Ocala Magazine June 2020 Issue

Ocala’s City Magazine Since 1980 | $5.95

OCALA MAGAZINE

JUNE 2020

2020 Men of Influence 2020 Graduates: A Historic Class Celebrating Fathers George Albright Jr’s Lasting

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CONTENTS CELEBRATING OUR 40TH YEAR!

JUNE • 2020 FEATURES 16

The Legacy of George Albright, Jr.

21

2020 Men of Influence

38

The Path My Dad Paved

42

Graduating With Class

56

Honoring Kulbir Ghumman

DEPARTMENTS 12

Publisher’s Letter

14

From the Mayor

59

EAT

60

Picnic Perfection

64

Dining Out

69

PLAY

70 Socially Speaking 74 Anthology: Poetry in Motion Alex Jordan Lake Weir PHOTO: WAYNE HOPKINS

p. 42 Saluting the class of 2020

ON THE COVER:

77

LIVE

78 Everything Equine 82

Charity Spotlight: Interfaith

85

ETC

86

State of the County

88

State of the City

92

Kiwanis Korner

94

Rotary Circle

96

Looking Back

Ocala’s City Magazine Since 1980 | $5.95

George Albright, Jr.

OCALA MAGAZINE

JUNE 2020

2020 Men of Influence 2020 Graduates: A Historic Class Celebrating Fathers George Albright Jr’s Lasting

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| JUN 2020 | OCALAMAGAZINE.COM

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KEEP THE DANCE

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OM Volume 39, Issue 12

JUNE 2020

OCALA’S #1 MOST AWARD-WINNING CITY MAGAZINE

CELEBRATING OUR 40TH YEAR! Philip Glassman, CCIM | Publisher, Editor in Chief philip@ocalamagazine.com

Penny Miller | VP/Corporate Development/Principal penny@ocalamagazine.com

EDITORIAL

Ronald W. Wetherington | Social Editor ron@ocalamagazine.com Robin Fannon | Food/Lifestyle Editor

ART Jessi Miller | Creative Director jessi@ocalamagazine.com

Joshua Jacobs | Senior Graphic Designer joshua@ocalamagazine.com PHOTOGRAPHY Joshua Jacobs | Photographer ADVISORY

IVE R OF FIDA E N N I W FLOR INE 2019 A M GATZION CIA DS ASSOA WAR

to Listen Magazine Ocala on WOCA Radio / 1370amm 96.3fms at 10:30a Friday

CONTRIBUTORS

Benjamin Baugh | Writer Louisa Barton | Writer Ashley Lopez/City of Ocala | Writer Mayor Kent Guinn | Columnist Carlton Reese | Writer OPERATIONS Randy Woodruff, CPA | CFO randy@ocalamagazine.com Doug Hummel | Director of I.T.

Linda Marks | Founder & Advisor

EDITORIAL OR ADVERTISING INQUIRIES 352.622.2995

www.ocalamagazine.com OFFICIAL MEDIA PARTNER HOPS — Historic Ocala Preservation Society MEDIA PARTNER & PRESENTING SPONSOR of the Tailgating Competition at Live Oak International OFFICIAL MEDIA SPONSOR FOR 2020 International Women's Day EXCLUSIVE MEDIA SPONSOR FOR George Albright Annual Golf Tournament OFFICIAL MEDIA SPONSOR FOR FINE ARTS FOR OCALA

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| JUN 2020 | OCALAMAGAZINE.COM

BE PREPARED. BE SAFE. Hurricane season is June 1 - November 30 • Make sure all contact information is current on your account. Providing us with an up-to-date phone number will allow you to report your power outage easier and faster.

• If your power is restored while crews are still working in the area, please leave a porch light or externally visible light on so they can see that you have power.

• To view a real-time map of current outages, visit severeweather.ocalafl.org.

• Generators should not be plugged directly into a home’s main electrical system. This could potentially send an electrical charge back to the power grid, which could create an electrocution hazard for utility workers.

• To report a power outage in your area, visit myusage.com, use myusage mobile app or call 352-351-6666.

• Please do not report an outage more than once.

• For real-time updates and outage information during a storm, please follow Ocala Electric Utility on Facebook.

/OcalaElectricUtility

@OEUinfo

ocalaelectric.org | 352-629-2489

• Generators should be set up outside the home in a well-ventilated area. Individual appliances can be plugged directly into the generator.

• Visit severeweather.ocalafl.org to learn more about storm preparation and download your free storm preparation guide.

LETTERS

from the publisher

Positivity Over All Else

Madison with newborn Brax

QUARANTINE, I KNOW, CAN BE A VERY negative time for those stuck at home. However, there has been quite a lot of positivity to be thankful for. For me, I have enjoyed more quality of time with my two beautiful children, Madison and Brax. With Father’s Day fast approaching, I could not think of a better gift than time with the ones that have made me a father. This also includes my father, Jerry. It is through his example that I know how to be a good father. He’s also taught me how to be a better businessman, financier, and real estate salesman. I owe a lot to the man I call, father.

Even though most of us are blessed to have or had great parents, there are some that have not had that luxury. That’s why we’ve partnered up again with our local charity Interfaith for this month’s charity spotlight. Karla Grimsley and her team are dedicated to providing food, shelter, and clothing to those in less fortunate standings. They also provide assistance in getting the necessary prescriptions to make sure others are never without. They are truly making our community a better, more harmonious place.

As we search for the meaning of ‘New Normal’, we have Philip with his father, Jerry Glassman and daughter, Madison decided to mail out the majority of this month's issue to our Ocala and The Villages communities. These times are uncertain, but sometimes the most beautiful moments of change are made during the hardest of times. So, I encourage you, our readers, to look for the positivity in the uncertainty and jump at the chance of change.

Karla Grimsley CEO of Interfaith Emergency Service Philip Glassman and his children Madison and Brax

“Be the change that you wish to see in the world” - Mahatma Gandhi Philip Glassman and his children Madison and Brax

PHILIP GLASSMAN, PUBLISHER

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| JUN 2020 | OCALAMAGAZINE.COM

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LETTERS

MAYOR

from the

Reopening Ocala

BY MAYOR KENT GUINN

T

he city is reopening. Restaurants are starting to get back to business.

We’re not operating at the same level that we were before the pandemic, but hopefully we’ll get there real soon.

It’s nice to see people with some confidence, they’re going out. I’ve been talking to a lot of people and shaking hands and engaging people on a routine basis, which is exciting. There’s just a lot of activity that people want to get involved with. I’m starting to get calls about having events in the parks and downtown, so that encourages me.

It’s really important that a lot of these businesses that have been closed for quite a while, that we all get out and support them and help them out. A number of restaurants have offered curbside service, they’ve made it so far, but we really need to support them.

The Ocala Breeders’ Sales Company has one of their largest sales coming up in June, their 2-year-olds in Training Sale, June 9-12. We’re excited about that.

The equine business provides about a $6 billion impact to our economy every year. I recently went on a tour of the World Equestrian Center, and they never stopped with their building and are on target for their opening, so that’s coming along very nicely. We’re anticipating its opening with great enthusiasm, and we’re extremely eager to see what type of impact it will have on the community. It’s going to be wonderful.

A lot of other companies are talking about coming to town, businesses relocating. We’re starting little by little to get back into the swing of things. The most important thing is that people need to have the confidence to get out in the community, and interact with other people.

Mayor Kent Guinn

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| JUN 2020 | OCALAMAGAZINE.COM

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B Legacy An Everlasting

The Life and Influence of George Albright, Jr.

BY CARLTON REESE

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| OCALAMAGAZINE.COM | JUN 2020

B

orn in Weirsdale. Lived in Weirsdale. Died in Weirsdale. To many, these three sentences likely describe an unaccomplished recluse of sorts – a non-traveled fellow of meager means and ambition.

But for George Albright, Jr., to have been born, lived and died in Weirsdale serves as testimony to a man who lived his entire life dedicated to the betterment of his small, beloved community. Successful, well-traveled and indefatigable in his many charitable efforts, Albright lived with a single purpose: Leave this world a better place than when he found it.

Nearly four years ago, Albright passed away and left behind a legacy not only in his children but in the many markers throughout Marion County and beyond which still wear his fingerprints. From Camp Kiwanis to the success of the local Boy Scouts, from the steeple of the Weirsdale Presbyterian Church to the many start-up homes he helped facilitate for new couples and families in need, Albright’s contributions take the form of not just concrete tangible monuments, but in an infectious goodwill that helped uplift a town.

He was 84-years-old and he left too soon.

In the month of June, we take stock in the fathers which reared us, taught us life’s lessons, showed us the value of laughter and living in the service of others. We show our appreciation for all they do and have done.

And although Albright is no longer with us, it seems he is still fulfilling his fatherly duties, not just to his own flesh and blood but to a community that still relies on many of the projects he helped foster.

“Dad literally loved absolutely everybody in this community,” said son Clay. “He was like a surrogate father to so many people and that has been reaffirmed since his passing with just

people I come across. There are so many people my age that didn’t have their parents that dad stepped in in some form or fashion.”

Descended from a line of Presbyterian ministers, Albright himself could often preach a few lessons, but without being preachy. Albright’s lessons were taught mainly through example, and many times out of the limelight.

In the late 1960s, a woman who worked for Albright lost everything when her house burned down. That’s when he stepped in to help.

Son George III recalls the episode and the effect it had on him as well.

“There was a house that had recently not been lived in and dad arranged to have the house moved about a half mile to right on the spot where she lost her house.

“I was in middle school and it was profound; something that I’ve never forgotten.

He just did stuff like that all the time.”

After the big citrus freeze of the 1980s, Albright was able to turn his real estate acumen into helping low-income families with homes. Taking a listing of 1,000 acres of former orange groves and dividing it into 5, 10 and 20-acre plots at just $500 down and $200 per month, affordable home sites existed where none had before. For those with poor credit, Albright many times stepped in to carry the mortgage himself.

“Most of those people could not have owned a place at all because they didn’t have good enough credit,” said wife Aggie. “He helped so many young couples get places to live and buy property. He just loved helping people and making it possible for people that had a hard row to hoe.”

As a father, Albright was a consummate provider for his family. Having gone to work for National Standard Life Insurance Co. right out of the University of Florida, Albright would retire as the company’s Executive Vice President before moving on to establish Albright Realty, which would garner a financial well-being strong enough to send four boys to college and become successful in their own rights.

With the success of his real estate company and his orange grove business, Albright garnered a hefty prominence in Weirsdale and Marion County as well. From it all, his wealth existed mainly as a means to free him up to engage in the charitable projects he

found so crucial.

In joining the Kiwanis Club of Weirsdale, Albright found his calling as a servant of the community. His work in maintaining and improving Camp Kiwanis, founded in 1948, is legendary.

“George was Mr. Kiwanis – that is where his heart was,” said lifelong friend Willet “Bud” Boyer, who worked side-byside with Albright on most of the projects.

“In a small town, you have to have advocates.

If people in the community do not take a stand and take hold, these small communities just fall by the wayside.”

The golf tournament that bears his name has been responsible for ensuring the existence of the camp where Albright was a counselor and generations of Marion Countians have grown up. Thanks to George’s diligence rounding up sponsors, volunteers, patrons, food and beverage suppliers and auction items, the George Albright Memorial Golf Tournament to this day is at the top of area golf fundraisers.

Albright’s salesmanship came in handy when it was time to raise money for the Boy Scouts. The annual spaghetti dinner held to raise funds became a special project for George, who was able to use his connections to get most everything donated for free and increase the margins for the sales.

In selling tickets, Albright relied on his sharp business skills to make certain revenues would extend into five-figure dollar numbers.

He knew you achieved such lofty goals by selling not one, but 10 tickets at a time.

“And once you got on his hit list, you were never off it,” Clay said. “He’d romance you to get the deal done, but after that, whoever he knew wrote the check he wouldn’t call you and say, ‘hey, can you help me out again this year?’ He never gave you the option of a ‘yes’ or a ‘no’ – it was ‘how many should I put you down for?’

“If you ever got on his fundraising hit list, it was like the mafia – you could never get out of it.”

Such was Albright’s dedication to making his projects work: he expected everyone around him to share his enthusiasm and dedication to the cause. That white-knuckled will is the reason many ballfields, basketball courts and parks exist in Weirsdale, why libraries and food halls bear his name

JUN 2020 | OCALAMAGAZINE.COM |

17

H

“ ell or high water he was going to make sure the community was left in better shape than he found it.” and why many children born to unfortunate means went on to achieve great things thanks to Boy Scout scholarships in which he played a major role.

Boyer recalled one of Albright’s methods of fundraising included a little bit of good-natured shaming. At one point, Albright went to community banks to raise money for the Boy Scouts and, of course, all pitched in . . . except one.

Albright could not stand for a lone holdout so he immediately went to leaning on the executives out of town.

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| OCALAMAGAZINE.COM | JUN 2020

“George takes the bull by the horns and calls the chairman of the board of this bank in Birmingham, Ala.,” said Boyer. “In essence he tells him what a cheapskate he is and that every other banker had given him some money and he just wanted him to know that his bank was the only piker in the bunch.

“The chairman of the board sat down and wrote him a check for $100 and sent it to him.”

Relentless in his efforts, George Albright simply could not accept ‘no’ as an answer.

“If you said ‘no’ to him, that was just a challenge. It was like waving a red flag.”

Not simply blessed with keen sales and business acumen, Albright’s engaging personality allowed him to cultivate important relationships including quite a few in some very high places.

In the 1950s, Albright attended the University of Florida, which was the place to be in terms of rubbing elbows with the state’s future movers and shakers.

“Dad grew up or went to college with the people that were going to run Florida for the next 30 years,” said son George III, a former state legislator and currently Marion County Tax Collector. “Ninety percent of the politicians that were in office from the 50s to the 80s went to the University of Florida and he knew all those people.

“It helped me immensely when I got (to the state legislature). There were a lot of people there that knew my dad and liked my dad: Gov. (Lawton) Chiles, Bill Gunter (former state treasurer and insurance commissioner) and (former governor) Ruben Askew.”

Those relationships came especially valuable when Albright became involved with the Life Giver Law in the mid-1990s.

Spearheaded by Glenn Lane, the law was sought to streamline an outdated system of organ donations and transplants utilizing microfilm instead of computer technology and subsequent data bases.

Albright was recruiting Lane for Kiwanis membership when Lane explained the archaic system that was costing lives through its inefficiency. At that point, Albright could see how he could help.

“He said, ‘Kiwanis is exactly what you need! We’ve got people in every part of the state, and in politics – my son serves in the Florida legislature and serves on the Health Committee!’” said Lane, who became involved with the organ donor cause when his son needed a liver transplant at an early age.

“He was right. He knew every aspect of the state and he was the catalyst behind the bill.”

