The Marion County Board of County Commissioners vetoed one proposed development on County Road 318 in the Farmland Preservation Area and a sand mine project in Orange Springs, while postponing a third project during a standing-room only
The Marion County School Board on Thursday rejected Sheriff Billy Woods’ proposal to absorb the school district’s Department of Safe Schools into the Marion County Sheriff’s Office.
The department, led by Dennis McFatten, falls under the jurisdiction of the superintendent and oversees the communication between schools and law enforcement and implements security measures and emergency preparedness, according to MCPS.
Woods’ proposal was for the sheriff’s office to take over this department, hire its employees and pay the cost of their salaries, according to the agreement.
The school district would then reimburse the sheriff for the expense.
Similar agreements have been implemented in Brevard and Seminole counties. Woods said he formed the basis of his proposed agreement by reviewing each of those agency’s juvenile units, which house school safety units.
Regardless of the board members’ opinions of the proposal’s contents, School Board Chair Allison Campbell said that it could not pass due to a matter of policy.
In September, the board passed a policy that instructs the superintendent to work in conjunction with the district’s school safety specialist and advice from local law enforcement to develop a school safety and security plan. This means that school safety cannot be moved to Woods’ jurisdiction unless Superintendent Diane Gullet and her team put forth procedures within the policy to recommend it.
The school board put the proposal up for discussion at its Dec. 15 work session, where 34
Dec. 20 board meeting.
Each project generated sometimespointed discussion between members of the public, developer representatives, county staff and the commissioners.
Arden of Ocala in Silver Spring Shores
The Arden of Ocala proposal for roughly 31 acres at 6650 & 6670 SE Maricamp Road, south of the post office and
north of Circle K, envisioned a multiuse development comprised of 180 townhomes and 468 apartments (all rentals), plus a clubhouse, playground, dog walk/ park, community garden, park areas and picnic tables.
The Arden Group, based in Philadelphia, started its presentation with a marketing video showing its “luxury, highly amenitized” rentals that generated
titters among the audience. “Not exactly affordable housing,” said one audience member. The complex would include a dog park with a fountain, a Tesla car charger and high-end gym equipment.
Board and county staff discussion focused on the Level E (failing) Maricamp Road that would absorb this project’s
(OMRHPS) and the College of Central Florida continue their partnership of bringing a model train collection to the community for the holidays. Jim DeLawter, OMRHPS
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memorabilia. Many of the layouts are inspired by historic Ocala landmarks, such as the Six Gun Territory theme park that operated in Marion County until 1984.
Local resident and part time Santa Claus, Jose Niles, posted to Facebook in response to the event, “I look forward to this every year.”
The exhibit, “Trains at the Holidays” will open Saturday, Dec. 17, and will be on view from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. through Dec. 30 at the Webber Gallery located at the CF Ocala Campus, 3001 S.W. College Road.
The gallery will be closed Dec. 24 and 25 for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Admission is free. For more information, call 352-854-2322, ext. 1664, or visit CF.edu/Webber.
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members of the public spoke about why or why not the agreement should happen.
Woods, who was not originally slated to speak during the work session, was invited by Campbell to address the issues raised by the public.
“If anyone is perceiving this proposal as a means for me to fire a [district] employee, that is not the case at all,” Woods said. “I’d like to hire the five (safety office) employees to ensure that they would not lose their job, waive the standard probationary period and then assure you that they will have all of the benefits of a deputy training and all available resources.”
Woods also stated this in his letter to Gullet, saying that MCSO would take over the cost of employing the members of the safe school department and hire them to continue their same responsibilities for the district but as sworn deputy sheriffs.
He encouraged the board to delay making a decision until a greater conversation could be had to iron out any potential policy issues.
One of the audience members, former Ocala Police Chief Morrey Deen, spoke against the proposal, stating that he didn’t want to see the school district become a “police state.”
“If it was intended for local law enforcement agencies to take over the school process, they’d have done that in Tallahassee,” he said.
Deen said he has seen proposals like this become a “political football” within the community, and that those who support it and those who dissent are using the discussion to
“If it was intended for local law enforcement agencies to take over the school process, they’d have done that in Tallahassee,” he said.
Former Ocala Police Chief Morrey Deen
argue a broader issue of supporting law enforcement, when that is not the issue at hand.
Deen, who said he had 30 years of law enforcement experience, was a part of the push to start the school resource officer program under Ocala Police Chief Lee McGhee. To this day, the school resource officer contracts among the school district, the sheriff’s office, the Belleview Police Department and the Ocala Police Department stand as the method for law enforcement presence across MCPS.
Another audience member, Bruce Atkinson, spoke in support of the proposal while referencing the elementary school mass shooting that occurred in Uvalde, Texas in May.
“In Uvalde, Texas, we saw what happened when there’s not a clear chain of command,” he said. “Human frailties came in and that delayed the response of law enforcement … and the sad consequence was more lives destroyed.”
Atkinson said he believes that placing the safe school department under the jurisdiction of the sheriff would improve the emergency preparedness and law enforcement response in the case of a similar crisis.
Several representatives from the Marion County NAACP came forward to express their concerns that the proposal would exacerbate the already disproportionate disciplinary action toward students of color.
Francine Julius Edwards, political action committee member for the branch, said she feared Marion County turning into a place of “political cultural tribalism,” and found the proposal “concerning and intrusive.”
“We fear that the law enforcement may tend to over-police or racial profile or worse to our black brown and disenfranchised students and staff,” Edwards said.
“Predictable policing like (what happens in) Pasco County creates a secret list of students who their department suspects will commit
crimes, further creating a paranoid place of learning.”
In 2021, the Department of Education opened an investigation into the Pasco County school district to determine if it violated FERPA by sharing educational records of students with the sheriff’s office. The information was used to compile a list of “at-risk” students based on grades, discipline and attendance records. The Pasco County School Board quickly revised their policy to prevent law enforcement from accessing these educational records.
Several of those supporting the proposal shared the belief that having law enforcement in schools helps teach children to have a positive relationship with police as they grow older. One commenter, Robert Schmidt, said he believed that putting safety in the hands of law enforcement will allow for administrators and teachers within the district to solely focus on providing students with a higher quality of education.
“The proposal provides incredible flexibility for the school system and does not estrange our current school safe school staff. It puts law enforcement where it needs to be and school administrators where they need to be,” he said.
The superintendent said input and advice from law enforcement agencies already is a crucial part of the district’s security plan.
“I want to make sure it’s clear that we are looking for, as per policy, input from representatives of local law enforcement agencies,” she said. “That’s a critical part of this.”
Gullet shared her intention to form a committee made up of staff, students, parents and law enforcement to discuss this proposal, but also school security as a whole to ensure that the district can be fully prepared and prevent emergencies before they happen.
“There’s not an emergency, but we need to move with a sense of urgency forward,” she said. “I think everyone in this audience, as well as our community at large, agrees with that.”
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traffic. A previous project was approved in 2020 with only 468 apartments. There was no public opposition or speakers against that project.
An initial motion by Commissioner Jeff Gold to approve the planned unit development, or PUD, as proposed wasn’t seconded by another board member.
Commissioner Kathy Bryant made a motion for only 468 apartments and no townhomes, prompting the developer’s representative, attorney Jimmy Gooding, to respond, “We withdraw the application if that’s what you’re gonna do.”
The financial viability of the project, he noted, depends on the townhomes’ rental income.
When board members questioned staffers about who is responsible for road improvements to handle the increase in traffics, County Attorney Guy Minter explained state statutes force road costs to be passed on to the counties.
Minter mentioned Hillsborough County, and said, “You may be in a situation where you have to declare a building moratorium until you can develop a comprehensive plan. If you really want to get to a nuclear option, that would be your nuclear option.”
Instead, after more discussion
of the Silver Springs Shores area and its lack of commercial and shopping options, the board and developer agreed to continue the hearing at the board’s Feb. 21 meeting to allow for exploration of the traffic issues and different commercial options.
County Road 318 PUD upsize
The board vetoed a proposal for CR 318 and Interstate 75. The developer had asked to rezone a previously approved PUD to include 336 apartment units on approximate 22.5 acres with a clubhouse, playground and dog park.
The reasons for the denial included a lack of traffic and county services infrastructure; no need for residential growth in that area; and questions regarding water treatment plants and possible connections to the WEC Jockey Club project and Sunny Oaks (which has no developer agreement to date.)
Commissioner Carl Zalak asked David Tillman of Tillman & Associates Engineering, the developer’s representative for both this project and Sunny Oaks, if there was a timeline in place for Sunny Oaks. The answer was no.
“There’s no timeline,” Zalak said, “so I’m a no.”
“I withdraw the application,” Tillman replied. “That saves everybody’s time in getting up and speaking about it tonight
and move on to the next that I’m gonna get my ass handed to me on.” The audience burst into applause and laughter.
The board took public comments despite their veto, saying it would be good for Tillman to have the feedback.
Reddick resident Ira Stern reminded commissioners that the Farmland Preservation Area was “intended as a preservation area, not a reserve area for developers. Keep this Central Park of North Florida a Central Park that everybody goes around.”
Sand mine in Orange Springs
Dozens of impassioned residents showed up in orange shirts to the meeting to beg the commissioners to deny a sand mine proposed for the tiny enclave of Orange Springs.
Residents argued that the sand mine, if approved, would forever ruin their community’s tranquil character, negatively impact home values and destroy crucial wildlife habitat and taint adjacent Orange Creek and nearby critical natural water resources.
The request by MG Cattle Company, LLC. for a Special Use Permit would have allowed for mass grading for natural resource extraction for five years on roughly 200 acres on the north side of East County Road 318, a main thoroughfare, two miles west of County Road 315.
The proposed project, located on a former peanut farm, would include the removal of up to 1.2 million cubic yards of dirt with dump trucks rolling in and out of the property six days a week. The property directly abuts Orange Creek, which feeds into the Ocklawaha River.
Engineer David Tillman said the 200 acres would not be mined
all at once but only five acres at a time, and the mining would not be deep enough to impact adjacent water bodies or the local water quality.
Guy Marwick, the founder and previous director of the Silver River Museum & Environmental Education Center, told the board that Fort Russell, a Seminole Indian War structure, previously stood on the property and was recorded with the Florida Department of State, Division of Historical Resources.
One family with an autistic child who live near the site told the commission the vibrations from mining would impact their special-needs child negatively.
The commissioners denied the sand mine unanimously after Zalak told the crowd the property could still be developed for homesites with little input from the board.
Victoria Key, who lived next to the site of the proposed mine and was founder of the “Stop the Orange Springs Sand Mine” movement that was instrumental in drawing residents to the meeting told the Gazette following the decision, “I could not be prouder of our community and how the town came together to preserve the safety of our roads, our history, our waterways, our peacefulness- our way of life.”
A way of life that Key says is at the heart of many Marion County residents who have chosen to live here and “I am grateful to the commissioners for protecting it,” said Key.
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By Jennifer Hunt Murty jennifer@ocalagazette.com
Gov. Ron DeSantis signed an executive order Monday declaring a special election to fill the Florida House District 24 seat vacated by Ocala Republican Joe Harding, who resigned his seat earlier this month after being indicted by a federal grand jury on fraud charges.
The special primary election will take place on March 7, 2023; if necessary, a special election will be held on May 16, 2023.
Harding, 35, resigned the seat on Dec. 8, one day after he was indicted for using two defunct businesses to apply for COVID-19 relief under Small Business Administration’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan program. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges, and his trial is scheduled for Jan. 11 in Gainesville.
