Sept/Oct 2021 Ocala's Good Life Magazine

Retirement Redefined

The

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Glass-Bottom Boat PLUS—

Morevino

Have you been to this chic downtown eatery yet?

Paula Russo’s mission to enhance the iconic attraction.

Flying High

Meet the president of OTOW’s R/C plane club

Day At The Museums Butterflies, Art, and...

Sloths? Yeah.

Manage Stress Through Resilience | Elvis Summer Fest Pics | Tips For Dining With Grandkids

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INSIDE:

OCALA’S

GOOD LIFE

SEP/OCT 2021

Hope is in bloom!

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www.RAOcala.com 352-671-4300

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Ocala’s

GOOD LIFE SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021

Photo: John Jernigan

departments

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Good Team

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The Editor’s Desk

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Good Start

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My Florida

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Out & About

20

Just My Type

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Daycation

30

Good Health

34

features

Good Eats

Discovering Morevino downtown. By Dean Blinkhorn

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Cuisine Queen

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Dining Guide

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The talented staff behind Ocala’s Good Life.

The music man. By Dean Blinkhorn Quick looks at our community. By JoAnn Guidry & Cynthia King The fantastic fox. By Melody Murphy Photo: John Jernigan

Elvis hasn’t left the building. By Steve Floethe To pack or not to pack. By Mary Ellen A day at the museums. By Danielle Veenstra Building resistance. By Cammy Dennis

Photo Courtesy Florida Museum of Natural History

18

Good Neighbors

Recipes

BY JOANN GUIDRY

Plan Ahead

26

Glass-Bottom Goals

BY RICHARD ANGUIANO • COVER ILLUSTRATION BY ANDY STRACUZZI

All the latest dining news. By Paula DiPaula Highlights of some of the area’s best restaurants.

Easy and nutritious. By Family Features Lots of reasons to get out of your easy chair. What are you waiting for?

Puzzle Page

Spend a few minutes with the crossword or Sudoku.

Carl Schneider, the president of the On Top of the World R/C Flyers, has spent a lifetime in the sky and helping send people to space. His life trajectory has taken him from rocket science to flying medical missions to moving to OTOW because of a unique flying field.

on the cover

For years, Paula Russo has been on a mission to provide a handicapped-accessible glass-bottom boat to Silver Springs.

This summer, her long-awaited dream finally came true.

OCALA’S GOOD LIFE retirement redefined

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SMILE

CONSTRUCTION

ZONE

Ocala’s

GOOD LIFE

“Rio”

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MAGAZINE

ocalasgoodlife.com SEP/OCT 2021 Publisher/Art Director Trevor Byrne

trevor@ocalasgoodlife.com

Publisher/Editor Dean Blinkhorn

dean@ocalasgoodlife.com

! d a e h a s e l i m s t h g i Br

Project Manager Cynthia Brown

cynthia@ocalasgoodlife.com

Writers

Richard Anguino, Cammy Dennis, Mary Ellen, JoAnn Guidry, Melody Murphy, Paula, Danielle Veenstra

Photographers Steve Floethe John Jernigan

Proofreaders Karen Bradley Sally Tinkham

Advertising Sales Carol DeWitt

(302) 377-9142 carol@ocalasgoodlife.com

Rick Junglas

(352) 445-1252 rick@ocalasgoodlife.com

Kaye Schultz

Barbara DeLucia, DMD

A Master of the Academy of General Dentistry Private practice for over 25 years!

(352) 427-4005 kaye@ocalasgoodlife.com

Sally Tinkham

(352) 427-4006 sally@ocalasgoodlife.com

Distribution

Friendship Center Dental Office 8441 SW Hwy 200, #115 • Ocala DeLuciaDentistry.com

Heidi Justice

PA R T N E R :

(352) 854-6633

Golf Cart Accesible!

Located right outside of On Top of the World

OCALA’S GOOD LIFE retirement redefined

Published bi-monthly by Good Life Publishing Inc. ocalasgoodlife.com • (877) 622-5210 ©2021 Good Life Publishing Inc. All rights reserved. No part may be reprinted in whole or in part without written permission from the publisher.

Unsolicited material will not be returned. Publisher is not responsible for advertisers’ claims or content of advertisements.

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When Paula is not visiting new restaurants Carol DeWitt is living happily ever Sally Tinkham and her husband, Alan, 1 in the area, she’s working off those calories 5 after in On Top of the World with her 10 have lived in Dunnellon more than 36 kayaking, boating, camping and exploring husband Bruce, having relocated from Wilm- years after living in Connecticut and Rhode trails in her Jeep. Born in 1958, she fits right in with Ocala’s Good Life magazine’s demographics, showing our readers that she’s more of a seen-ager than a senior. Paula believes that keeping active, positive and having an open mind leads to longevity.

ington, Delaware. They have many community interests and are always out and about trying every new restaurant and learning all about Florida. Carol brings her long career experiences in many areas of marketing and media to Ocala’s Good Life.

Ocala’s Good Life or the annual CEP relocation guide, he’s probably catching up with his favorite subscriptions. Rolling Stone, Bicycling, Classic Rock, and Reader’s Digest are on his monthly must-read list because of the great storytelling. He’s recently picked up tennis again and hopes to soon be able to keep the ball in the court!

Rick is not out visiting advertisers he enjoys cruising, bowling, sporting events and going to the beach. Being from Ohio he always makes time to watch the Buckeyes, but he doesn’t miss the snow. As far as traveling, Rick and his wife Gina are looking forward to exploring everything that the sunshine state has to offer.

news and feature stories in Marion County for Orlando’s TV stations. Before semi-retiring to Ocala, Steve had a long and varied career in broadcast and print journalism — from newspaper, radio, and cable news to TV as a reporter/photographer, news producer, nightly news anchor and TV news director.

shopping to get it just the way she wants it. But it sure is a lot easier upkeep than her previous home that sat on 1.7 acres!

Dean Blinkhorn is a past Florida MagaRick Junglas has over 15 years of ad2 zine Association Editor of the Year who 6 vertising experience in the Ocala area loves publishing. When he’s not working on with yellow pages and magazines. When

Island. She loves her 7 cat-kids (5 of which are rescues) and hiking with her grandchildren on the local trails. She is researching the history and families of Gaiter, an early southwest Marion County community, for a potential book. She’s also an avid fan of Cote, the Elvis tribute artist, as seen in this photo!

A resident of Ocala for 31 years, 11 Mary Ellen has seen tremendous growth in our formerly small town with more shopping, restaurants, entertainment and the World Equestrian Center, only minutes from where she and her husband live in Stone Creek. And after recently celebrating their 1st anniversary the happy couple is looking forward to enjoying everything Ocala has to offer.

Steve Floethe has been Ocala’s Good Kaye Schultz is enjoying semi-retire3 Life’s photographer/writer since it was 7 ment with her cat Sylia in her new home Cynthia Brown and her husband first launched in 2010. In addition he is a in Dunnellon. Of course it’s been a never12 Larry stay quite busy running a famfreelance videographer, covering breaking ending process of remodeling and furniture ily business and raising their two boys. They

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Trevor Byrne, his wife Dawn and their two dogs, Benson & Willow, enjoyed the summer by taking plenty of day trips to Cedar Key to enjoy the spectacular sunsets at the Low Key Hideaway Tiki Bar. Pro tip: try the Peanut Butter Cup Colada (with whipped cream). And the Bloody Marys are so good they’re not just for breakfast anymore. They have enough toppings for a small meal, including cheese, homemade beef jerky, and shrimp!).

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Native Floridian Melody Murphy has a 8 Bachelor’s in journalism from UF and is the marketing assistant at Ocala Civic The-

atre, where she also performs. She owns 13 kinds of hot sauce.

As a child John Jernigan would often 9 be found drawing and coloring with leftover prisma color pencils and supplies from

his father’s photography studio and art supply store. It was only a natural progression to photography. Today, John stays busy shooting for various magazines and commercial clients all over the country.

OCALA’S GOOD LIFE retirement redefined

recently purchased a boat and plan to spend a lot of time on the water this summer enjoying all the local waterways. She hasn’t yet earned her title of “gamer mom”, she’s been too busy keeping up with the family zoo: A 105lb dog, Gooch, two parakeets and their newest addition, “Noodle” the corn snake.

More on that soon!

the editor’s desk

by dean blinkhorn [dean@ocalasgoodlife.com]

Stories From The Music Man

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Photo: Olana McDonald

lvin Ross is a storyteller at heart. Every time we asked him about a picture on the wall, we were gleefully treated to a typically extended narrative about all the details behind his association with some of the biggest musicians and recording artists of the last 30 or 40 years.

The one of him standing with Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley of KISS in full makeup? (Of course them not him!) Well, he helped manage one of the band’s early tours to Japan while they were still establishing their hard rock credibility and working out their now-legendary stage antics. And the jacket he’s wearing? Specifically made for him for that tour.

The framed signed letter from Stan Lee, the creator of all those Marvel superheroes—the Hulk, Spiderman, Iron Man, etc.—that we’ve grown up with both onscreen and in print? “We’re pretty good friends,” Alvin says without pretense. He then launches into a remembrance of how the two worked together to bring KISS’s comic book to life. The two men stayed in touch well after that one project.

And what’s up with Megadeth, the lone metal band in a sea of Georgiabased alternative and rock acts? Well, by then Alvin had shifted his business from PR to merchandising sales and he and his business partner had won the lucrative contract for this new group that had been formed in the shadow of the even-bigger Metallica. His partner called from the road just a few days into the tour, Alvin remembers, and he kept shouting numbers from an early cell phone. Reception wasn’t great. Finally, Alvin figured out that the demand for shirts and posters and programs with the now-infamous Megadeth logo was so strong that they’d sold all their stock.

Thankfully, an off day on the tour allowed them to rush a bigger order to keep up with the demand, and—more important—their contract!

What about the one with Richard Branson, the billionaire founder of the worldwide Virgin records and airline empire? “Oh, we met on his houseboat,” Alvin casually remembers. “He wanted to buy our merchandising company, but his offer was too low. I turned and left until his assistant ran out to get me so we could work something

As a magazine editor, I’m a sucker for a good story and Alvin had them to spare.

6

OCALA’S GOOD LIFE retirement redefined

out. He ended up being a really nice guy.”

As a magazine editor, I’m a sucker for a good story and Alvin had them to spare. And as a big-time music fan, I love hearing behind-the-scenes information from the people who lived it. I could never pass up an episode of “Behind The Music” or “Pop-Up Videos” and I certainly wasn’t going to pass up this opportunity to listen to Alvin’s great stories, so I volunteered to ride shotgun on JoAnn’s assignment under the pretense of taking pictures just so I could hear what he had to say.

Check out the Good Start item in the pages to come and be sure to browse our Plan Ahead pages in the next few issues for Alvin’s next music-related lectures at nearby venues. You won’t be disappointed All the best,

Everyone who knows me well is aware that I love music of all kinds, so...

What’s Dean Playing?

(Alvin Ross Edition)

KISS, “Love Gun”—From the iconic cover to the 10 tracks that cemented their hard rock reputation, this is one of the band’s best albums.

Check out “Christine Sixteen,” the title cut, and Ace Frehley’s killer “Shock Me,” his vocal debut.

The Black Crowes, “Shake Your Money Maker”—In a year of hair metal and manufactured pop, somehow this Southern rock masterpiece found its way into a lot of CD players. “Hard To Handle,” “Jealous Again,” and “Twice As Hard” are frenetic rockers, but perhaps the best cut of all is the ballad, “She Talks To Angels.”

David Lee Roth, “Skyscraper”— The Van Halen singer’s full-length follow-up once again featured Steve Vai on guitar. His sonic embellishments spice up the whole album, including favorites like “Just Like Paradise” and “Stand Up.”

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TICKETS ON SALE SEPT. 10, 2021, AT 11 AM! Order tickets at CSCulturalCenter.com | 8395 SW 80th Street, Ocala, FL 34481 | (352) 854-3670 ALL SHOWS BEGIN AT 7 PM & DOORS OPEN AT 6 PM (EXCEPT AS NOTED) | GIFT CERTIFICATES AVAILABLE Schedule and prices subject to change without notice. Reduced ticket prices for residents of On Top of the World Communities and Stone Creek apply to Circle Square Cultural Center produced shows only. (Resident ID required when purchasing at box office.)

