Ocala Gazette | May 12 - May 18, 2023

School district amps up school security

Lawmakers pass $117B budget, end session

By Jim Turner and Ryan Dailey Florida News Service

Florida lawmakers on Friday finalized a $117 billion budget and an accompanying $1.3 billion tax package to end a legislative session that carried out many of Gov. Ron DeSantis’ priorities.

After adjourning “sine die” — the traditional declaration that marks the end of the annual 60-day session — just before 11 a.m., House Speaker Paul Renner, R-Palm Coast, pointed to a series of key issues that he said lawmakers addressed.

“When we were traveling the state, we were often reminded of the major things on Floridians’ minds,” Renner said during a ceremony in the Capitol’s fourth-floor rotunda between the House and Senate chambers. “Affordability was one of those. The runaway litigation climate was one of those. Having an educated workforce was one of those. And … we had the worst hurricane that we’ve ever faced. On each and every one of those issues, we delivered for the people of Florida.”

By Lauren Morrish Correspondent

The Marion County School Board gave Director of Safe Schools, Dennis McFatten, its full support in an April 20 work session to move forward with changing the employment status of three district employees to become sworn law enforcement.

Under the Marjory Stoneman Douglas Act an officer must be at every school in the district and in the case of Marion County- the district is under contract for officers to provide security at schools from Marion County Sheriff’s Office and Ocala Police Department.

The Florida Legislature passed the act

following the Feb. 14, 2018, shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in the Broward County School District.

The officers from the MCSO and OPD cost the district approximately $4.5 million annually.

The safe schools department, a division under Marion County Public Schools, acts as the district’s law enforcement agency. The department’s main focus is to take preventive measures for student and faculty safetywhich swells to more than 50,000 people on any given school day. Five personnel are included under the authority of Marion County’s school district. One of them being McFatten, who is the only instated sworn officer so far. The other four staff are security specialists, but one

is already an acting guardian protector for the schools.

Last month, McFatten asked the school district to consider allowing the other three specialists, all with law enforcement certifications, to become sworn officers.

“This is simply the four people that’s in the safe school’s department who has the ability to be sworn and armed so that when they are on any of our school’s campuses, if something happens, they can respond,” said McFatten. “And right now, currently they are not in that position, they’re not able to do that.”

McFatten proposed two recommendations that would add a supplemental layer of safety to schools

See School, page A4

A Q&A with Mayoral Candidate Ben Marciano

Zone Health and Fitness owner Ben Marciano is passionate about helping the well-being of Ocala if elected mayor.

By Julie Garisto julie@magnoliamediaco.com

Ben Marciano, the owner of Zone Health and Fitness, is currently an uncontested candidate for mayor of Ocala and will take office if no one challenges him in the nonpartisan city election on Sept. 19.

Born in New York on May 4, 1979, Marciano came to Dunnellon as a child and lived with his grandparents. Named a distinguished alum by the College of Central Florida, he has an associate degree in criminal justice. He shifted his career path

to health while studying recreation and leisure at Florida State University.

After undergoing recovery from an alcohol and substance abuse addiction, he returned to Ocala where he met his wife, Danielle, and started a family. They now have three children.

Marciano’s civic participation and leadership roles have included being named 2015 Boys & Girls Club Board Member of Year and the 2019 Heart Walk Chair. In 2020-21, he won the Rotary Club Community Service Award, and he’s a board chair of MainStreet Bank.

Lawmakers began the session in early March after also holding special sessions in December and February. During a news conference Friday, DeSantis touted issues passed by the Legislature.

“I don’t think we’ve seen a six-month stretch that has ever been this productive in the history of our state,” DeSantis said, pointing to legislation on issues such as immigration, expanded school vouchers and changes to higher education. “And I would put us up against any state in the modern history of our country.”

Democrats, however, argued that the regular session was filled with “missed opportunities” and “culture war” legislation that did not address issues such as high insurance rates, skyrocketing rent costs and unaffordable health care.

As an example, Rep. Dotie Joseph, D-North Miami, pointed to $12 million that Republicans approved for a program to transport migrants to other states. That came after the DeSantis administration last year flew 49 migrants from Texas to Martha’s Vineyard in Massachusetts.

“Instead of spending $12 million to hunt down or profile immigrants legally admitted by federal immigration officials and fly them on a private jet to Martha’s Vineyard, we could expand Medicaid, which unlocks billions in federal dollars to help U.S. citizens in Florida,” Joseph said.

House Minority Leader Fentrice Driskell, D-Tampa, said the session was highlighted by DeSantis’ “extremist agenda” on issues such as restricting abortion, allowing people to carry guns without concealed-weapons licenses and expanding a fight with Walt Disney Co.

While Republicans and Democrats battled throughout the session on major policy issues, the House and Senate passed the budget (SB 2500) and tax package (HB 7063) with little opposition.

The tax package includes a series

See Budget, page A6

File photo: Ben Marciano, the owner of Zone Health and Fitness, at Zone Health and Fitness on South Pine Avenue in Ocala on Monday, July 12, 2021. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette] 2021.

Students leave West Port High School in Ocala after the last bell on Wednesday, May 10, 2023. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette] 2023.

Mayoral race

Continued from page A1

The Ocala mayor serves a two-year term and earns a $550 monthly salary. The duties are mostly ceremonial, but the mayor does oversee the Ocala Police Department.

What’s on Marciano’s mind? Here is an edited interview between the “Gazette” and Marciano, transcribed from a May 2 phone conversation:

I was reading your website and there’s quite a bit of information here. When you said you work “for the whole community,” what made you choose to say “whole”?

Do you feel that some people are being excluded?

I don’t necessarily think that. I have a campaign committee and we met, and we focused on who I was and what my heart was, and the reasons for me running. We put words up and one of the things that was important to me is serving everybody, not just a segment, right? Because I would love to be a person who brings a community together. I haven’t looked at Ocala and said, well, I think that we’ve been divisive in any way. It’s been more about what my character is and what I believe in my heart, to help everyone, not just a segment of the community.

You’ve had a successful career in the health industry. Do you have some ideas on how to promote wellness throughout the community, maybe to people who can’t afford it, to get more amenities or services out there?

I recently visited the Mary Sue Rich Community Center, and I was blown away. Our community really stepped up and did an amazing thing for our community, and I think that’s a huge start … I was there the other day. They had a class with around 70 women doing Zumba. They tried to get me in there, and I ran! But it is a very impressive facility. I’d like to build on its success. Other ideas include a Saturday workout with the mayor. We go to a park and just start to plant the seed of fitness. That’s what I’ve learned over the years— that the hardest thing is getting started, and that’s where I want to focus initially.

Also, I think we have to continue to educate people in our community on how important health is. We are rated in the bottom third in the state of Florida for overall health, and without awareness, you can’t make a change. … I would love to partner with the hospital district. We’ve done some of that with my health clubs and will continue to come up with programs that are out in the community, like AMP (Active Marion Project) a project of the Marion County Hospital District focusing on workplace wellness and community health education), but I think we need to continue to build on that.

Do you have any plans to work with downtown businesses and businesses in economically challenged areas? Would you do more to promote entrepreneurship to alleviate the problems of wages not keeping in step with the higher cost of living?

I’m learning, and as I’m out there and the more I learn, the better I’ll be and the more equipped I’ll be. But I’ve sat in some of the CEP (Ocala Metro Chamber & Economic Partnership) meetings. I’ve heard that our wages have increased a lot over the last couple of years. So, I feel like we’re moving in the right direction. I know as a business we’ve increased our wages pretty significantly to take care of people. … I guess we just need to continue to be aware of it and attract the right businesses that will support that.

How is your relationship with people in the city government, including the city council? Have you built up a rapport with people who are making policies in town?

One of my strengths is I have pretty good relationships with people. I look at it as more how can I serve them, and then, in turn, it becomes a good relationship. So, I feel like I have a good relationship with the city council. I have not worked with them particularly. We’ll see what happens when we get in there and start working together. But I feel like I will have a good relationship with them.

Your website bio says that your grandfather was a retired police officer. Could you tell me a little bit

about your upbringing?

My parents divorced when I was 3. I was born in New York. We moved in with my grandfather. He was a retired New York City police officer. We moved in with my grandparents in Dunnellon. Essentially, my grandfather raised me. He was my father figure. I looked up to him and, growing up, everything that I wanted to do was really around law enforcement. I had a passion for that. I went to the College of Central Florida and graduated with my AA in criminal justice and then went to FSU. Unfortunately, I took a bad path in my life. I’m pretty open about that. I’m in recovery. I got addicted to alcohol and drugs. So, it changed the trajectory of my career in 2005. I got help and checked out of a rehab center and started as a janitor and a trainer at a health club. I rebuilt my life and worked up from there. But I’ve always been passionate about law enforcement. My grandfather raised me to respect law officers, and I’ve always had a passion to be involved in some way or another. So, it’s kind of neat how it’s come full circle as, if I become mayor, I would have a role in being able to help with the police department.

Having gone through your own recovery, do you think that puts you at an advantage to help others in the community? I think it’s one of the main reasons why I’m running. …I believe we go through different seasons to prepare us for life, and I’ve been through a lot of hard things in my life. And yes, I think it gives me a unique perspective to really help people in our community, people struggling with addiction, people struggling with mental illness, extreme poverty. I’ve been there, in all those facets. So, I believe that I’ve been able to make it through it and get to the other side through hard work. So, yes, that is my heart. My heart is to help to address addiction issues and mental illness and to be able to work on figuring out how we help the homeless population. Those are things that are important to me.

To learn more about Marciano’s platform and campaign, visit benmarcianoformayorofocala.com.

NEA/MCA GRANT OPPORTUNITY INVITES NONPROFITS TO ‘DREAM BIG’

Staff report

Do you run a nonprofit but don’t have the funds to launch that project or event you’ve dreamt of but couldn’t afford?

The Marion Cultural Alliance is encouraging you to “dream big” because it has received some funding from the National Endowment of the Arts to help local nonprofits with grants ranging from $1,000 to $12,500.

Wendy Kebrdle, executive Director at Wear Gloves — an Ocala-based nonprofit organization founded in 2009 that’s “dedicated to helping those in need earn what they need” — and MCA grants co-chair, led an informational workshop on April 27 at the MCA’s Brick City Center for the Arts to assist locals who do work that to makes a difference in the arts, science, history, heritage and culture in Marion County, receive the available grant funds.

The NEA allotment totals $80,000 and is available to either Marion County-based nonprofits or nonprofits with programming in the greater Ocala area.

Kebrdle explained that the NEA funds are federally derived, and you must obtain a unique entity identification (UEI), which is a 12-character code, that she described as a Social Security number of sorts for a nonprofit organization. In order to receive federal funds and receive a UEI, visit sam.gov to find out more. “It’s easy-peasy simple process that will take you about 10 minutes,” she said, adding that there’s a Youtube video that also provides guidance.

Note, you must already be designated a 501c3 nonprofit organization with a mission to serve arts, culture, science, history, or heritage, or a public agency (public school, university, municipal entity, for instance).

The organization must be 2 years old. “We need to see two years of project management history,” Kebrdle said. “Talk about a project you managed before that didn’t make you go into the red,” she said, answering an audience question regarding how to prove that requested experience.

You must also be able to come up with 50 percent of the total cost of the project. If you can prove that you have the resources to come up with $12,500, you can receive the additional, maximum grant amount of $12,500; a project budget of $25,000.

The deadline for submitting your grant proposal is July 13.

If you are awarded a grant, you will be required to display a logo from the MCA/NEA. “If you’re already working on graphics, you need to know that a logo will be coming if you get the award,” Kebrdle said.

The proposal must be for a project or program, not general operating support, she added.

Faith-based programs must be open to all and descriptions must be clear to the public to ensure inclusivity. (Adhere to federal not state guidelines.) Trish Kilgore, an agent with Roberts real estate, a longtime board member of the MCA and its grants chairman counseled the audience to visit the MCA’s website grants information guide at mcaocala.org/grant-opportunities.

Kilgore said the personnel at the MCA are “here to work very hard to make sure you submit all the information required.”

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SPECIAL GENERAL ELECTION IS MAY 16

The Marion County Special General Election to fill the vacancy for the office of State Representative House District 24 will be held on Tuesday, May 16.

Former Rep. Joe Harding resigned in December after being indicted for numerous fraud counts. Write-in candidates Robert “Foxy” Fox and Ryan Chamberlin, both Republicans, are on the ballot.

According to Marion County Supervisor of Elections Wesley Wilcox, all registered voters who reside in House District 24 are eligible to participate in this election.

Early voting will continue through Saturday, May 13, at the following sites from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.:

Marion County Election Center 981 NE 16th St, Ocala

Belleview Public Library

13145 SE HWY 484, Belleview

Deputy Brian Litz Building 9048 SW HWY 200, Ocala

Freedom Public Library 5870 SW 95th St, Ocala

The last opportunity to vote is on Election Day, Tuesday, May 16. Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. at 48 polling locations. Voters are encouraged to look up their assigned voting location before heading to the polls by visiting VoteMarion.Gov/MyPrecinct. Voters must present a current and valid photo and signature identification to vote. The deadline to register to vote for the Special General Election was April 17. As of registration books close, there are 133,738 voters eligible to vote in this election.