Harding, who in November ran unopposed and won a second term in the House, was seen in political circles as a rising star after earning national attention as the sponsor of the so-called “Don’t Say Gay’’ bill, which bans any discussion of gender identity or sexual orientation in Florida classrooms up until third grade.
In the special election, partisan candidates seeking to qualify must pay $1,781.82 as a qualifying fee, candidates with no party affiliation pay $1,187.88. Instead of paying a fee, they can obtain
327 valid signed candidate petitions before 5 p.m. Jan. 5.
The Florida Constitution requires a State Representative to be at least 21 years of age, a resident of the district from which they are elected, and a resident of Florida for two years prior to election.
Candidates do not have to be a resident of District 24 in order to file to run for the seat; however, residence is required once they are elected.
To date, two candidates, both Republicans, have announced their intention to run for the seat but have not yet filed paperwork, according to the state Department of Elections website. One is Jose Juarez, a local business owner and a newcomer to the local political scene. The second is political activist and business consultant Ryan Chamberlin, who would be making a second attempt to run for political office after a failed attempt for a seat on U.S. Congress.
Unlike other state and county officers, members of this legislative body take office on midnight of the day of the General Election.
Representatives serve two-year terms and are limited to four terms.
Marion County Supervisor of Elections Wesley Wilcox indicated that his office will be requesting a budget amendment to cover the cost of the special election from the Marion County Board of County Commissioners who, in turn, will seek reimbursement from the state.
“I could not be prouder of our community and how the town came together to preserve the safety of our roads, our history, our waterways, our peacefulness- our way of life.”
Victoria Key Orange Springs resident
Last week, after both Florida House Speaker Paul Renner, R-Palm Coast, and Gov. Ron DeSantis publicly expressed support for implementing a change in Florida’s gun laws during the 2023 session to allow for “constitutional carry,” the Gazette checked in with Marion County Sheriff Billy Woods to get his take on the idea.
Under current state law, people who want to legally carry guns must get a concealed weapons permit from the state Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. Anticipated action during the session, which begins March 7, would allow people in Florida to carry concealed weapons without a permit as a constitutional right.
Woods told the Gazette in response to written questions that he agrees with the change.
“I believe all law-abiding Floridians should be allowed to carry concealed firearms without a concealed weapons license and shouldn’t have to jump through hoops to do so,’’ he wrote. “The fact is the criminal doesn’t go and get a concealed weapons license.”
But Woods felt like licensing wouldn’t go away all together, however, because Floridians who hold carry licenses enjoy the benefit of reciprocity agreements with 38 other states, which allows Floridians to legally carry a weapon in those states.
Woods would not speculate
how the policy change could impact gun violence, but he suggested that law-abiding citizens would be able to better defend themselves against violent criminals if they were armed.
“If an armed individual with the intent to do any form of violence walks into a restaurant with 50 law-abiding concealedcarrying patrons, the odds of the bad guy walking out alive are very slim, and that is a good thing,” he said.
Woods indicated that the topic was on the radar of the Florida Sheriffs Association, but they had not collectively had a “serious or official discussion as an Association on the issue.”
Woods anticipated the various sheriffs having different viewpoints on the subject, but said ultimately, “Sheriffs will be unified as one voice as an Association, whether it be for, against or neutral on the proposal, while at the same time being respectful to each sheriff’s view and stance on the issue for their county.”
DeSantis last week said he’s always supported the idea.
“The last two years, it was not necessarily a priority for the legislative leadership,’’ he said. “But we’ve been talking about it, and he’s (Renner’s) pledged publicly that it’s moving forward, and it’ll be something that will be done in the regular session.”
Florida News Service contributed to this report.
The jobless rate in the CareerSource Citrus Levy Marion region was 3.4% in November, unchanged over the last two months and 0.4 percentage points lower than the region’s year ago rate of 3.8%. The labor force was 209,324, up 3,438 (+1.7%) over the year. There were 7,094 unemployed residents in the region, a dip of 36 compared to October and 765 fewer than November 2021.
According to preliminary employment data released today by the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity, there were 202,230 employed across the region, an increase of 4,203 compared to the same time last year.
Levy County continued to post the lowest unemployment rate in the region at 2.9%, again unchanged over the month and 0.5 percentage point lower than the previous November. Marion County followed at 3.2%, the same as the adjusted rate for October also 0.5 percentage point lower over the year. Citrus County’s rate was 4.1%, up just 0.1 percentage point over the month 0.2 percentage point lower than the year-ago rate.
Rusty Skinner, CareerSource CLM’s chief executive officer, said the preliminary data may point to a tightening labor market as the region continues post-pandemic economic recovery.
“The reality is, today we have more people employed in our region than we did before Covid hit,” Skinner said, noting that the number of employed is 16,000 higher than five years ago, and there are 2,637 fewer unemployed.
“We really don’t see a lot of involuntary unemployment right now,” Skinner said. “For businesses growing and eager to hire but struggling to find workers with the skills they need for the job, we can help with programs that offset hiring and training costs such as On-the-Job Training, paid adult interns and work experience trainees.”
Information about training grants, fee-free job fairs, hiring events and other job seeker and employer services are available at careersourceclm.com or by calling 800-434-JOBS (5627).
State and local employment reports for December 2022 are scheduled for release on Jan. 20, 2023.
Florida lawmakers plan to hold two days of committee meetings during the first week of January as they prepare for the 2023 legislative session, according to schedules posted online.
The Senate and House will hold numerous committee and subcommittee meetings on Jan. 4 and Jan. 5. That will follow Jan. 3 inauguration
ceremonies at the Capitol as Gov. Ron DeSantis starts his second term.
The Senate has posted details for its meetings, including a Jan. 4 presentation by state Division of Emergency Management Director Kevin Guthrie to the Senate Select Committee on Resiliency.
The House schedule lists times and locations of meetings but does not provide details of what will be discussed.
Residents of the beleaguered horse-centric neighborhood near the slated Calibrex development punched back this week against the Marion County Board of County Commissioners and its approval in November to allow nearly 1,200 homes near SW 60th Avenue and SW 52nd Street in the primarily rural community.
The plaintiffs, nine residents in the area, filed a writ of certiorari in the Fifth Circuit Court in Marion County, essentially asking the court to review the commission’s vote.
The document was filed by attorney Ralf Brookes, a land-use and zoning expert based in Cape Coral. It contends: “Petitioners allege that the approval of an applicant-generated Rezoning Application by the Marion County Board of County Commissioners violates the essential requirements of the law.”
The filing states the rezoning “should have been denied under the criteria contained in the Land Development Code but was approved without first evidencing compliance with all requirements” of the LDC and planned unit development, or PUD, rezonings.
Neighborhood activist and abutting property owner Mira Korber said the writ asserts that, “The Marion County Commission, as a quasi-judicial entity, violated an essential rule of law” in approving the PUD.
“What this does is prevent any development, like permits, or anything actually happening on the property,’’ Korber said. “An appeals court can review the decision to determine that they did not actually uphold the law.”
It could take six to nine months for the court to respond, during which Calibrex cannot move forward with the project. Korber hopes the court might overturn the
BOCC decision entirely.
Of the many issues cited in the writ, one is the due process aspect of the hearings and the opportunity for public response. The writ asserts that the mandated two minutes of time allowed for public speakers is insufficient and cited a 2007 Miami case that held eight minutes of opposition time was insufficient.
Developers, their attorneys, engineers and other representatives take the floor first in zoning hearings, and have unlimited time to present their plans.
The writ also cites the lack of sufficient
public notice, stating that two neighboring residents and a church did not receive any notice at all, thus violating the public notice requirements.
Additionally, it cites the incompatibility of the project with the surrounding area and the lack of open space in the PUD plan, stating,” There are no open space views because there is NO TRUE OPEN SPACE.
It is a sea of 40-60’ high structures, 529 Townhomes, 552 Apartment Units and 108 Single Family detached units which impose lights, noise, pollution due to the high density of the proposed development. The
single-family homes are jammed packed (sic) into tiny lots without yards. This development destroys any evidence of the agricultural life that currently exists and is in use just outside the City of Ocala on the western boundary of the subject property.”
The writ states in summary, “No one in the neighborhood could have conceived that such a massive development would occur. There is nothing reasonable about the development in terms of the existing neighborhood.”
The county declined to comment on the case.
The writ forces a halt to development proceedings and gives the court time to review its contentions.
“The reality is, today we have more people employed in our region than we did before Covid hit.”
Rusty Skinner CareerSource CLM’s chief executive officer
Over the past few years, most Marion County Sheriff deputies involved in a use of force incident have asked for their identities to be protected, as victims deserving protection under a 2018 constitutional amendment designed to bolster crime victims’ rights called Marsy’s Law.
Marsy’s Law defines a victim as a “person who suffers direct or threatened physical, psychological, or financial harm as a result of the commission or attempted commission of a crime or threat or against whom the crime or delinquent act is committed.”
The Florida Supreme Court heard arguments last week about whether the identities of law-enforcement officers qualified for the protection after an appeals court in April sided with two Tallahassee police officers who invoked the “Marsy’s Law” to prevent their names from being released after use-offorce shooting incidents in which they were threatened.
The Florida Police Benevolent Association, a union representing the officers, argued that they were victims.
By Caroline Brauchler caroline@ocalagazette.comThe Florida Department of Law Enforcement is investigating the death of inmate Scott Whitley III, 46, who died in custody while on suicide watch at the Marion County Jail after a confrontation with officers.
Whitley was being held on a felony charge of resisting an officer with violence and a misdemeanor for violation of an injunction for protection against exploitation of a vulnerable adult, officials say.
Marion County Sheriff’s Office officials said that on the morning of Nov. 25, Whitley refused to cooperate during a routine cell inspection. When the inmate refused to be handcuffed for the inspection, detention deputies used pepper foam and electronic disabling devices, or tasers, to subdue him. Six detention deputies ultimately were brought in to forcefully gain his compliance, according to an incident report filed shortly after his death.
“After the inmate was brought outside of his cell, it was discovered that he did not appear to be breathing. Detention deputies immediately began life-saving measures as medical staff responded. The inmate was transported quickly to AdventHealth Ocala, where he was later pronounced deceased,” according to an MCSO press release.
As of Tuesday, the FDLE investigation is still ongoing.
The six deputies involved in Whitley’s death are claiming protection as crime victims under Marsy’s Law, and their identities are not being released to the public. Each deputy has been placed on paid suspension, which will continue until the investigation results can conclusively recommend further action, said MCSO spokesperson Lt. Paul Bloom.
According to MCSO reports, the jail deputies involved in the incident said Whitley had showed aggression since his arrest on Nov. 16. He became violent and refused to leave his parents’ home when law enforcement came to the residence to serve him a civil injunction filed by his parents for a protection order of a vulnerable adult, according to the arrest report.
Whitley’s parents, Scott Whitley Jr., 80, and Margaret Whitley, 76, filed this civil complaint to remove him from their home, claiming that they, being elderly or disabled adults, were being exploited by their son.
As included in the arrest affidavit, Whitley’s parents sought measures to protect themselves, including prohibiting any contact from their son and restraining their son from committing any acts of exploitation or violence toward them.
While the incident that led to Whitley’s death was his last altercation with detention deputies, it was not his first, according to two previous incident reports filed within nine days of his death. Incident reports filed on Nov. 18 and Nov. 24 claim Whitley showed he did not comply with deputies and showed aggression during cell inspections and strip searches.
