Ocala Gazette | January 29 - February 4, 2021 by Magnolia Media Company

VOLUME 1 ISSUE 31

February 2 Groundhog Day

JANUARY 29 - FEBRUARY 4, 2021

Eviction moratorium sets stage for homelessness “tsunami” By Carlos Medina Ocala Gazette

hile the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently extended its order halting residential evictions until March 31, an Ocala legal aid attorney worries when the ban is eventually lifted, a flood of people will be left homeless. “It’s like a building tsunami,” said Magda Lanza senior manager for Public

Interest & Housing Law with Community Legal Services of Mid-Florida. “If the moratorium expires, then we’re going to be seeing a substantial increase in evictions not only in Marion County, but everywhere. A lot of people will probably be facing homelessness,” Lanza said. And while the moratorium stops some evictions, others continue. “The moratorium is based on non-payment due to a tenant’s ability to pay being affected by

COVID due to lost income or otherwise being affected economically,” she said. Landlords are free to not renew leases or evict for other reasons including violation of lease terms or due to criminal activity. And landlords can still seek an eviction for nonpayment of rent. It’s up to tenants to provide landlords with a declaration swearing their ability to pay rent was affected by COVID-19. Some people are not aware of the steps they need to take. That’s where

organizations like Lanza’s come in. “The person would be attesting they do not earn more than $99,000 per year, have been affected by coronavirus and have made their best effort to get government assistance, unemployment and rental assistance,” said Lanza, adding that a tenant has five days to file the declaration with the court in an eviction proceeding. A review of eviction filings with the Marion County Clerk of Court

Back in the saddle

showed eviction filings running higher than the previous year. In October, the court received 158 eviction filings comparted to 129 in 2019. November showed a similar pattern with 171 filed compared to 115 the year prior. In December there were 141 filings compared to 110. The federal COVID-19 relief packages included money for rental assistance, but in at least on case locally, disbursement of $1 million See Evictions, page 16

Burning questions remain The city may have to refund millions in illegally collected fire service fees By Carlos Medina Ocala Gazette

I Thoroughbreds are paraded at the Ocala Breeders’ Sale Co. outside walking ring on the first day of the OBS Winter Mixed Sale on Jan. 26. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette]

OBS sale posts almost $5.7 million in sales By Ben Baugh Correspondent

t was worth the wait. The highest-priced horse at the Ocala Breeders’ Sales Company winter sale was the last one through the ring. The yearling filly by Laoban sold for $175,000 to end an encouraging first sale of the year for the Ocala-based thoroughbred

auction company. “It was a strong showing and a great way to start the year,” said Todd Wojciechowski, OBS director of sales. “It was a steady market for us. We sold a few more horses this year than we did last year, which was always good.” A total of 406 horses sold for almost $5.7 million, up from 354 horses that sold for more than $4.9 million in 2020. But for those connected with

the sales topper, there also was a touch of sadness. The filly was part of the estate of Kenny LeJeune, who died in December. LeJune used to gallop and breeze for Ocala-based Nick de Meric, who bought the filly. “He was a good personal friend and a great ambassador for the sport,” said de Meric. “He was a

Health officials suspect first classroom spread of COVID-19 By Carlos Medina Ocala Gazette

ealth officials on Tuesday said they are trying to confirm if several cases of COVID-19 at a Marion County public school were spread in the classroom. It would be the first instance of classroom spread in the county. The news came during an update from Mark Lander,

the administrator of the Florida Department of Health in Marion County, during a Marion County School Board meeting. Until now, the positive cases in students and school workers have been traced back to contacts from outside the schools. “I know one high school specifically; we had some indication there were some See Classroom, page 14

See OBS, page 2

t’s no longer a question of if Ocala must refund millions in illegally collected fees stretching back 10 years, but rather how much and when. The latter issues remain unresolved and could take months to sort out. One thing clarified at a Friday hearing on the matter before 5th Judicial Circuit Court Judge Robert Hodges, however, is that the city is not considering bankruptcy. Instead, the city plans to use reserves combined with a loan to refund upwards of $79.4 million collected in monthly fees to pay for fire service. In a previous filing, the city brought up the specter of bankruptcy after the fee was ruled an unconstitutional tax in June. Friday’s hearing centered on how the court would determine the number of people who qualified for a refund and establish how much to set aside to pay them. The city argued only those people who paid the fee before March 2018 and after February 2010 qualified. The plaintiffs’ attorney argued those who paid through July 2020 – when the city finally suspended the fee – should also qualify. “Because there is an end date here… It would end for anyone who paid the tax until it ended on July 21, 2020,” Hodges said. It will take weeks to contact potentially thousands of people who paid the fee as part of their Ocala Electric Utility bill from March 2018 to July 2020. As it stands, there are almost 76,000 people who could qualify for a refund. Those people can opt-out of joining the class-action lawsuit, however. As for how much the city owes. That remains unknown until after a full accounting of those who seek a refund. See Fire Fee, page 3

[Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette]

Inside: Subscribers within the following zip codes will receive their paper every Friday by courier. Those that live outside this area will receive their paper through USPS on the USPS schedule. 34470 • 34471 • 34474 • 34476 • 34481 Subscription orders must be received by 5 pm on Tuesday in order to be included in the following week’s delivery. Starting at $14/month ocalagazette.com/subscribe

County vaccine update See page 14

JANUARY 29 - FEBRUARY 4, 2021 | OCALA GAZETTE

Grandview Invitational to showcase magnificent equines The Florida Horse Park event will offer three days of arena shows and special activities. Shannon. Their Clydesdale breeding program is one of the largest in the world. They also are frequent competitors at events around the nation and are the organizers of the local invitational. Over the three days of what they refer to as “organized chaos,” several classes, including junior level, will fill the calendar. The classes range from teams of two massive draft horses A team of horses pull a carriage in this file photo of the Grandview Invitational. The third annual event is scheduled for Feb. 5-7 at the pulling a Florida Horse Park. [Logan Peck/Ocala Gazette file] wagon to the jaw-dropping powerful and beautiful and the horses. The event spectacle By Susan Smiley-Height horses pounding the turf will showcase a record 23 of eight-hitch teams Ocala Gazette in an open-air arena, and teams, up from 11 last year. thundering around the you have the Grandview “This is the one weekend arena. etting up close and Invitational. a year you can see the best Majestic music personal with a During the third annual draft horses and teams in accompanies each class. towering Belgian, event, which will take place the world, right here in Once the first note sounds, Clydesdale or Percheron is Feb. 5-7 at the Florida Ocala,” said Karen Cobbs, the horses, many of which an awe-inspiring experience Horse Park, visitors can go who owns Grandview weigh more than one-ton, on its own. Now, pair that into the barn and staging Clydesdales in southwest begin to put on a show, with the chance to see the areas and meet the drivers Ocala with her husband their manes flowing as

they display dexterity and precision. “Ours will be one of the largest shows in the world,” noted Shannon Cobbs. “But even with all the teams and vendors, the Florida Horse Park is the perfect venue. It covers more than 500 acres, so there is plenty of opportunity for social distancing.” “There is all kinds of room to spread out,” Karen Cobbs said. “The shows are under covered arenas, and there are bleachers, but people also can bring their own chair to move apart.” There will be numerous hand-sanitizing stations on the property. Ticket options range from single-day to threeday passes, with options for box and VIP seating and camping. Tickets are available online and at the gate. The public also is invited to attend a casino night fundraiser on Feb. 5, with games, entertainment and food, and the Grandview Gala on Feb. 6, with a meal, a live performance and dancing. Karen Cobbs urges people to purchase tickets for these two activities in advance. “Some of these teams will travel more than 1,000 miles to be here,” Shannon Cobbs said. “These truly are the best in the world. Don’t miss it.”

If You Go

Grandview Invitational, Feb. 5-7 Florida Horse Park, 11851 SW 16th Ave., Ocala Gates open 8am; shows begin at noon For more information and to purchase tickets, go to grandviewinvitational.com

From OBS, page 1 tragic loss, and when I signed the ticket, I said, ‘that’s one for Kenny.’” But aside from sentimental connection, de Meric said the filly shows class. “She was a filly that seemed to get better by the day,” he said. “Initially, when I first saw her, right at the end of the sale and in the yellow section of the addendum, I was thinking ‘gosh, I might be able to steal her.’ There were a lot of people landing on her, and meanwhile, each time you looked at her, she seemed to be better than the time before... We’re very happy to have her. She looks like the goods to me.” The sale’s strength gave some hope that 2020’s doldrums are over. The thoroughbred sales industry dropped steeply after the COVID-19 pandemic took hold. OBS and other sales

companies rescheduled and even canceled sales after March. Prices fell after racetrack across the country shut down amid the pandemic. Tracks resumed racing later in 2020, but sales continued to suffer. “The numbers were very comparable to last (January),” said Wojciehowski. “The average was up slightly, and we sold a few more horses... The gross was up as a result of the function of selling more horses. It was a pretty steady market.” Kaizen Sales was the top consignor, followed by Summerfield, Beth Bayer, Stuart Morris and McMahon Thoroughbreds of Saratoga. Tampa Bay Downs thoroughbred trainer Kerri Raven was the sales’ top buyer, purchasing three horses for a cumulative total of $300,000.

Raven bought Bear Brian, a 3-year-old colt, for $150,000 on Tuesday. The lightly raced 3-year-old son of Tiznow was the second most expensive horse sold during the sale. He was consigned by Summerfield, as agent, for Stonestreet Stable. The highest-priced yearling colt also sold on Tuesday during the sale’s preferred session. A colt by the stallion Practical Joke sold for $130,000 to Ronald Clark Shepherd. Summerfield also consigned that colt. “He’s a really nice colt conformationally, and being out of an Uncle Mo mare, he has a little Uncle Mo look to him, some stretch and whatnot,” said Summerfield’s Francis Vanlangendonck. “It attracted people with the right eye and the right amount of money. There

Tina Hall of West Chester, Pennsylvania, spends time with hip No. 532, a bay colt by Klimt, in the Silver Oaks Farm barn area. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette]

Street Ruckus, a dark bay or brown colt by Street Boss and consigned by Kaizen Sales, is sold for $85,000 on Jan. 26. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette]

was a reasonable reserve on him. The owner sold him to raise cash to pay stud fees. They’re thrilled.” A yearling son of sire Mor Spirit brought $115,000 on Wednesday. The large racing prospect is a Beth Bayer homebred, who also consigned the dark bay colt. Donato Lanni signed the ticket purchasing the yearling. “I have a small group of mares that I have foals out of every year,” said Bayer. “I just don’t have that many foals. He’s one of four. We take care of them. We’re hands-on personally.” The colt possessed the perfect little frame, said Bayer. The Ocala-based consignor was pleasantly

surprised with the price the colt brought. “He’s always been mature, developed, good boned and good-minded, one that never had a bad day,” said Bayer. “He made it easy for me.” The colt reminded Lanni a lot of Mor Spirit, and he appears to possess many of those same attributes of his sire. “He’s very fast sound looking animal,” said Lanni. “Mor Spirit was a very fast horse. He’s a standout. He kind of separated himself. Everybody liked him. I’m lucky that I got him.” The next OBS sale is set for March 16 -17 and will feature 2-year-old thoroughbreds.