For more information, go to VoteMarion.gov

DON’T FORGET - STAMP OUT HUNGER FOOD DRIVE SET FOR MAY 13

On Saturday, May 13, remember to put out food for the annual National Association of Letter Carriers’ Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive, which will take place nationwide. Local donations will stay in Marion County to help individuals and families.

This year’s food drive will be the 31st for Ocala/Marion County. It is organized by Tim Legge, a retired mail carrier, and Karla Greenway, executive director of Interfaith Emergency Services (IES).

Interfaith Emergency Services, which was formed in 1983, helps approximately 30,000 people annually. Clients range from those who may be experiencing homelessness, to senior citizens and veterans, and people with disabilities or who are just struggling to make ends meet. Clients are referred by word of mouth and entities such as houses of worship and public services agencies. IES provides basic needs such as food, clothing, shelter, medications and hygiene items. IES partners with a number of local organizations to make the food collected during the drive available across the county.

Greenway said the most needed items are staples such as peanut butter, cereal, canned fruits and vegetables, macaroni and cheese, soup, rice, pasta and sauce, and other basics.

To learn more, go to Fb.com/STAMPOUTHUNGEROCALAFL

Dr. King provides comprehensive and exceptional urology services here in the local Ocala area. He is board certified and has over 30 years of experience in male and female urology.

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The state of Florida has enacted a program in response to rising energy prices.

• You can eliminate your electric bill with no out of pocket cost.

• Some electric bills are nothing more than $15/month administrative fee.

• Costs you nothing to find out if your home qualifies.

We at Titan are very proud and excited about being part of the solar stimulus program and in helping the environment.

The sun’s energy is free and will never raise its rates.

Empty shelves for food

File photo: Supervisor of Elections Wesley Wilcox. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette] 2021.

School security

Continued from page A1 countywide; restoring sworn status to the current Safe Schools’ staff members which would allow them protection capabilities over students, staff, and visitors in school-designated regions, and properly equipping them to combat threats of an active assailant.

Sworn status would enable staff to aid School Resource Officers in the event of a risk and cover security in their absence. Essentially it releases authority to protect themselves and citizens in proximity in and beyond the educational setting, during board meetings and work sessions.

Without sworn status, the officers are left with the option to run, flee, evacuate, or lock the door.

McFatten said the law enforcement backgrounds of the Safe Schools staff security specialists have, “nearly 100 years of experience between those four people, and currently all hold law enforcement certifications under the state purview.”

He said hiring these specialists as officers under sworn status enables their certification to continue.

“They have the experience, they have the knowledge, and the desire to take on this role to assist with the protection of our students, staff, and visitors,” McFatten said.

Procuring the sworn status of the rest of his department would be beneficial to school safety, especially considering staff members’ familiarity with campus allowing them easy navigation for a timely response in an emergency, he told

the district.

“Since they’re on these campuses every day, they do the threat assessments, they know the SROs, they know the school staff, they will be better equipped to respond to the actual shooting than a patrol deputy who may not know anything about the school,” said McFatten.

Along with sworn status applications and benefits, the safe schools department also requires each school to conduct the Florida Safe Schools Assessment Tool annually. This tool breaks down every school in the county by individually assessing risk levels to determine security needs.

“Every school is unique in the structure and how it’s made up, so we get the opportunity to really get to know each and every one of our schools,” McFatten said.

During the April 20 work session, McFatten said the 2023-2024 assessments should be available soon. They have now been released and members of Safe Schools, law enforcement, fire officials, and school administration countywide, will join forces to complete them before the deadline of Oct. 1.

To resolve safety deficiencies the assessment reveals, schools install and upgrade hardening measures, or physical defenses, such as fencing, door buzzers, and cameras.

McFatten, as previously reported in a Sept. 2022 Gazette story, said hardening measures such as door buzzers would be at 80% and security cameras would be at 86% by the end of this school year. He said funds for these measures are insufficient and the department is conscious of spending so it can get, “the best bang for the buck.”

According to a district spokesperson three schools in the county are currently undergoing door buzzer and camera installation, and when completed the safety department will be on track for the upcoming school year. Safety precautions will still be inserted continuously as security is an ongoing discussion for Marion County Public Schools.

Non-physical security aid by the department includes Fortify Florida, which is a platform for anyone on or visiting campus to report suspicious activity if viewed. Distributed district

devices have this tip option installed for students to use.

The board responded positively to the safety department’s provisions and addressed the sworn status reinstatement recommendation for consensus.

“I feel like it’s important as your superintendent to ensure that we are doing everything we can to equip our staff to ensure that we have a safe working and learning environment, for all,” said Marion County Public Schools Superintendent Diane Gullett.

“I am in full support of this plan as presented,” said school board member Sarah James. “I think it’s beyond necessary and I’m grateful that as a board we are getting this opportunity to make this happen.”

Vice-Chair Nancy Thrower said: “minutes don’t count anymore, it’s seconds in terms of responding.” Tragedies are swift and she is thankful for this partnership with members of law enforcement that step up and safeguard, she said.

“That makes me feel even more confident that we are going to continue to problem-solve this life-or-death issue together, and there’s every good reason in my mind to do this,” said Thrower.

Chair Allison Campbell requested, in the session, school safety officer job descriptions be revised by McFatten before status approval.

Since then, Safe Schools staff is now examining the job descriptions for a final review by the executive cabinet members to then be placed on the board’s agenda for approval.

MCPS assess student mental health needs and resources

the classroom, while Tier 2 support is provided to groups by multi-disciplinary team members meeting specific recognized needs.

Tier 3 operates with support unsuccessful in tiers 1 and 2. This is the highest level addressed with intensified and individualized care.

“We have seen an increase in student need across Marion County Schools,” Steckman said. The number of multidisciplinary referrals of students has increased by 439 in one year.

This framework incorporates suicide and threat assessments from August to April in a school year. The number of suicide assessments decreased from last year by 16 while the number of threat assessments increased by 138 since last year.

Goal three of professional development, trains staff to properly locate and support students struggling in need of aid. They are prepped to flag early symptoms of mental health challenges.

resource officers have that jurisdiction.

Just this year, the elementary and high school leveled student Baker Act count has increased from the prior school year, while middle school Baker Act incidents decreased.

“Baker Acts have absolutely saved lives,” School Board Chair Allison Campbell said.

Nodal added the procedures department staff takes in determining this de-escalation measure.

“So, for us, our teams are doing a risk assessment,” Nodal said. “If during that risk assessment, we determine that the child or the student is at a high-level risk where we are concerned about their safety, then we are engaging our law enforcement and then they go through their criteria to make sure whether they meet criteria for a Baker Act or not.”

Campbell said she is grateful for this plan to have saved potentially 100 students’ lives, but this measure should be a last result and used during an imminent threat.

By Lauren Morrish Correspondent

Marion County Public Schools’ Department of Mental Health and Wellness shared its MCPS Mental Health Assistance Allocation Plan with school board members April 20, which outlined five intervention goals and the framework for services.

Yvette del Nodal, mental health and wellness director, and Amanda Steckman, mental health and wellness coordinator, told board members the plan operates under the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Act enacted March 9, 2018, and allocates funding for Safe Schools’ mental health behavioral prevention and intervention procedures.

The five intervention goals that fulfill Florida’s requirements include: access, a multi-tiered system of support framework, professional development, community resources, and family engagement.

The first goal, of access, allows the availability of mental health and behavioral services such as personnel and providers. These professionals identify and refer students for early assistance.

The purpose set by the Florida Department of Education is to reduce the

student-to-provider ratio, in order to open up support directly to elementary, middle, and high school students.

A continuation of funds for the 2023-2024 school year will go toward three school counselors, five school psychologists, and seven school social work staff who will address behavioral concerns.

An observation tool used through the access goal measured data, during the Spring of this school year, to help identify external and internal behavior elevation levels. At the elementary level, 10% of students were highly elevated, 16% elevated, and 74% considered normal.

Meanwhile, at the middle school level, in Fort McCoy School, 21% were highly elevated, 24% elevated, and 55% deemed normal behavior. The middle educational level was not collected universally due to student self-report.

In addition to identification data and enhanced providers, the access step includes a multi-disciplinary team referral form requiring a school staff referral of a student for intervention.

The second goal of a multi-tiered system of support framework has three tiers that establish a mental health curriculum.

Tier 1 support is accessible to all students and teach cooperation in

As of 2018, the state requires all district-employed school staff to be trained in youth mental health first aid. As of last year, at least 80% of elementary, middle, and high school staff personnel must be trained for youth mental health first aid.

Steckman said Marion County Public Schools has never ceased the training program even with the hurdles of Covid 19, which included virtual learning.

The fourth goal in the allocation plan is community resources, which utilizes the departments’ partners to connect students and families to services for further help. Meetings under this goal are conducted as a community once every other month. Specific local review team meetings allow collaboration between agencies and youth.

Community resources include agencies, law enforcement, private providers, state collaborators, and the departments of juvenile justice and children and families.

A service navigation tool is now available to the county and community through this portion, navigating families to helpful resources.

“These community collaborations are imperative to the success that we see with our students,” said Steckman.

The resources include a local Baker Act facility to carry out de-escalation recommendations and procedures if appropriate. School staff does not determine criteria for Baker Acting students, but law enforcement and safety

Goal five enlists school-based multidisciplinary teams to assist families in navigating services and accessing support for their children.

Steckman said the department is bringing back Youth Mental Health First Aid Training for Parents this summer.

“Who better to receive that training than those that spend a good majority of their time with their children and seeing those first signs and symptoms of mental health challenges, and then getting them help right away, is so important,” said Steckman

Further resources available include a mental health and wellness webpage for aid, parent partnership events, and county counseling services.

The budget for the plan stresses providers to students. Mental health staff and professional training are estimated to consume 90% of the finances. Fifteen staff members will enable direct assistance to students, while four health staff members will implement the framework of the plan through wider district-level support.

The board projected insight into the toll mental health challenges have on students and campuses.

“There’s not a school I go to where this is not one of the biggest areas of concern,” said Marion County Public Schools Superintendent Diane Gullett.

File photo: Nancy Thrower during a meeting of the Marion County Public School Board at the MTI auditorium in Ocala on Tuesday, April 26, 2022. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette] 2022.

“Since they’re on these campuses every day, they do the threat assessments, they know the SROs, they know the school staff, they will be better equipped to respond to the actual shooting than a patrol deputy who may not know anything about the school.”

Dennis McFatten Director of Safe Schools

Eagle watching in Marion County

By Barbara Schwartz Secretary, Marion Audubon Society

American bald eagles are found only in North America. Florida has one of the largest populations of breeding bald eagles. The eagles in the northern states tend to be larger than those here in the South; they also nest and breed later in the year. In the southern states, breeding takes place from October to May. The northern state eagles breed from February/March-July. The male and female look alike, but the females are larger and more dominant. They breed in the same area every year, often in the same nest. The nests are quite large and can weigh up to 2 tons. Bald eagles, like many other species, mate for life.

The American bald eagle is a conservation success story. In 1963, there were fewer than 500 breeding pairs in the U.S. This was due to the use of DDT, hunting, and loss of habitat. Banning the use of DDT and putting bald eagles on the Endangered Species List helped the population to rebound. By 2006, there were 978 breeding pairs in the U.S. In 2007, they were removed from the Endangered Species List. They are still protected by federal and state rules. It is illegal to take, pursue, shoot, poison, wound, kill, capture, trap, collect, destroy, molest, or disturb them in any way. In Florida, disturbing the nest during breeding season is the biggest problem. If the nest fails due to disturbance, severe penalties will be applied.

Here in Florida, the Eagle Watch program began in 1992 under the aegis of Audubon Florida. The program covers 53 of our 67 counties. There are 620 volunteers monitoring 1,100 nests. The volunteers visit the nests at least twice each month, October through May, and report the nest data for each visit. In 2021, there were 1,134 eaglets fledged. In 2022, there were 986 fledged.

From September-November, we monitor the nest for possible relocation, restoration activities, courtship, and copulation. In December and January, eggs

are being incubated and the adults take turns sitting in the nest. In January and February, the eggs hatch, and the adults brood and feed the nestlings. Since one egg is laid each day, they hatch at different times. In February and March, we begin to see the heads of the eaglets popping up in the nest. The eaglets are brown and do not develop a white head and tail until they reach 5 years of age. By April and into May, the eaglets are seen perching on the side of the nest or on a nearby branch. They begin to flap their wings vigorously,

often jumping up from the branch or nest. The adults are still visiting and bringing food. By the end of May, they have fledged.

