Ocala Gazette | March 15 - March 21, 2024

Protecting rural lands with land development code changes

Horse Farms Forever at the forefront of proposed changes to limit commercial uses in designated rural areas.

By Belea T. Keeney belea@magnoliamediaco.com

With developers coveting the nearly 200,000 acres of largely unspoiled property within Marion County’s Farmland Preservation Area, county officials will soon consider proposed limits on

what kinds of commercial projects would be allowed on the many farms and rolling pastures sitting in the heart of the “Horse Capital of the World.”

On March 19, Marion County commissioners will hold the second of three required public hearings on an application by the nonprofit group Horse Farms Forever (HFF) to amend the

county’s Land Development Code. The amendment seeks to refine the Rural Commercial zoning designation and spell out what would be the appropriate use of parcels in rural areas.

Notably, the HFF amendment—while in response to the RaceTrac application, see related story—will not apply retroactively to that project, only

to future requests.

The HFF proposal aims to limit uses for rural property that now is zoned for some commercial use, including whether owners could apply for a proposed Rural Commercial (RC-1) designation. It also states current agriculture-zoned parcels could be not rezoned as Rural Commercial.

Only 20 parcels in Marion County carry the Rural Commercial zoning designation. Of those, 14 are vacant land, three are residential, one has an office associated with Southeast Milk Inc., one is a pallet refurbishment business and one is a church.

The amendment limits, but See Farmland, page A3

OPD Sergeant resigns in lieu of termination Hearing for controversial RaceTrac project set for March 19

By Caroline Brauchler caroline@ocalagazette.com

In his more than 10 years with the Ocala Police Department, Sgt. Horace “Lonnie” Freeman developed a troubling habit of failing to turn on his body camera while interacting with the public. But it would be Freeman’s actions while breaking up neighborhood dispute on Halloween last year that would lead to the end of his employment at OPD.

During Freeman’s decade-long tenure with OPD, he earned him both commendation and promotion, according to his personnel file. But the record also shows his history of dishonesty has led the Fifth Circuit State Attorney’s Office to restrict Freeman from testifying in court.

Freeman submitted a letter on Jan. 4, 2024, notifying OPD Chief Mike Balken of his retirement, effectively resigning rather than being terminated from his position as sergeant.

The “Gazette” reached out to Balken and OPD spokesperson Jeffery Walczak about Freeman’s resignation and his disciplinary history but has received no response. Attempts to speak with Freeman have also have been unsuccessful.

Read Freeman’s complete disciplinary history below.

April 14, 2016

Freeman responded to The Vines psychiatric facility to meet with a sergeant and another officer in regard to a patient who was admitted to the hospital voluntarily. Upon his arrival, Freeman asked the other officer there over the radio “if he could walk the subject out to him, or if (Freeman) needed to do that for him, too,” according to a memorandum written by Sgt. Eric Hooper.

When explaining the options for the citizen to take, Freeman said, “You can either be a man or be a dumbass, one of the two,” according to the memorandum.

Freeman received a written reprimand for violating two policies:

Neighbors, Horse Farms Forever and Save Our Rural Area among those opposing multi-pump fueling station eyed for Farmland Preservation Area.

By Belea T. Keeney belea@magnoliamediaco.com

Along-awaited hearing on a RaceTrac convenience store and big-rig truck fueling station proposed for a site in the Farmland Preservation Area near Sparr has been set for 2 p.m. during the Marion County Board of County Commissioners’ March 19 meeting. The hearing has been on hold since December, a delay that has rankled both opponents of the project and Commissioner Carl Zalak, who called the developer’s move to postpone the proceedings “bogus.”

The applicants seek to rezone 11.06 acres of an overall ±38.62acre parcel on the southwest corner of U.S. 441 and County Road 329. According to the county Planning & Zoning staff report, the request is “for the development of a RaceTrac gas station, convenience store, and truck stop; however, zoning changes

are not conditional so all permitted uses must be considered. The site is located within the Farmland Preservation Area (FPA), the Silver Springs Primary Springs Protection Zone (SPSPZ), the Silver Springs Secondary Protection Zone (SSSPZ), and outside of the Marion County Utilities’ Utility Service Area.”

The RaceTrac site plan shows 16 car gas pumps, five truck refueling pumps and a 6,008-square-foot convenience store, but no designated parking for big-rig trucks. Planning & Zoning staff recommended denial; the plan was turned down by the Planning & Zoning Commission in a 5-1 vote at the November 2023 meeting. In a 3-0 vote, the Development Review Committee recommended denial of the rezoning in its February 2023 review of this project.

The request is to change the zoning from General Agriculture (A-1) to Rural Commercial (RC-1), which

See RaceTrac, page A2

County lists projects that a 20-year penny sales tax renewal would cover

By Caroline Brauchler caroline@ocalagazette.com

Marion County has a big wish list, one that officials hope voters will help them pay for by approving a 20-year renewal for the penny sales tax in the general election.

Officials have finalized the transportation and public safety projects they hope to accomplish with the $65 million per year that the sales tax is expected to raise. County commissioners wrapped up their planning with a workshop on March 5 to review the complete project list for sheriff, fire, emergency medical services and communications.

If voters approve renewing the sales tax in the November general election, this project list will serve as the general guide for how the revenue

will be spent, but it can be adjusted as necessary, said County Administrator Mounir Bouyounes.

All of the project costs are based on the value of today’s dollar and do not include any adjustments to inflation or growth. The projects will be reviewed annually through the budget service to ensure accurate numbers to costs and funding.

Out of the total sales tax revenue of $1.3 billion for the next 20 years, 20% will be devoted to public safety, split between the Marion County Sheriff’s Office and Marion County Fire Rescue. Much of that money will be spent on new vehicles.

“For public safety, we’re going to be replacing vehicles and equipment,” Bouyounes said. “That’s probably going to be the top priority for all of

them.”

Over the next 20 years, MCFR will need over $24.8 million to replace 13 engines, 12 grass trucks, one tower, two heavy rescues, 10 tankers and 24 staff vehicles. EMS needs to replace 67 rescue vehicles, which would cost about $30.1 million.

MCSO will need nearly $55 million to replace 48 vehicles for the jail department, 68 vehicles for the regular department, 747 vehicles for the patrol department and three vehicles for the bailiff department.

Other funds will be used to remodel aging facilities and build new ones. Fire rescue needs to remodel Stations 1, 10, 12, 15, 19 and 22, which will cost about $6 million, at $1 million per renovation. Phase 2 of the fire rescue training facility would also be funded

by the penny sales tax, and cost $15 million. EMS will need two new stations, one on the west side and another on the east side of Ocala, costing $5.3 million each. Modular stations will be placed in Pedro, Ocklawaha, Baldwin Ranch and Westport and cost $450,000 each.

“With the new EMS modular stations, those most likely will be also fire stations,” Bouyounes said. “We are proposing we start with a module arrangement and then we expand them in the future as needed.”

Public safety communication officials need to build towers to replace eight leased towers, which would cost $1 million each. The towers at Forest, Baseline and MCSO all need replacing as they are all over 30 years old,

See Tax, page A5

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Sgt. Freeman captured on body cam footage at Oct 31, 2023 incident.

RaceTrac

Continued from page A1

is an unusual zoning designation in Marion County. Only 20 parcels have that zoning, many of which have been grandfathered in from decades-long zoning designations implemented before the county’s Comprehensive Plan was put into effect in 1992. Of those 20 parcels, 14 are vacant land, three are residential, one has an office associated with Southeast Milk Inc., one is a pallet refurbishment business and one is a church.

Opposition showed in force

The November hearing before the Planning & Zoning Commission drew over 90 audience members, many of whom wore red shirts in protest of the RaceTrac proposal, and more than two dozen people signed up to speak to the board. The project also received 61 pages of emails in opposition.

The opponents’ concerns focused on the dangerous situation that already exists at the site, where southbound highways U.S. 301 and U.S. 441 merge at the CR 329 intersection. Adding more semitrailers and heavy gas station and convenience store traffic would make the area more dangerous, they said. Speakers also expressed concern about the mix of horses from nearby farms being that close to big trucks; that North Marion High School and North Marion Middle School are within a mile east and west of the site; and the lack of demand for more gas stations. Two small existing gas stations/convenience stores are on the east side of U.S. 441; both have been at the intersection for decades and have only one dualsided gas pump.

SORA and HFF opposed

In a new tactic to drum up

attention and opposition, Horse Farms Forever (HFF) sent a mailer to a large swath of property owners in the northern part of the county about the project. Labeled “Buck the Truck Stop,” the HFF’s mailer focused on the inappropriateness of a truck stop and the need for trucks parking onsite, which would not be allowed without a Special Use permit.

“RaceTrac has applied to build a truck stop deep inside the Farmland Preservation Area,” a HFF blog post about RaceTrac read. “The County says truck stops are not compatible on agricultural land, so RaceTrac has applied to change the zoning and made some modifications to the plan, calling it a gas station and convenience store with Extended Diesel Offering (EDO). EDO is RaceTrac’s code word for truck stop. It’s a shenanigan! But more critically, it is an inappropriate use of rural land and is located in a traffic hot zone that is already dangerous.”