The first incident report states that Whitley tried to force his way out of a shared cell. After he did not comply with deputies’ verbal commands to redirect him back into the cell, he was sprayed in the face with pepper foam. Once back in the cell, deputies placed hand and leg restraints on him, to which he did not resist, according to the report.
Whitley was placed on suicide watch while at the jail, causing him to be moved
into administrative confinement, or isolation. All male suicide precaution inmates are required to undergo strip searches, which led to a second reported incident when Whitley once again attempted to leave his cell once the search was completed, according to the report.
During this second incident when deputies attempted to push Whitley back in his cell, he began “swinging” at deputies, then was able to make his way past them and down the hallway. Whitley was tased three separate times before the involved deputies applied restraints to gain his compliance, according to the incident report.
Administrative confinement cells are typically monitored directly or through surveillance cameras. Inmates who are classified as suicide precautions are often placed in isolated cells to reduce any potential harm they might cause themselves. They are also issued certain garments without anything that might aid an inmate in inflicting harm upon themself, said Bloom.
“Not all cells within the Marion County Jail are under video surveillance, but his was under audio and visual surveillance,” said Timothy McCourt, general counsel to Sheriff Billy Woods and MCSO.
The Gazette requested footage from Whitley’s cell during the incident that led to his death but was denied by McCourt since “in addition to it being part of an active criminal investigation, security videos from the inside of the jail are confidential and exempt pursuant to §119.071(3)(a)1, Fla. Stat. and §281.301, Fla. Stat.”
An inmate is placed in administrative confinement and considered a suicide precaution if they make any verbal threat or physical action to harm or kill themselves, Bloom said.
If an inmate charged with a felony went to trial and was deemed at sufficient need of mental health treatment, the judge may decide to have them treated in a psychiatric facility. Depending on the circumstance, an inmate can receive temporary care from psychiatric facilities or the in-jail medical facility, he said.
“If the judge has said OK and they can get released or bonded out, they can go to get basically psychological help,” said Bloom. “So like SMA or The Vines and be treated. From there they can be able to be released, they can be taken to jail to follow the original arrests.”
SMA Healthcare provides behavioral healthcare to individuals experiencing mental health or addiction. The Vines Hospital is a psychiatric facility that provides crisis stabilization and detox services to those suffering from addiction or mental health issues.
While MCSO stated in the incident report on Nov. 24 that Whitley was a suicide precaution inmate, mental health records of an inmate are confidential in compliance with 945.10(1)(a) of the Florida Statutes. In compliance with 45 C.F.R. § 164.502(f), HIPAA keeps sensitive medical information confidential, even after a person’s death.
The public defender assigned to his case, Sean Kevin Gravel, denied commenting on if Whitley had any previous mental health issues, as attorneyclient privilege survives a client in the instance of death.
Whitley was scheduled to appear in court on Tuesday. Gravel entered a plea of not guilty on his behalf, but said he was assigned to Whitley’s case after his death and was not made aware that he died in custody.
But the city of Tallahassee and news organizations asked the Supreme Court to hear the case, arguing in part that Marsy’s Law conflicts with a decades-old government-in-the-sunshine amendment that enshrined in the Florida Constitution some of the nation’s broadest public-records laws.
While we wait on the Florida Supreme Court’s decision, we asked Timothy McCourt, the attorney for Sheriff Billy Woods, what the legal basis was for six detention officers who recently claimed protection under Marsy’s Law following the death of an inmate. Here is how McCourt answered:
Article I, Sections 16(b)-(e) of the Florida Constitution, commonly referred to as “Marsy’s Law,” provides that victims of crime have the right to the right to prevent the disclosure of information or records that could be used to locate or harass them or their family, or which could disclose confidential or privileged information about them. A crime victim is defined by Marsy’s Law as “person who suffers direct or threatened physical, psychological, or financial harm as a result of the commission or attempted commission of a crime or delinquent act or against whom the crime or delinquent act is committed.” A law enforcement officer who becomes the victim of a crime in the course and scope of their duties is entitled to the protections of Marsy’s Law, including the right to keep confidential information or records that could reveal the officer’s name or identity. See Florida Police Benevolent Association, Inc. v. Tallahassee, 314 So. 3d 796 (Fla. 1st DCA 2021), review granted, 2021 WL 6014966 (Fla. 2021). The detention deputies involved in this case are victims of crime because they are persons who suffered direct or threatened physical harm by Mr. Whitley, and are persons against whom crimes were committed by Mr. Whitley.
In particular, based upon my review of the available evidence at this juncture, it appears that Mr. Whitley committed the crimes of resisting an officer with violence, in violation of §843.01, Fla. Stat. (2022), and battery (or attempted battery) on a law enforcement officer, in violation of §784.07(2)(b), Fla. Stat. (2022). Correctional officers are “officers” and “law enforcement officers” within the meaning of these statutes. Resisting an officer with violence is a forcible felony whose elements include either doing violence or offering (i.e., threatening) to do violence to an officer. See Walker v. State, 965 So. 2d 1281 (Fla. 2d DCA 2007)(Resisting an officer with violence is a forcible felony). Based upon Mr. Whitley’s actions, the involved officers, who suffered (at minimum) threatened physical harm as a result of Whitley’s actions, are victims of the crime of resisting an officer with violence. State v. Davis, 652 So. 2d 942, 943 (Fla. 5th DCA 1995)(Swinging his fist at officer and missing him could constitute “offering” to do violence); Wright v. State, 681 So. 2d 852 (Fla. 5th DCA 1996) (Evidence that defendant “struggled, kicked, and flailed his arms and legs was sufficient to show that he offered to do violence to the officers within the meaning of section 843.01.”); State v. Green, 400 So. 2d 1322 (Fla. 5th DCA 1981)(Prima facie case of resisting an officer with violence established where charging document alleged the defendant “wiggled and struggled” when deputies attempted to handcuff him.)
Even assuming, in arguendo, that Mr. Whitley’s actions did not rise to the level of resisting an officer with violence, or that he did not resist with violence, batter, or attempt to batter all of the officers, his actions in resisting the efforts of all six detention deputies who were collectively attempting to handcuff him during a cell inspection unquestionably constituted the crime of resisting an officer without violence. Mr. Whitley steadfastly refused to comply with the lawful commands of these officers while they were engaged in the lawful performance of their duties. See e.g., Ireland v. Prummell, 29 Fla. L. Weekly Fed. C1896, 2022 WL 16912130, --- F.4th ---- (11th Cir. 2022)(Actions of corrections officers who arrived at inmate’s cell in county jail after fellow officer attempted to subdue inmate, including repeatedly tasering and trying to handcuff detainee and gain control of his limbs, were not objectively unreasonable, and thus did not amount to excessive force, as would violate due process; throughout entire encounter, detainee, a 322-pound man, did not comply with officers’ requests and was kicking, spitting, and biting officers). As such, all six of the officers were persons against whom he would have committed the crime of resisting an officer without violence.
Therefore, for the reasons set forth above, these detention deputies are entitled to invoke the protections of Marsy’s Law. We will honor their request to keep confidential information or records that could reveal their names or identities, as we do for all persons who are victims of crime and who invoke their rights under Article I, Section 16 of the Florida Constitution.
File No. 42-2022-CP-2365
IN RE: THE ESTATE OF RICHARD A. SIEKLUCKI, Deceased.
, JONATHAN P. SIEKLUCKI, Petitioner.
/
The administration of the Estate of RICHARD A. SIEKLUCKI, deceased, whose date of death was July 3, 2022, is pending in the Circuit Court for Marion County, Florida, Probate Division, the address of which is 110 NW 1st Avenue, Ocala, Florida 34475. The names and addresses of the Personal Representative and the Personal Representative’s attorney are set forth below.
All creditors of the decedent and other persons having claims or demands against decedent’s estate on whom a copy of this notice is required to be served must file their claims with this court ON OR BEFORE the later of 3 months after the time of the first publication of this notice or 30 days after the date of service of a copy of this notice on them.
All other creditors of the decedent and other persons having claims or demands against decedent’s estate must file their claims with this court within 3 months after the date of the first publication of this notice.
All claims not filed withIN THE TIME PERIODS SET FORTH IN SECTION 733.702 OF THE FLORIDA PROBATE CODE 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 this 23 day of December, 2022.
Personal Representative: Jonathan P. Sieklucki
Attorney for Personal Representative: G. Murty
Attorney for Personal Representative PO Box 4319 Ocala, FL 34478 Tel (352) 351-1411 steve@murtylaw.com ashlee@murtylaw.com
IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE FIFTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT IN AND FOR MARION COUNTY, FLORIDA PROBATE DIVISION IN RE: ESTATE OF YVONNE H. MONTSDEOCA, Deceased.
FILE NO.: 2022-CP-002872
(Summary Administration)
The administration of the estate of YVONNE H. MONTSDEOCA , deceased, File Number 2022-CP-002872 is pending in the Circuit Court of Marion County, Florida, Probate Division, the address of which is 110 N.W. 1st Avenue, Ocala, Florida 34475. An Order of Summary Administration was entered on December 12, 2022, and the name and address of the persons assigned the asset are ANN M. McCOUN and ALICE M. ROBBINS, 1025 S.E. 10th Street, Ocala, Florida 34471, the daughters of the decedent and their attorney is R. William Futch, R. William Futch, P.A., 2201 S.E. 30th Avenue, Suite 202, Ocala, Florida 34471.
The total value of the non-exempt assets of the estate is less than $75,000.00.
All creditors of the decedent and other persons having claims or demands against decedent’s estate, including unmatured, contingent or unliquidated claims, on whom a copy of this notice is served must file their claims with this Court WITHIN THE LATER OF THREE MONTHS AFTER THE DATE OF THE FIRST PUBLICATION OF THIS NOTICE OR THIRTY DAYS AFTER THE DATE OF SERVICE OF A COPY OF THIS NOTICE ON THEM.
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 this court, WITHIN THREE (3) MONTHS AFTER THE DATE OF THE FIRST PUBLICATION OF THIS NOTICE. ALL CLAIMS NOT SO FILED 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 DECEMBER 23, 2022.
Attorneys for Petitioner: R. WILLIAM FUTCH Florida Bar No.: 0319856 DAVIS R. WATSON III Florida Bar No.: 117996 R. WILLIAM FUTCH, P.A. 2201 S. E. 30th Avenue Suite 202 Ocala, Florida 34471 (352) 732-8080 Email Address: bill@futchlaw.net
IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE FIFTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT, IN AND FOR MARION COUNTY, FLORIDA. IN RE: THE ESTATE OF IZABELA CYREK, Deceased. CASE NO: 2022-CP-2719
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: October 5, 2022
The date of first publication of this Notice is December 16, 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: KAMIL FERDYNANDT PIOTROWSKI 5749 S.E. Babb Road Belleview, FL 34420
ocalagazette.column.us/place
Shorti might not see very well, but he sure can seem to locate a new toy! This two-year-old, sight-impaired cat is as sweet as he is beautiful- help make his life more meaningful today!
All the hugs, kisses, and belly rubs–that’s what Haiku wants for Christmas. This five-year-old has been in the shelter since January, so a new home is also very high on her list for Santa.
During the Dec. 20 Ocala City Council meeting, the city more than doubled its budget with The Notice Company, which is handling the administration of fire fee refunds, increasing the cost to almost $500,000.
