Ocala Gazette | June 2 - June 8, 2023

U.S. News rankings in for OcalaMarion metro

By Jennifer Hunt Murty jennifer@ocalagazette.com

Last month, “U.S. News & World Report” released its anxiously awaited 2023-2024 Best Places to Live List. These coveted rankings have been touted for years by economic development organizations nationwide as a marker for how attractive their communities are to live, work and play.

Locally, the Ocala-Marion County Chamber & Economic Partnership and elected officials have used the metro area’s positive rankings in the various categories over the years as selling points to business prospects and potential homebuyers.

The results this year, however, are a mixed bag for our region.

Of the 150 metro areas in the U.S. News’ Best Place to Live rankings, Ocala has climbed to No. 67 for 202324 after dropping from No. 58 in 202122 all the way to No. 91 in 2022-23.

Since last year, the area has slid from the sixth Fastest Growing Metro category to the seventh.

In the Best Place to Retire category, the region has slid from No. 6 in 20212022 to the No. 16 spot for the past two-year lists.

However, one key category—the Safest Place to Live—illustrates a significant problem with how U.S. News receives the data it then uses to create its lists.

U.S. News creates its rankings by using data from several sources, including the U.S. Census Bureau, the FBI, the U.S. Department of Labor as well as the magazine’s own internal resources. The data is then categorized into five indexes and evaluated using a methodology determined by Americans’ preferences, according to the U.S. News website.

According to the U.S. News website, the percent weighting for each index follows the answers from a March 2023 public survey in which people from across the country voted for what they believed was the most important factor to consider when choosing where to live.

In the 2022-2023 list, Ocala slid from No. 4 to No. 10 in the Safest Place category, where we remain for a second year. This important ranking, however, must be viewed with some skepticism because of changes in how Florida now collects crime statistics.

Since 1930, the FBI has relied on its Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program to generate reliable statistics for use in law enforcement. According to the agency’s website, the FBI has historically collected data from “more than 18,000 city, university and college, county, state, tribal, and federal law enforcement agencies” that

See

Reimagining Reddick

Local couple spearheading efforts to return town to previous glory, one building at a time.

By Rosemarie Dowell rosemarie@ocalagazette.com

Acouple who painstakingly restored their family’s centuryold Reddick homestead to its original glory was so inspired by the process they have created a foundation with ambitious plans to renovate other historic buildings throughout the rural enclave as well.

Reuben Aiton, with support and direction from his wife, Tina, spent more than six months lovingly renovating the

Northwest Gainesville Road farmhouse, which his grandparents, Jobe “J.K.” and Francis “Frankie” Aiton, moved into following their 1935 marriage.

Their labor of love fueled a vision to rejuvenate the area both visually and economically, ultimately leading to the formation last year of the Reddick Preservation and Growth Foundation, a nonprofit 501(c)(3) corporation.

“After basically living there for six months and putting my heart and soul into it, it’s really ignited a desire in me to see Reddick turn around,’’ said Aiton,

Making the grade

a former chemical engineer turned life coach, author and motivational speaker, whose roots in Reddick go back to the 1880s. “Tina and I want to bring other buildings and structures back to life.”

Overall, the duo aspires to renovate or restore up to 30 historic buildings or structures in town, including the circa 1880s Reddick Presbyterian Church, which was shuttered in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The church never reopened, and late last year the foundation purchased the property.

See Reddick, page A2

First appointed school superintendent scores high in initial school board evaluation.

By Lauren Morrish lauren@ocalagazette.com

In 2020, Dr. Diane Gullett made local history by becoming the first person in more than 150 years to be appointed, not elected, to oversee Marion County public schools. She recently added another milestone to her credentials: the first school superintendent in the county to receive a public evaluation.

Gullett, in the third and final year of her first contract with Marion County Public Schools (MCPS), received a cumulative score of 3.32 out of 4 from the Marion County School Board during its May 25 work session. The scores were accompanied by praise from members about Gullett’s leadership skills along with acknowledging there is more work to be done to improve the district.

Each board member summarized the reasoning behind their scores and discussed them with Gullett before the session. With all five board members’ scores integrated, the cumulative score of 3.32 placed Gullett above an “effective” rating in her evaluation, noting her ability to produce high-quality work for

the schools, students, and staff within Marion County.

“It’s been an honor to serve Marion County Public Schools as its first appointed superintendent,’’ Gullett read in a prepared statement. “The role has required leading a new governance model for the district, creating systems to recognize the need for continuous improvement and re-engage in the community as partners in our work to serve each and every student.”

The evaluation included the five goals outlined in the MCPS’ Achieve 2026 Five-Year Strategic Plan and an additional goal intended to evaluate professionalism. These six areas were valued to determine competency:

Goal 1 is student success, which aims to increase achievement, access, and opportunities for students in the district.

Goal 2 is to create a safe, supportive and positive learning and working environment for students and staff.

Goal 3 is to improve talent management, striving to ensure diverse surroundings and staff in schools.

Goal 4 is better fiscal and operational efficiency, ensuring resources adapt and align with the district’s strategic plan.

Goal 5 of improving community engagement and communications works to form partnerships, furthering productivity and collaboration.

Goal 6, as outlined in the evaluation, requires the superintendent to represent the district positively and to demonstrate

Clockwise from above: The historic Reddick Presbyterian Church, circa 1887, is shown in Reddick on Friday, May 26, 2023. The Aiton family, from left, Reuben, Tina, Eric and River look over the inside of the historic Reddick Presbyterian Church, which they have purchased and plan to restore through their Reddick Preservation and Growth Foundation non-profit in Reddick on Tuesday, May 30, 2023. Like they were frozen in time, choir robes are shown hanging on a rack. The Aiton family, from left, Reuben, Eric, River, 15, and Tina, look behind a curtain behind the Altar. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette] 2023.

File photo: Dr. Diane Gullett, the Superintendent of Marion County Public Schools, during a meeting of the Marion County Public School Board in Ocala on Tuesday, March 28, 2023. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette] 2023.

But glitchy crime statistics may not provide a clear picture this time around.

Reddick restoration

Each building renovated will have a specific use in mind and an economic model that will generate more funds for the foundation. Think retail or coffee shop, eatery, charming antique store, salon or another Airbnb. The monies will be used to further drive preservation and growth projects in the area.

“We would love to preserve the old history of Reddick,” said Aiton. “It was a booming little town, always quaint and small, and it always had a good quality of people. It’s really sad to see so many of its buildings going into a state of dilapidation.”

Reddick’s newly elected Mayor John Vetter likes the Aitons’ vision and supports improvements to the town, known for its streets lined with grandfather oaks and laidback character.

“The press was to serve the governed, not the governors.”

- U.S. Supreme Court Justice Hugo Black in New York Times Co. v. United States (1971)

Publisher Jennifer Hunt Murty jennifer@ocalagazette.com

Continued from page A1

The sanctuary has major structural and foundation issues and was on the Florida Trust for Historic Preservation’s Florida’s 2021 11 to Save list.

“We want the church to become the heartbeat of the community like it was when it was first built,” said Aiton. “We feel like God said, ‘Go for it.’ It may be more the energy that it creates that makes it a key piece of the restoring of Reddick.”

Jimmy Stroup, who just completed a 30-year stint as mayor of Reddick (his late father Noland Jefferson “Jeff” Stroup also served as mayor) said he supports the Aitons and their efforts.

“I think it’s a great idea,” said Stroup, 82, a lifelong resident of the area whose wife, Marjorie Stroup, is the longtime city clerk. “As for the church, it’s a historic building and it’s going to be costly, but it would be great to see it restored.”

In the Beginning Reuben Aiton’s ties to the community go back roughly 140 years. His great-grandparents Steven and Willie Fridy arrived in the area around the time the plat for the town of Reddick was drawn out in 1882. His other great-grandparents John W. Sr. and Caroline Aiton arrived in the early 1920s.

Coincidentally, the Stroup’s home, not far from the Presbyterian church, was built by Reuben Aiton’s great-uncle Clyde Fridy.

As for the renovated farmhouse, John. W. Aiton and his sons Jobe “J.K.” and William “Bush” built the one-story home in the mid-1920s, using material they salvaged from the town’s first schoolhouse, which once stood on the property.

“After it was built, Florida Power and Light came into town and rented it out for several years before my grandparents moved in after marrying,” said Reuben, who has two children, Eric and River, with Tina. The family lives on a farm near Greenville, South Carolina.

In 2020, Reuben and Tina purchased the home from Rueben’s parents Steve and Delana Aiton, also of South Carolina, who had inherited the property in 1987 but could no longer take care of it. The renovated home is currently an Airbnb - when the family is not in town visiting.

“Reddick has the spirit of my family in it,” said Aiton, who serves as director of all mentoring programs and mentor certification at Life Changing Services, an addiction recovery company in Utah. “I grew up often going there for visits throughout my childhood and fell in love with the house and area again.”

Forgotten by time

Settled by Ulric and Sarah Reddick and their three sons Samuel, John and George, who moved to the area between 1850 and 1860, Reddick was once a bustling, vibrant community, especially after it became a railroad stop between Gainesville and Ocala

in the 1880s.

Agriculture was king and the railroad provided a quick way for vegetables to be shipped up north. Reddick grew, and prosperity reigned; there was a hotel, stores, schools, churches and an increasing population.

However, over the past 60 years or so, like so many other small towns in the Sunshine State, Reddick has been seemingly forgotten by time and progress, with little to no growth and a multitude of homes and buildings falling into disrepair.

The Aitons hope to change that, beginning with the tiny Presbyterian church.

Constructed in 1887 by members of the congregation and townsfolk, including some of Reuben’s ancestors, the beloved local landmark sits on a corner lot on Northwest 42nd Terrace, one block off Northwest Gainesville Road, the town’s main roadway.

Extensive repairs to the 900-plus-square-foot building, bought for just $55,000 due to its state of disrepair, along with the renovation of the fellowship hall, built in 1950, and improvements to the grounds and landscaping, will likely cost around $500,000.

The couple plan to transform the church into the Still Waters Chapel, a financially self-sustaining venue for public and private events, including weddings and other social gatherings.

“It might not be economically practical, but it is salvageable,” said Aiton of the church. “The church was built by a lot of my family, and we will find a way for it to thrive with a successful business model in mind.”

Renovations to the church have not started yet, but once they are completed, the duo plan to offer free visiting hours for those desiring a sacred place to pray and feel closer to God, said Aiton. The couple is seeking donations from individuals and organizations for the church’s restoration.

Hopes for a town revival

The funds generated by the chapel, along with any other donations made to the foundation, will be used to purchase and renovate other structures in town.

“Reddick needs a good overhaul; something needs to be done,” said Vetter, a New York native who moved to the area four years ago from St. Petersburg. “Make it so when you drive through town you would want to move here.

Meanwhile, the foundation would also like to acquire the vacant and decaying The Reddick State Bank, just one street over from the church, as well as the old town jail, said Aiton. The two buildings are the only remaining structures from Reddick’s early days; most of them burned down after a fire swept through during the Great Depression, according to Stroup.

The Aitons would also like to build a replica of the town’s old train depot, which was located across from the bank, and was moved to McIntosh in the early 1980s.

“We’d like to turn the bank into a museum, honoring Reddick’s past,” said Aiton. The Town of Reddick owns the bank and Stroup said he is not sure the foundation will be able to acquire it but liked the idea of a museum.

In the meantime, the Aitons have also purchased the property adjacent to their farmhouse and would like to buy the building across Northwest Gainesville Road, a former circa 1920 Ford dealership.

As for the future, Aiton sees momentum growing with his neighbors. Several of them cleaned up their properties following the renovation of his family’s homestead.

“Our place was the first place in years to have an investment put into it,” he said. “And now our neighbors are joining in, too.”

He hopes others in town will share in his and Tina’s enthusiasm to invigorate the town and breathe life back into it.

“I think once people see how committed we are and some results, they’ll come on board,” he said. “That’s the key.”

Those interested in helping with the preservation and restoration of the Reddick Presbyterian Church or other preservation and restoration projects of the foundation can contact Reuben Aiton, president of the foundation, at (630) 636-1013 or by email at Aiton0108@gmail.com.

All donations to the foundation are tax deductible.

Evelyn Anderson Account Executive evelyn@magnoliamediaco.com

Bruce Ackerman Photography Editor bruce@ocalagazette.com

Allen Barney Reporter allen@ocalagazette.com

Rosemarie Dowell Reporter rosemarie@ocalagazette.com

Ron Eddy Account Executive ron@magnoliamediaco.com

Andy Fillmore Reporter andy@ocalagazette.com

Julie Garisto Reporter julie@magnoliamediaco.com

Greg Hamilton Editor greg@magnoliamediaco.com

Susan Smiley-Height Editor susan@magnoliamediaco.com

Belea Keeney Reporter belea@magnoliamediaco.com

Lauren Morrish Reporter lauren@ocalagazette.com

Cheryl Specht Client Services Guru cheryl@magnoliamediaco.com

Amy Harbert Graphic Designer amy@magnoliamediaco.com

News tips tips@ocalagazette.com

Distribution Inquiries info@ocalagazette.com

Follow us @ocalagazette

Our mission is to inform and uplift our readers by reporting on the events, issues and stories that shape Ocala with accuracy, fairness and passion. We also strive to serve as a forum where all voices can be heard and to chronicle our community’s history. ocalagazette.com

©2023 Ocala Gazette, LLC

Ocala Gazette (USPS# 25590) (ISSN 2771-1595) is published weekly by Magnolia Media Company, LLC, 1900 SE 18TH AVE STE 200, Ocala, FL 34471-8235. Periodicals postage paid at Ocala, FL. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: Ocala Gazette, PO Box 188, Ocala, FL 34471.