Ticket prices do not include sales tax. Refreshments available for purchase at events. To arrange for handicap seats, call or visit the ticket office. According to CDC guidelines, wearing a mask indoors is recommended. *Free tickets not available online. Tickets must be picked up at the Circle Square Cultural Center box office during normal business hours. Limit two per household. **Online tickets subject to a convenience fee. All ticket sales final.

OCALA’S GOOD LIFE retirement redefined

#14184 - 9/21

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Written & Compiled By JoAnn Guidry & Cynthia Brown

GOOD NEIGHBORS:

Photo: Dean Blinkhorn

good start Music & Memories

H

anging down low on a corner wall in Alvin Ross’s home office in On Top of the World is a black-and-white picture of him and original KISS members Gene Simmons and Peter Criss, circa Tokyo 1977.

“Yes, KISS was one of my first clients when I started a public relations firm called The Press Office in 1976,” says Ross, a self-described street kid from Brooklyn with a love of music, any kind of music. “In 1977, I traveled with them to Japan for their tour there. Later, we worked together with Stan Lee on a series of Marvel Comics books featuring KISS.” Alvin Ross Ross’s home office walls are a testament to his 50 years of working in the music industry. There are pictures of Glen Campbell, his very first music industry client after moving from New York to Los Angeles in the late 1960s. Soon country music icon Merle Haggard became one of his clients, too, as did Roy Clark and Anne Murray.

“Glen was one of the nicest people I ever worked with in the music business,” recalls Ross, who then points out a framed declaration below the KISS picture. “I spent a lot of time on the road with Merle when he toured. You can see by this declaration that Merle even made me an honorary Okie from Muskogee.”

Some of Ross’s music clients also gifted him with multi-platinum albums that dominate the office walls. There’s The Black Crowes’s “Shake Your Money Maker,” Rod Stewart’s “Out of Order,” David Lee Roth’s “Skyscraper,” and Cyndi Lauper’s “True Colors.”

Ross would later transition into music industry merchandising, moving back and forth from New York to Los Angeles, then London.

“My wife Caren and I lived in London for seven years in the ‘90s. Our merchandising company grew to be the largest in Europe,” says Ross. “We actually lived on Abbey Road right across from The Beatles’ studio. But I had already met Paul McCartney years before that in New York and then would later meet Ringo Starr.”

After selling the merchandising company, Ross moved back to California where he continued some entertainment promotion work before retiring in 2014. In all his travels, Ross had never even heard of Ocala and On Top of the World.

“Caren ended up actually having a couple of friends move to OTOW and she came to visit them,” says Ross, who has also written/directed plays and is currently working on two novels. “When she came home, she told me all about what a great place it was, so we decided to sell our house in California and we moved to OTOW in late 2018. We love it here.”

When asked what aspect of his long successful music business career he enjoyed the most, Ross quickly answers, “Oh, definitely the public relations part more than the merchandising part. The PR part was much more personal and fun. When I sit in my office and look at my memorabilia, every piece has a story that I’ll never forget.”

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OCALA’S GOOD LIFE retirement redefined

GOOD NEWS:

OTOW Garners National Award

Add another award to the On Top of the World Communities treasure chest. Nationally accredited publication idealLIVING honored OTOW with its annual “The Top 100 Planned Communities” award. Based in Wilmington, North Carolina, each edition of the quarterly publication is currently delivered to more than 80,000 homes.

No doubt OTOW’s three fitness centers, over 18 miles of walking and biking trails, tennis and pickleball courts, indoor and outdoor pools, and over 200 resident-run clubs led to the award.

“We are honored,” says Kenneth Colen, president of On Top of the World Communities.

“My father (the late Sidney Colen) brought his vision to Ocala in 1975, and since then we have grown and worked effortlessly to bring his passion and keep his legacy alive in everything we do. This award solidifies we are doing just that.”

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OCALA’S GOOD LIFE retirement redefined

9

Photo: Steve Floethe

good start

GOOD DEED:

Cuisine Queen To The Rescue

W

hen Paula, aka Ocala’s Good Life’s Cuisine Queen and Dunnellon resident, found out in September 2020 that curbside recycling was no longer available, she sprung into action.

“I just thought putting aluminum cans that could be recycled in the trash was money being thrown away,” says Paula, whose backyard is the Rainbow River. “I contacted Julie Mancini, the former executive director with the Dunnellon Chamber & Business Association and we came up with a plan. I made aluminum recycling bins and put them outside the chamber building. The money raised from the recycled aluminum goes to charitable organizations.”

Once the bins are full, Paula comes via her golf cart to collect the aluminum and then takes it to be recycled. The bins are located at the Dunnellon Chamber & Business Association, 20500 E. Pennsylvania Avenue.

“It’s a dirty, stinky, sticky job,” says Paula. “But I just couldn’t see that money literally going into the garbage.”

Each time the recycled money reaches $100, a non-profit organization is chosen and a donation is made. Thus far, money has been donated to Habitat for Humanity of Marion County, Covenant Children’s Home, Family Hope Resource & Pregnancy Center, the Believe in Santa Foundation, and Florida Wildlife Corridor Expedition.

Michael Ankiewicz

Homes For Our Feathery Friends

M

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WANT TO KNOW MORE? (352) 572-9506 mpankiewicz1@live.com OCALA’S GOOD LIFE retirement redefined

Paula, aka the Cuisine Queen Photo: Julie Mancini Photography

ichael Ankiewicz is doing his part to ease the Ocala housing shortage. Well, at least for birds. Ankiewicz’s bird-friendly colorful creations, set out at the end of his driveway every day, have become a local attraction for the folks driving SW 66th Street in south Ocala. And a lot of birds are getting new homes.

“When the pandemic shut down everything, I thought I’d try to make birdhouses to sell,” says Ankiewicz, a disabled veteran. “I’d never really done anything like that, so it was definitely a learning curve.”

Ankiewicz turned an old shed/boathouse into a workshop, decided on red cedar wood and at first just used the few tools he had on hand.

“I stencil on a design pattern, mostly flowers, and then paint in the colors,” says Ankiewicz. “But I do want to learn to freestyle paint the designs going forward. And maybe do custom orders, too.”

Ankiewicz wasn’t sure how people would react to his birdhouses when he first put them out for sale at the end of his driveway, but they’ve definitely taken flight.

“It’s been a nice surprise to have them sell so well,” he says of his newfound hobby that has progressed into a daily habit. “I also started making American flags out of the red cedar and those are in high demand. I hand-stain the colors on the flag and people really love them.”

The latest addition to his birdhouse line is one specifically for doves. He’s also trying his hand at making bat houses and he also makes unique carved wooden walking sticks.

“I love spending almost every day in my workshop making stuff,” says Ankiewicz. “It’s become a real passion and makes me very happy.”

And no doubt there are a lot of happy birds too.

UPCOMING PROGRAMS Please note that all programs are subject to cancellation as deemed necessary.

AFTER DARK IN THE PARK: THE KARATE KID (1984) [PG] Jervey Gantt Recreation Complex | 2200 SE 36 Ave. Friday | Sept. 10 | 8-10 p.m.

A bullied teen learns self-defense and selfconfidence from a sage handyman. Cast: Ralph Macchio, Pat Morita, Elisabeth Shue, Martin Kove and Randee Heller. Concessions available.

NAMASITSTAY K9 FIT CLUB | AGES 18+ Tuscawilla Park | 800 NE Sanchez Ave. Saturdays | Sept. 11-Oct. 23 | 10-11 a.m.

Namasitstay is a form of yoga that combines massage as well as gentle stretching for dogs and their human partners and benefits you and your pet’s health while strengthening the bond between you. Bring your yoga mat or a towel/ blanket, as well as your pup’s favorite snack. $5/person/session.

FIRST FRIDAY ART WALK Downtown Ocala First Friday of the month | Sept. 3-May 6, 2022 | 6-9 p.m.

Event festivities include over 20 artist displays, live entertainment, free family art activities provided by local arts organizations and extended shopping hours.

PROGRAMS IN THE PARKS BIRD PHOTO WALK | Sept. 3 | 10-11 a.m.

Tuscawilla Park | 800 NE Sanchez Ave. OWLS AND BATS | Sept. 17 | 6-8 p.m.

Heritage Nature Conservancy | 2005 NE Third St. Programming and activities designed to give children and families a more in-depth look at the natural resources around them.

Dress for the outdoors and the weather around you, bring water and sunscreen, but most importantly bring a desire to learn and have fun!

REJUVENATE WITH THE ARTS | AGES 50+ Eighth Avenue Adult Activity Center | 830 NE Eighth Ave. Second and fourth Tuesdays of the month 10 a.m.-Noon Sept. 14: Pallet Plaques | Sept. 28: Canvas and Treats Fall Inspired Painting Oct. 12: Welcome Door Tag | Oct. 26: Recycled Tin Can Owl Get crafty with these fun DIY workshops to renew and discover your artistic abilities!

Create your own project to take home. Call 352.368.5517 for more information. $5/ person/class.

FOOT LOOSE LINE DANCING (ALL AGES) Eighth Avenue Adult Activity Center | 830 NE Eighth Ave. Tuesdays This class is for anyone who loves to dance, whether you are experienced, or new to the dance floor. Learn the basic steps of soul and line dances while getting a workout at the same time.

SENIOR BINGO | AGES 50+ Eighth Avenue Adult Activity Center | 830 NE Eighth Ave. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays | Sept. 6-Aug. 31 1-2:30 p.m.

Enjoy your favorite game of BINGO with friends, food and music. Please bring $2 in quarters, nickels and dimes to play BINGO. FOREVER YOUNG SENIOR AEROBICS | AGES 50+ E.D. Croskey Recreation Center | 1510 NE Fourth St. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays | Sept. 6-May 30, 2022 | 10-11 a.m. | 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

You’ll feel Forever Young with this fun workout!

All moves are performed in a chair for efficient and low impact movements. The class focuses on aerobics, conditioning, strengthening and increasing flexibility while grooving to your favorite tunes.

SEMINOLE HARD ROCK CASINO BUS TRIP AGES 50+ Eighth Avenue Adult Activity Center | 830 NE Eighth Ave. Thursdays | Sept. 16 | 8 a.m.-6 p.m.

Join us for a fun day at the Seminole Hard Rock Casino in Tampa to play, eat and explore the area on your own. Local Covid-19 guidelines will be in place, which may require a mask on the bus and inside the area attractions or restaurants. The charter bus will depart at 8 a.m. from the Eighth Avenue Adult Activity Center and return around 6 p.m. For details, call Grace Huffman at 352.629.8357. $46/person.

LUNCH WITH THE ARCHAEOLOGIST Fort King National Historic Landmark 3925 E Fort King St. Thursdays | Sept. 16 | Oct. 21 | 11 a.m.-1 p.m.

Bring a lawn chair, pack a lunch and join us for Lunch with the Archaeologist! We will be talking about Fort King and the artifacts that have been found on-site as well as Q&A time with the archaeologists.

WINDSOR OF OCALA HEALTH AND WELLNESS SERIES | AGES 50+ Eighth Avenue Adult Activity Center | 830 NE Eighth Ave. Third Thursday of the month | Sept. 16-Dec. 16 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

Take control of your health! Sponsored by the Windsor of Ocala, this monthly, interactive wellness series will cover topics like aging, stroke prevention, diabetes and much more.

Lunch will be provided.

PUBLIC ART GATHERING OF NEW MURAL E.D. CROSKEY RECREATION CENTER 1510 NW Fourth St. Saturday | Sept. 18 | 10 a.m.

What do you want to see? Discussion about the new mural on the E.D. Croskey Recreation Center start at 10 a.m. Meet our artist, Cosby Haynes and let your voice be heard!

YOGA IN THE FORT | AGES 18+ Fort King National Historic Landmark 3925 E Fort King St. Saturdays | Sept. 18, Oct. 30, Nov. 13, Dec. 18 | 9-10 a.m.

All fitness levels and body types will benefit from this class and pose modifications will be provided as needed. Bring our yoga mat and a water bottle (yoga block and scarf/stretch strap optional). This program is weather dependent.

CLASSROOM IN THE GARDEN Fort King National Historic Landmark Heritage Teaching Garden | 3925 E Fort King St. Saturdays Mushroom Hike | Sept. 4 | 1-3 p.m.

Composting | Sept. 25 | 10 a.m.-Noon Family Pizza Party | Oct. 2 | 5:30-7:30 p.m. $20/pizza For more information call 352.368.5517 www.ocalafl.org/recpark

For more information call 352-368-5517 • www.ocalafl .org/recpark OCALA’S GOOD LIFE retirement redefined

11

good start

REMEMBER WHEN?