The $80 million in refunds are going to members of the class-action suit that was filed against the City of Ocala over fire service user fees that the courts later deemed to be an illegal tax. A final judgment in the case ordered the city to pay the refunds to thousands of current and former customers of the Ocala Electric Utility who paid the fees for years.
On June 13, the city budgeted $200,000 for The Notice Company. This second allocation is for $275,000,
bringing the amount to $475,000 for claims administration.
Emory Roberts Jr., chief financial officer for the city, told the council the reason for increasing the original budget for the claim’s administrator was due to unexpected volume of calls and claim administration being more difficult than what was anticipated.
Roberts said that to date, $63.7 million in refund checks have been sent out, and a little more than $44 million of that has been cashed. If issued checks are not cashed within six months, the money will return to the city to fund a second disbursement to those who did cash their checks so that they are refunded at the rate of 100%.
Ocala Electric Utility Director Doug Peebles told the Ocala City Council during the Dec. 20 meeting that the utility would need to purchase an additional 1,250 electric meters to service residential and commercial customers in 2023 and beyond.
According to city documents attached to the agenda item, the
city had originally planned to follow their five-year trend and order 2,500 meters. Due to an increase in planned developments, OEU needs to increase that order to 3,750. The cost of the additional meters is $750,000.
Peebles told the council that the manufacturer represented a 15- to 20year life expectancy for the meters.
The Ocala City Council approved a contract totaling $150,000 for new uniforms for police officers.
According to Chief Michael Balken, the fiber used for the new uniforms will breathe better in the heat than the double polyester versions officers have worn for decades.
The contract calls for 100% polyester ripstop fabric that has water repellant
coating, UPF 30 rating, provides odor control by stopping growth of bacteria, and “highly breathable performance to release moisture and heat fast.”
Under the contract terms, the manufacturer will provide in-house custom fittings and provide a 12-month warranty on the uniform.
Tactical pants were priced at $66 each and shirts ranged from $48.50 to $56.75.
City council finally approved a new contract for the design of a new water plant with Kimley-Horn for nearly $5 million. The design cost is roughly 3.3% - 3.7% of the construction cost, and Kimley-Horn was the only vendor who submitted a proposal.
According to information provided to council on the agenda, the total construction cost of the plant is estimated to be between $135 million and $150 million, with a commitment from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection and the St. Johns River Water Management District pledging grants to cover one half of the cost of the initial buildout phase, estimated to be $72 million.
The project will be done in phases and the plant is expected to be fully operational by 2030. The initial buildout will provide approximately one-third of the plant’s total expected water production capacity.
The new plant, to be built at 3744
South Pine Ave., will include four wells drilled 1,300 feet deep into the Lower Floridan Aquifer, according to the city’s website. The new wells will bring relief to the current plant’s wells, which lead into the Upper Floridan Aquifer as well as Silver Springs.
The city’s current sole water treatment plant provides roughly 12 million gallons of drinking water each day to Ocala’s 60,000 residents, according to the website. The new plant is expected to help the city keep up with demand. City engineer Sean Lanier said the current plant, built in 1972, has reached its life expectancy and is not expected to meet future regulatory requirements.
“We are projected to have the flows double in the next 20 years to approximately 26 million gallons a day,’’ Lanier previously told the Gazette, adding the new plant will be designed to produce 30 million gallons a day.
reinsurance. It would effectively offer additional levels, known as “layers,” of reinsurance funded through $1 billion in state tax dollars and premiums paid by insurers.
— ADIOS AOB: Like one-way attorney fees, insurers have long argued that a practice known as “assignment of benefits” drives up costs and leads to litigation. Assignment of benefits, or AOB, involves policyholders signing over claims to contractors, who then pursue payment from insurers. The bill bars AOB for property-insurance claims. Contractors contend AOB helps homeowners, who need damage repaired and do not have experience dealing with insurers.
owners: Agree to take cases to binding arbitration and get a break on your insurance premiums. Regulators had already started allowing such arrangements, but the bill makes clear that insurers can sell policies that include the arbitration option. Critics, however, say insurers will have the upper hand in arbitration proceedings.
File photo By Jim Saunders Florida News ServiceFlorida lawmakers this week held a special session and passed a 105-page bill aimed at stabilizing the state’s troubled propertyinsurance system. The bill (SB 2-A) deals with numerous issues, including lawsuits, the state-backed Citizens Property Insurance Corp. and critical reinsurance coverage. Here are 10 key issues that lawmakers addressed:
— FIGHTING FEES: Property insurers have long blamed lawsuits for driving up costs and contended that what are known as “one-way attorney fees” encourage litigation. The bill eliminates one-way attorney fees, which have required insurers to pay the attorney fees of policyholders who successfully file
lawsuits. Critics say the change will hurt the ability of homeowners to fight insurers in claims disputes.
— LOOK ELSEWHERE: As private insurers have dropped policies and raised rates, the number of Citizens Property Insurance customers has ballooned. The bill tries to stem that trend, preventing Citizens policyholders from being able to renew coverage if they receive policy offers from private insurers that are within 20 percent of the cost of the Citizens premiums. The change could lead to higher rates for homeowners shifted to private companies.
— BIG BUCKS: The Florida market has been hammered by higher costs and lack of availability of reinsurance, which is vital backup coverage for insurers. The bill creates a program that seeks to temporarily help insurers obtain adequate
Local governments in Northwest Florida and Miami-Dade County have filed lawsuits seeking damages from the global consulting firm McKinsey & Company over its past work in helping market opioids.
Eight Northwest Florida counties and four cities, stretching from Tallahassee to Pensacola, filed a lawsuit Monday in federal court in Panama City. That came after Miami-Dade County and the cities of Miami Gardens and North Miami filed a similar lawsuit Friday in federal court in Miami.
The lawsuits focus on McKinsey’s work for Purdue Pharma in the marketing of OxyContin, which has been widely blamed for the nation’s opioid epidemic. The lawsuits allege that McKinsey “played an integral role in creating and deepening the opioid crisis.”
Much of the firm’s work came after Purdue Pharma entered a “corporate integrity agreement” in 2007 with the federal government in a criminal case about misbranding OxyContin, according to the lawsuits.
“McKinsey knew of the dangers of opioids and of Purdue’s prior misconduct, but nonetheless advised Purdue to improperly market and sell OxyContin, supplying granular sales and marketing strategies and remaining intimately involved throughout implementation of those strategies,” the lawsuits said.
“McKinsey’s actions resulted in a surge in sales of OxyContin and other opioids that fueled and prolonged the opioid crisis.”
The plaintiffs in the Northwest Florida case are Bay, Calhoun, Escambia, Gulf, Holmes, Jackson, Leon and Santa Rosa counties and the cities of Niceville, Panama City, Pensacola and Tallahassee. Plaintiffs in both cases are represented by many of the same lawyers.
McKinsey has faced lawsuits in other parts of the country over its work for opioid manufacturers and reached a settlement in 2021 with 49 state attorneys
general, including Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody, the District of Columbia and five U.S. territories. It agreed to pay about $600 million in the settlement, while saying in a news release at the time that it “believes its past work was lawful and has denied allegations to the contrary.”
The company stopped opioid-related work in 2019. In testimony in April 2022 to a U.S. House committee, Bob Sternfels, global managing partner for McKinsey, said the firm’s “work for Purdue was focused on legitimate prescribers and an abuse deterrent formulation.”
“Nevertheless, we have recognized and publicly expressed that we did not adequately acknowledge the unfolding epidemic, and that our work fell short of our standards,” Sternfels said in a statement to the committee. “As a result, in 2019, we decided to end all work on opioidspecific business globally, and we have committed to being part of the solution to this serious challenge. As part of that commitment, in early 2021, we proactively engaged with state attorneys general across the country to reach a settlement that provides more than $600 million to prevention, treatment and recovery efforts across the country. Rather than litigating with the states, we worked with the attorneys general to provide critical support to hard-hit communities nationwide.”
The new Florida lawsuits make a series of allegations, including racketeering, unjust enrichment and creating a public nuisance. They seek damages related to such things as the costs of providing medical care to people addicted to opioids, costs of providing care for children whose parents are addicted and costs of social services and criminal justice.
“McKinsey’s unlawful conduct, including its misrepresentations and omissions regarding opioids, generally, and Purdue’s opioids, specifically, have fueled an opioid epidemic within plaintiffs’ communities that constitutes a public nuisance,” the lawsuits said. “McKinsey and Purdue knowingly exacerbated a condition that affects entire municipalities, counties, towns and communities.”
— FLOOD OF COVERAGE: As many homeowners learned the hard way in Hurricane Ian, typical insurance policies do not provide flood coverage. The bill includes a phased-in requirement for Citizens customers to buy flood insurance. People who live in designated flood zones and have mortgages are required by lenders to have flood insurance. But the new requirement will mean extra costs for Citizens customers who don’t currently have the coverage.
— SPEED IT UP: Disputes about property-insurance claims can sometimes drag out over years. But the bill takes a series of steps to try to make insurers respond faster and to shorten the time for reporting claims. For example, the bill reduces the time from 90 days to 60 days for insurers to pay or deny claims, with exceptions for certain circumstances. Meanwhile, it reduces the time from two years to one year to file notices of claims with insurers.
— HEADING TO ARBITRATION: Trying to keep disputes out of courtrooms, the bill offers a tradeoff to property
— NO DAY AT THE BEACH: In the insurance world, it is known as the “glidepath.” State law restricts annual rate increases that can be passed along to Citizens customers. In 2023, for example, the limit is 12 percent, and in 2024 it is 13 percent. While the bill keeps the glidepath in place for primary residences, it removes the limits for second homes. Supporters say Citizens shouldn’t give breaks to people such as out-of-state owners of beach houses.
— ALL ABOUT FAITH: The words “bad faith” make the insurance industry wince. Lawsuits alleging bad faith — such as allegations that insurers did not properly settle claims — can be expensive and have long been a target of insurers and their lobbyists. The bill includes changes that could help shield insurers from at least some bad-faith cases. It prevents bad-faith lawsuits from moving forward until courts have ruled that insurers have breached contracts.
— ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM: While it tips the scale at 105 pages, the bill does not include what many homeowners want: immediate rate reductions. Republican leaders said it will take time for the changes, such as reducing litigation costs, to filter through the system and ultimately help curb rates. But Democrats, who unsuccessfully proposed numerous amendments during the three-day special session, criticized the absence of rate relief.
Gov. Ron DeSantis has signaled that he will make a priority of passing a long-debated proposal that would prevent teachers from having union dues deducted from their paychecks.
DeSantis supported the proposal Monday during a speech in Orlando, describing it as “paycheck protection legislation.” The Florida Education Association and other teachers unions backed DeSantis’ Democratic challenger, Charlie Crist, in the Nov. 8 election, with Miami-Dade County teachers union leader Karla Hernandez serving as Crist’s running mate.
DeSantis also has battled unions in recent years about issues such as reopening schools during the COVID-19 pandemic. During what was described as a “Freedom Blueprint” speech Monday, he tied the union-dues idea to raising pay for teachers during the 2023 legislative session.
“It’s more of a guarantee that that money is going to actually go to those teachers,” DeSantis said in the speech, posted online by the NTD television network. “It’s not going to be frittered away by interest groups who get involved in the school system. And so I think those will be really, really positive reforms, and we’re looking forward to doing that. And I think we’re going to get big, big support in the Legislature.”