The law created a computer registry pregnant with greater efficiency for matching donors with recipients and became a model for which other states would copy.

The number of lives saved that would have otherwise been lost is incalculable.

The connections, the business savvy, the sharp sales skills and the catching personality all made George Albright a valuable com-

modity himself. His dedication to the Kiwanis service organization led him from local chapter president all the way to president of the Kiwanis International Foundation.

This position took him to all corners of the world where he was responsible for raising millions of dollars for children’s causes and more.

“I think his whole life was around Kiwanis, and mine,” Aggie said. “He loved people; he never met a stranger. It seems like he could meet a person and within the conversation he would ask three or four questions and he always had something in common.”

“How does a little boy go from Weirsdale to the University of Forida to travelling the world as an emissary for Kiwanis so quick?” rhetorically asked George III. “Weirsdale is a tiny place and it’s getting to be tinier. But it’s amazing to me how many people grew up here in the last 80 years and gone on to do great things not only in the state, but in the country and the world.”

In total, it was a life spent serving a small community he loved so dearly and trying to make things better. He used his business skills to not only accumulate personal wealth, but to improve the things around him, including people.

“He said, ‘you always leave things better than you find it,’” Clay said. “It doesn’t matter if you’re borrowing a piece of equipment.

If I borrow your utility trailer and it has a broken taillight, it’s going to be fixed before I bring it back to you.

“The saying about him is kind of like the way he left his community. Hell or high water he was going to make sure the community was left in better shape than he found it.”

The parks and ballfields of Weirsdale, the mentor programs at Stanton-Weirsdale Elementary, the continuation of Camp Kiwanis, the Life Giver Law and the boy scouts who went on to successful careers and servants of their own communities are just a small fraction of elements that include George Albright’s efforts. He had a hand in it all and so much more that made Weirsdale, Marion County and the state of Florida a better place than he found it.

To this day Albright remains not just a pillar of a community, but a father to it as well. Everywhere around us are reminders of his presence, and in that sense, perhaps he has never left.

JUN 2020 | OCALAMAGAZINE.COM |

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Presenting some of 2020's most influential men in Ocala

2020

Men OF INFLUENCE

JUN 2020 | OCALAMAGAZINE.COM |

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Men OF INFLUENCE

Jamie Ulmer Chief Executive Officer | Heart of Florida Health Center 2553 E. Silver Springs Blvd. | 352.732.6599 | www.myhfhc.org

How passionate are you about your work and why?

The healthcare field has been a lifelong passion of mine that has culminated into many incredible and fulfilling opportunities and experiences for me. I believe everyone deserves high quality healthcare. I have been privileged to be part of extraordinary, mission-driven, and dedicated teams that are accomplishing this vision.

What do you love most about Ocala/ Marion County?

When my wife, Bethany, and I were looking at the different opportunities that were in front of us, what ultimately drew us to Marion County was the diversity and the beauty of the area. The philanthropic nature of this community is like no other I have ever seen.

People give from their heart!

How has your business changed since this pandemic?

As the largest health center in the county

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that has different locations throughout, we have had to carefully look at all aspects, possibilities, and outcomes of this virus to ensure the safety and well-being of not just our patients, but also our staff. We have had to, as others, look at operations, equipment, and procedures of our nine locations. We also needed to redesign our soon-to-open new building to fit the requirements needed to keep all who enter the building safe. In collaboration with many of the healthcare agencies and organizations in the county we continue to devise plans as information comes out that will most ensure the health and safety of the residents of Marion County.

Favorite way of giving back?

I am on a group of different boards within the community that each within their own right, are looking at better ways to improve

Marion County. I feel due to my experience, passion, and dedication this allows me to share my voice to improve not only businesses and the community, but the lives of its residents.

FAST FACTS & FAVES Years in Ocala/Marion County: 2-1/2 years # children/grandchildren: 3 daughters and 1 grandson (that has me wrapped around his finger).

Indulgence: All types of seafood.

Drink: Anything with an umbrella in it TV Show: American Idol, Chicago Trilogy and Grey’s Anatomy.

Hobby: Boating and traveling.

Movie: Saving Private Ryan, When We Were Soldiers, The Pianist, and Legends of the Fall

Photo by Olana Osborn

How many years experience in your industry and what’s your background?

I have been in the Healthcare and Public Health industry arena both in the private sector and in the military collectively for almost 32 years. I am a retired United States Army Medical Service Corp Officer with multiple combat tours. While serving in the Armed Forces, I was an Executive/ Operations Officer and Director of Human Resources. Since my military career I have served as the Fort Jackson, S.C. Installation Public Health Administrator and the South Carolina State Government Emergency Medical Service for Children Public Health Administrator. Prior to my current position, I was the Chief Operating Officer for a health center in Aiken, S.C.

Men OF INFLUENCE

Kevin T. Sheilley PRESIDENT/CEO | Ocala Chamber & Ecomomic Partnership 310 SE 3rd Street, Ocala | 352.629.8051 OcalaCEP.com How many years experience in your industry and whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s your background?

I am a career chamber/economic development professional in my 25th year.

How passionate are you about your work and why?

I truly have the best job in the world! I cannot imagine doing anything else. Through our work, we have the ability to impact thousands of people throughout our community.

What do you love most about Ocala/ Marion County?

Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not to love?!? Our community offers the best of all worlds; amazing charm and convenience to whatever one wants and the convenience to major metros and beaches without the downsides.

Favorite way of giving back?

I serve on the Board of two great non-profits (United Way and Kids Central) but love getting to assist others by MCing and assisting events for groups like the Florida Center for the Blind, Interfaith, Project Hope, and Open Arms Village.

FAST FACTS & FAVES Years in Ocala/Marion County: 7 # children/grandchildren: 3 children and 1 grandson Indulgence: Cookies!

Drink: Siku vodka and tonic TV show: History Channel documentaries Hobby: Ignite at Zone Health & Fitness Movie: The Princess Bride

JUN 2020 | OCALAMAGAZINE.COM |

Photos provided by Kevin Sheilley

How has your business changed since this pandemic?

I am so extremely proud how the CEP has responded to the needs of the business community throughout this pandemic. We have created tools and resources to assist every business regardless of their CEP partnership. Our new favorite word is pivot and it reflects how we have responded throughout this period.

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Men OF INFLUENCE

Nick Nikkinen Assistant Property Appraiser | Marion County 501 SE 25th Avenue, Ocala, FL 34471 | 352-584-3475 | justpicknick.com How many years experience in your industry and what’s your background?

For nearly 30 years I have worked as a real estate appraiser, including 25 years in the assessment field. The Honorable Villie Smith selected me as Assistant Property Appraiser and I consider it an honor and privilege to work for the citizens of Marion County. I have worked in every facet of this business, and my designations include: Florida State-Certified General Appraiser in 1992, Certified Florida Evaluator (CFE), Assessment Administration Specialist (AAS), MAI (roughly equivalent to a “doctorate level” of commercial real estate appraisal), and finally the highest appraisal designation bestowed by the International Association of Assessing Officers (IAAO), the Certified Assessment Evaluator (CAE).

How passionate are you about your work and why?

I am passionate about serving the community and have called Marion County home since marrying “Roz” Vandeven in 2009. After overseeing a real estate staff of 54 in the 4th largest county in Florida, I enjoy the diversity Marion County has to offer, from city life, cultural activities and, of course, the beautiful horse farms.

How has your business changed since this pandemic?

The pandemic has changed all our lives and

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| OCALAMAGAZINE.COM | JUN 2020

we are all more aware of health issues and how connected we are to the world!

Favorite way of giving back?

I joined the Kiwanis Club of Ocala years ago and have served as the Chairman of the Camp Kiwanis Foundation Trustees, Golf Committee Co-Chair, and club photographer. I also serve on the Board of Directors for Interfaith Emergency Services and I am active in my church.

FAST FACTS & FAVES Years in Ocala/Marion County: 10 # children/grandchildren: 4 children and 3 grandchildren Indulgence: Cooking Drink: Iced Tea TV Show: America's Got Talent Hobby: Photography

Photo provided by Nick Nikkinen

What do you love most about Ocala/ Marion County?

Although I love to travel, I also enjoy gatherings around a table allowing me to experiment with my culinary skills. There are so many activities in Marion County to enjoy, from the civic theatre, to the Appleton Museum, to horse shows, to the Reilly Arts Center and everything in between. I love most that there is no reason to be bored, one just needs to be engaged!

Men OF INFLUENCE

Edwin A. “Trip” Green, III Partner/Shareholder | Blanchard, Merriam, Adel, Kirkland & Green, P.A. 4 SE Broadway, Ocala, Florida 34471 | (352) 732-7218 | www.bmaklaw.com

How many years experience in your industry and what’s your background?

20 years. I have a background in commercial litigation, personal injury, and trust and estate litigation.

How passionate are you about your work and why?

Most days I enjoy what I do. I get a great deal of satisfaction out of helping people and take my role as counselor and advocate very seriously.

What do you love most about Ocala/ Marion County?

Small town feel where most people know one another, but it is big enough that there is plenty of economic opportunity.

How has your business changed since this pandemic?

It hasn’t.

Favorite way of giving back?

Raising money to help find a cure for pediatric cancer.

FAST FACTS & FAVES Years in Ocala/Marion County: 20 years # children/grandchildren: 1 child Indulgence: All types of Seafood Photo courtesy Edwin Green

Drink: Vodka and tonic TV Show: Binge watching Netflix Hobby: Fishing and playing guitar Movie: The Dead Poets Society

JUN 2020 | OCALAMAGAZINE.COM |

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Men OF INFLUENCE

George J. Albright, III MARION COUNTY TAX COLLECTOR 209 S.E. 15th Ave., Ocala,Fla.34471 352-843-1624

How many years experience in your industry and whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s your background? 16 years as Marion County Tax Collector. 12 years as Florida State Representative in Tallahassee representing Marion County

What do you love most about Ocala/ Marion County? The people are what make Marion County special.

How has your business changed since this pandemic? We closed the office to foot traffic for several weeks, serving the people over the phone, mail and through the internet. We are back open to serve people in person, while following CDC social distancing guidelines. The process is working well.

Favorite way of giving back? The Tax Collector's Charity Committee raises about $20,000 per year through fundraising events, like our annual car show. We love supporting our local charities.

FAST FACTS & FAVES Years in Ocala/Marion County: Raised in Marion County (64 years old) Children/Grandchildren: 2 children, 1 stepson TV Show: American Pickers Hobby: History!

Movie: Gone With the Wind

George, Justin, Clay and David Albright

Dr. David A. Albright FAMILY PHYSICIAN David A. Albright, M.D.,P.A 2203 S.E. 3rd Ave, Ocala, FL 34471 352-622-2477 | daaone@msn.com

How many years experience in your industry and whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s your background?

24 years practicing in Ocala as a Board Certified Family Physician.

| OCALAMAGAZINE.COM | JUN 2020

Favorite way of giving back? I enjoy giving back to our community through my church, First Presbyterian Church downtown, as well as to Interfaith, local schools, and in the past, Special Olympics. As a physician. we often take care of the indigent as well as others who cannot pay.

FAST FACTS & FAVES

How passionate are you about your work and why? Very Passionate about my work as a Physician! I feel honored to take care of families and individuals for many years and develop a close relationship with them. I take my role very personally, and it is brings me great joy and satisfaction to help others.

Years in Ocala/Marion County: 24 years as a Physician in Ocala, 60 yrs in Marion County

What do you love most about Ocala/ Marion County? I love the people and beauty of the county, and all the resources we have available here. Having been raised in the country, I can appreciate the hard work of those who strive to make this the best place it can be.

Movie: Shawshank Redemption, Godfather ! & II

How has your business changed since this pandemic? We have had to shut down our office to seeing patients in person for a

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number of weeks in compliance with the CDC and State of Florida`s recommendations for social distancing during COVID-19.

We have remained functioning by telemedicine and telephone contact with our patients through this.

3 children: Austin, Carly, and J.J. Indulgence: Homemade vanilla ice cream. Betty Cake Drink: Diet Coke TV Show: Sopranos, Seinfeld Hobby: Gardening, fishing

Clay Albright PRESIDENT/CEO Clay Albright, Inc.

Photos provided by the Albright family.

How passionate are you about your work and why? We love serving the people of Marion County on a daily basis. You have to earn your wings everyday!

How many years experience in your industry and whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s your background?

I have been a licensed real estate agent in Marion County since 1996. Through the years I have bought and sold many properties in the area, mainly vacant land and owner financed homes in south Marion County.

How passionate are you about your work and why? I am very passionate about what I do, as it is very rewarding to help local folks find the perfect home to raise their families and enjoy life. I also enjoy knowing that I am carrying on the real estate tradition that my dad started over 40 years ago here in Marion County. It was his passion, and it is mine as well.

George, Justin, David and Clay Albright

44 Southeast 1st. Ave. Suite 201, Ocala, FL 34471

How many years experience in your industry and whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s your background?

39 years in the Commercial Real Estate and Development Business. Served 15 years on various boards such as the Chamber, TPO, County P & Z commission in Marion County. Served 10 years on State of Florida Board.

How passionate are you about your work and why? Watching your community grow in a positive but protective way for the future generations is very gratifying to me.

Personally knowing that every foundation of every structure that you create will be there for the next 50 years. We are always striving for perfection in bringing new assets to the community to enjoy.

What do you love most about Ocala/ Marion County? Although we are a growing community of over 250,000 residents, it is still an incredibly small town. Every business, every restaurant, every stoplight I am at, I still know someone and am always treated with love and a kiss, a hug, and nowadays a bump of the elbow. I guess it is just part of being raised in the South.

How has your business changed since this pandemic? Essentially we are all in unknown territory. Everyone's problems in my business rapidly becomes my problem and you have to be compassionate of how

each and every household is different. In times like these we all have to help each other out no matter what the personal sacrifice is you are making. I hope we will in every way possible have a stronger sense of who our neighbor is, who our fellow citizen is.

Things can always be worse, all you have to do is just look around.

Favorite way of giving back? I prefer to do it quietly to those who are in need and I never a let a day go by with out doing a good deed for someone even if it is just simply opening a door.

FAST FACTS & FAVES Years in Ocala/Marion County: Born and raised in Marion County Family: Happily married for 26 years. One daughter Reagan, 22, one son Ryan, 20 Hobby: Love aviation and talking to people of the older generation TV Show: Columbo and Jessie Stone Movie: All James Bond and Casablanca

Justin Albright SALES AGENT Albright Properties PO Box 725 Ocklawaha, FL 32183 352-427-5301

What do you love most about Ocala/ Marion County? Being a lifelong resident of Marion County, I appreciate the rich history and traditions of the area, and I love to see our commuity evolve year by year. Ocala/Marion County is a unique community in the fact that we are all neighbors and the folks here always take care of one another, such as how people here have given back during the current pandemic.

