Ocala Gazette | October 28 - November 3, 2022

MCFR, “a department in crisis” says union president

By Morgan Ryan morgan@ocalagazette.com

Marion County Fire Rescue is having a difficult time retaining employees, having lost 70 firefighters, more than 10% of the department’s staff this year alone.

According to documents associated with fire union contract negotiations obtained by the Gazette, the department has 68 positions open for firefighters and paramedics, or EMS, and 48 newly budgeted positions.

Although the issue was not on the Marion County Board of Commission’s Oct. 18 meeting agenda, Danny Garcia, president of the Professional Firefighters of Marion County union, used a three-minute slot afforded to the public to tell the board why so many firefighters are leaving: poor wages and benefits.

Garcia said better compensation is necessary for the county to keep current employees and attract new ones.

“We need to recruit the best and the brightest to Marion County,’’ he said, “and we need to keep them here.”

Garcia said the wages of Marion County firefighters are not competitive enough, resulting in them finding jobs in neighboring counties and contributing to “alltime low” department morale.

According to the county’s website, the starting pay for a firefighter/paramedic is $16.68 an hour and a firefighter/EMT starts at $14. The Gazette’s review of nearby communities finds hourly wages starting anywhere from $2 to $5 higher than what Marion County is paying.

The cost to train and outfit a firefighter in Marion County is about $15,000, meaning the loss of 70 employees this year is over $1 million in direct loss of investment, according to Garcia.

Furthermore, Marion County firefighters are working significant amounts of overtime to compensate for the employee shortage, which Garcia says is not sustainable. The commission budgeted $1.1 million for MCFR overtime pay this year but has actually paid close to $5 million.

Garcia said higher wages will help retain employees, which keeps training costs down and helps long-standing employees avoid burnout from working mandatory overtime to pick up the slack of being short-handed.

“My presentation was just to demonstrate that we are already spending the money that it would take to stabilize our department,” Garcia said.

The fire union and the county recently reopened contract negotiations. Although the current contract has only been in place since March of 2022, Garcia said he feels the situation’s “dire” circumstances necessitate reexamining the current arrangement.

“We told them during the

Help Patriot Service Dogs win.

OH, MY GOURD!

The Ocala Pumpkin Patch celebrates fall and Halloween

Ahallowed local Halloween tradition, the Ocala Pumpkin Patch at First United Methodist Church will be open daily through Halloween, Monday, Oct. 31. Admission is free to the Patch, and pumpkins of all shapes and sizes are available for purchase. All proceeds from sales at the patch will go to the Tuesday Ministries Outreach, which offers a hot meal, shower, free toiletries, praise music and a few words of devotion for people in our community who have fallen on hard times. Bring the kids to help pick out pumpkins, pose in a photo booth and check out the fun evening events on select nights. Want to help out? Adults or youth 12 years old or older are needed to volunteer at the patch. Volunteers can bring children, but they cannot be registered to volunteer. Hours are 4-8 pm. Monday-Thursday, 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and noon- 8 p.m. Sunday. For more information, visit fumcocala.org/pumpkinpatch.

Sheriff proposes absorbing safe school department

Security is a major concern for the school district which, with a population of more than 50,000 students and faculty on any given Monday through Friday, is comparable to that of a small city. The workshop conversation gave some insight into some of the nuances the district must navigate when it comes to “policing” minors.

As to handling discipline matters, the district indicated that the safe schools has input, but the actual processing of suspensions or expulsions are handled by area superintendents.

By Jennifer Hunt Murty jennifer@ocalagazette.com

The Marion County School Board during its Oct. 20 work session discussed a proposal from Sheriff Billy Woods to absorb the district’s safe school department that

now falls under the authority of the school superintendent.

The superintendent told the board the discussion was only meant to glean initial impressions of the board to the proposal before gathering more information and feedback from schools about the possible implications of the move.

According to the school district, the safe school department handles things such as “emergency drills and exercises at all schools, security enforcement and enhancement on all school district property (including School Board meetings and work sessions), security equipment including fencing, cameras, and entry access.” Additionally, “the department contributes to student programs including bullying prevention, fostering direct communications with school administrators regarding security concerns, responding to emergencies, alarms, threats of violence, and other safety concerns on any school property.”

The attorney for the district, Jeremy Powers, told the board that Florida statutes were broad on the district’s choices for staffing school safety: the use of school resource officers, private security, the guardian program, even creating the district’s own internal police department.

The district, he explained, has adopted a plan that relies 95% on school resource officers staffed by the sheriff’s office, the Ocala Police Department and the Belleview Police Department. These contracts for school safety cost the district more than $13 million annually.

The district also has a Department of Safe Schools led by Dennis McFatten.

The Gazette’s review of

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The move would shift management of this department from the superintendent to the sheriff.

Marion County Sheriff Billy Woods speaks during the Marion County School Board workshop in Ocala on Thursday, Oct. 20, 2022. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette] 2022.

Colton Baker, 8 months, picks out a pumpkin that was bigger than he was during the Ocala Pumpkin Patch at the First United Methodist Church on East Silver Springs Boulevard in Ocala on Monday, Oct. 24, 2022. The Ocala Pumpkin Patch had already sold out of their pumpkins over the weekend, and on Monday, Forest High School students in the U.S. Air Force JROTC program were helping unload another semi-trailer filled with pumpkins from New Mexico. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette] 2022.

Judson Lewis, 18 months, sits in the pumpkin patch.

Three dozen octogenarians celebrate class of 1958 high school reunion

By Marian Rizzo Special to Ocala Gazette

Hope Meffert hasn’t missed a single reunion held by Ocala High School’s class of 1958. On Saturday, Oct. 22 the class members gathered once more to celebrate 64 years since they graduated.

“We’ve had a reunion every five years since we graduated,” Meffert said. “Our class has always been very active in promoting a reunion. We diligently plan and look forward to it. We had a vote at the reunion last Saturday. Now, we’re going to have one once a year, because of our age.”

Meffert remembers when classes met in the former building on Fort King Street, now home to Marion Technical Institute. She said her class was the second to graduate from that building. Originally, Ocala High School was in a building near Eighth Avenue in the historic district, she said.

The name changed from Ocala High School to Forest High School in the 1970s, and in 2005 a new campus was built on Maricamp Road.

To Meffert and her classmates, however, it’s always been Ocala High School and it always will be.

“There’s still enough old Ocala and the popularity of that high school remains,” she said.

“It’s not Forest High School (to us). Our colors were green and white. Forest is green and gold.”

For months before the reunion, an informal planning committee of about 15 alumni met regularly to plan the event. Meffert admits the meetings were really social gatherings, and the plans were kept simple. People agreed to help notify former classmates, and the decision was made to order the food from Sonny’s BBQ, she said.

In previous years, the reunion spanned an entire weekend and included a Friday night banquet, a Saturday afternoon barbecue, and sometimes golf or tennis. Now, the festivities are limited to just the barbecue, she said.

“It’s a quieter event,” said Meffert. “When you’re 82, things calm down some. We used to jitterbug and have a live band. It’s more casual now, and there are a lot fewer people than we used to have.”

This year’s reunion was hosted by Anna and Larry Moody on their 10-acre farm in southeast Ocala. The afternoon barbecue tends to be less formal than the evening banquet when “you don’t get to talk to anybody except people sitting at your table,” Anna said.

She compared the afternoon gathering to a family reunion.

“It was kind of an all-day event,” said Anna. “People started arriving at 11 o’clock and left about 4. We moved from table to table and talked to just about everybody. Ocala was so small back then, if they didn’t know you, they knew about you. We were like family, like distant cousins.”

The Moodys’ pole barn served as a gathering place for 33 classmates, who came with spouses and children, bringing the total attendees to 55, said Anna. While most of the folks still live locally, some came from other Florida locations, such as Fort Myers, and one gentleman came all the way from Virginia, she said.

This was the third time the Moodys have hosted the event.

“Everybody knows how to get here,” Anna noted. “It’s convenient and we’ve got the place for it, so why not? If they had a long drive, they’d get one of their children to drive them.”

As high school sweethearts, the Moodys both graduated in 1958. Larry was quarterback with the Ocala Wildcats, and Anna was a cheerleader for one year. After graduation, they attended different colleges and married in 1961.

Larry, who also participated in track, has fond memories of playing football for Ocala High School. He said the team competed with other high schools all over northeast Florida from Gainesville to Tallahassee, adding that 1958 was a good year for his team.

“We were the northeast conference champions that year,” said Larry.

Playing regularly at Webb Stadium was much like what happens at the Jervey Gantt Recreation Complex every Saturday morning in the fall, only on a lesser scale, Larry said. “Cars filled up the parking lot and several blocks around it.”

Two other football players attended this year’s reunion—the center and the kicker, said Larry.

“We could have shown off a little bit, but we were just happy to be up and about,” he said, chuckling. “It was the biggest group of old people we’ve been with in a long time. It was a good day, just perfect. A light breeze kept everybody cool, and we ate good. God really blessed us that day.”

The 1958 Ocala High School yearbook is shown during the 1958 Ocala High School Reunion at the Moody home in Ocala on Saturday, Oct. 22, 2022.

Photos By Bruce Ackerman Ocala Gazette

Anna Moody, Hope Meffert and Larry Moody, who all graduated from Ocala High School in 1958, left to right, reminisce as they look over a 1958 Ocala High School yearbook.

Julia Butler Luffman, left, and Charlotte Spell Bunyan, right, who both graduated from Ocala High School in 1958, talk to each other as they look over Luffman’s wallet-size high school diploma and Bunyan’s Florida 1958 license plate.

Photos below: Old photos are shown in the 1958 Ocala High School yearbook.

1958 Ocala High School cheerleaders are shown in an old photo.

The 1958 Ocala High School football team, including a photo of team captain, Larry Moody, bottom, are shown in old photos

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Safe schools

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McFatten’s employment file reflects his more than two decades of experience working for Marion County Sheriff’s office as a patrol captain. Before that, he worked four and half years as a corrections officer, and he served six years in the U.S. Army as a military police officer.

McFatten’s employment file contained no negative comments from school officials.

McFatten began working for the district in 2017 following an unsuccessful bid to be elected Marion County sheriff in 2016. More than 63,000 people voted for McFatten in that race, but Woods received 62% of the vote.

Under the sheriff’s proposal, McFatten, as well as four other school safety department employees, would become employees of the sheriff’s office and would report to the captain of the sheriff’s Juvenile Division.

The annual cost of personnel for the safe school department, including salary and benefits, is approximately $450,000. The sheriff indicated the move would not create additional expense for the district.

“I am just asking you to pay 100% of what it currently costs you for those employees within your annual budget,” the sheriff explained in a letter to Superintendent Diane Gulliet.

“Simply put, I will take these employees … and they will continue to perform the same duties and responsibilities that you have outlined within your job descriptions for their positions,’’ the letter continued. “They will be fully sworn deputy sheriffs and will be able to provide law enforcement capability security with full arrest powers at your School Board meetings and any other function that you deem necessary. The one Safety Specialist that has a Correctional Certificate I will send and pay for his cross-over training and certificate.”

For his part, McFatten told the board he did not want to work for the sheriff’s office.

“With all due respect to the sheriff and the chiefs,’’ he said, “I don’t feel comfortable in that proposal for where it leaves me and my staff or the school district and our kids.”

McFatten expressed confidence in the resource officers placed in schools, but he told the board that their role was different than the school safety department’s role, which focuses more on preventive measures.

“We are more than the fences, door buzzers and cameras of this district,” he said.

Speaking about the worst nightmare for school officials and the community, an active shooter in a school, McFatten tried to put the fears into perspective.

“There is a small likelihood that a school shooting will occur,’’ he said. “Can it happen? Absolutely, on any given day. However, what does happen on a daily basis with your safe school

department…is what we are talking about here today.”

School board members Kelly King and Don Browning both expressed support for the sheriff’s proposal.

King said shifting that department from the superintendent’s purview to the sheriff’s would allow the superintendent to concentrate more on academics and leave safety to the “experts.”

