Ocala Gazette | July 20-26, 2020

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JULY 20 - JULY 26, 2020 | TWO DOLLARS

Hundreds of local medical professionals call for mask ordinances

By Brad Rogers Executive Editor

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People gather up posters and fliers of Connor Hoff, 16, who went missing on June 17 and was found July 15, during a community meeting held to help locate him at the Brick City Center for the Arts on Southwest Broadway Street in Ocala, Fla. on Tuesday, July 14, 2020. Hoff left a message on a computer stating that he would be back when he was 18. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette] 2020.

It takes a village Community effort leads to finding 16-year old Connor Hoff

By Brad Rogers Executive Editor

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hey turned out to help a heart-broken mother. They turned out because, as one person put it, it was “Every parent’s worst nightmare.”

They turned out because a child was missing, and no one knew where he was or whether he was safe.

That was on Tuesday night. A day later, 16-yearold Connor Hoff, who had

been missing since June 17, was found alive and OK in Utah. The family and police are not yet releasing details of what was behind Connor’s disappearance, nor are they revealing under what circumstances he was found.

That will come later, they said.

As of Wednesday, Connor was still in Utah in protective custody waiting for his family to come get him.

For those who had not

heard of Connor’s disappearance or the communitywide effort to locate him, it was remarkable.

Connor’s mother, Tammy Hoff, reached out to friends in the community and soon Connor Hoff ’s missing signs were along every street and road in Ocala/Marion County.

Gas pump video screens showed his picture to thousands of customers in the region, and computer experts – Connor was a sophisticated gamer and

computer user – went through the teen’s phone and computer looking for clues.

Tuesday night a community meeting was held in downtown Ocala and drew dozens of people offering to help join the search effort and expand it further.

Tammy Hoff told the Gazette the ordeal had been difficult. She said she was convinced Connor had been “coerced” by someone online to leave. When See Hoff, page 2

early 700 Marion County medical professionals – doctors, physicians assistants, nurses and others – have signed a petition they plan to present to city and county governing boards seeking ordinances that require masks be worn much of the time to stem the growing incidence of COVID-19 in our community.

“The members of this group respectfully request that our County and City Officials pass an ordinance requiring the use of face masks or face shields by the public in all indoor settings, and all outdoor settings when social distancing (six feet or more), cannot be achieved and maintained,” reads the petition that was started by a group of local doctors. “We believe that any violation of this ordinance should be limited to a civil infraction only, not criminally punishable.”

One of the organizers of the petition, Dr. David Kuhn, said the move to request the mask mandate came as coronavirus cases in Marion County began to spike in the past couple of weeks.

“This group of doctors began to get restless as our numbers began to jump over the past two weeks,” Kuhn said.

Since July 1, coronavirus cases in Marion County have more than tripled, and Thursday saw the biggest one-day number of new cases yet. The only way to begin to stem the rising numSee Mask, page 3

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JULY 20 - JULY 26, 2020 | OCALA GAZETTE

he left, he posted a note on his grandfather’s door saying he would be back when he was 18, that he needed to go find himself.

A neighbor reported seeing Connor get into a blue car, and that was the last anyone had seen of him until Wednesday.

“Parents need to know there are phone numbers out there that are untraceable,” Tammy Hoff said. “They need to know there are apps out there that are untraceable.”

She said she had noticed Connor exhibiting strange behaviors leading up to his disappearance but did not know what was causing them. He was on the computer a lot more. He became more distant.

But on Wednesday, Connor was found in Utah. Again, authorities and the family are not releasing details, but they are cheering the community’s rallying to the search effort.

Hundreds of signs were posted. Thousands of fliers were handed out. Online posts were updated with regularity.

“The community effort was amazing,” said Laurie Zink, a family friend who was speaking on behalf of Tammy Hoff after Connor being found. “People put up fliers, put out signs. Other people drove all over – Lakeland

and Tampa, all over.

But all along Tammy Hoff and Ocala Police Department Detective Dan Collier, who was investigating the boy’s disappearance, believed the answer to the mystery was in Connor’s computer or phone, which reportedly had been swept clean.

When after a month police and others had had no luck finding the answer they were looking for, Zink said a number of “very high-tech, very advanced young people, came together to help detectives.”

In the end, these young people who Zink described as sophisticated gamers and computer geeks were able to find things in the computers that OPD and others had not been able to find, and their findings led to locating Connor.

It was a tale of a community coming together, Zink said.

“The kids would not have gotten involved if they hadn’t seen what the rest of the community did,” she said.

“This same community now needs to allow this family time to heal so we can all learn from this experience.”

Tammy Hoff, Connor Hoff ’s mother, talks to people asking for their help.

[Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette] 2020.

People practice social distancing as they listen during a community meeting held to help locate Connor Hoff. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette] 2020.

Detective Daniel Collier of the Ocala Police Department, left, talks about Connor Hoff, 16, as Laurie Zink, right, listens during a community meeting held to help locate him at the Brick City Center for the Arts on Southwest Broadway Street in Ocala, Fla. on Tuesday, July 14, 2020. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette] 2020.

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JULY 20 - JULY 26, 2020 | OCALA GAZETTE

They call them experts for a reason

By Brad Rogers Executive Editor “Our liberty depends on the freedom of the press, and that cannot be limited without being lost.”

- Thomas Jefferson

Executive Editor Brad Rogers brad@ocalagazette.com Deputy Editor Bill Thompson bill@ocalagazette.com Photography Editor Bruce Ackerman bruce@ocalagazette.com

Publisher Jennifer Hunt Murty jennifer@magnoliamediaco.com Staff Writers Susan Smiley-Height susan@magnoliamediaco.com Lisa McGinnes lisa@magnoliamediaco.com Graphic Designers Simon Mendoza simon@magnoliamediaco.com Brooke Pace brooke@magnoliamediaco.com Marketing Manager Kylie Swope kylie@magnoliamediaco.com Marketing Coordinator Sabrina Fissell sabrina@magnoliamediaco.com Director of Sales & Promotions Lee Kerr lee@magnoliamediaco.com Account Executives Sarah Belyeu sarah@magnoliamediaco.com Evelyn Anderson evelyn@magnoliamediaco.com Skip Linderman skip@magnoliamediaco.com Client Services Guru Brittany Duval brittany@magnoliamediaco.com Distribution Dave Adams, Rick Shaw

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We also strive to serve as a forum where all voices can be heard and to chronicle our community’s history.

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hat is with all the dissing of good, smart, respected people these days?

The White House has launched a full-fledged assault against the character of Dr. Anthony Fauci.

All Fauci has done in his career is get us, that is, the country, through the AIDS scare of the 1980s.

Today, it is treatable, whereas contracting HIV was once a death sentence.

He also marshaled the country through H1N1 flu and Ebola. Now he’s trying to get us through COVID-19.

Yet, his own people, his own boss, for crying out loud, are trashing this national treasure.

Closer to home, some of our friends and neighbors don’t want to wear a mask to protect us from their germs – and protect them from our germs – as the number of coronavirus cases keeps gong up, up, up. A lot of the anti-mask-

ers don’t just oppose it, they are in full-throated histrionics yelping things like “it’s my constitutional right not to wear a mask.”

Whatever. It’s not.

Meanwhile, 700 doctors, nurses and other medical professionals from our community have signed a petition asking the County Commission, the Ocala City Council and the School Board to enact formal legislation requiring masks in indoor settings and outdoors when social distancing is impossible. The howls are sure to be loud and widespread.

Now Gov. Ron DeSantis and Education Commissioner Richard “I Love Charter Schools More than Public Schools” Corcoran are insisting that public schools open in August – ready or not.

Never mind they don’t have adequate cleaning capabilities or a centralized plan or any additional funding to do so.

Never mind that in every instance where large groups have gathered,

whether it be funerals or weddings or bars, an outbreak of the virus has followed. But now teachers have said they don’t think the state is ready to open schools in a safe way.

Let the demonizing begin. Yeah, schools are free day care for parents.

We get it. And sure, the economy can’t fully reopen if parents can’t go back to their jobs. And, of course, we know DeSantis is President Trump’s Mini Me on the response to the virus.

But …

The teachers are going to be the ones in classrooms with 20-30 kids.

They’re the experts on handling hordes of children. And while defenders of the idea of opening schools in the midst of a spike of virus cases defend the notion by saying kids don’t get COVID-19 like adults, have we ever put thousands of kids together in close quarters before?

Are we SURE there won’t be a major outbreak caused by asymptomatic youngsters carrying the virus from class to class and

then home? Do we? No. Here’s an idea for those trying to govern us while we deal with this oppressive, overbearing virus that seems to be dictating our lives in ways we never imagined. Maybe we should listen to the man who has been fighting infectious diseases on our behalf for 40 years. Maybe we should heed the medical advice of hundreds of medical professionals in our community who, in any other time, we trust with our health implicitly.

Maybe we should actually consider the thoughts of our teachers who, arguably, spend more time with our children than we do.

There’s a reason we call all these people experts.

Because they are. So, can we quit slapping them down and criticizing them when their ideas run against our comfort zone.

Maybe, just maybe, the experts know better than we do what they’re talking about. Just maybe.

omy open.”

The 1,750-word petition will be sent to the Marion County Commission, the Ocala City Council and the Marion County School Board requesting each board enact an ordi-

Association, the Centers for Disease Control, the World Health Organization, and many other organizations.”

It goes on to cite numerous studies that show in places where face mask mandates have been implemented there were dramatic declines in the spread of the virus, and in some cases cut the number of new infections to near zero.

“The scientific evidence and the governing bodies of health and medicine referenced above demonstrate overwhelming support of the effectiveness of face masks in significantly reducing the spread of COVID-19, while serving as the primary mitigation measure in an open and vibrant economy operating during a pandemic. But masks will only work to slow the spread if a vast majority of our citizens wear them,” the petition reads.

Kuhn and his fellow petition supporters intend to appear before the City Council on Tuesday.

They plan to argue that without widespread use of masks, the virus will only intensify and grow, and the community will

incur dramatic health and economic losses.

