Ocala Gazette | August 11 - August 17, 2023

Beyond the Coloring Book: Colored Pencils for Grown-ups

THE PRICE OF BUC-EE’S Marion Senior Services debuts new

How the future world’s largest Buc-ee’s and the Interstate 75 interchange impact farmland

By Caroline Brauchler caroline@ocalagazette.com

The ribbon has been cut for Marion Senior Services’ brand-new dining location at the Mary Sue Rich Community Center at Reed Place.

The dining site, which had its grand opening on Aug. 1, offers a once-daily nutritional meal to the agency’s clients—elderly, disabled and disadvantaged residents of Marion County who seek to maintain a lifestyle of independent living.

The new location offers more than just a hearty, nutritional meal, it offers many components that can help with overall wellness and prosperity for the elderly and disadvantaged population, said Marion Senior Services (MSS) spokesperson Natasha Dobkowski.

By Caroline Brauchler caroline@ocalagazette.com

When a longtime cattle-ranching family heard about a potential new interchange at Interstate 75 and Northwest 49th Street in Marion County over a decade ago, they feared the coming construction would involve land that had been in their family for nearly 70 years.

Now, as plans for the new interchange are taking shape, those fears are becoming reality.

Joy Baldwin Papy of Baldwin Angus Ranch said

the family quickly realized the proposed location of the project would lop a large portion of their ranchland off from the rest, rendering it inaccessible after decades of the family raising prized angus beef cattle on their northwest Marion County property.

“It’ll be landlocked away from us with all the roads that they’re putting in,’’ said Papy’s niece Christine Damron. “So, we wouldn’t be able to run cattle over there, we wouldn’t be able to get tractors over there to lease the property for peanut farming or anything like that.”

That corner of the

Baldwins’ property happened to be an ideal location for a travel center as part of the new I-75 interchange. So, when the popular travel center chain Buc-ee’s took interest in their land back in 2020, the family decided they would make the best out of a difficult situation and in April of this year sold about 35 acres of the land they cherished.

The $8.6 million that Bucee’s paid for the land allowed the family to buy more land that connects to the northeast side of their property, Papy said. At the ranch’s largest, it spanned about 640 acres. These days, the members of

the Baldwin family own less than 600.

Now, the Baldwins might have to part with upward of 100 additional acres as part of the project. The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) has proposed building a retention pond north of the interchange and east of I-75, on top of even more of the Baldwins’ land, Papy said.

This time, they likely won’t be able to replace that land because there isn’t much farmland left to buy, she said.

None of the Baldwins’ land has been bought yet for the interchange, roads or potential

See Threat page A5

“It just gives us that opportunity to really hit all of those key points: nutrition, mobility and recreational activity, socialization and then also intergenerational (interaction),” Dobkowski said.

The new location was moved from where it was previously located at the MSS main office. It is one of four sites where seniors can participate in the agency’s congregate dining plan, according to the agency’s website.

The dining site will serve a hot, nutritional meal at lunchtime Monday through Friday, said Nutrition Coordinator Glenda Thomas. Meals are offered at no cost and are available to anyone over

See Senior page A6

DeSantis suspends Central Florida prosecutor

By Ryan Dailey and Jim Turner Florida News Service

Gov. Ron DeSantis on Wednesday suspended Orlando-area State Attorney Monique Worrell, accusing the prosecutor of “neglecting her duty” and being lax on criminal enforcement.

DeSantis’ suspension of Worrell, elected in 2020 as state attorney for Florida’s 9th Judicial Circuit in Orange and Osceola counties, marks the second time in a year the Republican governor has acted to strip an elected Democratic prosecutor from office.

Speaking to reporters shortly after DeSantis announced her suspension Wednesday, Worrell decried what she called the “loss of democracy” through DeSantis’ action.

“I am your duly elected state

attorney for the 9th Judicial Circuit, and nothing done by a weak dictator can change that,” Worrell said.

Worrell’s suspension came after she drew criticism from police union leaders who said her office should have done more to keep behind bars a man accused of shooting two Orlando police officers on Friday.

“We had a duty to act to protect the public from this dereliction of duty,” DeSantis said during a press conference Wednesday morning announcing the suspension.

Worrell said that she has spoken with her legal team and plans to challenge her suspension. She defended her record as state attorney, and said that two high-ranking employees in her office also were fired as part of the governor’s actions.

“I was elected by the people

County Hospital District A3

of the 9th Judicial Circuit to lead this circuit. And yes, to do things unconventionally, to do things differently. But I didn’t hide. … I did exactly what I said I would do, and that is what you want from an elected official,” Worrell said.

The Florida Constitution gives the governor the authority to suspend elected officials. The ultimate decision about removal from office rests with the Florida Senate.

In an executive order issued Wednesday, DeSantis maintained that Worrell’s policies prevent or discourage assistant state attorneys from seeking mandatory minimum sentences for gun crimes and drug trafficking offenses.

Worrell’s practices and policies constitute “abuse of prosecutorial discretion” and See Worrell, page A3

Land on the east side of I-75, shown on the right, is the area were the new Buc-ee’s will be built along with the 49th Street off ramp in Ocala shown on Tuesday, July 25, 2023. [Alan Youngblood/

Special to the Ocala Gazette]

Monique Worrell, the State Attorney for the Ninth Judicial Circuit in Orlando, speaks during the NAACP

5114 Marion County Branch 41st Freedom Fund and Awards Banquet at the Klein Conference Center at the College of Central Florida in Ocala on Friday, April 28, 2023. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette] 2023.

School kicks off for Marion County students

By Kevin Christian APR, CPRC, Director of Public Relations for MCPS

Aug. 10th marks the first day of school for what could be the biggest enrollment year for Marion County Public Schools in its 154-year history.

A projected 44,487 students are expected to start and further their educations in MCPS classrooms this year, the highest projection ever. The student breakdown includes 20,620 elementary, 10,221 middle, 13,225 high, and 421 in special learning centers.

Bus transportation is always a major challenge for a school district geographically larger than the state of Rhode Island. MCPS offers 254 bus routes on opening day, 16 more than last year including 132 for students with special needs. About 34,000 students are eligible to ride the bus with an average daily ridership around 22,500.

Brand new teachers have been on the job since their “Great Beginnings” workshops kicked off July 31. Returning teachers came back to campus August 2 for professional learning opportunities.

As of today, 302 new teachers are putting finishing touches on their classrooms with an overall district-wide teaching force of about 2,800 professionals. The district’s 6,100+ employees are 50% instructional, 46% support, and 4% administrative.

Academically, this school year launches a new aviation program at Sparr Elementary School.

Nearby Reddick-Collier Elementary School starts its own equine industry program (which leads to a complementary first-of-its-kind program at nearby North Marion High) while Lake Weir High School offers the International Cambridge Program for the first time.

With more than 7.1 million square feet of space to manage, custodial crews have waxed floors, cleaned classrooms, and readied restrooms for the first day of school. Technical crews installed new flooring, replaced roofing surfaces, cleaned and inspected over 3,800 air conditioners and 37 generators to ensure they’re all running smoothly to cool things off given the current heatwave.

Food service workers at 55 district schools stand ready to serve free breakfast and lunch to every student who wants food, regardless of income, thanks to the Community Eligibility Provision from the US Department of Agriculture.

Four schools have different principals including two with firsttime principals: Donald Manning at Reddick-Collier Elementary and Reuben Williams at Liberty Middle. Schools with different principals include Fessenden Elementary (Stacie Newmones) and Horizon Academy at Marion Oaks (Melissa Conner). School bell times remain virtually the same as last year with a few exceptions:

• East Marion Elementary (7:50 a.m. – 3 p.m.)

• Emerald Shores Elementary (7:45 a.m. – 2:55 p.m.)

• Dunnellon Middle (9:10 a.m. –3:50 p.m.)

• Lake Weir Middle (8:35 a.m. –3:05 p.m.)

• Belleview High (9 a.m. – 3:15 p.m.)

• Marion Technical Institute (7:45 a.m. – 2:15 p.m.)

MCPS will emphasize daily attendance at school this year with a special attendance campaign kicking off in September. “Showing Up Together!” will educate students, families, and the community about the importance of being on time, every day, so students maximize their learning. Every minute matters now more than ever.

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Susan Molander, who was the College Park Elementary School Teacher of the Year in 2022, lays out books on her students’ desks in her classroom at College Park Elementary School.

Trellis Williams, a first year teacher at College Park Elementary School, hangs up the College Park Elementary 3 R’s sign as she gets ready for her students in her classroom at College Park Elementary School in Ocala on Tuesday, August 8, 2023.

Photos By Bruce Ackerman Ocala Gazette

Bobbie Davila, a new teacher at College Park Elementary School, who will be teaching 3rd grade English and Social Studies, puts a box of books for her students on a shelf in her classroom.

Marion County Hospital District picks new leadership

OBITUARY

Andrea Kmetz Green

8/17/1944 - 8/9/2023

Andrea Kmetz Green, 78, of Ocala, Florida passed away on August 9, 2023 surrounded by her loving family. Her death came following a six year battle with cancer. Andrea was born in Gary, Indiana and grew up in Miami, FL where she was a graduate of Miami Edison High School. She then graduated from Florida State University where she was a member of Kappa Delta sorority and where she met the love of her life for the past 56 years, John Marshall Green, Jr.

Following their marriage on August 13, 1966, she helped start Santa Fe Community College while John attended law school at the U of F. Following his graduation they moved to Ocala, where they have lived since. Andrea was active in her community where she was President of the Children’s Service League, President of Ivy Circle, Eighth Street Elementary PTA President, and an active member of Junior League and the Women’s Club of Ocala. She was a longtime member of the Ocala First United Methodist Church where she took part in many Bible Study groups and volunteered weekly at their Tuesday Morning Outreach Homeless Ministry. Andrea loved God, her friends, the FSU Seminoles, and Elvis.

Andrea’s greatest joy was her family who loved and adored her. She is survived by her husband, John; their three daughters and son-in-laws who include Kelley & Wally Harriss, Karen & Chris Evans, and Katie & Bobby Hawkanson; her 7 grandchildren, Grant Harriss, Reid Harriss, Brooke Evans, Brady Evans, Jake Hawkanson, Luke Hawkanson, & Andrea “Andie” Hawkanson; and her sister, Karen Kmetz Cook. She was preceded in death by her father, Andrew Kmetz, her mother, Madelyn Kmetz, and her brother, Don Kmetz.

A memorial service and reception for Andrea will be held at Ocala First United Methodist, 1126 E Silver Springs Blvd, Ocala, FL 34470 on Saturday, August 12 at 11:00am. In lieu of owers, Andrea’s family is asking for donations to be made to either the Ocala First United Methodist Outreach Homeless Ministry or to Hospice of Marion County.

Worrell suspended

By Jennifer Hunt Murty jennifer@ocalagazette.com

The trustees of the Marion County Hospital District (MCHD) unanimously elected a new chair and vice chair at their July 31 meeting.

Both positions are unpaid and serve for a term of one year.

The trustees nominated only one person, Teresa Stephens, for the top leadership position. Stephens replaces Rich Bianculli, who served as chairperson for six years.

Stephens has a banking career that spans 31 years and is currently the Market President of Millenium Bank. She holds a master’s degree in business administration with a specialty in management from Strayer University and a bachelor’s degree from St. Leo University. She has lived in Marion County since 1982.

Stephens was appointed to the board by the Marion County Board of County Commissioners (MCBCC) in 2020 to fill a vacancy created when trustee Sheryl Goedert resigned. Stephens was recently appointed for a second term that runs through June of 2027.

Stephens said of the trustees’ unanimous vote, “I’m honored to have the faith and support of the trustees in continuing the important work of the hospital district.”

Over the past two years, Stephens has served as vice chair and the investment chair for the trustees, reporting on their more than $80 million in investments.

Previously, she has served on the boards of the Marion County Industrial Development Authority, Ocala Silver Springs Rotary, and Marion County Junior Golf.

The sole nominee for vice chair was Rusty Branson, who also was approved unanimously.

Branson is serving his first term as trustee, appointed by the MCBCC in 2021.