Board member Eric Cummings pointed out that McFatten was also an “expert,” to which King quickly agreed and expressed admiration for the work of McFatten’s department.

King raised a question to the school district attorney how they would navigate protecting information about school district records that is currently exempt from sharing with law enforcement. Powers agreed that issue would need to be explored and protections incorporated into the contract.

Board member Nancy Thrower said she was speaking from the perspective of a longtime educator “in the trenches.” She said, “In a school setting, education and school safety are not mutually exclusive,” and that was why “trust and communication” were necessary.

Thrower, along with the other board members, expressed confidence and appreciation for the sheriff’s efforts to protect students. However, Thrower pointed out that the cordial supportive relationship that exists between the agencies could change with leaders being replaced during election cycles.

School Board Vice-Chair Allison Campbell asked how the school’s code of conduct and disciplinary measures would be factored in when, for example, students got into a fight at school. The sheriff said that in those cases, an arrest would be made because a fight is considered a battery and the law requires it.

When the Gazette asked for clarification after the meeting about the sheriff’s stance on arresting students following a fight, sheriff’s attorney Timothy McCourt said an “officer always has the authority to make an arrest, regardless of who is managing Safe Schools, and that no School Board policy can override a law enforcement officer’s duty to enforce Florida law.’’

“But just because an arrest can be made doesn’t mean an arrest should be made,’’ he said. “The sheriff believes that oftentimes discipline of children for things like fighting or disorderly conduct is best handled by the kids’ parents and by their schools.”

Campbell raised other issues in the proposal that gave her pause. She questioned the impact the arrangement might have on the support the district has enjoyed from McFatten’s team. She noted the school safety department employees, despite all having law enforcement backgrounds, chose to work for

the district rather than one of the area’s law enforcement agencies.

Campbell also wondered whether the district would lose those employees in the transition. She likened it to the personnel loss that sometimes results from a corporate merger when some employees leave because of a potential shift in company culture.

Numerous times during the discussion, the chain of command during an active shooter situation was raised. McFatten told the board that there has never been a question of chain of command during an active shooter situation: the law enforcement agency responding to the threat is in charge.

Pointing to the 24/7 access McFatten gave to the school district, answering calls at all hours of the night, the trust between himself and school principals and department heads, McFatten explained that school safety involves more than just active shooters, it was also about “discipline, threat assessments and mental health.”

The sheriff assured the board that they would receive the same continuity care from the school safety department under his leadership. He also agreed to amend the contract to address some of their concerns about accessibility to records and providing a 24/7 security hotline.

McFatten expressed disappointment that the sheriff and police chiefs had worked on this proposal for at least six months without approaching him or explaining why they felt this change was necessary, despite McFatten’s request for communication.

McFatten also told the board that his department felt disrespected and the invitation to join the sheriff’s “family” seemed disingenuous since they were referred to as “kindergarten cops and a Mickey Mouse operation.”

In the Gazette’s follow up with the sheriff’s office, McCourt said McFatten’s comments about being disrespected are unfounded. He added that the sheriff and police chiefs were only following the chain of command by going to the superintendent rather than McFatten as she oversees the safe school department.

McCourt also dismissed that notion that the sheriff would discuss the matter with McFatten at all, even if there were operational concerns. Operational issues, he said, would be handled on a case-by-case basis by the sheriff’s Juvenile Division supervisors.

“If issues rose to the level where the sheriff needed to personally intervene, he would address them with the superintendent or members of school board,” McCourt said.

Cummings questioned the need to make any changes since the current plan was working. He also recalled advice of fellow board member Browning “not to give away authority because its

hard to get it back.”

At least seven members of the public spoke to the board during the meeting raising concerns about what increased policing could have on youth. Most encouraged the board to consider that school safety was more than

Marion County fire department

Continued from page A1 last negotiation that wages needed a boost and expressed concern over the competition with other counties,” Garcia told the Gazette.

After hearing from Garcia, the commissioners questioned the necessity of higher wages and employee retainment.

“You can go to McDonalds, I don’t care what business it is, they’re trying to hire,” said Commissioner Craig Curry, adding that he felt the board has shown “tremendous sensitivity” in regard to budgeting.

Commissioner Kathy Bryant said the board has

always supported the fire department and wondered if the problems run deeper than dollars and cents.

“We’ve made tremendous strides, but is it more than just wages?” Bryant asked. “Can we really buy our way out of this?”

Commissioner Carl Zalak said that MCFR will never be satisfied with the amount of money the department receives.

“When robots are doing our job, maybe,” said Garcia. “As long as there are human beings doing this job it’s going to be very difficult.”

Revenue from the penny sales tax has provided millions for new equipment for the MCFR since 2016,

just about “getting the bad guy.”

The superintendent told the board she would come back with answers to the board’s questions, feedback from the schools, and department employees who would be impacted by the change.

but that revenue cannot be used for wages.

Commissioners requested more information from staff and anticipated holding a shade meeting to discuss navigating negotiations with the fire union. A shade meeting is an exemption to Florida’s Government in the Sunshine law allowed for certain specific purposes, such as contract negotiations.

Frank Fraunfelter, Medical Director of MCFR, recently wrote a letter to the commissioners outlining how the loss of employees is impacting the level of care in the field.

“Losing and having to replace experienced

paramedics with new graduate paramedics is a big morale and liability concern. Without an experienced work force, the lack of mentoring from senior medics will be damaging to our county, department and paramedics,” he wrote.

“Healthcare is an experienced-based profession and prehospital care is no different,’’ Fraunfelter said.

“The liability of a new medic can be significant given the life-threatening nature of our 911 calls.”

Currently, the union estimates that more than 200 of its rank-and-file members have less than five years’ experience.

Dennis McFatten, the School District’s Safe Schools coordinator, speaks during the Marion County School Board workshop in Ocala on Thursday, Oct. 20, 2022.

Photos By Bruce Ackerman Ocala Gazette

Kelly King of District 5, listens.

Jeremy Powers, the attorney for the Marion County School Board, left, talks to Chair Eric Cummings, right, during a recess.

File photo: Deputy Chief of Marion County Fire Rescue, Robert Graff, second from left, speaks as Amanda Tart, the Executive Director of Administrative Services at Marion County Board of County Commissioners, left, and Capt. Danny Garcia, the president of the International Association of Firefighters Local #3169, right, and Lt. Eric Schwartz, also of the firefighters union, second from right, listen during the Collective Bargaining Agreement meeting between the Marion County Board of County Commissioners and the Professional Firefighters of Marion County at Green Clover Hall in Ocala on Friday, February 18, 2022. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette] 2022.

Patriot Service Dogs competes for service award

Photos By Bruce Ackerman Ocala Gazette

By Rosemarie Dowell rosemarie@ocalagazette.com

Alocal non-profit that trains and provides service dogs to military veterans has been named a finalist in the 2nd Annual Defender Service Awards, and is the only Florida based organization out of 800 total entries to contend for a top prize.

Patriot Service Dogs (PSD), based in Marion County, is competing with four other organizations in the Veterans Outreach category in the Land Roversponsored contest that recognizes U.S. and Canadian non-profits and charities making a positive impact in their local communities.

The organization places trained service dogs with honorably discharged veterans with mobility, PTSD, Traumatic Brain Injuries, and other issues from any era, regardless of combat wound status free of charge. Finalists were awarded $5,000.

“We are a very small organization that’s supported by sponsorship and donations,” said Victoria Sanderson, volunteer coordinator for PSD, which was co-founded by her mother, Julie Sanderson in 2009. “Winning would go a long way with us, there’s never enough money to go around.”

Other categories in the contest besides Veterans Outreach include

Search and Rescue, Environmental and Conservation, Community Service and Animal Welfare.

The winner in each category will be determined by public vote now (Oct. 21) through Nov. 6 at landroverusa.com. Victors will receive a customized Land Rover Defender and a monetary prize of $25,000.

One vote per day per email address is allowed. Winners will be notified in early December.

The younger Sanderson said the organization found out about the contest via social media with just a day or two to go before the submission deadline Sept. 7 and decided to enter.

The group quickly made some calls to a few former clients/veterans and asked if they would be willing to help PSD make a video, obviously along with their service dogs, she said.

“It was a bit of a whirlwind; we really didn’t have much time,” said Sanderson. “We met in a church parking lot, and I made a video using my I-phone and submitted it two hours before the deadline.”

“We were shocked when they notified us that we were finalists,” she said.

Since its founding, PSD has trained and provided service dogs to 53 veterans, mostly through its WOOF (Women Offering Obedience and Friendship) program at Lowell Correctional Institution in

unincorporated Marion County.

“The inmates help us as our primary trainers,” said Sanderson. “In turn they learn valuable job skills in the pet industry and have the confidence and experience to do well when they get out.”

The majority of dog breeds the organization trains are Labrador or Golden Retrievers, mainly due to their size and temperament.

“They are the right size for service dog work and work well with veterans with traumatic brain injuries,” she said. It takes two years for a dog to complete training and get a final health clearance before being paired with a deserving veteran, most of which hail from Florida.

The average cost to train a dog is $20,000 to $25,000, but veterans pay nothing to receive one through PSD, said Sanderson. Sponsors pay $7,000, with donations helping to defray the rest of the cost. Shamrock Animal Hospital in Mount Dora donates veterinary services.

Currently, 17 dogs are in various stages of training at PSD and Sanderson hopes area residents will take the time to vote for the organization through Nov. 6 and help them win the contest.

“We are definitely underdogs,” said Sanderson. “So, any help the community could give us would be wonderful and much appreciated.”

Volunteers with Patriot Service Dogs pose with the dogs they are training, from left: Jim Michaels with Millie, Frank Caesar with Dolley, Victoria Sanderson with Murphy and James Davis with Trooper, during a training session for Patriot Service Dogs at Christ

The King Anglican Church in Ocala on Monday, Oct. 24, 2022.

Frank Caesar, left, works on training Dolley, a oneyear-old Rottweiler that he is training, as Victoria Sanderson, the volunteer coordinator for Patriot Service Dogs, right, watches during a training session for Patriot Service Dogs at Christ The King Anglican Church in Ocala on Monday, Oct. 24, 2022.

Left: Dolley holds a TV remote that she was taught to pick up.

Victoria Sanderson, the volunteer coordinator for Patriot Service Dogs, helps Murphy, a two-year-old Golden Retriever, get dressed in his service vest.

James Davis works on training Trooper, a 5-year-old Black Lab and Standard Poodle mixed-breed, to pick up a credit card.

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

IN RE: THE ESTATE OF ERNEST JOSEPH NASSIF, JR. CASE NO: 2022-CP-2295

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

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

If you have been served with a copy of this notice and you have any claim or demand against the decedent’s estate, even if that claim is unmatured, contingent or unliquidated, you must file your claim with the court ON OR BEFORE THE LATER OF A DATE THAT IS 3 MONTHS AFTER THE DATE OF THE FIRST PUBLICATION OF THIS NOTICE OR 30 DAYS AFTER YOU RECEIVE A COPY OF THIS NOTICE.

All other creditors of the decedent and other persons who have claims or demands against the decedent’s estate, including unmatured, contingent or unliquidated claims, must file their claims with the court WITHIN 3 MONTHS AFTER THE DATE OF THE FIRST PUBLICATION OF THIS NOTICE.

ALL CLAIMS NOT SO FILED WILL BE FOREVER BARRED.

EVEN IF A CLAIM IS NOT BARRED BY THE LIMITATIONS DESCRIBED ABOVE, ALL CLAIMS WHICH HAVE NOT BEEN FILED WILL BE BARRED TWO YEARS AFTER DECEDENT’S DEATH.

The date of death of the decedent is: August 11, 2022

The date of first publication of this Notice is October 28, 2022.

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: MARGARET J. NASSIF 4242 SE 17th Lane Ocala, FL 34471

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

IN RE: THE ESTATE OF BRADLEY A. LOWN CASE NO. 2022-CP-2400

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: September 2, 2022

The date of first publication of this Notice is October 28, 2022.