Under such a proposal, teachers would have to pay union dues separately, making it less convenient. DeSantis said the proposal “maximizes freedom to choose, and I think it will be a moreaccurate reflection of who actually wants to be part of this or not.”
The Legislature has considered similar proposals since at least 2011, but they have not passed. A proposal (HB 1197) during the 2022 session was approved by the House but did not make it through the Senate.
The proposals have drawn fierce opposition from unions and Democrats, as such changes could make it harder for
unions to get funded.
“This is a union-busting bill,” thenRep. Carlos Guillermo Smith, D-Orlando, said during a debate in January.
Past proposals also would have affected some other public-sector unions. The 2022 House bill, however, exempted unions representing law-enforcement officers, correctional officers, correctional probation officers and firefighters. DeSantis did not address other unions in his speech Monday.
While a bill addressing the union issues had not been filed as of Tuesday morning, DeSantis also indicated he supports setting a threshold for unions to represent teachers. That threshold would involve at least 50 percent of teachers being members of the unions.
“If they don’t have a majority of the teachers who are actually signing up to pay dues, it should be decertified,” DeSantis said. “You shouldn’t be able to continue as a zombie organization that doesn’t have the support of the people you are negotiating for.”
But the Florida Education Association said Tuesday that lawmakers already put such a threshold into state law as part of a 2018 measure.
DeSantis did not provide details about his proposal for increasing teacher pay during the 2023 session, which will start March 7.
In a somewhat-unusual step. DeSantis became heavily involved in helping elect some conservative schoolboard members in this year’s elections.
Republican lawmakers during the 2023 session will consider a renewed attempt to hold partisan school-board elections. Sen. Joe Gruters, a Sarasota Republican who doubles as chairman of the state GOP, and Rep. Spencer Roach, R-North Fort Myers, have filed identical measures aimed at moving away from the system of non-partisan races.
If passed by the Legislature, the proposal would need voter approval in 2024 because it would be a constitutional amendment. School-board races are required to be nonpartisan contests under the Constitution.
Florida lawmakers should anticipate some “political and social” pressure at the end of a one-year program that will offer credits to frequent toll-road users, according to a financial rating agency.
In a report released Tuesday, Moody’s Investors Service said the program, which will begin Jan. 1, will “buoy” toll road demand without reducing revenues because the state will make up lost toll dollars. But the report also questioned what could occur when the temporary program ends.
“If individual toll roads decide to continue this program beyond its expiration or implement other major discounts without any offsetting mechanisms from the state, toll revenue will decline despite the induced demand,” Moody’s said in the report. “If roads decide to revert to full toll rates in 2024, they will face political and social pressure from drivers when the discounts expire.”
Under the program, which lawmakers approved during a special legislative session last week, motorists with SunPass and other Florida transponder accounts will receive 50 percent credits in each month they record 35 or more toll-road trips. The first credits will appear on statements in February.
Gov. Ron DeSantis signed the measure (SB 6-A), calling it a way to offset inflation and gas prices.
The measure expanded on a program DeSantis put in place in September. That program has offered 20 percent to 25 percent discounts to motorists who surpass 40 toll transactions a month.
While the new program received unanimous approval in the House
and Senate, a few lawmakers suggested alternatives such as lowering overall toll rates.
Asked what will happen when the program ends Jan. 1, 2024, House sponsor Demi Busatta Cabrera, R-Coral Gables, said the Legislature “can look at continuing this program if we see fit.”
“I would hope that maybe some of these expressway authorities can also look at providing relief,” Busatta Cabrera said during a Dec. 13 committee meeting.
Moody’s said Florida toll roads already have a track record of being exposed to political involvement in setting toll rates. The report also said the program shouldn’t impact revenues of toll agencies --- the Florida Turnpike System, the Florida Department of Transportation, the Central Florida Expressway Authority, the Tampa-Hillsborough County Expressway Authority, Lee County Tolls and the Miami-Dade County Expressway Authority --- because the Legislature made $500 million available from general revenue to make up for lost toll dollars.
“Most Moody’s-rated Florida toll roads could maintain their credit quality even with lower toll revenue --- depending on how steep any discounts are and how long they last,” the report said. “These roads have strong financials and we expect they would adjust their toll rates or take actions when needed to ensure their financials remain strong and in line with their current rating categories.”
The program is expected to give breaks to 1.2 million drivers, who on average will save $400 during the year, the governor’s office said. Toll money goes toward such things as paying off bonds that finance road construction.
An appeals court Tuesday upheld an Alachua County circuit judge’s decision that backed Shands Teaching Hospital and Clinics and a faculty clinical practice in a dispute about whether they should be subject to property taxes.
A three-judge panel of the 1st District Court of Appeal agreed with Circuit Judge Donna Keim, who ruled that Shands and Florida Clinical Practice Association, Inc. are “equitably owned” by the University of Florida and, as a result, are exempt from property taxes.
Tuesday’s decision came in an appeal by Alachua County Property Appraiser Ayesha Solomon and Tax Collector John Power. Judge Joseph Lewis, in a decision joined by Judges Scott Makar and Timothy Osterhaus, wrote that Shands and the faculty clinical practice “are both nonprofit corporations that implement UF’s (the
University of Florida’s) health affairs mission.
The properties at issue are used by Shands or FCPA for the delivery of health care services, patient care, medical education, scientific research and/or for charitable purposes in furtherance of that mission.
Appellees (Shands and the faculty clinical practice) are supervised by UF, and their governance is controlled by UF. Appellees both regularly provide financial support to UF’s health affairs mission, and both are recognized and relied upon by the state as virtually an arm of UF.
UF controls the key property rights regarding the properties at issue, including their sale, purchase and lease. Moreover, the properties at issue are operated under the umbrella of ‘UF Health.’”
The Progressive insurance company incurred more than $600 million in losses from vehicle damage in Hurricane Ian, according to information released Wednesday.
Progressive said a November estimate of $615 million was “essentially unchanged,” with the total including losses to boats. In a news release, Progressive also said
it estimated property losses of about $1 billion, down from an earlier estimate of $1.4 billion.
After taking reinsurance into consideration, it is responsible for $200 million of the property-related costs — a number that did not change. The Category 4 hurricane made landfall Sept. 28 in Southwest Florida before crossing the state.
The Florida Citrus Commission on Wednesday made a second budget revision of the growing season to account for the industry’s drop in production, which has been exacerbated by Hurricane Ian.
Commission members adjusted the Florida Department of Citrus budget by $776,142, with most of the money shifted out of reserves. The move came after the U.S. Department of Agriculture this month reduced a forecast for Florida orange production by 29 percent, grapefruit production by 10 percent and specialty fruits by 14 percent.
The Department of Citrus gets part of its revenue through a per-box tax on growers --- which is 5 cents per box for fresh oranges, 12 cents per box for processed oranges and 7 cents per box for grapefruit and specialty fruit. The latest forecast is expected to reduce anticipated tax collections, with production on pace to be
the lowest since the 1929-1930 season.
In October, the commission trimmed by $123,000 the $29.795 million budget. That was based on an initial season forecast from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The industry has struggled for years with issues such as deadly citrus-greening disease.
The department’s budget includes $19.1 million in state money, which was a nearly $2 million boost from the prior fiscal year.
During a legislative training session last week, Sen. Ben Albritton, a Wauchula Republican and citrus grower, called for more assistance to rural communities, as he said Ian’s path crossed up to 90 percent of what remains of the citrus industry in Florida. “It doesn’t look the same. It’s not buildings blown over, but it is profoundly impacted. Catastrophically impacted,” said Albritton, who chairs the new Senate Select Committee on Resiliency and is in line to be the Senate president after the 2024 elections.
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Artist and musician Kyle Corley opens up about his wondrous, intangible muse.
By Julie Garisto julie@magnoliamediaco.com
Aneed for freedom and a love of experimentation led Kyle Corley down the road less traveled of a professional artist and musician.
Before arriving at his happy place—where he paints pop art-inspired illustrations on wood and plays bass for the local duo Glizzy Gillespie—Corley endured some dark detours. The COVID-19 lockdown hit, and the pivotal, high-pressure years of his late 20s bore down on him. Reeling from the end of a marriage, he fell into a deep state of depression.
Fortunately, the seeds of Corley’s fruitful art career began to germinate around that time.
“I was studying earth and space science education,” explained the 29-year-old painter. “I was also substituting at Vanguard High School and got a long-term substitution position in the library. With that, I got a little bit of control over the bulletin board.”
The crafty task presented Corley the opportunity to re-ignite his creative spark. He had grown up building things and painting on wood with his dad and brothers. He also played music in high school. Both passions, however, had gone by the wayside.
“For years, since childhood, I tried to paint anything or draw anything,’’ he said. “So, I went for it.”
As fate would have it, one of Corley’s friends from a book club told him about the 2019 Student & Emerging Artist Competition, an annual event presented by the City of Ocala.
“I gave it a shot, and, when I did, I won first place in my division,” Corley said of his award in the adult 25-30 division. “It was a bit of a surprise because I grew up in a very different Ocala from the Ocala that exists right now.”
Continuing a tradition that started in childhood, Corley still paints on wood.
“I’ve done woodworking and carpentry and all those kinds of things,” he said. “Wood was always around and typically cheaper than canvas. For me, it was more straightforward than canvas.”
As one-half of the experimental folk-punk duo Glizzy Gillespie, Corley now makes a living selling his art as well as playing his viola-style
bass with guitarist/banjo-picker/singer Taylor Schoenborn, performing solo shows, singing and playing acoustic guitar, and selling the merch he’s created for both ventures.
Profits from both vary month to month. Sometimes the art pulls in more; sometimes the band merch does.
Formed just around a year ago, the Glizzy Gillespie duo are in the middle of recording an album due out this spring, and, along with a Bandcamp page, they have an EP on Spotify, Metchup and Kustard.
A sense of fun, humor and adventure fill Corley’s art and music. Along with his band’s humorous nod to a jazz great, his Instagram handle, Professor Dumbledoobie, spoofs the Harry Potter franchise.
Jokes aside, Corley avoids veering straight into novelty. The enlightenment he gained while recovering from depression also pervades his work in both projects.
“I got into meditation and started studying Zen Buddhism,” he said. “Most of my stuff, I feel is just kind of pulled through the air. It feels less like I’m painting and I’m more of a radio just getting a frequency and it’s just kind of coming through.”
He won third place in the adult 25-30 division of the 2020 Student & Emerging Artist Exhibition with “P. Cyanescens,” a psilocybin-inspired piece borne from the “positive momentum” Corley gained while researching new treatments for depression. He’s also a resident artist with the Vanguard Magnolia Arts Xchange.
Defining his art and music, Corley said, is one of the most difficult aspects of getting by as an artist and musician. He strives to evoke feeling without necessarily telling you what to feel.
“As soon as I tell somebody what my art’s about, it almost feels like I’m pinning the butterfly—like I have to kill this thing and put it in a box. It’s always tough answering, ‘Oh, what is this?’ So, I try to leave it very open-ended to the viewer because whatever they feel with this painting is real, and I want them to delve a little bit deeper into that.”
To view Kyle Corley’s art, visit instagram.com/professordumbledoobie.
To listen to Glizzy Gillespie, visit glizzygillespie.bandcamp.com.
“I was studying earth and space science education. I was also substituting at Vanguard High School and got a long-term substitution position in the library. With that, I got a little bit of control over the bulletin board.”
Local attorney Bruce Kaster knows the 1,000-mile stare when he sees it.
