Ocala Gazette | March 26 - April 1, 2021

March 28 Palm Sunday

VOLUME 1 ISSUE 39

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MARCH 26- APRIL 1, 2021

Ward-Highlands teacher fights for life Teresa Twist needs transplant after lungs ravaged by COVID-19

By Ainslie Lee Ocala Gazette Teresa Twist wasn’t feeling well on Feb. 16, but not bad enough to miss work at Ward-Highlands Elementary School, where she helps teach exceptional students.

Just like every other day, Twist rode her moped to school that morning.

The next day, she tested

positive for COVID-19. A week later, she was in the hospital, where she remains almost 40 days later in a medically induced coma, her lungs ravaged by the effects of the virus.

Charity Price, Twists’s daughter, said doctors told her the woman needs a lung transplant.

Twist has severe pulmonary fibrosis. The damage is irreversible, Price said.

But Price said doctors told her UF Health Shands Hospital, where Twist could get a transplant, requires patients to wait eight weeks before they can go on the transplant list.

Twist is in week five.

“The doctors said that she’s deteriorating every day rapidly,” Price said. “Don’t know if she’s going to make the eight-week mark.”

Ken Garcia, a Shands spokesman, said he could not discuss the case due to See Twist, page 16

Teresa Twist [Submitted]

Ice Dreams

Downtown road work slow, steady Road revamps an effort to draw golf carts, cyclists and pedestrians

By Ainslie Lee Ocala Gazette

Despite having her stomach pumped, missing her flight back home and being stuck in a hospital all alone in the Midwest, all she could think of was the waiting wrath of her parents in Ocala.

The punishment? No more skating. Ever.

“My parents are like, ‘That’s it,’” the now-30-year-old Schwartzburg recalled. “’You’re not seeing skaters ever again. You’re finished, you know, skating’s over for you.’ And

Southeast Watula Avenue recently reopened with fresh asphalt and brick inlays at the East Fort King Street intersection.

And while the project looks good, Ocala City Council President Justin Grabelle asked the question many residents were likely wondering.

What took so long?

Grabelle asked City Engineer Sean Lanier about the delay during the city’s strategic planning meeting on March 10.

Southeast Watula Avenue’s facelift began on Nov. 2 and took four months to complete.

Grabelle said he would pass the closed-off intersection regularly but would go weeks without seeing workers.

According to Lanier, the construction crew was juggling the road project and a project at the Ocala Airport.

“A lot of the issue was the work

See Schwartzburg, page 17

See Downtown, page 2

Ocala’s Paige Schwartzburg skates in this file photo. The Olympic hopeful talks about her rocky road to speedskating success.

[John Kleba/Submitted]

Ocala Olympic hopeful Paige Schwartzburg credits grandma for boost

By Brendan Farrell Ocala Gazette

I

t was July 21, 2004, and a 14-year-old Paige Schwartzburg woke up in a hospital 1,500 miles away from home with no memory of how she got there.

The night before, while celebrating her 14th birthday, she drank so much she ended up in the hospital with alcohol poisoning.

Schwartzburg, an Ocala native,

was in Nebraska competing at inline skating nationals. She set a record in her age group, and her talent was earning her recognition.

But traveling for the first time without her parents combined with the less than sound actions of a chaperone conspired against her.

To celebrate her birthday, one of the parents on the trip bought alcohol for her and her teammates.

For Schwartzburg, it was the start of a long struggle between her inner demons and her athletic talent.

Full Speed Ahead

New Gazette Columnist

Ocala drag racer excels in elite top fuel category first time out

By Susan Smiley-Height Ocala Gazette

Ocala’s Josh Hart, left, poses with crew chief Ron Douglas after winning the “Wally” trophy for Top Fuel dragsters event at the recent Gatornationals in Gainesville. The trophy is named in honor of the late National Hot Rod Association founder Wally Parks. [Submitted]

Ocala’s Josh Hart became only the fourth driver in National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) history to win his first time out in the sport’s elite Top Fuel class at the recent Gatornationals in Gainesville.

By taking home the trophy, Hart, who owns Burnyzz Speed Shop in Ocala with his wife Brittanie, accomplished something not done in 20 years.

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See Hart, page 9

This week we welcome Sadie Fitzpatrick an Ocala native who found her way back home.

Sadie will contribute a regular column focused on what makes Ocala unique.

She earned her master’s degree in mass communications from the University of Florida and is active in the community.

“Journalism has been a part of my life since I learned to read. I loved the ritual of sharing the morning newspaper with my parents around the breakfast table,” she said. “It is local journalism in which I find the most value. I believe wholeheartedly that it is the best way to learn about the heart of your community and its many facets.”

Inside: Opinion..................................... 3 Pricey Pig.................................. 4 State News................................ 6 Sports........................................ 12 Creative’s Corner.................... 14 Calendar................................... 15

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MARCH 26 - APRIL 1, 2021 | OCALA GAZETTE

RV resort approved for Rolling Greens

By Carlos Medina Ocala Gazette Marion County’s largest mobile home park plans to add a 280-space RV resort on about 62 acres along Baseline Road.

Cove Communities, the owners of the decades-old Rolling Greens Village, got approval for the plan at the March 16 Marion County Commission meeting.

Started in the 1970s, the community is home to 1,300 mostly year-round 55-plus residents. The mobile home

park has more than 1,000 spaces, with more than 700 currently occupied.

Cove Communities, which bought the mobile home park and property for more than $43 million in 2018, will open the 55-plus RV resort on adjacent property. That prospect worried longtime residents, who feared large motorhomes tooling up and down the community’s narrow streets.

But the plan showed Cove would build a separate entrance and exit for RVs, far from the permanent

community. Access to the planned Rolling Greens RV resort would come directly off Southeast Baseline Road near the 1700 block.

Fred Roberts, an attorney representing Cove, said the industry has moved to open RV resorts as a complement to the mobile home communities.

Cove operates 21 mobile home and RV resort properties in the US and Canada. The principals behind the company, which formed in 2017, have more than 22 years in the mobile home/RV park industry.

Roberts said the business model is based on drawing recreational vehicle owners to the amenity-filled resort and eventually have them move in when they decide to move on from the RV lifestyle.

Some of the spaces in the RV resort will

feature RV-sized park homes for people to rent and possibly purchase. The homes, considered tiny homes, are less than 500 square feet.

The RV resort will take up less than half of the available 145 undeveloped acres at Rolling Greens.

Charles Pennington, a Rolling Greens resident, said he worried about the RV guests overwhelming the community’s amenities, including pools, pickleball

courts and the golf course.

Roberts said the plan is to add even more amenities, including another large pool, more pickleball and bocce ball courts and additional horseshoe toss pits.

While residents can own their mobile homes, the lots belong to Cove, which charges lot rents.

The commission voted 4-0 to approve the plan.

Commissioner Kathy Bryant did not attend that portion of the meeting.

320-home development plans in northeast Ocala

By Brendan Farrell Ocala Gazette Plans for a development near Booster Stadium known as Millwood Estates are back on track after nearly 15 years dormant, but this version will include dozens of more homes than the original.

Marion County Commissioners voted 4-0 to approve the plan for 320 homes just north of Ocala.

Commissioner Kathy Bryant was not at the meeting when the proposal came up.

Millwood Estates, which will be constructed by A-Plus Homes of Ocala, lies on 92.2 acres near the intersection of NE 35th Street and NE 36th Avenue. Originally, the development was slated for 240 homes in 2006. The project stalled after the 2008 economic collapse, fueled in part by speculative home building and loose mortgage lending.

Under the new plan presented to the commission on Tuesday, the number of homes swelled to 320.

Some residents spoke out against the revived plan for Millwood Estates. They worried about losing the wooded patch of land that sits among residential neighborhoods.

Fifty-six people signed a petition

against the development last month.

Victoria Mulford pointed out that the local elementary school, Ocala Springs Elementary, is already at more than 100% capacity. Mulford also noted that more development will make traffic issues worse and will mean the destruction of gopher tortoises, burrowing owls and eastern indigo snake habitat.

“Most of us moved to this area to be free from this overcrowding and the lack of safety,” she said. “There’s sinkhole activity in the area – my home is one of the homes with a sinkhole, and it directly connects on the border where there’s no buffer proposed.”

Maria Cardillo raised similar concerns.

“The damage alone to the landscape is something that can never be undone,” she said.

However, the developer would have to conduct environmental and traffic studies before construction begins.

“Part of the issue that you run into is this is already entitled land,” Commissioner Carl Zalak said. “And so, every single property owner – yourself, me, anybody else that buys a piece of property – is entitled by state statute and by quite frankly just being an American to the highest and best use of their property.”

From Downtown, page 1 at the airport was behind because of issues they were having there,” Lanier said.

“That’s what happens when you have a paid contractor, and they commit a crew, but they’re trying to do two jobs, and they’re not separate crews.”

On top of manpower, the city also ran into issues getting materials.

“You have the COVID hit, and contractors and supplies are harder to get,” said Eric Smith, assistant city transportation engineer.

Prices for materials are higher, and crews are smaller due to COVID-19 precautions, Smith said.