The Marion Audubon Society has three members currently participating in the Eagle Watch Program and monitoring nests in the Ocklawaha Prairie and in Ocala. Both nests have one eaglet. In 2020, MR190 fledged three eaglets. In 2021 and 2022, two fledged. This year, we started out with two in the nest; one has not survived. MR186 fledged one last year and will most likely fledge one this year as well. 2022 was

the first year that nest was monitored. Please join us at 8:30 a.m. on May 13 at the Ocala Wetland Recharge Park, 2105 NW 21st St., Ocala, for a guided birding walk as we join birders across the world to see as many species as possible in their area and celebrate the Global Big Day. For more information: bit.ly/GlobalBIGDAY

To learn more, go to marionaudubon.org or find the Marion Audubon Society on Facebook and Meetup.

Continued from page A1 of expanded sales-tax “holidays” on backto-school items, disaster-preparedness gear and summer events. The package, which DeSantis is expected to sign, also would trim a commercial-lease tax and give tax breaks on purchases ranging from diapers for babies and adults to cattle fencing, firearm-storage devices and gas stoves.

“We have a lot of money to do extra things with. You are seeing that with investments into education, investments into infrastructure, and investments into the environment. With all of those investments, we still have extra money. It’s only right to give that money back to the taxpayers,” Senate Finance and Tax Chairman Blaise Ingoglia, R-Spring Hill, said.

While DeSantis has line-item veto power, the budget passed Friday would be 6.4 percent higher than the spending plan for the current fiscal year, which will end June 30.

The budget and related bills include 5 percent across-the-board pay raises for state employees, with additional increases for certain workers. The plan also would place $10.9 billion into easily accessible reserves.

Lawmakers approved putting a record $26.7 billion into the the Florida Education Finance Program, the main funding source for public schools. That represents an increase of $2.2 billion over the current year.

“The school districts are important. That charter schools are important. Private options are important. And we put the money where our mouth is on that,” DeSantis said.

Lawmakers also bolstered a multiyear plan to boost teacher salaries, pumping an additional $252 million into the effort.

The budget also includes $350 million for what has been dubbed the Educational Enrollment Stabilization Program, which would help hedge against unanticipated financial impacts from the expansion of school vouchers.

Lawmakers and DeSantis approved a bill (HB 1) that will make every Florida student eligible to receive vouchers.

A Senate summary of the budget said the stabilization money is designed to “protect districts from financial instability as a result of changes” to student enrollment throughout the year.

Lawmakers also provided $107.5 million for DeSantis’ goal of expanding the recently revived Florida State Guard and $3 million for bonuses to build and maintain the Florida National Guard.

The Florida State Guard was initially set up during World War II to replace Florida National Guard members who were deployed abroad. It went inactive in 1947 but remained in state law. As it was revived last year, the state guard was promoted as assisting the Florida National Guard during emergencies.

Also, the budget includes $19.03 million to cover $5,000 hiring and retention bonuses for correctional officers at 15 Department of Corrections facilities with high vacancy rates. Another $8.5 million would go to raise salaries of correctional officers in privately operated facilities.

In priorities of Senate President Kathleen Passidomo, R-Naples, lawmakers provided $711 million through a bill to help expand workforce housing and approved $200 million to bring bicycle and hiking trails to a planned statewide wildlife corridor, which would get $850 million.

For the environment, $100 million is headed to the Rural and Family Lands Protection Program, which supports the purchase of conservation easements to shield agricultural land from development. The budget also would provide $574.6 million for Everglades restoration, $300 million to combat rising seas, $104.9 million to restore the Indian River Lagoon, $50 million for the state’s natural springs, and $12.8 million to fight algae blooms.

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

COMMITTEE SCHEDULES SET FOR 2024 SESSION

After wrapping up the 2023 legislative session last week, the House and Senate on Wednesday released schedules for committee meetings leading up to the 2024 session. The schedules are slightly different, with the House holding its first round of committee meetings during the week of Sept. 18 to Sept. 22. The Senate will hold its first set of meetings during the week of Oct. 9 to Oct. 13. Both chambers then will hold meetings during the weeks of Oct. 16 to Oct. 20; Nov. 6 to Nov. 9; Nov. 13 to Nov. 17; Dec. 4 to Dec. 7; and Dec. 11 to Dec. 15. The 2024 session will start Jan. 9.

CORNERSTONE SCHOOL STUDENTS EXCEL

Two robotics teams from The Cornerstone School have advanced to the Robofest World Championships Junior later this month. They garnered first place in Robot Game and Bottle Sumo and second place in Robot Game, Bottle Sumo, and Automated Exhibition. They will compete against 200 teams from 17 different countries.

Two rocketry teams from the school have qualified for the American Rocketry Challenge, the world’s largest student rocket contest. Middle and High School teams from all over the country spent months designing, building, and launching model rockets. The results of their test flights were submitted to the

Aerospace Industries Association with the hope of qualifying for the 101 spots available at the National Competition, being held on May 20 in Virginia.

Two eighth grade students placed at the 68th annual Florida State Science and Engineering Fair in Lakeland. One finished fourth in the Environmental Engineering category and one received an Honorable Mention in the Robotics & Systems Software category. Four students competed in other categories, including Cellular/Molecular Biology & Biochemistry, Intelligent Machines, and Microbiology. Three of the four received special awards that included scholarships and cash prizes.

IHMC Lecture Series

Powered by:

Dan Pardi

THE TALK: How to Measure Your Health

www.ihmc.com

15 S.E. Osceola Avenue Downtown Ocala

Co-hosted by:

May 18, 2023

Reception: Begins at 5:30 p.m.

Talk: Begins at 6:00 p.m.

Seating is limited RSVP to ihmc-20230223.eventbrite.com or call 352-387-3050

Season Sponsors:

In his talk Dr. Pardi will cover fundamental questions about what health, wellness, well-being, disease, and illness mean, and discuss novel mind frames on how to increase one’s level of health in today’s world. Dr. Pardi will also explore how to measure all things health, taking into consideration objective measurements of health status, a discussion on normality vs optimal, and non-traditional health measurements, including qualitative assessments of health potential based on available health resources and health literacy. At the heart of his talk will be a discussion on how individuals, given the state of the world today, can best navigate their health regardless of where they currently sit on the health continuum.

Dan Pardi is the CEO of humanOS.me - a digital health training application. To create humanOS, the team has collaborated with over 100 top health-science Professors across the globe. Their podcast, humanOS Radio, is the official podcast of the Sleep Research Society, the Canadian Sleep Society, and a content partner of the Buck Institute on Aging.

He also currently serves as the Chair of the Scientific Advisory Board for Restore Hyper Wellness, the fastest-growing franchise in the United States. Formerly, he served as Chief Health Architect for Restore, where he led the Product and Health Sciences Department to establish the Performance Medicine arm of the business.

In his work, Dr. Pardi has collaborated with high-performing organizations, from Silicon Valley VCs like the Mayfield Fund and Artis Ventures to companies like Adobe, Salesforce, Workday, Pandora, Intuitive Surgical, Jazz Pharmaceuticals, and many more. He also works with several branches of the US Military including the Special Forces and Naval Special Warfare. Dr. Pardi has a Ph.D. in Cognitive Neuroscience from Leiden University in the Netherlands, and Stanford University in the United States, and he has a Masters of Science in Exercise Physiology from Florida State University in the United States. He currently lives in Austin Texas with his wife and two young boys.

Lecture Sponsors:

Groups launch ballot drive on abortion rights

release saying the proposal would “impose an extreme abortion regime.”

“Gov. DeSantis consistently acts on the will of the people who overwhelmingly support parental consent before abortion for minors and who want to protect babies with beating hearts,” Katie Daniel, state policy director for Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, said in a prepared statement. “It is crucial that voters understand what is at stake in the proabortion left’s war on women, children and parents, and we are committed to exposing their extreme agenda in Florida and nationwide.”

Backers of the proposed constitutional amendment will need to quickly ramp up to get it on the 2024 ballot. They face a Feb. 1 deadline for submitting at least 891,523 valid petition signatures to the state. Also, they will need the Florida Supreme Court to sign off on the proposed ballot wording.

repeatedly pointed to preventing government “interference” in private decisions about whether to have abortions. Floridians Protecting Freedom dubbed the initiative the “Amendment to Limit Government Interference with Abortion”

“No one is coming to save us,” Sarah Parker, president of Women’s Voices of Southwest Florida, said. “We must and we will save ourselves.”

The speakers included Shelly Tien, an obstetrician and gynecologist with Planned Parenthood of South, East and North Florida who is a plaintiff in a lawsuit challenging the 15-week abortion limit passed last year by the Legislature. That lawsuit has led to the Supreme Court considering whether to reject legal precedents about the state Constitution’s privacy clause.

By Jim Saunders Florida News Service

Taking aim at “government interference” in abortion decisions, a coalition of groups Monday formally began a drive to try to pass a constitutional amendment in 2024 to ensure abortion rights in Florida.

The announcement of the multimillion-dollar campaign came after the Republican-controlled Legislature this spring approved a bill that would prevent abortions after six weeks of pregnancy, It also came as the Florida Supreme Court considers a case that could undo decades of legal precedents about a privacy clause in the Constitution protecting abortion rights.

“Our rights and our freedoms are at risk,” Kara Gross, legislative director and senior policy counsel for the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida, said

during a news conference in Tallahassee.

The proposal, spearheaded by the newly formed political committee Floridians Protecting Freedom, will seek to ensure abortion rights up to fetal viability, which has generally been interpreted as about 24 weeks of pregnancy.

The Legislature and Gov. Ron DeSantis last year approved a law to prevent abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy. The new six-week limit is contingent on the outcome of the Florida Supreme Court case about the privacy clause in the Constitution. Supporters of the new law said six weeks is about the time fetal heartbeats can be detected.

Along with the ACLU, the coalition supporting the proposed constitutional amendment includes groups such as Planned Parenthood, Florida Rising and Women’s Voices of Southwest Florida.

After initial reports Friday about the initiative drive, the group Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America issued a news

If the proposal reaches the ballot, the measure will need approval from 60 percent of voters to pass.

The process of gathering and verifying petition signatures is time-consuming and expensive. As an example, a political committee trying to put a measure on the 2024 ballot to legalize recreational marijuana had spent $30.35 million as of March 31, finance reports show.

While it appears increasingly likely that the recreational-marijuana proposal will meet the signature requirement — a state website showed nearly 787,000 valid signatures Monday — backers of the abortion initiative will have a farshorter amount of time to collect and verify signatures.

During Monday’s news conference, Gross said the initiative will be a multimillion-dollar campaign, though she did not give a specific dollar amount. She said it will involve paid and volunteer petition-gatherers.

Speakers at the news conference

Florida voters in 1980 approved a constitutional amendment that established state privacy rights. A 1989 Florida Supreme Court ruling set an initial precedent about the privacy clause protecting abortion rights, and subsequent decisions have followed that precedent.

If the Supreme Court finds that the privacy clause does not protect abortion rights, it would effectively allow the state to move forward with the new six-week limit. The Supreme Court has become far more conservative during the past four years, in part because of appointments by DeSantis.

Opponents of the six-week limit said it would be a de facto abortion ban because many women don’t know they are pregnant at six weeks.

DeSantis and lawmakers approved the six-week limit after the U.S. Supreme Court last year tossed out the landmark Roe v. Wade decision, effectively leaving abortion decisions up to states. Voters in some states, such as Kansas and Michigan, have supported abortion rights in ballot fights.

SUPPORT LOCAL JOURNALISM

File photo: Abortion rights protesters holler at motorists near the intersection of South Pine and Silver Springs Boulevard in Ocala. [Alan Youngblood/Special to the Ocala Gazette]

Teachers’ unions challenge new law

By Jim Saunders Florida News Service

Teachers unions have quickly filed a constitutional challenge to a new Florida law that places additional restrictions on publicemployee unions, describing the measure as political retaliation by Gov. Ron DeSantis.

The Florida Education Association, the United Faculty of Florida, the Alachua County teachers union and the University of Florida faculty union filed a lawsuit Tuesday in federal court in Tallahassee, alleging that the law violates First Amendment, equalprotection and contract rights.

DeSantis signed the law (SB 256) during an event Tuesday in Miami. The Republican governor and teachers unions have repeatedly clashed about education policies, and the unions were key supporters last year of DeSantis’ election opponent, Democrat Charlie Crist.

The lawsuit pointed to unions that represent law-enforcement officers, correctional officers and firefighters — which have

backed DeSantis and other Republicans — being exempted from the restrictions.

“In a bid to punish the ‘school unions’ and other public employee unions who have opposed him, Gov. DeSantis pushed for ‘unprecedented’ changes to Florida’s collective bargaining law to harm disfavored unions while exempting those unions representing law enforcement, corrections, and firefighter employees who have supported him,” the lawsuit said.