Kaster served in combat in the Vietnam War, where he saw the “1,000mile stare”—an expression to describe a lifeless and hopeless blank expression— on the faces of war victims.
He said he saw the same blank look on the faces of war victims and refugees when he visited the war-torn Ukraine in May of this year.
Kaster, hailed as an expert in vehicle tire defects and known for his work on behalf of victims of faulty Firestone tires in the early 2000s, is spearheading a local effort to aid victims of the war in Ukraine through the Odessa Relief Fund. Kaster set up the fund in June after he visited Ukraine in May. He said he received hugs and thanks when he wore a cap with an American flag during a visit to Odessa.
“I’ve seen the victims firsthand. This is a life and death situation. These people have had their cities bombed and often have nothing except the shirts on their backs,” Kaster said in a recent interview in his downtown Ocala office.
The relief fund’s administration is all volunteer, so 100% of donations go to support the nonprofit outreach Your City, which is located in Odessa in southern Ukraine and helps war victims. Your City is run by Inna Germaneau and Igor Fedin with a hand full of volunteers, according to odessarelief.com
“Many refugees from the bombed areas have been resettled in Odessa and came to…Your City, a lot of mothers with children,” Germaneau wrote in a Dec. 8 email to the Gazette. She explained that Odessa is being struck by bombs, but “not as strong as other areas.”
“We are currently working in tight conditions in Odessa without electricity, water and often without a telephone network,” Germaneau stated.
Your City helps mothers and their children with needs such as diapers, which in Ukraine are currently the equal of about $800 per package, the website states.
Your City has partnered with pharmaceutical chains in Odessa and, with the support of global partners, is providing lifesaving prescription medicine to refugees, according to the website. Your City dispenses, for free, at least 200 named drugs that are used to treat cardiovascular, diabetes, respiratory ailments, thyroid
and many other health conditions and provides medicines for a nearby orphanage and assisted living facility.
“We are a social pharmacy… and help about 500 people per week in two offices,” Germaneau stated, and added that a project in the planning stages involves offering doctor visits.
Ocala residents Daria Riabtseva and Igor Polubotko came to the U.S. from Kharkiv, Ukraine in July of 2021. The husband and wife operate Milano Italian Grille restaurant on Southwest State Road 200. Polubotko’s mother remained in Kharkiv.
“Though it’s all happening somewhere far away, and we don’t wake up from explosions here in Ocala, WWII has shown us that if tyranny and aggression are allowed to win, we all will suffer the consequences,” Riabtseva stated in an email.
“Our family came to the U.S. only a year ago and our connections with Ukraine are very strong. Everybody we know there is sacrificing everything for the victory and appreciating all the help that the civilized world provides to Ukraine,” she wrote.
“(By) donating to Odessa Relief Fund… you make your own contribution
in preventing Russia from winning this war, from defeating Ukrainians, from spreading this destructive aggression further and further, Riabtseva stated.
Kaster’s visit to Odessa in May, “to see firsthand” the plight of war victims and the work of Your City, traces back to his father’s service in World War II in Germany, including in the Battle of the Bulge. His father encountered the walled city of Kaster in Germany, the Kaster family ancestral home. Bruce Kaster has a home in Kaster and travels there annually with his wife, Sue, who said she knows helping the war victims is important to her husband.
Bruce Kaster learned about the Your City outreach through a friend in Kaster who is a diplomat.
Daria Riabtseva praised Bruce Kaster’s effort to support the people of Ukraine.
“Bruce Kaster is doing a big job helping to raise money for the fund among Ocala residents. We want to thank everyone for your support and strongly believe that light will overcome darkness and we’ll see Ukraine as a peaceful and prosperous country again,” Riabtseva wrote.
For more information call (352) 6221609 or visit odessarelief.com/
Don’t let recycling and disposal needs add stress to your Christmas holiday! Use the list below to know which parts of your holiday can be recycled and at which recycling center location beginning at 7 am. on Dec.
26.
Batteries: Rechargeable batteries (AA, AAA, C and D) can be placed in the hazardous waste shed at any recycling center. Household batteries that are non-rechargeable (AA, AAA, C and D) should be placed in your household garbage.
Cardboard: Can be placed in the single-stream recycling containers at any recycling center.
Remember, no Styrofoam and no plastic bags.
Christmas cards: Can be placed in the singlestream recycling containers at any recycling center.
Christmas lights: Can be placed in the metal bin at any recycling center or into the electronics box at the following locations: Baseline, Dunnellon, Forest Corners, Fort McCoy, Martel, Newton and Weirsdale.
Real Christmas trees (with decorations removed): Can be placed in the yard waste area at
any recycling center. Fake Christmas trees should be disposed of with regular trash.
Christmas ribbons and bows: Should be placed in your household garbage. Christmas wrapping paper: Can be placed in the single-stream recycling containers at any recycling center.
Electronics: Can be placed in the electronics box at the following locations: Baseline, Dunnellon, Forest Corners, Fort McCoy, Martel, Newton and Weirsdale.
Plastic shopping bags: May be recycled at participating department and grocery stores. Styrofoam and packing peanuts: Should be placed in your household garbage.
All Marion County Solid Waste Recycling Centers will be open on December 26th and January 2nd from 7am – 5pm.
All Recycling Centers will be closing at 3pm on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve as well as on Christmas and New Year’s Day.
Marion County recycling centers are open to residents of unincorporated Marion County. Electronics recycling events are open to residents of unincorporated Marion County and the City of Ocala. Residents who live outside of the county or
within other municipalities can take advantage of these opportunities through the purchase of an annual recycling center permit. For more information, visit http://www. marioncountyfl.org/ solidwaste
Before we launch into this week’s end of the year quiz, indulge me as I do a 10-second rant on the proper pronunciation of Florida. I often hear reporters, legislators, even teachers mispronouncing our beloved state’s name. It’s three distinct syllables, as “FLOR-i-duh.” Not “Flor-da,” not “Flar-duh” or certainly not “Floh-duh.” Lesson over. Now we quiz with a “Test of Ten of the Best” factoids over the last year. Merry Quizmas!
1. In a TV ad, one Heisman Trophy winner (Steve Spurrier) is coaching another Heisman winner (Tim Tebow) on how to drive. It’s a commercial for: A. Toyota B. BMW C. Nissan D. Corvette 2. Ben Franklin, one of our great non-presidents, did an exhaustive study of this natural American phenomenon. It is: A. Florida hurricanes B. The Everglades C. Florida Keys D. The Gulfstream
3. Located on the west shore of Lake Apopka, this picturesque town of 1,500 is the birthplace of Snapper Mowers. It is:
A. Astor B. Monteverde C. Sorrento D. Astatula
4. Do you know Florida’s odd-named towns? Three of these towns are less than an hour away. Which one is not?
A. Wacahoota B. Spuds C. Lorida D. Possum Bluff
5. She made history when she became the first Black woman to represent a state in the National Statuary in Washington DC. She is:
A. Oprah Winfrey B. Mary McLeod Bethune C. Frances Perkins D. Ida Wells
6. The eminent 19th century American poet Sidney Lanier was referring to this nearby river when he called it the “sweetest waterway in the world.” It is:
A. Withlacoochee
B. Ocklawaha River C. St. Johns D. Crystal River
7. Florida’s first counties were Escambia and St. Johns, established in 1821.
The 67th and last county admitted in 1925 is just a short hop away. It is:
A. Union B. Taylor C. Gilchrist D. Lake
8. Published in 1933, long before “The Yearling,” Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings’ first book tells the travails of a cracker family in the moonshine business. It is:
A. “South Moon Under” B. “Cross Creek” C. “The Sojourner” D. “The Secret River”
9. Coach Billy Donovan brought the Florida Gators their first NCAA basketball championship on April 3 2006, a 73-57 win over:
A. UCLA B. St. John’s C. Pepperdine D. Ohio State
10. Its first flight was Key West to Havana in 1927. It operated for 64 years before flying off to oblivion in 1991. It was ___________ Airlines
A. National B. Eastern C. Pan Am D. Northwest
Hauck:
Winter Wonderland
World Equestrian Center Ocala, 1390 NW 80th Ave., Ocala
5pm-9pm
An outdoor winter holiday celebration takes place this month at World Equestrian Center Thursday through Sunday nights at the Grand Plaza. There will be photo ops at the 45-foot, walk-through Christmas tree, holiday décor, carolers, balloon artists, face painting live entertainment, and the chance to meet Santa himself. Note: this is a paid parking event ($30), and some select experiences require purchase. See wecwinterwonderland.com for more info.
Christmas Light Spectacular
Florida Horse Park, 11008 South Highway 475, Ocala 6pm-10pm
This annual drive-through Christmas light show takes place again at the Florida Horse Park. Ticket prices are $20-$25 per carload and include kids’ activities, live music, train ride, slides and inflatables and a visit with Santa. Food trucks will be onsite for the walk-around area and new this year, ice skating.
For more info, see ocalamarion.com/events/ocalachristmas-light-spectacular/
Marion County Friday Market
McPherson Governmental Campus Field, 601 SE 25th Ave., Ocala 9am-2pm
Shop locally fresh fruits and veggies, baked goods, jerky, freeze-dried treats, olive oils, seafood and more; recurs every Friday.
Yoga in the Park
Sholom Park, 7110 SW 80th Ave., Ocala 9am
Snake into your cobra pose and get your downward dog going. Stretch out by the Sholom Park stage; recurs every Saturday morning. Visit sholompark.org for details.
Yoga at the Fort Fort King National Historic Landmark, 3925 E Fort King St., Ocala 9am If you’re on the east side of town, then the park
at Fort King hosts yoga too. $5 per person, recurs every Saturday morning, weather permitting. Bring your own mat, props and water. Meet inside the fort grounds, and see ftking.org for more details.
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 some local food trucks and the occasional guest entertainer. Rain or shine; recurs every Saturday. Visit ocaladowntownmarket.com for more information.
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
Ocala First Night
Downtown Square, 1 SE Broadway St., Ocala 5pm-10pm Activities for kids, face painting, dancers, musicians, food options and more are set for this New Year’s Eve celebration. First Night event locations include Jenkins Amphitheatre, Discovery Center, Magnolia Art Xchange, Tuscawilla Park, Downtown Square, Citizen’s Circle, Marion Theatre, Brick City Center for the Arts and IHMC. Children under age 5 are free; tickets are $15 for others from ocalamainstreet.org/firstnight/
Salsa Night New Year’s Party
Crazy Cucumber, Market Street at Heath Brook, 4414 SW College Road, Ocala 10pm-2am
DJ Johny Rocket will feature salsa, merengue and bachata for this red hot night of dance to ring in 2023. Dressy clothes encouraged; cover charge is $5. See facebook.com/events/847145709864582 for more info.
items. Booth types vary with occasional meat vendors, food trucks, and other goods. Saturdays, weather permitting.
Florida Cutting Horse Show
Florida Horse Park 11008 South Highway 475, Ocala 8am-close
Cutters specialize in removing a cow from a herd, then keeping it separated. The horses do all the work; rider drops their reins and let the horses shine. For more info, floridacuttinghorseassociation.com/ index.html and flhorsepark.com
Stopanio Memorial Barrel Race
Southeastern Livestock Pavilion, 2232 NE
Jacksonville Road, Ocala
11am-close A classic rodeo event, barrel racers race around three barrels without knocking any of them over. This is the 11th
run of this event.