JANUARY 29 - FEBRUARY 4 , 2021 | OCALA GAZETTE

Unemployment drops to 5.6% Ocala Gazette Staff “Our liberty depends on the freedom of the press, and that cannot be limited without being lost.” - Thomas Jefferson

Publisher Jennifer Hunt Murty jennifer@magnoliamediaco.com

Carlos Medina, Managing Editor carlos@ocalagazette.com Bruce Ackerman, Photography Editor bruce@ocalagazette.com Ainslie Lee, Associate Editor ainslie@ocalagazette.com Brendan Farrell, Reporter brendan@ocalagazette.com Lisa McGinnes, Editor lisa@magnoliamediaco.com

arion County’s unemployment rate dipped to 5.6% in December, according to numbers from the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity. The county’s rate dropped from 6% in November. A year ago, unemployment was 3.2%. The rate spiked earlier this year in the wake of the COVID-19 quarantines sending unemployment rates skyrocketing across the country. In Florida, the rate rose to a record 14.5% in May, according to DEO records. Locally, the December rate beat the state’s 6.1% unemployment number and overall, several Marion County industries managed to gain jobs. The number of Marion County residents in the labor force was 142,294 in December, with the

Susan Smiley-Height, Editor susan@magnoliamediaco.com

Graphic Designer Brooke Pace brooke@magnoliamediaco.com

By Lisa McGinnes Ocala Gazette

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number employed at 134,309, leaving 7,985 unemployed. A month ago, the labor force was 141,753 with 133,648 employed and 8,104 unemployed. A year ago,

the labor force was 137,663 with 133,293 employed and just 4,470 without a job. The US unemployment rate was 6.7% in December.

African American artists exhibit opens at the Appleton

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[Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette]

Appleton Museum of Art. The exhibit, “Memories & Inspiration: The Kerry and C. Betty Davis Collection of African t took more than 35 years American Art,” is a touring exhibit for Kerry and Betty Davis to organized by International Arts & collect 300 original artworks Artists in Washington, D.C. created by African American Now retired, Kerry Davis, artists. a mail carrier, lived frugally, On Jan. 30, an exhibit of 62 of choosing to splurge on original these paintings, drawings, prints artworks that reflected his and sculptures will open at the experience as a Black American. He bartered his carpentry and handyman skills, constructing frames and doing odd jobs for artists in exchange for art to add to his collection. The works he and his wife, Betty, a retired television producer, are sharing through the exhibit include pieces by Radcliffe Bailey, Romare Bearden, Beverly Buchanan, Elizabeth Catlett, Ernest T. Crichlow, Sam Gilliam, Loïs Mailou Jones, Jacob Lawrence, Gordon Parks, Alma Thomas and Charles White. From the exhibition “Memories & Inspiration,” Sedrick HuckOne piece that aby, “She Wore Her Family’s Quilt,” 2015. [Gregory Staley/ holds sentimental Submitted]

value for Kerry Davis is the painting “She Wore Her Family’s Quilt.” Commissioned from Texas artist Sedrick Huckaby in 2015, Davis said the colorful oil on canvas painting reminded him of the handmade quilts in his childhood home. “We are very lucky and honored to bring the ‘Memories & Inspiration’ exhibit to our community,” said Appleton Museum of Art Director Jason Steuber. He said the show is a continuation of the museum’s efforts to showcase Black artists. “Over the past two decades, the Appleton has hosted solo and group exhibitions of African American artists from private and public collections,” Steuber said. Kerry Davis will give a free Zoom talk, joined by Daytona Beach native and now Atlantabased African American artist Kevin Sipp, on Feb. 28 at 2 p.m. Zoom login details for the talk are available at AppletonMuseum.org. In honor of Black History Month, admission is free every Saturday and Sunday in February. The Appleton Museum of Art, 4333 E. Silver Springs Blvd., is open Tuesday-Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 5 p.m. Visit appletonmuseum.org for more information.

From Fire Fee, page 1 But Patrick Gilligan, the city’s attorney, said they plan to ask for a another trial to determine the amount the city owes. If that request is granted, it could take even longer to resolve the issue. Thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic, all jury trials, criminal and civil, have been on hold since March. “We believe we do have a right to a jury trial on damages. The laws of the State of Florida require we have a trial on damages,” Gilligan said, referring to the city arguing for a set-off of damages. It was one of several defenses the city made in the nearly seven-yearlong case. The argument is that the city provided the fire services and should get some “set off ” or credit toward the final damages. Neither the lower court nor the appeals court directly addressed that issue, Gilligan argued. Derek Schroth, an attorney for the plaintiffs, argued the Florida 5th District Court of Appeal already spoke on that issue by ordering a refund. “The set-off issue was before the appellate court, and they still ruled for a common fund to refund all the illegally-collected taxes,” Schroth said. “If there is a defense of set-off, you would never have a refund of an illegal tax because the

government would always say, ‘We provided services.’” Hodges said that argument was for another day. “If it’s a legal question, it will be resolved by the court. If it’s a fact question that’s unresolved, it would go to a jury,” [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette] Hodges said. Hodges also said 2009 and then brought it back in he would work with the city to 2010. The appeals court found the avoid putting them in a positing of 2014 suit fell within four years of financial ruin. the fee’s reinstatement. “I’m mindful of the fact that On its second trip through many of the same people who will circuit court, Herndon ruled the be getting a refund will be paying case could not continue as a class for the refund. It’s not like the city action and was again dismissed. took this money and put it in their The appellate court reversed again, pocket. It was used for a legitimate sending the case back for a second city service,” he said. time. The case began in 2014 when In 2019, Herndon ruled after a Discount Sleep of Ocala LLC non-jury trial that the user fee was and Dale W. Birch filed a lawsuit lawful. But in June, the appeals challenging the fee. court reversed for the third time Circuit Judge Lisa Herndon and ordered the court to establish a dismissed that suit after ruling fund to pay refunds. the statute of limitations expired. In the past, Schroth argued the Ocala originally enacted the fee in entire process was avoidable had 2006, and the statute of limitations the city passed a traditional tax in to challenge is four years. the first place. But the appeals court reversed On Tuesday, the Ocala City the decision to dismiss because Council approved a non-ad the city repealed the original fee in valorem tax to pay for fire service.

JANUARY 29 - FEBRUARY 4, 2021 | OCALA GAZETTE

Marion Cultural Alliance excited for future of arts in the community By Lisa McGinnes Ocala Gazette

he 2021 annual meeting of the Marion Cultural Alliance (MCA) looked very different from last year’s gathering, but there was just as much to celebrate and even more to anticipate. Around 40 board members and MCA members assembled in socially distanced fashion on Jan. 25 at the Ocala Civic Theatre to approve board members and officers, look back at 2020 and discuss this year’s strategic plan. In her remarks, MCA Executive Director Jaye Baillie remembered last year’s full house of more than 100 people at the Brick City Center for the Arts. “We were wall to wall with members…nobody was social distanced, and we were excited about the year ahead,” she said. “Within just a very few weeks, we had to function totally differently.” Although MCA’s gallery was closed for more than a month in March and April due to state lockdowns, they still hosted 11 art exhibits, including six virtual exhibits and one curbside exhibit. “We learned that (artists) never stopped creating,” Baillie said. “Artists painted, poets spoke, dancers danced, singers sang. They just really turned to their art for solace and comfort during the

Lisa Seiffer, a Marion Cultural Alliance board member, left, talks with Jaye Baillie, the executive director of MCA, right, during an event at Brick City Center For The Arts on Broadway Street in this July file phots. The group held their annual meeting this week. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette]

pandemic. But, at the same time, the arts are what really kept us sane and together as a community – even if it was virtually.” The online gallery was something MCA hoped to do eventually, but COVID-19 sped up the timeline, Baillie explained. “If you go on our website now, you’ll see the current gallery,” she said. “You can actually toggle and walk around. You can see the individual paintings that are for sale. So, it’s a real benefit not only to individuals who want to visit the gallery online but also to artists who can have their work be seen worldwide.” MCA also took art classes

and the gallery gift shop online, Baillie said. Last year, the cultural arts grants MCA has administered for the past 20 years became relief and recovery grants. They disbursed $19,500 to six nonprofit arts organizations, including the Appleton Museum of Art, Magnolia Arts Xchange, Marion Civic Chorale, Ocala Civic Theatre, Ocala Symphony Orchestra and Rainbow Springs Art. “I know the Ocala Civic Theatre used part of their money to help build the outdoor theater so they could immediately have people back in safe situations outside,” Baillie

said. MCA also accepted grant applications from artists struggling without venues to show and sell their work during stay-at-home orders. Each approved artist received up to $500. Later this year, MCA will produce a long-anticipated book project, according to Baillie. “We will be producing another Ocala book late this fall into early next year,” she said, explaining that the new book will be a follow up to the 2004 “A Way of Life: A Photographic Portrait of Ocala/Marion County” and “Ocala: A Portrait of Life,” published in 2008. “Ocala is such a different

place than it was when those two books were produced,” she said. “And we think we have an amazing story to tell, so we’re excited about that.” MCA’s board officers for 2021 include Chairwoman Lisa Midgett, Chairmanelect Saul Reyes, Treasurer Lisa Seiffer, Secretary Mary Delancey and Immediate Past Chairwoman Trish Kilgore. Current board members include Ginger Cruze, James Hartley, Rosie Miller, Scott Mitchell and Sandra Wilson. The board also approved the strategic plan for 20212023. “Horse Fever 20/20,” which will be unveiled on Feb. 13, is just the beginning, Lisa Midgett said. “We have a really clear road map of what we want to accomplish,” she said. “We are really excited about 2021 and beyond. We’re super excited about collaborating with other arts organizations. We don’t want to lose what we gained in 2020 – those friendships and relationships. And we’re already working on some cool projects for this year. I’m looking forward to our projects that we’re bringing to the community and the continuation and celebration of Horse Fever. But mostly, I am looking forward to working with a team of incredible people to make great things happen with the arts in this community.”