Branson, who has lived in Marion County

since 1984, has a 39-year career in banking. He co-founded Gateway Bank in 2007, where he served as president until Gateway was sold in June 2017 to CenterState Bank, which then merged with SouthState Bank in 2019. He now serves as SouthState’s senior vice president/regional president.

Branson earned a bachelor’s degree in finance from Florida State University and a master’s degree in banking from the LSU Graduate School of Banking.

Branson serves on the boards of the United Way of Marion County, AdventHealth Ocala Foundation, AdventHealth Ocala and the Community Foundation for Ocala/Marion County. He has served as a member of the College of Central Florida Board of Trustees since 2015.

The MCHD board is made up of seven trustees. It was founded by the legislature in 1965 as a governmental agency formed to oversee the healthcare of Marion County residents.

The board is subject to the state’s open government, or Sunshine Laws, which means their meetings are publicly noticed, although members of the public rarely attend them. The records are public, and trustees are not to discuss district business outside of a regularly noticed meeting.

Currently, the other trustees are Rich Bianculli, Dr. Ken Marino, Dr. Ram Vasudevan, David Cope and Harvey Vandeven.

Continued from page A1 reflect “a systemic failure to enforce incarcerative penalties called for by Florida law,” the order said.

DeSantis’ order pointed to Florida Department of Corrections’ data, which he said showed that prison admission rates for Worrell’s region between Jan. 1, 2022 through March 31, 2023, “are below—often far below—the statewide average across all categories of criminal offenses, except three.”

DeSantis named Andrew Bain, who recently served as an Orange County judge, as acting state attorney. DeSantis in 2020 tapped Bain—a member of the conservative Federalist Society legal group—to serve on the county court.

“I will make this office accountable to the community we serve, and to ensure criminals who poison society, cause mayhem and murder are held accountable under the law,” Bain, who joined DeSantis at Wednesday’s press conference in the Capitol, told reporters.

Florida Democrats quickly blasted DeSantis’ action and accused the governor of using the suspension to try to pump up his presidential campaign.

“The authoritarian tactic of removing duly-elected officials without legal cause is a direct affront to voters and Gov. DeSantis’ removal of the Orlando state attorney is a brazen and petulant act of a flailing presidential candidate whose disregard for democracy and the rule of law is deeply troubling,” U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, a Democrat from South Florida, said in a statement.

Rep. Anna Eskamani, D-Orlando, also slammed what she called a “politically motivated action” by DeSantis.

“This is absolutely disgusting—State Attorney Monique Worrell is a duly elected official and the only Black woman serving as state attorney in Florida right now. Her removal is a complete slap in the face to Orange and Osceola County residents and another example of Governor DeSantis eroding our local control and democracy,” Eskamani said in a statement.

Florida Democratic Party Chairwoman Nikki Fried also attacked DeSantis’ action, calling the suspension “a political hit job” that “threatens our democracy and undermines the will of the people.”

DeSantis’ move Wednesday came just over a year after DeSantis suspended Hillsborough County State Attorney Andrew Warren.

Warren filed a federal lawsuit in September challenging his removal from office, and U.S. District Judge Robert Hinkle in January ruled that the suspension violated the Florida Constitution and the U.S. Constitution.

Hinkle, however, said he lacked the authority to reinstate the prosecutor. The Atlanta-based 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals heard arguments in Warren’s appeal but has not issued a ruling.

Warren in February also asked the Florida Supreme Court to reinstate him, arguing that the governor “exceeded his powers” in the suspension. The court in June rejected Warren’s attempt to get his job back, ruling that the twice-elected Democrat waited too long to bring the case.

Warren on Wednesday also rebuked DeSantis for suspending Worrell.

“Another illegal and unconstitutional attack on democracy by a small, scared man who is desperate to save his political career,” Warren said in a statement.

But Republicans and law enforcement officials praised the governor’s actions.

Worrell’s suspension “is absolutely imperative for the protection of our citizens,” said Attorney General Ashley Moody, who also flanked DeSantis at Wednesday’s event.

“If she were allowed to continue in this office, her failure would continue to cause needless pain, suffering, and death,” Moody added.

Moody said Worrell has dismissed charges or failed to file cases against defendants at a higher rate than any other prosecutor.

Central Florida law enforcement officials, including Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd, also backed the suspension.

DeSantis on Wednesday accused Worrell’s office of mishandling the arrest and detention of Daton Viel, who allegedly shot two police officers on Friday before being killed Saturday morning by an Orlando SWAT team. Viel was arrested in March and charged with sexual battery on a minor, but was released after posting a $125,000 bail bond in April.

The Fraternal Order of Police of Orlando called Worrell “soft on crime” in a social media post Saturday.

Speaking to reporters Wednesday, Worrell said the police union assisted the governor’s office in her removal because, when she ran for office in 2020, she pledged to hold law-enforcement officers accountable for their actions.

“On that I delivered and that is the reason that law enforcement galvanized behind the governor’s undemocratic attack,” Worrell said.

Worrell, standing outside the Orlando County Courthouse, said she will continue running for reelection in 2024.

“I will not be quiet. I will not sit down. This office is just a building. I have been a public servant for my entire career. And I will continue to serve our community. I will continue to stand for democracy. I will continue to protect the rights of the disenfranchised,” she said.

Teresa Stephens poses for a photo at Millennium Bank on East Silver Springs Boulevard in Ocala on Monday, August 7, 2023. Stephens is the president of Millennium Bank and the new chairman of the board of the Marion County Hospital District. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette] 2023.

Rusty Branson, the CF District Board of Trustees Chair, speaks during the ribbon cutting ceremony for the new Allied Health Sciences Building at the College of Central Florida in Ocala on Friday, March 3, 2023. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette] 2023.

Just in time for back-to-school

Local agencies join forces to provide school supplies to thousands of Marion County students.

things that happen with a lot of our different nonprofits where there becomes a need for a child to need a backpack or school supplies.”

As part of a larger effort, locals were part of a group of about 500 volunteers who went to Raymond James Stadium in Tampa to pack 30,000 backpacks a few weeks ago. Gill Logistics donated three trucks and drivers to load 24 pallets of backpacks that 30 volunteers from Ocala helped stuff. They then got those back to Ocala to distribute at the 10 local locations.

“There are just so many different partners that help give back to our community and it would not be possible without them, and they are the true heroes,” Gerds said.

Gerds said she worked closely with Sara Russell, the director of marketing at AdventHealth Ocala, and Lauren Debick, the executive director of communications and community engagement at MCPS.

“All three of us have taken a piece and a part to work together to make this happen,” Gerds said. “Not just one of us could do this, it takes the three of us to do the bulk of the effort. But we would not be anywhere without all of our community sponsors and the volunteers who help us. It truly takes a village to make this possible.”

Preventing dishonesty

By Lauren Morrish lauren@ocalagazette.com

The recent Back to School Community Giveback united residents, businesses and civic organizations in providing more than 7,000 backpacks and educational supplies to local students.

The Community Foundation for Ocala/Marion County, AdventHealth Ocala and Marion County Public Schools (MCPS) partnered to provide materials to families in need before the school year began on Aug. 10.

The event kicked off July 28 at Lake Lillian in Belleview. The endeavor involved more than 200 volunteers and several supporting nonprofits across 10 distribution locations. The giveaway included distributions at seven locations on Aug. 5, such as the Forest Community Center in Ocklawaha, in partnership with East Marion Elementary, Marion County and Marion County Parks and Recreation, to help provide supplies to students who live in the Ocala National Forest area. The wrap-up day was Aug. 8 at the Frank DeLuca YMCA Family Center gymnasium in Ocala.

Parents could choose to register their student(s) on four different dates, with one backpack available per child. The backpacks included spiral notebooks, pencils, prong folders, glue sticks and hand sanitizers.

Ashley Gerds, the director of Strategic Engagement at the Community Foundation for Ocala/Marion County, shared in an interview with the “Gazette” the level of impact the giveaway has and how much it has grown in a short time.

“Each child deserves to be set up for success and to go into school just as each of their peers, have a new backpack that they can be proud of, have the tools to be

successful and get the education that each child in Marion County deserves to get,” she said.

Gerds noted that the reaction of parents and their children at the giveaways was more than she expected.

“I knew that this was a help in the community and that parents really appreciated the effort that we were doing to help serve, but some parents cried,” she said. “Some parents were beyond words with being thankful just having a location near them so they could give their child this experience of picking out their own backpack, getting supplies, and getting excited to go back to school.”

In 2019, Gerds , who at the time was an administrator with Paddock Mall, partnered with the Bullard Family Foundation and Skanska USA in providing a local backpack giveaway at the mall. During the COVID-19 school shutdowns, they revamped the event to create a drive-thru option. In 2021, when Gerds left the mall to work for the Community Foundation, she said she realized through her affiliation with MCPS that there was a severe need in the community to help students and parents in a bigger capacity. Through additional partnerships, Gerds was able to broaden the outreach of the event last year from one location at the mall to seven locations. The city of Bellview, Marion County Children’s Alliance and the Frank DeLuca YMCA Family Center joined the initiative this year and added three new locations. Since access to transportation is an issue for some residents, the organizers wanted to ensure the event was within reasonable distance for families living in rural areas.

“They wanted to be able to give back to their city and their community in a big way and they’re helping support that initiative,” Gerds said.

More than 3,000 students were

registered two weeks before the first event, Gerds said. Last year, with seven locations and fewer materials for distribution, the giveback hit capacity. To prevent that from happening this year, organizers planned to provide supplies for at least 1,000 more students.

Community impact

Gerds said many families are struggling financially and that the backpack drive meant a great deal to them.

Many parents, she said, have to choose between purchasing school supplies or putting food on the table for their family. Also, she noted, the community is still recovering from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, which cost students many months of in-school learning. There are 44,000 students in Marion County and a significant percentage of them are below the poverty level. Gerds said even though there are not enough school supplies for all of the county’s students, this initiative is helping.

“It makes me so proud to know that there are so many of us who care in this community to be able to help those falling on hard times right now, hoping and knowing that when they get into a better situation, they are going to be able to help pay it forward one day,” Gerds said.

The Community Foundation will save any extra backpacks and dispense them throughout the school year.

Gerds shared circumstances, besides going back to school, in which a child might need more supplies.

“It could be a foster child who goes into foster care suddenly and did not get to take their backpack with them or they are in need of a backpack,” she said. “It could be a new student coming into the school system, or it could be a domestic violence situation where the kids were taken from the home. There are a lot of different

Last year, a person claiming to represent a local business went to one of the drive’s seven locations and fabricated a story about needing about 20 backpacks for a foster home. A week later, those same backpacks were being advertised at the business’s own back-to-school event.

That business had approached donors in the community with the façade that their money would go toward materials for the back-to-school event. However, since they used the school supplies they picked up at the Community Foundation giveaway, they pocketed the donated money. A volunteer from Liberty Middle School reported this to the foundation event organizers, who worked with local authorities to contact the business. They urged them to return the sponsorship dollars and said they could join the giveback cause to aid others instead of misusing it for personal gain.

There also were attempts to get around the one-backpack-per-student rule. People visited the various locations and collected more backpacks than necessary. Gerds said they made it easy to do so because volunteers did not turn anyone away.

To prevent this from reoccurring, this year student numbers were required for the registration process. If the students did not attend a public school, they could contact the organizers to register.

The giveback organizers hope more people will join the cause and expand the drive in the future. Many organizations and nonprofits, they said, are duplicating services that could be better utilized in a combined effort. If they volunteered their materials and hands to this giveback, it could cover the county’s needs and demonstrate inclusivity.

“For these students, this is their backpack, this is something that they’re going to carry all year,” Gerds said. “We want them to be happy we want them to feel empowered when they walk through those doors into school.”

Hundreds of people received school supplies during the Back to School Community Giveback at the AdventHealth Auxiliary Building in Ocala on Saturday, July 29, 2023. [Bruce Ackerman/ Ocala Gazette] 2023.

