Ocala Gazette | March 19 - 25, 2021 by Magnolia Media Company

VOLUME 1 ISSUE 38

Happy Spring!

MARCH 19 - MARCH 25, 2021

A Defining Time

County rule could limit public access The protocols, in part, restrict approaching commissioners at meetings By Carlos Medina Ocala Gazette

barred family members from seeing patients, some terminally ill. “When we had no visitors, it was very hard. We are healers, we are facilitators for family coming in and visiting. We really want that. It was really hard to watch patients that passed on visit with family via Facetime,” Teuton said. “That’s one thing that really sticks in my mind.” It was a similar story for other hospital workers. Having dying patients isolated form loved ones hurt the most. Dr. Ken Barrick, the director of emergency services at AdventHealth Ocala, said he tried to be as compassionate as he could, but it’s never the same as family. “We’re physicians and provide treatment. We have family to provide comfort,” Barrick said. “I distinctly remember when patients couldn’t have visitors. That was really challenging. As a dad, as a husband, I don’t know how I would feel not being able to stand next to my loved one and hold their hand.” Leigh Zeedyk, the lead respiratory therapist at

Marion County issued a directive that appeared to restrict public access to county leaders and meetings on Tuesday. While the protocols were targeted toward the media, there is no distinction between members of the media and the public. In its directive, issued by the county public relations department, all media will need to coordinate with Marion County Public Relations prior to attendance of or coverage of any meetings; all media will check in at the front desk of the administration building, and a representative of public relations will escort media members to their desired location; and no interviews of county commissioners or staff will be allowed prior to or following any meetings without prior coordination with Marion County public relations. “Some of these restrictions are laughably unconstitutional and could not conceivably be enforced. For instance, the requirement that members of the media must ‘coordinate’ before being allowed to cover a meeting could not possibly be enforced. If a member of the media shows up at a meeting that the public is, by law, entitled to attend, then the member of the media has the First Amendment right to gather and share information without any need for ‘permission’ from a media relations officer,” said Frank LoMonte, director of The Brechner

See COVID, page 10

See Restrictions, page 4

Mason Gibbs, 18 months, is comforted by his mother, Kristi, as he is tested for COVID-19. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette]

Marking a year of COVID-19 with an eye toward the future Ocala Gazette Staff

t respected no border, changed how we lived and left us feeling vulnerable. A year since COVID-19 gripped the world, its effects linger. But we see the promise of better times ahead as vaccines continue to roll out in ever-increasing numbers. As we hope for brighter days we take time to reflect on the year behind us and how it forever touched us. We were united by fear, grief and uncertainty. But we braced against the fight, cried after our losses and celebrated the triumphs. As a community, nation and world, this was our era’s defining moment. And while the scourge is far from over, we never stopped blazing a trail to the future. Healthcare No segment has taken the brunt of COVID-19 harder than the healthcare field. They were charged with treating and caring for people who carried a virus that many new little about a

year ago. “During the early part, the (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) were giving recommendations at a rapid speed. It seemed like every hour there was

“As a dad, as a husband, I don’t know how I would feel not being able to stand next to my loved one and hold their hand.” -Dr. Ken Barrick

a new initiative. They were learning and broadcasting what they were learning as fast as possible,” said Jennifer Teuton a nurse director at Ocala Regional Medical Center. Teuton oversees the 59-bed COVID-19 unit at the hospital. She said the hardest part of the experience was the initial lockdown of the hospitals, which

Horse Fever 20/20 statue sells for $30,000 at OBS auction Proceeds will go to benefit the Florida Thoroughbred Charities and the Marion Cultural Alliance. By Ben Baugh Correspondent It was a unique and whimsical vision that stood the test of time. Artist Mark Hershberger’s imagination and innovation led to the steampunk-inspired vision known as Clockwork Fury as part of the 2010 Horse

Fever herd. Purchased by Brent and Crystal Fernung, Clockwork Fury served as a welcoming ambassador at their Journeyman Stud for the better part of a decade. On Tuesday, a revamped Clockwork Fury found a new home, as the artwork was auctioned off at the Ocala Breeders’ Sales pavilion to benefit the

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Florida Thoroughbred Charities and the Marion Cultural Alliance. Robin Andrews, an Ocala Breeders’ Sales employee had the winning bid of $30,000. For now, the sculpture will most likely remain at OBS, but eventually will move to Andrews’ residence. See Clockwork Fury page 2

Inside: O.G. Toon.................................. 3 COVID Update........................ 5 State News................................ 6 Sports........................................ 12 OBS Sale................................... 14 Calendar................................... 15

MARCH 19 - MARCH 25, 2021 | OCALA GAZETTE

Property eyed for judicial center expansion County to pay $1.36 million for former Post Office Tire location, two other parcels By Brendan Farrell Ocala Gazette The Marion County Commission approved the nearly $1.4 million purchase of several lots next to the Marion County Judicial Center during Tuesday’s meeting. “The purpose of this acquisition is for future expansion and use of any county operation,” county administrator Mounir Bouyounes explained to the commissioners when presenting the initial plan during the Jan. 19 meeting. “It’s an opportunity that we have today that those parcels are for sale.” The county will pay $1.36 million for three parcels including the building which was formerly the Post Office Tire Store on Silver Springs Boulevard. According to the purchase agreement, the county will pay $952,000 plus any closing costs to two parcels from K3CM Properties-Downtown 2 LLC. The three parcels

of land consist of the old There was no immediate of its current footprint. courthouse are for sale, in Post Office Tire Store and plans for the property, but “The county is taking order to preserve the land a vacant lot next door. the current judicial center advantage of the present for future use,” said Marion The county is also paying has expanded multiple times opportunity we have that County public information $409,000 plus closing costs over the years covering most the parcels adjacent to the officer Alex AuBuchon. for the Bullard Law Office Building adjacent to the other two lots. The county will buy that land from 18 Ocala, LLC. All told, the commission approved $1.4 million to cover the purchase and other costs. The purchases will be paid for with $790,852 not spent by constitutional officers during the 2019/2020 fiscal year. Another $488,071 will come from state revenue sharing proceeds and a local half-cent sales tax revenue. The balance of $121,077 comes from legislative reserves for contingencies, The old Post Office Tire Store on Silver Springs Boulevard is shown on Thursday. Marion County will buy the property and two according to county other adjacent parcels for $1.36 million. The property will go for future, unspecified expansion of the Marion County Judicial Center, shown in the background. [Carlos Medina/Ocala Gazette] records.

From Clockwork Fury, page 1 “I really like rustic and he is rustic,” said Andrews, who has had her eye on the sculpture for some time. “It (the money) is going to a good cause.” As one of the beneficiaries, the Marion Cultural Alliance’s portion will go into the organization’s cultural endowment. The Fernungs, as donors of the statue, will get a say in the projects funded, said Jaye Baillie, Marion Cultural Alliance executive director. “We have our cultural endowment out of which we fund cultural grants throughout our community to our arts organizations,” said Baillie. “Every year we have a competitive grant process. This will go into the endowment and grow in perpetuity.” The Florida Thoroughbred Charities portion of the proceeds will go to benefit Second Chances Farm at the Lowell Correctional Institution. “We’re just thrilled,” said Laurie Zink, Horse Fever 20/20 Project co-chair. “It makes me happy inside any time that I see any of the horses on the street

because I still see people enjoying them every day. Those horses say a lot about our community.” While Crystal Fernung was thrilled Clockwork Fury would stay locally, the chance to help the arts and thoroughbreds were the most important. “Tammy Gantt (Florida Thoroughbred Breeders’ and Owners’ Association) has worked so hard to try and fill in the gaps,” said Crystal Fernung. “She’s been a big force behind all this. To me, it’s perfect. it’s helping retired Thoroughbreds and helping the arts. Thoroughbreds are my life and passion. But being an artist myself and watching how the arts culture has exploded in Ocala, it’s a win-win, so I’m really thrilled.” It took Hershberger three months to create the first version of Clockwork Fury,

[Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette]

and another three months to refurbish his artwork 11 years later. Clockwork Fury weathered three hurricanes, had several pieces fall off and hosted six bluebird nests during its time at Journeyman. But Hershberger did more than just a touch-up. “She (Crystal) said ‘let’s go beyond that,’” said Hershberger. “I did all the refurb work and then I

started adding. I added an antique garage door hanger that I bisected through the wheels to make it look like he’d run on rails. I added about 100 mineral specimens. He already had a heart and brain of crystal. But I didn’t have a lot of crystals in there. I’ve done a lot of lapidary work.” It was Hershberger’s predilection for the steampunk movement that inspired his creation, but he was looking for specific objects to add to the refurbished version of Clockwork Fury. World War II era opera glasses were used for his eyes. But he also has state-of-the-art technology, including LEDs and a fiber optic system. “I cut them (the opera glasses) in half and used them because they were the right size and shape of what I had in my mind,” said

Hershberger. “Everything that wasn’t in my head, I had to fabricate. It’s very close to the dream that I had to begin with. He’s more than that now because of this last refurb. I added probably thirty gears, pullies and springs. There’s probably 60 pieces in that part alone.” Hershberger also saved one of the bluebird nests and installed it along with a robotic bird in the artwork. “He’s got a backstory, and he would be lonely without a bird,” said Hershberger. “He has a full art studio in there. I said, ‘I’m an artist, so I’m going to put a bunch of art materials in there.’ So, it has pencils, a pencil sharpener, paintbrushes an airbrush, airbrush tubing and airbrush hoses.” When Hershberger created Clockwork Fury, his first granddaughter was born, and during the refurbishing, his mother passed away from COVID-19. “There’s a lot of me in him,” said Hershberger. “He’s a sculpture that you want to pull out and do a show with him.”