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JANUARY 29 - FEBRUARY 4 , 2021 | OCALA GAZETTE

Hancock, Florida thoroughbred leader, dies at 80 By Carlos Medina Ocala Gazette

ichard Hancock, longtime executive vice president of the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders’ and Owners’ Association, died on Jan. 20. He was 80. Hancock held the post for 22 years before he retired in 2011. During those years, he worked to expand Marion County’s presence as a thoroughbred and equine center. A native of Tusla, Oklahoma, Hancock competed in rodeo for years riding bulls, broncs and roping. A graduate of Oklahoma State University, he earned his law degree from the University of Tulsa College of Law. He had a private practice before becoming a district attorney. He also served two terms in the Oklahoma House of Representatives. In the 1970s, he got involved in the thoroughbred industry and owned a horse farm in Kentucky. Hancock came to Ocala in 1988 to lead the FTBOA. He took worked on changing restrictive pari-mutuel regulations and showcasing Florida-bred racehorses to the rest of the country and world. “Dick was a dear friend. He was a lawyer, he understood politics, and he understood the horse business. That’s unique. He was a tireless worker on top of that. Along with George Steinbrenner, who was president of FTBOA for a number of years, and Don

Dizney, they go a tremendous amount accomplished for racing. Not just for the breeders in Ocala, but the racetracks in Miami,” said J. Michael O’Farrell of the historic Ocala Stud farm. O’Farrell said Hancock was able to form relationships, even with those on the other side of an issue. “Dick was able to laugh with them and joke with them, and at the end of the day, they were able to get things done by negotiating,” O’Farrell said. “We wouldn’t be nearly where we are in the industry in Florida if not for Dick. He was a very important part of all that.” But he did more than direct lobbying efforts in Tallahassee and go on trade missions around the world. He also worked in the community, promoting everything horserelated. For years, Hancock led the battle against Lexington, Kentucky, for the title of Horse Capital of the World. In 1999, Hancock got the trademark on behalf of Ocala and Marion County. Lexington objected, and the argument went back and forth, making headlines around the country along the way. In 2002, the United States Patent and Trademark Office ruled that the FTBOA had exclusive rights to “Ocala/ Marion County Horse Capital of the World.” Still, the debate galvanized many in Marion County to take up the mantle, which is still used prominently as an

official descriptor of the area. Hancock also helped promote the fusion between equine and art with the FTBOA’s sponsorship of an art project called Horse Fever in 2000.

It was the first project for the fledgling Marion Cultural Alliance, said Paula King, the group’s founding chairwoman. The project included 53 horse statues decorated by different artists. The horses went on display across the county and remain one of the most popular art installations in the area. MCA is on its fourth herd of statues, with the latest set to premier for the 20th anniversary. To date, the campaign has raised almost $2 million for the MCA and dozens of charities. “It’s really safe to say that MCA would never have existed if we didn’t have

Dick’s support,” King said. She said Hancock always looked to promote the community. “He wanted to elevate the reputation of Ocala overall. He had a tremendous amount of respect for the legacy farms established here,” King said. “He demonstrated that Ocala could stand next to communities like Lexington and Saratoga and other well-known horse centers and call itself one of the horse capitals.” Lonny Powell, who took over for Hancock at the FTBOA, remembered his predecessor fondly. “I first met Dick in the 1990s and found him to be a passionate advocate and innovator for Florida thoroughbreds,” he said. “Dick, during his 22 plus years as FTBOA executive director in conjunction with his board and advisors, achieved numerous positive advancements for the Florida thoroughbred industry during much of that career. He will always remain a significant part of FTBOA’s history.” Hancock also was a longtime member of the Florida Agriculture Center and Horse Park. The 500acre horse park holds numerous equestrian events spanning multiple disciplines. “You didn’t think about anybody in the equine industry in Marion County, Ocala, the State of Florida without thinking about Dick Hancock. He had such a huge impact on the entire

horse community. What a wonderful man, and what a wonderful job he did,” said Jason Reynolds, executive director of the horse park. During his tenure at FTBOA, Hancock also helped establish Florida Thoroughbred Charities and the Florida Retirement Farm for Ocala/Marion County. Through it all, he kept his family close, O’Farrell said. “He loved his children, and he loved his wife, Cathy. He really was a family man,” he said. Ellie Hancock, one of his daughters, said he will be missed. “Our father was a wonderful man. The accomplishments he’s had over the years and the focus he put into every community he lived in throughout his life came from his heart. He was always proud of his family and we were blessed to have him in our lives,” Ellie Hancock said. Survivors include wife, Cathy Albright Hancock; four daughters, Laura Baysinger, Tulsa, Oklahoma, Ellie Hancock, Ocala, Katherine Harrison, St. Petersburg, and Barbara Nelson, St. Petersburg; two stepchildren, Steve Albright, Ocala, and Weldon Liberatore, Ocala; brother, Don Hancock, Ft. Smith, Arkansas; 12 grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren. A private memorial service will be held by the family. In lieu of flowers, the family asks memorial contributions be made to Hospice of Marion County or the Florida Thoroughbred Charities.

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JANUARY 29 - FEBRUARY 4, 2021 | OCALA GAZETTE

State News Citizens Property seeks higher rates, coverage changes By Jim Saunders News Service of Florida TALLAHASSEE – Citizens Property Insurance Corp. could increase residential rates by an average of 7.2 percent this year, as the state-backed insurer contends with a flood of new policies and troubles in the private insurance market. Meanwhile, the chairman of the Senate Banking and Insurance Committee on Monday filed a potentially farreaching bill that seeks to reduce attorney fees and litigation in propertyinsurance disputes and limit the costs of claims for roof damage. The Citizens Board of Governors on Tuesday will take up a plan that includes the average 7.2 percent hike, up from an initial 3.7 percent increase that it considered last month. The board shelved the 3.7 percent proposal and requested that staff members find ways to bump it up. Proposed rate changes would vary widely, depending on factors such as types of policies and locations. For example, homeowners would see an average 6.1 percent increase, while policies for condominium units and mobile homes would see higher average increases, according to the plan posted Monday on the Citizens website. The Citizens rate plan and the bill by Senate Banking and Insurance Chairman Jim Boyd, R-Bradenton, came after regulators last year approved dozens of doubledigit rate increases for

private insurers and as homeowners steadily turn to Citizens for coverage. Insurers blame issues such as litigation and roofdamage claims for financial troubles. “We want to make certain that Floridians have access to property insurance that is both reliable and affordable,” Boyd, who runs an insurance agency, said in a prepared statement. “Right now we have a situation in our state where homeowners are paying more for their property insurance, and yet insurance companies are suffering massive losses.” While Citizens was created as an insurer of last resort, it can be cheaper – and more available – for many homeowners than buying coverage from private insurers. Citizens had 427,000 policies in 2018 but saw its policy count grow to 532,000 in 2020. It is projected to increase to 630,000 policies, or more, this year. That trend goes against a longstanding effort by state officials to shift policies to the private market and

led the Citizens board last month to look for ways to increase rates more than the proposed 3.7 percent hike. The new plan, which would take effect in August and would be subject to approval by the state Office of Insurance Regulation, includes a series of changes that combine to push up the proposal to 7.2 percent. As an example, the plan would lead to Citizens setting aside additional premium dollars to avoid the possibility of what are known as “assessments.” Such assessments could be collected from insurance policyholders across the state – including nonCitizens customers – if major hurricanes hit Florida and inundate Citizens with costly claims. Another part of the plan would eliminate a practice that allows some Citizens customers to receive decreases in their premiums. Those customers would see no changes in their premiums, rather than decreases. Also on Tuesday, the Citizens board will consider a proposal that could lead

to new customers paying actuarially sound rates, which in many cases would be higher than current customers pay. The board debated the idea in December but deadlocked on it. At the time, opponents raised objections about the possibility of neighbors having potentially varying insurance rates for similar properties and said they think such a policy decision should be made by the Legislature. Citizens’ rates have long been a controversial issue, with lawmakers and regulators facing pressure from consumers to hold down rates as residents in some areas complained they could not find affordable private coverage. One factor that has held down Citizens’ rates, for example, was a decision by lawmakers to prevent individual policyholders from seeing rate increases of more than 10 percent a year. But property insurance appears likely to become a high-profile issue during the upcoming legislative session, as private insurers and Citizens lobby for changes. The insurance industry blames what it says is excessive litigation for part of the financial troubles, and Boyd’s bill would take a series of steps to try to reduce A file photo shows hurricane damage to beach homes. Citizens Property Insurance Corp, the lawsuits. state-backed insurer, is seeking rate increases as it deals with a flood of new policies amid That includes reported troubles in the private insurance market. [News Service of Florida] trying to place

new limits on the fees of attorneys who represent consumers in insurance disputes. For instance, the bill (SB 76) would seek to limit “contingency fee multipliers,” a longtime goal of insurers. Florida allows plaintiffs to collect attorney fees when they prevail in cases against insurance companies, with the amounts typically set by a calculation of the number of hours spent on a case and a reasonable hourly rate. But courts also can approve contingency risk multipliers that increase the fees. Under the bill, however, contingency risk multipliers could only be awarded “in a rare and exceptional circumstance with evidence that competent counsel could not be retained in a reasonable manner.” Also, the bill takes aim at roof-damage claims, as insurers say they have faced a surge of questionable and potentially fraudulent claims. Boyd’s bill would take steps such as allowing insurers to use what is described as a “roof surface reimbursement schedule.” Under the proposal, reimbursements could vary based on ages and types of roofs. For example, insurers would be required to provide full replacement coverage for roofs less than 10 years old. But they would be allowed to provide less coverage for other roofs. Rep. Bob Rommel, R-Naples, has filed a bill (HB 305) that mirrors parts of the Boyd proposal on litigation and roofing claims, though it is not as broad. The bills are filed for consideration during the legislative session that starts March 2.