Photos By Bruce Ackerman Ocala Gazette

Left to right: Michelle Marcic of SellState Next Generation Realty, right, passes out school supplies to Joseph Lucas, 10, left, as his mother, Lisa, center, looks on during the Back to School Community Giveback at the AdventHealth Auxiliary Building in Ocala on Saturday, July 29, 2023. Pam Driggers, the Deputy Chief of Marion County Fire Rescue, right, fits a new bicycle helmet on Dziyah Smith, 9, left. Twins Dax Tormanen, 8, left, and Colton Tormanen, center, show off their new backpacks they received with their brother, Griffin, 10, right.

Threat to Baldwin Angus Ranch

and rural lands for urban use,” according to the county.

The UGB limits, but does not prohibit, rezoning agricultural properties like Baldwin Angus Ranch. For the 35-acre parcel, Buc-ee’s applied and was approved for the rezoning on behalf of the Baldwins before the sale of the property took place.

ownership. With conservation easements, there’s no obligation that there has to be public access,” Kay said.

While agreeing to a conservation easement for your land cannot completely stop it from being taken through eminent domain, it might be able to help, Kay said.

Sharon Baldwin

Continued from page A1

retention pond, but the family fears it is inevitable. Papy said she has been advised by their attorneys that even if they don’t want to sell, the state could take it involuntarily through eminent domain, a process whereby a governmental body takes private land for public use and compensates the owners.

“It was really the state and the county and the whole eminent domain factor where they’re coming through whether we would like it or not,” Damron said. “We kind of lost that corner anyways, so we figured if Buc-ee’s wanted it, we may as well capitalize on that.”

From quiet ranchland to busy interstate highway

Leroy Baldwin was a rancher and veteran who started Baldwin Angus Ranch in 1947 with just a few angus heifers after saving up money from his newspaper delivery job. When he came back to the United States in 1955 after serving in the Korean War, he bought his first 40 acres of land.

Since Baldwin’s death in 2016, his daughter Papy has taken over the operations of the ranch with the help of her family, including her niece Damron.

The Baldwins said the state and county first began surveying their land to plan for the interchange back around 2012. The interchange project will be done by FDOT, while Marion County is responsible for projects on the east side of 35th Street and extending 49th Street. The connection between the two roads, which is planned for the Baldwins’ land, will be built by the state as part of the interchange, according to FDOT.

The interchange will be built in a “diverging diamond” style, which maximizes the flow of traffic and potentially minimizes the risk for accidents by eliminating left turns. The east side of the interchange will join 35th Street to meet 49th Street, cutting across the southwest corner of Baldwin Angus Ranch.

The county’s 49th Street and 35th Street project requires filling in the lime rock pit known as Clifton Mine, located south of Baldwin Angus Ranch.

In April of this year, Gov. Ron DeSantis announced a $4 million grant to help fund the interchange to support the development of the new Buc-ee’s, reduce traffic and congestion at other I-75 interchanges and allow better access to the nearby World Equestrian Center and industrial parks.

The county has been working with FDOT for nearly a decade to create an interchange at this location due to continuous growth, such as the nearby Chewy, Amazon, FedEx and AutoZone distribution centers, and the need to improve the flow of traffic. Funding for the interchange will in part come from Marion County’s penny sales tax, approved by voters in 2016, “which in part enabled Marion County to develop and present FDOT with a plan to partner with funding for a new interchange by 2020,” according to county spokesperson Stacie Causey.

FDOT estimates a total cost of $100.5 million for the interchange itself, which funds the completed project development and environment study, the design process to be completed next year, right of way acquisition to be completed in 2025 and construction to begin in 2025.

As of April, construction for the interchange was planned to begin in 2025, but when the governor announced the grant, he shared his hopes that the funds would allow the state to “step on the gas” and fast-track the process.

Here enters Buc-ee’s, a wildly popular chain of travel centers equipped with hundreds of gas pumps and mega-stores filled with beaver-themed novelties, food, merchandise and stall after stall of clean restrooms.

Papy said that although the family was sad to lose some of their land, the team from Buc-ee’s has been pleasant to work with, and she feels that this development was unavoidable due to the interchange.

On those 35 acres, the franchise plans to build the chain’s largest Buc-ee’s store,

clocking in at a whopping 85,000 square feet. This is 6,000 more square feet than the current largest Buc-ee’s that was opened in Sevierville, Tennessee in June.

The Buc-ee’s in Ocala will have more than 800 parking spaces, 120 gas pumps, and indoor and outdoor retail, food and beverage services, according to the Marion County Board of County Commissioners (MCBCC).

A spokesperson for Buc-ee’s said the company could offer no updates to the progress of the store since buying the parcel and declined the “Gazette’s” request for an interview to discuss the franchise’s planned location in Ocala.

About 90% of the anticipated traffic to Buc-ee’s is expected to come from I-75, while the other 10% of traffic is expected to be local, according to a traffic analysis conducted by Kimley-Horn.

Due to Marion County’s quickly growing population, traffic is expected to grow with it. As of 2021, traffic on I-75 north of U.S. 27 was about 84,500 vehicles per 24 to 48 hours. The projected growth rate for this location is about 3.3% per year, according to the Ocala Marion Transportation Planning Organization report from last year.

The interchange is expected to reduce traffic up to 17% on U.S. 27 and up to 18% on State Road 326 both east and west of the interstate. The diverging diamond design is intended to improve both efficiency and safety by limiting the amount of traffic signal phases creating the opportunity to make left turns without crossing in front of oncoming traffic, according to FDOT.

The MCBOCC rezoned the 35-acre property, now belonging to Buc-ee’s, from general agricultural use to planned unit development in February.

Although development of farmland is often controversial, government officials said Buc-ee’s and the major improvements to the interstate are sure to create new jobs, give Marion County nationwide recognition and boost the local economy.

“FDOT’s infrastructure project is expected to have an economic impact of $21 million and create 1,500 new jobs. The new interchange will further establish the city of Ocala as a strategic Central Florida hub for freightrelated traffic,” according to the governor’s office.

Available ranchland

disappearing

If the state goes through with taking the 100 acres for the retention pond, the Baldwin family will be hard-pressed to find other ranchland in their area of growing Marion County.

“It’s a growing area, it’s not like the middle of Texas or the middle of Nebraska where you can just have thousands and thousands of acres of farming and cattle ranching,” Papy said.

Why is so much development allowed in area that used to be farms and ranches? Because the Baldwins’ land falls within the county’s Urban Growth Boundary (UGB). The UGB is a designated area to compact development, promote redevelopment, limit urban sprawl and “limit conversion of agricultural

Planning for the retention pond is in its early stages, with no definite action yet, so zoning changes have not occurred on the Baldwins’ existing property.

Although the Buc-ee’s land was rezoned from agricultural use, the majority of the area where it is located is considered as the commerce district, lying directly north Ocala-Marion County Commerce Park. The county deemed this area to be no longer agriculturally productive back in 2013, which is why the zoning change to allow for Buc-ee’s was approved, according to Marion County Growth Services.

Some farmland is protected by the county, however. In 2005, the Farmland Preservation Area (FPA) was created in the northwest area of the county to manage growth over the 193,000 acres on which a large portion of Marion County’s horse farms are located.

For land not protected within the FPA, it is possible for agricultural land to be preserved in other ways. Conservation easements are agreements between landowners and preservation institutions that offer an opportunity for landowners to continue using their property as they wish, while protecting the land from development, said Alachua Conservation Trust President Tom Kay.

“(The land) will typically stay in private

“It definitely throws a hook…for government agencies who use that tool, it may make them think twice about doing it,” he said.

Papy said that her father considered the possibility of a conservation easement years ago, but that nothing came to fruition from the idea.

Regardless of the family having to sell and the potential of losing more land, the Baldwins said that they hope they can preserve their ranch that Leroy Baldwin worked so hard to establish. Sharon Baldwin, his widow, said that although it’s painful, selling part of the ranch may have been their key to continuing her late husband’s legacy.

“My husband’s wishes were, and hopes and prayers were, that when he passed that they would continue ranching and raising cattle out here,” she said. “That’s what I hope, too, that the grandkids and great-grandkids will continue raising cattle out here and keep it going.”

For those who continue farming this county’s beautiful land despite the encroaching development, Sharon Baldwin shared a message:

“Agriculture is not an easy thing. I mean, you have to love it and work at it. It’s a wonderful way of life,” she said. “It’s such a blessing from God to be able to look out and see the land.”

“My husband’s wishes were, and hopes and prayers were, that when he passed that they would continue ranching and raising cattle out here,” she said. “That’s what I hope, too, that the grandkids and great-grandkids will continue raising cattle out here and keep it going.”

Senior services improved

Continued from page A1 60 who can participate and travel to the site without assistance, according to the website.

“An example of a meal would be sliced turkey, mashed potatoes, green beans and cherry cobbler,” said Thomas. “I mentioned this meal, because it happened to be one that I tasted, and it was absolutely delicious.”

Thomas said that a glass of milk is served with each meal. Coffee and water are available at the site daily.

A healthy, balanced diet can have great benefits for one’s overall health, Thomas said.

“Given the health risks that seniors face, having proper nutrition definitely helps to offset some of those more chronic diseases that they may be dealing with, such as diabetes, heart disease and things of that nature,” she said.

The new site has more than 70 clients registered for the

congregate dining program, so staff expects to serve an average of about 35 people a day, with lots of growth in store for the future, Thomas said.

Because of the new site’s location at the Mary Sue Rich Community Center at Reed Place, seniors will see even more benefits than just their daily meals.

“Oftentimes throughout the month, we provide them with different educational opportunities … we’ll have local healthcare providers, or we’ll have somebody come in and provide an educational talk,” Dobkowski said.

These lessons focus on topics such as balancing sodium intake, ways to prevent cognitive decline and improving one’s physical wellness, she said.

Clients of MSS will also have access to the many amenities at the community center, including the gym, pickleball courts, tennis courts and an indoor track, Dobkowski said.

What’s one of the greatest benefits of having a meal at the new dining site? Getting to socialize with others on a daily basis, the team said.

“One of the primary goals of the congregate dining site is that a lot of these individuals, while they may not be homebound and they still do have their mobility, they otherwise may not have the opportunity and the resources to leave their home and be with individuals,” Dobkowski said.

Along with a warm, nutritious meal, seniors who participate in the dining program will get to socialize and feed their hearts and minds as well as their stomachs.

“You can just tell that when they walk in, and when they get there it really just brightens their day,” she said. “It gives them that purpose and it gives them that community.”

To learn more, go to marionseniorservices.org

LOCAL HOSPITALS RECOGNIZED FOR CARDIOVASCULAR CARE

HCA Florida Ocala Hospital and HCA

Florida West Marion Hospital have received four American Heart Association Get With The Guidelines and Mission: Lifeline achievement awards for demonstrating commitment to following up-to-date, researchbased guidelines for the treatment of heart disease and stroke.

According to the news release, this ultimately leads to more lives saved,

shorter recovery times and fewer readmissions to the hospital.

Every 40 seconds, someone in the U.S. has a stroke or heart attack, and heart disease and stroke are the No. 1 and No. 5 causes of death in the United States, respectively. Studies show patients can recover better when providers consistently follow treatment guidelines, the release noted.

On Aug. 1, the Marion County Board of County Commissioners approved several priorities for the 2024 state legislative session. The priorities are designed to benefit Marion County and Florida residents and range from requesting funds be appropriated for different projects around the county to ensuring Marion County’s natural resources are safeguarded, the news release noted. The priorities fall under three sections:

• Section I is made up of appropriation (or funding) requests to support infrastructure improvements within the county. This includes giving residents in north Marion County (Lowell) access to clean drinking water and requesting roadway and utility

Photos By Bruce Ackerman Ocala Gazette

infrastructure improvements designed to provide local travel alternatives to Interstate 75.

• Section II contains priorities designed to expand or reverse the existing language in Florida statutes. These priorities include raising the maximum amount of a certain type of funds the Marion County Building Safety department can carry forward, allowing Code Enforcement officers to once again respond to anonymous complaints, expanding Consultant’s Competitive Negotiations Act continuing contract thresholds each year to take into consideration rising costs, and language amending legislation requiring utility service boundary agreements between municipalities and counties within unincorporated areas. Section II priorities will be

submitted to the Florida Association of Counties for counties around the state to consider supporting.