Share your news

The Ocala Gazette invites you to share your important news events with the community. Email your submissions to info@ocalagazette.com. Please include your name and contact information on the submission.

• Letters to the editor: 200 words or less.

Honorable Mentions: 150 words or less about an individual or organization accomplishment in the business, education, community service, athletics or other area of endeavor. Attach a photo of the individual or group being honored, if available.

Upcoming events: Are you holding a charitable or community event that is open to the public? Include the organization hosting the event as well as the time, date and a brief description of the event, along with registration information or other important instructions.

• News tips: Include whatever information you consider relevant.

The restored dining room in the Aiton family home is shown in Reddick on Tuesday, May 30, 2023. The family has purchased the historic Reddick Presbyterian Church, which they plan to restore through their Reddick Preservation and Growth Foundation non-profit. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette] 2023.

OPINION

Law enforcement’s flawed social media policy hurts juveniles more than it helps

By Ocala Gazette Editorial Board

In 1994, when Florida legislators made an exception to the privacy of juvenile records if the minor was accused of committing a felony, the internet was in its infancy and social media was barely a programmer’s dream. It’s fair to say the legislators’ deliberations did not envision a day when local law enforcement agencies would have, in effect, their own unbridled online broadcast platforms.

During that same 1994 legislative session, the lawmakers created a new agency, the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice, or DJJ, which is responsible for managing the juvenile justice system.

The new DJJ shared with its federal counterpart an intent to address juvenile crime with evidence-based programs to map out paths so that youths entering the justice system have the best chance possible of successfully rejoining society. That road map includes suggestions to agencies, based on evidence-based studies, that factor in the youth’s community of teachers, family, friends and neighbors.

The studies underpinning this approach include peer-reviewed research that reached some fairly common-sense conclusions: For example, kids who return to crime-ridden neighborhoods are more likely to get in trouble again, and kids with jobs are less likely to get caught up in crime.

The insistence on a collaborative approach among the agencies participating in the process ensures that methods established by data-driven evidence are used. This unified response aimed at the youth’s reentry into the community requires all involved to “think exit at entry” into the system, according to Youth.gov, a federal government website aimed at creating effective youth programs.

Fast forward to present-day Marion County, where local law enforcement agencies, without the support of any agency aimed at actually helping troubled kids and ignoring years of research into juvenile crime, continue a practice of digitally shooting first and asking questions later.

The agencies, led by the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, continue to post certain minors’ arrest photos and their names to their social media outlets within 24 hours of their arrest. MCSO and the Ocala Police Department are utilizing public records available to any citizen and placing the information on their online platforms, where they have built up a significant audience on the taxpayers’ dime.

How do they choose which of the approximately 1,000 annual arrest photos of juveniles to post? We don’t know; if there is a formula, the agencies won’t share it. Thousands of mug shots haven’t been shared over the past few years. How did those youths get a pass from the online firing squad?

Is the answer that they are only showing photos of minors who are being charged as adults or who are considered a public threat? The short answer is no, because these postings have been made shortly after the teen’s arrest and well before the state attorney’s office has made that charging decision.

For example, of the 16 juveniles

whose arrest photos the MCSO has posted on social media since January 2022, some of youths as young as 13 and 14, only six subsequently have been formally charged as adults.

The most recent post by the MCSO earlier this month was that of a 14-yearold boy who allegedly used his BB gun to shoot his dog and posted a video of the attack to social media. The sheriff reported that the dog survived and received medical attention. Meanwhile, the boy was arrested on a charge of aggravated animal cruelty, and his arrest photo was posted.

Over 1,400 people weighed in on the arrest report on the MCSO Facebook site, overwhelmingly condemning the boy and his alleged actions. Many of the commenters said, in their opinion, the boy’s eyes in the photo showed no remorse for his alleged actions. Some even suggested that the sheriff may have successfully thwarted a future mass murderer. In what amounted to a social media lynch mob, the commenters angrily screamed through their keyboards all sorts of severe punishments they thought the boy should face.

Not all of the commenters followed the same thinking. One writer who claimed to know the boy’s family wrote that the boy and his siblings were following in the footsteps of their mother, who is incarcerated, and blamed their father for not doing a good enough job of parenting. The sister of the arrested boy said she needed to go on the MCSO Facebook page and defend her honor and that of her father, while insisting she would never turn out like her mother or act like her sibling.

The animal rights group PETA even weighed in, sending a letter encouraging the Marion County Public School district to teach kids not to be aggressive toward animals. Good advice, but off point here because the boy was not enrolled in a public school.

To be sure, we’re in no way condoning the abuse of animals under any circumstances. Even a cursory search online for “children who hurt animals” will reveal studies linking this dangerous behavior to even worse outcomes and experiences. For example, sometimes children will hurt animals after suffering trauma or abuse themselves.

In a written statement, the MCSO has defended its decision to post arrest photos of juveniles.

“We believe that parents deserve to know who their kids are hanging out with. Many parents know their children’s friends and acquaintances by sight but may not know their names. We hope that parents who see these posts on our Facebook page can use the information to help their kids make good choices about the people with whom they are associating. If one of their friends shows up here as having committed a serious crime, we hope that parents encourage their children to make that person a ‘former friend,’” they wrote.

The OPD did not respond to the “Gazette’s” inquiry.

The sheriff’s office could not point to any peer-reviewed research showing the impacts of law enforcement agencies posting juvenile arrest information on social media. There are, however, a multitude of peer-reviewed studies that have found that communicating to the

community that a youth is unredeemable is detrimental to efforts to rehabilitate them.

For instance, a 2006 study published in the “Journal of Loss & Trauma” found that peer rejection during adolescence is itself a traumatic event. Additionally, a study by Purdue University in 2011 published in “Science Daily” said that if the one being ostracized feels like there is little hope for reinclusion or that they have little control over their lives, they may “resort to provocative behavior and even aggression.”

“At some point, they stop worrying about being liked, and they just want to be noticed,” said Kipling D. Williams, a professor of psychological sciences involved with the study.

If the MCSO insists that publicly shunning these teens is the right approach, doesn’t the agency have a responsibility to follow up on these cases and tell the community whether the juvenile has been successfully rehabilitated?

Also, as a community, we need to ask ourselves how productive it is to pile on with comments against the accused, particularly one who is only 14.

We pointed out to the MCSO the lack of decorum in the public’s response to the post about the 14-year-old and asked if they would, at minimum, restrict comments on future similar posts. That way, when the accused teen or their family did read the sheriff’s post, they wouldn’t have to contemplate the sometimes insensitive comments from thousands of neighbors.

We received no response.

So, we bring it back to the community. How can we do better?

Imagine that boy is standing before you. Would you tell him his eyes are empty and unremorseful? Would you share a prediction for his violent future? Would you tell him his parents are bad? Would you throw him away?

Or would you ask him why?

Our juvenile justice system isn’t perfect but, thankfully, it includes people who investigate the why. And then, when no remediation is available, we have prosecutors and judges who issue judgments after knowing all the facts.

Let’s call it the civilized approach. And let our sensible actions speak louder than the ugly, and unhelpful, online hatred.

Kiss the Horse campaign raises $17K+ for Marion County Literacy Council

By Susan Smiley-Height susan@magnoliamediaco.com

Wesley, the Marion Therapeutic Riding Association’s (MTRA) 2022 Horse of the Year, got more than one smooch at the culmination of the Marion Literacy Council Inc.’s (MCLC) annual Kiss the Horse fundraiser.

The 13th annual Kiss the Horse Winner’s Circle event took place Thursday, May 25, at The Juniper General Store on Highway 27 just west of Ocala. The winning team was the council’s own Youth Board, whose members are Alex Rudnianyn, Madi Dixon, Candice Martin, Emma Joyner, Daisy Jones and Kaylie Saez.

The Youth Board members raised $6,200 for this year’s campaign and have raised $60,000 for the MCLC over the past five years.

The other fundraising candidates were Alan Keesee, Chief Executive Officer of HCA Florida Ocala Hospital; Samantha Dailey, Showcase

GRAHAM’S LEGACY LIVES ON

Properties of Central Florida; and Leonardo Valdivieso-Torres and Mara Huston, USA Scientific.

Over the 10 days of the campaign, the candidates raised a total of $17,507 for the council. Ten percent of the proceeds were donated to the Marion Therapeutic Riding Association.

R.J. Jenkins, the volunteer executive director of the council, remarked on social media after the event: “Thank you to all of our contestants, sponsors, and donors! Without you we wouldn’t be able to continue to do what we do here at the Marion County Literacy Council, Inc.”

The nonprofit MCLC helps students learn to read, pass the GED test, and teaches English to speakers of other languages. The council also offers basic computer, citizenship, financial literacy and health literacy classes. To learn more, go to marionliteracy.org

The MTRA provides therapeutic horseback riding and equine assisted learning activities for children and adults living with physical, emotional and cognitive challenges. For more information, go to mtraocala.org

UPDATE ON THE SECOND DOWNTOWN PARKING GARAGE

In October of 2022, the City of Ocala purchased the property where Mt. Moriah Missionary Baptist Church is located on Southwest 3rd Avenue for $2 million with plans to build a second downtown parking garage.

The church is currently constructing new facilities and has an agreement with the city to vacate its old church by Sept. 2024.

The construction schedule of the parking garage will depend on when the city obtains possession of the property.

The city estimates the design and construction of the parking garage at $13M and will be funded with “a mix of Penny Sales Tax, General Fund, and American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds,” according to Ashley Dobbs, spokesperson for the city.

[Supplied]

Hundreds of community members gathered at Hilton Ocala on May 24 for the Chief Greg Graham Legacy Foundation luncheon. During the luncheon, the audience listened to a panel discussion about addressing local mental health needs and announced two grant awards of $15,000 each for His House for Her and Open Arms Village.

His House for Her supports women who have experienced substance abuse, domestic violence, and other trauma. Open Arms Village is an organization that serves single men in the homeless population, helping them regain stability and independence.

Through its annual grant program, the foundation supports nonprofit organizations that share the late Ocala Police Chief Graham’s commitment to improving the lives of individuals and families. Graham passed

away tragically while piloting a personal aircraft in 2020.

The grant recipients were chosen through a grant process, which was open to all nonprofit organizations in the Ocala community.

“We are thrilled to announce His House for Her and Open Arms Village as this year’s grant recipients,” said Angie Peters, board chair of the foundation. “Their commitment to their respective causes and the positive impact they have on our community aligns perfectly with Chief Graham’s values. We are confident that the grants awarded will further their mission and enable them to continue their exceptional work.”

For more information about the foundation and its grant program, visit chiefgreggrahamlegacyfoundation.org.

Photos By Bruce Ackerman Ocala Gazette

Wesley, a Quarter Horse, who was the Marion Therapeutic Riding Association’s 2022 Horse of the Year, munches on hay during the 13th annual Kiss The Horse at the Juniper General Store on U.S.

Right: R.J. Jenkins, the volunteer executive director of the Marion County Literacy Council, left, poses for photos with Wesley, as Jenna Rovira, right, of the Marion Therapeutic Riding Association, holds him.

The temperature is rising for Chef Yohann

Nearly eliminated, the WEC pastry chef returns for Episode 5 of the “Summer Baking Championship.”

all, he has maintained a steady fanbase with positive comments on Reddit. A writer from “Fansided,” a web-based TV publication, said she was relieved that he wasn’t eliminated on Episode 4 because he was one of her favorites.

Despite the more challenging moments, Le Bescond said he’s had a great time and learned a lot from the experience.

“The other competitors and I were friends since the first day, and it was really hard for me, specifically, to see people going home because you get attached really quick,” Le Bescond shared. “It’s like being at camp. You get very attached because you are living the same experience in a close environment. So, seeing someone leaving is always hard.”

Episode 4, on May 29, challenged the contestants to make a fruit cobbler, crumble or a clafoutis (pronounced clawfoot-ee) in less than an hour and a half.

admitted. “What they haven’t shown is that I actually redid my macarons three times and my buttercream twice. So, I did not give up. I tried and kept going and kept going.”

The judges praised the second dessert’s presentation and even the buttercream but were visibly dismayed by his gooey watermelon burst nestled inside the cream.

“I’m posting a macaron redemption video on my socials this week,” Le Bescond said with a laugh. “Macarons are something that I’ve been doing since I was 16 years old and I consider myself a master at it. But you know, it’s one of those things that you’ve done it forever and somehow it doesn’t work, and, also, I think the egg whites I used were not good.”