Tim Gant, president of Save Our Rural Area (SORA), said his group if vehemently against the RaceTrac project.

“Even though the county’s comp plan clearly states that rezoning to commercial in rural protected areas can only occur if it is compatible with the surrounding areas and serves a rural need, we still have instances such as the upcoming RaceTrac application, which is in the FPA and is basically serving to refuel travelers that have no connection to the area,’’ Gant said. “… these instances will continue to plague the county with unwarranted and unwanted development.”

The SORA team is somewhat encouraged, though, by the enormous volume and organized opposition that this and other projects have received in the past few months.

“With each passing day, there seems to be more awareness of the consequences of unlimited growth on not only the infrastructure needs these projects bring, but on quality of life issues which is a big reason many people move here,” Gant said. “By taking a moment now to reflect on how we can manage this growth in a positive manner moving forward, we can create a future in which our citizens can thrive and be proud of.”

Old school remembered through outreach

North Marion High School seniors can apply for Reddick High School Reunion scholarships.

The Reddick High School building no longer stands on the hallowed ground in the little town of Reddick in the northwest corner of Marion County. Built in 1923 and renamed North Marion High School in 1957, the school was demolished in 2021, despite efforts to save it.

Generations of students who attended the school from 1927 to 1965 are still thriving, however, and many of them meet annually to reconnect and relive their high school days.

According to Janice Ray, the group reunion last year honored the 1963 boys’ basketball team, which went 24-1 and made it to the state playoffs. Another reunion is being planned for this fall.

The RHS Reunion Committee, under the leadership of D.A. Lewis Jr., came up with the idea

of establishing a scholarship in memory of those Reddick High School Terriers. The Reddick High School Reunion Scholarship recognizes two deserving North Marion High School seniors with $1,000 each. This is the sixth year the scholarships have been presented, Ray said.

Seniors wishing to apply for the scholarship should contact NMHS counselor Dana Spencer by emailing dana.spencer@marion.k12.fl.us or by phone at (352) 671-6010). Scholarship applications also are available at the Reddick Public Library, at 15150 NW Gainesville Road, Reddick. Applicants should ask for Jim Stroup in person or call (352) 438-2566. Stroup, who graduated from North Marion in 1959, is a former longtime mayor of Reddick and has long been involved with the reunion.

The deadline to apply for a scholarship is Friday, April 12.

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Looking west on CR 329, from Sonoco gas station across the street. [Supplied]

Staff report

The former Reddick High School building is no more, but an alumni group remains active. [Bruce Ackerman/ Ocala Gazette]

North Marion High School alumni Jim Stroup is seen during the demolition of the old school. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette] 2021.

Farmland Preservation Area

Continued from page A1 does not prohibit, select commercial uses in the FPA. Under the proposal, businesses such as those that sell and repair tractors and other farm equipment, veterinary offices and riding academies would be allowed. A mom-and-pop bait shop would be allowed; a massive Bass Pro Shops outlet, would not.

In a sparsely attended Jan. 24 meeting, members of the county Land Development Regulation Commission (LDRC), a county advisory board, voted 5-0 to send the revised and shortened version of the HFF amendment to the BOCC. It reads: “The Rural Commercial classification is intended to provide for limited agricultural related commercial uses that would be appropriate on Rural Lands not located in a Rural Activity Center. All undeveloped parcels located in the Rural Lands may be eligible to rezone to this classification and must do so prior to applying for development approval.”

Revised amendment language proposed by HFF

Ken Weyrauch, deputy director of Growth Services, said at the Jan. 24 Planning & Zoning Commission meeting that HFF has been working closely with his department to craft the amendment language. The staff report recommended approval of the proposed HFF application language.

The HFF application reads, in part, “Based on extensive and detailed discussion with Growth Services staff, the RC-1 zoning classification was created with the original intent that all legacy commercial parcels within the Rural Lands (i.e., parcels having commercial

Freeman

Continued from page A1

one for making derogatory or offensive remarks toward any citizen or fellow law enforcement member; and the other for failing to treat superior officers, subordinates, associates and citizens with respect.

Aug. 31, 2017

Freeman responded to a scene and arrested a suspect for aggravated stalking and criminal mischief. The suspect said later that during the transport to the Marion County Jail, Freeman said several racially charged comments to him.

Freeman denied this, saying instead that the suspect was directing derogatory comments toward him. No footage exists of this incident, even though Freeman claimed to have turned on his body camera.

Because of the lack of evidence, this accusation against Freeman was dropped. Freeman was also accused of disposing of the suspect’s GPS monitoring device by separating the cellphone-style belt transmitter and electronic ankle bracelet during apprehension. The suspect claimed that at some point during his altercation with the police, the belt transmitter and ankle bracelet were separated. While Freeman transported the man to the jail, the device was ringing to notify that the devices were separated, which the suspect claimed Freeman ignored.

“How the device actually came to be missing remains in question; however, it is clear that Officer Freeman failed to take necessary precautions to ensure that the complainant’s property was being considered,” according to the panel report from the disposition.

The panel found this accusation to be sustained, in addition to the fact that Freeman did not download any videos related to the incident from his body camera. Freeman received a 30-hour suspension based on the findings of this panel.

Nov. 7, 2017 Freeman arrived on a scene to assist with a suspect who was intoxicated.

The suspect was wearing no pants, so Freeman told the man to put his pants on, taunting him by saying, “No one wants to look at that little thing.” The suspect responded by calling Freeman derogatory names, and rather

zoning classifications that predated the adoption of the Comprehensive Plan and the Rural future land use designation) would rezone to RC-1 prior to seeking development approval. The intent was not for the RC-1 zoning classification to create additional commercial uses in the Rural Lands by rezoning agriculturally zoned properties.”

Matt Brockway, the attorney representing HFF, said the proposed amendment “best embodies the original intent behind the RC-1 zoning district and is consistent with the (comprehensive) plan.”

Attorney Robert Batsel represents RaceTrac, which seeks to build a gas station, convenience store and truck fueling stop on 11 acres at the southwest corner of County Road 326 and U.S. 441/301. Batsel resigned from the LDRC last fall to avoid conflicts of interest and was the sole person to speak during public comments on this item. Batsel said the suggested language from HFF was too limiting.

“The effect of this proposed change eliminates a property owner’s right to even apply for rezoning to Rural Commercial,’’ he said. “This would apply to all ag-zoned property in the rural lands throughout Marion County, not just the Farmland Preservation Area. They (property owners) should at least have the right to apply.

“Some parcels out in the rural lands that are ag related may be appropriate for commercial use,” Batsel continued. “And we have examples of that in the rural lands. This district is unique and allows for low-intensity commercial uses that benefit rural residents and serve the daily basic needs of residents. This (proposed

than deescalate the situation, Freeman continued to taunt him. Freeman ended up pushing the suspect against a wall, putting his hand around the suspect’s throat.

When interacting with the suspect, Freeman was described as being impatient and unnecessarily escalating the situation. “He ignored fundamental officer safety practices and appeared to taunt the subject into compliance instead of using many other techniques,” said Lt. C. Eades in a memorandum.

Freeman was accused of making derogatory or offensive remarks to the citizen and committing unsatisfactory actions that could bring disrepute on or discredit OPD. The panel found in January of 2018 that Freeman escalated the situation, and that this use of force would not have been necessary if Freeman had approached the situation differently. The other accusation was that Freeman did not document this interaction properly, omitting details about putting his hand on the suspect’s neck.

OPD Chief Mike Balken, who was then a major in the agency, overruled the panel’s findings that verified both accusations and instead imposed a written reprimand for Freeman on Jan. 16, 2018 for the second accusation only.

July 12, 2018

Freeman was suspended for committing unsatisfactory actions that could bring disrepute on or discredit OPD. The actions were related to warrant procedures. No other information about this incident was made available in Freeman’s file from OPD. He was suspended for 30 hours without pay.

Aug. 28, 2019

Freeman responded to a call regarding two people at a SunTran bus station, one of whom appeared intoxicated and had fallen asleep and the other was attempting to sleep underneath the shelter. Freeman approached the man who he believed to be intoxicated who had fallen asleep on the bench, and immediately asked him, “Do you want to get up or do you want to go to jail?” according to a panel’s findings. The suspect mumbled something back to Freeman and upon not continuing to respond, Freeman said, “Jail it is.” Freeman asked the man for his identification and told him

amendment) is taking a sledgehammer to the issue.”

The LDRC Chair David Tillman is also president of the Marion County Building Industry Association and owns Tillman & Associates Engineering LLC, a firm that represents many of the development projects in Marion County.

At the meeting, he, said, “I see the necessity for the protections that occurs there. But my problem is that the language for section A basically strips the rights of anybody that has rural land and has an agricultural designation and prevents them from asking for this zoning. (It says) we’re going to limit the rural areas’ ability to put in commercial areas where potentially they would be somewhat necessary for people to receive goods and services.”

Speaking with the “Gazette” in March after the January LRDC meeting, Tillman said that he personally, his engineering firm Tillman & Associates Engineering and the MCBIA “totally get” why the FPA is important. “We know that’s why a lot of people come here,” for that protected land and the equine uses. But the HFF amended language is far too restrictive, he said.