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: NANCY A. RESTIVO 230 E. Virginia Blvd. Jamestown, NY 14701

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

IN RE: THE ESTATE OF JACK DEAN HALL, JR., Deceased. CASE NO: 2022-CP-2349

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

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

If you have been served with a copy of this notice and you have any claim or demand against the decedent’s estate, even if that claim is unmatured, contingent or unliquidated, you must file your claim with the court ON OR BEFORE THE LATER OF A DATE THAT IS 3 MONTHS AFTER THE DATE OF THE FIRST PUBLICATION OF THIS NOTICE OR 30 DAYS AFTER YOU RECEIVE A COPY OF THIS NOTICE.

All other creditors of the decedent and other persons who have claims or demands against the decedent’s estate, including unmatured, contingent or unliquidated claims, must file their claims with the court WITHIN 3 MONTHS AFTER THE DATE OF THE FIRST PUBLICATION OF THIS NOTICE.

ALL CLAIMS NOT SO FILED WILL BE FOREVER BARRED.

EVEN IF A CLAIM IS NOT BARRED BY THE LIMITATIONS DESCRIBED ABOVE, ALL CLAIMS WHICH HAVE NOT BEEN FILED WILL BE BARRED TWO YEARS AFTER DECEDENT’S DEATH.

The date of death of the decedent is: August 5, 2022

The date of first publication of this Notice is October 28, 2022.

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: TYLER HALL 917 State Route 49 Homer, Illinois 61849

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE FIFTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT, IN AND FOR MARION COUNTY, FLORIDA. IN RE: THE ESTATE OF PAUL CLYDE GUESS, Deceased.  CASE NO: 2022-CP-2298

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: February 1, 2022. The date of first publication of this Notice is October 28, 2022.

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: PAUL WILLIAM GUESS 4073 S.W. 168th Circle Ocala, FL 34481

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

IN RE: THE ESTATE OF MICHAEL JON MAKINEN, Deceased.

CASE NO: 2022-CP-2252

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: August 21, 2021

The date of first publication of this Notice is October 28, 2022.

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: DIANNA M. BENNIS 12325 S.W. 91st Lane Dunnellon, FL 34432

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE FIFTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT, IN AND FOR MARION COUNTY, FLORIDA. IN RE: THE ESTATE OF RONALD R. NELSON, Deceased. CASE NO: 2022-CP-2229

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: August 20, 2022

The date of first publication of this Notice is October 28, 2022.

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: TRACI SYME 5125 SE 26th Street Ocala, FL 34480

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR MARION COUNTY, FLORIDA IN RE: ESTATE OF ROBERT NEWMAN JONES

PROBATE DIVISION File No. 22CP002333AX Deceased.

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

The administration of the estate of Robert Newman Jones, deceased, whose date of death was June 6, 2022, is pending in the Circuit Court for Marion County, Florida, Probate Division, the address of which is 110 NW 1 st Avenue, Ocala, FL 34478. The names and addresses of the personal representative and the personal representative's attorney are set forth below.

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

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

ALL CLAIMS NOT FILED WITHIN THE TIME PERIODS SET FORTH IN FLORIDA STATUTES SECTION 733.702 WILL BE FOREVER BARRED. NOTWITHSTANDING THE TIME PERIODS SET FORTH ABOVE, ANY CLAIM FILED TWO (2) YEARS OR MORE AFTER THE DECEDENT'S DATE OF DEATH IS BARRED. The date of first publication of this notice is October 28, 2022

Attorney for Personal Representative: Personal Representative: Robert K. Miller

Attorney Florida Bar Number: 359173 Cunningham Miller Rhyne PA 10075 Overseas Hwy PO Box 500938 Marathon, FL 33050 Telephone: (305) 743-9428 Fax: (305) 743-8800 E-Mail: service@floridakeyslaw.com Secondary E-Mail: rmiller@ floridakeyslaw.com

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR MARION COUNTY, FLORIDA PROBATE DIVISION

Melinda Leigh Collins 10 Manchester Rd East Aurora, New York 14052

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE FIFTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT, IN AND FOR MARION COUNTY, FLORIDA. IN RE: THE ESTATE OF CARMEN KURLAND, Deceased. CASE NO: 2022-CP-1883

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: February 22, 2022

IN RE: ESTATE OF ANNE M. SNYDER a/k/a ANNE O. SNYDER, File No. 42-2022-CP-1416 AX Deceased.

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

The administration of the estate of ANNE M. SNYDER a/k/a ANNE O. SNYDER, deceased, whose date of death was April 5, 2022, is pending in the Circuit Court for Marion County, Florida, Probate Division, the address of which is 110 NW 1 st Ave, Ocala, FL 34475. The names and addresses of the personal representative and the personal representative's attorney are set forth below.

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

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

ALL CLAIMS NOT FILED WITHIN THE TIME PERIODS SET FORTH IN FLORIDA

STATUTES SECTION 733.702 WILL BE FOREVER BARRED. NOTWITHSTANDING THE TIME PERIODS SET FORTH ABOVE, ANY CLAIM FILED TWO (2) YEARS OR MORE AFTER THE DECEDENT'S DATE OF DEATH IS BARRED. The date of first publication of this notice is October 21, 2022

The date of first publication of this Notice is October 28, 2022.

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: HELENA D. BIER 4047 SE 15th Street Ocala, FL 34471

Attorney for Personal Representative: Personal Representative: Richard I. Withers, Attorney Florida Bar Number: 39692 WITHERS HARVEY PA 1120 NW 8th Ave. Gainesville, FL 32601 Telephone: (352) 727-4404 E-Mail: richard@withersharvey.com

Karen L. Johns PO Box 422 Micanopy, FL 32667

Public

Public

October is ADHD-Awareness Month

By Julie Garisto julie@magnoliamediaco.com

Labeled everything from lazy to weird, to airheaded, flaky and selfish, adults and children with attention deficit hyperactive (ADHD) disorder have learned to bear a burden of shame that can be detrimental to one’s well-being.

Serious problems may arise from the many myths that linger around the brainbased condition.

ADHD doesn’t come from bad parenting or too much sugar. According to a report by Kenneth Blum and colleagues, in the Dove Medical Press publication “Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment,”People with ADHD have at least one defective gene, the DRD2 gene that makes it difficult for neurons to respond to dopamine, the neurotransmitter that is involved in feelings of pleasure and the regulation of attention. That’s why experts say people with ADHD are gifted when their concentration involves a subject of intense interest due to the influx of much-needed dopamine.

But how do you bring this explanation up in casual conversation? The complexity and stigma of ADHD can make life awkward and unbearable at times for ADHD sufferers.

One study noted that 44.8% of an Irish undergraduate student population who committed suicide at Ulster University in Ireland were diagnosed with ADHD as opposed to 21.7% of non-diagnosed suicide victims cited in the study.

What’s more, the adults who survive but go undiagnosed often resort to drugs

and alcohol to cope with the stigma that comes with ADHD, according to a study by Dr, Anna K. Mueller and a team of neuroscientists.

One recent survey found that more than 15 percent of adults with the disorder had abused or were dependent upon alcohol or drugs during the previous year, nearly triple the rate for adults without ADHD, Carl Sherman, PhD, reported in “ADDitude Magazine.” In commemoration of ADHD-Awareness Month, resources are available at adhdawarenessmonth.org to help people learn about the brain-based condition, how to get diagnosed and how to help mediate the challenges experienced by a family member, employee or friend.

According to Dr. Daniel Amen, whose Amen Clinics provide brain scans for people to focus more on “brain health” than the stigmas around “mental health,” says that ADHD is a neurodevelopmental disorder marked by pervasive problems with attention and, in many cases, impulsive and hyperactive behavior as well.

Emotional dysregulation and Rejection Sensitivity Disorder, though not cited in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, are widely regarded as manifestations of the executive/frontal lobe interferences that afflict people living with ADHD.

“People with ADHD feel emotions more intensely, more frequently, and more suddenly,” said Dr. William Dodson during his YouTube podcast.

Dodson oversees the content of “ADDitude magazine.” A board-certified psychiatrist, he was one of the first practitioners to specialize in adults with ADHD 25 years ago. He is the recipient of the national Maxwell J. Schleifer Award

for Distinguished Service to Persons with Disabilities in 2006. He was named a Life Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association in 2012 in recognition of his contributions to the field of adult ADHD.

One-third of adults with ADHD, Dodson said, claim that emotional dysregulation is the most impairing aspect of their ADHD, adversely affecting work performance and personal relationships.

“ADD/ADHD is a national health crisis that continues to grow—yet it remains one of the most misunderstood and incorrectly treated illnesses today,” Amen said on his podcast.

What many also don’t realize is that ADHD is an equal-opportunity condition. People of varying ages, genders, ethnicities and socioeconomic backgrounds have been diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

In recent years, research has started to address information gaps involving women with ADHD, who are often overlooked because they present differently and due to long-prevailing notions that primarily young boys who scream and stand on their chairs in school are the types who have ADHD.

The hormone fluctuations that occur with age, such as perimenopause and menopause, can magnify ADHD symptoms, problems once managed more effectively during childbearing years. Symptoms such as brain fog, emotional dysregulation and extreme difficulties with time blindness become worse when hormones are imbalanced.

According to renowned ADHD experts Russell Barkley and Dr. Ned Hollowell, ADD/ADHD, particularly, the attention

“deficit” part of the name, presents a misnomer concerning how the condition manifests with a spectrum of challenges and potential. At issue is not a lack of attention, they and other experts say, but controlling the proverbial knob on one’s attention.

“ADHD is not a deficit disorder,” Hollowell writes in his article “ADHD Needs a Better Name. We Have One.”

“ADHD is an inaccurate — and potentially corrosive — name,” he continues … individuals with ADHD do not have a disease, nor do they have a deficit of attention; in fact, what they have is an abundance of attention … a more accurate descriptive term is “variable attention stimulus trait” (VAST), a name that allows us to “de-medicalize” ADHD and focus instead on the huge benefits of having an ADHD brain.”

The so-called gifts that come with ADHD involve creativity, calm in times of crisis, empathy, strong intuition, readiness and alertness (why many ADHDers thrive as first responders) and that enviable but sometimes frustrating trait known as hyperfocus, when the ADHD interest-based brain can lock into a task without distraction (but sometimes has trouble shifting gears).

The reason people inherit ADHD, some researchers hypothesize, is owed to reactive, hyper-alert traits of ancient hunter-gatherers, who didn’t live according to the routines and selfdiscipline of the farmers who arrived on the scene ages later.

To learn more about different aspects of ADHD, visit adhdawarenessmonth.org.

Understanding the challenges of those who exhibit symptoms of ADHD can debunk stereotypes and might be the difference between life and death.

A fine day for the arts

55th annual Ocala Arts Festival draws thousands to the downtown area.

Photos By Bruce Ackerman Ocala Gazette

By Susan Smiley-Height susan@magnoliamediaco.com

air winds and sunny skies offered the perfect weather for enjoying the 55th annual Ocala Arts Festival on Oct. 22 and 23. And, wow, did art lovers and onlookers turn out for the event, which is organized by Fine Arts For Ocala, or

“It was truly a great weekend; we had such a massive crowd,” said Maggie Weakley, the administrative coordinator for FAFO. “We estimate that we had more than 25,000 people at the event. Our biggest turnout ever.”

A group of community members started FAFO in 1966 to bring art to Marion County and has been putting on the festival ever since. The group also, since 1988, sponsors the annual Symphony Under The Stars event each Mother’s Day. FAFO’s mission is to promote the fine arts and enhance art education within the

The festival had more than 150 artists participating, with booths spread out all around the downtown square and side streets. There was a special area at Citizens’ Circle to showcase student art. A variety of entertainers and groups performed on stages at City Hall and the gazebo. An intrepid stilt walker enchanted the crowds by strolling the streets, leaning down to chat and for selfies.

This was the second year that organizers created the FAFO Loop, in which the artists were set up in a continuous loop around the event zone.