By Julie Garisto

The judges of the “Summer Baking Championship” came really close to eliminating an Ocala-based chef during its most recent showdown, but Yohann Le Bescond is still in the running.

The executive pastry chef at the World Equestrian Center is competing against eight chefs for a $25,000 grand prize on the reality competition series that airs Monday night at 9 p.m. on the Food Network cable channel.

If you don’t have cable, “The Summer

Baking Championship” — hosted by Jesse Palmer and judged by Duff Goldman, Carla Hall and Damaris Phillips — challenges trained pastry chefs to create desserts, often with disparate ingredients, with themes inspired by summertime activities. The series is now available with the Max streaming platform, formerly known as HBO Max, and a handful of live TV subscription platforms.

Le Bescond, who was born in Brittany, France, had a strong start when the first episode aired on May 15, but experienced some disappointing rounds during subsequent episodes. Through it

Le Bescond received a raspberry crumble as his challenge. His finished treat, elevated by ginger and citrus, appeared to be topped with a crispy crunch and looked attractive but the crumble wound up undercooked and doughy.

Watermelon bedeviled all of the contestants in the second round as the primary component and honey was Le Bescond’s assigned ingredient.

He sighed and said with a smile, “Let go and let God!”

The award-winning pastry chef added a salty Greek cheese to his buttercream center between two watermelon-stylized macarons. The watermelon-designed cookies presented problems and required repeated attempts.

“You learn from your mistakes and you push through,” Le Bescond

The cookie, however, does sometimes crumble in Chef Yohann’s favor. Le Bescond discovered that he made the Chef Power List for 2023, published by Restaurant Hospitality (RH), a major hospitality industry publication. Each year RH puts out a call to restaurants for nominations for the annual honors.

And let’s not forget, Le Bescond is still in it to win it. Episode 5’s challenge focuses on a beach-day drink trifle and an old-timey favorite, the cream pie.

Will the WEC chef rebound and triumph? Tune in to find out.

Follow Chef Yohann LeBescond at instagram.com/yohannlebescond and tune into the “Summer Baking Championship” on the Food Network on Monday nights at 9 p.m. The Food Network is available on Spectrum Ch. 59 or you can stream online with Max, Sling, Philo, Hulu with Live TV, Fubo, DirecTV Stream or YouTube TV (Youtube’s live platform; not available on Youtube.com, the free video channel).

Contestant Yohann Le Bescond, portrait, as seen on Summer Baking Championship, Season 1. [Rob Pryce]

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT IN THE FIFTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT IN AND FOR MARION COUNTY, FLORIDA.

IN RE: ESTATE OF ANNA ELIZABETH

ACIERNO, CASE NO. 2023-CP-1236

Deceased.

Molly statue to be unveiled

Sculptor Nilda

Comas has created a marble statue of the beloved canine Molly, the ambassador for the Marion County Animal Abuser Registry.

By Susan Smiley-Height susan@magnoliamediaco.com

Nilda Comas, an award-winning sculptor who recently was inducted into the Florida Artists Hall of Fame, spent hundreds of hours creating a magnificent white marble statue of Molly, the ambassador of the Marion County Animal Abuser Registry. The work of art will be unveiled during a ceremony beginning at 11 a.m. Wednesday, June 7, at the city of Ocala’s Citizen Service Center at 201 SE 3rd St., near the Downtown Market.

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

The name of the decedent, the designation of the court in which the administration of this estate is pending, and the file number are indicated above. The address of the court is 110 N.W. 1 st Avenue, Ocala, FL 34475. The names and addresses of the personal representative and the personal representative’s attorney are indicated below.

If you have been served with a copy of this notice and you have any claim or demand against the decedent’s estate, even if that claim is unmatured, contingent or unliquidated, you must file your claim 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. EVEN IF A CLAIM IS NOT BARRED BY THE LIMITATIONS DESCRIBED ABOVE, ALL CLAIMS WHICH HAVE NOT BEEN FILED WILL BE BARRED TWO YEARS AFTER DECEDENT’S DEATH. The date of death of the decedent is: April 28, 2023. The date of first publication of this Notice is Attorney for Personal Representative:

James L. Richard Richard & Moses, LLC Florida Bar No. 243477 808 E Fort King Street Ocala, FL 34471

While she was working on the statue at her studio in Pietrasanta, Italy, Comas, who also has a studio in Fort Lauderdale, could look out upon the Apuan Alps mountain range that extends between the Garfagnana, Versilia and Massa Carrara areas. The mountains are the home of Carrara marble, which has been transformed into art masterpieces by sculptors such as Michelangelo.

Works by Comas have been featured in solo and group exhibitions in numerous museums and galleries in the U.S. and abroad. She recently was chosen by the Florida Council on Arts and Culture to create a statue of Mary McLeod Bethune for the National Statuary Hall in the Capitol in Washington, D.C.

Comas is a frequent visitor to Ocala,

The

of

the designation of

in which the

of

where her brother Tito Comas, an artist and businessman, has lived for years. Nilda learned the story of Molly, a snow white mixed-breed canine who survived being beaten and stabbed in 2014. Her accused attacker spent time in prison and Molly became the ambassador of the Marion County Animal Abuser Registry, also known as Molly’s Law. After Lilly Baron, president of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) of Ocala, and Molly’s longtime human companion, found out about Nilda, a plan formed to commission a sculpture of Molly.

“Lilly told me what she was thinking about, and I got to meet Molly, who steals your heart,” Comas recalls. “I saw Molly several times and I accepted the commission. I measured her, took lots of pictures, and played with her. She would come and sit really close to me. She would look up and that was really nice, as I could see her eyes and her expression.”

“When Nilda met Molly, she loved her and what she represented,” Baron offers. “That’s what grabbed her, what she represented.”

An anonymous sponsor backed the commission and Comas announced in October 2021 in Ocala that she would be creating the sculpture of Molly.

Molly died of cancer, peacefully at home with Baron, on Feb. 22nd.

OCALAN SELECTED FOR LEADERSHIP PROGRAM

Comas said her studio in Italy was designed for marble working.

“I can see the marble quarries up in the mountains and it’s so beautiful and so inspiring. I see Michelangelo’s three caves and this piece of marble, Molly’s block, came from one of Michelangelo’s caves,” she said with pride. “I’m very privileged to work on such beautiful marble and do a sculpture of Molly since she’s such a legacy. She has the marks where she was injured and it’s a very good likeness, especially being white marble. Her life became very important, and the sculpture is going to be forever, so she definitely is going to have a lot of impact.”

Baron spent some time in Tallahassee in recent weeks, campaigning to promote a statewide animal abuser registry.

“There are only eight or 10 counties that have an animal abuser registry, and those are different versions. So, someone who is on it can just hop over the line and go to another county and keep doing what they do,” she said. “That’s why it’s so important that we have a statewide registry. I’ll never stop until we do. For Molly.”

To learn more about Nilda Comas, go to nildacomas.com

To view the “Molly’s Law Documentary,” go to spcaofocala.org

The county’s animal abuser registry is accessible at marioncountyfl.org/aar

LOCAL STUDENTS HONORED IN FDOT BIKE LANE DESIGN CONTEST

Pamela Calero Wardell, executive director of the Ocala Symphony Orchestra, is one of six women and non-binary orchestra professionals from across the country to join the first cohort of the League of American Orchestras’ Anne Parsons Leadership Program.

According to the news release, “Honoring Anne Parsons, the transformative orchestra field leader and mentor who passed away in 2022, the newlylaunched mentoring program aims to effect structural change by supporting women and non-binary orchestra professionals in their career progressions, and ultimately improving gender equity among top orchestra executives (CEOs, executive directors, and other leadership positions).”

The group will meet at the league’s national conference in Pittsburgh from June 14-16. Two virtual leadership training sessions are planned for the summer and quarterly leadership forums will take place virtually throughout the year.

Each participant will have a pair of mentors and meet with them several times over the year. The cohort also will meet virtually throughout the year to learn from each other, share resources, and build community.

To learn more, visit americanorchestras.org.

The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) District Five, with agency partners, recently unveiled bike lane designs created by students at seven elementary schools in Central Florida, including Oakcrest Elementary in Marion County.

During May, which was National Bicycle Month, the Mobility Week Bike Lane Design Contest tasked students with designing a bike lane icon for the chance to have it painted on the street near their

school as part as of the week-long celebration, which promoted safe, sustainable and multimodal transportation choices.

Among the 14 students honored were Oakcrest second-grader Clementine Adkins and fifth-grader Olivia Marr. FDOT celebrated each winner with an art reveal, presentation of certificates and road safety presentation in their classrooms.

For information about bicycle safety, visit AlertTodayFlorida.com/ bicycle

Part of the marble statue of Molly. [Courtesy of Nilda Comas]

Pamela Calero Wardell [Supplied]

Clementine Adkins [Supplied]

Unquestioned bravery

Hundreds gather on Memorial Day to salute local military members who gave their lives for their country.

By Andy Fillmore andy@ocalagazette.com

The Memorial Day Remembrance and Honor ceremony at the Ocala-Marion County Veterans Memorial Park on Monday, May 29, saw hundreds gather to pay homage to those who gave their lives to serve their country.

Honored guests included members of the late U.S. Army Spec. Markie T. Sims’ family. Sims was killed in action in Afghanistan on Dec. 29, 2012.

Upwards of 700 people joined in prayer with Marion County Veterans Council chaplain Michael Kelso. Renee Coventry of the Ocala Chapter National Society Daughters of the American Revolution, joined by family members, led the pledge of allegiance to open the ceremony. Music was provided by the Kingdom of the Sun Concert Band.

Retired U.S. Army Col. Craig Ham spoke in opening remarks about those who made the “ultimate sacrifice” for their country.

Keynote speaker, former Ocala Police Chief and retired U.S. Army Major Morrey Deen, said, “1 million service members have died since World War II.”

“Those who gave their lives might ask, ‘Was it worth it?’ They would want to know their sacrifice meant something to future generations,” Deen said.

Deen said the country was “built upon the service and commitment of those who serve” and he thanked all veterans. He said he knew Marion County’s only Medal of Honor recipient, Hammett Bowen Jr., who died to save his comrades in battle by hurling himself on a hand grenade.

According to Congressional Medal of Honor Society.org, Staff Sgt. Bowen., 21,

died on June 29, 1969, in Binh Duong Province, Republic of Vietnam. The citation for Bowen’s Medal of Honor states in part, “(an) enemy grenade was thrown amid SSgt. Bowen and three of his men. Sensing the danger to his comrades, SSgt. Bowen shouted a warning to his men and hurled himself on the grenade, absorbing the explosion with his body while saving the lives of his fellow soldiers.”

“(Bowen acted) in an instant and did what he knew was right,” Deen said.

Deen said we must “never forget” the sacrifice of fallen service members and pass the lesson from generation to generation. He also spoke of the “unity” of the country in honoring those who gave their lives in military service.

He challenged those gathered to “reflect on how the sacrifice of our fallen service members has impacted your lives and careers.”

The ceremony included a wreath placement in the center of the park by Shakeli Sims, 29, widow of Markie T. Sims, the couple’s son, Kayden,10, and Shakeli’s mother, Anita Boone.

Boone said her husband, Gary Boone, a Vietnam War veteran, passed away two years after Markie Sims, due to the effects of Agent Orange.

The family members wore red shirts that read, “Remember Specialist Markie T. Sims 12/29/2012” and “Man Does Not Die Until He Is Forgotten.”

Markie Sims, 20, died of “wounds caused by an improvised explosive device, which detonated under his vehicle during a route clearance mission in Panjwayi district, Afghanistan,” according to the Jan. 28, 2013, article, “Soldier’s dedication, character remembered,” at Army.mil.

“Sims provided needed and specialized

skills and was a valuable member of a brave band of warriors dedicated to making every route movement safer for the International Security Assistance Force, Afghan National Security Forces, and Afghan civilians alike,” the article states.

The article states that Sims, from Citra, “ran track, played football and basketball while attending North Marion High School and later graduated Marion Technical Institute in 2011” and then joined the Army in November 2011.

Shakeli Sims said her husband died before their son Kayden, 10, was born on April 15, 2023. She said she and Kayden “talk about his dad every day.”

Kayden said “yes” he is proud of his father.

Active-duty U.S. Air Force Airman Tyreke Bagley, 22, escorted the family throughout the ceremony.

Lewis Alston, a U.S. Marine Corps and Vietnam War veteran, Purple Heart recipient and member of the Marion County Memorial Honor Guard, led the gathering in the “Veterans Prayer.”

The ceremonial wreath placement included a rifle volley by the Marion County Memorial Honor Guard, two riderless horses and a flyover by members of the Humble Squadron, a group of former military pilots.

A member of the Marion County Memorial Honor Guard played taps and bagpiper John Earl played “Amazing Grace.”