Never again to lockdowns By Jim Turner News Service of Florida TALLAHASSEE – Businesses will remain open even as COVID-19 cases continue to surge in Florida, the head of a Senate select committee on the pandemic said Thursday. And if similar pandemics occur in the future, the state intends to have guidelines that would keep businesses from again facing closures, said Sen. Danny Burgess, a Zephyrhills Republican who chairs the Select Committee on Pandemic Preparedness and Response. Burgess said a lesson from COVID-19 is the economic carnage created when businesses closed last year to slow the spread of the virus, which has killed more than 24,700 Floridians since March. “I think everyone is on the same page now that we absolutely in no circumstance should go back to where we were before when we shut down

our economy,” Burgess said during a webinar held by the Florida Economic Development Council. “Our economy was strong. Our economy is strong. And our economy is bouncing back. But there are so many people who lost jobs, and so many businesses who shuttered and who may never open again, and who won’t open again, for sure, because of what we’ve done.” Burgess’ comments came as President Joe Biden released a national strategy focused on speeding up the manufacturing, testing and distribution of vaccines and other medical supplies. Biden’s effort also will require people to wear face masks on such things as trains and airplanes. Burgess’ approach echoes the position of Gov. Ron DeSantis, who has said for months he does not think lockdowns and fines for violating mask restrictions are effective. DeSantis has also

opposed requests from local government officials to enact their own rules to curb the spread of COVID-19. “We will categorically not allow any local government to lock people down. We will not let any local government kick anybody out of their job,” DeSantis said on Jan. 6 while in Pensacola. “We will not let any local government fine individual Floridians. We will not let any local government shut down schools. And we’re not going to let any local governments do those things.” Burgess, whose committee is set to meet for the second time next week, added that there is a belief that “we know how we can handle this, how we can navigate this virus and that we need to navigate it responsibly,” which includes people wearing masks, washing their hands and socially distancing. Lawmakers also are moving quickly on a proposal (SB 72 and HB

7) that would provide COVID-19 liability protections to businesses. While vaccines are gradually becoming available to people 65 and older, the state Department of Health as of Wednesday had reported an average of 14,587 new COVID-19 cases a day since the start of January. The state had also posted an average of 153 deaths a day since the start of the month. In December, the daily average of new cases was 10,800, while the daily death toll averaged 103.

Burgess [News Service of Florida]

Burgess views the select committee as a two-year process, with the initial focus being ways to increase the availability of vaccines to meet the high demand. The longer-term aspect is to craft a report outlining steps for handling future pandemics, he said. “Pandemics and viruses were here before us. They will be here after us. And so, we have to be ready for the next time,” Burgess said. “Hopefully very soon, we can get back to life as we knew it, you know, and get out of this new normal.”

JANUARY 29 - FEBRUARY 4 , 2021 | OCALA GAZETTE

State considering online sales tax plan By Jim Turner News Service of Florida TALLAHASSEE – A proposal that could pump more than $600 million a year in tax dollars into coronavirusdamaged state and local coffers got off to a quick start Monday in the Florida Senate. But backers of the proposal (SB 50), which drew unanimous support from the Senate Commerce and Tourism Committee, just don’t want anyone calling tax collections required in the bill a “new” tax. Sen. Joe Gruters, who doubles as chairman of the state Republican Party, said his proposal simply requires online businesses with no physical presence in Florida to collect sales taxes when customers in Florida make purchases. “This is all about fairness, fairness to our local communities, fairness to our local brick-and-mortar shops that are struggling as they’re competing on some of these lowmargin items against foreign competitors,” Gruters said. Currently, through what is sort of an honor system, Florida residents are supposed to submit the tax money when it is not collected by out-of-state retailers. “I think this bill will help consumers at the end of the day, because most don’t have the wherewithal to go on to the Department of Revenue website to download those forms to calculate the taxes that are out there,” said Gruters, a Sarasota Republican who is a certified public accountant. However, Karen Woodall, executive director of the Florida Center for Fiscal and Economic Policy, cautioned that even though the sales tax already exists, the effort remains “regressive” for Floridians who “have not been paying” the tax on online purchases. “If you’re going to raise the state sales tax, we’re encouraging you to also look at returning the state corporate income tax rate that was there before 2018 as a fair way to raise revenue,” Woodall said. Rich Templin, a lobbyist for the Florida AFL-CIO, said the state needs to take a bigger view on meeting revenue needs, as the bill will impact frontline workers and, regardless of technicalities, will be viewed as a “new tax.” “When they make their online purchases, they will be spending more on those purchases,” Templin said. Gruters’ bill will be considered during the legislative session that starts March 2, as lawmakers also grapple with major budget problems stemming from the coronavirus pandemic. While an estimate hasn’t been issued for the bill, a staff analysis of a similar proposal Gruters filed for the 2020 legislation said the change would generate $479 million for the state government

and $132.9 million for local governments during this fiscal year. But fears about the proposal being considered a new tax have stymied efforts to pass it, even though the change has been supported by large business groups, the Florida League of Cities and the Florida Association of Counties. As state and local governments face budget crunches – and as the pandemic has led to more shopping online – a task force led by officials from Associated Industries of Florida, the Florida Retail Federation, the National Federation of Independent Business Florida and the Florida Restaurant & Lodging Association included the online sales tax collection in a list of proposals for the 2021 legislative session. Tallahassee-based Florida TaxWatch for years has argued the proposal would ensure online dealers don’t have an advantage over brick-andmortar stores in selling the same products without the added state tax. “They are invading our markets, and we are not collecting the sales and use tax. We are putting our own employers at a clear competitive disadvantage,” TaxWatch President and CEO Dominic Calabro said. “This needed to be done before this pandemic and absolutely must be done because of the pandemic.” Gruters’ 2020 proposal did not get through Senate committees. The House never took up a version of the bill, which was sponsored by Rep. Chuck Clemons, a Newberry Republican who is again sponsoring the issue for the 2021 session (HB 15). Many online sales to Floridians are taxed if, for example, retailers have stores or other operations in the state. But Gruters’ proposal uses a 2018 U.S. Supreme Court decision in a case known as South Dakota v. Wayfair as a basis for trying to require other out-of-state businesses to collect and remit the taxes to Florida. The decision against Wayfair, a large online retailer with no physical presence in South Dakota, overturned a “physical presence test,” expanding states’ abilities to collect sales taxes. A South Dakota law, which focuses on remote sellers with $100,000 of sales or 200 individual transactions into the state, has since been copied by 43 states and the District of Columbia. Another 38 states and D.C. have set up marketplace provider collections. Florida Senate President Wilton Simpson, R-Trilby, has highlighted the proposal as a way for lawmakers to offset a projected $2.75 billion revenue shortfall. Simpson has also proposed establishing a new gambling agreement with the Seminole Tribe of Florida. – News Service Assignment Manager Tom Urban contributed to this report.

Bill Briefs Hurricane season tax holiday proposed

Outlawing police strangulation About eight months after the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis touched off nationwide protests, a Florida state senator filed a bill that targets strangulation by police officers. The bill (SB 730), filed by Sen. Randolph Bracy, D-Orlando, could lead to officers facing third-degree felony charges if they strangle people under certain circumstances. “A law enforcement officer commits the offense of strangulation by a law enforcement officer if while on duty the officer knowingly and intentionally impedes the normal breathing or circulation of the blood of an individual so as to create a risk of or cause great bodily harm or death by applying pressure on the throat or neck of the individual or by blocking the nose or mouth of the individual, including the use of a chokehold or similar restraint,” according to the bill. Floyd, a Black man, died in May after a police officer kneeled on his neck during an arrest, preventing him from breathing.

A Senate Republican recently filed a bill that would provide a sales-tax “holiday” around the start of hurricane season for people who buy disaster-preparedness supplies. Sen. Joe Gruters, R-Sarasota, filed the proposal (SB 734) for consideration during the legislative session that starts March 2. The state has regularly held such holidays in recent years, with Gruters proposing a holiday from May 28 through June 13. The annual six-month hurricane season starts June 1. The proposal would allow people to avoid paying sales tax on items such as portable generators costing $750 or less, tarps costing $50 or less, packages of batteries costing $30 or less and food coolers costing $30 or less.

COVID-19 liability bill The Senate Judiciary Committee on Monday approved a proposal that would give Florida businesses that “substantially” comply with publichealth guidelines broad protection from coronavirus-related lawsuits filed by customers and employees. The bill (SB 72) would not apply to health-care providers such as hospitals, nursing homes and physicians, who have been clamoring for protections since spring. Instead, the bill would help shield other types of businesses and educational and religious institutions from claims for damages, injuries or deaths. The Republican-controlled committee voted 7-4 along party lines to move it to the Senate Commerce and Tourism Committee. Without the legislation, Judiciary Chairman Jeff Brandes, a St. Petersburg Republican who is sponsoring the bill,

said businesses could face lawsuits if they did not “wholly” comply with the various public-health orders issued at the state, local and federal levels. Brandes’ bill would require plaintiffs to file claims within one year after incidents and require affidavits from a Florida physician attesting that the defendants’ acts or omissions caused damages. Sen. Tina Polsky, a Boca Raton Democrat proposed an amendment that would have deleted the provision requiring physician affidavits. The amendment argued a physician would not be qualified to determine whether a business’ actions caused the COVID-19 infection. The amendment was turned away. The Republican-led Legislature unveiled the Senate bill and its House counterpart (HB 7) this month. The bills are identical.

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JANUARY 29 - FEBRUARY 4, 2021 | OCALA GAZETTE

Creative’s Corner Music maker

Andrew Nichols poses with some of the cigar box guitars he makes as he sits on the porch of one of the houses in the Cracker Village at the Silver River Museum in Silver Springs State Park on Jan. 12. The first cigar box instruments that were made date back to the 1840s. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette]

Ocala craftsman makes cigar box guitars By Lisa McGinnes Ocala Gazette

istory buff Andrew Nichols crafts musical instruments the way his family did generations ago, and modern musicians are buying them as fast as he can turn them out. The cigar box guitar maker grew up in Ocala hearing stories about family gatherings on the porch of his grandmother’s old farmhouse in Alabama. “They were dirt poor,” he said. “They were living in a very rural area. Different family members played instruments they made. You had a washtub bass – it was like a broomstick and an old washtub. A kid had a jar that had some beans in it to shake it and keep a beat. Somebody would be playing a fiddle, and everyone would hang out on the porch and play music. That was their source of entertainment.” Nichols figured out his own family members weren’t so different from musical greats, including Jimi Hendrix, Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler and Led Zeppelin’s Jimmy Page. “They all started out on cigar box guitars just like

this,” Nichols said, holding up one of his handcrafted instruments. The 34-year-old Ocala park ranger learned woodworking from his grandfather. “I’ve been building stuff since I was a little boy,” he explained, adding that he prefers to use hand tools rather than modern power tools. “When I’m doing my woodworking, I’m using a straight draw blade,” he said. “I’ve got planes. I work a lot with an adze. I’ve got all the traditional woodworking tools.” A few years ago, after seeing a drawing of a Civil War soldier playing a cigar box instrument, Nichols decided to buy a build-ityourself kit. Building that first guitar, he knew he’d found a new hobby. And he quickly realized that, with a little ingenuity, he could upcycle the wooden cigar boxes stores often throw away, creatively using leftover paint and repurposing a few purchased or salvaged hardware items to create usable musical instruments. His process starts with thumping the cigar box, “like a watermelon,” he explained.