Marion County Development Review Committee Office of the County Engineer, 412 SE 25th Ave., Building 1, Ocala 9am
The first step for projects, the committee reviews and votes on waiver requests to the Land Development Code, major site plans, and subdivision plans. Meets weekly on Mondays; agendas are usually posted the Friday prior. Agendas, minutes and video available at marionfl.legistar.com/Calendar.aspx
City of Belleview Site Plan
5343 SE Abshier Blvd., Belleview 9am-10am
Meets the second and fourth Wednesdays; Belleview agendas, minutes and video available at belleviewfl.org/200/Agendas-Minutes
civicSW 200 Corridor Quilt Guild
SW District Sheriff’s Office, 9048 SW State Road 200, Ocala
10am-3pm Meets the second and fourth Fridays of the month. All skill levels are welcome to enjoy the art, camaraderie and creativity of quilting with others. For more info, sw200corridorquilters@gmail.com
Chess Club at Freedom Library
Freedom Public Library, 5870 SW 95th St., Ocala
10am-12pm
Meets weekly on Fridays; new members welcome. Please bring your own chess set. For more info, Walt Lamp at (352) 854-9378.
Marion County Planning & Zoning Commission
McPherson Governmental Campus Auditorium, 601 SE 25th Ave., Ocala 5:30pm
Meets on the last Monday of the month; these are first hearings for projects that have been through Development Review. Agendas are usually posted the Thursday prior. Agendas, minutes and video available at marionfl.legistar.com/Calendar.aspx
City of Belleview Site Plan Committee 5343 SE Abshier Blvd., Belleview 9am-10am
Meets the second and fourth Wednesdays; Belleview agendas, minutes and video available at belleviewfl.org/200/Agendas-Minutes
Kiwanis Club of Ocala
Knights of Columbus Building at Blessed Trinity Catholic Church, 1510 SE 3rd Ave., Ocala
12pm Meets weekly on Fridays. Supports Camp Kiwanis, children’s literacy and Habitat for Humanity. More info at ocalakiwanis.org
VFW Wednesday Dinners
Angela S. Santos FVW Post 4781, 9401 SW 110th St., Ocala
4:30pm-6:30pm
The local VFW post offers weekly dinners for about $5-$7 with a variable menu. The dining room is open to the public, meals are prepped by VFW Auxiliary volunteers and proceeds benefit veterans in Marion County. December 30 menu features Philly cheese steaks for a special $12 price. For the weekly menu info, call (352) 873-4781.
City of Ocala City Council Meeting City Hall, 110 SE Watula Avenue, Ocala 4pm Meets on the first and third Tuesdays of the month. Agendas are usually posted the Thursday prior; agendas, minutes and video available from ocala.legistar.com/Calendar.aspx
McPherson Governmental Campus Auditorium, 601 SE 25th Ave., Ocala 9am
Meets on the first and third Tuesdays of the month. Agendas are usually posted the Thursday prior. Agendas, minutes and video available at marionfl.legistar.com/Calendar.aspx
Ocala Lions Club
Ocala Golf Club, 3130 E Silver Springs Blvd., Ocala
12pm
Meets weekly on Thursdays; newcomers welcome. The club supports vision health and diabetes prevention. More info at e-clubhouse.org/ sites/ocalafl
VFW Year-end Lunch
Angela S. Santos FVW Post 4781, 9401 SW 110th St., Ocala 11apm-2pm
The local VFW post dining room is open to the public, meals are prepped by VFW Auxiliary volunteers and proceeds benefit veterans in Marion County. The December 30 lunch menu features Philly cheese steaks for a special $12 price. For the weekly menu info, call (352) 873-4781.
Concert for Good
Marion Theater, 50. S Magnolia Ave., Ocala 8pm Two local nonprofit—Brother’s Keepers Mission and the Marion County Children’s Alliance— will benefit from this unique concert by brothers Caleb and Luke Lombardo along with guest singers and musicians. The siblings hope to double their donations from last year of nearly $8,000. Tickets are $20-$30, available from concertforgood.com
College of Central Florida, Webber Gallery, 3001 SW College Road, Ocala Daily 10m-4pm
This tradition of displaying model trains built and maintained by the local Ocala Model Railroaders’ Historic Preservation Society and is in its 26th year. Many of the model layouts are based on real-life Marion County landmarks, like Six Gun Territory. The display is free to all. For more info, CF.edu/Webber
Appleton Museum of Art, 4333 E Silver Springs Blvd., Ocala
Tuesday-Saturday 10am-5pm; Sunday 12pm-5pm
The Urban family’s premiere collection of Christmas decorations is on display on the first floor of the museum, and includes beautiful trees, the popular miniature Dickens Village plus nutcrackers, handmade caroler dolls and Santa dolls. The second floor will display trees decorated by area
community groups and businesses. For more info, appletonmuseum.org
Looking on the Brighter Side by Jennifer Weigel
Recreation and Parks Building, 828 NE Eighth Ave., Ocala Mon-Fri, 8am-5pm
Weigel’s multi-media artwork includes drawings, fibers, installation, paint, video and more to explores themes of beauty, identity and memory. Her exhibit will be on display and is free and open to the public. For more info, ocalafl.org/artincityspaces
Colorful Pleasures by Christine Dozier
Ocala International Airport, 5770 SW 60th Ave., Ocala
Hours vary per airport operations
Ocala resident Dozier exhibits a variety of work including landscapes, abstracts, still life and animal portraits. She works in oils and acrylics and studied at the Memphis College of Art. This is part of the City of Ocala Art in City Spaces program. For more info, visit ocalafl.org/artincityspaces
Blessed Be the Birds Clerk’s Office, 110 SE Watula Ave., Ocala Mon-Fri; 8am-5pm
Part of the Art in City Spaces program, Courtney Kravig-McGuire is a local artist with a special interest in showing the connection between nature and spirituality in her works. Her medium of choice is printmaking, and she has a BFA from the Herron School of Art & Design. Visit ocalafl.org/artincityspaces
DECEMBER 23 & 30
Courtyard Jams MCA Courtyard 23 W Broadway St., Ocala 6-9pm
Music, dancing, drumming, poetry and limbo. Free to all, Friday nights weekly.
DECEMBER 23
Shelby Lauren
Crazy Cucumber Market Street at Heath Brook, 4414 SW College Road, Ocala 6:30pm-9:30pm
Live acoustic music, food and drink.
Thunky Nershal
Mutiny Ocala 46 S. Magnolia Ave., Ocala 9 pm
Live rock and punk music, food and drink.
DECEMBER 23
Cam Wheaton
Homestead Park 1050 NE 6th Blvd., Williston 6-9pm
Live music, line dancing, food and drink.
DECEMBER 23
Dan Flok
The Yellow Pony World Equestrian Center Ocala, 1390 NW 80th Ave., Ocala 6-9pm Dinner, drinks, and entertainment.
DECEMBER 28
Sophie Noelle
The Yellow Pony World Equestrian Center Ocala, 1390 NW 80th Ave., Ocala 6-9pm
DECEMBER 29
Charity Cox
The Yellow Pony World Equestrian Center Ocala, 1390 NW 80th Ave., Ocala 6-9pm
DECEMBER 23
Steve Lopez
Crazy Cucumber Market Street at Heath Brook, 4414 SW College Road, Ocala 6:30pm-9:30pm
Lupe Frausto
Crazy Cucumber Market Street at Heath Brook, 4414 SW College Road, Ocala 6:30pm-9:30pm
Noah Hunton
Homestead Park 1050 NE 6th Blvd., Williston 6-9pm
Tim McCaig
The Yellow Pony World Equestrian Center Ocala, 1390 NW 80th Ave., Ocala 6-9pm
Ecliff Farrar/New Year’s Eve Bash Homestead Park 1050 NE 6th Blvd., Williston 6-9pm
By Rick Steves
When in southern Spain, I can’t resist popping into the British colony of Gibraltar. Gibraltar is hardly signposted in Spain, as if Spain wishes the British colony didn’t exist. (Drivers follow highway signs to La Linea, the last Spanish town.) But when you see that famous “Rock of Prudential” standing boldly above the sea, you know it’s here to stay.
The 30,000 people living along a 2.5-square-mile lip of land under the famous and strategic rock are happily English. And quirky Gibraltar is determinedly not Spanish. But while over 90 percent of its citizens chose to stay with Britain in a 2002 referendum, almost 96 percent chose to stay with the European Union during the 2016 Brexit referendum, showing the complicated position the colony faces going forward.
Along with being “not Spanish,” the colony is part British and part Gibraltarian. They have the big threepronged English electrical plugs, their own currency (it’s the pound sterlingbut, like Scotland, they have their own version), and their own Web domain (gi). Gibraltar’s Anglican Church is proudly “headquarters of the Anglican Church in Europe” (not very centrally located for the business of administering that vast parish).
The people have that typical British correctness - I got lectured by the woman at the tourist board for not giving them advance notice of my visit. They recently tried to change the name of what for many centuries has been known as the “Moorish Castle” to the “Medieval Castle” (but it is Moorish so it didn’t stick).
Gibraltar’s economy, once dominated by the military, is now based mostly on tourism. And that includes quickie weddings - “only 48 hours notice is required and it’s legally British.” Sean Connery got married here. And, of course, Beatles fans remember from the “Ballad of John and Yoko,” that Mr. and Mrs. Lennon, too, “got married in Gibraltar near Spain.”
While the British military presence is now dwarfed by the British sun-seeker presence, the colony is encrusted with military souvenirs - stout ramparts, war memorials, and 30 miles of defenserelated tunnels drilled into its rock. As you drive the military roads that switchback to the summit of the rock, you notice big, rusted iron rings spiked into the pavement every 20 yardsdesigned to enable soldiers to hoist up the giant cannons that once helped the
Brits seal off the Mediterranean.
The town of Gibraltar is pretty humble. Spaniards come for duty-free sugar, tobacco, and booze. For sightseers, the attraction here is the rock itself with its viewpoint on the summit, gregarious apes (actually a gang of about 200 tailless monkeys - whose presence here supposedly assured the continued British control of the colony), and siege galleries. Several hundred yards of the tunnels (drilled for military purposes over the centuries) are open, giving tourists a chance to hike across the face of the rock and actually peer out of the cannon holes back at Spain. A cable car lifts visitors to the summit, or you could join a taxi tour instead. Gibraltar’s taxi drivers are trained to give a fun circuit around the rock with several stops, grand views, and - the highlight for many - some fun with those precocious monkeys. The lift and the 90-minute taxi tour each cost about $40.
Old England seems to permeate the island. As we drove high above the port, my taxi driver pointed down to a tiny breakwater and said, “That’s where they pickled Admiral Nelson after the Battle of Trafalgar.” (While he won, Nelson died, too. According to legend, his body was preserved in a barrel of spirits for the trip back to London.)
The Gibraltar business sense is quirky. The hotels are twice as expensive as those across the border in Spain (and not as comfortable). For a decade I’ve said, “English food is no longer as bad as its reputation.” Now I’ll add: “...except in Gibraltar.” And the businesses pad their bottom line by gouging anyone who comes in and spends euros. Gibraltar business people say, “Sure, we take euros.” Later you realize it comes with about a 20 percent loss in the exchange rate.
Nevertheless, tourism is booming. Midday the pedestrianized main street (which locals call “Main Street”) is a virtual human traffic jam. And more planes are landing in the colony than ever before. While that only comes to a handful of planes a day, it’s now more important than ever that when you walk across the military airstrip that marks the border between Spain and this quirky remnant of the British Empire - you look left, right, and up.