Among other things, the law prevents dues from being deducted from workers’ paychecks, forcing union members to make separate payments. Also, it requires gauging how many eligible employees are dues-paying union members. If fewer than 60 percent of eligible employees are members, unions will have to be recertified as bargaining agents.

In addition, it requires unions to include specific information on membership forms about Florida being a “right-to-work” state and about compensation of the five highest-paid officers and employees of each union.

Also, it requires unions to have audited financial statements, which will need to be made available to members.

Supporters have said the law would provide more transparency to workers about unions. During an appearance Wednesday in Jacksonville, DeSantis said the law will be “good for teachers.”

“They can make more of an informed decision,” DeSantis said. “They have a better sense of how much money is actually going and then they can evaluate what the union is actually doing for them. They are really not doing very much. They use that money for political, partisan activities. That’s what they use it for.”

But during a news conference Wednesday, state and national union leaders said the law is about political retribution. They likened it to DeSantis’ battle with the Walt Disney Co. after the entertainment giant opposed a 2022 state law restricting instruction about sexual orientation and gender identity in schools.

“The governor is using this legislation to retaliate against his critics, very similar to what we’ve seen in the attacks on Disney

as well,” Florida Education Association President Andrew Spar said.

The lawsuit alleges the measure violates First Amendment rights, in part, by requiring that specific information be included on union membership forms.

“(The section of the law), by compelling disfavored unions to convey a prominent, governmentdrafted, 91-word ‘right-to-work’ affirmation in the membership authorization forms that they present to prospective members, and compelling those public employees who desire to become members of disfavored unions to sign that affirmation, violates the rights to freedom of speech and freedom of association protected by the First Amendment of the United States Constitution,” the lawsuit said.

The lawsuit also raises equal-protection arguments because the restrictions do not apply across-the-board to unions, exempting the unions for law-enforcement officers, correctional officers and firefighters.

Also, it raises allegations about the law unconstitutionally

impairing existing union contracts. For example, the contract between the Alachua County Education Association union and the Alachua County school district allows union dues to be deducted from teachers’ paychecks. A contract between the United Faculty of Florida and the University of Florida has a similar provision.

“By prohibiting disfavored unions from collecting voluntary membership dues via payroll deduction, (a section of the law) substantially impairs the contractual rights” of the United Faculty of Florida and the Alachua County Education Association, the lawsuit said.

The law, which the Republican-controlled Legislature passed during the session that ended last week, applies to a variety of unions. The lawsuit, however, only names as plaintiffs the education unions.

Members of the Florida Public Employees Relations Commission, which will carry out the law, are named as defendants.

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

DeSantis Signs Immigration Measure

By Jim Saunders Florida News Service

With a federal change expected to lead to a surge in migrants crossing the country’s southern border, Gov. Ron DeSantis on Wednesday signed a controversial bill that targets illegal immigration.

The bill (SB 1718), which the Republican-controlled Legislature passed during the session that ended last week, includes stepping up requirements on businesses to check the immigration status of workers, cracking down on people who bring undocumented immigrants into Florida and collecting data about whether hospital patients are in the country legally.

It is part of a series of steps that DeSantis and other Republican leaders have taken in recent years aimed at undocumented immigrants. It also comes as DeSantis, who is widely expected to run for president in 2024, blasts federal border policies.

“This is just chaos,” DeSantis said

during a bill-signing event in Jacksonville.

“We are supposed to be the world’s leading superpower, and yet we can’t even maintain control of our own southern border. The Mexican drug cartels have more to say about what goes on at the southern border than our own U.S. government does.”

But the bill drew heavy opposition from Democratic lawmakers and other groups that said it would hurt migrants and people who provide assistance. As an example, opponents said migrants might not seek needed hospital care because of concerns about being questioned about their immigration status.

Hope CommUnity Center, an Apopka organization that provides services to immigrants, issued a statement Wednesday expressing concerns about the hospital requirement and other parts of the bill.

“Mr. DeSantis and his legislators are willfully ignorant of our immigration system,” Felipe Sousa-Lazaballet, the center’s executive director, said in the statement. “Undocumented immigrants

want nothing more than to come out of the shadows. But the system is a dysfunctional maze that Washington refuses to fix. The Florida Legislature is punishing the wrong people for that and, in the process, dehumanizing their existence.”

The bill includes:

— Requiring all businesses with 25 or more employees to use the federal E-Verify system to check the immigration status of workers. Since 2021, such businesses have been required to use E-Verify or what are known as I-9 forms.

— Toughening criminal penalties for transporting undocumented immigrants into Florida. While the bill indicates the changes are aimed at curbing human smuggling, opponents raised the prospect of family members and groups such as churches being prosecuted for transporting immigrants into the state.

— Requiring hospitals to ask patients about whether they are U.S. citizens or are in the country legally. Hospitals would be required to submit reports about the responses to the state.

— Requiring law-enforcement agencies to take DNA samples from people being held on federal immigration detainers. The samples would be sent to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.

— Providing $12 million to the state Division of Emergency Management for the “Unauthorized Alien Transport” program, which could transport undocumented immigrants to other states. The program would be similar to the DeSantis administration’s controversial flights last year of 49 migrants from Texas to Martha’s Vineyard in Massachusetts.

DeSantis signed the bill the day before the Biden administration plans to end what is known as a “Title 42” publichealth order. That order, which stemmed from the COVID-19 pandemic, provided a way to help expel migrants.

But with the end of the order, officials are preparing for a surge of migrants crossing the border.

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

RULING COULD ALLOW RELEASE OF EPSTEIN MATERIAL

In a case filed by The Palm Beach Post, an appeals court Wednesday ordered a circuit judge to consider releasing information from grand-jury proceedings about the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. A panel of the 4th District Court of Appeal said a circuit judge improperly relied on a legal rule to deny the Post’s request to release the information.

While the appeals court said grand-jury proceedings are generally secret, it pointed to an exception in state law that allows disclosure for the purpose of “furthering justice.”

The ruling did not specifically direct the release of information but ordered a circuit judge to privately inspect the requested material and “decide whether the material’s disclosure furthers justice. If so, the court has the inherent authority to disclose any material that furthers justice. In doing so, the trial court shall take steps necessary to protect the identity of the victims, witnesses, and those who have not been criminally charged. If the court determines disclosure of any of the material will not further justice, the court can, in its discretion, deny disclosure of that material.”

The ruling by Judges Melanie

May, Cory Ciklin and Jeffrey Kuntz also took a step known as “certifying” a question to the Florida Supreme Court. That question would ask the Supreme Court to determine whether a circuit court has “inherent authority to disclose grand jury evidence to further justice” under the state law. Under a deal approved by prosecutors in 2007, Epstein, a wealthy financier, sidestepped federal charges and agreed to plead guilty to two state prostitution charges, including procuring a minor for sex. The plea deal also provided immunity from federal prosecution for Epstein, four other named co-conspirators and “any potential co-conspirators.”

After the plea agreement on state charges, Epstein was arrested in July 2019 and charged with federal sextrafficking offenses involving minor girls from Florida and other places. He was found dead in a jail cell a month later in what was deemed a suicide.

The Post filed the lawsuit against the Palm Beach County State Attorney’s Office and the Palm Beach County clerk of the circuit court seeking the grandjury material. The state attorney was later dropped as a defendant, according to Wednesday’s ruling.

74 APPLICANTS VIE FOR POT LICENSES

Seventy-four prospective operators applied for 22 medicalmarijuana licenses during a five-day application cycle that ended April 28. The applications were a step toward doubling the number of businesses operating in the state’s legal cannabis industry.

Florida Department of Health officials in February issued a longawaited rule announcing they would accept applications for new licenses between April 24 and April 28. The applications were submitted more than six years after Florida voters approved a constitutional amendment broadly authorizing medical marijuana and after lawmakers in 2017 approved a framework for the industry.

Health officials on Tuesday confirmed they received 74 applications for the licenses. But the health agency has not released the names of the applicants or redacted versions of the applications.

Florida has 22 licensed medicalmarijuana operators and more than 800,000 registered patients.

The April round of applications was the first major opportunity for newcomers to the state’s industry to vie for licenses since the 2017 legislation passed. An earlier round of licenses was based on a 2014 law that legalized non-euphoric cannabis for a limited number of patients. The 2017 law set up a schedule for new licenses to come online as the number

of patients increases.

Under the law, health officials are required to issue at least 22 more licenses. Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration put the licensing and rulemaking processes on hold while awaiting the outcome of a Florida Supreme Court ruling in a key lawsuit challenging part of the 2017 law that requires operators to conduct all aspects of the marijuana business --growing, processing and dispensing --- rather than allowing companies to handle individual components of the marijuana trade. The court upheld the law in May 2021.

The April applications also come amid legal wrangling over a license earmarked in the 2017 law for a Black farmer who was part of classaction litigation over discriminatory lending practices by federal agriculture officials.

The Department of Health in September announced it had issued an “intent to approve” a medicalmarijuana license for Terry Donnell Gwinn, who vied with 11 other applicants for the license. Losing applicants have challenged the decision, however, and health officials have not issued Gwinn’s license. The Legislature last week approved a bill that would pave the way for Gwinn and an undetermined number of other Black farmer applicants to receive licenses.

People, Places & Things

By Julie Garisto julie@magnoliamediaco.com

At 21, Carla Gonzalez has already been a painter for more than half her life.

The College of Central Florida (CF) graduate designed and painted the new work “Artists Rule the World” at CF’s Dassance Fine Arts Center.

“With this mural, I wanted to celebrate the power of art, bring people together and create a sense of community,” Gonzalez said in her artist statement.

Funded by a CF Foundation New Initiative Grant, the work is painted in the school’s red-and-blue colors and displays a variety of icons representing the various courses in visual and performing arts offered at CF.

“While it may not be accurate to say artists rule the world, it is certainly true that art and artists have the power to shape our perception, challenge our assumptions and inspire us to think and act differently,” Gonzalez said.

“I’ve been sketching since I was about 6, and when I was 10, my grandpa put me in art classes. He took me to those lessons every weekend,” she shared.

Her family moved to Silver Springs from Cuba in 2017. Both she and her sister, Camila, earn a living as dental assistants.

Gonzalez won best of show in the 2021 CF Student Art Exhibition for her drawing “Bangtan Boys,” a graphite illustration inspired by the Korean pop sensation BTS. She also won two honorable mentions in the exhibition.

“Artists Rule the World” measures around 7.3 feet wide x 25.6 feet high. To work on the upper portions, Gonzalez had to climb aboard a scissor lift, which she described as scary at first. Her boyfriend, Bryan Oliva, also an artist, sat on the opposite side of the platform to lend support and a little ballast.

“I had a lot of fun with it, and after the first five days, I was getting the hang of it,” the artist told the “Gazette” during a phone call from Mexico City.

Though Gonzalez was born and raised in Havana, Cuba, she visits Mexico often, this time with her sister, Camila, to visit an aunt who lives there. Another aunt and their grandmother traveled from Cuba to meet up with them.

“We are a close family,” she said, explaining why she goes often.

Though the plane ticket is more expensive to Mexico City, the “difficult situation in Cuba” makes it cheaper overall to come here instead, Gonzalez explained. But she and her family also travel to Cuba to visit her grandfather, who chooses to stay put.

“He’s already traveled the world and he doesn’t really wanna do that anymore,” she said with a laugh.

Thanks to her repatriated aunt, Gonzalez grew up “surrounded by Mexican culture.” Artist Frida Kahlo, born in the borough of Coyoacán, has influenced her as an artist and inspired her as a woman. One of Gonzalez’s most striking paintings, “Chavela y Frida”

depicts the artist with companion Chavela Vargas and captures Kahlo, who suffered from debilitating pain caused by a bus accident, during one of the happier, more serene moments of her life.

Gonzalez, fortunately, hasn’t endured such a calamity. Her father, a truck driver, prompted the family to move after learning about the area from friends. Her mother taught at a Montessori school before the COVID-19 lockdown, and now she assists her husband with dispatch and administrative tasks.

Gonzalez loves visiting Manhattan and its museums, but she also enjoys nature and quiet times. On weekends, she and Oliva explore nature together and enjoy sketching at Silver Springs State Park and the Ocala National Forest.

Her parents, she said, have a lot to do with why she’s persevered as an artist and will continue to do so.

From her mother, she inherited her work ethic and a commitment to lifelong learning.

“From my father,” she said, “I learned never to give up,” she said. “I really do not give up. I like trying everything and I’m not scared of trying and failing. I’m okay with that, and he is like that. He will try something and then if it doesn’t work out, he’s going to be like, ‘Okay, well I, at least I tried.’ And that’s what I do, especially with my art.”

To learn more about Carla Gonzalez, visit instagram.com/carlasinazucar. For more information about CF’s visual and Performing arts department, visit CF.edu/VPA. To learn more about the CF Foundation’s New Initiative Grant, visit CF.edu/Foundation.