The petition also rejects the notion that because enforcing a mask ordinance would be difficult, it should not deter elected officials from supporting an ordinance. There are plenty of ordinances on the books, they say, that are difficult to enforce, yet they are good ideas and in the community’s best interest.

Finally, the petition concludes: “Collectively, we should all be in support of mitigation measures such as wearing face masks in public, social distancing and frequent hand-washing during a pandemic and it has become apparent that ‘strong recommendations’ in favor of wearing masks are having no impact on community spread. In fact, we are in a worse position now than at any point during this entire pandemic. We trust that you, our local leaders and elected officials, will respect our medical community’s opinion on this matter, as we will collectively be forced to confront and contend with the shortcomings of any inaction within our hospitals and intensive care units.”

From Mask, page 1 ber of cases is to get the majority of people wearing masks in pubic, Kuhn said.

“If this trend stays as it is,” Kuhn said, “our numbers are going to just get bigger and bigger. I really worry, as do a lot of other doctors, is what happens in our hospitals.”

Kuhn, an internist, said while local hospitals have adequate numbers of ventilators, medications and protective equipment, he worries about there being enough hospital beds long term and, more important, enough health care workers to sustain a drawn-out rise in pandemic numbers in Marion County.

“It’s really emotionally exhausting … because we’re worried about our own lives and worried whether we’re going to bring this virus home to our families,” he said. “If we don’t try to mitigate this, this is just going to go on for months. So, if we want to prevent another lockdown, we feel the only way to do that is through more masking.

“It will result in fewer lives lost. It will reduce our hospitalization burden. It’s the only way to attempt to keep our econ-

“If this trend stays as it is, our numbers are going to just get bigger and bigger.”

-Dr. David Kuhn

nance or policy mandating masks be worn. It cites widespread support for masks across the medical community: “The basis of these recommendations stems not only from the expertise of your local physicians and health care providers.

The universal use of face masks and strict application of social distancing to reduce the transmission of COVID-19 has been publicly recommended by the American Medical Association, the American Hospital Association, the American Nurses

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JULY 20 - JULY 26, 2020 | OCALA GAZETTE

Going strong at 125 years

By Susan Smiley-Height Staff Writer

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t was on July 11, 1895, that the Ocala Elks Lodge received its charter to become Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks (BPOE) Lodge No. 286. Current members of the organization recently hosted a celebration, on July 11, of that significant 125-year milestone.

The national BPOE was founded in New York City on Feb. 16, 1868.

According to the website, the order was founded “To promote and practice the four cardinal virtues of charity, justice, brotherly love and fidelity; to promote the welfare and enhance the happiness of its members; to quicken the spirit of American patriotism and cultivate good fellowship.”

The Ocala Elks Lodge got its start in 1894, with a group headed

by Robert Portridge, who became the first exalted ruler. The exalted ruler is the president and executive officer of the lodge and is responsible for operations, programs and social activities, and presides at each lodge session.

Local lodge members have met at seven locations, including the Carmichael Building, Sam Pyles Funeral Home, Luke Underwood’s Pool Parlor, the Rathskellar Bar, the Clarkson house and a property on the corner of Silver Springs Boulevard and Northeast 25th Avenue. The lodge has been at the spacious campus at 702 NE 25th Ave. since 1999.

The current exalted ruler is Mike Rolls, a longtime leader within the Marion County Sheriff ’s Office, who

holds the rank of major and works in investigations. He has been a member of the lodge for five years.

“I wanted to be involved in an organization that gave back,” he said. “With the Elks, we do a lot for our children, our veterans and our community.”

According to Rusty Gilmore, a 50-year Elk and former exalted ruler in Reno, Nevada, and current Ocala lodge secretary, Elks organizations in the state support two major charities, Florida Elks Children’s Therapy Services and the Florida Elks Youth Camp.

The therapy program provides in-home physical and occupational therapy.

“We have 28 vans that travel throughout the state, each with a licensed therapist, providing free therapeutic care for any child that needs it,” Gilmore noted. “In addition, we have the Florida Elks Youth Camp in Umatilla, one of the best in the nation. Any child in the state of Florida, between the ages of 8 and 13, can go to that camp. No child is ever turned away because of inability to pay.”

The Ocala lodge also supports area veterans through donations to organizations such as Veterans Helping Veterans and Welcome Home Vets, and local students through scholarships.

It was a different outreach, however, that first attracted the attention of Ruben Lamb, who has been a lodge member for 48 years. In that time, he has served as exalter ruler and organized the recent 125th anniversary celebration.

“When I first became aware of

what the Elks did other than the social side, I was interested on the lodge side, the helping vets side and the different charitable sides,” Lamb stated. “I got initiated and one of the things back then was a blood bank so when any member of the lodge would need blood, they didn’t have to pay for it. It came out of our reserves. So, I went down the next day and started giving blood.

Before I became unable to give anymore, I donated 20 gallons of blood to the Elks.”

In acknowledgement of the 125th anniversary, the City of Ocala and Marion County Board of County Commissioners presented proclamations to Rolls.

“It was a great honor and, when I got the proclamations, I told them it’s very rare in these days and times to find an organization that has lasted this long,” Rolls Mike Rolls photo courtesy of Ocala Elks Lodge said. “We believe that Elks care and Elks share. We’re “As the future evolves, I look forsharing; we’re still strong. It is great ward to seeing the Ocala Elks Lodge being part of an organization that is become more and more involved in organized and has core values and activities throughout our commuprinciples in line because, somenity,” he added.

“I thank the memtimes, like in these trying times, all bers, the Elks organization and my of that becomes important. It’s nice leadership team for their hard work to be in an organization that has it and dedication in making this lodge together like that.” as successful as it is and as successful In looking ahead for the lodge, as it’s going to be in the future.” which has 921 active members, Rolls said his hope is that the membership will continue to grow so they can To learn more about the organiza“carry out our wonderful programs tion, visit www.elks286.org into the future.”

Good news and bad news

By Brad Rogers Executive Editor

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he bad news: Marion County is seeing an unyielding spike in coronavirus cases – so much so that the number of cases has tripled since the first of the month and almost doubled over the past week.

The good news: Few of the growing numbers of sick people are dying, and local hospitals currently have capacity to handle more virus victims, if the current spike continues.

Dr. Michael Torres, chief medical officer at AdventHealth Ocala, described the local hospital as “an outlier” because it continues to have capacity for new patients in both its 52-bed COVID-19 unit, as well as its ICU unit, while a growing number of Florida hospitals are being maxxed out with new COVID-19 cases. This, despite seeing the number of cases in Marion County almost doubling over the past 10 days and seeing the single highest one-day totals of deaths and new cases.

“What we’re finding is the general population (in Marion County) is

getting it. … They’re not sick enough to be hospitalized, but they’re getting it. So, we’re seeing an explosion, but we’re not seeing hospitalizations (like other communities).”

At Ocala Health’s two hospitals, Ocala Regional and West Marion, officials said they too are seeing more coronavirus patients, but the majority of intensive care unit patients coming into the hospitals have been for maladies other than the virus.

“It’s important for our community to understand that bed capacity is a fluctuating figure depending on the care needed by our patients on any given day, and that prior to the current pandemic, our ICU bed usage and hospital bed capacity usage rates were often high,” said Lauren Debick, Ocala Health spokeswoman.

“Over the last few weeks, the majority of our ICU patients have been admitted for health concerns unrelated to COVID-19.”

While Ocala Health officials declined to be interviewed about the current situation, Torres said at AdventHealth they are getting a better grasp of how to treat the virus, and the result is positive.

“The death rate is dropping,” he said. “I think that’s because we in health care are learning how to mitigate it. We know it requires a multipronged approach. The knowledge gained on how to attach the disease has led to an improvement in the survival rate because we have developed this multi-pronged approach to treatment.”

He explained that doctors now know COVID-19 attacks the body in various ways, including robbing the body of oxygen, causing inflammation of a person’s organs and causing blood clots.

Moreover, Torres and Debick both said local hospitals have adequate bed space for even more COVID-9 cases, as well as sufficient personal protective equipment (PPE) and the various medications used to combat the virus. What concerns Torres, as well as a group of physicians leading a petition drive in the community to make masks required in public, is the toll the growing numbers of cases is having on the medical staffs of area hospitals.

“Every hospital in the county is stretching its staff,” Torres said.

And while staffing is adequate right now, he said the existing health care workers cannot go on indefinitely working the kinds of hours and days the current spike is demanding.

Dr. David Kuhn, who is among the organizers of the mask petition, appealed to “anti-maskers” to wear a mask if for no other reason than to help local health care workers.

“We’re really just saying, ‘Please, it will have a positive effect on health care workers.’ I can’t think of a thing that is more patriotic than wearing a mask to protect your fellow Americans.

“You hear a lot about the hospitals being where the fight is be fought. But the hospitals are really the last line of defense. Out in the public is the front lines of the fight.”

Torres agreed. As he finished his interview, he interjected this: “Please ask the community to give strong consideration to wearing a mask.

That’s the biggest thing people can do – wash your hands frequently, cover your face and don’t touch your mouth and nose.”

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JULY 20 - JULY 26, 2020 | OCALA GAZETTE

‘Endangered’ designation could reignite old debate about the future of the Ocklawaha River

The Ocklawaha River is shown from the top of the Sharpes Ferry Bridge in Sharpes Ferry, Fla. on Wednesday, July 15, 2020. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette] 2020.

By Bill Thompson Deputy Editor

A

longtime conservation group has declared the Ocklawaha River to be among the most imperiled rivers in America in 2020.

It’s No. 9, in fact.

The reason: the 52-yearold Kirkpatrick Dam that created the 9,500-acre Rodman Reservoir, which to anglers is reportedly one of the best largemouth bass fishing havens in Florida, but which to conservationists is an environmental tragedy.

American Rivers added the Ocklawaha River to its annual “most endangered rivers” list, published since 1984, after the advocacy of Erika Ritter and Lisa Rinaman. Ritter is a Eureka resident who has run charter-boat trips on the Ocklawaha, Silver and St. Johns rivers since 1983, while Rinaman is the chief spokeswoman for the St. Johns Riverkeeper environmental group.