September 1968 MOTOR TREND CAR OF THE YEAR:

GOOD HEALTH TIP:

1968 Pontiac GTO

“The inertial force that started the supercar trend, Pontiac GTO, holds a distinctive position in the automotive world for 1968. Not only does it continue to establish the class standard in the fifth year of its existence, but it also represents a unique and revolutionary engineering/styling function. It convincingly proves that optimum design/function criteria for nearly all automotive purposes, can be achieved in one unit.”

$

We’re told to eat five daily servings of fruits and vegetables, but what’s the best combo? New research from the American Heart Association says the optimal five-a-day mix is two fruit and three veggie servings a day for a healthier, longer life. Think we’re all for that!

Source: motortrend.com

Price Check Gallon of Gas Gallon of Milk Bread Dozen Eggs First Class Stamp New House New Car Average Income

$0.34 $1.07 $0.23 $0.53 $0.06 $14,950 $3,270 $7,850

Sources: thepeoplehistory.com, 1960sflashback.com

The Top 10 Hits 1 Hey Jude–The Beatles 2 Harper Valley P.T.A.–Jeannie C.

The Box Office 5Funny Girl–$52,000,000 Coogan’s Bluff–$3,110,000 Journey to Shiloh–$407,500 Source: boxofficemojo.com

12

The Veggie-Fruit Ratio

Riley 3 Fire–The Crazy World of Arthur Brown 4 Little Green Apples–O.C. Smith 5 Girl Watcher–The O’Kaysions 6 Slip Away–Clarence Carter 7 People Got To Be Free–The Rascals 8 I’ve Gotta Get A Message To You– The Bee Gees 9 1, 2, 3, Red Light–1910 Fruitgum Co. 10 I Say A Little Prayer–Aretha Franklin Source: top40weekly.com

OCALA’S GOOD LIFE retirement redefined

CALENDAR NOTABLES: Sept. 12: Grandparents Day- Jimmy Carter made this day official in 1978.

Now go hug those grandbabies!

Sept. 29: National Coffee Day- Keep your eye out for free coffee at some of your favorite local spots!

Oct. 14: National Dessert Day“Let them eat cake!” This popular french saying holds true especially on October 14, aka National Dessert Day! Calories don’t count today, so cash in those kale salad points and reward yourself with the a warm sugary treat. You’ve earned it!

Source: nationaltoday.com

OCALA’S GOOD LIFE retirement redefined

13

My Florida

By Melody Murphy [melody@ocalasgoodlife.com]

Falling For Foxes (Fox Fables, Vol. 1)

F

all is for foxes. It’s the time of year when newly grown foxes leave their families and set out on their own, often leading to their first encounters with humans.

And I’ve had more than my fair share. I think a fox must be one of my spirit animals.

When I was a child in south Florida, a three-legged grey fox lived at the end of our street. I remember seeing him among the tall grass in a ditch, lit up by our headlights in the dark. We would turn the corner and glimpse him, exclaiming, “There’s the fox!” He would briefly accept his accolades in the spotlight before dashing into the pines.

Early one magnolia-scented morning nine years ago, a grey fox was standing calmly at the front doors of the local theater as if waiting to greet me when I walked up to begin my workday. He let me speak to him for a few moments before he returned to the woods.

One summer sunrise five years ago, I looked out the window to see two young foxes frolicking in the front yard. They wrestled, jumped over each other, chased each other around bushes, and dug in the dirt. It was like watching puppies play. Finally they came up on the front porch to rest, watching with great interest as dragonflies darted around them. Hiding behind the glass, I scarcely dared to breathe, but I do think they saw me and were showing off a little.

Two summers later, near a ghost town by the Suwannee River, a friend and I went out to seek shooting stars.

It was the peak of the Perseids, and we had also lucked out with an incredible display of fireflies in the forest, like the stars had fallen among the trees. We found a clearing in the woods, a perfect circle amid the pines, and lay down on our blankets to watch the meteor shower.

Suddenly, from very close by came a tiny howl, followed

One afternoon last spring, I saw a red fox trotting down the sidewalk as purposefully as a census-taker.

14

OCALA’S GOOD LIFE retirement redefined

by barks and yips. My friend, a forest ranger, said it was a young fox, who kept us company the rest of the night.

I like to think he had crept close to watch the stars fall with us, howling every so often in appreciation of an especially good meteor. It was a magical night.

One afternoon last spring, I saw a red fox trotting down the sidewalk as purposefully as a census-taker. I pulled over and got out to follow him at a respectful distance, neither the first nor the last time I would take a walk with a fox. He let me spend 10 minutes with him, stopping twice to sit and regard me calmly. He dug a bug out of some pine needles and ate it with gusto, leisurely scratched behind his ears with his hind foot, crossed the street to forage for fallen fruit beneath an orange tree, then said goodbye with a friendly nod and bounded into the woods.

I often walk in the fox-haunted cemetery behind my house. I’ve seen them, both red and grey, in all seasons.

Last fall, I saw a grey fox romp across a grassy lawn in the moonlight. The biggest red fox I’ve ever seen emerged from behind a monument in the shadowy dusk, startling us both. A shy grey fox played hide-and-seek with me around a corner in the dim violet twilight. They know me by now.

Next time I’ll tell you three tales of holiday-season fox encounters. In the first, I took a sunset stroll with a fox the night before Thanksgiving. In the second, I sang Christmas gospel to a fox beneath a full moon. And in the third, I took a walk on a golden afternoon with a graveyard fox, who led me through a maze like something out of a fairytale. We need a little magic to end the year, so come back for the final fox fables.

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15

OUT & ABOUT

zinski

5 Lorraine & Richard Gu

5 Greg & Laurie Ehlman

5 Tom & Grace Russell

ELVIS: The Summer Festival The Fourth Annual edition of ELVIS: The Summer Festival was presented at the Citrus County Auditorium located in Inverness June 23-26. With a packed auditorium audience of 600 fans, the performances featured top Elvis Tribute Artists, including local favorite and 2018 World Champion, Cote Deonath.

Photos By Steve Floethe

5 Bill & Donna Slygh with Ella

5 Cote Deonath

3 John & Marlene Listwan

5 Ron, Heidi and LaMonta Moore

16

OCALA’S GOOD LIFE retirement redefined

5 Jill Asbury, Rene Cintro

n and Yolanda Lugo

Compassionate - Cutting Edge - Care EDUCATION: • Yale University—B.S., Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry (New Haven, CT) • Johns Hopkins—Doctor of Medicine (Baltimore) • MIT—Doctor of Philosophy (Cambridge, MA)

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Shalesh Kaushal, MD, PhD Welcoming Patients At Our New Ocala Office (SR 200).

Financial Advisors: Jason Clark, AAMS®; Patricia Conrad, CFP® ; Garrett Suydam, SVP Registered Associates: Lisa Gill; Jackie Klotz

Our mission is to make the complexity of the market easy to understand so that our clients can maximize their income and meet their retirement goals.

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OCALA’S GOOD LIFE retirement redefined

17

GOOD NEIGHBORS: CARL SCHNEIDER

OTOW R/C Flyers members with President Carl Schneider (center in red shirt) on the runway

Flying High

Carl Schneider, the president of the On Top of the World R/C Flyers, has spent a lifetime in the sky and helping send people to space.

By JoAnn Guidry • Photos by Steve Floethe

O

n a clear-blue-sky afternoon at the On Top of the World R/C Flyers airfield, two model planes—one orange and white with its signature gas-powered drone and one a silent sleek gray electric—each take their radio-controlled patterns like hawks on a gentle current. Their R/C Flyers owners take turns bringing the planes in for precision landings on the asphalt runway.

The model planes taxi in and when they coast to a stop, you half expect the little model pilots inside to disembark.

For Carl Schneider, there’s no better place he’d rather be than spending time at a flying field. If Schneider took a DNA test, the results would definitely show that he inherited the flying gene.

“My father was a barnstormer pilot in the 1920s-30s. He put on flying shows and even owned a flying school,” says Schneider, 76, smiling. “I grew up sitting on his lap in the cockpit of his planes.”

18

Samuel Schneider, Carl’s father, was also a sought-after training pilot. He was recruited by the Army Air Force to train pilots, including British Royal Air Force cadets, at Riddle Field in Clewiston, Florida, from 1941-1945. Thanks to that assignment, Carl is actually a native Floridian, having been born there.

Samuel Schneider eventually became a flight instructor at nearby Fort Rucker in Dothan, Alabama, the Army Aviation War-Fighting Center. And Carl soon found the inspiration that would shape the rest of his life.

“I was a sophomore in high school and in class on May 5, 1961, when it was announced over the school’s P.A. system that astronaut Alan Shepard had become the first American to be launched into space,” says Schneider.

“Well, that was a key moment in my life. It sparked my imagination and made me want to have a career in aerospace. I actually wanted to be an

OCALA’S GOOD LIFE retirement redefined

astronaut, but I wore glasses and then you couldn’t be an astronaut if you wore glasses.”

But Schneider didn’t let that setback stop him from having an aerospace career. Not one single bit. While attending the University of Alabama, he became an intern at the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville.

“I worked in Werner Von Braun’s organization, designing and hot-fire testing the F-1 Engines used on the Apollo Program’s Saturn V rocket,” says Schneider, who was at Marshall Space Flight Center from 1964-68. “It was an incredible start to my aerospace career.”

SCHNEIDER GRADUATED FROM UA in 1968 with a bachelor’s in aerospace engineering and his career took off, well, like a rocket. He moved to southern California when recruited by Rocketdyne Corporation to develop and improve F-1 rocket engine performance

Carl Schneider

and reliability. In 1971, as an Air Force Contract Management Division representative at Rocketdyne, he participated in the design effort of the NASA’s Space Shuttle Main Engine (SSME) at that facility. That was the year Schneider actually learned to fly.

Schneider was 26 when he bought his first plane, a Cessna 172, and then took flying lessons.

“Oh, I loved flying like I knew I would from the very first moment,” says Schneider, grinning. “And besides just enjoying flying for the sake of flying, I also wanted to use flying to do good.”

From 1985-87, and while still living in Los Angeles, Schneider flew his own plane as part of the Flying Samaritans organization.

“I flew medical personnel to remote Mexican villages and helped set up monthly medical clinics,” says Schneider.

“Along with the pilots, the top U.S. doctors and dentists volunteered their time.”

Another career opportunity in 1988 had Schneider moving back to the East coast. He was recruited by NASA Headquarters in Washington, D.C., to participate in analyzing the catastrophic 1986 Challenger Space Shuttle explosion.

“The investigation lasted a year with the determination that the O-rings’ integrity had been compromised by the below-freezing temperatures overnight leading up to the Challenger launch,” says Schneider. “After the investigation, our team certified that the Space Shuttle, with several improvements, was safe to fly again. I was invited to a White House Rose Garden ceremony by President Ronald Reagan to recognize the efforts of our investigative team.”

In 1989, Schneider was promoted at NASA Headquarters to Director of Quality Assurance and Reliability in the Mission Assurance Directorate. He remained in that position until his retirement from NASA in 1997.

SCHNEIDER AND WIFE JO ANN, who were married in 1989, moved to Adison, Pennsylvania, where he built his own Federal Aviation Agency-approved air strip on his 60-acre property. Schneider was also a consultant for three years for Penn State University and Honeywell Corporation on NASA-awarded aerospace contracts.

“As I got older, I began flying less and that made me a little restless,” says Schneider, who owned six planes in his life. “So from 2002-2007, I worked for Adventure Caravans as a wagon master to lead motorhome caravans for summer tours of Alaska and winter tours of Mexico. We loved it.”

Once fully retired in 2010, the Schneiders moved to St. Augustine, where Carl continued his love affair with flying, but on a decidedly smaller scale.

“I became passionate about building and flying radio-controlled (R/C) model airplanes,” says Schneider. “I created a radio-controlled flying club and, with the approval of the city and city council, turned a local landfill into a flying field.

It was sanctioned by the Academy of Model Aeronautics (AMA).”

In 2018, while flipping through an AMA magazine, Schneider came across a full-page OTOW ad, featuring its dedicated R/C flying field.

“We drove down to Ocala to check out OTOW and the flying field,” says Schneider. “We bought in right away and moved in months. I was elected president of the OTOW R/C Flyers in 2019.”