“Abuelo”

“It is an oil-on-canvas painting of my grandpa. He was a huge inspiration to me while I was growing

Carla Gonzalez graduated from the college last year and won best of show in the 2022 CF Student Art Exhibition. [Courtesy of the College of Central Florida]

CF grad Carla Gonzalez painted the new mural on the fine arts building’s exterior wall and is ready to rule the world.

Acrylic on canvas. “I made this painting for my sister, and it won an Honorable Mention at the Student Art Show in 2021,” Gonzalez said.

Boys” Graphite on illustration board, won Best of

at the Student Art Show of 2021 at the Webber Gallery

up,” Gonzalez said.

Carla Gonzalez stands next to her recently completed mural, “Artists Rule the World,” at CF’s Dassance Fine Arts Center. [Courtesy of the College of Central Florida]

Memories for a lifetime

Former campers and staff celebrate 75 years of fun at Camp Kiwanis.

By Andy Fillmore andy@ocalagazette.com

Nancy Moses-Hart’s week at Camp Kiwanis 69 years ago left a lifelong impression.

“I wanted to stay forever; it was the best week of my life,” she said.

Moses-Hart, a camper at the 13-acre facility on Mill Dam Lake about 20 miles east of Ocala in the Ocala National Forest in 1954 and 1955, was one of the guest speakers at the Camp Kiwanis 75th Anniversary celebration held Saturday in Waldon Hall at the camp.

Moses-Hart said the lessons she learned as a camper set her on a path of working with youth and then toward a 39-year teaching career in St. Petersburg. Originally from Ocala, she moved to the St. Petersburg area but returned to Ocala, or “home,” about six years ago.

“(The camping experience) was fantastic, a memory which has lasted 60 years. Freedom, fun and fellowship,” she said.

Moses-Hart recalled campfires and songs, while fellow 1954-1955 camper Wes Wheeler of Ocala remembered activities like archery and skit nights. Wheeler, who operated Mid-State Motors in Ocala for 35 years, also was a speaker at the celebration.

Camp Kiwanis is the signature project of the Ocala Kiwanis Club, which was chartered in 1924. The 90-member club, which also distributes thousands of books in the Reading Is Fundamental program, operates the annual youth camping sessions at Camp Kiwanis in partnership with Marion County Public Schools.

The camp’s location served as a Civilian Conservation Corps site in the 1930s and a quarantine hospital during World War II, according to the MCPS. The Ocala Kiwanis Club leased the camp property from the U.S. Forest Service in the 1940s to use as a children’s camp and Camp Kiwanis was opened in 1948.

The facility hosts four group camping sessions in June and July for youth ages 7-13, with 34 staff and counselors. Activities include arts and crafts, canoeing, archery, riflery and firearm safety, camp literature states.

Upward of 600 campers attend the sessions annually. About 150 are on scholarships, with the $260 fee per camper paid by the local Kiwanis Club. The club has two primary fundraisers annually, Pancake Day and the Sportsman’s Dinner.

The earlier wooden cabins at the camp have been replaced by three air-conditioned dorms that can house 100 campers plus counselors. Spacious Waldon Hall has a commercial-grade kitchen, and the facility is available for rent to approved groups and companies.

U.S. Forest Service District Ranger Carrie Sekerak spoke at the celebration Saturday. She said camping and outdoor activities give youth a chance to learn “critical thinking” in real life experiences.

In comments before her talk, Sekerak said the campers become aware of wildlife and how to respect nature. She called the camp experience a “confidence builder” for youth.

Camp literature states the camp property is on a long-term lease from the U.S. Forest Service, the Ocala Kiwanis Club owns the improvements, and a Board of Camp Trustees oversees the work of the camp.

Randolph Family Affair LLC, a family business operated by Alfonso and Davida Randolph, were caterers for the lunch. Alfonso Randolph was a Camp Kiwanis camper in 1972.

“I was a homebody, I stayed at home,” Alfonso Randolph recalled. He explained the camping experience drew him out and allowed him to socialize and make friends.

“Everything’s still here,” he said of the camp and facilities.

Scott Mitchell, a MCPS employee and director of Camp Kiwanis for the last 19 years, said at the celebration that the camp belongs to the community and the thousands of youths who have attended the camp.

Mitchell said part of the “magic” of Camp Kiwanis is that youths from diverse backgrounds, from the homeless to the advantaged, can attend, join activities and make friends. He said he was once told the best way to tell if the kids are having fun at camp is to listen to the shouts of glee and excitement as the campers play.

Mitchell introduced Bob Lindstrom, assistant camp director, who was honored for his 26 years of dedicated work with Camp Kiwanis.

Jim Phillips, Kiwanis member and former Fifth Judicial Circuit state attorney from 1980 to 2004, spoke at the celebration about fond memories of his more than 40 years of work with the camp. Ocala Mayor Kent Guinn and County Commissioner Craig Curry both presented proclamations marking May 6, 2023, as the 75th Anniversary of Camp Kiwanis.

Additional speakers and dignitaries at the celebration included retired U.S. Rep. Cliff Stearns; Marion County Property Appraiser Jimmy Cowan; Chuck and Emilia Gugliuzza with the Kiwanis District; and Ryan Robbins, who spoke for his father, Dave Robbins, who couldn’t attend but served as Camp Director in the 1980s. Kiwanis Club member Imhabibi Laroche was accompanied at the celebration by her husband, Dr. Greggy Laroche, and their children, Immanuel, 4, and Godfrey, 1. Kiwanis Club of Ocala President Jim Maguire served as emcee and Spiritual Aims Advisor Gary Rigby led the audience in a prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance and a rendition of the 1963 comedy song by Allan Sherman, “Hello Muddah, Hello Faddah (A letter from camp).”

Rev. Tim Machtel announced as Pastor at First Methodist Ocala Starting July 1

The Staff Parish Relations Committee of Ocala

First United Methodist Church announced on Sunday, April 23 that Bishop Tom Berlin of The Florida Conference had appointed the Reverend Tim Machtel to serve as their new senior pastor starting July 1.

Pastors Anne and David Fuquay, who have served as co-pastors since July 2016, will be moving to Champagne-Urbana, Illinois to begin their new appointments. Pastor David Fuquay will be serving as Senior Pastor/Director of Wesley United Methodist Church and The Wesley Foundation at the University of Illinois, UrbanaChampaign. Pastor Anne Fuquay will be serving as Chaplain of Cunningham Children’s Home in Urbana, IL. The Children’s Home is a mission and ministry of the United Women in Faith of the Illinois Great Rivers Conference of The United Methodist Church.

Rev. Tim Machtel was born in Marshall, Michigan and moved to southeast Florida when he was 12. He is married to his wife of 26 years, Debbie, and they have two daughters. Debbie is the Owner/Operator of the Chick-fil-A franchise located inside The Paddock Mall here in Ocala. Tim received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Bible and Theology from Asbury College (now Asbury University) in Wilmore, Kentucky. He went on to receive his Master of Divinity degree from Asbury Theological Seminary as a part of the first graduating class of the Orlando campus. Through the years he has also completed The Institute of Preaching, the Reynolds Program for Church Leadership, and is certified in The 6 Types of Working Genius through The Table Group.

Tim was Commissioned as a Provisional Elder in The Florida Conference of The United Methodist Church in May of 2003 and Ordained as an Elder in Full Connection in June of 2006. Tim has served as Student Local Pastor at Boyd United Methodist Church in Boyd, Kentucky, Pastor of Trilby United Methodist Church in Trilby and Community United Methodist Church in San Antonio as a two-point Charge, the Executive Pastor at Beach United Methodist Church in Jacksonville, Senior Pastor at First United Methodist Church of Dunedin, and Senior Pastor at St. Andrew’s United Methodist Church in Brandon. Over the last three and a half years, Tim has been on Personal Leave from The Florida Conference while serving as the Executive Director of The Chick-fil-A Paddock Mall helping Debbie grow her business.

There will be a welcome reception for Pastor Tim on Sunday, July 9. For more information about Ocala First United Methodist Church, please visit fumcocala.org.

One section of the air conditioned dormitories at Camp Kiwanis.

Left to right: Josiah Randolph, 14, Jarion Randolph, 11, and Deanna Parisi, 15, helped out with serving lunch.

Nancy Moses-Hart, left , poses with fellow 1954/1955 Camp Kiwanis camper, Wes Wheeler, during the 75th anniversary celebration at the camp on Saturday, May 6, 2023.

Photos By Andy Fillmore Ocala Gazette

Alfonso Randolph, of Randolph Family Affair, the company that catered the 75th anniversary lunch, was a camper at the facility in 1972.

Reverend Tim Machtel and wife, Debbie [Supplied]

Ocala First United Methodist Church [Supplied]

jewel in our community’

she would cover for me in the leadership role as incident commander.

Through her educational efforts and collaborations, she influenced people to get vaccinated who were wary of receiving the injection of the COVID-19 vaccines.

“I started scheduling appointments for people,” she said with a laugh. “It was kind of funny because people would call me and say, ‘Can you schedule me for an appointment?’ as if it was my job, but I was doing it as a volunteer. People on Facebook would say, ‘I have an elderly parent, and it’s so hard to get in,’ back when there was a backlog of around 20,000 people waiting for vaccines in Marion County.”

Taking care of her family and ‘village’

In a letter to Stockton, her younger sister, Sharon Tolbert-Andrews, described Loretha as known in her church and community for being “the go-to person for instruction, assistance, and advice with many issues.”

the hot water running in the shower and have him breathe in the steam to open up his airways.

“That made me say, ‘I wanna be a nurse,’” she said, adding that her brother outgrew the allergies that caused his asthma.

Educating the community

By Julie Garisto julie@magnoliamediaco.com

Loretha Tolbert-Rich talked to the “Gazette” while taking her mother to a dentist appointment, a few days after she received a prestigious award from the local chapter of the NAACP. Tolbert-Rich’s father, the Ocala-based registered nurse divulged, also benefitted from her care until he died five years ago.

“I’m a nurse; I take care of the ‘village’ in terms of healthcare advice, assisting with visits and advocacy,” she explained matter-of-factly.

The prolific health practitioner received the President’s Award from branch President Bishop James D. Stockton during the NAACP 5114 Marion County Branch’s 41st Freedom Fund and Awards Banquet at the College of Central Florida (CF) on April 28. The award, she said, was “a complete surprise.”

Stockton, the bishop of Tabernacle Praise International Church, praised Tolbert-Rich for her service to the community and public health during the most challenging period of the COVID-19 pandemic and also commented on her constant advocacy and concern about the wellness of the greater Ocala-Marion County community as a whole, in particular those who fall through the cracks.

“She did a phenomenal job of keeping us educated and keeping the reality of the pandemic in front of us, and also helping us make sure that our community had opportunities to get vaccinated,” Stockton said of the registered nurse.

This year marked the first local NAACP awards banquet since the pre-pandemic days. Eric Cummings, a member of the Marion County School Board, District 3, and the NAACP of

Marion’s director of religious affairs, grew up on the same block as Tolbert-Rich and played with her younger brothers.

Cummings, the pastor of New Zion Missionary Baptist Church, nominated Tolbert-Rich, but it was Stockton’s call on who would receive the award, and the bishop was of the same mind.

“Loretha is just a jewel in our community,” Cummings said, “and not just the Black community, but entire Marion County, because not only did we get people from West Ocala, but we got people from Dunnellon, from the north side of the county from the Marion Oaks area coming over to get vaccinations. She helped us facilitate several vaccination clinics in other areas of the county. …She helped us facilitate and get the resources in the clinics all around the county, but also within our community, which was needed.”

Making things happen

AdventHealth

Ocala’s Chief Medical Officer Dr. Michael Torres still collaborates daily with Tolbert-Rich on getting the latest health information to underserved communities, and they worked together on the immunization clinic set up at Paddock Mall from January to August 2021.

He and Tolbert-Rich put a coalition together that would assist the mall’s vaccination clinic, a public-private partnership that included mall leadership and AdventHealth, which paid for the lease for the space used, plus the The Florida Department of Health in Marion County, Ocala Fire Rescue, the Marion County Sheriff’s Office and the Ocala Police Department.

“We deepened our relationship sitting in the command center of the vaccination clinic for many hours at a time,” Torres recollected. “I was the executive from the hospital responsible for the hospital’s participation in the vaccination clinic, and

LOCAL TEEN IS SEMIFINALIST IN U.S. PRESIDENTIAL SCHOLARS PROGRAM

Vivek Sandrapaty, a graduating senior at West Port High School, has been named one of 628 semifinalists in the 2023 U.S. Presidential Scholars Program. The semifinalists were selected from more than 5,000 candidates expected to graduate from high schools this year. Scholars are selected based on accomplishments in areas including academics, leadership and service to school and community. The finalists will be announced later this month.

Vivek is the second U.S.

Presidential Scholar Semifinalist in the last five years from Marion

County, according to the news release.