The designation will likely rekindle the debate over whether to tear down the

Kirkpatrick Dam – a brawl that Craig Pittman, the leading environmental journalist in Florida, described earlier this month as “Florida’s longest-running environmental wrangle.”

“Marion County really needs an eye-opener to know what’s going on with the river,” Ritter explained of why she petitioned American Rivers to add the Ocklawaha to its survey.

“Most of Marion County doesn’t understand what Rodman Dam has done to it.”

Rodman Dam was the 7,200-foot facility’s original name when it was constructed in 1968 as part of the Cross Florida Barge Canal.

Although President Richard Nixon killed the canal project in 1971, at the urging of Florida environmentalists, the dam has remained. It was renamed for the late state Sen. George Kirkpatrick, who vigorously fought to retain it for fishermen.

Ritter, like other activists, wants the dam torn down to restore the Ocklawaha’s

natural flow.

In its report, American Rivers notes, “Decades of federal and state agency science, agency recommendations — from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers,

“Most of Marion County doesn’t understand what Rodman Dam has done to it.”

-Erika Ritter

U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Florida Department of Environmental Protection and St. Johns River Water Management District — two environmental impact statements and more than 30 conservation organizations across the

Ron Connelly of Morriston, left, and his two children, Elizabeth, 13, center, and Brice, 15, go kayaking together as they leave the Ocala Boat Basin to float down the Ocklawaha River. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette] 2020.

state support improving river health by breaching the earthen dam at the historic Ocklawaha River channel.”

“This plan would restore river and spring flows and improve water quality and floodplain function. …

A free-flowing Ocklawaha River would reconnect Florida’s iconic Silver Springs to the Atlantic Ocean, providing habitat and restoring migration for American eel, American shad, channel catfish, striped bass, Atlantic sturgeon and endangered shortnose sturgeon to their primary spawning habitat. … It would make North Florida waters from Silver Springs to the St. Johns Estuary more resilient to impacts of climate change, including rising seas and saltwater intrusion.”

The group urges Gov. Ron DeSantis to heed the recommendations of both the Florida Department of Environmental Protection and the St. Johns River Water Management District, both of which support “partial restoration” of the

river’s flow.

Besides losing what anglers believe is a vital fishing hole, one argument against breaching the dam is that it would overload the 74-milelong Ocklawaha River with pent-up and potentially damaging nutrients.

Ritter noted there is “some truth” to that. But, she added, “Nobody knows what the real river will do once it’s restored.”

Ironically, the anglers make the same point.

When Pittman asked Putnam County Commissioner Larry Harvey, who doubles as executive director of the Save Rodman Reservoir group, which wants the dam preserved, what may happen to the bass in the reservoir if the river were allowed to flow naturally, Harvey replied, “We don’t know what would happen.”

While neither side is quite sure of the future if their argument prevails, Ritter is utterly convinced that the man-made blockage has caused significant problems upstream.

“Rodman Dam is the reason it’s in trouble,” Ritter said.

An unidentified man gives a thumbs-up as he goes fishing along the banks of the Ocala Boat Basin near the Ocklawaha River at Ray Wayside Park in Silver Springs, Fla. on Wednesday, July 15, 2020. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette] 2020.

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JULY 20 - JULY 26, 2020 | OCALA GAZETTE

County Commission seeks to empower homeowners with revised building code

By Bill Thompson Deputy Editor

T

he Marion County Commission is mulling changes to the local building code that could streamline the administrative burden on homeowners and contractors, while at the same time imposing limits on how much work can be done and who does it.

On one hand, commissioners are weighing expanding the list of projects at single-family homes that are exempt from county permitting requirements. And with the exemption, the project also would not have to be inspected once completed.

On the other hand, the board may cap the dollar amount of such work that can be done in a year at half the level allowed by the Florida Building Code, which guides construction in Marion County. Moreover, homeowners must affirm in writing that they will hire only licensed contractors, which would limit options on whom they can hire.

The local building industry gave mixed reviews of the changes.

Contractors applauded the efforts to reduce paperwork and tighten restrictions on unlicensed work.

But they maintained that the proposed yearly dollar ceiling was

too low.

The board directed staff to review the in light of the objections. Commissioners will reconsider the revisions for final approval on Tuesday.

At a recent commission session, county Building Safety Director Mike Savage said installation of water heaters were a key reason for the proposed code amendments.

Savage noted that a survey earlier this year of his department’s inspections of new water heaters revealed two out of every three failed – the fixing of which ate up time for homeowners, contractors and inspectors.

Seeking to improve that process, he said, the agency explored permit exemptions for “like-for-like” swaps of electric water heaters.

Consequently, the department hashed out a list of other projects that could be done without permits.

The proposed change would grow the number of allowable exemptions from 11, as currently found in the state building code, to 36, including new administrative bypasses for electrical work, according to Savage.

Besides water heaters, for instance, the code would excuse permits for: • Replacing doors so long as the frame remains the same • Replacing kitchen cabinets as long as the switch is exact and

does not reconfigure existing electrical or plumbing work • Fixing up to 100 square feet of roof • Rescreening of existing screen room, lanai or swimming pool “cage” • Installing or replacing a thermostat • Repairing or replacing d existing plumbing fixtures and appliances, including dishwashers, faucets and sinks • Repairing or replacing electrical fixtures such as light switches, ceiling fans or outlets.

The trade-off for a lighter regulatory load is that the dollar amount of work is capped.

Although the state building regulations allow homeowners up to $5,000 in annual improvements, the proposed ordinance sets a ceiling of $2,500.

Assistant County Attorney Dana Olesky said that was based on an informal survey of the maximum allowed by other communities.

Additionally, homeowners whose projects exceed that threshold in a year would be required to obtain a permit, she said.

Another provision would mandate homeowners to certify that they hire licensed contractors.

Savage said even though a permit

or inspection would not be necessary that requirement ensures the work is done safely.

He added that, even with an exemption, homeowners may request an inspection.

During the public comment period, Salt Springs resident Jack Stackman, a regular at commission meetings, noted the building code grants rights to homeowners, and that more consideration needed to be given to do-it-yourselfers.

State Rep. Stan McClain, the executive officer of the Marion County Building Industry Association, told the board that, based on his experience in Tallahassee, he was confident that the $5,000 ceiling had been thoroughly vetted, including by insurers. McClain also raised issues of how the forms should be submitted, such as whether doing so electronically was doable, which seemed contrary to the intent of the changes.

Ultimately, commissioners leaned toward incorporating some of the critics’ recommendations.

“I think that we’ve definitely got some work to do as far as the ordinance we have before us,” said commission Chairwoman Kathy Bryant.

“I think it’s more contractor-driven, where it needs to be more homeowner-driven.”

Where Can We Effect the Most Change?

By Allison B. Campbell, Director of Strategic Communications, Community Foundation for Ocala/ Marion County

S

ir Winston Churchill once said, “We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.” The vivid image of living through giving resonates throughout our community, one known for its philanthropy. For generations, families have handed down legacies of giving, and that spirit is alive and well, even today.

The economic challenges experienced around the world this spring hit our community hard. But giving may not change right away as much as some might expect. While local businesses and donors, surveyed by the Community Foundation for Ocala/Marion County, said they had been impacted by the downturn, more than 65 percent said they did not expect a decrease in their giving to meet local needs.

“I always ask myself, where do I want to effect the most change,” offers LuAnne Warren, partner with Brick City Digital Marketing and vice president at USA4Sale Networks. “We, like many others, are reevaluating

everything right now.”

More than 85 percent of individuals said they choose the causes they support because of personal passions or specific needs they encounter.

“Our office is on the way to Interfaith (Emergency Services),” Warren explains, “so we see homeless people all the time knocking on our door. We obviously have a desire to help them.”

Thousands of dollars and millions of volunteer hours from individuals and corporate businesses filter to local nonprofits each year.

“Writing company checks is one thing, but we want our team more involved in giving back to our community,” affirms Rusty Branson, CenterState Bank’s community president in Marion County. “It’s the right thing to do.”

While needs and desires to give haven’t changed, what may change is how gifts are given. Roughly 20 percent of individuals surveyed said they probably won’t buy fundraising event tickets, at least for the next few months.

“The future of event-based fundraising is unknown right now,” offers Jaye Baillie, executive director of the Marion Cultural Alliance. “We had to cancel four events this spring that

help fund our activities all year long.

We are learning new ways to make up those dollars.”

The autumn months in Marion County historically are packed with events and activities, especially on the University of Florida football’s “bye weekend” in October. Now, with nonprofits rescheduling their spring events and the already planned fall calendar, it is possible people are going to make budgeting and scheduling choices they’ve never had to consider before. And events that are scheduled may have attendance limitations due to social distancing requirements.

As nonprofits plan fundraisers, individual ticket purchasers aren’t the only ones to think about. Businesses that sponsor events may be shifting their giving budgets. Branson says they don’t expect to decrease the amount they give this year, but they do plan to reallocate dollars to nonprofits specifically addressing COVID-19 related needs.

Like Branson, most business leaders agreed nonprofit giving in 2020 will hold steady, but nearly 35 percent of businesses surveyed said they expect to decrease their gifts, totaling more than $100,000 not going to nonprofits this year. Even for those who aren’t decreasing their giving this year, next

year could be a very different picture.

As companies enter their 2021 budget planning and look to where they can give, they just aren’t on the same pace financially as when they budgeted last year. We could be in for some very challenging years in 2021-2022, but the Community Foundation and the nonprofits it supports are holding out hope that won’t be the case.

From specific connections with causes near and dear to one’s heart to relationships with friends and family sharing passions for needs, one thing resonated clearly throughout the surveys—relationships.

“While our college-aged kids have been home at this time, we have seen them giving back,” Warren asserts.

“We always encouraged them to be generous, and we can see the fruits of those conversations.” Those links in relationships are the most valuable considerations.

As we get through to the other side of this challenging time, some needs may look different, and some services may be delivered in a new way. It’s important to stay connected to those impacted the most and optimistic that this community and our nonprofits can rebound. We will get through this as a stronger community.

