Check out our Calendar listings NOVEMBER 3 - NOVEMBER 9, 2023
VOLUME 4 ISSUE 44
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End of PROTECTING THE CHILDREN an era The doors closed Oct. 28 on the Ocala Jai Alai Fronton in Orange Lake, more recently known as Ocala Gainesville Poker and Jai Alai.
[Illustration by Amy Harbert]
The sign for the new Ocala Bets is shown across the street from Ocala International Airport at the Ocala Breeders’ Sales Company on Southwest 60th Avenue in Ocala on Saturday, Oct. 28, 2023. [Bruce Ackerman/ Ocala Gazette] 2023.
By Andy Fillmore andy@ocalagazettec.com
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cala Gainesville Poker and Jai Alai, which has been operating in the Ocala Jai Alai Fronton, a longtime landmark in Orange Lake, about 15 miles north of Ocala, ceased operations Oct. 28. County records indicate the property was transferred from Lake Fron, Inc. to Ocala Breeders’ Sales (OBS) Real Estate Holdings, LLC, in 2016. A message on the Ocala Gainesville Poker website invites patrons to visit Ocala Bets, which is set to open soon at 1781 SW 60th Ave., east of the Ocala International Airport. The new gaming room will offer “poker Vegas-style games and more,” with 35 card tables, according to ocala.bets.com. OBS intertrack wagering is also in the Southwest 60th Avenue complex. “We would like to thank our loyal patrons for your patience during this process. We hope to see you soon at Ocala Bets,” states a pop-up flier on ocalagainesvillepoker.com, noting that an opening date for Ocala Bets will be announced soon. According to jai-alai.info, the Ocala fronton, at 4601 W. County Road 318, Orange Lake, was opened in 1973 “by the operators of the Miami fronton as a branch office and was one of 15 to 20 frontons doing business in the United States at that time.” The shuttering of operations at the fronton, which county record state covers 62,238-square-feet, is the end of an era, according to Ginny Britton, who worked there from See End, page A2
A new initiative by Kimberly’s Center for Child Protection will enhance ongoing efforts to combat the online exploitation of youth. By Andy Fillmore andy@ocalagazette.com
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n 2022, electronic service providers nationwide turned in 31.8 million reports of possible online exploitation of children, including child sexual abuse material (CSAM), trafficking and enticement. Data from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) states that 21.9 million of the tips were related to child pornography. The same year, Facebook made more than 21 million CyberTipline reports, Instagram logged over 5 million and Google more than 2.1 million,
according to a NCMEC report. The public made 256,504 reports to the tip line. The national numbers and cases reported locally are in part behind Kimberly’s Center for Child Protection’s plans to expand facilities and partnerships with law enforcement. The specially trained staff at Kimberly’s Center, together with the Florida Department of Children and Families and local law enforcement, provide a safe, child-friendly environment for children to talk about their abuse and begin healing. The nonprofit has a campus at 2800 NE 14th St., Ocala. The agency plans to add 4,900 square feet of floor space at the center
for “preventive, investigative and treatment services” and law enforcement partnerships aimed at creating “additional safety nets for our children and families” and joint projects with law enforcement. The Marion County Sheriff ’s Office (MCSO) and Ocala Police Department (OPD) are members of the North Florida Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, part of a nationwide group of 61 task forces involving 5,230 law enforcement agencies, which was established in 1998 by the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP). The See Protecting, page A2
Noted Ocala developer dies at 71
Albert Peek Sr. founded an appraisal company, real estate brokerage firm and several investment companies. He was a co-founder of the Country Club of Ocala. By Susan Smiley-Height susan@magnoliamediaco.com
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here’s a real good chance that the first thing Albert Peek said when he got to Heaven was, “Good morning, world!” Even during his battles with glioblastoma, and multiple myeloma before that, Peek kept a positive spirit and a sign in his front yard bearing those very words. And to make sure everyone got the message, he often would start his mornings by stepping outside and shouting “Good morning, world!” just for good measure. Albert Bryce Peek Sr., who died Oct. 27, was well known in Ocala for his business entities, involvement with nonprofits and professional organizations, love of family and deep devotion to the Florida Gator football and basketball teams. He was born Nov. 30, 1951, and still lived in the home
in which he grew up. He passed away surrounded by Marilyn, his wife of more than 40 years, and their children, Audrey, Albert Jr. and Lex. “It’s bittersweet and we’re going to miss him here, but we know where he is,” said Audrey Peek McGuinness. “About 10 years ago, he was diagnosed with multiple myeloma, a blood cancer. The survival rate was very low, so we did not expect him to live through that. He did, he beat all the odds. He got through that and two years ago was diagnosed with glioblastoma, a very aggressive brain tumor. He would joke and say, ‘I don’t know why I get to run this race twice, but we’re gonna do it.’” In recalling her father’s early life in Ocala, McGuinness said his dad was a physician here and his grandfather was “the original horse and buggy doctor for Ocala.” “My parents live in the house that See Albert, page A6
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Ocala businessman Albert Peek also was an avid pilot. [Submitted]
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