A number of veterans attended the ceremony to pay their respects to fallen comrades, including retired Lt. Ed Million, whose service began in 1948; Joseph McCormick, who served in the Vietnam War from 1968 to 1970; and Ralph Mueller, 90, a park volunteer Ken Batzelle, 90, and Carl Vollmer, 94, all Korean War-era

veterans. Howard Mautner, 99, a World War II veteran, said his military work was in air traffic control in the Army Air Corps. Deen presented two certificates during the ceremony for “dedicated service to fellow veterans.” Jeffrey Askew, Director of the Marion County Veterans Service Office, was recognized for his service to the veteran community. The Marion County Memorial Honor Guard was acknowledged for performing about 6,000 military honors funerals at venues including the Florida National Cemetery in Bushnell. Members of the honor guard at the ceremony included Earl; Alston; John “Moses” Morris, SeaBees; Jack Kiner, USMC; Joseph Dewey, Army; Don Kennedy, Navy; Bruce Hutchinson, Army; Steve Collins, Navy; and Bill Dorsey, veteran of both the Navy and Coast Guard. Marine Corps veteran Jerry Miller chatted with Vietnam War veteran and Ocala native Jim Gillyard after the ceremony closed. Gillyard, who knew Bowen, imagined the Medal of Honor recipient’s reaction to the Memorial Day ceremony.

“I can see him with a smile on his face, wearing his penny loafers,” Gillyard said.

A monument at the Ocala-Marion County Veterans Memorial Park, placed by AMVETS Post 19 in Fort McCoy, is inscribed: “In Honor of Marion County’s Fallen Heroes Since 2001” and lists: Chad W. Lake, Army, Feb. 2005; Robert Blair, Army, May, 2006; Daniel A. Suplee, Army, Aug., 2006; William Crow Jr., Army, July, 2007; Jason Koutroubas, Army, Oct., 2007; Patrick Malone, USMC, Mar., 2009; Gary Gooch Jr., Army, Nov., 2009; Markie T. Sims, Army, Dec., 2012; Roberto Skelt, Army, Feb.,2014; and Jalisha V. Tucker, Army, Oct., 2016.

Left: The family of U.S. Army PFC Markie T. Sims, from left, Shenita Boone, Kayden Sims, 10, and Shakeli Sims, look over a memorial wreath that was laid for him as they are escorted by Tyreke Bagley of the U.S. Air Force, right, during the Memorial Day Remembrance and Honor ceremony at the Ocala-Marion County Veterans Memorial Park in Ocala on Monday, May 29, 2023. Shakeli Sims and her family were honored for her husband, U.S. Army PFC Markie T. Sims, who was killed in Afghanistan in Dec. 2012. Right: The Marion County Memorial Honor Guard fires a rifle salute.

Photos By Bruce Ackerman Ocala Gazette

Morrey Deen, retired U.S. Army and a former Ocala Police Chief, spoke.

Joseph Dewey of the Marion County Memorial Honor Guard played taps.

Craig Ham of the Marion County Veterans Council spoke.

Gullett scores high

Continued from page A1 leadership, upholding the strategic plan and updating board members of its progress.

After taking into consideration Gullett’s ability to act on each, the board scored each goal by rating her performance as highly effective, 4; effective, 3; progressing, 2; or unsatisfactory, 1.

For Gullett to be ranked highly effective at a 4 in a category, her work would have had to exceed expectations and surpass the targets described for each goal.

To score a 3, her performance level would have had to be effective, and her actions accomplishing progress for the plan. This score means she is on target with the goals and that tasks are met promptly.

At a progressing level of 2, corrective action needs to be taken as measures do not meet the expectations set in the plan.

To be unsatisfactory, with the score of 1, she would have had to fail to perform services altogether. However, Gullett did not receive a 1 in any category of her evaluations.

Results

The highest average score of 3.57 was given by Vice Chair Nancy Thrower, with mostly 4 values for the superintendents’ efforts. Thrower said she looks forward to continued work with Gullett.

Board Member Lori Conrad rated Gullett’s performance level at an average score of 3.38.

“Dr. Gullett is an outstanding leader and Marion County is fortunate to have such a knowledgeable and dedicated superintendent,’’ Conrad said in her evaluation summary. “She continues to build her leadership team as well as district staff, while equipping them with the best tools to move our district forward in raising student achievement.”

Board Member Eric Cummings gave Gullett an average score of 3.28 and expressed in his evaluation summary that he does not agree with the scoring system.

Ocala-Marion rankings

He valued many categories under a 2.5, displaying a score between the effective and progressing levels. Cummings said the description of progressing had a negative connotation and should instead correlate with “improvement.”

Board Chair Allison Campbell distributed 3’s and 4’s across her evaluation with an average score of 3.24. She shared in her summary that despite the challenges in the school district today, Gullett is the right leader for MCPS.

“It’s not easy to make the significant changes needed in our schools and district overnight, nor should we expect instantaneous change. This district has come a long way in a few years and with consistent leadership from the top, driving us to help every student succeed, we will achieve our goals by 2026 if not before,” Campbell said.

The lowest average score, of 3.14, came from Board Member Sarah James.

“I believe this evaluation acknowledges that while the majority of the areas are effective, there is still much work to be done to become an ‘A’ rated district. Our district, as Dr. Gullett has referred to before as a ‘turn-around district,’ has grave needs throughout. There is much heavy lifting to complete, but Dr. Gullett continues to demonstrate the willingness and drive to complete this tireless work,” James said.

Remarks

In the work session, Campbell commented she felt the assessment was missing a self-evaluation tool for Gullett to evaluate herself on accomplishments and what she needs to work on in her role as superintendent. Campbell also advocated including documentation to support the grading system and goals.

James, Cummings, Thrower and Conrad all gave input on the progressing tool rating and how its connotation should be a continual growth effort, not a lacking factor. They requested a language change in the evaluation system to improve the words’ meaning.

FOR TEENS

camps

for ages 13 and up. Offerings include drawing, painting, printmaking and more! Visit AppletonMuseum.org to enroll. Scan

Continued from page A1

“participate voluntarily and submit their crime data either through a state UCR program or directly to the FBI’s UCR Program.”

But law enforcement agencies were notified a few years ago that starting in 2021, reporting requirements would be expanded to allow law enforcement agencies to report more detailed information. The transition has caused a delay in many law enforcement agencies across the country reporting their details and created questions about the methodology used in the UCR.

“The New York Times” reported at the close of 2022 that while crime in Florida fell to a 50-year low in 2021, according to statements by officials, “experts say the report comes with big caveats amid a muddled, incomplete picture as law enforcement agencies in Florida and across the United States shift to a new system to tally crime.”

This is the case locally. The last crime index posted by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement for 2021 only included statistics from the Dunnellon and Belleview police departments.

The “Gazette” asked the FDLE if the Marion County Sheriff’s Office or the Ocala Police Department had reported their numbers.

Dana Kelly, communications coordinator for the FDLE, explained in an email to the “Gazette’’ that agencies were in varying stages of transitioning based on many “factors (IT support, software product, vendor support, software age capability, etc.)” and that “transition time will vary, and there may be time periods when data is not available for some agencies. This may result in incomplete or partial reporting for certain publication periods. Complete UCR reporting will resume once all participating agencies have successfully transitioned to incidentbased reporting.”

Kelly provided the “Gazette” with a link to what MCSO and OPD reported to the FDLE for 2021 and 2022. At first blush, MCSO data seemed wrong because it only reported one murder in 2021 and one in 2022.

MCSO Public Information Officer

Zachary Moore confirmed that the data FDLE provided to the “Gazette’’ was inaccurate. In the case of homicides reported by MCSO, there were 24 in 2021 and 14 in 2022.

“MCSO has a number of crime reports that are unable to be submitted through FDLE’s online reporting software for a variety of reasons,’’ he wrote in an email, “but principally there is a dysfunction with FDLE software where it will not allow MCSO’s reports to be accepted due to a coding issue. (When trying to submit these reports, an error message is returned.) In order to be able to submit these reports, the FBI must first resolve an issue with crime data reporting codes, then FDLE must update their reporting software to accept the codes, and, finally, SMARTCOP (our records management system) must update the codes in MCSO’s reporting software. Only after those steps are complete, MCSO can then submit the remaining unaccepted reports for them to reflect on FDLE’s spreadsheet. Presently, there is nothing we can do to submit the unaccepted reports, although we periodically attempt to submit them in hopes that the coding issues have been resolved.”

Moore added, “In a perfect world, FDLE will have accurate FIBRS (Florida Incident-Based Reporting System) data and we expect that to occur in the near future. However, the data in the spreadsheets should not be relied upon until the issues are remedied. Until then, we will be happy to confirm whether FDLE’s FIBRS data is accurate and will let you know when that occurs.”

The OPD did not respond to an inquiry from the “Gazette” about their crime reporting.

Remembering Layla

Memorial service honors teen who loved softball.

By Andy Fillmore andy@ocalagazette.com

Family and friends gathered May 20 to celebrate the life of 16-year-old Layla Danielle Silvernail, one of three teens who died March 31, in a triple homicide in the Ocala National Forest area.

Upwards of 200 people attended the memorial, which was held at Ocklawaha Bridge Baptist Church about 15 miles east of Ocala. The gathering included a number of high school-age youth, some wearing softball team shirts, reflecting Layla’s love for the sport.

A video was shown that included a montage of photos and videos taken of Layla from infancy to teen age, many scenes with family and friends and softball team members.

The Rev. David Houck, founder of the Help Agency of the Forest outreach and Sozo Kids mentoring camp, knows members of Layla’s family and officiated at the memorial.

“Layla’s legacy will live on forever. Her life is not over but beats on in others and will for generations of families,” Houck said, referring to her donated liver and kidneys. “Layla was a giver.”

Houck said he could speak all day recounting the many positive text messages he has received about Layla.

“She touched a lot of people (and) was taken too soon,” he said.

Houck said it was a “tough” and “sad day” but the gathering was to celebrate Layla, who had “touched a lot of people.”

Layla’s grandmother, Lisa Windsor, with whom the teen was living, wore a softball team shirt with her

granddaughter’s name. A remembrance from Windsor read by Houck stated “(Layla’s) leadership…” made other people better” and had an impact on them. The message mentioned a time when Layla won two softball trophies and asked for one to be given to another player.

“Layla was a giver and a motivator, we know who she is,” Houck said.

In a recent interview, Windsor called Layla a “loving, caring” person and an “all around good kid” who aspired to be an attorney. She said Layla, a Florida native, was home schooled, was in the 10th grade and planned to focus on 11th grade studies this summer.

Houck said besides her passion for softball, Layla had hobbies such as drawing and skiing, and liked visiting Busch Gardens and family members in Maryland to go “crabbing.”

Rosemarie Lee, Windsor’s sister from Maryland, said Layla had made a “contract” with Windsor that if she hit a home run Windsor would quit smoking. Layla reportedly hit two home runs in response.

Houck said the passion for softball shared by the girls on the teams creates a bond. When players played against Layla, they played against her “and her team,” he said, Tiffany Kohler, 16, accompanied by her mother, wore a softball team shirt that read “Eclipse.”

When asked if Layla hit any home runs, she said Layla “hit a few.”

Editor’s Note: To read prior articles related to this story, go to ocalagazette.com and type “Layla Silvernail” in the search window.

[Andy Fillmore]

People, Places & Things

By Julie Garisto julie@magnoliamediaco.com

Anonprofit educational and culturally supportive organization, the Ocala Art Group (OAG) turns 73 this month. Formed in 1950, OAG is among the oldest of its type in Florida.

Members support each other in achieving a constantly evolving quality of work, and they foster enthusiasm by socializing and engaging in enriching experiences. The group is inclusive of all artists of all experience levels as well as art enthusiasts, and is open to all who share an interest in developing and promoting fine art.

Every month, members participate in a variety of activities, from book clubs on art-centric novels and histories, to excursions to workshops that appeal to enthusiasts of various media. The group presents at least four art shows a year with allmember participation.

Leona “Lee” Asta, an Italian American retired special education teacher from Queens, is OAG’s president, and this year marks her 20th year with the group.

“We have a lovely mix of people,” Asta said with an accent that gives her away as a former New Yorker, “and, amazingly, the members come from as far away as Leesburg, The Villages, Belleview, Ocala, and an hour north of Ocala. So, it’s a very widespread group.”

When she retired and moved to Marion County a little more than two decades ago, Asta decided to start taking painting lessons in a library in The Villages, where she still lives. Seeing her first painting hanging on a wall gave her “the tingles.” She said she found tons of support and the occasional snub, an occupational hazard in the art world.

But, fortunately for Asta, the Ocala Art Group has shown her unending support.

“This is my third year as president,” Asta shared, “and we’re going to start working on our 75thanniversary celebration in two years. I don’t know what that even means right now,” she said with a laugh, “but I’m hoping that since we are up to 78 members now, that it’s a good sign that we have such a robust membership. And we have roots now in Ocala, and we have a new permanent gallery space at Molly Maguire’s, downtown, and we are in the process of doing the same

at Mesa di Notte Restaurant, one of my favorites.”