JULY 20 - JULY 26, 2020 | OCALA GAZETTE

7

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8

JULY 20 - JULY 26, 2020 | OCALA GAZETTE

Saving Mercy makes strides toward helping alleviate homeless issue in downtown Ocala

Tommy Amodeo of A&A The Art of Destruction operates an excavator as he demolishes the front building at Saving Mercy. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette] 2020.

By Bill Thompson Deputy Editor

S

aving Mercy bills itself as “help and hope” for Ocala’s homeless.

Of course, the local homeless could use plenty of both.

And in recent days the nonprofit, born as a ministry of Blessed Trinity Catholic Church, made a significant move to bring its mission statement to life, especially for those who struggle with chronic homelessness.

Saving Mercy recently began demolishing part of the former Motor Inns and RV Park at Interstate 75 and State Road 40, which it acquired in May 2018 for $2.3 million, as its next step in creating the Mercy Inn and RV Park.

Based on its current plans, which are still under review by city officials, the new facility will feature 35 “tiny house” duplexes as well as about a dozen family units and five small apartment buildings.

Steve Farrell, Saving Mercy’s first vice president and currently a board member, said “financial constraints” will limit the initial thrust of the project.

Still, the group expects to start by building 22 duplex units, an administration building, which is the immediate priority of the next phase, and a laundry facility.

“The city needs this for very obvious reasons,” Farrell said. “All you have to do is drive downtown. We absolutely need it.”

The Rev. Pat Sheedy, pastor of Blessed Trinity, has long championed efforts to aid Ocala’s homeless. Saving Mercy, in time, should have an impact on a major part of this protracted problem, he said.

“We as a community never lost sight of the need to help the chronic homeless. We always like feeding people, or helping people, but that’s just passing Bandaids,” said Sheedy.

“This is the first time that we can help the chronic homeless get back to a normal life. We have strong leadership on the board that wants to give the down and out a chance to get back to normal life. And I think the community will see it as a great benefit for humanity.”

Ocala’s business community, he added, should see it as beneficial as well, in helping address a longterm concern of downtown merchants.

Farrell said the group has adopted the “Housing First” model for the Mercy Inn. Housing First, as the name implies, prioritizes the most obvious need: putting homeless folks, including families, under a secure roof that is individual to them, and not a group setting.

Typically with Housing First, all comers are welcome, and without requirements, except for signing a lease. Only designated sexual predators are forbidden.

Once situated, clients are assigned case workers and services are made available.

Those include things like mental health or substance

abuse treatment or counseling, like skills classes, assistance obtaining employment, spiritual guidance and planning for a long-term solution to the person’s housing issue.

Farrell said he personally likes Housing First because of its success rate.

According to the National Coalition to End Homelessness, Housing First operates two basic models: “permanent supportive housing,” which deals with people who have experienced repeated or long-term homelessness, and “rapid re-housing,” which is short-term rental assistance and services.

The coalition reports that studies show the permanent-supportive model boasts a “long-term housing retention rate” approaching 98 percent. As for rapid re-housing, studies say people “exit” homelessness relatively quickly, and 75 percent to 91 percent of them are still in a home a year later.

Downtown business owners should be among those who most want Saving Mercy to succeed, Farrell said, because they are most affected by the homeless problem plaguing the heart of the city.

Saving Mercy has needed to continue operating the motel to have a revenue stream. But some lucrative real estate deals also have enabled the group to make quick work of its debt.

Public records show the nonprofit sold a portion of its land last August to KFC Ocala LLC for $507,500.

Farrell said the shovels should go in the ground soon to begin building a new KFC restaurant at the front of the site.

Meanwhile, Farrell said the group has another parcel under contract for $400,000 with a company to build a “dollar-type” store there.

That project is wending through the permitting and zoning process.

By December, he added, the group should have just $300,000 left to pay on the property.

Meanwhile, Saving Mercy’s own zoning change is tentatively scheduled to go before the city’s Planning and Zoning Commission on Aug. 10. If approved, two hearings before the City Council are set for September.

Jim Hilty, now a Saving Mercy board member, was an Ocala city councilman when the group launched.

He was one of its first contacts as plans developed.

Hilty recalled that at the time Rev. Sheedy and other advocates were working with the city to establish a daytime pavilion in town to serve the homeless. The City Council later rejected the plan after Hilty left the council.

Torpedoing the pavilion plan only exacerbated the downtown homeless issue, Hilty maintained, but Saving Mercy, once established, could fill the void left by its defeat.

“Obviously, there’s always a need for permanent housing somewhere. But the need is to get them counsel-

ing first, and that’s severely lacking all over the place.

We had to do something to give them a place to gather away from the parking lots, and give them some ability to have some counseling,” Hilty said.

“We’re doing a good service to the community.

We realize we can only be part of the solution. But we’re ready to roll, except for not having the money,” he added. “Eventually, if we can continue at a good pace, it’s going to be a housing development, with multiple counselors working with the people to try and move them to some sort of permanent housing somewhere.”

Being only part of the solution means others must help, said Farrell.

“Usually when people see stuff coming out of the ground, and they see positive things happening, I think people are passionate enough to say, ‘Wow, these people are really doing the right thing,’ and jump on board,” said Farrell.

“My hope is that we get the rest of the county and city on board with this. For us to be successful, we have to have everybody in Marion County jump on board,” he added.

“Helping the homeless isn’t one organization’s job.

It’s the community’s. And I really believe when people see what we’re trying to do there, Saving Mercy could be the poster child for helping the homeless.”

““

““

JULY 20 - JULY 26, 2020 | OCALA GAZETTE

Not just another just another bank.Not CenterState bank. CenterState knows that actions knows that actions meanmean everything. everything.

-Rusty Branson, President -Rusty Branson, President

Lawrence Dixon, a resident of Saving Mercy, watches from outside of his room as Tommy Amodeo of A&A The Art of Destruction demolishes the front building at Saving Mercy. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette] 2020.

CenterStateBank.com

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CenterStateBank.com CenterState Bank N.A. NMLS# 403455 CenterStateBank.com CenterState Bank N.A. NMLS# 403455

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Property pictured - 60+/- Acres in Micanopy 0 NW 210 Street, Micanopy, FL 32667 • OM543470

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10

JULY 20 - JULY 26, 2020 | OCALA GAZETTE

Community Break Spot Dates Summer Marion County Public Libraries Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays | 5-6pm Vary Free meals for children ages 1-18 are offered at Marion

County Public Libraries. Mondays: Reddick and Fort McCoy; Tuesdays: Belleview; Thursdays: Dunnellon and Freedom; Fridays: Headquarters and Forest. Meals are sponsored by the USDA and provided by Shores Assembly of God. If children are not present, parents/guardians must bring their IDs. Call (352) 671-8551 for more information.

Misty Risko, a librarian, serves free dinners during the Summer BreakSpot program at the Belleview Public Library in Belleview, Fla. on Tuesday, June 30, 2020. The members of the Belleview Public Library staff were busy serving and giving away 50 free dinners for kids in Belleview on Tuesday evening. The Summer BreakSpot program is hosted by the Marion County Public Library System and has been sponsored by the USDA for the past three years. The meals were prepared by the Shores Assembly of God Church. The ongoing free meals program runs from June 8 to July 27 and is offered at seven Marion County libraries across the county. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette] 2020.

7/21

@KOONTZ.COM

Ocala/Marion County Chamber & Economic Partnership (CEP), 310 SE 3rd Ave. or on Facebook Live 8:15am Feeling overwhelmed on how to protect yourself and your family from illness? Jamie Schofield, MA and Ashlee Seek, DNP present four areas of focus when boosting your body’s defense. RSVP to andrea@cep.com.

7/21

Biz Promoters Networks Group

7/21

2020 Candidate Debate

7/22

1 Million Cups Ocala

7/22, 24

Volunteer Management Workshop

7/22

Dual Enrollment Virtual Information Session

7/23

Summer Sweat Series

Since 1919

ON INSTAGRAM

Tuesday Talks: Lifestyle Practices for Strengthening Your Immunity

Power Plant Business Incubator, 405 SE Osceola Ave. 11:30am-12:30pm Bring your own lunch. Email tom@ocalacep.com for more information.

Southeastern Livestock Pavilion Extension Auditorium, 2232 NE Jacksonville Rd. 6-10pm Local candidate for offices including Property Appraiser, County Commission Districts 1 and 3 and School Board District 1 debate the issues. Call (352) 694-4133 for more information.

Power Plant Business Incubator, 405 SE Osceola Ave. 9:30-10:30am Two local startups present their business idea to an audience of community entrepreneurs. Email ryan@ocalacep.com for more information.

Community Foundation Ocala Marion County - virtual July 22, Part 1; July 24, Part 2 | 1-2:30pm Presented by Michelle Turman, MA, CFRE, this workshop is part of the Nonprofit Academic Series by the Edyth Bush Institute for Philanthropy & Nonprofit Leadership at the Crummer Graduate School of Business at Rollins College.

Register with kelsie@ocalafoundation.org to receive a Zoom invitation.

College of Central Florida – virtual 6pm High school students and parents are invited to learn about how to earn high school and college credit at the same time.

Email dualenrollment@cf.edu for information on how to join this Zoom meeting.

Paddock Mall, 3100 SW College Rd. 9-10am Free community yoga classes with local instructors, limited to 15 participants. Advance registration required; call (352) 2371223. www.paddockmall.com

11

JULY 20 - JULY 26, 2020 | OCALA GAZETTE

7/23

Brick City Farmers Market

7/24 7/25

7/23 -25 7/24 7/24

7/24

7/25 -8/1

7/20

7/21 7/21 7/21

7/21

Hospital District Board of Trustees & Munroe Regional Health System Committees

Marion County Friday Market

7/21

Marion County Commission Zoning Meeting

Ocala Downtown Market

7/21

Community Redevelopment Area Agency Board Meeting

Beautiful Moments, 3400 SW 60th Ave. 4-8pm Farmers and artisan vendors offer fresh produce, herbs, pasta, eggs, and baked goods as well as locally crafted soaps and jewelry. Masks required. www.brickcityfarmersmarket.com

McPherson Government Complex, 601 SE 25th Ave. 9am-2pm Shop locally fresh fruits and veggies, cinnamon buns, jerky, freeze dried treats, olive oils and seafood.