In 2022, Vivek invented a type of fabric for military and police uniforms that can detect injury and immediately signal for first responders. The threads within the fabric are connected to transistors which direct electricity through the fabric, and if disrupted, send signals if the fabric is cut, such as by a bullet. He competed in regional, state and national science fair competitions with his invention, earning fourth place in the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair in Atlanta.

The letter goes onto praise her for going above and beyond as a community volunteer, for “calling and visiting the elderly and sick, assisting individuals and families in any way necessary. … She has also assisted many families with comfort care end-of-life needs, standing by their side and providing emotional and financial support as needed…. She is our rock and strong tower; and like a generator battery that never stops going and giving. She is my hero!”

Tolbert-Rich has two daughters and runs her own health nonprofit. She has worked as a medical liaison for the Marion County Sheriff’s Office and the Marion County Jail and served as director of nursing for the Florida Department of Corrections from 1988 to 2007. She formed an organization titled Community Care to ensure that inmates received needed healthcare.

In addition to holding a master’s degree in adult education from the University of South Florida and a bachelor’s degree in nursing from USF, Tolbert-Rich earned an associate of science degree and RN designation from CF.

“People would call Loretha to go to the hospital with them because they didn’t understand the medical terminology that was explained,” Cummings said. “And she was able to explain it or interpret it and break it down medical treatments or services, she would help them navigate it all for them.”

For as long as she can remember, Tolbert-Rich wanted to be a nurse.

“That was my life goal since I was a little girl,” Tolbert-Rich reminisced. “I was strongly encouraged and supported by my family. My parents made any sacrifices they could to make that happen.”

The oldest of nine children, with four brothers and four sisters, TolbertRich was born and raised in Ocala. She developed an interest in anatomy when her baby brother suffered from severe asthma. Rescue inhalers weren’t available at the time, and she had read up on what to do to help him breathe better. She would take him into the bathroom with

“As it became apparent that minorities, largely due to underlying medical conditions, were dying at a faster rate than others, I felt the need to do all I could to ensure they had the vaccine available to them,” Tolbert-Rich added. “Because of the heavy distrust, for valid reasons, of the healthcare community, I researched and read everything I could find about the virus and vaccine, as well as what others were doing to encourage people to take the vaccine. What I found was that providing education to dispel the myths and misinformation, engaging our religious leaders, and capitalizing on the faith placed in them, as well as making the vaccine accessible to people in their communities were key.”

There were numerous hurdles to overcome both situationally and psychologically in getting vaccinations to residents in the Black community and the more economically challenged neighborhoods of Ocala.

Tolbert-Rich still touches base with Torres at AdventHealth to get the latest numbers.

“She has been keeping Ocala residents updated on the statistics, and so much more,” Bishop Stockton added.

“There has been misinformation out there, a lot of distrust, but research has shown that if you educate people, if you bring education to where they live, they were more likely to accept the vaccine,” Tolbert-Rich affirmed.

Indeed, a 2021 study in the journal “Public Health” revealed that once participants attended an educational program, scores of five variables increased significantly compared to their pre-viewing level: knowledge, personal resilience, trust in authorities, vaccine importance, as well as perceived protection.

“I joined together with our community healthcare partners, the faith community and our political leaders to establish the clinics,” Tolbert-Rich professed. “My success throughout my life has always been based on the fact that God brings opportunities to me and puts me in the right place, at the right time, with the right people, and resources to make things happen.”

Both the busy nurse and Dr. Torres commented on recent statistical research that ranks Marion County as the third lowest in the state when it comes to overall health. Due to healthcare disparities, she said, the social determinants of health in some segments of our population are more disproportionately negatively affected than others.

“Moving forward,” she proposed, “I want our political leaders, healthcare and faith communities to join together as we did during the COVID crisis to combat those determinants and remove those disparities, doing that will improve the health and quality of life for everyone.”

CALL FOR ENTRIES

The city of Ocala has announced a Call for Entries for the seventh biennial Ocala Outdoor Sculpture Competition. Ten works will be selected for a two-year outdoor exhibition in Tuscawilla Park and Tuscawilla Art Park.

The competition is open to artists currently working and residing in North America with experience in large outdoor public art. Each artist selected for the exhibition will receive a $2,000 honorarium. Merit Juror, Jade Powers, Curator of Contemporary Art from the Harn Museum of Art, will select Best of Show, Second Place and Honorable Mention. Selection in these categories

will include a cash reward. The sculptures will be installed between Jan. 8-19, 2024, at Tuscawilla Park and will be on display until January 2026. The Ocala Outdoor Sculpture Competition is accompanied by a scavenger hunt, catalogue, and an online and mobile device tour as well as coverage in other media outlets. For submission guidelines and event information, visit ocalafl.org/sculpture. Entries must be postmarked no later than Aug. 30, 2023. For more information, contact (352) 629-8447 or artinfo@ocalafl.org

‘A

Loretha Tolbert-Rich, who galvanized Ocala during the height of the pandemic, has voluntarily assisted citizens for decades.

Loretha Tolbert-Rich is applauded by people as she receives the President’s Award from local NAACP President Bishop James D. Stockton III during the NAACP 5114 Marion County Branch 41st Freedom Fund and Awards Banquet at the Klein Conference Center at the College of Central Florida in Ocala on Friday, April 28, 2023. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette] 2023.

Bird of the Week

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

By Michael Warren

Lots of people dislike the brown-headed cowbird because of the way it raises its family. It lays its eggs in the nests of other birds and leaves the work to them. More than 140 bird species are known to have raised cowbirds, often crowding out their own young in the process. It gets its name from its habit of following cows to eat the bugs in their wake.

Brown-headed cowbird [MichaelWarren.com]

community

MAY 12-14

Paranormal Cirque

Southeastern Livestock Pavilion, 2232 NE Jacksonville Road, Ocala

Showtimes vary, see website

An eerie combination of circus acts, dark creatures and cabaret fused into a dark, dramatic show. Rated R, under age 17 must be accompanied by a parent/guardian. Tickets are $14-$55 from paranormalcirque.com

MAY 12-13

Friends of the Forest Public Library

Book Sale Forest Public Library, 905 S Highway 314A, Ocklawaha

Friday, 10am4pm; Saturday 10am-3pm

Hundreds of hardback and paperback books on sale to benefit library programs and educational endeavors. Free to attend. Books priced from 50 cents.

MAY 12 & 19

Levitt Amp Music Series

Webb Field at Martin Luther King Jr. Recreation Complex, 1510 NW 4th St, Ocala

7-9pm

This series of free weekly concerts sponsored by the city of Ocala and Marion Cultural Alliance focuses on a variety of musical genres. On May 12, it’s Shayna Steele with openers Cat Ridgeway. On May 19, it’s the Malpass Brothers with opener Hannah Harber. Admission is free. Bring chairs or blankets. Food and drink vendors onsite. For more info, ocalafl.org/levittamp

MAY 12 & 19

Marion County Friday Market

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

9am-2pm

Shop locally fresh fruits and veggies, baked goods, jerky, freeze-dried treats, olive oils, seafood and more; recurs every Friday.

MAY 12

Prom with Mom Silver Springs Shores Community Center, 590 Silver Road, Ocala

6pm-10pm

The event includes a DJ playing a variety of music, games and prizes, bounce houses, arts and crafts, photos and hors d’oeuvres. Tickets are $20 per person and can be purchased at the center, by phone at (352) 438-2810 or at bit.ly/40TTEoh

MAY 13 & 20

Ocala Farmers Market

Ocala Downtown Market, 310 SE Third St., Ocala

9am-2pm

Vendors offer local fruits and vegetables, meats and seafood, fresh pasta, honey, jewelry, baked goodies, and arts and crafts. Check out local food trucks and the occasional guest entertainer. Rain or shine; recurs every Saturday. Visit ocaladowntownmarket.com for more info.

MAY 13 & 20

Farmers Swap Meet

Rural King, 2999 NW 10th St., Ocala

9am-2pm

A true farmers market where chickens, ducks, quail, geese, goats, turkeys, rabbits and sometimes even ponies are available, along with horse tack, home-grown plants, produce and hand-crafted items. Booth types vary, with occasional meat vendors, food trucks and other goods. Saturdays, weather permitting.

MAY 13

Ocala 200 Lions Club Flea Market

Countryside Presbyterian Church, 7768 SW State Road 200

8am-1pm

There will be a variety of vendors as well as food/ drink available for sale. Proceeds will be used for community projects throughout the year. The Lions will be collecting non-perishable food items for Interfaith Emergency Services, along with used eyeglasses, aluminum can pop tabs, and hearing aids. For more info, bartorobert@hotmail.com

MAY 13

Spring Festival and 5K Run/Walk

World Equestrian Center Ocala, 1390 NW 80th Ave., Ocala

8am-4pm

The activities include a farmer’s market with local vendors, live music, games, a kids’ zone and more. The 5K and breakfast require tickets; the festival is free to attend. See worldequestriancenter.com/ events for more info.

MAY 13 (RESCHEDULED)

Legends of the Fort

Fort King National Historic Landmark, 3925 E. Fort King St., Ocala

6pm-10pm

The city of Ocala Recreation and Parks Department is offering a unique evening guided lantern tour with tales from the past and information on this Seminole War site. Food, games and historical reenactors will be onsite; tours leave every 15 minutes. Tickets are $10 (kids under 5 are free).

Previously purchased tickets will be honored. Guests unable to attend on the rescheduled date may request a refund by calling (352) 368-5533. For more information, call (352) 368-5517 or follow @ OcalaRecPark on Facebook.

MAY 13

Historic Ocala Preservation Society

(HOPS) Spring Home Tour

Various homes and gardens, downtown

10am-4pm

In addition to their annual tradition of a spring home tour, HOPS is offering ticketed workshops on floral arranging, candle-making and how to create a charcuterie board. Workshops will be at the Bryant House, alongside local vendors offering floral arrangements, gift items and more. Food and drinks will be available for purchase at select locations. Tickets are $25 and available from Your Heart’s Desire Gift Shop or see bit.ly/3Bb1aRq

MAY 13

Master Gardeners Plant Sale

Southeastern Livestock Pavilion, 2232 NE Jacksonville Road, Ocala

8am-12pm

The annual spring plant sale includes educational presentations. Organizers suggest you bring your

critters & equine

VARIOUS DATES

Neuter Commuter

Locations vary, see website 9am Marion County Animal Services offers weekly neutering services with options for low-income households. The fees include the animal’s surgical sterilization, rabies vaccination, county license and microchip. Pet drop-off is 9am and pick-ups start at 3:30.

Locations vary and include the Headquarters Main Library, Silver Springs Shores Community Center and Southeastern Livestock Pavilion. For more info and to register online, bit.ly/NeuterCommuter

MAY 12

VOCAL Adoption Evening

VOCAL, 6393 SW 52nd St., Ocala

4pm-6pm

If you’re in the market for a furry friend, check out the cats and dogs available at this adoption event from Voices of Change Animal League. From kittens and puppies to older pets looking for a fur-ever home, you’ll have options. For more info, facebook.com/VOCALforPets

MAY 12-14

own wagon. No pets. Food and drink options will be available. For more info, call (352) 671-8400.

MAY 16-21

National Salvation Army Week events

Various locations and times

The Salvation Army in Ocala will host these events: May 16, 10am to 2pm, open house at Center of Hope 320 NW 1st Ave.; May 17, 10am to 2pm, open house at Community Worship/Recreation Center and E.B.G.A. at 2910 NE 14th St.; May 18, 10am to 2pm, open house and view of Emergency Service Canteen at the thrift store at 120 NW 10th St.; May 21, 10:45am, community worship service at 2901 NE 14th St., followed by 5pm, music at Tuscawilla Park. For more information, call (352) 816 1059.

MAY 17

Medicare Classes

Online

10am & 2pm

The SHINE organization offers free classes for anyone wanting to learn more about Medicare. These are available by computer or phone. For more info, shine@agingresources.org or call (352) 692-5209.

THROUGH MAY 17

DOH Diabetes Education Program Belleview Community Center, 5615 SE 110th Place, Belleview 5pm-7pm

The Department of Health is offering free weekly classes to help people learn about and handle diabetes with topics like balanced diets, meal planning, physical activity, prevention and more. Free clinical screenings will be available. Attendance is free but space is limited; reservations should be made by contacting Melissa Marino at (352) 644-2624 or Melissa.marino@FLHealth.gov

MAY 18

OTOW Farmers Market

The Town Square at Circle Square Commons, 8405 SW 80th St., Ocala

9am-1pm

Large selection of fresh seasonal produce from local growers as well as baked goods, plants, handmade soaps and more; recurs every Thursday. Visit circlesquarecommons.com for more info.