The Southeast Watula revamp is one of many completed or planned road projects in the city.

The city’s engineer’s office has nearly completed its Transportation Rehabilitation Improvement Project (TRIP) on Southeast First Avenue and is just waiting to put down permanent road striping.

The biggest change to Southeast First Avenue, which runs north, is the

[Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette]

reduction from two lanes to one for the portion closest to the downtown square.

South Magnolia Avenue, which runs south, also will get the TRIP treatment starting in April.

Lanier said that the project should be done by July. The improvements on South Magnolia will span from State Road 40 to Southwest Eighth Street

and are in conjunction with the Mellow Mushroom restaurant coming downtown. The restaurant is under construction at the corner of Magnolia and Fort King Street.

A portion of South Magnolia will also become one-lane and feature brick crosswalks.

The city is trying to make downtown roads friendlier

to golf carts, bicycles and pedestrians.

“You want to build a hub – someplace you are proud to come look at,” Smith said. “We want to make it a destination spot. It also makes (traffic) flow a lot better.”

Traffic studies performed ahead of the projects showed there wasn’t a need for traffic signals at many

intersections. The switch to stop signs has improved safety by providing greater sight distance, according to Smith.

Since finishing turning Northeast First Avenue into one lane last year, there hasn’t been a vehicle damaged or pedestrian hit, according to reports.

“I felt very proud to put that in the report,” Smith said.

With a slew of projects in the works, Grabelle urged the city engineer to remember the lessons learned from the Watula Avenue project.

“If we’re going to have one crew doing two jobs at one time, we need to make sure they have the capabilities,” Grabelle said.

“It’s not fair to the residents who live in this area.”

However, speed isn’t everything, Lanier said.

“I call it the project management triangle,” Lanier said. “Good, fast, cheap... You can never get all three. If you want it good and fast, it’s not going to be cheap. We want everything to be good, but we gave up on the fast.”

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MARCH 26 - APRIL 1, 2021 | OCALA GAZETTE

Opinion Editorial “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

Graphic Designer Brooke Pace brooke@magnoliamediaco.com Marketing Manager Kylie Swope kylie@magnoliamediaco.com Marketing Coordinator Sabrina Fissell sabrina@magnoliamediaco.com Account Executives Evelyn Anderson evelyn@magnoliamediaco.com Sarah Belyeu sarah@magnoliamediaco.com Ralph Grandizio ralph@magnoliamediaco.com Lee Kerr lee@magnoliamediaco.com Distribution Inquiries info@ocalagazette.com

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Why media access matters

Marion County officials stirred up a hornet’s nest last week when they rolled out a new policy governing how the media may cover meetings and under what conditions reporters may interview county commissioners and other staffers.

The policy required media members to “coordinate with Marion County Public Relations prior to attendance of or coverage of any meetings;” restricted media from talking to county commissioners unless they coordinate with the public relations staff and restricted media from “recording” any portion of a meeting unless they are present and set up before the meeting begins.

There was more, but these were the most absurd provisions because, for starters, they conflict with the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution and years of legal precedent, not to mention Florida law.

The county, through the Public Relations staff was apparently reacting to an incident some weeks ago when a television news crew allegedly disturbed a meeting in progress to set up their equipment.

And of course, the county would have been within their rights to henceforth prohibit conduct that disrupts a government meeting, but they went too far – much too far. They grossly overstepped their

authority in prohibiting the press from even covering public meetings without the permission, essentially, of the Public Relations staff.

Too ironically, these new rules were issued during Sunshine Week, an annual celebration of the freedoms of the press enshrined in the Constitution’s First Amendment.

Local media outlets objected, and the county administration wisely and swiftly withdrew the policy and in its place issued more reasonable guidelines designed to prevent meeting interruptions, nothing more. We applaud the county administration and commissioners for their measured response to this issue.

Before this episode fades from memory, however, we’d like to take just a moment to reflect upon why it matters.

First, it is important to remember that we, the press, are extensions of you, the public. Our job is to go places you can’t or don’t care to go, learn things you don’t have the time to learn, and then report back to you so that you have all the information you need to participate fully in civic life and life in general.

To fulfill our obligation to you requires the ability to attend events and meetings, to scour public records and to talk to the

community’s decision-makers. But from time to time, those in power in all levels of government find it more expedient, more useful, to limit what the public can see. They create rules and regulations designed to block the press from doing its job effectively.

We see it happening in recent weeks on the U.S. border with Mexico, where the federal government has barred the press from seeing and photographing the historic waves of immigrants suddenly rushing to the border. And we saw it here in little Ocala, where county staff promulgated rules that, if enforced literally, would have prevented your local press from reporting on Marion County government without the consent of those staffers.

These episodes are not so much an assault on the press as an assault on the public’s right to know how your government is functioning.

They are at odds with the basic ideal that an informed citizenry is essential to a well-functioning democracy.

This ideal is becoming more difficult to attain as the numbers of media outlets and journalists dwindle. Yet it is an ideal we must work to uphold.

We will. And we applaud the Marion County commissioners and administrators who are doing so, too.

Commentary

Turns out you can go home again I felt a strong pull to return to my home state, realizing I missed the comfort and familiarity of home.

Attending the University of Florida would allow me to pursue a graduate degree in mass communications, the perfect combination I swore I’d never of my love of writing come back. and penchant for As an 18-yearasking questions. My old desperate family was thrilled to to shed my have me back in the small-town Sunshine State, but I upbringing, I assured them I wouldn’t Sadie Fitzpatrick was determined be there for long and would Columnist to leave Ocala in certainly not return to my rearview as I set out for college Ocala. in South Carolina.

My mass communications focus Anonymity didn’t exist in our gave me an excuse to write about town. As my mother cautioned many subjects I always wanted to every Friday night, whatever I did explore. I shadowed tattoo artists over the weekend could become (fact: your significant other’s name fodder for “grocery store gossip” on your body will last longer than at the Churchill Square Publix on your actual relationship with said Monday morning. Saying my last significant other), took a pole name caused others to develop dancing class (extreme lack of preconceived notions about me, coordination means it’s not a viable which I despised. College would career option for me if writing allow me to see more, do more, doesn’t work out) and followed a become more. jail chaplain as he ministered to Five hundred miles away from suicidal inmates (everyone needs a my hometown, I experienced the kind word in their darkest hour no sweet taste of freedom that college matter what they have done to get provided. There, no one knew (or there). cared) who my family was, what my My two years of graduate school high school grade point average was would surely satisfy my yearning or what I did in my free time. to be in familiar surroundings, and At Furman, a world outside I would leave to pursue a career in of my Ocala microcosm existed. I public relations or journalism in reveled in its newness: some far-flung locale.

Making mistakes (the warning Then, I met a guy. not to drink anything served out I had given my number to a of a bathtub is legitimate), having friend who said she had someone my social and political viewpoints she wanted me to meet. Stressed challenged (did you know there’s with impending deadlines for my a Green Party?) and meeting graduate thesis, I gave little thought people from different religions and to the idea of my upcoming date. ethnic backgrounds (turns out not I assumed it would work out like everyone is a Presbyterian). Over most blind dates do—awkward, four years, my worldview expanded horrible and a great story to share more than I ever thought possible. at cocktail parties.

And as all good things do, Well, the guy from that blind college came to an end. Strangely, date and I will celebrate our Editor’s Note: This is the debut column for Sadie Fitzpatrick, who will use this space to explore the character and quirks that make Ocala uniquely wonderful and occasionally irksome.

seventh wedding anniversary this October. We live in the town I swore I would never return to.

In fact, the first job I took when I moved back to Ocala was as the director of Communications for our Chamber of Commerce, being paid to promote the place I tried so hard to shake. How’s that for a piping hot serving of humble pie?

Creating a new life here with my husband and discovering facets of Ocala I didn’t know existed through my job with the Chamber made me look at my hometown in a whole new way. It has charm.

My heart swells every year at the sight of folding chairs lining the Boulevard days before the annual Christmas Parade. And it has flaws.

The good ol’ boy mentality drives me bananas. Good or bad, these are all chapters in my love story with Ocala.

The phrase “Bloom where you’re planted” is one of my favorites.

Returning to Ocala has taught me that I can indeed bloom where I am planted; I don’t need to be somewhere else to gain perspec-tive and new viewpoints. I can cultivate new friendships and share ideas through reading, traveling and meeting new and interesting people who challenge me right here at home.

Sprinting full force out of Ocala allowed me to learn more about the world and, in turn, about myself. In coming home, I’ve realized Ocala has so much more to teach me. I have always been a life-long learner, and I want to continue on this journey of discovery. What can I learn from Ocala? Can Ocala learn from me?

At best, I’ll continue to be challenged and my love for and belief in Ocala will deepen. At worst, I’ll be, as my mama once feared, “grocery store gossip.” I’m okay with both.

Have your own observations about Ocala? Share them with Sadie at sadie@ocalagazette.com

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MARCH 26 - APRIL 1, 2021 | OCALA GAZETTE

Ocala residents go hog-wild for charity Hank the pig set a Southeastern Youth Fair record after selling for near $20,000

By Brendan Farrell Ocala Gazette When Holly Gomez pledged the proceeds from the sale of her pig, Hank, to a local charity, she had no idea the pig would sell for nearly $20,000, setting a record for the most expensive pig sold at the Southeastern Youth Fair.