“That way, our guests could start on one end of the show and walk around and get to see all the artists,” Weakley noted. “Our artists were very happy and told us our guests were purchasing from them and some artists commented that it has been their best show ever. We love to hear that!”

The event is a juried show and the artists vie for cash prizes. The winners were:

• Best of Show, $5,000 – William Kidd

• Awards of Excellence, $2,500 each – Dennis Angel and Whitney Clanton

• Awards of Distinction, $1,000 each – Zhiyong Ye, Catherine Goolsby, Jordan Shapot, Navenka Gabrielson, Timothy Carter, Donna Harris and Ummarid Eitharong

• Awards of Merit, $500 each – Amy Lennard Gmelin, Robin Holt, Dan Hay, Cheryl Ritter, Susanna Spann, Stephen Marks, Gustavo Castillo, Emre Tekeli, Lawrence Packard and Martha Banting

• Best of Show for Emerging Artist, award ribbon – Hannah Keats

To learn more, go to fafo.org

Marion County Voters

Renewal of the one mill ad valorem tax is on the ballot on November 8

History on the tax: In 2014 the Marion County School Board first proposed the one mill ad valorem tax (also known as property tax) to improve Marion County Schools academic performance.

In 2018 the Marion County School Board again asked the voters to cont inue the tax for another four years. There is scant evidence that the one mill ad valorem tax accomplished the goal of improved academic performance. This year: The Marion County School Board has asked Y YET AGAIN, for the voters to approve the one mill property tax on the November ballot. If approved, this proposed extension will be 12 years of increased property taxes.

TAKE

Ackerman/Ocala

Stephen Perry sings and plays his guitar.

Bowie Wade, 4, gets a piggy-back ride from his grandfather, Bill Pharmer, as they walk past artwork.

Artist Jordan Shapot, right, talks with Angi Grabbe in his booth filled with mixed media artwork for sale.

INSURANCE RATES INCREASING

CITRUS LEADERS LOOK TO WEATHER

By Jim Turner Florida News Service

Shifting about $1 million from marketing and public relations into reserves, the Florida Citrus Commission hopes to weather the impacts of Hurricane Ian, which exacerbated an already-anticipated decline in this season’s citrus crop.

The money shift and a few smaller changes allowed the commission on Wednesday to approve a revised $29.795 million budget for the Department of Citrus without revamping a tax that growers pay on each box of citrus to help with marketing. The issues will be revisited in December.

greening disease, and USDA field surveys found trees in September showing smallersized fruit and fewer oranges per tree.

The USDA forecast, which will be updated in December, projected that citrus growers will produce 28 million boxes of oranges and 2 million boxes of grapefruit during the 2022-2023 season. Specialty fruits, primarily tangerines and tangelos, are expected to fill another 700,000 boxes.

The state Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services on Monday estimated Ian inflicted $417 million to $675 million in losses to the citrus industry. That was part of an estimated $1.18 billion to $1.9 billion in damage to Florida’s agriculture industry.

By Florida News Service

Citizens Property Insurance Corp.

rate increases will take effect Tuesday, as thousands of homeowners a week continue turning to the state-backed insurer for coverage.

The increases, which apply to what are known as “personal lines” policies, were approved by the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation in June. They include an average 6.4 percent increase for homeowners with “multi-peril” policies — by far the most-common type of policy.

Customers with other types of policies will see

average increases ranging from 8.4 percent to 11 percent.

Citizens initially asked for larger rate increases, but the Office of Insurance Regulation scaled back the requests. For example, Citizens had requested a 10.7 percent increase for multi-peril policies.

The increases come as Citizens, which was created as the state’s insurer of last resort, experiences massive growth amid turmoil in the private insurance market.

As of Friday, Citizens had 1,098,762 policies. As a comparison, it had 521,289 policies on Oct. 31, 2020, and 725,942 policies on Oct. 31, 2021.

The overall budget, down $123,000 from what had been tentatively approved in July, is based now on a projected harvest that is below an initial crop forecast for the recently started growing season. The initial forecast was released two weeks ago by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Christine Marion, the department’s deputy executive director of administration and finance, said the budget should withstand a harvest down to 18 million 90-pound boxes this season. In July, the commission was looking at growers filling 35 million boxes of oranges, 3.6 million boxes of grapefruit, and 800,000 boxes of specialty fruits.

The USDA on Oct. 12 released an initial forecast for the 2022-2023 growing season that projected overall production at 30.7 million boxes, which would be a 31.8 percent drop from the past season. That projection was based on data from before Hurricane Ian caused massive damage to citrus-growing areas when it hit Southwest Florida and crossed Central Florida.

Among numerous other issues confronting the industry, growers have struggled for decades with deadly citrus-

The state report said 154,846 of Florida’s 375,302 acres of citrus were hit by Category 4-force winds in the storm.

A University of Florida-Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences report released last week estimated the impact to the citrus industry at $146.9 million to $304.3 million.

Under the budget approved Wednesday during a meeting at the department’s Bartow office, the “box” taxes will stand at 12 cents a box for processed oranges, 5 cents a box for fresh oranges and 7 cents a box for grapefruit and specialty fruits.

Most Florida oranges are processed into juice.

The budget includes $19.125 million in general-revenue money from the state for marketing, research and administration.

When announced in July, the budget included $1 million to research new varieties of fruit and another $1 million to develop plants resistant to citrus greening,

A majority of the budget goes into domestic marketing aimed at driving orange-juice sales, which have been increasing because of inflation and are expected to have higher shelf prices due to the storm.

As a voter who is approaching retirement age, Social Security and Medicare are important issues for me. I experienced first-hand the importance of these programs while caring for my elderly mother who had worked all her life and then suffered in old age from COPD and crippling arthritis. I am far from wealthy and will need every penny of those earned benefits when I retire. But Republicans have made their plans for Social Security and Medicare quite clear. If they had their way, they would raise the eligibility ages and privatize both programs. This would hurt Florida senior citizens. The Democrats have my vote this year. They are fighting to expand and strengthen Social Security and Medicare - with zero Republican support. I hope older Floridians remember this and vote for their own best interests when casting their ballot.

Mary Savage

From stopping

when

People, Places & Things

H istory on t H e H oof

The Great Florida Cattle Drive and Ponce de Leon 1521 Herd celebrate 500 years of cattle in the Sunshine State.

Photos By Bruce Ackerman Ocala Gazette

By Susan Smiley-Height susan@magnoliamediaco.com

If settling into the saddle and driving a herd of cattle through palmetto prairies, boggy swamps and rolling pastures is on your bucket list, you still have time to register for the Great Florida Cattle Drive 2022—Celebrating 500 Years of Cattle in Florida. Organizers avow that you will be well fed, highly entertained and likely make lifelong friends.

The Florida Cow Culture Preservation Committee (FCCPC) is preparing for a quincentennial celebration from Dec. 4-10, when cow hunters will drive 1,000 head of Florida Cracker style cattle through central Florida, culminating with a grand “when the cows come home” party that will be open to the public.

The Great Florida Cattle Drive is a nonprofit event put on by volunteers and sponsors and is registered 501(c)(3) entity as part of the Florida Agriculture Museum.

This will be the fourth drive. The first, in 1995, was conceived as a reenactment to celebrate Florida’s 150th birthday. It took 1,000 head of certified Florida Cracker Cattle and about 600 riders, 600 horses and 25 wagons over 100 miles through cow country. The endeavor marked the formation of the FCCPC. The second drive, with about 500 head of cattle and 450 riders, took place in 2006. The third drive was held in 2016 and the participants, which included a group of veterans from the Wounded Warrior Project, had to endure extremely wet and cold conditions.

According to Florida state archives, the term “Florida Cracker” is thought to refer to the cracking sound made by the whips used by early settlers to herd cattle. It generally describes a class of early pioneers, mainly farmers and cattle ranchers. Cracker cowboys are sometimes called cow hunters because they allowed cows to wander open ranges. When it was time for branding or driving cattle to market, the Cracker cowboys would search the woods and round up the cows with the aid of whips and cattle dogs.

Drive chairman Doyle Conner Jr., the “Trail Boss,” has been a key player in all of the FCCPC cattle drives. He is a longtime wrangler, having been taught by his father, Doyle Conner, a fifth generation

Floridian whose family raised cattle, grew strawberries and cut timber. The senior Conner was in the Florida House of Representatives for 10 years and was Florida’s Commissioner of Agriculture for 30 years.

With sparkling eyes and an impressive handlebar mustache, and sporting the de riguer cowboy hat, bandana and giant belt buckle, Conner Jr., seated next to the check-in table on Thursday during a special event at the Herlong Mansion in Micanopy, drew crowds of people eager to say hello, shake his hand and have a photo taken with him.

In a charming southern drawl, he explained some of the history behind the first drive.

“We started it in ’95 to celebrate Florida’s sesquicentennial. We turned 1,000 head of cattle from down around Yeehaw Junction up to the rodeo in Kissimmee and they said it was the largest event of the sesquicentennial,” he said. “I asked the Seminole Tribe if anybody had asked them to be part of the sesquicentennial and they said no. I said, ‘Well, you guys took care of the cattle for damn near 100 years so you need to be part of our deal.’ So, they did. They played a big part and have ever since.”

He recalled that about five years later, “My people started saying we’ve got to do that again and I said, ‘Why?’”

“They got me by saying that at the end of the first drive I had said that I would not take a million dollars for having done this but I wouldn’t do it again for a million,” he stated. “But they also said that everybody on that drive had the experience of a lifetime and my cow boss said, ‘What right have you got to not let other people have that same thing?’ So, we did it.”

The plan was to do the drives every 10 years. But, Conner said, after the 2016 drive, “We knew we had the 500th anniversary of the first cows and first horses to ever step foot in America coming up so we decided to do it in five years instead of 10, but then COVID got in the way. So now we’re a year later.”

Conner vividly remembers some of the challenges of the first drive.

“We had ambulances and EMTs, and radios the sheriff’s department gave us. After the cows went out, the wagons went, then people started out on horseback. There were still people in camp and somebody came over and said, ‘Doyle,

we need an ambulance.

Somebody got kicked in the jaw.’

Thirty minutes later, ‘Doyle, we need the other ambulance. Looks like somebody is having a heart attack.’ Then they called me and said, ‘We need the veterinarian. One of your big steers just died.’

And I said, ‘Have y’all ever been on the Santa Fe Trail? Let me tell you, from where it starts to where it ends, there are crosses all the way across America and it looks like we’re gonna have the same thing…”

But that streak of bad luck turned out well in the end.

“The guy that had the heart attack came back from the hospital and got on a wagon and came in with the cows. The guy that got his jaw broke, he was all wired up, but he went to helping the cook,” Conner shared.

He said he and his team have spent three years planning this year’s drive.

“We’re gonna start at Deseret Ranch, which is the largest ranch east of the Mississippi and has the largest commercial cow herd in America, with right around 300,000 acres and right around 40,000 head of mama cows. We’re going to drive through their property twice and zig zag our way to the Silver Spurs practice arena in Kenansville,” he explained.

The Deseret Ranches of Florida, in Saint Cloud, got its start in 1949 and is an operation of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

During the cattle drive, the participants camp primitively and are only allowed to have 60 pounds of personal gear. Meals are provided and there will be entertainment in the evenings.

“But there are no motorhomes or showers or stuff like that,” the Trail Boss noted.

“It will be the experience of a lifetime; I assure it,” he added. “I thank the Lord this will be my fourth experience of a lifetime. You’ll make friends that you’ll have forever. And the last one, it rained for two days but they just sucked it up. Our motto is, ‘This ain’t for sissies.’”

Seasoned Rider

Ocala Realtor Wendy Wilson was on that 2016 drive when the weather turned sour.

“One night a downpour left a lot of people with flooded tents,” she recalled. “The next morning, there were clothes hanging all over the palm fronds and boots turned upside down by the camp fires.”

Wilson was born and raised in New York and moved to Florida when she was 22 years old. After she graduated from high school, she became a veterinarian technician.