How has your business changed since this pandemic? My heart goes out to everyone who has been affected by the pandemic here locally. Personally, business has been slower, but the way that I interact with my clients has not changed all that much.

Favorite way of giving back? I currently serve as Chairman of the Marion Soil and Water Conservation District. Being involved in the organization is one of my passions, as we deal with water quality issues, helping local farmers through cost share programs, as well as participate with local schools with our contests and scholarships.

FAST FACTS & FAVES Years in Ocala/Marion County: 43 Number of Children: 3 Indulgence: Chocolate, chocolate and more chocolate!

Drink: A good iced coffee TV Show: Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee Hobby: Spending time with my beautiful wife, watching gator games with my family, running, and playing golf.

Movie: Anything with Liam Neeson!

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Men OF INFLUENCE

Jerry Glassman Security Land Holding Company 352-237-1186 How many years experience in your industry?

51 years How passionate are you about your work and why?

The development that we did in Ocala was a lot different than the other things we did around the state. In Ocala, we put in a complete area and put in roads, sewer and water, developed the community, put in parks because there was more land here and it was more of an overall development. In other places, we just did a small housing project, an apartment building, just one thing on one piece of land. In Ocala, we had a much bigger presence, and when I was developing here, there were very few people doing what I was doing. It was a smaller community, it was harder to bring people here, we had a small population, and we didn’t meet the requirements of businesses in density. The population was too small. Over a period of time, we brought in a lot of different users. A lot of it was due to the fact that the mall was built here, and that I-75 was a super exit. A lot of our properties were right next to I-75 that we developed. And of course Highway 200, going to 484, developed around 200 and 484 and the middle. Commercially, it took a long time, but now it’s developing all the way down the road.

What do you love most about Ocala/ Marion County?

I love the country feel of the land. The horse farm community gives it a great presence.

It’s delightful living in this county with great weather and lots of outdoor activities. You have parks, great springs, you have Rainbow Springs, Silver Springs, Scott Springs, Alexander Springs, Orange Springs, we’ve kayaked and canoed on all of these different

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places around the county. You don’t have to go too far to have a really great time. And of course, the horse community, and what’s happening now with the World Equestrian Center, it’s going to become the international place to become involved with horses. The future looks great and the community’s been growing. We have a lot of great people moving in here, making it a much stronger place.

I’m very proud of it.

How has your business changed since this pandemic?

It stopped. People are planning to do things in the future, and they’re starting to work on this and that. Some of the houses are starting to sell again. It’s slowly coming back.

It’s not going to come back over night. And you have to hope that we don’t get a second phase of this virus.

Favorite way of giving back?

We’ve always supported the college, United Way, the Humane Society, the Ocala/Marion County Domestic Violence/Sexual Assault Center.

FAST FACTS & FAVES Years in Ocala/Marion County: 51 years # children/grandchildren: 3 children, 4 grandchildren Indulgence: Sports Drink: Snapple Apple TV Show: America's Got Talent Hobby: Bowling Movie: Witness for the Prosecution

Men OF INFLUENCE

Tom James Director of Networking & Partner Services | Ocala Chamber & Ecomomic Partnership 310 SE 3rd Street, Ocala | 352.629.8051 OcalaCEP.com How many years experience in your industry and what’s your background?

Joining my hometown Chamber & Economic Partnership upon returning to Ocala seven years ago was a seamless integration. I had worked in television as a sportscaster (and later in sales for Sun Broadcasting) in Virginia and South Florida. In so many ways, those experiences helped prepare me to be part of this transformative team at the CEP. How passionate are you about your work and why?

The engine room for me is being a link in the chain that furthers Ocala and brings to light all the incredible things that make it charming and unique. I could not have scripted a more perfect position for myself than the one I currently hold. In many ways, it’s a dream come true.

How has your business changed since this pandemic?

The CEP touts itself as “the one-stop shop for the business community.” We’ve connected thousands of businesses to resources for applying for loans, supplied information on job openings, and have hosted key webinars focused on information that will help during the pandemic.

Favorite way of giving back?

Supporting the United Way. It’s in my blood.

My mom (Toni James) was our United Way President for 30 plus years. I firmly believe her example of tireless perseverance and innovative spirit to move charitable giving forward helped pave the road for the overwhelming generosity Ocala’s warm-hearted citizen’s exhibit now every single day.

FAST FACTS & FAVES Years in Ocala/Marion County: Born & raised. # children/grandchildren: 1 puppy (Kikki) Indulgence: Ice cream Drink: Redbreast Irish Whiskey Music: Metal Hobby: TV Sportscasting (www.tomjameslive.com) Movie: High Plains Drifter

JUN 2020 | OCALAMAGAZINE.COM |

Photos provided by Tom James

What do you love most about Ocala/ Marion County?

Two things: 1) Ocala is brave. Throughout it’s 150 plus years, we have always been home to visionaries. In the new millennium, we are moving forward with wise, efficient growth that will make Ocala thrive for generations to come. 2) Elbow room… the open spaces… the way breezes slice through the oaks in Ocala. Go ahead and travel the globe, but you won’t find an equivalent anywhere.

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Men OF INFLUENCE

Randy Woodruff, CPA, CFE Suncoast CPA Group PLLC (352) 596-2883 | suncoastcpagroup.com

How many years experience in your industry and whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s your background?

I have been helping clients with their tax, accounting and financial needs for 26 years.

How passionate are you about your work and why?

I am very passionate about my work. I really enjoy providing guidance to clients and helping them make tax and financial decisions.

What do you love most about Ocala/ Marion County?

All the amenities of a midsize Florida city, combined with the rural feel provided by the Ocala national forest and the large equestrian farms.

Favorite way of giving back?

Due to my tax and financial background, I am asked to serve on the Board of Directors of various community organizations ranging from chambers of commerce, other trade associations, hospitals and banks.

Photos supplied by Randy Woodruff

How has your business changed since this pandemic?

My business has not changed all that much due to the pandemic. We are considered an essential service, and have remained open to help our clients during these tough economic times.

FAST FACTS & FAVES Years in Ocala/Marion County: 20 years # children/grandchildren: None Indulgence: Pizza Hobby: Exercise Movie: Mission Impossible series with Tom Cruise

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Men OF INFLUENCE

Erick Jon Arnett Owner/Retirement Advisor | TakePoint Wealth Management 352 340 2942Â | www.takepointwealth.com

How many years experience in your industry and whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s your background?

22 years in wealth management, retirement planning, insurance, annuities and tax.

How passionate are you about your work and why?

Extremely passionate, I absolutely love helping people reach their retirement goals and dreams.

What do you love most about Ocala/ Marion County?

Love the beauty of the countryside and all the things to do.

How has your business changed since this pandemic?

There are more and more people that need our help so the challenge is reaching them.

Photos supplied by GMP

Favorite way of giving back?

I am a combat veteran and am always helping others that need help putting it all back together.

FAST FACTS & FAVES Years in Ocala/Marion County: 20 years # children/grandchildren: 3 children Indulgence: Pizza Drink: Love good wine TV Show: Seinfeld Hobby: Fishing Movie: Too many to list; I love movies! But if I had to pick one, The Notebook.

JUN 2020 | OCALAMAGAZINE.COM |

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Men OF INFLUENCE

Philip Glassman Real Estate Sales 743 E. Fort King Street, Ocala, FL 3471 | 813-727-7657 | philip@ocalamagazine.com How many years experience in your industry and what’s your background?

I got my real estate license the day I turned 18 and I've been doing real estate sales and development with my family ever since. I bought Ocala Magazine in October of 2018 and have been loving this business as the Publisher and Editor in Chief ever since.

How passionate are you about your work and why?

Very passionate! I don't do anything in any business that I'm not passionate about. I love to take a lead all the way through to a closing. It is extremely rewarding, as is taking a raw piece of land and developing it with a national AAA Credit tenant. On the magazine front, we are able to help so many people through the charity work of giving the amazing charities that are here in Marion County and the people behind them a voice to let this region know of their accomplishments through their hard work.

How has your business changed since this pandemic?

The real estate business has not really been affected by the pandemic. It has, however, completely gotten me out of the bar and night club business — which has been a blessing in disguise. Regarding the magazine, it brought a tremendous shift in our business model. We

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Philip at the Florida Magazine Association conference with his Charlie Awards

went from distributing all of our magazines through local businesses to mailing thousands of magazines to our readership, increasing the free subscriptions each month until everyone is able to go out and pick up a copy again.

Favorite way of giving back?

Highlighting a charity each month through Ocala Magazine in my publisher's letter. Pinpointing people in the community who are making major changes for underprivileged people.

FAST FACTS & FAVES Years in Ocala/Marion County: 40 (except for 6 years in Los Angeles, CA) # Children/grandchildren: 2 children: Madison Dorothy Glassman and Brax Wylie Glassman Indulgence: Luxurious hotels and fine dining Drink: Kettle One and high end red wines TV Show: Shark Tank Movie: Dead Poet's Society Hobby: The beach

Photo by Jessi Miller

What do you love most about Ocala/ Marion County?

The thing I love most about Marion County is the people who make the community and who are the backbone of this area. I’ve always had a love for horses. Actually, my name Philip means “the lover of horses.” Ever since my family moved up here from Miami to our farm in Romeo, I have always been deeply connected with horses. I also love the Granddaddy Oak trees in this area.

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Men OF INFLUENCE

Ronald W. Wetherington SOCIAL EDITOR | Ocala Magazine 743 E. Fort King Street, Ocala, FL 34471 | Ron@ocalamagazine.com How many years experience in your industry and whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s your background?

Early in my career, I started as a society columnist in Miami and worked at several different publications. Being a society columnist was my avocation. My vocation was being licensed as a realtor associate for a long time concentrating on commercial property such as apartment buildings.

How passionate are you about your work and why?

As social editor at OM, it has been my passion to always promote various charities. The good works that these charities do deserves promotion by all of us.

What do you love most about Ocala/ Marion County?

I love the big city opportunities yet there is a small-town ambiance. Ocala/Marion County is beautiful with moss-draped oaks and scenic roads through horse county.

How has your business changed since this pandemic?

As social editor for OM, there are, as of now, no charity events to attend since they all have been cancelled. On the chance that there is a charity event in the future to attend, I have tailored shirts with matching face masks.

FAST FACTS & FAVES Years in Ocala/Marion County: 13 Indulgence: I have a tailor in Bangkok, Thailand who I regularly visit for my suits and shirts.

Drink: Cosmopolitan Music: Opera TV Show: BBC America News Movie: Gone with the Wind

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Photos provided by Ronald W. Wetherington

Favorite way of giving back?

I love attending charity events for my column. Over the years, I have featured various charities such as Royal Dames for Cancer Research, American Heart Association, Stirrups â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;N Strides, Kimberly House, Marion Senior Services and many more.

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Jerry and Philip Glassman

The Path J My Dad Paved A Son’s Father’s Day Tribute

BY BEN BAUGH

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| OCALAMAGAZINE.COM | JUN 2020

erry Glassman is no stranger to real estate development. For more than half a century, his impact has been felt throughout the State of Florida.

The native Michigander’s acuity and intuitive business sense has made him one of the area’s most respected businessmen. However, his prescience, vision, commitment to excellence and astuteness are only a few of the qualities and attributes that have created a legacy that have made him one of the pillars of the community. He and wife left Miami in 1974 and relocated to Romeo in Marion County.

But it’s his altruistic depth that also resonates, with his philanthropy and understanding about the importance of giving back that has impacted charitable endeavors not only locally but also on the global level.

It was his association with Edward DeBartolo Sr. that brought Glassman to Ocala. DeBartolo was under contract to purchase land, which was the property that was going to be the Paddock Mall. A propitious turn of fate would find a friend of Glassman’s who was a Tampa-based broker, who worked with the DeBartolos and was asked to do a study, but he wasn’t familiar with the area, so enter Glassman who would seize the opportunity.

“Being a consultant to DeBartolo, I learned that the mall was going to come there, and I started to buy land and develop it,” said Glassman. “I bought up a mile around the mall.”

Glassman left an indelible imprint on the area composing State Road 200 from 1-75 to just before 17th Street. His company Secure Land Holding Company

“He’s been my best friend and my partner,”

-Philip Glassman

Madison, Brax and Phililp Glassman

Jerry and Sharon Glassman

helped transform the complexion of Ocala through his insight and awareness, encouraging business investment and expansion.

Glassman’s visionary and innovative thinking helped pave the way from the area where Bob Evans and Home Depot are along the 200 corridor to the College of Central Florida, making Marion County one of the preferred destinations for businesses nationwide. He also helped developed parcels of land west of I-75 on State Road 200, and from Burger King on 27th Avenue on State Road 200 to 17th Street, with his influence helping to change the landscape of the city creating an environment for extraordinary opportunities and discerning entrepreneurs.

“We did the shopping center,” said Glassman. “There was Scotties, Kane’s, Pier One and our medical clinic, the Ocala Family Medical Center, is on the back end of that property, and where ABC Liquor is, the land wrapping around to 27th Avenue, where First Impressions printing is, and the apartments on 27th Avenue (where Glassman’s friend John Curtis built the apartments); that was our property too. The road where O’Reilly Auto Parts is, we built that road and donated it to the city.”

However, that was far from the only impact where Glassman’s intuitive thinking would make a difference. He also donated the right-of-way through the property on

27th Avenue, where 17th Street now goes all the way through, to the City of Ocala.

Easy Street was another of Glassman’s idea, having owned the property on both sides of the street, providing an economic force that played a role in enhancing the county’s growing population.

“We did that with the city and the county, all three of us participated in it,” said Glassman.

“It just wasn’t me. I had a group of investors.”

It was also Glassman and his wife Sharon, who developed the area known as Cala Hills. And another group of investors Glassman was with donated the property for Scott Springs Park to the city. It was Glassman’s group that also sold Walmart the land on 27th Avenue and the property on 200 and 484. He’s also responsible for the building of several other shopping centers.

His impact continues to ripple as he’s also developing 160 acres in The Villages on County Road 466A, Trailwinds, which includes a Publix, Lowe’s, ABC Liquor, Burger King, Taco Bell, Arby’s and HCA Healthcare Emergency Clinic, among other businesses. There will also be an apartment complex featuring 400 units.

“So, I have my hands full,” said Glassman.

A resourceful businessman with an indefatigable spirit, Glassman also played a role in setting up a development in Carrollwood called Country Place, developing the

lots and selling them to builders that would eventually feature 850 homes. He also placed his stamp on Sugarwood which was 275 homes. Glassman would go onto to do five apartment projects with Lincoln Properties, one in Tampa called Bay Oaks located on the bay, another in Winter Haven and others in various locales around the state.