SE 3rd Street and SE 3rd Avenue 9am-2pm A variety of vendors offer local fruits and vegetables, meats and seafood, fresh pasta, honey, arts and crafts, rain or shine. www.ocaladowntownmarket.com

Arts

7/21

Belleview City Commission Meeting

7/23

Marion County Development Review Committee Staff Meeting

7/23

Ocala 2035 Vision Leadership Group Meeting

Levitt AMP Virtual Music Series

Online via www.levitt.org 8pm This week’s online concert features The Deep Hollow, a folky acoustic trio from Springfield, Illinois. Ocala was awarded the Levitt Foundation’s free concert series for a fourth year in 2020, but the live shows are postponed. www.levitt.org

The Violet Sisters

The Sharon L. Morse Performing Arts Center – virtual 7pm Two sisters reunite after Hurricane Sandy and learn to forgive when they cannot forget in this realistic comedy filmed at The Studio Theatre Stage and offered online. Visit www.thesharon. com for tickets.

Art in the Attic

Brick City Center for the Arts, 23 SW Broadway St. Saturdays 11am-4pm; Monday-Friday 10am-5pm Shop Marion Cultural Alliance’s annual tag sale fundraiser to find donated paintings, prints, drawings and photographs at yard sale prices. Visit www.mcaocala.org or call (352) 3691500 for more information. www.mcaocala.org

Government

Marion County Public Hearing

McPherson Government Complex Auditorium, 601 SE 25th Ave. 10am Public hearing to discuss community development block grant, HOME Investment Partnership and Emergency Shelter/ Solutions Grant action plan. Call (352) 671-8770 for more information.

Office of the County Engineer Bldg 1 Conference Room, 412 SE 25th Ave. 8:30am Applicants may discuss proposed or current projects with county review staff prior to meeting formally with the Development Review Committee. Call (352) 671-8686 for more information.

Virtual on Zoom at https://zoom.us/j/91420467533 11:30am Email dboston@ocalafl.org or call (352) 629-8243 for more information.

Equine

7/24 -25

Southeastern Pro Rodeo

Tamarian Farms, 4615 NW 110th Ave. 6-8pm Spectators welcome to watch mounted players engaged in the sport of kings. www.teamresolutepolo.com

Southeastern Livestock Pavilion, 2232 NE Jacksonville Rd. 7:30-10pm The heart-stopping, hoof-pounding excitement racing, riding, roping and wrestling—and the most dangerous eight seconds in sports: bull riding. www.ocalarodeo.com

ENTERTAINMENT CALENDAR

23

5pm & 8pm Orange Blossom Opry Showcase Orange Blossom Opry

24

6-9pm Harry O Hiatus Brewing Company

23

7:30-10:30pm Jeff Jarrett Pi on Broadway

25

2-6pm Conrad Marcum Eaton’s Beach Sandbar & Grill

24

5pm & 8pm Friday Night Live: Hits of the ‘90s Orange Blossom Opry

25

5pm & 8pm Iconic Women of the Grand Ole Opry Orange Blossom Opry

24

6-8pm Becky Sinn Ocala Downtown Square

25

6-9pm The Mudds Blues Band Hiatus Brewing Company

Marion County Public Hearing

McPherson Government Complex Auditorium, 601 SE 25th Ave. 10am Continuation of public hearing to consider an ordinance to amend chapter 5.5 of the county building code. Call (352) 4382400 for more information.

Belleview City Hall, 5343 SE Abshier Blvd., Belleview 6-8pm Call (352) 245-7021 for more information.

Polo Match

Office of the County Engineer, 412 SE 25th Ave. 9am The DRC votes on waiver requests, drainage/site plans, subdivision master plans, preliminary plats, improvement plans and final plats. Call (352) 671-8686 for more information.

McPherson Government Complex Auditorium, 601 SE 25th Ave. 9am Call (352) 438-2323 for more information.

Ocala City Hall, 110 SE Watula Ave. and online 5pm Email citycouncil@ocalafl.org to submit questions or get more information. Visit https://www.ocalafl.org/government/publicnotices to participate online via Zoom.

7/21

Marion County Development Review Committee

Marion County Board of Commissioners

Ocala City Hall, 110 SE Watula Avenue and online 4:45pm Call (352) 629-8401 more information. Visit https://zoom. us/j/446885807 to participate online.

Ocala City Council

Art in the Attic VIP Sip & Shop

Brick City Center for the Arts, 23 SW Broadway St. 5pm Get first pick of the art treasures at the VIP preview night before Marion Cultural Alliance’s annual artsy yard sale fundraiser. Call (352) 369-1500 for tickets.

McPherson Government Complex Auditorium, 601 SE 25th Ave. 2pm Call (352) 438-2600 for more information.

7/21

Broadway Under the Stars

Ocala Civic Theatre, 4337 E. Silver Springs Blvd.

8-9:30pm OCT debuts an intimate cabaret on the new outdoor stage.

Seating is limited at safely distanced tables of four on the patio around the stage and patrons may purchase outdoor concessions. www.ocalacivictheatre.com

Hospital District Office, 1121 SW First Ave. 12pm Call (352) 622-3662 for more information.

12

JULY 20 - JULY 26, 2020 | OCALA GAZETTE

[Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette] 2020.

Project Hope poised to expand accommodations to women and children in need of temporary shelter

By Bill Thompson Deputy Editor

K

ya was out of options.

Two years ago, the mother of three boys under age 10, including an infant, was fleeing a relationship with her sons’ father that she describes as “very abusive.” She had lost her job and her apartment and was forced to move in with her mother for eight months. That, however, couldn’t last. Her mom lived in a 55-plus community that forbade children as permanent residents.

Although Kya – the Gazette is using only her first name – did secure a new job, she still didn’t have a way to get there on her own, nor any prospects for a lasting home.

“I had nothing,” she recalled.

Eventually, she said, an internet search led her to Project Hope, an Ocala nonprofit started in 2007 to aid homeless women and children.

After waiting several months, Kya and her boys moved into a new apartment at Hope Villas, Project Hope’s 40-unit housing community in northeast Ocala, in March 2019.

“It just felt really good to have a place for me and my kids to go to, where we’re allowed to be there,” she said.

“We’re not in danger any more. That person that was in and out of my life that was

abusing me is not allowed to be there. It was a safe space for me and my kids.”

Over the next year Kya put her life back on firmer footing.

And her story is like some 200 other broken and troubled families that Project Hope has worked to restore over the past decade.

Now, the charity is poised to expand its services to their broadest point since its founding.

According to Executive Director April McDonald, 14 of Hope Villas 39 available units – one is used for the administrative headquarters – house current clients. Five more are being refurbished to help a handful of the 40 women now on Project Hope’s waiting list.

By the end of 2020, McDonald said, five additional units will open as existing tenants leave.

The remaining 15 apartments will continue to be rented by people from the community for the foreseeable future, McDonald said.

In time, though, the goal is to devote the entire campus to aiding women and kids seeking a new lease on life.

Hope Villas is not an emergency shelter. Instead it specifically gives women with children breathing space for up to a year to rebound from some traumatic situation where homelessness was a strong possibility.

During that time, they meet weekly with a case manager and take classes

on managing a home -- ficombination of sheltering “How wonderful that our nancial planning, parenting, and mentoring really helps community has a place like cooking, housekeeping. Yet young women in trouble get that.” they also are taught how to their lives back on track.

Dawn Westgate, executive manage themselves, with “It has come a long way, director of the Kimberly’s instruction on communicaand really keeps a populaCenter for Child Protection tion, taking responsibility, tion of people from being in Ocala, agreed that Project being accountable, showing homeless,” said Bryant.

Hope is a vital community gratitude and even perform“They put them in a asset. ing community service, by two-bedroom, two-bath fully “At Kimberly’s Center we periodically cleaning the furnished apartment. Who see how families can struggrounds around Hope Villas. does that?” Bryant said. gle after allegations of child The clients pay “pro“They’ve had quite a few abuse and domestic violence. gram fees” to live there. success stories Project Hope’s mission to The amount begins at $180 a month and moves along a sliding scale commensurate with their income. By month 11, though, they are expected to be paying market rate, about $720 a month.

“Sometimes these women come here with everything they own and their children in their car,” said McDonald, who has led Project Hope since April 2019.

“They can come in here and have done everything wrong, and we can help right it. Being a victim shouldn’t equate to living under a bridge.”

Monica Bryant, family violence prevention coordinator for the Marion County Children’s Alliance, said Project Hope’s Hope Villas, a development of Project Hope of Marion County, is shown on Northeast 28th Street in Ocala, Fla. on Monday, July 6, 2020. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette] 2020.

13

JULY 20 - JULY 26, 2020 | OCALA GAZETTE step in and provide housing and support services makes it possible for moms and kids to focus on the hard work of healing and self-sufficiency beyond their abuse,” Westgate said.

“We are blessed to have them in our community.”

McDonald said shelter and guidance are only parts of the equation. The third pivotal part of the effort to aid families is prayer.

The women attend weekly prayer sessions that include staff and often former clients to reinforce that something bigger than themselves is at work in their lives.

“When I drove on this property, I felt the protection of the Holy Spirit, like God telling me, ‘You’re home,’” McDonald said.

“We’re teaching them that prayer and your walk with

the Lord are not a cliché.”

Kya said that was a very important aspect of her involvement with Project Hope.

“It gives you that sense that ‘I’m important too’ and that there’s a reason for everything and that somebody in this world cares about me. And it gives you a strong sense of community, especially when you’re building faith and having faith in yourself that you can do this.”

“I was in a very abusive relationship, to the point that I had nothing left,” she added. “I was at a point in my life where sometimes I considered I didn’t want to go on. I didn’t grow up very religious, but it (Project Hope) gave a sense that good things will happen to me as a result of having a stronger faith.”