Holly, 14, a student at Fort King Middle School, was raising Hank as a project for the fair through the school’s FFA club. One morning, she and her father were talking about Hank, and he brought up the idea of donating the proceeds to charity. Holly agreed.

Holly, an avid volleyball player, said her sister previously volunteered for Bryan’s All-Stars Challenge Sports, a nonprofit organization run by Bryan Lemily that helps developmentally disabled people play sports.

“I just think it’s a great place to give back to,” Holly said. “I mean, they’re really nice, and they just kind of needed some more money.

And I knew that I could help, so I decided to help out.”

Touched by Holly’s gesture, Lemily would later be flabbergasted by the outpouring of support.

“It’s life-changing for our organization. Our annual budget is about $20,000,” Lemily said. “This really means a lot to all of us. For her to have the thought of helping others is wonderful.”

Lemily formed the nonprofit group about eight years ago, but its roots date back to 2005. Lemily took his son, Kyle – who has Down syndrome – to play T-ball for exercise.

The group played T-ball a few months out of the year, but that was all.

“They wanted more. So, the parents started adding more activities,” he said.

Eventually, they added basketball and then bowling. Today, Bryan’s AllStars operates year-round and serves more than 50 members. There is no fee to participate. The operation is funded by sponsors and donations.

“They just love to come and play. They love having something to do and being around other people,” Lemily said of the participants.

The pandemic suspended much of the program for months, but they recently started playing kickball to limit contact.

As the fair started, Amy Gomez, Holly’s mom, thought it would be great

Amy, Holly, Sarah and Tag Gomez are shown at this years Southeastern Youth Fair. Holly’s pig, Hank, sold for nearly $20,000 which will go to a local charity. [Submitted]

if Hank sold for more than $5,000. But by the day before the auction, they already had $9,000 pledged.

Lemily said many of his usual sponsors contributed, but the story spread.

On auction day, buoyed by that story, the donations continued.

“People were coming up giving $50, $200, $500,” Lemily said.

The donations kept coming even while the pig was in the ring. All told, nearly 50 donors pitched in.

“It was crazy,” Holly said.

“Like, having all of them around me whenever it was getting sold and the crowd cheering for me and all the people, it was very surreal.”

When the hammer fell, Hank sold for $68 per pound. With the pig tipping the scales at more than 280 pounds, the final total topped $19,000.

Most pigs sell for between $4 and $8 per pound.

“From what we were told from the youth fair office, this was the highest dollar amount that a swine has

ever sold for at the Youth Fair for an organization for a donated hog,” Amy Gomez said. “So, it was a pretty big deal because we did not expect it to go that high.”

In 2006, a pig from the Hillcrest School FFA sold for $65 a pound.

“Honestly, for the community, especially during COVID, it really made me proud to live in Marion County, I’ll tell you that,” she said. “It was amazing, the people that were very willing to donate.”

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MARCH 26 - APRIL 1, 2021 | OCALA GAZETTE

State News Baxley to back off Bright Futures cuts

By Ryan Dailey News Service of Florida TALLAHASSEE – A Senate panel on Tuesday scaled back a bill that would have reduced Bright Futures scholarships for students pursuing certain degrees, but opponents are now focusing criticism on whether the measure will jeopardize future funding for the program.

The measure (SB 86), sponsored by Sen. Dennis Baxley, R-Ocala, drew a massive outcry in recent weeks because it would have reduced or even eliminated Bright Futures scholarships for students seeking degrees deemed unlikely to lead to jobs.

But Baxley filed an amendment to delete that part of the bill, with the Senate Education Appropriations Subcommittee approving the change Tuesday. The Republican-controlled panel then voted 6-3 along party lines to advance the remaining bill.

“I got well over 2,000 communications regarding this bill, so this is a very popular bill,” Baxley said wryly, eliciting laughs from some lawmakers on the panel.

After the outcry that included a student-led opposition campaign, most controversial parts of the bill have been eliminated.

But Baxley said Tuesday the proposal will still be a step in the right direction

of bridging the gap between higher education and the workforce.

“This strike-all (amendment) is a result of that ongoing dialogue that we’ve had with senators and constituents. The bill shifts the focus to providing information so that students can make an informed decision about their programs of study,” Baxley told the panel.

Under Baxley’s amendment, the state university system’s Board of Governors, the State Board of Education and Independent Colleges and Universities of Florida would craft and publish lists of degrees they deem not likely to lead to employment. However, the lists would have no bearing on the awarding of Bright Futures scholarships and Benacquisto Scholarships for National Merit scholars.

Some Democratic lawmakers took issue with creating such lists, and a proposed amendment to remove that provision from the bill failed.

“I characterize this as a steering bill. It tries to steer students towards decisions based on (something) other than what they have in mind of what they want their major to be,” said Sen. Audrey Gibson, D-Jacksonville.

Critics also had been troubled by part of the bill that sought to reduce the amount of credit hours covered by Bright Futures for students who took

Public prayer bill approved

by House committee News Service of Florida A proposal that could allow high schools to offer prayers over public-address systems before athletic championship games is headed to the full Florida House.

The measure (HB 1027) comes amid a long-running legal battle over a decision by the Florida High School Athletic Association in 2016 to block Cambridge Christian School of Tampa from offering a prayer over the public-address system before a football championship game at Orlando’s Camping World Stadium.

The school filed a still-pending federal lawsuit that contends the decision violated its First Amendment rights. The athletic association has argued that allowing a prayer over the loudspeaker would have been viewed as “government speech.”

The bill, sponsored by Rep. Webster Barnaby, R-Deltona, was approved Wednesday by the House Education & Employment Committee in a 15-6 vote after little discussion.

The bill would require allowing schools to offer up to two-minute remarks over public-address systems. The athletic association could not control the content of the remarks.

“This bill is necessary because nothing is codified in state law that would allow this to proceed,” Barnaby told the committee.

The vote positioned the bill to be considered by the full House.

A Senate version (SB 880), sponsored

by Sen. Ray Rodrigues, R-Estero, was scheduled to be taken up by the Senate Education Committee on Tuesday but was postponed.

“accelerated credits” in high school, like dual-enrollment or Advanced Placement courses. That part of the bill also was removed in Baxley’s amendment Tuesday.

But even with the changes, Democrats argued that one remaining part of the bill would threaten scholarship amounts for future recipients in years when the state budget is tight.

“The bill shifts the focus to providing information so that students can make an informed decision about their programs of study.”

-Dennis Baxley

That part of the bill would change the current system of providing Bright Futures aid at either 75 percent or 100 percent of tuition and fees to tying scholarship levels to the amount of money appropriated in the state budget.

“To subject our children and their education, their futures, to the appropriations process by tying their award to the (General Appropriations Act) is unfair. How can we expect lifelong decisions to be made when the state is essentially saying, ‘We won’t

commit to fully funding the scholarship programs?’” said Sen. Janet Cruz, a Tampa Democrat who filed a failed amendment seeking to strike that part of the bill.

The funding issue also has become the centerpiece of some students’ arguments against the bill.

“With such vital funding being held in such uncertainty, this bill still affects the future plans of hundreds of thousands of Florida students. Currently, it requires legislative action in order for funding to change. With these changes, the amount students are funded could change every year in the (budget),” said Heesu Seo, a high school junior from Tallahassee who spoke against the bill Tuesday.

Seo is part of the studentled group Save Bright Futures, which was formed in response to the bill.

Baxley tried to stave off criticism of the measure by saying it would provide flexibility for future legislatures.

“There are very unrealistic expectations about any of this stuff being forever when we cannot bind future legislatures. This may be an organism that changes, somewhat, over time,” Baxley said.

Baxley also argued that tying scholarship amounts to the program’s appropriation in the state budget “leaves the potential open to increase the provision if it’s needed.”

“Nothing is guaranteed in this world. We don’t know what we are up against until we are there,” Baxley said.

Some Republicans on the panel defended Baxley’s proposal as having the potential to inform prospective students about fields of study that could benefit them in careers.

Under the measure, the university system’s Board of Governors would be required to publish an online dashboard featuring data on graduates of various fields of study, including post-graduation median salaries and student loan debts.

“I think the dashboard is transformational in terms of putting that in the students’ hands, the parents’ hands, the guidance counselors’ hands – anybody that wants to look at it, I think having that data there is going to be wonderful for our kids when they make these decisions,” said Sen. Travis Hutson, R-St. Augustine.

Huton also said he supports tying scholarship amounts to funding in the state budget.

“What we’re talking about with the General Appropriations Act is going forward, these sixth-graders or seventh-graders, can we make that same guarantee to them. It’s new students.

And that’s something that’s going to be talked about at a budget-time process when the GAA comes out,” Hutson said.

A House version of the bill has not been filed.

Legislature looks to cap insulin cost News Service of Florida In an attempt to limit high out-of-pocket costs for people with diabetes, a Senate panel on Wednesday approved a bill that would place a $100 cap on cost-sharing requirements for 30-day supplies of insulin.