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MARCH 19 - MARCH 25, 2021 | OCALA GAZETTE

O.G. Toons “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 Susan Smiley-Height, Editor susan@magnoliamediaco.com

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Commentary There’s more to a degree than earning potential By Tyrus Clutter Special to the Ocala Gazette As the primary instructor of visual arts at the College of Central Florida’s Ocala campus, you can imagine my dismay when reading Sen. Dennis Baxley’s recent comments on art education: “I use the illustration that… you may love art, and you may just want to study art. But, if we could arrange that program so you picked up a few courses that also qualified you to teach art, now you have a career path.” His comments came while discussing his proposal to reduce Bright Futures Scholarships for certain college degrees based on their earning potential. My undergraduate degree is in art and my Master of Fine Arts is in painting. I took no education classes in any of my higher education, yet these degrees qualify me to be an associate professor at CF – definitely a decent career path. I know of several former CF art students now working in the

Ocala area as professional artists, who took a similar track. As you know, the Ocala Arts Festival (Marion County’s largest event annually) brings about 150 artists to Ocala each year. These people, mostly from Florida, are making a career of creating and selling art. Why is their career path worth less than some in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields? The Americans for the Arts Prosperity 5 (AEP5) study reveals that Marion County’s nonprofit arts and culture organizations are economic drivers – creating an industry that supports jobs and generates government revenue. The Ocala local non-profit arts and culture industry spends an estimated $56 million annually in our community, employs 1,422 people, and generates $6.1 million in local and state government revenue.

Why would we want to discourage our most promising students from pursuing degrees for which they have a passion? The Florida State College system is a model for the country and the faculty and administrators have done a superb job of crafting curriculum that is the envy of most states. The arts (and other fields) enrich and aid the process of learning. To deny funding to students who want to follow their interests and aptitudes is one way to push people into an unfulfilled life. We are all born with gifts and talents and the world needs all of them. Who do you think is creating all the attractions in Orlando’s theme parks if not those who we would call artists? If the attractions in Orlando, which drive the state’s tourism economy, were not thought up and produced by the artists of this state, then Florida would have a state income tax. The lack of this tax and influx of tourists’ dollars makes Florida unique, and again, the envy of many states and an economic draw for businesses. At the heart of it is the arts.

Share your news The Ocala Gazette invites you to share your important news events with the community. Email your submissions to info@ocalagazette. com. Please include your name and contact information on the submission. • Letters to the editor: 200 words or less. • Honorable Mentions: 150 words or less about an individual or organization accomplishment in the business, education, community service, athletics or other area of endeavor. Attach a photo of the individual or group being honored, if available. • Upcoming events: Are you holding a charitable or community event that is open to the public? Include the organization hosting the event as well as the time, date and a brief description of the event, along with registration information or other important instructions. • News tips: Include whatever information you consider relevant.

Keep freedom of choice in Bright Futures Senate Bill 86 will drastically change the successful Bright Futures scholarship program, which has enabled countless Floridians to attend college. The proposed changes would create a list of programs that “do not lead directly to employment.” Anyone studying a program on this list would receive less funding. Is Florida really trying to tell students what they should study? This isn’t Cuba or Venezuela, students should have freedom and choices. The bill’s author, Senator Baxley (R-Ocala) said that he was trying “to bring the world of education and the real world closer together.” The way to do this is not to restrict what college students can study. This bill contradicts basic Republican values, with the free market taking the sidelines while the government gets to control which industries get more or less labor. Baxley’s bill mirrors policies implemented in socialist states; diametrically opposing the values of a free society such as our own. He even said, “What I do is

kill bills and find ways to get government out of the way.” But SB-86 doesn’t seem like it’s trying to get the government out of the way, it sounds like Baxley is trying to control what students want to study. For a proponent of small government and less regulation, doesn’t it sound hypocritical? Furthermore, just because a student’s program isn’t on the list, doesn’t mean that their line of study won’t lead to success. There are many career paths regardless of majors, including attending postgraduate school. Baxley states that some majors land students in mountains of debt, but isn’t that why the Bright Futures scholarship is so essential? Bright Futures allows students to study their passion, contributing to society in whatever they are good at. People who follow their passions are more likely to be successful then those who are pushed into certain career pathways. The state should not dictate what these students want to pursue. They tell us to pull ourselves up by our bootstraps, but they take away our boots, and leave us in the mud.

Senator Baxley also said that his bill would save Florida taxpayers millions of dollars by not funding majors that don’t “lead directly to employment.” While it is true the cost of the Bright Futures scholarship has risen since its inception, all of the money used for Bright Futures scholarships comes from the Florida Lottery, which was created for the sole purpose of funding education in this state. By modifying this scholarship and restricting who gets their college tuition paid for, Baxley isn’t saving taxpayers millions of dollars, he is depriving hundreds of thousands of students of their Bright Futures and opportunities. Education should not be a partisan issue. Protecting the freedoms for students, in both lower and higher education is something that we as constituents should tell our politicians to support. Thomas Truong, Heesu Seo, and Shaheer Ali are part of Save Bright Futures a group formed to oppose SB-86. For information visit https://www.savebrightfutures.org/

MARCH 19 - MARCH 25, 2021 | OCALA GAZETTE

From Restrictions, page 1 Center for Freedom of Information at the University of Florida. In follow-up emails with Kelli Hart, the county’s director of public relations, the county backed off the requirement for coordination prior to public meetings but stood by having only media members and not other members of the public accompanied during open meetings. “There cannot be any differential restrictions on the movements of members of the media as compared with the movements of the general public. If members of the general public can enter

the building and go about their business without an escort, then members of the media must be allowed to do so as well. A government agency cannot single out members of the media for differential mistreatment and impose infirmities that are not enforced on other visitors,” LoMonte said. Hart also said no member of the public could interact with commissioners before or after the meetings without coordination with public relations. “If the members of the county commission or their staff choose not to make themselves available to give interviews, they have every right to decline to do so, but that is their decision and not the decision of a public relations officer. A public relations officer has no supervisory authority over an elected official,” LoMonte said. Commissioners Carl Zalak, Kathy Bryant and Craig Curry said they were not aware of the protocols when contacted on Wednesday. They all said they would find out more information about the protocols. Bryant said she was confident the protocols would be updated. A request for comment from County Administrator Mounir Bouyounes was not returned by presstime.

Multiple CF students shine in vocal competition Jillian Capps, Kelli Piel and Madi DeLonge helped the College of Central Florida win numerous vocal awards at the virtual Central Florida National Association of Teachers of Singing chapter audition in February. With more than 100 students competing, Capps received first Jillian Capps is shown performing [Submitted] place in the Second Year Music Each year the National Association Theatre Treble Voice Category, of Teachers of Singing celebrates while Piel received second place in the the art of singing through a series of First Year Music Theatre Treble Voice. competions and programs assigned to DeLonge rounded out the pack with showcase rising starts in the singing and a third-place finish in the First Year performing professions. Musical Treble Voice.

Marion County unemployment rate 5.3% in January Ocala Gazette Staff Marion County’s January unemployment rate was 5.3%, up from a revised 4.9% in December, according to data released by the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity. Locally, the labor force grew by 141,221 in January. The number of people with jobs was listed at 133,750. The number of those unemployed was 7,471. The total number of nonfarm jobs in the Ocala area was down 1,700 jobs over the year, according to a press release by CareerSource CLM. But the area had the state’s second-highest annual job growth in manufacturing, with 300 new jobs added. Manufacturing accounts for 9,700 jobs locally. The Ocala metro area also had the second-highest annual job growth in trade, transportation, and utility jobs with 800 new jobs added to the segment accounting to 27,100 jobs. Industries that lost jobs over the year in January included leisure and hospitality (-1,600 jobs), education and health services (-1,000 jobs) and government (-400 jobs), according to CareerSource. The state’s unemployment rate was 4.8% in January, down 0.3 percentage points from a revised December rate. Adrienne Johnston, the department’s chief economist, said even as people return to the overall labor force, the need to revitalize the vital leisure and hospitality industry continues to be a focus. “We’re continuing to see some job losses in the leisure and hospitality industry,” Johnston said in a conference call with reporters. “We know in January, there were some additional layoffs in the tourism industry related to some of the theme parks. And so that seems to be continuing to drive most of the job loss. We also saw some losses in professional business services as well in January.” As of January, the leisure and hospitality industry had lost 284,100 jobs, or 22.3 percent of jobs, over the past year, according to the state agency. The News Service of Florida contributed to this report.

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MARCH 19 - MARCH 25, 2021 | OCALA GAZETTE

COVID-19 vaccines up, cases down in Marion County More than 57% of local seniors have now received at least one vaccine dose By Brendan Farrell Ocala Gazette At Tuesday’s county commission meeting, Emergency Management director Preston Bowlin gave out updates on Marion County’s current situation with COVID-19 cases and vaccinations. The county has seen a decrease in cases and the positivity rate for the ninth week in a row. Cases went

down from 437 to 302, and the positivity rate dropped from 5.73% to 4.54%, according to Bowlin. He added that 72,635 people in Marion County have been vaccinated, with 42,611 fully immunized. Bowlin said that the county received the Johnson & Johnson one-shot vaccine last week and has distributed it to 1,047 people. “Primarily, because of scheduling, we’re really

pushing that for our law enforcement, first responders, teachers at this point here,” he said. In Marion County, 57% of the 65-and-up population has been vaccinated, up from 41% two weeks ago. Bowlin said that the county is 17th out of Florida’s 67 counties in vaccinated 65-and-up population. Currently, vaccines are still for the staff and residents of long-term facilities, health care

providers, K-12 teachers that are 50 and older and people determined by a physician to be vulnerable to the virus. The state is on track to lower the age requirement to 55 and older, and Bowlin said it could happen towards the end of this week or next week. Marion County’s increased vaccination efforts come on the heels of two community outreach missions at the On Top of the World retirement

community and the Florida Horse Park. Over 2,700 residents at On Top of the World were immunized between March 5 and March 7, while another 1,879 received their shots at the Florida Horse Park on March 8 and March 9. Bowlin also said that there are plans for singleshot vaccine sites to work up to 3,000 shots per day. He added that they will have another outreach mission at Reddick-Collier Elementary.