“We also represented a large property owner in Miami, in the Kendall area, we sold and developed the roads, streets, drainage on 1,100 acres of land in one setting,” said Glassman. “We brought in some of the biggest companies down there, putting in apartments, homes, townhouses, and all kinds of different stuff. We’ve been doing this for about 50 years, so I think we have a certain pattern down. We can say we know what we’re doing.”

But it’s Glassman’s altruism that has also influenced the community. He, his wife and five others organized the Social Venture Network.

“We brought business into realizing that it’s good for them to invest in social projects in their community,” said Glassman.

“Thinking globally and acting locally. It became a big, national thing with huge companies. Social responsibility is very big now.”

The developer was also a part of a group that was created in 1980 that was known as Vision 2020 that was composed of the most influential people in Ocala.

His son Philip Glassman has followed in his father’s footsteps, learning about the real estate business, real estate finance, brokerage and development.

Jerry Glassman’s influence resonates powerfully with his son, “He’s been my best friend and my partner,” said Phillip Glassman. “He’s always taught me to treat people the way that I want to be treated, to do the right thing, whether you can make more money or not.”

However, the younger Glassman learned about being a good and righteous man, how to behave rationally and consistently, while providing for his family, from his father’s example.

“He taught me the values of always being there for me, what it means to be a good father, for me being carried forward with Madison and Brax and being a father to my own children,” said Phillip.

JUN 2020 | OCALAMAGAZINE.COM |

39

A Step For Safety Paul Stentiford Introduces the Sten-Step.

M

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| OCALAMAGAZINE.COM | APR 2020

inate work place accidents.

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FOR MORE INFORMATION please contact Paul Stentiford at (352) 266-8994

Photos courtesy os SCS

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River Watkins West Port PHOTO: JESSICA TORRES

Marion County's class of 2020 handles a series of unfortunate events with grace.

BY CARLTON REESE

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| OCALAMAGAZINE.COM | JUN 2020

Reagan Barineau Forest PHOTO: WILDALYS

F

or three years they bore witness to the lords of the halls strutting with pride and dominion, enjoying the fruits of their lifelong labor. As freshmen, they played the role of mere serfs, studying with grotesque envy the senior masters holding sway of the student body.

As sophomores and juniors, they waited patiently for their turn as prep barons, as rulers of the school providing the face of an institution. As seniors, the wait would end, and the time would come at last to bask in the glory and limelight as top dogs and poobahs embarking on a grand exit from a time well-served to entering the stark realities of a world with scarce resources.

Then, in one small stroke of a governor’s pen, it all came to a crashing halt.

There will be no victory lap. There will be no home run trot or end zone celebration for the class of 2020. Their one shining moment was placed against the firing wall, sacrificed at the altar of pandemic sensitivity.

Athletes with bright futures and those merely looking to create lifetime memories saw padlocks on the gates of their fields, teams disbanded, varsity letters held in drawers to gather dust. Students hungry for hands-on learning and classroom interaction with instructors were relegated to online lessons and examinations administered from the deep recesses of their personal tombs.

The last hurrahs with friends – prom, “Grad Bash” and senior trips – all banned amid fiat rulings akin to some Bomont city council dictates.

The class of 2020 will go down in history as the one which “took one for the team.”

The class that won’t have a senior prom, that didn’t enjoy spring sports seasons, that traded in all the quirky senior traditions and rituals for house arrest, will even have to endure graduation ceremonies more likely to resemble a Russian bread line than a celebratory mass. No hugging, no handshakes, no pictures with friends or extended family – move along folks, nothing to see here!

But if one is looking for bitterness from

Lucius Jaden Conde Forest PHOTO: AUNT JILLIAN

The class of 2020 will go down in history as the one which “took one for the team.”

Jacob Merritt Forest PHOTO: MERRITT PRODUCTIONS

Lindsi Baugher West Port PHOTO: KELLEY HARRISS

Ja'quavion Fraziars Dunellon PHOTO: JULIE MANCINI

JUN 2020 | OCALAMAGAZINE.COM |

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the class of 2020, one must search rather exhaustively. And that may be the greatest legacy of this unfortunate group of innocents: maturity beyond their years. Initial sadness and anger have ceded to a stoic acceptance of this class’ fate.

“I was disappointed, obviously,” says Syler Vaden, student body president at North Marion High School. “But you have to put safety over the fun for now.

“There’s really nothing we can do.

Complaining about it isn’t going to make it any better; we just tough it out.”

Vanguard’s Chloe Koontz concurs.

“I think I would rather people not get sick and my family and friends be safe than to have a prom.

“Knowing there are so many worse things going on in the world, that makes you feel like you really shouldn’t feel (so bad) about it because somebody else has it worse.”

As most seniors left for spring break back in March, none had any reason to believe they would never see most of their classmates within the cherished walls of their schools ever again. Then the restaurants closed. Then the nationwide lockdown began.

Instead of returning to school, all faced quarantines and the social isolation anathema to healthy young people. And with it, the lingering doubt of the near future regarding academic progress and even the distant future regarding just what the world will look like once society is given the proverbial green light.

The most immediate hill to climb has been adjusting to the differing teaching and testing methodology. Relying on Zoom meetings, Google Classroom and other various internet portals, students have been tossed into the ethernet jungle to fend for themselves. For the diligent and savvy students, the transition has only been strange and not difficult.

“Our school has been doing a good job of keeping everyone involved as much as they can,” said Trinity Catholic’s Allie Sutton, who is headed to Notre Dame in the fall, pandemic pending. “They’ve done a good job adapting to virtual learning and our teachers have done a good job staying connected with us.”

For students in advanced programs such as International Baccalaureate (IB) and Cambridge Assessment International Ed-

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David R.Martin II Forest

That aspect of school closures has had probably the most profound effect on the students of the class of 2020. ucation (AICE), all the preparation for the diploma examinations have been cancelled, rendering years of focus seemingly moot. Instead of final examinations, both programs will be assessing students based on coursework and school evaluations.

“The hardest part was trying to accommodate to online classes,” said Lake Weir IB student Sophia Seeram. “As (IB) students, we’re supposed to take our tests and that was going to determine if we get our (IB) diplomas. They were cancelled and I feel kind of cheated that I didn’t get to apply that.”

Forest’s Gray Albright is among those who adapted quite well to the online learning, but still felt a little uneasy about the whole proposition. To Albright, nothing beats old school classroom learning.

“It almost does feel fake,” says Albright, headed to Florida State University on a golf scholarship. “It almost feels like you’re not earning the credit – almost. You’re not having the old final exam in class; you’re taking an exam online and even that doesn’t feel like a real exam with all the pressure for some reason, at least to me.”

Aubrey Amidei Lake Weir PHOTO: ALLURING GRACE

Jaekob Redish Vanguard PHOTO: SWI

Joshua Fosen Joseph Murillo UF-bound Trinity Catholic Juliana ‘JJ’ Albright Tianna Goudie Forest MTI PHOTO: KAYTIE STEPHAN

Aarin Leavitt Belleview

Zachary Lower North Marion PHOTO: SWI

Javien Martínez Vanguard PHOTO: SWI

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Krista Hatch West Port PHOTO: RALPH DEMILIO

Alex Phipps Vanguard PHOTO: KELLY MARQUEZ

Madison Cathey Vanguard

Syâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;rai Smith Homeschool

PHOTO: SWI

Ethan Patrick Smith West Port/CF

Elise Bauer Forest

Fabrizio Sanchez Forest PHOTO: SWI

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Jacob Merritt Forest PHOTO: MERRITT PRODUCTIONS

Davyuan Terry Vanguard

Sophie Grace Nadenik Vanguard Dawson Anderson Vanguard PHOTO: ELIZABETH ANN

Not having to go to class may be a dream-come-true...but missing the activities, social gatherings and just plain everyday small talk in the cafeteria has been painful.

High School students in general seem unscathed by the transition to online learning – those who were slow to adapt have no choice but to climb aboard the isolation train to internet academics. Their futures depend on it.

But students learn more than just history, science, English and algebra in high school – they learn some of life’s early lessons regarding relationships and social cohe-

sion. That aspect of school closures has had probably the most profound effect on the students of the class of 2020.

Sure, not having to go to class may be a dream-come-true for the majority of students, but missing the activities, social gatherings and just plain everyday small talk in the cafeteria has been painful.

“I cried; I was super sad,” said Bel-

leview’s Ellie Brantley. “I was really disappointed that I wasn’t going to see my teachers or my classmates.”

Brantley, who participated in swimming, track and field, soccer, flag football and cross country during her high school career, missed most of it her senior year due to a broken leg suffered as a junior then with the outbreak of coronavirus just as she was healthy and ready to go.

“I have a love for the entire experience. I just like being able to go to school and make other people smile. I miss that about the quarantine: to be able to speak to people and be able to help others.”

Hopefully there will still be time left for high school memories, according to Albright.

“It is so awful because you’re just sitting around every day,” Albright said. “You look forward to being able to go to the beach with your friends and just doing a lot of different stuff with them for your senior year. Hope-

JUN 2020 | OCALAMAGAZINE.COM |

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Kyndall Kalb Vanguard PHOTO: PHOTOS BY JULES

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Blaine Baxley St. John Lutheran

Yanick Chin Lake Weir

Alexis Adam West Port

Emily Dimichele Belleview Brooke Mullins Forest PHOTO: RALPH DEMILIO

Barry Duncan Dunnellon PHOTO: SWI

Hannah Grace Lee Lake Weir PHOTO: SWI

Blake Woods Forest

Reagan Albright Florida State University

PHOTO: RALPH DEMILIO

Keelin Murray Forest PHOTO: ASHLEY NICOLE JOHNSON

JUN 2020 | OCALAMAGAZINE.COM |

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Jarrett Mullins Forest PHOTO: RALPH DEMILIO

Jacob R. Lanphere West Port

fully this all gets better so we can do some stuff this summer and savor it a little bit.”

Said Koontz: “I just think we worked so hard to get to this year and we think, ‘oh, senior year we’re going to go to a lot of football games with our friends, we’re going to have senior prom, we’re going to take cute pictures, we’re going to do all these things then to not have that happen is difficult to come to terms with.”

Quarantining in Crystal River has helped Koontz deal with the boredom and anxiety. She’s spending her time kayaking and scrapbooking.

“If you have something to keep your mind off this, it helps.”

Sutton saw the seniors before her experience once-in-a-lifetime moments, and she was looking forward to those herself.

“I do feel kind of robbed of an experience I was looking forward to my entire life,” Sutton said. “I painted a picture of what my senior year would be like then I didn’t get to experience it.”

Trinity Catholic paid tribute to all the graduating seniors by lining placards dedicated to each student along the entrance way to the school – a nice gesture and one the students will certainly remember, but only a small measure of what was lost.

“My friends and I went the other day and it was a really emotional thing. I miss my friends so much.

“It made me more grateful for my friends. I didn’t realize how important social interaction was, to be honest. I was just so conditioned to seeing my friends every single day and when that opportunity is entirely taken away, it makes you realize how special it is.”

Many students have stayed busy with employment. Seeram works at Publix and has

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seen her hours balloon during the pandemic.

Vaden is employed at Ocala Golf Club and has been able to pull extra shifts as well.

“It’s actually been pretty easy for me,” Vaden said of the school closures. “I don’t have to go to school from 9-to-3; I can do it from 7-to-11 and have the rest of the day to do whatever. My mom let me go to my best friend’s house a few weeks ago, but that’s the only place I’ve been other than my job.”

Although isolated physically, kids these days are able to virtually connect via their electronic devices which means more than just the old-fashioned phone conversation.

With texting, FaceTime and Xbox, stories and fun times can still be shared, but tangible human interaction is sorely missed – even for a generation reared on cyber-everything, it seems.

“My friends and I FaceTime a lot and we have Zoom parties,” Koontz said. “The other day my friend and I went to an openair park with our little masks and we were able to talk. That was nice, but It’s a different

Grace Michelle Weinsheimer Vanguard PHOTO: CHASIN’ DREAMS

Jacob Nicholson Dunnellon

Jada Aaliyah Douglas Vanguard

PHOTO: JULIE MANCINI

Graysen Sutter West Port

Kyle Curtis Forest

Kylie Engle St. John Lutheran

PHOTO: KYLEâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S MOM

Julissa Marcelle Dunnellon PHOTO: PINK RAE

Karalyn Paige Knapp Vanguard Nathaniel Bonneau Vaden North Marion

Kyra Smith West Port

PHOTO: MARK VANUCCI

PHOTO: JENNIFER SPECK

Peter Yonsuel Gerena Garcia West Port Lillie Wilson Eustis

Noah Wallace Bush Meadowbrook

Madison Lynn Miguel Dunnellon

PHOTO: SWI

PHOTO: SWI

JUN 2020 | OCALAMAGAZINE.COM |

51

dynamic than being able to hug them and be with them.”

With this chapter in their lives coming to an end, the class of 2020 looks toward the fall, when many will be leaving for college. Hopefully.

What was supposed to be a senior year full of fond memories was instead cashed in for quarantines and its accompanying social isolation. Unfortunately, what should be a special time as college freshmen is likely to be marred as well.

Even in June, many colleges across the country are still contemplating the closures of their campuses for the fall, relegating all instruction to virtual classrooms online. Even colleges in the warmer regions and Florida in particular will likely employ social-distancing protocols that will drastically alter campus lifestyle prevalent for generations.

“I have been praying that we go to school in the fall,” said Brantley, who plans on majoring in engineering at the University of Central Florida. “I was planning on taking some not-so-easy courses in the fall and I definitely don’t want to take them online. I really prefer to have a teacher in front of me explaining and be able to ask questions to.”

For those students not going to college, 2020 was the last opportunity to experience any sort of campus activities as a student. For those heading to college, there is at least the prospect of enjoying some of things similar to what was missed in high school.

Koontz will be attending FSU in the fall and she is trying to paint the brightest picture possible.

“For me, the first thought was how was this going to affect my next year, my first year of the college experience,” Koontz said.

“They have homecomings in college and I’m going to have my college graduation.

“My dad said that our 10-year reunion is going to be really special because everyone is going to want to come back. We never really got to say goodbye, so that would be a goodbye again.”

For Sutton, who is headed north to Notre Dame, the prospects of starting her college career without setting foot on that hallowed campus would be disappointing in the least.