Some of the cigar box guitars made by Andrew Nichols are shown. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette]

That helps him decide what would make a good resonator – often a paint can lid or metal dog or cat bowl. Other parts might include old cabinet hinges, shower drains, nails and pennies. “If it looks cool and sounds good, I’m going to do it,” Nichols said. “I like taking something that someone were to throw away and make it a piece of art. I can’t go build a Stradivarius, but I can take a piece of junk and make it sound good.” He wires the guitars for use with an electric

Andrew Nichols plays one of the cigar box guitars he made. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette]

amplifier to boost the raspy sound, which is reminiscent of old-time blues music. “That’s how blues and bluegrass and a lot of those genres got started, was by doing exactly this,” he said. As a reenactor for the Attack on Fort King, Ocali Days and other battle reenactments throughout the region, Nichols found a ready clientele of musicians who appreciated his traditional craftsmanship.

His creations are periodappropriate for Civil War, Seminole War and even Revolutionary War reenactments, he explained. The most satisfying part of his craft is when one of his guitars ends up in the hands of a talented musician. “I hear it, and I just get chills. I’m like, ‘I made that, and they’re making it sound good,’” Nichols said. “People pick up a guitar, and their troubles go away.”

JANUARY 29 - FEBRUARY 4 , 2021 | OCALA GAZETTE

School bus driver shortage worse due to COVID-19 By Brendan Farrell Ocala Gazette

arion County Public Schools is seeing a shortage of bus drivers in the middle of a pandemic, forcing some drivers to increase their workload and making students late to school or waiting to get home. School district spokesman Kevin Christian said that the district has about 270 drivers and expects about 10 percent of them to be absent on any given day. However, because of the pandemic, that number has doubled. “I’d say that’s double now thanks to COVID-19 cases and direct contacts,” Christian wrote in an email.

“As a result, some drivers double- and triple-up on routes, which creates delays in getting students to school and home.” Christian notes that the district is always looking for bus drivers. “We constantly advertise, we constantly promote for bus drivers,” Christian said. “But we never, ever have enough bus drivers.” In an email sent from Marion County Public Schools Transportation Director Rebecca Rora to school board members Thursday afternoon, Rora wrote about the situation and how it would be difficult to fix it immediately. “Our fantastic staff members continue to step up to minimize this, and an

amazing team of routers have provided solutions to pick up students with minimal drivers, but the current lack of available drivers has made this challenging,” Rora wrote. “We have been posting vacancies for drivers throughout the year, but current conditions have minimized interested and eligible applicants.” One of the issues that Rora mentioned in her email was that it would take three to four weeks to move a prospective driver from hired to driving due to Department of Transportation training and health requirements. “Adding additional units at this time is not the solution, filling our current vacancies is our greatest need,” Rora wrote.

Christian also said that sometimes the district will have bus drivers quit after a few days. “It’s a hard job, though, and can be stressful,” Christian said in an email. “We also suffer as a district when we train new drivers, help them obtain their

(Commercial Driver’s License), then they leave us after just a few days on the job.” Christian said that they have had people from the district who have their CDL step in and drive school buses, even if it isn’t what they normally do.

Shady Hill’s Fernandez named Teacher of the Year By Brendan Farrell Ocala Gazette

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hady Hill Elementary School teacher Christine Fernandez won Marion County Teacher of the Year 2021 recently, beating out four other finalists. Fernandez has taught in the district since 2013, but she has over three decades of experience. The other four finalists were Tina Otero (West Port High), Christopher Lanza (Ward-Highlands Elementary), Daphne Butler (North Marion Middle) and Heather Nesbitt (North Marion High). Fernandez teaches in her

classroom at Shady Hill, but all of her students are online. “I think that this year was probably more important than any other year with a great opportunity for us to celebrate and recognize the hard work of all of our teachers,” Judy Zanetti, the executive director of the Public Education Foundation of Marion County, said. “Christina is a 30-year teaching veteran, but I think she exemplifies the compassion and the grace and the ability to re-invent and to re-imagine what teaching looks like.” Emma Dingman of Emerald Shores Elementary won Rookie Teacher of the Year. The rookie award is given to teachers with less than four years of experience.

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JANUARY 29 - FEBRUARY 4, 2021 | OCALA GAZETTE

Dropping in Chanel Bradford, 8, casts a long shadow as she skates up one of the steep slopes at the Ocala Skatepark. The City of Ocala Recreation and Parks Department’s skatepark is located at 517 NE 9th St., north of the Reilly Arts Center near Tuscawilla Park. It’s where local skateboarders, scooter riders and bicyclists go to perfect their technique and practice their tricks. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette]

Left: Chanel Bradford, 8, left, and her brother, Cooper Americain, 3, center, steady themselves as they prepare to drop in with Kye Kasper, 4, right. Above: Nolan Robertson, 11, catches some air as he turns a “whip over the gap” on his scooter. Right: An unidentified skateboarder practices on a steep drop-off.

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Gates open at 8am, show starts at 12 noon finishes up around 4pm -Clydesdales, Belgians and Percheron breeds -Undercover open air facility -Visit these gentle giants up close and personal -Fun for all ages -Vendor village -Food trucks -Free parking with general admission -$15 online/$20 at the gate

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JANUARY 29 - FEBRUARY 4 , 2021 | OCALA GAZETTE

Restaurant group takes off with new projects By Ainslie Lee Ocala Gazette

ttention diners, the new restaurant at the Ocala International Airport terminal is preparing for take-off. Elevation 89 at the Ocala Airport, which pays homage to the elevation at which the airport sits, will serve breakfast, lunch and dinner once construction finishes. On Jan. 19, the Ocala City Council approved construction of the interior space, which has remained unfinished since the $7 million terminal opened last February. The council agreed to pay $427,733 to Blackwater Construction Services for the buildout of the 3,300-square-foot space. While Blackwater Construction will put in floors and walls, a local partnership featuring a couple of accomplished Ocala restaurateurs will create the restaurant. Marion County’s Chris Wilson, Rondo Fernandez and Daren Robinson are joined by Joseph St. Pierre, an attorney from South Carolina, in the business endeavor. Fernandez is known for his chain of Mojo’s restaurants. Wilson, managing partner of the project, is no stranger to the Marion County dining landscape either. Wilson has spent much of his focus in the south end of the county, where he and his partners transformed

Weirsdale’s County Line Bar and Package into County Line Smokehouse and Spirits three years ago. When Wilson took on that project, the County Line didn’t serve food. “We’ve come so far in three years that we have our restaurant license now,” Wilson said. “That’s how much food we’ve done there. We went from zero food sales to 50% in three years.” And now, just six miles from the County Line, Wilson and his partners are set to unveil The Anchor in Summerfield on Feb. 1.

Previously known as Fat Daddy’s of Summerfield, Wilson hopes to meet the needs of the community. The former establishment, along with two surrounding properties, was purchased by Wilson and his partners and the restaurant was completely renovated. An area behind the restaurant will eventually feature live entertainment space, a screen room and cornhole and other yard games. “It’s really going to be a nice complex whenever we are done with it,” Wilson said.

They put in about $200,000 to renovate the former Fat Daddy’s, and Wilson expects to spend about the same for Elevation 89. The airport eatery will seat 80 patrons and include a bar area. However, Elevation 89, which is set for a late summer or early fall opening, will provide different challenges for Wilson and the team. “It’s a little different since it’s an airport, and we’re serving very different clientele,” Wilson said. Not to mention how

COVID-19 has affected the traffic at the Ocala International Airport. “Obviously with COVID, it was hurt,” Wilson said. “Prior to COVID, traffic was up and continued to go up. I think it’s rebounding now with the (World Equestrian Center) opening and COVID slowly going away. “I think you’re going to see a boom after COVID, too. You’ll see a ton of demand after COVID. I think we’re going to open at the airport and these other places at the perfect time. I think there’s going to be a lot of pent-up demand.”

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JANUARY 29 - FEBRUARY 4, 2021 | OCALA GAZETTE

Sports Central Florida’s home opener marred by missed chances By Brendan Farrell Ocala Gazette

he College of Central Florida’s baseball team scored 50 runs in the first four games this season. But against Eastern Florida State College, the Patriots went cold. Central Florida scored just five runs despite totaling 13 hits and three walks against the Titans. The Patriots left 12 men on base in their 8-5 loss on Wednesday. “Their pitchers did a good job of just not leaving pitches over the middle of the plate,” CF coach Marty Smith said. “We did not get the barrel on many balls. They did a good job of executing pitches, and teams are gonna beat us when they do that, that’s for sure. And we’re going to beat other teams when we do that.” Former Boston Red Sox draft

pick Mason Ronan started the game on the mound for Central Florida. Ronan was in hot water immediately, walking the first two batters he faced. He then balked, putting runners on second and third with no outs. Ronan then allowed a single, scoring a run. He pitched his way out of the jam after that and cruised through the next two innings. Ronan pitched three innings total, allowing the one run on two hits and three walks with six strikeouts. Ronan’s replacement, Jacksonville transfer Nick Love, didn’t fare as well. Love allowed five runs in three innings on four hits and two walks. One of those five runs came off a towering blast that shot over the tall fence in left field for a solo home run. Against Love, the Titans scored five runs in the fifth and sixth innings combined. They added a couple of insurance runs

The College of Central Florida’s Tre Hondras (10) catches an Eastern Florida State College hit in right field during the Patriot’s season home opener. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette]

The College of Central Florida’s Matthew Cedarburg (3) makes it safely to second base as Eastern Florida State College’s Garrett Evans (3) waits on the throw during the Patriot’s season home opener at the College of Central Florida in Ocala on Jan. 27. The Eastern Florida State College Titans won the game 8-5. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette]

in the top of the ninth to cement the win. The closest the Patriots came to a comeback was in the eighth inning. Carlos Gonzalez singled before Patriot infielder Jackson Taylor - who connected for a solo bomb earlier in the game - hit an RBI double to bring Gonzalez home. But Central Florida mustered just one more run in the inning to make it 6-4. CF was to face Palm Beach State College in a doubleheader on Saturday at

home, but the games were canceled due to COVID-19 concerns. The Patriots will take on Lake Sumter instead at 2 p.m. “We’re gonna be fine,” Smith said. “We needed this. Some pitchers need to learn to keep it out of the plate. And, shoot, on the offensive side, I gotta tip my hat to their pitchers that really did a good job in keeping us off balance and hitting spots and not giving us good pitches to hit.”