Ocala mask ordinance will lapse on April 3 By Ainslie Lee Ocala Gazette After sparking intense public debate, the City of Ocala’s emergency mask ordinance will end quietly on April 3. During Tuesday night’s city council meeting, council members voted 4-0 to adopt a resolution encouraging face coverings for indoor locations. Councilman Matt Wardell did not attend the meeting. The move to allow the emergency mask ordinance to lapse came after Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis issued an executive order that cancels fines related to local government COVID-19

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restrictions on people and business. While there was a fine originally included in Ocala’s mask ordinance, Mayor Kent Guinn – who has oversight of the Ocala Police Department – announced the department would not issue fines. Originally adopted in August and extended twice, Ocala’s mask ordinance was widely deemed as toothless. The ordinance did not require residents to wear masks, but rather required businesses to post signs stating that masks were required. The emergency ordinance required renewal every 60 days. While some challenged the previous ordinance for its lack of sanctions, others,

like Ocala resident Rock Gibbony, commended those who fought against strict enforcement. “Thank God for the mayor and the chief of police for not going after anybody for breaking the ordinance,” Gibbony said referring to Guinn and the late Ocala Police Chief Greg Graham.

Quinn and Graham we’re not in favor of a punitive anti-mask ordinance. Graham died in a plane crash in October. “These face coverings are basically useless. I mean, they do not stop particulates the size of a virus… what it does do is dehumanize people, ” Gibbony said. “People are guilted and shamed into wearing them because they’re told they’re going to help other people. It’s poppycock.” Council President Justin Grabelle, a supporter of the ordinance in its original form, did not argue against letting it lapse, but did bemoan the lack of enforcement.

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“I would have like to have seen the ordinance actually enforced at some point. I think it’s dangerous when we decide to pick and choose how we are going to enforce laws,” he said. Councilman Jay Musleh, who voted against each of the previous emergency mask ordinances, voted for the resolution on Tuesday. “Even though the prior ordinance really had no teeth in it… with no enforcement provisions in it, the governor of Florida declared that enforcements are not permitted,” Musleh said. “This is strictly a resolution. So, it’s not requiring anybody and it certainly doesn’t replace the old ordinance.”

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MARCH 19 - MARCH 25, 2021 | OCALA GAZETTE

State News Bright Futures changes back on track The Baxley backed bill would cut scholarships for certain degrees By Ryan Dailey News Service of Florida TALLAHASSEE – Under pressure that has included a student-led opposition campaign, lawmakers are expected to overhaul a Senate proposal that would tie Bright Futures scholarships to a list of jobcreating degrees. The measure (SB 86) was tabled last week before it was set to be considered by the Senate Education Committee. Sponsor Sen. Dennis Baxley, R-Ocala, told reporters at the time that he was receiving “a lot of different inputs” on the proposal, which he said left him wanting to “hit the brakes.” Under the bill as it was filed initially, state college and university students would not be eligible for Bright Futures scholarships if they enrolled in degree programs not on lists of “approved” programs. Students who had not chosen degree programs would be eligible to have 60 hours of coursework covered by the popular scholarship program. But the Senate Education Committee on Tuesday is expected to consider an amendment that would make significant changes to the bill. Under the

amendment filed by Baxley, Bright Futures scholarships would be “reduced,” not nixed, for students who don’t choose an academic discipline deemed promising for job prospects. Baxley sent a letter to members of the committee Monday outlining some of the changes. “Rather than creating a list of degrees that lead to jobs, the bill creates a list of degrees that DO NOT lead to jobs. Students who select a degree or program of study that the BOG has determined will not lead to a job will receive a reduced (not eliminated) scholarship amount,” Baxley wrote, referring to the state university system’s Board of Governors. The amended plan would require the Board of Governors, the State Board of Education and the Independent Colleges and Universities of Florida to maintain such lists. The change tying Bright Futures eligibility to the lists would go into effect during the 2023-2024 academic year, which is one year later than the original plan proposed. It would also apply to the state’s Benacquisto Scholarship program, which is for National Merit scholars. The amendment would also require the Board of Governors to develop an

online dashboard featuring data on graduates of various fields of study. The dashboard would have to include information such as median salary after graduation, average student loan debt and debt-toincome ratio. “My hope is that the research will show that all, or most degrees our institutions of higher learning are offering DO lead to jobs. But if there are degrees out there that don’t, I believe we have a moral obligation to let the student know,” Baxley wrote to the committee. If adopted, Baxley’s amendment would keep some features of the original proposal. One such provision would change the current tiered structure of providing Bright Futures aid at either 75% or 100% of tuition and fees to tying scholarship levels to the amount appropriated in the state budget. That part of the bill drew ire from students behind the group Save Bright Futures, which created a website and started a petition in opposition to the Senate measure. “There’s so much up in the air about how much students are receiving per scholarship. So, even if you are approved, even if you work hard to get the scholarship … they don’t guarantee a certain percentage of your tuition,” Kaylee Duong, an Orlando high school student who is

Dennis Baxley

part of the group, told The News Service of Florida in an interview last week. The amendment modifies part of the original bill that would reduce the amount of credit hours Bright Futures recipients would be eligible for if they earned college credits through an “acceleration mechanism,” like AP or International Baccalaureate classes in high school. Baxley wrote in his letter to the Senate Education Committee that the provision would remain, but “the amendment further specifies the deduction only if the credit is accepted by the institution and applies to a career program requirements, or to general education courses.” Senate President Wilton Simpson, R-Trilby, has endorsed the bill and told

reporters last week that the “theme” of the measure would remain even with changes. “Our concern is, are there degrees that do not lead to jobs. And so, we’re still going to be looking to scale back the Bright Futures portion of that opportunity if it does not lead to a job,” Simpson said. Meanwhile, a House version of Baxley’s bill has not been filed. House Minority CoLeader Evan Jenne, D-Dania Beach, criticized the proposal as “an awful idea,” but told reporters during a media availability Monday “you always have to be prepared for any bill to get traction in the House.” “I think it’s one that may have a little bit more of a difficult time over here than in the Senate,” Jenne said.

Should school boards get paid? A move in the State House would give voters the choice

[Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette]

By Ryan Dailey News Service of Florida TALLAHASSEE – Voters could decide if school board members keep getting paid. On Mar.12, a House panel took a first step toward putting the question on the 2022 ballot. The Republicancontrolled House Secondary Education & Career Development Subcommittee, in an 11-6 party-line vote, approved a measure (HJR 1461) that would place a proposed constitutional amendment on next year’s ballot. “Florida’s system of compensating school board members with salaries and

benefits, to the extent that we do, is a national outlier,” said Rep. Sam Garrison, a Fleming Island Republican who is sponsoring the proposal. Garrison pointed to a 2018 report from the National School Boards Association showing 61% of board members nationally receive no pay. Florida school board members are paid an average of $35,995 annually, according to a House staff analysis. Garrison said school board members receive an additional $10,000 to $11,000 in benefits on average. In Marion County, school board members are elected to four-year terms and earn $39,732 annually. That

amount is set by the state. “School boards… serve a vital and important function. They are nonpartisan. They are designed to be the voice of the community and provide oversight in terms of budget and curriculum,” Garrison told the House panel. “It’s a critical function, but one, quite frankly, that unfortunately has … become highly politicized. And, quite frankly I think these salaries have a lot to do with that.” The proposal was met by passionate objections from some Democrats on the panel, including former Hillsborough County School Board member Susan Valdes, D-Tampa. Valdés said prohibiting pay for school board members would make boards less reflective of their communities’ diversity. “Diversity within our electoral process is extremely important, and by suggesting that we do this… we’re going to have white males on these boards that

never, ever would be able to say they walked a day in my shoes,” Valdés said. But Rep. Mike Giallombardo, R-Cape Coral, rebutted Valdés’ argument, using the example of a charter school board in his district. “We have a great charter school… in our district, in my city. And their entire board, they’re all volunteers. And they are just as passionate – in my opinion, more passionate – than our school district members,” Giallombardo said. Garrison rejected the idea that prohibiting salaries would mean only white men would seek positions on school boards. “I reject out of hand the notion that only rich people, or white people, or men, would serve on school boards if there’s no salary,” Garrison said. Eliminating school board member salaries statewide would be a potential savings of more than $15.6 million, according to the House staff analysis. Rep. Christopher Benjamin, D-Miami Gardens, questioned whether school board members should be treated differently than other elected officials who receive salaries, such as property appraisers and sheriffs. “They are part of a system of governance that’s part of a collective, and all parts are important,

wouldn’t you say?” Benjamin asked. Garrison pointed to differences between school board members and other elected positions, one being that they are part of an oversight board with no executive authority. “School board members provide that different function, they are an oversight function. They are responsible for budgets, they’re responsible for curriculums,” Garrison said. “Comparing them to sheriffs, comparing them to tax collectors or property appraisers, I respectfully submit, is comparing apples to oranges.” The Florida School Boards Association opposes the measure. “School board members, similarly to their constitutionally elected peers such as county commissioners, are currently compensated for their time, their liability, the great responsibility of budget oversight. In many cases in Florida, the hiring and firing of district school superintendents,” said BillieAnne Gay, a lobbyist for the association. “We believe that that should continue.” The proposal would need approval from two more House panels before it could go to the full House. The Senate does not have a similar proposal. Legislators are paid about $30,000 a year.