“I’ve worked pretty hard the past four years to get to this moment, and given the opportunity to go to Notre Dame, if I don’t get to experience it in school including the freshman

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Rachel Lawrence West Port Savannah Spears St. John Lutheran PHOTO: CHRIS SPEARS

Raven Rogers MTC of Ocala PHOTO: MICHELLE JOHNSON

Rhakez Taylor Dunnellon PHOTO: NITA B

Abigail DiBlasi Redeemer Christian PHOTO: BONDS

Reagan Cole Trinity Catholic Alex Jordan Lake Weir PHOTO: WAYNE HOPKINS

Kelli Heaney Forest

Yalie in Waiting

Vanguard’s Jordan Davidsen set to begin 4-year run as Yale scholarship winner ›››BY CARLTON REESE

O Kasey Permenter Forest

Nathanael Ian Wright Forest PHOTO: SWI

Wren Dees North Marion Tessa McElrath Village View Christian

Sarah Plaster Belleview PHOTO: SWI

William Rodriguez Belleview

n some sage advice from his mother, Jordan Davidsen has spent the past several years “sharpening his spike.”

With that spike now glistening with razor-sharp precision, the Vanguard High School senior is set to embark on his next great venture: Yale University.

A recipient of a QuestBridge full-ride scholarship, Davidsen earned his way to Yale by virtue of his exploits in and out of the classroom. Not content to simply make straight A’s all four years of high school in advanced classes, Davidsen has been out “in the real world” manufacturing copy and producing web material as an admitted sports junkie.

Davidsen was able to parlay his love for journalism, particularly of the sports variety, into admission to Yale by honing in on the very subject, not getting sidetracked by the siren song of the “well-rounded student” mantra.

“My mother read an article about ‘sharpening your spike,’ – spike being something you’re good at,” says Davidsen, who with his friend Jacob Strom owns and operates jsquaredhoops.com, a web site dedicated to basketball coverage. “A lot of students go through the college admissions process thinking about being well-rounded students in various areas and they have all these qualifications. But if you’re going to be a successful alumnus at a school, you have to be good in your respective field.

“Yale wants to bring honorable students on campus that are going to do big things in their field and not necessarily in every field.”

Currently writing for and managing the jsquaredhoops.com web site, Davidsen has also gained experience working for the digital marketing firm WinLocal where he writes a blog. He has also been the head writer for VHS basketball and has enjoyed

being published in the Ocala Star-Banner.

“The thing I thought I brought to the table was that I had a really well-developed history of writing that was shown on my application,” Davidsen said. “Of the six activities that Quest permitted me to list, four of them were in some way journalism or writing-related. I’d like to think Yale saw my commitment to my passion that in three years I turned what was just a freelance love of sports into an actual, almost career path at that point.”

On track to being named one of Vanguard’s valedictorians, Davidsen has also written some of his own history through the school’s academic team. As a junior on an all-underclass team in 2019, VHS placed second in the state and was poised to make a run at a state championship in 2020.

Then COVID-19 entered the picture.

“We were ready to win and take the crown that was ours,” Davidsen said.

“It was our time to get first. No Marion County team had ever gotten second (before VHS in 2019) and we wanted to be the first Marion County team to get first.

“That got cancelled, which was super sad.”

In addition, the team that had qualified for the national competition three straight years but couldn’t go due to funding, was finally set to finally make the trip in 2020. That three-year wait ended in heartbreak as well.

“When I talk to people, they assume what I’m upset about are prom and graduation. At the end of the day, those aren’t things I was sad about missing. We wanted to go out and win a state championship and compete as hard as we could for a national one and that got pulled from us.

“My teammates and I took that pretty hard because we worked for four years toward that.”

Yale awaits, and Jordan Davidsen moves ahead, sharp spike and all.

JUN 2020 | OCALAMAGAZINE.COM |

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year on campus, it just doesn’t settle right.”

As a future member of the FSU golf team, Albright hopes not only to experience campus life but is also hoping to contribute on the course for what should be a strong contingent. In doing so, Albright would normally prepare during the summer playing in national junior tournaments, but even most of those have been cancelled.

“It’s the last year for all the big junior tournaments, the last chance (for me) to win a big one,” Albright said. “I was really looking forward to the summer and being able to compete in all of it. My game was shaping up and I thought I had a chance to go deep in all those tournaments. It’s really upsetting because I was looking forward to it.”

Still others have learned to temper their expectations. Seeram plans on studying nursing, specializing in pediatrics, at the University of South Florida. Whatever happens, she plans on taking it in stride.

“I’m kind of taking things as they go,” Seeram said. “I’m not really expecting anything so that keeps me from getting let down.”

So the end has come for students of the class of 2020 and an uncertain future awaits.

Looking back, hopefully most will remember this time as an aberration, a simple tear in the culture fabric that was quickly repaired, their experience noted as a sad microcosm of the whole episode.

Perhaps they will look back on this time as the beginning of a major cultural shift where humans can no longer be the social animals nature has dictated since the dawn of our species. As such, maybe they will look back on all this as cruel preparation for what was to come.

Either way, the end came about rather ignominiously from whence things started.

Vanguard’s Jordan Davidsen will always remember how his English teacher Todd Carstenn described matters: “He said, a great way to call it is ‘going out with a whimper, not a bang,’” Davidsen recalls Carstenn’s allusion to the famous T.S. Eliot poem. “This was a big time in my life where a lot of things were supposed to be happening.

It feels like a tremendous time that got shrunk down – not a bang, but a whimper.”

So this is the way the year ends, not with a bang . . .

But a whimper.

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Dane Clifford Belleview Caroline Permenter Forest PHOTO: GRAYSON WATERS

Olivia Phillips Redeemer Christian PHOTO: PURE JOY

Marion County Graduations

By The Numbers

Belleview HS 2020 Graduates: 325 Ceremony: 9 a.m. June 20, Brent Hall Stadium Dunnellon HS 2020 Graduates: 240 Ceremony: 9 a.m. June 22, DHS Football Stadium Forest HS 2020 Graduates: 505 Ceremony: 9 a.m. June 16, Mikey Kelly Stadium Lake Weir HS 2020 Graduates: 360 Ceremony: 9 a.m. June 17, LWHS Stadium Meadowbrook Academy 2020 Graduates: 10 Ceremony: TBA, Late July, Meadowbrook Church Sanctuary North Marion HS 2020 Graduates: 304 Ceremony: 9 a.m. June 18, Stan Toole Stadium

Ocala Christian Academy 2020 Graduates: 19 Ceremony: 8:30 p.m., May 22, Central Baptist Church Auditorium St. John Lutheran HS 2020 Graduates: 21 Ceremony: 4 p.m., June 25, Reilly Center Trinity Catholic HS 2020 Graduates: 121 Ceremony: 9:30 a.m. June 6, Celtic Stadium Vanguard HS 2020 Graduates: 385 Ceremony: 9 a.m. June 15, Booster Stadium West Port HS 2020 Graduates: 650 Ceremony: 9 a.m. June 9, Ken Vianello Stadium

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Honoring Kulbir Ghumman Visionary played an integral role in shaping Ocala’s future.

BY BEN BAUGH

H

e was a man of extraordinary insight. Kulbir Ghumann embraced life, living it to the fullest. His sojourn would take him from the Punjab region of India, to continents across the globe. It was his enthusiasm for adventure and intrepid spirt that endeared him to communities not only locally but throughout the world. His affinity for people, altruistic nature and his ability to connect has left an indelible imprint on Marion County for years to come. His recent passing has left an irreplaceable hole within the community.

It was Ghumman’s courage and prescience that would play a large role in his success. At a young age, Ghumman went to Nigeria, where he became involved in commercial construction within the West African nation. Those early years would help set the course for Ghumman, whose intellect and perception provided a rich life for a man who was known for his honesty and work ethic.

He relocated to the United States in 1977, and a few short years later his vision would forever alter the Marion County landscape. He created opportunities and growth, with the emphasis now being placed on residential construction. Ghumman also touched countless lives through his altruism.

He served in the capacity as an appointed trustee and chairman of Munroe Regional Medical Center.

His visionary thinking and ability to see the potential of growth in Ocala’s southwest corridor would lead to an outstanding transformation of the area. His understanding of

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| OCALAMAGAZINE.COM | JUN 2020

Ocala’s natural resources, copious water supply and rolling hills, helped fuel his desire to create communities for those 55-years and older, with a proclivity toward excellence.

It was that commitment that made Oak Run and Pine Run two of the most desirable retirement communities in the United States, and helped Ocala become one of the nation’s preferred destinations for living.

Ghumman seemed to have an innate understanding about what people wanted, and through his commitment to excellence, created communities that offered its residents the absolute best, so they would be able to enjoy life to the fullest. His development company received exceptional praise, plaudits and national awards for its outstanding business model. The Development and Construction Corporation of America, DECCA, set standards of excellence that many other companies have tried to emulate, earning him the respect of his peers and the thousands of people who were fortunate enough to have had the opportunity to interact, engage and work with him.

His leadership qualities can still be felt in many areas throughout Ocala and Marion County, a place that he not only called home, but loved with a fervent passion.

His family, loved ones, and friends all hold his recent memory in their hearts as they process this loss which will be felt forevermore.

Kulbir with his beautiful family and life partner, Robin Fannon

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COMING NOVEMBER 2020

Special OM 40th Anniversary Edition

The White Charity Register Join us in Celebrating our 40th anniversary in 2020 at our CHARITY REGISTER WHITE PARTY GRAND EVENT. Reserve Your Ad Placement Now â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Space Is Limited. More Information On Our White Party Will Be Forthcoming.

TO RESERVE AND ENSURE YOUR PLACEMENT, PLEASE CALL (352) 622-2995 EXT. 303

eat

Match Made In Heaven-Symmetry Coffee & Crepes Photo by Joshua Jacobs

RSVP Robin p60 | Dining Out p64

OCALAMAGAZINE.COM | JUN 2020 |

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Picnic Perfection "Every day is a picnic when you're with friends."

—Winnie the Pooh

PHOTO (LEFT) BY KULBIR GHUMMAN | STORY, RECIPE AND PHOTOS BY ROBIN FANNON

As we

begin to carefully emerge from our COVID-19 caves, there are still many uncertainties and unknowns. There are, however, a few things that we do know for sure: Fresh air and sunshine are essential to both your physical and mental health. If you haven’t spent any time outdoors these last few months, it’s time to clean up your back yard, put on some cute summer clothes, grab your shades and invite the family over for a picnic – social distancing, of course!

Many people have expressed how this stay-home experience has been good for our relationships; certainly our children and pets have benefited. How about continu-

ing on with these newly-found benefits? Be creative with the kids in the great outdoors (even if it is only steps away from your back door). Try a camping night complete with tent and s’mores. How about a family scavenger hunt or a backyard obstacle course?

Smartly and safely returning to normalcy is important to all of us, to our communities and to our country. Why not have

some belly laughs along the way!

I don’t know about y’all, but all this TV binging with snacking and baking along the way, has caught up with my waistline. So it’s time to wake up mind, body and soul, and the great outdoors is the perfect place to start! It’s also time to ditch the heavy comfort food, lighten up our choices and renew some fitness goals.

For me, mental health is equally as important. Checking in on my own spiritual condition, and givings some thought to those less fortunate are part of this journey. I’ll be checking in with that friend or family member that may be struggling, However you choose to emerge, please be safe and stay healthy!

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Angel Food Cake (Sponge Cake) Serve with Fresh Berries and Whipped Cream

INGREDIENTS » » » »

1 3/4 cups sugar 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 cup cake flour, sifted 12 egg whites (the closer to room temperature the better) » 1/3 cup warm water » 1 teaspoon orange extract, or extract of your choice » 1 1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar

INSTRUCTIONS

Elotes Mexican Grilled Corn on the Cob INGREDIENTS » » » » » » » »

4 ears corn 1/2 cup mayonnaise 1 1/2 cups sour cream 1/4 cup freshly chopped cilantro leaves 1 cup freshly grated parmesan 1 lime, juiced Red chili powder, to taste 2 limes cut into wedges, for garnish

INSTRUCTIONS

• Remove the husks of the corn but leave the core attached at the end so you have something to hold onto. Grill the corn on a hot grill or cast iron griddle pan until slightly charred. Turn it so it gets cooked evenly all over. Mix the mayonnaise, sour cream and cilantro together. Grate the parmesan in another bowl. While the corn is still warm, slather with mayonnaise mix. Squeeze lime juice over the corn and shower with parmesan. Season with chili powder and serve with extra lime wedges.

New Potato and Green Bean Salad INGREDIENTS

» 1 (3-pound) bag new potatoes, quartered » 1 pound fresh green beans, cut into bitesized pieces » 1/3 cup olive oil » 2 1/2 tablespoons white wine vinegar » 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard » 1/4 teaspoon dried dill » 1/2 teaspoon salt » 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

• Preheat oven to 350 F. • In a food processor, spin sugar about 2 minutes until it is superfine. Sift half of the sugar with the salt and cake flour, setting the remaining sugar aside.

• In a large bowl, use a balloon whisk to thoroughly combine egg whites, water, orange extract, and cream of tartar. After 2 minutes, switch to a hand mixer. Slowly sift the reserved sugar, beating continuously at medium speed.

Once you have achieved medium peaks, sift enough of the flour mixture in to dust the top of the foam. Using a spatula fold in gently. Continue until all of the flour mixture is incorporated.

• Carefully spoon mixture into an ungreased tube pan. Bake for 35 minutes before checking for doneness with a wooden skewer. (When inserted halfway between the inner and outer wall, the skewer should come out dry).

• Cool upside down on cooling rack for at least an hour before removing from pan.

INSTRUCTIONS

• In a large saucepan, add potatoes to enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, and boil for 8 minutes. Add green beans, return to a boil and cook for 2 minutes. Drain and cool slightly.

• Place potatoes and green beans in a serving bowl.

• In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil and next 5 ingredients. Pour over potato and green beans, tossing gently to coat. Cover and chill.

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EAT

dining out

Milano Ristorante Italiano NOW OPEN! Milano Ristorante Italiano brings authentic to the Ocala area. Enjoy made-from-scratch Italian cuisine every day, including freshly baked bread.

• 2 for 1 chicken parmesan every Sunday all day (with purchase of 2 beverages) • Free bottle of wine with the purchase of two dinner entrees every Monday • $5 calamari appetizer every Tuesday all day • Buy One, Take One Home - select pasta dishes with purchase of an entree. Valid with entrees of $16.99 or more.

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!

Open Daily 11am-9pm 5400 SW College Road, Unit 106 | Ocala, FL 34474 | (352) 304-8549 www.milanofamilyrestaurant.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 - Buy One Get One Free Entrees (with the purchase of two beverages) Wednesday - Traditional Turkey Dinner 11.99 Thursday- Corned Beef & Cabbage 11.99 Friday - Buy One Get one Half Off Any Seafood Dish Saturday & Sunday - Weekend Brunch! 11am-3pm

Now Delivering!

10% OFF ALL TAKEOUT & CURBSIDE ORDERS!

For curbside service including wine, beer and full menu, call 352-753-1475 We’ll bring it out to you!