The bill cleared the Senate Banking and Insurance Committee unanimously. Filed by Sen. Janet Cruz, D-Tampa, the measure (SB 786) would apply to employer-sponsored and individual health insurance policies that are not bought on the federal insurance exchange and that offer prescription drug benefits.

The bill wouldn’t restrict what drug manufacturers can charge for insulin, which led committee member Ray Rodrigues, R-Estero, to ask, “Is it possible we could be looking at increased (insurance) premium prices?”

Sen. Lori Berman, a Delray Beach Democrat who is co-sponsoring the bill with Cruz, said costs for the state employee healthinsurance plan would increase by 75 cents to 90 cents a year per member.

Meanwhile, Sen. Doug Broxson, R-Gulf Breeze, asked whether the state needed to take action amid activity on the issue at the federal level. Berman said the Trump administration limited out-ofpocket costs for people who get prescription-drug benefits through what is known as Medicare Part

D, but those protections don’t apply to people on employer-sponsored or individual plans not purchased on the federal exchange.

Diabetes is caused by the body’s inability to create enough insulin or properly use the insulin it does produce. Insulin helps people’s bodies use sugar for energy and then store the rest. Many diabetics must inject insulin to increase the amount their bodies make.

According to a 2019 study published by JAMA Internal Medicine, the average list price of insulin nearly tripled between 2002 and 2013, and cost sharing, or out-of-pocket, costs per prescription doubled over a 10-year period.

The American Diabetes Association estimates that 105,000 people in Florida are diagnosed with diabetes annually.

Cruz’s bill will next go to the Senate Health and Human Services Appropriations Subcommittee.

A House version (HB 109), sponsored by Rep. Melony Bell, R-Fort Meade, has not been heard in committees.

7

MARCH 26 - APRIL 1, 2021 | OCALA GAZETTE

Vaping regulations eyed by Legislature

By Dara Kam News Service of Florida TALLAHASSEE – More than two years after the U.S. surgeon general declared youth vaping an epidemic, Florida lawmakers again are working on an effort to regulate the sale of electronic cigarettes and raise the age to use tobacco and vaping products from 18 to 21.

Gov. Ron DeSantis last year vetoed a proposal that would have banned the sale of nearly all flavored e-cigarette products and brought the state into compliance with federal laws aimed at curbing teen vaping.

Despite support from Attorney General Ashley Moody and groups including the American Cancer Society and the American Lung Association, the Republican governor said the measure went too far and posed a disservice to smokers who turn to flavored vaping products as a healthier alternative to tobacco-based cigarettes.

The House and Senate this year are considering tamped-down proposals (SB 1080 and HB 987) that would raise the age to smoke

and vape to 21, a threshold already established in federal law; maintain the status quo on flavored vaping products; and regulate vaping products separately from tobacco products.

Youth vaping skyrocketed in recent years but declined in 2020, a drop attributed by health officials to a variety of federal and state policies directed at reducing young people’s use of e-cigarettes.

The Senate Health Policy Committee on Wednesday unanimously approved a proposal that would give the state authority to regulate vaping products, which the bill calls “nicotine products.”

The regulations would mirror rules governing tobacco products, bill sponsor Travis Hutson, R-St. Augustine, told the panel.

The measure would require nicotine product retailers, or vape shops, to be licensed by the state Division of Business and Professional Regulation, which also licenses retailers selling tobacco products.

Unlike tobacco sellers, vape shop operators would not have to pay a fee for the licenses.

Hutson said the state’s

vape industry supports the measure, which he noted does not include a prohibition on flavored vaping products strenuously opposed by the retailers.

“That’s one of the reasons the governor vetoed this bill, so working with all parties in trying to get where we think would be something that we can all have an agreement on, shake hands, walk away and get it to the governor, where he will sign,” he told the panel.

But Susan Harbin, senior government relations director for the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, said her organization opposes Hutson’s plan for a variety of reasons.

Part of the measure would keep the age at 18 for military personnel to possess tobacco or nicotine products.

Harbin said that would put Florida out of compliance with federal law — which raised the age for smoking and vaping to 21 in 2019 — and could jeopardize federal grants the state receives to address substance abuse and treatment.

Harbin also questioned how the state would be

able to ensure retailers are complying with the proposal to restrict vaping product sales to people ages 21 and older, since vape shops and other retailers wouldn’t be charged a licensing fee.

“My fear is that it’s just not going to be enforced, either loosely or not at all,” she told the committee.

The American Lung Association, the American Heart Association and other healthcare groups also oppose the House and Senate measures.

Creating new regulations for the vaping industry could take months or even years, the groups said in a statement opposing the proposals.

The organizations also object to parts of the bills that would take away local governments’ control over marketing, sale or delivery of nicotine products, a move known as “preemption.”

Local governments use ordinances to restrict where items such as cigarettes can be placed, Senate Minority Leader Gary Farmer said during the committee debate on Hutson’s bill.

“Local ordinances mostly deal with things like product placement and trying to make it so this stuff isn’t like right in the kids’ faces when

they’re buying a Mountain Dew or something else,” Farmer, D-Lighthouse Point, argued. “I think local governments are often better able to respond more quickly when we have a public health issue like youth smoking and this new product that’s out there. … We could send a good message by passing this bill, but I think there’s some details here that really need to get worked out, clarified and maybe tweaked a little bit.”

Farmer also questioned whether the bill ensured that an “enforcement mechanism” was in place.

But Hutson defended the proposal, adding that, like Farmer, his goal is to reduce smoking and vaping among teenagers.

“I’m pretty confident in the way that we set it up, that everything will be regulated fine, that we’re not going to create any crazy fiscal (impact) or any amount of fees that are needed to actually go in there and make sure that the things are being done the correct way,” he said.

The House Regulatory Reform Subcommittee signed off on a similar measure Wednesday afternoon.

Election reform bills advance in Legislature

By Dara Kam News Service of Florida TALLAHASSEE – Florida Republican lawmakers are pushing ahead with sweeping election changes largely focused on making it more difficult for people to vote by mail, an effort mirrored in GOP-led state houses throughout the country.

In a party-line vote Monday, the House Public Integrity & Elections Committee signed off on a measure that would give supervisors of elections less leeway when comparing signatures on mail-in ballots, require voters to request mail-in ballots for each general election and make it harder to submit other people’s ballots at drop boxes.

But the House plan does not go as far as another controversial bill, also opposed by Democrats and the state’s elections supervisors, that is one step away from the Senate floor.

For example, the House bill, sponsored by Spring Hill Republican Blaise Ingoglia, would impose limits on supervisors’ use of drop boxes by requiring that the boxes be staffed and only available for ballot drop-offs during regular early voting hours if they are not located at the supervisors’ offices.

The Senate companion bill would completely eliminate drop boxes, which about 1.5 million voters used for the November election.

Both the House and Senate measures would require voters to request mail-in ballots every two years. But the House measure (PCB PIE 21-05) would “grandfather” in requests made before the 2020 election. Under current law, requests are good for two general elections, which occur every two years.

Republicans throughout the country are targeting mail-in ballots after millions of voters opted to vote by

mail amid the coronavirus pandemic last year. More than 4.8 million Floridians cast ballots by mail in the November elections, compared to about 2.6 million in 2018, according to the state Division of Elections. Democrats relied far more heavily than Republicans on voting by mail in November.

Gov. Ron DeSantis and other GOP leaders praised the Sunshine State’s handling of the presidential election, in which former President Donald Trump’s victory in Florida over now-President Joe Biden was decided well before midnight.

But Republicans maintain that the state needs to clamp down on vote-by-mail procedures.

“There are problems that happened in other states that we’ve recognized.

Just because we’ve seen it in other states, and we don’t have something in law to prevent some of that, doesn’t mean it is not good policy and we shouldn’t attack it now. We should never have to wait for a problem to occur to head off that problem,” Ingoglia, a former chairman of the Republican Party of Florida, said before Monday’s committee vote.

Ingoglia’s proposal (PCB PIE 21-05) slightly eases off some other restrictions included in the Senate version of the bill (SB 90).

Under current law, voters may designate other people to pick up mail-in ballots for them. The Senate measure only would allow immediate family members to pick up mail-in ballots.

The House plan would

allow people who reside at the same address to pick up mail-in ballots for voters and drop them off at drop boxes, if they show identification or sign affidavits.

That provision could be problematic for voters with disabilities and residents of group homes and assistedliving facilities, said Rep. Allison Tant, a Tallahassee Democrat whose adult son has a disability and is unable to drive.

“There is no allowance for a guardian in here.

There is no allowance for a caregiver in this. So, I am concerned about what

we do for someone in that situation, or even myself when all of my children are gone and I am 90 years old and can’t get my ballot somewhere,” Tant, a former chairwoman of the Florida Democratic Party, said.

Other proposals in the bill “add time-intensive, costly procedures to the conduct of elections and jeopardize the timely reporting of election results,” the Florida Supervisors of Elections association wrote to the

committee on Monday.