The OTOW R/C Flyers trace back to 1990. A group of seven OTOW residents got permission to fly R/C model planes in a field behind a residential area. Sidney Colen then created the very first OTOW R/C flying field in

1991, with the R/C Flyers becoming the first OTOW club. The current R/C Flyers field is its third, located on 14 acres, complete with adjacent grass and asphalt 50-by-600-foot runways. An on-site weather station allows members to use their cell phones or computers to check the current weather, including wind direction and speed. There is also an 800-square-foot observation pavilion. The flying field is open seven days a week, sunrise to sunset. The R/C Flyers number 170 and are also AMA members.

“Our members have all kinds of model planes, ranging from electric to nitro-methane to gas-powered,” says

“We drove down to check out OTOW and the flying field. We bought in right away.”

—Carl Schneider Schneider, who currently has 12 electric model planes, including three model jets. “Some people still build their model planes from kits, but about 90 percent are now ARF (Almost Ready to Fly) kits, which have fewer parts. They’re almost instant gratification.”

Schneider points out that “most model planes have an average wingspan of four to five feet, including my model jets that can go 100-115 miles per hour.”

“We usually have several fly-in events a year, but that has been put on pause because of COVID-19 restrictions. We’re hoping that we’ll be able to resume our events soon,” says Schneider.

“There’s a great camaraderie among the flyers, many who moved to OTOW for the same reason that I did. We love flying our model planes and we love the convenience of flying our model planes where we live.”

The flying gene is alive and well.

WANT TO FLY? otowrcflyers.com

OCALA’S GOOD LIFE retirement redefined

19

just my t y pe

by Mary Ellen [maryellen@ocalasgoodlife.com]

When To Pack Or Not To Unpack, That Is The Question “To be or not to be, that is the question.”

—Prince Hamlet

T

hat oft-quoted line from Shakespeare’s “Hamlet” is from the soliloquy where the title character contemplates life and death, pondering whether to suffer the pain and unfairness of living opposed to choosing a more permanent alternative.

What does that have to do with packing? Not much. Except for when preparing for a trip, one must also make a choice. A choice of when to pack or not to unpack.

COVID-19 shut down the world for a year, with most of us donning masks and suffering from a serious case of cabin fever due to self-confinement. Except for doctor appointments, food shopping, and other essential excursions, vacations, family reunions, business trips, etc. were all put on hold. Now that restrictions have eased a bit, though, the travel bug is spreading, and the formerly housebound can’t wait to get on a plane, train, or automobile and contribute some much-needed revenue to the ailing tourism industry.

Which begs the question, when does one begin packing?

I must admit, I am a procrastinator when it comes to filling my suitcase. I make a mental list of what I will need—a list that changes daily—and typically wait until a few days before our itinerary begins to gather my clothes, shoes, and personal items. Thankfully, most hotels supply hair dryers and irons. Not that I iron anymore, thanks to permanent press clothing, but that does free up a lot of space in my luggage.

On the other hand, my wonderful husband, or WH, is very organized. He begins making a checklist and starts to fill his suitcase four weeks before our planned departure. I’m not being critical by saying that. On the con-

The formerly housebound can’t wait to get on a plane, train, or automobile.

20

OCALA’S GOOD LIFE retirement redefined

trary, I admire this quality. But there are, of course, pros and cons to preparing that far in advance.

For example, my WH might ask, “Sweetheart, where is the toothpaste I bought last week? I want to put it in my carry-on bag.”

“Oh, that was for the trip?” I reply sheepishly, knowing full well I’ve already used about half the tube.

“No problem,” he replies. “I’ll just buy another one.”

Or...

“Honey, have you seen my new blue shirt?”

“Didn’t you pack that already?”

“I looked but couldn’t find it.”

He then shops for a replacement. Two days later, he finds his blue shirt. Now he has two. Good thing blue is his favorite color.

There are also times when a particular item has been put in our baggage so early that it is literally buried beneath our travel wardrobe. We both know we have it but are reluctant to unload the entire piece of luggage to check, and purchase another just in case. We end up spending more, but better safe than sorry I always say.

Unpacking after a vacation has its own set of issues. Although 90 percent of that tedious chore is often completed in the first 24 hours after we return, the other 10 percent, well, remains to be seen—or more accurately, put away.

There is a small carry-on case that is often the last thing to be emptied. Usually placed on the dining room table, it can sit there for up to a week. After a while, it blends in, transformed into a faux still life called “Early American Toiletries.” Our footwear occupies several locations in the house until placed back on a shoe rack, and our “Vintage Shoe Collection” remains on display until we wear them again. While most of our clothing goes directly in the laundry, some items adorn the backs of chairs giving our home a “shabby chic thrift shop” sort-of look.

Now, none of this is terrible, just temporary. “Don’t sweat the small stuff” comes to mind when I look around knowing that our house will return to normal eventually.

The main thing is to count our blessings and be thankful we always make it back to our beautiful home safe and sound, just as we left it. Yes, life is good.

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OCALA’S GOOD LIFE retirement redefined

21

Butterfly Museum

DAYCATION: GAINESVILLE’S MUSEUM SCENE

‘Colorful Collections & Tasty Treats’

Just a short drive to the north, Gainesville boasts a row of cultural offerings and some pretty tasty diversions, too.

22

O

cala’s neighbor to the north, Gainesville, boasts colorful collections, tasty treats, and a deep understanding of Florida’s history. Its museums are renowned for their unique exhibits that are free to the public. Its eateries are diverse, ranging from Asian and Hispanic to all-American foods. The city, known for its university full of Gators, sits surrounded by a natural swamp filled with the modern-day dinosaurs.

With everything there is to see and do, we’ve made it easy to schedule your next

OCALA’S GOOD LIFE retirement redefined

weekend day trip to Gainesville, starting with breakfast.

9:00am: Arrive at Peach Valley Café located at 3275 SW 34th Street and quickly put your name on their wait list.

Because of the restaurant’s popularity, they do not take reservations and they usually have a wait time that ranges between 15 and 20 minutes.

Despite the constant line of people, the food is fresh, the tables are clean, and their homemade apple fritters are to die for. The friendly staff and the modern

Photo: Peach Valley Cafe

Text & Photos By Danielle Veenstra

farmhouse décor create a bright atmosphere that starts the day off right.

Suggested breakfast: the Very Berry Stuffed French Toast with a side of extra crispy bacon.

10:30 am: A five-minute car ride away, the Harn Museum of Art and the Florida Museum of Natural History sit side by side, nestled on a large roundabout off Hull Road. On the weekend, parking around the museums is free.

Greeting visitors is an outside sculpture, “Big Max.” Weighing over 30,000 pounds, the steel beams bolted together are reminiscent of the lovingly nicknamed “French Fries” sculpture on the University of Florida’s main campus.

Adjacent to the huge red beams, the Harn Museum’s full glass-fronted entry doors span two stories. Filtered light fills the front hall as museum workers greet new visitors. A one-sheet scavenger hunt is an option for all, but

can be especially fun for kids.

Flowing from the main hall, exhibit spaces smoothly transition from photographs to paintings to mixed media without feeling rushed or cramped. Art lines every wall in a thoughtful manner, and the focus on inclusive, international pieces makes it a great teaching space.

Currently, along with the Harn’s permanent collections, the exhibitions “Plant Life: Exploring Vegetal Worlds in the Harn Museum Collection,” “Shadow to Substance,” “Global Perspectives,” and “Tempus Fugit: : Time Flies” are on display until the beginning of next year.

The newest additions to the museum’s collection include a gift of 1,200 works of art from Samuel and Roberta Vickers. It is an extensive collection of Florida-themed art which includes depictions of coastlines, early settlers, historic landmarks, and even retirees.

As she stood by a painted Ocklawaha River scene, museum visitor Natalie van Hoose says, “You go to other museums and see huge cities like Paris and here you see the places you know. This is special for Floridians. It feels like a homecoming.”

The inaugural exhibit of these works, “Florida Legacy,” recently closed but a new exhibit, “Florida Impressions,” is set to open Tuesday, Sept. 21.

11:30 am: Next door to the Harn museum, a maze of curiosities and a habitat to the ancients, the Florida Natural History Museum stands. The permanent exhibits including “Florida Fossils,” “South Very Berry Stuffed French Toast from Peach Valley Florida People and Cafe is a great way to start you r day in Gainesville.

Environments,” and “Our Energy Future” are free to the public.

The Butterfly Rainforest and some limited-time-only exhibits are an extra cost but are well worth it.

Like a spiderweb, the main floor of the building splits off into multiple directions that all circle back to

the center. Choose between the skeleton jaw of the long-dead Megalodon shark and other sea creatures, the realistic wax figures of the Culsa Indians, or the Butterfly Rainforest.

One of the hallways leading away darkens and narrows like a cave. Soft lights travel around its walls up and up to hundreds of realistic fake butterflies leading into a wide-open gallery. Here the walls showcase real butterflies from all over the world. And behind it, a thriving living ecosystem waiting to be explored.

The Butterfly Rainforest boasts over 50 unique species of butterflies

The Harn Museum of Art and the Florida Museum of Natural History sit side by side on a large roundabout. and moths at any given time. With a population of over 1,000, the lush, tropical space is filled with them along with fish, birds, and turtles. No animals or butterflies are to be touched unless they choose to interact with their guests.

The enclosure is screened, but the abundance of native plants and fresh water from the manmade waterfalls creates a thickened humidity. Hidden vents create air currents on which butterflies ride. Like an invisible highway, they drift from branch to flower to... an ear?

“They just chose me,” says Rian Ward, a bald-headed man with a butterfly attached to the side of his head. A group of children crowding him whispered, “Chosen one.” It was Ward’s first time at the Florida Museum, but the wonder and excitement he felt was a sentiment shared by all who entered the living, wild rainforest.

Back in the museum, a new exhibit named “Survival of the Slowest” features live animals that are slow,

OCALA’S GOOD LIFE retirement redefined

23

Florida Nature exhibit at Harn Museum of Art

weak, and small. Interactive activities delve into how these animals have survived and what traits they use to thrive.

The on-site animal keepers hold daily presentations of animals, like the two-toed sloth named Linnean, an African pygmy hedgehog, snakes, geckos, and more. This exhibit closes Sunday, Sept. 12.

Both museums boast large collec-

Rian Ward, aka “chosen one”

24

tions that can soak up a lot of time. But don’t forget to take breaks, especially for lunch.

1:00pm: Since the pandemic, many restaurants have implemented curbside pickup, which is perfect for a lunchtime picnic at Gainesville’s famous brewhouse, Swamp Head Brewery.

What goes great with a good beer? Warm, hand-crafted tacos. Call Chuy’s, a tex-mex restaurant on Archer Road, and order their soft tacos—one chicken and one beef—for pickup.

Meals always come with chips and their homemade salsa. (Careful, it’s spicy!)

If tacos don’t sound appealing, there are several restaurants to order from in the area or buy lunch from one of the rotating food trucks on-site at Swamp Head. All food is welcome at the brewery’s extensive outdoor seating area.

The large working brewery sits on top of a hill that sweeps into a lake. Two large verandas keep their visitors cool in the shade even on the hottest days. The brewery is very family- and dog-friendly

OCALA’S GOOD LIFE retirement redefined

and has enough lawn space to accommodate small gatherings.

Swamp Head has sustainable, award-winning beer on tap with a variety of seasonal flavors as well. Designated drivers can take a taste of Swamp Head’s beer home with them from the brewery’s drive-thru.

The museums are constantly changing their exhibits and putting on free in-person events, so keep an eye on their website the next time you want to take the short trip to Gainesville again.

And after a busy day experiencing the culture, art, and flavors Gainesville has to offer, the drive back to Ocala will seem fast!

WANT TO KNOW MORE?

If going out in public is not something you feel comfortable doing, the Harn Museum has an extensive virtual tour at harn.oncell. com and the Florida Museum has many resources on their main website floridamuseum.ufl.edu.

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25

Glass-Bottom Goals 26

For years, Paula Russo has been on a mission to provide a handicapped-accessible glass-bottom boat to Silver Springs.

This summer, her long-awaited dream finally came true.

BY RICHARD ANGUIANO • PHOTOS BY JOHN JERNIGAN

F

or decades, Paula Russo took visiting family members and friends to Silver Springs and enjoyed the park’s natural beauty with them—up to a point.

Russo, who contracted polio as a baby in the early 1950s, could only watch as others boarded glass-bottom boats, the signature attraction at Silver Springs. The boats were built decades before the Americans with Disabilities Act and are inaccessible to patrons in wheelchairs.