LDRC did line-by-line discussion and revisions

During its 75-minute discussion, LDRC members went through the application line by line, revising the intent language and proposed uses. They struck several items from the proposed uses section, including sporting goods shops, concerned that something as large as a Bass Pro Shop would apply, which they felt would be inappropriate for the area. However, a small bait and tackle operation would be

to clean up the area, and the suspect replied, “Take me to jail.” When Freeman asked him to turn around to be handcuffed, the man asked what he was being charged with, to which Freeman said open lodging and disorderly intoxication.

In the arrest report, Freeman said the man directed expletives and a derogatory term toward him before Freeman made the arrest, but the comments cannot be heard in the body camera footage from before the man was handcuffed.

While placing the man in handcuffs, Freeman claimed the man “bucked” him, so Freeman told him “If you buck me again, I’m gonna drop you on the ground and I’m going to bust your head wide open,” according to the panel findings. The man then made the derogatory comments toward Freeman, who then took the handcuffed man to the ground.

Freeman did not charge the suspect with open lodging but did charge him with disorderly intoxication. While the man was intoxicated, he was not endangering the safety of another person or causing a disturbance, so there was no probable cause for Freeman to have made the arrest.

Because of this incident, Freeman was accused of falsifying a police report and probable cause affidavit, violating the use of force policy, being untruthful, and making an unlawful arrest. An internal affairs investigation was opened to determine whether these accusations against Freeman were true.

Sept. 8, 2019

While an internal affairs investigation over the August incident involving the intoxicated man was ongoing, Freeman was promoted to the rank of sergeant.

Oct. 31, 2019

The internal affairs investigation into the incident from August concluded, determining that all four accusations against Freeman were true. Regardless of this, a command-level decision was made to override three out of the four accusations. Freeman was suspended for 50 hours without pay, effective Dec. 2, 2019.

June 10, 2022

Following the completion of the internal affairs investigation that confirmed the four allegations of misconduct relating to untruthfulness and falsification

allowed, they said. Other items that were struck were gun stores; professional offices; and restaurants with drive-thru windows.

Commercial usages that would be appropriate under the HFF application and that the LDRC approved include agricultural chemical and fertilizer sales; agricultural farm equipment, tools, implements, machinery, including lease, repair; blacksmith or farrier shops; riding academies; farm irrigation, equipment sales, installation, and repair; farm produce, sales, packing, crating, shipping, retail, wholesale; farm supplies including seed, feed, fertilizer, fencing posts and tack; hatchery, fish, or fowl, wholesale; horse trailers and farm wagons, including repair; plant nursery, retail, wholesale; and veterinary office and supplies.

Tim Gant, president of Save Our Rural Area, or SORA, commented by email about the HFF proposal.

“Without this amendment, these instances will continue to plague the county with unwarranted and unwanted development. If the amendment is changed, it won’t negate the RaceTrac application as it can’t be applied retroactively.”

Gant, who plans to attend the March 19 hearing along with SORA members and neighbors, said, “This commission is well aware of the existential threat to the FPA that (the RaceTrac) application has to the continuing of the FPA. Our hope is they will see it as such, and both deny the application and move the (HFF) amendment forward to be ratified.”

This hearing before the BOCC is the second of three hearings required for an LDC change; the third and final hearing must be held in the evening and is slated for 5:30 p.m. on April 2.

of records, State Attorney Bill Gladson issued a Brady notice against Freeman. A Giglio, or Brady list, compiles the names of law enforcement members who have had incidents with untruthfulness, notifying prosecutors of their involvement and recommending their witness testimony not be used in a court of law. Upon his placement on the list, Freeman was recommended not to be used as a witness in any cases unless his testimony could be verified by another officer, witness or by video footage, due to his history of dishonesty. Regardless of the command decision to override three out of the four sustained allegations from the internal affairs investigation against Freeman, Gladson issued the Brady notice. Including Freeman, 32 law enforcement officers in Marion County have been issued Brady notices.

Oct. 22, 2022

Freeman conducting a traffic stop while on light-duty in an unmarked patrol vehicle. Protocol for restricted duty indicates that officers cannot take any law enforcement action unless the situation is life-threatening. Freeman was issued a written reprimand for the incident.

Oct. 31, 2023

Freeman responded to a call at the Berkely Pointe Apartment Complex with a group of other officers. Several subjects were engaged in a verbal altercation, and eventually a large crowd gathered. Freeman made contact with a juvenile who was walking away from the crowd. He said to the boy, “Are you still mad at me, for the me and your old lady thing?” The comment angered the boy, and he turned around

and approached Freeman “in an aggressive manner.” Rather than deescalating the situation, Freeman told the boy repeatedly to “step off” while other citizens held the boy back.

The incident was captured on the other officers’ body cameras as Freeman failed to turn on his body camera throughout the duration of the incident. He also conducted a traffic stop after this incident and did not turn on his body camera for that, either.

Freeman’s actions were described as “a deliberate attempt to incite an already volatile situation” in a memorandum.

When confronted about his misconduct, Freeman said the situation was “Corey Taylor all over again,” referencing a former OPD major who resigned after an investigation into accusations of dishonesty.

In a discipline memo dated Dec. 21, 2023, Major Angy Scroble recommended that Freeman be demoted as sergeant. In a handwritten note to the same memo dated Jan. 4, Balken wrote “over-ruled” and issued a new memorandum indicating that Freeman would be terminated.

Balken wrote in the Jan. 4 memo, “your actions during this incident appeared to be a deliberate attempt to incite an already volatile situation and as such are simply unacceptable for any member of the Ocala Police Department. You hold a leadership role within our organization and made these statements in the presence of officers you are charged with supervising. It is my belief that this only compounds the issue at hand and seriously compromises your ability to lead, manage, and supervise in a manner that is consistent with my expectations.”

Freeman sent an email the same day resigning, and personnel records reflect he was entitled to all payouts.

International Women’s Day in Ocala

The annual luncheon and celebration noted the achievements of local women in law and government.

By Susan Smiley-Height susan@magnoliamediaco.com

The International Women’s Day Celebration and luncheon held March 8 at the College of Central Florida’s Klein Center in Ocala honored the careers of local women in law and government. The sold-out event was hosted by Ollin Women International.

The honorees were Tania Bartolini, Janet Behnke, Sandra Edwards Champ, Yvonne Hayes Hinson, Lena Hopkins, Marianne Howanitz, Judy Johnson, Susan S. King, LeeAnn Mackey-Barnes, Sonya Nasser, Pamela Olsen, Sarah Ritterhoff Williams and Tara Woods.

According to materials provided by Manal Fakhoury, president of Ollin Women International, here are some highlights for each honoree:

Janet Behnke has been an attorney in Ocala since 1972 and served from 1994 to 1995 as a Marion County Court Judge. She was the first female to practice law in the Fifth Judicial Circuit, which includes Marion, Lake, Sumter, Hernando and Citrus counties. She has served as a member of the Marion County School Board, is a

charter member of the Altrusa Club of Ocala, was president of the Marion County Bar Association, the Ocala/Marion County Chamber of Commerce and the Florida School Board Attorney’s Association.

LeeAnn Mackey-Barnes was elected as a Marion County Court Judge in November 2022 and is the only Black female currently serving in the Fifth Judicial Circuit. She was a criminal defense and mental health lawyer for 20 years and a former special education teacher. She was chief assistant attorney for the circuit’s public defender and helped establish the county’s Veterans Treatment and Mental Health court programs. Her civic involvements include the Florida High School Athletic Association, Kiwanis Club, Ocala Women’s Network, Marion County Children’s Alliance, Pace Center for Girls and Ollin Women International.

Lena Hopkins Smith is the senior manager of pro bono services with Community Legal Services of Mid-Florida, which serves low-income and vulnerable residents. She serves on the board of the National Association of Pro Bono Professionals and is a two-time recipient of the statewide Kay

Myers Pro Bono Service Award. She also has served on the boards of Habit for Humanity, Central Florida Community Action Agency, Greater Ocala Community Development Corporation, Marion County Continuum of Care, Marion County Children’s Alliance Family Violence Prevention Workgroup and Community With A Heart.

Judy Johnson has been an English teacher, counselor at the University of Florida College of Education, attorney for Leon County Schools, associate general counsel for Florida State University and attorney in private practice. She has served on the Alachua County School Board and Marion County Board of County Commissioners. She was president of the Florida League of Women Voters and Florida Association of Counties. Her involvement also includes the Public Policy Institute, Early Learning Coalition, Ocala Women’s Network, Appleton Museum Advisory Council and Florida Credit Union.

Mariane Howanitz is a practicing trial attorney and former public defender in the criminal justice system and former insurance defense attorney in the civil justice

system. She has been active in the Marion County chapter of the Florida Association of Women Lawyers for more than 30 years and was named a Leader in the Law in 2012 by that organization. She also is involved with Take Stock in Children, Junior Achievement, Marion County Literacy Council and Pace Center for Girls.

Pamela Olsen is an accident and personal injury attorney who has been in private practice in Ocala for more than 20 years. In addition to a juris doctorate, she holds a master’s degree in mental health counseling. She is a recipient of numerous awards in her field and has supported many nonprofit events and causes. She is focused on empowering women and delving into coaching and personal development.