The House proposal would require mail-in ballots to be returned in envelopes, called “certificates,” that show voters’ names, addresses and signatures. Supervisors would be required to record digital images of the certificates, make them available to the public and allow members of the public to challenge the signatures before the ballot envelopes are opened. Challenged ballots would have to be handled by county canvassing boards.

“That creates havoc.

There will not be a way for us to get all of our mail ballots tabulated on time,” Leon County Supervisor of Elections Mark Earley told reporters after Monday’s committee meeting.

In addition, making signatures public could be a “breeding ground for identity theft,” argued Rep. Tracie Davis, a Jacksonville Democrat who is a former deputy supervisor of elections. She urged her colleagues on the committee to vote against Ingoglia’s proposal.

“This is unnecessary.

It’s cumbersome. It denies basic simple access to voting and basically what we’re trying to institute here … is a waste of taxpayer dollars,” she said.

A number of organizations, including the League of Women Voters of Florida, the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida and the state chapter of the NAACP, strenuously oppose the House and Senate proposals, calling them “voter suppression” efforts.

County election officials

want to ensure “that all eligible voters have convenient and ample opportunities to vote, and that the elections in which they cast their ballots are safe and secure,” the supervisors’ association wrote in Monday’s letter.

“Calling for unnecessary election reforms doesn’t just endanger our ability to conduct elections efficiently and effectively. It also risks destroying the voter confidence that we have worked so hard to earn,” they added.

Election officials also raised questions about a portion of the House bill that would require supervisors to match signatures on mail-in ballots with “the most recent signature” on file.

Such a requirement “is a disservice” to voters, the supervisors wrote, pointing to the use of electronic pads at election precincts or driver’s license offices.

Signatures on the electronic pads could be very different from a person’s signature on a paper ballot, they argued.

Elections officials currently receive training that instructs supervisors to examine several examples of people’s signatures to determine if they are valid, a standard recommended by experts, Florida Elections Supervisors association lobbyist David Ramba told the House committee.

But Ingoglia said “there has to be some sort of standard” for supervisors to use to prevent signature mismatches.

Voting by mail should have the same safeguards as voting in person, he told the committee, adding that people have “serious concerns” about election integrity.

“I would say our constituents are demanding more integrity and more transparency in our elections,” he said.

– News Service Assignment Manager Tom Urban contributed to this report.

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County walks back media access policy The director of public relations resigns amid policy fallout

By Carlos Medina Ocala Gazette

Prior to her resignation, county administration officials and elected County Commissioners both said they had no advance knowledge about the protocols.

Hart pushed back on the characterization that the protocols came as a surprise to county administration.

“I believe, when an employee is presented with a directive, discusses that directive in depth with senior leadership and then carries out the directive, that employee should receive support from leadership when that directive fails or is met with resistance,” Hart wrote in an email after she was contacted for comment on her resignation.

The protocols grew out of an incident in early February with a television news crew out of Orlando.

At the time, the commission was debating whether to ban internet cafes.

The television crew moved their equipment behind the commission dais during the meeting.

Commission Chairman Jeff Gold said he mentioned the incident to the public relations department but said he did not know it had morphed into the protocols.

More than a week after Marion County issued a policy some interpreted as restrictive to the media, the county walked backed most of the policy and its public relations director resigned.

On March 16, the office issued media protocols that called for all media to coordinate with the public relations office prior to attendance of or coverage of any meetings; all media would have to check in at the front desk of the administration building, and a representative of public relations would escort media members to their desired location; and no interviews of county commissioners or staff would be allowed prior to or following any meetings without prior coordination with the public relations office.

Freedom of information groups balked at the protocols calling them laughably unconstitutional, improper and unenforceable.

The county subsequently apologized, rescinded most of the protocols and softened the tone of others.

On Monday, Kelli Fuqua Hart, who took the position as public relations director in September 2019, emailed her letter of resignation to the county’s human resources department.

“I have truly appreciated the opportunity to serve the county through my role as director but find I am no longer a good fit for the current climate and need to utilize my talents and value elsewhere,” she wrote in the letter. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette]

9

MARCH 26 - APRIL 1, 2021 | OCALA GAZETTE

From Hart, page 1 “He reminds me of myself, many years ago.”

Garlits has a car and racing museum south of Ocala.

To earn his win at the Gators, Hart defeated Shawn Langdon by ripping off a final round time of 3.826 seconds, at 323.66 mph. In the earlier rounds, he ran times of 3.811 (325.14 mph) and 3.838 (322.88 mph).

Hart is quick to give credit for his success to his crew chief, Ron Douglas, who has worked with several top-performing drag racing crews over more than two decades in the sport.

This year he is working exclusively with Hart.

“Our win was a little unexpected, but I have great teammates who put in some serious hard work,” he added. “We went out as the little team and beat all the multi-million-dollar teams. I call it the David and Goliath approach.”

His Fearless Racing team, which is on the small side with one semi-tractor trailer rig and 10 other team members, took on some mighty talent at the Gators.

Among those they beat were six-time International Hot Rod Association (IHRA) champ Clay Millican, three-

[Submitted]

time NHRA Top Fuel champ Steve Torrence, 2020 NHRA Rookie of the Year Justin Ashley and Langdon, the 2013 Top Fuel champion.

“You just have to take them one lap at a time,” Hart stated.

As for the name Fearless Racing, that came after a crash in Georgia, he said.

“I was the calmest person at the scene, including the crews on the ambulance and firetruck. I’m like, let’s just get another car and let’s go,” he recalled. “It was after that my wife and I came up with the name.”

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He said the team plans to stick with their same strategy in coming competitions and is eager to race and win.

While racing is important to Hart, nothing tops his family, which now includes a 1-year-old daughter Helen.

“She runs the show and knows it,” he said.

As for whether she might follow in his footsteps, “I pray she hates cars and will be a doctor,” he said with a laugh.

While he is prepping for the NHRA Southern Nationals at the end of April, Hart is completing

Hours

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a project that more than doubled the size of Burnyzz Speed Shop, where he services and sells classic, prestige and American muscle cars and trucks.

Garlits is one of his customers.

“He was in the shop on Monday and may soon be consigning three or four cars with me,” Hart said. “We’ll work on anything, but we are more geared to muscle cars.”

Hart said he is happy to be based in Ocala, “which has been very good to us. I appreciate the local support very much.”

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Now he takes his Burnyzz Speed Shop/Technet Top Fuel dragster on the road with his sights set on competitions in Atlanta and Charlotte as part of the Camping World NHRA Drag Racing tour.

Top Fuel is the highest level of more than 200 classes of vehicles in 15 categories in NHRA racing.

They feature some of the sleekest, fastest and most expensive racing machines in the world. Boasting more than 11,000 horsepower, they can roar down a quarter-mile dragstrip at speeds of more than 330 mph in less than 4 seconds. They burn volatile nitromethane fuel, which allows them to make spectacular tire-smoking burnouts. The vehicles race head-to-head in heats, until a winner emerges.

Hart is no stranger to piloting dragsters, having earned two U.S. Nationals championships in the top alcohol category.

“Big Daddy” Don Garlits, who pioneered rear-engine top fuel dragsters and is one of the most legendary of all drag racers, is a friend of Hart’s.

“Josh is one of the nicest young men I know, and he works hard,” Garlits said.

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MARCH 26 - APRIL 1, 2021 | OCALA GAZETTE

Burning Down the House (Simulated) Ocala Fire Rescue recently conducted search-and-rescue training from a simulated burning house on Southeast 13th Avenue in Ocala.

The training allows firefighters to prepare for real-life incidents. The training also featured salvage and overhaul and ladder operations [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette]

Jonathan Simms, a firefighter/EMT from Station 3, carries a mock baby to safety and out of the simulated burning house.

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Firefighters from Station 3, from left, Turner Dowling, Tyler Graham, Steven Welfel and Jonathan Simms, work at the scene.

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MARCH 26 - APRIL 1, 2021 | OCALA GAZETTE

Sports

Stephen Thomas of Sarasota lines up his putt.

Golfers Justin Metzger of Nashville, TN, Taylor Deming of Franklin, TN and Seth Arthur of Metropolis, IL, left to right, walk down the 15th fairway

Ocala Open golf tournament benefits local charities Photos by Bruce Ackerman

Bryan Fox of Roswell, GA chips onto the green on the 16th hole during the first round of the Ocala Open.

The 15th Annual Ocala Open at Candler Hills Golf Club opened with the first round on Wednesday.

The tournament is a charity event to raise money for Hospice of Marion and Interfaith Emergency Services. The annual tournament has raised more than $663,000.

This year, Hospice and Interfaith each received $42,500. Hospice offers comfort for the terminally ill and supports their families and caregivers. Interfaith provides food, shelter, clothing and emergency help to those in need.

After the first round of competition, Chris Wang led at eightunder-par after shooting a 63. Patrick Williams of Estero, Willie Mack III of Flint, Michigan and Trey Shirley of Bardstown, Kentucky shared second place with a round of seven-under-par.

Lady Patriots drop game late to Titans

The College of Central Florida’s Madison Edwards (12) throws a pitch against Eastern Florida State College. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette]

By Ainslie Lee Ocala Gazette The College of Central Florida’s softball team saw its day start and end on the wrong foot.