• Section III is composed of priorities that will benefit Marion County directly but might not have a direct legislative component. These include advocating for the return of swimming at the headsprings of Silver Springs, securing grant funding for the Florida Crossroad Commerce Park, supporting septic to sewer programs, continued support for the mission of the Fort King Heritage Foundation and supporting Marion Senior Services and the Southeastern Youth Fair. Florida’s 2024 legislative session begins Jan. 9, 2024, and runs for 60 consecutive days.

To learn more, go to marionfl.org

“Given the health risks that seniors face, having proper nutrition definitely helps to offset some of those more chronic diseases that they may be dealing with, such as diabetes, heart disease and things of that nature.”

Glenda Thomas

Carol Smith of Marion Senior Services, right, serves food to Jim Robertson, left, during the congregate meal provided by Marion Senior Services at the Mary Sue Rich Community Center at Reed Place in Ocala on Tuesday, August 8, 2023.

Robin Cannon, left, and Leicia Jones, right, play Rummikub as they eat.

Leicia Jones calls Bingo. People eat together.

State DEP fights power plant rules

By Jim Saunders Florida News Service

The Florida Department of Environmental Protection lashed out at a federal proposal aimed at reducing greenhousegas emissions from power plants, saying it “places the reliability, affordability and capacity of the nation’s energy supply at risk.”

The department late Tuesday released comments that it sent to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency urging that the proposed rules be dropped. The comments came amid similar objections from state and national utility-industry groups and the Florida Public Service Commission.

“(It) is clear the EPA has placed an emphasis on transitioning to a ‘netzero world’ above the electric needs of Americans,” said the Department of Environmental Protection comments, signed by Secretary Shawn Hamilton. “Florida’s superior air quality is a result of ingenuity and smart governance. The proposed rules put states like Florida at greater risk, by attempting to force unproven transitional energy practices

ahead of generating the energy capacity necessary to meet the demand of our residents, visitors and businesses.”

But groups such as the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy, which works on utility and climate issues in Florida, are backing the proposed rules. The Southern Alliance for Clean Energy website called the proposal “critical.”

“These carbon pollution rules are long overdue,” the website said. “Experts have warned for decades about the risk of power plant carbon pollution, yet fossil fuel CEOs and their allies have caused delay after delay of meaningful regulations while our communities pay the price of inaction.”

The EPA released the wide-ranging proposal in May, saying the changes would dramatically reduce carbon emissions over the next two decades while helping protect public health. Tuesday was the deadline for submission of comments to the EPA about the proposal.

The proposal, in part, would set new pollution standards for power plants fueled by natural gas and coal, while taking steps to shift toward cleaner technology such as a type of fuel known as green hydrogen.

HEAT DRIVES ELECTRICITY RECORD

Florida receives relatively little electricity generated with coal, but it relies heavily on natural gas. About 70 percent of the state’s power generation in 2021 came from gas, according to a Florida Public Service Commission document.

Among the groups objecting to the proposal are the Florida Municipal Power Agency, an electricity wholesaler for municipal utilities, and the Florida Reliability Coordinating Council, which works on energy planning.

Officials with those groups last week pointed, in part, to a potential requirement for use of green hydrogen. If a green hydrogen threshold is not met by 2032, the EPA proposal would require scaling back generation at large gas-fired power plants, they said.

The Department of Environmental Protection also focused on such issues in the comments it submitted Tuesday. It said Florida currently has “no large hydrogen production facilities, hydrogen pipelines or hydrogen storage facilities.”

“The EPA’s determination that hydrogen co-firing is adequately demonstrated for large, frequently used gas turbines does not properly account for the scale and complexity of efforts needed to provide the required quantity of hydrogen to the nation’s power sector,” the department’s comments said. “The EPA’s optimistic projections of a new ‘hydrogen economy’ will force owners to instead limit electrical generation at those facilities to avoid becoming affected EGUs (electric generating units). This will lead to increased costs to ratepayers and

threatened system reliability.”

The department also argued that the proposed rules violate a federal law known as the Administrative Procedure Act.

“Specifically, the proposed rules are arbitrary, capricious and go well beyond the bounds of congressionally authorized agency discretion,” the department’s comments said. “The (Environmental Protection) Agency has failed to demonstrate any authority allowing for the legal underpinnings of this rulemaking and has relied on a haphazard technical analysis in an attempt to justify the agency’s flawed proposals. This is nothing more than another instance of the EPA attempting to usurp congressional authority under the guise of discretion.”

As it released the proposal in May, the EPA said the measures would “require ambitious reductions in carbon pollution based on proven and cost-effective control technologies that can be applied directly to power plants.”

“By proposing new standards for fossil fuel-fired power plants, EPA is delivering on its mission to reduce harmful pollution that threatens people’s health and well-being,” EPA Administrator Michael Regan said in a prepared statement. “EPA’s proposal relies on proven, readily available technologies to limit carbon pollution and seizes the momentum already underway in the power sector to move toward a cleaner future.”

By Florida News Service

With air conditioners cranked up to combat the scorching heat, Tampa Electric Co. set a record Tuesday for summer electricity use, the utility said. At 5 p.m. Tuesday, Tampa Electric customers used 4,640 megawatts of electricity, the highest amount used at any moment.

That topped the previous record of 4,514 megawatts on Aug. 18, 2021, the utility said in a news release Wednesday.

“This weather is not easy on our customers,” Archie Collins, president and chief executive officer of Tampa Electric, said in a prepared statement.

“Air conditioners are working harder, and bills are higher as a result.”

“By proposing new standards for fossil fuel-fired power plants, EPA is delivering on its mission to reduce harmful pollution that threatens people’s health and well-being.”

Michael Regan EPA Administrator

Firefighters join PBA in union rules fight

By Jim Saunders Florida News Service

Astatewide firefighters union has joined the Florida Police Benevolent Association in challenging the way a state agency is carrying out a new law that placed additional restrictions on public-employee unions.

The law, approved this spring by Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Republican-controlled Legislature, included restrictions such as preventing union dues from being deducted from workers’ paychecks. But in a move that drew debate, lawmakers exempted unions representing law-enforcement officers, correctional officers and firefighters from the restrictions. The Police Benevolent Association, however, filed a challenge in late July to proposed rules issued by the Florida

Public Employees Relations Commission, which is responsible for carrying out the law.

The proposed rules would apply the restrictions to PBA bargaining units made up of workers such as dispatchers and 911 operators who are not law-enforcement or correctional officers, according to the challenge.

The Florida Professional Firefighters joined the case this week, and the Teamsters union, which represents a smaller number of public-safety workers, also intervened.

The case, filed at the state Division of Administrative Hearings, contends the exemptions from the restrictions were intended to apply to all workers represented by publicsafety unions—not just lawenforcement officers, correctional officers and firefighters.

“In an apparent disregard for and in contravention of the plain

and unambiguous language of the exemptions … the proposed rules impermissibly limit the scope of the exemptions based on the classification of members within individual ‘bargaining units’ rather than applying the exemptions to the employee organization as a whole,” the PBA’s lawyers wrote in the challenge, filed July 27. “Under the proposed rules, the PBA and the members of the individual bargaining units comprised only of civilians, would not be exempt.”

Administrative Law Judge Robert Cohen has scheduled an Aug. 29 hearing in the case.

The administrative case is one of a series of legal challenges to the law. Teachers unions and other publicemployee unions have filed at least three lawsuits in federal and state courts arguing parts of the law are unconstitutional. In addition to preventing

COURT BACKS RULING IN POT ORDERING CASE

By Florida News Service

An appeals court Wednesday upheld an administrative law judge’s decision that the Florida Department of Health needed to go through a rule-making process before it could block medicalmarijuana operators from using thirdparty online sites to process patient orders.

A three-judge panel of the 1st District Court of Appeal agreed with Judge Suzanne Van Wyk that the department in 2021 improperly used an “unadopted rule” to prevent the use of the sites. Van Wyk and the appeals court sided with Leafly Holdings, Inc., an online site that

challenged the department.

Wednesday’s opinion said patients could see available medical-marijuana products on Leafly’s site and put them in online shopping carts. Leafly would then communicate the orders to medicalmarijuana operators, known as medical marijuana treatment centers, and alert patients when the orders were ready, according to the appeals court.

Patients would get their orders from medical marijuana treatment centers, which are licensed by the state. In February 2021, the department issued a memo to medical marijuana treatment centers saying the online services violated

dues from being deducted from workers’ paychecks, the law requires union members to fill out new government-worded membership forms and will require unions to be recertified as bargaining agents if fewer than 60 percent of eligible employees are members.

GOP lawmakers were widely viewed as exempting public-safety unions from the restrictions because organizations such as the PBA and the firefighters union have supported DeSantis and other Republicans politically. Meanwhile, for example, teachers unions have been among DeSantis’ biggest critics.

But the PBA’s concerns about the restrictions applying to members who are not lawenforcement or correctional officers surfaced in June, when the union filed an administrative challenge. The PBA later dropped that case before filing a renewed

a state law that bars the operators from contracting for services “directly related to the cultivation, processing and dispensing” of cannabis.

The appeals court Wednesday pointed to questions about interpretation of the word “dispensing” and how it applied to Leafly’s services.

“Leafly supplies an online ordering interface that displays product information and supplies order information,” said the opinion, written by Chief Judge Timothy Osterhaus and joined by Judges Ross Bilbrey and Rachel Nordby.

“If an MMTC (medical mairjuana treatment center) offers delivery services,

challenge in late July.

In a motion to intervene, the firefighters union cited non-firefighter members such as dispatchers and emergencymedical technicians and the duesdeduction issue.

“In plain English, the exemption from the prohibition against dues deductions is a right of the union acknowledged by the Legislature when the union has been certified by PERC (the Public Employees Relations Commission) as a bargaining representative of certified firefighters,” the motion said. “It does not say that all of those who are represented must be certified firefighters.”

The challenge accuses the agency of what is known in administrative law as an “invalid exercise of delegated legislative authority.”

it might communicate the shipment information through Leafly, but Leafly does not prepare or deal out the product itself. We recognize that Leafly’s relationship to the dispensing work completed by the MMTC’s might bring it within the reach of the statute. But, at the same time, the MMTCs arrangement with Leafly doesn’t make it ‘readily apparent’ that the ‘dispensing’ language of (the law) prohibits MMTCs from using online ordering services in support of their work. Rather, it appears that the department’s interpretation of ‘dispensing’ and its prescription as applied to Leafly’s business constitutes a rule.”

Lawsuit seeks gopher tortoise protections

Foes say new law won’t stop springs fight

By Jim Saunders Florida News Service

Two conservation groups

Wednesday filed a lawsuit challenging a decision by federal wildlife officials to reject listing gopher tortoises as endangered or threatened species, saying the burrowing animals face a “grim” future without help.

The Center for Biological Diversity and Nokuse Education, Inc., filed the lawsuit in federal court in Jacksonville after the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in October said increased protections were not warranted for gopher tortoises in Florida, Georgia, South Carolina and parts of Alabama.

The lawsuit pointed to issues such as development encroaching on gophertortoise habitats and said the federal agency’s decision last year was “contrary to the best available science.”

“The gopher tortoise’s decline is driven primarily by habitat destruction, degradation and fragmentation, which leaves the species fewer places to live,” the lawsuit said. “These threats are ongoing and likely to continue into the future, meaning the tortoise’s outlook is likely to worsen.”

The groups want a judge to vacate the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s October decision and require the agency to undertake a process that will lead to a new “finding.” The lawsuit alleges that federal wildlife officials violated the Endangered Species Act and a law known as the Administrative Procedure Act in determining that added protections were not warranted.

In a 113-page decision, the agency concluded that gopher tortoises in Florida, Georgia, South Carolina and parts of Alabama were “not in danger of extinction.”

“Although the threats to the species of habitat loss and fragmentation due to urbanization, climate change, sea level rise, and habitat management are expected to persist in the foreseeable future and the effects of these threats

on this long-lived species will continue at some level, some threats have been reduced and will continue to be reduced through implemented and ongoing conservation actions and regulatory mechanisms,” the October decision said.