North Marion falls to state champ Hawthorne That’s when it started to unravel for North Marion. With just a few seconds left in the first half, Hawthorne’s Jayla Williams was fouled while scoring and then buried a free throw to tie the game at 21. The ensuing North Marion inbound pass went flying out of bounds while the buzzer sounded. The referees reset the clock to 2.5 seconds and gave the ball back to Hawthorne. North Marion then fouled Jaz’lyn Jackson as she attempted a buzzerbeating three-pointer. While the shot was unsuccessful, Jackson drained all three

free throws as both teams headed to the locker room with Hawthorne leading 28-23. The five-point swing was too much for North Marion to overcome, as Hawthorne never surrendered the lead after that. The Colts made it a three-point game with three minutes left in the third quarter, but Hawthorne outscored North Marion 13-5 for the rest of the game. The Hornets’ defense was overwhelming, constantly swarming to the ball. Hawthorne’s defense forced turnover after turnover, and North Marion struggled

at times to even get the ball into the attacking end of the court. Williams led Hawthorne in scoring and punished North Marion multiple times at the freethrow line, while D’nhia Johnson led the Colts’ offense. North Marion faces Buchholz (Gainesville) on Friday before the district tournament begins next week. “I told my girls just to keep their head up, saying they’re the defending state champs,” North Marion coach Stephanie Brown said. “We’re just getting prepared for next week for districts.”

North Marion’s Erianna Williams (11) looks for a way to the basket as she is defended by Hawthorne’s Jazlyn Jackson (10) during a game at North Marion High School on Jan. 25. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette]

By Brendan Farrell Ocala Gazette

orth Marion’s girls’ basketball team traded blow for blow for most of its game against defending 1A state champion Hawthorne on Tuesday night, but the Colts’ upset bid ultimately fell short in a 47-36 loss. The Colts (14-4) hadn’t

lost a game since a 56-27 loss to West Port on Dec. 15. A forfeit win against Forest on Dec. 16 kickstarted a 10game winning streak before the loss to Hawthorne (144). North Marion held the lead for most of the first half. The Colts led 19-10 early in the second quarter, but the lead diminished to just three points with 3:35 to go in the second quarter.

North Marion’s Erianna Williams (11) drives to the basket as Hawthorne’s Jayla Williams (1) reaches in to take the ball away from her during a meeting between the two teams at North Marion High School in Sparr on Jan. 25. Hawthorne won the game 47-36. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette]

JANUARY 29 - FEBRUARY 4 , 2021 | OCALA GAZETTE

For CF Lady Patriots softball, train keeps moving

Glory Thompson gets a hit during a recent CF softball practice. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette]

By Ainslie Lee Ocala Gazette

avigating the first year as a head coach is never easy. Never mind doing it during a global pandemic. However, if Mike Lingle, who took the reins of the College of Central Florida’s softball program this year, learned anything from his predecessor, it’s that the train keeps moving. “When Coach (Kevin) Fagan decided to move on to that next level at the NCAA, it was a shock to me because we have been such close friends, and he has been like a big brother or a mentor to me the past 10 years that we’ve been together,” Lingle said. Fagan, who coached the Lady Patriots for seven seasons and led the program to four conference championships, left CF to coach the Emmanuel College Lions, an NCAA Division II program in Georgia. And now, Lingle, who has been with the CF program

for 11 years as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator, will look to pick up where he and Fagan left off. “He always had a saying that the ‘train keeps moving,’ so that’s pretty much what it is,” Lingle said. “He’s not on it right now, but the train keeps moving.” Given Lingle’s familiarity with the program, not much has changed in terms of the team’s structure. However, the pandemic brought its challenges. Typically, CF’s softball team spends its fall scrimmaging other universities and travel ball programs to prepare for the regular season in the spring. In 2020 those opportunities dried up because of the pandemic. Instead, the Lady Patriots played against themselves. “It was a little challenging to keep (the team) interested and involved by only having them scrimmage each other,” Lingle said. “You can only do that so much.” Despite only seeing his team play against itself,

Lingle is confident in their talent. Redshirt sophomore shortstop, Odalys Cordova, is described by Lingle as a “flashy shortstop” who will likely be hitting in the threehole for the Lady Patriots. Meanwhile, sophomore centerfielder Caroline Jacquay is expected to pick up where she left off in 2020 when she was hitting with an average of over .400. Fellow redshirt sophomore Isabella Pinto will also likely help CF’s offensive efforts as she ranked second in the nation in stolen bases last season (33). Redshirt freshman Madison Edwards is set to be

the Lady Patriots’ ace in the circle after finishing top 5 in the NJCAA softball rankings in ERA and wins last season. “I see us as being a defensiveoriented team who is going to be very athletic and aggressive on the bases, mixed in with some tremendous pop,” Lingle said. “We’re pretty balanced. We’re pretty athletic. We’re pretty steady in the circle. No lights out pitcher, but we feel like we are seasoned at all positions and that we will play solid defense. Our philosophy is good defense, solid pitching and timely hitting. We don’t need lots of hits. We just need good, timely hits.” And while learning how they stack up against other competition has been difficult during the offseason, members of the roster will tell you that spending all that time together has its perks. “We’re a lot closer than what we were last year with the other girls,” Edwards said. “So, I think we will mesh together once it comes down to it.” Echoing Edwards’ sentiments, Jacquay claims that keeping things lighthearted has helped cut

through the tension of an unorthodox offseason. “We all pretty much, in a sense, as far as social distancing can go, we all live together. We still have our roommates and such, so just between the jokes that we make there and here, someone’s always chirping something on the field,” Jacquay said. “We all get along super well. And just music at practice, you know, messing around as much as we can while still getting all the work in. We just try to have as much fun with it as we can.” The Lady Patriots kick off the season on Jan. 29 when they travel to Clearwater to take part in the Adidas JUCO Kickoff Classic and Showcase. There, CF will draw a triple-header against Fayetteville Technical Community College, Pensacola State College and Florence-Darlington Technical College at 10 a.m., 12:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m., respectively. The CF softball program will continue its action in Clearwater on Jan. 30 with games against Gulf Coast State, Polk State and USC Union at 8:30 a.m, 1:30 p.m. and 4 p.m., respectively. Following the showcase, the Lady Patriots make their home-opener on Feb. 2 when they host Hillsborough Community College in a double-header. After a shortened 2020 campaign, the CF softball team is ready to compete. “We’re hungry,” Jacquay said. “We’ve gotta eat this season.”

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Emily Dixon makes a catch in right field during softball practice at the College of Central Florida. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette]

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JANUARY 29 - FEBRUARY 4, 2021 | OCALA GAZETTE

Hospitals short on vaccines referred to health departments By Christine Sexton News Service of Florida TALLAHASSEE – With frustrations mounting amid a constrained supply of COVID-19 vaccines, Florida’s top public-health official urged hospital executives on Tuesday to turn to county health departments if they need to vaccinate newly hired staff members and patients. During a statewide phone call, Department of Health Secretary Scott Rivkees told hospitals they cannot use “second dose” vaccine supplies to give initial vaccinations to more people. Rivkees’ remarks came as Gov. Ron DeSantis makes vaccinating people ages 65 and older his top priority. But hospital executives pressed Rivkees about the state’s limited supply of “first dose” vaccines and how they can get a share of them. Patrice Vance, a vice president of quality and risk with the HCA hospital company, asked about the availability of COVID-19 vaccines for newly hired employees.

“As we have new staff that come on … is there any allocation being planned to provide first dose to the organizations?” she asked. Rivkees, who doubles as the state’s surgeon general, gave no firm answers but told hospital officials that “this is a situation where you can reach out to your county health department. Health departments are playing a role in terms of vaccinating health care personnel in the community. So speak with them, and we’ll be able to work with you in this situation.” Windell Smith, operations administrator at Mayo Clinic Jacksonville, said it had been five weeks since his facility had received any additional first doses of COVID-19 vaccine. “We have several thousand patients who are 65 and above, many have higher risk comorbidities and they are waiting to schedule an appointment with us. We support a lot of staff and facility resources, and we can provide up to 1,000 or more vaccines per day,” he said. “But should we now be

ollowing a surge of cases after the holidays, COVID-19 cases in Marion County have seen a decrease in recent days. The county reported an average of 166.7 cases per day between Jan. 20 and Jan. 26, a sharp decline from the 204.4 cases per day it was reporting between Jan. 13 and Jan. 19. Since Marion registered 353 positives on Jan. 14, it has surpassed the 200-case mark three times, but that has only happened once in the last seven days. “If you look at the charts, two weeks, you know, 10, 14, 17 days after specific holidays, you can see increases in cases,” Mark Lander, the administrator for the Florida Department of Health in Marion County, said. “Letting us realize that a lot of it’s family connections, family cases in together.” Positivity rates have also decreased over time, though Marion County still

from within this vulnerable population are not left behind,” the letter said. During the phone call with hospital executives, Rivkees said Florida’s allocations from the federal government are announced on a week-to-week basis and that the state is “hopeful” that the supply of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines will increase. Moreover, Rivkees said the state hopes the federal Food and Drug Administration will in the coming weeks give emergency-use approval for new COVID-19 vaccines. Rivkees’ direction to hospitals came as DeSantis has started criticizing President Joe Biden’s administration over its plan to use the Federal Emergency Management Agency to help distribute vaccines. The governor dubbed the proposal “FEMA camps” and said the state just needs more doses, not to help with distribution. The Biden administration shot back Monday, noting that 2.9 million doses of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines had been delivered but

that 1.54 million had been administered in Florida. State officials contend that 907,000 doses are being held in reserve, targeted for “second doses.” Both vaccines require two doses to be effective. Also, despite a requirement that hospitals, county health departments and pharmacies update vaccination information daily, DeSantis has repeatedly said there’s a lag in the data. The federal government gave emergency authorization for the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines in December. Rivkees and Agency for Health Care Administration Deputy Secretary Molly McKinstry, who was also on Tuesday’s phone call, warned hospitals against using any second-dose vaccines that have been delivered for firstdose vaccinations. Doing so, McKinstry said, could result in a shortfall of second doses. “There is not a second dose allocation if a second dose is inappropriately used as a first dose,” she said. “That does create a gap.”