Sandra Edwards Champ retired as the senior circuit judge for the Fifth Judicial Circuit following a decades-long distinguished career. She was the female and first Black elected as a Marion County Judge. She formerly worked as a teacher, staff attorney for Legal Services, senior attorney for the Florida Department of Transportation, was a private attorney, a faculty member of the Judicial College and a member of the U.S. Judicial Delegation to Russia/Estonia, Budapest and Prague. She is a past board member of the YMCA, Public Policy Institute, college mentorship and community housing programs.

Sarah Ritterhoff Williams served for nearly 37 years in the legal profession, retiring as a county judge in 2021. She has served as a public defender and state attorney. Her community and professional affiliations include Take Stock in Children, Altrusa International, Rotary, YMCA and various committee and advisory roles with the Marion County Bar Association and the Florida Prosecuting Attorneys Association. She currently serves as senior judge as needed.

Sonay Nasser has a background in law, government and real estate. A mediation attorney in her legal profession, she also served as a business analyst for the city of Ocala and now is a real estate broker and serves on the Fifth Judicial Circuit Grievance Committee. She is an avid supporter of arts

in the community and is on the board of the Reilly Arts Center/ Ocala Symphony Orchestra. She also is involved with the Ocala Women’s Network, American Heart Association and Appleton Museum of Art.

Susan King has more than 20 years of legal experience and is the managing attorney for the statewide Guardian ad Litem office, for the Fifth Circuit based in Ocala. She has served as a mentor and community advocate. She is a Zumba instructor and serves in music and dance ministry.

Tania Bartolini is an attorney, speaker, and business coach, consultant and owner. The majority of her law practice is in the areas of business, contracts and real estate. She has been a TEDx Ocala speaker and is involved with the Florida Bar Association, Florida Association of Women Lawyers, American Heart Association, the Ocala Metro Chamber & Economic Partnership and Ollin Women International.

Tara Woods is a veteran of more than 30 years with the Ocala Police Department. She began her career as a community service officer after securing her law enforcement certification and advanced degrees in criminology and criminal justice. She was the first Black detective and first Black female to serve as a detective in the Major Crimes unit. In 2016, she became the first Black female promoted to major of the Community Policing and Special Operations Bureau. She retired in 2021 but has since returned to serve in a civilian role as Community Liaison Coordinator.

Yvonne Hayes Hinson is the Florida State Representative for District 21. She has been an educator and school principal, served as a City of Gainesville Commissioner and was a small business owner. In the legislature, her focus is on families and investment in public schools, well-paying jobs, a livable wage and access to quality and attainable/affordable housing. She is involved with NAACP local initiatives.

To learn more, go to ollinwomen.org

Photos By Bruce Ackerman Ocala Gazette

Sandra Edwards-Champ, who was a Marion County judge of the Fifth Judicial Circuit Court, left, poses for a photo with Judy Johnson, who was a Marion County Commissioner and an attorney, right, during the Ollin Women International celebration of International Women’s Day at the Klein Conference Center at the College of Central Florida in Ocala on Friday, March 8, 2024.

Left to right: People gather for the Ollin Women International celebration of International Women’s Day at the Klein Conference Center. Manal Fakhoury, right, speaks as Barbara Fitos, left listens.

Tax projects

Continued from page A1

which will cost $500,000 each.

A new animal services center is estimated to cost about $20.4 million.

The sheriff’s facility needs will include major renovations to the jail, including improving the medical area for $2.5 million in addition to new district offices for the patrol division in Marion Oaks, Forest, Shores and the southwest area, costing $4.5 million each.

The sheriff will also need $2.5 million in funding for Phase 2 of its aviation hangar, $2.5 million for a facilities workshop, $5.5 million to expand and renovate the fleet building, $5 million for a new emergency operations warehouse, $5.25 million for a special operations warehouse, $10 million for a new building for operations expansion, and $5 million to repave the sheriff complex.

Funding would also be allocated to purchase a new helicopter for the sheriff’s office, which would cost $4.6 million.

The majority of the other projects that need funding are to purchase new and replace old equipment across all areas of MCSO, MCFR, EMS and communications.

“We just replaced a bunch of our radios for the first responders and the sheriff’s frontline (for emergency operations),” Bouyounes said. “During that 20-year time frame, we’re going to have to replace them again and the estimated cost is about $16.5 million.”

Transportation projects in total will take up 70% of the sales tax revenue, at an estimated cost of $962 million. Notable road projects which the county hopes to partially fund through the sales include the Interstate 75 interchange, a new traffic management center and the bridge replacement at I-75 and County Road 484.

“You have included here on the project list a new traffic management center, which has been discussed a few times in the past,” Bouyounes said. “To start looking at the southwest/northeast corridor, that it’s going to be a huge project for the county to undertake, and I think it will have a major impact on how we move traffic around.”

CF TO HOST DENTAL OPEN HOUSE

Students from the College of Central Florida will be able to attend a Dental Open House to celebrate the launch of a new associate degree in dental hygiene and the opening of a new dental clinic.

The event will tak place from 1 to 4 p.m. on April 10 at the Hampton Center, 1501 W Silver Springs Rd. Prospective students, community members and dental professionals are welcome to attend.

The event will feature admissions

guidance for those interested in pursuing a career in dental health, information on scheduling low-cost dental cleanings and oral health examinations at the clinic, a meet-andgreet with CF program managers and guided tours of the dental facilities at the Hampton Center.

For more information about the Dental Open House and CF’s dental programs, please visit CF.edu/ DentalOpenHouse

Native plants added to Ocala Wetland Recharge Park

By Caroline Brauchler caroline@ocalagazette.com

More than 80 native plants were planted

last week at the Ocala Wetland Recharge Park by volunteers from the Marion Audubon Society.

These native plants will attract pollinators and birds to the park, require little maintenance and less water, serve as food for wildlife and nectar for pollinators.

The types of new plants include Sand Live Oak, Myrtle Oak, Lyre-leaved Sage, Starry Rosinweed, Darrow’s Blueberry, Beautyberry and more. The 23 volunteers from the Audubon Society, in partnership with the local Florida Native Plant Society, planted them in various locations across the park.

The project, funded by the Audubon Collaborative Grants, aims to educate the public about the importance of native plants and birds while sparking an interest in nature and protecting the environment.

For more information, visit marionaudobon.org

LIFEGUARD APPLICATIONS OPEN

he Ocala

TRecreation and Parks Department is seeking applicants for seasonal lifeguards.

Applicants must be older than 16 years old and hold a lifeguard certification. Candidates must swim 150 yards without stopping, submerge to a depth of seven to 10 feet and tread water for two minutes.

Starting pay for the position is $17 per hour, with returning lifeguard pay of $20

per hour.

The city is offering a retention bonus of $1,000, plus reimbursement of lifeguard certification program fees. To receive the bonus, staff must sign a contract with human resources, work a minimum of 24 hours each week and miss no more than three scheduled days for the season.

To apply, visit bit.ly/3vkwnC9

OCALA FUTURE LEADERS’ ACADEMY APPLICATIONS OPEN

The city of Ocala will host a summer youth employment program, “Ocala Future Leaders’ Academy,” to help prepare students for future jobs.

Students from age 16 to 19 who are enrolled in a Marion County high school can attend training seminars to offer technical job skills, certifications, financial literacy, personal and

professional growth.

Accepted candidates will work 20 to 25 hours a week from June 17 until July 26. Paid training will take place beforehand from June 3 through 14. Students will be paid $15 per hour.

Applications close at 5 p.m. on April 12.

To apply, visit bit.ly/3PgWUar

by Margaret Ross Tolbert

[Photos courtesy of the Marion Audubon Society]

EDITORIAL

Let’s talk Sunshine Week frankly

By Jennifer Hunt Murty jennifer@ocalagazette.com

Editor’s Note: The morning after this article was published, the SAO produced a single sheet of paper with officers’ names who have Brady notifications associated with them for the reduced cost of $92 to cover the cost of their office researching the names.

It’s difficult for some of us in the news business here in Florida to grasp that this state at one time was considered among the most transparent in the land when it came to providing access to records created using taxpayer dollars. In fact, Florida’s initial public records law, adopted in 1909, was among the nation’s first.

But with approximately 1,200 exemptions already in place and on average about a dozen new ones added each year, more and more clouds are obscuring the Sunshine Law.

During Sunshine Week, news organizations, civic watchdog groups, nonprofits and others invested in government transparency pause to reflect on the status of access to information as well as on efforts by some to restrict the public’s right to know.

As regular readers of the “Gazette” are aware, this newspaper has not and never will shy away from a dispute over public records and open government meetings. We consider it a core responsibility of local journalists to keep the community informed, ensuring our reporting is accurate by basing it on facts.

You might think that local government officials and all custodians of public records would see the value of helping the media get it right by providing unfettered access to public information. Sadly, those instances are becoming fewer all the time.

To be sure, there are times when certain details need to be redacted from a record for legitimate security reasons. For example, rules exempting from disclosure a person’s Social Security number or health records are reasonable.

But then the Legislature approves a bill making exempt from view the travel records of Gov. Ron DeSantis, his immediate family, the lieutenant governor, the House speaker, the Senate president and the chief justice of the Florida Supreme Court.