Federal wildlife officials kept a longstanding threatened-species listing for gopher tortoises in parts of southwest Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana.

Gopher tortoises have spurred debates in Florida for years, as development has spread and conservationists have pushed for habitat protections. Gopher tortoises are considered threatened by the state, which has a permitting process for capturing and relocating the animals.

The Legislature last year passed a measure that took steps to increase the sites where gopher tortoises could be moved. In part, the bill directed state agencies to consider using parts of certain public lands as gopher tortoise “recipient” sites. Also, it called for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission to “streamline and improve the review of applications for public and private gopher tortoise recipient sites.”

In the lawsuit filed Wednesday, attorneys for the Center for Biological Diversity and Nokuse Education wrote that “existing regulatory mechanisms are not adequate” to prevent threats to gopher tortoises.

“Urban development of tortoise habitat is particularly harmful because it drives and increases many other threats to the species,” the lawsuit said.

“In addition to directly destroying habitat, development can kill or injure individual tortoises; disrupt habitat connectivity (habitat fragmentation), which reduces immigration between populations and can negatively affect population genetics; and impede habitat management activities like prescribed fire. Development also leads to increased human-driven threats like road deaths, nonnative species invasions and persecution by people, pets, and other predators.”

By Jim Turner Florida News Service

Opponents who fear a proposed gas station could damage Wakulla Springs south of Tallahassee say they’re unfazed by a new state law designed to limit lawsuits over comprehensive plan changes.

Ryan Smart, executive director of the Florida Springs Council, wouldn’t say Monday if his group or other organizations would legally challenge proposed land-use changes sought by Southwest Georgia Oil Co. on a sevenacre parcel in Wakulla County. But Smart said the law (SB 540), signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis in May, won’t affect the decision.

“I’m not scared of spending money on legal battles if I think I can win,” Smart said before the Wakulla County Commission postponed discussion of the proposed changes Monday. “We’ve got 5,000 people that sent emails to the county commission from across the state that we can ask to support our legal challenge.”

The county attributed the postponement to an overflow crowd that left many people outside in sweltering heat.

The site of the proposed gas station, along with underground tanks to feed 16 pumps, is over an area called Chip’s Hole Cave. Critics raised the potential of leaks affecting Wakulla Springs, part of Edward Ball Wakulla Springs State Park. Wakulla Springs drew notoriety in the past as a film backdrop, including for early Tarzan movies and the horror flick “Creature from the Black Lagoon.”

Southwest Georgia Oil, the parent of Island fuel and SunStop markets, has requested comprehensive-plan and zoning changes to convert the property from an agricultural to commercial designation.

Environmental groups this spring unsuccessfully fought the new state law, which deals with legal challenges to comprehensive-plan changes. The law, which took effect July 1, allows “prevailing” parties to recover legal fees in cases at the state Division of Administrative Hearings.

During the legislative session,

opponents argued the threat of facing hefty legal costs would be a roadblock to groups challenging comprehensiveplan changes.

Before Monday’s meeting, Richard Grosso, a lawyer representing Sierra Club Florida, submitted a formal objection to the Wakulla County proposal.

In a letter, Grosso said the county comprehensive plan’s primary environmental-protection goal is to ensure “the enjoyment of natural and man-made resources by citizens while minimizing the threat to health, safety and welfare.”

“A violation of this goal alone, by failing to adequately protect groundwater resources would be inconsistent with the comprehensive plan and, upon a legal challenge, could result in the plan amendment being found” out of compliance, Grosso wrote.

Wakulla County Commission

Chairman Ralph Thomas said about 30 minutes into Monday’s 5 p.m. meeting that a special meeting would be scheduled, in a larger venue, as temperatures topped 96 degrees outside the compact Wakulla County Courthouse.

The proposal drew several hundred people, which forced nearly 200 to wait outside watching a pair of small monitors set up next to a speaker.

Janice Brown, 88, a lifelong Wakulla County resident who tried to stay out of the sun, bemoaned that growth in the region has already degraded water conditions through increased traffic, more septic tanks and fertilizer runoff.

“It (the spring) used to be gorgeous, you could see all the way to the bottom,” Brown said.

Thomas suggested the issue could become moot if the state can acquire the land from Southwest Georgia Oil through the Florida Forever landacquisition program.

First magnitude springs in Bay, Citrus, Gilchrist, Hamilton, Hernando, Jackson, Lafayette, Leon, Levy, Madison, Marion, Suwannee, Wakulla, Walton, and Washington counties top what is known as the Florida Forever Partnerships & Regional Incentives list.

The Wakulla Springs Protection Zone in Leon and Wakulla counties is third on that list.

This photo provided by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service shows a gopher tortoise at San Felasco Hammock Preserve State

Park in Gainesville. [U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service via AP]

An overflow crowd turned out Monday in Wakulla County for discussion of a controversial gas-station project. [Jim Turner]

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People, Places & Things

By Julie Garisto julie@magnoliamediaco.com

Colored pencils have come into their own in the past couple of decades, and artist-educator Anda Chance makes the most of them.

An art instructor and award-winning illustrator, Chance reveals a breathtaking range—and mastery—of mood, subject matter, shading and realism in her coloredpencil illustrations.

On her website (andachance.org) you will notice two acronyms associated with her name—CPSA and CPX—which indicate she has earned signature status at the Colored Pencil Society of America’s annual international exhibition and in the organization’s annual online exhibition.

“For both signature designations, I have to be accepted three times within a 10-year period,” Chance explained. “I now have earned a 10-year merit in the International Exhibition.”

Artists and aspiring artists can benefit from the veteran artist’s expertise by taking her illustration class, “Beyond the Coloring Book: Colored Pencils for Grown-Ups,” from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Aug. 19-20 at the new Chelsea Art Center on Silver Springs Boulevard.

In the workshop, Chance will share what she considers to be some basic principles of art—value and contrast (hard vs. soft; light vs. dark), color, composition, visual impact and backgrounds, and she encourages student participation.

She will have students use a reference photograph and provide guidance on how to pick out colors.

“I hope to also share what can go wrong and how to correct errors (Mine, especially—I have made a lot of them!),” the instructor wrote in her Chelsea class description.

Born in Massachusetts and a veteran of the U.S. Navy, Chance moved to Florida in her younger years. She and her husband, “Irv,” raised a daughter, Elizabeth, in the Kissimmee area before moving a bit north.

“I left New England when I was a teenager, a long time ago,” she recalled. “Irv and I were in the military, so we kind of traveled around.”

After a brief stint working as an electrician’s mate in the Navy, Chance attended Arkansas Technical University, where she majored in art and art

education, and then went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in education from Florida Southern College.

She worked with watercolors and graphite before she fell in love with colored pencils.

“I do a lot from real life,” she explained.

“If I see something that interests me, I’ll take a photograph of it … I also like industrial pieces, such as mechanical illustrations and architectural renderings, and I do a number of those, but I also like working with more organic subject matter. Water has been a favorite lately.”

In one drawing, Chance captures a woman asleep with her head on the shoulder of another woman in a New York subway car.

“It caught my attention,” Chance reminisced, “because everyone warned me to be so careful while on the subway and all that, you know? But I just had really good experiences there. But I saw those two ladies, and they were just so unconcerned about their surroundings. Either they were on their way to work or on their way home or something. So, I called it ‘The Daily Commute’ because I was just fascinated by the fact that it was a daily routine for them, and it was kind of an unusual situation for me.”

Over the years, her works have been purchased for government offices and charitable fundraisers. Along with showing her own illustrations, Chance also curates and installs exhibitions for galleries, art groups, public events and individual artists.

Her instructional jobs have included stints as an art instructor for Osceola Center for the Arts, Orlando Museum of Art, the School District of Osceola County, Santa Fe Community College outreach adult programs and workshops statewide.

These days, Chance works out of her studio in McAlpin, in Suwannee County, and stays busy working with the Live Oak Art Guild and as an exhibitions director for the Colored Pencil Society of America while pursuing her own artistic goals.

She says she is looking forward to her class at Chelsea Art Center and hopes it will be the first of more to come.

“The space feels really friendly and welcoming,” Chance said. “I think it’s going to be a good classroom experience. Barbara Fife and her team have a nice setup, especially for projecting what I’m doing for the students, things like that.”

Artist Anda Chance will share her expertise at the Chelsea Art Center this month.

“The

Line Up”

Colored pencil, based on Chance’s own photo reference; taken in Barberville.

“The Daily Commute”

Drawn in colored pencil, captures a real-life encounter in a New York subway.

“I also like industrial pieces, such as mechanical illustrations and architectural renderings, and I do a number of those, but I also like working with more organic subject matter.”

Anda Chance

Oddly fascinating and amusing

The Ocala Oddities Market brings the macabre and mischievous to downtown each month and at a new shop a few blocks

By Julie Garisto julie@magnoliamediaco.com

The spooky, the mysterious and the hilarious converge at the Ocala Oddities Market at the Ocala Downtown Market awning and space.

Matt Gray, the bizarre bazaar’s founder and organizer, shared that around 2,500 people bought Oddities’ weird and wild goods at July’s market.

Each month on the second Friday, from 6 to 10 p.m. (or thereabouts), vendors come from across the state set up. The monthly gathering adds a playfully dark twist to the local cultural scene. It attracts so many sellers that many are put on a waitlist. Food trucks and live music are featured and, each month, a different artist designs the market’s official T-shirt. August’s artist will be Vito Giammanco.

Before founding his market, Gray became known around town as a DJ and emcee, entertaining crowds at special events and weddings. He started his career as a teenager, spinning tunes at the Skate Mania roller rink.

But he had some unique interests, too.

“In my earliest, fondest memories from when I was a child, when I was 8, 10 years old, I would go down to the Kmart and pick out my Halloween costume,” Gray recalled. “My interest and love of Halloween as a child grew into discovering monster movies in my teens, and then classic horror films.”

Last year on Halloween, when Gray organized his first big shopping and entertainment marketplace, he wondered why he couldn’t re-create that sensation beyond the season.

“I wanted to create an outlet where you could find that kind of cool, spooky macabre item, gothic horror, what have you, year-round, so you didn’t have to wait till October to get that cool Frankenstein piece for your house or a taxidermy butterfly or what have you.”

If you go to the next market, on Aug. 18, stop by the event’s main table and wish Gray a belated Happy Birthday. He turns 39 on Aug. 16. His wife, Stephanie, sells Ocala Oddities Market shirts and merch at the market. They have three daughters: Isabella, 18; Scarlet, 9; and Violet, 2. Gray said he has already scheduled his 2024 markets, and next year’s August Oddities falls on his 40th birthday, which should be a bigger-than-usual celebration.

Another milestone took place in June, when Gray opened the Ocala Oddities Shoppe at 1525 NE 8th Ave., which he runs with his daughter Isabella, the shop’s manager.

At last month’s Oddities market, the crowd was amazingly diverse. Kids browsed figurines inspired by fantasy novels, “Star Wars” and Marvel Comics characters and even held a live snake or two. Pet-friendly vendors provided treats and water to visiting pups.

Local singer, KennaDee, wore a black Death tarot T-shirt and choker, and rocked 1980s-’90s alternative tunes such as “Blister in the Sun” by the Violent Femmes.

Adults, college-age through seniors, enjoyed the variety of goods for sale, from gourmet goodies to stuffed animals (both the dead, real kind as well as fluffy toys) to homemade personal and beauty products to hand-crafted decor to predatory plants, crystals, and even curio shelves shaped like coffins.

Warning: If you have arachnophobia, steer clear of Wittle Wide Webs, but if you love spiders, it’s a fun place to experience live spiders and the owner will even let you take one out and let it walk on your arm.

If you’re shopping for that je ne sais quoi, perhaps, or wondering what would the ghost of your great-grandmother wear, her favorite brooch might appear at Steamy Antiquities, one of the longest-running vendors at the Oddities Market in Ocala. The eclectic vendor combines relics and antiques with the presentation and functionality of contemporary jewelry, decor and accessories.