Upcoming events include an anniversary celebration luncheon from noon to 2 p.m. June 14 at the Braised Onion restaurant at 754 NE 25th Ave, Ocala. The group will install new officers at the event. (Note: You must already be a member to attend OAG events or fill out and bring an application, downloadable at ocalaartgroup.org/ membership; the fee is $35 annually. RSVP to Susan Fink via email to vertepurple7/@gmail.com.)

Asta said the group will be opening a new exhibition in July with a reception on Thursday, July 13, from 5 to 7 p.m., in the upstairs art gallery of South State Bank on Silver Springs Boulevard. For this show, OAG will donate 30 percent of art sales to the Ocala Blue Star Mothers and their veteran affiliates. The show will be up through September.

Group members also are working on “mini workshops” for homeschooled students and others at Chelsea Square, an effort championed by OAG member artist Barbara Fife, and they’re discussing a potential third gallery space for members’ exhibitions.

Community support has enriched the group’s experiences. Around six years ago, the Marion Cultural Alliance endorsed the group and invited them to conduct their meetings at the MCA’s Brick City Center for the Arts.

George Carrasco, owner of the downtown restaurant-bar Molly Maguire’s, offered a gallery space to the OAG, providing a new satellite home base for members’ works. One-fifth of the sales at the restaurant exhibit will go to Ocala Blue Star Mothers.

The idea to support the organization of moms of activeduty military personnel came from OAG member Debbie Ceres, whose daughter is in the U.S. Air Force.

OAG held an opening reception at Molly Maguire’s during the May 5 First Friday Art Walk. Ceres said the “place was filled with members, old friends and new … the atmosphere was wonderful, filled with a great DJ (Joe) playing music, drinks and yummy food, and an outstanding staff to welcome all of us.”

For more information on the Ocala Art Group, visit ocalaartgroup.org.

The upbeat arts nonprofit is getting busy with new projects as it celebrates more than seven decades of creative support in the region.

Mary Tougas, the president of the Colored Pencil Guild in The Villages, front, gives

a demonstration of how to create a shaded pencil drawing of a strawberry to, back, from left: Deborah Horvath, Cathy Burnside, Abigail Langer, Linda DeLuca and Morganne Langer, during a meeting of the Ocala Art Group at the Brick City Center For The Arts in Ocala on Monday, May 8, 2023.

Photos By Bruce Ackerman Ocala Gazette

A mixed media artwork titled “Esmeralda” by Ocala Art Group artist Marge McQueston is shown on display in the new gallery at Molly Maguire’s in Ocala on Monday, May 8, 2023.

Artwork by the Ocala Art Group.

Debbie Ceres, with the Ocala Art Group, in front of her acrylic painting titled “Journey.”

Lucy Pinkstaff, an artist with the Ocala Art Group, by her oil on canvas painting titled “Yellow Iris.”

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE FIFTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT, IN AND FOR MARION COUNTY, FLORIDA PROBATE DIVISION File No. 2023-CP-1230

IN RE: ESTATE OF MELVIN DOUGLAS WARNER, Deceased. / NOTICE TO CREDITORS

The administration of the estate of Melvin Douglas Warner, deceased, whose date of death was February 12, 2023, is pending in the Circuit Court for Marion County, Florida, Probate Division, the address of which is 110 NW 1st Avenue, Ocala, Florida 34475. The names and addresses of the Personal Representative and the Personal Representative's attorney are set forth below.

All creditors of the decedent and other persons having claims or demands against decedent’s estate on whom a copy of this notice is required to be served must file their claims with this court ON OR BEFORE THE LATER OF 3 MONTHS AFTER THE TIME OF THE FIRST PUBLICATION OF THIS NOTICE OR 30 DAYS AFTER THE DATE OF SERVICE OF A COPY OF THIS NOTICE ON THEM. All other creditors of the decedent and other persons having claims or demands against decedent’s estate must file their claims with this court WITHIN 3

AFTER THE DATE OF THE FIRST PUBLICATION OF THIS NOTICE. ALL CLAIMS NOT FILED WITHIN THE TIME PERIODS SET FORTH IN FLORIDA STATUTES SECTION 733.702 WILL BE FOREVER BARRED.

NOTWITHSTANDING THE TIME PERIODS SET FORTH ABOVE, ANY CLAIM FILED TWO (2) YEARS OR MORE AFTER THE DECEDENT’S DATE OF DEATH IS BARRED.

The date of first publication of this notice is June 2, 2023.

Bonnie MaseePickett Florida Bar No. 172170 11619 SW 70th Court Blanchard, Merriam, Ocala, FL 34476 Adel, Kirkland & Green, P.A. dblanchard@bmaklaw.com

The name of the decedent, the designation of the court in which the administration of this estate is pending, and the file number are indicated above. The address of the court is 110 N.W. 1 st Avenue, Ocala, FL 34475. The names and addresses of the co-personal representatives and the copersonal representatives’ attorney are indicated below.

If you have been served with a copy of this notice and you have any claim or demand against the decedent’s estate, even if that claim is unmatured, contingent or unliquidated, you must file your claim 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. EVEN IF A CLAIM IS NOT BARRED BY THE LIMITATIONS DESCRIBED ABOVE, ALL CLAIMS WHICH HAVE NOT BEEN FILED WILL BE BARRED TWO YEARS AFTER DECEDENT’S DEATH. The date of death of the decedent is: November 22, 2022. The date of first publication of this Notice is June 2, 2023. Attorney for Co-Personal Representatives : James L. Richard Florida Bar No. 243477 808 E Fort King Street Ocala, FL 34471 (352) 369-1300 Email: jim@rmprobate Co-Personal Representatives: TIMOTHY D. GRIFFIN 3672 Rakoniewski Road Manistee, MI 49660-9623 KATHY POWELL 30 Glenmore Drive Durham, NC 27707

FOR MARION COUNTY, FLORIDA. IN RE: THE ESTATE OF EUGENE KENNETH ROSS, JR., Deceased. CASE NO: 2023-CP-1120 NOTICE TO CREDITORS The name of the decedent, the designation of the court in which the administration of this estate is pending, and the file number are indicated above. The address of the court is 110 N.W. 1st Avenue, Ocala, FL 34475. The names and addresses of the personal representative and the personal representative’s attorney are indicated below. If you have been served

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

The name of the decedent, the designation of the court in which the administration of this estate is pending, and the file number are indicated above. The address of the court is 110 N.W. 1 st Avenue, Ocala, Florida 34475. The names and addresses of the personal representative and the personal representative’s attorney are indicated below.

If you have been served with a copy of this notice and you have any claim or demand against the decedent’s estate, even if that claim is unmatured, contingent or unliquidated, you must file your claim 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. EVEN IF A CLAIM IS NOT BARRED BY THE LIMITATIONS DESCRIBED ABOVE, ALL CLAIMS WHICH HAVE NOT BEEN FILED WILL BE BARRED TWO YEARS AFTER DECEDENT’S DEATH.

Filing # 174262322 E-Filed 05/31/2023 10:14:04 AM IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE FIFTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT IN AND FOR MARION COUNTY, FLORIDA BORWEGEN TRUCKING, INC., V. Plaintiff, GEORGE P. RANEY, JR., AUDRA JEANETTE LEARY, FORWARD FINANCING, LLC, STEVE WALSH, DISCOVER BANK, MARION COUNTY CODE ENFORCEMENT BOARD, ALL UNKNOWN IN

Florida; run South 800 feet; thence East 25 feet to the Point of Beginning; from the Point of Beginning thus described run South 100 feet; thence East 216 feet, more or less, to the waters' edge of Island Lake; thence Northerly along the shores of said lake 100 feet, more or less, to a point which is due East of the Point of Beginning; thence West 221 feet more of less to the Point of Beginning; also being described as Lot 9 of an unrecorded plat of survey made by A.S. Mowry, surveyor. TOGETHER WITH an easement in and to the West 25 feet of the East 3/4ths of the NE 1/4 of the SE 1/4 of said Section 3, Township 12 South, Range 23 East, for ingress and egress to an from the land hereby conveyed, said easement to be an easement running with the land. Case No. 23-CC-000168AX

Electronically Filed Marion Case # 23CC000168AX 05/22/2023 03:00:24 PM has been filed against you and you are required to serve a copy of your written defenses, if any, to it on DAVID W. HALL, ESQUIRE, Stenstrom, McIntosh, Colbert & Whigham, P.A., Attorneys for Plaintiff, whose address is 300 International Parkway, Suite 100, Lake Mary, Florida 32746, and to file the original of same in the office of the Clerk of the above-styled Court no later than thirty (30) days from the date of the first publication of this Notice of Action. If you fail to do so, judgment by default will be taken against you. This Notice shall be published once during each week for two consecutive weeks in the Ocala Gazette. DATED this 31 of MAY, 2023 By: GREORY C. HARRELL, CLERK OF THE CIRCUIT COURT AND COMPTROLLER N. Hernandez, Deputy Clerk CLERK OF COURT MARION COUNTY COMPTROLLER FLORIDA

been served within three months after the date of the first publication of this notice must file their claims with this court WITHIN THE LATER OF 3 MONTHS AFTER THE DATE OF THE FIRST PUBLICATION OF THIS NOTICE OR 30 DAYS AFTER THE TIME OF SERVICE OF A COPY OF THIS NOTICE ON THEM.

All other creditors of the decedent and other persons having claims or demands against decedent's estate must file their claims with this court WITHIN 3 MONTHS AFTER THE DATE OF THE FIRST PUBLICATION OF THIS NOTICE.

ALL CLAIMS NOT SO FILED WILL BE FOREVER BARRED.

The date of first publication of this notice is June 2, 2023.

Attorney Steven M. Chamberlain Florida Bar No. 0261890 Chamberlain Law Firm, P.A. 752 E. Silver Springs. Blvd. Ocala, FL 34470 Telephone: (352) 512-0190

Fax: (352) 512-0192 Email: steve@gatortaxguy.com

Personal Representative

Tina Murgatroyd 13555 SE 44th Avenue Summerfield, Florida 34491.

with a copy of this notice and you have any claim or demand against the decedent’s estate, even if that claim is unmatured, contingent or unliquidated, you must file your claim 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. EVEN IF A CLAIM IS NOT BARRED BY THE LIMITATIONS DESCRIBED ABOVE, ALL CLAIMS WHICH HAVE NOT BEEN FILED WILL BE BARRED TWO YEARS AFTER DECEDENT’S DEATH. The date of death of the decedent is: January 28, 2023. The date of first publication of this Notice is May 26, 2023. Attorney for Personal Representative: JOSHUA L. MOSES Richard & Moses, LLC Florida Bar No. 119304 808 E Fort King Street Ocala, FL 34471 (352) 369-1300 Primary Email: Josh@RMProbate.com Personal Representative: MAE E. ROSS 4629 NW 30th Terrace Gainesville, FL 32605 Public Notice Public Notice Public Notice Public Notice Public Notice

Hello, Ocala!

types of medications that are available now for people with the autoimmune disease.

“MS is different for everyone,” Sandy explained. “Depression sometimes hits really hard. To those people who are active, everything changes. Now your body controls you.”

With the medications she was taking, Sandy was able to be active with her children and she could drive and work. She was a good seamstress and made doll clothes for her children, and even made a suit for her son. Sandy enjoyed doing lots of crafts with the Girl Scouts and has done lots of volunteer work over her lifetime.

At the post office one day, Sandy saw a group of people and asked what was happening. She was told they were waiting to take the Civil Service Exam. If she was interested, she was told, just get in line. Sandy took the test and passed and was hired as a clerk-typist and later was hired into the public affairs office. At that position, she wrote for the Newark Air Force Base newspaper. There were many different tasks in that job, and Sandy was happy doing them.

Meet your neighbors: Sandy and Mike Layman

By Eadie Sickler Correspondent

Sandy Layman is living proof that a person’s attitude is foundational to his or her well-being. Her life of faith and determination has kept her productive and happy when many would have given up.

Sandy is the only survivor of quintuplets born in New Lexington, Ohio, 75 years ago, when today’s medical advancements were not known or available to aid in multiple births. Sandy was the middle baby of the five delivered that day.

“Why I was the one who survived, I don’t know,” she said, adding “other than it must have been God’s plan for me.”

Her parents had three more children following the quintuplets. A sister lives in Ohio, and a brother splits his time between Ohio and the Florida Keys. One brother is deceased.

“As a child, I was clumsy,” Sandy shared. “I would be walking and would just fall down. I had pneumonia a lot and was in the hospital quite a few times and was often exhausted. It seemed as though I always had illnesses of one sort or another.”

There was never a definitive diagnosis for a root cause of her health issues.

While in high school, fellow student Mike Layman asked Sandy for a date. She refused. She said, “I wouldn’t go out with him. I heard he had a police record, and I refused to be involved with anyone with a police record or anything that wasn’t right,” she related.

He asked again. Again, she refused. Then a friend asked her why she wouldn’t go out with Mike. Sandy told her the reason, and the friend told her the person who had the jail record was from a different family with slightly different spelling of the last name. He lived in a different area and was not the Mike Layman in their class.

The next time Mike asked her for a date, she accepted.