MARCH 19 - MARCH 25, 2021 | OCALA GAZETTE

Baxley-sponsored elections bill faces backlash Changes would include eliminating drop boxes and automatic mailing ballots By Dara Kam News Service of Florida TALLAHASSEE – Four months ago, Gov. Ron DeSantis bragged that other states should emulate voting procedures in Florida, where former President Donald Trump’s solid Election Day victory over President Joe Biden was done and dusted long before midnight. But the Republican governor, who will be on the ballot next year, and GOP legislative leaders are pushing changes to the state’s election process that Democrats are branding as “voter suppression,” county election officials “vehemently” oppose and experts say will “disproportionately” harm Black and Hispanic voters. “I have heard of no supervisors who are in support of this bill,” Leon County Supervisor of Elections Mark Earley told a Senate committee last week, before the Republicancontrolled panel approved a measure that would make wide-ranging changes to voting by mail. State GOP leaders’ push to amend the elections process mimics efforts underway in other Republican-led states following Trump’s re-election defeat in November. Trump and his followers have repeatedly alleged that the 2020 presidential election was “stolen,” a claim without merit. The proposed voting changes, which come after millions of voters in Florida and throughout the country opted to cast mail-in ballots amid the COVID-19 pandemic, are causing alarm for elections experts as well as Democrats. “I don’t say this lightly. We are witnessing the greatest rollback of voting rights in this country since the Jim Crow era,” University of Florida political science professor Michael McDonald tweeted last month. State legislatures throughout the nation are seeing “a tidal wave of voter suppression efforts,” Eliza Sweren-Becker, voting rights and elections counsel at the Brennan Center for Justice, told The News Service of Florida in a phone interview. The Florida Senate proposal (SB 90), sponsored by Ocala Republican Dennis Baxley, would require voters to request mail-in ballots more frequently, ban the use of drop boxes for voters to turn in ballots and allow only “immediate” family members to collect and deliver ballots to and from voters. DeSantis, a close ally of Trump, called last month for voting-law revisions, arguing that, despite a hiccup-free election in November, the state can’t “rest on our laurels”. Republicans have relied heavily on the state’s noexcuse vote-by-mail process as the GOP has controlled the Legislature, almost all statewide offices and a majority of congressional seats over the past two decades. But as the number of COVID-19 cases and deaths began to spike last year in Florida and elsewhere, Democrats and left-leaning groups urged voters to cast ballots by mail. Election supervisors in Florida also encouraged the use of mailin ballots in advance of the November election, and the numbers of mail-in ballots

skyrocketed. Under current state law, a voter’s request for a mailin ballot is active for two general elections, which occur every two years. The Senate measure, if passed, would wipe out all current requests and require voters to ask for ballots if they want to vote by mail in next year’s election. The measure would require voters to request mail-in ballots prior to every general election. Trump has frequently voted by mail, but the former president and his allies have asserted that mail-in ballots are vulnerable to fraud. Experts, including federal and state officials, say no evidence of widespread wrongdoing exists. State Rep. Blaise Ingoglia, a Spring Hill Republican who shepherded a 2019 elections package through the House, acknowledged that Florida’s 2020 elections ran smoothly. But lawmakers “should never miss an opportunity to make a good thing even better,” he told the News Service on Monday. “Just because we had a successful election does not mean that there are not serious policy proposals regarding elections that we should consider,” Ingoglia, a former chairman of the Republican Party of Florida, said. “We’ll put more guardrails up, and it will be more safe, more secure than it was under the prior election law. Isn’t that what everybody wants? Safe and secure elections?” The measure Ingoglia sponsored in 2019, which became law, included a provision allowing election officials to use drop boxes for voters to submit mail-in ballots. The drop boxes became a flashpoint last fall, however. DeSantis’ administration told supervisors of elections that the boxes, employed by local officials to make voting by mail safer amid the pandemic, needed to be staffed. The supervisors’ lawyer Ron Labasky, however, maintained that state law doesn’t require the boxes to be manned. Ingoglia said supervisors were not implementing the drop boxes in the way the law intended and that he endorses “reforming the way we use drop boxes.” The Senate plan would do away with the boxes altogether. Although the House has not released an elections package, House Speaker Chris Sprowls, R-Palm Harbor, said he supports the governor’s effort to tighten voting laws. Ingoglia defended the provision in the Senate proposal that would require voters to sign up for mail-in ballots more frequently. “I think that supervisors of elections should be engaged with their voters on a more frequent basis, i.e., every election cycle, not every other election cycle,” he said, But Jasmine Burney-

Clark, the founder of Equal Ground Education Fund, said erasing current mail-in ballot requests and requiring voters to resubmit them will serve as a boon to the GOP next year. After Trump raised questions about voting by mail and urged voters to cast their ballots in person, “there was a mass departure” from mail-in ballots by Republicans, she said. “Because their folks are not going to automatically receive a vote-by-mail ballot next year … let’s just flip and remove everyone off the sign-up and require everyone to sign back up so they’re starting from the same playing field. Actually that isn’t the same playing field. It’s just creating a hurdle,” said Burney-Clark, whose organization focused on Black voter turnout in Orange, Pinellas, Seminole and Volusia counties last year. The proposed revamp of Florida’s voting procedures is a stark contrast to an elections and ethics measure approved by the Democrat-led U.S. House this month. The “For the People Act,” however, remains a long shot in the U.S. Senate, where Republicans oppose the proposal. Back at the states’ level, “the vast, vast, vast majority” of efforts to curtail voting rights are coming from Republicans, Sweren-Becker said. “It appears that there’s a view that it’s more advantageous to limit the electorate and make it harder for people to vote than it is to go out and win votes and persuade people to your positions,” she added. “The rationale for these policies is so thoroughly debunked.” How far-reaching Florida’s elections package will be remains uncertain. But with Republicans controlling the House and Senate, Democrats’ ability to impede the effort is severely limited. Democrats are worried that GOP leaders could target early voting on the last Sunday before Election Day, a daylong event known as “souls to the polls” in which Black churches play a significant role in getting members to cast ballots. Republicans legislators in Georgia are considering such a measure. Eliminating the Sunday early voting ritual in Florida would be “tantamount to voter suppression,” Rep. Fentrice Driskell, D-Tampa, told reporters during a weekly conference call on Monday. She pointed to “overwhelming election activity and participation” nationwide last year. “Frankly, I think that has terrified Republicans. They don’t want large turnout, because they know that it means that it puts some of their majorities in jeopardy across the country,” Driskell said. But Ingoglia said Monday he isn’t aware of such an effort in Florida. “I can tell you, in the discussions that I have with people, that has never come up,” he said.

Ron DeSantis [Cyndi Chambers/Special to the Ocala Gazette]

DeSantis wants civics education boosted News Service of Florida Relying on federal coronavirus relief funds for schools, Gov. Ron DeSantis is proposing to spend $106 million to bolster civics education, including offering bonuses to teachers who complete training. During a news conference on Wednesday in Naples, DeSantis announced what he’s calling the “Civic Literacy Excellence Initiative.” Part of the plan would direct the Florida Department of Education to create the Florida Civics Seal of Excellence, a licensure endorsement for educators. “Under this initiative, the department will partner with national leaders in civics professional development to provide a series of modules and micro-credentials that any Florida teacher will be eligible to attain,” DeSantis said. Teachers who complete the civics training would receive a $3,000 bonus under the governor’s plan. The initiative would also include $16.5 million to create training programs for principals and educators “seeking to elevate civics education in Florida schools” and $17 million to strengthen the state’s civics curriculum. DeSantis wants lawmakers to take up the proposal during the ongoing legislative session. “Understanding what our country was founded on, understanding the civic tradition, the Constitution, all these things, has become very much a lost art,” DeSantis said. Several proposals aimed at beefing up civics education are advancing in the Legislature. A House measure (HB 5) that would direct the Department of Education to create a video library of first-hand accounts of “victims of other nations’ governing philosophies” is ready for consideration by the full House. Teacher union dues deductions at issue After teachers and union officials lined up to oppose the bill, a Senate committee Wednesday approved a proposal that would place a series of new restrictions on education unions. The Senate Governmental Oversight and Accountability Committee voted 3-2 to approve the measure (SB 1014), sponsored by Sen. Dennis Baxley, R-Ocala. The bill, in part, would prevent school boards from deducting union dues from teacher paychecks. “This is basically what is known as paycheck protection,” Baxley said. But educators and union leaders from across the state testified against the bill, with some pointing to the role that teachers have played during the COVID-19 pandemic. Rich Templin, a lobbyist for the Florida AFL-CIO, called the bill “nothing but an attack on people we have been calling heroes for a year.” The bill would not apply to other types of public unions, such as unions that represent lawenforcement officers, firefighters and rank-and-file state workers. The measure was supported by three Republican senators who were present for the meeting and was opposed by two Democrats.

MARCH 19 - MARCH 25, 2021 | OCALA GAZETTE

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County balks at chicken processing facility By Brendan Farrell Ocala Gazette The Marion County Commission rejected a request for a special-use permit for a chicken processing facility in Summerfield during Tuesday’s meeting. Ximena and Thal Smith, who run Brick City Farms in Summerfield, were planning on using the permit to construct a 300-square-foot chicken processing facility that would process 500 hens per month plus eggs. They would also grind waste to use as dog food. The plan was opposed by several neighbors, who were concerned about the effect customers traveling up and down the single-lane, flag-lot driveway at Southeast 56th Avenue would have on the road, as well as issues with the smell the facility would create and environmental concerns. “That road coming in is privately maintained,” neighbor Tracy Piper said. “And we’re always contributing some money into it, but there are a lot of potholes on it. And the increased traffic would just cost us a lot of money and tear up our road.” Thal Smith said the property currently houses 350 organically raised chickens, and he delivers orders to most of his customers or

sells at farmers markets. “As far as concerns on wear and tear of the road due to increased traffic, anybody else that lives on that road, they don’t get scrutinized how many times they can come up and down there with their trailers or their trucks or deliveries or this or that,” Smith said. Ultimately, the commission voted to deny the special-use permit request. The nature of the access to the Smiths’ location was an issue, as were the nearby residences. Commissioners also suggested the Smiths could continue to deliver the chickens to customers without increasing traffic on the road. “I’m usually in favor of this,” Commissioner Carl Zalak said. “I do think, unfortunately, in this particular instance, with the drive and things that you have going on, it is going to impact your neighbors in a different way versus if you were the lot on the street.” In November, the county commission approved a special-use permit for a chicken processing facility submitted by King Tut Corporation. That plan was also opposed by the surrounding community. The plant will process between 1,000 and 1,200 chickens per month for kosher and halal products for the Zeezenia Kitchen and Market in Gainesville.