Vendors vary from month to month, but Gray has a faithful menagerie of regulars.

One favorite, MorgueMade, highlights the amazing decorative taxidermy creations of Allison Doty. Who knew the creepy could be so artfully beautiful?

Childlike innocence converges with the macabre in Lisa Detournay’s eerily beautiful art.

Megan Sparkman, owner of The Witching Hour, also sells some darkly gorgeous art and handmade jewelry.

Aleigha Lacy creates cartoonish critters with dark twists on collectible stickers, skateboard decks and more.

The market attracts people of all ages.

Gray schedules the market on a Friday late-afternoon/evenings instead of weekend days, which feels much less oppressively hot in the summer.

The market lures around 2,000, sometimes more, people from across the state.

As you stroll the aisles, a friendly atmosphere contrasts with the dark and sinister themes celebrated ironically, with humor and with

sincere fascination by vendors. The Siren and the Sinner shop sells signs and wood carvings with dark humor, and some are just, well, nice. One mini chalkboard commands us to “Manifest That Sh**” and on another, a bone-shaped carving for dog lovers says, “Home Is Where the Heart Is.”

For many of the market’s entrepreneurs, the Oddities bazaar provides a creative outlet and income inspired by a hobby.

Ryan Congleton, who carves crazy creatures, Marvel characters and movie icons through his RDC Woodwork shop, sells real estate. He said he appreciated Gray’s management of the event, and how wellpromoted and supported the vendors are at the market.

Peyton Piestrup, a 45-yearold soap maker, developed his “Big Guy Soaps” brand, and sells soaps at the market. He lists the ingredients on each bar, which are all-natural. According to our shower test, they are as magnificent as their maker’s long beard.

“I really love selling my soaps at the market. It’s a great venue in a great location. I have a lot of fun listening to the entertainment, and I always meet amazing people. It’s a great way to support small local businesses,” Piestrup said.

Talking to customers at various booths, most consider the Ocala Oddities Market an oasis for misfits, something different, more interesting, something fun and unfettered for creative merchants and their likeminded customers to let their imagination go wild.

“Oh my gosh! It’s like a whole mall created for people like me!” exclaimed customer Jay Smart. “I don’t have to think about what I’d like to buy ahead of time because there’s so much to choose from, and I can wear whatever I want to wear because people like me will be here.”

north.

Skulls and creepy dolls are a staple at the Ocala Oddities Market. Sometimes, you can get both in one. [Julie Garisto]

James McDaniel and his predatory plants for sale. [Julie Garisto]

Artist Megan Sparkman, owner of The Witching Hour, shows off her “Sea Witch” and handmade jewelry. [Julie Garisto]

A more warm and fuzzy bit of merch from the Siren and the Sinner booth. [Julie Garisto]

3D-printed dragons by Andrew Bawgus, owner of Suggies 3D Prints. [Julie Garisto]

“I have a lot of fun listening to the entertainment, and I always meet amazing people.”

Peyton Piestrup

On track for success

By Julie Garisto julie@magnoliamediaco.com

The AAU Junior Olympic Games drew the most promising young athletes from across the U.S. to Iowa the first week of August, including Ocala’s very own Daniella Wray.

At 10, Daniella has only been competing in track events for around a year, but she’s already experienced, from a national platform, “the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat,” as famously intoned by the “Wide World of Sports” long before the junior Olympian took her first steps.

Her big week in Des Moines, Iowa, started with some heartbreak. Adding to the overwhelming feeling of running in a huge stadium event attended by thousands, Daniella wasn’t feeling 100 percent the day of the race and had to run in an 800-meter race in the pouring rain on Aug. 1.

With Mother Nature presenting unforeseen obstacles almost impossible to overcome, she scored 24th out of 81 runners. Her time: 2:45:32.

It was the young athlete’s lowest recorded time for an 800-meter event, which devastated her.

Daniella’s mother, Garnet Powell, reassured her only daughter. “Think about it. If your absolute worst is 24 out of 81, that’s actually pretty good,” she told her.

Still, Daniella was worried she disappointed the supporters who cheered her on and donated to her GoFundMe page, set up to help offset travel costs and other expenses. Friends, coaches and other loved ones assured the young athlete that they still love and support her no matter the outcome, and Daniella regained her perspective and perseverance.

Reinvigorated, Daniella ran her fastest time for the 1500-meter two days later, clocking in at 5:34.16 and placing 16th out of 66.

“This proved to me that she is a fighter and a true champion!” Powell wrote of her daughter on Daniella’s GoFundMe page.

“It was her fastest time ever over this distance,” Powell beamed. “’Champion’ by Carrie Underwood is now our new goto for inspiration,” Powell said.

A fifth grader at Hammet Bowen Jr. Elementary School,

Daniella is a member of the National Honor Society and the North Central Florida Lightning track club. She made top scores on her standardized tests and continually receives straight A’s on her report card.

Born in Jamaica, she and her mother relocated to Ocala in 2019, when Powell, a math instructor, was hired in an international teacher exchange program, and now teaches at Bowen Elementary, and, yes, Daniella attended one of her classes—and aced it.

“She started to call me

Miss Powell after the class was over, and I said, ‘Uh, no, you need to get back to calling me Mommy,’” Powell recalled with a laugh.

Daniella said her mother’s support has been a big part of her early success as a runner.

“She’s an independent and encouraging and kind mom because she’s the only person I know who cheers at a track meet and that encourages me,” Daniella shared.

The two share a close bond, solidified by having to start a new life together in Florida. Powell even calls her daughter by a unique nickname, “Lexie,” short for her middle name, Lexinae.

But “Daniella” offered a meaning in Hebrew that stirred something inside Powell: “God is my Judge.”

Athletic leaders from throughout Ocala have judged Daniella highly. The cadre of coaches who helped her get her start included Tony McCall, now in France training athletes in the Paralympics; Jevin Eyman; and, more recently, Brett Stanley, cofounder/director of track and field for the Spartan Chosen.

In recent months, Darrin Detorres, founder of the Ocala Distance Project, recruited her to his team, which won a state championship last year.

“We worked together really well, so we invited her over,” Detorres said. “Daniella jumped in and had no issues taking with the distance work, despite the fact she was being

trained like a sprinter for the whole year prior. …You look at her times as a fourth grader and she was running in an amount of time that a lot of the high school kids aren’t running.”

According to Powell, Daniella has distance running in her genes.

“I’m not a runabout myself, but my sisters are distance runners,” Powell emphasized, noting that her daughter had qualified for national competitions at the beginning of the year but couldn’t compete because of an injured hamstring at the time.

After a brief recovery, Daniella rebounded and qualified for the Junior Olympics.

In school and on the track, she has exhibited motivation and self-discipline that should, in all likelihood, give her a head start in life whether or not she chooses to keep running.

For now, Daniella can’t imagine doing anything else. Her guiding forces are Jamaican-born Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, one of the world’s fastest sprinters and a threetime Olympic gold medalist, and Usain Bolt, also from Jamaica and widely considered the fastest sprinter of all time, and an eight-time Olympics gold medalist.

And what does the budding track star envision in her future?

“I picture me running an 800 and the announcer saying, ‘Daniella Wray, the new record holder!’”

Fresh from competing in the Junior Olympics, Ocala’s Daniella Wray is off and running toward a professional athletic career.

“She’s an independent and encouraging and kind mom because she’s the only person I know who cheers at a track meet and that encourages me.”

Daniella Wray

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

Northern cardinals are such common backyard birds that it’s easy to grow accustomed to how beautiful they are. But this striking female cardinal was worth a closer look.

When

Northern cardinal [MichaelWarren.com]

LOCAL CALENDAR LISTINGS community

AUGUST 11

Kayaks & Koffee

Brick City Adventure Park, 1211 SE 22nd Road, Ocala

8am-12pm

The county Parks & Recreation team leads a guided paddle down the Chassahowitzka River near Seven Sisters Springs. Participants will meet at the park at 7:45am and be driven to the launch site. Tickets are $50. All equipment, travel, entrance fees and coffee with light refreshments are included. For more info, parks.marionfl.org/home-parks

AUGUST 11-DECEMBER 15

Coffee and English

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

5:30pm-7pm

Join the English Language Learners (ELL) group each week as they practice and improve their English in a fun, relaxed environment, and build new relationships. See ocalafl.gov/recpark for more info.

AUGUST 11 & 18

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.

AUGUST 11-13 & 18-20

Market of Marion Market of Marion, 12888 SE US Highway 441, Belleview

8am-4pm

A classic farmer’s market with lots of vendors.

Open every weekend, with monthly special events like car shows on the fourth Saturday. See themarketofmarion.com

AUGUST 12

Purple Heart/Agent Orange

Recognition Ceremony

Ocala-Marion County Veterans Memorial Park, 2601

E Fort King St., Ocala

10am

National Purple Heart Day is Aug. 7;

Agent Orange Awareness Day is Aug. 10. The Friends of Marion County Veterans Park Foundation will host a dual observation on Aug. 12. The public is welcome to attend. Those who are a Purple Heart recipient or have been affected by Agent Orange, or are a family member of such veterans, may be recognized at the ceremony by reaching out in advance to (352) 3421775 or info@marionvetpark.com.

critters & equine

AUGUST 11-13

Riders of the Wind Grand Oaks Resort, 3000 Marion County Road, Weirsdale

Times vary, see website

Created by a Kazakhstan family with a history in show business, the performances and costumes were inspired by the Genghis Khan era and Russian cavalry. The show features horses, two camels, a Poodle act and more. Tickets are $10 for children, $25 for adults. See theridersofthewind.com for more info.

AUGUST 11-13

Summer Series: Hunter/Jumper Shows

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

8am-4pm

This is the final week of the summer hunter/jumper shows. Food and drink options onsite; some events have a parking fee. See worldequestriancenter.com for more info.

government

AUGUST 14 & 21

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.

AUGUST 14

City of Ocala Planning & Zoning Meeting

City Hall, 110 SE Watula Avenue, Ocala

5:30pm

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

AUGUST 15

Dunnellon Planning Commission Meeting

City Hall, 20750 River Drive, Dunnellon

5:30pm

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

civic

AUGUST 11 & 18

South Ocala 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.

AUGUST 11 & 18

Kiwanis Club of Ocala

Central Christian Church, 3010 NE 14th St., Ocala

12pm

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

AUGUST 12 & 19

Ocala Downtown 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.

AUGUST 12 & 19

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, homegrown plants, produce and hand-crafted items. Saturdays, weather permitting.

AUGUST 14

Medicare Classes: Medicare Basics

Online

10am

The SHINE organization is offering free classes for anyone wanting to learn more about Medicare. These are free and available by computer or phone. Future classes will cover the basics of Medicare, prescription drug coverage, Medicare.gov and more. For more info, email shine@agingresources.org or call (800) 262-2243.

AUGUST 12 & 19

Summer Sunset Polo

Florida Horse Park, 11008 S Highway 475, Ocala

6pm Free to the public, tailgate next to the polo field and enjoy a unique evening out. Saturday evenings through September. Check out ocalapolo.com for more info.

AUGUST 16

Wildlife Wednesdays

Heritage Nature Conservancy, 2005 NE Third St., Ocala 5pm-6pm This week’s topic is bugs and spiders. Free to attend. For more info, ocalafl.gov/recpark

AUGUST 15

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

AUGUST 15

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

AUGUST 12 & 19

Ocala Chess Club at Headquarters Library

Headquarters Library, 2720 E Silver Springs Blvd., Ocala

11am-3pm Meets weekly on Saturdays; new members welcome. Please bring your own chess set. For more info, facebook.com/ groups/53070499106

AUGUST 15 & 18

Ocala Downtown Farmers Market

Special Events

Ocala Downtown Market, 310 SE Third St., Ocala

6pm

The Ocala Dog Ranch hosts an obedience school Tuesday night, and the monthly Oddities Marketplace takes place on Friday, with taxidermy, bug arts, witchy items and more. See ocaladogranch.com and ocalaodditiesmarket.com for more info.