Legislatures claimed the exemption was for security reasons. Perhaps. It also conveniently blocks reporters who are questioning how much taxpayer-funded time and money DeSantis spent on his ill-fated run for the Republican nomination instead of running the state.

The struggle for greater Sunshine in Florida goes beyond the epidemic of exemptions. Inept records management systems seem to have settled in at both the state and local levels.

Here’s a recent example to ponder. Recently, when the “Gazette” was seeking to confirm a local circuit judge was not using his access to state and national crime databases while he remained a reserve law enforcement officer. The “Gazette” requested records from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, but received no response.

Only when the “Gazette” retained a lawyer and indicated

it was willing to take the matter before a judge did the FDLE finally respond—months after the request was made.

“We apologize for any inconvenience, but FDLE’s Public Records and Records Production Unit has been experiencing a severe backlog of records requests, coupled with significant staffing shortage,’’ an agency spokesperson said. “Please be advised and for your information, as of today’s date, FDLE has over 1,600 public records requests received, docketed, and pending fulfillment prior to this one.”

The spokesperson said the “Gazette’s” request had been expedited “as a courtesy,” one that seems to have developed after the FDLE heard from a Tallahassee lawyer who regularly files suits for records put them on notice we were filing.

Another example involves our current investigation of the employment history of an Ocala Police Department sergeant. The story, which will be published soon, explores why the sergeant was allowed to resign instead of being fired after an incident in which has was said to have incited a verbal fight with a juvenile on Halloween of last year.

We were surprised to learn that the sergeant’s interaction with the juvenile took place in front of at least eight other officers, who were doing a good job of de-escalating the volatile situation. Why would he feel comfortable behaving that way in front of his peers?

In a review of the sergeant’s employment history, we found many disconcerting disciplinary issues. There also is a 2022 letter from State Attorney Bill Gladson’s office referencing an internal investigation from 2019. The letter puts OPD Chief Michael Balken on notice that all of the prosecutors in Gladson’s office had been told they should not call this sergeant as a witness because he has a track record of not being truthful.

This is vital because the state attorney’s office must provide the defense any evidence that might help prove a defendant’s innocence. This could include identifying a police officer who has a history of falsifying arrest affidavits or lying on the job.

We asked Gladson’s office for copies of similar documents, known as Brady letters, for other officers who work in Marion County, regardless of which agency, in the last 10 years. While we had no intent on publishing the list at the time of the request, we wanted to see if any of the officers similarly had been promoted despite having this cautionary label.

A representative of the state’s attorney’s office wrote back:

I would like to update you on your 02-09-2024 public records request for “correspondence identifying any other officers who work for any agency in Marion County with Brady violations”. Our database administrator was assigned to identify over a ten year period those officers who were subject to Brady Notices. She was able to identify thirty five (35) officers that were subject to Brady Notices.

To comply with your request for correspondences, she had to:

Identify how many cases in this ten year period these officers were involved in.

Which of these cases are stored in electronic form, paper form or a combination of both.

Estimate the time it would take to search these cases for the filed Brady Notice (the correspondence) and any other accompanying document supporting the notice.

Of the 35 officers, there were 1,950 electronic cases, 224 paper cases, and 42 paper and electronic cases, totaling 2,216 cases. It is estimated that 1,950 electronic cases would take about 5 minutes each to search, 224 paper cases would take 60 minutes each to search (we also house many cases offsite at a warehouse which would need to be transported here for review), and 42 paper/electronic cases which would take 65 minutes each to search. This would bring the estimated number of hours to handle this request at about 432 hours. As you can see, 432 hours at the current paralegal rate of $30.83 an hour would be quite costly. This e-mail is not to discourage public records requests, but only to illustrate the labor intensive work involved in such a broad request.

So, for $13,318.56, the “Gazette” could learn the names of the 35 officers. We asked the agency just send us the list of the 35 officers, and we would do our own digging. We were repeatedly told we’d still have to pay the $13,318.56 because there was no list, and they would have do the research.

Last Wednesday, I spoke by phone with Deputy State Attorney Walter Forgie and asked would he please provide the list. He told me he was not obligated to create a record and since there was no list, I’d have to pay the research fees to obtain the names.

I asked Forgie if prosecutors’ paralegals needed to spend 432 hours researching each case they had to determine if one of the 35 officers was a witness on any of their cases. No, he said, they are notified internally when they enter in witness names.

Forgie agreed that electronic data is a public record. I resubmitted my public records request last Thursday, March 7, and they have indicated they are still working on it.

There are some state attorneys who recognize the impact dishonest cops can have on their ability to prosecute cases, and they have published the names of these officers to put the public on notice and no doubt to put political pressure on law enforcement agencies to keep their ranks clean.

Our state attorney’s office says they don’t even have a list. It’s a group of 35 names that only a software company is holding somewhere.

Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody, in her introduction to the 2024 Sunshine Law Manual, an essential book for anyone trying to obtain records, said, “The Founding Fathers of our country recognized this fundamental truth during our nation’s infancy, and it remains just as valid today.’’

We agree with Moody.

The only way Florida can once again be considered a leader in Government in the Sunshine is for the public to demand that elected officials be transparent and for voters to push out those who do not have a strong commitment to keeping the government open and honest.

Again, as Moody appropriately quotes James Madison: “Knowledge will forever govern ignorance; and a people who mean to be their own governors must arm themselves with the power which knowledge gives.”

MCFR February call report

Staff report

During February, MCFR responded to 6,267 calls.

Of the 6,267 calls, 188 were fire alarms, 62 were structure fires, 851 were traffic crashes, and 4,604 were medical calls, including 390 trauma incidents, and 2569 calls that required lights and sirens. Of all the public safety agencies in

Marion County, MCFR has the largest territory to stage daily since it provides ambulance service for the entire county. MCFR has entry-level nonsupervisory positions open in their department. According to the county’s website, firefighter/EMT have a maximum hourly rate of $15.25 and firefighter/ paramedics have a maximum hourly rate of $18.25.

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City tire drive offers community recycling potential

Recycled tires gathered to be used within the community.

By Gabriella Jaye Herrera Special to the Ocala Gazette

Twice a year, the city of Ocala hosts a “Tire Waste Amnesty Day” for residents to get rid of old tires, but what does the city do with that waste?

The event was hosted on Saturday, which not only reduced thrown-out tires but will allow for the city to utilize the rubber to develop new products for the community.

The biannual event is hosted in collaboration with the disposal provider, Green for Life. Residents have the opportunity to drop off up to ten tires at two locations to be picked up and recycled by GFL. This time around, GFL reported picking up 8.08 tons, or 16,160 pounds worth of tires. Sanitation Division Head Dwayne Drake noted that the pickup is done at no charge as part of the city’s contract with Green for Life.

“We give people the opportunity to give us their tires free of charge, so they don’t end up thrown in the woods or waters somewhere,” Drake said.

Once the tires are collected by Green for Life, General Manager Michael Aguiar said they are brought to a tire recycling center to be separated, processed, grounded or mulched to be developed into some sort of “post-consumer product.”

Generally, this takes the form of sustainable mulch for places like playgrounds or to be mixed into a surface basis for filling in walkways and roads.

“The mulch material that they dye and utilize in parks and playgrounds makes for a good, more sustainable mulch for drainage,” Aguiar said.

But the process goes beyond just the Green for Life company—part of the reason the average person cannot recycle tires on their own is because modern designs often have steelbelted metal acting as a second layer to reinforce the tire. Now, it’s not just a matter of breaking the tire down, but also sorting the metal out. Aguiar said that Green For Life ships out much of these belted tires to other processing factories, where they can sort and break the tires down even further to develop the sort of landscaping products you could find at hardware stores like Home Depot in a maximum of just 90 days.

“We’re excited to help the community safely dispose of their tires and eliminate dumping in our beautiful Marion County areas,” Aguiar said.

While an exact date has not yet been released, Ocala City Sanitation is expected to have their next Tire Waste Amnesty Day in October as well as a similar household hazardous waste and electronics collection next month.

Pickup employee Chad Caldwell assists two Ocala residents with dropping off their tires. [Gabriella Jaye Herrera]

organizations to increased liability. That could have included making it easier for public figures to sue journalists who rely on anonymous sources for information that turns out to be false.

— FLAG RESTRICTIONS:

that died during the session:

— DEFAMATION: Proposals to revamp defamation laws could have exposed media

Bills that would have restricted the types of flags flown at schools and other public buildings drew controversy because opponents said the proposals, at least in part, were designed to prevent display of LGBTQ pride flags.

— GUN AGE: The House passed a bill that would have lowered the minimum age from 21 to 18 to buy rifles and shotguns in Florida. But the Senate did not consider the proposal, which would have reversed an age change made after the 2018 Parkland school shooting.

— ID CARDS, INSURANCE: LGBTQ-advocacy groups fought a House proposal that would have required state-issued identification cards to reflect a

person’s sex assigned at birth and placed requirements on health insurers that cover treatments for gender dysphoria.

— LAWSUIT LIMITS: House and Senate proposals could have increased limits on the amounts of money that government agencies can be required to pay in lawsuits. The proposals would have revamped sovereignimmunity laws, which limit liability of government agencies.