“Moving to Florida was the best thing I ever did. I met my husband of 42 years in St. Petersburg. We were both lifeguards and he was going to college. His parents had a house in Dunnellon on the Withlacoochee River,” she said.

“We drove through Ocala one day and I was in love. All the beautiful farms, and everywhere I looked were horses. I said to him, ‘This is where I’d like to live when you graduate.’”

Wilson got her first horse when she was 36. She took up trail riding, endurance racing, obstacles and cowboy mounted shooting.

She said, however, “My dearest friend, who taught me so much about horses, said to me, ‘You’re not a cowgirl ‘til you go on the cattle drive.’”

“My memories of the drive in 2016 were that I felt like I was in heaven, with so many

horses, amazing wagons and the atmosphere of fun,” she recalled. “It didn’t matter that it poured and some people’s tents got flooded or that it was cold. Memories of a herd of horses running out of a stand of trees on a beautiful prairie and the wranglers going to head them off, incredible sunsets, campfires keeping us warm, the cattle in such large numbers going where they’re supposed to because of cowboys and dogs working together. I decided to do it again because it’s an adventure I wouldn’t want to miss.”

Florida Drive Newbie Jennifer Schuck grew up riding in a “horsey” community west of Minneapolis and was involved in dressage, eventing and fox hunting.

“But I always wanted to be a cowgirl,” she said.

“I got to go on The Great Montana Centennial Cattle Drive of 1989. I had just graduated from college and was an art director at an advertising agency. My creative director and

Left: Jack Gillen and Doyle Conner Jr. pose for a picture during the Great Florida Cattle Drive social gathering event at Herlong Mansion in Micanopy on Thursday, Oct. 20, 2022. The Great Florida Cattle Drive is scheduled for Dec. 4-10 and will be honoring 500 years of cattle in Florida. It is sponsored by the Florida Agricultural Museum. Horse riders, walkers, wagon and buggies will drive 1,000 head of cattle east of Kissimmee and end at the Silver Spurs Arena in Kenansville.

Doyle Conner Jr. shows off his buckle from the Cattle Drive he was a part of in 1995.

Jennifer Schuck and Wendy Wilson, who are both from Ocala and will both be going on the cattle drive this year, talk.

Fall into floral arrangements

By Jean Rognstad, Tricia Evans, and Jacqua Ballas Pioneer Garden Club

Fall is a wonderful time of year to be outdoors, to enjoy nature and to work in your yard and garden.

Members of the Pioneer Garden Club have been looking forward to this season and all our related activities. We are planning another daylily planting in the Pioneer Garden at Tuscawilla Art Park as part of our community partnership with the City of Ocala. Our Silver Springs Committee and members from all four circles will decorate the entrance to the Silver Springs State Park for the holiday season. We will use live poinsettias around the fountain, hang wreaths on the ticket booths and add decorations to the areas nearby.

Fall is a beautiful time to make a flower arrangement for your own home. On Sept. 13, members of the Pioneer Garden Club attended their general meeting to begin the club year. Member Barbara McGhee gave a program about making floral arrangements using a few purchased flowers and greenery clippings from her yard. The results were simply stunning!

To create your own floral arrangement, start by looking around your home for an interesting container. You can use traditional glass or ceramic containers or things such as baskets, teapots, pitchers and bowls. There are several ways to hold flowers in place. Florist oasis (a foam material that fits in the bottom of a container) can be purchased at local hobby stores or floral shops. There are two types: wet and dry. Use the dry oasis for dried plants that do not need water. Use the wet oasis for live plants and flowers that need water. Soak the oasis in water for the time specified on the package as needed, then place it inside your container. You can trim it to fit.

Then begins the creative process of putting together your arrangement. Find some colorful flowers in your yard, at a grocery store or florist. Remember to cut the stems at a diagonal and put them in water for some time so they can soak up the water and stay fresh. You only need a few. Complement the flowers with cuttings from the plants in your yard—hedge branches, ferns, foliage cuttings and the like. Try to mix up the textures of the greenery to add interest. Place your main flowers in the oasis. Then add the greenery around the flowers. Be sure to place plants and greenery on all sides of the container so it will look nice from all angles.

Enjoy your own beautiful arrangement in your home. You can change out the flowers as they start to fade. When the next holiday comes, you’ll be ready to try again.

Pioneer Garden Club of Ocala members used their flower arranging skills recently while hosting the Fall Florida Federation of Garden Clubs (FFGC) District V Meeting at the beautiful Barn at Bellemoor on Oct. 14. Members from District V attended including clubs from Brooksville, Citrus, Crystal River, Floral City, Four Seasons, Gainesville, Homosassa, Inverness, Lake City, McIntosh Seedlings Garden Club, Newberry and Pioneer. In addition, representatives from FFGC also attended.

Our Gloriosa Circle Members provided floral arrangements for the table and room in keeping with our “Autumn Splendor” theme for the event. Members headed to Cannon Farms in Dunnellon where they harvested fresh sunflowers,

Circle contributed plants and greenery from their own yards and designed the arrangements. They used plants such as firecracker, magnolia leaves, ginger, African orchid leaves, pin oak branches stripped, berries from a tree, mother-in-law tongue, crotons and more. The decorations turned out to be lovely and reflected the beauty of fall colors.

Pioneer Garden Club often offers Fun with Flowers workshops that are open to the public to learn more about making flower arrangements. Check the Pioneer Garden Website for more information: www.pioneergardenclub.org. Fall is the time to enjoy nature’s bounty. Gather your containers, buy a few fall flowers from a store, collect some pine cones, trim some greenery in your yard and make a beautiful display in your home. Bring the splendor of autumn to your home by making flower arrangements to enjoy during this pleasant season in Florida.

Photos supplied by Pioneer Garden Club

A kind of blu

By Julie Garisto julie@magnoliamediaco.com

Trudy Johnson goes by “bluwallflower” on Instagram, a nom de plume that reflects her self-professed tendency toward introversion as well as her favorite color.

She adores birds and painting them. Her glasses, fittingly, are robin-egg blue. Johnson’s aesthetic both on and off the easel reveals a refined sensuality and love of nature, and an eye for detail and balance. Serenity pervades her work. Her subjects are an everchanging cavalcade of figures and locales, from peacocks to Rastafarians to dilapidated buildings.

Though she may be shy in person, Johnson is expressive in her illustrations. From wrinkles to eye twinkles, she has a knack for capturing character.

“I love faces,” she said. “Every face tells a story. The human face is limitless in expression. I like painting old faces; I like older people. I like painting people with hats on, people with glasses, women with wraps on their heads.”

Originally from Ocho Rios, Jamaica, Johnson moved to Summerfield a little less than a year ago to be near a close friend. Not long after, her first local solo show, “For the Sake of Horses and Ballerinas,” adorned the walls of Ocala City Hall this past winter.

She discovered her talent for drawing in primary school, but her elders would warn her about the difficult life of a starving artist.

“I was, like, I’ll never make it,” she said. “So, I pursued something that was a bit more marketable and practical. The next best thing, I thought, was architecture. So, I eventually went to college. I studied building construction and got into the University of

Technology in Jamaica. I applied for architecture, but I didn’t get into the course. It was very competitive, and, yeah, a little bit biased, too.”

She earned her associate degree in building construction, before later earning her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in interior design. While pursuing a more marketable career, she said she grew dismayed with the “devious nature” of contractors and corruption in the industry. That’s when she shifted her priorities to art and education.

Johnson traveled to do missionary work. Just before the pandemic, she spent a month in Atuntaqui, Ecuador, and her first art exhibit was in Barbados, a much smaller island than Jamaica, though it enchanted the young artist with its monkeys. While traveling throughout the Caribbean and South America, Johnson gravitated to the brightly colored birds that inspired some of her works.

But that ethereal muse, however, can’t be predicted by situation or place.

“I paint based on my feelings,” she said. “It’s very easy for me to grab my watercolors and my ink pen and do something because, in my mind, I can do it anywhere. … I like to paint a lot of things. Anything I like, that I live in the moment, I’m going to paint it, so I can’t stick to one subject”.

Creating art, spending time alone, reading and gardening, and teaching, bring Johnson in touch with her true nature.

“Teaching people the Bible is where I get most of my confidence,” she said. “I wish I could transfer some of that to my social life (laughs). I think I would be well-balanced and okay.”

To see more of Trudy Johnson’s work and inquire about purchases and commissions, visit her Instagram page at instagram.com/bluwallflower.

Cattle drive

Continued from page B1 my senior art director wanted to go too, so we all went,” she said.

Schuck had a horse training and horse showing business in Minnesota when started doing horse shows in Florida in the winter.

“We’d stay down in Wellington and do dressage and show jumping there and then we’d come up here for the eventing,” she explained. “My parents retired in The Villages and we moved here six years ago.”

Schuck and her partner Jami own and operate the Diamond Oaks Farm in northeast Ocala.

“We have a stay and ride. We offer accommodations for the seasonal people cause that’s what we were, snowbirds who came to horse shows. I still teach lessons,” she said.

As for why she wants to do the cattle drive, Schuck said, “I love adventure and the history of Florida is fascinating.”

The Circle Boss

Jack Gillen, who lives in Shiloh in northwest Marion County, is a fifth generation Floridian and has a long history of working with Cracker cattle and horses. He has served on the boards of the Florida Cracker Cattle Association and Florida Cracker Horse Association. He also worked as the park manager for the Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park for about 21 years.

“I was always fascinated with these horses and cattle. Back when I was a kid, we just called them woods horses and cows. Then I became manager of Payne’s Prairie. We had our herd of Cracker cattle

there and Cracker horses and some bison. They are part of our heritage,” he said.

This will be Gillen’s fourth cattle drive. When the participants arrive, they are separated into “circles,” which are denoted by different colored bandanas. Gillen is a Circle Boss.

“The state is divided into five regions and I’m the Circle Boss for this region,” he explained. “I’m in charge of making sure people are safe and get to the other end alive.”

He anticipates about 50 to 75 cow hunters will be in his circle this year. An important part of that circle is his wife, Carol, who serves as a truck driver to move the participants’ gear from camp to camp and also as a relief rider.

“I give people a break when they are tired,” she offers. “We share a horse, a Cracker mare, and she is going to take a veteran on this drive.”

Family friend Peggy Jordan, of Monticello, in north Florida, did the drives in 2006 and 2016 and is looking forward to this one.

“I was 76 on the 16th of October,” she shared proudly. “I have a great quarter horse mare that is lazy and quiet and sweet and she takes good care of me.”

When asked about some cattle drive memories, Jack Gillen said one downside is that some participants “are just not cut out for it. They think they are and then they get there and they’re ready to go home. And some people just really don’t appreciate what we’re doing.”

One of the most exciting things that ever happened was what he called “a little stampede.”

“We were going through a big palmetto

prairie and there was a deer lying down and nobody saw it till somebody’s horse practically stepped on the thing,” he recalled. “She shot up the air and jumped over the cows right beside us and about 100 of them took off. My reflexes kicked in and I took off with them. I had to cut them off and slow them down and turn them back. It was pretty exciting.”

The Ponce de Leon 1521 Herd According to the Florida Department of Agriculture, in 1521 Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de Leon brought some Andalusian cattle and horses on his second expedition to the New World. He landed near what is now Fort Myers. These were the first cattle and horses to set foot in what is now the United States.

The Spanish explorers were forced back to their ship by Indians and de Leon was wounded and died. It is thought that the animals were left to run wild. Other conquistadors soon showed up and also brought cattle and horses. In 1540, Don Diego Maldonado brought a large herd of Spanish cattle and horses to the Pensacola Bay area to supply the expedition of Hernando De Soto but could not make contact with the conquistadors and it was reported that many of those heads of cattle also were left to run wild.

As part of this year’s quincentennial celebration, the FCCPC partnered with

artists to create the Ponce de Leon 1521 Herd of seven life-size painted fiberglass Cracker bulls that represent the cattle brought here in 1521. The bulls, each with a different theme, have been traveling the state and were on display Thursday evening during the event in Micanopy.