After high school, the couple married, and have been married for 57 years. Mike joined the U.S. Air Force, spending the first two years in service at an Ohio base. He was then sent to England and was able to take his family with him, which at the time included their first-born son Dave.

They spent two years living in England, which they enjoyed. His service was from 1964–1968, during the Vietnam War era. Their son Dave lives in Ohio and has two children, a son, and a daughter. They added a daughter, Annette, to the family. She and her husband live in Ocala and have one son.

Their grandchildren are Zachary, who lives in Tulsa, Oklahoma; Kayla, of Newark, Ohio, and Chase, who lives in Coshocton, Ohio. They have seven greatgrandchildren, and another on the way. All of the great-grandkids live in Ohio.

As a child, Sandy wrote little stories and poems for her siblings, and enjoyed the writing experience. After high school, she said she “fell into” a job at the local newspaper and was hired there and began writing of a different nature.

Sandy had a friend who was a newscaster at a radio station in the town. She told her they needed a replacement for her as she was leaving the position and told Sandy to apply. She did and was hired. She was also a “stringer” for the Columbus, Ohio, newspaper, the “Citizen Journal,” which is no longer in publication. She also has written newsletters for many businesses and organizations, including the Ohio Christmas Tree Growers Association.

This was during the era when women who worked in offices wore high heels to work every day. Elevators were not common, and she worked at an upstairs office. One day, when she was about 30 years old, she fell down a long flight of stairs. She said that was when she was first diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS). She didn’t tell anyone about her diagnosis for 15 years.

“I pre-dated the medications they have now for MS,’’ she said. “At the time, they were not even doing research on MS meds. I was blessed with a doctor who didn’t write me off.”

He remembered a book he had that was about 100 years old and had an article in it about “Progressive Palsy.” The doctor made his own concoction of injections and medications and administered them to Sandy, and “they worked,” she added.

Her diagnosis began to make sense to her. All of her previous illnesses pointed to the disease but, at the time, there was no sure diagnosis for MS. Nor were there the

In the meanwhile, Mike was in the excavating business, working for himself. He also worked for a company in Ohio for 18 years while still running his own business for 45 years. His business was multifaceted, excelling in fabrication and design in farm-related endeavors. The company he worked for, Anomatic Corp., was a manufacturer in the cosmetics and pharmaceutical industry. He retired from that company.

“I didn’t really want to retire, but I was getting tired,” Mike explained. He was sought after, even when he was retired. He said the only way he could get any rest would be to move from the area.

The couple had just completed an extensive renovation to a large farmhouse in Ohio. Sandy’s mother was living in a nursing home in Ohio, and she told Sandy to move to Florida. She said she didn’t want to go with them, insisting she would be fine where she was and wanted to stay there. The first person who came to see their house bought it, and they hadn’t even had time to get a real estate agent.

Since their daughter lived in Ocala, they had visited here several times. Mike didn’t enjoy the summer heat, but Sandy loved it. She felt better in the heat, and they decided to move here. When they decided on a home here, they saw an accessible one they liked on a Monday and by Wednesday the legalities were taken care of and they were under contract to buy it.

You might say, “and then tragedy struck.” At age 45, Sandy became paralyzed.

She had been raising children and working. She felt exhausted. She was bathing her granddaughter, then 4 years old, and her grandson, then 2. Suddenly she had no feeling in her legs at all. Her granddaughter was able to get out of the bathtub and get herself dressed. Sandy said the 2-year-old “was a little guy but felt like he was 100 pounds. I couldn’t lift him.”

She told her granddaughter to go outside to Mike’s workshop and tell him to come in. It was dark outside, and the child was afraid, but she did as she was told.

Mike came in and took care of their grandson. He dragged Sandy to the living room and propped her up against the couch. Her arms also became affected and were limp.

Of course, this ended her working days.

“There were times when Mike had to feed the children and me,” Sandy said, adding, “I don’t know how he had the strength and energy it took to take care

CF APPLETON MUSEUM OF ART OFFERS “ETERNAL SUMMER”

The Appleton Museum of Art, College of Central Florida, is set to open a new exhibition of works curated from the world-class permanent collection. “Eternal Summer” will be on view June 10-Sept. 24 and features paintings, prints, photographs and more that celebrate the theme of summer in Florida. Through nature, leisure and sports, travel and more, the multimedia exhibition will showcase modern and contemporary art with some familiar favorites and new works that have never been displayed at the Appleton, the news release noted.

A selection of black-and-white photographs by local legend Bruce Mozert (1916-2015) will be on display, highlighting vintage imagery of Marion County outdoor attractions and natural wonders.

Florida-focused works by artists from the Sunshine State that are new to the collection include photographs by Martha Strawn and a large-scale

painting by Margaret Tolbert.

A recent addition to the collection on display in “Eternal Summer” is a detailed watercolor by noted American realist Janet Fish that evokes feelings of warm temperatures and summer travels. A print by Austrian artist Kiki Kogelnik (1935-1997), called “Sunkist,” adds a colorful Pop aesthetic to the exhibition.

Visitors will remember “The Hunt,” a 2014 photograph by award-winning, Gainesville-based Mac Stone, documenting an Everglades snail kite at the moment before it swoops down to grab its prey.

The Appleton Museum of Art is at 4333 E. Silver Springs Blvd., Ocala. An “Eternal Summer” party for museum members will be held June 9, with elevated picnic fare and music by Left on Broadway. Director’s Circle members will receive a summer-themed gift bag. To learn about membership, call (352) 291-4455.

of me, but he did. It was six years later that the MS diagnosis was confirmed with an MRI.

“Everyone started telling me what I couldn’t do,” she emphasized. “But I began thinking, ‘Well, what can I do?’”

Sandy couldn’t move her hands or arms, but she determined she would work on it. She didn’t even tell Mike, but labored intensively each day to try to move just one finger.

“If I can move one finger, then I can move the rest of them,” she reasoned. It took months, but one finger began to move. Then the next. She was very excited and showed Mike. She worked to exercise all of her fingers until her hands would move. “It took about a year,” she said.

Water therapy helped extremely well, so Mike bought and installed a unit in their home.

”Basically it’s a six-person spa,” he said, and he remodeled it to be wheelchair height and it can be programmed as needed.

Sandy has learned much about MS and has much to share.

“When newly diagnosed, many people just give up and believe they will be in a wheelchair, and so they are. They often give in to the disease,’’ she said. “MS entails depression sometimes. And in all honesty, there have been times when I might not have made it if it hadn’t been for Mike and my faith. What God gives us and puts into our minds is so important.

“I always had strong faith as a child. At 13, I went down the aisle at church. Our faith challenges us. I always praise Him, and there has never been a day I don’t pray,” she added.

Sandy said she must have come by her faith naturally, as one of her grandmothers was a circuit preacher.

Today, Sandy is a vibrant and active part of the Southwest Ocala community where they live, as is Mike. She can stand, but her legs are weak and she can’t walk as she never knows if she will fall with the next step. So, a wheelchair is her navigational tool.

She and Mike have collected antique and specialty cars, and Mike still has a restored 1953 Dodge pickup truck. Sandy has a 1950 Ford, customized to be a gullwing. That car has “beautiful specialty graphics” on it. They are hoping to sell this car, “but it will take just the right buyer,” they said. They have been to many car shows, and still enjoy it but do not attend as many. They were able to go to the Daytona car show this spring, they said.

They have been Scout leaders, and Mike coached Little League baseball.

“We have so many friends I cherish,” Sandy added.

Currently, both participate in many committees in their Pine Run community. They are on the Social Services Committee, which involves being a resource for information for residents.

“It is interesting, and many services are needed,” Sandy said.

The couple has been part of the Marion County Sheriff’s Office volunteer programs, and Mike is on the Pine Run “Southwest Cops,” under the auspices of the sheriff’s office.

“One positive about the MS disease is that we have three grandchildren who don’t hesitate to help anyone who has physical issues. They rush to open doors, etc. They are not afraid to help anyone,” Sandy said.

Ever one to help those in need, Sandy said, “If even one person will read this story and say, ‘Hey! I can do that!’ it will be worth it.”

Sandy Layman and her husband, Michael, at the Pine Run community center on State Road 200 in Ocala on Monday, May 22, 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

The spectacular great egret is found on every continent except Antarctica. It’s common in Florida and other wet and warm habitats. During the 19th century, it was hunted aggressively in Florida for the beautiful feathers that were used in women’s hats. The Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918 protected these and a thousand other bird species in the United States and Canada, which enabled their populations to re-cover. This bird was photographed at the Ocala Wetland Recharge Park.

Great egret [MichaelWarren.com]

LOCAL CALENDAR LISTINGS community

JUNE 2 & 11

Levitt Amp Music Series

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

7-9pm

These free weekly concerts sponsored by the city of Ocala and Marion Cultural Alliance focus on a variety of musical genres. On June 2, it’s Chris Pierce, with opener Evelyn Mohamed. On June 11, see headliner Vox Sambou, with opener Sounds of the Sub-Sahara. Bring chairs and blankets. Food and drink vendors onsite. For more info, ocalafl.org/levittamp

JUNE 2-4

Market of Marion

Market of Marion, 12888 SE US Highway 441, Belleview

8am-4pm

A classic farmer’s market plus lots of vendor shops for all kinds of goodies. Fruits, vegetables, critters, jewelry, soaps, handcrafted items and more. Open every weekend, with monthly special events like car shows. See themarketofmarion.com

JUNE 2 & 9

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.

JUNE 3 & 10

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.

JUNE 3 & 10

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. The market takes over the vacant part of the lot in front of Rural King. Booth types vary, with occasional meat vendors, food trucks and other goods. Saturdays, weather permitting.

JUNE 3

Juneteenth Celebration Dinner

Dance

One Health Center, 1714 SW 17th St., Ocala

6:30pm This fundraiser is presented by R.A.M.A.L.

critters & equine

JUNE 2-4

Angie Hammock Barrel Race Show

Southeastern Livestock Pavilion, 2232 NE Jacksonville Road, Ocala

All day

Multiple races with great prizes and exciting action. For more info, see selp.marionfl.org

JUNE 3 (10, 17 & 24)

Summer Sunset Polo Florida Horse Park, 11008 South Highway 475, Ocala

6pm

Free to the public. Tailgate right next to the polo field and enjoy a unique evening out, Saturdays through September. Check out ocalapolo.com for more info.

JUNE 3-4

Pet-Palooza

World Equestrian Center, Expo Center 2, 1390 NW 80th Ave., Ocala 10am-5pm Pet parades, costume contests, agility courses,

animal encounters, education sessions, vendor booths and more. General admission is $10; $9 for seniors and free ages 12 and younger. For more info, jpatterson@bmg1.com or worldequestriancenter.com

JUNE 4

Mounted Drill Team Show

Florida Horse Park, 11008 South Highway 475, Ocala

All day Teams of horses and rider compete in choreographed patterns, sometimes at top speed. Teams are judged on execution, spacing, timing, alignment, originality, coordination, difficulty, speed, horsemanship, music and crowd appeal. The competition takes place under the covered arena; food and drink options are onsite. Check out flhorsepark.com for more info.

JUNE 7 (14, 21, & 28)

Wildlife Wednesdays

Fort King National Historic Landmark, 3925

government

JUNE 5 & 12

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; agendas are usually posted the Friday prior. Agendas, minutes and video available at marionfl.legistar.com/Calendar.aspx

JUNE 6

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

JUNE 2 & 9

Chess Club at Freedom Library

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

10am-12pm

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

JUNE 6

Educational and Social Services and includes live entertainment, a DJ, dinner, dancing, vendors, a silent auction and raffles. Tickets are $50 from Eventbrite. For more info, ramalservices.org

JUNE 3

Twilight Cruisers of Belleview Car

Show

Kent Furniture Centers, 10651 SE US 441, Belleview

5pm

A free car show/cruise-in that promotes the “classic autos of yesterday” and accepts food donations for charities. Recurs the first Saturday of each month. See twilightcruisersflorida.com for info.

JUNE 5

Medicare Fraud Prevention Seminar

Online 10am-11am

The SHINE team hosts this free online educational webinar. Register at bit.ly/42thyIQ or see agingresources.org for more info.

JUNE 5-9

Discover Summer Camps-Florida

Wildlife Discovery Center, 701 E. Sanchez Ave., and E.D. Croskey Recreation Center, 1510 NW Fourth St., Ocala Times vary, check website

The start of the city of Ocala’s summer day camps kicks off with a focus on Florida wildlife. At the E.D. Croskey Recreation Center, camps are suitable for ages 5-12 and cost $75 for city residents; $100 for non-residents. Camps at the Discovery Center are suitable for ages 8-12 and costs $130 for members; $150 for non-members. Themes changes each week and include educational and recreational

activities, field trips, STEM projects, sports and more. To register, see ocalafl.org/summercamp

JUNE 8

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.

JUNE 8 (15, 22 AND 29)

Diabetes Education Seminars

Greater New Hope Church, 484 Emerald Road, Silver Springs Shores

5:30pm-7:30pm

The Florida Department of Health in Marion County is offering classes to help understand diabetes. Free weekly classes will cover topics such as how the disease affects the body, the importance of healthy and balanced diets, meal planning and physical activity. Reservations can be made with Melissa Marino at (352) 644-2624 or Melissa.Marino@FLHealth.gov.