17135 Buena Vista Blvd | The Villages, FL 32162 | (352) 753-1475 SuleimanLegacyInc@gmail.com | Follow us on Facebook www.legacyrestaurant.com Open Every Day 11 am-9pm

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 - Taco Tuesday (2 chicken or steal tacos with beans & rice 6.99!)

Wednesday - Buy One Get One Free Any Entree (with the purchase of two beverages) Thursday - Prime rib night Friday - Buy One Get One 50% Off any Seafood Dish Saturday - Italian Night Sunday - Southern Fried Chicken 2484 Odell Circle | The Villages, FL 32162 | (352) 430-3200 Suleimanrestaurants@gmail.com | Follow us on Facebook www.havanacc.com Open Every Day 11am–9pm

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Now Delivering!

OFFERING TAKEOUT & CURBSIDE ORDERS! For curbside service including wine, beer and full menu, call 352-430-3200

We’ll bring it out to you!

dining out

EAT

Tony’s Sushi Sushi Me! At Tony’s Sushi you can select your favorite sushi to include made-to-order specialty rolls by creating your own! Enjoy being entertained at the grill, watching your food being prepared while having some fun. For a more intimate setting, Tony’s offers private tables – perfect for special moments. Tony’s full bar includes sakes, imported draft beer, and more. Like Tony’s on Facebook at www.facebook.com/TonySushiOcala

Ask about our daily, not on the menu items!

We offer gift cards, catering and entertaining.

Mon–Thur 11am–10pm, Fri & Sat 11am–11pm, Sun 12pm–10pm 3405 SW College Rd. #103 Ocala, FL 34474 | (352) 237-3151 www.tonyssushi.com

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.

Stop by our Speak Easy and Thirsty Cobbler and enjoy our specialty drinks while savoring our comfort foods and menu items.

Gift certificates available.

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

West 82° Bar and Grill Overlooking Kings Bay and Crystal River is the West 82º Bar and Grill. With its distinctive view and welcoming ambiance, guests can be seated both inside and out. The West 82º serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner every day of the week.

Entrees are prepared with the finest and freshest ingredients, including locally caught fish and Florida beef. Our large dining room can accommodate the romantic couple, the active family or any grand party event. Catering services are available as well as take-out, if you are so inclined. The West 82º Bar provides a place to unwind, relax and partake of libations with business associates or good friends. Treat yourself to your favorite beverage and light fare from our chef’s selections. Complete your meal by the fire with an after-dinner cordial, book, or puzzle.

Our restaurant will be open soon to the public.

We are operating in accordance with the COVID-19 mandate.

Call us to learn more about our new days and times and our specials.

9301 West Fort Island Trail, Crystal River, FL 34429 | (352) 795-4211 www.plantationoncrystalriver.com OCALAMAGAZINE.COM | JUN 2020 |

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EAT

dining out

Sky Fine Dining Sky Fine Dining is located on the 6th floor of the Holiday Inn Suites. The eclectic gourmet cuisine and steak house concept is inspired from current trends and classic dishes like fresh cut steaks, live Maine lobster, rack of lamb and fresh seafood such as sea bass, salmon and shrimp. Golden Spoon Award Winner 9 consecutive years–2010 to 2018. Sky is the place to be for a unique fine dining experience.

Golden Spoon Award Winner 9 consecutive years!

2010 to 2018

Special menu Wednesday through Saturday.

FRIDAY SEAFOOD NIGHT AND SATURDAY STEAK NIGHT

Mon-Thurs 5pm-10pm, Fri & Sat 5p-11p 3600 SW 38th Ave., Ocala, FL 34474 | (352)291-0000 www.skyfinedining.com

Fine Dining

Katya Vineyards Katya Vineyards Tasting Room is owned by Drs. David and Patricia Sokol and Kat and Tony Deras.

Katya is a Boutique Winery and Fine Eatery on the Square that pairs local wines with locally-sourced, fresh cuisine in a quaint, upscale atmosphere.

Follow them on Facebook for more information.

Private event space available by appointment.

Award-winning Chef Tony Deras changes the menu each week, carefully selecting ingredients to balance taste, texture, and beauty.

Tues-Sat 4-10pm 101 E. Silver Springs Blvd., Suite 102, Ocala, FL 34470 (352) 528-CORK (2675) | www.katyavineyards.com

KATYA

Cafe Crisp Faith. Fitness. Food.

Conveniently located in the Frank DeLuca YMCA, Cafe Crisp makes clean eating easy with fresh, healthy meals—to enjoy at the cafe or to take home—and they offer weekly meal prep packages that make it easy to stay on track with meals and snacks. Cafe Crisp also caters events large or small! Stop in for a smoothie before your workout and come back for delicious sandwiches, soups, and salad bar.

Mon-Fri 7am–6pm 3200 SE 17th St (in the YMCA), Ocala, FL 34471 | 352-694-3100 www.facebook.com/cafecrispocala

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Ask about our weekly meal prep specials!

dining out

EAT

Ipanema Brazilian Steakhouse Opening Up On Tuesday, May 26th.

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

Operating at 50% and soon to be fully operating.

We follow All Covid-19 guidelines.

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

Craft Cuisine We are closed.

We hope to see you soon and miss you, our wonderful patrons.

Happy Father’s Day We will see you soon!

Follow us on social media for updates.

Golden Spoon Award Winner!

2237 SW 19th Avenue Rd., # 102, Ocala | (352) 237-7300 craftcuisineocala.com Mon-Thur 4-9pm | Fri-Sat 4-10pm

Latinos Y Mas Our dining room is now open. Latinos Y Mas would like to thank the community for your support during this unprecedented time.

Check out NEW amazing Puerto Rican, Vegetarian, Mexican, Colombia, Cuban, Venezuelan and bowls! $7,99 Available Monday - Saturday 11am to 4pm Enjoy our NEW family-style menu for home or the office and feeds 5 people (bowls and family meals to-go only).

Menu #1 Pork Tacos Menu #2 Chicken .& Rice Menu #3 Chicken Fajitas Menu #4 Pernl:l Menu #5 Pechuga A La Marsala

• Open Now To The Public and To Go Orders • New Favorite Bowls • Family Meals To Go and Pick Up • Online Gift Cards Our NEW 3’s Catering Company brought to you buy our family of restaurants Ipanema, Latinos Y Mas and Craft Cuisine.

3sCateringCompany.com

2030 South Pine Avenue, Ocala, FL 34471 | (352) 622-4777 www.latinosymas.com Mon-Thurs 11am - 9pm | Fri-Sat 11am-10pm | Sun closed OCALAMAGAZINE.COM | JUN 2020 |

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Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re invited to the greatest partY

of the century

ocala magazineâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 6th annual

join us thursday, October 15th, 2020

more details to follow

play

Detail of “Marfa Railway” by Seth Benzel

Acrylic, tape on canvas, 48 x 48 | 8thavegallery@gmail.com | ig: @sethpbenzel | (518)681-9347

Socially Speaking p70 | Anthology—Poetry in Motion p74

OCALAMAGAZINE.COM | JUN 2020 |

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EVENTS

socially speaking

Party in the

STORY AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY RONALD W. WETHERINGTON | SOCIAL EDITOR Ron@ocalamagazine.com

Horse Capital

I

t is no vain boast to claim that Ocala/ Marion County is “The Horse Capital of the World.” The annual Live Oak International (LOI) long weekend is equine fun at its best and showcases Ocala/Marion County. Combined driving and show jumping equestrians from around the world and members of the Ocala community look forward to the Live Oak International each March. This year LOI celebrated their 30th anniversary.

Live Oak International’s annual Saturday night party never fails to provide competitors, sponsors and VIPs an evening of unmatched hospitality. Guests enjoyed food, dancing and musical entertainment from the Leonard Brothers. The costume party theme changes each year and this year’s theme was “Gold’s Gym Moroccan Nights” and was sponsored by Gold’s Gym Ocala.

In addition to dancing the night away, driving awards were presented during the party, including The Anne Bliss Perpetual

Trophy for most elegant lady driver which was awarded to Carole Precious. The Jean Keathley Perpetual Trophy, best FEI Dressage award went to Chester Weber, and the Ed Young Perpetual Trophy for most valuable FEI Driving Official was awarded to Nicke Palsson. The Joe Gilliland Perpetual Trophy for most valuable Marathon assistance went to Olof Larsson and the Fresh Gourmet Perpetual Trophy, fastest FEI Marathon, was won by Taylor Bradish. The Best Intermediate Dressage award went to Boots Wright.

LOI 2020 welcomed 15,000 spectators to Live Oak Stud over the four-day competition which was a record in the event’s 30-year history. What began as a driving event in Ocala, Live Oak International has grown into a world-class equestrian event. Run by co-Presidents Chester Weber and his sister, Juliet W. Reid, the tournament is the only tournament in the United States to offer both international combined driving and show jumping. Additional features this year included the Budweiser Clydesdales, the Young Living Essential Oils Percherons and the Ocala Paso Fino Horse Association.

With an AdventHealth KidsZone, Audi Biergarten, NetJets Mock Aircraft, Gold’s Gym Spin Demos, and the Stella Artois Airstream Trailer, this year’s event featured a little something for everyone.

Susan Gilliland, Ronald W. Wetherington, Andrea Wilson and Dean Lampe

OM was the presenting sponsor of the Live Oak International tailgating competition on Saturday which was won by (Karen Grimes) Bobbi Hager. Most tailgating at sports events occurs in parking lots but at LOI, tailgaters set up on the marathon course to get a front row seat to the action-packed second phase of the driving competition.

The 2020 LOI hosted six USEF Combined Driving National Championships.

Ocala’s Chester Weber secured a record 17th USEF Four-in-Hand National Championship title to conclude driving at the 2020 Live Oak International event.

Daniel Coyle aboard Farrel took home the victory in the $100,000 Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Ocala competing last in a very exciting jump off. Daniel had the crowd on their feet going last and fast. Of the 32 starters, eight made it to the jump-off over the course designed by Olaf Peterson, Jr. The exciting jump-off thrilled the crowd of nearly 5,000 spectators which brought to total for

this year’s Live Oak International to a record 15,000. Andre Thieme directed Cellisto to an impressive victory in Saturday’s $36,600 Live Oak International CSI3* Longines World Ranking Class. LOI’s own Chloe D. Reid took the win on her mount owned by Live Oak Plantation, Souper Shuttle in Friday’s $36,600 Live Oak International CSI3* Longines Table A Speed World Ranking Class.

LIVE OAK INTERNATIONAL has supported local charities and non-profit organizations throughout the years. These include but are not limited to: Marion County Therapeutic Riding Association, Kimberly’s Center for Child Protection, The Centers, Special Operations Warrior Foundation, Ocala Outreach Foundation and Community Foundation Ocala and Marion County among others. Over five hundred general admission tickets were gifted to local charities and a donation to Stirrups N’ Strides from our gate attendance.

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EVENTS

socially speaking

Sidewalk

Appreciation

N

ational Nurses Week is May 6-11, but anyone who has ever needed medical attention knows that every week should be nurses week.

Often underusing heroes, health care workers are currently on the front lines of the coronavirus crisis, putting their lives on the line for the rest of us. To illustrate tribute and gratitude, a group of local artists hit the sidewalks at hospitals in Ocala to decorate nurses’ walkways with brightly colored chalk art.

The project began when Nurse Leader Marcy Sieradzki at AdventHealth Ocala reached out to photographer Ralph Demilio with the idea to decorate their nurse’s entrance. Demilio realized it should be a city-wide project to spread the joy to as many of Ocala’s health care workers as possible, so he organized four hospitals, 15 artists, two balloon designers and some help from Ocala Parks and Rec and Ocala Mainstreet.

The results are beautiful and the benefits didn’t stop with the nurses. The artists all shared how much enjoyment and fulfillment they got from working on the chalk tributes outside on a beautiful spring day.

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NATURAL HEALTH REDEFINED Acupuncture is recommended for painful conditions, insomnia, allergies, hypertension, and more.

Discover a healthier you!

Erica Olstein, DOM, AP Acupuncture, Cupping, & Herbal Medicine

(352) 615-5566

www.ABetterUHealthcare.com 2609 SW 33rd St., Unit 103, Ocala

PLAY

anthology — poetry in motion

Wildness Running

(2020)

BY JOSHUA JACOBS

I’ll recount the days that led me to this place It’s not much but it’s all I have Now my heart and my mind are tethered in twine And this road will lead me back

Meant to Be

(2020)

Don’t Tame this heart, don’t tame my mind But let me feel you somehow There’s a wildness running through my veins And it’s a heartbeat away now So hold me in your arms one last time

BY JERRY GLASSMAN

I try to believe in human nature but each time I give a little they always ask for more Lord knows I'll never even the score Take advantage of me, can't you see It was meant to be Now when it comes to love I'm as open as a book Then I met a girl that took and took and took Nothing in return I will never learn Then again...it might finally become my turn Take advantage of me, can't you see It was meant to be Now the tide is finally turning I'm finally going to see How the other shoe will fit How it will be to receive The day has finally come I've found the equal one And I never have to say this line again Except just this once, Take advantage of me, can't you see It was meant to be

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What if I want you, what if I need you Would you run with me, run with me?

Don’t Tame this heart, don’t tame my mind But let me feel you somehow There’s a wildness running through my veins And it’s a heartbeat away now Would you run with me?

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We are devoted to providing each of our clients, whether an individual or a business, with the highest quality of services and attention they deserve.

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We Miss You, Our Beautiful Patrons and We Will See You Soon

live

The Engagement of Richie Sears and Ashley Glynn Photo by Joshua Jacobs

Everything Equine p78 | Charity: Interfaith p82

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LIVE

everything equine

In The Face of Challenges, Persevere

How the Horse Capital is dealing with the pandemic

BY LOUISA BARTON

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O

n the first Saturday in May 2019, we were all dumbfounded by the first Kentucky Derby disqualification of the winner due to an infraction. There were mixed feelings from “experts” about Maximum Security (Max) being taken down from his first-place win as this had not happened before. Some “experts” said it was a legitimate call to ensure the safety of the sport and others claimed it was wrong due to the very nature of the Derby.

Twenty horses run in the Derby, all converging normally from two starting gates. Usually, the Derby is a fairly rough and bumpy trip for the young horses, who are only accustomed to an average of 10 or 12 horses in a race. Regardless of opinion, right or wrong on the call to disqualify Max, I think we can all agree that 2020 is now even more odd,as far as the Derby goes. For the first time since World War II, the Derby has been moved from the first Saturday in May to the first

Ocala’s breeders and trainers are resilient professionals with a passion and determination for what they do.

Saturday in September.

Here in the Ocala area, we have numerous Thoroughbred trainers, breeders, owners and consignors. Many of their horses make it in to the top 20 horses in the nation and therefore are in the Derby starting gate every year. We are always excited to cheer on and celebrate Ocala’s connections to the Derby as it is such a high honor to make it to this very prestigious race.