The bulls and artists are “Stew,” by Deborah Herbert; “Quinientos,” by Jerri Phillips; “Cow Hunters,” by Hobby Campbell; “Ponce,” by Linda Ballantine Brown; “Rodeo” by Sadie Dymmek; “Cracker Cow At Home,” by Monica Goodwin Turner and “Everglades,” by Susan Strum Menand. The painted statues will be auctioned off to support the cattle drive and the Florida Agriculture Museum.

Registration for this year’s Great Florida Cattle Drive ends Nov. 1. To

Artist Trudy Johnson creates detailed, sensuous works that are more expressive than her quiet nature would otherwise suggest.

Trudy

“Peacock” Watercolor and ink

“Rasta” Charcoal on gray paper

“I love faces. Every face tells a story. The human face is limitless in expression... I like painting people with hats on, people with glasses...”

Trudy Johnson

Ember Ernst, 8, looks over the painted bull “Cracker Cow At Home” by artist Monica Turner during the Great Florida Cattle Drive social gathering event at Herlong Mansion in Micanopy on Thursday, Oct. 20, 2022.

[Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette] 2022.

STATE OF FLORIDA

Our state of Florida has 267 cities, 123 towns, 21 villages plus dozens of tiny nondescript locales, many with unique names like Two Egg, Lulu, Couch, Doctor’s Inlet and Roach Branch, etc. Just for fun, I recently researched Florida places named for saints and came up with a short list of about twenty. Then I selected ten of those saintly-named towns and places, several of which are within shouting distance of Ocala and here they are.

6. It’s either 72 miles or 1,084 miles from Ocala to this town named for the patron saint of lost things and healing. It is:

A. St. Bonaventure B. St. Beatrice C. San Antonio D. San Felipe

7. This saintly county has Navarre Beach, home of the world’s largest fishing pier. It sits on a sound of the same name. It is:

A. Santa Rosa B. San Carlos C. San Marino D. San Columbo

8. Instituted in 1966, it now has an enrollment of 12,000+ in a town that’s home to another educational institution of note. It is:

A. St. John’s B. Berry College C. St. Joseph D. Santa Fe

this city at the south end of Pine Island, was sadly nearly decimated by Hurricane Ian last month. It is:

A. St. James City B. St. Peter City C. St. Jude City D. St. Andrew City

5. Bisected by U.S. 441, some say it’s named after town in France, but locals insist its sister city is in Minnesota. It is:

A. San Francisco B. San Nazaire C. St. Leon D. St. Cloud

9. The author of the first book of the New Testament, he’s patron saint of (ugh, tax collectors) and the namesake of this Putnam County town. It is:

A. St. Jesse B. San Juan C. Santa Maria D. San Mateo

10. The name of the principal place in this booming county is not a saint, but a fort. It’s also home of White City and Indian River Estates. It is:

A. Santa Lucia County B. Saint Lucy County C. Indian River County D. St. Lucie County

halloween

OCTOBER 27-30

Kirby Farm Scary Train Ride

Kirby Family Farm, 19630 NE 30 St., Williston 7pm-10pm

This family fun event boasts a scary train ride through Clown Woods; Possum Holler and its mutant possum; the haunted Trailer Park, where tenants never really leave; and games, food booths, wandering creatures and scares galore. Organizers note that this event may not be suitable for young children. Tickets are $15.99 and available at kirbyfarm.com/scarytrain

OCTOBER 28

After Dark in the Park

Fort King Park, 3925 E Fort King St., Ocala 7pm-9pm

The City of Ocala sponsors movies in the park; this week, “The Village” will be shown with its creaking trees, ghostly wind and unsettling storyline. (Rated PG-13). Concessions will be available. Bring chairs or blankets. No registration required. Learn more by calling (352) 368-5517.

OCTOBER 28-29

A Nightmare on Pine Street Wayne’s World Paintball Park, 4841 S Pine Ave., Ocala 8pm-11pm

This annual attraction benefits Toys for Tots. Admission is $10 for adults and $5 for children 12 and under. More than five acres of scariness. For more info, see FB.com/WaynesWorldPaintball

OCTOBER 29

Halloween Costume Family Fun Run Citizens’ Circle, 151 SE Osceola Ave., Ocala 8am-10am

The 5K fun run will go through the city’s historic district. Costumes are encouraged. Th cost is $5 and proceeds will benefit City of Ocala Recreation and Parks programs. Register online or the day of. For more info, call (352) 456-8679.

OCTOBER 29

Trunk or Treat Halloween St. John Lutheran Church and School, 1915 SE Lake Weir Avenue, Ocala 7pm-9pm

The family-friendly free event offers

decorated vehicles, candy and crafts for children. Costumes welcome. For more information, call Family Life Director Anette Shanks at (352) 629-1794.

OCTOBER 30

Silver Springs State Park Trunk or Treat

Silver Springs Park, 1425 NE 58th Ave., Ocala 2pm-6pm

There’s room to decorate your car and space in this trunk or treat. Costumes encouraged. Games and giveaways. Park entry is $2 per person. For more info, email Nicky.Aiken@FloridaDEP.gov

OCTOBER 30

Halloween Celebration

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

1pm-3pm

Bring the kids to this family-friendly event at the Grand Plaza. A balloon artist will make spooky creatures; you can decorate pumpkins and cookies, and trick or treat for goodies. Costumes encouraged.

Dogs welcome on a leash. Free. For more info, worldequestriancenter.com

OCTOBER 31

Halloween Trunk or Treat For All Dunnellon Middle School, 21005 Chestnut St., Dunnellon 6pm-9pm

The Dunnellon Chamber and Business Association is sponsoring. A “Scariest Car” contest winner will win $50 off a DOBA membership. Vehicles must pre-register; call (352) 489-2320.

OCTOBER 31

City of Ocala Boo Bash

E.D. Croskey Recreation Center, 1510 NW Fourth St., Ocala

5:30pm-7:30pm

Games, entertainment, goodies and spooky goings-on at this

celebration. Costumes encouraged. Candy treats for all. Free, family-friendly and not-too-scary. See FB.com/ OcalaRecPark for more info.

artsOCTOBER 28-NOVEMBER 6

“Dracula: Live and Undead on Stage”

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

The classic horror story is retold live on stage this month for thrills and chills. Tickets are $30 for adults and $15 for ages 18 and younger. (Note: Not recommended for children.) For tickets or more info, ocalacivictheatre.com

OCTOBER 28-30

“Legend of Sleepy Hollow”

College of Central Florida Dassance Fine Arts Center, 3001 SW College Road, Ocala

7:30 pm Thursday, Friday and Saturday; 3 pm Sunday

This gothic ghost story is a sure bet for Halloween season. CF students are the actors, producers, set builders and technicians. Tickets are $12 for adults and $6 for non-CF students, and free to CF students, staff and faculty. See CF.universitytickets.com

THROUGH OCTOBER 31

Halloween Films

Marion Theatre, 50 S Magnolia Ave., Ocala Showtimes vary, see website Scary movies all month. Tickets $5. See mcaocala.org for more info

NOVEMBER 5

Free First Saturday at the Appleton Museum of Art Appleton Museum of Art, 4333 E Silver Springs Blvd., Ocala 10am-5pm

Free admission for all to the permanent collection and special exhibits. Take this opportunity to explore this art-filled space, the garden atrium, plus Big Lee’s BBQ food truck is onsite from 11am-2pm. For more info, appletonmuseum.org

NOVEMBER 6

Kingdom of the Sun Concert Band Ocala/Marion County Veterans Memorial Park, 2601 E Fort King St., Ocala 7pm

The 11th annual Veterans Light the Stars concert honors area veterans. Enjoy music, fireworks and more. Bleacher seating is available, or bring chairs and blankets. For more info, kingdomofthesunband.org/ performance-schedule

THROUGH NOVEMBER 6

Invented Observations: Photographs by Steven Benson Appleton Museum of Art, 4333 E. Silver Springs Blvd., Ocala Tue-Sat 10am-5pm, Sun 12-5pm Benson’s work represents the human search for meaning. For more info, appletonmuseum.org

THROUGH DECEMBER 9

A Floral Retrospective by Gregory Dirr

Ocala City Hall, Clerk’s Office, 110 SE Watula Ave., Ocala Mon-Fri, 9am-5pm Dirr emphasizes environmental conservation in his interdisciplinary artworks. For more info, visit ocalafl.org/artincityspaces

THROUGH DECEMBER 11

BLOW UP II: Inflatable Contemporary Art Appleton Museum of Art, 4333 E Silver Springs Blvd., Ocala 10am-5pm This zippy exhibition shows off the whimsical and fun artwork made of inflatables. Eight internationally renowned artists have work on display. For more info, appletonmuseum.org

THROUGH JANUARY 2023

Colorful Pleasures by Christine Dozier

Ocala International Airport, 5770 SW 60th Ave., Ocala Hours vary per airport operations Dozier exhibits a variety of work including landscapes, abstracts, still life and animal portraits. This is part of the City of Ocala Art in City Spaces program. For more info, visit ocalafl.org/artincityspaces

NOVEMBER

NOVEMBER

12pm Meets weekly on Thursdays; newcomers welcome. The club supports vision health and diabetes prevention. More info at e-clubhouse.org/ sites/ocalafl/

Noon-2pm

Local

Odom’s

Mango

heartwarming

OCTOBER

Fall Festival at Amber Brooke

Brooke Farms, 3250 NE

4-acre

pumpkin patch, wagon rides, jump pads, cow train and more. Enjoy farm-fresh foods, baked goods and cider. Tickets are $11 in advance, $13 at the door; free for kids under age 2. For more info, amberbrookefarms.com/events

OCTOBER 28 & NOV 4

Marion County Friday Market

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

9am-2pm

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

OCTOBER 29 & NOV 5

Yoga in the Park

Sholom Park, 7110 SW 80th Ave., Ocala

9am

Stretch out by the Sholom Park stage; recurs every Saturday morning. Visit sholompark.org for details.

OCTOBER 29 & NOV 5

Ocala Farmers Market

Ocala Downtown Market, 310 SE Third St., Ocala 9am-2pm

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

OCTOBER 29 & NOV 5

Farmers Swap Meet Rural King, 2999 NW 10th St., Ocala 9am-2pm

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

OCTOBER 29

Florida Author Book Signing Extravaganza Barnes & Noble, Market Street at Heath Brook, 4414 SW College Road, Ocala 1pm-4pm

Marion County boasts some talented writers and more than a dozen are set to appear at this multi-author book signing event. Scheduled are Dave Schlenker, Sandra Poucher, K.D. Gates, John Marinelli, Marilyn Marinelli, James Michael Matthew, Ron Cooper, P.D. Greene, Natalie Keller Reinert and Judy Haisten.

OCTOBER 29

Relive Yesterday, Vintage Fly-in and Swap Meet Rainbow RC Park, 12175 S Bridges Road, Dunnellon 8am-2pm

Vintage remote control airplanes from pre-1987 will be in the air and airplane memorabilia will be for sale or swap at this fun fly-in for RC enthusiasts. Food from the Rainbow Café will be available. Spectators welcome; landing or swap fee is $5. For more info, email brucerpda@earthlink.net.

OCTOBER 29

HAPI Harvest Day Festival Sholom Park, 7110 SW 80th Ave., Ocala 12pm-4pm

This fall festival will host trick or treat, kids activities, food trucks and live music, including the Ina A. Colen Academy Show Choir, the band Gypsy Sparrow and a Lil’ Monster Mash kid-friendly dance party at 2pm and 3 pm. Food from BFE, Kona Ice, Krafty Kettle, Smoked Biscuit Company and Ziggy’s Taste of Detroit. Costumes encouraged. $5 for parking. See sholompark.org/events/hapi-harvestday/ for a map of activities and more info.