From Classrooms, page 1

COVID-19 cases in Marion County start to decline By Brendan Farrell Ocala Gazette

directing our patients to the county health department or to the commercial pharmacies? And if we should do that now, will it be temporary or will we be receiving additional first doses in the future when we get more supply?” State Rep. Carlos Guillermo Smith, D-Orlando, said hospitals are the only providers authorized to vaccinate front-line health care workers and vulnerable populations that DeSantis also vowed to protect in a Dec. 23 executive order about vaccinating people 65 and older. The lawmaker sent a letter Tuesday to hospitals telling them to develop strategies to target people who are at risk and to use whatever supply they have to do so. “By reserving any currently remaining or available first dose supply to those high-risk individuals under 65 who desperately need the vaccine, hospitals would be following the intent of the governor’s executive order while doing their part to ensure as many individuals as possible

hovers above the 10% mark. Lander said that the county’s positivity rate had previously been 16% before dropping to 13% last week and holding between 12% and 13% this week. “In a nutshell, numbers are, you know, still in the triple-digit numbers, and our positivity rate is still above 10 percent, so we’re, you know, we’re working diligently to try to bring that back down,” Lander said. “That is certainly where we exist as a community right now.” On the vaccine front, the county had four days between Jan. 21 and Jan. 26 where it vaccinated over 1,000 people per day, with a high of 1,452 immunizations on Tuesday. According to the Florida Department of Health, the county has given 24,081 people their first shot, as of Thursday morning. Lander said that the county, with the help of AdventHealth, has been vaccinating 700 people per day at the Paddock Mall. Marion County is still working through its list of over 50,000 registrations for the COVID-19 vaccine.

classroom cases passed on. I believe that might have been at West Port High School, is what I was told,” Lander said. Allison Campbell, District 1 school board member, said the suspected cases are unsettling. “Now that we have had a positive confirmed case – at least that’s the way Mr. Lander made is sound as of today – that has been a classroom transmission, that is a change from what we had for six months,” she said. Kevin Christian, school spokesman, said Tuesday was the first time the DOH advised them of a suspected case of COVID-19 spread in the classroom. For board Chairwoman Nancy Thrower, the report only galvanized the board’s plan to send a letter to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, asking that school employees are put on the priority list for vaccines. The board is reviewing a draft and could send the letter as early as Thursday. “Anything that happens in the school system has a profound effect on the community. So, we will be reviewing a draft of a letter tonight going to the governor to continue to plea that we begin to get prioritized as school employees,” Thrower said. “Everyone counts on us to be functioning smoothly.” The draft version of the letter asks DeSantis to classify school workers as essential workers and give those with direct contact with students prioritization for vaccinations moving forward. “We understand the need to vaccinate Florida’s most vulnerable health care workers and the elderly. However, we would appreciate your consideration for future distribution plans, and ask that you continue your support and prioritization for the Marion County School District to serve its students and families,” according to the draft letter.

Campbell said the possible classroom spread cases are the reason why the school system adheres to a strict close contact rule of 14-day quarantines. Any student or school employee who has close contact with someone with a confirmed case of COVID-19 is not allowed to return for 14 days, which health officials believe is the maximum incubation period for the virus. “I have seen quite of bit of chatter from parents that are frustrated,” Campbell said. “If we are seeing classroom transmission from our students, that only further emphasizes the reason these close contacts are then dismissed, ensuring the safety of our students.” When in-school classes resumed in Marion County in August, the district established guidelines to limit the chance of classroom spread. Students and personnel must wear masks or face shields when social distancing is not possible, including in hallways, common areas and on school buses. Custodians frequently clean surfaces throughout the day and conduct deeper cleanings at the end of every day. The district also provides teachers and other staff members with cleaning supplies and hand sanitizer. The district has also worked to inform parents about screening for symptoms, keeping sick children at home and steps they can take to avoid the spread. Thrower said keeping vigilant of the guidelines remains important. “Everyone at some level has COVID fatigue at this point. We want it to be over,” she said. “If we really want this to end, we really need to do what we know we need to do. The three simple things, wash your hands, wear your mask properly and social distance when possible.”

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JANUARY 29 - FEBRUARY 4 , 2021 | OCALA GAZETTE

Community

Arts

Now -4/3

Chain Reaction Charlie

Now Nature’s Beauty: Seeing & Feeling -1/30

1/29 -31

WEC Winter Spectacular

Now -2/7

I Hate Hamlet

1/29

Marion Oaks Farmers Market

Now -2/12

Visual Arts Faculty Exhibition

1/29

Marion County Friday Market

1/29 1/29 1/30

Discovery Center, 701 NE Sanchez Ave. Saturday 10am-5pm, Tuesday-Friday 10am-12:30 and 2:304:30pm This new exhibit allows kids of all ages to get hands-on in Charlie’s garden, tree house and workshop to make incredible new inventions. Visit mydiscoverycenter.org for more information.

World Equestrian Center, 1390 NW 80th Ave. 8am Spectators are welcome at hunter/jumper and dressage equine events. Parking is free, restaurants are open and leashed dogs are permitted. Visit wec.net for more information.

Marion Oaks Community Center, 294 Marion Oaks Lane 9am-noon Fresh vegetables, artisan food products and handmade crafts.

McPherson Government Complex, 601 SE 25th Ave. 9am-2pm Shop locally fresh fruits and veggies, cinnamon buns, jerky, freeze dried treats, olive oils and seafood.

Brick City Center for the Arts, 23 SW Broadway St. Tuesday-Friday 10am-5pm, Saturday 11am-4pm A collective art exhibit featuring artworks by Jillian Ramsammy and photography by Saul Reyes. Opening reception January 8, 5-6pm; exhibit open Tuesday-Saturday through January 30. Email Ashley.justiniano@mcaocala.com for more information.

Ocala Civic Theatre 7:30pm A witty play about a young actor dreaming of TV stardom and haunted by the ghost of John Barrymore. Visit ocalacivictheatre.com for tickets.

CF Webber Gallery, 3001 SW College Road 10am-4pm The talent of the College of Central Florida Visual Arts faculty is displayed in an exhibition of ceramics, prints, fiber, photography and mixed media pieces. Open Monday through Thursday. Visit cf.edu for more information.

Classroom in the Garden: Fiery Ferments

Now The Art of Adventure -4/25

Ocala Truck and Tractor Pull

Now Luminous Worlds -6/27

Fort King National Historic Landmark, 3925 E Fort King St. 5:30pm Adults are invited to this program in the Fort King Heritage Teaching Garden. Create your own hot sauce and spicy kraut to take home. Visit fb.com/ocalarecpark for more information.

Southeastern Livestock Pavilion 6pm Trucks, tractors, modified tractors and mini rods on the track, with merchandise and food vendors. Visit fb.com/ beermoneypullingteam for more information.

West Ocala Wellness Community Garden Day

Community Garden, 2200 W. State Road 40 8:30-10:30am Community members are invited to replant their crops or start a new garden plot. Call (352) 368-5540 or visit ocalafl.org/ garden for more information.

1/30

Ocala Downtown Market

1/30

Brownwood Farmers Market

1/30

Drive-Thru Food Distribution

310 SE Third St. 9am-2pm A variety of vendors offer local fruits and vegetables, meats and seafood, fresh pasta, honey, arts and crafts, rain or shine. Visit ocaladowntownmarket.com for more information.

2726 Brownwood Blvd., Wildwood 9am-1pm More than 70 vendors offer fresh produce and crafts. Visit thevillagesentertainment.com for more information.

CF Hampton Center, 1501 W. Silver Springs Blvd. 10am Fresh food will be distributed to 500 local families through a partnership with Farm Share and Ocala City Councilman Ire Bethea. Call (352) 854-2322, ext. 1598 for more information.

1/30 -31

Some Kind of Heaven

1/31

Polo Match: School Pride Day

Marion Theatre, 50 S Magnolia Ave. 8pm Saturday, 4:30pm Sunday This new feature documentary film takes a deep dive into The Villages, America’s largest retirement community. Visit reillyartscenter.com for tickets and more information.

Florida Horse Park, 11008 S Highway 475 1-3pm Bring chairs, a picnic and the family and enjoy a live polo match. Visit ocalapolo.com for more information.

Appleton Museum of Art, 4333 E. Silver Springs Blvd. Tuesday-Saturday 10am-5pm, Sunday noon-5pm An exhibition of 1970s serigraphs by Clayton Pond highlighting artworks from Pond’s “Leisure-time Obsessions Series.” Visit appletonmuseum.org for more information.

Appleton Museum of Art, 4333 E. Silver Springs Blvd. Tuesday-Saturday 10am-5pm, Sunday noon-5pm An exhibition featuring the large abstract canvases of Kristin Herzog, a Naples, Florida-based artist and former civil engineering draftsman. Visit appletonmuseum.org for more information.

1/29 -3/6

9 to 5: The Musical

The Sharon L. Morse Performing Arts Center, 1051 Main St., The Villages Tuesday-Saturday 7pm, Saturday 2pm The riotous musical comedy based on the 1980 movie features music and lyrics by Dolly Parton. Visit thesharon.com for tickets.

1/30 Memories & Inspiration -3/28

Appleton Museum of Art 10am-5pm Thursday-Saturday, 12-5pm Sunday The Memories & Inspiration: The Kerry and C. Betty Davis Collection of African American art exhibition celebrates the passion of a couple who amassed a collection of more than 300 works over 35 years. Visit appletonmuseum.org for more information.

2/3

Forest Jam

Forest Community Center at Sandhill Park, 777 S County Road 314A, Ocklawaha 6:30-9pm Musicians of all levels are invited for strumming and picking and the public is invited to enjoy the music.

Government

2/1

Marion County Development Review Committee

2/1

Marion County Board of Adjustment Variances

2/1

Office of the County Engineer, 412 SE 25th Ave. 9am The DRC votes on waiver requests, drainage/site plans, subdivision master plans, preliminary plats, improvement plans and final plats. Call (352) 671-8686 for more information.

Growth Services Training Room, 2710 E. Silver Springs Blvd. 2pm Call (352) 438-2600 for more information.

Hills of Ocala Recreation Advisory Council

Hills of Ocala Clubhouse, 10475 SW 135th Terrace 6pm Call (352) 438-2828 for more information.

2/2

Biz Promoters Networks Group

Power Plant Business Incubator, 405 SE Osceola Ave. 11:30am-12:30pm Bring your own lunch. Email tom@ocalacep.com for more information.

2/2

Marion County Board of Commissioners

2/3

1 Million Cups Ocala

2/2

Marion County Public Hearing

2/3

Farmers Market

2/2

Belleview City Commission

2/4 2/4

Power Plant Business Incubator, 405 SE Osceola Ave. 9:30-10:30am Two local startups present their business idea to an audience of community entrepreneurs. Email ryan@ocalacep.com for more information.

Circle Square Commons, 8405 SW 80th St. 9am-1pm Locally grown seasonal produce, baked goods, plants and more. Visit circlesquarecommons.com/farmersmarket for more information.

CEP 75 West Networkers

Bank of the Ozarks, 8375 SW State Road 200 8–9:30am Contact Randy Ziemann at (847) 302-2400 for more information.