After being approved by Project Hope’s review board, each new client is welcomed into an apartment outfitted with new furniture and appliances, all donated by local supporters, that they can take with them, the foundation of a new start.

“We’re teaching them to be self-sufficient,” McDonald said. “They leave here with more in their heart and their truck.”

Being faith-based, Project Hope is ineligible for state or federal grants. And so it relies on the rent from the remaining non-client tenants as well as the generosity of contributors, individual and corporate, and an annual fundraiser, which this year, as it was in 2019, will be a clay-shooting event in Sumter County.

But the charity was given fiscal room to maneuver by

paying off its $1.5 million mortgage in December 2018.

McDonald acknowledges that not every case is a success. “Some do self-sabotage,” she said. Yet she thinks that many more have been helped – like the former client who had lived in more than 50 foster homes as a child – to find their place in life.

That goes for Project Hope itself. “We’re exactly where God wants us to be, on track with our strategic plan,” she said.

Kya got there, noting she was able to save up and have “substantial” savings when she and her boys ventured out on their own after she moved out of the program in May. “The biggest benefit to me was having that sense of security,” she said. “As a single mom, it was just me, and

so it was a sense that no one is going to let me fall from this. That protective bubble, that’s what they really give you, and especially as a single parent, you just need that ‘Here, I’m gonna catch you and I’m gonna hold you until you can stand up by yourself.’”

“They’re giving you that cradle,” she added, “but they’re also challenging you.”

And were it not for Project Hope, Kya, who works as a dispatcher for a logistics company, thinks she would still be in that same abusive situation.

“It was that breather that I needed to try to just pause my life for a little bit and have that safe community and have that reassurance that you’re going to be OK and get to the next level,” she said.

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JULY 20 - JULY 26, 2020 | OCALA GAZETTE

Arash Mashyari, a research scientist, right, talks about a robot with campers, Jett Green, 13, Jordan Schuster, 13, and Richard Barnes, 12, left to right, during the Summer 2020 Robotics Camp at the Florida Institute for Human & Machine Cognition (ihmc) in Ocala, Fla. on Tuesday, July 14, 2020. On Tuesday, campers were learning how to program their Lego robots to perform specific tasks.

[Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette] 2020.

Reformed robotics camp is underway

By Susan Smiley-Height Staff Writer

T

he football-size robot motored across the large square of carpet and nearly reached the edge before it abruptly turned and crashed into the straight line of obstacles in front of it.

No worries. The intrepid camper who was the brains behind the programming swiped up the robot and went off to tweak his calculations.

Welcome to the Institute for Human & Machine Cognition’s (IHMC) 2020 Robotics Summer Camp, where youthful inquisitiveness meets seasoned expertise.

IHMC, which is headquartered in Pensacola, has a campus in downtown Ocala. The organization

pioneers technologies aimed at leveraging and extending human capabilities. Among the many topics of research is robotics.

The summer camp, offered in both locations, offers middle school students the opportunity to learn about computer programming and robots. Campers work to master Lego Mindstorms challenges as they develop teamwork skills, confidence in problem solving and creativity. In Ocala, the camps were scheduled July 13-16 for rising 7th and 8th graders and July 27-30 for rising 8th and 9th graders.

As one might imagine, the pandemic altered the scope and scale of this year’s endeavor.

“Well, it’s quite a bit different in the times of COVID-19 than it has been in the past,” said Ursula M.

A camper works on programing their robot. [Bruce Ackerman/ Ocala Gazette] 2020.

Schwuttke, Ph.D., IHMC’s director of educational outreach. “We have a reduced attendance of 15 campers instead of 20 to allow for greater physical distancing.

Each camper has their own laptop, robot and charging station. In this past, those resources were shared.”

Schwuttke explained that, this year, there is a minimum of nine feet and, in some cases, as much as 11 feet, between camper work stations. The stations are color-coded so each group follows a different path through the building to get to their obstacle course to do their Ev3 robot challenges.

The campers, teachers and volunteers all were wearing masks.

“In the past, there was one giant obstacle course that was shared,” she noted.

“And there are color-cod-

ed arrows throughout the building so when going to lunch or snack or the restroom, not everybody is crowding down the same path.”

She said the campers are all Marion County students.

“Their goal for the week is to become exposed to Lego Mindstorms robots and how to program those robots. And it’s different from other kinds of computer programming where you are just writing a program on a computer because the robots have sensors and can take information from the external environment to do things like navigate obstacle courses,” she said. “It’s a very interactive, fun, type of programming because instead of your program working or not working, your robot either successfully completes the obstacle course or crash-

es into some obstacle that results in, often, loud cheering or other enthusiasm, or disappointment, depending on the result.”

She said the Ocala camp has been led by Gregory Cruz, a physics teacher at Vanguard High School, for the last eight years and that many of the students may become scientists or engineers.

“But regardless of the outlook and academic preferences, learning how to program teaches everyone more about logical thinking and de-bugging programs teaches everyone about perseverance and believing in oneself and one’s ability to complete a task that seems difficult,” Schwuttke added. “We’ve also offered the same format to Marion County teachers so they can learn Lego Mindstorms

Elizabeth Daubenmire, 13, works on programing her robot using a laptop. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette] 2020.

15

JULY 20 - JULY 26, 2020 | OCALA GAZETTE

“Learning how to program teaches everyone more about logical thinking and de-bugging programs teaches everyone about perseverance and believing in oneself and one’s ability to complete a task that seems difficult.”

-Ursula Schwuttke

Dr. Gregory Cruz, camp instructor, left, watches as camper David Kniedler, 12, operates his robot. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette] 2020.

curriculum and become familiar with the programming and offer it in their own classrooms. We’ve lent out robots to several schools for the school year. It’s paid for with the help of program sponsors.”

She said the sponsors include Lockheed Martin, Ocala Fiber Optic, CareerSource Citrus Levy Marion, Renasant Bank, Mid-FL Regional Manufacturers Association and Ocala Electric.

Development and Community Outreach Director Laurie Zink explained that an added bonus of the camp is that IHMC scientists, as well as other organizations, make guest appearances and interact with the students.

On Tuesday, IHMC researcher Arash Mahyari was there to be part of the program and have lunch with the campers.

“We take small groups so they can have tons of interaction time,” Zink said.

“They are able to ask questions about anything at all and it’s a great way for the kids to really relate and they can see that these scientists are real people and that they can be a scientist too.”

She said Ocala Fiber Network did a demonstration earlier in the week and that Lockheed Martin was slated for later in the session.

Sam Orr, a rising senior at Vanguard High School, attended camp in the past and this year served as a volunteer.

“We let them figure out the programming on their own but if they don’t understand it completely, we go in and help,” he offered.

Chloe Waldorf, a student at Howard Middle School, has a long-range goal of obtaining a degree in computer science or, perhaps, graphic design. She was a camper last summer.

“It’s fun and it teaches you how to use the program, how to build the robot,” she said. “If you came here and then went home, you could buy your own robot and do it yourself.”

And, in that regard, David Kniedler, also at Howard Middle, and a veteran of other camps, may have a leg up on his fellow campers.

“I wanted to learn more about the Ev3 robots since I’ve got one at home,” he said. “We can program it to do all sorts of stuff, like right now we’re trying to do a mission to push a bottle (plastic water bottle) and then return back to its place.

My robot is working very well because I actually know what to do.”

16

JULY 20 - JULY 26, 2020 | OCALA GAZETTE

OBS Sales

Photos from the first day of the Two-Year-Olds and Horses of Racing age sale at the Ocala Breeders’ Sales Company on Southwest 60th Avenue in Ocala, Fla. on Tuesday, July 14, 2020.

Thoroughbreds are shown to prospective buyers as they are led around the outside walking ring.

[Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette] 2020.

The bidding rises to $340,000 on hip 200, a dark bay or brown colt by Honor Code and consigned

by Dark Star Thoroughbreds (Stori Atchison) on the first day of the Two-Year-Olds and Horses of Racing age sale at the Ocala Breeders’ Sales Company on Southwest 60th Avenue in Ocala, Fla. on Tuesday, July 14, 2020. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette] 2020.

Hip 171, “Inertia,” a dark bay or brown filly by Brethren, is led around the outside walking ring by Raymond Torres of Arindel consignment agency. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette] 2020.

Dr. Greg Bonenclark of the Florida Equine Veterinary Association (FEVA), right, scopes Hip 211, a gray or roan colt by Liam’s Map, as Andrew Fernung, who works for Eddie Woods, left, assists him in the Eddie Woods barn area on the first day of the Two-Year-Olds and Horses of Racing age sale at the Ocala Breeders’ Sales Company on Southwest 60th Avenue in Ocala, Fla. on Tuesday, July 14, 2020. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette] 2020.

17

JULY 20 - JULY 26, 2020 | OCALA GAZETTE

CURRY CRAIG

for County Commission

LEADERSHIP • EXPERIENCE • DEDICATION

Craig’s Credentials: Proven Track Record • Mayor, City of Ocala • President, Ocala City Council • President, Marion County Chamber of Commerce • President, Fort King Heritage Association • Board Member/Vice President, Munroe Regional Medical Center • Chairman, Economic Development Council • President, Munroe Hospital Foundation • Board Member, Public Policy Institute • Advisory Board Member, Marion County Parks & Recreation • Advisory Board Member, SunTrust Bank • Board Member, Veterans Helping Veterans • Officer, United States Army • Former Deacon, First Baptist of Ocala

Craig’s Plan: Let us Get Back to Work!

• Pay our first responders a fair and competitive wage • Protect the horse farm preservation area • Launch a vigorous effort to remove trash from our roadsides • Reduce urban sprawl and preserve our quality of life • Protect our lakes, rivers and steams from pollution • Oppose toll-roads through our community • Operate with transparency and accountability • Work together to promote pride in our communities and faith in our leaders Paid by Craig Curry, Republican for County Commission.

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18

JULY 20 - JULY 26, 2020 | OCALA GAZETTE

Birthday party

© 2020 Australian Word Games Dist. by Creators Syndicate Inc.