A longtime environmental advocate and an employee of the Florida State Parks Foundation, Russo says she has never experienced

OCALA’S GOOD LIFE retirement redefined

OCALA’S GOOD LIFE retirement redefined

27

firsthand the breathtaking views of nature and historical artifacts through the deep, crystal waters of the springs, as visitors from all over the world have for about 150 years.

That is about to change, however.

THANKS TO RUSSO and the non-

profit Florida State Parks Foundation,

“People aren’t going to get left behind on the dock anymore.”

—Paula Russo Silver Springs State Park is introducing a wheelchair-accessible glass-bottom boat. Russo, who is grants and programs administrator for the foundation and a former board member, says she expects the boat to be available for public use at the park not long after an invitation-only ribbon-cutting set for

28

late August.

“As a person with a disability who can’t just join her family or friends all the time for activities, sometimes I get left behind, and that’s just a reality of life,” Russo says. “What this is going to mean is people aren’t going to get left behind on the dock anymore.”

Sally Lieb, park director at Silver Springs, welcomes the addition.

“We are very excited about the new glass-bottom boat,” Lieb says, “and look forward to having the ability to serve more people than we’ve been able to on the original boats.”

St. Johns Shipbuilding of Palatka built the boat from designs by Lay, Pitman & Associates of Jacksonville.

“What makes it ADA-accessible is that there’s a flat deck,” says Leif Detlefsen, a naval architect with Lay, Pitman & Associates. “With their existing boats, you go down about three steps to board the boat, and, obviously, a wheelchair is not capable of going down those steps.

“We meet what’s necessary for a wheelchair, a power chair, or the

OCALA’S GOOD LIFE retirement redefined

electric carts,” Detlefsen adds. “The width of the door and the aisle is wide enough to accommodate them and their turning circles. There’s like a 5-foot-by-5-foot turning circle for the wheelchair to turn around.”

FOR HEARING-IMPAIRED vis-

itors, the boat is equipped with an “inductive-loop” system, through which hearing aids equipped with telecoils can pick up the captain’s tour narration.

“The viewing area is 16 feet by 4 feet,” says Steve Aprile, vice president and senior project manager with Lay, Pitman & Associates. “It’s got about a 30-inch-high ledge that you can go right up to and lean on that ledge and look over down into the glass and see the bottom of the water.”

The new boat is 35 feet long and 12 feet wide and equipped with two Elco electric motors, powered by lithium batteries manufactured in Clearwater by Lithionics Battery.

“We were wanting to have clean energy as much as we could,” Russo says.

Detlefsen says this boat is the first his firm has designed with a Coast Guard-approved lithium battery.

“With a standard marine battery, gases are emitted when you charge it,” he says.

“The lithium batteries do not do that. They are more sophisticated in that during any point in time, you can see how much power is left, the time remaining at the current load, and the battery temperatures.”

Russo says the final costs of the boat are to be determined, but estimates they will be less than $500,000.

The foundation raised funding for the boat, she says.

Silver Springs has a tradition of naming glass-bottom boats after Seminole chiefs.

In keeping with its spirit of innovation and breaking barriers, the new boat will take the name “Chief Potackee, Betty Mae Tiger Jumper,” in honor of the first and as yet

only woman Seminole chief, who died in 2011.

“I wanted to honor the fact that she was a chief and I also wanted to indicate that she was a woman,” Russo says, adding she has invited Moses Jumper Jr., the chief ’s son, to attend the ribbon-cutting.

Russo says she has ridden the new one on sea trials on the St. Johns River, just a preview of what awaits her at Silver Springs State Park.

“It’s going to be magical, I think, to be able to see the fish and the bottom and the turtles swimming around and so forth in that blue, blue water,” Russo says. “I’m looking forward to it very, very much.”

WANT TO KNOW MORE?

Silver Springs State Park (352) 236-7148 floridastateparks.org/ silversprings

Meet The^Artist er cov

L

ocal graphic designer Andy Stracuzzi created this issue’s stunning cover of Silver Springs, one of four iconic landmarks in his “Florida Navigator Poster Series.” Ocala’s Good Life thanks him for its use and encourages anyone interested in purchasing them to go to his website, NavigatorSupply.com. Tell him Ocala’s Good Life sent you!

OCALA’S GOOD LIFE retirement redefined

29

Good Health

By Cammy Dennis [cammy@ocalasgoodlife.com]

Build Resilience, Break Down Stress

M

anaging stress plays a vital role in health and wellness.

Interestingly, I find myself struggling with the irony that working to reduce and control stress can be stressful!

I suggest that we flip the switch on how we think about managing stress. Consider shifting your mindset from deconstructing stressors to building up resilience. Resilience enhances our ability to cope with life’s challenges. Midlife and later years can present unique challenges. Retirement, loss of loved ones, caregiving responsibilities, and financial stability are just a few of the circumstances that older adults are faced with.

However, older adults have more life experience to help guide perspectives and govern our emotions.

Therefore, as we age, we develop the wisdom to bolster our resilience.

Resilience allows us to adapt to adversity and rebound from stress.

Psychologists note that resilience not only provides the ability to “bounce back” from difficult experiences, it also supports personal growth. Studies demonstrate savoring positive experiences helps to develop higher resilience. In turn, they are more likely to report greater happiness and life satisfaction. Specifically, research indicates that the occurrence of positive emotions mitigates stress reactivity and supports stress recovery.

In studying the concept of bolstering resilience as a means of coping with stress, I discovered the “Broaden

Resilience is something that we can mindfully build throughout our life.

30

OCALA’S GOOD LIFE retirement redefined

and Build Theory of Positive Emotions” (Fredrickson, 1998; Fredrickson & Cohn, 2008). This theory proposes that positive emotions broaden awareness and build connections between thoughts and actions. Over time, these evolved adaptations serve as coping skills and psychological resources.

For example, joining a club or activity that links people of similar interest can manifest into meaningful, supportive relationships. Psychology experts find that positive emotions can forecast important outcomes such as health, happiness, and longevity because they build the resources to get there.

“The transition into retirement hit me with having to adjust to a completely different lifestyle,” says On Top of the World resident Rad Delaroderie. “Structure and purpose was provided when I was in the workforce, but when I retired, I had to provide the motivation and self-discipline of staying active and socially involved. Working part time and managing a social media platform in my community help me do just that!”

Athletes that need to compete in a new environment have to gradually “acclimatize” their body to do so. They may have to adapt to varying temperatures or elevations.

These athletes are building physical resilience.

We can do the same with our mind. The brain’s ability to change and adapt over our lifespan provides a type of “emotional armor” to fend off stress. By engaging in activities that satisfy curiosity, joy, and purpose, we take the brain away from anxious thoughts and fortify our emotional armor. Exercising, spending time in green spaces, creative endeavors, and intellectual engagement are all great examples of activities that expand your world and build resilience.

Resilience is not a trait that some are lucky to have, but it is something that we can mindfully build throughout our life. The amazing thing about the human body and its brain is that it can change and get stronger at any age.

Cammy Dennis is the fitness director for On Top of the World communities and The Ranch Fitness Center & Spa. She lives the lifestyle she promotes and has trained for triathlons throughout the state, aerobics while living in Tokyo, and various weightlifting events.

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AN ESSENTIAL FORCE IN THE FIGHT AGAINST BREAST CANCER SPECIAL TO OCALA’S GOOD LIFE

S

ince 1985, when the breast cancer awareness campaign was first launched, the month of October has seen pink ribbons appearing on everything from yogurt cups to sports jerseys - but to what effect? Believe it or not, awareness is actually making a difference. Today, localized breast cancer survival rates are nearly 100%. And thanks to advances in breast imaging, biopsy and treatment, breast cancer deaths among women over age 50 continue to decline. That’s an amazing start.

Still, there’s work to be done. Breast cancer continues to be the second leading cause of cancer death in women, and we can’t stop promoting awareness until that changes. While certain lifestyle changes - such as diet and exercise - can help reduce your risk, early detection remains the best way to beat breast cancer.

REASONS TO GET YOUR MAMMOGRAM Sure, you have a lot going on in your life - family, work, education, volunteerism, social commitments, concerns about Covid-19, and the list goes on. But cancer doesn’t care about schedules. Invasive breast cancers tend to grow and spread quickly, so putting off routine screening until conditions are “perfect” increases the chances that treatment will need to be more aggressive, and potentially less effective. And remember, your health impacts more than just yourself, making tending to your health one of the most selfless acts of all.

The American Cancer Society and other health agencies recommend that women at average risk of breast cancer get a baseline mammogram by age 40 to provide a healthy image for comparison

32

L-R: Yvonne Seymor-Palmer, Scheduler & Breast Cancer Survivor; Amanda Yancey, Manager of Digital Marketing; D r. Amanda Aulls, Director Of Women’s Imaging; Dr. Ridgely Meyers, Breast Imaging Specialist; Michele Barkley, MRI Modality Coordinator & Breast Cancer Survivor; Carrie Law, Manager of Clinical Training and Development

with subsequent exams. Women ages 45-54 should have a mammogram every year. Women 55 and older have the option to switch to every two years, but may continue to have annual screening for added assurance.

Women at high risk of breast cancer, including those who test positive for BRCA mutations or have a strong family or personal history of certain cancers, may also be advised to include additional screening with breast MRI, a supplementary exam that provides additional multi-directional imaging to catch tiny cancers hidden deep within the breast, even among women with very dense breast tissue. With a physician’s referral, breast MRI screening may be covered by insurance.

When a screening mammogram or other test reveals something questionable, it can be unnerving, so speed and accuracy are of paramount concern. That’s why RAO provides on-site image-guided biopsy for the most rapid response possible. Using the latest in ultrasound, MRI and stereotactic real-time image guidance, multiple biopsy samples can be collected quickly and precisely with minimal invasiveness and discomfort, for quick, accurate answers.

All imaging results, from routine mammography to any supplemen-

OCALA’S GOOD LIFE retirement redefined

tary exams, are read in-house by our Board-certified sub-specializing radiologists trained in analyzing images of breast tissue, including very dense breast tissue, for ultimate accuracy. They utilize leading-edge technologies most centers don’t have, including the SCOUT® radar localization system. Eliminating the anxiety, discomfort, risk of dislodgment and demand for immediate surgery associated with wire markers, the tiny SCOUT implant can be placed up to 30 days before surgery, so surgical scheduling is convenient and supports your surgeon’s ability to conserve healthy tissue.

RAO’s comprehensive understanding, experience, next-generation technologies and caring, experienced team have earned RAO the “Breast Imaging Center of Excellence” designation by the American College of Radiology, an honor bestowed on only a select few women’s healthcare providers in Florida.

Whatever life is presently throwing your way, nothing is more important than your well-being. A few minutes in our care can help ensure that life remains in full bloom for a long time to come.

Radiology Associates of Ocala raocala.com (352) 671-4300

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33

Charcuterie Board Photo: John Jernigan

GOOD EATS: MOREVINO

‘An Absolute Treat To The Palate’

By Dean Blinkhorn • Photos By John Jernigan & Trevor Byrne

With a wonderful menu, an expansive wine list, and an enviable spot north of the Downtown Square, Morevino should be at the top of everyone’s culinary list. Get there now before it is.

34

A

fter travelling the world for 15 years as a top sommelier, Brian Morey has settled down in Ocala with his family to start the next chapter in his long culinary career—establishing a world-class restaurant in the heart of Ocala. Three years in now and he’s off to a great start.

WHERE?—Morevino occupies a downtown spot so small you might miss it.

You, in fact, probably already have hundreds of times. With frontage downtown

OCALA’S GOOD LIFE retirement redefined

on super-busy Silver Springs Boulevard, Morevino enjoys a perfect view of the historic gazebo and seems perched every night to revel in the nocturnal festivities of Ocala’s late-night partiers. Its simple, bright-blue sign out front might seem like a sports bar at first glance, but, trust me, Morevino is without a doubt one of Ocala’s best restaurants.

WHY GO?—Well, as easy as it would be for me to say how I feel, let me share a few of Morevino’s best online reviews.

Crab Cakes with Creo

as Brian left his perch in the kitchen overlooking the dining room to visit all the tables for a few minutes each, stopping lastly at ours to make a personal wine recommendation for my dinner.

It’s a master’s touch.

YOU’LL BE IMPRESSED BY—Two things in particular attracted my attention, alOwner Brian Morey though there are many in this small space.