Ocala Gazette publishes fond remembrances of your loved one Visit ocalagazette.com to submit an obituary

MARCH 19 - MARCH 25, 2021 | OCALA GAZETTE

Motorcyclist dies after hitting bear Bears become more active as spring approaches By Ainslie Lee Ocala Gazette A 42-year-old Ocala man was killed after colliding with a bear while driving his motorcycle on State Road 40 in the Ocala National Forest on the night of Mar. 11, according to the Florida Highway Patrol. The motorcyclist, whose name was not released, was headed west on State Road 40 near the intersection of U.S. Highway 19 just after 11 p.m. when he hit the bear. The bear also died in the incident, according to FHP reports. The man was not wearing a helmet. He was taken to Ocala Regional Medical Center where he died. Thursday night’s accident comes as Florida’s black bear

population begins to become more active. According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation (FWC), warmer springtime temperatures spur black bear activity as the animals begin to venture from their winter dens. Spring officially arrives on March 20. Cubs are often born in January and February. By spring, the cubs and their mothers are old enough to roam farther. Half of Marion County lies in prime bear territory, according to FWC data. The area has the right mixture of flatwoods, swamps, scrub oak ridges, bayheads and hammock habitats that bears seek. Bear sightings are common

in spring and fall and include bears venturing into urban areas of Ocala. In 2015, it was estimated that 1,200 of the state’s 4,050 black bears lived in the Central Florida area. Because SR 40 bisects the Ocala National Forest, seeing a black bear isn’t uncommon. According to FWC, bears will often cross major roadways while searching for food and mates. And while most will make it safely across, others will be struck by vehicles. Vehicle collisions are responsible for

90% of bear deaths, reports state. Last year FWC attributed 270 bear fatalities to roadway incidents. A total of 332 bear deaths were counted in 2020, according to state records. Bear activity

tends to increase at dusk and dawn. Drivers should also take caution when traveling on roadways lined by wooded areas. “While most of the vehicle-bear collisions occur around the Ocala National Forest,

they can happen on many roadways throughout the state,” according to FWC’s website. “When you are driving through areas where bears may be present, be extra cautious and obey any posted advisories.”

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MARCH 19 - MARCH 25, 2021 | OCALA GAZETTE

From COVID, page 1 AdventHealth Ocala, said watching patients get sicker and succumbing to the virus can be devastating. “You get to know these patients. You work with them all day. To watch them progressively get worse is very taxing,” Zeedyk said. “I will never forget this year.” While the world is learning to live with COVID-19, Tueton warns of complacency. “I don’t know what the ultimate cure is. We can all hope and pray, but I don’t think we can put our guard down by any means. Each spike has taught us something new. We don’t put away the equipment we need; we wait and see,” she said. Business Ocala Main Street Director Leighton Okus described it best: Survival mode. For much of 2020, Ocala’s small businesses focused solely on keeping their heads above water. Main Street, a nonprofit organization focused on stimulating downtown Ocala, witnessed the struggle and failure of some

businesses firsthand. “We are always looking for ways to support the business and our community,” Okus said. “So, doing that through COVID-19 was super tough.” For Buck Martin, the owner of the Tipsy Skipper – a tiki-themed cocktail bar in downtown – the pandemic hit at the worst possible moment. The retro-themed bar opened on March 14, three days after the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a global pandemic and three days before Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis shut down all bars and nightclubs because of the virus. “Definitely lots of disappointment,” Martin said. “When we were finally in the stages of, ‘Hey, it’s finally here’, for that to be swept out from underneath us was like, what’s next?” But no one knew what was next. “You’re in the mindset of this could go on for another week, or it could go on for years,” Martin said. “We didn’t know what was going to happen.”

The state restriction on bars was lifted on June 5. That night, the bar sold out of its inventory and had to close shop while it restocked. But the party didn’t last. On June 26, the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation suspended on-premises consumption of alcohol at bars across the state after cases spiked. The Tipsy Skipper and many other establishments resorted to selling to-go cocktails from June to September, when doors again opened. Despite the struggles, Martin was one of the luckier ones. “I think we’re doing excellent,” Martin said. “I wouldn’t change anything … We still have the challenges of any new bar.” Not all were as lucky. Feta Mediterranean Cuisine permanently closed its doors on July 3 after eight years of business on Southwest Broadway Street downtown. “When Feta closed and when we lost some of our local businesses, that was hard,” Okus said, “knowing

it was out of all of our control.” Every business suffered. Some continue to suffer. Many movie theaters remain closed as owners weigh how to reopen while the movie industry releases precious few films to theaters. But the streets of downtown are starting to get busy again. More people are starting to venture out to restaurants and other businesses. Schools and sport A year ago, as the pandemic grew, schools shut down. Students scrambled to adjust to school online. Teachers learned how to use Zoom, parents had to juggle their work and their children’s classes. High school student-athletes were devastated as their spring seasons came to an abrupt end.   A year later, students are back at Marion County schools and athletes returned to the fields and courts they call home. But it’s far from normal. Students and teachers deal with quarantines if they have close contact with

others who have confirmed cases of COVID-19. It creates a hectic situation at times. Teachers have had to juggle teaching both students in-person and virtually at the same time. It hasn’t always been easy, as the county forced 4,000 failing online students back into the classroom after the first nine weeks. Last year, the shutdowns coincided with spring break. Students left and didn’t return. “I think that we’re in a much better place than we were last year,” School Board member Eric Cummings said during a meeting on March 9. “Let’s not take it for granted that you have the opportunity to have a different type of spring break than we had last year.”  On the sports side, arguably no team was crushed by the onset of the pandemic and a lost season more than Belleview’s softball team. The Rattlers were 11-0 and the best team in the state, but the pandemic ended their quest for a state championship.   “It was like it was wiped off the face of the earth,”

MARCH 19 - MARCH 25, 2021 | OCALA GAZETTE

Images from a pandemic Photos by Bruce Ackerman

Belleview Athletic Director Phillip Small said. He said it was devastating for the student-athletes. “Because the whole time, like, I kept thinking back to my senior year and how much I soaked it up and how fun it was to compete with my buddies and play baseball with my buddies and I got to have a senior night ... a lot of that stuff was taken away,” Small said. “My heart felt for those kids for a long, long time and still does.”  A year later, the Rattlers softball team sits at 10-3 and is the No. 9 team in Class 7A, according to the most recent Miracle Sports State Softball Rankings.   Despite the pandemic, Marion County teams have persevered and reeled off long runs in the state playoffs. Trinity Catholic’s volleyball team took home a state title, and Vanguard’s football team made it to the regional final in the fall. Forest’s boys’ basketball team made it to the final four of the state championships in Lakeland.   “The most important part is like I said, the kids

get an opportunity to do their thing and compete and have some kind of normalcy,” Forest’s athletic director Donald Tucker said. “So, that’s been the biggest positive is that we’re still able to offer these things and give kids a chance to do the things they like to do.”  Additionally, the College of Central Florida’s athletics programs have flourished during the pandemic. The school’s baseball team was 21-7 and No. 8 in the country when the season was canceled a year ago. This year, the Patriots are even better, as the No. 5 team in the nation is 26-6.   The softball team is even better. The Pats are the No. 1 team in the country for the second year in a row and sit at 24-4 after being 30-1 in last year’s shortened season.     The courts On March 11, 2020, Florida Supreme Court Justice Charles T. Canady entered the first order directing local and circuit courts to explore ways to monitor and mitigate the virus threat, while keeping the courts “open to the fullest extent” possible.

In the weeks that followed, as the national pandemic warnings sounded graver, the Supreme Court of Florida gave judges the ability to suspend, extend or otherwise change time deadlines . Then Marion County jury trials came to a halt.

“The people of Marion County are answering the call. We will do what needs to be done.” -Michael Graves

It was anyone’s guess how long the courts would be hobbled. By May, another Supreme Court order set forth guidelines for reopening. Central to the guidelines was the COVID-19 positivity rates. The order called for a two-week positivity rate of below 10% before trials could resume. Courts functioned remotely as much as possible during this time to move

things along, but still the backlog of cases continued to grow without jury trials. The inmate population at the Marion County Jail hovered around 1,600 during this period, according to Paul Bloom, spokesman for the Marion County Sheriff ’s Office. Some judges adjusted bonds for non-violent misdemeanors in an attempt to keep the jail population under control. It wasn’t until March 8 that the first jury trial, a DUI case, took place in Marion County. While trials continue, the backlog of cases is great. Getting through those cases will be “the hardest work,” said Fifth Judicial Circuit Administrative Judge Edward Scott. Walter Forgie, a spokesman for the State Attorney’s Office, said that “In Marion County our caseloads have more than doubled since before the shutdown.” No funding had been appropriated by the state or local government to give the courts more hands in addressing the backlog. In fact, the State Attorney

and Public Defender’s offices were told to expect additional budget cuts. Jury selection has also been an issue since trials resumed as potential jurors are excused based on COVID-19 issues. “Fewer potential jurors in the courtrooms lead to longer jury selections. You don’t realize how much a mask can make it difficult to communicate until you’re talking across a room to a group of people,” said Public Defender Michael Graves. Acknowledging the hard work ahead for judges, clerks, lawyers, and support staff as they move forward addressing the backlog, Graves reminds the public of their part to play, “Our court system is the one branch of government that requires citizen participation. “The people of Marion County are answering the call,” Graves said. “We will do what needs to be done.” Staff Writers Ainslie Lee, Brendan Farrell, Managing Editor Carlos Medina and Publisher Jennifer Murty contributed to this report.