AUGUST 17

OTOW Farmers Market

The Town Square at Circle Square Commons, 8413 SW 80th St., Ocala

9am-1pm

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.

AUGUST 17

Summer Night Lecture Series

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

6pm-8pm

Part of the summer lecture series, these topics cover state and local history from local experts. This week’s topic is Musket Balls & Methodology. Recurs every Thursday night through Aug. 17. Check out ocalafl.gov/recpark for more info.

AUGUST 18-20

Ocala Summer Horse Trials

Florida Horse Park, 11008 S Highway 475, Ocala

All day

Three-day eventing competition. Check out flhorsepark.com for more info.

AUGUST 19

Ocala Paso Fino Horse Show

World Equestrian Center, Arena 5, 1390 NW 80th Ave., Ocala

9am-9pm These high-stepping and charming horses compete in Western pleasure, amateur, horsemanship and performance classes. Food and drink options are available onsite; free parking and admission. See pasofinoocala.com or worldequestriancenter.com for more info.

AUGUST 15

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

AUGUST 16

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

AUGUST 16

Fire Rescue and EMS Advisory Board

Marion County Fire Rescue Headquarters, 2631 SE Third St., Ocala

4pm

Reviews and discusses fire and first responder topics. Agendas are usually posted the Thursday prior. Agendas, minutes and video available at marionfl.legistar.com/calendar.aspx

AUGUST 17

Ocala Lions Club

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

12pm

The Ocala Lions Club meets every Thursday. Newcomers welcomed; call Membership Chairperson, Libby Marks de Martino, (352) 441-0073.

AUGUST 17

General Francis Marion Stamp Club meeting

Marion County Sheriff’s Southwest District Office, 9048 SW State Road 200, Ocala

1pm

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

arts

AUGUST 11

Rising Country Artist Concert

Vivid Music Hall, 201 W University Ave., Gainesville

7pm Ocala’s own Noah Hunton headlines a mix of new country artists and the band Myxed will play. General admission is $15; a meet and greet package is available for $30. For tickets, see noahhuntonmusic.org or bit.ly/rising_country

AUGUST 11

Forever Everly: The Everly Brothers

Rockumentary

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

7:30pm

More than a tribute band, this blend of movie performances and live music covers the Everly Brothers era that also includes music from Paul Simon, The Beatles and more. Tickets are $20-$45. See reillyartscenter.com for more info.

AUGUST 11-25

Painting and More Workshops

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

10am

Arts in Health Ocala hosts visual artists to teach these free weekly art workshops, held on Fridays. All supplies are included, and beginners are welcome. See aihocala.org/painting-and-more for more info.

AUGUST 12

Not Fade Away: Rock n’ roll Re-ignited

Reilly Arts Center, 500 NE 9th St, Ocala

7:30pm

This group of young musicians honors the oldies with classic rock n’ roll from the early days of the genre. Covering Jerry Lee Lewis, Elvis Presley, The Beatles, Ritchie Valens, Roy Orbison and others. Tickets are $20-$45. See reillyartscenter.com for more info.

AUGUST 15/16-SEPTEMBER 5/6

Regal Summer Movie Express

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

10am

Tickets are t $2. Movies include “How To Train Your Dragon 3D,” “Abominable” and “The Croods: A New Age.” For more info, bit.ly/43k01DC

AUGUST 16-30

Painting for Veterans

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

6pm-8pm

These free art workshops on Wednesdays are hosted by the Arts in Health Ocala Metro group and veteran Aaron Thomas. Beginners are welcome and supplies are included. Register at ocalafl.gov/recpark

AUGUST 17

Coffee and Cake

NOMA Art Gallery, 939 N. Magnolia Ave., Ocala

1pm-4pm

These weekly coffee (and cake) klatches bring together gallery guests, artists, patrons, creative types and more. Every Thursday afternoon. All are welcome. See nomaocala.com/events for more info.

AUGUST 18

Watkins Glen Summer Jam Reilly Arts Center, 500 NE 9th St, Ocala

7:30pm

This 50th anniversary celebration has live music from Steeln’ Peaches, Uncle John’s Band and Hannah Harber and Thomas Wynn, with nods to the Allman Brothers Band, the Grateful Dead and The Band. Tickets are $25-$55. See reillyartscenter. com for more info.

AUGUST 19

Salsa Night on the Square Downtown Square, 1 SE Broadway St., Ocala

7pm Local dance school Baila Caliente offers free salsa lessons and dance how-to’s, along with food trucks and other vendors. See facebook.com/ ocalacaliente for more info.

&nightlifemusic

AUGUST 19

Suzanne Morgan Tribute to Linda

Ronstadt

Morgan’s Music Junction, 6981 SE 147th St., Summerfield 3pm From her ‘60s hits to cover tunes, Ronstadt’s voice and vibe is recreated. Tickets available from EventBrite; $15 in advance, $20 day of show. See morgansmusicjunction.com for more info.

THROUGH SEPTEMBER 7

“The Gap Between Art and Life”

Exhibit

CF Webber Gallery, 3001 SW College Road, Ocala

Monday-Thursdays, 10am-4pm

Eight new pieces were selected for this exhibit, with works from four different installation artists from all over the US. An opening reception will be held at 5pm Aug. 25. The exhibit is free and open to all. For more info, cf.edu/webber

THROUGH DECEMBER 12

“Patternz” by Kelsey Mahoney

Ocala City Hall, 110 SE Watula Ave., Ocala

Monday-Friday, 8am-5pm

The city continues its Art in City Spaces program with this exhibit by emerging artist Kelsey Mahoney. Her abstract work is filled with vibrant colors and mosaic themes. Free to the public. For more info, ocalafl.gov/artincityspaces

THROUGH JANUARY 4

“Bold and Inspired: Native American Regalia” and “Abstract Island Expressions”

Mary Sue Rich Community Center at Reed Place, 1821 NW 21st Ave., Ocala Community center hours Couple Diana and William Lee exhibit work in sideby-side exhibitions, each with its own distinctive style and theme reflecting each artist and their different approaches. The exhibit is part of the Ocala Art in City Spaces program. See ocalaflo.org/ artincityspaces for more info.

THROUGH JANUARY 8

The Beauty of Nature and Recyclable Refuse

Recreation and Parks Administration Building and Adult Activity Center, 828/830 NE Eighth Ave., Ocala

8am-5pm

Florida artist Albert Bevilacqua focuses this exhibit on recyclable items and has turned them into an artistic statement about protecting the environment. Free to the public, this is part of the Art in City Spaces program by the City of Ocala. See ocalafl.gov/artincityspaces for more info.

THROUGH JANUARY 9

Tony A. Blue, American Painter Ocala International Airport, 1770 SW 60th Ave., Ocala Airport hours Blue exhibits includes work in acrylics, mixed media and photographs, and his colorful, abstract paintings are inspired by Florida’s tropical natural landscape. The exhibit is free and open to the public during airport hours. For more info, ocalafl.gov/artincityspaces

THROUGH JANUARY 28

“The Unscene South” by Charles Eady

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

10am-5pm, Tuesday-Saturday

This new exhibit from artist Charles Eady focuses on the daily lives of “free Blacks” from the Civil War era. He is a contemporary mixed-media artist and author. Check out appletonmuseum.org for more info.

THROUGH JANUARY 28

“Caught Up in History and Captured on Film” by Randy Batista

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

10am-5pm, Tuesday-Saturday

Batista’s work focuses on Florida and Cuba, two places that had profound impact on the artist. This exhibit features club members of The Spanish Center of Tampa and their daily lives. Check out appletonmuseum.org for more info.

Middletons

Gasoline Alley

Animal Crackers

Broom Hilda

FIREFIGHTERS DONATE BACKPACKS AND SCHOOL SUPPLIES

The Professional Fire Fighters of Marion County (PFFMC) recently contributed more than 100 backpacks and other items to the 24th annual Stuff the Bus school supply drive for children in Marion County.

Started in 1999 by the Marion County Veterans Council, the annual event includes a competition between departments of the Marion County Board of County Commissioners to collect and dispense needed school supplies and resources to students. In 2019, the PFFMC began partnering with Marion County Fire Rescue in the yearly competition, the release noted.

This year, the PFFMC donated 102 backpacks, along with varying numbers of scissors, Crayons, glue sticks, spiral notebooks, scientific calculators and composition books. Marshall the Fire Dog was on hand during a County Commission meeting when the items were loaded onto waiting buses, the release stated.

According to the release, Stuff the Bus affords residents the opportunity to make a real difference in a child’s life by donating new school supplies, children’s clothing, shoes, personal hygiene items and financial contributions.

To learn more, find PFFMC and Stuff the Bus on Facebook.

Norway’s fjord country wonders, in a Nutshell

drops you 2,800 breathtaking feet in 55 minutes to the village of Flåm on an arm of the Sognefjord. It’s party time on board, and the engineer even stops the train for photos at the best waterfall, Kjosfossen.

While most Norway in a Nutshell tourists zip immediately from the train onto the scenic fjord boat in Flåm, those with time enjoy an overnight stop on the fjord.

By Rick Steves

My grandparents came over on the boat from Norway, so I’m partial to that corner of Europe. But even if you’re not from Viking stock, don’t miss the fjords. From Oslo, northern Europe’s most scenic train ride takes you up and over the country’s mountainous spine and into the land of shiplap dreams. The tourist board calls it “Norway in a Nutshell” and that’s just what it gives you.

Frankly, if you go to Oslo and don’t get out to the fjords, you should have your passport revoked. Norway’s greatest claim to scenic fame is its deep and lush saltwater inlets. Sognefjord,

Norway’s longest (120 miles) and deepest (one mile), is tops. Sognefjord offers Norway’s best combination of scenic wonder and accessibility.

For the most efficient oneday look at fjords, follow the Nutshell’s series of well-organized train, ferry, and bus connections that puts this beautiful fjord country on a scenic platter. Ambitious and energetic travelers can see the whole shebang in a day; with more time or less energy, consider an overnight along the fjord or in Bergen.

You can book the Nutshell route from Oslo to Bergen on your own or take a package tour for less hassle. July and August are the best months to go. Whether buying tickets on your

own or taking a package tour, make your reservations at least four to five weeks in advance.

The Nutshell route starts with a spectacular train ride, leaving Oslo at about 6:30 a.m. for Bergen. As the train roars over Norway’s mountainous backbone, the barren, windswept heaths, glaciers, deep forests, countless lakes, and a few rugged ski resorts create a harsh beauty. The railroad is an amazing engineering feat. Completed in 1909, it’s 300 miles long and peaks at 4,266 feet—which, at this Alaskan latitude, is far above the tree line. You’ll go under 18 miles of snow sheds, over 300 bridges, and through 200 tunnels in just under seven hours.

At Myrdal, a 12-mile spur line

Flåm is a handy tourist depot with several simple hotels. Aurland, a few miles up the fjord from Flåm, is more of a town. It’s famous for producing some of Norway’s sweetest geitost—goat cheese. Aurland makes a good home base if you’re staying longer. Nearly every train arriving in Flåm connects with a bus or boat to Aurland. While nearby Bergen is famous for its rain—more than six feet a year— Sognefjord is a relative sun belt, with only two feet of rain a year.

The train from Myrdal to Flåm is quite scenic, but the ride doesn’t do the view justice. For the best single day’s activity from Flåm, take the train up to Myrdal and then hike or bike (rentable in Flåm) the half-gravel, half-paved road back down to Flåm. Bring a picnic and your camera.

From Flåm, “Nutshellers” catch the most scenic of fjord cruises. Sightseeing boats leave throughout the day. For two hours, photo-snapping tourists scurry on the drool-stained deck like nervous roosters, scratching fitfully for a shot that catches the magic. Waterfalls turn the blackrock cliffs into a bridal fair. You can nearly reach out and touch

the sheer, towering walls. The ride is one of those fine times, like being high on the tip of an Alp, when a warm camaraderie spontaneously combusts among the strangers who came together for the experience. The boat takes you up one narrow arm (Aurlandsfjord) and down the next (Nærøyfjord) to the nothingto-stop-for town of Gudvangen, where waiting buses shuttle you back to the main train line at Voss. From Voss, carry on into Bergen for a short evening visit (or skip Bergen and return to Oslo from here).