JUNE 10

1 Year Anniversary Party

Homestead Park, 1050 NE 6th Blvd., Williston

4pm

The tiny house/business park with the big ideas hosts its one-year anniversary with the band Patchwork showcasing Florida folk music, country and bluegrass. The Driftwoods perform bluegrass music from all time periods. Food and drink options onsite, along with cornhole games and an axe-throwing booth. For more info, homesteadparks.com

JUNE 2 & 9

E. Fort King St., Ocala

5pm-6pm

Join park staff for this educational presentation and hike at the fort. This month’s talks are focused on bears (June 7); snakes (June 14); frogs and toads (June 21) and turtles and tortoises (June 28). Free to attend, this is a great way to learn about these native animals and their distinct habitats in Ocala. For more info, ocalafl.org

JUNE 10

Belmont Stakes Watch Party

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

6pm-7:30pm

Check out the last leg of the Triple Crown races with special cocktails from the bar along with food options available for purchase. The Jumbotron will show the race outside on the patio at the Yellow Pony Pub. See worldequestriancenter.com for more info.

JUNE 10 (AND 24)

Give a Dog a Bone Dog Fest

Letty Towles Dog Park, 2299 SE 32nd Ave., Ocala

11am-5pm

Maricamp Animal Hospital sponsors this doggone good time with music, a dog pool, doggy sprinklers and free treats for pets. Services by techs from the hospital, vendors, pet adoption options, a photo booth, a chosen animal charity donation and a “Let’s Get Tricky With It” competition. See maricampanimalhospital.com or facebook.com/MaricampAH for more info.

City of Ocala City Council Meeting

City Hall, 110 SE Watula Avenue, Ocala

4pm

Meets on the first and third Tuesdays of the month. Agendas are usually posted the Thursday prior; agendas, minutes and video available from ocala.legistar.com/Calendar.aspx

JUNE 6

City of Belleview City Commission Meeting

City Hall, 5343 SE Abshier Blvd., Belleview

6pm

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

JUNE 12

City of Ocala Planning & Zoning Meeting

City Hall, 110 SE Watula Avenue, Ocala

5:30pm

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

JUNE 7

Meets the second Monday of the month; agendas, minutes and video available from ocala.legistar.com/Calendar.aspx

JUNE 13

City of Belleview Planning & Zoning Board

City Hall, 5343 SE Abshier Blvd., Belleview

5:30pm

Meets the second Tuesday of the month; Belleview agendas, minutes and video available at belleviewfl.org/200/Agendas-Minutes

JUNE 14

City of Dunnellon City Council Meeting

City Hall, 20750 River Drive, Dunnellon

5:30pm

Normally meets the second Wednesday of the month; Dunnellon agendas, minutes and video available at Dunnellon.org/89/ Agendas-Minutes

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.

JUNE 8

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

arts

JUNE 2

Levitt Foundation Reception

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

9am

Kimberly James, Senior Programs Director at the Levitt Foundation, will be the featured speaker at a welcoming reception at the arts center in downtown Ocala. The Levitt Foundation provides grants and support for the Levitt Amp Music Series. For more info, ocalafl.org/levittamp or Facebook @LevittAMPOcala.

JUNE 3

Free First Saturday

Appleton Museum, 4337 E Silver Springs Blvd., Ocala

10am-5pm View museum works, regular and special collections, and create your own art in the interactive Artspace. Free screenings of the film “Loving Vincent” are at 11am and 2pm. Also, Scuba Steve’s Snack Shack will be onsite. See appletonmuseum.org for more info.

JUNE 3

Streetlife Serenader, tribute to Billy

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

7:30pm

The best of Billy Joel performed by the Streetlife Serenader band and featuring Joel’s biggest hits from the ’70s and ’80s. Tickets are $25-$40. See reillyartscenter.com for more info.

JUNE 7 (13/14, 20/21 &

27/28)

Regal Summer Movie Express

Regal Hollywood Theaters, 2801 SW 27th Ave., Ocala

10am Family and kid-friendly movies. Tickets are $2; check the website for show times. Movies this summer include “How To Train Your Dragon 3D,” “Abominabl,” and “The Croods: A New Age.” For more info, bit.ly/43k01DC

JUNE 7 (14, 21 & 28)

Summer Kid’s Film Series

Marion Theater, 50 S Magnolia Ave., Ocala Times vary, check website More movies! The series runs through Aug. 2. Kids age 12 and under can enjoy movies for just $5 (includes juice, popcorn and fruit snacks). Upcoming family favorites include “SpongeBob SquarePants Movie,” “Madagascar” and “The Lion King.” Visit reillyartscenter.com/mariontickets for more info.

JUNE 7 (14, 21 & 28)

Kids Summer Show Series

Epic Theatre, 4414 SW College Road, Ocala

Times vary, check website Even more movies for the small humans. With titles like “Paw of Fury: The Legend of Hank,” “DC League of Super-Pets,” “Sonic the Hedgehog 2” and more, tickets for kids are only $1. See bit.ly/3MEX4Go for showtimes.

JUNE 7-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

&nightlifemusic

Wednesdays. Hosted by the Arts in Health Ocala Metro group and veteran Aaron Thomas. Beginners welcome. Supplies are included. Register at ocalafl.org/recpark

JUNE 10

The Barbergators Chorus

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

2pm

The winsome vocal harmonies and nod to yesteryear is onstage at the Ocala Civic Theatre with the Barbergators, part of the largest all-male singing organization, the Barbershop Harmony Society. Tickets are $23 for adults and $10 for ages 18 and younger. See ocalacivictheatre.com for info.

JUNE 10

Ty Herndon

Orange Blossom Opry, 16439 SE 138th Terrace, Weirsdale

7pm

The Grammy-nominated country artist performs. Tickets are $28-$43. See obopry.com for tickets and info.

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’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. 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. Weakley’s series 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

Summer gardening in your kitchen

freshness are just a small sample of what is available for you online, in videos and print media, and in books within the Marion County Public Library System.

Lettuces

By members of the Morning Glory Circle of the Pioneer Garden Club

Vegetable gardening is a challenge in the best of weather. Summer vegetable gardening in Florida is not for the faint of heart. The sun and heat become intense and daily thunderstorms add humidity to our misery. Only the bugs seem to thrive. As gardeners, we resolutely tend our summer vegetable crops, hope for success and dream of gardening in cooler, drier weather.

During a recent conversation among friends, we agreed that we are motivated to grow vegetables to eat healthier and to keep our food costs down, but whether we grow our own produce or purchase produce from a supermarket or farmer’s market, we face the challenge of keeping our herbs and vegetables fresh.

Are you aware of the amount of food wasted each year in the United States?

A report on Newsweek.com states that America ranks third among the countries that generate the most food waste in the world and that about 21 million tons a year comes from homes. According to the National Institute of Health, fruits and vegetables are high among the types of food most frequently thrown out.

Interested in ways to stretch food dollars, increase your vegetable intake, reduce food waste from your household, or simply to find a fun gardening project that can involve your family— without having to suffer in our intense summer weather? Consider gardening in your kitchen.

Herbs and vegetables, despite having been harvested, brought to market and purchased for our consumption, are still alive when they reach our homes. The following tips to prolong their

A purchased pack of romaine lettuce may begin to wilt before all the heads have been used. Simply slicing a half inch off the bottom of the lettuce to expose fresh plant material and placing the intact romaine head in a tall glass of water and back in the refrigerator will prompt a return to fresh turgid leaves ready for a salad within hours. This approach also works well with heads of leaf lettuce. An intact head of bibb lettuce can be refreshed by simply adding a small amount of water to the base of its plastic container and allowing the lettuce to pull up the water while it chills in the refrigerator. Change the water daily when rehydrating lettuce. Leaves can be removed and used as needed.

Often, we purchase a packet of fresh herbs for a recipe and only use a portion. Basil and mint are very easy to root. Begin by re-cutting the base of the stem to remove the dried end. Place the freshly cut stem in water up to and covering the first set of leaves. Carefully remove any leaves that will be under water. Change the water daily and note how long it takes for tiny roots to appear. The rooted plants can then be planted in a small container of soil and kept on a bright windowsill or on a protected porch. There are many references online for rooting additional herbs, such as rosemary, oregano and thyme. One such website is ruralsprout.com, with an article titled “15 Herbs You Can Propagate From Cuttings.”

Ginger

Edible or culinary ginger roots are often purchased from the market produce section and only a small amount may be needed.

The roots, technically known as rhizomes, have noticeable protrusions or “eyes” and can be planted shallowly in a container (eyes facing up) and grown on a shaded porch or planted in a shady part of the yard. Small portions of the rhizomes may be dug up as needed, with the entire ginger rhizome harvested when the leaves turn yellow and the stems droop.

Green onions

As you slice or chop green onions, leave about one-half inch of green leaf intact with the white bulb. Place the bulb in a small container with just enough water to cover the roots. Change the water daily. Within a few days, the green stem will grow and be ready to use. This generally only works once. The bulb will grow progressively weaker and usually does not regrow a second time.

Celery

Celery is universally found in refrigerator drawers. Save about two inches of the celery base. Slice about a half inch off the base bottom and place it in water. The base will not regrow stalks but may grow leaves, which are delicious in soups and salads.

Beets and carrots

The greens still attached to whole beets when they are purchased will often wilt quickly. The greens can be cut and refreshed in a glass of water. The remaining top of the beet root can be sliced off and placed in a shallow dish of water. You may well find that the greens

VISIT OUR EVENTS CALENDAR ONLINE

ANSWERS FOR PAGE B4

will regrow, however the base or taproot will not regrow. The same is true for carrots with greens attached. These types of mild greens can be sauteed in olive oil with herbs, salt and pepper or used in soups and salads.

Pineapple

Learning to grow a pineapple will not give you immediate results like rehydrating lettuce. However, it can be great fun to establish your own pineapple patch for the cost of one pineapple. There are many articles and videos online, but the first step is to slice off and save the intact top of a fresh pineapple. Allow it to dry for a few days, and then place the top in soil in a container or in your yard in semi-shade.

Your pineapple will survive our winters and each year the initial plant will start another plant. Eventually, the mature plants will produce pineapples.

As you continue to consume your pineapples and replant each pineapple top, your pineapple patch will grow.

More tips

What about harvesting seeds from purchased cucumbers, squash, melons? Although some people are successful, this approach is not likely worth your effort as the resulting offspring will not necessarily resemble the fruit or vegetable that you enjoyed. Potatoes and sweet potatoes can also be grown from kitchen scraps, but the process is more complicated. There are many references online for growing both. While sweet potatoes are an excellent summer crop in Florida, other types of potatoes are best grown in the cooler weather of fall.

All in all, this is a fun family project to demonstrate to children that many of the vegetables we eat are indeed living plants and many can be grown without stepping outside this summer.

So, what’s in your refrigerator?

The Pioneer Garden Club has been active in the Marion County community since 1926. To learn more, go to pioneergardenclub.org.

Gdansk, Poland’s underrated gem

to transparent. The museum shows off amber clocks, amber chandeliers, amber beer steins, a model ship with delicate amber sails. There’s even an unfinished altar made entirely of amber at St. Bridget’s Church.

If you’re interested in visiting a milk bar (bar mleczny), Bar

By Rick Steves

Standing at the end of Gdańsk’s long wooden pier, I realize I can see two of the most important sites in 20th-century history: the spit of land where World War II began, and the shipyard where the Cold War started its long and gradual final act. Many people imagine this northern-Poland city to be a wasteland of rusted, smoke-belching shipyards. But visitors are surprised to enjoy a much different experience in what is one of Europe’s most underrated destinations. Gdańsk boasts both an illustrious history and one of the most picturesque old quarters in Eastern Europe –and it shows it off delightfully.

Gdańsk’s magnificent Main

Town features block after block of red-brick churches and colorful, ornately decorated mansions. As one tourist gasped to me, “It’s like stepping into a Fabergé egg.” A stroll along the main drag, ulica Długa, allows you to soak in the city’s gorgeous architectural cancan. During the Golden Age, these eclectic homes (inspired by a wide range of people, including the Jews, Dutch, Italians, and Germans) were taxed based on frontage, so they were built skinny and deep. The widest houses belonged to the super-elite. This lovely street wasn’t always so lively and carefree. On September 1, 1939, Adolf Hitler invaded this once-German city, sparking World War II. By the end of the war, nearly

80 percent of the city had been destroyed, and the main street was in ruins. Locals stubbornly rebuilt their town with the help of detailed drawings and photographs, using the original brick whenever possible. Today, excursion boats ferry history buffs through shipyards to Westerplatte point, where the war’s first shots were fired. A short walk across town, you’ll find the Amber Museum, dedicated to the globby yellow stuff that’s sold all over the city. Almost 75 percent of the world’s amber – a fossilized tree resin – is mined in northern Poland, much of it washing up on beaches following winter storms. Visitors learn how amber comes in 300 distinct shades, from yellowishwhite to yellowish-black, opaque

Mleczny Neptun in the Main Town is the city’s most popular. Milk bars are governmentsubsidized cafeterias, a holdover from Poland’s communist days, when lowly workers could barely afford to eat out. Bar Mleczny Neptun has more charm than most milk bars, thanks to its outdoor seating along the most scenic stretch of the main drag. Load your tray with traditional Polish foods, such as borscht or pierogi, pay the cashier, and do a double take when you realize how little you spent. My bill for a full meal usually comes to about five dollars.