While the Lady Patriots were anticipating a double-header against the Eastern Florida State College Titans on Tuesday, a miscommunication with the umpires resulted in only one game, and that started an hour late.

Despite leading the game and holding the Titans to a shutout through four innings, the Lady Patriots allowed five runs in the fifth inning to give Eastern Florida the lead and an eventual 5-4 win.

“It’s just tough to recover

that late in the game,” College of Central Florida head coach Mike Lingle said. “I know we can, and they feel like they can.”

After all, the Lady Patriots struck first.

In their opening at-bat of the afternoon, leadoff freshman hitter Gianna Guerriero opened the game with a single before being driven home by sophomore Glory Thompson. While Thompson’s hit was only a single, a slew of errors by the Titans’ defense allowed Thompson to reach third.

An-other self-inflicted wound in the field would allow Thompson to score and give CF a 2-0 lead.

The Lady Patriots would go on to generate another two-run inning in the bottom of the third

behind a string of hits from the middle of CF’s lineup.

Redshirt sophomore Odalys Cordova knocked a double into play and was later driven home by a single off the bat of redshirt sophomore Emily Dixon.

Dixon would also cross home plate thanks to a single from freshman Kamaya Cohen to score the Lady Patriots’ fourth and last run of the afternoon.

While his team’s bats went cold, Lingle credited Eastern Florida State’s ace pitcher, freshman Trinity Howard. Howard gave up six hits while dishing six strikeouts on Tuesday.

“She was working so fast,” Lingle said of Howard.

“We couldn’t find our tempo. We usually apply the pressure, but I feel like we were feeling pressure

on offense. Just couldn’t get timely hits.”

Meanwhile, the Titans’ found their offensive rhythm in the fifth inning with two outs against them.

CF sophomore pitcher Savannah Barnett gave the Titans two free bases to start the inning before giving up a single to help the Titans find the scoreboard with their first run.

But a grand slam crushed by freshman Roneice Pharoah scored the additional four runs needed to win the game.

“No excuses,” Lingle said.

“They came up clutch with two outs. Two-out hits win ball games. That’s what they did, unlike us.”

The No. 3-ranked College of Central Florida softball team dropped to 26-5 on the year.

The College of Central Florida’s pitcher Madison Edwards (12) tags out Eastern Florida State College’s Lauren Lightbody (0) at third base. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette]

13

MARCH 26 - APRIL 1, 2021 | OCALA GAZETTE

Ocala Councilman Grabelle won’t run for re-election

By Ainslie Lee Ocala Gazette There will be at least one new face at the Ocala City Council dais come September.

Council president Justin Grabelle announced he would not seek re-election in this year’s city election scheduled for Sept. Gregory Steen 21. Grabelle’s decision will leave the District 5 seat open for a new occupant.

Gregory Steen is the only candidate who has filed to run as of Thursday, according to the Marion County Supervisor of Elections website.

The Ocala native decided to run after a conversation over coffee with Ocala-based State Senator Dennis Baxley.

While Baxley urged Steen to run, the electrical contractor argued he wasn’t a politician.

Baxley reportedly said that was exactly why Steen should run.

Steen owns and operates Family’s Choice Electric, which primarily services The Villages.

He started the business in 2007.

After giving it some thought, Steen decided to give it a shot. He filed back in April of 2019 and has raised more than $10,000 in campaign contributions, mostly from personal funds.

“The first thing I would like to do is to be reachable,” Steen said.

“Reach out to my cell phone, by text, by email... I would like local government to be local again.”

Steen also wants to nurture a better relationship between the Ocala Police Department and the community. While commending OPD’s efforts, Steen said the community too often sees officers when they respond to an incident.

Steen hopes his everyman personality will resonate with the voters.

“I’m just a normal person,” Steen said. “I was born and raised here. Nothing special.”

Grabelle did not say if he planned to seek another public office, but in 2019 he filed to run for a Marion County Commission seat. The commission District 1 seat came up for grabs when incumbent David Moore decided to run for Marion County Property Appraiser. Grabelle’s candidacy was brief, ending his run after a few weeks. Craig Curry eventually won the seat in November.

Grabelle joined the city council in 2017 after defeating James Hilty for the seat.

City council seats for District 1 and District 3 are also on the ballot in September.

Brent Malever, who joined the council in 2013 representing District 1, has filed for re-election.

District 3 incumbent Jay Musleh will also seek re-election, though he hasn’t formally filed.

City council seats come with four-year terms.

Call now

(352) 537-8111 606 SW 2nd Ave. Ocala, FL 34471

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Parents of famed horse trainer Pat Parelli die in crash

By Ainslie Lee Ocala Gazette

two-car crash occurred just after 4 p.m. at the intersection of U.S. Highway 27 and Northwest 84th Court near Golden Ocala Golf & Equestrian Club, according to FHP reports.

Per the accident report, a sedan driven by an 88-year-old man was stopped at the busy intersection in northwest Ocala when the driver failed to yield for a van driven by a 37-year-old Belleview man as it crossed over the eastbound lanes of U.S. Highway 27 to make a left turn.

The driver of the van, who was seriously injured and transported to a local hospital, attempted to stop before slamming into the

sedan. Both vehicles caught fire after the collision.

The equestrian community took to social media to offer their condolences to Pat Parelli. “(Jack) was the best.

He spent the day with me once being mayor for the day. He wanted to give everyone at the police department a raise. They loved him,” wrote Ocala Mayor Kent Guinn.

Pat Parelli, who coined the term “Natural Horsemanship”, has training programs that focus on the study of horse behavior.

Though headquartered in in Pagosa Springs, Colorado, he also has a facility in Reddick.

A fiery car crash claimed the lives of Jack Parelli, 88, and Doris Parelli, 86, parents of famed Marion Countybased horse trainer Pat Parelli, on Wednesday afternoon.

While the Florida Highway Patrol did not release the names of the victims in its report, the Marion County horse community identified the deceased as Parelli’s parents and on Thursday, Pat Parelli took to Facebook to post a tribute to his parents.

“We reflect on their legacy, their energy, and the spirit that they contributed to the lives of their family,” he wrote. “My sister, myself, and the entire family appreciate your thoughts and prayers. We encourage you to take some undemanding time today to cherish those you love and appreciate in your life.”

It’s believed the couple was traveling to celebrate their son’s 67th birthday.

Left to right: Pat, Dorris, and Jack Parelli are shown in this undated photo.

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14

MARCH 26 - APRIL 1, 2021 | OCALA GAZETTE

Creative’s Corner Pitching Horseshoes

Frenchie Bisiaux shows off the horseshoes she painted for her Horseshoe Fever fundraiser for the CF Equestrian Club. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette]

CF student organizes creative fundraiser

By Lisa McGinnes Ocala Gazette Virginia “Frenchie” Bisiaux wears many hats: horsewoman, student, veteran, volunteer ... but she doesn’t consider herself an artist.

However, when, in her role as president of the College of Central Florida

(CF) Equestrian Club, she needed to raise funds for the organization, she came up with a creative solution: One-of-a-kind painted horseshoes.

“Right away, the idea popped in my head,” she said.

Bisiaux, who works parttime as the stable manager at CF Vintage Farm, is in her last semester of CF’s

Equine Studies program.

She used connections with friends who have horses to get nearly 200 old horseshoes donated.

Then she spent about three months cleaning them.

“Some were in really bad shape,” she said. “Most of them still had nails in there.”

Bisiaux spent evenings and sleepless nights on her back porch, scrubbing horseshoes with steel wool and preparing them to be turned into works of art. Some she would paint herself, including a

colorful bandanna series, an Aboriginal-style snake, and custom orders including Marine Corps and Florida Gators designs.

The first horseshoe Bisiaux painted, an American flag design, was inspired by her introduction to art.

It came during her time in the U.S. Army.

While born in France, where she lived until 17, Bisiaux enlisted in the Army in 2007 and served five tours in Afghanistan.

During her last tour, she

was injured by a roadside bomb. While rehabilitating, she took art therapy.

“At the beginning, I was like, ‘Art therapy?

Seriously? How is that going to help me?’” she said. “I couldn’t believe it myself.

On graduation day, the one person we were all the most thankful for was the art therapist. None of us believed in it when we got in, but, somehow it had been the most helpful. I’m still not an artist, but I guess it brings out the best in me.”

Bisiaux soon enlisted friends to help paint the horseshoes.

“Some of my artistic friends that painted are from the college, from Ocala Civic Theatre, from Silver Springs State Park – all the places I volunteer, basically.

Even my hairdresser. And my art therapist from the Army,” she said.

The equestrian club has about 50 different horseshoe designs available at two sponsorship levels: silver for $25 and gold for $50. Money raised will allow the student members, once pandemic restrictions are lifted, to take part in activities such as horseback riding and attend local and regional equestrian shows and events.

Although Bisiaux will graduate in May, she’s happy future students will benefit from her efforts.

“To me, it’s about giving back,” Bisiaux said. “I just love this community. It’s a great place to live, we have a very good college and a lot of good people.”