Solution: 16 Letters

Annual Arrive Aunt Bake Balloon Bash Beer Bike Blow Books Brothers

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Hats Hostess Icing Leis Liqueur Merry Music Noise Overtired Party Peanuts

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Date: 7/20/20

Micanopy Fall Festival cancels its 2020 festival

O

n June 11, Micanopy Fall Festival, now in its 46th year posted the following cancelation message to their Facebook page: It is with heavy hearts that we announce the decision that the 46th Annual Micanopy Fall Festival will not be held this year. Our decision was not taken lightly and made only after careful consideration of the current realities and the desire of the Festival Committee to preserve the safety and welfare of our vendors, patrons, and

community during this uncertain time.

We maintain a positive perspective and are looking forward to welcoming you all back to the Fall Festival in 2021 to celebrate Micanopy’s Bicentennial!

We will continue to monitor recommendations from the CDC, state, and local officials over the coming year to provide the best possible experience.

Further information will be available in Spring 2021.

Thank you to all of our vendors for your patience as we undertook this difficult decision!

Courtesy of Micanopy Festival

JULY 20 - JULY 26, 2020 | OCALA GAZETTE

19

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JULY 20 - JULY 26, 2020 | OCALA GAZETTE

We encourage our readers to share their opinions through letters to the editor. All letters are subject to editing for clarity, length, taste and libel. Letters should contain the writer’s full name, address and phone number. Letters should be 200 words or less. To give as many readers as possible an opportunity, we publish only one letter every 30 days per writer.

Submit your letter to letters@ocalagazette.com.

Prevent further damage to our imperiled springs

By Robert L. Knight Guest Columnist

S

cience tells us that it has been about 4.5 billion years since the Earth cooled from a cloud of primordial gases. Earliest life appeared on this rocky planet sometime after the appearance of liquid water — about 3.5 billion years ago.

The first humans came into the picture less than 2 million years ago.

Earth has always had ups and downs – volcanoes, comet strikes, ice ages and extinctions. These cataclysmic events came and went, and each time nature established a new harmony and stability. Life on Earth was humming along just fine, as evidenced by millions of plant and animal species that were in balance, air not sullied by smog, and waterways and oceans free of plastic and other pollutants.

The first sign of people living in this land we call Florida was less than 30,000 years ago. For most of that time humans and their environment were compatible.

Less than 200 years ago, Florida entered the industrial age. This era, which placed environmental protection in direct conflict with the interests of profit, resulted in the widespread damage of our shared ecosystems. Within that mere instant of geologic time, old growth

forests were logged, natural wildlife food chains were eliminated and waterways were despoiled. How quickly life can change.

The last six months should be a wake-up call. In response to the proliferation of people worldwide, the simplest form of life – a virus – has infected millions and exposed the fragility of our society’s economic house of cards.

We are a product of our environment. We depend on clean air, water and food.

This year we are witnessing one of the dangers of our presumed dominance over life on Earth.

Cramming 22 million humans into Florida and bulldozing forest after forest for more and more homes and businesses is a Ponzi scheme that has an ugly ending. If, after this virus, we fail to hold ourselves and our leaders accountable, the next punishment could be worse.

It is gratifying that many Floridians are flocking to our area’s springs during this extended pandemic as a healthy release from their self-quarantine. Beaches are farther away and already overcrowded. But the further damage to our imperiled springs from being “loved to death” is an ongoing problem that is magnified by the COVID-19 crisis.

On Memorial Day weekend, private springs were choked with

partiers. However, Florida state parks responded to the COVID calamity by limiting capacity and amenities. The destruction to our springs was temporarily paused.

Nature has responded to this short respite by rebounding, as seen by the new growth of native vegetation along Gilchrist Blue’s spring run.

Can we take what we have witnessed and do more to save our springs, outside of a global pandemic?

All of the springs feeding the Santa Fe River are Outstanding Florida Waters, subject to the most protective water quality standards the Florida Legislature can convey. And yet, they remain vulnerable, unsupervised and largely unprotected. Lax enforcement of existing laws is one of the principal reasons why North Florida’s springs are dying.

Ironically, the springs we are drawn to as a necessary escape from our hectic lives, are being pumped to death, polluted to death and loved to death by us.

This year marks the 10th anniversary of the Howard T. Odum Florida Springs Institute.

Our privately funded, non-profit, educational and research institute has helped put the plight of Florida’s 1,000-plus natural artesian springs in the public’s consciousness, locally, nationally and worldwide. With the

public’s support we are committed to independently monitoring and calling for the protection of this cherished landscape.

Because of our springs, we have something really special. And yet, in a period of less than 50 years their clean, crystalline and gushing water has been severely diminished.

For the staff of the Florida Springs Institute, it has been a decade of presenting the scientific facts and figures, calculating their economic benefits and devising the management techniques needed to turn this problem around. We can only hope that the COVID-19 scare is enough to make us all more aware of our own vulnerability.

It’s taken 4.5 billion years to get us here — don’t you think it is time to get it right?

On behalf of over 70,000 educators in Central Florida Editor’s note: The following letter was signed

by Mark Avery, president of the Marion Education Association, the teachers union for Marion County, along with teacher union presidents from nine other Central Florida counties.

T

oday, over 70,000 educators, school leaders, and school employees in Florida’s I-4 corridor issue this joint message underscoring what parents, teachers, and health experts across the state and country are demanding -- schools must reopen safely. On Friday (July 8), the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), the National Education

Association (NEA), and the School Superintendents Associations (AASA) issued a joint statement affirming the value of in-person learning and committing to do everything they can to meet that goal, but calling for science and community circumstances to guide decision making and emphasizing the critical need for funding. Florida must put safety and science first.

As educators, we are charged with providing facts about matters that affect your children and their educational progress. We are compelled to inform you that there is no comprehensive plan from the State or our local leaders for safely reopening schools. Local leaders will get this right only if they prioritize safety and support of our exceptional

education programs, provide adequate resources, engage in thoughtful planning, and listen to health authorities and other stakeholders.

The State of Florida is getting it woefully wrong by impulsively and politically pushing local school boards to reopen schools.

As Florida experiences an alarming increase in COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations, and deaths, Florida’s Commissioner of Education issued an unfunded, tone-deaf executive order demanding that districts must open all brick and mortar schools.

A statewide order to reopen all schools without consideration of community spread and with no adequate preparation or planning, Continued on next page

Dr. Robert Knight is executive director of the Florida Springs Institute with offices in High Springs.

The Florida Springs Institute Press has just published “Death by a Thousand Cuts – An Anthology of Springs Opinions” available at: https://bit.ly/ springsopinions.

21

JULY 20 - JULY 26, 2020 | OCALA GAZETTE goes against the recommendation of health experts and the CDC. This reckless directive could endanger the health and lives of students, parents, family members at home, educators, and the community at large. Our schools are the backbone of our community and they must be treated as such.

A safe reopening consistent with health experts’ and CDC guidelines on physical distancing, sanitation, and use of Personal Protective Equipment requires increased funding and thoughtful planning. Prior to the pandemic, Florida’s school districts were already financially struggling after decades of underfunding. Teachers and parents have been forced to provide students with even the most basic supplies, like soap and tissues. We know that our schools do not have the resources for the necessary increase in custodians, teachers, physical space, buses, PPE, and hygiene and disinfectant products needed for a safe reopening. Likewise, there is undeniably not enough time in the next few weeks to accomplish the amount of planning that is essential for a safe reopening given the metrics of the COVID-19 surge. We hear numbers every day, but behind the numbers are real lives — deaths in our families, lifelong disability, months of rehabilitation, and scores of healthcare workers themselves getting sick.

While we know that face-to-face learning is optimal, we cannot support any plan that will expose students and teachers, and the families and communities they love, to illness or death. Academic challenges can be addressed — a lost life cannot.

Every educator wants to get back to inperson instruction as soon as it is safe to do so. Reopening schools prematurely and without the proper plan, resources, and safety precautions will only exacerbate the spread of the virus, jeopardize public health, and ultimately cause longer closures. We are confident that high-quality learning can continue through pedagogically sound online instruction that prioritizes student engagement and provides children and teachers with the tools and training for success.

Decisions must be made based on science, safety, compassion and common sense — not on political agendas. We are calling on our State and local leaders to work with health authorities, parents, and educators towards solutions that will protect our citizens and ensure that our students have the safest and best education we can offer during this crisis.

Letters to the Editor Please, please wear your masks

M

y wife and I are in our late 70s. Her Mom, who still lives on her own and for whom we are the caregivers, is 102. We are the faces of those who are at high risk for serious illness and death from Covid-19.

There are millions like us in Florida and across the country.

The vast majority of us do not live in nursing homes or other such facilities. To protect ourselves, we stay at home and only go out for emergencies.

We don’t want to transmit the virus to others and we don’t want others to infect us, so when we have to go to Publix or Walgreens for essential supplies,

Do we really need, need, need?

One of these days a vaccine will be discovered for this terrible virus. When we’re all safely vaccinated, will you go back to your normal active life?

Reliable data shows we lower-income people are two to three paychecks away from financial trouble, not enough in savings accounts, stocks or bonds. Soon rents or mortgages will be in arrears, bills not paid, cars repossessed!

May I suggest a reassessment? Let’s look at our finances on two levels: fixed expenses and normal habits. Credit cards are

convenient as long as they’re paid up each month. If you’re used to a latte each morning on the way to work, and eating lunch out, add up mentally gas for the car and those receipts for a month and … whoa! If you need a new car every two or three years, get car repair insurance instead.

Wealthier people will keep the businesses going, surely.

Don’t be suckered in by advertisements that want us to fell less than “with it” if we don’t need, need, need and buy, buy, buy!

—Gloria DeMartino, Ocala

we wear masks, social distance and disinfect our hands. These are the simplest of safety measures that everyone can easily take to protect others and themselves, hardly what one would call an inconvenience, certainly not matters of individual freedom or liberty.

But they are life-and-death issues to my wife, her mother and me. Yet, when I have to get groceries or meds, there are many customers who do not wear masks. They pose a danger to my family and me, but they simply don’t care.