This year the Ocala Breeders Sales final 2-year-old in-training sale has been bumped to June due to the COVID-19 pandemic and I believe a lot of buyers may be participating

virtually instead of in person. Although thankful that we are having this sale, many believe buyers will be looking for and expecting a great deal and prices lower than normal for horses.

There may be some uncertainty also about the future of racing as a spectator sport as some have voiced their concerns about the potential for a resurgence of the virus. There are real concerns that buyers may have less competition and therefore the prices paid with less bidders will be lower. This is hard on the consignors, as they have already kept and supported the horses for a longer time period this year. Tracks across the nation

have either been closed or have been operating minimally with no spectators. The entire equine industry, in all breeds and disciplines, has been hard hit from the breeders, trainers and all the way to the racetracks and show facilities and everyone in between.

The recent announcement that the famous “Test of Champions” – the one and a half mile Belmont Stakes -- will run June 20 with no spectators present and at the distance of only a mile and an eighth, is only the tip of the iceberg in changes in the 2020 Triple Crown. With the Derby and Preakness now running in September and October instead, there was really no way to prepare these horses for the Belmont distance, and so it has been shortened considerably.

The big question is, if one of this year’s 3-year-old horses does win all three legs of the Triple Crown, will it still really be the Triple Crown? It is not the three races in five weeks that we are so familiar with that is the real test for the best of the best. Perhaps if a horse does win all three legs, then also wins the Breeders Cup this year, we may feel he earned the honor and title.

There is no doubt that like almost all industries, the entire equine industry has been affected by the pandemic, but I think aside from the 2020 Olympics being moved to 2021, the infamous Triple Crown race order change and the “Test of Champions” distance change are the most distinctive. Only time will tell how well the industry comes through this and how we view these races and the winners. Either way, the 2020 Triple Crown is showing itself to be even more strange than the historic 2019 disqualification!

Ocala’s breeders and trainers are resilient professionals with a passion and determination for what they do. I believe we will see the “Horse Capital” recover and bounce back and that includes our precious equine industry.

OCALAMAGAZINE.COM | JUN 2020 |

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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.

WALKING TOUR BROCHURES

Featuring On-Cell History of The Ocala Historic District Available at CEP, Visitors Center, and Library at no cost Brochures for the Tuscawilla Park Historic District will be coming soon Brochures made possible through a grant from the City Of Ocala.

2019 Historic Ocala Preservation Society Board Members Pamela Stafford — President Brian Stoothoff — Vice President Richard Perry — Secretary Dennis Phillips — Treasurer Linda Anker Ryan Batchelor Leon Geller R.J. Jenkins Lela Kerley Caryl Lucas Penny Miller Suzanne Thomas Rhoda Walkup Diana Williams Link Wilson

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

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!

Our readership is up... ...and getting younger by the minute!

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

OCALAMAGAZINE.COM | JUN 2020 |

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LIVE

charity

Faith, Food & Charity

Interfaith takes Ocalans generosity to people in need during pandemic.

BY CARLTON REESE | PHOTOS PROVIDED BY KARLA GRIMSLEY

A

s Karla Grimsley gazed at the line of cars waiting to receive free groceries at the Interfaith warehouse, she noticed something she hadn’t before: among the old clunkers and lemons sat several new late-model vehicles, driven by unfamiliar faces.

Amid the recent pandemic fright, it dawned on Grimsley that the pain and layoffs were affecting multiple financial strata in the community. The people in need now included many who were likely generous donors not long ago.

“The cars coming through weren’t the typical cars you’d see in our parking lot,” said Grimsley, CEO of Interfaith Emergency Services. “We’re seeing a lot of clients that we don’t normally see. A lot of nicer-model cars are coming through. We understand that there are a lot of people who normally pay their own bills, make a decent living and can afford new cars, but right now have been financially devasted by this.

“A lot of these people say, ‘I worked at my job for 13 years and never thought I’d see myself in this situation.”

With government lockdowns of private businesses and people afraid to interact outside of their homes, over 36 million Americans now find themselves jobless and Marion County has not emerged unscathed. From a 14-year low unemployment rate of 3.2 in December, the rate in Marion County had jumped to 5.2 in March and continues to rise.

This signals a busy time for Interfaith, which has been providing emergency services to families in need since 1983. With the pandemic crisis taking a greater toll than normal, Interfaith has been able to keep up with the new heightened demand thanks to some elbow grease and a generous citizenry.

“Literally, the first day (in April follow-

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Karla Grimsley

ing lockdown announcements) we had almost 600 cars come through,” said Grimsley, who noted that in normal times IES gives out groceries to around 500 families a week.

“We didn’t know what to expect. People didn’t know if help would be coming down from the government – there were no decisions made about stimulus checks or anything at that point.”

In late March, Interfaith was still operating at its normal volume. At that time, many volunteers who are senior citizens faced quarantines, putting a strain on the few volunteers that remained. In answer to the manpower shortage that placed a physical and mental strain on all those working at Interfaith, Grimsley decided to shut it down for a week then come back loaded for bear.

Then the flood of cars came, and with it some doubt as to whether Interfaith would be able to keep up with the demand.

“The first week, every day we opened the gate the cars were lined up as far as you could see,” Grimsley said. “I thought in a week we will be out of food; we will have to shut our doors.”

But food did not run out. With online pleas to the community for help and distribution at three times the normal level, Ocalans have come through in spades. The food donations have come rolling in and no one has been turned away without groceries.

“Every week we’ve given out food with the mindset that we’ll give out until it’s gone,” Grimsley said. “Every week at the end of the week we still have enough food to start the next week with. That’s a testimony to this community.

“I’ve been in Interfaith for 10 years and I’ve never seen the generosity I’ve seen this season – it has just been remarkable.”

Working with Second Harvest Food Bank, local food distributors such as Cheney Brothers, churches, grocery stores and neighborhoods, Interfaith has been able to keep up with the demand. Grimsley recalls a community in On Top of the World which rented a 20-foot U-Haul truck for collections and ended up donating 8,000 pounds of food.

There was also the community food drive for the Food 4 Kids program in which 12,000 pounds of food was donated in one day.

The generosity has gone beyond foodstuffs, though, as money and volunteers have emerged beyond what Interfaith is accustom. This includes many people donating their government stimulus checks.

In one week, approximately $27,000 in monetary donations came in that were marked as stimulus money that would be better served with Interfaith.

“They will actually write a note that says, ‘this is my stimulus money; I don’t need it, please give it to someone who does.’”

As such, Interfaith has set up a fund to help with rent and mortgage assistance, a project United Way has already spearheaded and collected $150,000 in one round of donations.

With the volunteer shortage, even those who have lost their jobs have stepped in to fill the void. Grimsley notes how many displaced hospitality workers have joined the force sideby-side with the regular volunteers.

“They’ve been our saving grace,” Grimsley said of the hospitality volunteers, many from Hilton Hotel and Eaton’s Beach restaurant. “We’ve been able to help them with their bills and they have also been able to take some groceries, but they wait until Friday to make sure there’s enough and they’ll take the same amount everyone else is taking.”

Interfaith continues to operate as a

“Every week we’ve given out food with the mindset that we’ll give out until it’s gone, but every week at the end of the week we still have enough food to start the next week with. That’s a testimony to this community.”

-KARLA GRIMSLEY drive-through operation where cars pull up, pop open their trunks and volunteers come out to make the deliveries. The vetting process is minimal – all must have Marion County identification and all are asked to limit visits to once per week.

“A lot of people that aren’t used to needing this type of help, I think struggled coming through. The drive-through service has helped overcome that pride issue that they may have.”

IES distributes food at its warehouse Tuesday through Friday from 1-4 p.m. while donations are accepted in the morning. Anyone seeking Monday distribution can visit the Salvation Army at 2901 NE 14th Street.

Interfaith Emergency Services is located at 435 NW 2nd St., one block from the courthouse on Pine Avenue.

FOR MORE INFORMATION regarding volunteering, donating or receiving aid, one can phone 352-629-8868 or visit IES on facebook.com.

OCALAMAGAZINE.COM | JUN 2020 |

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state of the county

Profiles in County Government CONTRIBUTED BY MARION COUNTY PUBLIC RELATIONS

Get to know some of the talented Marion County employees who are making it all work behind the scenes.

Carl Carl keeps EMS ambulances rolling!Originally from Key Largo, Carl moved to Marion County in 2005 and for the past two years has been working as a vehicle technician with Marion County Fleet Management. Carl found his current position online and applied because it sounded like an exciting career opportunity. In addition to Marion County Fire Rescue, Carl’s department is responsible for maintaining equipment and vehicles for Solid Waste, Utilities and the Office of the County Engineer. Carl said he appreciates his team because they are all friendly and easy to get along with. “I am proud of my job because I repair and maintain ambulances for our residents,” Carl said. In his spare time, Carl enjoys gardening, farming and beekeeping. He also enjoys spending time with family.

Emily Emily oversees emergency dispatch for fire, medical and law enforcement incidents. Born and raised in Ocala, Emily is shift supervisor with the Marion County’s Public Safety Communications team. Her career began with the Marion County Sheriff’s Office communications center in 2004 after she graduated from Central Florida Community College. In 2011, dispatch operations were consolidated and she transitioned to county employment as a member of Marion County Public Safety Communications. Today,

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Emily guides emergency telecommunicators who provide lifesaving instructions to residents.

“I have thoroughly enjoyed my career with Marion County, and I am truly thankful for the opportunities that have been provided,” Emily said.

“All of my experience and training provides me the opportunity to empower Marion for success.” In Emily’s spare time she enjoys spending time with family in the great outdoors hunting and fishing.

Asa

Trent Trent tests wastewater in Marion County, protecting the environment and preventing waterborne diseases. As a utilities plant operator with Marion County Environmental Services, Trent ensures that wastewater treatment and testing is done properly. The utilities staff monitors, reclaims and treats raw sewage, cleaning and treating water before it returns to our aquifers. Living here most of his life, Trent started with the county at age 18 and has remained here ever since. His favorite part of work is all the science that goes into his daily tasks. He also appreciates the fact that he’s having a positive impact on the environment while keeping residents safe from potential contaminants. An avid bass fisherman and deer hunter, he enjoys being on out on the water and spending time outdoors with family. “My whole team works very hard through hurricanes, pandemics, and all the other obstacles we face as humans,” Trent said. “I am proud to be a part of this team.”

Veneta Asa is a public services librarian with the Marion County Public Library System. Originally from South Carolina, she’s been working with Marion County government for four years and brings her love for writing to the team. Asa enjoys introducing patrons to poetry and working with them on their own craft.

She works with residents to connect them with book clubs, crafts and many other library activities. “I love facilitating library programs,” Asa said. “When I host a writing workshop or a cat cafe, that’s a whole hour I get to spend face-to-face with our patrons. I love being part of our vibrant community.” In her spare time, Asa likes gardening. She has peach trees, blueberries and a myriad of tomato plants growing in her backyard.

Tracy

Veneta, is one of Marion County’s dedicated emergency dispatchers. She moved here from Michigan, along with her husband, and has more than 15 years experience as a law enforcement officer. Her passion for helping others drew her to emergency communications, which offers a different perspective of the emergency response career field. Emergency dispatchers work 12-hour shifts and answer thousands of 911 calls a year. Veneta said customer service and serving the community are important to her – she knows she’s making a difference. When she’s not saving lives, Veneta and her husband enjoy site seeing and have been taking in Ocala’s relaxed pace.

Tracy, County Engineer, is the first woman to direct the Office of the County Engineer in Marion County.

Her department maintains more than 2,500 miles of paved roadways 21,000 drainage structures and an astonishing 88,395 traffic signs.

Mathematics and attention to detail are incredibly important in her field, because she is responsible for the safe and efficient travel along the entire county road network.

Derek(left) and David(right) have a combined 32 years of experience working with Marion County. They do electrical work as employees with Facilities Management.

Derek, born and raised in Ocala, appreciates his team and said being around a good group of people is the best part of his job.

David is from Key West, Florida but has lived in Ocala most of his life. He said it’s nice to work with people who are proficient in their trade.

Derek and David

Victor at his favorite hunting camp. He and his wife celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary this past April!

Robert

Carrie Robert is a painter with the Marion County Facilities Management department. Originally from Jackson, Mississippi, he has spent nearly 20 years working with the county. Facilities Management maintains more than 370 county-owned and leased structures. Robert said he works with a lot of good people and that he loves learning new skills with his team. He also said working for Marion County is great because of the competitive employee benefits. He’s currently focused on various renovation projects.

When he’s not at work, he enjoys going to country and R&B concerts with his loving wife and rumor has it that he’s a great singer! He enjoys working on his truck and thinks American muscle cars are “the best of the best.” He appreciates a good football game and especially enjoys watching his son play for Mississippi State University.

Victor

Chris

Victor is a Parks and Recreation employee.

Having lived in Marion County his entire life, Victor is a true Floridian! Shortly after retiring from a career in manufacturing, he began working part time with Marion County Parks and Recreation as a seasonal employee in 2011. He enjoyed his position at KP Hole Park so much that he eventually took on a permanent position with the county. Victor’s projects include everything from bridge maintenance to painting, but he’s always eager to get started. He enjoys spending time with his family, including his wife and grandchildren. Family time includes camping and fishing, especially for bass on the St. Johns River.

When he’s not camping or fishing, you can find

Elizabeth

Carrie has more than 20 years of experience with Marion County, starting with 911 Management in 1996, moving to Procurement Services in 2006 and Utilities in July 2019. Her attention to detail and high-level customer service skills go a long way in her new role. As a project manager, she serves as a liaison between developers and utility engineers to ensure project plans meet land development code guidelines.She enjoys helping residents and finds educating others about county services rewarding. In her free time, Carrie loves traveling and going to Eric Church concerts. She also enjoys saltwater fishing!

the technology he works on supports teams that care for Marion County residents. He has been with our IT department for two years and he appreciates any opportunity he has to make someone else’s day better. Chris enjoys assisting with his son’s Cub Scout pack. He said it’s rewarding to spend time with his son as he learns about good citizenship and the outdoors. Chris also enjoys camping and fishing.

Corry Corry is a group sales coordinator with the Ocala/Marion County Visitors and Convention Bureau, which promotes local travel and tourism industries. He began working for the county in 2009 as a part-time, seasonal Parks and Recreation employee. This summer job helped him earn money while he finished his sports and fitness degree at Troy University.

Eventually, he assumed his current role and has worked to draw events and tourism to the area.

Corry said his job is competitive, but he enjoys it because he was born and raised here. “I get to share how cool Marion County is,” he added. Outside of the office, Corry enjoys spending time with his wife and son. If he’s not at Disney with the family, he›s at a car show with his beloved 1968 Chevy Impala.