Bergen, Norway’s second city and historic capital, is an entertaining place. You can finish the day there by browsing the touristy but fun wharf area, or zipping up the funicular to the top of 1,000-foot-tall “Mount” Fløyen for city and fjord views. While Bergen certainly deserves more time, those making the Nutshell literally a day trip will catch the night train back to Oslo. Returning early the next morning to Oslo’s station, as you yawn and stretch and scout out a cup of coffee, it’ll hit you: You were gone for 24 hours, experienced the fjord wonder of Europe, and sampled a scenic bit of Bergen to boot.

(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.)

ANSWERS FOR PAGE B4

Crossword Jumble

FURRY

TITLE

NUANCE

PEWTER

Being able to go fishing with his granddaughter was a -- “REEL” TREAT

In Norway’s magnificent Sognefjord

region, idyllic villages come with a mountainous backdrop. One such village, Undredal, lies along the “Norway in a Nutshell” route sampling the area’s highlights. [Rick Steves]

NOTICE OF SCHOOL BOARD MEETING

Notice is hereby given that the School Board of Marion County, Florida, will meet on Tuesday, August 22, 2023, at 5:30 p.m., at the School Board Administration Office, 1614 E. Ft. King Street, Ocala, Florida, 34471. An agenda will be published seven days prior to the meeting.

The agenda may be obtained at the Administration Office between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. The agenda is also available from a link on the District’s website: www.marion.k12.fl.us.

Persons wishing to address the Board should register with the Chairman prior to 5:40 p.m.

Any person deciding to appeal any decision made by the Board at the meeting will need a record of the proceedings and, for such purpose, may need to ensure that a verbatim record of the proceedings is made, which record includes the testimony and evidence on which the appeal is to be based.

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

IN RE: THE ESTATE OF CHARLES H. FULLER, Deceased.

CASE NO: 2023-CP-1863 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 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: July 22, 2023. The date of first publication of this Notice is August 11, 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: BRENDA STONE 204 Stanton Drive Syracuse, NY 13214

MARION COUNTY 4-H TEAM WINS NATIONAL COMPETITION

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE FIFTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT, IN AND FOR MARION COUNTY, FLORIDA. IN RE: THE ESTATE OF FRANK GIAMBRONE, Deceased.

CASE NO: 2023-CP-1774 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 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: June 21, 2023. The date of first publication of this Notice is August 4, 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: SANDRA ANDREWS 109 SE Mira Lavella, Port St. Lucie, FL 34984

The Marion County 4-H team won the National Forestry Invitational Competition on July 26 in Weston, West Virginia.

Every year since 1980, teams of 4-H foresters from throughout the United States compete. The group from Marion County competed in multiple segments over three days. The commitment and dedication from the 4-Hers and club volunteers brought Marion County’s programs to the top rankings, noted the news release.

“We’re grateful for our local partnerships that helped our teams, such as the University of Florida’s School of Forest, Fisheries, & Geomatics Sciences,” said Lynn Nobles, director of UF/IFAS Marion County Extension

Services, in the release.

The national 4-H organization, founded in 1902, is focused on youth development and education for ages 5-18. The Florida 4-H reports higher levels of academic competence, better grades and elevated levels of engagement at schools for its membership of more than 220,000 youth, the release noted.

Marion County hosts nearly 4-H 40 clubs, which benefit students through programs in leadership, citizenship, agriculture and STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) education.

For more information, call 352-671-8404 or visit sfyl.ifas.ufl.edu/ marion/marion-county-4-h

WEC – OCALA TO HOST LONGINES LEAGUE OF NATIONS 2024 QUALIFIER

Organizers from the World Equestrian Center – Ocala (WEC) have announced that the venue has been chosen by the Fédération Equestre International (FEI) as the only North American site of the Longines League of Nations qualifier for 2024 through 2027.

The qualifier is one of only four events in the world as part of the Longines League of Nations, which will be held at WEC from March 20-24, 2024, as part of the CSIO5* internationally rated competition week during the 2024 Winter

Spectacular Show Series.

WEC was one of 18 organizers from Europe, North America and the Middle East to bid to host a qualifier of the newly created Longines League of Nations, which launches in 2024 as a preeminent series in team jumping. The top 10 nations will compete at four venues to qualify for a final. The other venues include Abu Dhabi, St. Gallen and Rotterdam, with the final to be held in Barcelona.

ADVENTHEALTH OCALA TO WELCOME NEW CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER

Effective Aug. 14, AdventHealth West Florida Division will welcome Dr. Rodrigo Torres as chief medical officer (CMO) at AdventHealth Ocala.

Torres most recently served as CMO at AdventHealth Zephyrhills and AdventHealth Dade City. During his fouryear-tenure, Torres was the physician advisor for the Quality and Patient Safety and Risk Management Departments and was responsible for improving clinical outcomes for internally tracked performance improvement data and publicly reported outcomes. He also was the physician liaison to promote appropriate utilization of resources by the medical staff, which resulted in improved service for patients, medical staff members and lower costs, the news release stated.

Torres earned his Doctor of Medicine from St. George’s University and completed his family medicine residency at New York University, where he was chief resident. He also holds a Master of Business Administration in healthcare management from St. Leo University, a Master of Public Health from St. George’s

University, and a Bachelor of Science from Florida International University. He is an American Association for Physician Leadership Certified Physician Executive candidate, a physician member of the Society of Hospital Medicine, board certified in family medicine, a member of the American Academy of Family Physicians and a physician member of the Florida Academy of Family Physicians.

4-H National Forestry Champs - Jerimiah Caswell, Caroline Cassidy, Abree Perryman and Lydia Sharp [Supplied]

THIS DISH MIXES GREEK FLAVORS WITH SOUTHERN HOSPITALITY

Are over-the-counter hearing devices a fit for you?

By Katie Dease, Au.D. Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research

DEAR MAYO CLINIC: I’ve heard about the new over-the-counter hearing devices, but I’m not sure if they’ll work for me. What do I need to know? And what should I consider as I make my decision?

ANSWER: Hearing loss can be a significant quality of life issue for people. There are certainly many benefits to visiting with an audiology practice or specialist. People with moderate hearing loss are good candidates for hearing aids bought over the counter without medical exams or professional fittings. Think of these devices as you would “cheater” glasses—they fill a need until you’re ready for traditional hearing aids.

There are many different types of hearing aids, and it can be challenging to choose the right one. To determine if these devices are a good fit for you, here are some things to consider before you buy.

More convenient and accessible

An over-the-counter option is more convenient and accessible, especially for those who live in areas where making an appointment with a hearing specialist and getting to that appointment can be a barrier to care. Over-the-counter devices are widely available at pharmacies, drug stores, other major retailers and online.

Less expensive

By America’s Test Kitchen

This flavorful Greek chicken, recreated for the home cook, is inspired by a dish at Johnny’s Restaurant in Homewood, Alabama, where the menu reflects the chef’s Greek heritage and Alabama upbringing. It’s tender and juicy, marinated in a blend of olive oil, herbs and lemon, and roasted to perfection.

To achieve a nice browning, roast the chicken at a relatively hot 425 degrees and give it a blast of heat from the broiler at the end of cooking.

Greek Chicken Serves 4

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary

2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme

5 garlic cloves, chopped

6 (3-inch) strips lemon zest, chopped, plus 1 tablespoon juice

1 tablespoon kosher salt

1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1/2 teaspoon pepper

3 pounds bone-in chicken pieces (2 split breasts, 2 drumsticks, 2 thighs, and 2 wings, wingtips discarded)

1. Combine oil, rosemary, thyme, garlic, lemon zest, salt, oregano, coriander, pepper flakes, and pepper in a large bowl. Cut three 1/2-inch-deep slits in the skin side of each chicken breast, two 1/2-inch-deep slits in the skin side of each thigh, and two 1/2-inch-deep slits in each drumstick; leave wings whole. Transfer chicken to bowl with marinade and turn to thoroughly coat, making sure marinade gets into slits. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to 2 hours.

2. Adjust oven rack 6 inches from broiler element and heat oven to 425 degrees. Place chicken, skin side up, in a 12-inch oven-safe skillet. Using a rubber spatula, scrape any remaining marinade from the bowl over chicken. Roast until breasts register 160 degrees and drumsticks/thighs register 175 degrees, 30 to 35 minutes.

3. Remove skillet from oven and spoon pan juices over top of chicken to wet skin. Heat broiler. Broil chicken until skin is lightly browned, about 3 minutes, rotating skillet as necessary for even browning. Let chicken rest in skillet for 10 minutes. Transfer chicken to a shallow platter. Stir lemon juice into pan juices, then spoon over chicken. Serve.

(For 25 years, home cooks have relied on America‚Äôs Test Kitchen for rigorously tested recipes developed by professional test cooks and vetted by 60,000 at-home recipe testers. The family of brands—which includes Cook’s Illustrated and Cook’s Country—offers reliable recipes for cooks of all skill levels. See more online at www.americastestkitchen.com/TCA.)

Hearing aids typically are expensive, with prices averaging $1,000 to more than $3,000 per ear, or $2,000 to over $6,000 per pair, depending on the level of technology and included services. Insurance coverage for adults can be limited, expensive or nonexistent. With over-the-counter options ranging from $99 to $1,700 a pair, these hearing devices can save many people money.

Quality devices

Some of the developers behind over-the-counter hearing devices are traditional hearing aid manufacturers. In some cases, they’re working in partnership with companies known for products with high sound quality, such as wireless headsets. These over-the-counter devices go beyond noise reduction and sound amplification, and provide a basic level of sound shaping you’d experience with a hearing aid.

Entry-level option

Over-the-counter hearing aids promise to be an excellent first step for people who are just beginning to notice hearing loss. People in the target market tend to be younger—40 to 65 years old, fairly tech-savvy and able to navigate the home-fitting process.

Self-diagnosis

Under the Food and Drug Administration ruling allowing the sale of over-thecounter hearing devices, people need to determine their level of hearing loss. Most manufacturers offer an online or app-based hearing test to help with screening. But patients may not be the most accurate judge of their condition. Hearing loss varies from person to person. That’s why traditional hearing aids are customized—not one-size-fits-all.

How-to instructions

The over-the-counter devices include step-by-step instructions for fitting and use, whether through an app or an online portal. This may include an app-based tuner. Check with your audiology clinic, which also may offer services for patients who need guidance with fitting and inserting the hearing devices.

Hearing test

Before you dash off to buy an over-the-counter hearing device, you should have an audiologist or hearing professional check your hearing. By having a better idea of your hearing level, you’ll eliminate some guesswork in determining which device will be the best fit for you.

Returns, warranties, support

Let’s say you do make your choice, but once you begin wearing your new over-thecounter hearing devices, they don’t seem right. Most manufacturers offer trial periods and have return policies. They also may provide limited basic warranties. Extended warranties, additional protection, and services such as cleaning and repair are offered for a fee. Some companies provide professional support for a limited time, and once that period expires, the support can be purchased by the hour.

Be sure to read these policies, warranties and support materials carefully so that you know what’s covered and what you’re buying. For instance, some warranties won’t apply to devices with wear and tear, such as those affected by moisture or ear wax.

Quality of life

Hearing loss isn’t just an inconvenience. It reduces quality of life because you can’t hear what others are saying, which causes you to miss out on conversations with friends and family, as well as important information such as from your health care professional. People with hearing loss begin to feel isolated, which can lead to depression and cognitive decline.

Whether you opt for over-the-counter devices or customized hearing aids after seeing an audiology specialist, what is important is your commitment to improving your hearing level and remaining engaged with those around you.—Katie Dease, Au.D., Audiology, Mayo Clinic Health System, Owatonna, Minnesota

(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.)

Esther

If you have a nice dog who needs a friend, Esther ready for her debut. Not only is she strikingly beautiful, this three-year-old girl is loyal and eager to be someone’s pride and joy.

is a happy boy, who doesn’t let his vision impairment get in the way of his joy. This six-year-old is playful, cuddly, and is dazzled by the sound of a good squeaky toy!