MARCH 19 - MARCH 25, 2021 | OCALA GAZETTE

Sports Ninth-inning rally lifts CF over Lake Sumter The Patriots win in walk-off fashion after a six-run final inning. By Brendan Farrell Ocala Gazette Marty Smith has been the College of Central Florida’s baseball coach since 1994, but it’s been a long time since he’s seen a game quite like the Patriots’ matchup with Lake Sumter State College. Trailing 9-4 entering the bottom of the ninth, it seemed like the Patriots were going to drop consecutive games for the first time since Feb. 12. But one single turned into two, and Central Florida rallied from there. The Pats, who had 21 hits total, whacked eight singles in the inning along with a hit by pitch to come back from seemingly impossible odds. It was their second time beating Lake Sumter since March 12. Kevin Kilpatrick’s single in the bottom of the ninth finally walked it off for the Patriots to give them a wild 10-9 victory over Lake Sumter State College (1513, 5-4 in conference play) on Monday. Central Florida (26-6, 5-1), the No. 5 team in the nation, faced its final strike three times in the inning. “It’s been a while since we’ve scored in the six in the ninth inning, I can’t

remember,” Smith said. “Our hitters just did a good job of battling in the ninth inning. That was kind of crazy, but good battles. We got some breaks, couple balls we didn’t hit real hard, but they found holes.” Lake Sumter pounced on Central Florida The College of Central Florida’s J.C. Mendez (11) gets tagged out at the plate by Lake Sumter State College’s catcher Evan Badger (21). starter Shawn [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette] Guilliams early, taking a baseman Jeslyn Whitehead Designated hitter worse. The Lakehawks took 2-0 lead after two innings. lined one to right field, Tre Hondras then drove the lead on a sacrifice fly Guilliams allowed two where an attempted diving Kilpatrick home to give and scored another on an earned runs on five hits catch came up just short. Central Florida the lead RBI single. They capped off and two walks with five Mendez, unsure if the ball with an RBI single. Another the six-run inning with a strikeouts in five innings of was caught, hesitated before error from Brown on a no-doubt, three-run home work. running home and getting Mendez single moved run to right field for a 9-4 While the Patriots thrown out. Hondras to third. Hondras lead. trailed early, they had Whitehead ended up attempted to take home on Reliever Ben Chestnutt plenty of chances. In the scoring later in the inning a bad throw to the plate, but was on the mound for the bottom of the first, they to bring the score to 2-1 he was easily tagged out. Pats in the final two innings stranded two runners on before CF put two more After the Lakehawks and kept Lake Sumter off base with just one out in the on the board in the bottom tied the game at three, the the scoreboard, setting inning. Then, a double steal of the fifth. With runners Patriots countered in the the stage for their furious play with runners at the on first and second and bottom of the sixth with comeback in the ninth. corners in the second inning one out, outfielder Kevin a run of their own to give “Ben did a heck of a job ended with J.C. Mendez Kilpatrick laced a single to them a 4-3 lead. shutting them out, giving us being thrown out at home left field, and Lake Sumter It finally all fell apart for a chance to win for the last and zero runs in the inning. left fielder Luke Brown the Pats in the top of the two innings,” Smith said. Mendez was on the couldn’t handle the ball. seventh. Clayton allowed “Whereas the other guys wrong end of another The error allowed a run the tying run to score and didn’t, so Ben Chestnutt baserunning gaffe in the to score and Kilpatrick to was replaced with reliever gives us a lot of credit for bottom of the fourth. First advance to third. Troy Britts, who fared even keeping us in the ballgame.”

CF splits series with Daytona State

The College of Central Florida’s Emily Dixon (6) slides safely back to second base as Daytona State’s Asia Thomas (5) attempts to make a catch for the out. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette]

By Ainslie Lee Ocala Gazette Freshman third baseman Kamaya Cohen had a fan club waiting beyond the leftcenter field wall. The College of Central Florida’s baseball team hurried over after its practice to watch the Lady Patriots take on the Daytona State Falcons in doubleheader action on Tuesday afternoon. And all they wanted was a home run to come their way. In the bottom of the sixth inning, while whiteknuckling a two-run

lead, Cohen would give the baseball team what it was looking for. But more importantly, she would give her team an advantage on the scoreboard that proved too much for Daytona State to overcome. With two outs and two runners in play, Cohen launched a pitch over the heads of the rowdy congregation of baseball players, increasing the Lady Patriots’ advantage to five runs. Later in the inning, CF freshman and Forest High School alum Hannah Meyer doubled to center field to score Isabella Pinto from

second base and give the Lady Patriots a lasting, sixrun advantage en route to a 10-4 victory over the Falcons in the opening game of the afternoon. CF’s offensive effort kicked off in the bottom of the first inning after redshirt sophomore Odalys Cordova knocked a 3-0 pitch for a two-run home run. Additional hits from Meyer and sophomore Chloe Nadler helped the Lady Patriots string together a five-run opening inning. However, Daytona State came threatening back in the top of the third when Daytona State freshman

Daisy McQuain notched a three-run home run to bring the Falcons back within one run. But CF redshirt freshman pitcher Madison Edwards, with the help of strong fielding efforts from the Lady Patriots’ defense, kept the Falcons off the scoreboard for the remainder of the game. Edwards issued three strikeouts in seven innings of action. After a brief intermission, the scoreboard was cleared as the Lady Patriots and the Falcons returned to the dirt for the second game of the slate. CF would continue to find success on offense in the second game of the afternoon and would enter the seventh inning with a 6-4 lead over Daytona State. However, back-to-

back solo home runs hit off the bats of Daytona State freshmen Destiny Colgate and Kansas Crean, followed by a two-run home run from freshman Asia Thomas would put the Falcons on top 8-6. CF would answer the call in its turn at bat with the help of Cordova, who lifted her second home run of the day out of the park to score the tying runs and force the game into extra innings. But that’s where the Lady Patriots’ luck ran out. Colgate would crush her second home run of the game out of the park to give the Falcons a two-run advantage heading into the bottom of the eighth inning. But CF couldn’t answer the call, leading to a 10-8 loss to Daytona State and splitting Tuesday afternoon’s slate.

The College of Central Florida’s Chloe Nadler (17) collides with Daytona State’s Daisy McQuain (10) as she tries to run to third base. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette]

MARCH 19 - MARCH 25, 2021 | OCALA GAZETTE

Coach Spencer Ashley celebrates with Elijah Russell (3) and Brenen Lorient (5). [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette]

Family Court Forest High’s Spencer Ashley more than a coach By Ainslie Lee Ocala Gazette This year, Spencer Ashley’s Forest High School basketball team reached the final four at the state championships for the first time in almost a half century. But the highlight of his season came on Jan. 31 and had nothing to do with basketball. That’s the day he spent with his daughter, Savannah. It was the 1,004th day of her life. The same number of days Ashley was alive when his father died. “I said no matter what I’m doing, we’re spending all day together,” Ashley said. Of course, when he made that promise he did know the date would come while deep in the chase of a state championship. But true to his word, he spent the entire day with Savannah at Animal Kingdom. Not a basketball in sight. “That day was probably the best day of my life,” Ashley said. “Nothing special happened. I just got to spend all day with my daughter.” Passion for family For Ashley, basketball is a passion, but family comes first. And he considers his team and students family. At 15, Ashley’s dream of playing in the NBA were thwarted by reality. Few high school basketball players go on to play college ball, and even fewer make it to the big leagues. In Ashley’s eyes, coaching high school basketball was the next best thing. He set his dream to coaching a game in the RP Funding Center in Lakeland, the arena where the FHSAA Final Four is traditionally played. But you don’t just start at the top. His coaching career began as an assistant coach for Lake Howell in Winter Park. He coached there for three years while enrolled at the University of Central Florida. After graduating, Ashley returned to his high school alma mater in Ocala and helped coach the West Port Wolf Pack for four years.

Spencer Ashley holds his daughter, Savannah, 2, before the game where the Forest Wildcats defeated Lincoln to win the FHSAA Class 6A-District 1 regional championship. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette]

His wife Alyssa was by his side through it all. The two began dating when Ashley was 15, the same time he was realizing an NBA playing career was likely out of reach. They married in 2012. “My wife sees everything,” Ashley said. “We’re high school sweethearts… She’s seen me struggle. She’s seen me stay up all night. She’s seen me work.” In 2017, Ashley took the reins of Forest boys’ basketball program. Just months after the move and weeks before Savannah’s birth in 2018, Ashley remembers hearing a loud bang in the hall outside of his classroom. Sky Bouche is accused of firing a shotgun through the door of another classroom, striking a student in the leg. Ashley followed Forest’s principal and a school resource officer to the classroom and started attending to the injured student. He then ran down the hall warning others. Back in his classroom, he opened the windows and told his students if anyone tried getting into the room they should climb out. He would be the last to leave. Bouche had already surrendered and no one else was injured. It was a memorable welcome for the coach, but it cemented his bond with the students and faculty. Final Four bound Almost three years later, on Feb. 26 anxious eyes

again looked to Ashley for direction. This time on the basketball court. The Wildcats were tied with the Tallahassee-Lincoln Trojans in the final seconds with a trip to the final four in Lakeland on the line. In the balance was nearly a fifty-year Forest drought and Ashley’s dream to pace the sideline of the RP Funding Center. The play call was “Utah” – the Wildcats’ bread-andbutter offense. Forest would hold the ball for more than 90 seconds before applying the pressure to Lincoln with the game tied a 47-points apiece. With 3.4 seconds to play, Forest junior Elijah Russell would sink a three-pointer from the top of the key to send the Wildcats to Lakeland.