— LOCAL TAXES: The House passed a proposal that could

have made it harder for cities and counties to raise property taxes, but the issue died in the Senate. The proposal would have required two-thirds votes by local governing boards to raise taxmillage rates.

— MARIJUANA POTENCY: Lawmakers considered imposing limits on the amounts of euphoria-inducing THC in marijuana products. The limits would have taken effect if voters in November pass a proposed constitutional amendment that would allow recreational marijuana.

— MONUMENTS: Amid debates in places such as Jacksonville about removing monuments erected to honor the Confederacy, lawmakers considered proposals to prevent local governments from removing or destroying historic monuments from public property.

— TERM LIMITS: While some counties already have term limits, House and Senate proposals sought to impose eightor 12-year term limits on county commissioners throughout the state. The idea drew opposition, in part, from rural counties, and the proposals stalled.

— ‘UNBORN CHILD’

BILL: Proposals would have allowed parents to file civil lawsuits seeking damages for the wrongful death of an “unborn child.” Abortion-rights advocates fought the proposals, though bill sponsors said the issue was not abortion-related.

House Speaker Paul Renner (left) and Senate President Kathleen Passidomo watch a traditional hanky-drop ceremony to end the 2024 legislative session. [Tom Urban/Florida News Service]

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People, Places & Things

Drag racing icons such as “Big Daddy” Don Garlits were on hand for Josh and Brittanie Hart’s Gatornationals Fan Fest at their Ocala property on March 6.

“I love it. The NHRA drivers are nice, available and polite. I thanked (Garlits and Force) and they looked up and said, ‘No, thank you for your service.’”

Robert Appleby

Funny

A bartender’s perspective

Or how not to get served in a bar.

By Nick Wineriter

As St. Patrick’s Day approaches, one of the year’s busiest days for bartenders, I wanted to offer a little friendly advice from someone who was behind the bar for nearly four decades at top-tier establishments in Washington, D.C.

Now retired in Ocala, I am a freelance writer and decided one day to sketch out this perspective on how not to get the best service when you visit a bar—any bar.

Walk into a crowded lounge or tavern and yell, “Hey, chief! How about a gin and tonic?” and that most likely will get you nowhere, or perhaps a scowl with your cocktail.

Bartenders are there to serve you and most of them will bend over backwards for you. They aren’t your servant, but they’ll make you think they are. But give them the respect they are due.

Please don’t walk up to a bartender and say: “What do I have to do to get a drink around here?” Every bartender has heard that many times. Try using, “Excuse me, please,” which will likely get you some attention rather quickly.

A lot of bartenders will introduce themselves by name. Try using it.

One of the worst things to do is snap your fingers to get attention. Bartenders will ignore that or respond with a dirty look. Another non-attention getter is banging on the bar with an empty beer bottle or glass. Now you’re really going to have to wait for a refill.

And don’t expect to be served quickly when you walk into a bar that’s packed three deep. Other people have been waiting before you.

To be fair, on the other hand, customers don’t want to hear from the bartender that the bar is short-staffed. That’s not the customer’s problem. That’s

management’s problem.

If you want a cocktail made a certain way, tell the bartender when you order it. Don’t take a sip and then say, “But that’s not how I like it,” or “That’s not how I make it at home.” Most bartenders use standard recipes, but they’ll vary it any way you like. Just let them know ahead of time.

If you are ever cut off, don’t argue. Just leave and come back (if you’re allowed) another time. The bartender is judge and jury.

A regular customer will usually get served before you do. Right or wrong, it’s just the way it is. A person who comes in on a daily basis, perhaps with a group in tow, and spends money, is going to get extra attention. After all, if someone’s helping to pay your mortgage, you give them prompt service.

Bartenders like to keep things sanitary.

If you don’t have a handkerchief, use a paper cocktail napkin and dispose of it properly. Don’t leave it on the bar for the bartender to pick up.

The bar is the bartender’s office. Don’t trash it. Respect it. You wouldn’t want someone coming into your office and leaving things all over it.

Barstools are on a first-come, first-serve basis. Don’t plop down and try to save the empty stool next to you for a friend. If there are other people standing nearby, they are entitled to that empty stool.

If you are with a group at the bar waiting for a dinner table, clear your check before going to the dining room. When checks are transferred into the dining room, the bartender will usually get cheated on most, if not all, of the tip. Some restaurants will have the waiter tip the bartender on transfer checks, but it’s not etched in stone and is usually not the full tip amount that the customer left.

Bartenders have to be very careful about not serving underage people. If you walk in with a young-looking group, don’t expect to order alcoholic drinks for everyone in your group. The bartender will need a valid I.D. from everyone drinking in

your group. If someone is underage, don’t hide at a corner table and try to pass him or her a cocktail. If you come in with your son or daughter who is underage, don’t tell the bartender it’s okay because they are with one or both parents. The law says “21,” with or without a parent. Don’t ask the bartender to break the law.

And last call means exactly that. The purpose of a last call is to give everyone an opportunity to order a last cocktail and ample time to finish it. Last call is usually given about one-half hour before closing. For late night bars, drinks have to be off the bar by a certain time. It’s the law. If not, the establishment could lose its liquor license.

One of the worst things to ask a bartender is: “Do you make a good Manhattan?” (Or a good “whatever”). How do you want him or her to respond? “No, I make a terrible Manhattan. Go somewhere else!”

When you walk up to the bar, and the bartender greets you with: “Good evening, how are you?” don’t start rattling off your order without first replying: “I’m fine, thank you.”

Great customer service is often more important than mixing a good cocktail and a professional bartender will treat his or her chosen career as a profession. And that person is an artist behind the bar. Watch a professional bartender, for example, layer a Pousee-Café—it’s like watching Renoir paint “Luncheon of the Boating Party.”

A true professional bartender will give you the great service and respect you deserve. He or she wants you to come back. But they also want you to think of them as a person, rather than a servant.

And remember to use “please” and “thank you.” They go a long way!

Nick Wineriter worked as a bartender in Washington, D.C., for 37 years, including at the renowned Duke Zeibert’s. Go to ocalagazette.com/hello-ocala-talesof-a-barman to read an article previously published in the Gazette.

NOMA Gallery changes hands

Artist Mel Fiorentino has acquired the arts hub from founder Lisa Irwin.

By Susan Smiley-Height susan@magnoliamediaco.com

In the ever-changing and vibrant landscape of the arts scene in Ocala and Marion County, a new development will expand opportunities for local artists and arts lovers alike.

Noted artist and art teacher Mel Fiorentino has acquired the NOMA Gallery from its founder, Lisa Irwin. The transition was effective March 1.

The gallery was born during the pandemic as ArtCastle and was based in the historic former Coca-Cola bottling plant at the corner of Magnolia Avenue and Bonnie Heath Blvd. (Highway 27/14th Street).

“Originally conceived during the pandemic as ArtCastle, a

place that became a safe haven for artists and art lovers alike, the gallery soon evolved into NOMA Gallery under the guidance of Mel Fiorentino and Lisa Irwin, along with their dedicated colleagues. Since its inception, NOMA Gallery has become a cherished hub for artistic expression and community engagement,” noted the news release announcing the transition.

NOMA Gallery will now have an online platform under Fiorentino, who will continue to teach both in person and online.

“I am a teacher and artist and continue to teach classes online and in person at Fiorentino Atelier, my home studio, and soon through the Marion Cultural Alliance,” she said in a text message. As for the online gallery, she

said she is “working on carefully curating a roster of artists that consist of local talent and artists abroad for the website, which is set to release in a month from now.”

“I’m excited about this new chapter,” Fiorentino added.

The news release noted that Fiorentino “also plans to host pop-up shows in the community, bringing art directly to the people. Former colleagues of Fiorentino and Irwin will join forces to assist with these community events, ensuring that NOMA Gallery remains deeply rooted in the local art scene.”

“I’m thrilled to take on this new role and continue the legacy of NOMA Gallery,” Fiorentino stated in the release. “Art has always been a source of joy and connection, and I’m committed to

“I’m thrilled to take on this new role and continue the legacy of NOMA Gallery.”

Mel Fiorentino

making it accessible to everyone in our community.”

Irwin remains involved with Arts in Health Ocala Metro, which began as an initiative of the LILAC (Lisa Irwin Legacy for Arts & Culture) Foundation in partnership with the University of Florida Arts in Medicine Program. The nonprofit connects art and healing through music, dance, performing and visual arts.

“Personally, I will be focusing on Arts in Health and building my LILAC Foundation to serve Arts in Health, girls and women’s empowerment and serving traditionally underserved

individuals and communities,”

Irwin noted in a text message.

“This is an exciting move for me because I get to see Mel shine as a gallerist, continuing and growing NOMA, while I get to serve my own heart through philanthropic endeavors.”

NOMA Records, an independent record label and music publishing house, will remain in operation at the historic building at 939 N. Magnolia Ave., Ocala.

To learn more about NOMA Gallery, visit nomaocala.com or email mel@nomaocala.com

Nick Winewriter talks about his large collection of shot glasses at his Pine Run home in Ocala on Thursday, June 22, 2023. Winewriter said he has several hundred shot glasses in his collection. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette] 2023.