MAY 18 & 25

Free Parenting Workshops

Mary Sue Rich Community Center at Reed Place, 1821 NW 21st Ave, Ocala

6pm

These workshops from the Early Learning Coalition will focus on early childhood development. Resources provided, along with childcare and dinner. Space is limited; register at bit.ly/42jvvZg

MAY 19

Leaf Series: Mindful Music

Sholom Park: 7110 SW 80th Ave., Ocala

10:30am Mellow out with reiki masters Donna Davis RN and Norma Anderson LMT, who use sound bathing to calm the nervous system and balance the body. Advance registration required, $5 from sholompark.org

MAY 19

Pond Management Workshop

Blitch Plantation, 13200 NW 110th Ave., Reddick

9am-3pm

An educational day about managing ponds to enhance their beauty and ecosystems. Includes

presentations on aquatic plants, water quality, fish managements, using Florida-friendly landscaping and more. $25 ticket includes class materials and lunch, on bit.ly/42mdytD

MAY 20

Beginner’s Drum Circle Rainbow Springs Art, 20804 W. Pennsylvania Ave., Dunnellon 3pm-5pm

Drum up your creativity and artistic side at this free drumming circle. Refreshments served. For more info, rainbowspringsart.com

MAY 20

Dream Carnival

Greater New Hope Church, 484 Emerald Road, Ocala

11am-3pm

With kids’ activities, food trucks, bounce houses and more, the church welcomes families for a day of fun and entertainment. For more info, Bishop Sermon at (352) 687-1130.

MAY 21

Pirates of the Florida Coast Lecture

Marion County Museum of History and Archaeology, Green Clover Hall, 319 SE 26th Terrace, Ocala

10:30am

Author and historian Robert Jacob talks about the real-life pirates who once raided Florida waters. Reception following the program. Admission free to museum members, $5 for nonmembers. For information, call the museum at (352) 236-5245.

MAY 21

Car, Truck & Motorcycle Festival

War Horse Harley-Davidson, 5331 N US Highway 441, Ocala

9am-2pm

This is the third year for the car, ’cycle and truck festival, and proceeds will benefit the Boys & Girls Club of Marion County. Food and drink options, live music, vendor booths and more. For more info, facebook.com/warhorseharley or warhorseharley.com

the animals from getting back. Once the rider drops the reins, the horses do all the work. Visit flhorsepark.org for details.

MAY 12-14

Grand Oaks Southern Drive Grand Oaks Resort, 3000

Marion County Road, Weirsdale 8am-5pm

MAY 13-14

May Horse Trials

Majestic Oaks Farm, 17500 N US Highway 441, Ocala

All day

A combination of dressage, cross country and show jumping, these horse trials are the Area 3 USEA. Spectators welcome. For more info, bit.ly/MajesticOAKS

MAY 16

SPCA Marion County Meeting

Friendship Baptist Church Fellowship Hall, 9510 SW 105th St., Ocala

1pm

Florida Cutting Horse Association Show

Florida Horse Park, 11008 South Highway 475, Ocala

All day Cutting horses “cut” cattle from the herd and keep

This leisurely type of show allows for at-will driving on the farm plus classes like crazy cones, derby cross, scrabble cones and a safari drive. Clinicians available to schedule classes. See thegrandoaks.com for more info.

VISIT OUR EVENTS CALENDAR ONLINE

This group has a variety of programs to help area pets, including Pet Meals on Wheels for Senior Services, and always welcomes donations of dry dog or cat food, treats and canned cat food. For more info, spcaofmarioncounty.weebly.com OCALAGAZETTE.COM/EVENTS

government

MAY 15 & 22

Marion County Development Review Committee

Office of the County Engineer, 412 SE 25th Ave., Building 1, Ocala

9am

The first step for new development projects, the committee reviews and votes on waiver requests to the Land Development Code, major site plans, and subdivision plans. Meets weekly on Mondays; no agendas posted. Agendas and minutes available at marionfl.legistar.com/Calendar.aspx

MAY 16

City of Ocala City Council Meeting

City Hall, 110 SE Watula Avenue, Ocala

4pm Meets on the first and third Tuesdays of the

civic

MAY 12 & 19

Chess Club at Freedom Library

Freedom Public Library, 5870 SW 95th St., Ocala

10am-12pm

month. Agendas are usually posted the Thursday prior; agendas, minutes and video available from ocala.legistar.com/Calendar.aspx

MAY 16

Marion County Board of County Commissioners Meeting

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

9am & 2pm

Meets on the first and third Tuesdays of the month. The Planning & Zoning portion is scheduled for the 2pm meeting. Agendas are usually posted the Thursday prior. Agendas, minutes and video available at marionfl.legistar.com/Calendar.aspx

MAY 17

Meets weekly on Fridays; new members welcome. Please bring your own chess set. For more info, Walt Lamp at (352) 854-9378.

MAY 12 & 19

Kiwanis Club of Ocala

Knights of Columbus Building at Blessed Trinity Catholic Church, 1510 SE

3rd Ave., Ocala

12pm

Meets weekly on Fridays. Supports Camp Kiwanis, children’s literacy and Habitat for Humanity. More info at ocalakiwanis.org

arts

MAY 17-AUGUST 30

Painting for Veterans

Mary Sue Rich Community Center at Reed Place, 1821 NW 21st Ave., Ocala

6pm-8pm

These free art workshops will be held on Wednesdays for veterans. Hosted by the Arts in Health Ocala Metro group and veteran Aaron Thomas, join in for evenings that foster artistic expression and creativity. Beginners welcome, and various skills and techniques will be taught. Supplies are included. Register by creating an account at bit.ly/OCALA-Rec

MAY 12

Writing on the Rainbow Author

Event

Rainbow Springs Art Dunnellon Gallery, 20804 W. Pennsylvania Ave., Dunnellon

7pm

Join Rainbow River area authors, novelist Mary Lu Scholl, author and historian Betty Jean Steinshouer, and author Amy Peters Wood. Hosted by Margo Wilson. Reservations recommended and suggested donation is $5. For more info, see rainbowspringsart.com

MAY 13

An Evening with Macey Mac Orange Blossom Opry, 16439 SE 138th Terrace, Weirsdale

7pm

The Southern songstress brings her mix of blues, rock and gospel talents to a variety of song styles. Mac has been performing since she was 11 years old. Tickets are $25-$50 from obopry.com

MAY 13

Ocala TayTay Party

Reilly Arts Center, 500 NE 9th St., Ocala

9pm

If dancing the night away to Taylor Swift tunes is your style, then check out this party with a DJ, raffles of merchandise and signed goodies. Ages 18+. Tickets are $20 in advance, $30 day of show. See reillyartscenter.com for info and tickets.

MAY 16

Belleview City Commission Meeting

City Hall, 5343 SE Abshier Blvd., Belleview

6pm

Meets on the first and third Tuesdays; Belleview agendas, minutes and video available at belleviewfl.org/200/Agendas-Minutes

MAY 16

City of Dunnellon Planning Commission Meeting

City Hall, 20750 River Drive, Dunnellon

5:30pm Dunnellon agendas, minutes and video available at Dunnellon.org/89/Agendas

General Francis Marion Stamp Club meeting

Marion County Sheriff’s Southwest District Office, 9048 SW State Road

200, Ocala

1pm

The club meets the first and third Wednesday of each month; newcomers welcome.

MAY 17

VFW Wednesday Dinners

Angela S. Santos FVW Post 4781, 9401 SW 110th St., Ocala

4:30pm-6:30pm

The post offers weekly dinners for about $5-$7 with a variable menu. The dining room is open to the public, meals are prepped by VFW Auxiliary volunteers and proceeds benefit veterans in Marion County. For the menu, call (352) 873-4781.

MAY 14

Marion Civic Chorale Concert

St. George Anglican Cathedral, 5646 SE 28th St., Ocala

3pm

Admission is free admission for this concert

titled “Some Enchanted Evening: Music from the Stage & Screen” performed by this community chorus. Donations welcome to help fund the Grat L. Rosazza music scholarship. For more info, marionchorale.org

MAY 14

FAFO’s Symphony Under the Stars

Ocala Golf Club, 3130 E. Silver Springs Blvd., Ocala

3pm gates open; concert at 7pm

This Mother’s Day tradition continues with Fine Arts For Ocala’s annual concert by the Ocala Symphony Orchestra. Regular admission is $20 for adults; free 17 and younger. Gates open at 3pm with a DJ playing tunes, and opening act Left on Broadway takes the stage at 5pm. The concert begins at 7pm and fireworks are planned for about 8:45pm, weather permitting. You’re welcome to bring your own food and drinks or purchase from the food trucks. Picnic supplies like chairs, tables and blankets are OK, but no tents, grills or pets. For more info and to buy tickets, fafo.org

MAY 19

Classic Albums Live: Damn the Torpedoes

Reilly Arts Center, 500 NE 9th St., Ocala

7:30pm

This series showcases entire albums played note-for-note live onstage, this time Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. Tickets are $20-$55. See reillyartscenter.com for more info.

MAY 19 & 20

Dueling Pianos

Reilly Arts Center, 500 NE 9th St., Ocala

Showtimes vary, see website

This evening of soft rock and pop classics features dual piano performances along with shared tables

MAY 17

Marion County Board of County Commissioners Visioning Workshop

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

1:30pm Workshop for staff presentations and BOD discussion of county vision for the future. Agendas are posted at marionfl.legistar.com/Calendar.aspx

THROUGH JUNE 2

City of Ocala Parking Garage

296 Broadway St., Ocala

The garage will have partial closures for maintenance, deep cleaning and re-striping. Signs will be placed around restricted areas.

MAY 18

Ocala Lions Club

Ocala Golf Club, 3130 E Silver Springs Blvd., Ocala

12pm

Meets weekly on Thursdays; newcomers welcome. The club supports vision health and diabetes prevention. More info at e-clubhouse.org/sites/ocalafl

MAY 21

Greater Dunnellon Historical Society

Dunnellon Train Depot, 12061 S. Williams St.,Dunnellon

7pm

Meets on the third Tuesday of the month; new members welcome.

and cocktails in the NOMA Black Box. Tickets are $27 from reillyartscenter.com

MAY 20

Gross Out Exhibit

Discovery Center, 701 NE Sanchez Ave., Ocala

Tuesdays-Saturdays, 10am-4pm This exhibit shows that science can be both fun and, well, kinda gross. Exhibits like what blood is made of, how loud a burp is and how to identify animals by their, ahem, waste is part of the fun. General admission is $8 per person, $28 for a family of four. For more info, mydiscoverycenter.org

THROUGH MAY 21

Big & Bold

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

Tues-Sat; 10am-5pm; Sunday 12pm-5pm

The museum goes big with large pieces of art in this collection, including historical, modern and contemporary art pieces. Works include a 10’ x 4’ painting by Valenkamph and Snyder’s “Florida Pink Ignition,” which is almost 7’ x 7’. Admission is $10 for adults, $8 for seniors and $5 for youths. For more info, appletonmuseum.org

THROUGH MAY 25

Revolutionized Textile & Fiber

Mary Sue Rich Community Center at Reed Place, 1821 NW 21st Ave., Ocala

Daily when center is open Artist Ingrid Humphrey, a native Floridian, displays her handmade dolls and tapestries, which portray the sisterhood of women of color all over the world. Free to the public. For more info, ocalafl.org/artincityspaces

THROUGH JUNE 9

Blessed Be the Birds

City of Ocala Clerk’s Office, 110 SE Watula Ave., Ocala Mon-Fri; 8am-5pm

Part of the Art in City Spaces program, Courtney Kravig-McGuire is a local artist with a special

interest in showing the connection between nature and spirituality in her works. Her medium of choice is printmaking. Visit ocalafl.org/ artincityspaces

THROUGH JUNE 17

“Secrets” Art Show Opening

South State Bank, 1632 E. Silver Springs Blvd., Ocala

Daily during business hours

Abstract artist Kayla Moffatt takes over the second floor community gallery space of the bank. Moffatt’s technique includes writing a secret on the canvas before painting then using color and marking to connect with viewers. Her paintings are large, colorful and evocative. The reception on April 7 is 5:30 pm and includes light refreshments. See kaylamoffattart.com for more info.

THROUGH JUNE 18

Paper Thin & Shadow Deep Appleton Museum of Art, 4333 E. Silver Springs Blvd., Ocala

Tues-Sat; 10am-5pm; Sunday 12pm-5pm

The artworks from Hiromi Mizugai Moneyhun are three-dimensional cut paper pieces that feel both lighthearted and alive. Moneyhun’s style combines traditional Japanese art forms along with modern elements from today’s Japan. Admission is $10 for adults, $8 for seniors and $5 for youths. For more info, appletonmuseum.org

THROUGH JUNE 20

Aerial Dream Views of Land and Sea

Ocala International Airport, 1770 SW 60th Ave., Ocala

Airport hours

Part of the Art in City Spaces program, local artist Maggie Weakley shares her ocean-themed collection. Her “Water Collection” is comprised of multiple painting techniques, including acrylics, spray paints, glitter, mica powder, plaster and more. Free to the public. Visit ocalafl.org/ artincityspaces and maggieweakley.com

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE FIFTH

JUDICIAL CIRCUIT in and for MARION county, FLORIDA

DENNIS M. ROSATTO,individually

Plaintiff, v. DOUGLAS FORNESS

individually; UNKNOWN TENANT 1, Individually; and UNKNOWN TENANT 2, Individually, Defendants. /

TO: DOUGLAS FORNESS whose last known address is 820 Waikiki Dr, Merrit Island, FL 32953;and who is evading service of process and the unknown defendants who may be spouses, heirs, devisees, grantees, assignees, lienors, creditors, trustees, and all parties claiming an interest by, through, under or against the Defendant(s) who are not known to be dead or alive, and all parties having or claiming to have any right, title or interest in the property described in the mortgage being foreclosed herein.