Corry also loves country music and baseball. Did you know? According to a 2018-2019 study, Marion County enjoyed an estimated total economic impact of over a billion dollars because of visitors.

Tim Chris, a network systems analyst with Marion County Information Technology, has been working on a number of projects for our Fire Rescue team and has been assigned to our Public Safety Communications Center. His work enables first responders and 911 operators to accomplish their daily tasks related to public safety. Chris recently installed technology including video and audio equipment to help county employees adhere to social distancing guidelines. He said working with Public Safety Communications and Fire Rescue has been the most rewarding part of his job because

Elizabeth has been working with Building Safety for two years as a permitting/licensing technician. She has a background in construction and is known for thinking outside of the box to accomplish objectives.

Elizabeth was born and raised right here in the Horse Capital of The World™, where she lives with her husband and children.

In her free time, she likes reading and appreciates a good mystery book. Family time, for her, consists of enjoying the outdoors.

Did you know that Marion County Building Safety can process a building permit in just five days? That’s the fastest in the state!

Tim’s work ensures emergency crews and first responders have access to safe roadways.

Tim has been with the Office of the County Engineer for 17 years. He brought 20 years of engineering inspection experience to the county. Originally from New York, he jumped at the opportunity to work for the county when the position became available in sunny Florida.

He is proud every time his team completes a project on time and within (or below!) their projected budget. He especially enjoys working on projects that improve traffic flow. Tim and his wife enjoy going on a cruises and spending time at the beach. Did you know? County roads such as 42, 316 and 320 were rehabilitated using Penny sales tax funds?

OCALAMAGAZINE.COM | JUN 2020 |

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Community Connect T

BY ASHLEY DOBBS

he moment you call 9-1-1, a countdown begins. Seconds turn to agonizing minutes as you wait for first responders. Despite their rapid arrival and efficient response, the only information your aides have is a rough idea of a bystander’s account. As you may suspect, these accounts are often misleading, consuming seconds better suited toward life-saving efforts.

To bridge the gap between the necessities arising from an emergency and a family’s unique needs, Ocala Fire Rescue (OFR) has partnered with technology developer First Due to release Community Connect, a pre-planning tool for fire and medical emergencies. Allowing firefighters to access household-specific information before they arrive on the scene, Community Connect is a platform where you can share details about your home and the people within. By providing information that you feel is important for the emergency response personnel to know in the event of an emergency, we can ensure everything you care about is better protected.

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“Having information that is specific to your household is invaluable during an emergency,” said Shane Alexander, OFR Fire Chief. “By providing details such as family members’ mobility restrictions and functional needs, the number of people and pets in the home and the location of your utility shutoffs, you are helping us save valuable time in the fight your family’s life and property.”

Community Connect profiles empower you with an active role in the protection of your family in situations when control is no longer in your hands. Every detail you provide allows us to decide what the best plan of attack will be before arriving on the scene. It is this level of pre-planning that helps save time when seconds matter most.

Enrollment in Community Connect is 100 percent secure and completely voluntary, letting you input as much or as little information in your profile as you see fit. The data entered within is protected with bank-level encryption and is used to serve your family during emergencies only. Your information is never used for any other purpose.

Benefiting from Community Connect is free and easy. City of Ocala residents can create an account with critical property and occupant information by visiting register.ocalafire.org. Once your profile is created, the data is stored and accessed only by public safety agencies when an emergency unit is dispatched to your home.

Community Connect is a reliable platform where the fire department’s resources and your family’s needs meet. Its potential to increase the number of lives saved during a medical emergency and decrease the percentage of property loss during a fire is undeniable, and one which we get closer to with every household enrolled.

We encourage you to explore the many benefits offered by Community Connect and champion your friends, family, and neighbors with helping save lives one profile at a time.

FOR MORE INFORMATION about Community Connect, visit regsiter. ocalafire.org, or contact OFR’s Administration Office at 352-629-8306.

Photos courtesy of the City of Ocala

9-1-1, what’s your emergency?

How To Handle Market Volatility

Looking back at the past few weeks, the market has made some investors nervous.

Market volatility can lead to some serious stress but what are the best ways to respond to this uneasy feeling? When dealing with market volatility, it's important to keep several things in mind to avoid making major mistakes.

HAVE A PLAN

It's frequently said that those who fail to plan are planning to fail. When investing, it's important to have a plan. If your plan is to put aside $1,000 or $5,000 a month stick to it. Slow and steady wins the race.

Sticking with your plan will allow you to take advantage of the periods when the stock market is down.

KEEP REINVESTING

Dividends and interest tend to keep coming whether the Dow Jones Industrial Average is down 500 points or it's up 300 on a given day. It's true that there are situations that will lead some companies to cut or suspend their dividends. However, most companies will keep paying out dividends as long as possible because a cut is a sure-fire way to lose investors and see the price of your company's stock drop like a rock.

Dividends from stocks and interest from bonds are two of the best ways to deal with volatility. You should keep reinvesting the capital your investments throw off.

When the market is down, you'll be able to buy more shares, and this will add to your flow of dividends and interest. By reinvesting during periods of volatility, you'll be able to increase the power of compounding greatly.

DON'T SELL

Many financial professionals will tell you to avoid selling your investments at the worst possible time is a part of sticking with your plan. Often times, this is an ideal strategy. It can be tempting to sell when the market is down 10% so that you can avoid the next 20% loss.

This is generally a bad idea. Time in the market will usually beat attempts to time the market. Although, one exception would be drawing down some money strategically during your golden years.

You'll probably want to make quarterly or annual withdrawals regardless of what

the market is doing in that case so that you can fund your living expenses.

REBALANCE

Another important step to take when the market is showing extreme volatility is remembering to rebalance your portfolio periodically. You may have a strategy of rebalancing quarterly, semiannually or yearly. If you have a target allocation of 75% of your portfolio in stocks and 25% in bonds, a major drop in stocks could leave you with 65% in stocks and 35% in bonds.

In this instance, you'd sell a chunk of your bonds and move the money into stocks. If you're still in the accumulation phase, you could stop contributing to bonds and put all of your money in stocks until you reach your targeted balance. This will keep you from becoming too overweight in one area and allow you to maintain the proper level of diversification.

One big piece of advice that's important to remember during market volatility is to stay the course. If you have a plan, stick to it.

This includes making periodic investments as you would if the market were at record highs. Real money is made during market downturns. If your portfolio gets out of balance, it's a good idea to rebalance it in the event of a major market downturn to take advantage of the sale price on stocks.

If you have cash sitting on the sidelines, volatility to the down side can be a great time to put that money to work.

Planning your retirement means diversifying to reduce the risk to your overall retirement plan. We are here to help guide you to and through a successful retirement.

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Kiwanis International and Foundation VP Charles Gugliuzza

On May 20th, Kiwanis Club of Ocala had a few of it’s “first evers’ happen.

Marion County Public Service (MCPS) Thomas Butler & Adrian Heath

A

‘first ever’ new member joining online, and a ‘first ever’ meeting online during a National Pandemic, the COVID-19 virus that has affected us all.

However, the virus has not kept Kiwanians and the Ocala Club from being the difference and helping others as needed. In working with the MCPS or Marion County Public Service Division, the Ocala Kiwanis Satellite Club worked tirelessly to assemble over 200 Hygeine Kits to give out or take to those in isolation during the virus.

In correlation with the Kiwanis International and Foundation and Charles Gugliuzza, they honored our Military for Armed Forces Month and National Military Spouse Appreciation Day. Kiwanis additionally honored National Teachers Appreciation Day during the month of May and the wonderful blessing they bring in serving our children each day of the year.

A Huge Shout Out to Kiwanis and Marion County’s own, Supervisor of Elections, Wesley Wilcox. He was recently sworn in as President-Elect by the FSE, Florida Supervisors of Elections for the years 2020-2021. An honor to be praised. Wesley has served on the committee since 2017.

Wesley Wilcox Marion County Supervisor of Elections President Elect of the Florida Supervisors of Elections

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ETC

Rotary

Circle

Being Apart Together Although currently not meeting, Rotary is still going strong. Both Ocala Rotary and Sunset Rotary shared some past memories and recent activity during the Covid-19 virus while Being Apart Together.

The Ocala Rotary Club delivered games to Director of Interfaith, Karla Grimsley, also Past President of the Sunset Rotary Club. This collection was put together in order to give to the families and children during the mandated ‘stay at home’ order.

Not only did they give great games, but were given to enhance the importance of the opportunity for families to be together and remember to have fun at home together, with the hope they will continue to do so for many years to come.

Rotarians supported the Faith Over Fear campaign during the Corona virus to help others remember to keep their Faith during times of trouble and to stand strong together even when apart and to always help those in need. Only a few of Rotary’s strongest and most important attributes in making a difference in their Communities.

The Ocala Sunset Rotary Club had volunteers to help with giving food and other necessities at Interfaith with Director and Sunset Rotarian, Karla Grimsley to families and children.

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Lunches to the hard-working Volunteers were provided by MOJO’S and owner, Rondo Fernandez.

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To Roaring New Heights He was a man destined for the clouds.

WITH THE HISTORIC OCALA PRESERVATION SOCIETY

L

aurie Yonge was an aviation pioneer and his presence made a powerful difference. He began to fly during the roaring 20s, albeit after only two hours of instruction, according to the Orlando Sentinel.

The Ocala-native was known as “Mr. Aviator.” It was a well-deserved designation.

Yonge always had an adventurous spirit, one that found him engaging in a series of bold and courageous activities, first as a bicycle stunt rider during his teenage years, before graduating to motorcycles and then imp-mobiles, a vehicle driven by Yonge with motorcycle engines, according to the Ocala Star-Banner.

It was his intrepid nature that found him moving toward the thought of piloting aircraft.

And as fate would have it, he would get his chance to make his dream and vision a reality.

A propitious event occurred when his nephew, Ellis Yonge, had the good fortune of purchasing a Curtis JN aircraft from a World War I pilot. As part of the terms and condi-

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tions of the sale, the pilot had agreed to provide lessons, but inexplicably left town, leaving the two men with the challenging task of trying to figure out how to fly the plane.

But that’s when their ingenuity and indefatigable spirit kicked in, as they were able to figure out how to get the craft airborne from looking at the control panel and steering mechanisms.

His nephew provided Yonge, who would later become a Lake Weir resident, with half-interest in the plane, which would lead to a lifetime interest in aircraft. Yonge would engage in a number of different activities to gain invaluable flight experience as he refined his skills as a pilot. Barnstorming, operating a small passenger taxi service and taking aerial photographs were among the undertakings made by Yonge to earn his wings. He was the first pilot in Florida ever to be issued a license, also obtaining a mechanic’s license, and later an international pilot’s license, according to the Ocala Star-Banner.

A man known for raising the bar, Yonge

established the world’s endurance record for small planes in 1929, nearly doubling the previous record by keeping his aircraft, “The Spirit of Jacksonville” in the sky for 25 hours.

He also was responsible for playing a role in organizing the first Civil Air Patrol Squadron and the first aerial ambulance service in Jacksonville, according to an article in Jacksonville Magazine.

Yonge’s flight service was the first tenant at the then new Jacksonville Municipal Airport in 1928, according to the Orlando Sentinel.

While in Jacksonville, Yonge would offer airplane rides from the beach, according to the Jacksonville Aviation Authority.

However, Yonge will be forever etched in the area’s history, having the distinction of delivering the first air mail for the Ocala Post Office.

A civic-minded individual, Yonge would spread yuletide cheer, at the annual Christmas parade as Jacksonville’s official Santa Claus, arriving in grand style, from an amphibious aircraft.

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CALL 1-877-404-2503 OR VISIT COXBUSINESS.COM TO SWITCH TODAY *Offer ends 4/30/20. Available to new commercial data and voice subscribers (excluding govt agencies and schools) in Cox service areas. $79.99/mo includes VoiceManagerSM Essential and Cox Business InternetSM 50. Price based on 3 yr. contract. Early term. fees may apply. Std. rates apply thereafter. Price excludes equipment, installation, construction, inside wiring, taxes, surcharges and other fees, unless indicated. See https://www.cox.com/business/terms-and-conditions.html for add’l terms and offer details. Offer is nontransferable to a new service address. Uninterrupted or error-free Internet service, or the speed of your service, is not guaranteed. Actual speeds vary. Telephone services are provided by an affiliated Cox entity. Services are not available in all areas. Discounts can’t be combined or added with other promotions nor applied to any other Cox account. †Visa prepaid card available with qualifying new services ordered and activated between 1/1/20 and 4/30/20 with min. 3 yr. contract. Must mention “reward promo” when placing order. Account must remain active, be in good standing, and retain all services for a min. of 30 days after install. Online redemption req’d by 5/31/20 and must follow instructions rec’d after service activation. Limit one card per customer, total Can be used everywhere Visa SM not to exceed $200. Allow 15 days after redemption for delivery. Card is issued by MetaBank®, Member FDIC, pursuant to a license from Visa U.S.A. Inc. No cash access or recurring payments.

SM *Offer ends new data andunused voicefunds subscribers (excluding govt thru agencies and terms schools) Cox service $79.99/mo apply. includes VoiceManager EssentialInc.andAll Cox debit4/30/20. cards areAvailable accepted. to Card validcommercial for up to 6 months; will forfeit after the valid date. Card and inconditions apply.areas.

Other restrictions © 2020 Cox Communications rightsBusiness reserved.Internet 50. Price based on 3 yr. contract. Early term. fees may apply. Std. rates apply thereafter. Price excludes equipment, installation, construction, inside wiring, taxes, surcharges and other fees, PAD106898-0002 unless indicated. See

https://www.cox.com/business/terms-and-conditions.html for add’l terms and offer details. Offer is nontransferable to a new service address. Uninterrupted or error-free Internet service, or the speed of your service, is not guaranteed. Actual speeds vary. Telephone services are provided by an affiliated Cox entity. Services are not available in all areas. Discounts can’t be combined or added with other promotions nor applied to any other Cox account. †Visa prepaid card available with qualifying new services ordered and activated between 1/1/20 and 4/30/20 with min. 3 yr. contract. Must mention “reward promo” when placing order. Account must remain active, be in good standing, and retain all services for a min. of 30 days after install. Online redemption req’d by 5/31/20 and must follow instructions rec’d after service activation. Limit one card per customer, total not to exceed $200. Allow 15 days after redemption for delivery. Card is issued by MetaBank®, Member FDIC, pursuant to a license from Visa U.S.A. Inc. No cash access or recurring payments. Can be used everywhere Visa debit cards are accepted. Card valid for up to 6 months; unused funds will forfeit after the valid thru date. Card terms and conditions apply. Other restrictions apply. © 2020 Cox Communications Inc. All rights reserved.

PAD106898-0002

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