NOVEMBER 3

Farmers Market

The Town Square at Circle Square Commons, 8405 SW 80th St., Ocala 9am-1pm

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

NOVEMBER 4-6

Ocala Food and Wine Festival

World Equestrian Center, Expo 1, 1390 NW 80th Ave., Ocala

Hours vary

The second annual Ocala Food & Wine Festival will offer celebrity chefs, cooking demos, drink masters and music by Locash, Martin and Kelly and the Breezeway Band. Tasting options from local restaurants, wineries, breweries and distilleries. Tickets start at $155 and VIP packages are available. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit OcalaFoodAndWineFest.com.

NOVEMBER 5

Marion County Chili Cook-Off & Car Show

Southeastern Livestock Pavilion, 2232 NE Jacksonville Road, Ocala 10am- 5pm

The 41st annual event, which benefits The Cornerstone School, includes the cook-off and features food, craft beers, vendor booths, live music, a kids’ zone, car show and more. Sample chili and vote for your favorite; check out the cars and vote too. For more info, marioncountychilicookoff.com/

NOVEMBER 5

Prostate Cancer ABCs: A Conference for Patients & Caregivers Brownwood Hotel & Spa, 3003 Brownwood Blvd., The Villages 8:30am-4:30pm

This free conference for those dealing with prostate cancer will offer 16 sessions such as Newly Diagnosed, Radiation Panel Discussion, Family Genetics and more. Expert speakers from Duke University, Florida Cancer Specialists and more will offer expertise and guidance. Attendance and luncheon are free but registration is required.

To register, Nov5Conference.eventbrite.com or contact Jan Manarite at (239) 208-4400.

NOVEMBER 5

First Saturdays Market in the Park Ernie Mills Park, 11899 Bostick St., Dunnellon 8am-2pm

A variety of vendors set up booths at the park and many Dunnellon stores offer Saturday Specials.

NOVEMBER 5

Inaugural “Soggy Doggy” Swim

Jervy Gantt Park Pool, 2200 SE 36th Ave., Ocala 10am-2:30pm

It’s splash time with the pool opening up for its first ever doggy swim. The concession stands will be open and humans can supervise but not swim. Dogs 21 inches and smaller have the pool from 10am-12:30 pm; dogs 21 inches and taller swim from 1-2:30 pm. Proof of rabies, DHLP and Bordetella vaccines required. $10 per dog. For more info, ocalafl.org

NOVEMBER 5

McIntosh 1890s Festival

Town streets, McIntosh 8am-4pm

Step into the charm of yesteryear and enjoy the annual McIntosh 1890s festival. This year, nearly 300 vendors are expected, along with free music all day and a variety of food vendors. Booths include arts, crafts, plants, jewelry, gifts, antiques and more. See mcintosh1890sfestival.com or friendsofmcintosh.org for more info.

THROUGH NOVEMBER 6

Coon Hollo Farm Fall Festival

Coon Hollo Farm, 22480 Highway 441, north of McIntosh

Fridays 4pm-7pm; Saturdays 10am-7pm; Sundays 12pm-7pm

Pony rides, archery, crop maze, hay fort and farm animals. Tickets are $13. Food and drink for sale. For more info, coonhollo.com

NOVEMBER

Marion County Board of County Commissioners Meeting McPherson Governmental Campus Auditorium, 601 SE 25th Ave., Ocala 9am

NOVEMBER

Marion County Board of County Commissioners Planning

Zoning Meeting McPherson Governmental Campus Auditorium, 601 SE 25th Ave., Ocala 2pm

Agendas, minutes and video available at marionfl.legistar.com/ Calendar.aspx

NOVEMBER 1

City of Ocala City Council Meeting City Hall, 110 SE Watula Ave., Ocala 4pm

Meets on the first and third Tuesdays of the month; agendas, minutes and video

from ocala.legistar.com/Calendar.aspx

OCTOBER

Dan Flok

Yellow

John Harman

Yellow

OCTOBER

Cliff Dorsey

Park

NE 6th

6-9pm

OCTOBER

Ocala, 1390 NW 80th

OCTOBER

Torn Charlie

E.

Ocala

NOVEMBER 2

Charity Cox The Yellow Pony World Equestrian Center Ocala, 1390 NW 80th Ave., Ocala 6-9pm

NOVEMBER 3

Mark Raisch

The Yellow Pony World Equestrian Center Ocala, 1390 NW 80th Ave., Ocala 6-9pm

NOVEMBER 4

Conrad Marcum

The Yellow Pony World Equestrian Center Ocala, 1390 NW 80th Ave., Ocala 6-9pm

NOVEMBER 5

Mark Z

The Yellow Pony World Equestrian Center Ocala, 1390 NW 80th Ave., Ocala 6-9pm

of Marion

presents Author Sherrie

Trinity Catholic cruises past P.K. Yonge in regional volleyball

St. John Lutheran defeats St. Edward’s in straight sets

By Mark Pinson Special to Ocala Gazette

Having an explosive offense that’s capable of scoring from any place at the net gives Trinity Catholic a distinct advantage over most of its opponents.

The Celtics made that crystal clear in Tuesday night’s Class 3A-Region 1 quarterfinals with a methodical 25-6, 25-10, 25-7 sweep of P.K. Yonge. The Blue Wave finished the season with a 14-11 record.

Trinity Catholic improved to 18-3 overall. The Celtics will host a regional semifinal match on Friday night against Florida State University High School from Tallahassee.

“The most important thing right now is being able to compete and being able to come out and play hard the entire time no matter who is across the net,” said Trinity Catholic coach Jeff Reavis. “I thought we did a good job of maintaining a level of play tonight. Even when we changed, those other players went in there and did the same thing and that’s always a really good sign of what’s going on within your program besides just the kids that get to play all the time.”

Trinity Catholic, which won its 14th match in a row, utilized its superior height and athleticism at the net as Kiana Laborde, Amelia Fitzpatrick, Rose Gravel and Avery Campise took turns blasting kill shots past the smaller P.K. Yonge defenders.

“I think we’re really hard to scout because I don’t think you can take away one thing and it stops us,” coach Reavis said. “We’re going to make you honor us all and if you’re going one way we’re very happy going where you think the ball is not going.”

Trinity Catholic, the fourth-ranked team in the state regardless of classification, came out focused from the first point and jumped out to a 17-3 lead over P.K. Yonge (Gainesville), as Laborde

had three of her match-high 10 kills, a pair of perfectly placed dink shots and a service ace.

P.K. Yonge senior Trinity Britt had two of her teamhigh six kills, but Trinity Catholic went on an 8-1 run and closed out the first set as Campise and Gravel combined for a block and a Blue Wave shot sailed long.

P.K. Yonge took a 1-0 lead in the second set before Trinity Catholic went on a 23-5 run as Fitzpatrick had two kills, Campise added a pair and Delaney Baker and Marisol Perez had service aces.

The Blue Wave continued to play hard and battle as Jorryn Dye had a pair of spikes that found the floor and Britt contributed a service ace.

But P.K. Yonge committed back-to-back errors to give the second set to the Celtics.

The Blue Wave jumped on top by a score of 2-0 in the third set before Trinity Catholic went on a 14-1 spurt sparked by Laborde, Fitzpatrick, Elayna Johnson and Hope Willis finding holes in the P.K. Yonge defense with wellplaced shots.

The Blue Wave called a time out to try and stem the tide, but Trinity Catholic finished the set and match with a flourish, as Maddie Pozeg had a service ace and Maddie Hewitson drilled a cross-court spike for the final point.

“We’ve never had this much depth,” coach Reavis said. “There’s players that can come off the bench and help us a lot. We’ve always had great defensive players, now we’ve got a little more talent on the outside which is fun.”

Trinity Catholic will host Florida State University High School in a regional semifinal on Friday night. The Celtics did not play the Seminoles during the season. FSU will bring a 14-11 record into Friday night’s clash.

“We didn’t play Florida High during the season but I love to play anybody here,” coach Reavis said.

By Allen Barney allen@ocalagazette.com

The St. John Lutheran Saints volleyball team took care of business on Tuesday night as they swept the St. Edwards Pirates (Vero Beach) in the first round of the Class-2A Region 2 Playoffs by scores of 25-19, 25-19 and 25-8. St. John Lutheran entered the match on a three-game winning streak, which included the district championship match against Meadowbrook Academy. The first set was an even match from the start as they were tied at 11 before the first timeout. St. John sophomore outside hitter Sophia Ochoa had two kills in the opening moments of the game.

The Saints would finish the opening set on a 14-8 run, featuring kills from Ochoa and junior Giselle Baluyot. Players such as Baluyot, eighth graders Ashlyn Hallick and Lyla Huggins and junior Isabel Freeman all had to step up with sophomore outside hitter Rylee Palmateer out due to a knee injury.

The second set got off to a start that was similar to the first one as the team were tied at 12 before St. John finished on a 13-7 run, Baluyot had four of her seven kills and a service ace during the second set as her team grabbed the momentum.

“I just try to do my best, try not to let the team down and not get into my own head. Because once you do that, things can go down from there,” Baluyot said.

St. John appeared to carry the momentum from the previous set and jumped out to a 4-2 lead in the third set, but St. Edwards fought back to tie the game at 5.

Once again, the Saints would go on a tear and finished on a 20-3 run behind kills from Ochoa, Freeman, Hallick and senior setter Saylor Spears. Without Palmateer, the depth of the Saints showed up in a big way and head coach Brad Ewers thinks that can be an advantage moving forward in the playoffs.

“We’re young but they have a lot of volleyball experience. They understand that their strength is we can create different mismatches and see whoever has the best matchups. We see who is willing to step up and if we can continue to do that then we are going to challenge people to cover us all the way across,” he said.

One of the bigger beneficiaries that received more playing time and made play after play was Ashlyn Hallick. She was second on the team with eight kills and 10 digs.

“I was nervous at first, but I knew I had to step up and help my team win,” Hallick said.

Ochoa and Freeman were tied for a team-high nine kills, sophomore setter Ashley Downs led the Saints with 33 assists, Huggins contributed with 13 digs and three service aces and sophomore libero Payton Nazzari had a team-high 19 digs.

St. John will host the Brevard Heat (Palm Bay) on Friday at 7 p.m. For Ewers and his team, they are going to work hard the next couple days to be prepared for the tough matchup.

“We’ll be ready, we will come back in tomorrow and start prep. We will get focused on how to handle them,” he said.

Ashlyn Hallick

File photo: Trinity Catholic’s head coach, Jeff Reavis, looks on as the Trinity Catholic bench celebrates a point over Master’s Academy during a semifinal volleyball match at Trinity Catholic High School in Ocala on Tuesday, Oct. 18, 2022. [Bruce Ackerman/ Ocala Gazette] 2022.

“The most important thing right now is... being able to come out and play hard... no matter who is across the net.”

Jeff Reavis Trinity Catholic coach

St. John Lutheran’s Ashley Downs (17) and Giselle Baluyot (18) double-up to block a shot from St. Edward’s Elliotte Kahler (3) during a regional quarterfinal volleyball match at St. John Lutheran in Ocala on Tuesday, Oct. 25, 2022. St. John Lutheran won the match in straight sets. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette] 2022.

Photos By Bruce Ackerman Ocala Gazette

St. John Lutheran’s Saylor Spears (2) and Giselle Baluyot (18) jump to block a spike from St. Edward’s Kelly Barnett (1).

St. John Lutheran’s Isabel Freeman (5) spikes the ball past St. Edward’s Kelly Barnett (1)

“I was nervous at first, but I knew I had to step up and help my team win.”

Mistakes catch up to Forest as they fall at home to Lake Minneola

By Allen Barney allen@ocalagazette.com

The Forest Wildcats hosted the Lake Minneola Hawks on Friday night as the two teams faced off for the 4-Suburban District-5 championship at Mikey Kelly Field.

Forest carried a wave of momentum into the game with a three-game win streak and donning black jerseys for the first time in school history.

Lake Minneola would come out swinging as they drove 70 yards on an opening drive that ended with a five-yard touchdown run from senior running back John Celestin. The Forest offense got off to a good start as quarterback Vimel Poole Jr ran for 12 yards and a first down on the first play from scrimmage.