Despite the dramatic finish, Ashley will remember the moments after the bucket the most. While a celebratory ruckus caused pandemonium in the gym, Ashley and his wife shared a long embrace. The sleepless nights, whether basketballinduced, trauma-induced or parenthood-induced, had paid off. “She knew since I was a 15-year-old kid and I realized I definitely wasn’t going to go play in the NBA, that I wanted to be a high school coach and that I wanted to go play in Lakeland,” Ashley said following the win. “And for us to accomplish this dream… I didn’t accomplish this. We accomplished this together because she has allowed me to do so much.” The trip to Lakeland, however, did not have a storybook ending. Defending state champion Bartow overwhelmed Forest for four quarters on March 4 en route to a 63-24 victory in the Class 6A state semi-final. Bartow went on to repeat as champs. New Challenges While the Wildcats would have loved to play in the state championship, Ashley found the silver lining. “We’re going to go take some time off,” Ashley said.

“I’m going to go spend some time with my daughter and my wife. And they’re going to go spend some time with their family. But then we’re going to get right back to it.” With much of his team set to return, the prospects for another playoff run look promising. And next season, a new Ashley will join the family. The couple is expecting a boy in July. He will have a boy call him “dad” instead of “coach.” But for Ashley those titles can be similar. Growing up without a father, coaches help filled that role in his life. “I had a lot of males step up in my life,” Ashley said. “They took on that role – including coaches.” He’s tried to fill that role for some of his own players through the years. Not every player on the Wildcats’ basketball roster has a father figure at home. “I never had my dad tell me that he was proud of me. I know he is, but I never got to hear him say it. And to be a boy and to never hear your dad say how proud of you he is, it just hurts,” Ashley said. It’s something he makes a point to do no matter the outcome of a game. He did it after the loss to Bartow. “I’m so proud,” Ashley said after the game. “I’ve said it a million times. I’m just so, truly proud of our program.”

Coach Spencer Ashley is wished good luck by students as the Forest Wildcats get ready to leave on a bus to play in the FHSAA Basketball Final Four. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette]

MARCH 19 - MARCH 25, 2021 | OCALA GAZETTE

OBS March sale shows strength after tough 2020 The auction of 2-year-old thoroughbreds reported $38.2 million in sales By Ben Baugh Correspondent The two-day Ocala Breeders’ Sales March auction of 2-year-old thoroughbreds posted more than $38 million in sales. An almost $11 million rebound from a COVID-19-affected sale a year ago. A total of 326 horses sold for more than $38.2 million this year compared to 295 horses which sold for more than $27.3 million in 2020. Last year, the sale was one of the few events not to cancel due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite this year’s rebound, gross sales were still lower than in 2019, when 306 sold for more than $44.2 million. “It was another good solid day of selling horses,” said Tod Wojciechowski, OBS director of sales. “We’re very pleased with how the sale wrapped up. It seemed to hold its strength all the way to the end.” There was a strong presence of international buyers both in-person and online, said Wojciechowski. “It was nice to see their participation, but certainly the domestic spending was good as well,” he said.

Ocala’s Jimbo and Torie Gladwell sold the highestprice horse on Wednesday’s closing day. The owners of Top Line Sales sold hip No. 311, a daughter of multiple grade one winner Practical Joke, for $750,000. Hideyuki Mori bought the horse. “She’s always been a very straightforward filly, laid back. When we first bought her, we turned all the horses out, and she about tried to kill herself. She was running in the paddock and slid into a fence and sliced her chest up,” said Torie Gladwell. While she got off to the rough start, the filly settled into training. “I was devastated that she got hurt,” said Gladwell. The sale’s secondhighest priced horse came late in the catalog as hip No. 547, a daughter of the 2015 Triple Crown winner American Pharoah. She sold for $600,000. The filly was consigned by Ciaran Dunne’s Wavertree Stable. Eugenio Columbo purchased the filly. “She was my number one pick for conformation, mental attitude and the way she walked and moved,” Columbo said. The filly was an impressive specimen, Dunne said.

“Physically, she’s all you would want in a horse,” he said. “We had a lot of action on her, all the right people, and it was just a question of Mike Baker, a bid taker, looks for a higher bid on a thoroughbred during the OBS March Two-Yearleaving her up Olds In Training sale at the Ocala Breeders’ Sales Company. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette] there and see and the auction market to be out here, looking at the what would suffered. The solid prices horses and buying horses. happen.” this week, however, had It’s nice to see everyone out The sales highest-priced some filled with hope. here doing what they love.” colt was a son of Kantharos “Coming into the sale, the Eddie Woods, who was that posted the co-fastest showing and the actual buzz the sales leading consignor, breeze time for a quarterwas really there; felt good,” was pleased with the barn mile, covering the distance Beth Bayer said. “Everyone activity and with the depth in 20 2/5 seconds. Woodford was really excited and happy of buyers and people looking Thoroughbreds consigned to be here, back into some at horses. the colt, listed as hip No. normality. Day one showed “We didn’t expect it,” 357. Ned Toffey, agent that people wanted to spend said Woods. “We know for Spendthrift Farm and money and buy horses. there’s s a pandemic, but Myracehorse.com, bought Everybody was ready to get a lot of people still made a the colt for $575,000. back to normal.” lot of money in the stock “This colt is strong. Joe Pickerrell of Pick market or in one thing or Obviously, the fastest View LLC sold a son of another. The whole way breeze in 20 and 2. Did Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile through the spring, it’s been everything right like we winner Liam’s Map during very vibrant as people have expected, jumped through the sale’s opening session wanted to come and look all the hoops, vetted, showed for $525,000 and was at horses. We haven’t had himself right every time,” encouraged by the turnout. show days like the last two said Beth Bayer of Woodford “People want to be out or three days here in years. Thoroughbreds. here. A lot of people, after The traffic, the vetting, Attendance at the sale they got things stabilized last the people, the place has a was up over last year when year, made a lot of money,” whole different feel. When many stayed away just days Pickerrell said. “For some you walk around here at 11 after a global pandemic was of these people, this is what o’clock in the morning, you declared. Racetracks across they want to do. They want see people everywhere.” the country canceled racing,

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MARCH 19 - MARCH 25, 2021 | OCALA GAZETTE

Community

Now The Villages Polo -3/28

3/20

NamaSitStay Dog Yoga & Pup Pilates

Now -4/3

Chain Reaction Charlie

3/20

Rock Your Socks

Now -4/3

Photos with Bunny

3/24

1 Million Cups Ocala

3/19 -21

WEC Winter Spectacular #11

3/24

Ocala Health Inpatient Rehab Groundbreaking

3/19

Marion Oaks Farmers Market

3/24

Wednesday Midday Market

3/25

Farmers Market

3/25

Creating an Actionable Marketing/Social Media Plan

3/25

Shake, Rattle & Roll

3/25

Besties & Bunny Pet Photos

The Villages Polo Club, 703 N Buena Vista Blvd, The Villages 3pm Fridays, 1pm Sundays Watch competitive matches from the club’s elevated two-level stadium with optional tailgating. Visit thevillagespoloclub.com for tickets and more information.

3/19 3/19

3/19

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.

Paddock Mall, 3100 SW College Road Times vary A new set features safe and socially distanced opportunities for photos of little ones with the Easter bunny. Visit paddockmall. com for the schedule and more information.

World Equestrian Center, 1390 NW 80th Ave. 8am Spectators are welcome at hunter/jumper 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-12pm Fresh vegetables, artisan food products and handmade crafts.

Marion County Friday Market

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.

Parade of Senior Services

College of Central Florida Ewers Century Center, 3003 SW College Road 10am-2pm Agencies that provide social, health and education services to local senior citizens will gather for a free information fair for adults aged 50 and over. For more information, call the City of Ocala Recreation and Parks Department at (352) 368-5517.

FPRA Monthly Meeting

Virtual 11:45am-1pm The Ocala Chapter of the Florida Public Relations Association will host featured speaker Lisa O’Keefe presenting “How MTV and Nickelodeon Networks connect brands to millennials, Gen Y and Gen Z.” Visit fpraocala.org for registration and more information.

3/19

Programs in the Parks: Owls and Bats

3/19 -20

Southeastern Pro Rodeo

3/20

Hide & Peep Egg Hunt

Heritage Nature Conservancy, 2005 NE Third St. 6-8pm Participants of all ages are invited to meet up with an Ocala park ranger to call owls and watch bats leave the bat house at this free program. Visit ocalafl.org/recpark for more information.

Southeastern Livestock Pavilion, 2232 NE Jacksonville Road 7:30pm Nonstop excitement including roping, steer wrestling, barrel racing and the most dangerous eight seconds in sports—bull riding. Visit ocalarodeo.com for tickets and more information.

Paddock Mall, 3100 SW College Road 9-11am Children 12 and under can hunt eggs and take a photo with the Easter bunny. Pre-registration is required. Visit paddockmall. com for more information.

Now -3/21

Tuscawilla Park, 829 NE Sanchez Ave. 10-11am Bring your furry friend and yoga mat and do gentle stretches with the K9 Fit Club. Visit fb.com/ocalarecpark for more information.

Tuscawilla Park, 829 NE Sanchez Ave. 1-5pm Champions for Champions and Ocala Recreation and Parks invite families to put on their craziest socks and celebrate World Down Syndrome Day with free food, fun and games. Visit fb.com/champsability for more information.

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.

West Marion Community Hospital, 4600 SW 46th Court and virtual 11am Ocala Health will break ground on the addition of 36 inpatient rehab beds at West Marion Community Hospital. Attend in person or online at fb.com/ocalahealth.

Ocala Downtown Market, 310 SE Third St. 1-6pm Shop a selection of produce, meat, natural and handmade products and food trucks. ocaladowntownmarket.com

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.

Virtual 1-2:30pm This workshop is part of the 2021 Nonprofit Academic Series, a program of the Community Foundation Ocala/ Marion County in partnership with the Rollins College Edyth Bush Institute for Philanthropy & Nonprofit Leadership. CTS Agency staff will present a roadmap for a social media marketing plan. Visit ocalafoundation.org for registration and more information.

Ocala Drive-In, 4850 S. Pine Ave. 5:30pm Ignite for Ocala is hosting this showing of “Grease” including a costume contest and autographed poster raffle to benefit the Marion County Children’s Alliance, Boys & Girls Clubs of Marion County and Wear Gloves. Visit uwmc.org/ignite for tickets and more information.