I marveled at the range of of craft cocktails. For a fresh taste, try patrons in the cozy dining room. I saw a the Maiden Victory, a nice blend that group of equestrian-geared riders; some younger, eclectically bearded foodies; and includes Knob Creek, Berentzen Peach, a local Toyota car dealer, who’s somewhat ginger beer, and fresh lime. of a celebrity, holding court with some YOU MUST TRY—The Lamb Slidother nicely dressed businessmen. ers appetizer features ground lamb on The other thing is Morevino’s sweet rolls. The mustard that accompaimpossibly long wine list. It’s like Brian couldn’t decide nied them had just the right blend of which wines were his creamy and spicy.

The Crab Cakes, another one of favorites that month, their outstanding appetizers, is worth so he bought them all! At any given time, ordering. The jumbo lump crab meat 144 different varieties isn’t breaded like in most places, which are offered, ranging in origin from the Pacific Northwest to Morevino is without a Europe and Argendoubt one of Ocala’s besttina, anywhere that can produce an excepkept secrets. tional bottle. Ask good questions and your offers a lighter take on a pretty popular tastes will be expertly matched with a memo- choice. The Creole mustard sauce zings rable wine that will pair with just a hint of heat.

The Pork Tenderloin was an with dinner perfectly.

He also offers many full impressive display upon arrival. It was bottles in the reasonable nutty and buttery in flavor, with a little brown sugar and Cajun spice in the $25-$30 range. mix for good measure, and was accomIf you’d prepanied by a creamy risotto. The other fer something a bit side dish of squash and zucchini was stronger, Morevino also crisp and fresh and probably purchased offers an excellent list

le mustard sauce

OCALA’S GOOD LIFE retirement redefined

35

Photo: Trevor Byrne

THE BEST TIME TO GO— It’s a small place, so best to avoid the peak hours or you may be hanging out at the gazebo across the Boulevard while you wait for a table. Reservations are recommended.

Photo: John Jernigan

“What a wonderful restaurant,” says Lynn Kallay. “The menu is creative and freshly prepared, and the owner shops locally at the Downtown Market on Saturdays for fresh produce. I ordered conch fritters, which were better than what I had in the Keys, and had Brussels sprouts that were excellent.

We are looking forward to many more visits in the future.”

“The specials and menu items are all made fresh, and the wine selection is enormous,” says Ted Haengel. “It was an absolute treat to the palate.”

“Delicious food and drinks,” offers Deanne Bauman. “We appreciated the extra attention from the chef stopping by our table to ask us about our meal.

Fun little place!”

Okay, I can’t resist. Here’s why I think you should go.

There are very few restaurants like this in Ocala where a master chef literally runs the place. Two of my favorites—La Cuisine, also downtown, and Antonio’s, in nearby Micanopy— demonstrate the same level of commitment. On an average Tuesday in July that was unusually busy, I watched

at the Downtown Market that Saturday.

Lastly, next time I return I’m ordering the meatloaf.

One came by our table and I was half-tempted to snag the generous slice right off the plate.

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OCALA’S GOOD LIFE retirement redefined

A NICE SURPRISE—The Charcuterie Board, an item not found at many restaurants, features a generous portion of freshly sliced meats, cheeses, olives, and pickles.

At $27, it’s almost like an extra entrée, but share it with the others at your table and your actual entrees will soon arrive before you know it.

Another surprise is that Morevino has its own private label wine—Of course they do!—Morevino Pinot Noir, which features grapes grown in the Sonoma Coast Carneros region of California. Brian says it’s “inviting for every palate,” has a “light to medium body,” and is “not too dry and not too sweet.” It’s produced at the Schug Estate Winery that specializes in Pinot Noir wines.

THE INSIDER—Brian’s expertise on wines really is the heart of this restaurant. A couple of his specials prove this.

Morevino puts all of its Italian wines on sale every Tuesday for 20 percent off. Your best bet is to make your entrée selections and then ask your server—or Brian himself—for a good recommendation. You may have a new favorite you’ll want to find for purchase later. Good wines, good food, and good friends are always meant to be enjoyed.

He also puts his knowledge on display one Sunday a month for a unique wine dinner. For $95 per person, guests will get an unforgettable private meal with a full-course dinner and a series of paired wines from all around the world. Please keep in mind that these typically book well in advance.

THE FINAL WORD—Well, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the desserts, all made from scratch weekly, highlights from his mother’s recipes. The night we were there he was featuring Carrot Cake and Death By Chocolate, both memorable takes on well-worn selections.

And, with that, a typical meal at Morevino comes to a close. I’m sure the Morevino family, many of whom also work in the restaurant, would like to poll you before leaving as they learn what Ocala wants out of this relatively new endeavor.

“I hope the people love us as much as we love them,” Brain says on his website. Well, Brian, I think you know the answer.

WANT TO KNOW MORE? Morevino Restaurant & Wine Bar 11 East Silver Springs Blvd.

(352) 304-5100 morevinowine.com

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cuisine queen

38

by Paula [paula@ocalasgoodlife.com]

Tips For Meals With The Grandkids

K

ids can be finicky eaters and we have to remember that we were once their age. I don’t think any of us dove into mushy, cooked spinach when it was set before us. I used to smother mine with ketchup (really bad idea and habit) or try to feed it to my dog who also turned up her nose at it. If you would’ve told me then that I’d love spinach now, I’d not believe it.

What if you’re a grandparent that is helping raise your grandchild or are solely raising your grandchild? Let’s face it, most of us were born into the “clean plate” club where we could hardly leave a morsel on our plates. If we did, we got spanked and sent to bed. If your parents didn’t believe in corporal punishment, your sentence was no dessert, no TV, no outdoor play, or some combination of all three. What if your kids are passing on their terrible eating habits to your grandkids?

Can it be undone?

Is there hope? Do you ask yourself at times, “Where did I go wrong?!”

It may not be that you did anything wrong. You may have had more time to cook, whereas your children have a busier schedule, letting the kids choose what they want instead of what’s best for them long term.

So here are a few tips to nudge your finicky eaters.

Avoid the children’s menu of corn dogs, mac ‘n cheese, fried chicken tenders, and spaghetti.

When dining out, avoid the children’s menu of corn dogs, mac ‘n cheese, fried chicken tenders, and spaghetti. Since menu portions are pretty big, young ones can share bites of what you are eating. If older, try to persuade them to try something different that you feel sure will not go to waste. Give them the nudge to expand their palate. Brussel sprouts sounds ewww, but grilled, tossed with honey and bacon bits… yum!

I may no longer smother my spinach with ketchup, but at least I was introduced to the taste because it was served over and over again. If it’s turned away once or twice, don’t give up. Introduce it in different forms. For instance, quiche and spanakopita are delicious spinach dishes. The option of a cheese-stuffed jalapeno over a plain jalapeno makes a world of difference. Broccoli covered with real, melted cheddar and bacon bits is more palatable than alone.

Other tips on teaching your grandkids to eat better require lots of patience that will pay off. Let them help you prepare food when you eat in. Kids are more likely to try new foods if they have a hand in making it. And, yes, let them play with their food to a degree. Never force them to eat. That’s like throwing them into a swimming pool to learn how to swim. Limit using food as a reward. Be persistent and gradual. Do not let them choose a simpler meal like cereal or a PB&J sandwich. Remember, patience is the key.

Quick Bites: Congrats to one of my favorite restaurateurs, Bill Nordle of Blackwater Inn & Williams Landing in Astor on retirement! I think I have only seen him sit down once since I met him in 1993. After 37 years of excellent service to the community, he and wife, Tina, are handing the business over to the Jaffe family, who also own McHenry’s Sports Pub in Keystone Heights. I hope they keep the salad bar with all those great toppings, including the feta cheese! Until next time.

Got A Hot Tip For The Cuisine Queen?

E-mail me at paula@ocalasgoodlife.com

OCALA’S GOOD LIFE retirement redefined

Enjoy fresh air dining at Red’s

New Outdoor Patio!

Bring your appetite!

Great American food in a warm, friendly atmosphere!

For breakfast, you can’t beat Red’s–fluffy pancakes, perfect

Red’s

eggs, hot coffee. And there’s a reason why folks will wait for a table during lunch! Homemade hamburgers so big you can barely get your mouth around ‘em, delicious soups and salads. Don’t be fooled by the address–Red’s is just past Stumpknockers on SR 200. Come see what so many have already discovered about Red’s!

Breakfast & Lunch

Menu Items Include: Eggs, Pancakes, French Toast, Bacon,

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Homemade Burgers & Fries, Country Fried Steak, Meatloaf, Soup, Salads, Wraps, Sandwiches

(352) 344-4322

DINING GUIDE Enjoy our outdoor seating!

48 SW 1st Avenue, Ocala (352) 433-2570 • lacuisineocala.com Located in the heart of Ocala’s beautiful and vibrant historic downtown, come indulge yourself with our award-winning menu and dedicated service in a unique French-Bistro atmosphere. Owners operated since 2009, La Cuisine in Ocala has all the old-world charm of any romantic hideaway in Paris. Patrice and Elodie are here to welcome you!

In line with the French traditional way of cooking, every dish is made from carefully selected high quality fresh products and ingredients, prepared in-house and cooked to perfection with a modern twist.

Whether it is a business dinner, family brunch or a romantic evening for two, La Cuisine is definitely worth a closer look!

Specialties: Escargots, Frog Legs, Organic Half Roast Chicken, Beef

Bourguignon, Ratatouille, Creme Brulee, Parmesan Truffle French Fries

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22050 N. US 441, Micanopy, FL (just north of McIntosh in the Harvest Village) 352-591-4141 • antonios.co Info: Antonio’s in nearby Micanopy is like sampling the best of

Italy without the cost of airfare. Cozy and intimate, the focus is on the food. Everything—the presentation, the ingredients, the specials—are a result of Antonio’s meticulous planning and preparation. He makes the mozzarella fresh on-site every day. You simply must try Antonio’s Signature Cheese Burrata, an appetizer of ricotta and parmesan cheeses rolled into a ball and wrapped with a gooey layer of mozzarella. You’ve never had a steak as tender as the dry aged Delmonico at Antonio’s.

It’s so good, even vegetarians have been known to try it!

Specialties: Delmonico Steak, Whole Red Snapper, Capellini

Toscana, Eggplant Parmigiana, Genovese Gnocci, Veal Marsala, Salmon with Gorgonzola Cheese Sauce

Hours:

Wed. -Thurs.: 4pm-9pm Fri. & Sat.: 12pm-10pm Sunday: 12pm-7pm

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OCALA’S GOOD LIFE retirement redefined

Live music

on weekends

DINING GUIDE Ocala’s first artisan gelato shop!

Homemade pastries, European style coffee, Fresh New York bagels & more.

8810 SW Hwy 200, Ocala (across from Pine Run) (352) 509-7721

F

ormerly Carmine’s, Marcelina continues the tradition, serving your favorite Italian dishes in a friendly, comfortable environment. Little details make the difference, like fresh hand-grated cheese over your salad and warm, crusty bread to dip in the dish of olive oil loaded with fresh garlic. See for yourself why Marcelina’s earns a 4.5 star rating on Yelp.

Serving beer and wine.

Satisfy that sweet tooth!

Check out our Facebook page for specials.

Hours:

Mon.-Thurs.

11am-8pm

For reservations, please call.

Fri.-Sat. 11am-9pm

Hours: Closed Mon. Tues.-Sat. 2pm-9pm Sun. 2pm-8pm

Closed Sun.

(352) 857-8080 • 6146 SW SR 200, Ocala Jasmine Square (A few doors down from Tax Collector/DMV)

Turn Your Old Records & CDs Into Cash! presents

oundtrack of your life Nate Rodriguez

Jordan Peterson

with Felix & Fingers dueling pianos & “The Paintman” an Evening of Entertainment Dance & Sing-along Thursday, October 7, 6 p.m.

Ext. Auditorium, SE Livestock Pavilion

We’re looking for: Classic Rock • Jazz • Mobile Fidelity Half-Speed Masters • 24K Gold CDs

Tickets: $100 VIP/$35 General RSVP today to Cindy Moody

Dale Henry

Call: (352) 208-4242

cmoody@hospiceofmarion.com/(352) 291-5143

OCALA’S GOOD LIFE retirement redefined

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Chopped Chicken Taco Salad

Easy, Nutritious & Delicious!

A

FAMILY FEATURES

s we return to busy schedules this fall, building a plan for nutritious and easy meals can be challenging. Piecing together a menu that fuels active minds without spending hours in the kitchen is a common goal for many families.

These recipes require minimal prep and call for on-hand ingre­dients like dairy food favorites that provide nutrients people of all ages need to grow and maintain strong bodies and minds.