Facing a third-and-one, Lake Minneola’s defense came up with their first big play of the night as junior middle linebacker John Stubbs tipped Poole’s pass to himself and ended up with his first interception of the season.

Stubbs’ interception would lead to a 12-yard touchdown run from Celestin just three plays later to extend the lead to 14-0.

“We just wanted to come out aggressive and be unstoppable,” Stubbs said about the defense.

Following Celestin’s second touchdown, both defenses forced punts to keep the score 14-0. On the final drive of the first quarter, Lake Minneola drove 55 yards on five carries from Celestin and he would finish the drive with a twoyard touchdown run to extend the lead to 21-0.

Poole and the Forest offense would answer as the quarterback completed passes to Matt Hart and AJ Adams for first downs. Poole would go back to Adams on fourth-andgoal from the nine-yard line for a touchdown, it was Adams team-leading fifth receiving

touchdown on the season as the deficit was cut to 21-7.

The ensuing drive for Lake Minneola ended with a turnover on downs because of a fourth down sack from senior defensive end Tae Floyd. It was Floyd’s 16th sack of the season, which set a new school record.

The Forest offense continued to move the ball through the air on an 18-yard completion to Hart and a 12-yard completion to running back Amadrick Hope but an incomplete pass on fourth down ended the drive. Hart led Forest with eight receptions for 55 yards on the night.

Lake Minneola had just over a minute left before halftime to go 70 yards and got to the Forest 10-yard line before time ran out. Senior wide receiver David Ramos had three receptions for 31 yards on the drive.

Forest would open the third quarter with the ball and Poole ran for 11 yards and a first down to start the drive, followed by a 13-yard run by Poole and an 18-yard completion to Adams. The wind would be taken out of the sails of the Forest offense on a sack by Jeremiah Petty.

Forest head coach Eoghan Cullen decided to go for it on fourth-and-nine and Poole was intercepted by Andrew Bowles, it was Poole’s second interception of the night.

The remainder of the third quarter featured punts, turnovers on downs and penalties from both teams as Lake Minneola held a 21-7 lead.

Lake Minneola had a huge scare in the middle of the third quarter when Celestin went down with an ankle injury and did not return until the next drive.

The ankle seemed just fine as Celestin ripped off a 40-yard run, followed by a 23-yard reception from junior wide receiver Braylon Knauth. Two plays after the Knauth reception, Celestin

would power in from eight yards out for his fourth touchdown of the game on the final play of the third quarter.

“At first, I was nervous and I thought my season was over. I saw that my team needed me, and I just had to fight through it and do the best I can,” Celestin said. The senior was a force by carrying the ball, his unofficial stats were 24 carries, 176 yards and four touchdowns.

Dropped passed continued to plague the Forest offense as there were missed opportunities and Stubbs would put the nail in the coffin with his second sack of the night with just under nine minutes left in the game.

Following a pair of unsportsmanlike conduct penalties by Forest, Lake Minneola would start their drive on the Forest 12-yard line. On the first play of the drive, quarterback Quinn Niemann threw a touchdown pass to Ramos to make the score 357. Ramos led the team with four receptions, 43 yards and a touchdown.

Forest would once again turnover the ball on downs and Lake Minneola would run out the final couple minutes for the win and a district championship, their second in school history. Lake Minneola head coach Walter Banks was ecstatic with the outcome as he and his team celebrated by putting on 2022 district champion shirts in the post-game.

“I’m super happy, we went about one and a half quarters acting like we didn’t know how to play football. There were a lot of mistakes on the players and coaches’ side, but I am glad they were resilient and came through,” Banks said.

He added: “It feels great, I tried downplaying it all week, but it was an important game. Really happy for our guys and our school getting our second district championship in school history.”

For Cullen, it was clear what transpired on the field and has to get his team to move on quick with a road game against crosstown rival West Port on the slate next Friday.

“I talked all week to the kids about the team that made the fewest mistakes will win this game. Lake Minneola made the fewest mistakes and they capitalized on our mistakes. At the end of the day, they did a better job and won the district championship.”

Cullen expects nothing but great effort and focus in practice next week as they look to get into the playoffs via an at-large bid.

“This is one of the most resilient teams that I’ve ever coached. I expect them to be focused and ready to go on Monday,” he said.

Lake Weir shows signs of improvement in close loss to Umatilla

By Allen Barney allen@ocalagazette.com

The Lake Weir Hurricanes hosted the Umatilla Bulldogs on Friday night at Hurricanes stadium.

Coming off their first win of the season last week, the Hurricanes are starting to show progression as the 2022 season winds down under first-year head coach Jason Roberts.

The opportunity to notch a second consecutive win was there despite falling behind Umatilla 14-0 in the first half. Lake Weir, on the strength of a committee of running backs, came back to take an 18-14 lead.

“We have seven different people who can run the ball and it gives us the ability to keep guys fresh. When we put a package with four of those seven out on the field at the same time, it keeps opponents honest,”

Roberts said.

Jacob Cooper, Jackson Quick and Jahari Holt all scored rushing touchdowns against Umatilla. Keeping players healthy and fresh is imperative as the Hurricanes dressed out 32 players for the game.

Umatilla would finish the game on a 19-6 run in the second half to take home a 33-24 win. The loss may hurt the players, but Roberts is happy with the growing confidence of his team and looks forward to continuing the process in the off-season.

“We have eight seniors and four juniors, and the rest are underclassmen getting a ton of experience. They are learning and progressing, now it’s not so much about if they are in the right spot but more so of finishing the play and playing with more aggressiveness,” he said.

Roberts and his team would like

to hold off on the off-season talk for a couple more weeks and have the chance to do so if they can win their district game against Crescent City next Thursday combined with a loss from Atlantic (Port Orange), which would give them the 2-Suburban District-8 championship.

“We (coaching staff) told the kids tonight; this one stinks but we were in the game and had a chance to win. I told them that everything is still there to play for, and we can achieve our goal we set at the beginning of the year; winning a district championship.”

He added: “Bobby Bowden said there are four phases of building a program. You lose by a lot then lose by a little. Then you win by a little and then win by a lot. This year we have started changing the culture and not only did we get a win but we’re competitive in these games, that’s a good sign for the program.”

Lake Minneola’s John Celestin (5) dives into the end zone for a touchdown ahead of Forest’s George Bryant (3) and Isayah Osbourne (5) who can’t stop him during a football game at Forest High School in Ocala on Friday, Oct. 21, 2022.

Forest’s quarterback Vimel Poole Jr. (1) is stopped for a short gain by Lake Minneola defenders during a football game at Forest High School in Ocala on Friday, Oct. 21, 2022.

Photos By Bruce Ackerman Ocala Gazette

Lake Minneola’s quarterback Quinn Niemann (14) eludes Forest’s Cayden Pittman (30) as he looks for extra yardage.

“We just wanted to come out aggressive and be unstoppable.”

John Stubbs

Lake Minneola’s junior middle linebacker

BOARD

RESULTS

6A

Smyrna Beach (25-15, 25-16, 25-17)

2A

Baptist

Redeemer Christian (25-6, 25-8, 25-15)

4A District 6 Tournament First Round Lake Weir The Villages Charter (25-4, 25-5, 25-12)

4A District 5 Tournament Semi-Final Santa Fe

Dunnellon

(25-4, 25-9, 25-9)

7A District 2 Tournament First Round West Port

Seminole

(25-14, 25-10, 25-9)

5A District 2 Tournament First Round Columbia

Vanguard

(25-14, 25-14, 25-7)

October 20

District 5 Tournament Championship North Marion 0 Santa Fe 3 (25-10, 25-8, 25-16)

3A District 4 Tournament Championship Trinity Prep 1 Trinity Catholic 3 (25-12, 25-21, 16-25, 25-19)

2A District 5 Tournament Semi-Final St. John Lutheran 3 Trinity Christian Academy 0 (25-16, 25-8, 25-13)

2A District 5 Tournament Semi-Final Meadowbrook Academy 3 Redeemer Christian 0 (25-16, 28-26, 25-22)

5A District 2 Tournament Championship Vanguard 3 Lincoln 0 (25-14, 25-21, 25-18)

October 21 2A District 5 Tournament Championship St. John Lutheran 3 Meadowbrook Academy 0 (25-10, 25-7, 25-8)

Carpenter takes on new challenge as head coach of OCA girls’ basketball

interest,’’ she said. “My dad would always push us to keep going, not give up and keep going for it.”

Carpenter still views her father Tim as a mentor and motivator, and says he was a big reason why she decided to take on the job.

“He encouraged me that he’s going to be there every step of the way. He’s going to be right there with me, helping me because it is my first year and I’m diving in head first,” she said.

He will be a valuable resource as he is the school’s athletic director and varsity baseball team head coach. Her brother James is an assistant coach for the school’s varsity football and basketball teams.

From fifth grade until her high school graduation, Carpenter played basketball and volleyball every year. After graduating from Ocala Christian in 2012, she attended Pensacola Christian College and earned her bachelor’s degree in early education in 2017.

She also met her husband, Joe, at Pensacola Christian. Following graduation, she taught at Pensacola Christian for three years before returning to Ocala to teach at her alma mater.

bring the girls to cheer us on.”

Being a teacher at the school allows for a level of comfortability that most new coaches do not have, and Carpenter feels that will be helpful during her debut season.

“Because we’ve already got a relationship, it’ll be easier to sustain that relationship throughout the season. There are going to be new faces, so I will have to develop a relationship with them, but I think it’s going to be fairly easy,’’ she said. “I’m not a shy person and I’m a go-getter, so I am involved in a lot of things and can make my presence known.”

Carpenter’s experience as an educator can filter into coaching because of her familiarity with teaching a group of young minds new things.

“It’s the ability to teach and have people just listening and gathering information to put toward practice. I know how to teach a concept, and it should translate over into teaching concepts in basketball,” she said.

By Allen Barney allen@ocalagazette.com

Betsy Carpenter was born and raised in Ocala, attended Ocala Christian Academy and currently is a fourthgrade teacher at her alma mater. Now, she is embarking on a new journey as she

begins her first year as the head coach of the school’s girls’ varsity basketball team.

Sports are well within her comfort zone as she and her five siblings gravitated toward athletic competition as kids.

“My siblings all played sports and whether it was cheerleading, basketball, volleyball or football, we always had an

As Carpenter embarks on this new journey, she knows that she has the full support or her husband as they juggle work, coaching and raising their two daughters (Ella and Evelyn).

“He already said, ‘You don’t have to worry about the girls and if they are being taken care of’ because he will take care of them and back me up if this is what I want to do. He will be there for home games and

With practice beginning next week (Oct. 24), Carpenter is ready to hit the ground running and plans to hit the basic drills of ball handling and fundamentals hard before the season starts. The team opens the season Nov. 15 at home against Leesburg’s First Academy High School.

Carpenter wants to leave an impact on her team members that stretches beyond wins and losses. Her message was short and to the point.

“I just want them to know that I care for them, love them and always encourage them to do their best,” she said.

were compiled by Allen Barney

Forest’s Matt Hart (6) is stopped by a Lake Minneola defender during a football game at Forest High School in Ocala on Friday, Oct. 21, 2022. [Bruce Ackerman/ Ocala Gazette] 2022.

Trinity Catholic’s Avery Campise (88) spikes the ball as Master’s Academy’s Elise Feitsma (15) and Kirsten Reeley (10) jump for the block during a semifinal volleyball match at Trinity Catholic High School in Ocala on Tuesday, Oct. 18, 2022. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette] 2022.

Trinity Catholic’s McKenna Yates (5) digs the ball as Amelia Fitzpatrick (0) looks on as they defeat Master’s Academy during a semifinal volleyball match at Trinity Catholic High School in Ocala on Tuesday, Oct. 18, 2022. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette] 2022.

A Lake Minneola player (not on roster) pushes past Forest’s George Bryant (3) for a large gain during a football game at Forest High School in Ocala on Friday, Oct. 21, 2022. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette] 2022.