Still worse is the purposeful fanning of the flames of the pandemic by our elected officials

at the federal, state and local level who have wasted months, refused to mandate masks and social distancing and to back it up with penalties. If the pandemic is a war, these officials have fled the battlefield. Even worse they conspire with the enemy to let the disease spiral out-of-control and then lie about what is happening and their role in it.

They are sacrificing us senior citizens and now they want to sacrifice our grandchildren and great grandchildren by requiring them to go back into classrooms when it is unsafe to do so. They should be pilloried!

—-Peter Bowers, Ocala

Answers for page 18

22

JULY 20 - JULY 26, 2020 | OCALA GAZETTE

Why Buying Local Matters

By Editorial Staff

G

iven the times we live in everyone is hungry for a common cause where we can, with very little dissention, come together to improve the lives of neighbors. Like us, you probably share in our town pride that naturally wells up when we describe to outsiders all the independently owned businesses that give our community its individual character. But all fuzzy feelings aside, is the Buy Local philosophy merely a drop in the bucket when you consider what contributes to a sound local economy? Just how important is it as our community recovers from the financial crisis related created by this COVID-19 pandemic?

First, let’s start by agreeing that it has been a very, very long time since any community could claim itself a closed economy.

Instead, our way of life depends on imported goods, ranging from food and fashion to electronics and vehicles from all over the world. We demand flowers, fruits and vegetables when we crave them, no matter the season. We want the hottest electronics at the lowest cost. Let’s face it, our need for immediate delivery of what we want when we want it has become

insatiable and, if we’re honest with ourselves, going on a diet from consumerism is unlikely.

That being acknowledged, is there some happy medium that could allow us to feel good about how our purchasing power impacts our local economy without costing us an arm and a leg or becoming too much of an inconvenience?

Show Me the Money Buy Local efforts can definitely impact a local economy for the good.

• Research shows that locally owned businesses generate two to three times more local economic activity than outside corporately owned stores. If each shopper in a moderately sized community would simply purchase one out of 10 comparably priced items that they normally purchase from big box chain stores from an independent local business instead, tens or possibly hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue would be infused into the local economy annually.

• A study performed by the independent research group Civic Economics proves that this type of investment pays off big. Their

research shows that for every dollar you spend in a locally owned, independent business, on average, 48 cents is recirculated locally. That’s almost 50 percent of every single dollar spent on every item you purchase, and that’s quite a return on any investment. These numbers are similar for all lines of goods, including electronics; entertainment; sporting goods and toys; apparel and accessories; home furnishings and décor; and consumables and commodities.

“There’s no doubt about it, money that you spend at an independent, locally owned business helps produce a stronger local economy,” says Dave Lanzilla, associate professor of business and technology at the College of Central Florida. He adds that the money “is returned in many different ways.”

Five ways money is recirculated into the local economy when you make a purchase: 1. Profits paid to business owners and investors 2. Wages paid to local employees 3. Goods procured from other local businesses, both for resale and for internal use

Returns to the Independent Businesses

Source: www.amiba.net/resources/multiplier-effect/

The American Independent Business Alliance (AMIBA) states that buying local affects the area’s economy through direct economic impact in the form of inventory, utilities, equipment and wages; indirect impact when profits earned are spent at other local businesses; and induced impact when employees, business owners and others who receive money from the local business spend their money locally.

The alliance states that if local residents want to have access to a strong, thriving local business community, then it is imperative that they provide economic support by shopping locally.

Businesses Helping Businesses When you buy a product locally, it not only helps the business you’re buying from at the time, it also helps all the local businesses that provide goods and services to that business. Many towns form Independent Business Alliances (IBAs) in an effort to bring local businesses together for the mutual benefit of all

involved…including the shopper.

Kevin Sheilley, president and CEO of the Ocala/ Marion Chamber and Economic Partnership, says that the CEP “encourages local businesses to do business with other local businesses, so they can all grow together.”

“Through our business retention program, we help, on average, 60 new businesses per year establish successful local businessto-business relationships,” Sheilley says. “When local businesses contact us and ask us to help find a local vendor that will meet their needs, we’re ready and able to do so. Just the fact that 60 new businesses each year ask us to find local vendors to provide their needed goods goes to show that this type of cooperation is definitely cost effective and it works.”

These symbiotic business relationships not only help small local businesses compete against larger chain stores, they also help push down product prices for the consumer.

The Dark Side of Chains and Online Shopping Researchers say that not only does it help the local economy when you buy from local independent businesses, it actually hurts the local economy when you buy from area chain stores

Local Economy Chain Retailers

13.6% Total Returns Labor

25.2% Profit and Labor

5.7% Procurement for Internal Use 14.3% Procurement for Resale 3% Charitable Giving

4. Services procured from local providers such as attorneys and accountants 5. Charitable donations to local nonprofits

23

JULY 20 - JULY 26, 2020 | OCALA GAZETTE

For every dollar you spend in a locally owned, independent business, on average, 48 cents is recirculated locally. That’s almost 50% of every single dollar spent on every item you purchase.

here in Ocala and Marion County is going to other states and countries.”

The American Independent Business Alliance agrees, stating that online sales grossly undermine local economies.

Shoppers, looking to purchase goods at lower prices, have been turning to the internet in an effort to save money. Many times, the reason those goods are selling for lower prices is because many online companies don’t pay sales tax to the State of Florida.

If an online company, such as Amazon, has a physical presence in Florida, then they are required to charge customers sales tax and remit it to the state.

However, third-party companies selling through businesses such as Amazon (companies that don’t have a physical presence in the state) aren’t required to do so.

Economists calculate that the state could be losing as much as $500 million per year in lost sales tax. When you consider the fact that sales tax makes up almost 60 percent of the state’s general revenue fund, it’s easy to see how failing to pay sales tax hurts both local and state economies.

Most Floridians are unaware that all state residents are subject to what is called a “use tax.”

This law states that each of us should file a Form DR15MO and remit 6 percent sales tax to the state for any item we purchase online from a seller who doesn’t collect tax or who collects tax at a rate less than the state rate during a sale.

Retail advocates point out that if every Floridian went through the process of filing the form and remitting the sales tax payment to the state every time they made an online purchase, then

online sales might not be quite as popular.

How profoundly do online sales hurt local economies? Research by Civic Economics shows that in 2018, Amazon and its third-party sellers displaced 62,000 shops and 900,000 retail jobs nationwide while costing states between $5.5 and $7 billion in lost sales tax.

The Bottom Line in Shopping Local Research proves that buying from locally owned businesses as much as practical is the wise thing to do.

The obvious benefit to each of us individually adopting this mindset is that money kept locally has an opportunity to flow back to us in various ways through commerce. But most importantly, it’s the civic thing to do -- particularly in a time of crisis. Even if a product costs a few cents

more when bought from a locally owned retailer, we should consider every purchase an investment in our community, neighbors, friends and our future. Buy local, buy smart and give back where it really counts.

Why shop local?

A single purchase can benefit multiple businesses.

It creates jobs.

You help create new businesses and expand existing ones.

Local businesses return three times more money per dollar to the local economy than chain stores.

It makes for a more stable local economy in adverse economic times.

Returns and refunds are simple Local merchants focus on the specific needs of the community.

Prime Numbers

Amazon & American Communities 900,000

$5.5-7.0 Billion

Shops Displaced

Retail Jobs Displaced

Sales Taxes Unpaid

IN 2018:

62,000

(State & Local)

Sources: www.civiceconomics.com: The Multiplier Effect of Local Independent Businesses; www.amiba.net/resources/multiplier-effect/: Prime Numbers; www.civiceconomics.com/primenumbers.html: Thinking Outside the Box; http://nebula.wsimg.com/ (February 2019)

or from online sources.

Studies show that chain stores recirculate on average only 16 cents of each dollar in revenue into the local economy and that is almost exclusively through wages paid to local workers. That’s one-third of what local independent retailers contribute. Chain store profits go back to the company’s headquarters in another state or country; they rarely, if ever, buy goods from local sources; service providers are almost always found near the corporate headquarters; and chains rarely donate to local charities. Money spent at chain stores is literally money being sucked out of the local economy.

“Retail supercenters like Walmart and Target and online retail sales definitely take away business from smaller local stores,” Lanzilla explains. “Money that would have been spent

ocalagazette.com

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Finance With

0% APR

Buy for is with $0 down deposit. All pricing is plus tax, tag, title, $899 dealer fee and are before any dealer installed options. Pricing includes all variable manufacturer incentives. Photos are for illustration purposes only. Advertised vehicles subject to prior sale. Programs subject to change without notice. †$3,603 due at lease signing. Must finance through Hyundai Motor Finances. Programs apply to new vehicle purchases. See dealer for complete details. 700+ Beacon Score 10K/Year. Offer expires 7/31/20.

Lease For Only

36 months $199/mo. For $3,496 Down †

Buy For Only

Retail Bonus Cash $18,421 -$2,000 -$699 Dealer Discount MSRP 21,120

Finance With

2.9% APR

Buy for is with $0 down deposit. All pricing is plus tax, tag, title, $899 dealer fee and are before any dealer installed options.

Pricing includes all variable manufacturer incentives. Photos are for illustration purposes only. Advertised vehicles subject to prior sale. Programs subject to change without notice. †$3,496 due at lease signing. Must finance through Hyundai Motor Finances. Programs apply to new vehicle purchases. See dealer for complete details. 700+ Beacon Score 10K/Year.

Offer expires 7/31/20.

(1) No Money Down and No Payments for 3 Months! Available on any most new Hyundai models purchased, with approved credit through Hyundai Capital.. Payments deferred for 90 days. Interest accrues from date of sale. Some offers cannot be combined. Expire 7/6/2020. See dealer for details. (2) 0% APR financing for 72 Months Example: 0% for 72 months available on new 2020 Tucson models. $0 Money Down required. $11.90 in monthly payments per $1,000 financed. Interest accrues from date of sale. All offers with approved credit thru Hyundai Motors Finance. See dealer for details. Expires 7/31/2020. (3) While supplies last, only one umbrella per household.