Just 20 minutes north of the Main Town, the charms of the old core fade quickly as you come across the Gdańsk Shipyard. Here, in the place that Solidarity leader Lech Wałęsa called the “cradle of freedom,” a motley collection of brave shipyard workers took on and ultimately ended the USSR’s stranglehold on Eastern Europe. In August 1980, a shipyard crane operator and known dissident was fired unceremoniously, sparking a strike. Upon hearing this news, Wałęsa – an electrician who had been fired for being an agitator – rushed to the shipyard and scaled the wall to get inside and rally the protesters.

Near the shipyard, the

excellent museum inside the European Solidarity Center is Europe’s single best sight about the end of communism. It’s made even more powerful by its location – in the very heart of the place where those events occurred. Exhibits tell the inspiring story of those workers and the difficult communist reality they were struggling to change. You’ll see original plywood panels onto which the strikers scrawled their 21 demands, then lashed to the gate. Just beyond that, a giant video screen and a map illustrate how the strikes that began here spread quickly across Poland.

Four decades after the fall of communism, Gdańsk is, in many ways, a new city. Neighborhoods that the communists left as World War II rubble are now remade into posh condos and shopping malls, and a futuristic stadium shaped like a translucent glob of amber now houses the local soccer team. Despite modernization, Gdańsk will always have a powerful history. Exploring the lanes of this city, I always imagine that around each corner, I might bump into old Lech Wałęsa – now happily retired – still wandering the timepassed streets.

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

Flu shots are important for young people too

By Tina Ardon, M.D., and Stephen McMullan, M.D. Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research

DEAR MAYO CLINIC: I am 28 and consider myself fairly healthy. I have never gotten a flu shot and have never had the flu. I did receive a COVID-19 vaccine series. Do I really need a flu vaccination? My employer is recommending an influenza immunization for everyone, but I am hesitant. I have heard some people get sick from flu shots.

ANSWER: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention now recommends that everyone 6 months and older be vaccinated every year against influenza, or flu. Being young and healthy does not protect you against getting the flu. Even someone like you, who has not had influenza in the past, should still get an annual flu shot. In some cases, people may develop minor flu-like symptoms after receiving the vaccine; however, it is important to know the flu vaccine cannot give you the flu.

Influenza is a viral respiratory infection that tends to come on suddenly. The influenza virus is a systemic virus. That means it circulates throughout the body in the bloodstream. Symptoms typically include fever, aching muscles, chills, sweats, headache, feeling tired and weak, coughing, and nasal congestion.

Influenza can cause complications, such as sinus and ear infections, bronchitis, and pneumonia. These

complications, particularly pneumonia, can be especially dangerous in young children; pregnant women; older adults; and people who have chronic medical conditions, such as asthma, epilepsy, kidney disease or liver disease, among others. Getting an annual flu vaccine is the most effective way to prevent influenza and its complications.

It is important to note, however, that even though young children and older adults are most vulnerable to complications from the flu, the most severe forms of flu that we have seen have not affected those groups the most. Instead, the most infectious and serious strains of influenza — such as the strain that caused the 1918 worldwide pandemic — have more often affected young, healthy adults. Most cases of death associated with severe flu strains have been in younger adults who were otherwise healthy.

To best protect yourself from the flu, you need to get a flu shot every year. That’s because the vaccines change each year to keep up with rapidly adapting influenza viruses. Because flu viruses evolve quickly, last year’s vaccine may not protect you from this year’s viruses.

After you get a flu vaccination, your immune system produces antibodies that will protect you from the flu viruses. As with any immunization, it can take about two weeks to build immunity after getting vaccinated. After a while, antibody levels for vaccines will start to decline — another good reason to get a booster every year.

BROADBAND EXPANSION INCLUDES PROJECTS IN MARION COUNTY

On May 26, Gov. Ron DeSantis announced $60 million in awards through the Broadband Opportunity Program. The awards will support 22 projects in 19 Florida counties, including Marion, for broadband internet expansion that will impact nearly 58,000 unserved residential, educational, agricultural, business and community locations, according to the press release.

The program is administered by the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity. The local projects will provide symmetrical download and upload speeds of 1 GB and include:

• Unincorporated Communities of Marion Oaks, Ocklawaha and Silver Springs ($2,428,013) — to add 122.12 miles of fiber optic

cable to 1,061 unserved locations.

• Unincorporated Community of Rainbow Lake Estates ($1,043,858) — to add 49.17 miles of fiber optic cable to 668 unserved locations.

• Town of Mcintosh, Reddick and Zuber; Unincorporated Communities of Anthony, Blitchton, Citra, East Williston, Ematha, Evinston, Fairfield, Irvine, Lowell, Martin, Orange Lake, Sparr and York ($2,980,000) — to add 701.1 miles of fiber optic cable to 11,920 unserved locations.

To date, Florida’s total investment is more than $226 million for the program. For additional information, visit FloridaJobs.org/Broadband

Generally, it is a good idea to get a flu shot in the fall, usually in late September or early October. But if you miss that timing, it’s never too late to get a flu shot, as it will still protect you when you are vaccinated. Although the peak flu season is typically during the winter, as we have seen in years past — and especially with COVID-19 — viruses can circulate at any time.

After getting a flu shot, a few people may develop flu-like symptoms, usually a low-grade fever that lasts about a day. In many cases, this happens because those people were previously exposed to a virus that was similar to the vaccine strain, and their immune system is already prepared to respond to it. The fever is a sign of their immune system response, not a symptom of influenza infection.

It is particularly important for women who are pregnant to get a flu shot in order to protect their unborn child. I would suggest that if you have questions or concerns about the flu vaccine, talk with your primary health care clinician. — Tina Ardon, M.D., and Stephen McMullan, M.D., Family Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, Florida

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

Gorgeous facades line Gdansk’s main drag, echoing the city’s historic importance. [Rick Steves]

Paleontologists discover elephant graveyard in North Florida

By Jerald Pinson Science Writer, Florida Museum of Natural History

About five and a half million years ago, several gomphotheres — extinct relatives of elephants — died in or near a river in North Florida. Although their deaths likely occurred hundreds of years apart, their bodies were all deposited in a single location, entombed alongside other animals that had met with a similar fate.

Today, the river no longer exists, but the fossils it left behind have offered paleontologists a panoramic view of life in prehistoric Florida. Early last year, scientists and volunteers began unearthing the gomphotheres at the Montbrook Fossil Dig in what is likely to be a record-breaking discovery.

“This is a once-in-a-lifetime find,” said Jonathan Bloch, curator of vertebrate paleontology at the Florida Museum of Natural History. “It’s the most complete gomphothere skeleton from this time period in Florida and among the best in North America.”

Bloch and his team discovered portions of a gomphothere skeleton early in the spring of 2022. Isolated gomphothere bones have been found at Montbrook in the past, so there was no reason to suspect that this was anything out of the ordinary. But a few days later, a volunteer digging nearby discovered the articulated foot of something very large.

“I started coming upon one after another of toe and ankle bones,” said Dean Warner, a retired chemistry teacher and Montbrook volunteer. “As I continued to dig, what turned out to be the ulna and radius started to be uncovered. We all knew that something special had been found.”

Within a few days, it became clear there was not just one but several complete skeletons, including one adult and at least seven juveniles. The research team will need to fully excavate the specimens before they can accurately determine their size, but Bloch estimates the adult was 8 feet tall at the shoulders. With the tusks included, the skull measures over 9 feet in length.

According to Rachel Narducci, collection manager of vertebrate paleontology at the Florida Museum, it’s likely the fossils were successively deposited or transported to the area.

“Modern elephants travel in herds and can be very protective of their young, but I don’t think this was a situation in which they all died at once,” she said. “It seems like members of one or multiple herds got stuck in this one spot at different times.”

Research teams have been excavating at Montbrook since 2015, when a private landowner contacted Florida Museum researchers about fossils that had been discovered on his property. Since then, the site’s fine sands and compacted clays have yielded a layer cake of fossils up to 9 feet deep in some places.

The fossil beds are located 30 miles inland from the Gulf of Mexico, but the area was much closer to the sea when the bones were deposited in the late Miocene, during which time temperatures and sea levels were higher than they are at present. As a result, the remnants of camels, rhinoceroses and llamas are encased next to both fresh and saltwater fish, turtles, alligators and burrowing shrimp. And because the limestone the ancient river cut through was laid down when Florida was a shallow, marine platform, fossils of much older marine species, such as sharks, are also occasionally found.

Over the last seven years, paleontologists working at Montbrook have discovered the oldest deer in North America, the oldest known skull of a smilodontine sabertoothed cat and a new species of extinct heron. Fossil mainstays from the time, like bone-crushing dogs and short-faced bears, also show up scattered across the wide-brimmed fossil bed. Despite the diversity of fossils at Montbrook, most of these animals were interred after being transported by running water, and their remains are rarely found intact. The discovery of several complete gomphotheres was entirely unexpected.

“We’ve never seen anything like this at Montbrook,” Narducci said. “Usually, we find just one part of a skeleton at this site. The gomphotheres must have been buried quickly, or they may have been caught in a curve of the river where the flow was reduced.”

Elephants and their extinct relatives are collectively called proboscideans. Before

the arrival of humans, they were a common component of almost every major continent, and gomphotheres were among the most diverse. Unlike their better-known woolly mammoth counterparts — which originated and disappeared just before and after the Pleistocene ice ages — gomphotheres have an exceptionally long fossil record spanning more than 20 million years.

They first evolved in Africa in the early Miocene, roughly 23 million years ago, after which they dispersed into Europe and Asia. By 16 million years ago, they’d reached North America via the Bering land bridge, and when the Isthmus of Panama rose above the sea 2.7 million years ago, gomphotheres were waiting on the shoreline to cross into South America.

Along the way, gomphotheres evolved several unique features that allowed them to thrive in the new environments they encountered.

“We all generally know what mastodons and woolly mammoths looked like, but gomphotheres aren’t nearly as easy to categorize,” Narducci said. “They had a variety of body sizes, and the shape of their tusks differed widely between species.”

In addition to the usual pair of upper tusks common in proboscideans, gomphotheres had a second set attached to the lower jaw, which were fashioned by natural selection into increasingly implausible configurations. Many species had small lower tusks that splayed apart or extended in parallel at the tip of a significantly elongated lower jaw. Tusks in the platybelodon gomphotheres were flattened and joined, resembling a massive pair of buck teeth, which they used to scrape bark from trees.

Paleontologists often use these tusks as a diagnostic feature. The gomphotheres from Montbrook have a spiral band of enamel running along the length of each tusk, giving them the appearance of a barber’s pole. Only one group of gomphotheres with this unique banding pattern existed at the time. This allowed Bloch and Narducci to narrow the identity of the Montbrook fossils to species in the genus Rhyncotherium, which were once widespread across North and Central America.

“A fossil site in southern California is the only other place in the U.S. that has produced a large sample of Rhynchotherium juveniles and adults,” Bloch said. “We’re already learning so much about the anatomy and biology of this group that we didn’t know before, including new facts about the shape of the skull and tusks.”

Gomphotheres thrived in open savannahs, which were once common in Africa, Eurasia and the Americas. But a sustained pattern of global cooling that began about 14 million years ago led to the prominence of vast grasslands, which gradually replaced savannahs and caused gomphothere diversity to wane. Some species were able to successfully switch from tree browsing to a diet that primarily consisted of grasses, but gomphotheres were dealt another blow at the end of the Miocene, when a new group of proboscideans entered the stage.

Mammoths and elephants originated in Africa before trekking north into Eurasia, following in the footsteps of the gomphotheres that had gone before and displacing them in the process. By the time humans arrived in the Americas, there were only a few gomphothere species left, which wouldn’t last long. Faced with rapid climate change and overhunting from the continents’ newest inhabitants, the last gomphotheres disappeared at the end of the ice ages, along with the majority of other large mammal species.

The Montbrook discovery gives new life to Rhynchotherium gomphotheres and provides scientists with the opportunity to learn more about the charismatic fauna that once populated North America.

“The best part has been to share this process of discovery with so many volunteers from all over the state of Florida,” Bloch said. “Our goal is to assemble this gigantic skeleton and put it on display, taking its place alongside the iconic mammoth and mastodon already at the Florida Museum of Natural History.”

The Florida Museum, on the University of Florida campus in Gainesville, is home to more than 40 million specimens and artifacts in one of the nation’s largest natural history collections. To learn more, go to floridamuseum.ufl.edu/science

Florida Museum photos by Kristen Grace

Illustrations by Pedro Toledo