Whether you enjoy it together in the morning before getting the day started or mix it up with breakfast for dinner, the Sustainable Frittata is called “sustainable” because you can use leftover cheeses, veggies, ham, sausage and more to recycle ingredients you already have on hand.

For a customizable dish, turn to Chopped Chicken Taco Salad and garnish with your favorite toppings. When it’s time to put a twist on a classic while changing up your dinner routine, Roasted Red Pepper and Pesto Grilled Cheese Sandwiches are perfect for putting something new on the table. Make supper a cinch with Slow Cooker Macaroni and Cheese, which lets you put the work in the hands of your slow cooker for a versatile dish.

Visit milkmeansmore.org to find more recipes.

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OCALA’S GOOD LIFE retirement redefined

CHOPPED CHICKEN TACO SALAD

Recipe courtesy of Megan Gundy of “What Megan’s Making” on behalf of Milk Means More Prep time: 15 minutes. Cook time: 15 minutes. Servings: 4.

Dressing:

1 cup plain Greek yogurt 1/3 cup buttermilk, plus additional (optional)

1 tablespoon fresh-squeezed lime juice, plus additional (optional)

3 tablespoons chopped cilantro

2 tablespoons taco seasoning Salad:

2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts

2 tablespoons taco seasoning

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 head leaf lettuce, chopped

1 avocado, chopped into bite-sized pieces

1 cup black beans, drained and rinsed

1 cup corn

1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes, chopped

1 cup shredded cheese (Monterey Jack or Mexican) tortilla strips or crushed tortilla chips, for topping

To make dressing: In small bowl, stir yogurt, buttermilk, lime juice, cilantro and taco seasoning until combined. Taste and adjust lime juice and cilantro as needed. If dressing is too thick, add buttermilk 1 teaspoon at a time until desired consistency is reached. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

To make salad: Season chicken on both sides with taco seasoning.

Heat large skillet over mediumhigh heat and add olive oil. Add chicken to pan and cook on both sides until outside is golden brown and chicken is cooked through.

Remove to cutting board and slice into strips.

On large platter, heap chopped lettuce. Sprinkle chicken over top.

Add avocado, beans, corn, tomatoes and shredded cheese. Drizzle dressing on top and sprinkle with tortilla strips or crushed tortilla chips.

SLOW COOKER MACARONI AND CHEESE Recipe courtesy of Rachel Gurk of “Rachel Cooks” on behalf of Milk Means More Prep time: 20 minutes Cook time: 2 hours Servings: 8

16 ounces elbow pasta

4 tablespoons butter

3 ounces reduced-fat cream cheese

2 cups whole milk 12 ounces evaporated milk 1/2 cup light sour cream

2 large eggs, beaten

3/4 teaspoon ground mustard pepper, to taste

8 ounces shredded sharp cheddar cheese

8 ounces grated provolone cheese Cook pasta al dente according to package directions. Drain and pour into large slow cooker.

In small saucepan over medium heat, whisk butter and cream cheese until melted. Stir in milk, evaporated milk and sour cream; whisk until combined. Remove from heat; whisk in eggs, ground mustard and pepper, to taste. Stir in cheeses. Pour mixture over cooked macaroni and stir to combine cheese and pasta.

Cover and cook 2 hours on low.

Switch to warm until ready to serve.

Slow Cooker Macaroni and Cheese

ROASTED RED PEPPER AND PESTO GRILLED CHEESE SANDWICHES Recipe courtesy of Katie Serbinski of “Mom to Mom Nutrition” on behalf of Milk Means More Prep time: 5 minutes Cook time: 10 minutes Servings: 2

4 slices French or Italian bread

3 tablespoons prepared pesto

2 large roasted red peppers

4 slices mozzarella cheese

2 tablespoons butter, softened Preheat skillet or grill pan over mediumlow heat.

Spread insides of bread slices evenly with pesto. Stack red peppers and mozzarella cheese.

Spread outer sides of bread with softened butter and grill until toasted and cheese is melted, about 5 minutes per side.

Rest 1 minute before cutting.

Roasted Red Pepper and Pesto Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

SUSTAINABLE FRITTATA Recipe courtesy of Jenn Fillenworth of “Jenny With the Good Eats” on behalf of Milk Means More Prep time: 5 minutes Cook time: 20 minutes Servings: 8

12 eggs, beaten 1/4 cup whole milk, half and half or heavy cream 1/2 teaspoon salt

2 cups shredded cheese, any variety

3 cups assorted cooked vegetables and pre-cooked meats fresh herbs, for garnish (optional)

Preheat oven to 450 F. Preheat cast-iron pan or ovensafe skillet over medium heat.

In large bowl, mix eggs, milk and salt then add shredded cheese.

Add cooked vegetables and meats to pan to reheat. Once vegetables have softened, add egg mixture to pan and scramble. Let sit over medium heat 1 minute.

Carefully transfer to oven and bake 10-15 minutes. Frittata is done when eggs have set.

Remove from oven and top with fresh herbs.

Sustainable Frittata

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PLAN AHEAD NOTE: Due to Covid 19, events are subject to cancellation or rescheduling. Please check with the venue’s website for updates.

WRITTEN & COMPILED BY CYNTHIA BROWN

Do you have an event that you’d like to include in our calendar?

Email your submissions to cynthia@ocalasgoodlife.com

Ongoing

FARMERS MARKET—A wonderful selection of fresh seasonal produce from local growers as well as baked goods, plants, hand-made soaps, and much more! Every Thursday from 9am– 1pm. The Town Square at Circle Square Commons.

OCALA DOWNTOWN MARKET—Every Saturday rain or shine from 9am to 2pm to shop from a variety of vendors including produce from local farmers, goat and dairy products, meats, honey,

seafood, soaps and so much more. Downtown Ocala. SE 3rd St. and SE 3rd Ave. REJUVENATE WITH THE ARTS—Second and fourth Tuesdays of the month from Sept. 14-Dec. 14. Get crafty with these fun DIY workshops to renew and discover your artistic abilities! A new design every session! $5. 10am12pm. Eighth Avenue Adult Activity Center, 830 NE Eighth Ave. ocalafl.org/recpark or 368-5517.

the outdoor bar. Every Saturday and Sunday. 12-4pm. Lakeridge Winery. lakeridgewinery.com or 800-768-9463.

savagery.” Appleton Museum. appletonmuseum.org or 291-4455.

FIRST FRIDAY ART WALK— Located in Downtown Ocala, the art walk takes place the first Friday of every month and is free to the public.

Festivities include over 30 art displays, live entertainment and performances, downtown shopping, and restaurants. ocalafl.org.

THERAPEUTIC PLEASE PASS THE PEAS COOKING CLASS—A hands-on opportunity to learn new skills and make new friends while preparing a meal. Participants will learn about nutrition, meal planning, budgeting and safe food handling. Classes are held the first Thursday of each month and participants must register one week in advance of each class. $5 per person. 4:15-5:30pm. Barbara G. Washington Adult Activity Center, 210 NW 12 Ave. ocalafl. org/recpark or 368-5517.

Through Sep. 19

WEEKENDS AT THE WINERY—Come out and enjoy the expansive vineyard green, including delicious food from some of the area’s best live entertainment, food trucks, and of course your favorite Lakeridge wines by the glass at

DIRTY ROTTEN SCOUNDRELS—Charming con artists Lawrence and Freddy make a deal. The first to swindle a certain heiress out of her fortune wins, and the other must leave town. $30. Ocala Civic Theatre. ocalacivictheatre. com. or 236-2274.

Through Sep. 25

OCALA POLO CLUB’S SUMMER SUNSET POLO—Come out and enjoy a polo match at the Florida Horse Park, the perfect place to enjoy a tailgate with your friends and family. Tailgates can be reserved by email ocalapolo@gmail.com. $1020. Saturdays. 6pm. Florida Horse Park, 11008 Hwy. 475. ocalapolo.com

Through Oct. 23

YOGA IN THE PARK— Reduce stress, enjoy the outdoors, and relax your body at beautiful Sholom Park. Bring your own yoga mat. Saturdays.

Free. 9-10am. Sholom Park.

7110 SW 80th St. sholompark. org or 873-0848.

EPCOT INTERNATIONAL FOOD & WINE FESTIVALS

Through Jan. 2, 2022

Sip, savor and stroll your way around the park during this flavorful festival. Global marketplaces.

Culinary demonstrations. Live music. Beginning Oct 1, even more food booths will be added, along with “Harmonious,” one of the largest nighttime spectaculars ever created for a Disney park. Food purchases are not included with daily admission price.

TasteEPCOT.com

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OCALA’S GOOD LIFE retirement redefined

Photo: Walt Disney World

Through November 20

ALISON SAAR—This exhibition of printed works from the permanent collection by internationally acclaimed artist Alison Saar incorporates both spiritual and political themes. Not one to shy away from difficult subjects, Saar commonly explores topics such as race, historical biases and gender, challenging viewers in exciting ways, describing her work as “refined

Sep. 1-Apr. 7, 2022

Sep. 4 & Oct. 2

FREE FIRST SATURDAY— Practice the art of staycation by visiting the Appleton on Free First Saturday, which means no admission fee to see our permanent collection and special exhibitions. You can also kick back and enjoy the beautiful outdoor spaces with large-scale sculpture perfect for selfies. Appleton Museum. appletonmuseum.org or 291-4455.

September 7

A WALK IN OCALA’S PARKS SENIOR WALKING CLUB—Get your steps in while exploring the beauty of Ocala!

Adults ages 50+ are invited to join the group the first Tuesdays of each month at 8am at a different park for exercise and camaraderie. $10 year program fee. Transportation not provided. 8:00-9:15am.

Fort King National Historic Landmark, 3925 E Fort King St. ocalafl.org/recpark or 368-5517.

September 13

HORSE FEVER IN MARION COUNTY—Join Laurie Zink, the Horse Fever co-chair and learn about the latest Anniversary Collection of Horse Fever in Marion County. $3-8.

10-11am. Live Oak Hall, 8413 SW 80th St. Register online at

masterthepossibilities.org or call 861-9751.

September 14

KING OF THE CATTLE BARONS—Explore the life and times of the “King of the Crackers” Jake Summerlin, the most influential man in Florida from its admittance to the union until the twilight of the 20th century. $6-11.

9-10am. Live Oak Hall, 8413 SW 80th St. Register online at masterthepossibilities.org or call 861-9751.

Sep. 15-Oct. 6

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE—This course will look at both the history of artificial intelligence and new AI developments, with emphasis on robotics, home usages, and the impact of AI on medical science. 10am-12pm. $20.

Register at seniorlearners. org or call 239-8780.

Month through literature.

Readers, performers and listeners of all ages are welcome. Contact any Marion County Public Library System location if you are interested in participating in this online and in-person event. 2pm. library. marionfl.org or 671-8551.

September 23

DAVINA AND THE VAGABONDS—With influences ranging from Fats Domino and the Preservation Hall Jazz Band to Aretha Franklin and Tom Waits, the group serves up high-energy tunes with a twist of edgy nostalgia. $35-50. 7pm and 9pm. The Phillips Center, Gainesville. performingarts.ufl. edu or 800-905-2787.

September 25

MURDER FOR TWO— Everyone is a suspect in this hilarious murder mystery with a twist. Various times.

The Hippodrome Theatre, Gainesville. thehipp.org or (352) 375-HIPP.

RUSHOUR: THE ASTONISING TRIBUTE TO RUSH—Their dedication to note-for-note playing and the amazing vocals that sound just like Geddy Lee will astound you as Rushour performs all the hits! $15-30.

7pm. Circle Square Cultural Center at On Top of the World. csculturalcenter.com or 854-3670.

September 18-19

September 29

Sep. 17-Oct. 3

KINGDOM OF THE SUN BAND—Strike up the band under the direction of Les Muncaster. Come hear the band perform a wide variety of music, perfect for the fall season. 2pm on Saturday and 3pm on Sunday.

Marion Technical Institute. kingdomofthesunband.org or 390-0491.

September 20-25

PASO FINO HORSE ASSOCIATION GRAND NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP—This show offers professional, amateur, and youth Paso equestrians the chance to compete for the ultimate title in the United States, Grand National Champion. worldequestriancenter.com or 414-7900.

September 22

LEER, CREAR Y CELEBRAR! READ, CREATE AND CELEBRATE OUR HISPANIC HERITAGE!—Celebrate National Hispanic Heritage

RIDE THE ROADS OF MARION COUNTY—Explore the history of roads and highways in Marion County with history enthusiast and librarian Taylor Benson. 3pm. Ocala Public Library. library.marionfl. org or 438-2500.