Paddock Mall, 3100 SW College Road 6-8pm Bring your best furry friends to take a photo with the Easter Bunny. Visit paddockmall.com for more information.

Talley’s Folly

Arts

Ocala Civic Theatre, 4337 E. Silver Springs Blvd. Thursday-Saturday 7:30pm, Saturday-Sunday 2pm Set on a Missouri farm in 1944, this play shares the touching romance of two kindred spirits brought together by love letters. Visit ocalacivictheatre.com for tickets.

Now ARC in the Arts -3/22

Ocala City Hall, 110 SE Watula Ave. Monday-Friday 9am-5pm An exhibit of art created by participants with intellectual and developmental disabilities in the adult day training program at ARC Marion Inc. Each piece of a unique reflection of the individual and is for sale to benefit the organization. Visit mcarc.com for more information.

Now It’s Color Pencil -3/25

CF Webber Gallery, 3001 SW College Road 10am-4pm This exhibition, in partnership with the Color Pencil Society of America, features fine artwork of all styles and subjects completed in colored pencil and will be judged by Appleton Museum of Art curator Patricia Tomlinson. Open Monday through Thursday. Visit cf.edu for more information.

Now Monochromatic March -3/27

Brick City Center for the Arts, 23 SW Broadway St. Tuesday-Friday 10am-5pm, Saturday 11am-4pm An exhibition featuring single-color works by Marion Cultural Alliance artist members in all mediums, sizes and styles. Visit mcaocala.org for more information.

3/20

Ocala Downtown Market

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.

Brownwood Farmers Market

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

Now Horse Fever 20/20 -3/27

Circle Square Cultural Center, 8395 SW 80th St. 11am-2pm Meet the new herd of handpainted statues on exhibit MondaySaturday. Visit mcaocala.org/hf-2020 for more information.

Now 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.

MARCH 19 - MARCH 25, 2021 | OCALA GAZETTE

Government

3/22

Marion County Development Review Committee

Now Luminous Worlds -6/27

3/22

City of Belleview Site Plan Committee

3/20

3/22

Dunnellon City Council Special Meeting

3/22

Ocala Housing Authority Board

3/23

Marion County Hospital District Committees

3/23

Marion County School Board

3/23

City of Belleview Code Enforcement Board

3/25

North Magnolia CRA Advisory Committee

3/25

Marion County Development Review Committee Staff Meeting

3/25

Marion County Tourist Development Council

3/25

City of Belleview Youth Commission

Now The Art of Adventure -4/25

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.

3/20

3/23 3/24

3/25

Rainbow Springs Art Festival

Dunnellon Historic Village, W. Pennsylvania Avenue and Cedar Street 10am-5pm The sixth annual festival featuring arts and crafts includes a raffle to benefit the art scholarship fund. Visit rainbowspringsart.com for more information.

Ocala Symphony Percussion Ensemble

Reilly Arts Center, 500 NE Ninth St. and virtual 3pm The concert will feature a wide variety of instruments including the marimba, timpani, vibraphone and xylophone. Visit reillyartscenter.com for in-person and online tickets and more information.

Teaching Tuesday: Splat Monster

Virtual 10-10:30am The Appleton Museum presents a live streaming art project that the whole family can make at home with basic art and craft supplies. Online at fb.com/appletonmuseum.

State of the Arts in Marion County

Master the Possibilities, 8415 SW 80th St. 3-5pm Marion Cultural Alliance Executive Director Jaye Baillie will moderate a panel of arts leaders to discuss emerging trends in the local arts scene. Visit masterthepossibilities.org for registration and more information.

Artist’s Outlook: Christopher Still

Virtual 7pm The Appleton Museum of Art hosts painter Christopher Still, known for his depictions of Florida’s wildlife, people and landscapes, for a free online conversation. Visit appletonmuseum.org for more information.

“On the Ocklawaha River” by Christopher Still

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.

City Hall, 5343 SE Abshier Blvd., Belleview 9am Call (352) 245-7021 for more information.

City Hall, 20750 River Drive, Dunnellon 4pm Call (352) 465-8500 for more information.

Virtual 6pm Visit ocalahousing.org to participate online. Call (352) 3692636 for more information.

Hospital District Office, 2547 E. Silver Springs Blvd. 12pm Call (352) 622-3662 for more information about the audit, finance, investment, operations and strategic initiatives committee meetings.

School Board Meeting room, 512 SE Third St. 5:30pm Call (352) 671-7700 for more information.

City Hall, 5343 SE Abshier Blvd., Belleview 5:30pm Call (352) 245-7021 for more information.

Ocala City Hall, 110 SE Watula Ave. 8:30am Call (352) 629-8287 for more information.

Office of the County Engineer, 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.

Ocala/Marion County Visitors & Convention Bureau, 109 W. Silver Springs Blvd. 10am Call (352) 438-2800 for more information.

City Hall, 5343 SE Abshier Blvd., Belleview 4:30pm Call (352) 245-7021 for more information.

ENTERTAINMENT CALENDAR 19

5pm Jeff Jarrett

World Equestrian Center

5pm John Johnson

6pm Becky Sinn

7pm Heather Lynne

7pm The Big Bad with SidePiece

7pm Rising Young Stars Night Orange Blossom Opry

2:30 & 7pm T. Graham Brown

3pm Grass Campers

6pm Chris McNeil

7pm Completely Unchained Van Halen Tribute Circle Square Cultural Center

2pm John Johnson Gator Joe’s

6pm Grass Campers Bank Street Patio Bar

Shuckin’ Shack

9pm Jeff Jarrett The Lodge

Gator Joe’s

Charlie Horse

Orange Blossom Opry

Horse & Hounds

2pm The Big Bad

7pm John Johnson Horse & Hounds

Infinite Ale Works

Locos Grill & Pub

World Equestrian Center

Eaton’s Beach

2pm Nicholas Mark

6pm Jeff Jarrett Charlie Horse

7pm Orange Blossom Showcase Orange Blossom Opry

MARCH 19 - MARCH 25, 2021 | OCALA GAZETTE

Council statements spark fire fee flare up By Carlos Medina and Jennifer Murty Ocala Gazette The latest volley in the ongoing litigation surrounding the Ocala fire service fee has the plaintiff ’s attorney crying foul over statements made by city councilmen during a recent public meeting. Derek Schroth wants a judge to stop city council members from making further public statements about the case and have the council take back what he calls “false and misleading” comments. The case dates to 2014, and while a court already ruled the fire fee was an illegal tax and ordered repayment of the illegally collected money, the two sides are arguing over how much is due. The city could have to refund as much as $80 million to nearly 80,000 members of the class action. Schroth filed a motion on March 9, calling into question statements by councilmen at the Jan. 19 city council meeting. At that meeting, Councilman Jaye Musleh, spoke out about his frustration over the case. “You deserve to fully know how we’re being, and I don’t know if I want to use the word extortion or not, but it, it, it feels like it,” Musleh said at the meeting while addressing the public. Musleh reminded those in attendance that the suit was brought “by an attorney who does not live in this town.” Council President Justin

Grabelle said the only one who will benefit from the lawsuit is the lawyer. “What you’re seeing (in the class action) is a community who is being used as an ATM by somebody who doesn’t live here,” Grabelle said. Councilmen also used the city meeting to encourage those in the class action suit to become advocates for the city. “You’re going to have an opportunity to go before this court and talk about the fees and the fairness aspect of that. You can have an opportunity to tell the judge how you’re being affected by this,” Grabelle said. “Nobody in our community is being impacted positively by these actions – they’re being negatively impacted – and I think it’s our job as a community to tell that story to the judge, so he understands when he makes that call what the ramifications are going to be.” Brent Malever, council president pro tem, brought up the question of bankruptcy. “I don’t want to see it bankrupt this city. I love it,” Malever said. “We cannot let it keep going and lose or fire department and have to shut these new buildings.” In his motion, Schroth argued the councilmen’s statements, could coerce “new” class members to optout by painting a doomsday picture of the city’s finances. The city previously said it would pay the refunds using a portion of city reserves and borrow the rest of the money.

Turner Dowling, a firefighter/EMT from Station 3, right, gets his air tank changed out by Chris Reynolds, a fire equipment operator, left, at a simulated burning house during Ocala Fire Rescue fire ground engine company operations training. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette]

He also argued that some of the council’s statements are flat out wrong and should be corrected using a “curative notice” listing the inaccuracies and the facts of the case. He asks that the curative notice be read out loud by the city attorney at a council meeting, so it’s part of the official meeting minutes. The notice also should be prominently posted on the city’s main Facebook page and website for 30 days. The overall language proposed in that curative notice reemphasizes the court’s findings as to the illegality of the tax, the benefit of the suit to those who were paying the

illegal tax, and clarification that there will not be an opportunity for class members to talk to the judge. Musleh said his remarks came from a sense of duty. “I am not a lawyer. I spoke as a councilman and resident my honest thoughts, which I feel like I am required to do,” he said in response to the motion. Robert Batsel, the city’s attorney, declined to comment on the motion. A hearing date on the motion is pending. In 2006, Ocala began charging a fire fee bundled into the utility bills of city residents using Ocala Electric Utilities. At the

time, the strategy was to spread the cost of paying for fire service among residents benefiting from fire service, instead of putting the cost solely onto property owners. In 2014 Discount Sleep of Ocala LLC and Dale W. Birch challenged the fee. That lawsuit eventually earned class-action status, which includes current and past Ocala Electric customers who paid the fee. In its June ruling, the 5th District Court of Appeal said Ocala’s fire service fee failed two of the three requirements to qualify as a valid service fee. The court ruled the refunds would cover the period from February 2010 to July 2020.

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February 25 – March 21 Sponsored by: Ocala’s Good Life Magazine Moonlight magic and love letters bring together an odd pair in 1944 Missouri.

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4337 E. Silver Springs Blvd., Ocala, Florida 34470