15

MARCH 26 - APRIL 1, 2021 | OCALA GAZETTE

Community

Now The Villages Polo -3/28

3/27

Ocala Downtown Market

Now -4/3

Chain Reaction Charlie

3/27

Art for Animals

Now -4/3

3/27

Brownwood Farmers Market

Photos with Bunny

3/27

Brick City Food Tour

3/30

Turf for Homeowners

3/31

1 Million Cups Ocala

3/31

Wednesday Midday Market

3/31

CF Information Session

4/1

CEP 75 West Networks

4/1

Farmers Market

4/1

Hispanic Business Council

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.

3/26 -28 3/26

3/26 -28 3/26 3/26 3/26 3/26

3/27

3/27 3/27

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.

WEC Winter Spectacular #12

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.

Friday Talk

Virtual 8:30am College of Central Florida Agribusiness Program Manager Tavis Douglass will present “Agribusiness Management: A Traditional Yet Emerging Industry.” Email andrea@ocalacep. com for registration and Zoom link.

Majestic Oaks USEA 3-Phase Horse Trials

Majestic Oaks Ocala, 17500 N U.S. 441, Reddick 9am Friday, 8am Saturday and Sunday Spectators should wear masks and bring their own chairs to view dressage on Friday, show jumping and cross county on Saturday and cross country on Sunday. Visit majesticoaksocala.com for more information.

Marion Oaks Farmers Market

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.

Ribbon Cutting

Marion Senior Services, 1101 SW 20th Court 1pm The agency is celebrating a new expansion of the dining room, which will allow them to serve a hot lunch to an additional 50 senior citizens. Call (352) 438-2300 for more information.

Bourbon in the Barn

World Equestrian Center, 1390 NW 80th Ave. 6pm The annual event to benefit Boys & Girls Club of Marion County features live music by The Quartermoon Band, dinner, bourbon sampling and a live auction. Visit fb.com/bgcofmarion for more information.

Evergreen Cemetery Cleanup

Historical Evergreen Cemetery, 300 block of NW Eighth Street 8am-12pm Volunteers are invited to help the City of Ocala Public Works Department clean headstones and clean up leaves and debris to support restoration of this historical cemetery. Call Tom Casey at (352) 351-6723 for more information.

Community Garden Day

West Ocala Wellness Community Garden, 2200 W State Road 40 8:30-10:30am Community members are invited to replant crops or start a new garden plot to grow vegetables for their families. Visit ocalafl.org/garden for more information.

NamaSitStay Dog Yoga & Pup Pilates

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.

Now -4/4

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.

Fist City Tattoo, 1905 SW College Road 12pm This tattoo event benefits the Humane Society of Marion County (HSMC) with ink, raffles, vendors and the HSMC dog of the month. Visit fb.com/humanemarion for more information.

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

Sayulita Taqueria, 10 NE First Street 2pm The 3-hour walking and tasting tour includes popular dishes from five downtown Ocala culinary destinations. Visit brickcityfoodtours.org for reservations.

Virtual 11am The University of Florida IFAS Extension Florida-Friendly Landscaping Program will host Dr. Bryan Unruh presenting lawn and landscaping tips. Visit fb.com/uf.ffl 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.

Ocala Downtown Market, 310 SE Third St. 1-6pm Shop a selection of produce, meat, natural and handmade products and food trucks. ocaladowntownmarket.com Virtual 2-3pm The College of Central Florida will give potential students a feel for what the college is like, and attendees will get a waiver allowing them to apply for free. Visit cf.edu for more information.

SpringHill Suites by Marriott Ocala, 4100 SW 40th St. 9am Contact Laurel Ziemann at (352) 817-6984 for more information on this referral network small group.

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.

Power Plant Business Incubator, 405 SE Osceola Avenue 9:30am Call Esmirna Caraballo at (216) 688-8173 for more information.

Arts

Memories & Inspiration

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.

Now The Art of Adventure -4/25

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

Tuesday-Saturday 10am-5pm, Sunday 12pm-5pm An exhibition of 1970s serigraphs by Clayton Pond highlighting artworks from Pond’s “Leisure-time Obsessions Series.” Visit appletonmuseum.org for more information.

Now -6/21

People

Barbara Gaskin Washington Adult Activity Center, 210 NW 12th Ave. 9am-4pm This new exhibit of works by artist Shirley S. Wulff celebrates her memories, feelings and thoughts about collaborations with others. Visit ocalafl.org/culturalarts for more information.

Now The Audience -6/25

Ocala Recreation and Parks Administration, 828 NE Eighth Ave. 9am-5pm A new exhibit featuring the paintings of Ocala-based Emmeline Basulto, artistically known as Embot, reflect herself in representational and abstract forms. Her works are also on display at the Eighth Avenue Adult Activity Center at 830 NE Eighth Avenue. Both locations are open Monday-Friday. Visit ocalafl.org/culturalarts for more information.

Now Luminous Worlds -6/27

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

Tuesday-Saturday 10am-5pm, Sunday 12pm-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.

Photo by Becky Collazo

3/26 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.

16

MARCH 26 - APRIL 1, 2021 | OCALA GAZETTE

3/26 Horse Fever 20/20 -3/27

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

3/26

3/30

4/1

3/29

Marion County Development Review Committee

3/29

Marion County Hospital District Board

3/29

Marion County Planning & Zoning Commission First Hearing

4/1

Marion County Development Review Committee Staff Meeting

After Dark in the Park: Frida

Tuscawilla Art Park, 213 NE Fifth St. 6-9:30pm Along with a showing of the biographical film about the life of artist Frida Kahlo, Ocala Recreation and Parks will host a live music performance, food truck, cash bar, artisan vendors and movie concessions. Bring chairs or a blanket. This film is rated R. Call (352) 368-5517 for more information.

CF International Film Series: Metropolis

Ocala Drive-In, 4850 S. Pine Ave. 7:30pm The College of Central Florida continues its international film festival with this German expressionist science fiction film. An online discussion will be held on March 31 at 12:30pm. Visit cf.edu/filmseries for more information.

Mini Retrospective Reception

Government

8th Ave. Gallery, 1531 NE Eighth Ave. 5-10pm Artist Justin Alsedek will showcase his various styles and allow attendees to view works in progress. Visit fb.com/gypseaarts for more information.

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.

Hospital District Office, 2547 E. Silver Springs Blvd.

5pm Call (352) 622-3662 for more information.

McPherson Government Complex, 601 SE 25th Ave. 5:30pm The Planning & Zoning Commission conducts hearings for zoning changes and special use permits. Call (352) 438-2600 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.

ENTERTAINMENT CALENDAR 26

4pm Charity Cox

26

Swampy’s

26

5pm Eli Mosley

6pm Becky Sinn

26

7pm Motown in Motion

26

7pm Conrad Marcum O’Calahans

From Twist, page 1 privacy laws.

“However, in general, UF Health would work with a patient’s current medical team to assess what is best for the patient.

There could be a pause while a medical issue is resolved,” Garcia said in an email.

According to Price, Twist was looking forward to getting her COVID-19 vaccine, but she wasn’t eligible before contracting the virus. The state’s focus was to vaccinate those 65 and older. At 62, she was a few years too young.

On the day she entered the hospital, Feb. 23, the state announced they would begin to vaccinate teachers and law enforcement officers 50 and older.

Faculty members at WardHighlands recently made a video for Twist to keep her spirits high.

They sent well-wishes, prayers and hoped for her speedy return.

Before coming down with COVID-19, Twist was otherwise healthy, Price said.

“There’s nothing wrong with her,” Price said. “Except for now with COVID, there’s everything wrong with her.”

Despite being legally blind for most of her life, Twist never let it affect her role as mother, wife or teacher. It’s why she drove a moped. She could not pass the eye test for a driver’s license. She always found a way.

Meanwhile, Rich Twist, Teresa’s husband, is recovering from his bout with the virus. He is staying with Price, who lives in Tampa.

Rich Twist suffered a blood clot in his lung, pneumonia and an enlarged heart during his hospital stay, which ended two weeks ago.

Now he just wants his wife of 36 years to come home.

“We’re not looking to blame anyone,” he said. “We’re just trying to give her a fighting chance.”

27

7pm Opry Beach Party

26

8pm Warren McCullough

27

2:30 & 7pm Ronnie McDowell Orange Blossom Opry

4pm Miranda Madison

5pm The Mudds

27

5pm Swing Theory

27

6pm Conrad Marcum Shuckin’ Shack

8pm The Big Bad with Side Piece Pi on Broadway

28

1pm The Big Bad with Side Piece Gator Joe’s

28

Spanish Springs Town Square

27

7pm Grass Campers Charlie Horse

La Cuisine French Restaurant

The Corkscrew

27

27

Dragon Flower Winery

Orange Blossom Opry

Circle Square Cultural Center

26

7pm John Johnson

3pm Trevor Dreher World Equestrian Center

Horse & Hounds

Ocala Downtown Square

26

27

Infinite Ale Works

World Equestrian Center

26

7pm Jeff Jarrett

2pm Conrad Marcum Eaton’s Beach

1

7pm Orange Blossom Showcase Orange Blossom Opry

Marion County starts giving out 50-plus vaccines The drop in age came on Monday after the initial focus on 65 and up

By Brendan Farrell Ocala Gazette On Monday, the age requirement for a COVID-19 vaccine dropped from 60 and older to 50 and older, allowing even more Marion County residents to return access to the shots.