Sep. 29-Oct. 24

THE CHAMPIONSHIP SHOW—Featuring an estimated purse of $2,000,000, this show features a mix of exciting competitions including Western pleasure, barrel racing, cutting, reining, ranch, youth classes, and more. worldequestriancenter.com or 414-7900.

September 30

ROYAL WOOD—Intimate pop-rock tunes with equal dashes of class and craft. $35-50. 7pm and 9pm. The Phillips Center, Gainesville. performingarts.ufl.edu or 800905-2787.

Sep. 30-Oct. 2

BASKERVILLE: A

BASKERVILLE: A SHERLOCK HOLMES MYSTERY, PRESENTED BY INSOMNIAC THEATRE COMPANY September 30-October 2 Sherlock Holmes and Dr. John Watson search for an ingenious killer on a murderous spree. Enjoy the talents of five actors portraying more than 40 characters. $20-40.

7:30pm. Reilly Arts Center. reillyartscenter.com or 351-1606.

SHERLOCK HOLMES MYSTERY, PRESENTED BY INSOMNIAC THEATRE COMPANY—Sherlock Holmes and Dr. John Watson search for an ingenious killer on a murderous spree. Enjoy the talents of five actors portraying more than 40 characters. $2040. 7:30pm. Reilly Arts Center. reillyartscenter.com or 351-1606.

October 1

LIFELINE QUARTET— Michelle Mayne-Graves and her Lifeline Quartet use their incredible voices to celebrate these songs in a powerful performance that channels centuries of struggle and perseverance. $35-50. 7pm and 9pm. The Phillips Center, Gainesville. performingarts.ufl. edu or 800-905-2787.

October 1-16

TIS THE SEASON FOR PUMPKIN DECORATING!— Dress up a pumpkin in tricky togs, ghoulish garb, or a fancy frock and join in the fun. Bring in your best-decorated (not carved) pumpkin by October 16 for entry into the annual display. Pumpkin drop off Oct.

1-16, community voting Oct. 17-23. Freedom Public Library. library.marionfl.org or 438-2580.

October 1-31

CORN MAZE FESTIVAL— Stop by Timberline Farm where the entire family can enjoy music, pony rides, face painting, food and craft vendors, and experience some ol’ country charm. Festival days are Friday 4-8pm, Saturday 10am-7pm, and Sunday 127pm. timberlinefarms.net or 454- 4113.

October 7

BEETHOVEN’S SYMPHONY NO. 9—Considered one of the finest achievements in the history of Western music, this sonic miracle will be brought to the stage in collaboration with the UF School of Music. $2040. 7:30pm. The Phillips Center, Gainesville. performingarts.ufl. edu or 800-905-2787.

AMELIA EARHART—Has her disappearance finally been solved after 84 years?

The instructor believes he finally has the answer to the mystery. $8-13. 10:30am12pm. Live Oak Hall, 8413 SW 80th St. Register online at

OCALA’S GOOD LIFE retirement redefined

45

NOTE: Due to Covid 19, events are subject to cancellation or rescheduling. Please check with the venue’s website for updates. masterthepossibilities.org or call 861-9751.

October 14-31

October 9

NOT FADE AWAY: ROCK N’ ROLL RE-IGNITED—This young group has been taking the country by storm with their amped-up renditions of classic hit songs from legends like Buddy Holly, Elvis Presley, Roy Orbison, Shirley Ellis, The Beatles, Ritchie Valens, and more. $15-45. 7:30pm. Reilly Arts Center. reillyartscenter.com or 351-1606.

October 10

APPLAUD THE ARTS— Celebrate with a champagne brunch at the Ocala Civic Theatre’s new outdoor stage.

The ethereal sounds of Tasha Robinson, principal Harpist of the Ocala Symphony Orchestra will surround you as you chat with friends and see the creative twist local artists put on the classic comedy and tragedy masks which will be available for you to add to your collection. $50-60. 12-2:30pm.

Ocala Civic Theatre. mcaocala. com or 369-1500.

PAPER THIN—Lucrece and Gerald have had a good marriage. They’ve raised their only son with love and kept their farm afloat through hard times and hurricanes.

But now, this determined Southern woman has taken to the roof of their Mississippi farmhouse with a bottle of whiskey and refuses to come down. Poignant and funny, this play explores what it means to live truthfully. Tickets go on sale Sept. 7. $30. Ocala Civic Theatre. ocalacivictheatre.com. or 236-2274.

October 15

LOVE CANON—Bluegrass virtuosos that offer renditions of classic ’80s and ’90s hits from Peter Gabriel, Billy Joel, Depeche Mode, and Paul Simon. $35-50. 7pm and 9pm.

The Phillips Center, Gainesville. performingarts.ufl.edu or 800-905-2787.

October 15-17

JEEPTOBERFEST—Put on by the Ocala Jeep Club as an annual fundraiser to benefit local charities. $5. 8am-

LET IT BE: THE BEATLES TRIBUTE October 30 Extraordinary effort has been made to recreate the excitement of an actual Beatles concert. The boys will entertain you with three professional costume changes and they will play the actual instruments used by the Beatles. Don’t miss virtually all the hit songs from the Beatles. $15-30. 7pm. Circle Square Cultural Center at On Top of the World. csculturalcenter.com or 854-3670.

5pm Saturday and 8am-4pm Sunday. Kirby Family Farm. ocalajeepclub.com.

October 16

APPLAUD THE ARTS October 10 Celebrate with a champagne brunch at the Ocala Civic Theatre’s new outdoor stage. The ethereal sounds of Tasha Robinson, principal Harpist of the Ocala Symphony Orchestra will surround you as you chat with friends and see the creative twist local artists put on the classic comedy and tragedy masks which will be available for you to add to your collection. $50-60. 12-2:30pm. Ocala Civic Theatre. mcaocala.com or 369-1500.

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OCALA’S GOOD LIFE retirement redefined

STORIES UNDER THE STARS: PHANTOMS IN THE FORT—Goblins and ghouls return to Fort King for an evening of spine-tingling tales. Bring your own chair and listen to stories of the strange and eerie. Presented in partnership with Ocala Recreation and Parks, Fort King National Historic Landmark and Ocala Storytelling Festival, Inc. 7-9pm. Fort King Historic Landmark. library.marionfl.org or 438-2500.

October 16-17

FREE ADMISSION—Visitors can enjoy free admission to the museum in celebration of Arthur I. Appleton. Learn more about Mr. Appleton’s life and love for the arts by visiting our permanent exhibition, “Artistic Legacy: The Story of Arthur I. Appleton.” Appleton Museum.

appletonmuseum.org or 291-4455.

October 17

MERZ TRIO—Winners of the 2019 Concert Artists Guild Competition and Gold Medalists of the Fischoff and Chesapeake International Chamber Music Competitions, Merz Trio combines artistic brilliance with a farcical lust for life. $35. 2pm and 7:30pm.

The Phillips Center, Gainesville. performingarts.ufl.edu or 800-905-2787.

Oct. 18-Nov. 8

HEMINGWAY: THE MAN AND HIS ART II—The thrust of this class is a close reading of Hemingway’s short stories. How do they illuminate the myth, the man, and the encroaching darkness of his later years? 10:30am-12pm. $15. Register at seniorlearners. org or call 239-8780.

Oct. 22- Nov. 7

THE MOUNTAIN TOP—A

gripping reimagination of events the night before the assassination of the civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Various times.

The Hippodrome Theatre, Gainesville. thehipp.org or (352) 375-HIPP.

October 23-24

FINE ARTS FOR OCALA— The Ocala Arts Festival attracts hundreds of artists from around the country and also showcases local children’s art and entertainment groups.

10am-5pm. Downtown Ocala. fafo.org or 867-0355.

October 24

THE POLICY—In the insurance industry, Mile Crenshaw is the master. His technique impeccable and his success legendary, but when his “sneaky, janky” ways prick the heart of his new bride and threatens the livelihood of his insurance agents, he meets his match! $23. 3pm. Reilly Arts Center. reillyartscenter.com or 351-1606.

THE POLICY PART TWO— Lavender Crenshaw struck it rich after she collects her $1 million accidental death insurance from “the policy” of her husband Miles. She becomes the new business owner of Lavender Crenshaw Insurance using Miles’ concept of $1,985 down, three months free. Life is good until revenge finds her. $23. 6pm. Reilly Arts Center. reillyartscenter.com or 351-1606.

October 26

OCALA’S HAUNTED HISTORY—Conjure the spirits of the past and learn about the local lore and spooky historical happenings that shaped Brick City. 5pm. Ocala Public Library. library.marionfl.org or 438-2500.

October 28

JOEY DEFRANCESCO TRIO—DeFrancesco emerged in the ’80s and quickly ascended as one of the youngest musicians ever recruited to play in a Miles Davis ensemble. Throughout his career, he’s recorded and toured with artists including Ray Charles, Van Morrison, Diana Krall, George Benson, and Jimmy Cobb. $35-50. 7pm and 9pm. The Phillips Center, Gainesville. performingarts.ufl.

edu or 800-905-2787.

October 29-30

THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW: SHADOWCAST—Those ghoulish characters you know so well come together for a fun, interactive, musical experience. Jump to the left, step to the right, and find your way down to the theater for a hot patootie of a time! $15-25.

7:30pm. Reilly Arts Center. reillyartscenter.com or 351-1606.

October 30

LET IT BE: THE BEATLES TRIBUTE—Extraordinary effort has been made to recreate the excitement of an actual Beatles concert. The boys will entertain you with three professional costume changes and they will play the actual instruments used by the Beatles. Don’t miss virtually all the hit songs from the Beatles. $15-30. 7pm. Circle Square Cultural Center at On Top of the World. csculturalcenter. com or 854-3670.

DANCE ALIVE NATIONAL BALLET PRESENT PHANTOM—Vivid and dramatic, we are drawn into the torn life of the Phantom, his beautiful protégé Christine, and Raoul, her desperate lover. $25-45. 2pm and 7:30pm. The Phillips Center, Gainesville. performingarts.ufl.edu or 800905-2787.

HALLOWEEN COSTUME FAMILY FUN RUN—Build up an appetite for all your trick or treat candy by joining the Ocala Recreation & Parks Department for our Halloween Family Fun Run 5K! Participants can walk, jog or run the path while showing off their best costume. Racing fee benefits United Way of Marion County. Pre-registration is encouraged but day-of registration will be available.

8:30am. Citizen’s Circle. ocalafl.org or 368-5517.

August 26 – September 19

The musical

Book by Jeffrey Lane • Music and Lyrics by David Yazbek Based on the film Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, written by Dale Launer and Stanley Shapiro & Paul Henning Original Broadway production directed by Jack O’Brien

May the best crook win.

Sponsored by: Ocala Style Magazine • WIND FM

The world premiere of

October 14-31

November 6

CHILI COOK-OFF—Get a taste for chili and more at this annual charity event to benefit Cornerstone School.

Southeastern Livestock Pavilion. $5. 10am-5pm. marioncountychilicookoff.org or 351-8840.

A play by T. K. Lee

Mama’s up on the roof with her bottle of whiskey… again.

Sponsored by: Elite Equestrian Magazine • WUFT

Tickets $30 Adults, $15 ages 18 & younger (352) 236-2274•www.ocalacivictheatre.com

OCALA’S GOOD LIFE retirement redefined

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OCALA’S GOOD LIFE retirement redefined

ANS

Solution to ENIGMA: “Nothing shows a man’s character more than what he laughs at.”

—Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

48

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CROSSWORD PUZZLE

puzzle page

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Join us for these

FREE HEALTH SEMINARS: Space is limited, so please call to reserve your seat.

Dr. Renny Edelson and his

entire team welcome you to come by and see all of the new, exciting changes happening at each location.

9/8 @ 6:30pm—

Energy Recovery for Daily Life 9/22 @ 12:30pm— End Headaches Now 10/13 @ 6:30PM— Mood Management: The Focus Factor (ADD/ADHD) 10/27 @12:30PM— Sugar/Sweeteners: The Truth About Sweeteners

Ocala East

Ocala West

Buffalo Ridge

(Next to railroad tracks) 942 SE 17th Street Ocala FL 34471

(Jasmine South) 7668 SW 60th Ave.,#500 Ocala, FL 34476

(in The Villages) 3614 Wedgewood Ln The Villages, FL 32162

(352)

421-9292

(352)

351-2872

(352)

259-2225

AlignLife.com