(Rick Steves (www.ricksteves.com) writes European guidebooks, hosts travel shows on public TV and radio, and organizes European tours. This column revisits some of Rick’s favorite places over the past two decades. You can email Rick at rick@ricksteves.com and follow his blog on Facebook.)
Caroline King, MA, RMHCI caroline@ckingcounseling.com www.ckingcounseling.com 352.509.5576
means a facility that feels like home, close to home. No blaring televisions, no plastic chairs, no glass partition between you and the staff. Just a fireplace, a comfortable place to rest, and virtually no wait.
Patient-centered radiation oncology close to home
352.732.0277
352.861.2400 Inverness 352.726.3400 Lecanto 352.527.0106 RBOI.com
Specializing in trauma-informed therapy, relationship challenges, and life transitions.The craggy, famous Rock of Gibraltar overlooks its namesake town below. [Rick Steves/Rick Steves’ Europe]
DEAR MAYO CLINIC: I was diagnosed with an acoustic neuroma last year after I went to the doctor due to more frequent headaches. I read that surger y often is needed for these tumors, but my physician said I did not need to be treated. He suggested we reevaluate after imaging in a few months. Why would I not need to be treated?
ANSWER: An acoustic neuroma, more accurately called a vestibular schwannoma, is a relatively uncommon and benign tumor that grows on the balance, or vestibular, nerve. This nerve twines together with the hearing nerve and runs from your inner ear to your brain.
The tumor usually is diagnosed with imaging, such as an MRI, that is often performed because a patient noticed hearing loss in one ear. With improvements in technology and imaging availability, tumors are being diagnosed when they are smaller and causing fewer, if any, symptoms.
Increasingly, acoustic neuromas are being discovered as incidental findings when people undergo an MRI for unrelated reasons, such as chronic headache, multiple sclerosis or even during surveillance imaging for another unrelated tumor.
Most acoustic neuromas grow slowly, although the growth rate differs for each person and may vary from year to year. Some acoustic neuromas stop growing, and a few even spontaneously get smaller. The tumor does not invade the brain, but it may push against it as it enlarges.
E
gg creams are a beverage steeped in history and mystery. An iconic New York City drink, egg creams reached peak popularity in the early 1900s, particularly in Brooklyn and the Lower East Side of Manhattan, where soda fountains and candy shops dotted the streets, serving sodas, sundaes, and, of course, egg creams.
The origin of the name “egg cream” is murkier than its timeline. Some say it was inspired by the foam at the top of the drink, which looks like whipped egg whites. Others claim that a man who had recently returned from France, where he enjoyed a drink called “chocolat et creme,” ordered one at a New York soda fountain. He explained the recipe to the soda jerk working behind the counter, who misheard the name of the drink as “chocolate egg cream.”
Another possibility? Around the turn of the 20th century, many soda fountain drinks featured eggs or egg whites. It’s possible that the original egg cream did contain eggs, but they were removed during the Great Depression to make the drink more affordable. As egg creams were popular among the large Jewish American populations in Brooklyn and Manhattan, some believe that “egg cream” is an Americanization of “echt keem,” Yiddish for “pure sweetness.”
The true story is lost to time, but this historic beverage isn’t. And you don’t have to travel to New York to have one -- you can make it right in your own kitchen!
Chocolate egg creams are classic, but New Yorkers also enjoy a vanilla version, traditionally made with Fox’s U-Bet Vanilla Syrup, or a “black and white,” made with both chocolate AND vanilla syrups.
New York Chocolate Egg Cream Serves 1
Notes: Fox’s U-Bet Chocolate Syrup is traditionally used in New York egg creams, but you can substitute other brands of chocolate syrup. Do not use low-fat or skim milk in this recipe. For a salty-sweet combination, chocolate egg creams are sometimes served with a pretzel rod, especially in Brooklyn, New York.
2 tablespoons chocolate syrup
1/3 cup cold whole milk
2/3 cup cold plain seltzer
1 pretzel rod (optional)
1. Add chocolate syrup to glass. Pour milk on top. Use a long spoon to stir until well combined.
2. Pour in cold seltzer. Working quickly, stir mixture hard until well combined and thick layer of foam forms on top, about 30 seconds. Serve immediately with straw (if using) and pretzel rod (if using).
(For 25 years, home cooks have relied on America’s Test Kitchen for rigorously tested recipes developed by professional test cooks and vetted by 60,000 at-home recipe testers. The family of brands -- which includes Cook’s Illustrated, Cook’s Country, and America’s Test Kitchen Kids -- offers reliable recipes for cooks of all ages and skill levels. See more online at www.americastestkitchen.com/TCA.)
For many years, health care professionals thought surgical removal was the best treatment for everybody. But today, only some patients with acoustic neuroma will require surgery.
Beginning in the mid-1980s, focused radiation treatments, such as gamma knife radiosurgery, were shown to be safe and effective for certain patients. Other patients, however, who did not undergo surgery or radiation right away, had follow-up MRI scans that showed their tumor stopped growing without any treatment. Increasingly, health care professionals are concluding that, in some cases, no treatment may be just as good as or better in the long run than active intervention.
Symptoms of an acoustic neuroma typically include loss of hearing in one ear; ringing in the ear, or tinnitus; and unsteadiness while walking. Occasionally, facial numbness or tingling may occur. Rarely, large tumors may press on your brainstem, threatening vital functions.
A tumor can prevent the normal flow of fluid between your brain and spinal cord so that fluid builds up in your head. This condition is called hydrocephalus.
Treatment varies depending on the size and growth of the acoustic neuroma, symptoms, and your personal preferences.
The most common treatment options are:
Monitoring: If you have a small acoustic neuroma that isn’t growing or is growing slowly, and causes few or no signs or symptoms, your health care professional may decide to monitor it. It sounds like this is what has been recommended for your situation. Recent studies indicate that more than half of small tumors don’t grow after initial diagnosis, and a small percentage even shrink. Monitoring involves regular imaging and hearing tests, usually every six to 12 months at first. The main risk of monitoring is tumor growth and progressive hearing loss.
Stereotactic radiosurgery: This approach may be used if the acoustic neuroma is growing, with the goal of preventing further tumor growth. With stereotactic radiosurgery, a highly precise single dose of radiation is delivered to the tumor. The procedure’s success rate at stopping tumor growth is usually greater than 90%. It may increase the amount of hearing loss in the affected ear, but risk of creating new symptoms like facial weakness should be low. Radiation is generally not used for large tumors, and many health care professionals hesitate to use radiation in younger patients.
Open surgery: Surgical removal typically is recommended when the tumor is large or growing rapidly. This is a complex procedure, often performed by a team of at least two surgeons working together. Surgery seeks to remove as much of the tumor as possible while preserving the function of important nearby nerves and brain structures. If it can be removed without injuring the inner ear or hearing nerve, your remaining hearing may be preserved. Surgery risks include damage to the facial nerve, which is important for facial expression and closing your eye. Most patients find that their balance temporarily worsens after surgery, but it improves again over time. In general, the larger the tumor, the greater the chances of complications or of your hearing or facial nerve being affected.
Research in peripheral nerve tumors is ongoing in general and to compare the three treatment strategies. But based on long-term data, there appears to be surprisingly little difference in outcome no matter which treatment is chosen for smaller tumors. Talk to your health care team to make sure you are being monitored appropriately for your situation. -- Joseph Breen, M.D., Otorlaryngology -- Head and Neck Surgery, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, Florida
(Mayo Clinic Q & A is an educational resource and doesn’t replace regular medical care. E-mail a question to MayoClinicQ&A@mayo.edu. For more information, visit www.mayoclinic.org.)
Every summer from 2012 to 2016, Bruce MacFadden and a team of scientists accompanied K-12 teachers on an expedition to collect fossils around the Panama Canal. During this National Science Foundation funded professional development program, educators learned from paleontologists how to identify fossils and worked with scientists to develop lesson plans to bring back to their classrooms. These scientist-teacher partnerships continued long after the expedition ended, as scientists made visits to the teachers’ classrooms.
While many studies have documented how these types of programs benefit teachers, few have looked at the impact on participating scientists.
But a new case study led by MacFadden and published in the journal Evolution: Education and Outreach shows that after working with teachers, scientists improved their communication skills, had a better appreciation for the K-12 teaching professions, and many wanted to continue K-12 outreach as part of their careers. The participating scientists spanned many career levels, including graduate students, post-doctoral researchers and professors.
“Speaking for myself as a scientist, I also think the
excitement the teachers brought with them into the field reenergized us about our own work,” said MacFadden, distinguished professor and curator of vertebrate paleontology at the Florida Museum of Natural History and director of the University of Florida Thompson Earth Systems Institute.
“We also learned valuable lessons in patience and willingness to learn and grow from the teachers.”
Because of the documented benefits to teachers, and by extension K-12 students, several programs have prioritized funding for teacher professional development programs led by scientists. For example, from 1999-2011, the National Science Foundation’s GK-12 program awarded more than 300 grants for universities to host these programs in a variety of scientific fields.
During the Panama expeditions, more than 30 scientists and 44 teachers collected fossil vertebrates, invertebrates and plants. When they were not conducting field work, they attended talks, seminars and laboratory tours at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute. After a day’s work, scientists and teachers assembled at their hotel for poolside chats to reflect on what they learned that day and to plan for future activities.
In this case study, MacFadden and his team conducted both
qualitative interviews and focus groups and distributed quantitative e-surveys to find out how participating in the Panama expeditions with teachers and follow-up classroom visits impacted the scientists’ work.
All the scientists surveyed reported that working with teachers changed their understanding of teaching and learning, particularly in K-12 settings. Specifically, the scientists learned how to develop lesson plans and incorporate standards, how to make opportunities for learning fun and engaging and how to emphasize the importance of classroom management.
“My experiences working with teachers in the field and back in their classroom were among the highlights of my Ph.D. career,” said Catalina Pimiento Hernandez, a biologist and paleontologist at the University of Zurich who participated in the program.
Those that visited a classroom more than once after the field expedition ended reported that they became more comfortable working with students and were able to better communicate their ideas and answer questions.
“The experience demonstrated a pathway to merge my love for scientific research and discovery with education, especially K-12 education in low-income communities,” said Jeanette Pirlo, who was a graduate student during the field experience and
is now an assistant professor of evolutionary biology at California State University, Stanislaus.
“It also taught me what works well in classrooms and how to teach to my audience’s background knowledge and lifeexperiences, as opposed to just teaching the material.”
The key to making these programs effective and engaging, MacFadden said, is to ensure there is two-way communication between the scientists and teachers so that everyone’s expertise is valued equally.
“In this model, the teachers and scientists collaborate and learn together.”
While this case study is one of the first to document how these programs benefit scientists and teachers alike, MacFadden believes the literature will continue to grow. These mutual benefits were part of his inspiration for developing the Scientist in Every Florida School program, which matches teachers with scientists who can help them develop and deliver lesson plans on science topics.
“During our Panama project, we developed a model and framework that helped us develop best practices for subsequent successful scientist-teacher partnerships,” MacFadden said.
St. John Lutheran 66
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Trinity Catholic 2 4 Wildwood 66 Forest 60 North Marion 57 West Port 44 Dunnellon 60
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We’ve all had moments where we’ve felt we didn’t belong. But for people who moved to this country, that feeling lasts more than a moment. Together, we can build a better community. Learn how at BelongingBeginsWithUs.org