 1970, Ocala and Crystal River were part of a major Supreme Court case that is rarely talked about 50 years later and is likely only referred to sporadically in law schools across the country.

The case involved the local newspaper, a former mayor of Crystal River and questions regarding libel and “actual malice.”

In what was considered an honest mistake, the Ocala Star-Banner published a story which alleged that Leonard Damron had been charged in federal court with perjury.

Damron, who was mayor of Crystal River, was at the time a candidate for county tax assessor. Problem was that the person who had actually been charged with perjury was Damron’s brother James, and not Leonard.

Two weeks after the original story was published, Leonard Damron lost the election and he blamed this on the Star-Banner’s story and subsequently sued for compensatory and punitive damages. In the end, lower courts ruled in his favor and awarded him $22,000 in compensatory damages but failed to award any punitive damages.

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The reporter in this case gave an accurate account of the story, but a new editor who was familiar with Leonard’s name, but not James’, erroneously changed the name in the article. The Star-Banner printed two corrections to the story and in the initial court proceedings admitted to publishing a libelous story, but believed there was no actual malice toward a public official which would preclude it from paying damages.

The case made it to the United States Supreme Court with Harold B. Wahl representing the Star-Banner and Wallace Dunn representing Damron.

The case centered around precedent set in 1964 with the landmark New York Times v.

Sullivan case that deemed actual malice must be proven in the case of a public official for damages to be awarded. The Ocala Star-Banner v. Damron case decided in 1971 was used to help clarify the Times-Sullivan decision.

The Florida District Court had ruled that since Damron’s performance as a public official was not the basis for the inaccuracy of the story that it was, “unnecessary for the plaintiff to

show malice.” The judge instructed the jurors that since the article was “libelous, per se,” its only task was to determine damages.

Arguments before the U.S. Supreme Court began in December of 1970 with the decision handed down Feb. 24, 1971.

Though conceding the Star-Banner was indeed guilty of libel in this case, the court nonetheless ruled in the newspaper’s favor.

In his concurring opinion, Justice Byron White offered a scathing rebuke of libelous publishers who, “achieve nothing but gratuitous injury,” but noted that, “the sole basis for protecting publishers who spread false information is that otherwise the truth would be too often suppressed.”

White continued: “That innocent falsehoods are sometimes protected only to ensure access to the truth has been noted before . . . and it is well that it is repeated today.”

In the end, Ocala Star-Banner v. Damron clarified New York Times v. Sullivan by showing how the“actual malice” test of that case applied not just to individuals in public office but also individuals running for public office.

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