YOU ARE HEREBY NOTIFIED that an action to FORECLOSE A MORTGAGE on the following property in Marion County, Florida:

The South 80 feet of the North 759.67 feet of the East 112.5 feet of the West 1372.50 feet of the South 1/2 of the Northwest 1/4, Section 35, Township 14 South, Range 24 East.

Being Lot# 295 of an unrecorded

subdivision.

And The South 80 feet of the North 759.67 feet of the East 112.5 feet of the West 1260.00 feet of the North 1/2 of the Southwest 1/4, Section 35, Township 14 South, Range 24 East.

Being Lot# 244 of an unrecorded subdivision. has been filed against you and you are required to serve a copy of your written defense, if any, on BRICE S.

SHRADER II, ESQ., Plaintiff’s attorney, whose address is 1085 W. Morse Blvd, Ste 210, Winter Park, FL 32789, no later than 30 days from the date of the first publication of this Notice of Action and file the original with the Clerk of this Court either before service on Plaintiff’s attorney or immediately thereafter, otherwise, a default will be entered against you for the relief demanded in the complaint or petition filed herein.

WITNESS my hand and the seal of this Court at Marion County, Florida this 28th day of April, 2023.

GERGORY C. HARRELL CLERK OF THE CIRCUIT COURT

BY: N Hernandez DEPUTY CLERK PUBLISH IN: OCALA GAZETTE

THIS NOTICE SHALL BE PUBLISHED

ONCE A WEEK FOR TWO (2)

CONSECUTIVE WEEKS. May 5, 2023 and May 12, 2023

If you are a person with a disability who needs any accommodation in order to participate in this proceeding, you are entitled, at no cost to you, to the provision of certain assistance. Please contact the ADA Coordinator at the office of the Trial Court Administrator, Marion County Judicial Center, 110 NW First Avenue, Ocala, Florida 34475, Telephone (352) 401-6710, at least 7 days before your scheduled court appearance, or immediately upon receiving this notification if the time before the scheduled appearance is less than 7 days; if you are hearing or voice impaired, call 711.

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE FIFTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT, IN AND FOR MARION COUNTY, FLORIDA. IN RE: THE ESTATE OF VINCENT JOHN KARASKO, Deceased. CASE NO: 2023-CP-1035 NOTICE

with the court ON OR BEFORE THE LATER OF A DATE THAT IS 3 MONTHS AFTER THE DATE OF THE FIRST PUBLICATION OF THIS NOTICE OR 30 DAYS AFTER YOU RECEIVE A COPY OF THIS NOTICE. All other creditors of the decedent and other persons who have claims or demands against the decedent’s estate, including unmatured, contingent or unliquidated claims, must file their claims with the court WITHIN 3 MONTHS AFTER THE DATE OF THE FIRST PUBLICATION OF THIS NOTICE. ALL CLAIMS NOT SO FILED WILL BE FOREVER BARRED.

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE EIGHTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT IN ALACHUA COUNTY FL CASE No. 2012-DR-4561 Gurpreet Sidhu Petitioner, and Puneet Thind, Respondent NOTICE OF ACTION FOR Supplimental Petition to modify TO- Puneet Thind, 4628 NE 60Ter, Silver Springs FL 34488 YOU ARE NOTIFIED that an action for modification of child custody has been filed against you and that you are required to serve a copy of your written defenses, if any, to Gurpreet Sidhu whose address is 4628 NE 60 ter Silver springs FL 34488 on or before 05/17/2023 and file the original with the clerk of court. If you fail to do so, a default maybe entered against you for the relief demanded in the petition. Copies of all the court documents in this case, including orders, are available at the clerk of the circuit court's office. You must keep Clerk of circuit court's office notified of current address(you may file designation of current mailing or email address. Future paper in this lawsuit will be mailed or emailed to the addresses on record at clerks office. Warning: Rule 12.285, FL Family law rules of Procedure, requires certain automatic disclosure of documents and information. Failure to comply can result in sanctions including dismissal or striking of pleadings.

Dated - April 11, 2023 J.K. "Jess" Irby, Esq. Clerk of court By:/s/ Deputy Clerk 8652585

Ocala Community Credit Union has announced the promotion of Mayra Lorenzo from accountant/compliance assistant to accounting/ compliance officer.

Lorenzo has served as bookkeeper/back office, senior teller/ MSR and teller. She began her career with Ocala Community Credit Union in 2018. In 2022, she received her Bank Secrecy Act Specialist Certification (BSACS), In 2021, she received a certificate in accounting with honors from Rasmussen University and AAP certification.

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR MARION COUNTY, FLORIDA

IN RE: ESTATE OF DONNA LYNN BORGIONI

PROBATE DIVISION

File No. 2023-CP-548 Division Probate Deceased. NOTICE TO CREDITORS

The administration of the estate of Donna Lynn Borgioni, deceased, whose date of death was November 15, 2022, is pending in the Circuit Court for Marion County, Florida, Probate Division, the address of which is 110 NW 1st Avenue #1, Ocala, Florida 34475. The names and

3 MONTHS AFTER THE DATE OF THE FIRST PUBLICATION OF THIS NOTICE.

Sudoku

ANSWERS FOR PAGE B4

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When their son began to learn addition, his proud parents thought it was -“AWE’SUM”

Belleview blanks Vanguard for district baseball title

Rattlers beat Knights behind Skinner’s arm and bat

By Mark Pinson Special to The Ocala Gazette

Belleview senior Aaron Skinner allowed two hits in 6 2/3 innings of superb pitching and homered in a four-run first inning to pace the Rattlers to a 15-0 win over Vanguard in the Class 5A-District 6 championship game on May 4.

The surprisingly one-sided win improved Belleview to 12-14 on the season, avenged a regular season defeat to Vanguard and earned the Rattlers a game in the first round of the state playoffs.

“It’s been an up and down season and it feels good to be district champions,” said Rattlers second-year coach Jared Moseley. “These guys came together the last couple of weeks and turned it on. We swung the bats tonight and Aaron did an outstanding job of locating his pitches and I know he would have liked to finish the game, but his pitch count was getting up there. We have to continue to pitch well and execute if we want to be successful in the playoffs.”

The disappointing loss dropped Vanguard, the No. 1 seed in the district tournament, to 16-9 overall. The Knights’ chances for qualifying for the postseason don’t look promising.

“The scoreboard pretty much tells it all,” said Vanguard coach Scott Schaub. “We played pretty good baseball all season long but when it gets this time of the season, everybody is 0-0 and records don’t matter anymore. We gave up that fourspot in the first inning and struggled to compete the rest of the game. It is what it is, and it doesn’t look good for us making the playoffs, but I’m proud of this bunch and I’m proud of the seniors. I have a great group of kids. They do things the right

way and I’m super proud of the way they handled themselves.”

Belleview, the No. 2 seed, came out swinging in the top of the first inning as Skinner belted a one-out solo home run over the left-field fence, Brian Reynolds smacked an RBI single and Mitchell Campbell laced a two-run double to give the Rattlers a 4-0 lead.

Skinner breezed through the Vanguard lineup, as the right-hander retired eight of the first nine batters.

Belleview added to its lead in the top of the fourth inning as Johansel McGovern lined an RBI single and Sam Plano plated a pair of runs with a single to left field to give the Rattlers a commanding 7-0 lead.

Skinner, fired up by the offensive support, struck out the side in the bottom of the frame and had a no-hitter through five innings of play.

Belleview, which banged out 12 hits, tacked on a pair of runs in the top of the sixth inning as Reynolds drilled a two-run double to right-center field to make it 9-0.

Vanguard finally broke up Skinner’s no-hit bid in the bottom of the frame on a clean single to center field by Jake Wells. Skinner retired the next two hitters to keep the Knights off the scoreboard.

Belleview wasn’t through scoring and erupted for six runs in the top of the seventh inning to take a 15-0 lead.

Vanguard’s Guillermo Martinez lined a one-out single off Skinner in the bottom of the inning, but was stranded on first base when Skinner, who had eight strikeouts, whiffed the next batter for the second out.

With Skinner’s pitch count mounting, Plano came on in relief and struck out the only batter he faced to seal the district championship for the Rattlers.

Photos By Bruce Ackerman Ocala Gazette

“It’s been an up and down season and it feels good to be district champions.”

Jared Moseley Belleview coach

Belleview’s Aaron Skinner (4) throws a pitch against Vanguard during the championship game at Vanguard High School in Ocala on Thursday, May 4, 2023.

Belleview’s Brian Reynolds (26) slides safely back to first base as Vanguard’s Clay Thompson (16) looks for the out.

Belleview’s Clayton Evans (2) makes it safely back to second base as Vanguard’s Bobby Blanco (6) waits on the late throw.

Belleview’s Johansel McGovern (7) rows his way back to the dugout with the paddle as the Belleview dugout celebrates another run on Vanguard.

North Marion tops Nature Coast Tech Colts score on error to win regional quarterfinal.

By Mark Pinson

Special to The Ocala Gazette

North Marion’s Tucker Jones scored the game’s only run on a two-out throwing error by the Nature Coast second baseman, and senior hurlers Karson Lindsey and Hunter Jones combined on a two-hit shutout, as the Colts eased past the Sharks by a score of 1-0 in the Class 4A-Region 2 quarterfinal on May 9.

Nature Coast Tech (Brooksville), which was the eighth seed, ends the season with a record of 15-10-1.

The hard-fought win improved North Marion, the top seed, to an impressive 23-5 overall. The Colts will host Hernando on Friday, May 12 in a regional semifinal.

“I couldn’t be happier with the performance of Karson Lindsey tonight,” said North Marion coach Dale Hall. “He’s a competitor and got himself out of a lot of tough situations. I thought he pitched well but they had some good at-bats against him and were able to get some guys on. But he stepped up to the moment and made some big pitches when he needed to. We could have sent Karson back out there, but I thought bringing in Hunter was the best opportunity to win a ball game. I’m extremely happy with the play of Bobby Gottuso behind home plate, he had a lot of good blocks in key situations. Hernando is a talented ball club and we’ve got two days of preparation to get ready for Friday night.”

Neither team could muster any kind of offense as Lindsey, a crafty left-hander with a good curveball that he used to record 10 strikeouts, escaped a jam in the top of the second inning when Nature Coast had runners

BOYS’ VOLLEYBALL SCORES

on first and second base and no outs. But Lindsey struck out two batters and picked a pinch-runner off first base to end the threat by the Sharks.

North Marion, which managed only two hits, struggled against Nature Coast senior left-hander Gavin McMurdo, who also utilized a wicked curveball to keep the Colts’ hitters off-balance.

The Sharks wasted a leadoff double in the top of the fifth inning by Dylan Palmer as Lindsey, a Georgia State commit, bore down to strike out three of the next four batters to keep the game scoreless.

In the bottom of the frame, McMurdo hit Tucker Jones and Troy Guynn with one out. A tailor-made, doubleplay ground ball was hit to the Sharks’ shortstop who flipped to second for the force out, but a wild throw allowed Jones to score from second base to give the Colts a tenuous 1-0 lead.

Nature Coast, which had four hits, went down in order in the top of the sixth inning as Lindsey finished his night’s work with a pair of strikeouts.

Jones, a University of Florida commit, came on in relief in the top of the seventh inning. The hard-throwing right-hander induced a pair of weak ground ball outs and recorded a strikeout to seal the victory for the Colts.

North Marion, which qualified for the state Final Four in 2021, but missed the playoffs last year, is focused on making the most of this postseason opportunity.

“This has been a good bounce-back season for us,” coach Hall said. “We’ve swung it well this year and played some great baseball. But in the playoffs, you have to pitch it, play defense and get some timely hits.”

SOFTBALL SCORES

Gazette] 2023.

North Marion’s Jake Tompkins (19) slides safely back to first base as Nature Coast Tech’s Joe Rozsa (33) looks for the out during the 4A regional quarterfinal at North Marion High School in Citra on Tuesday, May 9, 2023.

Photos By Bruce Ackerman Ocala Gazette

North Marion’s Karson Lindsey (23) and Jake Tompkins (19) leap in the air as they celebrate their win over Nature Coast Tech.

Nature Coast Tech’s Dylan Palmer (25) makes it safely back to second base as North Marion’s Cooper Jones (1) looks for the out.

“This has been a good bounce-back season for us.”

Dale Hall North Marion coach