Lisa Irwin, left, and Mel Fiorentino, toast to the transition of NOMA Gallery. [Photo by Ralph Demilio]

The former Coca-Cola Bottling Plant on North Magnolia Avenue has most recently been the home of NOMA Gallery and NOMA Records. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette]

Exploring a local gem

The world-class Appleton Museum of Art offers access to art, activities and special events for patrons of all ages.

By Christian Gordon Special to the Gazette

The Appleton Museum of Art hosts a First Free Saturday on a monthly basis, during which visitors can browse the museum at no cost. The March 2 event saw a crowd large enough that the museum’s parking lot reached capacity, so the nearby Ocala Civic Theatre was used as an overflow parking area.

Among the events that drew the large crowd was a performance by the Calendar Girls, a group of mature women who hold a love of dance. The ensemble is made up of dancers both professional and amateur, all with a deep passion for the art of dance. The group treated audiences to two showings of a five-dance performance followed by a screening of the film, “Calendar Girls,” which received the honor of being selected to show at the Sundance Film Festival.

The 84-minute film examines themes ranging from mortality to the effects of empty nest syndrome, the feeling of loneliness or purposelessness

that parents can feel once their children move out of the family home. For every personal struggle the film examines, each troupe member finds strength and solidarity in knowing that they have not just dance, but each other as a comfort. The Calendar Girls leverage their performances to raise money for Paws for Patriots, a charity that provides service dogs for military veterans in need.

During the free day, as well as its permanent installations, museum goers also had the opportunity to explore a myriad of new exhibitions, including Margaret Ross Tolbert’s “Water’s Margins.” The exhibit chronicles Tolbert’s experiences with natural springs, both local and international. Tolbert draws inspiration from, “The force, the spatial ambiguity, the freedom, the precise and rhapsodic view of this different world— these experiences are less about describing and presenting and more about being.”

According to Tolbert’s artist statement, her work captures the movement, serenity, and

beauty that is ever present in natural water. She often uses slabs of slate to paint underwater, engulfed in her muse. One of her goals with this exhibition was to translate that feeling of submersion to viewers. She achieved that by using large canvases that span near entire lengths of walls to recreate underwater scenes. Complete with swirls of blue and outlines of underwater life, her painted slates are available for viewing as well.

While Tolbert praises natural waters with a more abstract artistic vision, Karen Glaser does so through a unique photographic perspective in her exhibition, “Springs and Swamps.” Her exhibition highlights the uniqueness and beauty of Florida’s swamps and springs by playing with color (or lack thereof) and water while capturing perfect moments, both serene and chaotic.

Photography enthusiasts can also appreciate Martha Strawn’s installation, “Across the Threshold of India.” Strawn’s collection gives viewers a glimpse

into Indian culture, especially highlighting the symbols that have significant meaning. Among the symbols are drawings of India’s national flower, the lotus, and the swastika, which represents good luck, purity, truth, and the sun in Hinduism. According to online sources, the swastika is a holy sign and symbol from thousands of years ago, well before it received negative connotation because of its use by Nazis. Strawn also spotlights the beauty of everyday life by capturing subjects as they are naturally, whether that be architecture, nature, or humans.

First Free Saturday visitors also can take advantage of the Appleton’s education wing, which allows guests to create their own artwork. The Clay Lab is dedicated to teaching clay work and pottery, while the Art Lab teaches visitors painting on media from canvases to scarves. In the Artspace, visitors can let their imagination run wild and create artwork free of instruction. The Artspace is especially fun for parents and children to enjoy together.

“Beginning in February 2020, the Appleton Museum of Art began First Free Saturday as a way to expand opportunities to all community members to enjoy the museum’s world-class encyclopedic art collection,” said Jason Steuber, director of the museum.

Judging by the turnout, the museum has succeeded in doing just that. Guests can look forward to a new slate of events during the next First Free Saturday on April 6.

In the meantime, the museum is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and noon to 5 p.m. Sunday. The admission fee for an adult is $10 ($8 for seniors), with no charge for youth ages 5 and younger. Museum memberships are available. The venue, located at 4333 E. Silver Springs Blvd., also hosts other special events, classes and summer camps.

To learn more, visit appletonmuseum.org

Left to right: This exhibit at the Appleton Museum of Art explores Women in Art. The Calendar Girls perform on March 2, 2024, at the Appleton Museum of Art. [Photos by Christian Gordon]

Margaret Ross Tolbert, “Springs Diptych,” 2005, oil, shellac and mixed media on canvas. [Courtesy Maven Photo + Film]

Bullock’s oriole

By Michael Warren

When this rare Bullock’s Oriole began to appear in the backyard of Dottie Dunlap, near Baseline and 36th Avenue, she put out the word and few lawn chairs to attract fellow birders. They were rewarded with a bird that is seldom seen in the eastern United States, and not previously reported in Marion County.

Sudoku is played on a grid of 9 x 9 spaces. Within the rows and columns are 9 “squares” (made up of 3 x 3 spaces). Each row, column and square (9 spaces each) needs to be filled out with the numbers 1-9, without repeating any numbers within the same row, column or square.

Bullock’s oriole [MichaelWarren.com]

LOCAL CALENDAR LISTINGS

government

MARCH 18, 25

Marion County Development Review Committee

Office of County Engineer, 412 SE 25th Avenue, Building 1, Ocala

9 AM

The first step for new development projects, the committee reviews and votes on waiver requests to the Land Development Code, major site plans and subdivision plans. The committee meets weekly on Mondays. See marionfl.legistar.com/Calendar.aspx for agendas and minutes.

MARCH 19

Marion County Board of County Commissioners

McPherson Governmental Campus Auditorium, 601 SE 25th Ave., Ocala

9 AM

The commission meets the first and third Tuesday of the month. Agendas, minutes and video are available at marionfl.legistar.com/calendar.aspx

MARCH 19

Ocala City Council Meeting

Ocala City Hall, 110 SE Watula Ave., Ocala

4 PM

The council meets the first and third Tuesday of the month. Ocala government agendas and minutes are available at ocala.legistar.com/calendar.aspx

MARCH 19

Dunnellon Historic Preservation Board City Hall, 20750 River Drive, Dunnellon

5:30 PM

The board meets monthly with a focus on historic areas. Dunnellon agendas, minutes and video are available at dunnellon.org/government/agendas-minutes

MARCH 19

Belleview City Commission Meeting Belleview City Hall, 5343 SE Abshier Blvd., Belleview

6 PM

The commission meets the first and third Tuesday of the month. Agendas, minutes and video are available at belleviewfl.org/200/Agendas-Minutes

MARCH 25

Marion County Hospital District Meeting

2547 E Silver Springs Blvd., Ocala

5 PM

The board meets monthly. More information is available from mchdt.org/about-us/board-meeting-dates

MARCH 25

Marion County Planning & Zoning Commission

McPherson Governmental Campus Auditorium, 601 SE 25th Ave., Ocala

5:30 PM

The commission meets the last Monday of the month. Agendas, minutes and video are available at marionfl.legistar.com/calendar.aspx

arts

MARCH 16 (19, 20, 21 AND 23), VARIOUS TITLES AND TIMES

Shakespeare’s Sonnets

Brick City Center for the Arts, 23 SW Broadway St, Ocala 11 AM

Reading and discussion from the Marion Cultural Alliance and Marion County Literacy Council’s series “10 Things You’ve Always Wanted – But Felt Too Intimidated – to READ.”

Visit bit.ly/mclc-read to RSVP for free. Events also are slated for March 19 (Plato’s Cave Allegory, 9:30 AM), March 20 (“Mrs. Dalloway” by Virginia Wolfe, 5:30 PM), March 21 (“The Wasteland” by T.S. Eliot, 12 PM), March 23 (“Discipline and Punish” by Michel Foucault, 10 AM).

MARCH 17

Deadline to submit for the “Call to Artists: Student and Emerging Artist Competition.”

Online Entries can be submitted online at ocalafl.gov/StudentAndEmergingArtistExhibit, via email to artinfo@ocalafl.gov or mailed to City of Ocala Cultural Arts, 201 SE Third Street, second floor, Ocala, FL 34471. For more information, visit ocalafl.gov/culturalarts

MARCH 21 – APRIL 7

“Baskerville”

Ocala Civic Theatre, 4337 E Silver Springs Blvd., Ocala

The OCT team presents Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s classic tale refreshed as a whirlwind comedy and murder mystery with Holmes and Watson prowling the moors. Tickets are $30 for adults and $15 for ages 18 and younger. Visit ocalacivictheatre.com to view showtimes and purchase tickets.

MARCH 26

CF Ira Holmes International Film Series: “Polite Society” Appleton Museum of Art, 4333 E Silver Springs Blvd. and College of Central Florida, 3001 SW College Road, Building 8, Ocala 2-4 PM (at Appleton) and 7-9 PM (at CF) This film is a UK production and was released at Sundance in 2023. An action-comedy, “Polite Society” follows the story of a British-Pakistani woman who trains to become a film martial artist. Screenings are free to attend.