Angie Clifton, the 53-year-old regional president of Mainstreet Community Bank in Ocala, is among the first in her age group in Marion County to receive the vaccine. Not only does her job require her to interact with customers every day, but she has people in her life who would are immunocompromised.

“My fiancé is compromised. He had open-heart surgery. I have elder parents who are infirm. I don’t want to bring it to them,” she said. “I feel it was a responsibility for me to get the vaccine. I did not want to become a super spreader.”

The state making vaccines more available comes at a time when states are racing to vaccinate their residents, especially as COVID-19 variants spread around the country.

Florida became the first state to report over 1,000 coronavirus variant cases when it reported 1,042 cases on Tuesday. Nineteen confirmed UK variant cases have been reported in Marion County as of Tuesday, according to Florida Department of Health in Marion County public information officer Christy Jergens.

The UK variant is the only one that has been found in Marion County as of Tuesday, according to Jergens.

However, the numbers are based on a few samples of confirmed cases.

Florida reports 23 cases of the P.1 variant from Brazil and 10 cases of the B.135 variant from South Africa.

According to the Florida Department of Health, the county vaccinated 1,067 people on Tuesday.

Marion County has had 49,802 either receive both shots of a Pfizer or Moderna vaccine or the one-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine through

[Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette]

Tuesday. Another 37,307 have received their first dose of a two-shot vaccine.

Cases have plateaued in Marion County, though the county’s 56 cases on Tuesday were the most since March 11. Single-day positivity rates have not eclipsed 6% in the last two weeks. The county has had 28,732 total cases, 1,913 hospitalizations and 911 deaths since the beginning of the pandemic.

17

MARCH 26 - APRIL 1, 2021 | OCALA GAZETTE

From Schwartzburg, page 1 that was probably the most devastating thing that ever happened to me because I loved skating more than anything.”

Schwartzburg tried playing other sports, but nothing approached skating.

All she wanted to do was skate. But that longing too eventually passed. She took up other, less healthy, pursuits and her life started a downward spiral.

The bottom She started drinking and smoking. At 18, Schwartzburg spent a night in jail for retail petit theft and got six months of probation. Two months later, she violated her probation on a charge of possession of alcohol while under 21.

“I was actually over at one of my friends’ houses, you know, smoking weed, and my mom’s like, ‘Where are you?

You know, the police showed up, you have to go turn yourself in,’” Schwartzburg said. “And that’s when I was like, ‘Oh my god, no way, like this is really happening.’”

Schwartzburg was sentenced to 30 days in jail and work release.

“I was just a young kid partying,” she said.

“But every time that I got handcuffs put on me to go to a court date, it was just, you know, this is never happening again.”

After her jail sentence, Schwartzburg looked up her old skating connections.

Joe Mantia, the father of Olympic speed skater Joey Mantia, let her work at his gym. Schwartzburg was close with Joey and decorated inline skater Brittany Bowe growing up, but as their careers took off, Schwartzburg’s life was still stuck.

The trio is part of a strong speedskating pipeline that grew out of the Ocala inline skating scene and has produced several standout ice speed skaters.

Not long after Schwartzburg started working at the gym, Bowe came back in town and told Schwartzburg about her plans to move to Salt Lake City, the headquarters of U.S. Speedskating. For Schwartzburg, reaching those heights seemed like only a dream.

“And I was like, ‘Whoa, that’s awesome,’” Schwartzburg said. “But you know, that’s never gonna happen. I haven’t skated in eight years. And you know, I smoke a pack of cigarettes a day.”

A new beginning Enter Diane Dodge, Schwartzburg’s grandmother.

Dodge is no stranger to sports. Her father, Ray

Dodge, competed at the 1924 “I would say definitely Schwartzburg’s and oranges and the unique Olympics in Paris in track around 23 is when I was like, Instagram page is full of shapes and patterns, the and field, and Diane later ‘Oh, man, like, I’m actually pictures of her standing next pains of the past and the coached football kickers in out here training for possibly to canvases of abstract art. pressures of working toward Ocala. Ray also started a going to the Olympics,’” In Utah, she met Hamid becoming an Olympic speed successful trophy business Schwartzburg said. “I mean, Adib, who owns Adib’s Rug skater fade away. called Dodge Inc., which my biggest goal for some Gallery. Adib was the one “I can see certain things later manufactured the time was, you know, making who pushed her toward about her completely going trophies for the Oscars and the national team. And when creating art as a way to into her paintings,” Adib the Emmy Awards. Among I did that, that’s when I was express herself. He works said. “And so, you can see her extensive collection of just like, ‘Oh, man, like, it’s with a lot of artists, and he some of those struggles. You memorabilia are display serious. Now, we got to make felt that it would come very can see some of her uneven versions of an Emmy and the sure we’re doing the right naturally to her. past within those paintings.

Sugar Bowl Trophy. things.’”

“He said I had talent “And she has gone An entire room of While Schwartzburg and needed to experiment through some challenges, her house is dedicated to hasn’t qualified for an even with her sport and displaying her collection.

Olympics, she’s been on the stuff,” he continued. “But A large part of which national team for five years she has found ways that includes memorabilia from and has made appearances she’s feeling a lot better Schwartzburg’s career, at the World Cup and world about doing some changes including a wealth of photos. championships. In 2020, she to where she is now. And On the back of honestly, I feel like she is a the door, she has winner already.” a collection of With Davis at the helm, passes and athletic Schwartzburg is already credentials from starting to feel better about Schwartzburg’s the future. At this year’s speedskating travels national championships, around the world. she competed for the first But without time since contracting Diane, that COVID-19. Despite some memorabilia might lingering effects from the not exist. virus, Schwartzburg just For a while, wanted to race again. the two weren’t “I just decided to race close. But as literally everything,” Schwartzburg Schwartzburg said. “It was started to turn the only weekend that I her life around, actually raced more than the two bonded. one race, so it was a little Schwartzburg’s overwhelming but nice just initial plan was to to feel something race-wise.” start inline skating Her best results were Ocala’s Paige Schwartzburg skates in this file photo. [John Kleba/Submitted] again and earn a third-place finish in the enough money to move took home a gold medal at with paint on canvases,” 1500-meter and a win in to Utah, where she could the Four Continents Speed Schwartzburg said in a text. the team pursuit event. It transition to skating on ice.

Skating Championships “So, when I got COVID wasn’t where she wanted to Diane had other plans. in the team pursuit event. and was in quarantine for a be as she sights on the 2022 “I said, ‘Pack your bags.

A photo of her and her month. I went crazy with it Olympics, but it was a good You have two weeks to get teammates sits on a table in and realized I was actually start. ready, and we’re going to go Diane’s room. pretty good.”

And she knows how to right out there and take this But this last season has “The fact that she’s start over after a fall. bull by the horns,’” Diane been one of her toughest creating something that “I think the biggest said. on the ice. A back and knee she gets very positive input thing for me is, you know, Two weeks later, the pair injury wiped out October. from people around her, wherever you are in life, set off driving across the A big competition in that has made her so much you can always, you know, country – Diane is afraid of November was canceled. more confident,” Adib said. get out of the hole that flying – with no plan and no Then she tested positive for “And that, fortunately, has you’re in,” she said. “You place to stay.

COVID-19 in December. been affecting very positively can always, you know, make The transition from roller Schwartzburg was in based on the things that I yourself better, even if you skating to ice skating was quarantine for the entire hear on her efforts with her think you can’t. Like if you harder than Schwartzburg month. The struggles skating.” hit rock bottom, you can expected. She had to wear a convinced her to make a Adib also sees her art always get out of it, you just helmet for two months so as change. as therapy. Through the have to put in a little bit of not to crack her skull on the She left the National vibrant neon blues, pinks work.” ice.

Team’s training program “(I) wanted to move and joined former four-time back to Florida immediately Olympic medalist Shani because I couldn’t even stand Davis, who was also the first on my feet,” she said.

African-American to win a But Schwartzburg medal in an individual event improved and soon got a feel at the Winter Olympics. for the ice. That’s when the “That was probably the real work began. biggest decision for me,” Schwartzburg said. “It’s The long journey back just been a very tough year Even though she was away mentally trying to find from Ocala, old habits crept where I’m happy, what I back from time to time. She want to do, you know. I was still smoking marijuana couldn’t even imagine going and cigarettes here and another year, you know, in there. the program that I was in.

It wasn’t until 2013 that So, that’s a decision that had she started taking skating to be made.” seriously and committed to taking care of her body. She An artist’s touch didn’t want to let down her All of that time spent in grandma, who was helping isolation allowed her to Diane Dodge, Paige Schwartzburg’s grandmother, is surrounded by medals, photographs and id’s that Schwartzburg sends her. her financially. pursue another passion: Art.

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