Hispanic Business Council

Power Plant Business Incubator, 405 SE Osceola Ave. 9:30-10:30am Email admin@hispanicbusinesscouncil.com for more information.

McPherson Government Complex Auditorium, 601 SE 25th Ave. 9am Call (352) 438-2323 for more information.

McPherson Government Complex auditorium, 601 SE 25th Ave. 2pm A public hearing to consider a road closure petition associated with a portion of NW 35th Street between NW 44th Avenue and I-75. Call (352) 671-8686 for more information.

City Hall Commission Room, 5343 SE Abshier Blvd., Belleview 6pm Call (352) 245-7021 for more information.

2/3

Dunnellon City Council Workshop

2/4

Marion County Development Review Committee Staff Meeting

Dunnellon City Hall, 20750 River Drive, Dunnellon 5:30pm Call (352) 465-8500 for more information.

Office of the County Engineer Building 1 Conference Room, 412 SE 25th Ave. 8:30am Applicants may discuss proposed or current projects with county review staff prior to meeting formally with the Development Review Committee. Call (352) 671-8686 for more information.

JANUARY 29 - FEBRUARY 4, 2021 | OCALA GAZETTE

ENTERTAINMENT CALENDAR 29

5pm Dance Express

Spanish Springs Town Square

5pm Rocky & the Rollers

7pm Good2Go Charlie Horse

7pm The Piano Men

Brownwood Paddock Square

5pm Scooter the DJ

2pm Jeff Jarrett

6pm Charity Cox Shuckin’ Shack Oyster Bar

6pm Stephen Lopez

2:30 & 7pm TG Sheppard

7pm Fareeza

5pm Slickwood

7pm Warren McCullough The Corkscrew

COVID in public schools Ocala Gazette Staff

arion County Public Schools reported 67 total cases of COVID-19 between Jan. 15 and Jan. 21, down from 120 a week earlier, according to a report by the school system. Of those testing positive, 45 were students, while 22 were employees. The cases were confirmed by the Florida Department of Health. A total of 439 students and employees were quarantined as a result of direct contact with a COVID-19 case. Those quarantined included 386 students and 53 employees, according to Marion County schools. The latest report of cases and quarantines affected 40 schools and facilities including, Anthony Elementary, Belleview Elementary, Belleview High, Belleview Middle, BelleviewSantos Elementary, College Park Elementary, Curriculum and Instruction – Secondary, Dr. N. H. Jones Elementary, Dunnellon Elementary, Dunnellon High, Dunnellon Middle, East Marion Elementary, Emerald Shores Elementary, Exceptional Student Education, Fessenden Elementary, Forest High, Hillcrest, Horizon Academy at Marion Oaks, Howard Middle, Lake Weir High, Liberty Middle, Madison Street Academy, Maplewood Elementary, Marion Afterschool Programs, Marion Charter, Marion Oaks Elementary, North Marion High, North Marion Middle, Ocala Springs Elementary, Reddick-Collier Elementary, Saddlewood Elementary, School Counseling and Assessment, Shady Hill Elementary, Social Work Services, Sparr Elementary, Sunrise Elementary, Vanguard High, WardHighlands Elementary, West Port High, and Wyomina Park Elementary.

5pm Penta

5pm Blonde Ambition Lake Sumter Landing Market Square

6pm The Mudds

8pm The Big Bad Bank Street Patio Bar

Pi on Broadway

5pm Bobby Blackmon & the B3 Band Lake Sumter Landing Market Square

6pm Gilly & the Girl Bank Street Patio Bar

11:30am Becky Sinn

5pm Rick Melvern Band Brownwood Paddock Square

7pm Fareeza

5pm Crossfire Spanish Springs Town Square

The Corkscrew

Brownwood Paddock Square

6pm Mike Smithson

La Cuisine French Restaurant

Spanish Springs Town Square

Infinite Ale Works

2:30 & 7pm Jim Stafford Orange Blossom Opry

Shuckin’ Shack Oyster Bar

Orange Blossom Opry

Locos Grill & Pub

Eaton’s Beach

6pm Conrad Marcum Locos Grill & Pub

Orange Blossom Opry

Lake Sumter Landing Market Square

7pm Orange Blossom Showcase Orange Blossom Opry

1:30pm The Big Bad Gator Joe’s

Cammack to sit on Agriculture and Homeland Security Committees Ocala Gazette Staff

.S. Rep. Kat Cammack, who holds Florida’s U.S. House District 3 seat, which includes most of Marion County, will serve on the House Agriculture and Homeland Security Committees for the 117th Congress, according to a press release from her office. Cammack will be the only Florida Republican on the agriculture committee and she vowed to work for the area’s major agriculture crops, including peanut, livestock, watermelon, blueberry, hay, dairy and timber production. In addition to Marion, District 3 covers all of Alachua, Putnam, Clay, Bradford and Union counties.

“Our district and state is home to thousands of farmers, ranchers, and producers and I am proud to work on the issues that matter to them—from commodity prices and exchange rates to trade, subsidies, conservation, and more,” Cammack said in the release. She also promised to help improve and expand access to rural broadband. As a member of the Homeland Security Committee, she promised to work to increase border security, improve emergency preparedness in Florida and support counterterrorism and intelligence efforts, the release stated. Cammack won the seat in November, which was previously held by Ted Yoho. Yoho did not run for re-election.

From Evictions, page 1 was hindered by red tape and lack of resources. Scott Quintel, president of the United Way, said they were not able to distribute the $1 million in housing assistance that the Marion County Board of County Commissioners had set aside from $63.8 million in CARES Act money. The agency did distribute about $600,000 to 350 households through a separate Marion County contract. And other nonprofits, including the Community Foundation for Ocala/ Marion County, continue to help find assistance. Communities like Orange County, however, have set up eviction diversion programs with CARES Act money directly at the courthouse. It’s a similar story with foreclosures. Federal moratoriums only cover mortgages backed by the government. Mortgages insured by the Federal Housing Administration

are covered until March 31. The Federal Housing Finance Agency, which guarantees mortgages through Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, extended its moratorium to Feb. 28. “The moratorium does not cover conventional or private mortgages, only government-backed,” Lanza said. Cyndie McQuaig, the legislative assistant for State Rep. Joe Harding, said the Ocala office has gotten many calls from residents seeking help. Harding represents District 22, which covers part of Marion County and all of Levy County. McQuaig remembers one case. A local couple lost their home to foreclosure due to their business suffering because of the pandemic. They moved into an apartment, but again had trouble making rent. McQuaig said they fell behind three months but were able to find rental

assistance through a local agency. “The management company knew they were going to get the rent, but they still charged them late fees,” McQuaig said. “It’s just so devastating to this family. They did everything they were supposed to do but (the management company) still weren’t willing to work with them. Those three months cost them an extra $1,000 in late fees.” McQuaig worries about how many others are going through similar situations. “If that happened to them, it’s happening to a lot of people,” she said. “It breaks my heart to know what’s going on out there. I know this has been one of the saddest experiences I have ever seen.” For information contact Community Legal Services at 1-800-405-1417 or visit the Community Foundation website at ocalafoundation.org.

Corrections & Clarifications Jan. 21-28 Edition

The restaurant scheduled to open at the Ocala International Airport is Elevation 89. A news item stated otherwise. A quote attributed to Councilmember Jay

Musleh in a story about Ocala’s fire assessment should have read, “Elephant in the room.” Cammie McLeod is an owner of Gause & Son Jewelers. An article on parking meters in downtown Ocala stated otherwise.

JANUARY 29 - FEBRUARY 4 , 2021 | OCALA GAZETTE

Yard signs spread love and prayers in Ocala By Ainslie Lee Ocala Gazette

a hazard and stay off the right of way.

Love for Lawson Born in August, Lawson Armstrong suffers from bone marrow failure. As a result, her immune system lacks the ability to fight off germs. Lawson and her parents, Jessica and Sam Armstrong, are now staying in isolation at Boston Children’s Hospital. But in Ocala, Lawson’s grandparents, Kelly and Jose Juarez, alongside a team of supporters are using “Love for Lawson” yard signs to help raise money to pay for treatment and ask for prayers. Karen Buss, a family friend of the Armstrongs, helped spearhead the outreach. “We are helping them with awareness for Lawson’s condition and gathering a big group of prayer warriors,” Buss said. “That’s the first thing.”

s election season wrapped up and most political yard signs disappeared, a new crop of yard signs began springing up in Ocala. Yard signs with a message took over the landscape. The phenomena traces back to the “Faith Over Fear” campaign that blossomed around the country last spring. The signs began popping up locally around April and are still popular. Serving as a token of encouragement through the uncharted waters of a global COVID-19 pandemic, the “Faith Over Fear” effort proved how widespread a grassroots campaign can become. In Ocala, supporters of Lawson Armstrong and Keith Duncan took note. They ran with the idea and produced yard signs of their own to raise donations and garner prayers for their loved ones facing health challenges. The city and the county only require that the signs are not

Each time she sees one, she says, “They love my sister,” according to Buss.

So far, about 300 signs have been sold at $20 each, but total donations from the signs have totaled $11,000. Another $54,000 was raised through GiveSendGo, an online fundraising site. “It’s been a great fundraiser for them,” Buss said. “There are so many unknowns... it’s going to be years of care.” The response to the signs has buoyed the family. “Jessica has said that they’ve found peace in the process knowing they are surrounded by love and support,” Buss said. Lawson’s 4-year-old sister Peyton keeps an eye out for the signs.

Praying for Keith Keith Duncan, who serves as a business administrator and pastor with the Church @ The Springs’ Southwest campus, has been battling COVID-19 complications for more than a month. He remains hospitalized and on a ventilator. Duncan’s wife, Deanne, suggested the yard sign idea to other leaders in the church, who quickly brought the vision to life. Jacob Fields, owner of JJ Fields, an Ocala-based

graphic design and printing company, received a call on a Tuesday afternoon. By that Wednesday evening, a company in Texas was printing 1,200 “Praying For Keith” signs. Now, the signs are scattered all around Marion County, and a few across the country. For Fields, who has known Duncan for 15 years, the project was personal, but others also were touched by Duncan’s struggle. “Everyone who heard Keith’s story went above and beyond in their work to get this job done,” Fields said. Ron Sylvia, the lead pastor at the church, said the signs went quickly. “It’s crazy how this has taken off,” Sylvia said. ““It is kind of wild seeing the community come together.” Sylvia said Duncan is aware of the outpouring of support. Recently, Duncan was briefly removed from the ventilator. He was able to whisper, “Community,” Sylvia said.

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Answers for pages 8,9