APRIL 6

Free First Saturday at Appleton Museum

Appleton Museum of Art, 4333 E Silver Springs Blvd., Ocala

10 AM to 5 PM

Entry to the museum is free for all patrons on the first Saturday of each month. From 11 AM

APRIL 19

APRIL

MARCH 28

Arnette

APRIL 27

Historic

King St., Ocala

712 E.

10 AM

Walk through time with HOPS in tour that will take you through six historic homes in Ocala’s Southeast Historic District, starting at the Bryant House. Tickets are available at eventbrite.com/e/a-walk-through-time-tickets-803983445127

Norway’s fjord country blends serenity with grandeur

By Rick Steves

Though I initially visited Norway to see relatives—three of my grandparents grew up there— nature is the real draw here, even for those with family ties. It’s a land of intense beauty, with famously steep mountains and deep fjords carved out and shaped by an ancient ice age.

Traveling through fjord country, I find myself spending lots of time sitting on porches at Victorian-era hotels, mesmerized by the Norwegian mountains. Rather than jagged, they’re bald and splotchy, with snowfields on top and characteristic cliffs plunging into inky water.

There’s something poetic about summer evenings on a fjord. The world is bathed in a warm, mellow, and steady light that hardly changes. The persistent call of gulls and the lazy gulping of small boats taking on little waves provide a relaxing soundtrack. Sometimes I’ll stroll through a village, enjoying the sight of blond cherubs

running barefoot through the stalled twilight. Cobbled lanes lead past shiplap houses to sheer cliffs. Half the sky is taken up by the black rock of a mountain.

It’s a glorious setting, but the tourist season in fjord country is short—just July and early August. In the summer, restaurants and hotels need to scramble like chipmunks to survive the winter. Wondering how that affects the job scene, I notice that most of the employees are seasonal. On the front line are eager Norwegian kids visiting home for the summer. In the back, hardworking immigrants cook and clean. Local hoteliers and restaurateurs probably think that tourists don’t come to some quaint fjord village to be served goat cheese by a guy from Pakistan or fish balls by a woman from Romania.

The food here is fine, but nobody visits Norway for its cuisine. It seems that each Scandinavian nation has one inedible dish that is cherished with a perverse but patriotic sentimentality. These dishes, which often originated during a famine,

now remind the young of their ancestors’ suffering. Norway’s penitential food, lutefisk (dried cod cured in lye and then soaked for days in water), is used for Christmas…and for jokes.

While travelers swing from castle to castle through Germany, in Norway we seem to swing from stave church to stave church. These wooden wonders are the only grand architecture surviving from Norway’s Middle Ages. They’re built like upside-down Viking ships, supported on each corner by staves, or thick posts. Medieval Norway was essentially a society built of wood. Devastating fires were commonplace.

Driving the winding roads along the fjords—and diving for a pullout each time a car approaches—I realize that it’s a very dangerous place…not because of the traffic (there’s very little), but because of the scenery. It’s tough to keep your eyes on the road.

Norway has laced and drilled an amazing road system to connect fjord country with Oslo. The Laerdal Tunnel,

the world’s longest car tunnel, stretches 15 miles. Driving it is a bizarre experience: To keep people awake, three rest chambers, each illuminated by a differently colored light, break up the drive visually.

All these new roads zip travelers around quicker, but they’ve made previously tranquil valleys noisier. I had to drop one unfortunate campground with great riverside bungalows from my guidebook. For 10 years, it was a fine little budget place to sleep. Now, rumbling trucks trample the quiet, so it’s out.

While I love traveling here, I’d describe the tourist industry as somewhere between frugal, cheap, industrious, and greedy. The tourist trade is built upon a gift from God: incredible nature. Researching and updating my guidebook here—sorting through all the creative marketing tricks masquerading as “deals” while they’re jacking up the prices—I can’t help but think, “These people are doing everything they can to get more business ... except lowering prices.”

On the other hand, I’ve always appreciated the agreeable demeanor of the Norwegian people—friendly but not overbearing, organized but not uptight, and with a lust for adventure befitting their gorgeous landscape. Known for their ability to suffer any misfortune with an accepting (if a bit pessimistic) attitude, Norwegians are easy to get along with.

Communication is a breeze.

Norwegians speak English so well that most tours at museums and historic sights simply dispense with the local tongue. Locals and tourists alike hear the spiel in one language, and that’s English.

Yes, Norway is expensive, but the great scenery and affable ambience are free. When things get pricey, remind yourself that Norway is stacked with superlatives. My people enjoy the most mountainous, most scenic, and most prosperous of all the Scandinavian countries.

(Rick Steves (www.ricksteves.com) writes European guidebooks, hosts travel shows on public TV and radio, and organizes European tours. This column revisits some of Rick’s favorite places over the past two decades. You can email Rick at rick@ricksteves.com and follow his blog on Facebook.)

Is erythritol a safe and healthy sugar substitute?

By Jennifer Drost, P.A., and Dawn Mussallem, D.O. Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research

EAR MAYO CLINIC:

DA friend has a family history of diabetes and obesity. She is diligent about eating healthfully and enjoys sharing new recipes and information about food. Recently she mentioned a sugar substitute called erythritol. I’m not familiar with this product. Can you explain what it is and if it is healthy?

ANSWER: Sugar is one of those ingredients that always seems to be in the news.

Eating and drinking too much sugar can negatively affect one’s health. Sugar found naturally in food, such as whole fruits, is not associated with increased health issues. But added sugar has been shown to contribute to dental cavities and is associated with multiple chronic diseases such as heart disease, obesity, fatty liver disease and Type 2 diabetes.

Sugar has many forms. Most people are familiar with sucrose, the white granulated sugar found most often in kitchens, and raw sugar, also called turbinado sugar, which is crystalized and light brown. Other examples of sugar include high-fructose corn syrup and other sweeteners, which are often added to drinks and baked goods.

Because of the known health risks associated with added sugars, the food industry has produced numerous sugar substitutes to feed our collective sweet tooth while minimizing the negative consequences of sugar.

Saccharin was the first commercially produced sugar substitute. Over the years, saccharin has fallen out of favor as it was found to negatively affect the good bacteria in our small intestines and gut, putting people at increased risk for Type 2 diabetes and obesity. But dozens of other sugar substitutes have been developed.

One class of sugar substitutes that seemed promising is a group called “sugar alcohols,” of which erythritol is a member. Sugar alcohols are sweet but are neither sugar nor alcohol. Sugar alcohols are derived from sugar, usually created by hydrogenating sugar or by fermenting it. Examples of sugar alcohols include xylitol, sorbitol and mannitol. Often, we find these in processed foods, such as gum or candy.

Erythritol occurs naturally with the fermentation of fructose (fruit sugar) and is found in extremely low levels in various fruits such as melon, pears, grapes and in fermented foods, including dairy cheese and soy sauce. Our red blood cells also naturally make very low levels of erythritol.

When used as a food additive, erythritol is used at concentrations at least 1,000 times the natural levels found in food or our bodies.

While your friend may hope to lessen her risk for chronic illness by avoiding added sugar, it is important to note that sugar substitutes are not without risk. In recent decades, some concerning research has been published about possible adverse health effects of erythritol.

An American study from

2001 found that people who used erythritol as a sweetener had a three-year increased risk of major adverse cardiac events—defined as non-fatal heart attack or stroke. While this was an incidental finding— meaning that the erythritol did not necessarily cause or contribute to their cardiac issues—it highlighted the need for more research to determine if using a sugar substitute predisposes a person to higher heart attack or stroke rates.

A 2021 study examined people who consumed erythritol or a similar sugar alcohol, xylitol.

The results found that ingesting erythritol as a sugar substitute caused a spike in blood levels and increased the stickiness of the volunteers’ platelets. Platelets help the blood to clot if we cut ourselves, but if they are sticky, the risk of blood clots in the

body increases, raising our risk of heart attack, stroke or other vascular issues.

While the findings still do not definitely prove that erythritol directly increases the risk for cardiovascular issues, the results indicate it may be best to avoid it until we have more evidence to suggest that it is or is not safe.

Rather than chasing the perfect sugar substitute, it is best to minimize added sugars in our diet and reprogram a sweet tooth through other means.

If you are craving a sweet treat, grab a piece of whole fruit, such as an apple, pear, peach or plum. Fruit is a much healthier investment than foods sweetened with added sugar or sugar substitutes. Besides, research shows that a wholefood, plant-based diet prevents chronic diseases.

There are no shortcuts to

healthy eating. The American Heart Association recommends that adults limit their daily sugar intake to 24 grams (six teaspoons) for women and 36 grams (nine teaspoons) for men. If you feel you need more guidance or want more information about how to make positive changes in your diet, consider making an appointment with a nutritionist or dietitian.—Jennifer Drost, P.A., and Dawn Mussallem, D.O., Integrative Medicine and Health, Lifestyle Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Phoenix, Arizona, and Jacksonville, Florida

(Mayo Clinic Q & A is an educational resource and doesn’t replace regular medical care. E-mail a question to MayoClinicQ&A@mayo.edu. For more information, visit www.mayoclinic.org.)

Norway’s rugged west coast is slashed by fjords—stunning inlets carved out by ancient glaciers. Of these, the Sognefjord – Norway’s longest (120 miles) and deepest (1 mile) – is tops. Ferries and catamarans connect visitors and locals alike to several of this sparsely populated region’s scenically situated villages and towns. [Rick Steves]

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